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A questionnaire survey on dermal symptoms and home environment was performed in eight Chinese cities (40 279 participants). Data on city level temperature, precipitation, PM 10 , NO 2, and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita were collected. In total, 2.2% had eczema, 2.4% facial erythema (FE) and 2.6% seborrheic dermatitis symptoms (SD). Higher temperature was associated with eczema (OR = 1.09). Higher GDP per capita was related to less SD. Higher PM 10 was related to SD. Suburban living was protective for eczema (OR = 0.77) (vs. urban). Living in old buildings (built before 1991) was related to eczema (OR = 1.42). Living near heavily trafficked roads was related to FE (OR = 1.33) and SD (OR = 1.35). Having new furniture was related to all symptoms (OR = 1.26-1.47). Burning mosquito coils (OR = 1.37-1.57) and incense (OR = 1.33-1.37) were associated with eczema, FE, or SD. Presence of cockroaches and rats/mice was associated with FE or SD (OR = 1.31-1.40). Using air conditioner, daily cleaning and frequently exposing bedding to sunshine were protective (OR = 0.60-0.83). In conclusion, higher temperature, higher PM 10 , urban living, living near heavily trafficked roads, old buildings, new furniture, burning mosquito coils and incense, and presence of cockroaches/rats/mice increased the risk of eczema, FE, or SD. Higher GDP, air conditioner, daily cleaning, and exposing bedding to sunshine were protective., (© 2021 The Authors. Indoor Air published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We investigated associations between prenatal and postnatal environmental factors and onset and remission of preschool childhood eczema across China. The study population was preschoolers in randomized day care centers in seven cities (N = 39,782). Data on eczema and prenatal and postnatal indoor and outdoor environment were obtained from a cross-sectional questionnaire sent to parents or other guardians. Reports on eczema in the first 2 years and in the past year was used to retrospectively calculate onset and remission (changes of reported eczema). Prenatal and postnatal outdoor temperature, NO 2 and PM 10 were modelled from official air pollution data. Associations were estimated by two-level logistic regression. Calculated onset rate was 3.2%/y and remission rate 29.2%/y. Exposure to NO 2 during pregnancy was associated with onset of eczema, similarly for all trimesters. Postnatal PM 10 and NO 2 were related to decreased remission. Postnatal outdoor temperature was associated with onset of eczema. Pre-natal and current redecoration or buying new furniture, and perinatal as well as current dampness and indoor mould, were associated with increased onset and decreased remission. Cockroaches in current home was another indoor risk factors. Prenatal exposure to farm environment and large family size were all negatively associated with eczema. In conclusion, a warmer climate and prenatal NO 2 can be associated with increased onset of eczema in Chinese preschoolers. Postnatal PM 10 and NO 2 can be associated with reduced remission. Perinatal and current dampness, indoor mould and cockroaches may increase onset and decrease remission. Exposure to chemical emissions from indoor materials after first year of life may increase onset. Prenatal exposure to farm environment and large family size could be protective., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We estimated associations between ambient air pollution, home environment and asthma as well as rhinitis among adults across China. A total of 40,279 young adults from eight Chinese cities participated in a questionnaire survey (participation rate 75%). There were questions on health and home environment. Information on city level gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, ambient temperature and PM 10 and NO 2 were collected from registers. Two-level logistic regression models were used to study health associations. Totally 1.6% reported asthma and 6.6% reported allergic rhinitis (AR). Higher temperature was associated with more asthma but less AR. Higher GDP was associated with less asthma but more AR. Higher degree of urbanization, higher level of NO 2 and living near heavily trafficked road were risk factors for asthma and AR. Participants in older buildings reported more asthma. Redecoration and buying new furniture were related to more asthma and AR (OR = 1.15-1.91). Using natural gas (OR = 1.34) and biomass (OR = 1.35) for cooking were risk factors for AR. Burning mosquito coils and incense increased the risk of asthma and AR. Cat keeping (OR = 2.88), dog keeping (OR = 2.04), cockroaches (OR = 1.54) and rats or mice (OR = 1.46) were associated with asthma. Cockroaches increased the risk of AR (OR = 1.22). Air humidifier and air cleaner were linked to asthma and AR. Frequent cleaning and exposing bedding to sunshine were protective. In conclusion, urbanization, NO 2 and traffic exhaust can increase the risk of adult asthma and AR. Higher ambient temperature was related to more asthma but less AR. Indoor animals such as cats, dogs, rats/mice and presence of cockroaches were associated with asthma or AR. Indoor chemical sources such as redecoration