Effect of outdoor air pollution on asthma exacerbations in children and adults: Systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis

Orellano, Pablo Wenceslao; Quaranta, N.; Reynoso, Julieta; Balbi, Brenda; Vasquez, Julia

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0174050

Cited by 358 publications

(274 citation statements)

References 62 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

248

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Glencross et al (2020) also discuss evidence that air pollution can cause disease by perturbing multicellular immune responses. Studies confirm associations between elevated ambient particulate matter and worsening of lung function in patients with COPD (Bloemsma et al, 2026), between COPD exacerbations and Journal Pre-proof both ambient particulate matter and ambient pollutant gasses (Li et al, 2026) and similarly for asthma exacerbations with high concentration of ambient pollutants (Orellano et al, 2017, Zheng et al, 2015. In short, the associations between ambient pollution and airways exacerbations are stronger than associations with development of chronic airways diseases.…”

Section: Air Pollution Immune System and Genetic Damagesmentioning

confidence: 88%

Factors determining the diffusion of COVID-19 and suggested strategy to prevent future accelerated viral infectivity similar to COVID

Coccia

2020

Science of The Total Environment

567

568

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study has two goals. The first is to explain the geo-environmental determinants of the accelerated diffusion of COVID-19 in Italy that is generating a high level of deaths. The second is to suggest a strategy to cope with future epidemic threats having accelerated viral infectivity in society. Using data on N=55 Italian province capitals, and data of infected individuals at as of April 7 th , 2020, results reveal that the accelerate and vast diffusion of COVID-19 in North Italy has a high association with air pollution of cities measured with days exceeding the limits set for PM10 (particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter) or ozone in previous years. In particular, hinterland cities with average higher number of days exceeding the limits set for PM10 (and a low intensity of wind speed) have a very high number of infected people on 7 th April, 2020 (arithmetic mean about 2,200 infected, with average polluted days greater than 80), than coastal cities also having days of exceeding the limits set for PM10 or ozone but with high intensity of wind speed (arithmetic mean about 944.70 infected individuals, with about 60 average polluted days); moreover, cities having more than 100 days of air pollution (exceeding the limits set for PM10), they have a very high average number of infected people (about 3,350 infected individuals, 7 th April 2020), whereas cities having less than 100 days of air pollution, they have a lower average number of infected individuals (about 1014). The findings here also suggest that to minimize the impact of future epidemics similar to COVID-19, the max number of days per year in which Italian provincial capitals can exceed the limits set for PM10 or for ozone, considering their meteorological conditions, is about 48 days. Moreover, results here reveal that the explanatory variable of air pollution in cities under study seems to be a more important predictor in the initial phase of diffusion (on 17 th March 2020, b1 = 1.27, p<0.001) than interpersonal contacts (b2 = 0.31, p<0.05). In the second phase of maturity of the transmission dynamics of COVID-19, air pollution reduces intensity (on 7 th April, 2020 with b'1 = .81, p<0.001) also because of indirect effect of lockdown, whereas coefficient of transmission by interpersonal contacts has stability (b'2 = 0.31, p<0.01). This result reveals that accelerated transmissions dynamics of COVID-19 is due to mainly to the mechanism of "air pollution-to-human transmission" rather than "human-to-human transmission". Overall, then, transmission dynamics of viral infectivity, such as COVID-19, is due to systemic causes: general factors that are the same for all regions (e.g., biological characteristics of virus, incubation period, etc.) and specific factors which are different for each region (e.g., complex interaction between air pollution, meteorological conditions and biological characteristics of viral infectivity) and health level of individuals (habits, immune system, age, sex, etc.). Lessons learned for COVID-19 in the case study o...

show abstract

Section: Air Pollution Immune System and Genetic Damagesmentioning

confidence: 88%

Factors determining the diffusion of COVID-19 and suggested strategy to prevent future accelerated viral infectivity similar to COVID

Coccia

2020

Science of The Total Environment

567

568

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, students activities as well as cleaning of floors by sweeping with brooms can resuspend PM polluting indoor air and depositing contaminants on students' desks, chairs, and possibly food . Children's exposure to all fractions of PM has been associated with respiratory problems …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building and indoor environmental quality assessment of Nigerian primary schools: A pilot study

