Abstract
Environmental air pollutants (black carbon (BC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter with diameter < 2.5 μm (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter with diameter <10 μm (PM10), and ozone (O3)) are one of the major menaces to mankind’s health globally. This analysis reviews the association between exposure to these air pollutants and the chance of develo** brain tumors in adults (total brain tumors, malignant brain tumors, and benign brain tumors). Studies published by April 2022 were searched. Raw effect sizes were converted to standardized effect sizes per 10 μg/m3 increase. Random effect models were applied to calculate combined effect size and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed. A total of 8 articles were included for meta-analysis. The pooled effect size (ES) for per 10 μg/m3 BC intake was 1.67 (95% CI: 1.25, 2.22), P = 0.449. For every 10 μg/m3 rise in NO2 concentration, ES was 1.03 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.05), P = 0.319. Meanwhile, there was a boundary association between NOx and adult brain tumors (ES and 95% CI: 1.01; 1.00, 1.01/10 μg/m3; P = 0.716). While there was no conjunction between PM2.5, PM10, O3 (PM2.5: ES and 95% CI: 1.04; 0.99, 1.08/10 μg/m3; P = 0.834; PM10: ES and 95% CI: 1.01; 0.97, 1.04/10 μg/m3; P = 0.627; O3: ES and 95% CI: 0.97; 0.94, 1.00/10 μg/m3; P = 0.253). This research shows testimony of a significant link between air pollutants and brain tumors in adults, especially when exposed to BC, NO2, and NOx. This evidence emphasizes the importance of improving air quality as part of a comprehensive approach to prevent the occurrence and deterioration of brain tumors.
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11356-023-29955-y/MediaObjects/11356_2023_29955_Fig1_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11356-023-29955-y/MediaObjects/11356_2023_29955_Fig2a_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11356-023-29955-y/MediaObjects/11356_2023_29955_Fig2b_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11356-023-29955-y/MediaObjects/11356_2023_29955_Fig3_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11356-023-29955-y/MediaObjects/11356_2023_29955_Fig4_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11356-023-29955-y/MediaObjects/11356_2023_29955_Fig5_HTML.png)
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
None.
References
Brauer M, Freedman G, Frostad J, van Donkelaar A, Martin RV, Dentener F, van Dingenen R, Estep K, Amini H, Apte JS, Balakrishnan K, Barregard L, Broday D, Feigin V, Ghosh S, Hopke PK, Knibbs LD, Kokubo Y, Liu Y et al (2016) Ambient air pollution exposure estimation for the Global Burden of Disease 2013. Environ Sci Technol 50:79–88. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b03709
Brauner EV, Andersen ZJ, Andersen CE, Pedersen C, Gravesen P, Ulbak K, Hertel O, Loft S, Raaschou-Nielsen O (2013) Residential radon and brain tumour incidence in a Danish cohort. Plos One 8:e74435. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0074435
Chang KH, Teng CJ, Hsu YC, Tsai SC, Lin HJ, Hsieh TL, Muo CH, Hsu CY, Chou RH (2022) Long-term exposure to air pollution associates the risk of benign brain tumor: a nationwide, population-based, cohort study in Taiwan. Toxics 10:176. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10040176
DerSimonian R, Laird N (1986) Meta-analysis in clinical trials. Controlled Clin Trials 7:177–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/0197-2456(86)90046-2
Egger M, Davey Smith G, Schneider M, Minder C (1997) Bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test. Br Med J 315:629–634. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.315.7109.629
Erickson MA, Jude J, Zhao H, Rhea EM, Salameh TS, Jester W, Pu S, Harrowitz J, Nguyen N, Banks WA, Panettieri RA Jr, Jordan-Sciutto KL (2017) Serum amyloid A: an ozone-induced circulating factor with potentially important functions in the lung-brain axis. FASEB J 31:3950–3965. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.201600857RRR
Fan SJ, Heinrich J, Bloom MS, Zhao TY, Shi TX, Feng WR, Sun Y, Shen JC, Yang ZC, Yang BY, Dong GH (2020) Ambient air pollution and depression: a systematic review with meta-analysis up to 2019. Sci Total Environ 701:134721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134721
Genc S, Zadeoglulari Z, Fuss SH, Genc K (2012) The adverse effects of air pollution on the nervous system. J Toxicol Pathol 2012:782462. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/782462
Hu CY, Fang Y, Li FL, Dong B, Hua XG, Jiang W, Zhang H, Lyu Y, Zhang XJ (2019) Association between ambient air pollution and Parkinson’s disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Res 168:448–459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.10.008
Hu CY, Gao X, Fang Y, Jiang W, Huang K, Hua XG, Yang XJ, Chen HB, Jiang ZX, Zhang XJ (2020) Human epidemiological evidence about the association between air pollution exposure and gestational diabetes mellitus: systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Res 180:108843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.108843
Jerrett M (2009) Global geographies of injustice in traffic-related air pollution exposure. Epidemiology 20:231–233. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0b013e31819776a1
