The respiratory health of school children in smelter communities

Abstract

This study compares the pulmonary function and prevalence of respiratory symptoms and disorders among school children living in smelter towns and other communities of Arizona. The rate of asthma was found to be significantly higher in whites than Mexican-Americans, although differences in related problems, such as wheezing, were not significant. When the subjects were grouped by area of residence, the children living in areas with relatively high particulate levels had significantly lower pulmonary function than children living in areas with low particulate levels. No relation between symptoms or pulmonary function and sulfur dioxide levels was observed.