Air pollutants and early origins of respiratory diseases

Exposure to urban particulate matter (UPM) impairs mitochondrial dynamics in BV2 cells, triggering a mitochondrial biogenesis response

World Health Organisation data suggest that up to 99% of the global population are exposed to air pollutants above recommended levels. Impacts to health range from increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease to chronic respiratory conditions, and air pollution may contribute to over 7 million premature deaths a year. Additionally, mounting evidence suggests that in utero or early life exposure to particulate matter (PM) in ambient air pollution increases the risk of neurodevelopmental impairment with obvious lifelong consequences. Identifying brain-specific cellular targets of PM is vital for determining its long-term consequences. We previously established that microglial-like BV2 cells were particularly sensitive to urban (U)PM-induced damage including reactive oxygen species production, which was abrogated by a mitochondrially targeted antioxidant. Here we extend those studies to find that UPM treatment causes a rapid impairment of mitochondrial function and increased mitochondrial fragmentation. However, there is a subsequent restoration of mitochondrial and therefore cell health occurring concomitantly with upregulated measures of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial load. Our data highlight that protecting mitochondrial function may represent a valuable mechanism to offset the effects of UPM exposure in the neonatal brain. KEY POINTS: Air pollution represents a growing risk to long-term health especially in early life, and the CNS is emerging a target for airborne particulate matter (PM). We previously showed that microglial-like BV2 cells were vulnerable to urban (U)PM exposure, which impaired cell survival and promoted reactive oxygen species production. Here we find that, following UPM exposure, BV2 mitochondrial membrane potential is rapidly reduced, concomitant with decreased cellular bioenergetics and increased mitochondrial fission. However, markers of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial mass are subsequently induced, which may represent a cellular mitigation strategy. As mitochondria are more vulnerable in the developing brain, exposure to air pollution may represent a greater risk to lifelong health in this cohort; conversely, promoting mitochondrial integrity may offset these risks.

The relationship between toxic air pollution, health expenditure, and economic growth in the European Union: fresh evidence from the PMG-ARDL model

Air pollution is a danger to economies throughout the European Union. Industry, population expansion, a building boom owing to housing and infrastructure development, increasing vehicle traffic, crowded streets, a lack of availability of clean fuel, and ineffective control programs are the primary causes. Toxic air is a double-edged sword for a country's health since it affects just a tiny fraction of Europe's population. The financial burden and healthcare expenses for people rise when health expenditures rise. The present research looks at how dangerous air levels, healthcare costs, and the expansion of the European Union's economy are all connected. The findings are based on data collected over 29 years and account for the abovementioned variables. The results of the unit root test have the significant probability values of all variables: health expenditures (HE), gross domestic product (GDP), nitrous oxides (NOX), and carbon dioxides (CO2) emissions at both level and first difference. We used the Johansen, Kao, and Pedroni cointegration tests to test the null hypothesis of no cointegration to see that sample variables had a long-term association. The PMG-ARDL test was used to get these findings. The results confirmed the significant probability values of dependent variables in long- and short-run results that GDP has a positive and significant effect on health expenditure, while NOX and CO2 emissions have a negative and significant impact on (HE), in the European Union. To verify the results, we applied the robustness test, fully modified OLS (FMOLD), and dynamic OLS (DOLS); the robustness test results validated the PMG-ARDL test results. Environmental pollution (CO2, NOX) has a significant and negative impact on healthcare expenditures and a significant effect on GDP (HE) in the EU region. The findings of this research have implications for a wide range of parties, including those who would examine the link between factors in a study meant to improve air quality, distribute health resources, or develop strategies for economic development.

WITHDRAWN: Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matter during Pregnancy: Implications for Infant Telomere Length

This manuscript has been withdrawn by the authors as it was submitted and made public without the full consent of all the authors. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author. The authors have an approved version for citation that is peer reviewed. Ahlers, N.E.; Lin, J.; Weiss, S.J. Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matter during Pregnancy: Implications for Infant Telomere Length. Air 2024, 2, 24-37. https://doi.org/10.3390/air2010002.

The Climate Crisis and Breastfeeding: Opportunities for Resilience

The climate crisis is an emerging global challenge that poses potential risks to breastfeeding practices and outcomes. There are multifaceted effects of climate change affecting the breastfeeding dyad across environmental, societal, and human health dimensions. Breastfeeding support in the face of climate change will require solutions at the structural level-healthcare, community, and workplace settings-and at the mother-infant dyad level. Breastfeeding can additionally be an adaptive response to crisis situations and can mitigate some of the environmental challenges associated with climate change. Despite the undeniable significance of climate change on breastfeeding (and vice versa), our perspective as experts in the field is that this topic has not been systematically addressed. Although we highlight some of the challenges, potential solutions, and co-benefits of breastfeeding in the context of climate change, there are numerous issues that could be further explored and necessitate additional preparedness planning.

Investigating the temporal dynamics of sub-micron particles and particle-bound transition metals in indoor air of a metropolitan city

The present study portrays an association between particle-bound transition metals and children's health. The indoor air quality of the urban metropolitan city households was monitored for four PM sizes, namely PM1.0-2.5, PM0.50-1.0, PM0.25-0.50 and PM<0.25, in major seasons observed in the city; summer and winter. Further transition/heavy metals, viz. Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn, were analysed in PM1-2.5 samples. In order to evaluate the effect, health risk assessment was performed using mathematical and computational model for assessing dermal exposure and dose estimation (multiple path particle dosimetry model version3.0). The study principally targeted the children aged 2-15 years for the health risk assessment. According to the results, for the largest particle size i.e. PM1.0-2.5 the highest deposition was in the head region (49.1%) followed by pulmonary (43.6%) and tracheobronchial region (7.2%), whereas, for the smallest particle size i.e. PM<0.25 the highest deposition was obtained in the pulmonary region (73.0%) followed by the head (13.6%) and TB region (13.2%). Also, the most imperilled group of children with highest dose accumulation was found to be children aged 8-9 years for all particle sizes. Moreover, the dermal exposure dose as evaluated was found to be preeminent for Ni, Zn and Pb. Besides, seasonal variation gesticulated towards elevated concentrations in winter relative to the summer season. Altogether, the study will provide a conception to the researchers in the fields mounting season-specific guidelines and mitigation approaches. Conclusively, the study commends future work focussing on defining the effects of other chemical components on particles and associated transition metal composition along with proper extenuation of the same.

Biomarkers of the relationship of particulate matter exposure with the progression of chronic respiratory diseases

A high level of particulate matter (PM) in air is correlated with the onset and development of chronic respiratory diseases. We conducted a systematic literature review, searching the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases for studies of biomarkers of the effect of PM exposure on chronic respiratory diseases and the progression thereof. Thirty-eight articles on biomarkers of the progression of chronic respiratory diseases after exposure to PM were identified, four of which were eligible for review. Serum, sputum, urine, and exhaled breath condensate biomarkers of the effect of PM exposure on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma had a variety of underlying mechanisms. We summarized the functions of biomarkers linked to COPD and asthma and their biological plausibility. We identified few biomarkers of PM exposure-related progression of chronic respiratory diseases. The included studies were restricted to those on biomarkers of the relationship of PM exposure with the progression of chronic respiratory diseases. The predictive power of biomarkers of the effect of PM exposure on chronic respiratory diseases varies according to the functions of the biomarkers.

Air Pollutants and Risk of Parkinson's Disease among Women in the Sister Study

BACKGROUND

Air pollutants may contribute to the development of Parkinson's disease (PD), but empirical evidence is limited and inconsistent.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to prospectively investigate the associations of PD with ambient exposures to fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μ m (PM 2.5 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ).

METHODS

We analyzed data from 47,108 US women from the Sister Study, enrolled from 2003-2009 (35-80 years of age) and followed through 2018. Exposures of interest included address-level ambient PM 2.5 and NO 2 in 2009 and their cumulative averages from 2009 to PD diagnosis with varying lag-years. The primary outcome was PD diagnosis between 2009 and 2018 (n = 163 ). We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards and time-varying Cox models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

NO 2 exposure in 2009 was associated with PD risk in a dose-response manner. The HR and 95% CI were 1.22 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.46) for one interquartile [4.8 parts per billion (ppb)] increment in NO 2 , adjusting for age, race and ethnicity, education, smoking status, alcohol drinking, caffeine intake, body mass index, physical activity, census region, residential area type, area deprivation index (ADI), and self-reported health status. The association was confirmed in secondary analyses with time-varying averaged cumulative exposures. For example, the multivariable adjusted HR for PD per 4.8   ppb increment in NO 2 was 1.25 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.50) in the 2-year lag analysis using cumulative average exposure. Post hoc subgroup analyses overall confirmed the association. However, statistical interaction analyses found that the positive association of NO 2 with PD risk was limited to women in urban, rural, and small town areas and women with ≥ 50 th percentile ADI but not among women from suburban areas or areas with < 50 th percentile ADI. In contrast, PM 2.5 exposure was not associated with PD risk with the possible exception for women from the Midwest region of the US (HR interquartile -range = 2.49 , 95% CI: 1.20, 5.14) but not in other census regions.

