Background
Study selection
Human evidence from epidemiologic studies
Adverse birth outcomes
Reference | Odds ratio for preterm birth (95% CI) | Odds ratio for low birth weight (95% CI) | Effect estimate (g) for every10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 |
---|---|---|---|
Stieb et al. [10] | 1.05 (0.98, 1.13) n = 4 | 1.05 (0.99, 1.12) n = 6 | −23.4 (−45.5, −1.4) n = 7 |
Zhu et al. [11] | 1.10 (1.03, 1.18) n = 8 | 1.05 (1.02, 1.07) n = 6 | −14.6 (−19.3, −9.9) n = 12 |
Lamichhane et al. [12] | 1.13 (0.98, 1.28) n = 5 | NA | −22.2 (−37.9, −6.4) n = 7 |
Sun et al. [13] | NA | 1.09 (1.03, 1.15) n = 19 | −15.9 (−26.8, −5.0) n = 17 |
Respiratory effects and impact on the immune system
Effects on neurological development
Metabolic alterations
Summary of human evidence
Nonhuman evidence from experimental models
Experimental approaches
Developmental effects
Reference | Animal model | PM source | Dose | Route | Duration | Offspring effects |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tsukue et al. [101] | C57BL/6J mice | Diesel exhaust | 0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 mg DEP/m3 | Inhalation | 4 months pre-mating exposure (12 h/day 7 days/week) | Decreased BW in both sexes; AGD lengths shorter; organ weights less, and vaginal orifices of young females opened significantly earlier (exposed to 0.3 and 1.0 mg DEP/m3) |
Hougaard et al. [81] | C57BL/6J mice | Diesel exhaust particles | ~19 mg/m3 | Inhalation | GD9–GD19 (1 h/day) | Decreased weight gain during lactation; cognitive function and biomarkers were generally similar across offspring |
Gorr et al. [64] | FVB mice | PM2.5 | 51.69 μg/m3 | Inhalation | Gestation/nursing (6 h/day, 7 days/week in utero until weaning at 3 weeks of age) | Reduced birth weight; at adulthood: reduced left ventricular fractional shortening; reduced ejection fraction; increased end-systolic volume; and reduced dP/dt maximum and minimum; alerted cardiomyocytes profiles; increased collagen deposition |
Liu et al. [89] | Sprague Dawley rats | PM2.5 | 15 mg/kg | Intratracheal | GD10 and GD18 | Increased absorbed blastocysts; lower maternal weight gain and fetal weight; significant increase of blood mono- nuclear cells, platelets, and IL-6; placenta pathological examination demonstrated thrombus and chorioamnionitis |
Chen et al. [66] | C57BL/6J mice | Diesel exhaust particles | 8.6 μg/mouse (~160 μg/m3) | Intratracheal | 3 times/week (M/W/F) beginning at 5 weeks and ending at weaning. (as mating started at 12 weeks, there was approximately a 7-week preconceptional instillation) | No impact to birth weight, however exposure significantly decreased offspring body weight from postnatal week 2 until the end of observation; decreased food intake but no alteration in brown adipose tissue |
Chen et al. [87] | C57BL/6J mice | Concentrated ambient particles, PM2.5 | 88.66 μg/m3 | Inhalation | Preconception, pregnancy, and lactation (6 h/day, 5 days/week; no exposure took place during weekends or the day of birth) | Significantly decreased offspring birth weight, but increased body weight of adult male; adult males had increased food intake, but were sensitive to exogenous leptin |
Wu et al. [69] | Sprague Dawley rats | Ultrafine PM, ammonium sulfate | 100 to 200 μg/m3 | Inhalation | Throughout gestation (until GD0-18) | Impacts to prenatal and postnatal organogenesis in offspring; increased stillbirths; reduced gestation length and birth weight; increased concentrations of glucose and free fatty acids in plasma; enhanced lipid accumulation in the liver; decreased endothelium-dependent relaxation of aorta |
Respiratory and immune system effects
Reference | Animal model | PM source | Dose | Route | Duration | Offspring effects |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hamada et al. [78] | Balb/c mice | Residual oily fish ash | 50 mg/mL | Inhalation | 30 min for 5, 3, or 1 days prior to delivery | Increased airway hyperresponsiveness and elevated levels of eosinophils in BALF; histopathology showed inflammation in lungs and increased IgE and IgG1 antigen-specific antibodies; Th2-skewed immune response |
