Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023;234(6):346.
doi: 10.1007/s11270-023-06278-9. Epub 2023 May 24.

Toxicological Effects of Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5): Health Risks and Associated Systemic Injuries-Systematic Review

Amanda Garcia  1   2 , Eduarda Santa-Helena  1   2   3 , Anna De Falco  3 , Joaquim de Paula Ribeiro  1   2 , Adriana Gioda  3 , Carolina Rosa Gioda  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Toxicological Effects of Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5): Health Risks and Associated Systemic Injuries-Systematic Review

Amanda Garcia et al. Water Air Soil Pollut. 2023.

Abstract

Previous studies focused on investigating particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) have shown the risk of disease development, and association with increased morbidity and mortality rates. The current review investigate epidemiological and experimental findings from 2016 to 2021, which enabled the systemic overview of PM2.5's toxic impacts on human health. The Web of Science database search used descriptive terms to investigate the interaction among PM2.5 exposure, systemic effects, and COVID-19 disease. Analyzed studies have indicated that cardiovascular and respiratory systems have been extensively investigated and indicated as the main air pollution targets. Nevertheless, PM2.5 reaches other organic systems and harms the renal, neurological, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. Pathologies onset and/or get worse due to toxicological effects associated with the exposure to this particle type, since it can trigger several reactions, such as inflammatory responses, oxidative stress generation and genotoxicity. These cellular dysfunctions lead to organ malfunctions, as shown in the current review. In addition, the correlation between COVID-19/Sars-CoV-2 and PM2.5 exposure was also assessed to help better understand the role of atmospheric pollution in the pathophysiology of this disease. Despite the significant number of studies about PM2.5's effects on organic functions, available in the literature, there are still gaps in knowledge about how this particulate matter can hinder human health. The current review aimed to approach the main findings about the effect of PM2.5 exposure on different systems, and demonstrate the likely interaction of COVID-19/Sars-CoV-2 and PM2.5.

Keywords: Diseases; Inflammation; Oxidative stress; Particulate matter; Systems; Toxicity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic drawing of the general effects caused by PM2.5
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Events involved in the cellular dysfunctions caused by PM2.5 compounds to different tissues
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Flow diagram representing the selection criteria for the articles found and included in the systematic review
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Summary of disorders associated to PM2.5 exposure
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Al-Thani H, Koç M, Isaifan RJ. A review on the direct effect of particulate atmospheric pollution on materials and its mitigation for sustainable cities and societies. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2018;25:27839–27857. doi: 10.1007/s11356-018-2952-8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Andree BPJ. Incidence of COVID-19 and Connections with Air Pollution Exposure: Evidence from the Netherlands. World Bank Policy Res Work Pap. 2020 doi: 10.1101/2020.04.27.20081562. - DOI
    1. Aztatzi-Aguilar OG, Uribe-Ramírez M, Narváez-Morales J, et al. Early kidney damage induced by subchronic exposure to PM2.5 in rats. Particle and Fibre Toxicology. 2016;13:1–20. doi: 10.1186/s12989-016-0179-8. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Berman JD, Ebisu K. Changes in U.S. air pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Science of the Total Environment. 2020;739:139864. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139864. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Blum MF, Surapaneni A, Stewart JD, Liao D, Yanosky JD, Whitsel EA, ... & Grams ME (2020). Particulate matter and albuminuria, glomerular filtration rate, and incident CKD. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 15: 311–319. 10.2215/CJN.08350719 - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources