“Invisible Invaders: Unveiling the Intricate Dance Between Air Pollution and Microbial Life”

Air pollution and microbes have a complex relationship that can impact human health in various ways. Here’s a summary of the current understanding:

• Composition of Air Microbiome: The air contains a diverse community of microbes, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Studies have described the microbiomes of urban and rural air samples, as well as indoor environments.

• Effects on Human Health: Exposure to air pollution has been linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, allergies, obstructive lung disease, and potentially cancer and reduced life expectancy. Polluted air can cause pathological changes in the intestinal microbiota in both mice and humans.

• Interaction with Lung and Gut Microbiota: Air pollution directly interacts with lung microbiota and can also impact gut microbiota, possibly through a lung-gut axis. This interaction may lead to dysbiosis, an imbalance in microbial diversity, which can disrupt host homeostasis and contribute to chronic diseases.

• Impact on Children’s Health: Observational and animal studies suggest that air pollution is associated with increased permeability and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, which can encourage an imbalance in the microbiota.

• Microbes and Climate Change: Microorganisms are major drivers of elemental cycles and are important producers and consumers of greenhouse gases. They are also affected by a changing climate, which can alter their distribution and function.

In summary, air pollution can alter the diversity and function of microbes in the environment, which in turn can affect human health, particularly respiratory and gastrointestinal systems.