Effects of Sulfur Dioxide on Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide Concentration in the Child Residents of Miyakejima Island

• Published in: Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment Vol. 13; no. 2; pp. 144 - 149
• Main Authors: Iwasawa, Satoko, Tsuboi, Tazuru, Nakano, Makiko, Hirata, Aya, Yoshioka, Noriyuki, Suzuki, Satoko, Tanaka, Shigeru, Omae, Kazuyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Science and Business Media LLC 01.06.2019; Springer Nature Singapore; Springer; 한국대기환경학회
• Subjects: Environmental sciences; Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering; fractional exhaled nitric oxide concentration; GE1-350; junior high school students; Research Article; sulfur dioxide; TD1-1066; volcanic gas; 대기과학; Volcanic gas; Junior high school students; Sulfur dioxide; Fractional exhaled nitric oxide concentration
• ISSN: 1976-6912; 2287-1160
• DOI: 10.5572/ajae.2019.13.2.144

The island of Miyakejima in Japan is subject to ongoing emissions of volcanic gases, including high concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ). Annual health checkups on the island, therefore, include the examination of respiratory system parameters. Here, we aimed to investigate the relationship between SO 2 exposure and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) concentration among children who received health checkups from 2008 to 2014. The subjects were 83 and 31 second-year junior high school students aged 13–14 years who resided on Miyakejima island and an SO 2 -free reference island, respectively. SO 2 concentration in the air was measured at 6 fixed-point monitoring stations. FeNO was examined according to the American Thoracic Society guideline and European Respiratory Society recommendations for standardized procedures. Average concentrations of SO 2 on Miyakejima over a period of 3 months prior to each health checkup from 2008 to 2014 were 22.2, 20.6, 8.9, 10.5, 10.7, 4.4 and 8.0 ppb, respectively. Among the Miyakejima students, geometric mean (GM) FeNO concentrations measured at each health checkup from 2008 to 2014 were 28.2, 18.2, 23.6, 35.5, 36.9, 28.1, and 32.1 ppb. The GM FeNO concentration measured from all Miyakejima students across the study period was 28.3ppb. No clear dose-response relationship was observed. The GM FeNO concentration among the students from the reference island was 27.7ppb in 2017. No significant difference was observed between the two populations, even when the data was stratified by sex and sensitivity. There was no clear significant difference in GM of FeNO concentration between Miyakejima and control students, when the average concentration of SO 2 over a period of 3 months was 22ppb or less.