This study aimed to evaluate the associations between ambient air pollutants, obesity, and kidney function.

We enrolled 3345 people who had undergone health checkups at Seoul National University Hospital. We recorded the annual average concentrations of ambient air pollutants, including particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤10 μm (PM₁₀), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and carbon monoxide (CO), in each subject’s residential area. Various obesity traits, such as body mass index, waist circumference, and visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue areas, were measured by quantified computerized tomography (CT), and kidney function was assessed in relation to estimated glomerular filtration rate as an indicator of kidney function.

High PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, and CO concentrations were significantly associated with decreased kidney function (β = −2.39 and standard error = 0.32, −1.00 and 0.31, −1.23 and 0.28, and −1.32 and 0.29, respectively), and with the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The association between air pollutant concentrations and decreased kidney function, including CKD, was stronger among those with high abdominal adiposity, as defined by CT measurement. For example, the association between increased concentrations of air pollutants and the prevalence of CKD was stronger in the group with greater visceral adiposity than in the group with less visceral adiposity (aORs = 1.29 vs 1.16 for PM₁₀, 1.42 vs 1.21 for SO₂, and 1.27 vs 1.11 for CO).

Long-term exposure to higher concentrations of air pollutants was unfavorably associated with kidney function and CKD prevalence, especially in people with abdominal obesity. This may indicate a high susceptibility to air pollutants in obese people.