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Toxics
Special Issues
Ozone Pollution and Adverse Health Impacts
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Ozone Pollution and Adverse Health Impacts

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Pollution and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2025 | Viewed by 2129

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Feifei Feng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Toxicology, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Interests: ozone; indoor ozone; ozone reaction products; adverse human health; respiratory toxicology; lung stem cells; organoids; prevention; co-exposure; synergy effects
Dr. Hao Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
Interests: ozone; ambient air pollution; omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; respiratory toxicology; cardiovascular toxicology; environmental epidemiology; health intervention
Dr. Meng Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Interests: ozone exposure and cardiovascular health; synergistic effects of air pollutants; environmental epidemiology; occupational epidemiology; healthy buildings

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With climate change and increasing solar intensity, ozone has become a major air pollutant. Recently, more and more researchers find that “Invisible” ozone pollution is a health hazard worldwide. Ozone pollution is associated with increasing morbidity and mortality of respiratory, cardiovascular, central nervous, and immunity system diseases. The goal of this Special Issue is to demonstrate new studies in the fields of ozone pollution and adverse human health, including but not limited to the following: (1) sources and control of indoor and outdoor ozone; (2) epidemiological and toxicological evidence showing the effects on human health (such as cancer and pulmonary, cardiovascular, central nervous, endocrine, and reproduction diseases) from exposure to outdoor or indoor ozone reaction products or ozone combined with other pollutants/meteorological factors; (3) the mechanisms of pathophysiological changes induced by long-term or short-term ozone; (4) the important and specific biomarkers of ozone exposure, prevention, and intervention of ozone-induced deleterious effects; (5) risk and health impact assessments, and risk management; and (6) prevention and treatment using nutrients or Chinese medicine for ozone-related health effects. This Special Issue encourages the contributions of new research papers, reviews, and case reports addressing the aforementioned topics.

Dr. Feifei Feng
Dr. Hao Chen
Dr. Meng Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • air pollution
  • ozone
  • indoor pollution
  • ozone reaction products
  • volatile organic compounds
  • environmental epidemiology
  • environmental toxicology
  • health and well-being
  • risk assessment
  • control strategies

