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Jirapornkul C, Darunikorn K, Limmongkon Y, Junggoth R, Maneenin N, Sakunkoo P, Rayubkul J. Exploring the link between ambient PM 2.5 concentrations and respiratory diseases in the elderly: a study in the Muang district of Khon Kaen, Thailand. REVIEWS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2024; 0:reveh-2023-0138. [PMID: 38861673 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2023-0138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
The impact of air pollution is a major public health concern. However, there are few studies on the correlation between PM2.5 and respiratory infections. This study aimed to determine a link between PM2.5 and respiratory diseases among the elderly in Thailand. The data source for this study consisted of 43 electronic files from the Khon Kaen Provincial Health Office covering years 2020 and 2021 and surveyed a total of 43,534 people. The generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was used to determine the adjusted odds ratio (AOR), and 95 % CI. We found that exposure to PM2.5 concentrations (in 10 μg m-3 increments) was associated with respiratory diseases (AOR: 3.98; 95 % CI [1.53-10.31]). Respondents who are male, aged less than 80 years, single, self-employed, or working as contractors, have a body mass index (BMI) not equal to the standard, have NCDs (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease), are smokers, live in sub-districts where more than 5 % of the land is planted to sugarcane, or live in close proximity to a biomass power plant were at significantly higher risk of developing respiratory diseases (p<0.05). Therefore, environmental factors including ambient PM2.5 concentrations, the proportion of sugarcane plantation areas, and biomass power plants impact the occurrence of respiratory diseases among the elderly. Also, demographic factors and NCDs are serious issues. Systematic approaches to reducing PM2.5 levels in industrial and agricultural sectors are necessary for both the general population and vulnerable groups, including the elderly and NCD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chananya Jirapornkul
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Research Group in Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Epidemiology (OHSEE-PH), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | | | - Yuparat Limmongkon
- Research Group in Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Epidemiology (OHSEE-PH), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Department of Environmental Health Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Rittirong Junggoth
- Department of Environmental Health Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Naowarat Maneenin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Research Group in Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Epidemiology (OHSEE-PH), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Pornpun Sakunkoo
- Research Group in Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Epidemiology (OHSEE-PH), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Department of Environmental Health Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Jetnapis Rayubkul
- Research Group in Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Epidemiology (OHSEE-PH), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Central Affiliation, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
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Li Y, Guo B, Meng Q, Yin L, Chen L, Wang X, Jiang Y, Wei J, Wang J, Xia J, Wang Z, Duoji Z, Li X, Nima Q, Zhao X. Associations of long-term exposure to air pollution and physical activity with the risk of systemic inflammation-induced multimorbidity in Chinese adults: results from the China multi-ethnic cohort study (CMEC). BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2556. [PMID: 38129832 PMCID: PMC10734128 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17518-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous studies proved the effect of long-term exposure to air pollution or physical activity (PA) on the risk of systemic inflammation-induced multimorbidity (SIIM), while the evidence regarding their joint effects was rare, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, we aimed to examine the extent of interaction or joint relations of PA and air pollution with SIIM. METHODS This study included 72,172 participants from China Multi-Ethnic Cohort.The average concentrations of ambient particulate matter pollutants (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) were estimated using satellite-based random forest models. Self-reported information on a range of physical activities related to occupation, housework, commuting, and leisure activities was collected by an interviewer-administered questionnaire. A total of 11 chronic inflammatory systemic diseases were assessed based on self-reported lifetime diagnosis or medical examinations. SIIM was defined as having ≥ 2 chronic diseases related to systemic inflammation. Logistic regression models were used to assess the complex associations of air pollution particulate matter and PA with SIIM. RESULTS We found positive associations between long-term air pollution particulates exposure and SIIM, with odds ratios (95%CI) of 1.07 (1.03 to 1.11), 1.18 (1.13 to 1.24), and 1.08 (1.05 to 1.12) per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM1, PM2.5, and PM10. No significant multiplicative interaction was found between ambient air pollutant exposure and PA on SIIM, whereas negative additive interaction was observed between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and PA on SIIM. The positive associations between low volume PA and SIIM were stronger among those exposed to high-level air pollution particulates. Compared with individuals engaged in high volume PA and exposed to low-level ambient air pollutants, those engaged in low volume PA and exposed to high-level ambient air pollutants had a higher risk of SIIM (OR = 1.49 in PM1 exposure, OR = 1.84 in PM2.5 exposure, OR = 1.19 in PM10 exposure). CONCLUSIONS Long-term (3 years average) exposure to PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 was associated with an increased risk of SIIM. The associations were modified by PA, highlighting PA's importance in reducing SIIM for all people, especially those living in high-level air pollution regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Li
- Tibet Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 North linkuo Road, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Bing Guo
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiong Meng
- School of Public Health, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Li Yin
- Meteorological Medical Research Center, Panzhihua Central Hospital, 617067, Panzhihua, China
- Clinical Medical Research Center, Panzhihua Central Hospital, Panzhihua, China
- Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Lin Chen
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Xing Wang
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Ye Jiang
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Junhua Wang
- School of Public Health, the Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jinjie Xia
- Chengdu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, China
| | - Zihao Wang
- Chongqing Center for disease Control and prevention, Chongqing, China
| | | | - Xianzhi Li
- Meteorological Medical Research Center, Panzhihua Central Hospital, 617067, Panzhihua, China.
- Clinical Medical Research Center, Panzhihua Central Hospital, Panzhihua, China.
- Dali University, Dali, China.
| | - Qucuo Nima
- Tibet Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 North linkuo Road, Lhasa, Tibet, China.
| | - Xing Zhao
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China.
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Zoran M, Savastru R, Savastru D, Tautan M, Tenciu D. Linkage between Airborne Particulate Matter and Viral Pandemic COVID-19 in Bucharest. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2531. [PMID: 37894189 PMCID: PMC10609195 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The long-distance spreading and transport of airborne particulate matter (PM) of biogenic or chemical compounds, which are thought to be possible carriers of SARS-CoV-2 virions, can have a negative impact on the incidence and severity of COVID-19 viral disease. Considering the total Aerosol Optical Depth at 550 nm (AOD) as an atmospheric aerosol loading variable, inhalable fine PM with a diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) or coarse PM with a diameter ≤10 µm (PM10) during 26 February 2020-31 March 2022, and COVID-19's five waves in Romania, the current study investigates the impact of outdoor PM on the COVID-19 pandemic in Bucharest city. Through descriptive statistics analysis applied to average daily time series in situ and satellite data of PM2.5, PM10, and climate parameters, this study found decreased trends of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations of 24.58% and 18.9%, respectively compared to the pre-pandemic period (2015-2019). Exposure to high levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particles was positively correlated with COVID-19 incidence and mortality. The derived average PM2.5/PM10 ratios during the entire pandemic period are relatively low (<0.44), indicating a dominance of coarse traffic-related particles' fraction. Significant reductions of the averaged AOD levels over Bucharest were recorded during the first and third waves of COVID-19 pandemic and their associated lockdowns (~28.2% and ~16.4%, respectively) compared to pre-pandemic period (2015-2019) average AOD levels. The findings of this research are important for decision-makers implementing COVID-19 safety controls and health measures during viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Zoran
- C Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, 409 Atomistilor Street, MG5, 077125 Magurele, Romania; (R.S.); (D.S.); (M.T.); (D.T.)
