Exploring the potential associations between single and mixed volatile compounds and preserved ratio impaired...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Pulmonology
• Toxicology

Background:

• The link between environmental pollutants and respiratory health is known, but the association between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) remains unexplored.
• The Systemic Inflammation Index (SII) is a recognized marker for systemic inflammation and a potential mediator between environmental pollutants and respiratory diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between individual and combined VOCs and PRISm.
• To explore the potential mediating role of SII in the relationship between VOCs and PRISm.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of NHANES data (2007-2012) from 2616 participants.
• Utilized multivariable logistic regression, Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression, quantile g-computation (qgcomp), and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) to assess VOC-PRISm associations.
• Employed machine learning models, including LightGBM, and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) for PRISm prediction and feature importance analysis.

Main Results:

• A 1 ng/mL increase in benzene was associated with a 26% increase in PRISm prevalence.
• WQS, qgcomp, and BKMR confirmed associations between mixed VOCs and PRISm.
• Inflammation mediated 7.69% of the observed effect; race, BMI, and 1,4-dichlorobenzene were key predictors identified by SHAP.

Conclusions:

• VOCs are correlated with PRISm, with inflammation potentially mediating this relationship.
• Machine learning approaches integrating VOCs and demographic data can enhance PRISm identification.
• Findings support the development of targeted prevention and intervention strategies for VOC-related respiratory issues.