DISCUSSION

In this nationwide cohort of US women, higher level exposure to ambient NO 2 is associated with a greater risk of PD. This finding needs to be independently confirmed and the underlying mechanisms warrant further investigation. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13009.

Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution and Respiratory Distress in Term Newborns: Results from the MIREC Prospective Pregnancy Cohort

BACKGROUND

Respiratory distress is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide, and prenatal exposure to air pollution is associated with adverse long-term respiratory outcomes; however, the impact of prenatal air pollution exposure on neonatal respiratory distress has not been well studied.

OBJECTIVES

We examined associations between prenatal exposures to fine particular matter (PM 2.5 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) with respiratory distress and related neonatal outcomes.

METHODS

We used data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study, a prospective pregnancy cohort (n = 2,001 ) recruited in the first trimester from 10 Canadian cities. Prenatal exposures to PM 2.5 (n = 1,321 ) and NO 2 (n = 1,064 ) were estimated using land-use regression and satellite-derived models coupled with ground-level monitoring and linked to participants based on residential location at birth. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between air pollution and physician-diagnosed respiratory distress in term neonates in hierarchical logistic regression models adjusting for detailed maternal and infant covariates.

RESULTS

Approximately 7 % of newborns experienced respiratory distress. Neonates received clinical interventions including oxygen therapy (6%), assisted ventilation (2%), and systemic antibiotics (3%). Two percent received multiple interventions and 4% were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Median PM 2.5 and NO 2 concentrations during pregnancy were 8.81   μ g / m 3 and 18.02  ppb , respectively. Prenatal exposures to air pollution were not associated with physician-diagnosed respiratory distress, oxygen therapy, or NICU admissions. However, PM 2.5 exposures were strongly associated with assisted ventilation (OR per 1 - μ g / m 3 increase in PM 2.5 = 1.17 ; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.35), multiple clinical interventions (OR per 1 - μ g / m 3 increase in PM 2.5 = 1.16 ; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.26), and systemic antibiotics, (OR per 1 - μ g / m 3 increase in PM 2.5 = 1.12 ; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.21). These associations were consistent across exposure periods-that is, during prepregnancy, individual trimesters, and total pregnancy-and robust to model specification. NO 2 exposure was associated with administration of systemic antibiotics (OR per 1-ppb increase in NO 2 = 1.03 ; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.06).

DISCUSSION

Prenatal exposures to PM 2.5 increased the risk of severe respiratory distress among term newborns. These findings support the development and prioritization of public health and prenatal care strategies to increase awareness and minimize prenatal exposures to air pollution. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12880.

The net effect of wealth on health-Investigating noncommunicable diseases mortality in the context of regional affluence

The wealth-health relationship is not unambiguous and constant. Greater wealth affects individual and population health in opposite ways. Increased risk factors especially raise the probability of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) impacting a population. Conversely, better healthcare and awareness reduce the chances of developing these diseases or increase the likelihood of treatment and cure. Therefore, this paper aims to assess and quantify the hard-to-grasp overall impact of prosperity on mortality from selected NCDs, allowing us to capture the relevant differences between European regions. In particular, we attempt to estimate the net effect of affluence and the health economic threshold of the GDP-mortality relationship, by developing a dedicated analytical tool based on joinpoint regression and forecasting methods. Our results show that in the case of most investigated diseases in more impoverished regions, a clear pattern reflects mortality rising with prosperity. After crossing the health economic threshold of around 20 thousand euros per capita, the trend changes by stabilising or reversing. The research we present shows that health policy should be more diversified locally to enable health convergence at the national and European regional levels. Moreover, health policy should evolve to prioritise mental and neurological disorders, by improving the resource allocation and increasing public awareness.

Poor Respiratory Health is a Consequence of Dhaka's Polluted Air: A Bangladeshi Perspective

Dhaka, which is the capital and largest metropolis of Bangladesh, has seen an increase in the number of documented cases of respiratory disorders. Every day in Dhaka city, a remarkable number of patients are being diagnosed with poor respiratory conditions. The majority of these patients have no other severe disease history and mostly need to be exposed to outdoor air to meet their occupational requirements, indicating that the ailment may be associated with polluted air. As this is the most pressing issue that must be addressed in order to safeguard public health, we have made an effort to focus on the current situation surrounding the sources of air pollution in the city. Since this is a viewpoint article, we gathered data from various published articles, national dailies, and international reports generated by WHO, CDC, BBC, or other environmental news/report portals to highlight the public health issue related to respiratory health. Poor respiratory health is one of the main consequences of Dhaka's contaminated air, as determined by our analysis.

Evaluation of plant species for air pollution tolerance and phytoremediation potential in proximity to a coal thermal power station: implications for smart green cities

In metropolitan areas, air pollution poses a significant threat, and it is crucial to carefully select plant species that can tolerate such conditions. This requires a scientific approach based on systematic evaluation before recommending them to executive bodies. This study aimed to determine the air pollution tolerance index (APTI), dust retention capacity, and phytoremediation ability of 10 plant species growing in and around a lignite-based coal thermal power station. The results showed that Ficus benghalensis L. had the highest APTI, followed by Mimusops elengi L., Ficus religiosa L., Azadirachta indica A. Juss., and Annona reticulata L. F. benghalensis also showed the highest pH of leaf extract, relative water content, total chlorophyll, and ascorbic acid content, as well as the highest dust capturing capacity. Among the ten plant species, F. benghalensis, M. elengi, F. religiosa, A. indica and F. racemosa were identified as a tolerant group that can be used for particulate matter suppression and heavy metal stabilization in and around thermal power plants. These findings can inform the selection of plants for effective green infrastructure in smart green cities, promoting the health and well-being of urban populations. This research is relevant to urban planners, policymakers, and environmentalists interested in sustainable urban development and air pollution mitigation.

Estimation of premature death attributed to short- and long-term PM2.5 exposure in Thailand

Particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) has been identified as a global health concern in recent decades. Indeed, PM2.5 exposure causes detrimental health problems in the general population. Estimating the short- and long-term health impacts of PM2.5 exposure should help to shape public health policy concerning air pollution. Hence, this study sought to estimate the rate of premature death attributable to PM2.5 exposure among the Thai population if the PM2.5 concentration met the applied counterfactual factor. The PM2.5 concentration, population numbers, and numbers of health incidences were collected from secondary data sources in 2019. A health impact analysis was performed using AirQ+ software to estimate the incidences of premature deaths attributable to PM2.5 exposure. More specifically, the analysis provided the estimated proportion of attributable cases and the rate of premature death per 100,000 population aged ≥ 30 years. The annual average PM2.5 concentration in Thailand was found to be 24.15 µg per cubic meter (μg/m3) in 2019, while the natural mortality rate was around 1,107 per 100,000 population nationwide. With regard to short-term PM2.5 exposure, it was determined that 8 premature deaths per 100,000 population could be prevented if the PM2.5 concentration met the World Health Organization (WHO) short-term gold standard of 15 μg/m3. Moreover, 159 premature deaths per 100,000 population could be avoided if the PM2.5 concentration met the WHO's long-term gold standard of 5 μg/m3. This estimation of premature deaths due to the short- and long-term impacts of PM2.5 exposure can support policymakers and stakeholders in creating a roadmap to combating the adverse impacts of PM2.5 exposure and protect the health of the Thai population.

Spatio-temporal evaluation of respiratory disease based on the information provided by patients admitted to a medical college hospital in Bangladesh using geographic information system

In Bangladesh respiratory illnesses are one of the leading risk factors for death and disability. Limited access to healthcare services, indoor and outdoor air pollution, large-scale use of smoking materials, allergens, and lack of awareness are among the known leading factors contributing to respiratory illness in Bangladesh. Key initiatives taken by the government to handle respiratory illnesses include, changing of respiratory health policy, building awareness, enhancing healthcare facility, and promoting prevention measures. Despite all these efforts, the number of individuals suffering from respiratory diseases has increased steadily during the recent years. This study aims at examining the distribution pattern of respiratory diseases over space and time using Geographic Information System, which is expected to contribute to the better understand of the factors contributing to respiratory illness development. To achieve the aims of the study two interviews were conducted among patients with respiratory sickness in the medicine and respiratory medicine units of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital between January and April of 2019 and 2020 following the guidelines provided by the Ethics Committee, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh (ethical approval reference number: 2018/08). Principal component extraction and spatial statistical analyses were performed to identify the key respiratory illnesses and their geographical distribution pattern respectively. The results indicate, during January-February the number of patients was a lot higher compared to March-April. The patients were hospitalized mainly due to four respiratory diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, pneumonia, and pulmonary hypertension). Geographical distribution pattern of respiratory disease cases also varied considerably between the years as well as months of the years. This information seems reasonable to elucidate the spatio-temporal distribution of respiratory disease and thus improve the existing prevention, control, and cure practices of respiratory illness of the study area. Approach used in this study to elicit spatio-temporal distribution of repertory disease can easily be implemented in other areas with similar geographical settings and patients' illness information from hospital.

