Associations between short term exposure to ambient particulate matter from dust storm and anthropogenic sources and inflammatory biomarkers in healthy young adults

Short-term exposure to air pollution on peripheral white blood cells and inflammation biomarkers: a cross-sectional study on rural residents

Effects of short-term exposure to ambient air pollution on systemic immunological and inflammatory biomarkers in rural population have not been adequately characterized. From May to July 2021, 5816 participants in rural villages of northern Henan Province, China, participated in this cross-sectional study. Blood biomarkers of systemic inflammation were determined including peripheral white blood cells (WBC), eosinophils (EOS), basophils (BAS), monocytes (MON), lymphocytes (LYM), neutrophils (NEU), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). The concentrations of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5), PM10, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3) were assessed up to 7 days prior to the blood draw. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the associations between air pollution exposure and the above-mentioned blood biomarkers. Significantly positive associations were revealed between PM2.5, CO and WBC; CO, O3 and LYM; PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO and NEU; PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO and NLR; PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, O3 and hs-CRP. Meanwhile, negative associations were found between SO2 and WBC; PM2.5, PM10, NO2, CO, or O3 and EOS; PM2.5, SO2, or CO and BAS; SO2, NO2 or O3 and MON; PM2.5, PM10, SO2, or NO2 and LYM. Moreover, men, individuals with normal body mass index (BMI), current smokers, and those older than 60 years were found vulnerable to air pollution effects. Taken together, short-term exposure to air pollution was associated with systemic inflammatory responses, providing insight into the potential mechanisms for air pollution-induced detrimental systemic effects in rural residents.

Adverse impacts of Asian dust events on human health and the environment-A probabilistic risk assessment study on particulate matter-bound metals and bacteria in Seoul, South Korea

This study aimed to assess the impact of Asian dust (AD) on the human health and the environment. Particulate matter (PM) and PM-bound trace elements and bacteria were examined to determine the chemical and biological hazards associated with AD days and compared with non-AD days in Seoul. On AD days, the mean PM10 concentration was ∼3.5 times higher than that on non-AD days. Elements generated from the Earth's crust (Al, Fe, and Ca) and anthropogenic sources (Pb, Ni, and Cd) were identified as major contributors to coarse and fine particles, respectively. During AD days, the study area was recognized as "severe" for pollution index and pollution load index levels, and "moderately to heavily polluted" for geoaccumulation index levels. The potential cancer risk (CR) and non-CR were estimated for the dust generated during AD events. On AD days, total CR levels were significant (in 1.08 × 10^-5-2.22 × 10^-5), which were associated with PM-bound As, Cd, and Ni. In addition, inhalation CR was found to be similar to the incremental lifetime CR levels estimated using the human respiratory tract mass deposition model. In a short exposure duration (14 days), high PM and bacterial mass deposition, significant non-CR levels, and a high presence of potential respiratory infection-causing pathogens (Rothia mucilaginosa) were observed during AD days. Significant non-CR levels were observed for bacterial exposure, despite insignificant levels of PM10-bound elements. Therefore, the substantial ecological risk, CR, and non-CR levels for inhalation exposure to PM-bound bacteria, and the presence of potential respiratory pathogens, indicate that AD events pose a significant risk to both human lung health and the environment. This study provides the first comprehensive examination of significant non-CR levels for bacteria and carcinogenicity of PM-bound metals during AD events.

The links between microclimatic and particulate matter concentration in a multi-storey car parking: a case study iran

Multi-storey cars increasing with population growth have excellent security and temporary parking for cars in big cities, which isn't suitable for parking in the streets. The goals of this study are (1) to determine PM concentrations in the ZGP and (2) to investigate the effect of temperature and humidity on PM concentration in ZGP. This study measured the levels of emitted PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 by GRIMM EDM 107 laser dust monitor in a busy multi-storey parking garage located in Qom. Moreover, the relationship between microclimatic parameters and the contaminants mentioned above was investigated. Samples were collected in two stages in different spatiotemporal conditions, namely, the summer and autumn of 2017. The results indicate that during the sampling period, the daily mean ± standard deviation of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 were 120.9 ± 90.6, 28.5 ± 10.4, and 10.8 ± 3.8 µg/m3, respectively. A decrease in pollution level was observed during the measurement period. During rush hours, the levels of particulate matter increased. Also, a significant positive relationship between indoor humidity and particle level was observed, while there was a meaningful, inverse relationship between temperature and particle level. The high PM concentration in the parking garage indicates the necessity of proper management and planning.

