Chlorinated paraffins in particulate matter associated with asthma and its relative symptoms in school-aged children and adolescents: A cross-sectional survey in South China

Particulate matter (PM) and contaminants attached to PM can increase the risk of respiratory diseases. However, the health risk assessment of chlorinated paraffins (CPs), an emerging pollutant occupying a high proportion of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in PM, remains scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PM2.5-bound CPs and asthma, along with relative symptoms, in school-aged children and adolescents. A large sample size cross-sectional study (n = 131,304) was conducted in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). The results showed that increased quantiles of ∑CPs were associated with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.22 (95%CI: 1.20–1.25), 1.38 (95%CI: 1.35–1.41), 1.17 (95%CI: 1.15–1.19), 1.52 (95%CI: 1.48–1.56), 1.66 (95%CI: 1.61–1.71), and 1.33 (95%CI: 1.30–1.37) for ever diagnosed asthma, current asthma, wheeze, current wheeze, persistent phlegm, and persistent cough, respectively. Additionally, C11-, C12-SCCPs and C14-, C17-MCCPs contributed the most positive weight to the risk of asthma and relative symptoms. These findings provide cutting-edged evidence for the health risk assessment of CPs, which is crucial for developing effective CPs management strategy. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.