Yonsei Med J.  2005 Apr;46(2):239-244. 10.3349/ymj.2005.46.2.239.

Effects of Air Pollutants on Childhood Asthma

• Kim JH
• Kim JK
• Son BK
• Oh JE
• Lim DH
• Lee KH
• Hong YC
• Cho SI

• KMID: 1734050
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2005.46.2.239

Abstract

Epidemiologic studies have suggested the association between environmental exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the increased risk of incurring asthma. Yet there is little data regarding the relationship between personal exposure to air pollution and the incidence of asthma in children. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of exposure to air pollution on children with asthma by using exposure biomarkers. We assessed the exposure level to VOCs by measuring urinary concentrations of hippuric acid and muconic acid, and PAHs by 1-OH pyrene and 2-naphthol in 30 children with asthma and 30 children without asthma (control). The mean level of hippuric acid was 0.158+/-0.169micromol/mol creatinine in the asthma group and 0.148+/-0.249micromol/mol creatinine in the control group, with no statistical significance noted (p=0.30). The mean concentration of muconic acid was higher in the asthma group than in the control group (7.630+/-8.915micromol/mol creatinine vs. 3.390+/-4.526micromol/mol creatinine p=0.01). The mean level of urinary 1-OHP was higher in the asthma group (0.430+/-0.343micromol/mol creatinine) than the control group (0.239+/-0.175micromol/mol creatinine), which was statistically significant (p=0.03). There was no difference in the mean concentration of 2-NAP between the two groups (9.864+/-10.037micromol/mol in the asthma group vs. 9.157+/-9.640micromol/mol in the control group, p=0.96). In conclusion, this study suggests that VOCs and PAHs have some role in asthma.

Keyword

VOCs; PAHs; asthma

MeSH Terms

Air Pollutants/*pharmacology
Asthma/*physiopathology/urine
Case-Control Studies
Child, Preschool
Creatinine/urine
Female
Hippurates/urine
Humans
Male
Naphthols/urine
Organic Chemicals/chemistry/*pharmacology
Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic/*pharmacology
Pyrenes/metabolism
Sorbic Acid/*analogs & derivatives/metabolism
Volatilization

Reference

1. Pyun BY. New point of view in guidelines of pediatric asthma 2003. Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis (Korea). 2003. 13:Suppl 1. S27.

2. Ware JH, Spengler JD, Neas LM, Samet JM, Wagner GR, Coultas D, et al. Respiratory and irritant health effects of ambient volatile organic compounds. The Kanawha County Health Study. Am J Epidemiol. 1993. 137:1287–1301.

3. Pappas GP, Herbert RJ, Henderson W, Koenig J, Stover B, Barnhart S. The respiratory effects of volatile organic compounds. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2000. 6:1–8.

4. Delfino RJ. Epidemiologic evidence for asthma and exposure to air toxics: Linkages between occupational, indoor, and community air pollution research. Environ Health Perspect. 2002. 110:Suppl 4. 573–589.

5. Cok I, Dagdelen A, Gokce E. Determination of urinary hippuric acid and o-cresol levels as biological indicators of toluene exposure in shoe-workers and glue sniffers. Biomarkers. 2003. 8:119–127.

6. Wiwanitkit V, Suwansaksri J, Srita S, Fongsoongnern A. High levels of hippuric acid in the urine of Thai press workers. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2002. 33:624–627.

7. Cocco P, Tocco MG, Ibba A, Scano L, Ennas MG, Flore C, et al. trans,trans-Muconic acid excretion in relation to environmental exposure to benzene. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2003. 76:456–460.

8. Heminki K, Dickey C, Karlsson S, Bell D, Hsu Y, Tsai WY, et al. Aromatic DNA adducts in foundry workers in relation to exposure, life style and CYP1A1 and glutathione trasferase M1 genotype. Carcinogenesis. 1997. 18:345–350.

9. Kim H, Cho SH, Kang JW, Kim YD, Nam HM, Lee CH, et al. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene and 2-naphthol concentrations in male Koreans. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2001. 74:59–62.

10. Lee BL, New AL, Kok PW, Ong HY, Shi CY, Ong CN. Urinary trans,trans-muconic acid determined by liquid chromatography: application in biological monitoring of benzene exposure. Clin Chem. 1993. 39:1788–1792.

11. Rauscher D, Popp W, Muller G, Angerer J, Norpoth K. Concentrations of benzene in blood and S-phenylmercapturic and t,t-muconic acid in urine in car mechanics. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1994. 66:1–6.

12. Jongeneelen FJ, Anzion RBM, Henderson PT. Determination of hydroxylated metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urine. J Chromatogr. 1987. 413:227–232.

13. Kim H, Kim YD, Lee H, Kawamoto T, Yang M, Katoh T. Assay of 2-naphthol in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl. 1999. 734:211–217.

14. Saieva C, Tumino R, Masala G, Frasca G, Salvini S, Giurdanella MC, et al. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene and t, t-muconic acid as biomarkers of exposure to environmental pollutants in two areas in Italy (EPIC-Florence and Ragusa). Tumori. 2003. 89:679–686.

15. Samet JM, Marnury MC, Spengler JD. Health effects and sources of indoor air pollution. Part II. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1988. 137:221–242.

16. Strachan DP, Cook DG. Health effects of passive smoking: Parental smoking and childhood asthma: longitudinal and case-control studies. Thorax. 1998. 53:204–212.

17. Schwartz J, Timonen KL, Pekkanen J. Respiratory effects of environmental tobacco smoke in a panel study of asthmatic and symptomatic children. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000. 161:802–806.

18. Wieslander G, Norback D, Bjornsson E, Janson C, Boman G. Asthma and the indoor environment: the significance of emission of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds from newly painted surfaces. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1997. 69:115–124.

19. Smedje G, Norback D, Edling C. Asthma among secondary school children in relation to the school environment. Clin Exp Allergy. 1997. 27:1270–1278.

20. Molhave L, Bach B, Peterson F. Human reaction to low concentrations of volatile organic compounds. Environ Int. 1986. 12:167–175.

21. Meggs WJ. Neurogenic inflammation and sensitivity to environmental chemicals. Environ Health Perspect. 1993. 101:234–238.

22. American Thoracic Society Workshop. Immunobiology of asthma and rhinitis. Pathogenic factors and therapeutic options. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1999. 160(5 part 1):1778–1787.

23. Diaz-Sanchez D. The role of diesel exhaust particles and their associated polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the induction of allergic airway disease. Allergy. 1997. 52:Suppl. 52–58.

24. Ma JY, Ma JK. The dual effect of the particulate and organic components of diesel exhaust particles on the alteration of pulmonary immune/inflammatory responses and metabolic enzymes. J Environ Sci Health C Environ Carcinog Ecotoxicol Rev. 2002. 20:117–147.

25. Nel AE, Diaz-Sanchez D, Ng D, Hiura T, Saxon A. Enhancement of allergic inflammation by the interaction between diesel exhaust particles and the immune system. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1998. 102:539–554.