Graphical Abstract

Status of TNF-α and IL-6 as pro-inflammatory cytokines in exhaled breath condensate of late adolescents with asthma and healthy in the dust storm and non-dust storm conditions

Exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM) can be considered as an important risk factor for human health. Some cytokines have been recognized as the biomarkers of exposure to air pollution. Experimental studies indicate that PM exposure could be associated with inflammation. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the exposure to air PM is associated with biomarkers of inflammation. The specific aim of this study was to determine the correlation between airborne PM levels and IL-6 and TNF-α as airway inflammation biomarkers among two groups of late adolescents in northwest of Iran. This study included 46 subjects, comprising 23 asthmatic subjects and 23 non-asthmatic persons. Environmental PM (PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and PM₁) levels were measured in dust storm and non-dust storm days during both cold and warm seasons. Following the sampling of PM, Two pro-inflammatory cytokines of IL-6 and TNF-α in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) were also determined in the EBC samples via commercial ELISA kits. Daily mean ambient air PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and PM₁ concentrations during the dust storm days was 221.79, 93.13 and 25.52 μg m^-3 and in non-dusty days 48.37, 18.54 and 6.1 μg m^-3, respectively. Biomarkers levels were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in asthmatic students compared to the non-asthmatic subjects. EBC cytokines levels were increased in dust storm days compared to the non-dusty days (p < 0.001) and were positively correlated with different size of ambient PM concentration. Dust storm conditions can increase the pro-inflammatory cytokines and cause adverse effects on pulmonary health and lung tissue damage.

Application of magnetic susceptibility and heavy metal bioaccessibility to assessments of urban sandstorm contamination and health risks: Case studies from Dunhuang and Lanzhou, Northwest China

Direct ingestion of sandstorm particles is an important pathway in human exposure to heavy metals. This study investigated the potential health risks of heavy metals transported in sandstorms from Dunhuang to Lanzhou in northwestern China using environmental magnetic parameters and metal bioaccessibilities in simulated gastric and intestinal tracts. The mean magnetic susceptibility of sandstorms in Lanzhou was 366.86 × 10^-8 m³/kg, which was more than 5-fold higher than that of sandstorms in Dunhuang, indicating that these sandstorms continuously receive heavy metals with high magnetic mineral content along their pathways. Heavy metal concentrations in sandstorms were higher than background values and those in urban topsoil. Enrichment factors and pollution load indices showed that these heavy metals were derived from both natural and anthropogenic sources, with Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd being strongly influenced by anthropogenic sources. The bioaccessibilities of Cd, Cu, Zn, and Pb in the sandstorms of Lanzhou were very high, ranging from 22.69% (Cu) to 50.86% (Pb) for gastric phase, and 12.07% (Pb)-22.11% (Cd) for interstinal phase, with the significant reduction in χ_lf of the physiologically-based extraction testing (PBET) treated sandstorms. The magnetic minerals are significant correlation with the concentrations of heavy metals in sandstorm and effect the release of heavy metals during human digestion process. The overall ecological risk posed by heavy metals contained in sandstorms was relatively low; however, the risk was moderate to high at individual sites. Ingestion posed the highest carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks for both adults and children, with the risk for children being higher.

Asian dust storms result in a higher risk of the silicosis hospital admissions

PURPOSE

Previous studies found that silicosis was majorly associated with occupation-related risks. However, little evidence was available to clarify the relation between Asian dust storm (ADS) and silicosis hospital admissions. This present paper aims to investigate the association between ADS events and hospital admissions for silicosis.

METHODS

We applied a Poisson time-series regression on the 2000-2012 National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan, linking air quality data and ambient temperature data to estimate the impact of ADS on silicosis hospital admissions in the age-specific groups.

RESULTS

A total of 2154 hospital admissions were recorded for silicosis in Taiwan, for a daily average number of 0.45. The number rises from 0.43 on a day without ADS to 0.70 on the outbreak day and continues increasing to 0.83 one day after outbreak. Among patients under 45, the effect of ADS appears on the event day as well as several post-event days (lag2-6) at the significant level of p < 0.1. There is also a significant lag effect on post-event day 2 (p < 0.05) for those aged above 74.

