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Short-term effects and attributable burden of ambient volatile organic compound mixtures on pediatric atopic

Minsun Lee1,2, Kyungjun Jeong1,2, Kyungnam Kim2

  • 1Institute for Environmental Research, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology
|August 21, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Short-term exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is linked to increased pediatric asthma and atopic dermatitis (AD) in Seoul. Aromatic VOCs, especially toluene, were key contributors to this health burden.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Epidemiology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are complex mixtures with poorly understood short-term health effects in children.
  • Pediatric respiratory and allergic diseases, such as asthma and atopic dermatitis (AD), are significant public health concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the short-term associations between ambient VOC mixtures and pediatric atopic dermatitis (AD) and asthma in Seoul, South Korea.
  • To estimate the population-level attributable burden of these health outcomes due to VOC exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized daily outpatient visit and hospital admission data for individuals under 19 years old in Seoul (2015-2019).
  • Linked health data with citywide VOC concentrations, categorized into n-alkanes (G1), branched/cyclo-alkanes (G2), alkenes/alkynes (G3), and aromatics (G4).
  • Employed Weighted Quantile Sum regression (WQSR) and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression to analyze mixture effects and calculated Population Attributable Fractions (PAFs).

Main Results:

  • Ambient VOC mixtures were associated with increased daily visits and admissions for pediatric AD and asthma.
  • Toluene (aromatic, G4) exhibited the highest association weights for both AD and asthma.
  • Hexane (G1) and cyclohexane (G2) also showed significant associations, with estimated ecological PAFs for AD and asthma ranging from 4.0% to 7.0% under a reduced exposure scenario.

Conclusions:

  • Short-term exposure to ambient VOC mixtures, particularly aromatics like toluene, significantly increases the pediatric burden of AD and asthma in Seoul.
  • The findings highlight the potential for a measurable population-level health impact from VOC mixture exposure.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the specific roles of various VOCs and their potential co-exposure with other pollutants.
Abstract

Keywords:
Air pollutionChildren’s healthEpidemiologyExposure assessmentVolatile organic compounds

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