Panel study Ultra Fine Particles Schiphol

Recent measurements of air pollution by TNO, RIVM and ECN in the vicinity of
Schiphol airport showed considerably elevated air pollution concentrations
several kilometers away from the airport. Particularly ultrafine particles
(UFP) are elevated, related to rising and landing airplanes. UFP can penetrate
deep in the lungs. The health consequences of these elevated UFP concentrations
are difficult to quantify because of the difference in chemical composition
between UFP from aircraft emissions and UFP from especially motorized traffic.
In outdoor air, industry and especially motorized traffic are major sources of
UFP. The societal commotion in the Schiphol region led the ministry of
Infrastructure and Environment to order RIVM to define and coordinate a package
of research studies to investigate the health effects of short-term and
long-term exposure to ultrafine particles in the Schiphol region. The current
panel study is part of this package and will focus on short-term effects on
respiratory health of children. Children are a sensitive subgroup for air
pollution effects.

The objectives are to study short-term changes in lung function, exhaled NO,
respiratory symptoms and bronchodilator medication use in association with
short-term changes in UFP in general and UFP from aircraft emissions
specifically in children aged 7-11 year.

The study is a panel study, implying repeated observations of respiratory
health in two groups of primary school children. The study has two components,
(A) a school panel and (B) an asthma panel. Daily air pollution concentrations
are obtained from monitoring stations at the two schools and detailed
dispersion modelling for school and homes.


(A) School panel: Weekly supervised observations of respiratory health at
school will be made in a group of 150 unselected 7 - 11 year old children of
two schools in the Schiphol region. The schools will be selected to the north
(east) and south (west) of Schiphol airport such that the airport is affecting
one but not the other school on most days. This design allows us to separate
potential health effects related to UFP from aircraft emissions and UFP in
general. Every week a technician will visit the school during school hours to
perform supervised spirometry and an exhaled NO measurement, a non-invasive
airway inflammation assessment. At home, daily recording of respiratory
symptoms and bronchodilator use in a daily diary and lung function will be
performed. Each child participates for three months.

(B) The asthma panel consists of 50 7 * 11 year old children with asthma in the
wider Schiphol airport region. They also participate for three months. At home,
daily recording of respiratory symptoms, bronchodilator use in a daily diary
and lung function will be performed. The asthma panel is added to the school
panel to increase the number of children with asthma-like symptoms, necessary
to be able to study potential effects of ultrafine particles on symptoms such
as wheeze and shortness of breath and bronchodilator medication use.

The study as a whole will take place in a period of around 9 months.

Total participation time for a child in the study is three months. Each
participant of the school panel will perform supervised tests of lung function
and exhaled NO once a week at school, taking about 10 minutes each week. At
home, a short diary will be filled out daily, under parental supervision,
taking 2-3 minutes. Twice daily a simple lung function measurement will be
performed, taking about 2 minutes. The children of the asthma panel will only
perform home spirometry and daily symptom recording. There is no risk involved
in participating. Participants do not personally benefit from the outcomes of
the panel study. Children happily perform lung function tests after initial
encouragement and explanation, and when they understand the technique they
experience it as challenging and fun. In our experience, participating for 3
months is reasonable, people who start participating will almost always
complete the required period. At the end of the study period a 25 euro gift
certificate will be given and at regular intervals we will hand out small
presents at school (home for the asthma panel) for encouragement.