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Long-term effects of elemental composition of particulate matter on inflammatory blood markers in European cohorts

  • Regina Hampel
  • , Annette Peters
  • , Rob Beelen
  • , Bert Brunekreef
  • , Josef Cyrys
  • , Ulf de Faire
  • , Kees de Hoogh
  • , Kateryna Fuks
  • , Barbara Hoffmann
  • , Anke Hüls
  • , Medea Imboden
  • , Aleksandra Jedynska
  • , Ingeborg Kooter
  • , Wolfgang Koenig
  • , Nino Künzli
  • , Karin Leander
  • , Patrik Magnusson
  • , Satu Männistö
  • , Johanna Penell
  • , Göran Pershagen
  • Harish Phuleria, Nicole Probst-Hensch, Noreen Pundt, Emmanuel Schaffner, Tamara Schikowski, Dorothea Sugiri, Pekka Tiittanen, Ming-Yi Tsai, Meng Wang, Kathrin Wolf, Timo Lanki, ESCAPE TRANSPHORM study groups

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have associated long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter with increased mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. Systemic inflammation is a plausible biological mechanism behind this association. However, it is unclear how the chemical composition of PM affects inflammatory responses.

    OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between long-term exposure to elemental components of PM and the inflammatory blood markers high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and fibrinogen as part of the European ESCAPE and TRANSPHORM multi-center projects.

    METHODS: In total, 21,558 hsCRP measurements and 17,428 fibrinogen measurements from cross-sections of five and four cohort studies were available, respectively. Residential long-term concentrations of particulate matter <10μm (PM10) and <2.5μm (PM2.5) in diameter and selected elemental components (copper, iron, potassium, nickel, sulfur, silicon, vanadium, zinc) were estimated based on land-use regression models. Associations between components and inflammatory markers were estimated using linear regression models for each cohort separately. Cohort-specific results were combined using random effects meta-analysis. As a sensitivity analysis the models were additionally adjusted for PM mass.

    RESULTS: A 5ng/m(3) increase in PM2.5 copper and a 500ng/m(3) increase in PM10 iron were associated with a 6.3% [0.7; 12.3%] and 3.6% [0.3; 7.1%] increase in hsCRP, respectively. These associations between components and fibrinogen were slightly weaker. A 10ng/m(3) increase in PM2.5 zinc was associated with a 1.2% [0.1; 2.4%] increase in fibrinogen; confidence intervals widened when additionally adjusting for PM2.5.

    CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to transition metals within ambient particulate matter, originating from traffic and industry, may be related to chronic systemic inflammation providing a link to long-term health effects of particulate matter.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)76-84
    Number of pages9
    JournalEnvironment international
    Volume82
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Sept 2015

    UN SDGs

    This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

    1. SDG 15 - Life on Land
      SDG 15 Life on Land

    Keywords

    • Long-term exposure
    • Particulate matter
    • Elemental components
    • Inflammation
    • ESCAPE
    • TRANSPHORM

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