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Lin S, Xue Y, Thandra S, Qi Q, Hopke PK, Thurston SW, Croft DP, Utell MJ, Rich DQ. PM 2.5 and its components and respiratory disease healthcare encounters - Unanticipated increased exposure-response relationships in recent years after environmental policies. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 360:124585. [PMID: 39038774 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Prior studies reported excess rates (ERs) of cardiorespiratory events associated with short-term increases in PM2.5 concentrations, despite implementation of pollution-control policies. In 2017, Federal Tier 3 light-duty vehicle regulations began, and to-date there have been no assessments of population health effects of the policy. Using the NYS Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database, we obtained hospitalizations and ED visits with a principal diagnosis of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for residents living within 15 miles of six urban PM2.5 monitoring sites in NYS (2014-2019). We used a time-stratified case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression (adjusting for ambient temperature, relative humidity, and weekday) to estimate associations between PM2.5, POC (primary organic carbon), SOC (secondary organic carbon), and rates of respiratory disease hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits from 2014 to 2019. We evaluated demographic disparities in these relative rates and compared changes in ERs before (2014-2016) and after Tier 3 implementation (2017-2019). Each interquartile range increase in PM2.5 was associated with increased ERs of asthma or COPD hospitalizations and ED visits in the previous 7 days (ERs ranged from 1.1%-3.1%). Interquartile range increases in POC were associated with increased rates of asthma ED visits (lag days 0-6: ER = 2.1%, 95% CI = 0.7%, 3.6%). Unexpectedly, the ERs of asthma admission and ED visits associated with PM2.5, POC, and SOC were higher during 2017-2019 (after Tier 3) than 2014-2016 (before Tier-3). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease analyses showed similar patterns. Excess Rates were higher in children (<18 years; asthma) and seniors (≥65 years; COPD), and Black, Hispanic, and NYC residents. In summary, unanticipated increases in asthma and COPD ERs after Tier-3 implementation were observed, and demographic disparities in asthma/COPD and PM2.5, POC, and SOC associations were also observed. Future work should confirm findings and investigate triggering of respiratory events by source-specific PM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao Lin
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences & Department of Epidemiology/Biostatistics, University at Albany, The State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Yukang Xue
- Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, University at Albany, The State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Sathvik Thandra
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Quan Qi
- Department of Economics, University at Albany, The State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Philip K Hopke
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA; Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, USA
| | - Sally W Thurston
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Daniel P Croft
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Mark J Utell
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - David Q Rich
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
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2
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Fitzpatrick AM, Mohammad AF, Desher K, Mutic AD, Stephenson ST, Dallalio GA, Grunwell JR. Clinical and inflammatory features of traffic-related diesel exposure in children with asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2024; 133:393-402.e4. [PMID: 39074656 PMCID: PMC11410514 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2024.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies have revealed associations between traffic-related pollutants such as diesel particulate matter (PM) and asthma outcomes in children, but the inflammatory features associated with diesel PM exposure in children with asthma are not understood. OBJECTIVE To evaluate symptoms, exacerbations, and lung function measures in children with uncontrolled asthma and their associations with residential proximity to major roadways and to determine associations between diesel PM exposure and systemic inflammatory cytokines, circulating markers of T-cell activation and exhaustion, and metabolomic features using biomarker studies. METHODS Children 5 to 17 years of age with physician-diagnosed, uncontrolled asthma despite treatment with an asthma controller medication completed a research visit involving questionnaires, lung function testing, and venipuncture for biomarker studies. Geocoding was performed to quantify residential proximity to major roadways and pollutant exposure. RESULTS A total of 447 children with uncontrolled asthma were enrolled. Children living closer to highly trafficked roadways were more disadvantaged and had more exposure to diesel PM, more exacerbations prompting an emergency department visit, and lower lung function measures. Children with the highest diesel PM exposure, compared with children with the lowest diesel PM exposure, also had blunted cytokine secretion and evidence of T-cell exhaustion, including disturbances in several metabolites associated with glutathione formation and oxidative stress. CONCLUSION Traffic-related diesel PM exposure in children with poorly controlled asthma is associated with poorer clinical outcomes and unique patterns of inflammation and oxidative stress. These findings argue for continued mitigation efforts to improve traffic-related air quality and health equity in children with asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M Fitzpatrick
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia.
