Long-term air pollution exposure was associated with lower adult lung function
Higher pollution exposure was linked to lower breathing-test measurements in adults. Evidence certainty differed by pollutant and outcome; associations alone do not establish causation.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review linked higher long-term air pollution exposure with lower adult lung function measurements. For nitrogen dioxide, evidence certainty was high for total forced exhaled volume but low for the amount exhaled in the first second. These are breathing-test associations, rather than proof that a particular exposure caused disease or that reducing it produced a measured benefit.
Results varied substantially between studies for the reported nitrogen dioxide estimates. The abstract does not detail how individual studies handled other influences on lung function.
What researchers found
Forced vital capacity: total air exhaled forcefully
With exposure lasting at least 1 year, each 10 µg/m³ higher nitrogen dioxide level was associated with a difference of -25.3 mL (95% confidence interval -36.7 to -14.0).
What the breathing tests measured
Forced vital capacity measures the total air expelled during a forced breath. Another outcome measured the volume expelled in the first second. These related tests describe lung function, but they are not interchangeable endpoints or disease diagnoses.
Why certainty differed
The authors assessed certainty separately for pollutant–outcome combinations. Findings also involved fine particles, ozone and larger particles, with differing certainty ratings. A stronger rating for one association should not be transferred to every pollutant or breathing measure.
The original publication
Exposure to long-term ambient air pollution and lung function in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Gross A, Tham R, Dharmage SC et al.
Eur Respir Rev · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40500128
- Record checked
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