Particulate matter and SARS-CoV-2: A possible model of COVID-19 transmission

Nguyen Thanh Tung; Po-Ching Cheng; Kai-Hsien Chi; Ta-Chi Hsiao; Timothy Jones; Kelly BéruBé; Kin-Fai Ho; Hsiao-Chi Chuang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141532

Particulate matter and SARS-CoV-2: A possible model of COVID-19 transmission

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Jan 1:750:141532. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141532. Epub 2020 Aug 5.

Authors

Nguyen Thanh Tung¹, Po-Ching Cheng², Kai-Hsien Chi³, Ta-Chi Hsiao⁴, Timothy Jones⁵, Kelly BéruBé⁶, Kin-Fai Ho⁷, Hsiao-Chi Chuang⁸

Affiliations

¹ International PhD Program in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Otorhinolaryngology Department, Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. Electronic address: d142108004@tmu.edu.tw.
² Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Center for International Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: bonjovi@tmu.edu.tw.
³ Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: khchi2@ym.edu.tw.
⁴ Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: tchsiao@ntu.edu.tw.
⁵ School of Earth and Oceanic Sciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3US, UK. Electronic address: jonestp@cardiff.ac.uk.
⁶ School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3US, UK. Electronic address: berube@cardiff.ac.uk.
⁷ JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: kfho@cuhk.edu.hk.
⁸ Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Cell Physiology and Molecular Image Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: chuanghc@tmu.edu.tw.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an acute respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly developed into a pandemic throughout the world. This disease is a highly infectious novel coronavirus and can affect people of all ages. Previous reports observed that particulate matter (PM) provided a platform for intermixing with viruses (i.e., influenza). However, the role of PM in SARS-CoV-2 transmission remains unclear. In this paper, we propose that PM plays a direct role as a "carrier" of SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 is reported to have a high affinity for the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. Indirectly, exposure to PM increases ACE2 expression in the lungs which facilitates SARS-CoV-2 viral adhesion. Thus, the high risk of SARS-CoV-2 in heavily polluted regions can be explained by upregulation of ACE2 caused by PM. PM could be both a direct and indirect transmission model for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Keywords: Air pollution; Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; Covid-19; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

Letter

MeSH terms

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
Betacoronavirus
COVID-19
Coronavirus Infections*
Coronavirus*
Humans
Pandemics*
Particulate Matter
Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / metabolism
Pneumonia, Viral*
SARS-CoV-2

Substances

Particulate Matter
Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
ACE2 protein, human
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2