Association of ambient air pollution with hemoglobin levels and anemia in the general population of Korean adults

Emerging evidence has suggested significant associations between ambient air pollution and changes in hemoglobin levels or anemia in specific vulnerable groups, but few studies have assessed this relationship in the general population. This study aimed to evaluate the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and hemoglobin concentrations or anemia in general adults in South Korea.

A total of 69,830 Korean adults from a large-scale nationwide survey were selected for our final analysis. Air pollutants included particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 10 micrometers (PM₁₀), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and carbon monoxide (CO). We measured the serum hemoglobin concentration to assess anemia for each participant.

In the fully adjusted model, exposure levels to PM₁₀, SO₂, and CO for one and two years were significantly associated with decreased hemoglobin concentrations (all p < 0.05), with effects ranging from 0.15 to 0.62% per increase in interquartile range (IQR) for each air pollutant. We also showed a significant association of annual exposure to PM₁₀ with anemia (p = 0.0426); the odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] for anemia per each increase in IQR in PM₁₀ was estimated to be 1.039 (1.001–1.079). This association was also found in the 2-year duration of exposure (OR = 1.046; 95% CI = 1.009–1.083; adjusted Model 2). In addition, CO exposure during two years was closely related to anemia (OR = 1.046; 95% CI = 1.004–1.091; adjusted Model 2).

This study provides the first evidence that long-term exposure to air pollution, especially PM₁₀, is significantly associated with reduced hemoglobin levels and anemia in the general adult population.