Impact of air pollutants from surface transport sources on human health: A modeling and epidemiological approach

Spatiotemporal characteristics and socioeconomic factors of PM2.5 heterogeneity in mainland China during the COVID-19 epidemic

Spatiotemporal variation of PM_2.5 in 2018 and 2020 were compared to analyze the impacts of COVID-19, the spatial heterogeneity of PM_2.5, and meteorological and socioeconomic impacts of PM_2.5 concentrations heterogeneity in China in 2020 were investigated. The results showed that the annual average PM_2.5 concentration in 2020 was 32.73 μg/m³ existing a U-shaped variation pattern, which has decreased by 6.38 μg/m³ compared to 2018. A consistent temporal pattern was found in 2018 and 2020 with significant high values in winter and low in summer. PM_2.5 declined dramatically in eastern and central China, where are densely populated and economically developed areas during the COVID-19 epidemic compared with previous years, indicating that the significantly decline of social activities had an important effect on the reduction of PM_2.5 concentrations. The lowest PM_2.5 was found in August because that precipitation had a certain dilution effect on pollutants. January was the most polluted due to centralized coal burning for heating in North China. Overall, the PM_2.5 concentrations in China were spatially agglomerated. The highly polluted contiguous zones were mainly located in northwest China and the central plains city group, while the coastal area and Inner Mongolia were areas with good air quality. Negative correlations were found between natural factors (temperature, precipitation, wind speed and relative humidity) and PM_2.5 concentrations, with precipitation has the greatest impact on PM_2.5, which are beneficial for reducing PM_2.5 concentrations. Among the socio-economic factors, proportion of the secondary industry, number of taxis, per capita GDP, population, and industrial nitrogen oxide emissions have positive correlation effects on PM_2.5, while the overall social electricity consumption, industrial sulfur dioxide emissions, green coverage in built-up areas, and total gas and liquefied gas supply have negative correlation effects on the PM_2.5.

Air Pollution and Birth Outcomes: Health Impact and Economic Value Assessment in Spain

Air pollution is considered an ongoing major public health and environmental issue around the globe, affecting the most vulnerable, such as pregnant women and fetuses. The aim of this study is to estimate the health impact and economic value on birth outcomes, such as low birthweight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), small for gestational age (SGA), attributable to a reduction of PM₁₀ levels in Spain. Reduction based on four scenarios was implemented: fulfillment of WHO guidelines and EU limits, and an attributable reduction of 15% and 50% in annual PM₁₀ levels. Retrospective study on 288,229 live-born singleton children born between 2009-2010, using data from Spain Birth Registry Statistics database, as well as mean PM₁₀ mass concentrations. Our finding showed that a decrease in annual exposure to PM₁₀ appears to be associated with a decrease in the annual cases of LBW, SGA and PTB, as well as a reduction in hospital cost attributed to been born with LBW. Improving pregnancy outcomes by reducing the number of LBW up to 5% per year, will result in an estimate associated monetary saving of 50,000 to 7,000,000 euros annually. This study agrees with previous literature and highlights the need to implement, and ensure compliance with, stricter policies that regulate the maximum exposure to outdoor PM permitted in Spain, contributing to decreased environmental health risk, especially negative birth outcomes.

Environmental health and risk assessment metrics with special mention to biotransfer, bioaccumulation and biomagnification of environmental pollutants

The environment pollutants, which are landed up in environment because of human activities like urbanization, mining and industrializations, affects human health, plants and animals. The living organisms present in environment are constantly affected by the toxic pollutants through direct contact or bioaccumulation of chemicals from the environment. The toxic and hazardous pollutants are easily transferred to different environmental matrices like land, air and water bodies such as surface and ground waters. This comprehensive review deeply discusses the routes and causes of different environmental pollutants along with their toxicity, impact, occurrences and fate in the environment. Environment health and risk assessment tools that are used to evaluate the harmfulness, exposure of living organisms to pollutants and the amount of pollutant accumulated are explained with help of bio-kinetic models. Biotransfer, toxicity factor, biomagnification and bioaccumulation of different pollutants in the air, water and marine ecosystems are critically addressed. Thus, the presented survey would be collection of correlations those addresses the factors involved in assessing the environmental health and risk impacts of distinct environmental pollutants.

