Living near opencast coal mining sites and children's respiratory health

Objectives-To answer the question whether living near opencast coal mining sites affects acute and chronic respiratory health. Methods-All 4860 children aged 1-11 from five socioeconomically matched pai rs of communities close to active opencast sites and control sites away fro m them were selected. Exposure was assessed by concentrations of particulat e matter with aerodynamic diameter <10 mu m (PM10), residential proximity t o active opencast sites, and particle composition. PM10 was monitored and s ampled for 6 weeks in four pairs, and for 24 weeks in one pair. A postal qu estionnaire collected data on health and lifestyle. Daily health informatio n was collected by a symptom diary (concurrently with PM10 monitoring) and general practitioner (GP) records were abstracted (concurrently with PM10 m onitoring and 52 weeks before the study). Outcomes were the cumulative and period prevalence (2 and 12 months) of wheeze, asthma, bronchitis, and othe r respiratory symptoms, and the prevalence and incidence of daily symptoms and GP consultations. Results-Patterns of the daily variation of PM10 were similar in opencast an d control communities, but PM10 was higher in opencast areas (mean ratio 1. 14, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.13 to 1.16, geometric mean 17.0 mu g /m(3) v 14.9 mu g/m(3)). Opencast sites were a measurable contributor to PM 10 in adjacent areas. Little evidence was found for associations between li ving near an opencast site and an increased prevalence of respiratory illne sses, asthma severity, or daily diary symptoms, but children in opencast co mmunities 1-4 had significantly more respiratory consultations (1.5 v 1.1 p er person-year) than children in control communities for the 6 week study p eriods. Associations between daily PM10. concentrations and acute health ev ents were similar in opencast and control communities. Conclusions-Children in opencast communities were exposed to a small but si gnificant amount of additional PM10 to which the opencast sites were a meas urable contributor. Past and present respiratory health of children was sim ilar, but GP consultations for respiratory conditions were higher in openca st communities during the core study period.