Oxidative potential of particulate matter and its association to respiratory health endpoints in high-altitude cities in Bolivia

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) pollution is a significant health risk, driving the search for innovative metrics that more accurately reflect the potential harm to human health. Among these, oxidative potential (OP) has emerged as a promising health-based metric, yet its application and relevance across different environments remain to be further explored. This study, set in two high-altitude Bolivian cities, aims to identify the most significant sources of PM-induced oxidation in the lungs and assess the utility of OP in assessing PM health impacts. Utilizing two distinct assays, OP_DTT and OP_DCFH, we measured the OP of PM samples, while also examining the associations between PM mass, OP, and black carbon (BC) concentrations with hospital visits for acute respiratory infections (ARI) and pneumonia over a range of exposure lags (0–2 weeks) using a Poisson regression model adjusted for meteorological conditions. The analysis also leveraged Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) to link these health outcomes to specific PM sources, building on a prior source apportionment study utilizing the same dataset. Our findings highlight anthropogenic combustion, particularly from traffic and biomass burning, as the primary contributors to OP in these urban sites. Significant correlations were observed between both OP_DTT and PM_2.5 concentration exposure and ARI hospital visits, alongside a notable association with pneumonia cases and OP_DTT levels. Furthermore, PMF analysis demonstrated a clear link between traffic-related pollution and increased hospital admissions for respiratory issues, affirming the health impact of these sources. These results underscore the potential of OP_DTT as a valuable metric for assessing the health risks associated with acute PM exposure, showcasing its broader application in environmental health studies.