Short-term associations between barbecue fumes and respiratory health in young adults

Esther S Lenssen; Raymond H H Pieters; Sandra M Nijmeijer; Marieke Oldenwening; Kees Meliefste; Gerard Hoek

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2021.111868

Short-term associations between barbecue fumes and respiratory health in young adults

Environ Res. 2022 Mar;204(Pt A):111868. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111868. Epub 2021 Aug 26.

Authors

Esther S Lenssen¹, Raymond H H Pieters², Sandra M Nijmeijer³, Marieke Oldenwening⁴, Kees Meliefste⁵, Gerard Hoek⁶

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: E.S.Lenssen@uu.nl.
² Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: R.H.H.Pieters@uu.nl.
³ Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: S.M.Nijmeijer@uu.nl.
⁴ Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: M.Oldenwening@uu.nl.
⁵ Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: C.Meliefste@uu.nl.
⁶ Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: G.Hoek@uu.nl.

PMID: 34453901
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111868

Abstract

Background: Epidemiological studies have associated biomass combustion with (respiratory) morbidity and mortality, primarily in indoor settings. Barbecuing results in high outdoor air pollution exposures, but the health effects are unknown.

Objective: The objective was to investigate short-term changes in respiratory health in healthy adults, associated with exposure to barbecue fumes.

Methods: 16 healthy, adult volunteers were exposed to barbecue smoke in outdoor air in rest during 1.5 h, using a repeated-measures design. Major air pollutants were monitored on-site, including particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM_2.5), particle number concentrations (PNC) and black- and brown carbon. At the same place and time-of-day, subjects participated in a control session, during which they were not exposed to barbecue smoke. Before and immediately after all sessions lung function was measured. Before, immediately after, 4- and 18 h post-sessions nasal expression levels of interleukin (IL)-8, IL6 and Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFα) were determined in nasal swabs, using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Associations between major air pollutants, lung function and inflammatory markers were assessed using mixed linear regression models.

Results: High PM_2.5 levels and PNCs were observed during barbecue sessions, with averages ranging from 553 to 1062 μg/m³ and 109,000-463,000 pt/cm³, respectively. Average black- and brown carbon levels ranged between 4.1-13.0 and 5.0-16.2 μg/m³. A 1000 μg/m³ increase in PM_2.5 was associated with 2.37 (0.97, 4.67) and 2.21 (0.98, 5.00) times higher expression of IL8, immediately- and 18 h after exposure. No associations were found between air pollutants and lung function, or the expression of IL6 or TNFα.

Discussion: Short-term exposure to air pollutants emitted from barbecuing was associated with a mild respiratory response in healthy young adults, including prolonged increase in nasal IL8 without a change in lung function and other measured inflammatory markers. The results might indicate prolonged respiratory inflammation, due to short-term exposure to barbecue fumes.

Keywords: Barbecue fumes; Inflammation; Inhalation exposure; Particulate matter; Respiratory health effects.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollutants* / toxicity
Air Pollution* / analysis
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Gases
Humans
Particulate Matter / analysis
Particulate Matter / toxicity
Respiratory System
Young Adult

Substances

Air Pollutants
Gases
Particulate Matter