Fedulov et al. [78] | Balb/c mice | Diesel exhaust | 50 μg/mouse (DEP, CB, or TiO2) | Intranasal | Single nasal insufflation on GD14 | Airway hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation, suggesting increased susceptibility to asthma |
Mauad et al. [53] | Balb/c mice | PM2.5 | 16.8 +/− 8.3 μg/m3 | Inhalation | 4 months (24 h/day) | Decreased surface to volume ratio; reduced inspiratory and expiratory volumes |
Corson et al. [82] | Balb/c mice | Diesel exhaust particles | Average particle concentration 1.09 mg/m3. | Inhalation | 5 times 4 days apart (before mating), then 2 times after mating | Decrease in IgE production; decrease in pulmonary eosinophils |
Sharkhuu et al. [102] | Balb/c mice | Diesel exhaust | 0, 0.8, 3.1 mg/μL | Inhalation | 10 consecutive days (4 h/day) | Number of neutrophils in BALF and splenic T cells expressing different surface markers were differentially affected by DE concentrations and sex; female offspring exposed to DE prenatally exhibited higher protein levels in the respiratory tract compared to males |
Reiprich et al. [103] | Balb/c mice | Diesel exhaust particles | 20 μg/mouse | Inhalation | GD7 to delivery (10 min 3 times/week) | Increased airway hyperresponsiveness, eosinophilic infiltration, and antigen-specific IgE production; pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine reversed asthmatic phenotype in pollutant-exposed offspring |
Thevenot et al. [72] | C57BL/6J mice or Brown-Norway rats | EPFR (DCB-230) in combustion-generated PM (0.2 μm) | 200 μg/m3 | Inhalation | 7 days (30 min/day) neonatal exposure only | Increased pulmonary pathologies and development of asthma; increased airway hyperresponsiveness |
Wang et al. [104] | C57BL/6J mice | CB-NP (unknown diameter) + MCP-230 | 50 μg/kg BW | Oropharyngeal | GD10 and GD17 (once/day) | MCP-230 exposed dams, offspring have decreased production of T helper and Tregs; Th1 and Th17 cells remained |
Manners et al. [84] | C57BL/6J mice | Diesel exhaust particles | 50 μg/mouse | Intranasal | GD3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 (once/day) | Increase airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness; increase OVA-specific IgE |
Saravia et al. [73] | C57BL/6J mice | CDPM | 200 μg/m3 | Inhalation | 5 days (30 min/day) neonatal exposure only | CDPM+HDM challenged mice exhibited no noticeable asthma phenotype, AHR, Th2 inflammation, eosinophilia, HDM Ig-specific; CDPM induce immunosuppressive environment; CDPM suppression of Th2 response |
Lee et al. [74] | C57BL/6J mice (neonates < 7-day age) | CDPM (0.2 μm); EPFR (DCB-50 and DCB-230) | 200 μg/m3 | Inhalation | 5 days (30 min/day) | Enhanced morbidity and decreased survival; increased oxidative stress; increased pulmonary Tregs during influenza |
El Sayed et al. [105] | ICR mice | CB-NP (14 nm diameter) | 95 μg/kg BW | Intranasal | GD9 and GD15 (once/day) | Increased total thymocytes and immunophenotypes; increase total lymphocytes in male offspring at PND5 exposed to CBNP; upregulation of mRNA expression of genes involved with induction of peripheral tolerance |
Paul et al. [106] | C57BL/6J mice | TiO2, CeO2, Ag nanoparticles (10 nm diameter) | 10 μL of NPs at 10 mg/mL | Intratracheal | GD2.5, GD9.5, and GD16.5 | Offspring lung development was stunted regardless of nanoparticle exposure |
Jaligama et al. [76] | C57BL/6J mice | CDPM (0.2 μm); EPFR (DCB-230) | 200 μg/m3 | Inhalation | 7 days (30 min/day) neonatal exposure only | Increase in Tregs and IL-10; EPFR+ IL-10−/− neonates exhibited reduced morbidity, viral load, and adaptive T cell response after influenza infection |
de Barros et al. [107] | Balb/c mice | PM2.5 | 600 μg/m3 | Inhalation | GD5.5-GD18.5 (1 h/day) | Increased lung elastance and decreased alveolar number in PND40 offspring; lung volume and BALF were not affected; transcriptomic analysis indicated DNA damage, inflammation, and cell proliferation regulation in PND40 exposed offspring |
