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Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
Published on: July 12, 2024
Long-Term Exposure to Particulate Matter 2.5 and Ozone and the Risk of Acute Respiratory Infections: Community-Based
Xiaolei Duan1, Xiao Yu2, Hongyu Liang1
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
|July 13, 2026
Summary
Long-term exposure to air pollutants like PM2.5 and ozone significantly increases the risk of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) and influenza-like illness (ILI). Controlling air pollution and implementing targeted interventions are crucial for public health, especially in colder seasons.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Epidemiology
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) pose a significant global health challenge.
- Limited prospective evidence exists on the link between long-term air pollution exposure and ARIs in community settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the community burden of ARIs.
- To investigate the association between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and ozone (O3) and ARI risk.
- To analyze influenza-like illness (ILI) as a specific outcome.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 3617 Shanghai residents over 1 year.
- Individual exposure to PM2.5 and O3 estimated using high-resolution data.
- Cox proportional hazards models with shared frailty used to assess associations, evaluating 3-12 month exposure windows.
Main Results:
- 885 ARI events occurred during 3217 person-years.
- Each IQR increase in 12-month PM2.5 exposure associated with higher ARI risk (HR 1.594) and ILI risk (HR 1.948).
- Ozone exposure also linked to increased ARI (HR 1.510) and ILI (HR 2.229) risks; effect modification observed by age, residence, and season.
Conclusions:
- Long-term exposure to PM2.5 and O3 increases the risk of ARIs and ILI.
- Findings underscore the need for sustained air pollution control measures.
- Targeted interventions for vulnerable groups, particularly during cold seasons, are recommended.
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