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Cai H, Du Z, Lin X, Lawrence WR, Hopke PK, Rich DQ, Lin S, Xiao J, Deng X, Qu Y, Lin Z, Wang X, Ju X, Chen S, Zhang Y, Wu W, Wang Y, Gu J, Hao Y, Zhang W. Interactions between long-term ambient particle exposures and lifestyle on the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes: insight from a large community-based survey. J Epidemiol Community Health 2023; 77:440-446. [PMID: 37094940 PMCID: PMC10330163 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2023-220480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Evidence on the interaction of lifestyle and long-term ambient particle (PM) exposure on the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, particularly their combined condition is limited. We investigate the associations between PM and these outcomes and whether the associations were modified by various lifestyles. METHODS This was a large population-based survey during 2019-2021 in Southern China. The concentrations of PM were interpolated and assigned to participants by the residential address. Hypertension and diabetes status were from questionnaires and confirmed with the community health centres. Logistic regression was applied to examine the associations, followed by a comprehensive set of stratified analyses by the lifestyles including diet, smoking, drinking, sleeping and exercise. RESULTS A total of 82 345 residents were included in the final analyses. For each 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, the adjusted OR for the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and their combined condition were 1.05 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.06), 1.07 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.08) and 1.05 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.06), respectively. We observed that the association between PM2.5 and the combined condition was greatest in the group with 4-8 unhealthy lifestyles (OR=1.09, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.13) followed by the group with 2-3 and those with 0-1 unhealthy lifestyle (P interaction=0.026). Similar results and trends were observed in PM10 and/or in those with hypertension or diabetes. Individuals who consumed alcohol, had inadequate sleep duration or had poor quality sleep were more vulnerable. CONCLUSION Long-term PM exposure was associated with increased prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and their combined condition, and those with unhealthy lifestyles suffered greater risks of these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanle Cai
- School of Public Health/Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute/Center for Health Information Research, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhicheng Du
- School of Public Health/Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute/Center for Health Information Research, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiao Lin
- School of Public Health/Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute/Center for Health Information Research, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wayne R Lawrence
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Philip K Hopke
- Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - David Q Rich
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Shao Lin
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York, USA
| | - Jianpeng Xiao
- Guangdong Provincial Institute of Public Health, Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xinlei Deng
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York, USA
| | - Yanji Qu
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ziqiang Lin
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xinran Wang
- School of Public Health/Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute/Center for Health Information Research, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xu Ju
- School of Public Health/Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute/Center for Health Information Research, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shirui Chen
- School of Public Health/Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute/Center for Health Information Research, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuqin Zhang
- School of Public Health/Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute/Center for Health Information Research, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenjing Wu
- School of Public Health/Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute/Center for Health Information Research, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ying Wang
- School of Public Health/Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute/Center for Health Information Research, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jing Gu
- School of Public Health/Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute/Center for Health Information Research, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuantao Hao
- Peking University Center for Public Health and Epidemic Preparedness & Response, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wangjian Zhang
- School of Public Health/Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute/Center for Health Information Research, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Leirião L, de Oliveira M, Martins T, Miraglia S. A Multi-Pollutant and Meteorological Analysis of Cardiorespiratory Mortality among the Elderly in São Paulo, Brazil-An Artificial Neural Networks Approach. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20085458. [PMID: 37107740 PMCID: PMC10138542 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20085458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Traditionally, studies that associate air pollution with health effects relate individual pollutants to outcomes such as mortality or hospital admissions. However, models capable of analyzing the effects resulting from the atmosphere mixture are demanded. In this study, multilayer perceptron neural networks were evaluated to associate PM10, NO2, and SO2 concentrations, temperature, wind speed, and relative air humidity with cardiorespiratory mortality among the elderly in São Paulo, Brazil. Daily data from 2007 to 2019 were considered and different numbers of neurons on the hidden layer, algorithms, and a combination of activation functions were tested. The best-fitted artificial neural network (ANN) resulted in a MAPE equal to 13.46%. When individual season data were analyzed, the MAPE decreased to 11%. The most influential variables in cardiorespiratory mortality among the elderly were PM10 and NO2 concentrations. The relative humidity variable is more important during the dry season, and temperature is more important during the rainy season. The models were not subjected to the multicollinearity issue as with classical regression models. The use of ANNs to relate air quality to health outcomes is still very incipient, and this work highlights that it is a powerful tool that should be further explored.
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Li J, Liu F, Liang F, Yang Y, Lu X, Gu D. Air pollution exposure and vascular endothelial function: a systematic review and meta-analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:28525-28549. [PMID: 36702984 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25156-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Vascular endothelial dysfunction is an early stage to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), but whether air pollution exposure has an effect on it remains unknown. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize epidemiological evidence between air pollution and endothelial dysfunction. We searched the database of PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to November 10, 2022. Fixed and random effect models were used to pool the effect change or percent change (% change) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of vascular function associated with particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants. I2 statistics, funnel plot, and Egger's test were used to evaluate heterogeneity and publication bias. There were 34 articles included in systematic review, and 25 studies included in meta-analysis. For each 10 µg/m3 increment in short-term PM2.5 exposure, augmentation index (AIx) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) increased by 2.73% (95% CI: 1.89%, 3.57%) and 0.56% (95% CI: 0.22%, 0.89%), and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) decreased by 0.17% (95% CI: - 0.33%, - 0.00%). For each 10 µg/m3 increment in long-term PM2.5 exposure, FMD decreased by 0.99% (95% CI: - 1.41%, - 0.57%). The associations between remaining pollutants and outcomes were not statistically significant. The effect of short-term PM2.5 exposure on FMD change was stronger in population with younger age, lower female proportion, higher mean body mass index and higher PM2.5 exposure. Cardiac or vasoactive medication might attenuate this effect. Our study provides evidence that PM2.5 exposure had adverse impact on vascular endothelial function, indicating the importance of air quality improvement for early CVD prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyue Li
- Department of Epidemiology, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Fangchao Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Fengchao Liang
- Department of Epidemiology, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 10037, China
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yuxin Yang
- Department of Epidemiology, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Xiangfeng Lu
- Department of Epidemiology, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Dongfeng Gu
- Department of Epidemiology, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 10037, China.
