Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that particulate air pollution derived from wood stoves causes acute inflammation in the respiratory system and possibly increases the incidence of asthma and other respiratory diseases.
The aim of this study was to evaluate acute respiratory effects from short-term wood smoke exposure in humans. A total of 20 non-smoking atopic subjects with normal lung function and without bronchial responsiveness completed the study. The subjects were monitored during three different experimental exposure sessions, aiming at particle concentrations of 200μg/m3, 400μg/m3, and clean air as control exposure. A balanced cross-over design was applied and the subjects were randomly allocated to exposure orders.
Diluted wood smoke were generated in a wood-burning facility and added to a full-scale climate chamber exposure lasted for 3 hours under controlled environmental conditions. Respiratory effects were evaluated at baseline and follow-up measurements during exposure in relation to changes in lung function and were assessed in relation to changes in airway inflammation status measures by fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and nasal lavage (NAL), samples.
No statistically significant differences between the three exposures were found for any of the lung function outcomes: FEV1 (p=0.6283); and FVC (p=0.8364), or for feNO50 (p=0.3578). Mild signs of airway inflammation were found in few of the analyzed markers of inflammation in the NAL and EBC samples. In conclusion, short term exposure with wood smoke causes only mild inflammatory response.
- © 2011 ERS