Industrial air pollutants and its association with respiratory health (lung function test) among primary school children in Kemaman, Terengganu

• Main Authors: Kamaruddin, Anis Syafiqah, Jalaludin, Juliana, Hamedon, Titi Rahmawati
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kalpana Corporation 2016
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54555/1/Industrial%20air%20pollutants%20and%20its%20association%20with%20respiratory%20health%20.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54555/
• Institution: Universiti Putra Malaysia

There are an extensive evidence that air pollutants that comes from industrial areas do have an adverse effects on the respiratory health of the children. This study is intended to determine the exposure of industrial air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2 and VOCs) and its association with respiratory health among primary school children in industrial and non-industrial area at Kemaman, Terengganu. A crosssectional comparative study was carried out among Malay primary school children in Kemaman, Terengganu. A standardized set of questionnaire are adapted from the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. Indoor air quality assessments were conducted in each primary school and homes using several indoor air monitoring instruments. MM-SP004 tabletop portable spirometers were used to conduct a lung function test among the children. There were significant associations between PM10 with FVC% and FEV1% (PR = 6.77, 95%CI= 1.52-30.13) and (PR = 6.10, 95% CI = 1.75-21.00), PM2.5with FEV1% (PR = 3.13, 95% Cl= 1.20-8.21), NO2with FVC% and FEV1% (PR = 5.54, 95% Cl = 1.24-24.70) and (PR = 4.94, 95% Cl= 1.42-17.10) and SO2 with FVC% and FEV1 % (PR =10.00, 95%CI= 2.25-44.52) and (PR = 6.35, 95% Cl= 2.10-19.30). Results also reveal that FVC (Liter), FEV1 % and FEV1/FVC % were significantly lower among the exposed group compared to the comparative group (Z = -2.43, p < 0.05), (Z = -4.43, p < 0.05) and (Z = -4.80, p < 0.05). The findings showed that exposures to industrial air pollutants might increase the risk of getting lung function abnormality and respiratory illness among study respondents.