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Particulate matter composition and respiratory health: the PIAMA Birth Cohort study

Ulrike Gehring1, Rob Beelen, Marloes Eeftens

  • 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; dMRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; eDivision of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center/Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; fNetherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research TNO, Utrecht, The Netherlands; gDepartment of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergology, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; hGroningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; iDepartment of Pulmonary Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; and jJulius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
|February 18, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Exposure to specific particulate matter (PM) components like zinc, copper, and iron is linked to increased asthma and allergy risks in children. These PM constituents, often from road traffic, also negatively impact lung function development.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure is a known risk factor for childhood respiratory illnesses.
  • The specific contributions of various PM constituents to health outcomes remain under-investigated.
  • This study examines the long-term effects of PM components on respiratory health in children up to age 11-12.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between exposure to specific particulate matter (PM) constituents and the development of asthma, allergies, and lung function in children.
  • To identify which PM components pose the greatest risk to children's respiratory health.
  • To analyze these associations from birth up to pre-adolescence.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective birth cohort of 3,702 children was followed.
  • Questionnaire data on asthma and hay fever, allergic sensitization, and lung function were collected.
  • Exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 constituents (copper, iron, zinc, etc.) was estimated using land-use regression models at birth and current addresses.

Main Results:

  • Positive associations were found between zinc in PM10 and asthma incidence/symptoms, and rhinitis.
  • Copper and iron in PM10 were linked to increased allergic sensitization and asthma symptoms.
  • Exposure to copper and iron in PM2.5 was negatively associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1).

Conclusions:

  • Specific PM constituents, notably iron, copper, and zinc, are associated with increased risks of asthma and allergies in schoolchildren.
  • These findings highlight the role of poorly regulated non-tailpipe road traffic emissions in pediatric respiratory diseases.
  • Targeting these specific PM components may be crucial for mitigating adverse respiratory health effects in children.
Abstract

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