The DOI matches its Crossref record; 66 of the 66 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Air pollution and skin disorders
Open accessAbstract
Air pollution is being shown to play an increasing causation role in our most common skin diseases. Acne, hyperpigmentation, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis have been shown to be influenced by air pollution. It is important for pollution to be added as a risk factor for these skin disorders, and thus we must discuss mitigating its negative affects with patients. Air pollution is the contamination of outdoor (ambient) and indoor (household) environments by any chemical, physical, or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Nearly all (90%) of the world's population experience daily pollution. In 2019, air pollution was considered by the World Health Organization to be the biggest environmental health risk to humans, responsible for killing more than 7 million people prematurely every year. Preliminary studies link air pollution to COVID-19 deaths, as there were high death tolls in some of the most globally polluted areas. Air pollution affects many organ systems such as cardiovascular, pulmonary, central nervous, reproductive, and integumentary systems. In this study, we detail the current evidence linking specific skin and health disorders to air pollution.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Figures

Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Furthermore, a correlation between UV radiation and pollutants in amplifying skin cancer incidence has been suggested [73].”
From The Environmental Determinants of Skin Health: Linking Climate Change, Air Pollution, and the Dermatologic Disease Burden (2025) · cites this paper as [73]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“A few studies, primarily based on animal models, have indicated that particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may significantly contribute to skin carcinogenesis [73].”
From The Environmental Determinants of Skin Health: Linking Climate Change, Air Pollution, and the Dermatologic Disease Burden (2025) · cites this paper as [73]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Molecular Mechanisms of Stress-Responsive Changes in Collagen and Elastin Networks in Skin
Aziz, J., Shezali, H., Radzi, Z., Yahya, N. A., Abu Kassim, N. H., Czernuszka, J., & Rahman, M. T. (2016) · Skin Pharmacology and Physiology · doi:10.1159/000447017 · Cited by 7,323
Brunekreef, B., & Holgate, S. T. (2002) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(02)11274-8 · Cited by 4,701
Oxidative stress: oxidants and antioxidants
Sies, H. (1997) · Experimental Physiology · doi:10.1113/expphysiol.1997.sp004024 · Cited by 4,577
Wu, X., Nethery, R. C., Sabath, M. B., Braun, D., & Dominici, F. (2020) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.abd4049 · Cited by 2,034
Long-term air pollution exposure and cardio- respiratory mortality: a review
Hoek, G., Krishnan, R. M., Beelen, R. M. J., Peters, A., Ostro, B. D., Brunekreef, B., & Kaufman, J. D. (2013) · Environmental Health · doi:10.1186/1476-069x-12-43 · Cited by 1,910
Oxidative Stress in Aging Human Skin
Rinnerthaler, M., Bischof, J., Streubel, M., Trost, A., & Richter, K. (2015) · Biomolecules · doi:10.3390/biom5020545 · Cited by 1,053
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cancer: Role of antioxidative nutraceuticals
Prasad, S., Gupta, S. C., & Tyagi, A. K. (2016) · Cancer Letters · doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2016.03.042 · Cited by 981
The Mediterranean Diet, its Components, and Cardiovascular Disease
Widmer, R. J., Flammer, A. J., Lerman, L. O., & Lerman, A. (2015) · The American Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.10.014 · Cited by 963 · cited 1×
“The Mediterranean diet involves the consumption of foods high in antioxidants, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, fish, and poultry (Widmer et al., 2015).”
BackgroundIntrinsic and extrinsic factors in skin ageing: a review
Farage, M. A., Miller, K. W., Elsner, P., & Maibach, H. I. (2008) · International Journal of Cosmetic Science · doi:10.1111/j.1468-2494.2007.00415.x · Cited by 950
Water as an essential nutrient: the physiological basis of hydration
Jéquier, E., & Constant, F. (2009) · European Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1038/ejcn.2009.111 · Cited by 751
Risk Factors for the Development of Psoriasis
Kamiya, K., Kishimoto, M., Sugai, J., Komine, M., & Ohtsuki, M. (2019) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms20184347 · Cited by 686
Pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis: Clinical implications
Kim, J., Kim, B. E., & Leung, D. Y. M. (2019) · Allergy and Asthma Proceedings · doi:10.2500/aap.2019.40.4202 · Cited by 655
Health Effects of Ambient Air Pollution in Developing Countries
Mannucci, P. M., & Franchini, M. (2017) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph14091048 · Cited by 610
Vogel, C. F. A., Winkle, L. S. V., Esser, C., & Haarmann‐Stemmann, T. (2020) · Redox Biology · doi:10.1016/j.redox.2020.101530 · Cited by 538
Melasma: a clinical and epidemiological review
Handel, A. C., Miot, L. D. B., & Miot, H. A. (2014) · Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia · doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20143063 · Cited by 461
Does air pollution play a role in infertility? a systematic review.
