The effect of long-term exposures to hypersaline particles originated from drying Urmia hypersaline Lake on the increased cardiovascular risks in the villagers around the Lake

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The world’s second largest permanent hypersaline lake, Lake Urmia, is drying in recent years and the dried bed of the Lake acts as a hypersaline particle emission source. Therefore, we aim to evaluate (for the first time to our knowledge) the association between hypersaline particles and biomarkers of inflammation and coagulation (hs-CRP and fibrinogen) in the residents around the Lake Urmia.

Methods: Three regions were selected as clean (region No.1) and polluted regions (region No.2 and No.3) for ambient particulate matter around the Urmia Lake from 2008 to 2015. In order to confirm the selected regions concentration of APM was measured in the selected regions for six months. Totally 123 participants were selected randomly, fibrinogen, hs-CRP and covariates were measured in the selected regions and were analyzed using multiple linear regression models.

Results: We found a statistically significant association between the hypersaline particles and fibrinogen in both polluted regions. This is while an association between hypersaline particles and hs-CRP was significant only in the polluted region No.2.

Conclusions: These results are consistent with our hypothesis that long-term exposure to hypersaline particles originated from drying Urmia hypersaline Lake is related to increased levels of hs-CRP and fibrinogen.