and new furniture were other risk factors. Cooking with natural gas or biomass and burning mosquito coils and incense were associated with asthma or AR. Frequent cleaning and exposing bedding to sunshine were protective., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing interest., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This paper studied associations between reported common cold and home dampness and mould, cleaning habits and ventilation, climate and outdoor air pollution in China among young adults without asthma or allergic rhinitis. Parents of children attending day care in eight Chinese cities answered a questionnaire on their health and home environment (75% response rate). We restricted the population to subject without asthma or allergic rhinitis (N = 37,275). Temperature and air pollution data was obtained from monitoring stations. Associations were estimated by multilevel logistic regression. Totally 12.5% reported common cold (≥3 colds) and 1.6% frequent common cold (≥5 colds) in the past 12 months. Female gender (OR = 1.53; 95% CI 1.37-1.71), residents in southern China (OR = 1.89; 95% CI 1.16-3.07) and living in homes with water leakage (OR = 1.32; 95% CI 1.16-1.50), mould odour (OR = 1.48; 95% CI 1.28-1.72), indoor mould (OR = 1.47; 95% CI 1.28-1.70), condensation on window panes (OR = 1.42; 95% CI 1.32-1.52) and damp bed clothing (OR = 1.19; 95% CI 1.11-1.28) were associated with common cold. Having many signs of dampness increased ORs. Daily cleaning (OR = 0.91; 95% CI 0.85-0.97) and mechanical ventilation in kitchen or bathroom (OR = 0.75; 95% CI 0.64-0.89) were protective. Higher mean ambient temperature (OR = 1.11 per °C; 95% CI 1.02-1.21), PM 10 (OR = 1.17 per 10 μg/m 3 ; 95% CI 1.14-1.21) and PM 2.5 (OR = 1.28 per 10 μg/m 3 ; 95% CI 1.20-1.37) were associated with common cold. The association with particulate air pollution was stronger in southern China. Similar associations were found for frequent common cold. In conclusion, indoor dampness and mould, a warmer climate and PM 10 and PM 2.5 can be associated with reported common cold. Further intervention and prospective studies are needed to verify causality of observed association in this cross-sectional study., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Few data exist on asthma and rhinitis across China in relation to indoor and outdoor air pollution, climate and socioeconomic factors. The main aim was to study associations between asthma, rhinitis and current respiratory symptoms among pre-school children across China and selected indoor and outdoor exposure and indicators of socio-economic status (SES) in mutually adjusted models., Methods: Chinese children (3-6 yr.) (n = 39,782) were recruited from randomly selected day care centres in seven cities in China. Data on asthma, respiratory symptoms, rhinitis, indoor and outdoor exposure at home and SES were assessed by a parentally administered questionnaire. Lifetime mean ambient temperature, PM 10 , NO 2, and GDP per capita on city level were calculated., Results: Totally 7.4% had ever doctors' diagnosed (DD) asthma and 8.7% DD-rhinitis, 19.7% had current wheeze, 45.0% rhinitis and 16.9% cough. DD-asthma was associated with ambient temperature (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.11-1.20 per °C), NO 2 (OR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.33 per 10 μg/m 3 ), indoor mould/dampness (OR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.13-1.39) and living near major roads (OR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.02-1.25). DD-rhinitis was associated with ambient temperature (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.05-1.10 per °C), NO 2 (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.09-1.32 per 10 μg/m 3 ), GDP (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.06 per 10,000 RenMinBi/year), indoor mould/dampness (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.11-1.35), passive smoking (OR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.21), and living near major roads (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.03-1.25). Children in suburban or rural areas, in larger families (≥5 persons) and with prenatal farm exposure had less DD-asthma and DD-rhinitis., Conclusions: Economic development level of the city, higher SES, ambient temperature, NO 2 , PM 10 , traffic air pollution and mould/dampness can be risk factors for asthma and rhinitis and respiratory symptoms among pre-school children in China. Breastfeeding, large family size and early-life farm exposure could be protective factors., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Whether ambient air pollution is associated with childhood atopic eczema is controversial. In this paper, we selected 3358 preschool children who had not altered residences since pregnancy from a cross-sectional study during 2011-2012 in Shanghai, China, and obtained parent-reported data regarding childhood atopic eczema using an improved ISAAC questionnaire. We recorded daily concentrations of SO 2 , NO 2 , and PM 10 throughout the child's lifetime (2006-2012), and calculated period-averaged concentrations for each district where the child lived to represent the child's exposure levels of these