Note: This is an English translation of the Dutch post, originally located at Vridiair Blog
Drawing on evidence involving about 25 million people worldwide, an international research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry demonstrates that long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 increases the risk of asthma, affecting both children and adults. The researchers found that approximately 30 percent of new asthma cases worldwide are linked to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure, highlighting the critical threat particulate matter pollution poses to public health.
Global Analysis and Findings
The study gathered data from 68 epidemiologic studies conducted across 22 countries, including North America, Western Europe, East Asia, South Asia, and Africa. The comprehensive global meta-analysis now provides enough evidence with a high confidence level to support an association between long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 and asthma. This finding resolves inconsistencies from earlier epidemiological studies, which had left the potential health risk of particulate matter pollution open to debate.
The Burden of Asthma
Asthma is currently an incurable disease that severely impairs quality of life, with recurring symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. As of today, about 4 percent of the world’s population suffers from asthma, with more than 30 million new cases arising annually. The study estimates that nearly a third of these cases are attributable to long-term PM2.5 exposure, corresponding to 63.5 million existing cases and 11.4 million new cases globally.
Children at Greater Risk
The research highlights that children are particularly vulnerable to particulate matter pollution. Their developing lungs and immune systems make them more susceptible to the harmful effects of air pollution, which can lead to oxidative stress, inflammation, and increased sensitivity to allergens—all contributing factors to asthma. The study also found that the risk of asthma associated with PM2.5 is much higher in children than in adults, reflecting this age-related vulnerability.
Global Health Disparities
The research shows that people in low- and middle-income countries are exposed to higher levels of air pollution and bear a greater burden of PM2.5-related asthma. This comprehensive analysis is crucial for understanding and mitigating health risks in these regions. The inclusion of evidence from several low- and middle-income countries reduces the limitations of previous approaches and enables the exposure-response curves to be applicable for assessing city- to global-scale burdens of asthma.
Call to Action: Cleaner Air for Healthier Lives
The findings of this study emphasize the urgent need for governments to enforce stringent measures to reduce air pollution. Policymakers should focus on implementing air purification systems, particularly in busy outdoor public spaces and traffic tunnels, to lower exposure to harmful particulate matter. City air purifiers and outdoor air purifiers can play a significant role in this effort. Additionally, individuals can reduce their risk of asthma by wearing masks to minimize inhalation of PM2.5.
Details about the study:
This study was conducted by experts from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (Germany), the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), the University of Washington (USA), and Monash University (Australia). Their combined efforts highlight the need for global cooperation to address the health impacts of particulate matter pollution and to implement solutions for air purification systems.
This landmark study done as a collaborative effort of different institues, reveals the profound effect of fine particulate matter on asthma, calling for immediate, coordinated actions to improve air quality and safeguard public health through the use of outdoor air purifiers and city air purifiers.