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Toxics
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Airway Exposure to Pollution from Ambient Particulate Matter (PM) and...
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Airway Exposure to Pollution from Ambient Particulate Matter (PM) and Health Effects

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Pollution and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 November 2025 | Viewed by 1221

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gloria Melzi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Interests: genotoxicity; DNA repair; oxidative stress; risk assessment; new approach methodology
Dr. Yuewei Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Interests: environmental epidemiology; reproductive health; air pollution; climate change
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue explores the impact of ambient particulate matter (PM) on airway health, with a particular focus on respiratory diseases and underlying mechanisms. It aims to examine the effects of PM effects, particularly inflammation, oxidative stress, and lung function decline, while highlighting innovative methodologies like in vitro models and alternative testing methods.

The key objectives of this Special Issue include investigating size- and composition-specific PM impacts (e.g., PM2.5, PM10, and ultrafine particles), advancing mechanistic understanding, and integrating novel exposure and health risk assessment techniques. Contributions will span toxicology, environmental science, public health, and regulatory frameworks.

Positioned within a well-established body of literature on PM and respiratory health, this collection of works addresses critical gaps, such as insufficient focus on cellular mechanisms, limited adoption of animal-free methodologies, and the need for comprehensive exposure modeling linked to specific PM sources. By showcasing interdisciplinary approaches, it aims to advance the field's capacity for actionable insights.

This Special Issue also aligns with growing global interest in mitigating air pollution’s health impacts, contributing to ethical, innovative, and evidence-based research. It supports policymakers, scientists, and public health professionals in developing targeted interventions, ensuring its relevance for a broad audience while addressing the pressing need for sustainable solutions to pollution-induced respiratory challenges.

Dr. Gloria Melzi
Dr. Yuewei Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • air pollution
  • particulate matter (PM)
  • respiratory health
  • airway inflammation
  • oxidative stress
  • in vitro toxicology
  • alternative testing methods
  • cell culture models
  • health risk assessment

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 3467 KB  
Article
Opposite Interactive Effects of Heat Wave and Cold Spell with Fine Particulate Matter on Pneumonia Mortality
by Yi Zheng, Ruijun Xu, Yuling Chen, Yingxin Li, Yuxin Bi, Xiaohong Jia, Sirong Wang, Lu Luo, Jing Wei, Rui Wang, Chunxiang Shi, Ziquan Lv, Suli Huang, Gongbo Chen, Hong Sun, Bochao Sun, Nongping Feng and Yuewei Liu
Toxics 2025, 13(8), 702; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13080702 - 21 Aug 2025
Viewed by 198
Abstract
Exposure to extreme temperature events (ETEs) and ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been linked to an increased risk of pneumonia mortality, but their interactive effects remain largely unknown. We investigated 50,196 pneumonia deaths from 2015 to 2022 in Jiangsu province, [...] Read more.
Exposure to extreme temperature events (ETEs) and ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been linked to an increased risk of pneumonia mortality, but their interactive effects remain largely unknown. We investigated 50,196 pneumonia deaths from 2015 to 2022 in Jiangsu province, China, with a time-stratified case-crossover design. An individual-level exposure to heat wave, cold spell, and PM2.5 was assessed at each subject’s residential address using validated grid datasets. Conditional logistic regression models integrated with a distributed lag nonlinear model were used to quantitatively estimate both independent and interactive effects. With different ETE definitions, the cumulative odds ratio (OR) of pneumonia mortality associated with heat wave and cold spell ranged from 1.22 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14, 1.31) to 1.60 (1.40, 1.81), and from 1.08 (1.002, 1.17) to 1.18 (1.01, 1.38), respectively, while the OR for PM2.5 ranged from 1.013 (1.006, 1.021) to 1.016 (1.009, 1.024). We observed a synergistic effect (relative excess risk due to interaction [RERI] ranging from 0.40 [0.06, 0.76] to 1.16 [0.41, 2.09]) of co-exposure to heat wave and PM2.5, as well as an antagonistic effect (RERI ranging from −0.20 [−0.40, −0.03] to −1.02 [−1.78, −0.38]) of co-exposure to cold spell and PM2.5 on pneumonia mortality. It was estimated that up to 6.49% of pneumonia deaths were attributable to heat wave and PM2.5 exposures. We found that heat wave and cold spell interacted oppositely with PM2.5 to increase the odds of pneumonia mortality, highlighting the needs to reduce co-exposures to heat wave and PM2.5. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Airway Exposure to Pollution from Ambient Particulate Matter (PM) and Health Effects)
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22 pages, 2424 KB  
Article
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Atmospheric PM2.5 and PM10 of Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia: Levels, Temporal Variation, and Health Impacts
by Hattan A. Alharbi, Ahmed I. Rushdi, Abdulqader Bazeyad and Khalid F. Al-Mutlaq
Toxics 2025, 13(6), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13060424 - 23 May 2025
Viewed by 763
Abstract
Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in atmospheric particulate matter (PM) are high in Saudi cities due to industry and traffic, often exceeding safety limits. This study assesses PM2.5 and PM10 and health risks in Riyadh’s desert environment. Method: High-purity chemicals and [...] Read more.
Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in atmospheric particulate matter (PM) are high in Saudi cities due to industry and traffic, often exceeding safety limits. This study assesses PM2.5 and PM10 and health risks in Riyadh’s desert environment. Method: High-purity chemicals and PAH standards were used. Air samples were collected at King Saud University, extracted, cleaned, and analyzed by GC-MS. QA/QC ensured accuracy, with RSDs of 4.6–7.9%. Results: Seasonal temperature shifts in Riyadh influence PM and PAH levels. Higher summer temperatures raise PM/PAH, posing health risks, especially via inhalation. Winter favors PAH accumulation on particles. Conclusions: Seasonal temperature shifts significantly affect PM2.5, PM10, and PAH levels in Riyadh, with summer posing the highest health risks. Inhalation is the main exposure route, especially for PM2.5. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Airway Exposure to Pollution from Ambient Particulate Matter (PM) and Health Effects)
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