pollutants during different periods. In the multiple logistic regression analyses adjusted for potential confounders as well as for the other pollutants in the same periods, childhood atopic eczema was significantly associated with increments of NO 2 in the approximate interquartile range (20μg/m 3 ) during gestational period (adjusted OR, 95% CI for eczema lifetime-ever: 1.80, 1.29-2.49; for eczema in the year prior to the survey: 2.32, 1.57-3.43) and during the first year of life (2.00, 1.40-2.84; 2.16, 1.43-3.28). Exposure to elevated NO 2 in the first two years, three years and total lifetime, as well as exposure to mixtures containing NO 2 in each of these periods, were consistently associated with increased likelihood of childhood eczema. The highest odds ratios were found between exposure to a mixture of SO 2 and NO 2 during total lifetime (increment: 35μg/m 3 ) and childhood eczema (adjusted OR, 95% CI: 2.80, 1.75-4.48; 3.50, 1.98-6.19). No significant associations were found between childhood eczema and ambient SO 2 and PM 10 individually or in mixtures. This study indicates that gestational and lifetime exposures to ambient NO 2 are risk factors for atopic eczema in childhood. Exposure to ambient SO 2 and PM 10 may enhance the effect of NO 2 exposure on childhood eczema., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Evidence linking long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution with allergic rhinitis (AR) in children is scare, and the role of components of air pollution and timing of exposure remains unclear., Objective: To assess the association of pre- and post-natal exposure to air pollution with life-time prevalence of AR in preschool children., Methods: We conducted a cohort study of 2598 children aged 3-6 years in Changsha, China. The lifetime prevalence of AR was assessed by a questionnaire administered by parents. Children's exposures to dioxide nitrogen (NO 2 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM 10 ) during different pre- and post-natal timing windows were estimated using the measured concentrations at monitoring stations. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of childhood AR for exposure to different air pollutants during different timing windows were assessed by logistic regression model in terms of an interquartile range (IQR) increase in exposure level., Results: Life-time prevalence of AR in preschool children (7.3%) was associated with both pre- and post-natal exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), but only significant during the third trimester of pregnancy with adjusted OR = 1.40 (95% CI: 1.08-1.82) for a 15 μg/m 3 increase in NO 2 and during the first-year of life with adjusted OR = 1.36 (95% CI: 1.03-1.78) and 1.54 (95% CI: 1.07-2.21) respectively for 11 and 12 μg/m 3 increase in NO 2 and PM 10 . The association of early life exposure to TRAP with childhood AR was robust by adjusting for other air pollutants and timing windows. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the association was higher in the children who are male, young, with genetic predisposition by parental atopy, and living in damp houses., Conclusion: Early life exposure to traffic-related air pollutant during pregnancy and first-year of life may contribute to childhood AR., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Associations of ambient air pollutants with respiratory health are inconsistent., Objectives: We analyzed the associations of gestational and early life exposures to air pollutants with doctor-diagnosed asthma, allergic rhinitis, and pneumonia in children., Methods: We selected 3358 preschool children who did not alter residences after birth from a cross-sectional study in 2011-2012 in Shanghai, China. Parents reported children's respiratory health history, home environment, and family lifestyle behaviors. We collected daily concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10μm (PM10) during the child's total lifetime (2006-2012) for each district where the children lived. We analyzed the associations using logistic regression models., Results: After adjusting for covariates and the other studied pollutants, we found that exposure to NO2 (increment of 20μg/m(3)) during the first year of life was significantly associated with asthma [odds ratio (OR)=1.77; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29-2.43] and allergic rhinitis (OR=1.67; 95% CI: 1.07-2.61). Exposure to NO2 during gestation, the first two and three years, and over total lifetimewas all consistently associated with increased odds of allergic rhinitis. Quartiles of NO2 concentration during different exposure periods showed a slight dose-response relationship with the studied diseases. These diseases had significant associations with pollutant mixtures that included NO2, but had no significant association with exposures to SO2 and PM10 individually or in mixtures., Conclusions: Gestational and early life exposures to ambient NO2 are risk factors for childhood respiratory diseases., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Global phthalate ester production has increased from very low levels at the end of World War II to approximately 3.5 million metric tons/year. The aim of the present study was [...]