Tang et al. [94] | Sprague Dawley rats | PM2.5 | 0.1, 0.5, 2.5, 7.5 mg/kg | Intraperitoneal | GD0-GD18 (once every 3 days) | Ground glass opacity and high-density volumes in lungs of exposed neonates; increased pulmonary inflammation in lungs |
Rychlik et al. [68] | C57BL/6J and Balb/c mice | Ultrafine PM | 100 μg/m3 | Inhalation | GD0-GD18 (6 h/day) | Reduced inflammatory response to HDM; lower WBC counts; less peribronchiolar inflammation; C57Bl/6J offspring exposed to UFPs had increased Treg response and decreased Th2/Th17 response |
Cognitive effects
Reference | Animal Model | PM Source | Dose | Route | Duration | Offspring Effects |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Suzuki et al. [112] | ICR mice | Diesel exhaust | 171 μg/m3 | Inhalation | GD2-GD16 (8 h/day) | Decreased spontaneous locomotor activity; neurotransmitters (dopamine and noradrenaline) and metabolites were increased in the prefrontal cortex; decreased SLA due to facilitated release of dopamine in the PFC |
Allen et al. [55] | C57BL/6J mice | Ultrafine PM, concentrated ambient particles | ∼40,000-496,000 particles/cm3 | Inhalation | PND4–7 and PND10–13 (with and without adult exposure over PND56–60) | Increased FR response rates and FR resets, as well as enhanced bias for immediate reward. |
Davis et al. [79] | C57BL/6J mice | nPM; < 200 nm | 350 μg/m3 | Inhalation | 5 h/day 3 days/week for 10 weeks (females exposed 7 weeks before conception to 2 days before birth) | Impaired cerebral cortex neuron development in vitro; increased depression-like phenotype in tail-suspension test (male); additional nPM exposure promoted pyramidal neuron development |
Allen et al. [56] | C57BL/6J mice | Ultrafine PM, concentrated ambient particles | ∼40,000 to 496,000 particles/cm3 | Inhalation | PND4–7 and PND10–13 (with and without adult exposure over PND57–59) | Impaired short-term memory on the NOR; mechanistically, cortical and hippocampal changes in amino acids raised the potential for excitotoxicity, and persistent glial activation in frontal cortex and corpus callosum of both sexes |
Allen et al. [57] | C57BL/6J mice | Ultrafine PM, concentrated ambient particles | 96 μg/m3 | Inhalation | PND4–7 and PND10–13 (with a group of males getting additional exposure on PND270) | Ventriculomegaly in males that persisted through young adulthood; males also showed a decrease in CNS cytokines (whereas females showed an increase); males exposed on PND270, showed changes in CNS neurotransmitters and glial activation across multiple brain regions and increased hippocampal glutamate |
Yokota et al. [97] | ICR mice | Diesel exhaust | 90 μg/m3 | Inhalation | GD2-17 (8 h/day) | Increased social isolation-induced territorial aggressive behavior; increased serum testosterone levels; increased dopamine levels in prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens; lower serotonin in nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and hypothalamus |
Onoda et al. [113] | ICR mice | CBNP | 2.9, 15, 73 μg/mL | Intranasal | GD5 and GD9 (once/day) | Increase in GFAP in cerebral cortex; increase aquaporin-4 in brain parenchyma; increased expression of Flt1, Sox17, Tgfa, Cyr61 |
Cory-Slechta et al. [59] | C57BL/6J mice | Ultrafine PM, concentrated ambient particles | 45 μg/m3 | Inhalation | PND4–7 and PND10–13 (4 h/day) | Male-specific alterations in learning and memory functions, while females showed alterations in motivational behaviors but not final performance |
Klocke et al. [61] | B6C3F1 mice | Ultrafine PM, concentrated ambient particles | 92.69 μg/m3 | Inhalation | GD0.5-16.5 (6 h/day) | Ventriculomegaly; increased corpus callosum area and reduced hippocampal area in both sexes; CC hypermyleination, microglial activation, and reduced total CC microglia in both sexes; increased iron deposition in CC of female offspring |
