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Elemental composition of particulate matter and the association with lung function
Marloes Eeftens1, Gerard Hoek, Olena Gruzieva
1From the aInstitute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; bDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; cUniversity of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; dKarolinska Institute, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden; eCentre for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom; fJulius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; gUniversity of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Institute of Inflammation and Repair, University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom; hHelmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology II, Neuherberg, Germany; iUniversity of Augsburg, Environmental Science Center, Augsburg, Germany; jHelmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology I, Neuherberg, Germany; kSchool of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; lIUF Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; mMedical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; nMRC-HPA Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; oTNO, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands; pUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, GRIAC Research Institute and Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergology, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands; qAir Quality & Sustainable Nanotechnology, IUTA e.V., and CENIDE at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany; and rDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health
Long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) components like nickel and sulfur may slightly reduce lung function. However, overall PM mass showed a more consistent negative association with lung health in children.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Air Pollution Epidemiology
Background:
- Long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) negatively impacts lung function.
- Variations in PM composition and toxicity may explain differing study findings on PM's health effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between specific elemental components of PM2.5 and PM10 and lung function in European children.
- To determine if elemental composition or PM mass is a stronger predictor of reduced lung function.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter study involving 5 European birth cohorts.
- Estimation of individual annual average residential exposure to PM elements (copper, iron, nickel, sulfur, etc.) using land-use regression models.
- Linear regression and random effects meta-analysis to assess associations between air pollutants and lung function measurements at ages 6-8 years.
Main Results:
- Small reductions in lung function (FEV1, FVC, PEF) were linked to several PM elements, notably nickel and sulfur.
- PM10 nickel and sulfur showed statistically significant associations with decreased forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1).
- Associations with specific elements varied across cohorts and were less consistent than those with overall PM mass.
Conclusions:
- Annual average exposure to certain PM elements, particularly nickel and sulfur, may have small adverse effects on children's lung function.
- Increased particulate matter mass was more consistently associated with lower lung function than individual elemental components.
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