Respiratory function and symptoms in urban office workers in relation to oxidant air pollution exposure

Abstract

Similar populations of male and female office workers in San Francisco, which has little air pollution, and in Los Angeles, which experiences frequent photochemical smog episodes, were surveyed in an attempt to document excess respiratory symptoms and dysfunction in Los Angeles relatable to air pollution. Most results of forced expiratory tests, single-breath N2 tests, and questionnaire interviews did not differ significantly between cities. Los Angeles women reported nonpersistent cough and phlegm more often than did San Francisco women. Smokers in both cities showed increased functional abnormalities. These results suggested that Los Angeles oxidant exposure is far less significant than smoking as a risk factor in development of chronic respiratory disease in sedentary indoor workers in good general health. Oxidant exposure has not been ruled out as a significant risk to more heavily exposed on more highly susceptible persons.