Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (531 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Exposure, Environmental; Environmental Exposures; Exposures, Environmental.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Environmental Pollution
- Narrower topics
- Dietary Exposure; Environmental Monitoring; Exposome; Inhalation Exposure; Maternal Exposure; Maximum Allowable Concentration; Occupational Exposure; Paternal Exposure; Radiation Exposure
- See also
- Environmental Pollutants; Occupational Exposure; Multiple Chemical Sensitivity; Environmental Illness; Persian Gulf Syndrome
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 408,387 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Environmental Exposure” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 110,790 of them (27.1%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 141,735 records.
Reviews account for 40,410 records (9.9%) and meta-analyses for 2,968. Randomized controlled trials number 2,404 (0.6%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 70,626 |
| 2000-2009 | 85,236 |
| 2010-2019 | 141,735 |
| 2020 onward | 110,790 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 40,410 | 9.9% |
| Meta-analyses | 2,968 | 0.7% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 2,404 | 0.6% |
Method: PubMed query "Environmental Exposure"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in public health and nutrition
Population and nutrition studies mostly observe what people eat, breathe or are exposed to and then look for links with health, which shows association and not proof of cause. Self-reported diet is imprecise, people who eat or live differently also differ in other ways, and effects measured across a population may not apply to one person. Check the study design, how exposure was measured, what else was accounted for and the size of the effect, not only whether it was statistically significant.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precision residential greenspace, urban environmental exposures, and incident dementia among older adults in Sweden: A 16-year cohort study | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42805935 · DOI · PMC13619732 |
| Characterizing particle size in agricultural runoff to inform stormwater basin design | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42768436 · DOI · PMC13594369 |
| Emerging investigator series: spatially and temporally resolved lightning NOx production rates obtained with space-based lightning detectors | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 0 | cc by PMID 42845108 · DOI · PMC13647042 |
Precision residential greenspace, urban environmental exposures, and incident dementia among older adults in Sweden: A 16-year cohort study [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- IntroductionResidential greenspace is linked to mental and cardiometabolic health, but longitudinal studies on detailed greenspace and dementia incidence are limited.
- Closing excerpt
- DiscussionClose residential greenspace may reduce dementia risk in older adults, particularly women.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (143 words)
IntroductionResidential greenspace is linked to mental and cardiometabolic health, but longitudinal studies on detailed greenspace and dementia incidence are limited.MethodsWe followed 2993 dementia-free participants in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care Kungsholmen for 16 years; 477 developed clinically diagnosed dementia. Greenspace was assessed using normalized difference vegetation index within 100-, 250-, and 500-m residential buffers. Cox models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) per interquartile-range greenspace increment and tested effect modification by air pollution, road traffic noise, blue space, age, sex, and apolipoprotein E-ε4 (APOE-ε4).ResultsHigher greenspace within 100 m was associated with lower dementia incidence (HR = 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.64-0.96), whereas associations for larger buffers were attenuated. Associations were stronger in women (HR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.54-0.89) than men (HR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.71-1.24).DiscussionClose residential greenspace may reduce dementia risk in older adults, particularly women.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42805935 · DOI · PMC13619732
Characterizing particle size in agricultural runoff to inform stormwater basin design [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Upper US Midwest sediment-basin design commonly relies on parent-soil texture classes and texture-based settling-velocity defaults (Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Practice Standard Code 350), yet conservation-managed fields can export fine particles that bypass gravity settling.
- Closing excerpt
- Fine-particle dominance limits gravity settling in sedimentation basins, so substantial reductions in suspended sediment and turbidity for agricultural runoff typically require coagulation/flocculation in addition to hydraulic detention.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (136 words)
Upper US Midwest sediment-basin design commonly relies on parent-soil texture classes and texture-based settling-velocity defaults (Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Practice Standard Code 350), yet conservation-managed fields can export fine particles that bypass gravity settling. Runoff from 13 edge-of-field watersheds in Wisconsin and Indiana showed systematic divergence between particle size distribution representations: volume-weighted (mass-based) D50 ≈ 30 µm (coarser classification) versus number-weighted (count-based) D50 ≈ 3.5 µm (clay-rich suspension). A mixed-effects framework identified seasonality and water chemistry as stronger predictors than agronomy, including winter coarsening (β ≈ +4.35, p 50 (p 50 (p = 0.014), supporting phosphorus coupling to fine mineral particles and nitrogen association with larger organic aggregates. Fine-particle dominance limits gravity settling in sedimentation basins, so substantial reductions in suspended sediment and turbidity for agricultural runoff typically require coagulation/flocculation in addition to hydraulic detention.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42768436 · DOI · PMC13594369
Emerging investigator series: spatially and temporally resolved lightning NOx production rates obtained with space-based lightning detectors [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Lightning is a dominant free tropospheric source of nitrogen oxides (NOx), impacting climate by affecting global tropospheric ozone (O3) and other key oxidants.
