The Influence of Short-Term Weather Parameters and Air Pollution on Adolescent Airway Inflammation

Ashtyn Tracey Areal; Nidhi Singh; Qi Zhao; Dietrich Berdel; Sibylle Koletzko; Andrea von Berg; Monika Gappa; Joachim Heinrich; Marie Standl; Michael J Abramson; Tamara Schikowski

doi:10.3390/ijerph20196827

The Influence of Short-Term Weather Parameters and Air Pollution on Adolescent Airway Inflammation

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Sep 25;20(19):6827. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20196827.

Authors

Ashtyn Tracey Areal^{1

2}, Nidhi Singh¹, Qi Zhao^{1

3}, Dietrich Berdel⁴, Sibylle Koletzko^{5

6}, Andrea von Berg⁴, Monika Gappa⁷, Joachim Heinrich^{8

9

10}, Marie Standl^{9

11}, Michael J Abramson¹², Tamara Schikowski¹

Affiliations

¹ IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
² Department of Epidemiology, Medical Research School, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
³ School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Research Institute, Marien-Hospital Wesel, 46483 Wesel, Germany.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital Munich, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany.
⁶ Department of Pediatrics, Gastroenterology and Nutrition, School of Medicine Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury, 10-082 Olsztyn, Poland.
⁷ Department of Paediatrics, Evangelisches Krankenhaus, 40217 Düsseldorf, Germany.
⁸ Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany.
⁹ German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 35392 Gießen, Germany.
¹⁰ Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
¹¹ Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
¹² School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.

Abstract

Fraction of exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) is a marker of airway inflammation. We examined the main effects and interactions of relative humidity (RH) and air pollution on adolescents' FeNO. Two thousand and forty-two participants from the 15-year follow-up of the German GINIplus and LISA birth cohorts were included. Daily meteorological (maximum [Tmax], minimum [Tmin] and mean [Tmean] temperatures and RH) and air pollution [Ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matter < 2.5 µm (PM_2.5)] were assessed. Linear models were fitted with Ln(FeNO) as the outcome. Increases in FeNO indicate an increase in lung inflammation. Increased FeNO was associated with an increase in temperature, PM_2.5, O₃ and NO₂. A 5% increase in RH was associated with a decrease in FeNO. Interactions between RH and high (p = 0.007) and medium (p = 0.050) NO₂ were associated with increases in FeNO; while interactions between RH and high (p = 0.042) and medium (p = 0.040) O₃ were associated with decreases in FeNO. Adverse effects were present for male participants, participants with low SES, participants with chronic respiratory disease, and participants from Wesel. Short-term weather and air pollution have an effect on lung inflammation in German adolescents. Future research should focus on further assessing the short-term effect of multiple exposures on lung inflammation in adolescents.

Keywords: adolescent; air pollution; cohort studies; environmental epidemiology; fraction of exhaled nitric oxide; relative humidity.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / adverse effects
Air Pollution* / analysis
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Humans
Inflammation / chemically induced
Inflammation / epidemiology
Male
Nitric Oxide / analysis
Nitrogen Dioxide / analysis
Particulate Matter / analysis
Pneumonia* / chemically induced
Temperature

Substances

Air Pollutants
Nitrogen Dioxide
Particulate Matter
Nitric Oxide

Grants and funding

The GINIplus study was mainly supported for the first 3 years by the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology (interventional arm) and Helmholtz Zentrum Munich (former GSF) (observational arm). The 4-year, 6-year, 10-year and 15-year follow-up examinations of the GINIplus study were covered from the respective budgets of the 5-study centres (Helmholtz Zentrum Munich (former GSF), Research Institute at Marien-Hospital Wesel, LMU Munich, TU Munich and from 6 years onwards also from the IUF—Leibniz Research-Institute for Environmental Medicine at the University of Düsseldorf) and a grant from the Federal Ministry for Environment (IUF Düsseldorf, FKZ 20462296). Furthermore, the 15-year follow-up examination of the GINIplus study was supported by the Commission of the European Communities, the 7th Framework Program: MeDALL project, and the companies Mead Johnson and Nestlé. The LISA study was mainly supported by grants from the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology and in addition from Helmholtz Zentrum Munich (former GSF), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Research Institute at Marien-Hospital Wesel, Pediatric Practice, Bad Honnef for the first 2 years. The 4-year, 6-year, 10-year and 15-year follow-up examinations of the LISA study were covered from the respective budgets of the involved partners (Helmholtz Zentrum Munich (former GSF), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Research Institute at Marien-Hospital Wesel, Pediatric Practice, Bad Honnef, IUF—Leibniz-Research Institute for Environmental Medicine at the University of Düsseldorf) and in addition by a grant from the Federal Ministry for Environment (IUF Düsseldorf, FKZ 20462296). Further, the 15-year follow-up examination of the LISA study was supported by the Commission of the European Communities, the 7th Framework Program: MeDALL project. The IUF is funded by the federal and state governments—the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia (MKW) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).