Speizer F E
Department of Environmental Science and Physiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115.
Environ Health Perspect. 1989 Feb;79:61-7. doi: 10.1289/ehp.897961.
Techniques for measuring acid aerosols in the ambient environment have been developed only recently. As part of the on-going Harvard Study on the Health Effects of Sulfur Dioxide and Respirable Particulates, we have developed monitoring equipment for acidic particles that can be used in multiple field settings. Preliminary data suggest that these strong acid aerosol measurements may correlate with respiratory symptoms more closely than similar measurements of particulate matter less than 15 microns in size. These results have led to the beginning of a U.S.-Canadian cooperative study to assess the chronic effects of acid aerosols on the health of North American children. Communities are being selected on the basis of anticipated levels of H2SO4 in ambient air along with predicted levels of ozone and nitrates. Each community will undergo a 1-year period of every other day, 24-hr monitoring with newly developed monitoring equipment that will allow for quantification of H+ ion concentrations, as well as for specific measures of ozone and acid fractions. At the end of the 1-year period, while measurements are still being made, approximately 600 children aged 7 to 11 in each of up to 24 communities will be assessed with standardized questionnaires completed by parents, and pulmonary function will be measured in the children while in school. By estimating chronic exposure from the year-long measurement of acid aerosols and consideration of specific criteria for selecting communities to study, we hope to minimize potential confounding to allow us to assess the chronic impact of strong acid in the atmosphere on the respiratory health of these children.
用于测量环境空气中酸性气溶胶的技术直到最近才得以开发。作为正在进行的哈佛大学关于二氧化硫和可吸入颗粒物对健康影响的研究的一部分，我们已经开发出了可用于多种实地环境的酸性颗粒物监测设备。初步数据表明，这些强酸气溶胶测量结果与呼吸道症状的相关性可能比类似的小于15微米颗粒物测量结果更为紧密。这些结果促成了一项美加合作研究的启动，以评估酸性气溶胶对北美儿童健康的慢性影响。社区的选择是基于环境空气中预期的硫酸水平以及预测的臭氧和硝酸盐水平。每个社区将使用新开发的监测设备进行为期1年的隔天24小时监测，该设备将能够对氢离子浓度进行量化，以及对臭氧和酸性组分进行具体测量。在1年期限结束时，当测量仍在进行时，将通过家长填写的标准化问卷对多达24个社区中每个社区约600名7至11岁的儿童进行评估，并在儿童上学期间测量其肺功能。通过从为期一年的酸性气溶胶测量中估计慢性暴露情况，并考虑选择社区进行研究的具体标准，我们希望尽量减少潜在的混杂因素，以便能够评估大气中强酸对这些儿童呼吸道健康的慢性影响。
