Table 2

24 Hour means (SDs) for air pollutants (μg/m3 except PM10 - ppb) and daily incidence of wheezy cases and controls

Spring Summer Autumn Winter All seasons
Pollutant
 Ozone46.3  (16.7)*** 40.6  (13.3)*** 22.0  (15.4)22.3  (15.9)32.7  (18.8)
 SO2 13.6 (11.5)*** 14.7 (14.3)*** 14.7 (13.4)27.7 (24.3)17.7 (17.5)
 NO2 41.7 (19.1)2-150 37.8 (14.4)*** 46.0 (17.6)*** 48.7 (17.4)43.6 (17.6)
 PM10 23.5 (11.6)*** 23.8 (10.8)*** 19.7 (10.7)*** 32.2 (20.1)24.9 (14.6)
 Benzene2.54 (1.24)2-160 2.59 (1.33)5.08 (4.22)4.08 (2.56)3.57 (2.83)
 1,3-Butadiene0.86 (0.55)2-160 1.02 (0.74)1.82 (2.01)1.33 (1.34)1.26 (1.34)
 cis-2-Butene0.19 (0.09)0.22 (0.10)0.47 (0.46)2-160 0.31 (0.30)0.30 (0.30)
 n-Butane6.12 (3.71)6.39 (3.57)13.00 (11.65)2-160 9.14 (7.53)8.65 (7.85)
 tr-2-Butene0.40 (0.13)0.43 (0.16)0.77 (0.64)2-160 0.54 (0.42)0.53 (0.42)
 Ethene5.27 (2.66)*** 5.49 (2.82)*** 11.68 (10.00)10.80 (7.58)8.29 (7.16)
 Ethylbenzene1.36 (0.67)2-150 1.44 (0.76)3.18 (2.85)2-160 2.17 (1.63)2.06 (1.89)
 Ethyne3.48 (1.92)2-160 3.18 (1.66)*** 7.08 (6.24)5.63 (2.68)4.82 (3.94)
 n-Heptane0.30 (0.15)*** 0.30 (0.15)*** 0.63 (0.55)0.52 (0.37)0.44 (0.37)
 n-Hexane0.69 (0.47)2-160 0.76 (0.44)2-160 1.23 (1.04)1.11 (0.85)0.94 (0.77)
 m+p-Xylene3.36 (1.74)2-150 3.62 (2.02)8.07 (7.31)*** 5.29 (4.22)5.14 (4.86)
 o-Xylene1.38 (0.74)2-150 1.31 (0.64)2-150 3.20 (2.99)2-160 2.23 (1.71)2.06 (1.95)
 cis-2-Pentene0.14 (0.07)0.17 (0.99)0.38 (0.20)*** 0.22 (0.20)0.22 (0.23)
 iso-Pentane6.59 (3.94)7.67 (4.27)11.93 (10.86)*** 7.56 (7.30)8.44 (7.41)
 trans-2-Pentene0.23 (0.13)0.32 (0.19)0.69 (0.66)*** 0.40 (0.38)0.41 (0.43)
 me-Pentane2.70 (1.47)2-150 2.93 (1.58)5.47 (5.17)2-150 4.12 (3.56)3.80 (3.48)
 n-Pentane1.32 (0.77)2-150 1.58 (0.91)2.61 (2.19)2-160 1.79 (1.35)1.82 (1.49)
 Toluene6.37 (3.27)2-150 6.92 (3.57)14.00 (12.63)2-160 9.76 (7.99)9.26 (8.39)
 Ethane5.15 (2.24)*** 3.83 (1.76)*** 6.69 (5.14)7.88 (3.54)5.88 (3.74)
 Propane2.36 (1.31)*** 1.95 (0.99)*** 4.02 (3.13)4.58 (2.27)3.22 (2.36)
 Isoprene0.26 (0.20)0.60 (0.31)*** 0.48 (0.41)2-160 0.30 (0.26)0.41 (0.33)
 Average HC2.45 (1.19)2-150 2.40 (1.13)2-150 5.05 (4.25)2-150 3.75 (2.60)3.47 (2.86)
Incidence:
 All cases3.2 (1.9)2-160 3.2 (2.8)2-160 5.1 (2.7)4.5 (2.5)4.0 (2.6)
 Cases <2 years2.0 (1.0)*** 0.8 (1.1)*** 2.3 (1.8)2.0 (1.7)1.6 (1.6)
 Cases >2 years2.1 (1.5)2.3 (2.2)2.8 (1.8)2.5 (1.9)2.4 (1.9)
 All controls63.5 (9.8)*** 59.5 (10.1)56.8 (9.9)56.5 (9.2)59.1 (10.1)
  • 2-150 p<0.05;

  • 2-160 p<0.01;***p<0.001 vwinter season.

  • SO2=sulphur dioxide; NO2=nitrogen dioxide; PM10=small particulates with diameter <10 μm; Average HC=average of all 21 hydrocarbons.