Exposure to air pollution concentrations of various intensities in early life and allergic sensitisation later in childhood

Myriam Ziou; Caroline X Gao; Amanda J Wheeler; Graeme R Zosky; Nicola Stephens; Luke D Knibbs; Grant J Williamson; Marita F Dalton; Shyamali C Dharmage; Fay H Johnston

doi:10.1186/s12890-023-02815-8

Exposure to air pollution concentrations of various intensities in early life and allergic sensitisation later in childhood

BMC Pulm Med. 2023 Dec 21;23(1):516. doi: 10.1186/s12890-023-02815-8.

Authors

Myriam Ziou¹, Caroline X Gao^{2

3}, Amanda J Wheeler^{4

5}, Graeme R Zosky^{4

6}, Nicola Stephens⁶, Luke D Knibbs^{7

8}, Grant J Williamson⁹, Marita F Dalton⁴, Shyamali C Dharmage¹⁰, Fay H Johnston⁴

Affiliations

¹ Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000, Australia. Myriam.Ziou@utas.edu.au.
² School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia.
³ Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia.
⁴ Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000, Australia.
⁵ Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Environment, Aspendale, Victoria, 3195, Australia.
⁶ Tasmanian School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000, Australia.
⁷ School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia.
⁸ Public Health Research Analytics and Methods for Evidence, Public Health Unit, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, Australia.
⁹ School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, 7005, Australia.
¹⁰ Allergy and Lung Health Unit, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, 3052, Australia.

Abstract

Background: Evidence on the relationship between air pollution and allergic sensitisation in childhood is inconsistent, and this relationship has not been investigated in the context of smoke events that are predicted to increase with climate change. Thus, we aimed to evaluate associations between exposure in two early life periods to severe levels of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) from a mine fire, background PM_2.5, and allergic sensitisation later in childhood.

Methods: We measured specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels for seven common aeroallergens as well as total IgE levels in a cohort of children who had been exposed to the Hazelwood coal mine fire, either in utero or during their first two years of life, in a regional area of Australia where ambient levels of PM_2.5 are generally low. We estimated personal exposure to fire-specific emissions of PM_2.5 based on a high-resolution meteorological and pollutant dispersion model and detailed reported movements of pregnant mothers and young children during the fire. We also estimated the usual background exposure to PM_2.5 at the residential address at birth using a national satellite-based land-use regression model. Associations between both sources of PM_2.5 and sensitisation to dust, cat, fungi, and grass seven years after the fire were estimated with logistic regression, while associations with total IgE levels were estimated with linear regression.

Results: No association was found between the levels of exposure at either developmental stage to fire-related PM_2.5 and allergic sensitisation seven years after the event. However, levels of background exposure were positively associated with sensitisation to dust (OR = 1.90, 95%CI = 1.12,3.21 per 1 μg/m³).

Conclusions: Chronic but low exposure to PM_2.5 in early life could be more strongly associated with allergic sensitisation in childhood than time-limited high exposure levels, such as the ones experienced during landscape fires.

Keywords: Allergic sensitisation; Child health; Early life; Immunoglobulin E; Landscape fires; Long-term effects; Particulate air pollution.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / adverse effects
Child
Child, Preschool
Dust
Environmental Exposure / adverse effects
Female
Humans
Immune System Diseases*
Immunoglobulin E
Infant, Newborn
Particulate Matter / analysis
Pregnancy

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter
Dust
Immunoglobulin E