The urbanization and industrialization in China is accompanied by bad air quality, and the prevalence of asthma in Chinese children has been increasing in recent years. To investigate the associations between ambient PM 2.5 levels and asthmatic and allergic diseases or symptoms in preschool children in China, we assigned PM 2.5 exposure data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project to 205 kindergartens at a spatial resolution of 0.1° × 0.1° in six cities in China (Shanghai, Nanjing, Chongqing, Changsha, Urumqi, and Taiyuan). A hierarchical multiple logistical regression model was applied to analyze the associations between kindergarten-level PM 2.5 exposure and individual-level outcomes of asthmatic and allergic symptoms. The individual-level variables, including gender, age, family history of asthma and allergic diseases, breastfeeding, parental smoking, indoor dampness, interior decoration pollution, household annual income, and city-level variable-annual temperature were adjusted. A total of 30,759 children (average age 4.6 years, 51.7% boys) were enrolled in this study. Apart from family history, indoor dampness, and decoration as predominant risk factors, we found that an increase of 10 μg/m 3 of the annual PM 2.5 was positively associated with the prevalence of allergic rhinitis by an odds ratio (OR) of 1.20 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11, 1.29) and diagnosed asthma by OR of 1.10 (95% CI 1.03, 1.18). Those who lived in non-urban (vs. urban) areas were exposed to more severe indoor air pollution arising from biomass combustion and had significantly higher ORs between PM 2.5 and allergic rhinitis and current rhinitis. Our study suggested that long-term exposure to PM 2.5 might increase the risks of asthmatic and allergic diseases or symptoms in preschool children in China. Compared to those living in urban areas, children living in suburban or rural areas had a higher risk of PM 2.5 exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent article we reported an association [adjusted odds ratios (ORs) in the range of 2-3] between the concentrations of specific phthalates in dust from children's bedrooms and doctor-diagnosed [...]

Pneumonia is the most important cause of child death in the world today. Recent findings suggest that exposure to outdoor air pollutants may increase the pneumonia occurrence, but so far the associations have not been clearly illustrated. Therefore, the effects of outdoor air pollutants and the episode day on childhood pneumonia were investigated by this study. A standardized questionnaire on health, home and environmental factors of 4988 children was conducted in the city of Changsha, China. Average exposure to ambient air pollutants during 2008–2011 was monitored by the air pollution monitoring stations of Changsha Environmental Protection Agency. A two-stage hierarchical regression approach was adopted to estimate the effects of PM10, SO2 and NO2 on pneumonia risk. The prevalence of pneumonia in children aged 3–6 years was 38.2%, which is greatly higher than the developed countries but lower than some developing countries. Furthermore, the increased risk of childhood pneumonia was significantly associated with elevated NO2 concentration (odds ratio (OR) = 1.157, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.121–1.195) and the episode day (OR = 1.038, 95% CI: 1.024–1.051), but not significantly associated with PM10 and SO2. Exposure to traffic-related air pollution could play an important role in the development of pneumonia in preschool children. The revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards (2012) for NO2 has provided a better control strategy for ambient air quality to reduce the risk of adverse health effects such as pneumonia for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevalence of allergic rhinitis has rapidly increased among Chinese children, but the reasons are unclear. Recent findings have suggested that exposure to outdoor air pollutants may increase the risk of allergic rhinitis, but the results were inconsistent. This study further investigated the effect of outdoor air pollutants on allergic rhinitis among preschool children. A standardized questionnaire on health, home and environmental factors was conducted for 4988 children aged 1–8 in the city of Changsha, and the concentrations of PM 10 (particle diameter ⩽10 μm), sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) during 2006–2011 were acquired from the official web of Changsha Environmental Protection Agency. Results showed that the prevalence of children’s doctor diagnosed rhinitis was 8.