Allen et al. [58] | C57BL/6J mice | Ultrafine PM, concentrated ambient particles | 96 μg/m3 | Inhalation | PND 4-7 and PND 10-13 (4 h/day for 4 days/week) | Induced inflammation/microglial activation; reduced size of corpus callosum; hypomyelination; aberrant white matter development; increased glutamate; increased repetitive and impulsive behavior |
Kulas et al. [114] | FVB mice | PM2.5 | 46.7 μg/m3 | Inhalation | Gestation (6 h/day 5 days/week) | Deficits in spatial memory; long-term inflammation and neurodegeneration through increased levels of COX2; changes in levels of synaptophysin and Arg1 proteins; changes in the concentration of cytokines in the brain and spleen |
Klocke et al. [62] | B6C3F1 mice | Ultrafine PM, concentrated ambient particles | 92.69 μg/m3 | Inhalation | GD0.5-16.5 (6 h/day) | Elevated iron levels in the cerebellum of females; altered cerebellar gene expression; significant enrichment in inflammation and transmembrane transport processes |
Kloche et al. [115] | B6C3F1 mice | Ultrafine PM, concentrated ambient particles | 92.69 μg/m3 | Inhalation | GD0.5-16.5 (6 h/day) | Premature maturational shift in number and proportion of total cells and hypermethylation in both sexes; ventriculomegaly in females (possible amelioration of ventriculomegaly in males); alterations in cycling Ki67+/Olig2+ cell number and proportion of total cells in the female corpus collosum; total CC cellularity was slightly elevated in males |
Woodward et al. [116] | Sprague Dawley rats | TRAP | 240 μg/m3 | Inhalation | GD2, through gestation, until 25 weeks of age (5 h/day, 3 days/week) | At 5 month males had 70% fewer newly generated neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus; microglia were activated in DG/CA1 subfields (35% more Iba1); altered blood-brain-barrier, with a 75% decrease of the tight junction protein ZO-1 in the CA1 layer, and twofold more iron deposits, a marker of microhemorrhages; impaired contextual memory, reduced food- seeking behavior, and increased depressive behaviors |
Sobolewski et al. [60] | C57BL/6J mice | Ultrafine PM, concentrated ambient particles | 45 μg/m3 | Inhalation | PND4–7 and PND10–13 (4 h/day) | Decreased serum T concentrations; social nose-to-nose sniff rates with novel males in adulthood; adult T serum concentrations were positively correlated with nose to nose sniff rates |
Chang et al. [98] | C57BL/6J mice | Diesel exhaust | 250-500 μg/m3 | Inhalation | GD0 to PND21 | Deficits in all three of the hallmark categories of ASD behavior: reduced social interaction, increased repetitive behavior; reduced or altered communication |
Church et al. [63] | B6C3 mice | Ultrafine PM, concentrated ambient particles | 135.8 μg/m3 | Inhalation | Gestation followed by additional exposures to both dams and their litters from PND2-10 | Significantly decreased sociability in both sexes; however, reductions in reciprocal social interaction/increased grooming behavior were only present in males |
Cui et al. [117] | ICR mice | Diesel exhaust particles | 0.4 mg/m3 | Inhalation | GD1.5-GD15.5 (6 h/day) | Longer total distance and time in open field test; increased expression of dopamine receptors (Drd1a, Drd2, Drd3, Drd4, Drd5) |
Morris-Schaffer et al. [118] | C57BL/6J mice | Ultrafine elemental carbon | 50 μg/m3 | Inhalation | PND4–7 and 10–13 (4 h/day) | No significant difference in anogenital distance, BW, or CNS pathological; no changes in novel object recognition; elevated plus maze performance, FI, or DRL schedule-controlled behavior |
Cardiometabolic effects
Reference | Animal model | PM source | Dose | Route | Duration | Offspring effects |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weldy et al. [99] | C57BL/6J mice | Diesel exhaust PM2.5 | 300 μg/m3 | Inhalation | 3 weeks prior to mating; duration same through gestation (6 h/day, 5 days/week) | Increased susceptibility to cardiac hypertrophy, systolic failure, myocardial fibrosis, pulmonary congestion |