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1563 KiB  
Article
Short-Term Effect of Ozone Exposure on Small Airway Function in Adult Asthma Patients with PM2.5 Exacerbating the Effect
by Ying Shang, Yanjing Liang, Dongxia Jiang, Zhengxiong Li, Xianlin Mu, Xuehu Han, Xinzhuo Xie, Guanglong Fu, Yunshu Zhang, Yongchang Sun, Shaodan Huang and Chun Chang
Toxics 2025, 13(4), 279; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13040279 - 5 Apr 2025
Viewed by 230
Abstract
Ambient ozone (O3) has been associated with asthma symptoms and exacerbations. The impairment of small airway function leads to worse control, more frequent exacerbations and increased bronchial hyperresponsiveness in asthma patients. However, the impact of O3 on small airway function [...] Read more.
Ambient ozone (O3) has been associated with asthma symptoms and exacerbations. The impairment of small airway function leads to worse control, more frequent exacerbations and increased bronchial hyperresponsiveness in asthma patients. However, the impact of O3 on small airway function in asthma remains underexplored. Our longitudinal observational study enrolled 312 adult asthma patients and collected a total of 399 lung function records. We applied a linear mixed-effects model to analyze the associations between ambient O3 exposure at different lag days (from lag0 to lag7) and small airway function parameters, including forced expiratory flow (FEF) at 50%, 75% and 25–75% of forced vital capacity (FVC) predicted (FEF50%pred, FEF75%pred and FEF25–75%pred). Significant associations were found between ambient O3 levels and reductions in FEF50%pred, FEF75%pred and FEF25–75%pred, with the effects being most pronounced for exposure at lag0. Further analysis indicated that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and its main components, including black carbon, organic matter, sulfate, nitrate and ammonium, exacerbated the detrimental effects of O3 on small airway function. Additionally, stronger O3 effects were found in asthma patients aged over 40 years, those with a body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2, and individuals with allergic asthma. These results provide new insights into the impact of O3 on small airway function, offering fresh insights into asthma exacerbation mechanisms and underscoring the critical need to address composite pollutants for more effective asthma management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ozone Pollution and Adverse Health Impacts)
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17 pages, 10793 KiB  
Article
Revealing the Molecular Mechanisms of Ozone-Induced Pulmonary Inflammatory Injury: Integrated Analysis of Metabolomics and Transcriptomics
by Xiaolei Zhou, Yunnian Guo, Xiaotong Jian, Xinyi Miao, Pengpeng Wang, Xiaoke Wang, Ling Wang, Huaiyong Chen and Feifei Feng
Toxics 2025, 13(4), 271; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13040271 - 2 Apr 2025
Viewed by 356
Abstract
O3 (ozone) is an environmental pollutant that can exacerbate inflammatory damage and contribute to respiratory diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms and potential targets for intervention in ozone-induced lung inflammatory injury are not yet known. To address this, our study exposed mice to [...] Read more.
O3 (ozone) is an environmental pollutant that can exacerbate inflammatory damage and contribute to respiratory diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms and potential targets for intervention in ozone-induced lung inflammatory injury are not yet known. To address this, our study exposed mice to 0.6 ppm and 1.0 ppm of O3 (3 h/d, 14 d), evaluating lung inflammation through histopathological examinations, lung function assessments, and analyses of white blood cells and inflammatory factors in BALF. Furthermore, we employed transcriptomic and non-targeted metabolomic approaches to decipher differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and metabolites in mouse lung tissue from the 1.0 ppm O3 exposure group. A comprehensive integration analysis of these omics data was conducted using Pearson correlation analysis. Finally, our findings show that ozone exposure indeed elicits pulmonary inflammation. Transcriptomic analysis identified 311 differentially expressed genes, predominantly implicated in circadian rhythm, IL-17 signaling pathway, and PPAR signaling. Meanwhile, metabolomic profiling revealed 41 differentially regulated metabolites, mainly associated with riboflavin metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and ABC transporter pathways. Integrated multi-omics analysis through Pearson correlation identified three key components (Pla2g10, O-phosphoethanolamine, and phosphorylcholine) showing significant enrichment in glycerophospholipid metabolism. Collectively, our findings suggest that glycerophospholipid metabolism may serve as potential therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers for ozone-induced pulmonary inflammatory injury. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ozone Pollution and Adverse Health Impacts)
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17 pages, 9091 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Meteorological Conditions and Seasons on Surface Ozone in Chonburi, Thailand
by Sawaeng Kawichai, Wissanupong Kliengchuay, Htoo Wai Aung, Sarima Niampradit, Rachaneekorn Mingkhwan, Talisa Niemmanee, Wechapraan Srimanus, Walaiporn Phonphan, San Suwanmanee and Kraichat Tantrakarnapa
Toxics 2025, 13(3), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13030226 - 19 Mar 2025
Viewed by 736
Abstract
This study aims to examine the relationship between meteorological factors, specifically temperature, solar radiation, and ozone concentration levels. Levels of surface ozone were monitored (O3) in Chonburi, Thailand (located at 3.2017° N, 101.2524° E), from January 2010 to December 2020. Thailand’s [...] Read more.
This study aims to examine the relationship between meteorological factors, specifically temperature, solar radiation, and ozone concentration levels. Levels of surface ozone were monitored (O3) in Chonburi, Thailand (located at 3.2017° N, 101.2524° E), from January 2010 to December 2020. Thailand’s coastal tropical environment provided a unique setting for the study. The study revealed a distinctive seasonal trend in ozone levels, with the highest concentrations occurring during the winter and the lowest in the rainy season, on average. The increase of O3 in the summer was primarily attributed to intense ground-level solar radiation and higher temperatures of around 30–35 °C, enhancing O3 concentrations ranging from 200 to 1400. During the winter, there is an increased elimination of the O3 concentration by higher levels of NO2. The study also examined the relationship between ozone levels and various meteorological factors to identify which had the most significant impact on ozone formation. The analysis showed that the ozone concentration has a strong negative correlation with relative humidity but is positively correlated with solar radiation, temperature, and wind speed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ozone Pollution and Adverse Health Impacts)
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19 pages, 5566 KiB  
Article
Effects of Short-Term Traffic-Related Air Pollution Exposure on Nasal Microbiome in Young Healthy Adults: A Randomized Crossover Controlled Trial
by Luwei Qin, Jingqi Pan, Demin Feng, Bingqing Yu, Shunyu Li, Xingyu Liu, Yuefei Jin, Shenshen Zhu, Weidong Wu and Wenjie Yang
Toxics 2025, 13(3), 180; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13030180 - 28 Feb 2025
Viewed by 534
Abstract
Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) remains a concern for public health. However, the exact mechanisms through which TRAP affects the respiratory system are still not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the nasal microbiome change in healthy adults after short-term exposure to TRAP, [...] Read more.
Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) remains a concern for public health. However, the exact mechanisms through which TRAP affects the respiratory system are still not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the nasal microbiome change in healthy adults after short-term exposure to TRAP, contributing to the understanding of the adverse health effects associated with TRAP. A randomized crossover controlled trial was conducted from 9 March to 30 March 2024 among college students aged 19–24 years. Twenty healthy students were recruited through a baseline questionnaire survey and randomly assigned into two groups. One group followed a crowed-testing procedure: the park portion, a three-week washout period, and then the road portion, while the other group experienced the opposite procedure. Both groups were fully exposed to either a park environment or a road environment with high traffic volume. Nasal mucus samples were collected from the participants at the end of the trial, and then 16SrRNA sequencing was performed to analyze the differences in compositional structure and diversity of the nasal microbiome when volunteers were exposed to different levels of TRAP. The α-diversity indices, including the Chao1 index (p = 0.0097), observed species index (p = 0.0089), and Faith’s PD index (p = 0.0255), demonstrated a significant increase in the nasal microbiome of healthy adults following short-term exposure to TRAP. Visualization through a two-dimensional NMDS plot (stress value < 0.2) indicated that nasal bacterial species distribution became richer after TRAP exposure. Furthermore, the relative abundance of nasal Firmicutes (Bacillota), Bacteroidota, and Actinobacteriota phyla, especially Firmicutes phylum, exhibited a richer distribution after conducting the trial in the road environment with high levels of TRAP, which was shown in the significance test of signature species. Collectively, our study indicates that short-term exposure to TRAP can affect the composition of the nasal microbiota in healthy adults. These findings offer a scientific basis for understanding how TRAP causes respiratory diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ozone Pollution and Adverse Health Impacts)
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