Industrialization might have spurred economic development and technological advancements in some parts of the world but it has also left billions of people breathing in polluted air. While air pollution is most commonly associated with respiratory issues, a new study has found that it might also wreak havoc on your skin. The study findings revealed that people who live in places with high levels of air pollution are more likely to have eczema. They particularly identified fine particulate matter as a risk factor. Particulate matter pollution refers to a combination of soil or dust particles, acids, organic chemicals, and metals floating around in the lower atmosphere of any region.
“The prevalence of eczema has increased with industrialization. Industrial practices generate ambient air pollution, including fine particulate matter of diameter less than 2.5μm (PM2.5),” the researchers wrote in the study. “The odds of eczema increased with greater PM2.5 concentration in our large, diverse, adult American cohort. Ambient air pollution is an environmental hazard that influences inflammatory skin disease.”
The researchers analyzed the data of 286,862 adults from the All of Us research program launched by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. They observed that 4.4% of them or 12,695 adults were diagnosed with eczema. And that the study participants who had eczema were living in areas with high levels of air pollution.
“Both PM2.5-exposed skin cells and skin of patients with eczema exhibit oxidative damage. Our finding of an approximately two-fold increased risk of eczema per 10 μg/m3 rise in PM2.5 is clinically relevant as well as actionable, as the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index (AQI),” they explained.
“Individuals with eczema may be at elevated risk for disease exacerbation or acute flares when AQI reaches the “moderate” category (12.1–35.4 μg/m3 ) compared to the “good” category (0-12 μg/m3), with risk increasing at even higher AQI,” the authors added. “When AQI reaches levels of “moderate” or worse, patients may be advised to stay indoors, filter indoor air, or cover exposed skin outdoors.”
The study was published in PLoS One on November 13, 2024.
According to the World Health Organization, ambient air pollution exposure was associated with 4.2 million deaths in 2019. Prior studies have reported that high concentrations of PM2.5 and particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10) in the air could also lead to the development and exacerbation of atopic dermatitis, skin aging, and skin allergies.
In a 2021 study published in the Annals of Dermatology, researchers based in South Korea highlighted that increased particulate matter concentrations might contribute to facial redness and uneven skin tone even in healthy human skin.
“As the largest outermost surface of the human body, the skin is constantly exposed to the environment. Overall, particulate matter is related to inflammatory skin diseases via skin barrier dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation,” wrote a group of Chinese researchers in a 2023 study.
“The effects of antioxidants, vitamin D, and microbiota regulation strategies on inflammatory diseases caused by PM are beneficial,” they added.