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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Wang Q, Chen Z, Huang W, Kou B, Li J. Short-Term Effect of Moderate Level Air Pollution on Outpatient Visits for Multiple Clinic Departments: A Time-Series Analysis in Xi'an China. TOXICS 2023; 11:166. [PMID: 36851041 PMCID: PMC9967132 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11020166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
There is limited evidence concerning the association between air pollution and different outpatient visits in moderately polluted areas. This paper investigates the effects of moderate-level air pollution on outpatient visits associated with six categories of clinic department. We analyzed a total of 1,340,791 outpatient visits for the pediatric, respiratory, ear-nose-throat (ENT), cardiovascular, ophthalmology, and orthopedics departments from January 2016 to December 2018. A distributed lag nonlinear model was used to analyze the associations and was fitted and stratified by age and season (central heating season and nonheating season). We found SO2 had the largest effect on pediatrics visits (RR = 1.105 (95%CI: 1.090, 1.121)). Meanwhile, PM2.5 and SO2 had greater effects on ENT visits for people under 50 years old. The results showed a strong association between O3 and cardiovascular outpatient visits in the nonheating season (RR = 1.273, 95% CI: 1.189,1.358). The results showed every 10 μg/m3 increase in SO2 was associated with a lower number of respiratory outpatient visits. Significant different associations were observed in PM2.5, NO2, CO, and O3 on ophthalmology visits between the heating and nonheating seasons. Although no significant association has been found in existing studies, our findings showed PM2.5 and NO2 were significantly related to orthopedic outpatient visits for people under 60 (RR = 1.063 (95%CI: 1.032, 1.095), RR = 1.055 (95%CI: 1.011, 1.101)). This study also found that the effect-level concentrations of air pollutants for some clinic departments were lower than the national standards, which means that people should also pay more attention when the air quality is normal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingnan Wang
- Department of Information Management, School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- School of Economics, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo 315000, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Information Management, School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- College of Business, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Bo Kou
- Department of Otolaryngology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710016, China
| | - Jingwei Li
- Department of Information Management, School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
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Brągoszewska E, Mainka A. Impact of Different Air Pollutants (PM 10, PM 2.5, NO 2, and Bacterial Aerosols) on COVID-19 Cases in Gliwice, Southern Poland. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:14181. [PMID: 36361060 PMCID: PMC9655007 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have shown that air pollution may be closely associated with increased morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19. It has been observed that exposure to air pollution leads to reduced immune response, thereby facilitating viral penetration and replication. In our study, we combined information on confirmed COVID-19 daily new cases (DNCs) in one of the most polluted regions in the European Union (EU) with air-quality monitoring data, including meteorological parameters (temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, and direction) and concentrations of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2), ozone (O3), and carbon monoxide (CO). Additionally, the relationship between bacterial aerosol (BA) concentration and COVID-19 spread was analyzed. We confirmed a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) between NO2 concentrations and numbers of confirmed DNCs and observed positive correlations (p < 0.05) between BA concentrations and DNCs, which may point to coronavirus air transmission by surface deposits on bioaerosol particles. In addition, wind direction information was used to show that the highest numbers of DNCs were associated with the dominant wind directions in the region (southern and southwestern parts).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Brągoszewska
- Department of Technologies and Installations for Waste Management, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 18 Konarskiego St., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Anna Mainka
- Department of Air Protection, Silesian University of Technology, 22B Konarskiego St., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
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A systematic review and meta-analysis of intraday effects of ambient air pollution and temperature on cardiorespiratory morbidities: First few hours of exposure matters to life. EBioMedicine 2022; 86:104327. [PMID: 36323182 PMCID: PMC9626385 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing number of studies have reported an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and respiratory disease (RD) within hours after exposure to ambient air pollution or temperature. We assemble published evidence on the sub-daily associations of CVD and RD with ambient air pollution and temperature. METHODS Databases of PubMed and Web of Science were searched for original case-crossover and time-series designs of English articles examining the intra-day effects of ambient air pollution [particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), ≤10 μm (PM10), 2.5-10μm (PM10-2.5), and < 7 μm (SPM), O3, SO2, NO2, CO, and NO] and temperatures (heat and cold) on cardiorespiratory diseases within 24 h after exposure in the general population by comparing with exposure at different exposure levels or periods. Meta-analyses were conducted to pool excess risks (ERs, absolute percentage increase in risk) of CVD and RD morbidities associated with an increase of 10 μg/m3 in particulate matters, 0.1 ppm in CO, and 10 ppb in other gaseous pollutants. FINDINGS Final analysis included thirty-three papers from North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia. Meta-analysis found an increased risk of total CVD morbidity within 3 h after exposure to PM2.5 [ER%: 2.65% (95% CI: 1.00% to 4.34%)], PM10-2.5 [0.31% (0.02% to 0.59%)], O3 [1.42% (0.14% to 2.73%)], and CO [0.41% (0.01% to 0.81%)]. The risk of total RD morbidity elevated at lag 7-12 h after exposure to PM2.5 [0.69% (0.14% to 1.24%)] and PM10 [0.38% (0.02% to 0.73%)] and at lag 12-24 h after exposure to SO2 [2.68% (0.94% to 4.44%)]. Cause-specific CVD analysis observed an increased risk of myocardial infarction morbidity within 6 h after exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and NO2, and an increased risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest morbidity within 12 h after exposure to CO. Risk of total CVD also increased within 24 h after exposure to heat. INTERPRETATION This study supports a sudden risk increase of cardiorespiratory diseases within a few hours after exposure to air pollution or heat, and some acute and highly lethal diseases such as myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest could be affected within a shorter time. FUNDING The National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42105165; 81773518), the High-level Scientific Research Foundation of Anhui Medical University (Grant No. 0305044201), and the Discipline Construction of Anhui Medical University (Grant No. 0301001836).
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Zoran MA, Savastru RS, Savastru DM, Tautan MN. Cumulative effects of air pollution and climate drivers on COVID-19 multiwaves in Bucharest, Romania. PROCESS SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION : TRANSACTIONS OF THE INSTITUTION OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS, PART B 2022; 166:368-383. [PMID: 36034108 PMCID: PMC9391082 DOI: 10.1016/j.psep.2022.08.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Over more than two years of global health crisis due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Romania experienced a five-wave pattern. This study aims to assess the potential impact of environmental drivers on COVID-19 transmission in Bucharest, capital of Romania during the analyzed epidemic period. Through descriptive statistics and cross-correlation tests applied to time series of daily observational and geospatial data of major outdoor inhalable particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) or ≤ 10 µm (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), Aerosol Optical Depth at 550 nm (AOD) and radon (222Rn), we investigated the COVID-19 waves patterns under different meteorological conditions. This study examined the contribution of individual climate variables on the ground level air pollutants concentrations and COVID-19 disease severity. As compared to the long-term average AOD over Bucharest from 2015 to 2019, for the same year periods, this study revealed major AOD level reduction by ~28 % during the spring lockdown of the first COVID-19 wave (15 March 2020-15 May 2020), and ~16 % during the third COVID-19 wave (1 February 2021-1 June 2021). This study found positive correlations between exposure to air pollutants PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO and 222Rn, and significant negative correlations, especially for spring-summer periods between ground O3 levels, air temperature, Planetary Boundary Layer height, and surface solar irradiance with COVID-19 incidence and deaths. For the analyzed time period 1 January 2020-1 April 2022, before and during each COVID-19 wave were recorded stagnant synoptic anticyclonic conditions favorable for SARS-CoV-2 virus spreading, with positive Omega surface charts composite average (Pa/s) at 850 mb during fall- winter seasons, clearly evidenced for the second, the fourth and the fifth waves. These findings are relevant for viral infections controls and health safety strategies design in highly polluted urban environments.
