Ozone and PM(2.5) Exposure and Acute Pulmonary Health Effects: A Study of Hikers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

To address the lack of research on the pulmonary health effects of ozone and fine particulate matter (≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter; PM(2.5)) on individuals who recreate in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (USA) and to replicate a study performed at Mt. Washington, New Hampshire (USA), we conducted an observational study of adult (18–82 years of age) day hikers of the Charlies Bunion trail during 71 days of fall 2002 and summer 2003. Volunteer hikers performed pre- and posthike pulmonary function tests (spirometry), and we continuously monitored ambient O(3), PM(2.5), temperature, and relative humidity at the trailhead. Of the 817 hikers who participated, 354 (43%) met inclusion criteria (nonsmokers and no use of bronchodilators within 48 hr) and gave acceptable and reproducible spirometry. For these 354 hikers, we calculated the posthike percentage change in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV(1)), FVC/FEV(1), peak expiratory flow, and mean flow rate between 25 and 75% of the FVC and regressed each separately against pollutant (O(3) or PM(2.5)) concentration, adjusting for age, sex, hours hiked, smoking status (former vs. never), history of asthma or wheeze symptoms, hike load, reaching the summit, and mean daily temperature. O(3) and PM(2.5) concentrations measured during the study were below the current federal standards, and we found no significant associations of acute changes in pulmonary function with either pollutant. These findings are contrasted with those in the Mt. Washington study to examine the hypothesis that pulmonary health effects are associated with exposure to O(3) and PM(2.5) in healthy adults engaged in moderate exercise

The Classroom [Spring 2006]

CETL 2006 Spring NewsletterCETL’s 20th Anniversary by Dr. Donna C. Llewellyn; In the CETL Library: Five Decades of McKeachie’s Teaching Tips by Dr. Steven P. Girardot; Partnering with Faculty, Learning with Technology by Melissa Bachman; Twenty Years of CETL: Faculty Hired in 1986 Share Their Perspectives Dr. Jung H. Choi, Dr. Terry Blum, Dr. Joseph L.A. Hughes; Ways of Understanding Good Teaching by Dr. Joyce Weinsheimer; Spring 2006 Events

The Classroom [Fall 2005]

CETL 2005 Fall NewsletterIn this issue: The Path to Becoming a GT Educator; In the CETL Library: Book Reviews; Rhythms of Academic Life: Personal Accounts of Careers in Academic; Life on the Tenure Track: Lessons from the First Year; Q & A: An Interview With Dr. Ajit Yoganathan; Why I Became a Professor At Georgia Tech: Dr. Samuel Graham, Dr. Dana Hartley, Dr. Mostafa Ammar, and Dr. Barry Bozeman shared their experiences; Fall 2005 Event