Effects of air pollutants on skin may be unknown

A study has examined the potential risk of skin diseases following exposure to air pollutants.

Investigators used the Scopus and PubMed databases to identify epidemiologic studies focused on the risk of dermatologic conditions — including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, urticaria, acne, skin aging, nonmelanoma skin cancer and melanoma — following short- and long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants, according to the systematic review published in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. Among the pollutants included in the review were particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less or 2.5 micrometers or less as well as the gaseous pollutants nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone.

Although the studies demonstrated strong associations between the air pollutants and dermatologic conditions, many of them had a high risk of bias and low certainty of evidence. Further, the data regarding the adverse effects of air pollutants on skin health in vulnerable populations was inconclusive.

The study results highlighted the need for further longitudinal studies and data from low- to middle-income countries to help provide insights into the causality of dermatologic conditions associated with air pollutants — especially among susceptible populations.

Read more: American Journal of Clinical Dermatology

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