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Key Words
- 222Rn
- 222Rn, Radon
- AOD, Total Aerosol Optical Depth at 550 nm
- Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD)
- CAMS, Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service
- CO, Carbon monoxide
- COVID, 19 Coronavirus Disease 2019
- COVID-19 disease
- Climate variables
- DNC, Daily New COVID-19 positive cases
- DND, Daily New COVID-19 Deaths
- MERS, CoV Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- NO2, Nitrogen dioxide
- NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S.A.
- O3, Ozone
- Outdoor air pollutants
- PBL, Planetary Boundary Layer height
- PM, Particulate Matter: PM1(1 µm), PM2.5 (2.5 µm) and PM10(10.0 µm) diameter
- RH, Air relative humidity
- SARS, CoV Severe Outdoor Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus
- SARS, CoV-2 Severe Outdoor Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
- SI, Surface solar global irradiance
- SO2, Sulfur dioxide
- Synoptic meteorological circulation
- T, Air temperature at 2 m height
- p, Air pressure
- w, Wind speed intensity
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Zoran
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele, Bucharest 077125, Romania
| | - Roxana S Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele, Bucharest 077125, Romania
| | - Dan M Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele, Bucharest 077125, Romania
| | - Marina N Tautan
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele, Bucharest 077125, Romania
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Zoran MA, Savastru RS, Savastru DM, Tautan MN. Impacts of exposure to air pollution, radon and climate drivers on the COVID-19 pandemic in Bucharest, Romania: A time series study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113437. [PMID: 35594963 PMCID: PMC9113773 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
During the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic disease, like several countries, Romania experienced a multiwaves pattern over more than two years. The spreading pattern of SARS-CoV-2 pathogens in the Bucharest, capital of Romania is a multi-factorial process involving among other factors outdoor environmental variables and viral inactivation. Through descriptive statistics and cross-correlation analysis applied to daily time series of observational and geospatial data, this study aims to evaluate the synergy of COVID-19 incidence and lethality with air pollution and radon under different climate conditions, which may exacerbate the coronavirus' effect on human health. During the entire analyzed period 1 January 2020-21 December 2021, for each of the four COVID-19 waves were recorded different anomalous anticyclonic synoptic meteorological patterns in the mid-troposphere, and favorable stability conditions during fall-early winter seasons for COVID-19 disease fast-spreading, mostly during the second, and the fourth waves. As the temporal pattern of airborne SARS-CoV-2 and its mutagen variants is affected by seasonal variability of the main air pollutants and climate parameters, this paper found: 1) the daily outdoor exposures to air pollutants (particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10, nitrogen dioxide-NO2, sulfur dioxide-SO2, carbon monoxide-CO) and radon - 222Rn, are directly correlated with the daily COVID-19 incidence and mortality, and may contribute to the spread and the severity of the pandemic; 2) the daily ground ozone-O3 levels, air temperature, Planetary Boundary Layer height, and surface solar irradiance are anticorrelated with the daily new COVID-19 incidence and deaths, averageingful for spring-summer periods. Outdoor exposure to ambient air pollution associated with radon is a non-negligible driver of COVID-19 transmission in large metropolitan areas, and climate variables are risk factors in spreading the viral infection. The findings of this study provide useful information for public health authorities and decision-makers to develop future pandemic diseases strategies in high polluted metropolitan environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Zoran
- National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Bucharest, Magurele, Romania.
| | - Roxana S Savastru
- National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Bucharest, Magurele, Romania
| | - Dan M Savastru
- National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Bucharest, Magurele, Romania
| | - Marina N Tautan
- National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Bucharest, Magurele, Romania
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Huang Z, Chan EYY, Wong CS, Liu S, Zee BCY. Health Disparity Resulting from the Effect of Built Environment on Temperature-Related Mortality in a Subtropical Urban Setting. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19148506. [PMID: 35886357 PMCID: PMC9322054 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19148506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Whereas previous studies have assessed the overall health impact of temperature in Hong Kong, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the health impact is modified by local temperature of small geographic units, which may be related to the diverse socioeconomic characteristics of these units. The effects of local temperature on non-accidental and cause-specific mortality were analyzed using Bayesian spatial models at a small-area level, adjusting for potential confounders, i.e., area-level air pollutants, socioeconomic status, and green space, as well as spatial dependency. We found that a 10% increase in green space density was associated with an estimated 4.80% decrease in non-accidental mortality risk and a 5.75% decrease in cardiovascular disease mortality risk in Hong Kong, whereas variation in local annual temperature did not significantly contribute to mortality. We also found that the spatial variation of mortality within this city could be explained by the geographic distribution of green space and socioeconomic factors rather than local temperature or air pollution. The findings and methodology of this study may help to further understanding and investigation of social and structural determinants of health disparities, particularly place-based built environment across class-based small geographic units in a city, taking into account the intersection of multiple factors from individual to population levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Huang
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (Z.H.); (C.-S.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Emily Ying-Yang Chan
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (Z.H.); (C.-S.W.); (S.L.)
- GX Foundation, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Correspondence:
| | - Chi-Shing Wong
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (Z.H.); (C.-S.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Sida Liu
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (Z.H.); (C.-S.W.); (S.L.)