Health impact assessment of Delhi's outdoor workers exposed to air pollution and extreme weather events: an integrated epidemiology approach

This study is an assessment of the effects of outdoor air pollution and extreme weather events on the health of outdoor workers in Delhi, including auto rickshaw drivers, street vendors, and sweepers. To carry it out, a cross-sectional and perception-based epidemiological research design was used, and the primary tool used for data collection was a questionnaire. Two hundred twenty-eight people participated in the survey, and a pulmonary function test (PFT) was performed on 63 participants. Most of the respondents from different occupational groups complained about headaches/giddiness, nausea, and muscular cramps during extreme heat events due to the physically demanding nature of their jobs in the outdoor environment. Furthermore, autorickshaw drivers reported the highest prevalence of ophthalmic symptoms, such as eye redness (44%) and eye irritation (36%). In comparison, vendors reported a higher prevalence of headaches (43%) and eye redness (40%) due to increased exposure to vehicular emissions. Among sweepers, musculoskeletal problems like joint pain (40%), backache (38%), and shoulder pain (35%) were most prevalent due to occupation-related ergonomic factors. In addition, the majority of autorickshaw drivers (47%), vendors (47%), and sweepers (48%) considered that air quality had a severe impact on their health. PFT results showed that most respondents had restricted lung function. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that lung function impairment had a significant association with smoking (p = 0.023) and age (0.019). The odds ratio for smoking, which was around 4, indicated that respondents who smoked had a nearly four times greater risk of developing lung impairment. The study also highlighted the need for using personal protective equipment and developing guidelines to reduce their exposure level.

Health impact assessment of auto rickshaw and cab drivers due to exposure to vehicular pollution in Delhi: an integrated approach

Vehicular emission is an important contributor to air pollution in the urban environment and impacts the health of commuters as well as drivers. The in-vehicle concentration of pollutants is known to be higher than the ambient environment and varies with the mode of transport. Thus, this study attempts to assess the health impacts of air pollution exposure on auto rickshaws and cab drivers. The study was conducted in Delhi using a triangular approach involving a health perception survey, lung function test and in-vehicle monitoring of particulate matter (PM₁, PM_2.5, PM₁₀) concentration to assess the health impacts of air pollution on auto rickshaw and cab drivers. A total of 150 respondents (75 from each occupation) were surveyed, and spirometry was performed for 40 respondents (20 from each occupation). Binary logistic regression showed auto rickshaw drivers were exposed to significantly higher in-vehicle PM concentrations in summers and winters and, thus, had a significantly higher risk of developing respiratory, ophthalmic and dermatological health symptoms (p< 0.05 and relative risk >1). Pulmonary function test showed obstructive lung impairment was reported only among auto rickshaw drivers (6%) and restrictive lung impairment was also more prevalent among auto rickshaw drivers (48%) than cab drivers (33%), suggesting a greater vulnerability of auto rickshaw drivers to respiratory health issues. Lung function impairment was associated with age (p= 0.002). The health and well-being of individuals is a matter of global concern, also highlighted in sustainable development goal no. 3. However, it was observed that neither auto rickshaw drivers nor cab drivers used formal/standard protective measures mainly due to unawareness or unaffordability. The study suggests increasing awareness and formulating guidelines to highlight the use of proper protective measures by these vulnerable groups and specific policy measures to protect outdoor workers like auto rickshaw drivers.