Jorgensen JT, Johansen MS, Ravnskjaer L, Andersen KK, Brauner EV, Loft S, Ketzel M, Becker T, Brandt J, Hertel O, Andersen ZJ (2016) Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and incidence of brain tumours: the Danish nurse cohort. Neurotoxicology 55:122–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuro.2016.06.003
Kang YJ, Tan HY, Lee CY, Cho H (2021) An air particulate pollutant induces neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in human brain models. Adv Sci 8:e2101251. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202101251
Khreis H, Bredell C, Wai Fung K, Hong L, Szybka M, Phillips V, Abbas A, Lim YH, Jovanovic Andersen Z, Woodcock J, Brayne C (2022) Impact of long-term air pollution exposure on incidence of neurodegenerative diseases: a protocol for a systematic review and exposure-response meta-analysis. Environ Int 170:107596. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107596
Lequy E, Siemiatycki J, Zhivin S, Vienneau D, Bentayeb M, Wagner V, Stempfelet M, Le Tertre A, Goldberg M, Zins M, de Hoogh K, Jacquemin B (2019) Reducing PM2.5 levels is associated with lower cancer incidence. Environ Epidemiol 3:178. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.Ee9.0000607756.47854.72
Liu CC, Chen CC, Wu TN, Yang CY (2008) Association of brain cancer with residential exposure to petrochemical air pollution in Taiwan. J Toxicol Environ Health-Part a-Curr Issues 71:310–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/15287390701738491
Ljubimova JY, Braubach O, Patil R, Chiechi A, Tang J, Galstyan A, Shatalova ES, Kleinman MT, Black KL, Holler E (2018) Coarse particulate matter (PM(2.5-10)) in Los Angeles Basin air induces expression of inflammation and cancer biomarkers in rat brains. Sci Rep 8:5708. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23885-3
Ljubimova JY, Kleinman MT, Karabalin NM, Inoue S, Konda B, Gangalum P, Markman JL, Ljubimov AV, Black KL (2013) Gene expression changes in rat brain after short and long exposures to particulate matter in Los Angeles basin air: Comparison with human brain tumors. Exp Toxicol Pathol 65:1063–1071. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etp.2013.04.002
McNeill KA (2016) Epidemiology of brain tumors. Neurol Clin 34:981–998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ncl.2016.06.014
Miller KD, Ostrom QT, Kruchko C, Patil N, Tihan T, Cioffi G, Fuchs HE, Waite KA, Jemal A, Siegel RL, Barnholtz-Sloan JS (2021) Brain and other central nervous system tumor statistics, 2021. Ca-A Cancer J Clin 71:381–406. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21693
Ostrom QT, Adel Fahmideh M, Cote DJ, Muskens IS, Schraw JM, Scheurer ME, Bondy ML (2019) Risk factors for childhood and adult primary brain tumors. J Neuro-Oncol 21:1357–1375. https://doi.org/10.1093/neuonc/noz123
Ostrom QT, Bauchet L, Davis FG, Deltour I, Fisher JL, Langer CE, Pekmezci M, Schwartzbaum JA, Turner MC, Walsh KM, Wrensch MR, Barnholtz-Sloan JS (2014) The epidemiology of glioma in adults: a “state of the science” review. J Neuro-Oncol 16:896–913. https://doi.org/10.1093/neuonc/nou087
Palmer JD, Prasad RN, Cioffi G, Kruchtko C, Zaorsky NG, Trifiletti DM, Gondi V, Brown PD, Perlow HK, Mishra MV, Chakravarti A, Barnholtz-Sloan JS, Ostrom QT (2023) Exposure to radon and heavy particulate pollution and incidence of brain tumors. J Neuro-Oncol 25:407–417. https://doi.org/10.1093/neuonc/noac163
Patel AP, Fisher JL, Nichols E, Abd-Allah F, Abdela J, Abdelalim A, Abraha HN, Agius D, Alahdab F, Alam T, Allen CA (2019) Global, regional, and national burden of brain and other CNS cancer, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Neurol 18:376–393. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(18)30468-x
Poulsen AH, Hvidtfeldt UA, Sorensen M, Puett R, Ketzel M, Brandt J, Christensen JH, Geels C, Raaschou-Nielsen O (2020a) Components of particulate matter air-pollution and brain tumors. Environ Int 144:106046. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106046
Poulsen AH, Hvidtfeldt UA, Sørensen M, Puett R, Ketzel M, Brandt J, Geels C, Christensen JH, Raaschou-Nielsen O (2020b) Intracranial tumors of the central nervous system and air pollution - a nationwide case-control study from Denmark. Environ Health 19:81. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-020-00631-9
Poulsen AH, Sorensen M, Andersen ZJ, Ketzel M, Raaschou-Nielsen O (2016) Air pollution from traffic and risk for brain tumors: a nationwide study in Denmark. Cancer Causes Control 27:473–480. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-016-0721-x
Pritchett N, Spangler EC, Gray GM, Livinski AA, Sampson JN, Dawsey SM, Jones RR (2022) Exposure to outdoor particulate matter air pollution and risk of gastrointestinal cancers in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiologic evidence. Environ Health Perspect 130:36001. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp9620
Raaschou-Nielsen O, Andersen ZJ, Hvidberg M, Jensen SS, Ketzel M, Sorensen M, Hansen J, Loft S, Overvad K, Tjonneland A (2011) Air pollution from traffic and cancer incidence: a Danish cohort study. Environ Health 10:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069x-10-67
