Panel study using novel sensing devices to assess associations of PM2.5with heart rate variability and exposure sources

Contact: Shih-Chun Candice Lung / sclung@rcec.sinica.edu.tw / (02) 2787-5908

Key words: PM exposure, Asian PM exposure sources, PM low-cost sensors, particles and health

This work applied a newly developed low-cost sensing (LCS) device (AS-LUNG-P) and a certified medical LCS device (Rooti RX) to assessing PM2.5 impacts on heart rate variability (HRV) and determining important exposure sources, with less inconvenience caused to subjects.

Observations using AS-LUNG-P were corrected by side-by-side comparison with GRIMM instruments. Thirty-six non-smoking healthy subjects aged 20-65 years were wearing AS-LUNG-P and Rooti RX for 2 to 4 days in both summer and winter in Taiwan. PM2.5 exposures were 12.6 ± 8.9 µg/m3. After adjusting for confounding factors using the general additive mixed model, the standard deviations of all normal to normal intervals reduced by 3.68% (95% confidence level (CI) = 3.06-4.29%) and the ratios of low-frequency power to high-frequency power increased by 3.86% (CI = 2.74-4.99%) for an IQR of 10.7 µg/m3 PM2.5 , with impacts lasting for 4.5-5 hours. The top three exposure sources were environmental tobacco smoke, incense burning, and cooking, contributing PM2.5 increase of 8.53, 5.85, and 3.52 µg/m3, respectively, during 30-min intervals. This is a pioneer in demonstrating application of novel LCS devices to assessing close-to-reality PM2.5 exposure and exposure-health relationships. Significant HRV changes were observed in healthy adults even at low PM2.5 levels.

Key points

  • Present features and advantages of a low cost PM2.5 sensing (LCS) device, ASLUNG-P.
  • Assess heart rate variability (HRV) andPM2.5 with high time-resolution data.
  • Apply two wearable LCSs to simultaneously monitor HRV and PM2.5 exposures.
  • Significant changes in HRV were associated with increased PM2.5 even at low levels.
  • Quantify PM2.5 incremental contributions from exposure sources with LCS devices.

More information

  • Lung, S. C. C.*; Chen, N.; Hwang, J. S. Hu, S.C.; Wang, W.C.V.; Wen, T.Y.J.; Liu, C.H. (2020.08) Panel study using novel sensing devices to assess associations of PM2.5 with heart rate variability and exposure sources. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 2020. DOI: 10.1038/s41370-020-0254-y .

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