Carré, J., Gatimel, N., Moreau, J., Parinaud, J., & Léandri, R. (2017) · Environmental Health · doi:10.1186/s12940-017-0291-8 · Cited by 379
Piao, M. J., Ahn, M. J., Kang, K. A., Ryu, Y. S., Hyun, Y. J., Shilnikova, K., Zhen, A. X., Jeong, J. W., Choi, Y. H., Kang, H. K., et al. (2018) · Archives of Toxicology · doi:10.1007/s00204-018-2197-9 · Cited by 339 · cited 1×
“PAHs and VOCs are often coated on PM and can easily get through the cutaneous lipid barrier due to their lipophilic properties (Millis et al., 1992; Piao et al., 2018) A pollutant can be of natural origin or manmade.”
BackgroundPollution and skin: from epidemiological and mechanistic studies to clinical implications.
Krutmann, J., Liu, W., Li, L., Pan, X., Crawford, M., Sore, G., & Seite, S. (2014) · Journal of Dermatological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2014.08.008 · Cited by 290
Effects of air pollution on the skin: A review
Kathuria, S., Puri, P., Nandar, S., & Ramesh, V (2017) · Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology · doi:10.4103/0378-6323.199579 · Cited by 282
Millis, A. J. T., Hoyle, M., McCue, H. M., & Martini, H. (1992) · Experimental Cell Research · doi:10.1016/0014-4827(92)90286-h · Cited by 245
The influence of climate change on skin cancer incidence – A review of the evidence
Parker, E. R. (2020) · International Journal of Women’s Dermatology · doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.07.003 · Cited by 232
Environmental pollutants and skin cancer
Baudouin, C., Charvéron, M., Tarroux, R., & Gall, Y. (2002) · Cell Biology and Toxicology · doi:10.1023/a:1019540316060 · Cited by 232
Oxidative stress and antioxidant strategies in dermatology
Baek, J.-O., & Lee, M. (2015) · Redox Report · doi:10.1179/1351000215y.0000000015 · Cited by 226
Tobacco smoke causes premature skin aging
Morita, A. (2007) · Journal of Dermatological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2007.06.015 · Cited by 224
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis
Furue, M., Hashimoto-Hachiya, A., & Tsuji, G. (2019) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms20215424 · Cited by 215
The impact of airborne pollution on skin
Araviiskaia, E., Berardesca, E., Bieber, T., Gontijo, G., Sanchez Viera, M., Marrot, L., Chuberre, B., & Dreno, B. (2019) · Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology · doi:10.1111/jdv.15583 · Cited by 214
Dermal Uptake of Organic Vapors Commonly Found in Indoor Air
Weschler, C. J., & Nazaroff, W. W. (2014) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es405490a · Cited by 209
Symptoms of atopic dermatitis are influenced by outdoor air pollution.
Kim, J., Kim, E.-H., Oh, I., Jung, K., Han, Y., Cheong, H.-K., & Ahn, K. (2013) · Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology · doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2013.04.019 · Cited by 198
A review of laser and light therapy in melasma
Trivedi, M. K., Yang, F. C., & Cho, B. K. (2017) · International Journal of Women’s Dermatology · doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.01.004 · Cited by 192
Recognizing the impact of ambient air pollution on skin health
Mancebo, S. E., & Wang, S. Q. (2015) · Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology · doi:10.1111/jdv.13250 · Cited by 190
Rerknimitr, P., Otsuka, A., Nakashima, C., & Kabashima, K. (2017) · Inflammation and Regeneration · doi:10.1186/s41232-017-0044-7 · Cited by 187
The influence of exposome on acne
Dréno, B., Bettoli, V., Araviiskaia, E., Viera, M. S., & Bouloc, A. (2018) · Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology · doi:10.1111/jdv.14820 · Cited by 184
From new findings in acne pathogenesis to new approaches in treatment
Gollnick, H. P. M. (2015) · Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology · doi:10.1111/jdv.13186 · Cited by 174
Lim, C. C., Hayes, R. B., Ahn, J., Shao, Y., Silverman, D. T., Jones, R. R., & Thurston, G. D. (2019) · Circulation · doi:10.1161/circulationaha.118.035742 · Cited by 174
Yin, L., Morita, A., & Tsuji, T. (2001) · Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine · doi:10.1034/j.1600-0781.2001.170407.x · Cited by 172 · cited 1×
“Pollution with and without UV synergy has been proven to be causative in premature ephelides, lentigines, and rhytids (Huls et al., 2016; Yin et al., 2001).”
