HYDERABAD: Air pollution not only leads to respiratory diseases but can also weaken human bones, revealed a recent study published in a Spanish journal JAMA Network Open.
While high levels of air pollution leads to increased risk of lung cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, the study showed that exposure to ambient air pollution, expecially particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM 2.5), can also lead to lower levels of bone mass (weakening of bones) or osteoporosis — a condition in which the density and quality of the bone is reduced.
The researchers recorded readings of PM2.5 levels at 28 sites outside Hyderabad. They then analysed the association between air pollution and bone health in over 3,700 people — with an average age of 35.7 — in nearby villages.
The researchers looked at both indoor and outdoor pollution exposure and also studied what type of fuel these people were using for cooking. "What we see overall is a consistent pattern of lower bone mineral content with increasing levels of air pollution," says Cathryn Tonne, coordinator of the study. However, no correlation was found with the use of biomass fuel for cooking.
The authors used a locally-developed model to estimate PM2.5 levels and black carbon. They linked this information with bone health assessed using a special type of radiography that measures bone density and measured bone mass at the lumbar spine and left hip.
The first author of the study Otavio Ranzani, a researcher at Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) in Spain, said, "Inhaling pollutants could lead to bone mass loss through the oxidative stress and inflammation caused by air pollution."
The study found that people who were exposed to average PM2.5 annual levels of 32.8 micrograms per cubic meter - three times above the maximum levels recommended by the WHO - were found to have lower bone mass.
Speaking to the Express, Dr Manoj Kumar Guluru, an orthopedic surgeon in the city, said, "Due to the heavy intake of pollutants the human body goes to tremendous stress. It reduces calcium absorbtion, which is very important for our bones, leading to osteoporosis."
Guluru added the number of people who are exposed to air pollution and experiencing weakening of bones is drastically increasing. The researchers said linking air pollution and bone mass is still in its infancy, but the study has given more clarity on the ill- effects of air pollution.