Associations between solar and geomagnetic activity and peripheral white blood cells in the Normative Aging Study

It has been hypothesized that solar and geomagnetic activity can affect the function of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and melatonin secretion, both of which may influence immune response. We investigated the association between solar geomagnetic activity and white blood cell counts in the Norma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEnvironmental research Vol. 204; no. Pt B; p. 112066
Main Authors Tracy, Samantha M., Vieira, Carolina L.Z., Garshick, Eric, Wang, Veronica A., Alahmad, Barrak, Eid, Ryan, Schwartz, Joel, Schiff, Jessica E., Vokonas, Pantel, Koutrakis, Petros
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.03.2022
Subjects
Aging
Air pollution
Geomagnetic activity
Humans
Immune
Leukocyte Count
Leukocytes
Monocytes
Neutrophils
Solar activity
White blood cell
Solar activity
Air pollution
Leukocytes
Geomagnetic activity
Immune
White blood cell
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Summary:It has been hypothesized that solar and geomagnetic activity can affect the function of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and melatonin secretion, both of which may influence immune response. We investigated the association between solar geomagnetic activity and white blood cell counts in the Normative Aging Study (NAS) Cohort between 2000 and 2013. Linear mixed effects models with moving day averages ranging from 0 to 28 days were used to evaluate the effects of solar activity measures, interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), and sunspot number (SSN), and a measure of geomagnetic activity, K Index (K), on total white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, monocytes, lymphocyte, eosinophil, and basophil concentrations. After adjusting for demographic and health-related factors, there were consistently significant associations between IMF, SSN, and Kp index, with reductions in total WBC, neutrophils, and basophil counts. These associations were stronger with longer moving averages. The associations were similar after adjusting for ambient air particulate pollution and particle radioactivity. Our findings suggest that periods of increased solar and geomagnetic activity result in lower WBC, neutrophil, and basophil counts that may contribute to mil mild immune suppression. •Increased solar activity and geomagnetic disturbances are associated with significant decreases in peripheral leukocytes.•The associations remained similar after controlling for ambient air pollution.•Melatonin secretion and nervous system dysregulation are the hypothesized mechanisms of this association
ISSN:0013-9351
1096-0953
DOI:10.1016/j.envres.2021.112066