CONCLUSION

Asian dust storms do result in a rise of silicosis hospital admissions, particularly for those above 74, those under 45, and for females.

Sensitive inflammatory biomarkers of acute fine particulate matter exposure among healthy young adults: Findings from a randomized, double-blind crossover trial on air filtration

The short-term alteration of peripheral cytokines may be an early adverse health effect of PM_2.5 exposure and may be further associated with cardiovascular disease. We conducted a randomized, double-blind crossover trial using true or sham air filtration among 54 healthy college students in Beijing to investigate the potential benefits of short-term indoor air filtration and the adverse health effects of time-weighted personal PM_2.5 exposure through inflammatory cytokines. The participants randomly received true or sham air filtration intervention for a week, and the treatment was changed after a two-week washout period. Peripheral blood samples were collected after each intervention period to measure 38 inflammatory cytokines. A linear mixed-effects model was applied to estimate the impacts of air purification or a 10 μg/m³ PM_2.5 exposure increase on cytokines. Lag effects of PM_2.5 exposure were analyzed using single-day and moving average lag models. Air filtration reduced indoor and time-weighted average personal PM_2.5 concentrations by 69.0% (from 33.6 to 10.4 μg/m³) and 40.3% (from 40.6 to 24.3 μg/m³), respectively. We observed a significant association of PM_2.5 exposure with growth-regulated alpha protein (GRO-α) of -11.3% (95%CI: 17.0%, -5.4%). In the lag models, significant associations between personal PM_2.5 exposure and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1), and eotaxin were obtained at lag0, while associations with cytokines including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (MIP-1β), IL-4, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were noted at relatively long lagged exposure windows (lag5-lag6). No significant alteration in cytokines was observed under true air filtration intervention. Our study indicates the effectiveness of air filtration on indoor PM_2.5 reduction. PM_2.5 exposure may decrease GRO-α levels and change different cytokine levels time-varyingly. Further study is still needed to explore the mechanisms of PM_2.5 exposure on the inflammatory response.

Heavy metal pollution levels, source apportionment and risk assessment in dust storms in key cities in Northwest China

In this study, the potential hazards of heavy metals in dust storms were investigated by collecting dust storm samples, measuring their heavy metal concentrations, and using index evaluation, spatial analysis, positive matrix factorization (PMF) model and risk assessment model. Heavy metals in dust storms were contaminated by anthropogenic sources leading to their concentrations being higher than the background values. The enrichment factors and geoaccumulation indices showed that the heavy metals came from both natural and anthropogenic sources, Cu, Ni, Zn and Pb are strongly influenced by anthropogenic sources. Heavy metals in dust storms were divided into four sources: Cu and Ni were attributed to industrial sources mainly from local mining and metal processing; Cr was mainly contributed by industrial sources related to industrial production such as coal combustion; Pb and Zn were mainly contributed by transportation sources; and Ti, V, Mn, Fe, and As were from natural and agricultural sources. The level of comprehensive ecological risk of heavy metals in dust storms were low, but there were moderate and above risks at individual sites. Both adults and children had the highest carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks from the ingestion route, and the risk for children was higher than that for adults.

Biomarkers for the adverse effects on respiratory system health associated with atmospheric particulate matter exposure

Large amounts of epidemiological evidence have confirmed the atmospheric particulate matter (PM_2.5) exposure was positively correlated with the morbidity and mortality of respiratory diseases. Nevertheless, its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood, probably resulting from the activation of oxidative stress, inflammation, altered genetic and epigenetic modifications in the lung upon PM_2.5 exposure. Currently, biomarker investigations have been widely used in epidemiological and toxicological studies, which may help in understanding the biologic mechanisms underlying PM_2.5-elicited adverse health outcomes. Here, the emerging biomarkers to indicate PM_2.5-respiratory system interactions were summarized, primarily related to oxidative stress (ROS, MDA, GSH, etc.), inflammation (Interleukins, FE_NO, CC16, etc.), DNA damage (8-OHdG, γH2AX, OGG1) and also epigenetic modulation (DNA methylation, histone modification, microRNAs). The identified biomarkers shed light on PM_2.5-elicited inflammation, fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis, thus may favor more precise interventions in public health. It is worth noting that some inconsistent findings may possibly relate to the inter-study differentials in the airborne PM_2.5 sample, exposure mode and targeted subjects, as well as methodological issues. Further research, particularly by -omics technique to identify novel, specific biomarkers, is warranted to illuminate the causal relationship between PM_2.5 pollution and deleterious lung outcomes.