| | | | - Kaley Desher
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Abby D Mutic
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | - Gail A Dallalio
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jocelyn R Grunwell
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Division of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
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Fitzpatrick AM, Grunwell JR, Gaur H, Kobara S, Kamaleswaran R. Plasma metabolomics identifies differing endotypes of recurrent wheezing in preschool children differentiated by symptoms and social disadvantage. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15813. [PMID: 38982241 PMCID: PMC11233605 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66878-1] [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: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Preschool children with recurrent wheezing are a heterogeneous population with many underlying biological pathways that contribute to clinical presentations. Although the morbidity of recurrent wheezing in preschool children is significant, biological studies in this population remain quite limited. To address this gap, this study performed untargeted plasma metabolomic analyses in 68 preschool children with recurrent wheezing to identify metabolomic endotypes of wheezing. K-means cluster analysis was performed on metabolomic dataset including a total of 1382 named and unnamed metabolites. We identified three metabolomic clusters which differed in symptom severity, exacerbation occurrence, and variables associated with social disadvantage. Metabolites that distinguished the clusters included those involved in fatty acid metabolism, fatty acids (long chain monounsaturated fatty acids, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and long chain saturated fatty acids), lysophospholipids, phosphatidylcholines, and phosphatidylethanolamines. Pathway analyses identified pathways of interest in each cluster, including steroid metabolism, histidine metabolism, sphingomyelins, and sphingosines, among others. This study highlights the biologic complexity of recurrent wheezing in preschool children and offers novel metabolites and pathways that may be amenable to future study and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M Fitzpatrick
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 2015 Uppergate Drive Office #340, 30322, Atlanta, Georgia.
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia.
| | - Jocelyn R Grunwell
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 2015 Uppergate Drive Office #340, 30322, Atlanta, Georgia
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Hina Gaur
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Seibi Kobara
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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Grunwell JR, Mutic AD, Ezhuthachan ID, Mason C, Tidwell M, Caldwell C, Norwood J, Zack S, Jordan N, Fitzpatrick AM. Environmental Injustice Is Associated With Poorer Asthma Outcomes in School-Age Children With Asthma in Metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. IN PRACTICE 2024; 12:1263-1272.e1. [PMID: 38378096 PMCID: PMC11081836 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2024.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental justice mandates that no person suffers disproportionately from environmental exposures. The Environmental Justice Index (EJI) provides an estimate of the environmental burden for each census tract but has not yet been used in asthma populations. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that children from census tracts with high environmental injustice determined by the EJI would have a greater burden of asthma exacerbations, poorer asthma control, and poorer lung function over 12 months. METHODS Children aged 6 to 18 years with asthma (N = 575) from metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, completed a baseline research visit. Participant addresses were geocoded to obtain the EJI Social-Environmental Ranking for each participant's census tract, which was divided into tertiles. Medical records were reviewed for 12 months for asthma exacerbations. A subset of participants completed a second research visit involving spirometry and questionnaires. RESULTS Census tracts with the greatest environmental injustice had more racial and ethnic minorities, lower socioeconomic status, more hazardous exposures (particularly to airborne pollutants), and greater proximity to railroads and heavily trafficked roadways. Children with asthma residing in high injustice census tracts had a longer duration of asthma, greater historical asthma-related health care utilization, poorer asthma symptom control and quality of life, and more impaired lung function. By 12 months, children from high injustice census tracts also had more asthma exacerbations with a shorter time to exacerbation and persistently more symptoms, poorer asthma control, and reduced lung function. CONCLUSIONS Disparities in environmental justice are present in metropolitan Atlanta that may contribute to asthma outcomes in children. These findings require an additional study and action to improve health equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn R Grunwell
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga; Division of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga
| | - Abby D Mutic
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga
| | - Idil D Ezhuthachan
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga; Division of Allergy and Immunology, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga
| | - Carrie Mason
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga
| | - Mallory Tidwell
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga
| | - Cherish Caldwell
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga
| | - Jalicae Norwood
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga
| | - Sydney Zack
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga
| | - Natalie Jordan
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga
| | - Anne M Fitzpatrick
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga; Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.
