NEISA Publications

Lambert, T., C.P. Wake, and R.S. Woodward (2005) The Relationship Between Lung Function and Air Quality During Summer 2004 in New England. Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, 5-9 April.

Abstract

Although many studies have shown air quality to cause a hierarchy of human health effects ranging from premature mortality to coughing and wheezing, many questions still remain. The threshold, if any, at which adverse health effects begin to occur, and what species or combination of species is responsible for these adverse health effects, have yet to be determined definitively. To address these questions we assembled a high spatial and temporal resolution database which includes twice daily spirometry measurements and daily health symptom and behavior questionnaires from approximately 400 individuals across New England for three months during the summer of 2004. These measurements were taken simultaneously with the largest air quality measurement campaign conducted to date, the NOAA led ICARTT campaign. Atmospheric variables include criteria pollutants, particulates, weather, pollen, mold, and air toxics. Sample populations for the pulmonary function and symptom diaries include many subgroups such as poor and minority children, the elderly, asthmatics, smokers, hospital employees, and the healthy work force. These populations occurred over a wide range of air-quality conditions. Preliminary data suggest decreased pulmonary function occur at the end of the summer, which may indicate that elevated fall respiratory hospitalizations are driven by acute losses in lung function. In addition, one-to-three day air pollution events also result in reductions in pulmonary function. Our combined air quality, weather, and aero-allergen database allows us to determine the environmental factors that control the respiratory health of New England citizens during summer 2004.