- GX Foundation, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Benny Chung-Ying Zee
- Centre for Clinical Research and Biostatistics (CCRB), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China;
- Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services (ORKTS), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Hu K, Keenan K, Hale JM, Liu Y, Kulu H. A longitudinal analysis of PM2.5 exposure and multimorbidity clusters and accumulation among adults aged 45-85 in China. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 2:e0000520. [PMID: 36962462 PMCID: PMC10021527 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
While previous studies have emphasised the role of individual factors in understanding multimorbidity disparities, few have investigated contextual factors such as air pollution (AP). We first use cross-sectional latent class analysis (LCA) to assess the associations between PM2.5 exposure and multimorbidity disease clusters, and then estimate the associations between PM2.5 exposure and the development of multimorbidity longitudinally using growth curve modelling (GCM) among adults aged 45-85 in China. The results of LCA modelling suggest four latent classes representing three multimorbidity patterns (respiratory, musculoskeletal, cardio-metabolic) and one healthy pattern. The analysis shows that a 1 μg/m3 increase in cumulative exposure to PM2.5 is associated with a higher likelihood of belonging to respiratory, musculoskeletal or cardio-metabolic clusters: 2.4% (95% CI: 1.02, 1.03), 1.5% (95% CI: 1.01, 1.02) and 3.3% (95% CI: 1.03, 1.04), respectively. The GCM models show that there is a u-shaped association between PM2.5 exposure and multimorbidity, indicating that both lower and higher PM2.5 exposure is associated with increased multimorbidity levels. Higher multimorbidity in areas of low AP is explained by clustering of musculoskeletal diseases, whereas higher AP is associated with cardio-metabolic disease clusters. The study shows how multimorbidity clusters vary contextually and that PM2.5 exposure is more detrimental to health among older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Hu
- Population and Health Research Group, School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Keenan
- Population and Health Research Group, School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
| | - Jo Mhairi Hale
- Population and Health Research Group, School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
| | - Yang Liu
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Hill Kulu
- Population and Health Research Group, School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
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Broomandi P, Crape B, Jahanbakhshi A, Janatian N, Nikfal A, Tamjidi M, Kim JR, Middleton N, Karaca F. Assessment of the association between dust storms and COVID-19 infection rate in southwest Iran. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:36392-36411. [PMID: 35060047 PMCID: PMC8776378 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-18195-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
This study assesses a plausible correlation between a dust intrusion episode and a daily increase in COVID-19 cases. A surge in COVID-19 cases was observed a few days after a Middle East Dust (MED) event that peaked on 25th April 2020 in southwest Iran. To investigate potential causal factors for the spike in number of cases, cross-correlations between daily combined aerosol optical depths (AODs) and confirmed cases were computed for Khuzestan, Iran. Additionally, atmospheric stability data time series were assessed by covering before, during, and after dust intrusion, producing four statistically clustered distinct city groups. Groups 1 and 2 had different peak lag times of 10 and 4-5 days, respectively. Since there were statistically significant associations between AOD levels and confirmed cases in both groups, dust incursion may have increased population susceptibility to COVID-19 disease. Group 3 was utilized as a control group with neither a significant level of dust incursion during the episodic period nor any significant associations. Group 4 cities, which experienced high dust incursion levels, showed no significant correlation with confirmed case count increases. Random Forest Analysis assessed the influence of wind speed and AOD, showing relative importance of 0.31 and 0.23 on the daily increase percent of confirmed cases, respectively. This study may serve as a reference for better understanding and predicting factors affecting COVID-19 transmission and diffusion routes, focusing on the role of MED intrusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parya Broomandi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, 010000
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Masjed-Soleiman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Masjed-Soleiman, Iran
| | - Byron Crape
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, 010000
| | - Ali Jahanbakhshi
- Environmental Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Nasime Janatian
- Chair of Hydrobiology and Fishery, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Mahsa Tamjidi
- Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jong R Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, 010000.
| | - Nick Middleton
- St Anne's College, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6HS, UK
| | - Ferhat Karaca
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, 010000
- The Environment and Resource Efficiency Cluster (EREC), Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, 010000
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Shao L, Cao Y, Jones T, Santosh M, Silva LFO, Ge S, da Boit K, Feng X, Zhang M, BéruBé K. COVID-19 mortality and exposure to airborne PM 2.5: A lag time correlation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:151286. [PMID: 34743816 PMCID: PMC8553633 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has escalated into one of the most serious crises in the 21st Century. Given the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 and its high mortality rate, here we investigate the impact and relationship of airborne PM2.5 to COVID-19 mortality. Previous studies have indicated that PM2.5 has a positive relationship with the spread of COVID-19. To gain insights into the delayed effect of PM2.5 concentration (μgm-3) on mortality, we focused on the role of PM2.5 in Wuhan City in China and COVID-19 during the period December 27, 2019 to April 7, 2020. We also considered the possible impact of various meteorological factors such as temperature, precipitation, wind speed, atmospheric pressure and precipitation on pollutant levels. The results from the Pearson's correlation coefficient analyses reveal that the population exposed to higher levels of PM2.5 pollution are susceptible to COVID-19 mortality with a lag time of >18 days. By establishing a generalized additive model, the delayed effect of PM2.5 on the death toll of COVID-19 was verified. A negative correction was identified between temperature and number of COVID-19 deaths, whereas atmospheric pressure exhibits a positive correlation with deaths, both with a significant lag effect. The results from our study suggest that these epidemiological relationships may contribute to the understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and provide insights for public health strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longyi Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Yaxin Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Tim Jones
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
| | - M Santosh
- School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geoscience Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; Department of Earth Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Luis F O Silva
- Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de la Costa, Calle 58 #55-66, 080002 Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
| | - Shuoyi Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Kátia da Boit
- Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de la Costa, Calle 58 #55-66, 080002 Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
| | - Xiaolei Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Mengyuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Kelly BéruBé
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, Wales, UK
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Zoran MA, Savastru RS, Savastru DM, Tautan MN, Baschir LA, Tenciu DV. Assessing the impact of air pollution and climate seasonality on COVID-19 multiwaves in Madrid, Spain. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 203:111849. [PMID: 34370990 PMCID: PMC8343379 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
While the COVID-19 pandemic is still in progress, being under the fifth COVID-19 wave in Madrid, over more than one year, Spain experienced a four wave pattern. The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 pathogens in Madrid metropolitan region was investigated from an urban context associated with seasonal variability of climate and air pollution drivers. Based on descriptive statistics and regression methods of in-situ and geospatial daily time series data, this study provides a comparative analysis between COVID-19 waves incidence and mortality cases in Madrid under different air quality and climate conditions. During analyzed period 1 January 2020-1 July 2021, for each of the four COVID-19 waves in Madrid were recorded anomalous anticyclonic synoptic meteorological patterns in the mid-troposphere and favorable stability conditions for COVID-19 disease fast spreading. As airborne microbial temporal pattern is most affected by seasonal changes, this paper found: 1) a significant negative correlation of air temperature, Planetary Boundary Layer height, and surface solar irradiance with daily new COVID-19 incidence and deaths; 2) a similar mutual seasonality with climate variables of the first and the fourth COVID-waves from spring seasons of 2020 and 2021 years. Such information may help the health decision makers and public plan for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Zoran
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania.
