Heavy metals and their relationships with lung function and airway inflammation: insights from a population-based study

We found inconsistent associations between heavy metals, lung function, and airway inflammation. Cd and Pb exposure was associated with reduced lung function, whereas Hg exposure was positively associated with airway inflammation. Se contributed the strongest positive weight to FEV₁ and FEV₁/FVC in the WQS analysis, although Se was not significantly associated with FEV₁ and FEV₁/FVC in the fully adjusted model. These findings underscore the imperative for strengthened environmental regulation of heavy metal exposure. Future studies should employ more prospective methodologies to clarify these relationships.