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Huang W, Zhou Y, Chen X, Zeng X, Knibbs LD, Zhang Y, Jalaludin B, Dharmage SC, Morawska L, Guo Y, Yang X, Zhang L, Shan A, Chen J, Wang T, Heinrich J, Gao M, Lin L, Xiao X, Zhou P, Yu Y, Tang N, Dong G. Individual and joint associations of long-term exposure to air pollutants and cardiopulmonary mortality: a 22-year cohort study in Northern China. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. WESTERN PACIFIC 2023; 36:100776. [PMID: 37547049 PMCID: PMC10398602 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Background Evidence on the associations between long-term exposure to multiple air pollutants and cardiopulmonary mortality is limited, especially for developing regions with higher pollutant levels. We aimed to characterise the individual and joint (multi-pollutant) associations of long-term exposure to air pollutants with cardiopulmonary mortality, and to identify air pollutant that primarily contributes to the mortality risk. Methods We followed 37,442 participants with a mean age of 43.5 years in four cities in northern China (Tianjin, Shenyang, Taiyuan, and Rizhao) from January 1998 to December 2019. Annual particulate matter (PM) with diameters ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), ≤10 μm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were estimated using daily average values from satellite-derived machine learning models and monitoring stations. Time-varying Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the individual association between air pollutants and mortality from non-accidental causes, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), non-malignant respiratory diseases (RDs) and lung cancer, accounting for demographic and socioeconomic factors. Effect modifications by age, sex, income and education level were also examined. Quantile-based g-Computation integrated with time-to-event data was additionally applied to evaluate the co-effects and the relative weight of contributions for air pollutants. Findings During 785,807 person-years of follow-up, 5812 (15.5%) died from non-accidental causes, among which 2932 (7.8%) were from all CVDs, 479 (1.3%) from non-malignant RDs, and 552 (1.4%) from lung cancer. Long-term exposure to PM10 (mean [baseline]: 136.5 μg/m3), PM2.5 (mean [baseline]: 70.2 μg/m3), SO2 (mean [baseline]: 113.0 μg/m3) and NO2 (mean [baseline]: 39.2 μg/m3) were adversely and consistently associated with all mortality outcomes. A 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with higher mortality from non-accidental causes (hazard ratio 1.20; 95% confidence interval 1.17-1.23), CVDs (1.23; 1.19-1.28), non-malignant RDs (1.37; 1.25-1.49) and lung cancer (1.14; 1.05-1.23). A monotonically increasing curve with linear or supra-linear shape with no evidence of a threshold was observed for the exposure-response relationship of mortality with individual or joint exposure to air pollutants. PM2.5 consistently contributed most to the elevated mortality risks related to air pollutant mixture, followed by SO2 or PM10. Interpretation There was a strong and positive association of long-term individual and joint exposure to PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and NO2 with mortalities from non-accidental causes, CVDs, non-malignant RDs and lung cancer in high-exposure settings, with PM2.5 potentially being the main contributor. The shapes of associations were consistent with a linear or supra-linear exposure-response relationship, with no lower threshold observed within the range of concentrations in this study. Funding National Key Research and Development Program of China, the China Scholarship Council, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhong Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Yang Zhou
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
- Center for International Collaborative Research on Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Xiaowen Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Luke D. Knibbs
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Public Health Research Analytics and Methods for Evidence, Public Health Unit, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Yunting Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Bin Jalaludin
- Centre for Air Quality and Health Research and Evaluation, Glebe, NSW 2037, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medial Research, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Shyamali C. Dharmage
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Lidia Morawska
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
| | - Yuming Guo
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Xueli Yang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
- Center for International Collaborative Research on Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Liwen Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
- Center for International Collaborative Research on Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Anqi Shan
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
- Center for International Collaborative Research on Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Tong Wang
- School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Joachim Heinrich
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich 80336, Germany
| | - Meng Gao
- Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lizi Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiang Xiao
- Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Peien Zhou
- Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, United Kingdom
| | - Yunjiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Naijun Tang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Guanghui Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
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Westberg H, Elihn K, Andersson E, Persson B, Andersson L, Bryngelsson IL, Karlsson C, Sjögren B. Inflammatory markers and exposure to airborne particles among workers in a Swedish pulp and paper mill. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2016; 89:813-22. [PMID: 26875192 PMCID: PMC4871919 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-016-1119-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To study the relationship between exposure to airborne particles in a pulp and paper mill and markers of inflammation and coagulation in blood. METHODS Personal sampling of inhalable dust was performed for 72 subjects working in a Swedish pulp and paper mill. Stationary measurements were used to study concentrations of total dust, respirable dust, PM10 and PM2.5, the particle surface area and the particle number concentrations. Markers of inflammation, interleukins (IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10), C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), and fibrinogen and markers of coagulation factor VIII, von Willebrand, plasminogen activator inhibitor, and D-dimer were measured in plasma or serum. Sampling was performed on the last day of the work free period of 5 days, before and after the shift the first day of work and after the shifts the second and third day. In a mixed model analysis, the relationship between particulate exposures and inflammatory markers was determined. Sex, age, smoking, and BMI were included as covariates. RESULTS The average 8-h time-weighted average (TWA) air concentration levels of inhalable dust were 0.30 mg/m(3), range 0.005-3.3 mg/m(3). The proxies for average 8-h TWAs of respirable dust were 0.045 mg/m(3). Significant and consistent positive relations were found between several exposure metrics (PM 10, total and inhalable dust) and CRP, SAA and fibrinogen taken post-shift, suggesting a dose-effect relationship. CONCLUSION This study supports a relationship between occupational particle exposure and established inflammatory markers, which may indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Håkan Westberg
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Örebro University Hospital, 701 85, Örebro, Sweden.
