Ambient air pollution impairs lung development in children, particularly in industrialized areas. The air quality in Zabrze, a city located in the Upper Silesian Industrial Region of Poland, is among the worst in Europe. We compared lung function and the frequency of respiratory or allergic symptoms between children living in Zabrze and those living in Gdynia, a city on the Baltic coast, which has the best long-term air quality in Poland. We enrolled children aged 9–15 years from both cities who were able to perform a spirometry. The following spirometry variables were measured for all participants: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume during the first second of expiration (FEV1), FEV1/FVC index, and peak expiratory flow (PEF). The frequencies of respiratory or allergic symptoms were taken from a survey completed by the participants’ parents. In total, 258 children from Gdynia and 512 children from Zabrze were examined. The mean values of FVC, FEV1, and PEF were significantly greater among children in Gdynia than those reported in Zabrze (p ≤ 0.032), and the frequencies of seasonal rhinorrhea (p = 0.015) or coughing episodes (p = 0.022) were significantly higher in Zabrze than in Gdynia. In conclusion, lung function was significantly impaired in children living in Zabrze, an area which is associated with poor air quality. Strategies to improve air quality in the Silesia region are urgently needed.

This study aimed to evaluate the mass concentration of size-resolved (PM₁, PM_2.5, PM₄, PM₁₀, PM₁₀₀) particulate matter (PM) in the Wieliczka Salt Mine located in southern Poland, compare them with the concentrations of the same PM fractions in the atmospheric air, and estimate the dose of dry salt aerosol inhaled by the mine visitors. Measurements were conducted for 2 h a day, simultaneously inside (tourist route, passage to the health resort, health resort) and outside the mine (duty-room), for three days in the summer of 2017 using DustTrak DRX devices (optical method). The highest average PM concentrations were recorded on the tourist route (54–81 µg/m³), while the lowest was in the passage to the health resort (49–62 µg/m³). At the same time, the mean outdoor PM concentrations were 14–20 µg/m³. Fine particles constituting the majority of PM mass (68–80%) in the mine originated from internal sources, while the presence of coarse particles was associated with tourist traffic. High PM deposition factors in the respiratory tract of children and adults estimated for particular mine chambers (0.58–0.70), the predominance of respirable particles in PM mass, and the high content of NaCl in PM composition indicate high health benefits for mine visitors.

Many studies have shown associations between exposure to air pollutants and negative health effects such as increased number of Hospital Admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases or even increased daily mortality due to those causes. To assess air quality in ambient air continuous monitoring is run in many cities worldwide. Data which is collected at these points should represent exposure of the population and is used to monitor medium and long-term trends. To provide an information for citizens about the impact of air quality on their health several governmental and municipal agencies developed air quality health indices These tools are based on environmental epidemiology models and on-line air quality data. The health risk is assessed differently for each index. In this paper review of Canadian, American, Hong Kong’s Air Quality Health Index.

Children exposure to PM_2.5 is associated with several negative health effects. Particulate air pollution in the ambient and indoor air could lead to exacerbation of respiratory diseases and even influence cognitive function in children. One of the methods to improve indoor air quality is to use electronic air purifiers. Such an equipment is still not commonly used in Polish kindergartens and homes. The aim of the study was to assess changes in children exposure to particulate air pollution in kindergarten classrooms due to the occurrence of air purifier. Automatic PM_2.5 concentration monitors were used to assess the air quality changes in the indoor and ambient air. As it was a pilot study, four kindergartens in Warsaw has been chosen as research fields. Concentration measurements were conducted in cold season. In each kindergarten measurements of the PM_2.5 concentration were made in two classrooms - one with air purifier switched on and the other one without air purification. Changes in air quality were observed due to opening windows and the presence of the children. Air quality in classrooms with air purification was on average almost 40%-50% better than in those without any procedures to decrease air pollutants concentration.