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A total of 15 classrooms went through on‐site assessments/inspections, including measurements of temperature (T), and concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). In addition, the level of surface biocontamination/cleaning effectiveness was assessed by measuring adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels on students' desks. Based on the data, the quality of facilities in the buildings was low. Classroom occupancy exceeded ASHRAE 50 person/100 m2 standard in all cases indicating overcrowding. However, concentrations of CO2 remained below 1000 ppm in most classrooms. On the other hand, indoor T was above the recommended levels for thermal comfort in all classrooms. Maximum indoor CO was 6 ppm. Median ATP concentrations on the desk tops were moderately high in all schools. The use of open incinerators and power generator sets near classrooms, which was suspected to be the main source of CO, should be discouraged. Improved hygiene could be achieved by providing the students access to functioning bathroom facilities and cafeteria, and by effective cleaning of high contact surfaces such as desks. Although ventilation seems adequate based on CO2 concentrations, thermal comfort was not attained especially in the afternoon during extreme sunlight. Therefore, installing passive and/or mechanical cooling systems should be considered in this regard.

show abstract

“…Glencross et al (2020) show that air pollutants can affect Two mechanisms for accelerated diffusion of COVID-19 outbreaks in regions with high intensity of population and polluting industrialization: the air pollution-to-human and human-to-human transmission dynamics different immune cell types, such as particle-clearing macrophages, inflammatory neutrophils, dendritic cells that orchestrate adaptive immune responses and lymphocytes that enact those responses. (Bloemsma et al, 2026), between COPD exacerbations and both ambient particulate matter and ambient pollutant gasses (Li et al, 2026) and similarly for asthma exacerbations with high concentration of ambient pollutants (Orellano et al, 2017, Zheng et al, 2015. In short, the associations between ambient pollution and airways exacerbations are stronger than associations with development of chronic airways diseases.…”

Section: Air Pollution Immune System and Genetic Damagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two mechanisms for accelerated diffusion of COVID-19 outbreaks in regions with high intensity of population and polluting industrialization: the air pollution-to-human and human-to-human transmission dynamics

Coccia

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

What is COVID-19? Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is viral infection that generates a severe acute respiratory syndrome with serious pneumonia that may result in progressive respiratory failure and death. What are the goals of this investigation? This study explains the geo-environmental determinants of the accelerated diffusion of COVID-19 in Italy that is generating a high level of deaths and suggests general lessons learned for a strategy to cope with future epidemics similar to COVID-19 to reduce viral infectivity and negative impacts in economic systems and society. What are the results of this study? The main results are: o The accelerate and vast diffusion of COVID-19 in North Italy has a high association with air pollution. o Hinterland cities have average days of exceeding the limits set for PM10 (particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter) equal to 80 days, and an average number of infected more than 2,000 individuals as of April 1st, 2020, coastal cities have days of exceeding the limits set for PM10 equal to 60 days and have about 700 infected in average. o Cities that average number of 125 days exceeding the limits set for PM10, last year, they have an average number of infected individual higher than 3,200 units, whereas cities having less than 100 days (average number of 48 days) exceeding the limits set for PM10, they have an average number of about 900 infected individuals. o The results reveal that accelerated transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in specific environments is due to two mechanisms given by: air pollution-to-human transmission and human-to-human transmission; in particular, the mechanisms of air pollution-to-human transmission play a critical role rather than human-to-human transmission. o The finding here suggests that to minimize future epidemic similar to COVID-19, the max number of days per year in which cities can exceed the limits set for PM10 or for ozone, considering their meteorological condition, is less than 50 days. After this critical threshold, the analytical output here suggests that environmental inconsistencies because of the combination between air pollution and meteorological conditions (with high moisture%, low wind speed and fog) trigger a take-off of viral infectivity (accelerated epidemic diffusion) with damages for health of population, economy and society. What is a socioeconomic strategy to prevent future epidemics similar to COVID-19? Considering the complex interaction between air pollution, meteorological conditions and biological characteristics of viral infectivity, lessons learned for COVID-19 have to be applied for a proactive socioeconomic strategy to cope with future epidemics, especially an environmental policy based on reduction of air pollution mainly in hinterland zones of countries, having low wind speed, high percentage of moisture and fog that create an environment that can damage immune system of people and foster a fast transmission of viral infectivity similar to the COVID-19. This study must conclude that a strategy to prevent future epidemics similar to COVID 19 has also to be designed in environmental and sustainability science and not only in terms of biology.

show abstract

Effect of outdoor air pollution on asthma exacerbations in children and adults: Systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis

Cited by 358 publications

References 62 publications

Factors determining the diffusion of COVID-19 and suggested strategy to prevent future accelerated viral infectivity similar to COVID

Factors determining the diffusion of COVID-19 and suggested strategy to prevent future accelerated viral infectivity similar to COVID

Building and indoor environmental quality assessment of Nigerian primary schools: A pilot study

Two mechanisms for accelerated diffusion of COVID-19 outbreaks in regions with high intensity of population and polluting industrialization: the air pollution-to-human and human-to-human transmission dynamics

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About