Short- Term Effects of Air Pollution on Oxygen Saturation in a Cohort of Senior Adults in Steubenville, Ohio

Objective: We examine whether ambient air pollution is associated with oxygen saturation in 32 elderly subjects in Steubenville, Ohio. Methods: We used linear mixed models to examine the effects of fine particulate matter less than 2.5 m (PM2.5), sulfate (SO42-), elemental carbon, and gases on median oxygen saturation. Results: An interquartile range increase of 13.4 g/m(3) in PM2.5 on the previous day was associated with a decrease of -0.18% (95% confidence interval: -0.31 to -0.06) and a 5.1 g/m(3) interquartile range increase in SO42- on the previous day was associated with a decrease of -0.16% (95% confidence interval: -0.27 to -0.04) in oxygen saturation during the initial 5-minute rest period of the protocol. Conclusions: Increased exposure to air pollution, including the nontraffic pollutant SO42- from industrial sources, led to changes in oxygen saturation that may reflect particle-induced pulmonary inflammatory or vascular responses.