Impacts of air pollution on Asthma

Introduction

Air pollution is defined as any particle or gas, either visible or invisible, that is found in the air but is not
part of the natural air composition (EPA). The rationale is to know the effects of air pollution on
development and exercitations of asthma. The aim of this paper is to identify the impacts of air pollution
on asthma and hence causes of this air pollution can be avoided. Asthma can be prevented by avoiding
this pollution.

The impact of air pollution on the development and increase in incidences of asthma has been studied
for decades. Increasing evidences have shown that both open-air and indoor air pollution contributes to
development and exacerbation of asthma. Various cross-sectional studies give evidence of a link
between polluted air and the incidence of asthma (Tiotiu et al 2020). One study carried out an urban
population, indicated that the link between asthma morbidity and air pollutions was more significant in
children than in adolescents and adults (Veremchuk et al 2017). The projected 6 million children in the
United States with asthma are particularly susceptible to air pollution (EPA, 2018). A study of young
vacationers with moderate to severe asthma disclosed they are 40% more likely to develop acute asthma
episodes on high pollution summer weeks than on weeks with typical pollution levels. In a study of ten
European towns, 14% of the cases of incident asthma in children and 15% of all exacerbations of
childhood asthma were linked to exposure to pollutants related to road traffic (Guarnieri et al 2014).

Preventing or reducing air pollution is an effective way of preventing the development of asthma among
people of all ages. The purpose of this paper is to determine how air pollution impact asthma. An
evaluation of the available research is undertaken to identify the best evidence-based practice.

Methodology

PICO

P- People with asthma

I-Air pollution

C-No air pollution source

O-Impact

Selected criteria

Inclusion criteria include; (1) individuals who have been exposed to polluted air for more than 10 years
(2) people reported to have developed or increased severity of asthma (3) individuals of all ages
including children above 10 years and old population, (4) Studies published in English in a peer-reviewed
journal (5) all RCTs (prospective or retrospective), observational studies, cohort. The exclusion criteria
include; individuals who have not been exposed to polluted air, children of below 5 years, individuals
with asthma known to be caused by other factors other than air pollution.

Search methods

A systematic literature search between December 1984 and February 2023, was carried out using
different databases which include; PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library. Search terms were
 utilized, both free words and synonyms terms which included; ((( ‘’Air’’ OR ‘‘Air’’ [Mesh Terms] OR ‘‘ AIR’’
[All Fields]) pollution’’ OR ‘‘pollution’’ [All Fields] OR ‘‘pollutions’’ [All Fields]) OR ‘’air pollution’’ [All
Fields] OR ‘‘air pollutions’’ [All Fields]) OR ‘’Impacts’’ [MeSH Terms] OR ‘‘Impacts’’ [All Fields] OR
‘‘Impact’’ OR ‘’Asthma’’ OR ‘‘Asthma’’ [All Fields] OR ‘‘Asthmatic’’ [All Fields]))).

Result

Using the different databases mentioned above, the search identified 1,242 papers which were screened
by their Titles and abstract. Four studies were list in the table below:

References Research design Study population Sample size Control Results

group

1 Holst Case-control study All Danish 122842 3069943 The findings of this study suggest
et al children born that children exposed to higher
(2020) from 1997 to levels of air pollution are more
2014 and likely to develop asthma and
followed for persistent wheezing than children
asthma onset and who are not exposed.
persistent
wheezing from
age 1 year to 15
years.
2 Tiotiu Cross-sectional and Review PubMed None None Exposure to outdoor pollutants
et al. observational studies, and Medline can induce asthma symptoms,
(2020) followed by meta- databases from exacerbations and decreases in
analyses, systematic January 1, 2010 lung function.
reviews, and general and June 30,
reviews 2020.
3 Olaniyan Prospective cohort School children 368 None Continuous exposure to air
Et al. study pollutants, may exacerbate the
2017 impact of early childhood
exposures that lead to asthma
and other respiratory symptoms
expression
4 Altman Retrospective analysis MUPPITS1 cohort- 208 for 419 Findings suggest that air pollution
et al 208 children aged MUPPITS1 children is an important independent risk
2023 6-17 years cohort on factor for asthma exacerbations in
ICATA cohort 419 for placebo children living in urban areas and
recruited 419 ICATA controlled is potentially linked to
participants aged cohort exacerbations through specific
6–20 years inflammatory pathways in the
airway

Conclusion
In conclusion, more research has to be conducted in order to clearly identify how air pollution link or
impact asthma among humans. Several researches have been conducted but no clear link and ultimate
solutions have been identified.

References

1. Guan WJ, Zheng XY, Chung KF, Zhong NS. Impact of air pollution on the burden of chronic
respiratory diseases in China: time for urgent action. Lancet. 2016 Oct 15;388(10054):1939-
1951. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31597-5. PMID: 27751401.
2. Guarnieri M, Balmes JR. Outdoor air pollution and asthma. Lancet. 2014 May 3;383(9928):1581-
92. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60617-6. PMID: 24792855; PMCID: PMC4465283.
3. Tiotiu AI, Novakova P, Nedeva D, Chong-Neto HJ, Novakova S, Steiropoulos P, Kowal K. Impact of
Air Pollution on Asthma Outcomes. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Aug 27;17(17):6212.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17176212. PMID: 32867076; PMCID: PMC7503605.
4. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);
https://aafa.org/asthma/asthma triggers-causes/air-pollution-smog asthma/#:~:text=Research
%20shows%20that%20air%20pollution,days%20with%20average%20pollution%20levels.
5. Veremchuk L.V., Tsarouhas K., Vitkina T.I., Mineeva E.E., Gvozdenko T.A., Antonyuk M.V., Rakitskii
V.N., Sidletskaya K.A., Tsatsakis A.M., Golokhvast K.S. Impact evaluation of environmental factors
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