[PM10 environmental pollution in and around housing and respiratory capacity in Puerto Nare, Colombia].

OBJECTIVE

Exploring the relationship between PM10 intra- and extra-domiciliary levels and the lung function of people living in La Sierra, Antioquia, Colombia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A survey and field observations were used for determining the environmental conditions and the immediate household environment of 124 people who had taken a spirometric test. Meteorological conditions were monitored: temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, wind speed and PM10 (24 hours) within and outside the houses.

RESULTS

Indoor PM10 (0.05 mg/m3) in 50 % of the houses was <outdoor PM10 (0.06 mg/m3); there was 79.08 % relative humidity, 33.03 mm rainfall, 28.75°C and 0.91 m/s wind speed. 25% of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was<74 %. There was a positive correlationbetween indoor and outdoor PM10 (0.197: p=0.029) and a negative correlation between indoor PM10 and wind speed (-0.215: p=0,017). A weak positive relationship was found between FEV1 and indoor and outdoor PM10.

DISCUSSION

The results suggested that indoor pollution came from automobile emission, industrial combustionand unpaved roads (i.e. producing a lot of dust). PM10 decreased with increasing rain fall, higher relative humidity and increased wind speed.