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Wang G, Hou Y, Xin Q, Ren F, Yang F, Su S, Li W. Evaluation of atmospheric particulate matter pollution characteristics in Shanghai based on biomagnetic monitoring technology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 940:173689. [PMID: 38825203 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) pollution is one of the world's most serious environmental challenges, and it poses a significant threat to environmental quality and human health. Biomagnetic monitoring of PM has great potential to improve spatial resolution and provide alternative indicators for large area measurements, with respect and complementary to standard air quality monitoring stations. In this study, 160 samples of evergreen plant leaves were collected from park green spaces within five different functional areas of Shanghai. Magnetic properties were investigated to understand the extent and nature of particulate pollution and the possible sources, and to assess the suitability of various plant leaves for urban particulate pollution monitoring. The results showed that magnetic particles of the plant leaf-adherent PM were predominantly composed of pseudo-single domain (PSD) and multi-domain (MD) ferrimagnetic particles. Magnolia grandiflora, as a large evergreen arbor with robust PM retention capabilities, proved to be a more suitable candidate for monitoring urban particulate pollution compared to Osmanthus fragrans, a small evergreen arbor, and Aucuba japonica Thunb. var. variegata and Photinia serratifolia, evergreen shrubs. Meanwhile, there were significant differences in the spatial distribution of the magnetic particle content and heavy metal enrichment of the samples, mainly showing regional variations of industrial area > traffic area > commercial area > residential area > clean area. Additionally, the combination with the results of scanning electron microscopy, shows that industrial production (metal smelting, coal burning), transport and other activities are the main sources of particulate pollution. Plant leaves can be used as an effective tool for urban particulate pollution monitoring and assessment of atmospheric particulate pollution characteristics, and the technique provided useful information on particle size, mineralogy and possible sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guan Wang
- Department of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Yumei Hou
- Department of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Qian Xin
- Department of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Feifan Ren
- Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Disaster Reduction in Civil Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Shiguang Su
- Department of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Wenxin Li
- Department of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
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Apte JS, Manchanda C. High-resolution urban air pollution mapping. Science 2024; 385:380-385. [PMID: 39052801 DOI: 10.1126/science.adq3678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Variation in urban air pollution arises because of complex spatial, temporal, and chemical processes, which profoundly affect population exposure, human health, and environmental justice. This Review highlights insights from two popular in situ measurement methods-mobile monitoring and dense sensor networks-that have distinct but complementary strengths in characterizing the dynamics and impacts of the multidimensional urban air quality system. Mobile monitoring can measure many pollutants at fine spatial scales, thereby informing about processes and control strategies. Sensor networks excel at providing temporal resolution at many locations. Increasingly sophisticated studies leveraging both methods can vividly identify spatial and temporal patterns that affect exposures and disparities and offer mechanistic insight toward effective interventions. This Review summarizes the strengths and limitations of these methods and discusses their implications for understanding fine-scale processes and impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua S Apte
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Chirag Manchanda
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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3
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Wang C, Xiang J, Austin E, Larson T, Seto E. Quantifying the contributions of road and air traffic to ambient ultrafine particles in two urban communities. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 348:123892. [PMID: 38556150 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Traffic-related activities are widely acknowledged as a primary source of urban ambient ultrafine particles (UFPs). However, a notable gap exists in quantifying the contributions of road and air traffic to size-resolved and total UFPs in urban areas. This study aims to delineate and quantify the traffic's contributions to size-resolved and total UFPs in two urban communities. To achieve this, stationary sampling was conducted at near-road and near-airport communities in Seattle, Washington State, to monitor UFP number concentrations during 2018-2020. Comprehensive correlation analyses among all variables were performed. Furthermore, a fully adjusted generalized additive model, incorporating meteorological factors, was developed to quantify the contributions of road and air traffic to size-resolved and total UFPs. The study found that vehicle emissions accounted for 29% of total UFPs at the near-road site and 13% at the near-airport site. Aircraft emissions contributed 14% of total UFPs at the near-airport site. Notably, aircraft predominantly emitted UFP sizes below 20 nm, while vehicles mainly emitted UFP sizes below 50 nm. These findings reveal the variability in road and air traffic contributions to UFPs in distinct areas. Our study emphasizes the pivotal role of traffic layout in shaping urban UFP exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunliang Wang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
