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Research Programs: Particulate Matter (PM) Health Effects
Research Areas: Susceptible Subpopulations
PM Health Effects
What subpopulations are at increased risk of adverse health outcomes from PM?
Epidemiological studies conducted in the 1990s indicated that risks of adverse effects from PM are higher in the elderly, children, and people with cardiovascular or respiratory disease as compared to healthy adults. Children, infants, diabetics, and those with cardiovascular disease are also thought to be at increased risk.
More recently, studies have shown that animals with existing pulmonary inflammation exhibit greater responses to PM exposure than do animals with healthy lungs. Similarly, a growing body of work has demonstrated that exposure to PM can induce alterations in cardiac physiology in both humans and animals, reinforcing the hypothesis that PM exacerbates cardiovascular disease. Recently analyzed epidemiological data have provided further evidence that those with pre-existing cardiopulmonary disease and those with diabetes are at increased risk for PM-related effects.
Additionally, ongoing research on the effects of PM exposures on the physiological development of children indicates that children living in areas with higher levels of air pollution are more likely to experience impaired lung development. Other studies are examining the effects of PM in young animals to identify possible effects of prenatal and postnatal exposures.
Presently, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that certain groups are likely to be more sensitive to PM than others. However, whether this is due to differences in lung deposition or to another common thread remains an open question.
