Journal of King Saud University: Science (May 2024)
Effect of environmental pollutants particulate matter PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) on obesity
Abstract
Background: Environmental pollution is a highly challenging global health concern, affecting the natural ecosystem and human health. The obesity risk is allied to diverse factors, including genetics, behaviour, food, and socio-cultural conditions, however, literature is lacking in exploring the effect of environmental pollution on obesity and the causal pathways are not fully understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of environmental pollutants particulate matter PM2.5 μm, PM10 μm, Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), and ground level Ozone (O3) on obesity. Methods: This study recorded data on air pollutants and obesity using the electronic platforms Pub Med, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The keywords included for the literature search were based on a combination of two main aspects, which were used to represent exposure (air pollutants), and outcome (obesity). Initially, 324 articles and reports were identified, and after revising the abstracts and full articles, 12 studies were selected for a detailed analysis and discussion. The Odds Ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted to investigate the impact between air pollutants and obesity. The Cochrane chi-squared test (Chi2), fixed-effects design was used when I2 0.05; otherwise, a random-effects model was adopted. Results: Environmental pollutants, particulate matter PM2.5 (OR = 1.18; 95 % CI: 1.10–1.25p < 0.01), PM10 (OR = 1.11; 95 % CI: 1.02–1.20; p < 0.01), Nitrogen Dioxide NO2 (OR = 1.14; 95 % CI: 1.02–1.28; p = 0.03), ground-level Ozone O3 (OR = 1.01; 95 % CI: 1.00–1.01; p = 0.01) were significantly and positively associated with obesity. Conclusions: Environmental pollution could be a risk factor for obesity. The potential mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of this relationship are oxidative stress, inflammation, hormonal disruption, and adipose tissue function alteration. Addressing this multifaceted issue requires collaboration between public health officials, policymakers, and the public at large. Moreover, raising public awareness is a crucial step towards mitigating the impact of environmental pollution on obesity.