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.0%–10.0%). It was found that the prevalence of rhinitis was not associated with site-specific background concentrations of air pollutants, but significantly positively correlated with age-related accumulative personal exposure of PM 10, SO 2 and NO 2. We conclude that age-related accumulative personal exposure to ambient air pollution may play an important role in the development of rhinitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumonia is a major cause of childhood morbidity in China. Many studies of rural areas have found an association between pneumonia and air pollution from burning of bio-mass. The present study is of children living in urban, modern homes without burning of bio-mass. In order to investigate potential home risk factors associated with children’s pneumonia, China Child Home Health (CCHH) questionnaires were randomly distributed to parents of 6461 children in 23 kindergartens in all 11 districts of Nanjing, covering urban, suburban, and industrial areas. The 4014 valid questionnaires (response rate 65.7%) were returned and have been analyzed. The lifetime incidence of pneumonia in Nanjing children 1–8 years old is 26.7%. The incidence of croup, asthma and frequent common colds was strongly associated with pneumonia, as was a history of allergies in the family, and persons other than parents (for example grandparents or nanny) taking care of the child. Several home environmental factors, namely, dampness, lack of ventilation, using coal or natural gas (electricity as reference) for cooking, new furniture, and “modern” floor and wall covering materials were also significantly associated with pneumonia. The indoor environment typical of modern apartments in China was a risk factor for pneumonia among children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent study of 198 Swedish children with persistent allergic symptoms and 202 controls without such symptoms, we reported associations between the symptoms and the concentrations of n-butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in dust taken from the childrens’ bedrooms. In the present study we examined associations between the concentrations of different phthalate esters in the dust from these bedrooms and various characteristics of the home. The study focused on BBzP and DEHP because these were the phthalates associated with health complaints. Associations have been examined using parametric and nonparametric tests as well as multiple logistic regression. For both BBzP and DEHP, we found associations between their dust concentrations and the amount of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used as flooring and wall material in the home. Furthermore, high concentrations of BBzP (above median) were associated with self-reported water leakage in the home, and high concentrations of DEHP were associated with buildings constructed before 1960. Other associations, as well as absence of associations, are reported. Both BBzP and DEHP were found in buildings with neither PVC flooring nor wall covering, consistent with the numerous additional plasticized materials that are anticipated to be present in a typical home. The building characteristics examined in this study cannot serve as complete proxies for these quite varied sources. However, the associations reported here can help identify homes where phthalate concentrations are likely to be elevated and can aid in developing mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editorial. Discusses the problem of insufficient publishing space in the journal "Indoor Air." Citations received by the journal in 2002 for articles published in 2000 and 2001; Increase in the number of rejected manuscripts; Planned publication changes for the journal.

The author explores on the dominance of Nordic researchers in the journal "Indoor Air." Four out of 10 "Indoor Air" conferences and two out nine Healthy Building conferences have been or will be held in Nordic countries. He believes that the number of delegates at these conferences are also dominated by those coming from small Nordic countries. A list of the most highly cited papers published in the last 5 years which further shows Nordic dominance within the journal is also presented.

The author ponders on the art of indoor air science. She mentions her main interest in indoor air science. She announces her decision to step down as the editor of the journal. She emphasizes the need for more collaboration between disciplines, and a transition in focus on the pollutants studied. She claims that indoor air exposure is the most important exposure.

This section presents an article about the impact of technological innovations on air quality. Assessment of the quality of life of early societies is presented. The risks associated with the development of various technologies are mentioned. The effect of the innovations on thermal climate is stated.

Reports on the progress of indoor air quality sciences. List of scientists who contributed to the field; Level of attention being paid to the science in Asia; Role that Asia will play in indoor air quality science.

Comments on the idea that indoor air quality is a domain rather than a discipline. Issues or concerns about indoor air investigations; Approach of researchers to address the concern; Comparison of the approach of the researchers to disciplinary investigation.

