Publications addressing air pollution-induced human respiratory microbiome shifts are reviewed in this article. The healthy respiratory microbiota is characterized by a low density of bacteria, fungi and viruses with high diversity, and usually consists of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Fusobacteria, viruses and fungi. The air's microbiome is highly dependent on air pollution levels and is directly reflected within the human respiratory microbiome. In addition, pollutants indirectly modify the local environment in human respiratory organs by reducing antioxidant capacity, misbalancing proteolysis and modulating inflammation, all of which regulate local microbiomes. Improving air quality leads to more diverse and healthy microbiomes of the local air and, subsequently, residents' airways.

Plain language summary

The community of bacteria, viruses and fungi in the human body, known as the microbiome, plays an important role in human health. These communities vary in different locations in the body, for example in the gut, airways and skin. The microbiome within our airways is affected by air pollution because pollutants cause changes in the microbiome that may result in illness. In this article we review the available information on the effect of air pollution on the airway microbiome. We conclude that improving air quality is important to promoting healthy microbiomes and general human health.

Keywords:

Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest; •• of considerable interest

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Received 14 November 2022

Accepted 10 May 2023

Published online 21 July 2023

Published in print June 2023

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This work was supported by a grant (#01.2.2-LMT-K-718-03-0079) from the Lithuanian Research Council. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

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