Short-term effects of air pollution on hospital admissions of respiratory diseases in Hamadan, Iran, 2015 to 2021

The short-term effects of air pollution on respiratory diseases have been reported in many countries. Urban areas are most affected because of the many sources of pollution and the large number of people living there. This study aims to investigate the effect of short-term exposure to air pollutants on respiratory hospital admissions in the city of Hamadan. In this ecological study, daily hospital admission data were collected from Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Hamadan. Daily information on air pollutants (CO, SO2, NO2, O3, PM2.5 and PM10) from Hamadan Department of Environment (DoE) organization and of climate factors from Hamadan Meteorological Office were collected. A negative binomial regression model was used to examine the effect of air pollution on daily respiratory hospitalizations. The effect of exposure to pollutants was measured whit different time lags (0-7 days). Furthermore, the effect of meteorological variables was controlled. Subgroup analyses were performed by sex and age group. A total of 12,454 hospitalizations for respiratory diseases were recorded. Results showed a strong and immediate effect of CO on respiratory hospital admissions with highest association at lag 7 (relative risk (RR) = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.33, 1.42). The effects of CO and SO2 on respiratory hospitalizations are greater for men than women. Regarding the short-term effects of PM2.5, SO2 and O3, adults (aged less than 65) were more prone to hospitalization for respiratory diseases. These results show that exposure to air pollution, particularly CO, may increase hospital admissions due to respiratory illness. So reducing the concentration of these pollutants can reduce the number of hospital admissions.

Determinants of knowledge associated with occupational hazards and perceived health problems among dye workers in Abeokuta, Nigeria

Background

Identification of potential hazards, their adverse health effects, and predisposing factors in the workplace are critical to improving safety. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge of occupational hazards, the prevalence of perceived health problems and their predictors among textile dye workers in Abeokuta Nigeria who work in unsupervised settings.

Materials and Methods

In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 199 participants using a validated semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of knowledge while Pearson Chi-square was employed to test the association between perceived health problems, sociodemographics and work environment characteristics.

Results

The mean age of the respondents was 40 (SD=12) years with an average work experience of 19 years. The majority of respondents 139 (69.8%) had lower than average scores on knowledge of 25 questions on chemical hazards. There was no correlation between knowledge score and work experience (P=0.492) or age (P=0.462) but the knowledge was significantly associated with exposure score (P=0.004), gender (P=0.002) and adherence to instructions on chemicals usage (P=0.041) after adjusting for safe practice. The most frequent health problems among the dye workers were respiratory disorders (53.8%), allergies (51.8%), and skin disorders (24.1%). Airborne gaseous pollutants from the mixing of chemicals were associated with allergies (P=0.045), circulatory (P=0.02) and skin disorders (P=0.049) while air-borne textile fiber/dye particles could predict allergies (P=0.028).

Conclusions

Findings revealed that exposure, gender and adherence to instruction labels on dye/chemical containers could determine knowledge of chemical hazards while physical work environment characteristics could determine health problems.

Adverse effects of copper, manganese and mercury, alone and in mixtures on the aorta and heart of Spraque-Dawley rats

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a common global cause of death and are therefore a major health concern. Inhaled or ingested environmental heavy metals contribute to the development of CVD. The aim of this study was to address the limited information available on the effect of relevant dosages of metals in mixtures. Three metals with reported effects on the cardiovascular system (CVS) were identified, and these metals were copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and mercury (Hg). In Sprague-Dawley rats, the adverse effects of copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and mercury (Hg), alone and as part of mixtures, on the blood parameters, the aorta and heart were investigated. Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into eight groups (n = 6): control, Cu, Mn, Hg, Cu + Mn, Cu + Hg, Mn + Hg and Cu, Mn + Hg. The seven experimental groups received the metal mixtures at 100 times the World Health Organisation (WHO) safety limit for drinking water (2 mg/L for Cu, 0.4 mg/L for Mn and 0.06 mg/L for Hg) via oral gavage for 28 days. After 28 days, compared with the control, red blood cell levels were increased for Cu + Hg. All other measured blood parameters were unchanged. Morphological changes in the tunica media were connective tissue deposition and an abundance of collagen type I in the metal exposed aortic tissues. In the cardiac tissue of metal-exposed rats, changes in the cardiomyocyte and myofibrillar arrangement, with an increase in collagen type I and III was observed. Ultrastructurally, the aortic collagen and elastin band arrangement and the cardiac mitochondrial and myofibrillar arrangement and structures were altered in the experimental groups. These changes indicated that exposure to these metals in rats caused minor changes in the blood parameters, however, the changes in tissue and cellular structure indicated an increased risk for the development of CVD.

Spatial distribution of hospital admissions for asthma in the central area of Asturias, Northern Spain

BACKGROUND

Asturias is one of the communities with the highest rates of hospital admission for asthma in Spain. The environmental pollution or people lifestyle are some of the factors that contribute to the appearance or aggravation of this illness. The aim of this study was to show the spatial distribution of asthma admissions risks in the central municipalities of Asturias and to analyze the observed spatial patterns.

METHODS

Urgent hospital admissions for asthma and status asthmaticus occurred between 2016 to 2018 on the public hospitals of the central area of Asturias were used. Population data were assigned in 5 age groups. Standardised admission ratio (SAR), smoothed relative risk (SRR) and posterior risk probability (PP) were calculated for each census tract (CT). A spatial trend analysis was run, a spatial autocorrelation index (Morans I) was calculated and a cluster and outlier analysis (Anselin Local Morans I) was finally performed in order to analyze spatial clusters.

RESULTS

The total number of hospital urgent asthma admissions during the study period was 2324, 1475 (63.46%) men and 849 (36.56%) women. The municipalities with the highest values of SRR and PP were located on the northwest area: Avilés, Gozón, Carreño, Corvera de Asturias, Castrillón and Illas. A high risk cluster was found for the municipalities of Avilés, Gozón y Corvera de Asturias.

CONCLUSIONS

The spatial analysis showed high risk of hospitalization for asthma on the municipalities of the northwest area of the study, which highlight the existence of spatial inequalities on the distribution of urgent hospital admissions.

Exposure to ambient gaseous air pollutants and adult lung function: a systematic review

Exposure to hazardous air pollutants is identified as most obvious premature mortality factors in the world. Numerous epidemiological studies have estimated exposure to air pollutants may cause pulmonary toxicity and the incidence of respiratory diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis and asthma. The currently research was performed to evaluation the association between gaseous pollutants and lung function in healthy adults. Articles related to this study were selected from researches of Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. A total of 2,644 articles were retrieved and 39 records were reviewed after removing duplicates and excluding irrelevant studies. The result of this systematic review indicated that there is some evidence on decreasing lung function with exposure to gaseous air pollutants (NO₂, SO₂, and O₃) which can have negative effects on human health. Although according to the evidence changes in lung function are mostly linked to the exposure to environmental pollutants including CO, O₃, NO₂ and SO₂, the results should be interpreted with caution considering some following issues discussed in this review. Therefore, further studies are required considering well-designed studies in large scales to strengthen the evidence.

Kinetics of autophagic activity in nanoparticle-exposed lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells

Autophagy, a homeostatic mechanism, is crucial in maintaining normal cellular function. Although dysregulation of autophagic processes is recognized in certain diseases, it is unknown how maintenance of cellular homeostasis might be affected by the kinetics of autophagic activity in response to various stimuli. In this study, we assessed those kinetics in lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells in response to exposure to nanoparticles (NP) and/or Rapamycin. Since NP are known to induce autophagy, we wished to determine if this phenomenon could be a driver of the harmful effects seen in lung tissues exposed to air pollution. A549 cells were loaded with a fluorescent marker (DAPRed) that labels autophagosomes and autolysosomes. Autophagic activity was assessed based on the fluorescence intensity of DAPRed measured over the entire cell volume of live single cells using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Autophagic activity over time was determined during exposure of A549 cells to single agents (50 nM Rapamycin; 80 μg/mL, 20 nm carboxylated polystyrene NP (PNP); or, 1 μg/mL ambient ultrafine particles (UFP) (<180 nm)), or double agents (Rapamycin + PNP or Rapamycin + UFP; concomitant and sequential), known to stimulate autophagy. Autophagic activity increased in all experimental modalities, including both single agent and double agent exposures, and reached a steady state in all cases ~2 times control from ~8 to 24 hrs, suggesting the presence of an upper limit to autophagic capacity. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that environmental stressors might exert their harmful effects, at least in part, by limiting available autophagic response to additional stimulation, thereby making nanoparticle-exposed cells more susceptible to secondary injury due to autophagic overload.