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Yan R, Ying S, Jiang Y, Duan Y, Chen R, Kan H, Fu Q, Gu Y. Associations between ultrafine particle pollution and daily outpatient visits for respiratory diseases in Shanghai, China: a time-series analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:3004-3013. [PMID: 38072886 PMCID: PMC10791965 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31248-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Previous epidemiological studies have linked short-term exposure to particulate matter with outpatient visits for respiratory diseases. However, evidence on ultrafine particle (UFP) is still scarce in China. To investigate the association between short-term UFP exposure and outpatient visits for respiratory diseases as well as the corresponding lag patterns, information on outpatient visits for main respiratory diseases during January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2019 was collected from electronic medical records of two large tertiary hospitals in Shanghai, China. Generalized additive models employing a Quasi-Poisson distribution were employed to investigate the relationships between UFP and respiratory diseases. We computed the percentage change and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for outpatient visits related to respiratory diseases per interquartile range (IQR) increase in UFP concentrations. Based on a total of 1,034,394 hospital visits for respiratory diseases in Shanghai, China, we found that the strongest associations of total UFP with acute upper respiratory tract infection (AURTI), bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pneumonia occurred at lag 03, 03, 0, and 03 days, respectively. Each IQR increase in the total UFP concentrations was associated with increments of 9.02% (95% CI: 8.64-9.40%), 3.94% (95% CI: 2.84-5.06%), 4.10% (95% CI: 3.01-5.20%), and 10.15% (95% CI: 9.32-10.99%) for AURTI, bronchitis, COPD, and pneumonia, respectively. Almost linear concentration-response relationship curves without apparent thresholds were observed between total UFP and outpatient-department visits for four respiratory diseases. Stratified analyses illustrated significantly stronger associations of total UFP with AURTI, bronchitis, and pneumonia among female patients, while that with COPD was stronger among male patients. After adjustment of criteria air pollutants, these associations all remained robust. This time-series study indicates that short-term exposure to UFP was associated with increased risk of hospital visits for respiratory diseases, underscoring the importance of reducing ambient UFP concentrations for respiratory diseases control and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Yan
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shengjie Ying
- Shanghai Minhang District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, 201101, China
| | - Yixuan Jiang
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yusen Duan
- Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai, 200235, China
| | - Renjie Chen
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Haidong Kan
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qingyan Fu
- Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai, 200235, China
| | - Yiqin Gu
- Shanghai Minhang District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, 201101, China.
- Shanghai Minhang Dental Disease Prevention and Treatment Institute, Shanghai, 201103, China.
