The occupational exposome and new-onset COPD: longitudinal analyses of two European cohorts
Abstract
Objectives Occupational exposures may contribute to the development of COPD, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Using an exposome approach in a follow-up design, we aimed to examine the association between the occupational exposome and new-onset COPD in 2 population-based cohorts: the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) with 2 follow-ups (n = 4,087; observations = 6,224) and the CONSTANCES cohort with 1 follow-up (n = 8,255). Methods COPD was defined by respiratory symptom(s) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) below the lower limit of normal. Occupational exposures were assessed through long-term job histories linked to 6 job exposure matrices representing 49 different chemical, ergonomic, and physical exposures. Cumulative occupational exposures until baseline were assigned to each participant. Three analytical approaches were used: Exposome-Wide Association Study (ExWAS), Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), and Boruta Random Forest. Results In ECRHS, across the 3 analytical approaches, the most important exposures associated with increased COPD were heavy lifting, forward-bent posture, gases and fumes, mineral dust, house dust mites, and kneeling/squatting. In CONSTANCES, the most important exposures were diesel exhaust fumes, respirable crystalline silica, other solvents, organic solvents, indoor cleaning, and mineral dust. Differences in follow-up time and cohort characteristics may explain cohort discrepancies. Conclusion We confirmed the importance of several chemical occupational exposures for COPD and observed new associations between ergonomic and physical occupational exposures and COPD. These associations more likely reflect broader occupational exposure patterns than independent effects and should be interpreted in that context. Despite complexities in interpretation, the results underline the importance of implementing new analytical approaches, as it provide opportunities to identify the interplay of occupational exposures in an occupational exposome context.
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BibTeX
@article{kynde2026occupational,
title = {{The occupational exposome and new-onset COPD: longitudinal analyses of two European cohorts}},
author = {Theresa Kynde and Wenxin Wan and Anne Mette Lund Würtz and Lützen Portengen and Jorunn Kirkeleit and Sheikh M Alif and Andrei Malinovschi and Benedicte Leynaert and Caroline Jane Lodge and Cecilie Svanes and Chantal Raherison and Emeline Lequy and Geza Benke and Hanifa Bouziri and Hans Kromhout and Hans Orru and Hayat Bentouhami and Ioannis Basinas and Isabel Urrutia Landa and Jan-Paul Zock and Jenny Selander and Jesús Martínez-Moratalla Rovira and Judith Garcia-Aymerich and Katarina Kjellberg and Lars Modig and Leopoldo Palacios Gómez and Lidia Casas Ruiz and Maria Albin and Mathias Holm and Nicole Le Moual and Orianne Dumas and Pascal Demoly and Pernilla Wiebert and Rachel Nadif and Susan Peters and Theodore Lytras and Thorarinn Gislason and Valerie Siroux and Victoria Alcaraz-Serrano and Henrik Albert Kolstad and Anjoeka Pronk and Vivi Schlünssen},
journal = {Annals of Work Exposures and Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/annweh/wxag065},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05758978v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The occupational exposome and new-onset COPD: longitudinal analyses of two European cohorts
AU - Theresa Kynde
AU - Wenxin Wan
AU - Anne Mette Lund Würtz
AU - Lützen Portengen
AU - Jorunn Kirkeleit
AU - Sheikh M Alif
AU - Andrei Malinovschi
AU - Benedicte Leynaert
AU - Caroline Jane Lodge
AU - Cecilie Svanes
AU - Chantal Raherison
AU - Emeline Lequy
AU - Geza Benke
AU - Hanifa Bouziri
AU - Hans Kromhout
AU - Hans Orru
AU - Hayat Bentouhami
AU - Ioannis Basinas
AU - Isabel Urrutia Landa
AU - Jan-Paul Zock
AU - Jenny Selander
AU - Jesús Martínez-Moratalla Rovira
AU - Judith Garcia-Aymerich
AU - Katarina Kjellberg
AU - Lars Modig
AU - Leopoldo Palacios Gómez
AU - Lidia Casas Ruiz
AU - Maria Albin
AU - Mathias Holm
AU - Nicole Le Moual
AU - Orianne Dumas
AU - Pascal Demoly
AU - Pernilla Wiebert
AU - Rachel Nadif
AU - Susan Peters
AU - Theodore Lytras
AU - Thorarinn Gislason
AU - Valerie Siroux
AU - Victoria Alcaraz-Serrano
AU - Henrik Albert Kolstad
AU - Anjoeka Pronk
AU - Vivi Schlünssen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Annals of Work Exposures and Health
DO - 10.1093/annweh/wxag065
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05758978v1
AB - Objectives Occupational exposures may contribute to the development of COPD, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Using an exposome approach in a follow-up design, we aimed to examine the association between the occupational exposome and new-onset COPD in 2 population-based cohorts: the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) with 2 follow-ups (n = 4,087; observations = 6,224) and the CONSTANCES cohort with 1 follow-up (n = 8,255). Methods COPD was defined by respiratory symptom(s) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) below the lower limit of normal. Occupational exposures were assessed through long-term job histories linked to 6 job exposure matrices representing 49 different chemical, ergonomic, and physical exposures. Cumulative occupational exposures until baseline were assigned to each participant. Three analytical approaches were used: Exposome-Wide Association Study (ExWAS), Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), and Boruta Random Forest. Results In ECRHS, across the 3 analytical approaches, the most important exposures associated with increased COPD were heavy lifting, forward-bent posture, gases and fumes, mineral dust, house dust mites, and kneeling/squatting. In CONSTANCES, the most important exposures were diesel exhaust fumes, respirable crystalline silica, other solvents, organic solvents, indoor cleaning, and mineral dust. Differences in follow-up time and cohort characteristics may explain cohort discrepancies. Conclusion We confirmed the importance of several chemical occupational exposures for COPD and observed new associations between ergonomic and physical occupational exposures and COPD. These associations more likely reflect broader occupational exposure patterns than independent effects and should be interpreted in that context. Despite complexities in interpretation, the results underline the importance of implementing new analytical approaches, as it provide opportunities to identify the interplay of occupational exposures in an occupational exposome context.
SN - 2398-7308
SN - 2398-7316
ER -