| | - Roxana S Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
| | - Dan M Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
| | - Marina N Tautan
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
| | - Laurentiu A Baschir
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
| | - Daniel V Tenciu
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
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Zoran MA, Savastru RS, Savastru DM, Tautan MN, Baschir LA, Tenciu DV. Exploring the linkage between seasonality of environmental factors and COVID-19 waves in Madrid, Spain. PROCESS SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION : TRANSACTIONS OF THE INSTITUTION OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS, PART B 2021; 152:583-600. [PMID: 36285289 PMCID: PMC9584827 DOI: 10.1016/j.psep.2021.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Like several countries, Spain experienced a multi wave pattern of COVID-19 pandemic over more than one year period, between spring 2020 and spring 2021. The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 pandemics is a multi-factorial process involving among other factors outdoor environmental variables and viral inactivation.This study aims to quantify the impact of climate and air pollution factors seasonality on incidence and severity of COVID-19 disease waves in Madrid metropolitan region in Spain. We employed descriptive statistics and Spearman rank correlation tests for analysis of daily in-situ and geospatial time-series of air quality and climate data to investigate the associations with COVID-19 incidence and lethality in Madrid under different synoptic meteorological patterns. During the analyzed period (1 January 2020-28 February 2021), with one month before each of three COVID-19 waves were recorded anomalous anticyclonic circulations in the mid-troposphere, with positive anomalies of geopotential heights at 500 mb and favorable stability conditions for SARS-CoV-2 fast diffusion. In addition, the results reveal that air temperature, Planetary Boundary Layer height, ground level ozone have a significant negative relationship with daily new COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths. The findings of this study provide useful information to the public health authorities and policymakers for optimizing interventions during pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Zoran
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
| | - Roxana S Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
| | - Dan M Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
| | - Marina N Tautan
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
| | - Laurentiu A Baschir
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
| | - Daniel V Tenciu
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
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Stufano A, Lisco S, Bartolomeo N, Marsico A, Lucchese G, Jahantigh H, Soleo L, Moretti M, Trerotoli P, De Palma G, Lovreglio P. COVID19 outbreak in Lombardy, Italy: An analysis on the short-term relationship between air pollution, climatic factors and the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 198:111197. [PMID: 33930404 PMCID: PMC8078046 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Short-term exposure to air pollution, as well as to climate variables have been linked to a higher incidence of respiratory viral diseases. The study aims to assess the short-term influence of air pollution and climate on COVID19 incidence in Lombardy (Italy), during the early stage of the outbreak, before the implementation of the lockdown measures. The daily number of COVID19 cases in Lombardy from February 25th to March 10th, 2020, and the daily average concentrations up to 15 days before the study period of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), O3, SO2, and NO2 together with climate variables (temperature, relative humidity - RH%, wind speed, precipitation), were analyzed. A univariable mixed model with a logarithm transformation as link function was applied for each day, from 15 days (lag15) to one day (lag1) before the day of detected cases, to evaluate the effect of each variable. Additionally, change points (Break Points-BP) in the relationship between incident cases and air pollution or climatic factors were estimated. The results did not show a univocal relationship between air quality or climate factors and COVID19 incidence. PM10, PM2.5 and O3 concentrations in the last lags seem to be related to an increased COVID19 incidence, probably due to an increased susceptibility of the host. In addition, low temperature and low wind speed in some lags resulted associated with increased daily COVID19 incidence. The findings observed suggest that these factors, in particular conditions and lags, may increase individual susceptibility to the development of viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Stufano
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine - Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Stefania Lisco
- Department of Earth and Geo-environmental Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Nicola Bartolomeo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonella Marsico
- Department of Earth and Geo-environmental Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Guglielmo Lucchese
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hamidreza Jahantigh
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine - Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Leonardo Soleo
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine - Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Massimo Moretti
- Department of Earth and Geo-environmental Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Paolo Trerotoli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe De Palma
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, Section of Public Health and Human Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Piero Lovreglio
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine - Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
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19
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Analysis of Spatial Heterogeneity and the Scale of the Impact of Changes in PM2.5 Concentrations in Major Chinese Cities between 2005 and 2015. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14113232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Deteriorating air quality is one of the most important environmental factors posing significant health risks to urban dwellers. Therefore, an exploration of the factors influencing air pollution and the formulation of targeted policies to address this issue are critically needed. Although many studies have used semi-parametric geographically weighted regression and geographically weighted regression to study the spatial heterogeneity characteristics of influencing factors of PM2.5 concentration change, due to the fixed bandwidth of these methods and other reasons, those studies still lack the ability to describe and explain cross-scale dynamics. The multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) method allows different variables to have different bandwidths, which can produce more realistic and useful spatial process models. By applying the MGWR method, this study investigated the spatial heterogeneity and spatial scales of impact of factors influencing PM2.5 concentrations in major Chinese cities during the period 2005–2015. This study showed the following: (1) Factors influencing changes in PM2.5 concentrations, such as technology, foreign investment levels, wind speed, precipitation, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), evidenced significant spatial heterogeneity. Of these factors, precipitation, NDVI, and wind speed had small-scale regional effects, whose bandwidth ratios are all less than 20%, while foreign investment levels and technologies had medium-scale regional effects, whose bandwidth levels are 23% and 32%, respectively. Population, urbanization rates, and industrial structure demonstrated weak spatial heterogeneity, and the scale of their influence was predominantly global. (2) Overall, the change of NDVI was the most influential factor, which can explain 15.3% of the PM2.5 concentration change. Therefore, an enhanced protection of urban surface vegetation would be of universal significance. In some typical areas, dominant factors influencing pollution were evidently heterogeneous. Change in wind speed is a major factor that can explain 51.6% of the change in PM2.5 concentration in cities in the Central Plains, and change in foreign investment levels is the dominant influencing factor in cities in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Sichuan Basin, explaining 30.6% and 44.2% of the PM2.5 concentration change, respectively. In cities located within the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, NDVI is a key factor, reducing PM2.5 concentrations by 9.7%. Those results can facilitate the development of region-specific measures and tailored urban policies to reduce PM2.5 pollution levels in different regions such as Northeast China and the Sichuan Basin.
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20
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Mehmood K, Bao Y, Petropoulos GP, Abbas R, Abrar MM, Saifullah, Mustafa A, Soban A, Saud S, Ahmad M, Hussain I, Fahad S. Investigating connections between COVID-19 pandemic, air pollution and community interventions for Pakistan employing geoinformation technologies. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 272:129809. [PMID: 33582510 PMCID: PMC7846247 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Several major cities that witnessed heavy air pollution by particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) have contributed to high rate of infection and severity of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Owing to the negative impact of COVID-19 on health and economy, it is imperative to predict the pandemic trend of the COVID-19 outbreak. Pakistan is one of the mostly affected countries by recent COVID-19 pandemic in terms of COVID-cases and economic crises. Like other several Asian countries to combat the virus impacts, Pakistan implemented non-pharmacological interventions (NPI), such as national lockdowns. The current study investigates the effect of major interventions across three out of four provinces of Pakistan for the period from the start of the COVID-19 in March 22, 2020 until June 30, 2020, when lockdowns were started to be eased. High-resolution data on NO2 was recorded from Sentinel-5's Precursor spacecraft with TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (Sentinel-5P TROPOMI). Similarly, PM2.5 data were collected from sampling sties to investigate possible correlation among these pollutants and COVID-19. In addition, growth and susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) models utilizing time-series data of COVID-19 from February 26 to December 31, 2020, with- and without NPI that encompass the predicted number of infected cases, peak time, impact on the healthcare system and mortality in Pakistan. Maximum mean PM2.5 concentration of 108 μgm-3 was recorded for Lahore with the range from 51 to 215 μgm-3, during strict lockdown (L), condition. This is three times higher than Pak-EPA and US-EPA and four times for WHO guidelines, followed by Peshawar (97.2 and 58 ± 130), Islamabad (83 and 158 ± 58), and Karachi (78 and 50 ± 140). The majority of sampling sites in Lahore showed NO2 levels higher than 8.75E-5 (mol/m2) in 2020 compared to 2019 during "L" period. The susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model depicted a strong correlation (r) between the predicted and reported cases for Punjab (r = 0.79), Sindh (r = 0.91), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) (r = 94) and Islamabad (r = 0.85). Findings showed that major NPI and lockdowns especially have had a large effect on minimizing transmission. Continued community intervention should be undertaken to keep transmission of SARS-CoV-2 under control in cities where higher incidence of COVID-19 cases until the vaccine is available. This study provides a methodological framework that if adopted can assist epidemiologist and policy makers to be well-prepared in advance in cities where PM2.5 concentration and NO2 levels are already high in order to minimize the potential risk of further spread of COVID-19 cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Mehmood
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Yansong Bao
- Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, CMA Key Laboratory for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China; School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China.