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6
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Yan K, Wang M, Cheng Y, Zou J, Zhang Y, Hu S, Chen Y, Lv Q, Ying S. An update on the association between ambient short-term air pollution exposure and daily outpatient visits for conjunctivitis: a time-series study in Hangzhou, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:102790-102802. [PMID: 37672159 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29647-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution is a major public health problem that can lead to conjunctivitis. This study aimed to explore the associations between air pollutants and outpatient visits for conjunctivitis in Hangzhou, China. This study collected data on 50,772 patients with conjunctivitis and the concentrations of six air pollutants from February 1, 2014, to August 31, 2018. A time series analysis using a generalized additive model (GAM) was conducted. We found that the risk of conjunctivitis was related to the air pollutants PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and O3, which had concentration hysteresis effects. The risk of conjunctivitis increased by 1.009 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.003, 1.014), 1.011 (95% CI: 1.008, 1.015), 1.238 (95% CI: 1.186, 1.292), 1.028 (95% CI: 1.019, 1.038), and 1.013 (95% CI: 1.008, 1.017) for every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and O3 concentrations, respectively. The lag effects of SO2 and NO2 were stronger than those of particulate matter. Females exposed to PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and O3 had a higher risk of conjunctivitis than males, while males exposed to NO2 had a nearly identical risk of conjunctivitis as females. People aged 19-59 were more likely to suffer from conjunctivitis. The risk of conjunctivitis caused by PM10, SO2, and O3 was highest in the transitional season, while the risk caused by NO2 was highest in the winter season. In conclusion, females and middle-aged adults were at higher risk of conjunctivitis. People were more susceptible to conjunctivitis during the transitional season. These findings highlight the importance of atmospheric pollution governance and reference for public health measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaili Yan
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, No.182, Tianmushan Road Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Mingwei Wang
- Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongran Cheng
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, No.182, Tianmushan Road Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Jin Zou
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, No.182, Tianmushan Road Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, No.182, Tianmushan Road Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Shuaiyue Hu
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, No.182, Tianmushan Road Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Yitong Chen
- Savaid Stomatology School, Hangzhou Medical College, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qingqing Lv
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, No.182, Tianmushan Road Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Shibo Ying
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, No.182, Tianmushan Road Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310013, China.
- Institute of Occupational Diseases, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.
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Outdoor Air Pollution and Childhood Respiratory Disease: The Role of Oxidative Stress. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054345. [PMID: 36901776 PMCID: PMC10001616 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The leading mechanisms through which air pollutants exert their damaging effects are the promotion of oxidative stress, the induction of an inflammatory response, and the deregulation of the immune system by reducing its ability to limit infectious agents' spreading. This influence starts in the prenatal age and continues during childhood, the most susceptible period of life, due to a lower efficiency of oxidative damage detoxification, a higher metabolic and breathing rate, and enhanced oxygen consumption per unit of body mass. Air pollution is involved in acute disorders like asthma exacerbations and upper and lower respiratory infections, including bronchiolitis, tuberculosis, and pneumoniae. Pollutants can also contribute to the onset of chronic asthma, and they can lead to a deficit in lung function and growth, long-term respiratory damage, and eventually chronic respiratory illness. Air pollution abatement policies, applied in the last decades, are contributing to mitigating air quality issues, but more efforts should be encouraged to improve acute childhood respiratory disease with possible positive long-term effects on lung function. This narrative review aims to summarize the most recent studies on the links between air pollution and childhood respiratory illness.
