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Open research questions in Air Quality and Health Impacts

370 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,937 Air Quality and Health Impacts papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • There is a lack of studies that examine the differences in built environmental exposures between older adults with and without CVD. The existing studies do not provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between environmental exposures and CVD in older adults. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the differences in built environmental exposures between older adults with and without CVD.

    Differences in built environmental exposures between three million older adults with and without cardiovascular diseases: a nationwide cross-sectional study in the Netherlands · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies on the impact of firecracker emissions on air quality, - Research on the effectiveness of sustainable urban practices in reducing air pollution, - Investigations into the health effects of long-term exposure to poor air quality

    Firecracker-induced air pollution and health burden during Diwali: ground and satellite assessment across 14 cities of The Indo-Gangetic Basin · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies the gap in understanding the impact of Diwali festivities on air quality and public health. The study highlights the need for sustainable urban practices to balance cultural traditions with environmental resilience. The paper notes the limitations of the exposure-response coefficient and the need for city-specific baseline health conditions or adaptive responses.

    Firecracker-induced air pollution and health burden during Diwali: ground and satellite assessment across 14 cities of The Indo-Gangetic Basin · 2026 · DOI

  • Heatwave intensity was not explicitly examined. The analysis was based on monthly mortality counts and regionally aggregated environmental exposures. The study did not examine the magnitude of temperature exceedance, which may further influence heat-related health impacts

    Spatial Heterogeneity of Heatwave and Air Pollution Effects on Cause-Specific Mortality Across Greece · 2026 · DOI

  • The combined impacts of heatwaves and air pollution on mortality remain poorly characterized. There is a need to understand the geographic variability in pollutant-related mortality risks. The study aims to address the gap in understanding the combined effects of heatwaves and air pollution on mortality.

    Spatial Heterogeneity of Heatwave and Air Pollution Effects on Cause-Specific Mortality Across Greece · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap between objective improvements in air quality and public perceptions. The lack of understanding of the social dynamics shaping perceptions of air quality. The need for strategies to align public perceptions with reality for effective air quality management.

    The Paradox of Cleaning the Air: Social Dynamics of Air Quality Perceptions in Urban Settings · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the effects of other air pollutants on CMM - Examine the mechanisms underlying the associations between air pollution and CMM - Conduct studies with longer follow-up periods to examine the long-term effects of air pollution on CMM

    Cumulative air pollution exposure and cardiometabolic multimorbidity in Chinese middle-aged and older adults with sex-specific associations and triglyceride-glucose index mediation · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the association among PM 2.5 , nutrition, anemia, the social context, and the pathways linking these factors, - Examining the effect of nutritional factors and the social environment on susceptibility to PM 2.5 -related anemia, - Studying the impact of PM 2.5 exposure on anemia-related outcomes in different populations

    Air Pollution, Anemia and Nutrition: A Scoping Review of Research Gaps in the Role of Nutrients in PM2.5-Related Anemia · 2026 · DOI

  • There is limited evidence on the protective effect of nutrients and social context on PM2.5-related anemia. The current evidence is limited by the small number of studies and heterogeneity in populations, exposures, and study designs.

    Air Pollution, Anemia and Nutrition: A Scoping Review of Research Gaps in the Role of Nutrients in PM2.5-Related Anemia · 2026 · DOI

  • the retrospective single-centre design may have introduced selection bias and limited the generalizability of the findings, - the proposed mechanisms underlying the effects of CO exposure were derived from bioinformatics analyses and require validation through experimental and mechanistic studies

    Effect of air pollution on clinical pregnancy outcomes following intrauterine insemination: a machine learning-based analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • experimental and mechanistic studies are needed to validate the proposed mechanisms underlying the effects of CO exposure, - further research is needed to determine the effects of air pollution on IUI outcomes in different populations and settings

    Effect of air pollution on clinical pregnancy outcomes following intrauterine insemination: a machine learning-based analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The moderating effects of cognitive reserve contributors and brain reserve on the association between air pollution and cognitive function are unclear. Prior studies have not investigated this specific research question.

