Pulmonary function assessment of a community exposed to air pollution in an industrial area in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Abstract

Industrial air pollution has been linked to respiratory diseases due to pulmonary function impairment, which are poorly documented in low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to assess the pulmonary function of a community exposed to air pollution in an Industrial Area (IA) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Thus, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 146 residents of the IA and 146 residents of Nioko 2, constituting respectively, the target and control populations, from November to December 2023. A medical team collected data on respiratory symptoms experienced by the study population through a questionnaire followed by a clinical examination. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were then performed by spirometry according to ATS/ERS guidelines. The results showed that the study population suffered from both upper airway (87% IA, 70.50% Nioko 2) and lower airway (89% IA, 64.40% Nioko 2) symptoms whose prevalence was higher among the residents of the IA. The PFTs revealed a decrease in the predicted average percentage of FEV1% (p = 0.002) and FET % (p = 0.002) before bronchodilation among the residents of the IA compared to Nioko 2. These spirometric parameters still remained decreased among residents of the IA compared with Nioko 2 even after bronchodilation, but with only a significant difference for FET % (p = 0.011). Furthermore, the pulmonary impairment diagnosed among the residents of the IA before bronchodilation was restrictive defects (p = 0.035), with a strong representation of females (37.50% IA, 11.11% Nioko 2). Univariate logistic regression revealed that residence in the IA was significantly associated with restrictive ventilatory defects (OR, 1.697; p = 0.035). The restrictive defects diagnosed were the main pulmonary function impairment observed in the residents of the IA notably in women. The findings in this study highlight the impact of air pollution on the pulmonary function of the residents of the IA specifically on the lower respiratory tract.