Seasonal and areal variability in PM2.5 poses differential degranulation and pro-inflammatory effects on RBL-2H3 cells

PM_2.5 pollution is a widespread environmental and health problem, particularly in China. Besides leading to well-known diseases in the respiratory system, PM_2.5 can also alter immune function to induce or aggravate allergic diseases. To determine whether there are temporal and spatial differences in the allergic responses to PM_2.5, monthly samples were collected from four regions (urban, industrial, suburban, and rural areas) through a whole year in Nanjing city, China. Inorganic chemical components (metals and water-soluble ions) of PM_2.5 were analyzed, and the rat basophil cells (RBL-2H3) exposed to PM_2.5 were assessed through quantitative measures of degranulation (β-hex and histamine) and pro-inflammation cytokine (IL-4 and TNF-α) expression. The highest levels of β-hex were measured in winter and spring PM_2.5 from urban and industrial areas, or autumn PM_2.5 from suburban and rural areas. With respect to histamine, autumn PM_2.5 samples were most potent irrespective of the location. Autumn and winter PM_2.5 induced higher levels of IL-4 than spring and summer samples. However, spring and autumn PM_2.5 caused higher levels of TNF-α. The concentrations of water-soluble ions (NH₄⁺, K⁺ and Cl^-), as well as heavy metals (Pb and Cr), were directly and statistically correlated to the inflammation observed in vitro. In general, the differences between regional and seasonal PM_2.5 in stimulating cell degranulation may depend on endotoxin and airborne allergen content of PM_2.5. The heavy metals and water-soluble ions in PM_2.5 were mostly anthropogenic, which increased the particles' mass-based cellular inflammatory potential, therefore, their health risks, e.g. from vehicular exhaust, coal, and biomass combustion, cannot be ignored.

Effects of cordierite particulate filters on diesel engine exhaust emissions in terms of pollution prevention approaches for better environmental management

In this study, a specific diesel fuel is experimentally tested in a 4-cylindered diesel engine with and without a cordierite-based diesel particulate filter (CPF) to show the prevention of emissions by using an after treatment system (ATS). In this context, engine exhaust emissions, total particle concentration (TPC) and soot concentration are investigated. The diesel engine is firstly evaluated with the data directly measured from the engine output (DEO) (without after treatment option), and then the changes in the exhaust emission are examined by using an ATS which is a cordierite-based diesel particulate filter to prevent pollution. In this regard, total particle concentration of DEO option is found to be 6134041.20 1/cm³ and total particle concentration by using CPF is obtained to be 707.84 1/cm³. 99.99% reduction in TPC is achieved thanks to the use of CPF. The soot concentration of DEO option is calculated to be 2.158 mg/m³. However, the soot concentration is found to be 0.014 mg/m³ by using the CPF. The particulate matters are burned at high temperatures after being filtered at the exhaust output thanks to the regeneration process within the CPF after treatment. CO emissions decreased from 0.7489 g/kWh to 0.7273 g/kWh with the CPF utilization, while HC emissions decreased from 0.0965 g/kWh to 0.0900 g/kWh via CPF. However, an increase in CO₂ and NO_x emissions are observed due to oxidation in the CPF.

Global Health Impacts of Dust Storms: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Dust storms and their impacts on health are becoming a major public health issue. The current study examines the health impacts of dust storms around the world to provide an overview of this issue.

METHOD

In this systematic review, 140 relevant and authoritative English articles on the impacts of dust storms on health (up to September 2019) were identified and extracted from 28 968 articles using valid keywords from various databases (PubMed, WOS, EMBASE, and Scopus) and multiple screening steps. Selected papers were then qualitatively examined and evaluated. Evaluation results were summarized using an Extraction Table.

RESULTS

The results of the study are divided into two parts: short and long-term impacts of dust storms. Short-term impacts include mortality, visitation, emergency medical dispatch, hospitalization, increased symptoms, and decreased pulmonary function. Long-term impacts include pregnancy, cognitive difficulties, and birth problems. Additionally, this study shows that dust storms have devastating impacts on health, affecting cardiovascular and respiratory health in particular.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study show that dust storms have significant public health impacts. More attention should be paid to these natural hazards to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate these hazardous events to reduce their negative health impacts.Registration: PROSPERO registration number CRD42018093325.