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Review
. 2022 Jul 14:10:882569.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.882569. eCollection 2022.

The Physiological Effects of Air Pollution: Particulate Matter, Physiology and Disease

Jack T Pryor  1   2 , Lachlan O Cowley  1 , Stephanie E Simonds  1
Affiliations
Review

The Physiological Effects of Air Pollution: Particulate Matter, Physiology and Disease

Jack T Pryor et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Nine out of 10 people breathe air that does not meet World Health Organization pollution limits. Air pollutants include gasses and particulate matter and collectively are responsible for ~8 million annual deaths. Particulate matter is the most dangerous form of air pollution, causing inflammatory and oxidative tissue damage. A deeper understanding of the physiological effects of particulate matter is needed for effective disease prevention and treatment. This review will summarize the impact of particulate matter on physiological systems, and where possible will refer to apposite epidemiological and toxicological studies. By discussing a broad cross-section of available data, we hope this review appeals to a wide readership and provides some insight on the impacts of particulate matter on human health.

Keywords: PM2.5; air pollution; disease; particulate matter; physiology.

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Conflict of interest statement

JP was employed by Woodrudge LTD. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
To scale illustration of the relative sizes of PM10, PM2.5, and PM0.1. Representative macrophage and mitochondria are included to scale for reference.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Annual averages of major PM2.5 components (>1 total mass%) in 187 USA counties between 2000 and 2005. Values from (16).
Figure 3
Figure 3
PM 10 is restricted to the upper airway and digestive system whilst PM2.5 and PM0.1 can be inhaled deeply into the lungs, translocate epithelial barriers and gain access to multiple organ systems.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Summary of organ systems exposed to airborne PM and diseases positively correlated with PM exposure.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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