What is it about?
Air pollution is a major factor that aggravates respiratory symptoms and diseases. Vehicular emission is the major cause of outdoor air pollution in Kathmandu Valley. The population residing in the valley is risk group prone to develop air pollution related respiratory diseases. The most vulnerable groups include traffic police personnel (TPP), street vendors, and shopkeepers.
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Why is it important?
Significant reduction in pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters like PEFR, FEF25%-75%, FEF25%, FEF50%, and FEF75% in traffic police than in controls. Comparison of PFT parameters between male and female traffic police showed lower values of FVC, FEV1, PEFR, FEF25%, and MVV in the female TPP than in the male TPP. Comparison of PFT parameters between personnel on traffic duty for eight or more years and those for less than eight years showed significant decrease in parameters like FVC, FEV1, FEF25%-75%, FEF50%, FEF75%, and MVV in greater exposed personnel. The questionnaire survey revealed that many of the personnel had short term respiratory effects such as cough, phlegm, and breathlessness to a significant extent as compared to controls.
Perspectives
The adverse health impacts of automobile pollution can be significant. Traffic personnel exposed to vehicular dusts suffer from various respiratory symptoms. Exposure duration has significant effect on the lung functions Greater the officers are engaged in traffic duty for years, greater is the decrement in their lung functions tests. Majority of female traffic police were involved in duty for a short period of time (2-5 years). And yet, showed a greater reduction in lung functions than their male counterpart.
hari shrestha
Tribhuvan University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A cross-sectional study of lung functions in traffic police personnel at work in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, Annals of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, March 2015, Nepal Journals Online (NepJOL),
DOI: 10.3126/acclm.v1i1.12315.
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