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Patients & Consumers Conditions En Español Find an Allergist / Immunologist Just for Kids New Research Parent Resources Pollen Levels Publications Request a Speaker School Tools Seniors The Virtual Allergist™ Treatments Donate Now Search by Condition (A-Z) Search by Topic Allergy & Asthma Issues Educational Brochures Elements of Allergy and Asthma Order Public Education Materials Allergy Shots Drug Guide Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT)		JACI Highlights - March 2009 Exposure to petrochemical pollution increases asthma and respiratory symptoms in children Fernando A. Wichmann, MD, Andrea Müller, Luciano E. Busi, Natalia Cianni, Laura Massolo, Uwe Schlink, Andres Porta, PhD, Peter David Sly, MBBS, MD, DSc, FRACP Common sense and statistics show associations between levels of air pollutants and respiratory outcomes. The authors of this study, published in the March 2009 issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, sought to determine the effects of exposure to petrochemical pollution on the respiratory health of children. They compared children living close to the petrochemical plants in La Plata, Argentina, with those living in a La Plata inner urban region with exposure to heavy traffic, and relatively non-polluted residential and semi-rural areas. Previous studies have shown that regions next to petrochemical plants have higher levels of particulate matter, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds (hexane, cycloalkane and aromatic compounds, such as benzene, toluene and xylenes) than other parts of the city. However, the researchers found that the children in this study who lived in the inner-city area were exposed to similar particulate levels as those living in the industrial area near petrochemical plants. But, it was exposure to particulate matter and volatile organic compounds arising from petrochemical plants, and not from the areas of high traffic density, that was associated with worse respiratory health in children. The authors suggest that it is not simply a matter of the amount of particulate exposure that is important but that the source of the particles may also be important. Children living near the petrochemical plant showed lower lung function, a higher prevalence of asthma, more asthma exacerbations and more respiratory symptoms. Common sense might suggest that, unfortunately, asthma won’t be their only problem.   <back>
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