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Madani NA, Carpenter DO. Patterns of Emergency Room Visits for Respiratory Diseases in New York State in Relation to Air Pollution, Poverty and Smoking. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3267. [PMID: 36833962 PMCID: PMC9966596 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We have explored differences in rates of emergency room (ER) visits for respiratory diseases in the counties of New York State (NYS) in relation to levels of air pollution, poverty, and smoking. Air pollution information was derived from the National Emissions Inventory, which provides information on road, non-road, point, and non-point sources of 12 different air pollutants. This information is only available at the county level. Four types of respiratory diseases were considered: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute lower respiratory diseases, and acute upper respiratory diseases. Asthma ER visits were elevated in counties with greater total air pollution. All forms of respiratory diseases were elevated in counties with a greater rate of poverty, although this may reflect the fact that poor people often use ERs for routine care. There was a very strong association between rates of smoking for COPD and acute lower respiratory diseases. There was an apparent negative association between smoking and asthma ER visits, but this must reflect the fact that smoking was much more common in upstate counties while asthma was more common in the New York City area, where air pollution is high. Air pollution was much greater in urban than in rural areas. Our evidence indicates that air pollution is the greatest risk factor for asthma attacks, whereas smoking is the greatest risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lower respiratory disease. Poor people are more vulnerable to all forms of respiratory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najm Alsadat Madani
- Department of Environmental Health Science, School of Public Health, 1 University Place, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
- Institute for Health and the Environment, 5 University Place, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
| | - David O Carpenter
- Department of Environmental Health Science, School of Public Health, 1 University Place, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
- Institute for Health and the Environment, 5 University Place, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
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Jiang Y, Chen R, Peng W, Luo Y, Chen X, Jiang Q, Han B, Su G, Duan Y, Huo J, Qu X, Fu Q, Kan H. Hourly Ultrafine Particle Exposure and Acute Myocardial Infarction Onset: An Individual-Level Case-Crossover Study in Shanghai, China, 2015-2020. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:1701-1711. [PMID: 36668989 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Associations between ultrafine particles (UFPs) and hourly onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have rarely been investigated. We aimed to evaluate the impacts of UFPs on AMI onset and the lag patterns. A time-stratified case-crossover study was performed among 20,867 AMI patients from 46 hospitals in Shanghai, China, between January 2015 and December 2020. Hourly data of AMI onset and number concentrations of nanoparticles of multiple size ranges below 0.10 μm (0.01-0.10, UFP/PNC0.01-0.10; 0.01-0.03, PNC0.01-0.03; 0.03-0.05, PNC0.03-0.05; and 0.05-0.10 μm, PNC0.05-0.10) were collected. Conditional logistic regressions were applied. Transient exposures to these nanoparticles were significantly associated with AMI onset, with almost linear exposure-response curves. These associations occurred immediately after exposure, lasted for approximately 6 h, and attenuated to be null thereafter. Each interquartile range increase in concentrations of total UFPs, PNC0.01-0.03, PNC0.03-0.05, and PNC0.05-0.10 during the preceding 0-6 h was associated with increments of 3.29, 2.08, 2.47, and 2.93% in AMI onset risk, respectively. The associations were stronger during warm season and at high temperatures and were robust after adjusting for criteria air pollutants. Our findings provide novel evidence that hourly UFP exposure is associated with immediate increase in AMI onset risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Jiang
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Renjie Chen
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wenhui Peng
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Yun Luo
- Department of Cardiology, Jiujiang No. 1 People's Hospital, Jiujiang 332000, China
| | - Xiaomin Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo 315010, China
| | - Qianfeng Jiang
- Department of Cardiology, The First People's Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Bingjiang Han
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Jiaxing (The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University), Jiaxing 314000, China
| | - Guohai Su
- Jinan Central Hospital, Jinan 250013, China
| | - Yusen Duan
- Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai 200235, China
| | - Juntao Huo
- Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai 200235, China
| | - Xinkai Qu
- Department of Cardiology, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Qingyan Fu
- Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai 200235, China
| | - Haidong Kan
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Center for Children's Health, Shanghai 201102, China
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10
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Zhang Q, Meng X, Shi S, Kan L, Chen R, Kan H. Overview of particulate air pollution and human health in China: Evidence, challenges, and opportunities. Innovation (N Y) 2022; 3:100312. [PMID: 36160941 PMCID: PMC9490194 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2022.100312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution in China continues to be a major public health challenge. With the release of the new WHO air quality guidelines in 2021, there is an urgent need for China to contemplate a revision of air quality standards (AQS). In the recent decade, there has been an increase in epidemiological studies on PM in China. A comprehensive evaluation of such epidemiological evidence among the Chinese population is central for revision of the AQS in China and in other developing countries with similar air pollution problems. We thus conducted a systematic review on the epidemiological literature of PM published in the recent decade. In summary, we identified the following: (1) short-term and long-term PM exposure increase mortality and morbidity risk without a discernible threshold, suggesting the necessity for continuous improvement in air