Personal exposure to airborne organic pollutants and lung function changes among healthy older adults.

Epidemiological evidence on the impact of airborne organic pollutants on lung function among the elderly is limited, and their underlying biological mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Herein, a longitudinal panel study was conducted in Jinan, Shandong Province, China, involving 76 healthy older adults monitored over a span of five months repetitively. We systematically evaluated personal exposure to a diverse range of airborne organic pollutants using a wearable passive sampler and their effects on lung function. Participants' pulmonary function indicators were assessed, complemented by comprehensive multi-omics analyses of blood and urine samples. Leveraging the power of interaction analysis, causal inference test (CIT), and integrative pathway analysis (IPA), we explored intricate relationships between specific organic pollutants, biomolecules, and lung function deterioration, elucidating the biological mechanisms underpinning the adverse impacts of these pollutants. We observed that bis (2-chloro-1-methylethyl) ether (BCIE) was significantly associated with negative changes in the forced vital capacity (FVC), with glycerolipids mitigating this adverse effect. Additionally, 31 canonical pathways [e.g., high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) signaling, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway, epithelial mesenchymal transition, and heme and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) biosynthesis] were identified as potential mechanisms. These findings may hold significant implications for developing effective strategies to prevent and mitigate respiratory health risks arising from exposure to such airborne pollutants. However, due to certain limitations of the study, our results should be interpreted with caution.

Acute Effects of Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter and Its Constituents on Sex Hormone Among Postmenopausal Women - Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei PLADs, China, 2018-2019.

What is already known on this topic?: Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was linked to endocrine hormone disruption in the reproductive system. Nonetheless, it was unclear which specific components of PM2.5 were primarily responsible for these associations. What is added by this report?: The study presented the initial epidemiological evidence that brief exposure to PM2.5 can elevate estradiol levels in postmenopausal women. Various particle components had unique effects, with water-soluble ions and specific inorganic elements like Ag, As, Cd, Hg, Ni, Sb, Se, Sn, and Tl potentially playing significant roles in increasing estradiol levels. What are the implications for public health practice?: The study established that the prevalence of air pollution, along with its specific components, has been recognized as a novel risk factor affecting the balance of sex hormones.

Association between Personal Abiotic Airborne Exposures and Body Composition Changes among Healthy Adults (60-69 Years Old): A Combined Exposome-Wide and Lipidome Mediation Approach from the China BAPE Study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggested that abiotic airborne exposures may be associated with changes in body composition. However, more evidence is needed to identify key pollutants linked to adverse health effects and their underlying biomolecular mechanisms, particularly in sensitive older adults. OBJECTIVES: Our research aimed to systematically assess the relationship between abiotic airborne exposures and changes in body composition among healthy older adults, as well as the potential mediating mechanisms through the serum lipidome. METHODS: From September 2018 to January 2019, we conducted a monthly survey among 76 healthy adults (60-69 years old) in the China Biomarkers of Air Pollutant Exposure (BAPE) study, measuring their personal exposures to 632 abiotic airborne pollutions using MicroPEM and the Fresh Air wristband, 18 body composition indicators from the InBody 770 device, and lipidomics from venous blood samples. We used an exposome-wide association study (ExWAS) and deletion/substitution/addition (DSA) model to unravel complex associations between exposure to contaminant mixtures and body composition, a Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model to assess the overall effect of key exposures on body composition, and mediation analysis to identify lipid intermediators. RESULTS: The ExWAS and DSA model identified that 2,4,5-T methyl ester (2,4,5-TME), 9,10-Anthracenedione (ATQ), 4b,8-dimethyl-2-isopropylphenanthrene, and 4b,5,6,7,8,8a,9,10-octahydro-(DMIP) were associated with increased body fat mass (BFM), fat mass indicators (FMI), percent body fat (PBF), and visceral fat area (VFA) in healthy older adults [Bonferroni-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDRBH)<0.05]. The BKMR model demonstrated a positive correlation between contaminants (anthracene, ATQ, copaene, di-epi-α-cedrene, and DMIP) with VFA. Mediation analysis revealed that phosphatidylcholine [PC, PC(16:1e/18:1), PC(16:2e/18:0)] and sphingolipid [SM, SM(d18:2/24:1)] mediated a significant portion, ranging from 12.27% to 26.03% (p-value <0.05), of the observed increase in VFA. DISCUSSION: Based on the evidence from multiple model results, ATQ and DMIP were statistically significantly associated with the increased VFA levels of healthy older adults, potentially regulated through lipid intermediators. These findings may have important implications for identifying potentially harmful environmental chemicals and developing targeted strategies for the control and prevention of chronic diseases in the future, particularly as the global population is rapidly aging. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13865.