BackgroundPerkins, A. C., Cheng, C. E., Hillebrand, G. G., Miyamoto, K., & Kimball, A. B. (2010) · Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology · doi:10.1111/j.1468-3083.2010.03919.x · Cited by 172
Synergistic damage by UVA radiation and pollutants
Burke, K., & Wei, H. (2009) · Toxicology and Industrial Health · doi:10.1177/0748233709106067 · Cited by 155
Bonamonte, D., Filoni, A., Vestita, M. G., Romita, P., Foti, C., & Angelini, G. D. (2019) · BioMed Research International · doi:10.1155/2019/2450605 · Cited by 143
Thiele, J. J., Traber, M. G., Tsang, K., Cross, C. E., & Packer, L. (1997) · Free Radical Biology and Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0891-5849(96)00617-x · Cited by 138
Molecular Basis of Tobacco Smoke-Induced Premature Skin Aging
Morita, A., Torii, K., Maeda, A., & Yamaguchi, Y. (2009) · Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings · doi:10.1038/jidsymp.2009.13 · Cited by 135
Drakaki, E., Dessinioti, C., & Antoniou, C. V. (2014) · Frontiers in Environmental Science · doi:10.3389/fenvs.2014.00011 · Cited by 126
Hüls, A., Vierkötter, A., Gao, W., Krämer, U., Yang, Y., Ding, A., Stolz, S., Matsui, M., Kan, H., Wang, S., et al. (2016) · Journal of Investigative Dermatology · doi:10.1016/j.jid.2015.12.045 · Cited by 122
Evaluation of the impact of urban pollution on the quality of skin: a multicentre study in Mexico
Lefebvre, M. ‐., Pham, D. ‐., Boussouira, B., Bernard, D., Camus, C., & Nguyen, Q. ‐. (2015) · International Journal of Cosmetic Science · doi:10.1111/ics.12203 · Cited by 113
Emerging therapies for atopic dermatitis: JAK inhibitors
Cotter, D. G., Schairer, D. O., & Eichenfield, L. F. (2017) · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2017.12.019 · Cited by 107
Pollution and acne: is there a link?
Krutmann, J., Moyal, D., Liu, W., Kandahari, S., Lee, G.-S., Noppakun, N., Xiang, L. F., & Seité, S. (2017) · Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology · doi:10.2147/ccid.s131323 · Cited by 91
Facial Changes Caused by Smoking
Okada, H. C., Alleyne, B. J., Varghai, K., Kinder, K., & Guyuron, B. (2013) · Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery · doi:10.1097/prs.0b013e3182a4c20a · Cited by 82
Peng, F., Xue, C. ‐., Hwang, S. K., Li, W. ‐., Chen, Z., & Zhang, J. ‐. (2017) · Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology · doi:10.1111/jdv.13834 · Cited by 71
A Time-Series Study of the Effect of Air Pollution on Outpatient Visits for Acne Vulgaris in Beijing
Liu, W., Pan, X., Vierkötter, A., Guo, Q., Wang, X., Wang, Q., Seité, S., Moyal, D., Schikowski, T., & Krutmann, J. (2018) · Skin Pharmacology and Physiology · doi:10.1159/000484482 · Cited by 69
Consequences of urban pollution upon skin status. A controlled study in Shanghai area
Lefebvre, M., Pham, D., Boussouira, B., Qiu, H., Ye, C., Long, X., Chen, R., Gu, W., Laurent, A., & Nguyen, Q. (2016) · International Journal of Cosmetic Science · doi:10.1111/ics.12270 · Cited by 68
Hazardous air pollutant exposure as a contributing factor to COVID-19 mortality in the United States
Petroni, M., Hill, D., Younes, L., Barkman, L., Howard, S., Howell, I. B., Mirowsky, J. E., & Collins, M. B. (2020) · Environmental Research Letters · doi:10.1088/1748-9326/abaf86 · Cited by 67
Koohgoli, R., Hudson, L., Naidoo, K., Wilkinson, S., Chavan, B., & Birch‐Machin, M. A. (2017) · Experimental Dermatology · doi:10.1111/exd.13257 · Cited by 65
Indoor ozone/human chemistry and ventilation strategies
Salvador, C. M., Bekö, G., Weschler, C. J., Morrison, G., Breton, M. L., Hallquist, M., Ekberg, L. E., & Langer, S. (2019) · Indoor Air · doi:10.1111/ina.12594 · Cited by 60
Rosso, J. Q. D., Zeichner, J., Alexis, A. F., Cohen, D., & Berson, D. S. (2016) · Europe PMC (PubMed Central) · Cited by 60
Exploring the link between cadmium and psoriasis in a nationally representative sample
Liaw, F., Chen, W., Kao, T., Chang, Y., & Huang, C.-F. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-01827-9 · Cited by 59
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) a possible target for the treatment of skin disease
Napolitano, M., & Patruno, C. (2018) · Medical Hypotheses · doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2018.05.001 · Cited by 56
Roberts, W. E. (2015) · PubMed · Cited by 42
Self-citationPathophysiology and management of acne
Gollnick, H. P. M., & Dréno, B. (2015) · Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology · doi:10.1111/jdv.13182 · Cited by 41
New and Emerging Topical Therapies for Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis.
