Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Exposure to Forest Air Monoterpenes and Pulmonary Function Tests in Adolescents With Asthma: A Cohort Study

Davide Donelli
ORCID logo ,
Michele Antonelli
ORCID logo ,
Rita Baraldi
,
Anna Corli
,
Franco Finelli
,
Federica Gardini
,
Giovanni Margheritini
,
Francesco Meneguzzo
* ORCID logo ,
Luisa Neri
ORCID logo ,
Davide Lazzeroni
ORCID logo ,
Diego Ardissino
,
Giorgio Piacentini
,
Federica Zabini
* ,
Annalisa Cogo
Version 1 : Received: 4 September 2023 / Approved: 5 September 2023 / Online: 5 September 2023 (08:02:04 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Donelli, D.; Antonelli, M.; Baraldi, R.; Corli, A.; Finelli, F.; Gardini, F.; Margheritini, G.; Meneguzzo, F.; Neri, L.; Lazzeroni, D.; Ardissino, D.; Piacentini, G.; Zabini, F.; Cogo, A. Exposure to Forest Air Monoterpenes with Pulmonary Function Tests in Adolescents with Asthma: A Cohort Study. Forests 2023, 14, 2012. Donelli, D.; Antonelli, M.; Baraldi, R.; Corli, A.; Finelli, F.; Gardini, F.; Margheritini, G.; Meneguzzo, F.; Neri, L.; Lazzeroni, D.; Ardissino, D.; Piacentini, G.; Zabini, F.; Cogo, A. Exposure to Forest Air Monoterpenes with Pulmonary Function Tests in Adolescents with Asthma: A Cohort Study. Forests 2023, 14, 2012.

Abstract

Increasing evidence supports the direct healing effects of forests, partly attributed to the exposure to plant-emitted monoterpenes available in the forest atmosphere. The potential benefits on respiratory functions from inhaling monoterpenes have gained attention, especially due to the global rise in respiratory diseases. This study involved 42 asthmatic adolescents attending a summer rehabilitation camp at an Altitude Pediatric Asthma Center within a densely forested area in the Eastern Italian Alps. Volatile organic compound measurements indicated a pristine atmosphere, enabling modeling of continuous hourly monoterpenes concentration. Monoterpene concentration exposure and total inhaled dose were assessed over a 14-day stay, during which spirometry, lung oscillometry, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide were measured. Statistically significant correlations were observed between modifications in lung function parameters among asthmatic adolescents and monoterpenes exposure. These findings suggest a potential localized airway effect specific to monoterpenes. This pilot cohort study might pave the way for further investigations into the therapeutic effects of forest monoterpenes on lung function tests, asthma, and the broader healing potential of forest environments.

Keywords

Asthma; Forest atmosphere; Monoterpenes; Respiratory functions; Volatile organic compounds.

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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