Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106449
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Wood emissions and asthma development: Results from an experimental mouse model and a prospective cohort study
Author Junge, K.M.; Buchenauer, L.; Elter, E.; Butter, K.; Kohajda, T.; Herberth, G. ORCID logo ; Röder, S. ORCID logo ; Borte, M.; Kiess, W.; von Bergen, M.; Simon, J.C.; Rolle-Kampczyk, U.E.; Lehmann, I.; Gminski, R.; Ohlmeyer, M.; Polte, T.
Source Titel Environment International
Year 2021
Department IMMU; MOLSYB
Volume 151
Page From art. 106449
Language englisch
Topic T9 Healthy Planet
Supplements https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S016041202100074X-mmc1.pptx
https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S016041202100074X-mmc2.docx
Keywords Wood emission; Volatile organic compounds; Mixture effect; Asthma; Wheezing; FHA; LINA cohort; Murine asthma model; Perinatal exposure
Abstract

Background

Increased use of renewable resources like sustainably produced wood in construction or for all sorts of long-lived products is considered to contribute to reducing society's carbon footprint. However, as a natural, biological material, wood and wood products emit specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Therefore, the evaluation of possible health effects due to wood emissions is of major interest.

Objectives

We investigated the effects of an exposure to multiple wood-related VOCs on asthma development.

Methods

A murine asthma model was used to evaluate possible allergic and inflammatory effects on the lung after short- or long-term and perinatal exposure to pinewood or oriented strand board (OSB). In addition, wood-related VOCs were measured within the German prospective mother–child cohort LINA and their joint effect on early wheezing or asthma development in children until the age of 10 was estimated by Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) stratifying also for family history of atopy (FHA).

Results

Our experimental data show that neither pinewood nor OSB emissions even at high total VOC levels and a long-lasting exposure period induce significant inflammatory or asthma-promoting effects in sensitized or non-sensitized mice. Moreover, an exposure during the vulnerable time window around birth was also without effect. Consistently, in our mother–child cohort LINA, an exposure to multiple wood-related VOCs during pregnancy or the first year of life was not associated with early wheezing or asthma development in children independent from their FHA.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that emissions from wood and wood products at levels commonly occurring in the living environment do not exert adverse effects concerning wheezing or asthma development.

Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=24316
Junge, K.M., Buchenauer, L., Elter, E., Butter, K., Kohajda, T., Herberth, G., Röder, S., Borte, M., Kiess, W., von Bergen, M., Simon, J.C., Rolle-Kampczyk, U.E., Lehmann, I., Gminski, R., Ohlmeyer, M., Polte, T. (2021):
Wood emissions and asthma development: Results from an experimental mouse model and a prospective cohort study
Environ. Int. 151 , art. 106449