Psomadakis, C. E., & Han, G. (2019) · PubMed Central · Cited by 40
Climate change and pediatric skin health
Schachtel, A., Dyer, J. A., & Boos, M. D. (2021) · International Journal of Women's Dermatology · doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.07.006 · Cited by 31
Protection From Environmental Skin Damage With Topical Antioxidants
Burke, K. (2018) · Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics · doi:10.1002/cpt.1235 · Cited by 30
A robust sebum, oil, and particulate pollution model for assessing cleansing efficacy of human skin
Peterson, G., Rapaka, S., Koski, N., Kearney, M., Ortblad, K., & Tadlock, L. (2017) · International Journal of Cosmetic Science · doi:10.1111/ics.12378 · Cited by 27
Luftverschmutzung (Feinstaub, Stickstoffdioxid) und Hautalterung
Schikowski, T., & Krutmann, J. (2019) · Der Hautarzt · doi:10.1007/s00105-018-4338-8 · Cited by 25
Squalene Oxidation Induced by Urban Pollutants: Impact on Skin Surface Physico-Chemistry
Eudier, F., Hucher, N., Picard, C., Savary, G., & Grisel, M. (2019) · Chemical Research in Toxicology · doi:10.1021/acs.chemrestox.8b00311 · Cited by 12
Pigmentierte Flecken als mögliche Frühzeichen genetischer Syndrome
Hamm, H., Emmerich, K., & Olk, J. (2019) · Der Hautarzt · doi:10.1007/s00105-019-4416-6 · Cited by 9
Roberts, W. E. (2013) · PubMed · Cited by 4
Self-citationKrutmann, J. (2019) · Der Hautarzt · doi:10.1007/s00105-018-4349-5 · Cited by 4
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Saxena, V. (2025) · Water Air & Soil Pollution · doi:10.1007/s11270-024-07702-4 · Cited by 610
Impact of environmental pollution from human activities on water, air quality and climate change
Edo, G. I., Itoje-akpokiniovo, L. O., Obasohan, P., Ikpekoro, V. O., Samuel, P. O., Jikah, A. N., Nwosu, L. C., Ekokotu, H. A., Ugbune, U., Oghroro, E. E. A., et al. (2024) · Ecological Frontiers · doi:10.1016/j.ecofro.2024.02.014 · Cited by 303
Moura, P. C., Raposo, M., & Vassilenko, V. (2023) · Biomedical Journal · doi:10.1016/j.bj.2023.100623 · Cited by 171
Bio-inspired flow channel designs for proton exchange membrane fuel cells: A review
Zhang, S., Xu, H., Qu, Z., Liu, S., & Talkhoncheh, F. K. (2022) · Journal of Power Sources · doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.231003 · Cited by 123
Climate Change, Skin Health, and Dermatologic Disease: A Guide for the Dermatologist
Belzer, A., & Parker, E. R. (2023) · American Journal of Clinical Dermatology · doi:10.1007/s40257-023-00770-y · Cited by 109
Metadata
- Authors
- Roberts, W.
- Corresponding author
- Roberts, Wendy
- ORCID
- Roberts, Wendy
- Venue
- International Journal of Women's Dermatology
- Published
- 2021-01
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 91-97
- ISSN
- 2352-6475 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7838324
- OpenAlex
- W3107318794
- Cited by
- 111
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 8
- FWCI
- 0.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Journal of Women’s Dermatology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Dermatology and Skin Diseases
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Skin Protection and Aging
- Keywords
- air pollution, skin diseases, acne, hyperpigmentation, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, environmental risk factors, indoor air pollution, COVID-19 mortality, environmental health
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review