Association between fine particulate matter chemical constituents and airway inflammation: A panel study among healthy adults in China

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2016.06.022

Environmental Research

Volume 150, October 2016, Pages 264-268

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2016.06.022 Get rights and content

Highlights

•
The associations between PM_2.5 constituents and FeNO levels were limited.
•
We examined the effects of PM_2.5 constituents in a panel of healthy adults.
•
NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, K⁺, SO₄²⁻ and EC were associated with FeNO in 12 h after exposure.
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EC might be mainly responsible for the effects of PM_2.5 on FeNO.

Abstract

Background

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) air pollution has been associated with increased airway inflammation, but the roles of various PM_2.5 constituents remain to be determined.

Objectives

To investigate the acute effects of PM_2.5 constituents on fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), a well-established biomarker of respiratory inflammation.

Methods

A longitudinal panel study was performed among 32 healthy young adults in Shanghai, China from January 12th to February 6th, 2015. FeNO was repeatedly measured, 6–8 times per subject. Real-time mass concentration of ambient PM_2.5 and chemical constituents were obtained from a nearby monitoring station. Linear mixed-effect models were applied to evaluate the association between FeNO and PM_2.5 constituents, with the adjustment of age, gender, body mass index, temperature, relative humidity and day of week. The robustness of constituents’ effects was also evaluated.

Results

A total of 234 effective measurements of FeNO were obtained with a geometric mean of 13.1 ppb. The PM_2.5-FeNO associations were strongest at lags of 0–6 h and diminished at lags longer than 12 h. An interquartile range increase in PM_2.5 constituents (NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, K⁺, SO₄²⁻ and elemental carbon) at lags of 0–6 h were significantly associated with increments in FeNO by 12.3%, 11.3%, 11.1%, 9.6% and 10.7%, respectively. After controlling for PM_2.5 total mass and the colinearity, only elemental carbon remained significant.

Conclusion

Several chemical constituents of PM_2.5 may impact FeNO following acute exposure. Elemental carbon in particular may be the primary component responsible for increased airway inflammation.

Introduction

A number of epidemiological studies have demonstrated association between ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) air pollution exposure and increased respiratory morbidity and mortality (Atkinson et al., 2014, Lu et al., 2015, Xing et al., 2016). Although the exact mechanisms remain unclear, airway inflammation is widely believed to play a critical role in the development of PM_2.5-induced respiratory diseases (Falcon-Rodriguez et al., 2016, Harkema et al., 2009, Ni, 2015). Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a well-established airway inflammatory biomarker employed in both clinical practice and epidemiological studies due to its high reproducible and noninvasive nature (Adamkiewicz et al., 2004; American Thoracic and European Respiratory, 2005; Dales et al., 2008, Dweik et al., 2011, Liu et al., 2009). A wide array of epidemiological studies has demonstrated a significant link between a short-term exposure to PM_2.5 and elevated FeNO levels (Chen et al., 2015b, Xu et al., 2011, Zhao et al., 2013).

PM_2.5 is composed of a vast number of chemical constituents. To help shed light on the species responsible for adverse health effects, there is an increasing interest to explore the potential differential effects of various constituents (Brunekreef et al., 2005). Currently, the existing evidence on the associations between PM_2.5 constituents and FeNO levels have been limited to the carbonaceous components (Delfino et al., 2010, Jansen et al., 2005) or in certain susceptible groups (Chen et al., 2015a, Lin et al., 2011). It remains to be determined if various PM_2.5 constituents differentially modify FeNO levels in healthy general populations.

In this study, a longitudinal panel study was designed to investigate the acute effects of PM_2.5 chemical constituents on FeNO in a group of healthy young adults in Shanghai, China. Our aim was to delineate the role of different PM_2.5 constituents, including the main inorganic ions and carbonaceous components, on repeated FeNO measures in association with PM_2.5 exposure.

Section snippets

Study population and design

We recruited 33 healthy college students from the Fenglin Campus of Fudan University, which is located in the central urban area of Shanghai. The inclusion criteria were a general healthy state, 18 years old or more and a commitment of living on campus during the study period. We excluded those having a history of tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and clinically diagnosed cardio-respiratory chronic diseases. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the School of Public

Description statistics

We completed 6 follow-ups for 11 subjects and 8 for 21 subjects. One subject did not complete follow-up examinations, as he had a cold, and was excluded from further analysis. For the remaining 32 participants, the average age was 24.4±1.8 years, and males accounted for 40.6% (n=13). The average BMI was 21.0±2.0 kg/m². In total, we obtained 234 effective measurements of FeNO with the geometric mean of 13.1 ppb. Participants recruited did not have a history of smoking. Furthermore, according to

Discussion

This panel study demonstrated that an acute exposure (even 6 h) to ambient PM_2.5 was significantly associated with increased FeNO level in healthy young adults living in Shanghai. Furthermore, several chemical constituents, especially EC, appeared to be the main constituent responsible for the effects. Females were more susceptible to the adverse effects.

Epidemiological studies have found the short-term associations between ambient PM and FeNO in different subgroups, such as elderly adults with

Conclusions

This panel study suggested several chemical constituents, with EC in particular, to be the main constituents of PM_2.5 responsible for increased airway inflammation in healthy young adults. Further studies with larger sample size and personal exposure measurements are needed to clarify the key detrimental components to human respiratory system.

Acknowledgements

The study was supported by the Public Welfare Research Program of National Health and Family Planning Commission of China (201502003 and 201402022), Cyrus Tang Foundation (CTF-FD2014001), State Key Basic Research Program (973) Project (2015CB553404), China Medical Board Collaborating Program (13-152), ZhuoXue Plan of Fudan University (JJF201049) and the Shanghai 3-Year Public Health Action Plan (GWTD2015S04).

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¹: These authors contribute equally to the manuscript.

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Association between fine particulate matter chemical constituents and airway inflammation: A panel study among healthy adults in China

Highlights

Abstract

Background

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Section snippets

Study population and design

Description statistics

Discussion

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

Atmos. Environ.

Environ. Res.

Atmos. Res.

Respir. Med.

Association between air pollution exposure and exhaled nitric oxide in an elderly population

Thorax

Recommendations for standardized procedures for the online and offline measurement of exhaled lower respiratory nitric oxide and nasal nitric oxide

Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.

Epidemiological time series studies of PM2.5 and daily mortality and hospital admissions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Thorax

Personal, indoor, and outdoor exposures to PM2.5 and its components for groups of cardiovascular patients in Amsterdam and Helsinki

Res. Rep. Health Eff. Inst.

The color of smoke

Epidemiology

Particulate matter beyond mass: recent health evidence on the role of fractions, chemical constituents and sources of emission

Inhal. Toxicol.

Fine particulate matter constituents, nitric oxide synthase DNA methylation and exhaled nitric oxide

Environ. Sci. Technol.

Size-fractionated particulate air pollution and circulating biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation, and vasoconstriction in a panel of young adults

Epidemiology

The influence of living near roadways on spirometry and exhaled nitric oxide in elementary schoolchildren

Environ. Health Perspect.

Associations of primary and secondary organic aerosols with airway and systemic inflammation in an elderly panel cohort

Epidemiology

Airway inflammation and oxidative potential of air pollutant particles in a pediatric asthma panel

J. Expo. Sci. Environ. Epidemiol.

An official ATS clinical practice guideline: interpretation of exhaled nitric oxide levels (FENO) for clinical applications

Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.