Indoor Air Pollution and Lung Cancer Risk—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

TL;DR

This study finds that indoor air pollution from sources like tobacco smoke and cooking fumes increases lung cancer risk, but more research is needed to confirm these links.

Contribution

The study consolidates fragmented evidence on household pollutants and lung cancer risk through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Findings

Environmental tobacco smoke increases lung cancer risk with pooled OR 1.97 and HR 1.44.

Cooking oil fumes are linked to lung cancer with a pooled OR of 1.83.

Solid fuel and biomass combustion show elevated lung cancer risk with pooled OR 2.26 and HR 1.66.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Indoor air pollution is an increasingly recognized cause of lung cancer, yet evidence remains fragmented across exposure categories. This systematic review aimed to consolidate epidemiological findings on the relationship between household pollutants and lung cancer risk across diverse settings. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane was conducted to identify observational studies published between 2015 and 2025. Eligible articles evaluated indoor exposure in relation to primary lung cancer. Maximally adjusted effect estimates were extracted. Random effects models were used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) and hazard ratios (HRs) when appropriate. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: Thirty-eight studies comprising 475,565 participants were included. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) was associated with lung cancer risk (pooled OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.63–2.37; pooled HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.19–1.74). Cooking oil fumes showed a pooled OR of 1.83 (95% CI 1.53–2.21). Solid fuel and biomass combustion were also associated with increased lung cancer risk, with pooled estimates indicating elevated odds and hazard ratios (pooled OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.36–3.77; pooled HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.37–2.02). Incense burning was evaluated in a single study (OR 3.05, 95% CI 1.06–8.84), with wide confidence intervals. Two studies explored gene–environment interactions, suggesting possible variability in susceptibility, although statistical robustness was limited. Conclusions: Across multiple exposure categories, indoor air pollution was consistently associated with lung cancer risk, although the effect magnitude and precision varied between studies. Given the observational nature of the evidence and methodological heterogeneity, further prospective research with standardized exposure assessment is needed to clarify the strength and consistency of these associations.

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