[Trends in Intervention Research for Reducing Health Effects of Particulate Matter]

Air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM), is one of the major public health risk factors. More than 91% of the global population lives in areas where air pollution exceeds the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limits. WHO estimated that air pollution is responsible for approximately 4.2 million deaths every year. PM has serious effects on health outcomes (especially in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and all-cause morbidity). However, there are few intervention studies on the reduction of PM-exposure related health effects. Currently, air purifiers, masks, behavior and other interventions, diet and medications are the recommended interventions for reducing the effect of PM on health; however, scientific evidence for the effects of these interventions are lacking. Here, we review the intervention studies on PM and aim to identify the recent research trends. Using air purifiers significantly lowered the concentration of PM, resulting in a decrease in inflammation and blood pressure. Similarly, wearing a mask showed changes in lung function and blood pressure; however, there was no remarkable changes in the effects on the cardiovascular system. Therefore, intervention studies are limited and more research is needed.