Progress in researches on correlation between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and air pollution

Recent studies have shown a significant relationship between ambient particulate matter (particulate matter less than 10 or 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter) and the onset, aggravation or death of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the studies on the correlation between air gaseous pollutants（carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone）and COPD did not reach a consistent conclusion. There was a few studies on the association between chronic exposure and COPD. This paper reviews the latest researches on the correlation between air pollutants and COPD, analyzes the influence of climate, population characteristics and human geography factors on the effect of air pollution on COPD, and aims to evaluate the degree of correlation between different pollutants and the incidence, acute exacerbation and death of COPD, and discuss the future research direction and prevention and control strategies.