Indicators of chronic exposure to elevated concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 on the parameters of children’s red blood cells

The study was conducted to identify the effects of elevated concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 particles in the air on the morphometric parameters of erythrocytes in children. Two areas with similar geoclimatic conditions but different exposure to these particles were selected. The concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were measured using scanning electron microscopy. In-depth investigations were conducted on 360 children, and general clinical indicators of whole blood were analyzed. Statistical analysis tools in the Python programming environment were used for data analysis, and a two-layer neural network was employed to predict morphometric changes in erythrocytes. Evans models and a complex surface model were also applied to simulate erythrocyte shape. The average daily concentration of PM10 exceeded the observed level but did not reach the permissible limit (MPC=0.060 mg/m3). The content of PM2.5 was significantly higher in the comparison area and exceeded the average daily permissible concentration (MPC=0.035 mg/m3). The research results revealed significant differences (р=0,0001) between the observation and comparison groups in the indicators of whole blood, especially in color index and mean erythrocyte volume. Correlation analysis established a connection between various blood parameters, hemoglobin concentration, and the level of PM2.5 and PM10 particle concentrations in the air. Based on neural network modeling, a mathematical model was developed to predict the influence of various factors on the mean erythrocyte volume. The model showed that increased PM2.5 concentration is associated with a decrease in mean erythrocyte volume, which may indicate premature aging. Overall, this study contributes to new scientific findings on the relationship between air pollution and morphometric parameters of erythrocytes in children. It can aid in the development of more effective health protection strategies and the reduction of the negative impact of air pollution on the population.