    Cognitive reserve and effects of air pollution mixture on cognitive function in dementia-free adults · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies could investigate the effects of air pollution on specific demographic groups, - Research could explore the impact of urban planning on air pollution-related health problems, - Studies could examine the relationship between air pollution and other environmental factors

    Perceived-air pollution and self-reported health status: a study on air pollution-prone urban area of Bangladesh · 2025 · DOI

  • There is a need to investigate the correlation between self-reported health issues related to air pollution and perceived air pollution among adult Bangladeshis. The study identifies a gap in understanding the association between self-reported air pollution-related health issues, sociodemographic data, and perceived air pollution in the locality. The study highlights the importance of considering demographic factors in contributing to air pollution-related health problems.

    Perceived-air pollution and self-reported health status: a study on air pollution-prone urban area of Bangladesh · 2025 · DOI

  • Future studies should use natural exposure methods, such as whole-body and nose-only inhalation systems - Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of PM2.5-induced insulin resistance

    Subacute PM2.5 Exposure Induces Hepatic Insulin Resistance Through Inflammation and Oxidative Stress · 2025 · DOI

  • The instability of some tire wear chemicals in solvent, leading to low detection rates - The complexity of analyzing tire wear chemicals in the urban air - The need to develop methods for quantifying the contribution of tire wear particles to urban PM2.5

    Tire Wear Chemicals in the Urban Atmosphere: Significant Contributions of Tire Wear Particles to PM2.5 · 2024 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to understand the impacts of nonexchangeable portion and sampling artifacts, - Research on the degradation of BTH into 2-OH-BTH is needed

    Tire Wear Chemicals in the Urban Atmosphere: Significant Contributions of Tire Wear Particles to PM2.5 · 2024 · DOI

  • These findings provide a basis for risk assessments and toxicological evaluations of tyre wear nanoparticles, although microscopic temperatures at the tyre-road interface remain unknown and may extend beyond commonly assumed ranges.

    Evidence for extender oils in thermally generated tyre nanoparticles · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the spatiotemporal evolution of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) and their associated phytotoxicity remain poorly understood.

    Photoaging-Driven Transformation of Tire Wear Particles: Unraveling the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Persistent Free Radicals and Their Phytotoxic Impact · 2026 · DOI

  • While underlying mechanisms remain unclear, the lung–brain axis has been proposed as a potential pathway in which pulmonary inflammation triggered by air pollution promotes systemic inflammation, which in turn triggers neuroinflammation to promote AD pathogenesis.

    Inhalation of Distinct Emission Components Comprising Traffic-Related Air Pollution Elicits Sex-Specific Effects on Pulmonary and Systemic Inflammation in the TgF344-AD Transgenic Rat Model of Alzheimer’s Disease · 2026 · DOI

  • The findings call for continued efforts to reduce air pollution exposure among children and highlight the need for further investigation into passive smoking and incense smoke.

    Urinary Biomarkers and Respiratory Responses to Indoor and Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Urban Children: A Prospective Cohort Study · 2026 · DOI

  • These pilot findings demonstrate dust-borne ECs as an underrecognized health risk for older adults and warrant further investigation.

    Dust-borne emerging contaminants: an underrecognized risk factor for non-communicable diseases in older Chinese adults · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the PM components responsible for observed health effects remain unclear.

    Short-lived reactive components substantially contribute to particulate matter oxidative potential · 2025 · DOI

  • However, accurate measurement remains challenging, particularly in countries such as India where ground monitors are scarce despite high expected exposure and health burdens.

    Improved daily PM 2.5 estimates in India reveal inequalities in recent enhancement of air quality · 2025 · DOI

  • However, their recent global exposure levels, attributable burden, and patterns of inequalities remain insufficiently quantified.

    Global lung cancer burden attributable to air fine particulate matter and tobacco smoke exposure: spatiotemporal patterns, sociodemographic characteristics, and transnational inequalities from 1990 to 2021 · 2025 · DOI

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370 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,937 Air Quality and Health Impacts papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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