| | - Karine Elihn
- Department of Applied Environmental Science, Atmospheric Science Unit, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eva Andersson
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Box 414, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Bodil Persson
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital, 221 85, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, 581 85, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Lennart Andersson
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Örebro University Hospital, 701 85, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Ing-Liss Bryngelsson
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Örebro University Hospital, 701 85, Örebro, Sweden
| | | | - Bengt Sjögren
- Work Environment Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
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Vallières E, Pintos J, Parent ME, Siemiatycki J. Occupational exposure to wood dust and risk of lung cancer in two population-based case-control studies in Montreal, Canada. Environ Health 2015; 14:1. [PMID: 25564290 PMCID: PMC4417249 DOI: 10.1186/1476-069x-14-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/24/2014] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wood dust is one of the oldest and one of the most common occupational exposures in the world. The present analyses examine the effect of lifetime exposure to wood dust in diverse occupational settings on lung cancer risk. METHODS We conducted two population-based case-control studies in Montreal: Study I (1979-1986) included 857 cases and two sets of controls (533 population and 1349 cancer controls), and Study II (1996-2001) comprised 736 cases and 894 population controls. Detailed job histories were obtained by interview and each job was evaluated by expert chemist-hygienists to estimate the likelihood and level of exposure to many substances, one of which was wood dust. Odds ratios (ORs) were computed in relation to different indices of exposure to wood dust, adjusting for several covariates including smoking. Three datasets were analysed: Study I with population controls, Study I with cancer controls, and Study II. RESULTS The most frequently exposed occupations in our study population were in construction, timber and furniture making industries. We found increased risks of lung cancer for substantial cumulative exposure to wood dust in Study I with cancer controls, (OR = 1.4: 95% confidence interval 1.0;-2.0) and in Study II (OR = 1.7: 95% confidence interval 1.1-2.7). There were no excess risks of lung cancer in any of the three datasets among workers whose cumulative exposure was not substantial. These tendencies held equally within strata of low smokers and heavy smokers. CONCLUSION There was evidence of increased risk of lung cancer among workers with substantial cumulative exposure to wood dust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Vallières
- />INRS – Armand-Frappier Institute, Université du Québec, Laval, QC Canada
- />CHUM Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC Canada
- />Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Javier Pintos
- />CHUM Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC Canada
| | - Marie-Elise Parent
- />INRS – Armand-Frappier Institute, Université du Québec, Laval, QC Canada
- />CHUM Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC Canada
- />Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Jack Siemiatycki
- />CHUM Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC Canada
- />Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC Canada
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Andersson E, Murgia N, Nilsson T, Karlsson B, Torén K. Incidence of chronic bronchitis in a cohort of pulp mill workers with repeated gassings to sulphur dioxide and other irritant gases. Environ Health 2013; 12:113. [PMID: 24354705 PMCID: PMC3882105 DOI: 10.1186/1476-069x-12-113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Occupational exposure to irritants is associated with chronic bronchitis. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether repeated peak exposures with respiratory symptoms, gassings, to sulphur dioxide (SO2) and other irritant gases could increase the risk of chronic bronchitis. METHODS The study population comprised 3,060 Swedish pulp mill workers (84% males) from a cohort study, who completed a comprehensive questionnaire with items on chronic bronchitis symptoms, smoking habit, occupational history, and specific exposures, including gassings. 2,037 have worked in sulphite mills. Incidence rates and hazard ratios (HRs) for the observation period, 1970-2000, in relation to exposure and the frequency of repeated gassings to SO2 and other irritant gases were calculated. RESULTS The incidence rate for chronic bronchitis among workers with repeated gassings was 3.5/1,000 person-years compared with 1.5/1,000 person-years among unexposed workers (HR 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-3.1). The risk was even higher in the subgroup with frequent gassings (HR 3.2, 95% CI 2.0-5.2), particularly among never-smokers (HR 8.7, 95% CI 3.5-22). CONCLUSIONS Repeated gassings to irritant gases increased the incidence of chronic bronchitis in our study population during and after work in pulp mills, supporting the hypothesis that occupational exposures to irritants negatively affect the airways. These results underscore the importance of preventive actions in this work environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Andersson
