Dear Colleagues,

Ambient air pollution has now emerged as one of the largest environmental health risks and is estimated to contribute more than 3.7 million all-cause annual deaths globally. Air pollutants include gaseous (e.g., carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, ozone, volatile organic compounds), biological particles (i.e., bacteria, fungi, pollen), and particulate matter (inorganic and organic) components. The wide-ranging deleterious effects that particulate matter (PM) have on human health are dependent not only on particles’ sizes, chemical composition, concentration, toxicity, and exposure period but also on the synergic effect of different pollutants. Numerous epidemiological studies, using sensitive designs and analyses, have demonstrated the strong association between PM exposure and increased morbidity and mortality due to cardiopulmonary diseases in urban communities of developed nations, where pollution levels are well below the target standards. Concerns regarding the health impacts of PM in developing megacities, where the characteristics of air pollution (e.g., concentration level, mixture, transport), exposure, meteorological conditions, sociodemographic status, and many other factors are significantly different from those living in developed countries, are increasing. There is a critical gap in our understanding of the shape of the exposure–response relationship of PM with a view to determining its effects on the health outcomes. Recent studies have begun to shed light on the mechanisms by which exposure to PM induces toxicity, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, pulmonary inflammation, and several severe cardiac events. This Special Issue will publish a selection of papers linking PM exposure to cardiopulmonary health outcomes. Articles focusing on cardiovascular and pulmonary effects of PM exposure in the developed and developing world and the putative mechanisms for the PM induced effects on cardiopulmonary diseases are of interest. Gaps for future research and prevention are also welcome.

Dr. Haider A. Khwaja
Guest Editor

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• air pollution
• fine particulate matter exposure
• cardiovascular and respiratory diseases
• morbidity and mortality
• epidemiological studies
• biological mechanisms