The Impact of Ambient Environmental and Occupational Pollution on Respiratory Diseases

Our plain-English summary of The Impact of Ambient Environmental and Occupational Pollution on Respiratory Diseases, by C. Nishida, K. Yatera (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022).

The study

• Authors: C. Nishida, K. Yatera
• Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Published: 2022;19(5)
• Type of article: Review
• Cited by: 62 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Ambient pollutants and occupational pollutants may cause and exacerbate various lung and respiratory diseases. This review describes lung and respiratory diseases in relation to ambient pollutants, particularly particulate matter (PM2.5), and occupational air pollutants, excluding communicable diseases and indoor pollutants, including tobacco smoke exposure. PM2.5 produced by combustion is an important ambient pollutant. PM2.5 can cause asthma attacks and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the short term. Further, it not only carries a risk of lung cancer and death, but also hinders the development of lung function in children in the long term. It has recently been suggested that air pollution, such as PM2.5, is a risk factor for severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Asbestos, which causes asbestosis, lung cancer, and malignant mesothelioma, and crystalline silica, which cause silicosis, are well-known traditional occupational pollutants leading to pneumoconiosis. While work-related asthma (WRA) is the most common occupational lung disease in recent years, many different agents cause WRA, including natural and synthetic chemicals and irritant gases. Primary preventive interventions that increase awareness of pollutants and reduce the development and exacerbation of diseases caused by air pollutants are paramount to addressing ambient and occupational pollution.

In plain English

This was a review article. The authors searched the PubMed database for English-language reviews, meta-analyses, trials, and books published between 1 January 2017 and 1 December 2021. Of 275 records found, 8 studies were included. The review covered lung diseases linked to outdoor air pollution, especially fine particles (PM2.5), and to workplace pollutants: asbestos, crystalline silica, agents that cause work-related asthma, and agents that cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis. On asbestos, the review described two fiber groups, serpentine (chrysotile) and amphibole (crocidolite, amosite, tremolite and others), and said both are related to lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. Citing earlier studies, it stated that:

• an estimated 5 to 10% of lung cancer cases worldwide are due to workplace carcinogens;
• occupational asbestos exposure is associated with a five-fold increase in lung cancer risk;
• asbestos exposure caused 23,000 cases of malignant mesothelioma in 2015;
• the risk of asbestosis is higher after amphibole exposure than after serpentine exposure;
• asbestos-related diseases can appear several decades after exposure.

The authors concluded that these respiratory diseases can be avoided and that avoiding exposure to all harmful materials is crucial to preventing and controlling them.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Review based on a literature search (no new data reported)
• Who was studied: Published literature: English-language reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, and books and documents in MEDLINE (PubMed), published 1 January 2017 to 1 December 2021. 275 records were found, 20 screened by title and abstract, 13 assessed in full text, and 8 included.
• Exposure: Ambient air pollution, especially PM2.5, and occupational pollutants. Asbestos fibers were described as serpentine (chrysotile) and amphibole (crocidolite, amosite, tremolite, and others), used in construction and manufacturing such as brake linings, pads, and insulation. The review also covered crystalline silica, agents causing work-related asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis agents, and cross-linked acrylic acid-based polymers.
• Main results:
  • Citing earlier work, the review stated that an estimated 5 to 10% of global lung cancer cases are due to occupational exposure to carcinogens.
  • Citing earlier studies, the review stated that occupational asbestos exposure is associated with a five-fold increase in the risk of lung cancer.
  • Citing the Global Burden of Disease study, the review stated that 23,000 cases of malignant mesothelioma (mainly malignant pleural mesothelioma) were caused by asbestos exposure in 2015.
  • The review stated that the risk of asbestosis is higher after exposure to the amphibole group than after exposure to the serpentine group.
  • The review stated that the severity of asbestosis is related to the total dose of asbestos exposure.
  • The review stated that the time between exposure and asbestos-related disease can span several decades, so health risks remain relevant despite bans or restrictions in at least 40 countries.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that respiratory diseases related to ambient or occupational pollution can be avoided, and that avoiding exposure to all harmful materials is crucial to preventing and controlling them.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Lung Cancer, Malignant Mesothelioma, Crystalline, Silicosis, Pneumoconiosis, Occupational Lung Disease.

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