| | - Jianbang Xiang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China; Intelligent Sensing and Proactive Health Research Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
| | - Elena Austin
- Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Timothy Larson
- Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States; Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Edmund Seto
- Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
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4
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Yuan Z, Shen Y, Hoek G, Vermeulen R, Kerckhoffs J. LUR modeling of long-term average hourly concentrations of NO 2 using hyperlocal mobile monitoring data. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171251. [PMID: 38417522 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Mobile monitoring campaigns have effectively captured spatial hyperlocal variations in long-term average concentrations of regulated and unregulated air pollutants. However, their application in estimating spatiotemporally varying maps has rarely been investigated. Tackling this gap, we investigated whether mobile measurements can assess long-term average nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations for each hour of the day. Using mobile NO2 data monitored for 10 months in Amsterdam, we examined the performance of two spatiotemporal land use regression (LUR) methods, Spatiotemporal-Kriging and GTWR (Geographical and Temporal Weighted Regression), alongside two classical spatial LUR models developed separately for each hour. We found that mobile measurements follow the general pattern of fixed-site measurements, but with considerable deviations (indicating collection uncertainty). Leveraging heterogeneous spatiotemporal autocorrelations, GTWR smoothed these deviations and achieved an overall performance of an R2 of 0.49 and a Mean Absolute Error of 6.33 μg/m3, validated by long-term fixed-site measurements (out-of-sample). The other models tested were more affected by the collection uncertainty. We highlighted that the spatiotemporal variations captured in mobile measurements can be used to reconstruct long-term average hourly air pollution maps. These maps facilitate dynamic exposure assessments considering spatiotemporal human activity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhendong Yuan
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Youchen Shen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Gerard Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre, University of Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jules Kerckhoffs
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Lee S, Sbihi H, MacIsaac JL, Balshaw R, Ambalavanan A, Subbarao P, Mandhane PJ, Moraes TJ, Turvey SE, Duan Q, Brauer M, Brook JR, Kobor MS, Jones MJ. Persistent DNA Methylation Changes across the First Year of Life and Prenatal NO2 Exposure in a Canadian Prospective Birth Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:47004. [PMID: 38573328 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that prenatal air pollution exposure alters DNA methylation (DNAm), which could go on to affect long-term health. It remains unclear whether DNAm alterations present at birth persist through early life. Identifying persistent DNAm changes would provide greater insight into the molecular mechanisms contributing to the association of prenatal air pollution exposure with atopic diseases. OBJECTIVES This study investigated DNAm differences associated with prenatal nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) exposure (a surrogate measure of traffic-related air pollution) at birth and 1 y of age and examined their role in atopic disease. We focused on regions showing persistent DNAm differences from birth to 1 y of age and regions uniquely associated with postnatal NO 2 exposure. METHODS Microarrays measured DNAm at birth and at 1 y of age for an atopy-enriched subset of Canadian Health Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) study participants. Individual and regional DNAm differences associated with prenatal NO 2 (n = 128 ) were identified, and their persistence at age 1 y were investigated using linear mixed effects models (n = 124 ). Postnatal-specific DNAm differences (n = 125 ) were isolated, and their association with NO 2 in the first year of life was examined. Causal mediation investigated whether DNAm differences mediated associations between NO 2 and age 1 y atopy or wheeze. Analyses were repeated using biological sex-stratified data. RESULTS At birth (n = 128 ), 18 regions of DNAm were associated with NO 2 , with several annotated to HOX genes. Some of these regions were specifically identified in males (n = 73 ), but not females (n = 55 ). The effect of prenatal NO 2 across CpGs within altered regions persisted at 1 y of age. No significant mediation effects were identified. Sex-stratified analyses identified postnatal-specific DNAm alterations. DISCUSSION Regional cord blood DNAm differences associated with prenatal NO 2 persisted through at least the first year of life in CHILD participants. Some differences may represent sex-specific alterations, but replication in larger cohorts is needed. The early postnatal period remained a sensitive window to DNAm perturbations. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13034.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Biology of Breathing Theme, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Hind Sbihi
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Julia L MacIsaac
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robert Balshaw
- Centre for Healthcare Innovation, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | | | - Padmaja Subbarao