- Closing excerpt
- Independent validation is critically needed, given our updated LNOx emissions offer a viable solution to model overestimates in O3 and OH and underestimates in the lifetime of the greenhouse gas methane.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (252 words)
Lightning is a dominant free tropospheric source of nitrogen oxides (NOx), impacting climate by affecting global tropospheric ozone (O3) and other key oxidants. We calculate temporally and spatially resolved lightning NOx (LNOx) production rates using lightning flash energies from space-based Lightning Imaging Sensors (LIS). Our production rates average ∼309 moles per flash (mol fl-1) over oceans, peaking at midday, and ∼172 mol fl-1 over land, peaking in the early morning. Replacing static values in the original GEOS-Chem model inventory with our spatially and hourly varying production rates yields global annual LNOx emissions of 4.4 Tg nitrogen (N) for 2015-2019; almost 2 Tg N less than the original inventory. Annual terrestrial LNOx emissions still exceed those over the ocean, due to more frequent lightning over land, but the relative proportion of maritime emissions increases. The largest decline in LNOx emissions is north of 35°N in summer, as static 500 mol fl-1 is replaced with 150-250 mol fl-1. Global decline in LNOx emissions decreases abundances of free tropospheric NOx, O3, the hydroxyl radical (OH) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN). Hourly variability in LIS flash radiances is broadly consistent with high-frequency Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) flash energies, though the comparison is limited to tropical America. Introducing hourly variability in LNOx production rates leads to a greater than 10% localised decline in equatorial lower tropospheric O3. Independent validation is critically needed, given our updated LNOx emissions offer a viable solution to model overestimates in O3 and OH and underestimates in the lifetime of the greenhouse gas methane.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42845108 · DOI · PMC13647042
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Fluoride Exposure and Children's IQ Scores: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [4]
- Research article Long-Term Exposure to Particulate Matter and Mortality: An Update of the WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [5]
- Research article Association between PFAS exposure and thyroid health: A systematic review and meta-analysis for adolescents, pregnant women, adults and toxicological evidence [6]
- Research article Environmental risk factors for all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease dementia, vascular dementia, and mild cognitive impairment: An umbrella review and meta-analysis [7]
- Research article Environmental risk factors for multiple sclerosis: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis [8]
- Research article Ambient air pollution exposure and adult asthma incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis [9]
Full-text reviews on EvidenceLib
Open-access review articles about this topic, reproduced in full with authors, licence and references.
Environmental exposure to rare earth elements and respiratory health: an emerging public health concern
Jie Zhou, Pengcheng Liang, Weijian Zhu et al. · Frontiers in Public Health 2026 · CC BY 4.0
Early-Life Nutrition: The Interplay of Nutritional, Microbial, Genetic, and Environmental Factors in Food Allergy Development and Prevention
Maria Rogalidou, Tania Siahanidou · Nutrients 2026 · CC BY 4.0
Mapping the global health burden of volcanic exposure: a scoping review approach
Katherine Simbaña-Rivera, Jesús Endara-Mina, Damary S. Jaramillo-Aguilar et al. · Frontiers in Public Health 2025 · CC BY 4.0
Extreme Heat and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Scoping Review of the Epidemiological Evidence
Sarah Syed, Tracey L. O’Sullivan, Karen P. Phillips · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2022 · CC BY 4.0
References
- Stenfors CUD, Wu J, Grande G, Pyko A, Löhmus M, Pershagen G, et al.. Precision residential greenspace, urban environmental exposures, and incident dementia among older adults in Sweden: A 16-year cohort study. . 2026. PMID 42805935 · DOI · PMC13619732
- Holly MA, Votis AJ, Anderson-Giles M, Gunn KM. Characterizing particle size in agricultural runoff to inform stormwater basin design. . 2026. PMID 42768436 · DOI · PMC13594369
- Horner RP, Marais EA, Murray LT. Emerging investigator series: spatially and temporally resolved lightning NOx production rates obtained with space-based lightning detectors. . 2026. PMID 42845108 · DOI · PMC13647042
- Taylor KW, Eftim SE, Sibrizzi CA, Blain RB, Magnuson K, Hartman PA, et al.. Fluoride Exposure and Children's IQ Scores: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2025. PMID 39761023 · DOI · PMC11877182
- Orellano P, Kasdagli MI, Pérez Velasco R, Samoli E. Long-Term Exposure to Particulate Matter and Mortality: An Update of the WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Public Health. 2024. PMID 39399882 · DOI · PMC11466858
- Du X, Wu Y, Tao G, Xu J, Du Z, Wu M, et al.. Association between PFAS exposure and thyroid health: A systematic review and meta-analysis for adolescents, pregnant women, adults and toxicological evidence. Sci Total Environ. 2024. PMID 39233077 · DOI
- Jones A, Ali MU, Mayhew A, Aryal K, Correia RH, Dash D, et al.. Environmental risk factors for all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease dementia, vascular dementia, and mild cognitive impairment: An umbrella review and meta-analysis. Environ Res. 2025. PMID 39889875 · DOI
- Vitturi BK, Cellerino M, Boccia D, Leray E, Correale J, Dobson R, et al.. Environmental risk factors for multiple sclerosis: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. J Neurol. 2025. PMID 40664781 · DOI · PMC12263771
- Lee S, Tian D, He R, Cragg JJ, Carlsten C, Giang A, et al.. Ambient air pollution exposure and adult asthma incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Planet Health. 2024. PMID 39674196 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.