Application of smart devices in investigating the effects of air pollution on atrial fibrillation onset

Few studies have examined the link between short-term exposure to air pollutants and atrial fibrillation (AF) episodes. This study aims to examine the association of hourly criteria air pollutants with AF episodes. We employ a smart device-based photoplethysmography technology to screen AF from 2018 to 2021. Hourly concentrations of six criteria air pollutants are matched to the onset hour of AF for each participant. We adopt a time-stratified case-crossover design to capture the acute effects of air pollutants on AF episodes, using conditional logistic regression models. Subgroup analyses are conducted by age, gender, and season. A total of 11,906 episodes of AF are identified in 2976 participants from 288 Chinese cities. Generally, the strongest associations of air pollutants are present at lag 18-24 h, with positive and linear exposure-response relationships. For an interquartile range increase in inhalable particles, fine particles, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide, the odds ratio (OR) of AF is 1.19 [95% confidential interval (CI): 1.03, 1.37], 1.38 (95%CI: 1.14, 1.67), 1.60 (95%CI: 1.16, 2.20) and 1.48 (95%CI: 1.19, 1.84), respectively. The estimates are robust to the adjustment of co-pollutants, and they are larger in females, older people, and in cold seasons. There are insignificant associations for sulfur dioxide and ozone. This nationwide case-crossover study demonstrates robust evidence of significant associations between hourly exposure to air pollutants and the onset of AF episodes, which underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to further improve air quality as an effective target for AF prevention.

Adverse pulmonary effects after oral exposure to copper, manganese and mercury, alone and in mixtures, in a Spraque-Dawley rat model

The rise in respiratory disease has been attributed to an increase in environmental pollution. Heavy metals contribute to environmental contamination via air, water, soil and food. The effects of atmospheric exposure to heavy metals on pulmonary structure and function have been researched, but the effects through drinking water have been neglected. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential in vivo alterations in the pulmonary tissue of male Sprague-Dawley rats after a 28-day oral exposure to copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and mercury (Hg), alone and in mixtures, at 100 times the World Health Organization's (WHO) safety limit for each heavy metal in drinking water. Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into eight groups (n = 6): control, Cu, Mn, Hg, Cu + Mn, Cu + Hg, Mn + Hg and Cu, Mn + Hg. The morphology of lung tissue and the bronchioles were evaluated using light- and transmission electron microscopy. For all exposed groups, morphological changes included thickened inter- and intra-alveolar spaces, stratified epithelium, disrupted smooth muscle and early fibrosis and desquamation of the epithelia of the bronchioles to varying degrees. In all exposed groups, ultrastructurally, an increase in disarranged collagen and elastin fibers, nuclear membrane detachment, chromatin condensation, indistinct nucleoli and an increase in collagen fiber disarrangement was observed. This study has identified that oral exposure to Cu, Mn and Hg and as part of mixtures caused pathogenesis due to inflammation, cellular damage and fibrosis with Mn + Hg being the most potent heavy metal group.

Air pollution, governance quality, and health outcomes: evidence from developing countries

While studies have demonstrated that air pollution can be catastrophic to the population's health, few empirical studies are found in the economic literature because a considerable proportion of the evidence comes from epidemiological studies. Because of the crucial role of governance in the health community, good governance has been a contentious issue in public sector management in recent years. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the effects of air pollution and the role of governance on health outcomes. This study employed the generalized method of moment (GMM) estimation techniques to analyse panel data for 72 developing countries from 2010 to 2017. The empirical results confirm that higher PM_2.5 and CO₂ levels have a detrimental influence on life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, whereas the role of governance has a positive impact on life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. Furthermore, the findings show governance quality plays a role in moderating the negative effect of PM_2.5 on health outcomes. The ongoing rise in air pollution has had a significant impact on the health of developing countries. It appears that governance quality has improved health outcomes. The findings have important policy implications, such that strengthening governance can reduce air pollution emissions in developing countries. However, to reduce the health effects of air pollution, developing countries must implement effective environmental development policies and track the implementation and enforcement of such policies.

Developmental Programming in Animal Models: Critical Evidence of Current Environmental Negative Changes

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) approach answers questions surrounding the early events suffered by the mother during reproductive stages that can either partially or permanently influence the developmental programming of children, predisposing them to be either healthy or exhibit negative health outcomes in adulthood. Globally, vulnerable populations tend to present high obesity rates, including among school-age children and women of reproductive age. In addition, adults suffer from high rates of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular, and other metabolic diseases. The increase in metabolic outcomes has been associated with the combination of maternal womb conditions and adult lifestyle-related factors such as malnutrition and obesity, smoking habits, and alcoholism. However, to date, "new environmental changes" have recently been considered negative factors of development, such as maternal sedentary lifestyle, lack of maternal attachment during lactation, overcrowding, smog, overurbanization, industrialization, noise pollution, and psychosocial stress experienced during the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Therefore, it is important to recognize how all these factors impact offspring development during pregnancy and lactation, a period in which the subject cannot protect itself from these mechanisms. This review aims to introduce the importance of studying DOHaD, discuss classical programming studies, and address the importance of studying new emerging programming mechanisms, known as actual lifestyle factors, during pregnancy and lactation.

Geospatial Mapping of Indoor Air Quality and Respiratory Illnesses in an Urban Slum

Introduction Air pollution is a well-recognized determinant of health. The general perception has focused primarily on outdoor pollution, and indoor pollution which may be due to smoking, biomass use, an extension of outdoor pollution, etc. has been neglected. It is therefore imperative to understand the levels of indoor pollution and find out if these are associated with high rates of illnesses, particularly, respiratory diseases. Material and methods This was a cross-sectional study involving 300 houses and 727 participants in an urban slum, selected through simple random sampling. Indoor air quality was assessed using the Prana C -Air Plus air quality monitor (Prana Air, New Delhi, India). The instrument detected formaldehyde, air quality index (AQI), temperature, humidity, PM2.5, PM10 particles, and total volatile organic (TVO) compounds. Socio-demographic details were noted, and geospatial mapping was done using Q-GIS software (www.qgis.org). A questionnaire was used to survey the residents of those houses. Ethical committee clearance was obtained before starting the project. Results The mean distribution of pollution parameters over the entire study area was AQI - 67.4±65.48, PM 2.5 - 37.6±35.82 μg/m³, formaldehyde - 0.09±0.37 mg/m³, PM 10 - 43.9±38.59 μg/m³, TVO compounds - 0.43±2.13 mg/m³, CO₂ - 1128.9±323.86 ppm, temperature - 23.7±21.2 degree Celsius, and PM 1 - 24.3±20.5 μg/m³; 2.6% of the participants had respiratory diseases, and a significant association was found between the AQI, TVO compounds and ventilation, and respiratory diseases (p<0.05). Conclusion Indoor air pollution not unlike outdoor pollution can have dramatic health effects and needs to be addressed to lower the overall respiratory disease burden. The AQI, TVOC, and poor ventilation/cross-ventilation are associated with respiratory illnesses. Geospatial mapping shows a concentration of cases in areas of high pollution.

Co-occurrence of airborne biological and anthropogenic pollutants in the central European urban ecosystem

The interactions between organic and inorganic air pollutants, enhanced by the impact of weather parameters, may worsen the respiratory allergy symptoms in allergy sufferers. Pollen grains and fungal spores belong to some of the most crucial aeroallergens. Other allergenic bioparticles in the atmospheric microbiome can include microalgae, fern spores and mites. In this study, we evaluated if and to what extent air pollutants and weather parameters drive the daily variation in airborne concentrations of broad spectrum of bioparticles (pollen grains, fungal spores, microalgae, fern spores and invertebrates) in the air of Bratislava over 3 years, 2019-2021. Air samples were collected using a Hirst-type volumetric sampler. Based on the results of Spearman's correlation analysis, air temperature seems to be the most influential meteorological factor, positively associated with the concentration of all types of bioparticles at assemblage level, even though the association with microalgae was negative. Wind speed, known to have a diluting effect on most airborne particles, appears to be the most influential for microalgae, as their concentration in the air increases along with rising wind speed. Considering air pollutants, correlation analysis revealed that as the daily concentrations of ozone, PM10, CO and/or NO2 increased, so did the levels of most types of analysed bioaerosols at the assemblage level. Regarding that bioparticles may act as carriers for inorganic particles and amplify their allergenic impact, a concomitant increment in the airborne concentration of both organic and inorganic pollutants poses a threat to allergy sufferers in the study area. The concentration of microalgae, on the other hand, decreases with rising levels of CO, NO2 and PM10; thereby, their synergistic effect on allergy sufferers is negligible. Based on our findings, we suggest that the response of pollen and fungal spore concentration to environmental conditions should be investigated at the taxon, not the assemblage level, as each pollen/spore taxon has a different pattern in response to meteorological parameters and air pollutants.

Occupational exposure of vehicular emissions and cardiorespiratory risk among urban metropolitan bus drivers: A cross-sectional comparative study

BACKGROUND

Vehicular emissions on long-term exposure predispose metropolitan bus drivers to cardiorespiratory ailments.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the cardiorespiratory risk of urban metropolitan bus drivers related to vehicular emission exposure.

