SUNDAY, July 28, 2002 (HealthDayNews) -- The impact of poor air quality on the health of children with asthma is the subject of a three-year study by pediatric researchers at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver.
"Our goal is to better understand the role air pollution plays in the health of children with asthma and to see if we can protect them against potential harm caused by small particles in the air," says researcher Dr. Erwin Gelfand, chairman of the pediatrics department.
The researchers also plan to determine whether there are health benefits for children with asthma if the air in their homes is cleaned using air purifiers or (high-efficiency-particle-arresting) HEPA-filter vacuuming.
Gelfand and his colleague, Dr. Nathan Rabinovitch, will examine the effects that airborne particles less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) in diameter have on lung function in children with moderate to severe asthma.
These PM2.5 particles come from combustible sources such as tobacco smoke and vehicle exhaust and can end up in the lung's small airways.
Student volunteers will carry portable monitoring devices that measure PM2.5 particles in the air the students breathe while they're outside, at home and at school. Air pollution monitors will be placed in their homes. Half of the homes will be provided with air purifiers and those families will also be asked to use a HEPA-filter vacuum.
The researchers plan to do daily measurements of the students' lung function. At the end of three years, they'll analyze the data to determine if cleaning the air had an effect on the children's asthma.
Asthma affects more than 6 million American children and is the most common chronic childhood disease. Asthma rates have more than doubled in the last 10 years, especially in cities.
More information
To learn more about asthma and its relationship to the air we breathe, visit the Environmental Protection Agency.
