Acute Effects of Ambient Ozone on Asthmatic, Wheezy, and Healthy Children

Dr. John Peters and colleagues of the University of Southern California School of Medicine compared the lung function, respiratory symptoms, activity levels, and bronchodilator use of 10- to 12-year-old healthy, asthmatic, and wheezy children. They conducted the study in Southern California during mid-spring (when ozone levels were expected to be low) and late summer (when ozone levels were expected to be high). Regional air pollution monitors provided hourly ozone measurements, and small ozone-detecting badges were pinned to the children's clothes in an effort to estimate their personal exposures to ozone. The children measured their lung functions with small spirometers and carried diaries to record their respiratory symptoms, medication use, and outdoor activity levels (the latter for comparison with information from small heart-rate monitors worn across their chests).