Nitrogen dioxide is known as a deep lung irritant. The aim of this study was to find out whether the relatively low ambient air NO2 concentrations in the northern city of Helsinki had an impact on the respiratory health of children. The association between personal exposure to ambient air NO2 and respiratory health was investigated in a 13-week follow-up study among 163 preschool children aged ...

  Background :Despite the presence of many textile and dyeing plants in Iran, we couldn’t find similar studies in this country. Forthermore, considering progress in the dyeing process and engineering controls, assessment of respiratory system is important for these workers. The present study was performed to evaluate the respiratory system in dyeing workers.   Methods : In a cross-sectional stu...

The domestic combustion of fossil fuels, especially the use of unvented gas appliances such as gas stoves, produces high indoor concentrations of several agents potentially harmful to health [1, 2]. Some [3–8] but not all [9, 10] studies have reported increased respiratory symptoms suggestive of either increased respiratory infection or asthma in children living in homes with gas cookers compar...

BACKGROUND The aim of this paper was to examine associations between school building characteristics, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), and health responses using questionnaire data from both school principals and students. METHODS From 334 randomly sampled schools, 4248 sixth grade students from 297 schools participated in a questionnaire. From these schools, 134 principals returned questi...

AIMS To determine chronic effects of long term exposure to cotton dust and endotoxin on incidence of respiratory symptoms and the effect of cessation of exposure. METHODS Respiratory health in 429 Chinese cotton textile workers (study group) and 449 silk textile workers (control group) was followed prospectively from 1981 to 1996. Byssinosis, chest tightness, and non-specific respiratory symp...

BACKGROUND Casino workers are exposed to high levels of secondhand smoke (SHS) at work, yet remain at risk of being excluded from smoke-free legislation around the world. If the prime motivation for smoke-free legislation is the protection of workers, then a workforce experiencing ill-health associated with SHS exposure should not be excluded from legislation. This study aimed to determine the ...

Alaska Native children experience high rates of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and lung conditions, which are associated with substandard indoor air quality (IAQ). We conducted an intervention of home remediation and education to assess the impact on IAQ, respiratory symptoms and LRTI visits. We enrolled households of children 1-12 years of age with lung conditions. Home remediation...