Anthropometric profiling in pulmonary function tests to study the effect of air pollution

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary function testing is an important practical application of respiratory physiology and has become a routine part of the evaluation of patients in whom a diagnosis of a cardiac or pulmonary abnormality or disease is entertained. Material and Methods: The study group included 144 subjects, while the control group included 148 subjects. The subjects included in both the groups are normal, healthy, non-smoking hard working males, working in their respective environments, 8-10 hours a day for a period of not less than 10 years. The ventilatory parameters included in this comparitive study are FVC; FEV₁; FEV₁/FVC%; PEF; FEF_25-75%; Vmax25%; Vmax50% and Vmax75%. Mean and SD values of the ventilatory function tests in the study group and control group were calculated separately. Mean difference was tested using t test. The Chi-Square test is applied to find out the significant difference of a particular parameter between the study group and control group. Data was analyzed using SPSS package. Results and conclusion: Among the ambient air pollutants, the most dangerous to the respiratory system are particulate matter (PM₁₀) and sulphur dioxide (SO₂) produced by combustion of fossil fuels. These pollutants react with each other, forming hazardous acid sulfate particles, which are capable of reaching deep inside the tracheo-bronchial tree producing a bronchoconstrictor response, as their predominant site of action are the small airways. This is reflected by a sharp decline in the results of the small airways ventilatory parameters like FEF_25-75% and Vmax75% of the study group when compared to those of the control group, thus establishing an early onset of small airways dysfunction.