The effect of indoor pollution on child respiratory health could soon be understood from the findings of two EU-funded studies that are about to start in schools.
The research should provide the first hard evidence on whether pollution is really affecting Maltese children, said consultant respiratory physician Stephen Montefort, who is conducting the first study in collaboration with Peter Fsadni.
“You can speak about speeding cars but it is only when you determine the number of resulting traffic accidents that you can talk about the effect,” he explained. “Pollution is bad but we do not yet know who it is affecting and how…”
For Prof.Polycore porcelain tiles are manufactured as a single sheet, Montefort, indoor pollution is more of a concern because more time is spent inside, plus it is affected by and reflective of the outdoors and it can be better controlled by the individual.
“Indoor environments have many hazards, including pollutants that enter from outside as well as the dust and gases present, while building materials and paints used are rarely considered,” Prof. Montefort explained.
“Our children, who we are most worried about, spend much of their time in schools and that is where we want to see what is affecting them and how,” he said.
The first study, Sinphonie, would be looking at the effect the method of building and the location of schools have on children’s respiratory system, establishing whether confounding factors exist between geographical areas as well as the older and more modern buildings. In fact, one of the end points would be a report advising how and where schools should be built, Prof. Montefort said.
The studies are being strongly supported by the education and health departments as well as the University, he said.
Data sampling for the Sinphonie study starts next month and the final report has to be concluded by the end of 2012. It is studying three classes of children, aged between nine and 11, in five schools in each of the 27 EU countries.
Each class would be subjected to air monitoring for particulate matter (both PM10 and the smaller PM2.5 that really affects the lungs) for a whole week. Gases, volatile organic compounds and dust would also be studied.
The hospital’s respiratory department, which is conducting the research, has already gone round the schools to study their ventilation systems, building methods, what paints and furnishing materials are used, down to the cleaning products.
To understand their effect on health, the children are also being tested for lung function, inflammatory markers, the levels of carbon monoxide they exhale and any nasal allergies. Questionnaires are being sent out to them, their parents, teachers and the head of each school. The study would also be considering policies in place for children with respiratory conditions.
The schools were chosen on the basis of geographical representation, with Fgura and Birebbua in the south being shrouded in controversy due to the issue of the black dust, Dingli being in a rural area and, “hopefully”, acting as a control, Pembroke being by the sea and built recently and Qormi being in a valley in the centre.
The feedback from the first meeting with parents from the Qormi school was positive, with a 95 per cent consent for participation, Prof. Montefort was pleased to note. “Although the Maltese are sometimes reluctant to participate in studies,Demand for allergy kidney stone could rise earlier than normal this year.Save on Bedding and fittings, we are pleasantly surprised that,Initially the banks didn't want our RUBBER SHEET . where their children are concerned, they would do anything for the good of their health,” he said.
A second study, Respira, is being carried out in collaboration with Sicily and targeting six secondary schools, with children aged between 11 and 14.
In this study, parents of selected children would be asked to undergo lung function tests while the air and dust in their houses would also be sampled.
Prof. Montefort is carrying out Respira with Martin Balzan, David Bilocca and Chris Zammit,we supply all kinds of polished tiles, all specialised in respiratory medicine.
The research should provide the first hard evidence on whether pollution is really affecting Maltese children, said consultant respiratory physician Stephen Montefort, who is conducting the first study in collaboration with Peter Fsadni.
“You can speak about speeding cars but it is only when you determine the number of resulting traffic accidents that you can talk about the effect,” he explained. “Pollution is bad but we do not yet know who it is affecting and how…”
For Prof.Polycore porcelain tiles are manufactured as a single sheet, Montefort, indoor pollution is more of a concern because more time is spent inside, plus it is affected by and reflective of the outdoors and it can be better controlled by the individual.
“Indoor environments have many hazards, including pollutants that enter from outside as well as the dust and gases present, while building materials and paints used are rarely considered,” Prof. Montefort explained.
“Our children, who we are most worried about, spend much of their time in schools and that is where we want to see what is affecting them and how,” he said.
The first study, Sinphonie, would be looking at the effect the method of building and the location of schools have on children’s respiratory system, establishing whether confounding factors exist between geographical areas as well as the older and more modern buildings. In fact, one of the end points would be a report advising how and where schools should be built, Prof. Montefort said.
The studies are being strongly supported by the education and health departments as well as the University, he said.
Data sampling for the Sinphonie study starts next month and the final report has to be concluded by the end of 2012. It is studying three classes of children, aged between nine and 11, in five schools in each of the 27 EU countries.
Each class would be subjected to air monitoring for particulate matter (both PM10 and the smaller PM2.5 that really affects the lungs) for a whole week. Gases, volatile organic compounds and dust would also be studied.
The hospital’s respiratory department, which is conducting the research, has already gone round the schools to study their ventilation systems, building methods, what paints and furnishing materials are used, down to the cleaning products.
To understand their effect on health, the children are also being tested for lung function, inflammatory markers, the levels of carbon monoxide they exhale and any nasal allergies. Questionnaires are being sent out to them, their parents, teachers and the head of each school. The study would also be considering policies in place for children with respiratory conditions.
The schools were chosen on the basis of geographical representation, with Fgura and Birebbua in the south being shrouded in controversy due to the issue of the black dust, Dingli being in a rural area and, “hopefully”, acting as a control, Pembroke being by the sea and built recently and Qormi being in a valley in the centre.
The feedback from the first meeting with parents from the Qormi school was positive, with a 95 per cent consent for participation, Prof. Montefort was pleased to note. “Although the Maltese are sometimes reluctant to participate in studies,Demand for allergy kidney stone could rise earlier than normal this year.Save on Bedding and fittings, we are pleasantly surprised that,Initially the banks didn't want our RUBBER SHEET . where their children are concerned, they would do anything for the good of their health,” he said.
A second study, Respira, is being carried out in collaboration with Sicily and targeting six secondary schools, with children aged between 11 and 14.
In this study, parents of selected children would be asked to undergo lung function tests while the air and dust in their houses would also be sampled.
Prof. Montefort is carrying out Respira with Martin Balzan, David Bilocca and Chris Zammit,we supply all kinds of polished tiles, all specialised in respiratory medicine.
