Co-Exposure of Ambient Particulate Matter and Airborne Transmission Pathogens: The Impairment of the Upper Respiratory Systems

作者：Yu Qi, Yucai Chen, Xu Yan, Wei Liu, Li Ma, Yongchun Liu, Qingxin Ma, Sijin Liu · 发表于：Environmental Science & Technology · 年份：2022 · DOI：10.1021/acs.est.2c03856 · 被引用次数：30 · 研究领域：Air Quality and Health Impacts、Infection Control and Ventilation、COVID-19 impact on air quality

) and evaluated the infection and detrimental effects of co-exposure on the upper respiratory systems in both in vitro and in vivo models. We uncovered the higher accessibility and invasive ability of pathogens to epithelial cells after loading on FPMs, compared with the single exposure. Furthermore, we designed a novel laboratory exposure model to simulate a real co-exposure scenario. Intriguingly, the co-exposure induced more serious functional damage and longer inflammatory reactions to the upper respiratory tract, including the nasal cavity and trachea. Collectively, our results provide a new point of view on the transmission and infection of pathogens loaded on FPMs and uncover the in vivo systematic impairments of the inhalation tract under co-exposure through a novel laboratory exposure model. Hence, this study sheds light on further investigations of the detrimental effects of air pollution and epidemic spread.