METHODS

Bus drivers (with service >5 years, n = 254) and their administrative controls (primarily engaged in indoor white collared jobs, n = 73) were recruited. Demographic, occupational and clinical details were collected through pre-validated standardized format. Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) and lipid profile were carried out with standard protocol. Risk for cardiovascular events for preceding 10-years was estimated with WHO/ISH risk prediction chart and QRISK3 score. Exposure assessments for particulate matter (PM) were performed for both groups while duty hours.

RESULTS

Exposure of drivers to PM2.5 six times and PM10 five times higher in comparison to administration staff (PM2.5- 970.9 v/s 145.0μg/m3 TWA and PM10- 1111.7 v/s 233.8μg/m3 TWA). Bus drivers exhibited significantly higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms (dyspnea-25% v/s 6.8% and cough-20.1% v/s 9.8%) and compromised PFT (obstructive-21% v/s 5.7% and restrictive-4.2% v/s 2.9%) in comparison to controls. Multivariate regression statistics reveal a significant decline for FEV1/FVC and FEV25-75 % among bus drivers compared to controls, controlling the influence of physiological and environmental factors. The difference between predicted cardiac age and their respective chronological age was twice higher (8.3 v/s 4.3 years) among drivers compared to their administration staff.

CONCLUSION

Bus drivers were exposed to high levels of outdoor air pollutants. Further, the drivers exhibited higher risk for ischemic attack and obstructive airway diseases as compared to administration staff.

Did unprecedented air pollution levels cause spike in Delhi's COVID cases during second wave?

The onset of the second wave of COVID-19 devastated many countries worldwide. Compared with the first wave, the second wave was more aggressive regarding infections and deaths. Numerous studies were conducted on the association of air pollutants and meteorological parameters during the first wave of COVID-19. However, little is known about their associations during the severe second wave of COVID-19. The present study is based on the air quality in Delhi during the second wave. Pollutant concentrations decreased during the lockdown period compared to pre-lockdown period (PM_2.5: 67 µg m^-3 (lockdown) versus 81 µg m^-3 (pre-lockdown); PM₁₀: 171 µg m^-3 versus 235 µg m^-3; CO: 0.9 mg m^-3 versus 1.1 mg m^-3) except ozone which increased during the lockdown period (57 µg m^-3 versus 39 µg m^-3). The variation in pollutant concentrations revealed that PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and CO were higher during the pre-COVID-19 period, followed by the second wave lockdown and the lowest in the first wave lockdown. These variations are corroborated by the spatiotemporal variability of the pollutants mapped using ArcGIS. During the lockdown period, the pollutants and meteorological variables explained 85% and 52% variability in COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths (determined by General Linear Model). The results suggests that air pollution combined with meteorology acted as a driving force for the phenomenal growth of COVID-19 during the second wave. In addition to developing new drugs and vaccines, governments should focus on prediction models to better understand the effect of air pollution levels on COVID-19 cases. Policy and decision-makers can use the results from this study to implement the necessary guidelines for reducing air pollution. Also, the information presented here can help the public make informed decisions to improve the environment and human health significantly.

Do Storage Conditions Affect Collected Cookstove Emission Samples? Implications for Field Studies

Cookstove emissions are a significant source of indoor air pollution in developing countries and rural communities world-wide. Considering that many research sites for evaluating cookstove emissions and interventions are remote and require potentially lengthy periods of particulate matter (PM) filter sample storage in sub-optimal conditions (e.g., lack of cold storage), an important question is whether samples collected in the field are stable over time. To investigate this, red oak was burned in a natural-draft stove, and fine PM (PM2.5) was collected on polytetrafluoroethylene filters. Filters were stored at either ambient temperature or more optimal conditions (-20°C or -80°C) for up to 3 months and extracted. The effects of storage temperature and length on stability were evaluated for measurements of extractable organic matter (EOM), PM2.5, and polycyclic aromatic compound (PAC) levels in the filter extracts. A parallel, controlled laboratory condition was also evaluated to further explore sources of variability. In general, PM2.5 and EOM in both simulated field and laboratory samples were similar regardless of the storage condition or duration. The extracts were also analyzed by gas chromatography to quantify 22 PACs and determine similarities and/or differences between the conditions. PAC levels were a more sensitive stability measure in differentiating between storage conditions. The findings suggest that measurements are relatively consistent across storage duration/temperatures for filter samples with relatively low EOM levels. This study aims to inform protocols and filter storage procedures for exposure and intervention research conducted in low- and middle-income countries where studies may be budget- and infrastructure-limited.

Medicinal plants used for the management of respiratory diseases in Zimbabwe: Review and perspectives potential management of COVID-19

Respiratory diseases have in the recent past become a health concern globally. More than 523 million cases of coronavirus disease (COVID19), a recent respiratory diseases have been reported, leaving more than 6 million deaths worldwide since the start of the pandemic. In Zimbabwe, respiratory infections have largely been managed using traditional (herbal) medicines, due to their low cost and ease of accessibility. This review highlights the plants' toxicological and pharmacological evaluation studies explored. It seeks to document plants that have been traditionally used in Zimbabwe to treat respiratory ailments within and beyond the past four decades. Extensive literature review based on published papers and abstracts retrieved from the online bibliographic databases, books, book chapters, scientific reports and theses available at Universities in Zimbabwe, were used in this study. From the study, there were at least 58 plant families comprising 160 medicinal plants widely distributed throughout the country. The Fabaceae family had the highest number of medicinal plant species, with a total of 21 species. A total of 12 respiratory ailments were reportedly treatable using the identified plants. From a total of 160 plants, colds were reportedly treatable with 56, pneumonia 53, coughs 34, chest pain and related conditions 29, asthma 25, tuberculosis and spots in lungs 22, unspecified respiratory conditions 20, influenza 13, bronchial problems 12, dyspnoea 7, sore throat and infections 5 and sinus clearing 1 plant. The study identified potential medicinal plants that can be utilised in future to manage respiratory infections.

Personal air pollutant exposure monitoring in South African children in the VHEMBE birth cohort

The burden of disease associated with environmental exposures disproportionately impacts residents of low- and middle-income countries. Children living in rural regions of these countries may experience higher exposure to insecticides from indoor residual spraying used for malaria control and household air pollution. This study evaluated environmental exposures of children living in a rural region of South Africa. Quantifying exposure levels and identifying characteristics that are associated with exposure in this geographic region has been challenging due to limitations with available monitoring techniques. Wearable passive samplers have recently been shown to be a convenient and reliable tool for assessing personal exposures. In this study, a passive sampler wristband, known as Fresh Air wristband, was worn by 49 children (five-years of age) residing in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The study leveraged ongoing research within the Venda Health Examination of Mothers, Babies, and their Environment (VHEMBE) birth cohort. A wide range of chemicals (35 in total) were detected using the wristbands, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides, phthalates, and organophosphate esters (OPEs) flame retardants. Higher concentrations of PAHs were observed among children from households that fell below the food poverty threshold, did not have access to electric cookstoves/burners, or reported longer times of cooking or burning materials during the sampling period. Concentrations of p,p'-DDD and p,p'-DDT were also found to be elevated for children from households falling below the food poverty threshold as well as for children whose households were sprayed for malaria control within the previous 1.5 years. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using passive sampler wristbands as a non-invasive method for personal exposure assessment of children in rural regions of South Africa to complex mixtures environmental contaminants derived from a combination of sources. Future studies are needed to further identify and understand the effects of airborne environmental contaminants on childhood development and strategies to mitigate exposures.

COVID-19 Outbreak Related to PM10, PM2.5, Air Temperature and Relative Humidity in Ahvaz, Iran

In this study, we assessed several points related to the incidence of COVID-19 between March 2020 and March 2021 in the Petroleum Hospital of Ahvaz (Iran) by analyzing COVID-19 data from patients referred to the hospital. We found that 57.5% of infected referrals were male, 61.7% of deaths by COVID-19 occurred in subjects over 65 years of age, and only 2.4% of deaths occurred in younger subjects (< 30 years old). Analysis showed that mean PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations were correlated to the incidence of COVID-19 (r = 0.547, P < 0.05, and r = 0.609, P < 0.05, respectively) and positive chest CT scans (r = 0.597, P < 0.05, and r = 0.541, P < 0.05 respectively). We observed that a high daily air temperature (30–51 °C) and a high relative humidity (60–97%) led to a significant reduction in the daily incidence of COVID-19. The highest number of positive chest CT scans were obtained in June 2020 and March 2021 for daily air temperature ranging from 38 °C and 49 °C and 11 °C and 15 °C, respectively. A negative correlation was detected between COVID-19 cases and air temperature (r =  − 0.320, P < 0.05) and relative humidity (r =  − 0.384, P < 0.05). In Ahvaz, a daily air temperature of 10–28 °C and relative humidity of 19–40% are suitable for the spread of coronavirus. The highest correlation with the number of COVID-19 cases was found at lag3 (r = 0.42) and at lag0 with a positive chest CT scan (r = 0.56). For air temperature and relative humidity, the highest correlations were found at day 0 (lag0). During lockdown (22 March to 21 April 2020), a reduction was observed for PM₁₀ (29.6%), PM_2.5 (36.9%) and the Air Quality Index (33.3%) when compared to the previous month. During the pandemic period (2020–2021), the annual mean concentrations of PM₁₀ (27.3%) and PM_2.5 (17.8%) were reduced compared to the 2015–2019 period.

