Unseen threats: The inflammatory pathways linking environmental pollutants to chronic diseases

Toxic environmental contaminants including airborne toxins, heavy metals, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are among the key causes of the worldwide burden of chronic disease that involves shared mechanisms of inflammation leading to disease onset. These contaminants induce low-grade, chronic inflammation through numerous mechanisms, including the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), activation of inflammatory signaling pathways, immune dysregulation, and epigenetics. Chronic inflammation has been linked with various conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, neurodegenerative disorders, autoimmune diseases, and certain cancers. The review describes how the pollutants trigger inflammatory mechanisms, that is, oxidative stress, immune alterations, and epigenetic alterations. It emphasizes raising awareness of this relationship to allow effective public health measures and regulation to control environmental health hazards.