[Importance of communal environmental factors in the development of chronic lung diseases]

After a review on the problem the results of a longitudinal study are reported performed from 1971 to 1980 in men of two towns with an extremely contrasting emission situation. The investigations showed a higher prevalence of chronic bronchitis, an aggravation of clinical symptoms of bronchitis, more social effects of chronic bronchitis, a higher deterioration of pulmonary function (FEV1), and an increase of the average annual decline of FEV1 when the emission load was high. But also in areas with a very strong emission load the false individual behaviour (smoking) is of highest importance for the development of chronic bronchitis.