Abstract
Exposure to ambient NO2 and benzene, toluene ethyl-benzene and m+p- and o-xylenes (BTEX) is associated with adverse cardiovascular effects, but limited information is available on the effects of personal exposure to these compounds in South African populations. This 6-month follow-up study aims to determine 7-day personal ambient NO2 and BTEX exposure levels via compact passive diffusion samplers in female participants from Cape Town, and investigate whether exposure levels are associated with cardiovascular risk markers. Overall, the measured air pollutant exposure levels were lower compared to international standards. NO2 was positively associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), and inversely associated with the central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) and mean baseline brachial artery diameter. o-xylene was associated with DBP and benzene was strongly associated with carotid intima media thickness (cIMT). Our findings showed that personal air pollution exposure, even at relatively low levels, was associated with several markers of cardiovascular risk in women residing in the Cape Town region.
Highlights
Ambient air pollution is a global health concern and is associated with numerous adverse health effects including cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1,2,3]
In light of these findings and knowledge gaps, the overarching aims of the current study were to: (1) determine current levels of personal NO2 and BTEX exposure during two 1-week time periods in a repeated-measurements study (6-month follow-up) of apparently healthy women residing in the Cape Town region of South Africa, and (2) determine whether current levels of personal NO2 and BTEX exposure are associated with markers of cardiovascular risk, including blood pressure (systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), respectively), flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD), retinal blood vessel widths, and carotid intima media thickness
Most participants were overweight with a mean ± SD body-mass index (BMI) of 27.7 ± 8.4 kg/m2
Summary
Ambient air pollution is a global health concern and is associated with numerous adverse health effects including cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1,2,3]. The health effects of ambient air pollution are mostly attributable to small particles and chemically reactive compounds with pro-oxidative potential [4,5,6,7]. Previous reports have suggested that the adverse cardiovascular effects associated with air pollution exposure may be due to autonomic nervous system dysregulation of vascular tone and heart rates [8,9], and pro-atherosclerotic processes such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction [9,10,11]. Public Health 2019, 16, 2284; doi:10.3390/ijerph16132284 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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