Methodological weaknesses regarding the use of PEF-meters when assessing physiological effects of air pollution risk factors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14720/abs.57.1.15543Keywords:
respiratory function, asthma, self-administered respiratory monitoring, particulate matter, PM10, PEF, FEV1Abstract
The manuscript discusses the applicability of self-administered monitoring of respiratory function in asthma patients in order to discern between negative health effects of different air pollutants on respiratory function. Thirteen asthma patients measured their respiratory function twice daily over a one month winter period. They used PEF-meters to monitor peak expiratory flow (PEF;L/min) and forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration (FEV1; L). Subjects’ vital capacity (VC; L) was measured in a laboratory setting at the end of the measuring period. Respiratory data were evaluated in respect to the ambient concentrations of NO2, NOx, SO2, O3, and PM10, which were monitored during the same period. The concentrations of some air pollutants (PM10 and NOx) exceeded the critical levels on several days during the study. PEF-meter data (PEF, FEV1 and FEV1/VC), however, did not respond significantly to the ambient conditions (P>0.05). The results speak against the use of self-administered PEF-meter monitoring for the recognition and investigation of air pollutant related negative health effects. Limitations and delimitations of the method are presented.References
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