A review on the effect of air pollution and exposure to PM, NO2 , O3 , SO2 , CO and heavy metals on viral respiratory infections

Yasaman Khajeamiri; Samira Sharifi; Nioosha Moradpour; Alireza Khajeamiri

doi:10.18502/japh.v5i4.6445

Yasaman Khajeamiri Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Samira Sharifi Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
Nioosha Moradpour Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Alireza Khajeamiri Department of Toxicology, Police University, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/japh.v5i4.6445

Keywords: Air pollution; Upper respiratory infections; Lower respiratory infections; COVID-19; Influenza

Abstract

The ambient air pollutants that have a major role in causing respiratory diseases are particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, and heavy metals. In addition, respiratory infections, divided into upper respiratory tract and lower respiratory tract infection, are most commonly caused by viral agents. Thus, in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, this review has focused on the association between exposure to general air pollution including each of the mentioned air pollutants and viral respiratory infections. The gathered evidence from the reviewed studies in this article showed that most of these air pollutants have a positive correlation with mortality, severity, transmission, inflammation, and incidence of different viral respiratory infections. Whereas, some studies found contradictory results such as non-significant and negative connections between exposure to air pollutants and viral respiratory infections, which are further discussed in this text. Therefore, following the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, these contradictions in the reported correlation between air pollution and different aspects of viral respiratory infections must be thoroughly investigated and cleared.