Air purification modulates PM-associated nasal microbiota and exhaled metabolome to enhance cardiopulmonary health in children: A randomized crossover trial.
- 2026-08
- Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) 403
- Shengchun Wang
- Hong Cheng
- Jiyuan Shao
- Yiwen Wang
- Chang Feng
- Siyi Yan
- Xin Zhang
- PubMed: 42203014
- DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.128441
Study Design
- Type
- Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
- Sample size
- n = 67
- Population
- 67 children living near a coking plant
- Methods
- randomized crossover trial; linear mixed-effects model analyses; network and mediation analyses
- Blinding
- Open-label
- Duration
- short-term air purification
Recent studies have identified the association between exposure to environmental particulate matter (PM) and upper respiratory tract microbiota or lower respiratory tract metabolites; however, direct evidence linking the respiratory microbiome to metabolomic responses remains limited. This study examines how short-term air purification influences PM-related health outcomes, nasal microbiota, and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) metabolites in children. In a randomized crossover trial involving 67 children living near a coking plant, the linear mixed-effects model analyses showed that PM exposure was associated with changes in vital capacity and heart rate. Moreover, PM exposure reduced the abundance of nasal Rothia, which was closely connected to changes in EBC metabolites, including hexylresorcinol and β-carotene. Network and mediation analyses revealed that the PM-Rothia-metabolite axis may exert a significant impact on cardiopulmonary function, among which β-carotene is likely to mediate the effect of PM on vital capacity. Our findings indicate that short-term air purification can reduce PM-associated cardiopulmonary risks in children by modulating Rothia-dependent metabolic pathways.