Indoor environmental pollution and eye health: Pathogenic mechanisms and prevention and control measures

Most people today spend a significant amount of time indoors. In addition to indoor pollutants, outdoor pollutants can also enter indoor spaces through human activities or air currents. As a critical category of environmental pollution, indoor pollutants pose serious risks to human health. Indoor pollutants vary widely and include particulate matter, dust, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Prolonged exposure to these pollutants can cause tear film abnormalities, keratitis, nonspecific or allergic conjunctivitis, and even retinal damage. This article examines the relationship between indoor pollutants and ocular damage by reviewing reports on pollutants and eye diseases in databases such as PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). It further analyzes the specific effects of various indoor pollutants on ocular tissues (e.g., tear film, cornea, conjunctiva, lens, and retina), summarizes their potential hazards and toxic mechanisms, and suggests effective strategies to mitigate the risks of ocular exposure.