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Impact of environmental pollution on the eye

  1. Rohit Saxena,
  2. Sushma Srivastava,
  3. Deepa Trivedi,
  4. Eswaraiah Anand,
  5. Sujata Joshi,
  6. Suresh Kumar Gupta*

Article first published online: 26 SEP 2003

DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0420.2003.00119.x

Issue

Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica

Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica

Volume 81, Issue 5, pages 491–494, October 2003

Additional Information

How to Cite

Saxena, R., Srivastava, S., Trivedi, D., Anand, E., Joshi, S. and Gupta, S. K. (2003), Impact of environmental pollution on the eye. Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica, 81: 491–494. doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0420.2003.00119.x

Author Information

  1. 1 Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India2Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

* Dr S. K. Gupta Professor and Head Department of Pharmacology All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi 110029 India Tel: + 91 11 265 93 633 Fax: + 91 11 265 88 663 Email: skgup@hotmail.com

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 26 SEP 2003
  2. Article first published online: 26 SEP 2003
  3. Received on March 11th, 2003. Accepted on May 10th, 2003.

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Keywords:

  • environmental toxins;
  • ocular surface disorder;
  • tear break-up time;
  • lysozyme activity

Abstract.

Purpose: To study the effect of environmental toxins on the ocular surface in persons travelling through highly polluted areas of the metropolis of Delhi.

Methods: A total of 500 apparently healthy volunteers recruited from the metropolis of Delhi were examined to establish the frequency of ocular surface disorders. All subjects underwent a slit-lamp examination, tear break-up time (BUT) test, Rose Bengal test, Schirmer's test and tear lysozyme level test.

Results: Subjects in the study group had significantly higher levels of ophthalmic symptoms compared to the control group. In all, 105 (42%) and 125 (50%) subjects in the study group compared to 50 (20%) and 65 (26%) in the control group complained of redness and irritation (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in visual acuity (VA) between the two groups, with best corrected VA being 6/9 or better in 92% of the study group and 96% of the control group. The average (±standard deviation) Schirmer's test result was 13.42±6.67 mm in the study group compared to 15.95±6.14 mm in the control group. This difference was statistically significant. The BUT was also significantly lower in the study group (12.97±6.12 seconds) compared to the control group (19.23±5.70 seconds) (p < 0.001). The Rose Bengal test and tear lysozyme activity did not show any significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusion: According to our study, environmental conditions appear to have a very significant effect on the ocular surface. There were very high levels of subclinical ocular surface changes among persons travelling in highly polluted areas.

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