Allergic Diseases and Impaired Lung Function in Children Exposed and Unexposed to Artisanal Brick Production

During the firing stage of artisanal brick production, particulate matter and other pollutants are released into the air, to which children are particularly vulnerable.

To compare the frequency of allergic diseases and impaired lung function among children exposed and unexposed to artisanal brick production.

A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 386 children aged 6 to 14 years, recruited from a primary and a secondary school in Guanajuato, Mexico. Participants were classified as exposed (n = 193) or unexposed (n = 193) to artisanal brick production. Once parents and children voluntarily consented to participate, study procedures were initiated. Forced spirometry and anthropometric measurements were performed, and the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire was administered. We assessed the frequency of respiratory symptoms, allergic diseases, and lung function abnormalities. We measured the frequency of respiratory symptoms, allergic diseases, and lung function abnormalities.

The mean age of the 386 children was 9.7 ± 1.7 years. Each group consisted of 103 girls and 90 boys. The most important risk factors for impaired lung function were living in the brickyard (OR = 6.9, 95% CI: 4.3-11.1; p = 0.001) and being male (OR = 3.6, 95% CI: 2.3-5.7; p = 0.001). The prevalence of impaired lung function was 13.5% in exposed and 4.1% in unexposed children (OR = 3.6, 95% CI: 1.5-8.1; p = 0.001). Most of the respiratory symptoms observed were obstructive and we found no difference in the frequency of allergic diseases, but respiratory symptoms were more frequent in exposed children.

Respiratory symptoms and obstructive abnormalities in pulmonary function are more prevalent among children living in brickyards. Male sex and residence in the brickyard were the principal risk factors for impaired lung function.