quality; (2) the magnitude of long-term associations with mortality observed in China are comparable with those in developed countries, whereas the magnitude of short-term associations are appreciably smaller; (3) governmental clean air policies and personalized mitigation measures are potentially effective in protecting public and individual health, but need to be validated using mortality or morbidity outcomes; (4) particles of smaller size range and those originating from fossil fuel combustion appear to show larger relative health risks; and (5) molecular epidemiological studies provide evidence for the biological plausibility and mechanisms underlying the hazardous effects of PM. This updated review may serve as an epidemiological basis for China’s AQS revision and proposes several perspectives in designing future health studies. Acute effects of PM are smaller in China compared with developed countries Health effects caused by PM depend on particle composition, source, and size There are no thresholds for the health effects of PM Mechanistic studies support the biological plausibility of PM’s health effects
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingli Zhang
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xia Meng
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Su Shi
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lena Kan
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, MD 21205, USA
| | - Renjie Chen
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Haidong Kan
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Center for Children's Health, Shanghai 201102, China
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11
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Park Y, Kim SH, Kim SP, Ryu J, Yi J, Kim JY, Yoon HJ. Spatial autocorrelation may bias the risk estimation: An application of eigenvector spatial filtering on the risk of air pollutant on asthma. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 843:157053. [PMID: 35780885 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157053] [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: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Air pollutants are major risk factors for respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, socially and spatially correlated. Many existing environment-asthma-related studies, however, have evaluated the impact of crude trends at the largest district level, which accounts only for temporal effects and may produce biased results with spatial autocorrelation. This study aimed to investigate how the spatial autocorrelation affects the air pollution effect estimations (sulfur dioxide [SO2], nitrogen dioxide [NO2], carbon monoxide [CO], and particulate matter [PM10]) on daily asthma emergency department (ED) visits in two metropolitan areas in Korea (Seoul Metropolitan Area [SMA] and Busan Metropolitan City, Ulsan Metropolitan City, Gyeongsangnamdo [BUG]). We applied eigenvector spatial filter (ESF) to the spatio-temporal model to remove spatial autocorrelation and distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) to explore nonlinear patterns between air pollutant concentration and lagged days on the three models including aggregated model (a temporal model), spatial model without ESF, and spatial model with ESF (both are spatio-temporal models). The effect of SO2 was not statistically significant for asthma ED visits in the aggregated model for SMA (cumulative relative risks [CRR] = 0.99, confidence intervals [CI]: 0.93-1.05), while the effect was statistically significant in the spatial model with ESF (CRR = 1.10, CI: 1.08-1.12). NO2 and CO were positively correlated to asthma ED visits in the spatial model without ESF (CRR = 0.84, CI: 0.81-0.86; 0.91, 0.89-0.94, respectively), but the spatial model with ESF showed significant risks (CRR = 1.21, CI: 1.18-1.24; 1.13, 1.11-1.16). Moreover, the spatial model with ESF successfully removed spatial autocorrelation (P-values for Moran's I 0.83-0.98) and demonstrated the highest model fit (McFadden's pseudo R2 0.42-0.43 for SMA and 0.26-0.27 for BUG) among the three models. Our findings demonstrate how ESF can be introduced into spatial correlation to remove bias and construct more reliable models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujin Park
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Su Hwan Kim
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Pyo Kim
- Interdisciplinary Program of Medical Informatics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jiwon Ryu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinyeong Yi
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jin Youp Kim
- Interdisciplinary Program of Medical Informatics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ilsan Hospital, Dongguk University, Goyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea
| | - Hyung-Jin Yoon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Interdisciplinary Program of Medical Informatics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Medical Big Data Research Center, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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12