Few studies exist from China on associations between home environment and adult health. We studied associations between home environment factors (other than dampness and mould) and rhinitis, throat and dermal symptoms and headache and fatigue among young parents in six cities across China (N = 36,541). They were recruited as parents from day care centers selected randomly and answered a questionnaire on medical symptoms and the home environment. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated by multilevel logistic regression adjusting for gender, atopy, smoking, home size and dampness/mould. Overall, 4.8% had skin symptoms 3.1% rhinitis, 2.8% eye, 4.1% throat symptoms, 3.0% headache and 13.9% had fatigue (all as weekly symptoms). Redecoration was associated with rhinitis, eye and skin symptoms, headache and fatigue. New furniture was associated with eye, throat and skin symptoms and fatigue. Gas cooking was associated with eye and throat symptoms, headache and fatigue. Biomass cooking was associated with eye and throat symptoms and headache. Burning incense was associated with eye, throat and skin symptoms, headache and fatigue. Presence of cockroaches and mosquitos or flies was associated with all six symptoms. Rats or mice were associated with eye and dermal symptoms. Cat keeping was associated with eye symptoms while dog keepers had less fatigue. Living near major roads was associated with rhinitis, eye, throat and skin symptoms and fatigue. Daily cleaning, a mechanical ventilation system in the kitchen or in the bathroom, living in older buildings and living in less urbanized areas were protective factors. In conclusion, urbanization, traffic exhaust, indoor emissions from redecoration and new furniture, gas cooking and air pollution from burning incense and biomass may cause dermal and mucosal symptoms, headache and fatigue among adults in China. Indoor animals (cats, mice/rats, cockroaches) were other risk factors. Daily cleaning, mechanical ventilation and living in older buildings can be protective. Unlabelled Image • Redecoration and new furniture in China may cause rhinitis and other medical symptoms. • Emissions from biomass and gas cooking and incense burning may cause medical symptoms. • Indoor animals (cats, mice/rats, cockroaches, mosquitos/flies) can increase symptoms. • Mechanical ventilation systems in kitchen and bathroom may reduce symptoms. • Daily cleaning, living in older buildings and in less urbanized areas can be protective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective Few longitudinal studies exist on childhood exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution and respiratory illness in China. We studied associations between indoor and outdoor environment and prevalence, onset and remission of wheeze and rhinitis among children across China. Methods Children (3–6 y) were recruited from randomized day care centres in six cities. The main data analysis was restricted to children not moving since birth (N = 17,679). Data on wheeze, rhinitis and the home environment were assessed by a parental questionnaire. Prevalence in the first two years of life (baseline) and the last year (follow-up) was used to calculate onset and remission. Outdoor PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and NO 2 at the day care centre were modelled from monitoring station data. Associations were calculated by multilevel logistic regression. Results Prenatal NO 2 was associated with decreased remission of wheeze and increased prevalence and increased onset of rhinitis. Prenatal PM 2.5 was associated with increased prevalence of wheeze. Postnatal NO 2 and postnatal PM 10 were associated with increased prevalence and lower remission of wheeze and rhinitis. Mould, window pane condensation, renovation and cockroaches at home were associated with increased prevalence and increased onset of wheeze and rhinitis. Gas cooking was associated with increased onset of rhinitis. Children of mothers with industrial work had more wheeze. Conclusions Outdoor PM 2.5 , PM 10 and NO 2 can increase childhood wheeze and rhinitis. Dampness and mould can increase onset and decrease remission. Crowdedness, cockroaches at home and emissions from new building materials and gas cooking can be risk factors for wheeze and rhinitis. Highlights • Outdoor air pollution (PM 2.5 , PM 10 and NO 2) can increase wheeze and rhinitis symptoms among pre-school children in China. • Indoor mould, and dampness and window pane condensation can increase onset and decrease remission of wheeze and rhinitis. • Chemical emissions from renovation and cockroaches at home can increased onset of wheeze and rhinitis. • Gas cooking can increase onset of rhinitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Otitis media (OM) is a common infection in early childhood with repeated attacks that lead to long-term complications and sequelae, but its etiology still remains unclear. Objective To examine the association between early life exposure to air pollution and childhood OM, with the purpose of identifying critical windows of exposure and key components of air pollution in the development of OM. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1617 children aged 3–4 years in Changsha, China (2011–2012). The prevalence of OM was assessed by a questionnaire administered by the parents. Individual exposures to nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM 10 ) during prenatal, postnatal, and current windows were estimated using the measured concentrations at monitoring stations. We used logistic regression model to examine the OM risk in terms of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for exposure to different air pollutants during different timing windows, adjusting for covariates, multi-pollutants, and multi-windows. Results Life-time prevalence of doctor-diagnosed OM in preschool children in Changsha was 7.3%. Childhood OM was associated only with prenatal exposure to the industrial air pollution with adjusted OR (95% CI) = 1.44 (1.09–1.88) for a 27 μg/m3 increase in SO 2 , particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. We further found that prenatal SO 2 exposure was not associated with the repeated attacks but was associated with the onset of OM, adjusted OR (95% CI) = 1.47 (1.10–1.96). The association between prenatal SO 2 exposure and early childhood OM was robust after adjusting for other pollutants and windows. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the association was stronger in females, children with parental atopy, and children living in houses with cockroaches, new redecoration, and condensation on window pane during winter. Conclusion We provide new evidence that prenatal exposure to industrial air pollution is associated with early childhood OM in China and may contribute to the onset of childhood OM. Our findings are helpful in developing more effective preventative strategies for childhood OM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor environment is associated with the sick building syndrome (SBS), but little is known about the contribution of outdoor air pollution and meteorological conditions to SBS. We studied associations between outdoor air pollution, meteorological parameters and selected indoor exposure and building characteristics at home and weekly SBS symptoms in a standardized questionnaire study among 3485 randomly selected adults in China. Outdoor factors included particulate matters with diameter < 10 μm (PM 10 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), outdoor temperature (T), relative air humidity (RH), and wind speed (WS) during last three months. Multiple logistic regression was applied calculating odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Asthma or allergic rhinitis (atopy) was associated with all types of SBS symptoms except fatigue. Indoor factors played a major role in SBS symptoms. Mold/dampness on the floor/ceiling was associated with fatigue OR = 1.60 (1.11–2.30) and headache OR = 1.80 (1.07–3.04). Moldy odor was associated with fatigue OR = 1.59 (1.07–2.37) and dermal symptoms OR = 1.91 (1.21–3.02). Window pane condensation in winter was associated with fatigue OR = 1.73 (1.30–2.31) and throat symptoms OR = 1.53 (1.01–2.31). Damp bed clothing was related with throat symptom OR = 1.62 (1.09–2.40). Home redecoration was associated with fatigue OR = 1.49 (1.07–2.06). Frequent window opening was associated with less nose symptoms OR = 0.54 (0.36–0.82) and mechanical ventilation in the bathroom reduced dermal symptoms OR = 0.66 (0.44–0.99). Females were more susceptible to redecoration and window pane condensation than men. No associations with SBS were observed for outdoor air pollutants or meteorological parameters in the final models combining indoor and outdoor factors, although SO 2 , T, and RH were associated with some SBS symptoms (fatigue, eyes and nose symptoms) in the separate outdoor models. In conclusion, indoor mold/dampness, air pollution from redecoration and poorer ventilation conditions in dwellings can be risk factors for SBS symptoms in an adult Chinese population, especially among females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Early life is suggested to be a critical time in determining subsequent asthma development, but the extent to which the effect of early-life exposure to ambient air pollution on childhood asthma is unclear. Objectives We investigated doctor-diagnosed asthma in preschool children due to exposure to ambient air pollution in utero and during the first year of life. Methods In total 2490 children aged 3–6 years participated in a questionnaire study regarding doctor-diagnosed asthma between September 2011 and January 2012 in China. Children’s exposure to critical air pollutants, sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) as proxy of industrial air pollution, nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) as proxy of traffic pollution, and particulate matter≤10 µm in diameter (PM 10 ) as a mixture, was estimated from the concentrations measured at the ambient air quality monitoring stations by using an inverse distance weighted (IDW) method. Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the relationship between early-life exposure and childhood asthma in terms of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Association between early-life exposure to air pollutants and childhood asthma was observed. SO 2 and NO 2 had significant associations with adjusted OR (95% CI) of 1.45 (1.02–2.07) and 1.74 (1.15–2.62) in utero and 1.62 (1.01–2.60) and 1.90 (1.20–3.00) during the first year for per 50 µg/m 3 and 15 µg/m 3 increase respectively. Exposure to the combined high level of SO 2 and NO 2 in China significantly elevated the asthmatic risk with adjusted OR (95% CI) of 1.76 (1.18–2.64) in utero and 1.85 (1.22–2.79) during the first year compared to the low level exposure. The associations were higher for males and the younger children aged 3–4 than females and the older children aged 5–6. Conclusions Early-life exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with childhood asthma during which the level and source of air pollution play important roles. The high level and nature of combined industrial and traffic air pollution in China may contribute to the recent rapid increase of childhood asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]