| | - George P Petropoulos
- Department of Geography, Harokopio University of Athens, El. Venizelou 70, Kallithea, 17671, Athens, Greece
| | - Roman Abbas
- Multan Medical and Dental College, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Mohsin Abrar
- National Engineering Laboratory for Improving Quality of Arable Land, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Saifullah
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adnan Mustafa
- National Engineering Laboratory for Improving Quality of Arable Land, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Ahmad Soban
- Software Engineering Department Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Pakistan
| | - Shah Saud
- Department of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Manzoor Ahmad
- Department of Agriculture, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, 24461, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Izhar Hussain
- Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, University of Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Shah Fahad
- Department of Agronomy, University of Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
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21
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Cao Y, Shao L, Jones T, Oliveira MLS, Ge S, Feng X, Silva LFO, BéruBé K. Multiple relationships between aerosol and COVID-19: A framework for global studies. GONDWANA RESEARCH : INTERNATIONAL GEOSCIENCE JOURNAL 2021; 93:243-251. [PMID: 33584115 PMCID: PMC7871891 DOI: 10.1016/j.gr.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) is a severe respiratory syndrome currently causing a human global pandemic. The original virus, along with newer variants, is highly transmissible. Aerosols are a multiphase system consisting of the atmosphere with suspended solid and liquid particles, which can carry toxic and harmful substances; especially the liquid components. The degree to which aerosols can carry the virus and cause COVID-19 disease is of significant research importance. In this study, we have discussed aerosol transmission as the pathway of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2), and the aerosol pollution reduction as a consequence of the COVID-19 lockdown. The aerosol transmission routes of the SARS-CoV-2 can be further subdivided into proximal human-exhaled aerosol transmission and potentially more distal ambient aerosol transmission. The human-exhaled aerosol transmission is a direct dispersion of the SARS-CoV-2. The ambient aerosol transmission is an indirect dispersion of the SARS-CoV-2 in which the aerosol acts as a carrier to spread the virus. This indirect dispersion can also stimulate the up-regulation of the expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE-2 (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2) and protease TMPRSS2 (Transmembrane Serine Protease 2), thereby increasing the incidence and mortality of COVID-19. From the aerosol quality data around the World, it can be seen that often atmospheric pollution has significantly decreased due to factors such as the reduction of traffic, industry, cooking and coal-burning emissions during the COVID-19 lockdown. The airborne transmission potential of SARS-CoV-2, the infectivity of the virus in ambient aerosols, and the reduction of aerosol pollution levels due to the lockdowns are crucial research subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxin Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining and College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Longyi Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining and College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Tim Jones
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10, 3YE, Wales, UK
| | - Marcos L S Oliveira
- Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de la Costa, Calle 58 #55-66, 080002 Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
- Departamento de Ingeniería Civil y Arquitectura, Universidad de Lima, Avenida Javier Prado Este 4600 - Santiago de Surco 1503, Peru
| | - Shuoyi Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining and College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xiaolei Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining and College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Luis F O Silva
- Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de la Costa, Calle 58 #55-66, 080002 Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
| | - Kelly BéruBé
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, Wales, UK
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22
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Meo SA, Abukhalaf AA, Alomar AA, Alessa OM, Sami W, Klonoff DC. Effect of environmental pollutants PM-2.5, carbon monoxide, and ozone on the incidence and mortality of SARS-COV-2 infection in ten wildfire affected counties in California. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021. [PMID: 33321340 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.1439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Various regions of California have experienced a large number of wildfires this year, at the same time the state has been experiencing a large number of cases of and deaths from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of wildfire allied pollutants, including particulate matter (PM-2.5 μm), carbon monoxide (CO), and Ozone (O3) with the dynamics of new daily cases and deaths due to SARS-COV 2 infection in 10 counties, which were affected by wildfire in California. The data on COVID-19 pertaining to daily new cases and deaths was recorded from Worldometer Web. The daily PM-2.5 μm, CO, and O3 concentrations were recorded from three metrological websites: BAAQMD- Air Quality Data; California Air Quality Index-AQI; and Environmental Protection Agency- EPA. The data recorded from the date of the appearance of first case of (SARS-CoV-2) in California region to the onset of wildfire, and from the onset of wildfire to September 22, 2020. After the wildfire, the PM2.5 concentration increased by 220.71%; O3 by 19.56%; and the CO concentration increased by 151.05%. After the wildfire, the numbers of cases and deaths due to COVID-19 both increased respectively by 56.9% and 148.2%. The California wildfire caused an increase in ambient concentrations of toxic pollutants which were temporally associated with an increase in the incidence and mortality of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sultan Ayoub Meo
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | | | - Ali Abdullah Alomar
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Omar Mohammed Alessa
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Waqas Sami
- Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Al-Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - David C Klonoff
- Diabetes Research Institute, Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, San Mateo, CA, USA
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23
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Meo SA, Abukhalaf AA, Alomar AA, Alessa OM, Sami W, Klonoff DC. Effect of environmental pollutants PM-2.5, carbon monoxide, and ozone on the incidence and mortality of SARS-COV-2 infection in ten wildfire affected counties in California. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 757:143948. [PMID: 33321340 PMCID: PMC7685934 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Various regions of California have experienced a large number of wildfires this year, at the same time the state has been experiencing a large number of cases of and deaths from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of wildfire allied pollutants, including particulate matter (PM-2.5 μm), carbon monoxide (CO), and Ozone (O3) with the dynamics of new daily cases and deaths due to SARS-COV 2 infection in 10 counties, which were affected by wildfire in California. The data on COVID-19 pertaining to daily new cases and deaths was recorded from Worldometer Web. The daily PM-2.5 μm, CO, and O3 concentrations were recorded from three metrological websites: BAAQMD- Air Quality Data; California Air Quality Index-AQI; and Environmental Protection Agency- EPA. The data recorded from the date of the appearance of first case of (SARS-CoV-2) in California region to the onset of wildfire, and from the onset of wildfire to September 22, 2020. After the wildfire, the PM2.5 concentration increased by 220.71%; O3 by 19.56%; and the CO concentration increased by 151.05%. After the wildfire, the numbers of cases and deaths due to COVID-19 both increased respectively by 56.9% and 148.2%. The California wildfire caused an increase in ambient concentrations of toxic pollutants which were temporally associated with an increase in the incidence and mortality of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sultan Ayoub Meo
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | | | - Ali Abdullah Alomar
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Omar Mohammed Alessa
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Waqas Sami
- Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Al-Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - David C Klonoff
- Diabetes Research Institute, Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, San Mateo, CA, USA
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24
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Niu Y, Liu C, Chen R, Kan H. Short-Term Exposure to Ambient Ozone and Outpatient Visits for Respiratory Diseases - 5 Cities, China, 2013-2015. China CDC Wkly 2020; 2:878-881. [PMID: 34594784 PMCID: PMC8422358 DOI: 10.46234/ccdcw2020.198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
What is already known about this topic? Few studies have elucidated the relationships between ambient ozone and respiratory morbidity, especially in developing countries. What is added by this report? This study involved 5 cities in China with a wide variation in ozone concentrations and therefore could add credible evidence for the associations between short-term ozone exposure and increased respiratory morbidity. What are the implications for public health practice? The results could be used to better assess disease burden of short-term exposure to ozone and further guide policymaking for reducing ozone air pollution and improving public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Niu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Renjie Chen
