Characterizing air pollution exposure methodologies in rhinology: a scoping review

ABST RACTCharacterization of air pollution assessment methodologies in rhinologic disease research is lacking. A scoping review was thus conducted to survey exposure methods in studies examining common rhinologic conditions: allergic rhinitis (AR) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Several medical databases were queried for variables relating to (1) adults with a diagnosis of CRS or AR and (2) air pollution exposure. Data was extracted for pollutants assessed, method of quantifying exposure, assessment of residential stability, inclusion of authors with expertise in environmental exposure assessment, and disease-related outcomes. Thirty-four articles were included for analysis - 16 for AR and 18 for CRS. Fifteen studies originated from East Asia, 10 from North America, and 6 from Europe. The most common pollutant studied was PM2.5 (28 studies), with most studies investigating multiple pollutants. Twenty-one studies used a nearby air monitor to quantify exposure, 9 studies reported whether subjects had residential stability for the period assessed, and 17 studies included authors with climate science background. Timeframes included both acute and chronic exposure. Current methods to quantify air pollution exposure in rhinology vary considerably and inconsistently employ expertise from environmental scientists. Future investigations may benefit from multidisciplinary collaboration, reporting of residential stability, and standardized reporting metrics.