Respiratory Health Conditions Associated with Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution Across Different Age Groups: A Systematic Review

Air pollution has been regarded as a significant concern in environmental and human health. Various sources of air pollutants such as motor vehicles, coal combustion, and industrial processes are noted as the major generators of hazardous air pollutants including PM10, PM2.5, CO, CO2, SO2, and O3. Human exposure to air pollution poses great risks of developing respiratory health conditions such as asthma, COPD, and pneumonia, which is becoming a serious concern especially to vulnerable age groups. This systematic review aims to underscore the existing respiratory health conditions associated with the exposure to long-term air pollution among different age groups. This review employed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Framework to establish a comprehensive collection and selection of relevant data aligned with this review's objectives. Findings have found nine (9) air pollutants from indoor and outdoor sources, PM10 being the contaminant having the highest concentration of 205.23 μg/m3 , which is somewhat regarded as relatively harmless among healthy people. Findings also highlight that the elderly are among the age groups that are at the highest risk to long-term exposure to air pollution. Additionally, findings indicate that PM and NO2 are the top 2 air pollutants that show direct correlation between exposure and an increased risk of developing respiratory health conditions. Finally, results of this systematic review call for further development of risk assessment concerning exposure of the elderly to air pollution in order to provide a proper set of standards and guidelines.