# Infectious Diseases Associated with Exposure to Pollutants in a Local Population from Mexico
## 4 Discussion
Pesticides have been quantified in different parts of Mexico, which constitutes an environmental problem since they are present in soil, water, and aquatic fauna [32]. Organophosphate pesticides (chlororyrifos and malathion) used by producers in the study areas have been associated with chronic bronchitis and lung cancer [33; 34]. These organophosphates increase the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines that cause respiratory problems [35]. Likewise, they also generate damage to the bronchial epithelium that increases infection by respiratory pathogens [36; 37]. In this study, the population's exposure to pesticides is associated with a lower probability of developing infectious respiratory processes, locating geographical Zones 1 and 4 of the municipality of Acatzingo, Puebla, Mexico, with a lower probability of risk (0% and 17.8%). However, hydrocarbon contamination (Zone 3) is where there is a greater probability of risk in the population (31.7%). [PERSON] et al. [38] associate pesticide poisoning with the spread of infectious respiratory diseases and mention that the potential impact of the transmission of infectious disease will depend on the genetic susceptibility of the population to the toxic substance, which explains the differences between the zones of our study. Furthermore, in Mexican flower growers, paraoxonase-1 activity and PON1 polymorphisms have been related to chronic exposure to pesticides reported in this study, such as oxamyl, imidalcoprid, and abamectin, which contribute to ethnic identification but are not associated with tobacco consumption and alcohol, like our results [39]. There is a greater prevalence of infectious diseases when hydrocarbons are present. This is related to the fact that continuous exposure to petroleum products such as PAH has been documented to increase biomarkers such as resistin, IgE, and interleukin-10 associated with adverse respiratory problems such as asthma and pathogenesis [40; 41; 42]. The work of [PERSON] et al. [43] has demonstrated the association between exposure to PAHs (as benz[a]anthracene) in the air and respiratory symptoms, such as the prevalence of chronic cough in children and adults. As well as its association with chronic bronchitis (1-hydroxynphthalene OR: 1.559, 95% CI: 1.271-1.912; 2-hydroxynaphthalene OR: 2.498, 95% CI: 1.524-4.095; 3-hydroxyfluorene OR: 2.752, 95% CI: 2.100-3.608; 2-hydroxyfluorene OR: 3.461, 95% CI: 2.438-4.914; 1-hydroxyphenanthrene OR: 2.442, 95% CI: 1.515-3.937; 1-hydroxypyrene OR: 2.828, 95% CI: 1.728-4.629; 2 and 3-hydroxyphenanthrene OR: 3.690, 95% CI: 2.309-5.896) [44]. In addition, PAH compounds are involved in the pathogenesis of respiratory diseases through the induction of local lung inflammation and reflexes of the autonomic nervous system by receptors in the respiratory tract and cross the epithelial barrier, causing responses in tissues and cells [45]. Zone 3 presented the highest probability of developing infectious diseases due to hydrocarbon spills that have caused small plots of land, less than 0.1 ha, to be abandoned without being restored in accordance with the provisions of the Mexican standard NOM-138-SEMARNAT/SSA1-2012 [25]. Therefore, many sites contaminated with hydrocarbons (68,900 mg kg\({}^{-1}\) of diesel) [46] present health risks. Understanding how pollution affects the immune response against infections would allow the establishment of effective epidemiological strategies, improving clinical treatments and quality of life. The majority of the population (37.33%) dedicated to agriculture in Acatzingo, Puebla, Mexico, corresponds to men and 14.51% to women over 12 years of age [10]. However, the lack of regulation of pesticides (approved list for use, import control, distribution, or disposal) and hydrocarbon spills due to the presence of polyducts increase the risk of infections due to short, medium, and long-term exposure.