Richters A, Damji KS (1990) The relationship between inhalation of nitrogen dioxide, the immune system, and progression of a spontaneously occurring lymphoma in AKR mice. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol 10:225–230
Schlehofer B, Siegmund B, Linseisen J, Schüz J, Rohrmann S, Becker S, Michaud D, Melin B, Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita H, Peeters PH, Vineis P, Tjonneland A, Olsen A, Overvad K, Romieu I, Boeing H, Aleksandrova K, Trichopoulou A, Bamia C et al (2011) Primary brain tumours and specific serum immunoglobulin E: a case-control study nested in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. Allergy 66:1434–1441. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2011.02670.x
Shah AS, Langrish JP, Nair H, McAllister DA, Hunter AL, Donaldson K, Newby DE, Mills NL (2013) Global association of air pollution and heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet 382:1039–1048. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(13)60898-3
Shekarrizfard M, Faghih-Imani A, Hatzopoulou M (2016) An examination of population exposure to traffic related air pollution: comparing spatially and temporally resolved estimates against long-term average exposures at the home location. Environ Res 147:435–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2016.02.039
Turner MC, Krewski D, Diver WR, Pope CA 3rd, Burnett RT, Jerrett M, Marshall JD, Gapstur SM (2017) Ambient air pollution and cancer mortality in the Cancer Prevention Study II. Environ Health Perspect 125:087013. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp1249
Van Maele-Fabry G, Gamet-Payrastre L, Lison D (2017) Residential exposure to pesticides as risk factor for childhood and young adult brain tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Int 106:69–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2017.05.018
Vida S, Richardson L, Cardis E, Krewski D, McBride M, Parent ME, Abrahamowicz M, Leffondré K, Siemiatycki J (2014) Brain tumours and cigarette smoking: analysis of the INTERPHONE Canada case-control study. Environ Health 13:55. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069x-13-55
Weichenthal S, Olaniyan T, Christidis T, Lavigne E, Hatzopoulou M, Van Ryswyk K, Tjepkema M, Burnett R (2020) Within-city spatial variations in ambient ultrafine particle concentrations and incident brain tumors in adults. Epidemiology 31:177–183. https://doi.org/10.1097/ede.0000000000001137
Wilker EH, Osman M, Weisskopf MG (2023) Ambient air pollution and clinical dementia: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br Med J 381:e071620. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2022-071620
Witkowska A, Lewandowska AU, Saniewska D, Falkowska LM (2016) Effect of agriculture and vegetation on carbonaceous aerosol concentrations (PM2.5 and PM10) in Puszcza Borecka National Nature Reserve (Poland). Air Quality. Atmos Health 9:761–773. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-015-0378-8
Wu AH, Wu J, Tseng C, Yang J, Shariff-Marco S, Setiawan VW, Masri S, Jain J, Porcel J, Fruin S, Larson T, Hofman F, Chen T, Le Marchand L, Stram D, Ritz B, Cheng I (2020) Association between outdoor air pollution and risk of malignant and benign brain diseases: the multiethnic cohort study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers and Prevent 4:pkz107. https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7755.DISP19-C068
Wu WT, Lin YJ, Liou SH, Yang CY, Cheng KF, Tsai PJ, Wu TN (2012) Brain cancer associated with environmental lead exposure: evidence from implementation of a National Petrol-Lead Phase-Out Program (PLPOP) in Taiwan between 1979 and 2007. Environ Int 40:97–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2011.06.009
Ye JJ, Wang SS, Fang Y, Zhang XJ, Hu CY (2021) Ambient air pollution exposure and risk of chronic kidney disease: a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis. Environ Res 195:110867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.110867
Zumel-Marne A, Castano-Vinyals G, Kundi M, Alguacil J, Cardis E (2019) Environmental factors and the risk of brain tumours in young people: a systematic review. Neuroepidemiology 53:121–141. https://doi.org/10.1159/000500601
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethical approval
This is a meta-analysis; no specific population is involved; no ethical issues.
Consent to participate and publish
All authors listed have agreed to participate and have published the attached manuscript.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Lotfi Aleya
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Highlights
1. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between air pollutants and brain tumors in adults.
2. Ambient air pollution is one of the global challenges. This study covers many air pollutants (BC, PM2.5, PM10, NO2, NOx, O3).
3.This study provides a basis for formulating policies to reduce air pollution and provides directions for follow-up research.
Supplementary information
ESM 1
(DOCX 426 kb)
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Shen, T., Ge, MW., Hu, FH. et al. The connection between six common air pollution particles and adult brain tumors: a meta-analysis of 26,217,930 individuals. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 108525–108537 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29955-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29955-y