Enhanced NO2 Sensing Performance of ZnO-SnO2 Heterojunction Derived from Metal-Organic Frameworks

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is the major reason for acid rain and respiratory illness in humans. Therefore, rapid, portable, and effective detection of NO₂ is essential. Herein, a novel and simple method to construct a ZnO-SnO₂ heterojunction is fabricated by pyrolysis of bimetallic metal organic frameworks. The sensitivity of ZnO-SnO₂ heterojunction towards 0.2 ppm NO₂ under 180 °C is 37, which is 3 times that of pure ZnO and SnO₂. The construction of heterojunction speeds up the response-recovery process, and this kind of material exhibits lower detection limit. The construction of heterojunction can significantly improve the NO₂ sensitivity. The selectivity, stability, and moisture resistance of ZnO-SnO₂ heterojunction are carried out. This could enable the realization of highly selective and sensitive portable detection of NO₂.

Analysis of the Temporal Distribution Characteristics of PM2.5 Concentration and Risk Evaluation of Its Inhalation Exposure

PM_2.5 poses a threat to human health. It is important to evaluate the potential risk of PM_2.5 inhalation exposure when people are located in different spatiotemporal activity locations. In this study, the PM_2.5 concentration was detected by the atmospheric cruise monitoring system (ACMS), a new detection technology used for city-wide PM_2.5 concentration monitoring. People were divided into eight categories of five typical activity patterns, including rest (R), sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA), moderate physical activity (MPA), and vigorous physical activity (VPA). The PM_2.5 inhalation exposure risk was then estimated for these typical activities. The research results showed that the time sequence data of the ACMS had a similar tendency to change as those of the traditional air quality monitoring stations (AQMS). Although both passed the stationarity test, the relative error (RE) of the monthly average PM_2.5 concentration between the ACMS and AQMS was 7.5-14%. RE was usually lower when the individual air quality index (IAQI) of PM_2.5 was higher. Otherwise, RE was higher. The research results also showed that PM_2.5 exposure was positively correlated with PM_2.5 concentration, respiration rate, and human activity patterns. Because adults had a higher monthly average potential exposure (MAPE) than minors and that males had a higher MAPE than females. The potential exposure generated by LPA and MPA reached 50.76% of the total potential exposure (TPE). VPA brought about a 14.7% increase in the TPE. The research findings are helpful to understand the temporal distribution characteristics of PM_2.5 concentrations and guide the potential risk evaluation of PM_2.5 inhalation exposure.

Immission levels and identification of sulfur dioxide sources in La Oroya city, Peruvian Andes

La Oroya is a city in the Peruvian Andes that has suffered a serious deterioration in its air quality, especially due to the high rate of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, which underlines the importance of knowing its sources of contamination and variation over the years. In this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the immission levels and determine the sources of SO2 contamination in La Oroya. This analysis was performed using the hourly concentration data of SO2, and meteorological variables (wind speed and direction), which were analyzed for a period of three years (2018-2020). Graphs of time series, wind and pollutant roses, bivariate polar graphs, clustering k-means, nonparametric statistical tests, and the application of the conditional bivariate probability function were performed to analyze the data and identify the emission sources. The mean concentration of SO2 was 264.2 μg m-3 for the study period, where 55.66 and 2.37% of the evaluated days exceeded the guideline values recommended by the World Health Organization and the Peruvian Environmental Quality Standard for air for 24 h, respectively. The results showed a defined pattern for the daily and monthly variations, with peaks in the morning hours (0900-1000 h LT) and at the end of the year (December), respectively. The main sources of SO2 emissions identified were light and heavy vehicles that travel through the Central Highway, the La Oroya Metallurgical Complex, the transit of vehicles within the city, and the diesel-electric locomotives that provide cargo transportation services and tourism passenger transportation. The article attempts to contribute to the development of adequate air quality management policies.

Performance and emission analysis of a CI engine fueled with parsley biodiesel-diesel blend

Pollution-induced environmental deterioration is one of the serious aspects that must be solved. As a result, biodiesel was made from a novel material (Parsley seed oil) through an alkali-induced transesterification reaction. The efficiency, as well as exhaust emission tests, were performed by running the prepared parsley biodiesel blends (mixture of biodiesel and diesel fuel in different proportions) in an engine. The ideal blend for enhancing engine performance was discovered to be B20, which displayed steady performance attributes without requiring any modifications to the diesel engine. The B20 parsley biodiesel blend had fewer emissions than diesel, notably hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide except for nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. B20 Parsley blends were also shown to emit less pollution than other blends (B5 and B10). A high reduction in CO, CO₂ and HC emissions for B20 was recorded at 33.9%, 29.73%, and 11.38% relative to diesel except for NO _x . Brake-specific energy consumption decreases and thermal efficiency of the engine increases for all biodiesel blends. In addition, from the performance results, BTE and BSFC of B20 are relatively close to those of pure diesel fuel (B0). The use of parsley biodiesel as a diesel engine fuel was shown to be a promising strategy to promote the use of green fuels (biofuels from renewable materials) while simultaneously mitigating the release of toxic greenhouse gases from the combustion of fossil fuel.

Comparison Process of Blood Heavy Metals Absorption Linked to Measured Air Quality Data in Areas with High and Low Environmental Impact

Air pollution is a problem shared by the entire world population, and researchers have highlighted its adverse effects on human health in recent years. The object of this paper was the relationship between the pollutants’ concentrations measured in the air and the quantity of pollutant itself inhaled by the human body. The area chosen for the study has a high environmental impact given the significant presence on the territory of polluting activities. The Acerra area (HI) has a waste-to-energy plant and numerous industries to which polluting emissions are attributed. This area has always been the subject of study as the numbers of cancer patients are high. A survey on male patients to evaluate the heavy metals concentrations in the blood was conducted in the two areas and then linked to its values aero-dispersed. Using the air quality data measured by the monitoring networks in two zones, one with high environmental impact (HI) and one with low environmental impact (LI), the chronicle daily intake (CDI) of pollutants inhaled by a single person was calculated. The pollutants considered in this study are PM10 and four heavy metals (As, Cd, Ni, Pb) constituting the typical particulates of the areas concerned. The CDI values calculated for the two zones are significantly higher in the HI zone following the seasonal pollution trend.

Short-term influence of environmental factors and social variables COVID-19 disease in Spain during first wave (Feb-May 2020)

This study aims to identify the combined role of environmental pollutants and atmospheric variables at short term on the rate of incidence (TIC) and on the hospital admission rate (TIHC) due to COVID-19 disease in Spain. This study used information from 41 of the 52 provinces of Spain (from Feb. 1, 2021 to May 31, 2021). Using TIC and TIHC as dependent variables, and average daily concentrations of PM₁₀ and NO₂ as independent variables. Meteorological variables included maximum daily temperature (Tmax) and average daily absolute humidity (HA). Generalized linear models (GLM) with Poisson link were carried out for each provinces The GLM model controlled for trend, seasonalities, and the autoregressive character of the series. Days with lags were established. The relative risk (RR) was calculated by increases of 10 μg/m³ in PM₁₀ and NO₂ and by 1 °C in the case of Tmax and 1 g/m³ in the case of HA. Later, a linear regression was carried out that included the social determinants of health. Statistically significant associations were found between PM₁₀, NO₂, and the rate of COVID-19 incidence. NO₂ was the variable that showed greater association, both for TIC as well as for TIHC in the majority of provinces. Temperature and HA do not seem to have played an important role. The geographic distribution of RR in the studied provinces was very much heterogeneous. Some of the health determinants considered, including income per capita, presence of airports, average number of diesel cars per inhabitant, average number of nursing personnel, and homes under 30 m² could explain the differential geographic behavior. As findings indicates, environmental factors only could modulate the incidence and severity of COVID-19. Moreover, the social determinants and public health measures could explain some patterns of geographically distribution founded.

Particulate matter in COPD pathogenesis: an overview

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disorder with substantial patient burden and leading cause of death globally. Cigarette smoke remains to be the most recognised causative factor behind COPD pathogenesis. Given the alarming increase in prevalence of COPD amongst non-smokers in recent past, a potential role of air pollution particularly particulate matter (PM) in COPD development has gained much attention of the scientists. Indeed, several epidemiological studies indicate strong correlation between airborne PM and COPD incidence/exacerbations. PM-induced oxidative stress seems to be the major player in orchestrating COPD inflammatory cycle but the exact molecular mechanism(s) behind such a process are still poorly understood. This may be due to the complexity of multiple molecular pathways involved. Oxidative stress-linked mitochondrial dysfunction and autophagy have also gained importance and have been the focus of recent studies regarding COPD pathogenesis. Accordingly, the present review is aimed at understanding the key molecular players behind PM-mediated COPD pathogenesis through analysis of various experimental studies supported by epidemiological data to identify relevant preventive/therapeutic targets in the area.

