What matters beyond particle matter?: Examining air pollution's synergistic effects on bodies and health through Bio3Science in Medellin

Abstract

Scientific literature on the health effects of air pollution is diverse, and broadly acknowledges the importance of human experience and social and economic precarity as modifying factors. Still, the inclusion of the embodied experience of air pollution has been limited. Also, the health effects of pollution are often studied at the group or population level, without adequately considering individual difference. This paper uses a Bio³Science framework, which integrates biology, biography, and biosphere, to explore how air pollution affects residents in Medellín, Colombia. By using qualitative research on individual experiences of air pollution (biography) to probe the intersection of individual health (biology) and environment (biosphere), we illustrate how pollution shapes lived rhythms at multiple scales. Our findings emphasize that air pollution's health impacts extend beyond measurable pollutants to include the complex synergies of smoke, noise, stress, and disruptions to daily life. This comprehensive approach provides a nuanced understanding of how air pollution materially shapes the lives of individuals and communities, advocating for research models that capture the subtle, everyday experiences often overlooked by traditional group or population-level analyses.