More info at: https://www.kunak.es/sensores-calidad-aire-exterior-rendimiento-uso Summary: A comprehensive air quality assessment was carried out during the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019, in order to propose and test a methodology aiming to understand the association between air quality, athletic performance and exacerbation of respiratory diseases. It was included on-line and off-line instrumentation for air pollutants and meteorological parameters. Personal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was quantified through silicone wristbands, a novel and simple approach to assess potentially toxic organic compounds. Finally, air quality perception and exacerbation of symptoms of already-diagnosed diseases were assessed by athletes through questionnaires during training sessions.

1. 12th
International Conference – Air Quality Science & Application – Thessaloniki, 2020
ATHLETES’ EXPOSURE TO AIR POLLUTION DURING WORLD ATHLETICS WORLD RELAYS: A PILOT
STUDY
Cristina Reche1
, Mar Viana1
, Barend L. van Drooge1
, Francisco Javier Fernandez2
, Miguel Escribano2
, Gemma
Castaño3,a,b,c
, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen3,b,c
, Paolo Emilio Adami4,5
, Stéphane Bermon4,6
, Edurne Ibarrola-Ulzurrun2
(1) Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
(2) Kunak Technologies SL, Pamplona, Spain
(3) ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
(a) IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
(b) Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
(c) CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
(4) Health and Science Department, International Association of Athletics Federations IAAF, Monaco
(5) Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Rome, Italy
(6) LAMHESS, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
eibarrola@kunak.es
Summary
A comprehensive air quality assessment was carried out during the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019, in order to propose
and test a methodology aiming to understand the association between air quality, athletic performance and exacerbation of
respiratory diseases. It was included on-line and off-line instrumentation for air pollutants and meteorological parameters.
Personal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was quantified through silicone wristbands, a novel and simple
approach to assess potentially toxic organic compounds. Finally, air quality perception and exacerbation of symptoms of
already-diagnosed diseases were assessed by athletes through questionnaires during training sessions.
Introduction
Some adverse effects of exposure to air contaminants during exercise include exacerbation of asthma, decreases of the lung
function, as well as exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. These effects are more relevant for athletes during their trainings
and competitions, since they could affect to their athletic performance. In this context, evaluating and mitigating the exposure
of air contaminants during the exercise should be manage in sports venue. The study performs a comprehensive air quality
evaluation during the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019, in the warm-up track and in the main stadium.
Methodology and Results
The study was carried out using on-line and off-line instrumentation for particulate and gaseous contaminants and for
meteorological parameters, which were compared with local reference data. Questionnaires during the training sessions were
filled in to assess air quality perception as well as exacerbation diseases symptoms already diagnosed (respiratory and
cardiovascular). NO2 concentrations inside the stadium (25.2-33.7 μgm-3
) were comparable with the Yokohama urban
background, demonstrating the impact of urban sources (e.g., traffic) on athletes’ exposure during the competition and the
training. The study shows how the assessment of the hourly air pollutant trends are useful to provide guidance for reducing
athletes’ exposure, identifying the day periods with the lowest air pollutant concentrations. Finally, the polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure was analysed using silicone wristbands.
Figure 1. Heatmap of the k-Means clustering applied to the hourly variation of all the available air quality parameters.
Conclusions
The assessment of hourly air pollutant could be a valuable tool to schedule training and competitions. Moreover, this would
have special added value for athletes with respiratory conditions. Regarding the wristbands, they are a simple approach to
assess personal exposure to potentially PAHs, however they show a high variability across volunteers due to body lotions and
perfumes onto the skin. Further research would be necessary regarding the specific air contaminants that may intensify
respiratory conditions typical of the athlete community. Finally, the availability of high time-resolved exposure data in stadiums
brings up the possibility to study the doses of specific pollutants for individual athletes, in order to understand the impact of air
pollutants on athletic performance.
References
Brook, R. D., Brook, J. R., Urch, B., Vincent, R., Rajagopalan, S., & Silverman, F. 2002. Inhalation of fine particulate air
pollution and ozone causes acute arterial vasoconstriction in healthy adults. Circulation, 105(13), 1534-1536.
Carlisle, A. J., & Sharp, N. C. C. 2001. Exercise and outdoor ambient air pollution. British journal of sports medicine, 35(4),
214-22.