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Li H, Liu L, Chen R, Feng R, Zhou Y, Hong J, Cao L, Lu Y, Dong X, Xia M, Ding B, Weng Y, Qian L, Wang L, Zhou W, Gui Y, Han X, Zhang X. Size-segregated particle number concentrations and outpatient-department visits for pediatric respiratory diseases in Shanghai, China. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 243:113998. [PMID: 36057178 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113998] [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: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few studies have simultaneously explored which size of particles has the greatest impact on the risk for pediatric asthma, bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). OBJECTIVES To investigate the short-term association between size-segregated particle number concentrations (PNCs) and outpatient-department visits (ODVs) for major pediatric respiratory diseases. METHODS Daily counts of pediatric ODVs for asthma, bronchitis and URTIs were obtained from 66 hospitals in Shanghai, China, from 2016 to 2018. Pollutant effects were estimated using Poisson generalized additive models combined with polynomial distributed lag models. We also fitted co-pollutant cumulative effects models included six criteria air pollutants and conducted stratifying analyses by gender, age, season and geographic distances. RESULTS We identified a total of 430,103 patients with asthma, 1,547,013 patients with bronchitis, and 2,155,738 patients with URTIs from the hospitals. Effect estimates increased with decreasing particle size. Ultrafine particle (UFP) and PNCs of 0.10-0.40 µm particles (PNC0.10-0.40) were associated with increased ODVs for asthma, bronchitis and URTIs at cumulative lags up to 3d. Associations tended to appear stable after adjusting for criteria air pollutants. At the cumulative lag 0-2d, each interquartile range increase in UFP was associated with increased ODVs due to asthma (relative risk 1.21, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.38), bronchitis (1.20, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.34) and URTI (1.17, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.30), whereas the associations for PNC0.10-0.40 remained significant but attenuated in magnitude. CONCLUSIONS UFP may be a leading contributor to the adverse respiratory effects of particulate air pollution and the effects increased with decreasing particle size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjin Li
- Institute for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Fujian Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuzhou 350012, Fujian, China; School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lijuan Liu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Renjie Chen
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Rui Feng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Intelligent Information Processing, School of Computer Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yufeng Zhou
- Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Jianguo Hong
- Department of Pediatrics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Lanfang Cao
- Department of Pediatrics, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Yanming Lu
- Department of Pediatrics, South Campus, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201112, China
| | - Xiaoyan Dong
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Min Xia
- Department of Pediatrics, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Bo Ding
- Department of Pediatrics, South Campus, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201112, China
| | - Yuwei Weng
- Institute for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Fujian Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuzhou 350012, Fujian, China
| | - Liling Qian
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Libo Wang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Wenhao Zhou
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Yonghao Gui
- Cardiovascular Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Xiao Han
- Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China.
| | - Xiaobo Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China.
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13
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Ziou M, Tham R, Wheeler AJ, Zosky GR, Stephens N, Johnston FH. Outdoor particulate matter exposure and upper respiratory tract infections in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 210:112969. [PMID: 35183515 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the relationship between outdoor particulate matter (PM) and lower respiratory tract infections in children and adolescents is accepted, we know little about the impacts of outdoor PM on the risk of developing or aggravating upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). METHODS We aimed to review the literature examining the relationship between outdoor PM exposure and URTIs in children and adolescents. A systematic search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and Web of Science databases was undertaken on April 3, 2020 and October 27, 2021. Comparable short-term studies of time-series or case-crossover designs were pooled in meta-analyses using random-effects models, while the remainder of studies were combined in a narrative analysis. Quality, risk of bias and level of evidence for health effects were appraised using a combination of emerging frameworks in environmental health. RESULTS Out of 1366 articles identified, 34 were included in the systematic review and 16 of these were included in meta-analyses. Both PM2.5 and PM10 levels were associated with hospital presentations for URTIs (PM2.5: RR = 1.010, 95%CI = 1.007-1.014; PM10: RR = 1.016, 95%CI = 1.011-1.021) in the meta-analyses. Narrative analysis found unequivocally that total suspended particulates were associated with URTIs, but mixed results were found for PM2.5 and PM10 in both younger and older children. CONCLUSION This study found some evidence of associations between PM and URTIs in children and adolescents, the relationship strength increased with PM10. However, the number of studies was limited and heterogeneity was considerable, thus there is a need for further studies, especially studies assessing long-term exposure and comparing sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Ziou
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Rachel Tham
- Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amanda J Wheeler
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Graeme R Zosky
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; Tasmanian School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Nicola Stephens
