Journal Article

Ambient Anthropogenic Carbons and Pediatric Respiratory Infections: A Case‐Crossover Analysis in the Megacity Beijing

Li, Mengyao, Fang, Jiakun, Guan, Xinpeng, Xu, Hongbing, Xu, Xin, Liu, Lingyan, Wang, Tong, Zhu, Yutong, Song, Xiaoming, Zhao, Qian, He, Xinghou, Huang, Wei, Xu, Baoping, Zhang, Bin, Song, Jing

2023

Overview

Carbon loading in airway cells has shown to worsen function of antimicrobial peptides, permitting increased survival of pathogens in the respiratory tract; however, data on the impacts of carbon particles on childhood acute respiratory infection (ARI) is limited. We assembled daily health data on outpatient visits for ARI (bronchitis, pneumonia, and total upper respiratory infection [TURI]) in children aged 0–14 years between 2015 and 2019 in Beijing, China. Anthropogenic carbons, including black carbon (BC) and its emission sources, and wood smoke particles (delta carbon, ultra‐violet absorbing particulate matter, and brown carbon) were continuously monitored. Using a time‐stratified case‐crossover approach, conditional logistic regression was performed to derive risk estimates for each outcome. A total of 856,899 children were included, and a wide range of daily carbon particle concentrations was observed, with large variations for BC (0.36–20.44) and delta carbon (0.48–57.66 μg/m3). Exposure to these particles were independently associated with ARI, with nearly linear exposure‐response relationships. Interquartile range increases in concentrations of BC and delta carbon over prior 0–8 days, we observed elevation of the odd ratio of bronchitis by 1.201 (95% confidence interval, 1.180, 1.221) and 1.048 (95% CI, 1.039, 1.057), respectively. Stronger association was observed for BC from traffic sources, which increased the odd ratio of bronchitis by 1.298 (95% CI, 1.273, 1.324). Carbon particles were also associated with elevated risks of pneumonia and TURI, and subgroup analyses indicated greater risks among children older than 6 years. Our findings suggested that anthropogenic carbons in metropolitan areas may pose a significant threat to clinical manifestations of respiratory infections in vulnerable populations. Plain Language Summary Carbon air pollution has been linked to potential biological mechanisms responsible for respiratory diseases, but its impact on childhood respiratory infection remain sparse. In this study, we examined the associations of carbon particles with childhood hospital visits for acute respiratory infection in the megacity Beijing. The results indicated that recent exposure to ambient black carbon and wood smoke‐related particles (delta carbon, ultra‐violet absorbing particulate matter, and brown carbon) was associated with heightened risks of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in children. Greater detrimental respiratory effects were observed for carbon particles from traffic. Up to date, the global pandemic of pediatric respiratory infection and air pollution episodes occurs frequently under the context of climate crisis, our findings highlighted the importance of discerning adverse respiratory effects caused by source‐specific carbon particles in real‐world settings, particularly at the extreme levels of anthropogenic carbon exposures faced by billions of children living in urban areas worldwide today. Key Points Extremely high levels of ambient black carbon and wood smoke‐related particles were found during the study period Carbon particles, particularly from traffic, were associated with increased risks of childhood respiratory infections Greater risks were found among children older than 6 years

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc,John Wiley and Sons Inc,American Geophysical Union (AGU)
• Subject: Aerosols / Aerosols and Particles / Air pollution / Anoxic and Hypoxic Environments / Anoxic Environments / Anthropogenic Effects / Anthropogenic factors / anthropogenic source / At risk populations / Atmospheric Composition and Structure / Biogeosciences / Biomass / Black carbon / Bronchitis / Carbon / case‐crossover study / children / Climate change / Data collection / Disease / Geohealth / Health care / Health Impact / Hydrology / Hypoxic Environments / Infections / Marine Pollution / Medical records / Megacities / Megacities and Urban Environment / Metropolitan areas / Natural Hazards / Nitrogen dioxide / Oceanography: Biological and Chemical / Oceanography: General / Outdoor air quality / Paleoceanography / Particulate matter / Pathogens / Pediatrics / Peptides / Pneumonia / Pollutants / Pollution: Urban and Regional / Pollution: Urban, Regional and Global / Public Health / respiratory infection / Respiratory tract / Urban Systems / Viral infections / wood smoke