Murine in utero exposure to simulated complex urban air pollution disturbs offspring gut maturation and microbiota during intestinal suckling-to-weaning transition in a sex-dependent manner

Background

Emerging data indicate that prenatal exposure to air pollution may lead to higher susceptibility to several non-communicable diseases. Limited research has been conducted due to difficulties in modelling realistic air pollution exposure. In this study, pregnant mice were exposed from gestational day 10–17 to an atmosphere representative of a 2017 pollution event in Beijing, China. Intestinal homeostasis and microbiota were assessed in both male and female offspring during the suckling-to-weaning transition.

Results

Sex-specific differences were observed in progeny of gestationally-exposed mice. In utero exposed males exhibited decreased villus and crypt length, vacuolation abnormalities, and lower levels of tight junction protein ZO-1 in ileum. They showed an upregulation of absorptive cell markers and a downregulation of neonatal markers in colon. Cecum of in utero exposed male mice also presented a deeply unbalanced inflammatory pattern. By contrast, in utero exposed female mice displayed less severe intestinal alterations, but included dysregulated expression of Lgr5 in colon, Tjp1 in cecum, and Epcam, Car2 and Sis in ileum. Moreover, exposed female mice showed dysbiosis characterized by a decreased weighted UniFrac β-diversity index, a higher abundance of Bacteroidales and Coriobacteriales orders, and a reduced Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio.

Conclusion

Prenatal realistic modelling of an urban air pollution event induced sex-specific precocious alterations of structural and immune intestinal development in mice.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12989-022-00481-y.

Experimental and Clinical Studies on the Effects of Natural Products on Noxious Agents-Induced Lung Disorders, a Review

The harmful effects of various noxious agents (NA) are well-known and there are reports regarding the induction of various lung disorders due to exposure to these agents both in animal and human studies. In addition, various studies have shown the effects of natural products (NP) on NA-induced lung disorders. The effects of various NP, including medicinal plants and their derivatives, on lung injury induced by NA, were reviewed in this study. The improving effects of various NP including medicinal plants, such as Aloe vera, Anemarrhena asphodeloides, Avena sativa, Crocus sativus, Curcuma longa, Dioscorea batatas, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Gentiana veitchiorum, Gentiopicroside, Houttuynia cordata, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Hochu-ekki-to, Hippophae rhamnoides, Juglans regia, Melanocarpa fruit juice, Mikania glomerata, Mikania laevigata, Moringa oleifera, Myrtus communis L., Lamiaceae, Myrtle, Mosla scabra leaves, Nectandra leucantha, Nigella sativa, Origanum vulgare L, Pulicaria petiolaris, Paulownia tomentosa, Pomegranate seed oil, Raphanus sativus L. var niger, Rosa canina, Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Thymus vulgaris, Taraxacum mongolicum, Tribulus Terrestris, Telfairia occidentalis, Taraxacum officinale, TADIOS, Xuebijing, Viola yedoensis, Zataria multiflora, Zingiber officinale, Yin-Chiao-San, and their derivatives, on lung injury induced by NA were shown by their effects on lung inflammatory cells and mediators, oxidative stress markers, immune responses, and pathological changes in the experimental studies. Some clinical studies also showed the therapeutic effects of NP on respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function tests (PFT), and inflammatory markers. Therefore, the results of this study showed the possible therapeutic effects of various NP on NA-induced lung disorders by the amelioration of various features of lung injury. However, further clinical studies are needed to support the therapeutic effects of NP on NA-induced lung disorders for clinical practice purposes.

Air pollution and meteorological variables' effects on COVID-19 first and second waves in Spain

The aim of this research is to study the influence of atmospheric pollutants and meteorological variables on the incidence rate of COVID-19 and the rate of hospital admissions due to COVID-19 during the first and second waves in nine Spanish provinces. Numerous studies analyze the effect of environmental and pollution variables separately, but few that include them in the same analysis together, and even fewer that compare their effects between the first and second waves of the virus. This study was conducted in nine of 52 Spanish provinces, using generalized linear models with Poisson link between levels of PM₁₀, NO₂ and O₃ (independent variables) and maximum temperature and absolute humidity and the rates of incidence and hospital admissions of COVID-19 (dependent variables), establishing a series of significant lags. Using the estimators obtained from the significant multivariate models, the relative risks associated with these variables were calculated for increases of 10 µg/m³ for pollutants, 1 °C for temperature and 1 g/m³ for humidity. The results suggest that NO₂ has a greater association than the other air pollution variables and the meteorological variables. There was a greater association with O₃ in the first wave and with NO₂ in the second. Pollutants showed a homogeneous distribution across the country. We conclude that, compared to other air pollutants and meteorological variables, NO₂ is a protagonist that may modulate the incidence and severity of COVID-19, though preventive public health measures such as masking and hand washing are still very important.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13762-022-04190-z.

A novel assessment framework for improving air quality monitoring network layout

Redundant stations in the air quality monitoring network (AQMN), not only cause high maintenance and operation costs, but also affect the performance of air quality assessment. This study presents a novel framework for identifying the redundant stations and selecting the corresponding alternatives in AQMN. The framework composes three main steps. Firstly, we identify the redundant stations by correlation analysis and stepwise regression methods. Secondly, we determine the corresponding alternative stations by cluster analysis and correspondence analysis methods. Finally, the final optimization results are verified by the support vector regression. We perform empirical evaluations of the framework using Shanghai's AQMN. The results show that Xuhui, Zhangjiang, Shiwuchang, and Pudong New Area are four redundant pollution monitoring stations. Alternatives for each type of pollutant for these redundant stations are proposed and the adjusted layout of AQMN is verified with historical data. The framework proposed in this study can effectively improve the layout of AQMN, which could be applied to other cities or regions to improve the integrity of pollution information and reduce the monitoring costs.Implications: In this study, we set up a comprehensive framework. A case study proves that the framework we proposed can help countries identify redundant stations, so as to reduce the monitoring costs, improve the monitoring efficiency, and provide technical support for governments to implement accurate air quality control measures.Four particularly important aspects were highlighted in this work: (i) A new framework was constructed that combined regression and prediction for the first time to analyze and validate pollutant data; (ii) The framework used Stepwise Regression to improve previous methods for identifying redundant monitoring stations, effectively improving identification efficiency; (iii) The framework used Support Vector Regression to make predictions to verify the final results of the optimized layout, which was ignored in previous studies. (iv) This framework can be applied to any city or region, which has important practical significance for improving the comprehensiveness and accuracy of pollution monitoring in various cities.

Gestational exposure to titanium dioxide, diesel exhaust, and concentrated urban air particles affects levels of specialized pro-resolving mediators in response to allergen in asthma-susceptible neonate lungs

Maternal gestational exposures to traffic and urban air pollutant particulates have been linked to increased risk and/or worsening asthma in children; however, mechanisms underlying this vertical transmission are not entirely understood. It was postulated that gestational particle exposure might affect the ability to elicit specialized proresolving mediator (SPM) responses upon allergen encounter in neonates. Lipidomic profiling of 50 SPMs was performed in lungs of neonates born to mice exposed to concentrated urban air particles (CAP), diesel exhaust particles (DEP), or less immunotoxic titanium dioxide particles (TiO2). While asthma-like phenotypes were induced with identical eosinophilia intensity across neonates of all particle-exposed mothers, levels of LXA4, HEPE and HETE isoforms, and HDoHe were only decreased by CAP and DEP only but not by TiO2. However, RvE2 and RvD1 were inhibited by all particles. In contrast, isomers of Maresin1 and Protectin D1 were variably elevated by CAP and DEP, whereas Protectin DX, PGE2, and TxB2 were increased in all groups. Only Protectin D1/DX, MaR1(n-3,DPA), 5(S),15(S)-DiHETE, PGE2, and RvE3 correlated with eosinophilia but the majority of other analytes, elevated or inhibited, showed no marked correlation with inflammation intensity. Evidence indicates that gestational particle exposure leads to both particle-specific and nonspecific effects on the SPM network.

Household air pollution and COPD: cause and effect or confounding by other aspects of poverty?

SETTING :

Household air pollution (HAP) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are both major public health problems, reported to cause around 4 million and 3 million deaths every year, respectively. The great majority of these deaths, as well as the burden of disease during life is felt by people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN :

The extent to which HAP causes COPD is controversial; we therefore undertook this review to offer a viewpoint on this from the Global Initiative for COPD (GOLD).

RESULTS :

We find that while COPD is well-defined in many studies on COPD and HAP, there are major limitations to the definition and measurement of HAP. It is thus difficult to disentangle HAP from other features of poverty that are themselves associated with COPD. We identify other limitations to primary research studies, including the use of cross-sectional designs that limit causal inference.

CONCLUSION :

There is substantial preventable morbidity and mortality associated with HAP, COPD and poverty, separately and together. Although it may not be possible to define clear causal links between HAP and COPD, there is a clear urgency to reduce the avoidable burden of disease these inflict on the world’s poor.

