Ambient Ammonia Exposures in an Agricultural Community and Pediatric Asthma Morbidity

Details

• Personal Author:
  Arias G ; Armstrong J ; Bhatti P ; Breckwich Vasquez V ; Hartin K ; Karr C ; Loftus C ; Sampson P ; Tchong-French M ; Torres E ; Vedal S ; Yost M
• Description:
  Background: Large-scale animal feeding operations compromise regional air quality in the rural US through emission of pollutants, such as ammonia gas. Exposure to airborne pollution from animal feeding operations may cause pediatric asthma exacerbations in surrounding communities. Objectives: To describe spatial and temporal patterns in ambient ammonia concentrations in an agricultural region, and to investigate associations between short-term fluctuations in ammonia and subsequent changes in respiratory health in children with asthma. Methods: For 13 months in the Yakima Valley of Washington State, 14 monitors sampled ammonia in outdoor air for 24-hour periods every 6 days. School-age children with asthma (n = 51) were followed for two health outcomes: biweekly reports of asthma symptoms and quick relief medication usage, and daily measurements of forced expiratory volume in 1 second. We assessed associations between each outcome and ammonia using generalized estimating equations. Results: Twenty-four-hour ammonia concentrations varied from 0.2 to 238.1 ug/m3 during the study period and displayed a strong correlation with proximity to animal feeding operations. The percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 second was 3.8% lower (95% confidence interval = 0.2, 7.3) per interquartile increase in 1-day lagged ammonia concentration and 3.0% lower (95% confidence interval = 0.5, 5.8) for 2-day lagged concentration. We observed no associations between self-reported asthma symptoms or medication usage and estimated ammonia exposure. Conclusions: Ammonia concentrations were elevated in this community and strongly predicted by proximity to animal feeding operations. Ammonia's association with acute lung function decrements in children with asthma in the surrounding community may be causal or, alternatively, ammonia may be a marker for other pollutants from animal feeding operations associated with respiratory effects. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution Animals Asthma Asthma, Occupational Environmental Pollution Livestock Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety

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• Keywords:
  Agricultural Industry Agricultural Safety Air Contamination Air Quality Monitoring Ammonia Children Environmental Contamination Livestock Foods Livestock Industry Respiratory Diseases Respiratory System Disorders

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• ISSN:
  1044-3983
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  26
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20053395
• Citation:
  Epidemiology 2015 Nov; 26(6):794-801
• Contact Point Address:
  Catherine Karr, Department of Epidemiology, 4245 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
• Email:
  ckarr@uw.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Ammonia (CAS RN 7664-41-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Epidemiology
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2eb7accccca0a0409b8e7be55c1bba29ef457593ae745c1ed99f278e0a72ae0702e52544fdb8852fbb4dd6ea813b93ec1d29172d8676f81dfd78d5656931130d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/216159/cdc_216159_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 509.46 KB ]