Association Between Volatile Organic Compound Metabolites in Urine and Adult Lung Function: Evidence From NHANES...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Toxicology
• Pulmonary Medicine

Background:

• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure is linked to adverse respiratory outcomes.
• The primary contributors and sources of VOCs, like tobacco, in the general population require further investigation.
• Urinary metabolites of VOCs (UM-VOCs) offer a measurable indicator of exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between mixtures of UM-VOCs and adult lung health.
• To identify key UM-VOC contributors to lung function decline.
• To explore the modifying effect of smoking on these associations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (2011-2012) for 16 UM-VOCs.
• Employed linear regression for single compound analysis and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) for mixture analysis.
• Assessed potential effect modification by smoking status.

Main Results:

• Most UM-VOCs showed an inverse relationship with lung function (FEV1/FVC ratio).
• Specific UM-VOCs (e.g., AMCC, CYMA) were significant contributors to reduced FEV1/FVC and FeNO.
• Higher UM-VOC concentrations were found in smokers, with smoking status modifying the effects.

Conclusions:

• Higher UM-VOC concentrations are associated with lower FEV1/FVC ratios and FeNO levels in a population-based study.
• The observed associations were more pronounced in smokers.
• Tobacco smoke is implicated as a significant source of VOCs impacting lung health.