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Nicola Murgia
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden
- Section of Occupational Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Toxicology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Tohr Nilsson
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sundsvall Hospital, Sundsvall, Sweden
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Berndt Karlsson
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kjell Torén
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden
- Section of Occupational Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Toxicology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- Section of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
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Cancer incidence among Swedish pulp and paper mill workers: a cohort study of sulphate and sulphite mills. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2012; 86:529-40. [PMID: 22644408 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-012-0785-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Accepted: 05/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Associations between various malignancies and work in the pulp and paper industry have been reported but mostly in analyses of mortality rather than incidence. We aimed to study cancer incidence by main mill pulping process, department and gender in a Swedish cohort of pulp and paper mill workers. METHODS The cohort (18,113 males and 2,292 females, enrolled from 1939 to 1999 with >1 year of employment) was followed up for cancer incidence from 1958 to 2001. Information on the workers' department and employment was obtained from the mills' personnel files, and standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated using the Swedish population as reference. RESULTS Overall cancer incidence, in total 2,488 cases, was not increased by work in any department. However, risks of pleural mesothelioma were increased among males employed in sulphate pulping (SIR, 8.38; 95 % CI, 3.37-17) and maintenance (SIR, 6.35; 95 % CI, 3.47-11), with no corresponding increase of lung cancer. Testicular cancer risks were increased among males employed in sulphate pulping (SIR, 4.14; 95 % CI, 1.99-7.61) and sulphite pulping (SIR, 2.59; 95 % CI, 0.95-5.64). Female paper production workers showed increased risk of skin tumours other than malignant melanoma (SIR, 2.92; 95 % CI, 1.18-6.02). CONCLUSIONS Incidence of pleural mesothelioma was increased in the cohort, showing that asbestos exposure still has severe health consequences, and highlighting the exigency of strict asbestos regulations and elimination. Testicular cancer was increased among pulping department workers. Shift work and endocrine disruptors could be of interest in this context.
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Bhatti P, Newcomer L, Onstad L, Teschke K, Camp J, Morgan M, Vaughan TL. Wood dust exposure and risk of lung cancer. Occup Environ Med 2010; 68:599-604. [PMID: 21071755 DOI: 10.1136/oem.2010.060004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite the compelling association between wood dust and sinonasal cancer, there has been little systematic and rigorous study of the relationship between wood dust and lung cancer. We investigated whether a history of wood dust exposure through occupational and hobby-related activities was associated with increased lung cancer risk. METHODS We conducted a population-based case-control study, with 440 cases and 845 age-matched controls. Using detailed work and personal histories, quantitative estimates of cumulative exposure to wood dust (thought to be primarily from softwood) were calculated for each participant. Using unconditional logistic regression adjusted for age and smoking status, risk of lung cancer was examined in relation to employment in wood-related occupations, working with wood as a hobby, as well as cumulative wood dust exposure that took into account both occupational and hobby-related sources. RESULTS While we observed an increased risk of lung cancer associated with working in a sawmill (OR=1.5; 95% CI: 1.1, 2.1), we found no evidence of increased risks with other occupations, working with wood as a hobby or with estimated cumulative exposure to wood dust. Contrary to our hypothesis, we observed modest decreased risks with exposure to wood dust, although no dose-response relationship was apparent. CONCLUSIONS This study provided somewhat reassuring evidence that softwood dust does not increase the risk of lung cancer, but future studies should evaluate exposure to hardwood dusts. Suggestive evidence for an inverse association may be attributable to the presence of endotoxin in the wood dust, but the lack of a dose-response relationship suggests a non-causal relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parveen Bhatti
- Program in Epidemiology, Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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