- Tasmanian School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Fay H Johnston
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
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14
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Ibrahim MF, Hod R, Ahmad Tajudin MAB, Wan Mahiyuddin WR, Mohammed Nawi A, Sahani M. Children's exposure to air pollution in a natural gas industrial area and their risk of hospital admission for respiratory diseases. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 210:112966. [PMID: 35202623 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The rapid expansion of the natural gas industry to meet the global demand have raised environmental health concerns. Few studies have found that areas with natural gas industrial activity have poor air quality. However, the negative health impacts of ambient air pollution in a natural gas industrial area remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the relationship between short-term exposure to air pollution and hospital admissions for respiratory diseases among children in a natural gas industrial area in Bintulu, Malaysia. Daily hospital admissions for respiratory diseases among children were collected from a hospital in Bintulu from 2010 to 2019. Data on six air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO) in the study area were obtained from the Department of Environment Malaysia. Quasi-Poisson time series regressions with distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) were applied to explore the associations between ambient air pollution and childhood hospitalisations for respiratory diseases. Stratification analyses were performed by gender and age group to identify the vulnerable populations. A 10 μg/m3 increased PM2.5 and SO2 was associated with hospital admissions for respiratory diseases among children with the greatest relative risk of RR 1.089 (95% CI 1.001-1.183) at cumulative lag 0-2 days and RR 1.229 (95% CI 1.073-1.409) at cumulative lag 0-6 days, respectively. There was no significant association between short-term exposure of PM10, NO2, CO, and O3 with childhood respiratory hospitalisation. The association between PM2.5 and SO2 exposure and hospital admissions for childhood respiratory diseases in the two pollutants model remained statistically significant. There were stronger associations in younger children aged 0-4 years and girls. This study reveals that short-term exposure to SO2 was associated with a higher risk of respiratory hospitalisations among children in Bintulu than PM2.5. Better air quality control is necessary for children's health living in the natural gas industrial area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Faiz Ibrahim
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Rozita Hod
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | | | - Wan Rozita Wan Mahiyuddin
- Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Seksyen U13 Setia Alam, 40170, Shah Alam, Selango, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Azmawati Mohammed Nawi
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mazrura Sahani
- Center for Toxicology and Health Risk Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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15
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Shoari N, Heydari S, Blangiardo M. School neighbourhood and compliance with WHO-recommended annual NO 2 guideline: A case study of Greater London. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 803:150038. [PMID: 34525726 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite several national and local policies towards cleaner air in England, many schools in London breach the WHO-recommended concentrations of air pollutants such as NO2 and PM2.5. This is while, previous studies highlight significant adverse health effects of air pollutants on children's health. In this paper we adopted a Bayesian spatial hierarchical model to investigate factors that affect the odds of schools exceeding the WHO-recommended concentration of NO2 (i.e., 40 μg/m3 annual mean) in Greater London (UK). We considered a host of variables including schools' characteristics as well as their neighbourhoods' attributes from household, socioeconomic, transport-related, land use, built and natural environment characteristics perspectives. The results indicated that transport-related factors including the number of traffic lights and bus stops in the immediate vicinity of schools, and borough-level bus fuel consumption are determinant factors that increase the likelihood of non-compliance with the WHO guideline. In contrast, distance from roads, river transport, and underground stations, vehicle speed (an indicator of traffic congestion), the proportion of borough-level green space, and the area of green space at schools reduce the likelihood of exceeding the WHO recommended concentration of NO2. We repeated our analysis under a hypothetical scenario in which the recommended concentration of NO2 is 35 μg/m3 - instead of 40 μg/m3. Our results underscore the importance of adopting clean fuel technologies on buses, installing green barriers, and reducing motorised traffic around schools in reducing exposure to NO2 concentrations in proximity to schools. Also, our findings highlight the presence of environmental inequalities in the Greater London area. This study would be useful for local authority decision making with the aim of improving air quality for school-aged children in urban settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niloofar Shoari
- MRC Centre for Environment & Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Shahram Heydari
- Department of Civil, Maritime, and Environmental Engineering, University of Southampton, UK
| | - Marta Blangiardo
- MRC Centre for Environment & Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
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