A Study on Pregnancy Complications Associated with Particulate Matter Using Individual Exposure Estimation in South Korea: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort, Air Pollution on Pregnancy Outcome (APPO) Study.

초록

Introduction: Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5, particles with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm) has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, most previous studies investigating the relationship Thursday Posters Scientifc Abstracts Reproductive Sciences Vol. 31, Supplement 1, March 2024 137A between pregnancy complications and outdoor air quality measurements. Given that a majority of the modern population spends over 80% of their lives indoors, the importance of indoor air quality is steadily gaining recognition. Thus, this study aims to investigate whether PM2.5 concentrations impact adverse pregnancy outcomes through direct measurements of indoor and outdoor PM. Methods: A prospective multicenter cohort study was conducted between 2021 and 2023 in South Korea. We enrolled a total of 662 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies before mid-pregnancy. Outdoor PM2.5 concentrations data were collected from a nearby urban atmospheric measurement network. An AirguardK® device was placed inside participants’ homes to monitor individual PM2.5 levels. Anticipated air pollution exposure for each pregnant woman was determined by applying time-activity patterns and PM2.5 concentration values from a time-weighted average model. The associations between air pollution exposure and pregnancy outcomes were assessed using logistic and linear regression analyses. Results: The study’s fndings revealed a signifcant correlation between elevated PM2.5 exposure during the frst and second trimesters, as well as throughout the entire pregnancy. This relationship was established through multiple logistic regression models that accounted for relevant variables. Specifcally, during the second trimester and throughout the entire pregnancy, each 5 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 raised the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus by 16%. Furthermore, elevated exposure to PM2.5 during the frst trimester of pregnancy increased the risk of SGA by 26%. Conclusion: In this study, measuring indoor PM2.5 allowed us to more accurately assess the association between PM2.5 exposure and pregnancy complications. Moreover, our fndings revealed the critical trimester of pregnancy during which PM2.5 exposure has the most pronounced impact on pregnancy complications.