Gorr et al. [64] | FVB mice | PM2.5 | 51.69 μg/m3 | Inhalation | GD0-PND21 (6 h/day, 7 days/week) | Reduced birth weight; reduced left ventricular fractional shortening; reduced ejection fraction; increased end-systolic volume; reduced dP/dt maximum; reduced peak shortening; slower calcium reuptake; reduced response to B-adrenergic stimulation; increased collagen deposition |
Wei et al. [54] | Sprague Dawley rats | Ambient air | 73.5 +/− 61.3 μg/m3 | Inhalation | 19 days (24 h/day) | Increased body weight; peribronchiolar and perivascular inflammation; increased systemic and oxidative stress; dyslipidemia; increased inflammatory status of epididymal fat |
Stephenson et al. [75] | C57BL/6J mice | Ultrafine PM MCP-230 | 50 μL | Oropharyngeal | GD10 and GD 17 (once/day) | Reduced skeletal muscle mtDNA copy number; lower mRNA levels of electron transport genes; reduced citrate synthase activity; upregulation of genes in reducing oxidative stress in muscle |
Tanwar et al. [65] | FVB mice | PM2.5 | 73.61 μg/m3 | Inhalation | Gestation (6 h/day, 7 days/week) | Reduced fractional shortening; increased left ventricular end-systolic and end-diastolic diameters; reduced ventricular posterior wall thickness; end-systolic elastance; contractile reverse; increased collagen deposition; increases in cardiac IL-6, IL-1B, collagen-1, MMP9, and MMP13 gene expression |
Goodson et al. [124] | C57BL/6J mice | Diesel exhaust | 300 μg/m3 | Inhalation | Gestation (6 h/day, 5 days/week) | Dysregulated gene expression of Mir133a-2, Ptprf, Pamr1; promoter of Mir133a-2 differentially methylated |
Harrigan et al. [100] | C57Bl/6 (ApoE−/−) mice | Diesel exhaust particles PM2.5 | 250-300 μg/m3 | Inhalation | Gestation (6 h/day, 5 days/week) | Smaller litter and increased postnatal mortality; no significant differences in plasma lipids or lipoprotein profiles, expression of antioxidant genes or markers of oxidative stress between groups; no sig. differences in atherosclerotic lesion area |
Chen et al. [86] | C57BL/6J mice | Diesel exhaust particles PM2.5 | 160 μg/m3 | Intratracheal | 7-week preconception period, whole gestation, and lactational periods (3 times/week) | Impaired adult male offspring glucose tolerance; no influence in insulin sensitivity for adult male offspring; decreased insulin secretion; decrease in pancreatic islet and Beta cell sizes |
Ye et al. [125] | Sprague Dawley rats | PM2.5 | 1 mg/kg BW | Oropharyngeal | GD8, 10, 12 (once/day) | Increased blood pressure; impaired sodium excretion; reduced D1R-mediated natriuresis and diuresis; increased D1R and GRK4 expression |
Wu et al. [69] | Sprague Dawley rats | Ultrafine PM (10-20 nm diameter; ammonium sulfate particles) | 150 μg/m3 | Inhalation | GD0-GD18 | Increased stillbirths; reduced gestation length and birth weight; increased concentrations of glucose and free fatty acids in plasma; increased lipid accumulation in liver; decreased endothelium-dependent relaxation of aorta |
Morales-Rubio et al. [92] | C57BL/6J mice | Ultrafine PM (< 60 nm) | 50 μL UFP followed by 200 μL air (400 μg/kg BW) | Intratracheal | GD6.5, 8.5, 10.5, 12.5, 14.5, 16.5 (once/day) | Increased embryo reabsorption; decreases in uterus, placental, and fetal weights; HSD11B2 hypermethylation and protein downregulation; increases in PAH enzymes; activation of AT1R and ACE in PND50 resulting in increased blood pressure |
Woodward et al. [80] | C57BL/6J mice | Ultrafine PM (< 100 nm) | 343 μg/m3 | Inhalation | Gestation (5 h/day, 3 days/week) | Increased food intake, body weight, fat mass, adiposity, glucose intolerance; dysregulation of neuropeptides in hypothalamus; decreased expression of insulin receptor signaling genes in adipose |
Xie et al. [90] | C57BL/6J mice | PM2.5 | 0.3 mg/kg/day | Oral | GD0-GD18 (once/2 days) | Reduced BW in adult males after 6 weeks; reduced adipocytesize in eWAT compared to BAT; decreased expression of ACC1, ACSL1, PPAR-a in eWAT; decreased expression of TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-6; reduction of LPC, PC, PE, SM, Cer. |