The relationship between exposure to PM2.5 and atrial fibrillation in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Fine particle matter (PM_2.5) is recognized as atrial fibrillation (AF) risk factor, especially for older adults. However, studies on the relationship between PM_2.5 and AF were inconsistent. Herein, we present a systematic review to further assess the correlation between PM_2.5 and AF in older adults (average age > 50 years old). A comprehensive search was conducted with the keywords in PubMed (675 records), Web of Science (1130 records), Embase (82 records), and the Cochrane Library (42 records). Using Stata12.0 software to test the heterogeneity between studies, and select the corresponding model to calculate the comprehensive effect value, odds ratio (OR, odds ratio), the pooled %-change (percentage change) and its 95% confidence interval (CL, confidence interval). A total of 16 observational studies were included, involving 10,580,394 participants, the results showed that PM_2.5 had an adverse effects on AF in older adults. An association was found between exposure to PM_2.5 (per 10 μg/m³ increase) and AF in older adults, with the corresponding pooled OR (1.11, 95% CI: 1.03-1.19) and pooled %-change (1.01%, 95% CI: 0.14%-1.88%). Our study indicated that PM_2.5 exposure was significantly related to increased incidence of AF in older adults. Both the pooled OR and %-change value were higher in areas with higher levels of PM_2.5(≥25 μg/m³).

A study on variation of atmospheric pollutants over Bhubaneswar during imposition of nationwide lockdown in India for the COVID-19 pandemic

The nationwide lockdown in India to flatten the pandemic COVID-19 curve has resulted in the reduction of anthropogenic emission sources to a great extent. This study reports change in air quality and its impact on the environment during the unique lockdown scenario at Bhubaneswar, a coastal smart city in east India. The urban air shows a remarkable reduction in the mean pollutant levels influenced by traffic emission viz. NO_x (~ 67 %) and BC (~ 47 %) during lockdown over the pre-lockdown. Comparatively, a lower reduction of CO (~ 14 %) is attributed to the dominance of natural atmospheric chemical regulation and biogenic sources in addition to anthropogenic contributions. In addition to the lockdown, frequent rain events due to depression in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) also had a significant role in the reduction of the primary pollutants over the study site. An enhancement of secondary pollutant viz. O₃ (~ 3%) with a distinct diurnal pattern was observed during the first phase of lockdown over the pre-lockdown period. An anti-correlation between O₃ and NO_x during pre-lockdown points to a higher O₃ production potential with decreasing NO_x. While a reduction in the titration of O₃ due to suppression of fresh NO emissions led to accumulation of O₃ in the first phase of lockdown, inhibited photochemistry due to cloudy skies as well as reduction in precursors led to lower O₃ values during the later phases of lockdown.

Participatory quantitative health impact assessment of urban transport planning: A case study from Eastern Africa

BACKGROUND

High rates of motorization in urban areas of Africa have adverse effects on public health. Transport-related mortality will increase as a result of inadequate transport infrastructure, air pollution and sedentary lifestyles. Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) have proven to be a successful tool to predict and mitigate negative health impact of urban transport planning policies, programmes or projects. Yet, there is a gap of evidence on transport and health in African countries. The aim of this study is assessing the health impacts of transport scenarios in Port Louis (city of 119,018 inhabitants in Mauritius) using a full chain participatory HIA model.

METHODS

We estimated health and economic impacts associated to transport scenarios with qualitative data and quantitative comparative risk assessment methods. The health impact modeling was based on differences between the baseline and three transport scenarios (worse, good, ideal), estimating the averted deaths per year and economic outcomes by assessing health determinants of air pollution (AP), traffic deaths and physical activity (PA). Data on air pollution and traffic fatalities were obtained from public data sources. Data used to construct scenarios, establish baseline travel mode shares and physical activity were collected through (a) open-ended individual interviews (IDIs) with 14 stakeholders (b) closed-ended survey questions to 600 citizens and (c) 2 focus group discussions (FGDs) with the same 14 stakeholders from (a).

RESULTS

In Port Louis, the worse-case transport scenario (doubling in car trips and a reduction in walking, motorcycle, and public transport), resulted in a total increment of 3.28 premature deaths per year. The good-case scenario (reducing car trips by half and increasing walking, motorcycle, and public transport trips) resulted in a total increment of 0.79 premature deaths per year. The ideal-case scenario (reduction in car and motorcycle trips and an increase in walking and public transport trips) resulted in a total reduction of 13.72 premature deaths per year. We estimated USD 23 millions of economic benefits related to mortality if the ideal-case was achieved.

