The Berlin-Brandenburg Air Study – a natural experiment investigating health effects from changes in airport-related exposures (BEAR Follow-up Study)

环境中的超细颗粒物(UFP)会对人体健康造成严重危害。最近的研究表明，大型机场附近环境空气中的UFP浓度显著升高。到目前为止，关于飞机相关UFP(AC-UFP)对人体健康影响的证据很少，只有一项正在进行的研究报告与呼吸道症状和肺功能有关。目前，柏林有两个运营机场(Tegel机场(TXL)和Schönefeld机场(SFX))。TXL将于2020年10月关闭，空中交通将在几周内迁移到新开放的柏林-勃兰登堡机场(BER)。我们的中心假设是，泰格尔附近AC-UFP和其他机场相关暴露的减少将与改善肺部和神经认知发育相关，而AC-UFP和其他机场相关暴露在BER附近的增加将与儿童不利的肺部和神经认知发育相关。我们目前在TXL下风向和BER周围地区以及控制区(Bear基线研究)对800名小学生(在他们的学校)进行UFP测量和基线健康检查。在这里，我们建议继续进行持续的肺、心血管和神经认知功能和生活质量的测量，以及UFP评估，包括在研究学校的固定监测点和流动颗粒物计数器同时测量颗粒物的尺寸分布和共同污染物。除了短期影响外，统计分析还将重点分析肺生长和神经认知发育，同时考虑飞机噪音、其他交通噪音和邻里社会经济状况在调节和/或混淆影响方面的作用。这项研究将为机场相关暴露对健康的影响提供独特的科学证据。由于与新冠肺炎相关的封锁，市中心机场的曝光量比预期提前下降，考试因学校停课而推迟。针对这些局限性，我们使用特定来源的UFP化学运输模型的数据来评估搬迁前后几年的UFP暴露，使用第二个现场小组，扩大研究人群，也包括BER以西地区，并延长观察期，以能够评估短期和长期的健康影响。

Ambient ultrafine particles (UFP) may impose a substantial risk to human health. Recent studies have shown that UFP concentrations in ambient air are substantially elevated near large airports. Until now, evidence on the health effects of aircraft-related UFP (AC-UFP) in humans is scarce with only one ongoing study reporting associations with respiratory symptoms and lung function.Currently, Berlin has two operating airports (Tegel Airport (TXL) and Schönefeld Airport (SFX)). TXL will be shut down in October 2020 and air traffic will migrate within a few weeks to the newly opened Airport Berlin-Brandenburg (BER). Our central hypothesis is that a reduction of AC-UFP and other airport-related exposures in the vicinity of Tegel will be associated with improved pulmonary and neurocognitive development, and that the increase in AC-UFP and other airport-related exposures in the vicinity of BER will be associated with adverse pulmonary and neurocognitive development in children. We currently conduct UFP measurements and a baseline health examination in a panel of 800 elementary schoolchildren (in their schools) in the areas downwind of TXL and around BER as well as in a control area (BEAR Baseline Study). Here, we propose to continue the ongoing measurements of pulmonary, cardiovascular and neurocognitive function and quality of life, and the UFP assessment including concurrent measurements of particle size distribution and co-pollutants at fixed monitoring sites and mobile particle counters at the study schools. Next to short-term effects, the statistical analyses will focus on the analysis of lung growth and neurocognitive development, taking into account the role of aircraft noise, other transportation noise, and neighbourhood socioeconomic status in mediating and / or confounding the effect. This study will provide unique and scientifically robust evidence on the health effects of airport-related exposures. Due to the COVID-19-related lockdown, the exposure decreased earlier than expected at the inner-city airport and examinations were delayed due to school closures. We respond to these limitations by using data from a source-specific UFP chemistry transport model to asses exposure to UFP for several years before and after relocation, using a second field team, enlarging the study population including also areas west of BER, and by extending the observation period to be able to asses short- and long-term health effects.