Tobías Aurelio, Querol Xavier, Roqué Marta, Suu Lwin Kaung, Yuan Lei, Ith Sophearen, Zin Wai Htay, Lester Chua Paul, Solá Iván, Renzi Matteo, Stafoggia Massimo, Hashizume Masahiro
Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.
Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.
Environ Int. 2025 Feb;196:109277. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109277. Epub 2025 Jan 17.
Desert dust and sandstorms raise concerns about their adverse effects on human health. Over the last decade, special attention has been given to mineral dust particles from desert sand. However, evidence from previous literature reviews has yielded inconclusive results regarding their health effects. We aim to systematically synthesize evidence on the short-term health effects of desert dust exposure from major dust source areas.
The bibliographic search was conducted using the MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, and Web of Science databases to investigate the health effects of short-term exposure to desert dust in human populations, using time series or case-crossover study designs. Study selection and reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We evaluated the risk of bias (RoB) for individual studies and the certainty of evidence (CoE) for environmental exposures, as developed by a group of experts convened by the World Health Organization (WHO). Publication bias was examined using funnel plots and Begg's asymmetry test.
A total of 71 studies were included in the review, covering data from 1993 to 2024. Most studies focused on Asian and African desert dust, with fewer studies from Arabian, American, and Australian regions. We found a significant increase in the risk for all-cause mortality (Relative Risk, RR = 1.0121, 95 %CI = [1.0045, 1.0199]). In addition, the mortality risk associated with particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM10) was slightly higher on dust days compared to non-dust days, while for particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), the risk was higher on non-dust days. We also observed a significant increase in the risk for cardiovascular mortality (RR = 1.0252, 95 % CI = [1.0100, 1.0407]) during dust days compared to non-dust days, but not for respiratory mortality (RR = 1.0001, 95 % CI = [0.9773, 1.0277]). The risk also increased for cardiovascular (RR = 1.0094, 95 % CI = [1.0014, 1.0174]) and respiratory morbidity (RR = 1.0693, 95 % CI = [1.0188, 1.1224]).
Exposure to desert dust and sandstorms is linked to increased risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, as well as respiratory morbidity. The overall evidence quality for each exposure-outcome combination was assessed as moderate, although data limitations prevent the establishment of specific air quality thresholds for desert dust particles. This review highlights the need for targeted public health interventions in affected regions.
沙漠沙尘和沙尘暴引发了人们对其对人类健康不利影响的担忧。在过去十年中，人们特别关注来自沙漠沙子的矿物尘埃颗粒。然而，以往文献综述的证据对于它们对健康的影响尚无定论。我们旨在系统地综合来自主要沙尘源区的沙漠沙尘暴露对短期健康影响的证据。
使用MEDLINE（PubMed）、Scopus和Web of Science数据库进行文献检索，以调查人群短期暴露于沙漠沙尘的健康影响，采用时间序列或病例交叉研究设计。研究的选择和报告遵循系统评价和Meta分析的首选报告项目（PRISMA）指南。我们评估了个体研究的偏倚风险（RoB）以及世界卫生组织（WHO）召集的一组专家制定的环境暴露证据的确定性（CoE）。使用漏斗图和Begg不对称检验检查发表偏倚。
该综述共纳入71项研究，涵盖1993年至2024年的数据。大多数研究集中在亚洲和非洲的沙漠沙尘，来自阿拉伯、美洲和澳大利亚地区的研究较少。我们发现全因死亡率风险显著增加（相对风险，RR = 1.0121，95%CI = [1.0045, 1.0199]）。此外，与小于10μm的颗粒物（PM10）相关的死亡风险在沙尘日比非沙尘日略高，而对于小于2.5μm的颗粒物（PM2.5），风险在非沙尘日更高。我们还观察到沙尘日与非沙尘日相比，心血管死亡率风险显著增加（RR = 1.0252，95%CI = [1.0100, 1.0407]），但呼吸死亡率风险未增加（RR = 1.0001，95%CI = [0.9773, 1.0277]）。心血管疾病（RR = 1.0094，95%CI = [1.0014, 1.0174]）和呼吸系统疾病（RR = 1.0693，95%CI = [1.0188, 1.1224]）的风险也有所增加。
暴露于沙漠沙尘和沙尘暴与全因死亡率和心血管死亡率增加以及呼吸系统疾病风险增加有关。尽管数据有限，无法确定沙漠沙尘颗粒的具体空气质量阈值，但每种暴露-结局组合的总体证据质量被评估为中等。本综述强调了在受影响地区进行有针对性的公共卫生干预的必要性。
