Component-Specific PM_2.5 Exposure and Arthritis Risk in China: Evidence of Differential Susceptibility in a National Cohort.

Authors

Xiuhua Yan, Lidan Hu, Zhiyuan Li

Published in

GeoHealth. Volume 10. Issue 11. Pages e2025GH001702. Epub Nov 10, 2026.

Abstract

While fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is a recognized environmental hazard, the specific contribution of its chemical components to arthritis risk remains poorly characterized. To address this critical gap, this study leverages a large, nationally representative longitudinal cohort of middle-aged and older Chinese adults (14,935 individuals) to provide novel insights into the distinct contributions of specific PM_2.5 components to arthritis risk, and to identify the most hazardous components and vulnerable populations. Using advanced statistical models (mixed-effects logistic regression and quantile g-computation), we demonstrate for the first time the distinct toxicities of key PM_2.5 components-organic matter (OM), black carbon (BC), sulfate (SO₄ ^2-), nitrate (NO₃ ^-), and ammonium (NH₄ ⁺)-on arthritis prevalence. Our results confirm that both short- and long-term exposure to PM_2.5 mass and specific components (OM, BC, SO₄ ^2-, and NH₄ ⁺) significantly increase arthritis risk. Furthermore, with unprecedented granularity, we identified that males and individuals with overweight/obesity are particularly vulnerable. These findings provide a crucial advancement in environmental epidemiology, moving beyond total PM_2.5 mass to pinpoint the most harmful components. They underscore the dual public health strategy of targeting emission sources of PM_2.5 chemical components in China.

PMID:
43011787
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 11 Nov 2026.

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