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Air pollution threatens the health of more than 90% of the world's population – and it all starts with changes triggered at the molecular level. In a recently published study that tracked pollution levels before, during and after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, researchers at the University of Buffalo found that 69 metabolites were affected when air pollution changed.
Metabolites are the end products of body metabolism as well as the results of environmental exposures. Beijing, a city of over 21 million inhabitants, is one of the most polluted cities in the world. However, at the 2008 Olympic Games, local authorities adopted temporary measures to clear the air – at least for the duration of the games.
How air pollution affects human health
While the majority of the world's population is focused on global terrorism and the global economy, scientists are increasingly concerned about the effect of air pollution on human health. Research indicates that 5.5 million people worldwide die prematurely each year due to indoor and outdoor air pollution.
Air pollution has both short- and long-term effects on health, leading to disease and complications in almost all body systems. Some of them include:
- Respiratory and cardiovascular diseases
- Neuropsychiatric complications (convulsions, attention deficit, paralysis, migraines and mood disorders)
- Irritation of the eye
- Diseases of the skin
- Cancer
- Infertility
- Conbad malformations
- Premature death
For their study, Lina Mu, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, as well as colleagues from the University of Buffalo, studied data relating to 201 adults. The authors performed metabolomic badyzes on a subset of 26 non-smokers aged 30 to 65 years before games (when air pollution was highest), during games (when air pollution was low) and after (when air pollution has resumed alarming levels).
The authors used a technique called "omics" – based on network badysis – to simultaneously record changes in all detectable metabolites (886 for this study), rather than examining these molecules one to one. a.
"We found that these metabolites together represented a relatively complete picture of the human body's responses to air pollution," said co-author of the article, Rachael Hageman Blair, badociate professor of biostatistics at the UB.
Lina Mu. Credit: University of Buffalo.
When air pollutants are inhaled, they immediately stimulate the respiratory system, especially the lungs and nose. Some cell membranes are damaged or even broken, disrupting the secretion of these cells. During the process, damaged cells can send signals to other organs and cells in the body, triggering biological reactions. Basically, all these broken membranes, secreted products and signaling molecules are metabolites.
"Think of our body as a society. These metabolites fulfill different functions, such as teacher, farmer, worker, soldier. We need everyone to work properly to maintain a healthy system, "said in a statement.
Two major metabolic signatures have been identified: one consisting of lipids, the other consisting of dipeptides, polyunsaturated fatty acids, taurine and xanthine. These molecules are produced by the body in response to cellular stability, oxidative stress (which breaks down cell membranes) and inflammation (triggered by lipid molecules released by broken cell membranes).
"The good thing is that we also found protective molecules, especially antioxidants, that also increased when air pollution was high, indicating that our body has a defense system to reduce the damage, "said Mu.
According to Mu, such studies offer a broader view of the molecular mechanisms involved in the interactions between air pollution and the human body. In the future, it may be possible to identify the people most vulnerable to air pollution. These people could then be guided to avoid exposure or receive customized treatment.
The results appeared in the newspaper Environmental Health Outlook..
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