Exploring Health Impacts of Occupational Exposure to Carbon Monoxide in the Labour Community of Hattar Industrial Estate

This study was designed to assess the health impacts related to noninvasive carbon monoxide saturation (SPCO %) in the blood of respondents. For this purpose, 150 respondents from the labour community of Hattar Industrial Estate (testing site) and 100 respondents from Sultan Pur (control site) were selected. To achieve this objective, a Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeter was used for noninvasive carboxyhemoglobin measurement. Carbon monoxide saturation (SPCO%) in the blood of respondents from Hattar Industrial Estate, Haripur, Pakistan has been compared with the WHO’s standard concentration of SPCO% (5%). High saturation of carbon monoxide (carboxyhemoglobin SPCO) in the blood of respondents and disease association have been interpreted in graphs formed on the basis of statistical analysis in terms of frequencies, using statistical software (SPSS), based on demographic entries as well as exposure time of the employees in the processing, food and steel industries. The highest SPCO% measured was 17% in the steel industry and the lowest measured level was 4.2%. Frequencies and percentages of respiratory inflammation, dermatosis, asthma, breathing issues and eye inflammation among respondents were 29%, 35%, 16.7%, 23.5% and 9%, respectively. Prevalence of disease in three different groups of respondents (from three testing sites) was also analyzed on the basis of exposure time (hrs.) to carbon monoxide emissions. Prevalence of disease among the exposed and non-exposed groups was analyzed and showed comparatively lower disease prevalence in the group of respondents who were not exposed to high carbon monoxide emissions. The data of the current study was also subjected to statistical modelling to find the health risk of air pollutants (carbon monoxide) on population health by calculating attributable risk (AR) or attributable proportion (AP). Results indicated that attributable risk of carbon monoxide exposure for respiratory diseases, dermatosis and eye inflammation were 61.12%, 65.77% and 24.95% respectively. Findings of statistical modelling indicated that dermatosis and respiratory diseases were more prevalent in laborers of industrial units than those at control site.

FibroDB: Expression Analysis of Protein-Coding and Long Non-Coding RNA Genes in Fibrosis

Most long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are expressed at lower levels than protein-coding genes and their expression is often restricted to specific cell types, certain time points during development, and various stress and disease conditions, respectively. To revisit this long-held concept, we focused on fibroblasts, a common cell type in various organs and tissues. Using fibroblasts and changes in their expression profiles during fibrosis as a model system, we show that the overall expression level of lncRNA genes is significantly lower than that of protein-coding genes. Furthermore, we identified lncRNA genes whose expression is upregulated during fibrosis. Using dermal fibroblasts as a model, we performed loss-of-function experiments and show that the knockdown of the lncRNAs LINC00622 and LINC01711 result in gene expression changes associated with cellular and inflammatory responses, respectively. Since there are no lncRNA databases focused on fibroblasts and fibrosis, we built a web application, FibroDB, to further promote functional and mechanistic studies of fibrotic lncRNAs.

Most Early-Treated Children With Perinatally Acquired HIV Have Preserved Lung Function at School Age

BACKGROUND

Impaired lung function is common among older children with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) who initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) late in childhood. We determined the prevalence of abnormal spirometry and cofactors for impaired lung function among school-age children with PHIV who initiated ART when aged 12 months or younger.

SETTING

Children who received early ART in the Optimizing Pediatric HIV-1 Therapy study in Kenya and underwent spirometry at school age.

METHODS

Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured. Abnormal spirometry was defined as follows: obstructive (FEV1/FVC <1.64 z score [zFEV1/FVC]) and restricted (zFVC <1.64 with zFEV1/FVC ≥1.64). Characteristics, including anthropometric and HIV-related data, were ascertained in infancy and at school age. Caregiver carbon monoxide exposure served as a proxy for school-age child exposure. Linear regression determined associations of cofactors with lung function.

RESULTS

Among 40 children, the median age was 5 months at ART initiation and 8.5 years at spirometry. The mean zFEV1, zFVC, and zFEV1/FVC (SD) were 0.21 (1.35), 0.31 (1.22), and -0.24 (0.82), respectively. Five (13%) children had abnormal spirometry. Spirometry z scores were significantly lower among children with pre-ART pneumonia, WHO HIV stage 3/4, higher HIV RNA at 6 months after ART initiation, low anthropometric z scores, and higher carbon monoxide exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the children with PHIV who initiated ART at age 12 months or younger had normal spirometry, suggesting that ART in infancy preserved lung function. However, 13% had abnormal spirometry despite early ART. Modifiable factors were associated with impaired lung function, providing potential targets for interventions to prevent chronic lung disease.

Estimating NOx removal capacity of urban trees using stable isotope method: A case study of Beijing, China

It is widely recognized that green infrastructures in urban ecosystems provides important ecosystem services, including air purification. The potential absorption of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) by urban trees has not been fully quantified, although it is important for air pollution mitigation and the well-being of urban residents. In this study, four common tree species (Sophora japonica L., Fraxinus chinensis Roxb., Populus tomentosa Carrière, Sabina chinensis (L.)) in Beijing, China, were studied. The dual stable isotopes (¹⁵N and ¹⁸O) and a Bayesian isotope mixing model were applied to estimate the sources contributions of potential nitrogen sources to the roadside trees based on leaf and soil sampling in urban regions. The following order of sources contributions was determined: soil > dry deposition > traffic-related NO_x. The capacity of urban trees for NO_x removal in the city was estimated using a remote sensing and GIS approach, and the removal capacity was found to range from 0.79 to 1.11 g m^-2 a^-1 across administrative regions, indicating that 1304 tons of NO_x could be potentially removed by urban trees in 2019. Our finding qualified the potential NO_x removal by urban trees in terms of atmospheric pollution mitigation, highlighting the role of green infrastructure in air purification, which should be taken into account by stakeholders to manage green infrastructure as the basis of a nature-based approach.

Association between ambient air pollutants and meteorological factors with SARS-CoV-2 transmission and mortality in India: an exploratory study

BACKGROUND

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a serious public health concern worldwide. Certain regions of the globe were severely affected in terms of prevalence and mortality than other. Although the cause for this pattern is not clearly understood, lessons learned from previous epidemics and emerging evidences suggest the major role of ecological factors like ambient air pollutants (AAP) and meteorological parameters in increased COVID-19 incidence. The present study aimed to understand the impact of these factors on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and their associated mortality in major cities of India.

METHODS

This study used secondary AAP, meteorological and COVID-19 data from official websites for the period January-November 2020, which were divided into Pre-lockdown (January-March 2020), Phase I (April to June 2020) and Phase II (July to November 2020) in India. After comprehensive screening, five major cities that includes 48 CPCB monitoring stations collecting daily data of ambient temperature, particulate matter PM_2.5 and ₁₀ were analysed. Spearman and Kendall's rank correlation test was performed to understand the association between SARS-CoV-2 transmission and AAP and, meteorological variables. Similarly, case fatality rate (CFR) was determined to compute the correlation between AAP and COVID-19 related morality.

RESULTS

The level of air pollutants in major cities were significantly reduced during Phase I compared to Pre-lock down and increased upon Phase II in all the cities. During the Phase II in Delhi, the strong significant positive correlation was observed between the AAP and SARS-CoV-2 transmission. However, in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai AAP levels were moderate and no correlation was noticed. The relation between AT and SARS-CoV-2 transmission was inconclusive as both positive and negative correlation observed. In addition, Delhi and Kolkata showed a positive association between long-term exposure to the AAP and COVID-19 CFR.

CONCLUSION

Our findings support the hypothesis that the particulate matter upon exceeding the satisfactory level serves as an important cofactor in increasing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and related mortality. These findings would help public health experts to understand the SARS-CoV-2 transmission against ecological variables in India and provides supporting evidence to healthcare policymakers and government agencies for formulating strategies to combat the COVID-19.

Quantification of the effects of climatic conditions on French hospital admissions and deaths induced by SARS-CoV-2

An estimation of the impact of climatic conditions-measured with an index that combines temperature and humidity, the IPTCC-on the hospitalizations and deaths attributed to SARS-CoV-2 is proposed. The present paper uses weekly data from 54 French administrative regions between March 23, 2020 and January 10, 2021. Firstly, a Granger causal analysis is developed and reveals that past values of the IPTCC contain information that allow for a better prediction of hospitalizations or deaths than that obtained without the IPTCC. Finally, a vector autoregressive model is estimated to evaluate the dynamic response of hospitalizations and deaths after an increase in the IPTCC. It is estimated that a 10-point increase in the IPTCC causes hospitalizations to rise by 2.9% (90% CI 0.7-5.0) one week after the increase, and by 4.1% (90% CI 2.1-6.4) and 4.4% (90% CI 2.5-6.3) in the two following weeks. Over ten weeks, the cumulative effect is estimated to reach 20.1%. Two weeks after the increase in the IPTCC, deaths are estimated to rise by 3.7% (90% CI 1.6-5.8). The cumulative effect from the second to the tenth weeks reaches 15.8%. The results are robust to the inclusion of air pollution indicators.