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Association between Outdoor Fungal Concentrations during Winter and Pulmonary Function in Children with and without

Masanari Watanabe1, Hisashi Noma2, Jun Kurai3

  • 1Department of Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1 Nishi-Cho, Yonago 683-8504, Japan. watanabm@grape.med.tottori-u.ac.jp.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|May 3, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Outdoor fungi in airborne particulate matter may negatively impact children's lung function. Children with asthma experienced greater reductions in peak expiratory flow (PEF) with increased fungal exposure.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pulmonary Medicine
  • Mycology

Background:

  • Outdoor fungi are significant components of airborne particulate matter (PM).
  • The relationship between outdoor fungi and respiratory health, particularly pulmonary function in children, is not well-established.
  • Understanding these associations is crucial for public health, especially for vulnerable populations like asthmatic children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between daily outdoor fungal concentrations and pulmonary function in schoolchildren.
  • To determine if children with asthma are more susceptible to the effects of outdoor fungi on lung function.
  • To explore the relationship between outdoor fungi and specific airborne particulate matter fractions (SPM and PM2.5).

Main Methods:

  • Daily morning peak expiratory flow (PEF) was measured in 339 schoolchildren (aged 10-12) over 25 days.
  • Airborne particulate matter was collected daily, and outdoor fungal concentrations were quantified using a culture-based method.
  • Linear mixed-effects models were employed to analyze the association between fungal exposure, PEF, and PM levels (SPM, PM2.5).

Main Results:

  • An increase in outdoor fungal concentration was associated with a significant decrease in PEF for all children (-1.18 L/min).
  • Children with asthma showed a more pronounced negative association between fungal exposure and PEF (-1.44 L/min) compared to non-asthmatic children.
  • Outdoor fungi exhibited a significant negative correlation with PM2.5 levels but not with SPM levels.

Conclusions:

  • Outdoor fungal exposure may be linked to reduced pulmonary function in children.
  • Children with asthma appear to be more vulnerable to the adverse pulmonary effects of outdoor fungi.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the specific fungal species and mechanisms involved in respiratory impairment.
Keywords:
childrenfungioutdoorparticulate matterpulmonary function

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