Article
Details
Citation
McCarron A, Semple S, Braban CF, Gillespie C, Swanson V & Price HD (2023) Personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and self-reported asthma-related health. Social Science & Medicine, 337, Art. No.: 116293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116293
Abstract
PM2.5 (fine particulate matter ≤2.5 μm in diameter) is a key pollutant that can produce acute asthma exacerbations and longer-term deterioration of respiratory health. Individual exposure to PM2.5 is unique and varies across microenvironments. Low-cost sensors (LCS) can collect data at a spatiotemporal resolution previously unattainable, allowing the study of exposures across microenvironments. The aim of this study is to investigate the acute effects of personal exposure to PM2.5 on self-reported asthma-related health.
Twenty-eight non-smoking adults with asthma living in Scotland collected PM2.5 personal exposure data using LCS. Measurements were made at a 2-min time resolution for a period of 7 days as participants conducted their typical daily routines. Concurrently, participants were asked to keep a detailed time-activity diary, logging their activities and microenvironments, along with hourly information on their respiratory health and medication use. Health outcomes were modelled as a function of hourly PM2.5 concentration (plus 1- and 2-h lag) using generalized mixed-effects models adjusted for temperature and relative humidity.
Personal exposures to PM2.5 varied across microenvironments, with the largest average microenvironmental exposure observed in private residences (11.5 ± 48.6 μg/m3) and lowest in the work microenvironment (2.9 ± 11.3 μg/m3). The most frequently reported asthma symptoms, wheezing, chest tightness and cough, were reported on 3.4%, 1.6% and 1.6% of participant-hours, respectively. The odds of reporting asthma symptoms increased per interquartile range (IQR) in PM2.5 exposure (odds ratio (OR) 1.29, 95% CI 1.07–1.54) for same-hour exposure. Despite this, no association was observed between reliever inhaler use (non-routine, non-exercise related) and PM2.5 exposure (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.71–1.48).
Current air quality monitoring practices are inadequate to detect acute asthma symptom prevalence resulting from PM2.5 exposure; to detect these requires high-resolution air quality data and health information collected in situ. Personal exposure monitoring could have significant implications for asthma self-management and clinical practice.
Keywords
Personal exposure; Asthma; Fine particulate matter; Air pollution; Scotland
Journal
Social Science & Medicine: Volume 337
Status | Published |
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Funders | Natural Environment Research Council |
Publication date | 30/11/2023 |
Publication date online | 06/10/2023 |
Date accepted by journal | 28/09/2023 |
URL | http://hdl.handle.net/1893/35559 |
Publisher | Elsevier BV |
ISSN | 0277-9536 |
eISSN | 0277-9536 |
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