CHILDREN

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.10.024 | How to Cite or Link Using DOI Copyright © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.	Cited By in Scopus (0)
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Proximity to chipboard industries increases the risk of respiratory and irritation symptoms in children: The Viadana study

Roberto de Marco^{a, ,} , Alessandro Marcon^a, Marta Rava^a, Lucia Cazzoletti^a, Vanda Pironi^b, Caterina Silocchi^c and Paolo Ricci^b

^aUnit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Medicine and Public Health, University of Verona, Italy

^bUnit of Epidemiology, NHS Mantua, Mantua, Italy

^cDepartment of Prevention, NHS Mantua, Mantua, Italy

Received 27 July 2009;

revised 7 October 2009;

accepted 8 October 2009.

Available online 5 November 2009.

Abstract

Emissions related to wood production processes are a recognized health hazard for professionally exposed subjects. The health effects of living close to wood industries are not known, particularly in the pediatric population. We aimed at investigating if living close to chipboard industries is a health hazard for the children in the Viadana district (Northern Italy).

In December 2006, all the children (3–14 years) living in the Viadana district, where two big chipboard industries are located, were surveyed through a parental questionnaire (n = 3854). The children were geocoded, and the distance of their houses/schools from the closest wood plant was computed.

Independently of sex, age, nationality, residential area, traffic, parents' education, passive/parental smoking, questionnaire compiler and his/her environmental concern, the children living at < or =" 1.33," or =" 1.43," or =" 1.47," or =" 1.24," or =" 1.24," or =" 2.14," or =" 2.21,">

The present findings suggest that emissions from chipboard industries might have a serious impact on children's health status and should therefore be reduced and closely monitored.

Keywords: Air pollution; Children; Chipboard; Epidemiology; Geocoding

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; ED, emergency department; RD, attributable risk; RD%, attributable fraction

Article Outline

1. Introduction

2. Methods

2.1. Study design and participants

2.2. The questionnaire

2.3. The emission sources

2.4. Exposure measurement

2.5. Symptom scores

2.6. Potential confounders

2.7. Statistical analyses

2.8. Sensitivity analyses

3. Results

3.1. The children's characteristics

3.2. Association between health outcomes and distances

3.3. Attributable risk

3.4. Sensitivity analyses

4. Discussion

5. Conclusions

Acknowledgements

Appendix A. Supplementary data

References

Corresponding author. Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Medicine and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Verona, c/o Istituti Biologici II, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy. Tel.: +39 045 8027629; fax: +39 045 8027154.

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Science of The Total Environment Volume 408, Issue 3, 1 January 2010, Pages 511-517