Indoor exposure to particulate matter and volatile organic compounds in dwellings and workplaces and respiratory health in French farmers.

Introduction: Few investigations have related objective assessments of indoor air pollutants to respiratory health in farmers, in spite of the many rural environmental hazards to which they are exposed. Chemical air pollution has been particularly neglected.

Objective: We investigated the relationships of indoor exposure to particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to respiratory health in farmers.

Serum cytokine levels related to exposure to volatile organic compounds and PM in dwellings and workplaces in French farmers - a mechanism to explain nonsmoking COPD.

Although French farmers smoke less on average than individuals from the general population, they suffer more from COPD. Exposure to biological and chemical air pollutants in the farm may be the cause of these higher COPD rates. This study investigates the role of bio-contaminants, including the relationship of exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fine particulate matter (of diameter of 2.