AIR POLLUTION (TOTAL SEDIMENT SUBSTANCES) AND RESPIRATORY
FUNCTION IN CHILDREN

    The aim of this work was to find connection between airpollution - total sediment substances and respiratory function values in children. Our study group consisted of 512 pupils (251 boys and 261 girls, 8 to 12 years of age), attending three schools of different location (in a village, the perifery the and the center of Kragujevac).
The conducted analysis of respiratory functions was based on the following parameters: Forced vital capacity (FVC), Forced expiratory volumen in 1 sec (FEV1 ), Peak respiratory flow (PEF), Mid-expiratory flow at 25% of FVC (MEF25% ), and calculating index FEV1/FVC (Tiffeneau index).
    Starting from the fact that there was no influence of air pollution - total sediment substances from the city centre on children living in a village, we further noticed that the factor of air pollution registered in the city periphery school in September was 0,44 (in February f=0,67), and in the inner city school 0,50 (in February f=1,71. As it was previously expected, the last case points to the lowest grade of air pollution. The results of repeated spirometric examination indicated improvement of considered parameters VC and FEV1. On the basis of conducted research, we found a spirometric damage of respiratory tract in 22.69% of pupils, which, with a group having respiratory function parameters at the lower limit, made even 82.92%.
    During one-year period with lower grade of air pollution - total sediment substances, significantly better results of respiratory function were evidented in children living in the city. Acta Medica Medianae 2005;44(1):21-24.

    Key words: air pollution, total sediment substances, respiratory function, children, spirometry