Adult lung function and long-term air pollution exposure. ESCAPE a multicentre cohort study and meta-analysis

Martin Adam, Tamara Schikowski, Anne Elie Carsin, Yutong Cai, Benedicte Jacquemin, Margaux Sanchez, Andrea Vierkötter, Alessandro Marcon, Dirk Keidel, Dorothee Sugiri, Zaina Al Kanani, Rachel Nadif, Valérie Siroux, Rebecca Hardy, Diana Kuh, Thierry Rochat, Pierre-Olivier Bridevaux, Marloes Eeftens, Ming-Yi Tsai, Simona VillaniHarish Chandra Phuleria, Matthias Birk, Josef Cyrys, Marta Cirach, Audrey de Nazelle, Mark J Nieuwenhuijsen, Bertil Forsberg, Kees de Hoogh, Christophe Declerq, Roberto Bono, Pavilio Piccioni, Ulrich Quass, Joachim Heinrich, Deborah Jarvis, Isabelle Pin, Rob Beelen, Gerard Hoek, Bert Brunekreef, Christian Schindler, Jordi Sunyer, Ursula Krämer, Francine Kauffmann, Anna L Hansell, Nino Künzli, Nicole Probst-Hensch

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    The chronic impact of ambient air pollutants on lung function in adults is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution with lung function in adult participants from five cohorts in the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE). Residential exposure to nitrogen oxides (NO₂, NOx) and particulate matter (PM) was modelled and traffic indicators were assessed in a standardised manner. The spirometric parameters forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁) and forced vital capacity (FVC) from 7613 subjects were considered as outcomes. Cohort-specific results were combined using meta-analysis. We did not observe an association of air pollution with longitudinal change in lung function, but we observed that a 10 μg·m(-3) increase in NO₂ exposure was associated with lower levels of FEV₁ (-14.0 mL, 95% CI -25.8 to -2.1) and FVC (-14.9 mL, 95% CI -28.7 to -1.1). An increase of 10 μg·m(-3) in PM10, but not other PM metrics (PM2.5, coarse fraction of PM, PM absorbance), was associated with a lower level of FEV₁ (-44.6 mL, 95% CI -85.4 to -3.8) and FVC (-59.0 mL, 95% CI -112.3 to -5.6). The associations were particularly strong in obese persons. This study adds to the evidence for an adverse association of ambient air pollution with lung function in adults at very low levels in Europe.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)38-50
    Number of pages13
    JournalEuropean Respiratory Journal
    Volume45
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jan 2015

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