According to a new study, women may be more susceptible to air pollution caused by the combustion of diesel, though researchers are unsure as to why.
A team from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, discovered that women had different levels of 90 proteins after being exposed to pollution compared to men and that these elevated levels increased their risk of pollution-related illnesses such as asthma and COPD.
It is known that these proteins play a role in the development of conditions such as heart disease and blood clotting, as well as damage to the lungs caused by exposure to pollution.
It is known that many respiratory illnesses affect women differently than men, but experts are unsure why this is the case. These findings could aid future research into how the sexes react differently to pollution.
Neeloffer Mookherjee, a professor at the university, stated in a press release, “[The findings] indicate that exposure to diesel exhaust has different effects on female bodies compared to male bodies, which may indicate that air pollution is more dangerous for females than for males.”
The researchers, who presented their findings over the weekend at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Barcelona, Spain, collected information from ten individuals for the study.
Five participants were male, and five participants were female. No one was a smoker, and everyone was deemed to be in good health.
Each participant breathed filtered air for four hours, followed by diesel exhaust-contaminated air for four hours.
The level of air pollution was divided into three categories based on the prevalence of PM 2.5, or fine particulate matter.
Each level had 8 PM 2.5 per cubic meter, 50 PM 2.5, and 150 PM 2.5, respectively. The stages were separated by four-week intervals during which the effects of the pollution on their bodies would have likely diminished.
After each exposure period, participants would provide a blood sample 24 hours later.
On each sample, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed to determine the levels of specific proteins in each individual’s bloodstream.
Researchers were able to identify 90 proteins whose levels were significantly different in the female study population compared to the male study population.
Women with elevated levels of these proteins are more likely to experience heart problems and immune system damage.
However, the reason why this is the case is unknown. There is no medical literature that explains why women may be more susceptible to diesel pollution than men.
Mookherjee stated, “We need to know much more about how males and females react to air pollution and what this means for preventing, diagnosing, and treating their respiratory disease.”
The proteins detected by researchers are associated with circulatory issues, but researchers wonder if diesel pollution may also put women at a greater risk for respiratory conditions than their male counterparts.
Air pollution is a major risk factor for diseases such as asthma, lung cancer, and COPD. Fumes from combustion engine-powered vehicles are known to be responsible for a significant portion of the pollution in the United States that causes these problems, and studies have found that people who live near major highways or other busy roads have higher rates of respiratory illness than their peers.
