Exposure to Traffic and Regional Air Pollution Throughout the Life Course on Lung Function

Introduction: Several studies have reported adverse effects of near-roadway air pollution and regional air pollution on lung function in children. However, there has been little investigation as to whether there is a critical time when these pollutants may cause the largest detrimental effect to the developing lung. Methods: As part of the Children’s Health Study, repeated measurements of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were assessed on 1,502 children between the ages of 11 and 15 in eight Southern Californian communities. Residential measures of exposure to near-roadway air pollutants from either freeways or large roads (freeway or non-freeway nitric oxides [NOx]) were estimated using the CALINE4 dispersion model, while regional pollutants (nitrogen dioxide [NO2], ozone [O3], and particulate matter with aerodynamic dynamiter of less than 2.5um and 10um [PM2.5 and PM10]) were estimated from inverse distance weighting of regional monitoring stations. All exposure...