A study led by IDIAPJGol researcher Talita Duarte-Sallés has found that long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with an increase in hospitalisations for lower respiratory tract infections. Specifically, the research shows that higher levels of pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), and ozone (O₃) can raise the risk of hospitalisation by up to 18%, depending on the pollutant.
The study also identifies the most vulnerable group: men over the age of 65 with arterial hypertension.
The findings highlight that exposure to air pollution can have significant effects on respiratory health, increasing the risk of hospitalisation for lower respiratory tract infections even at pollution levels below the current EU air quality standards. The results suggest that reducing air pollution levels could substantially decrease hospitalisations for respiratory infections, particularly among high-risk individuals.
Effects of air pollution
The article, published in the journal Environment International, supports previous evidence on the negative health impacts of air pollution but provides new data specifically focused on lower respiratory tract infections in adults—a topic that has been less thoroughly studied. These conditions mainly affect vulnerable groups, especially older adults with chronic diseases, who may experience harmful effects even at low pollution levels, below European regulatory limits.
The analysis was conducted using clinical data from 2015 to 2019, covering more than 3.8 million adults living in Catalonia. The research team used detailed spatial models to estimate annual pollutant exposure based on participants’ place of residence. Using advanced statistical techniques, the team examined the relationship between pollution levels and hospitalisations due to respiratory infections, incorporating socioeconomic and health-related factors to identify vulnerable groups.
A project by ISGlobal and CIBER
In addition to IDIAPJGol, the study involved teams from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and the CIBER Consortium for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), who provided methodological and analytical support.
Article reference
Alari A, Ranzani O, Milà C, Olmos S, Basagaña X, Dadvand P, Duarte-Salles T, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Tonne C. Long-term exposure to air pollution and lower respiratory infections in a large population-based adult cohort in Catalonia. Environ Int. 2024 Dec 25;195:109230. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.109230. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39732111.