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haidong Kan
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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25
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Zoran MA, Savastru RS, Savastru DM, Tautan MN. Assessing the relationship between ground levels of ozone (O 3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) with coronavirus (COVID-19) in Milan, Italy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 740:140005. [PMID: 32559534 PMCID: PMC7274116 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigates the correlation between the high level of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection accelerated transmission and lethality, and surface air pollution in Milan metropolitan area, Lombardy region in Italy. For January-April 2020 period, time series of daily average inhalable gaseous pollutants ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), together climate variables (air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, precipitation rate, atmospheric pressure field and Planetary Boundary Layer) were analyzed. In spite of being considered primarily transmitted by indoor bioaerosols droplets and infected surfaces or direct human-to-human personal contacts, it seems that high levels of urban air pollution, and climate conditions have a significant impact on SARS-CoV-2 diffusion. Exhibited positive correlations of ambient ozone levels and negative correlations of NO2 with the increased rates of COVID-19 infections (Total number, Daily New positive and Total Deaths cases), can be attributed to airborne bioaerosols distribution. The results show positive correlation of daily averaged O3 with air temperature and inversely correlations with relative humidity and precipitation rates. Viral genome contains distinctive features, including a unique N-terminal fragment within the spike protein, which allows coronavirus attachment on ambient air pollutants. At this moment it is not clear if through airborne diffusion, in the presence of outdoor and indoor aerosols, this protein "spike" of the new COVID-19 is involved in the infectious agent transmission from a reservoir to a susceptible host during the highest nosocomial outbreak in some agglomerated industrialized urban areas like Milan is. Also, in spite of collected data for cold season (winter-early spring) period, when usually ozone levels have lower values than in summer, the findings of this study support possibility as O3 can acts as a COVID-19 virus incubator. Being a novel pandemic coronavirus version, it might be ongoing during summer conditions associated with higher air temperatures, low relative humidity and precipitation levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Zoran
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania.
| | - Roxana S Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
| | - Dan M Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
| | - Marina N Tautan
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
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26
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Zoran MA, Savastru RS, Savastru DM, Tautan MN. Assessing the relationship between surface levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter impact on COVID-19 in Milan, Italy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 738:139825. [PMID: 32512362 PMCID: PMC7265857 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 255] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a highly pathogenic, transmittable and invasive pneumococcal disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged in December 2019 and January 2020 in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China and fast spread later on the middle of February 2020 in the Northern part of Italy and Europe. This study investigates the correlation between the degree of accelerated diffusion and lethality of COVID-19 and the surface air pollution in Milan metropolitan area, Lombardy region, Italy. Daily average concentrations of inhalable particulate matter (PM) in two size fractions PM2.5, PM10 and maxima PM10 ground level atmospheric pollutants together air quality and climate variables (daily average temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, atmospheric pressure field and Planetary Boundary Layer-PBL height) collected during 1 January-30 April 2020 were analyzed. In spite of being considered primarily transmitted by indoor bioaerosols droplets and infected surfaces, or direct human-to-human personal contacts, it seems that high levels of urban air pollution, weather and specific climate conditions have a significant impact on the increased rates of confirmed COVID-19 Total number, Daily New and Total Deaths cases, possible attributed not only to indoor but also to outdoor airborne bioaerosols distribution. Our analysis demonstrates the strong influence of daily averaged ground levels of particulate matter concentrations, positively associated with average surface air temperature and inversely related to air relative humidity on COVID-19 cases outbreak in Milan. Being a novel pandemic coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) version, COVID-19 might be ongoing during summer conditions associated with higher temperatures and low humidity levels. Presently is not clear if this protein "spike" of the new coronavirus COVID-19 is involved through attachment mechanisms on indoor or outdoor airborne aerosols in the infectious agent transmission from a reservoir to a susceptible host in some agglomerated urban areas like Milan is.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Zoran
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania.
| | - Roxana S Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
| | - Dan M Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
| | - Marina N Tautan
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
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27
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Zoran MA, Savastru RS, Savastru DM, Tautan MN. Assessing the relationship between surface levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter impact on COVID-19 in Milan, Italy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 738:139825. [PMID: 32512362 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.13982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a highly pathogenic, transmittable and invasive pneumococcal disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged in December 2019 and January 2020 in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China and fast spread later on the middle of February 2020 in the Northern part of Italy and Europe. This study investigates the correlation between the degree of accelerated diffusion and lethality of COVID-19 and the surface air pollution in Milan metropolitan area, Lombardy region, Italy. Daily average concentrations of inhalable particulate matter (PM) in two size fractions PM2.5, PM10 and maxima PM10 ground level atmospheric pollutants together air quality and climate variables (daily average temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, atmospheric pressure field and Planetary Boundary Layer-PBL height) collected during 1 January-30 April 2020 were analyzed. In spite of being considered primarily transmitted by indoor bioaerosols droplets and infected surfaces, or direct human-to-human personal contacts, it seems that high levels of urban air pollution, weather and specific climate conditions have a significant impact on the increased rates of confirmed COVID-19 Total number, Daily New and Total Deaths cases, possible attributed not only to indoor but also to outdoor airborne bioaerosols distribution. Our analysis demonstrates the strong influence of daily averaged ground levels of particulate matter concentrations, positively associated with average surface air temperature and inversely related to air relative humidity on COVID-19 cases outbreak in Milan. Being a novel pandemic coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) version, COVID-19 might be ongoing during summer conditions associated with higher temperatures and low humidity levels. Presently is not clear if this protein "spike" of the new coronavirus COVID-19 is involved through attachment mechanisms on indoor or outdoor airborne aerosols in the infectious agent transmission from a reservoir to a susceptible host in some agglomerated urban areas like Milan is.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Zoran
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania.
| | - Roxana S Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
| | - Dan M Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
| | - Marina N Tautan
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
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Impacts of COVID-19 on a Transitioning Energy System, Society, and International Cooperation. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12198232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Short term outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic have included improved air quality and reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions, while long term repercussions may include a disruption to joint international research efforts, the creation of silos, and the potential for internalizing efforts toward national rather than global goals. In this study, we identified the impacts of reduced mobility on pollutants and emissions, the emergence of nationalist approaches and effects on international cooperation, and how these issues will affect the achievement of global carbon targets and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). COVID-19 presents a global short-term crisis and there is a demonstrated global desire and effort to develop a vaccine and effective treatments. Similarly, climate change is also a near future issue, and as a result we need to reduce CO2 emissions rapidly. This review highlights potential policy interventions, which capitalize on learnings from COVID-19, while identifying SDGs 10, 13 and 17 as critical to engendering a successful, cooperative transition toward sustainability. The recognition of the earth as a closed system, demonstrated by the shared impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, may encourage positive future effects on cooperative approaches toward mitigating climate change, another looming crisis for humanity.
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