CHRONIC RESPIRATORY-DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH LONG-TERM AMBIENT CONCENTRATIONS OF SULFATES AND OTHER AIR-POLLUTANTS

Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) non-smokers who had resided since 1966 wit hin five miles of their 1977 residence (n = 3914) completed a standard ized respiratory symptoms questionnaire in 1977 and again in 1987. For each participant, cumulative ambient concentrations from 1977 to 1987 of suspended sulfates (SO4) in excess of several cutoffs as well as m ean concentrations were estimated by interpolating monthly ambient con centration statistics from state air monitoring stations to the indivi dual's residential and workplace zip codes. There were significant ass ociations between ambient concentrations of suspended sulfates and dev elopment of new cases of asthma, but not new cases of overall airway o bstructive disease (AOD) or chronic bronchitis. Comparison of previous analyses, in this population, of respiratory disease symptoms and tot al suspended particulates (TSP), ozone, and sulfur dioxide (SO2), and multipollutant analyses of these pollutants with SO4, indicated these results were not due to a surrogate relationship with other air pollut ants. Development of definite symptoms of AOD and chronic bronchitis w as most strongly related to TSP.