Respiratory health and individual estimated exposure to traffic-related air pollutants in a cohort of young children

Verena Morgenstern ¹, Anne Zutavern ¹, Josef Cyrys ¹, Inken Brockow ², Ulrike Gehring ³, Sibylle Koletzko ⁴, Carl-Peter Bauer ⁵, Dietrich Reinhardt ⁴, Heinz-Erich Wichmann ¹ and Joachim Heinrich ^1*

¹ GSF - National Research Center for Environment and Health, Germany
² Kinderklinik und Poliklinik der TU München, Munich, Germany
³ Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands
⁴ Dr. von Hauner'sches Kinderspital, Germany
⁵ Kinderklinik und Poliklinik der TU München, Germany

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: joachim.heinrich{at}gsf.de.

Accepted 4 August 2006

Abstract

Abstract A combination of air pollution measurement data, data of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and questionnaire data are used to estimate long-term exposure to traffic related air pollutants on an individual base and to assess adverse health effects. Forty measurement sites within the city of Munich were selected to collect particles with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 2.5µm (PM2.5), PM2.5 absorbance, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). A pool of GIS variables (information about street length, household and population density, and land use) was collected for the Munich metropolitan area and was used in multiple linear regression models to predict traffic related air pollutants. These models were finally applied to the birth addresses of two birth cohorts (GINI/LISA) in Munich metropolitan area. Associations between air pollution concentrations at birth address and 1- and 2-year incidences of respiratory symptoms were analysed. We obtained the following means for the estimated exposures to PM2.5, PM2.5 absorbance, and NO2: 12.8 µg/m3, 1.7x10-5 m-1, and 35.3 µg/m3. Adjusted odds ratios for wheezing, cough without infection, dry cough at night, bronchial asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory infections indicated positive associations with traffic-related air pollutants. After controlling for individual confounders, statistically significant associations were found between the pollutant PM2.5 and sneezing, runny/stuffed nose during the 1st year of life (odds ratio (95% confidence interval)): 1.16 (1.01; 1.34),. We observed similar effects for the second year of life. These findings are similar to those from our previous analysis that were restricted to a sub-cohort in Munich City. The extended study showed also significant effects for sneezing, running/stuffed nose. Additionally, statistically significant associations were found between NO2 and dry cough at night respectively bronchitis during the first year of life. The variable living close to major roads (< 50m), which was not analysed for the previous inner city cohort with birth addresses within the city of Munich, turned out to increase the risk of wheezing and asthmoid/spastic/obstructive bronchitis. Effects on asthma and hay fever are subject to confirmation at older ages, when these outcomes can be more validly assessed.

Keywords: Exposure assessment, GIS, air pollution, infants, traffic

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