Associations between particulate matter elements and early-life pneumonia in seven birth cohorts: Results from the ESCAPE and TRANSPHORM projects
article
Fuertes, E.
MacIntyre, E.
Agius, R.
Beelen, R.
Brunekreef, B.
Bucci, S.
Cesaroni, G.
Cirach, M.
Cyrys, J.
Forastiere, F.
Gehring, U.
Gruzieva, O.
Hoffmann, B.
Jedynska, A.
Keuken, M.
Klümper, C.
Kooter, I.
Korek, M.
Krämer, U.
Mölter, A.
Nieuwenhuijsen, M.
Pershagen, G.
Porta, D.
Postma, D.S.
Simpson, A.
Smit, H.A.
Sugiri, D.
Sunyer, J.
Wang, M.
Heinrich, J.
Evidence for a role of long-term particulate matter exposure on acute respiratory infections is growing. However, which components of particulate matter may be causative remains largely unknown. We assessed associations between eight particulate matter elements and early-life pneumonia in seven birth cohort studies (Ntotal=15,980): BAMSE (Sweden), GASPII (Italy), GINIplus and LISAplus (Germany), INMA (Spain), MAAS (United Kingdom) and PIAMA (The Netherlands). Annual average exposure to copper, iron, potassium, nickel, sulfur, silicon, vanadium and zinc, each respectively derived from particles with aerodynamic diameters≤10μm (PM10) and 2.5μm (PM2.5), were estimated using standardized land use regression models and assigned to birth addresses. Cohort-specific associations between these exposures and parental reports of physician-diagnosed pneumonia between birth and two years were assessed using logistic regression models adjusted for host and environmental covariates and total PM10 or PM2.5 mass. Combined estimates were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis. There was substantial within and between-cohort variability in element concentrations. In the adjusted meta-analysis, pneumonia was weakly associated with zinc derived from PM10 (OR: 1.47 (95% CI: 0.99, 2.18) per 20ng/m3 increase). No other associations with the other elements were consistently observed. The independent effect of particulate matter mass remained after adjustment for element concentrations. In conclusion, associations between particulate matter mass exposure and pneumonia were not explained by the elements we investigated. Zinc from PM10 was the only element which appeared independently associated with a higher risk of early-life pneumonia. As zinc is primarily attributable to non-tailpipe traffic emissions, these results may suggest a potential adverse effect of non-tailpipe emissions on health.
TNO Identifier
519616
ISSN
14384639
Source
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 217(8), pp. 819-829.
Publisher
Urban und Fischer Verlag Jena
Pages
819-829
Files
To receive the publication files, please send an e-mail request to TNO Repository.