Forsberg B, Stjernberg N, Wall S
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Umeå University, Sweden.
Occup Environ Med. 1997 Jan;54(1):44-8. doi: 10.1136/oem.54.1.44.
Motor vehicle exhaust fumes are the main source of atmospheric pollution in cities in industrialised countries. They cause respiratory disease and annoy people exposed to them. The relation between ambient exposure to air pollution mainly from motor vehicles and annoyance reactions in a general population was assessed. Also, the importance of factors such as age, sex, respiratory disease, access to the use of a car, and smoking habits on the reporting of these reactions was studied.
A postal questionnaire was sent out in 55 urban areas in Sweden that had nearly identical air quality monitoring stations of the urban air monitoring network. From each area, 150 people aged 16-70 were randomly selected. The questionnaire contained questions on perception of air quality as well as a question on how often exhaust fumes were annoying.
Six-monthly nitrogen dioxide concentrations correlated consistently with the prevalence of reported annoyance related to air pollution and traffic exhaust fumes. Black smoke and sulphur dioxide had no significant effects. The frequency of reporting annoyance reactions was higher among people with asthma, women, and people with lack of access to a car.
In this study town dwellers could detect poor air quality at concentrations well below current guidelines for outdoor air pollution. This suggests that questionnaire studies have a place in monitoring air quality.
在工业化国家的城市中，机动车尾气是大气污染的主要来源。它们会引发呼吸道疾病，并让接触到的人感到不适。评估了主要来自机动车的环境空气污染与普通人群烦恼反应之间的关系。此外，还研究了年龄、性别、呼吸道疾病、是否有车可用以及吸烟习惯等因素对这些反应报告的重要性。
在瑞典55个城市地区发放了邮政问卷，这些地区设有城市空气监测网络中几乎相同的空气质量监测站。从每个地区随机抽取150名年龄在16至70岁之间的人。问卷包含有关空气质量感知的问题以及关于尾气令人烦恼频率的问题。
六个月的二氧化氮浓度与报告的与空气污染和交通尾气相关烦恼的患病率始终相关。黑烟和二氧化硫没有显著影响。哮喘患者、女性以及没有车可用的人报告烦恼反应的频率更高。
在本研究中，城镇居民能够在远低于当前室外空气污染指南浓度的情况下检测到空气质量差。这表明问卷调查研究在空气质量监测中具有一席之地。