CONCLUSION

Participatory HIA shows that implementing transport policies aiming for less than an ideal situation may not be adequate or sufficient to avoid negative transport-related mortality in Mauritius. Urban transport planning is an opportunity to encourage physical activity in rapidly urbanizing settings of Africa. Transport policies should aim to restrict all forms of private motorized vehicles and promote active and public transport to support public health. We highly recommend the use of participatory approaches in quantitative HIA to ensure context specificity and policy relevance.

A general method for evaluating the effects of air pollutants on lung cancer prevalence

It is widely accepted that some air pollutants are related to lung cancer prevalence. An effective method is proposed to quantitatively evaluate the effects of air pollutants and the interactions between them. The method consisted of three parts: data decomposition, comparable data generation and relationship inference. Firstly, very limited monitoring data published by Geographic Information System were applied to calculate the inhalable air pollution of relatively massive patient samples. Then the investigated area was partitioned into a number of districts, and the comparable data containing air pollutant concentrations and lung cancer prevalence in all districts were generated. Finally, the relationships between pollutants and lung cancer prevalence were concluded by an information fusion tool: Choquet integral. As an example, the proposed method was applied in the investigation of air pollution in Tianjin, China. Overall, SO₂, O₃ and PM_2.5 were the top three factors for lung cancer. And there was obvious positive interaction between O₃ and PM_2.5 and negative interaction among SO₂, O₃ and PM₁₀. The effect of SO₂ on men was larger than on women. O₃ and SO₂ were the most important factors for the adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, respectively. The effect of SO₂ or NO₂ on squamous cell carcinoma is obviously larger than that on adenocarcinoma, while the effect of O₃ or PM_2.5 on adenocarcinoma is obviously larger than that on squamous cell carcinoma. The results provide important suggestions for management of pollutants and improvement of environmental quality. The proposed method without any parameter is general and easily realized, and it sets the foundation for further researches in other cities/countries. Implications: For total lung cancer prevalence, male and female lung cancer prevalence, and adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma prevalence, the proposed method not only quantify the effect of single pollutant (SO₂, NO₂, CO, O₃, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀) but also reveals the correlations between different pollutants such as positive interaction or negative interaction. The proposed method without any geographic predictor and parameter is much easier to realize, and it sets the foundation for further research in other cities/countries. The study results provide important suggestions for the targeted management of different pollutants and the improvement of human lung health.

Economic impacts from PM2.5 pollution-related health effects in China's road transport sector: A provincial-level analysis

Economic impact assessments of air pollution-related health effects from a sectoral perspective in China is still deficient. This study evaluates the PM_2.5 pollution-related health impacts of the road transport sector on China's economy at both national and provincial levels in 2030 under various air mitigation technologies scenarios. Health impacts are estimated using an integrated approach that combines the Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model, a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model and a health model. Results show that at a national level, the road transport sector leads to 163.64 thousand deaths per year, increases the per capita risk of morbidity by 0.37% and accounts for 1.43 billion Yuan in health care expenditures. We estimate 442.90 billion Yuan of the value of statistical life loss and 2.09 h/capita of work time loss in 2015. Without additional control measures, air pollution related to the transport sector will cause 177.50 thousand deaths in 2030, a 0.40% per capita increase in the risk of morbidity, accounting for 4.12 billion Yuan in health care expenditures, 737.15 billion Yuan of statistical life loss and 2.23 h/capita of work time loss. Based on our model, implementing the most strict control strategy scenario would decrease mortality by 42.14%, morbidity risk by 42.14%, health care expenditures by 41.94%, statistical life loss by 26.22% and hours of work time loss by 42.65%, comparing with the no control measure scenario. In addition, PM_2.5 pollution from the road transport sector will cause 0.68% GDP loss in 2030. At a provincial level, GDP losses in 14 out of 30 provinces far exceed the national rate. Henan (1.20%), Sichuan (1.07%), Chongqing (0.99%), Hubei (0.94%), and Shandong (0.90%) would experience the highest GDP loss in 2030. Implementing control strategies to reduce PM_2.5 pollution in the road transport sector could bring positive benefits in half of the Chinese provinces especially in provinces that suffer greater health impacts from the road transport sector (such as Henan and Sichuan).

