Dataset Information

Personal Exposure to Black Carbon at School and Levels of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide in New York City.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Schools are often located near traffic sources, leading to high levels of exposure to traffic-related air pollutants, including black carbon (BC). Thus, the school environment could play in a significant role in the adverse respiratory health of children.

Objectives

Our objective was to determine associations between personal BC levels at school and airway inflammation [i.e., fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO)] in school-age children. We hypothesized that higher school BC (SBC) would be associated with higher FeNO.

Methods

Children 9-14 years of age in New York City (NYC) (n=114) wore BC monitors for two 24-h periods over a 6-d sampling period, repeated 6 months later. SBC was defined as the average personal BC concentrations measured during NYC school hours (i.e., 0830-1430 hours). FeNO was measured following each 24-h BC monitoring period. Multivariable linear regression in generalized estimating equation models were used to examine associations between SBC and FeNO. Results are presented as percentage difference (PD) in FeNO.

Results

Personal BC at school was associated with higher FeNO (PD=7.47% higher FeNO per 1-μg/m3 BC (95% CI: 1.31, 13.9), p=0.02]. Compared with BC exposure during school, a smaller PD in FeNO was observed in association with BC exposure while commuting to and from school [PD=6.82% (95% CI: 0.70, 13.3), p=0.03]. Personal BC in non-school environments and residential BC were not associated with FeNO (p>0.05). A significant association between personal BC at school and FeNO was observed among children with seroatopy who did not have asthma [PD=21.5% (95% CI: 4.81, 40.9), p=0.01].

Discussion

Schools may be important sources of BC exposure that contribute to airway inflammation in school-age children. Our results provide rationale for interventions that target improved air quality in urban schools and classrooms. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8985.

SUBMITTER: Jung KH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8425518 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ObjectiveAirway inflammation plays an important role in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); exhaled nitric oxide is regarded as a noninvasive marker of airway inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and nasal nitric oxide (nNO) in patients with OSA.MethodsSeventy-five patients with OSA and 30 health controls were enrolled in this study. FeNO and nNO were measured before and after sleep. Nasal lavage was performed in 31 non-smoking individuals immediately after NO measurement in the morning. The sample of nasal lavage was taken for cell classification and analyzing interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 8 (IL-8).ResultsBoth FeNO and nNO were significantly higher in OSA (before sleep FeNO 21.08 ± 8.79 ppb vs.16.90 ± 6.86 ppb, p = 0.022; after sleep FeNO 25.57 ± 15.58 ppb vs.18.07 ± 6.25 ppb, p = 0.003; before sleep nNO 487.03 ± 115.83 ppb vs. 413.37 ± 73.10 ppb, p = 0.001; after sleep nNO 550.07 ± 130.24 ppb vs. 460.43 ± 109.77 ppb, p < 0.001). Furthermore, in non-smoking OSA, nNO levels were positively correlated with apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and average decrease of pulse arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2); after sleep, nNO was also positively associated to recording time with SpO2 < 90% and negatively associated to minimum SpO2. Both before and after sleep nNO levels were positively correlated with the percentage of neutrophils in nasal lavage (r = 0.528, p = 0.014; r = 0.702, p < 0.001, respectively). Additionally, before sleep nNO was also positively associated with IL-6 (r = 0.586, p = 0.005) and IL-8 (r = 0.520, p = 0.016) concentration.ConclusionThis study sustains the presence of airway inflammation in OSA patients with the increase of FeNO and nNO. The data suggests nNO might have greater value than FeNO since it positively correlated with OSA severity, and nNO is a potential bio-marker of nasal inflammation in non-smoking OSA patients.

Project description:Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a non-invasive biomarker of respiratory tract inflammation, originally designated to identify eosinophilic airway inflammation and to predict steroid response. The main field of application of this biomarker is asthma, but FeNO has also been used for other allergic and non-allergic pulmonary disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and interstitial lung disease. A substantial part of respiratory diseases are related to work, and FeNO, a safe and easy measure to conduct, is a potential valid examination in an occupational setting.This systematic review assesses the value of measuring FeNO related to three types of airborne exposures: allergens, irritants, and respiratory particles inhaled during occupational activities. The review covers results from longitudinal and observational clinical studies, and highlights the added value of this biomarker in monitoring effects of exposure and in the diagnostic criteria of occupational diseases. This review also covers the possible significance of FeNO as an indicator of the efficacy of interventions to prevent work-related respiratory diseases.Initially, 246 articles were identified in PUBMED and SCOPUS. Duplicates and articles which covered results from the general population, symptoms (not disease) related to work, non-occupational diseases, and case reports were excluded. Finally, 39 articles contributed to this review, which led to the following conclusions:a) For occupational asthma there is no consensus on the significant value of FeNO for diagnosis, or on the magnitude of change needed after specific inhalation test or occupational exposure at the workplace. There is some consensus for the optimal time to measure FeNO after exposure, mainly after 24 h, and FeNO proved to be more sensitive than spirometry in measuring the result of an intervention. b) For other occupational obstructive respiratory diseases, current data suggests performing the measurement after the work shift. c) For interstitial lung disease, the evaluation of the alveolar component of NO is probably the most suitable.