BALTIMORE, Feb 20, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. researchers say they have
found an association between increasing levels of indoor air pollution and the
severity of asthma symptoms among children.
The researchers tracked 150 asthmatic children in Baltimore ages 2 to 6 for six
months. Environmental monitoring equipment was used to measure the air in the
child's bedroom for over three three-day intervals. Air measurements were taken
at the beginning of the study, after 3 months and again after 6 months.
Ninety-one percent of the children who participated in the study were
African-American, from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and spent most of their
time indoors.
"We found that substantial increases in asthma symptoms were associated both
with higher indoor concentrations of fine particles and with higher indoor
concentrations of coarse particles," lead author Dr. Meredith C. McCormack said
in a statement.
Particulate matter is an airborne mixture of solid particles and liquid
droplets. The solid particles come in numerous shapes and sizes and may be
composed of different chemical components. Fine particles measure 2.5 microns or
less in size -- approximately 1/30th the diameter of a human hair -- and can
penetrate deep into the body's respiratory system, the study said.
The findings are published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
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