Modeling the carbon monoxide dissipation in Timisoara, Romania

Modeling the evolution of pollutants' concentration is important for predicting their impact on the human health and implementing measures for a sustainable development and environmental protection. Since the carbon dioxide (CO) is one of the main pollutants that affect the urban environment, the present study aimed at building a model for the evolution of the mean daily and monthly concentration in Timisoara, Romania. We found a non-linear direct dependence of CO concentration on the temperature and humidity and an inverse proportional relationship with the wind speed. The models have been linearized and validated by statistical tests. The extreme values distributions have also been detected, and comparisons of the data with the admissible values are provided.

Expressing air pollution-induced health-related externalities in physical terms with the help of DALYs

The unintended impacts of industrial activity on human health and the environment have regularly been assessed and monetised (referred to as "external costs"). External costs are, however, a rather abstract aggregate so that decision makers cannot easily relate them to tangible impacts. At the same time, physical health impact indicators have different units that cannot readily be compared and communicated in a joint way. To support better informed decisions at policy or company level, we propose and demonstrate a way to facilitate communication on non-monetized, that is, physical health indicators quantified in studies. The concept Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) is chosen as metric due to its widespread use. We establish a comprehensive and consistent set of six health endpoints caused by particles and ozone, and derive related up-to-date DALYs. Further we apply the DALY values to a French smart grid demonstration project. Owing to its size, the gains in terms of reduced DALYs are however small. In contrast to external cost assessments, in the frame of which morbidity endpoints usually contribute to around 10-15%, they are found to be insubstantial in the overall DALY score (i.e. below 1%). This is because DALYs only consider time losses weighted by severity while external costs also factor in further welfare effects, i.e. combining resource, disutility and opportunity costs of illness. As a result, methodological limitations, mainly existing for the morbidity-related DALY values, appear to be less of concern. Overall, using the DALYs with and without morbidity impacts is justifiable. Either choice in the communication of health-related physical externalities induces the need to explain the limitations in terms of the treatment of morbidity endpoints (notably their definition and the disability weights used) or their complete disregard.

Assessment of microbial communities in PM1 and PM10 of Urumqi during winter

Recently, inhalable particulate matter has been reported to carry microorganisms responsible for human allergy and respiratory disease. The unique geographical environment and adverse weather conditions of Urumqi cause double pollution of dust and smog, but research on the microbial content of the atmosphere has not been commenced. In this study, 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequencing were conducted to investigate the microbial composition of Urumqi's PM1 and PM10 pollutants in winter. Results showed that the bacterial community is mainly composed of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria accounted for the most proportion which was significant difference in some aforementioned studies. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota constitute the main part of the fungal microbial community. The difference of bacterial relative abundance in sample point is greater than in particle sizes. The sequences of several pathogenic bacteria and opportunistic pathogens were also detected, such as Acinetobacter, Delftia, Serratia, Chryseobacterium, which may impact on immunocompromised populations (elderly, children and postoperative convalescence patients), and some fungal genera may cause several plant diseases. Our findings may serve an important reference value in the global air microbial propagation and air microbial research in desert.

Exposure to particulate matter in India: A synthesis of findings and future directions

Air pollution poses a critical threat to human health with ambient and household air pollution identified as key health risks in India. While there are many studies investigating concentration, composition, and health effects of air pollution, investigators are only beginning to focus on estimating or measuring personal exposure. Further, the relevance of exposures studies from the developed countries in developing countries is uncertain. This review summarizes existing research on exposure to particulate matter (PM) in India, identifies gaps and offers recommendations for future research. There are a limited number of studies focused on exposure to PM and/or associated health effects in India, but it is evident that levels of exposure are much higher than those reported in developed countries. Most studies have focused on coarse aerosols, with a few studies on fine aerosols. Additionally, most studies have focused on a handful of cities, and there are many unknowns in terms of ambient levels of PM as well as personal exposure. Given the high mortality burden associated with air pollution exposure in India, a deeper understanding of ambient pollutant levels as well as source strengths is crucial, both in urban and rural areas. Further, the attention needs to expand beyond the handful large cities that have been studied in detail.