The effect of exercising under particulate matter 2.5 conditions on forced vital capacity and blood lead levels

Abstract

Introduction. The increase of air pollution in Indonesian big cities has resulted in serious health problems of their inhabitants. Doing physical exercises in such conditions may affect health quality. This study aims to investigate the effects of physical exercises at public sports facilities exposed to particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) on forced vital capacity (FVC) and blood lead levels among visitors of public sports centres in Bandung. Methods. A pretest-posttest randomized-group design was applied. Overall, 30 people who visited public sports facilities were selected to participate on the basis of the inclusion criteria. The subjects were divided into 2 equal groups, the control and the experimental group. The experimental group performed physical exercises for an hour 3 times a week for 6 weeks under high PM2.5 conditions. Meanwhile, the control group did not perform any physical exercise. The participants underwent anthropometric measurements at baseline, as well as spirometry (FVC) and blood lead tests before and after the intervention. PM2.5levels were also evaluated. Results. There was a significant increase (p < 0.001) in FVC and blood lead levels in the experimental group after 6 weeks of exercising in the evening at public sports facilities which were highly exposed to PM2.5. Conclusions. Six weeks of routine and regular physical exercises at public sports facilities highly exposed to PM2.5 increased blood lead levels, with no negative effect to body function in accordance with standard lead level values by the local health department.