Table 2

Summary of near-highway health effects studies

Citation
Location
Highway traffic intensitya
Pollutants measuredb
Distance from highway
Health Outcomes
Statistical associatione

Schwartz et al. 2005 (22)
Boston
NA
PM2.5, BC, CO
NA
Heart rate variability
Decreases in measures of heart rate variability
Adar et al. 2007 (23)
St. Louis, Missouri
NA
PM2.5, BC, UFP
On highway in busses
Heart rate variability
Decreases in measures of heart rate variability
Hoek et al. 2002 (24)
Netherlands
NA
BC, NO2
Continuous d
Cardio-pulmonary mortality, lung cancer
1.41 OR for living near road
Tonne et al. 2007 (41)
Worchester, Mass.
NA
PM2.5
Continuous d
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
5% increase in odds of AMI
Venn et al. 2001 (49)
Nottingham, UK
NA
NA
Continuous d
Wheezing in children
1.08 OR for living w/in 150 m of road
Nicolai et al. 2003 (58)
Munich, Germany
>30,000 veh/d
Soot, benzene, NO2
Traffic counts within 50 m of house
Asthma, respiratory symptoms, allergy
1.79 OR for asthma and high traffic volume
Gauderman et al. 2005 (65)
Southern California

NO2
Continuous d
Asthma, respiratory symptoms
Increased asthma closer to freeways
McConnell et al. 2006 (57)
Southern California
NA
NA
Continuous d
Asthma
Large risk for children living w/in 75 m of road
Ryan, et al. 2007 (59)
Cincinnati, Ohio
> 1,000 trucks/d
PM2.5
400 m
Wheezing in children
NA
Kim et al. 2004 (60)
San Francisco
90,000 – 210,000 veh/d
PM, BC, NOx
School sites
Childhood asthma
1.07 OR for high levels of NOx
Wjst et al. 1993 (68)
Munich, Germany
7,000–125,000 veh/d
NOx, CO
School sites
Asthma, bronchitis
Several statistical associations found
Brunekreef et al. 1997 (69)
Netherlands
80,000 – 152,000 veh/d
PM10, NO2
Continuousd
Lung function
Decreased FEV with proximity to high truck traffic
Janssen et al. 2003 (74)
Netherlands
30,000–155,000 veh/d
PM2.5, NO2, benzene
< 400 m c
Lung function, respiratory symptoms
No association with lung function
Peters et al. 1999 (82)
Southern California
NA
PM10, NO2
NA
Asthma, bronchitis, cough, wheeze
1.54 OR of wheeze for boys with exposure to NO2
Brauer et al. 2007 (67)
Netherlands
Highways and streets
PM2.5, NO2, soot
Modeled exposure
Asthma, allergy, bronchitis, respiratory symptoms
Strongest association was with food allergies
Visser et al. 2004 (91)
Amsterdam
> 10,000 veh/d
NA
NA
Cancer
Multiple associations
Vineis et al. 2006 (87)
10 Eurpoean countries
NA
PM10, NO2, SO2
NA
Cancer
1.46 OR near heavy traffic, 1.30 OR for high exposure to NO2
Gauderman et al. 2007 (73)
Southern California
NA
PM10, NO2
Continuousd
Lung Function
Decreased FEV for those living near freeway

aAs defined in article cited (veh/d = vehicles per day; veh/h = vehicles per hour).

bUFP = ultrafine particles; FP = fine particles; PM2.5 = particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 um; PM10 = particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 um; BC = black carbon; PPAH = particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; VOCs = volatile organic compounds

cPollutant measurements were made along a transect away from the highway

dProximity of each participant to a major road was calculated using GIS software

eStatistical association between proximity to highway or exposure to traffic-generated pollutants and measured health outcomes

NA = not applicable; measurements were not made.

Brugge et al. Environmental Health 2007 6:23   doi:10.1186/1476-069X-6-23