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Abstract: Mail carriers represent an occupational group suffering from respiratory symptoms and lung function impairment. Although environmental conditions may play role, information on the effects of air pollution exposure in this population is lacking. The present study was conducted in Athens, Greece, in order to investigate the adverse effects of long-term air pollution exposure on respiratory outcomes in mail carriers. A total of 226 mail carriers and 73 office employees were enroled. Information on respiratory symptoms, medical, occupational, residential and smoking history was obtained through a questionnaire. Flow-volume curves were performed in the workplace using a portable spirometer. Individualised personal exposure assessment has been applied based on long-term residential and occupational subject history linked with geographical air pollution distribution. Furthermore, personal measurements were obtained for forty-one mail carriers using NO2 and O3 passive samplers, assuming that current air pollution exposure is sufficiently representative of long-term, previous exposure to make a plausible link with current health status. The analysis based on exposures estimated on the basis of residential and work addresses showed that the most exposed to PM10 postal workers have rhinitis at a higher rate (OR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.01–2.75). In mail carriers there is indication that those exposed to higher concentrations of Ο3 or PM10 have a greater possibility to present rhinitis (OR=1.63, 95% CI: 0.93–2.88 and OR=1.70, 95% CI: 0.96–3.03, respectively). The effect of O3 on rhinitis became even more apparent in the analysis based on exposures assessed by personal measurements (OR=6.74, 95% CI: 1.24–36.55). Exposure to NO2 was significantly associated with decrements in lung function. For office employees the exposure to air pollutants was not associated to any adverse respiratory outcome. Our findings suggest that air pollution is a contributing factor for the occurrence of rhinitis and lung function impairment in mail carriers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although there is evidence on the effects of short-term ozone (O 3) exposures on children's respiratory health, few studies have reported results on the effects of long-term exposures. We report the effects of long-term exposure to O 3 on respiratory health outcomes in 10–11-year old children. We conducted a panel study in a sample of the general population of school children in two cities with high average O 3 concentrations, Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece. All 186 participating students were followed up intensively for 5 weeks spreading across a school year. Data was collected through questionnaires, weekly personal O 3 measurements, spirometry, FeNO and time-activity diaries. Long-term O 3 exposure was assessed using fixed site measurements and modeling, calibrated for personal exposures. The associations between measured lung function parameters and lung function growth over the study period, as well as FeNO and the occurrence of symptoms with long-term O 3 exposure were assessed through the application of multiple mixed effects 2-level regression models, adjusting for confounders and for short-term exposures. A 10 μg/m3 increase in calibrated long-term O 3 exposure, using measurements from fixed site monitors was associated with lower FVC and FEV 1 by 17 mL (95% Confidence Interval: 5–28) and 13 mL (3–21) respectively and small decreases in lung growth: 0.008% (0.002–0.014%) for FVC and 0.006% (0.000–0.012%) in FEV 1 over the study period. No association was observed with PEF, FeNO or the occurrence of symptoms. A similar pattern was observed when the exposure estimates from the dispersion models were employed. Our study provides evidence that long-term O 3 exposure is associated with reduced lung volumes and growth. • We investigated the effects of long-term exposure to ambient ozone on respiratory health outcomes in children. • This study shows adverse associations between long-term O 3 exposure and children's lung development, which may be of clinical relevance for a subset of the general population. • These early life impacts of long-term O 3 exposure may provide an explanation for premature mortality and increased morbidity in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]