- Department of Pediatrics & Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Piushkumar J Mandhane
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, USCI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Theo J Moraes
- Department of Pediatrics & Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stuart E Turvey
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Qingling Duan
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- School of Computing, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Brauer
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jeffrey R Brook
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Meaghan J Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Biology of Breathing Theme, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Upadhya AR, Kushwaha M, Agrawal P, Gingrich JD, Asundi J, Sreekanth V, Marshall JD, Apte JS. Multi-season mobile monitoring campaign of on-road air pollution in Bengaluru, India: High-resolution mapping and estimation of quasi-emission factors. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 914:169987. [PMID: 38211861 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Mobile monitoring can supplement regulatory measurements, particularly in low-income countries where stationary monitoring is sparse. Here, we report results from a ~ year-long mobile monitoring campaign of on-road concentrations of black carbon (BC), ultrafine particles (UFP), and carbon dioxide (CO2) in Bengaluru, India. The study route included 150 unique kms (average: ~22 repeat measurements per monitored road segment). After cleaning the data for known instrument artifacts and sensitivities, we generated 30 m high-resolution stable 'data only' spatial maps of BC, UFP, and CO2 for the study route. For the urban residential areas, the mean BC levels for residential roads, arterials, and highways were ~ 10, 22, and 56 μg m-3, respectively. A similar pattern (highways being characterized by highest pollution levels) was also observed for UFP and CO2. Using the data from repeat measurements, we carried out a Monte Carlo subsampling analysis to understand the minimum number of repeat measures to generate stable maps of pollution in the city. Leveraging the simultaneous nature of the measurements, we also mapped the quasi-emission factors (QEF) of the pollutants under investigation. The current study is the first multi-season mobile monitoring exercise conducted in a low or middle -income country (LMIC) urban setting that oversampled the study route and investigated the optimum number of repeat rides required to achieve representative pollution spatial patterns characterized with high precision and low bias. Finally, the results are discussed in the context of technical aspects of the campaign, limitations, and their policy relevance for our study location and for other locations. Given the day-to-day variability in the pollution levels, the presence of dynamic and unorganized sources, and active government pollution mitigation policies, multi-year mobile measurement campaigns would help test the long-term representativeness of the current results.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pratyush Agrawal
- Center for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy, Bengaluru 560094, India
| | - Jonathan D Gingrich
- Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, TX 51250, United States of America
| | - Jai Asundi
- Center for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy, Bengaluru 560094, India
| | - V Sreekanth
- Center for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy, Bengaluru 560094, India.
| | - Julian D Marshall
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States of America
| | - Joshua S Apte
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States of America
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7
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Blanco MN, Shaffer RM, Li G, Adar SD, Carone M, Szpiro AA, Kaufman JD, Larson TV, Hajat A, Larson EB, Crane PK, Sheppard L. Traffic-related air pollution and dementia incidence in the Adult Changes in Thought Study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 183:108418. [PMID: 38185046 PMCID: PMC10873482 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108418] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While epidemiologic evidence links higher levels of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to decreased cognitive function, fewer studies have investigated links with traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), and none have examined ultrafine particles (UFP, ≤100 nm) and late-life dementia incidence. OBJECTIVE To evaluate associations between TRAP exposures (UFP, black carbon [BC], and nitrogen dioxide [NO2]) and late-life dementia incidence. METHODS We ascertained dementia incidence in the Seattle-based Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) prospective cohort study (beginning in 1994) and assessed ten-year average TRAP exposures for each participant based on prediction models derived from an extensive mobile monitoring campaign. We applied Cox proportional hazards models to investigate TRAP exposure and dementia incidence using age as the time axis and further adjusting for sex, self-reported race, calendar year, education, socioeconomic status, PM2.5, and APOE genotype. We ran sensitivity analyses where we did not adjust for PM2.5 and other sensitivity and secondary analyses where we adjusted for multiple pollutants, applied alternative exposure models (including total and size-specific UFP), modified the adjustment covariates, used calendar year as the time axis, assessed different exposure periods, dementia subtypes, and others. RESULTS We identified 1,041 incident all-cause dementia cases in 4,283 participants over 37,102 person-years of follow-up. We did not find evidence of a greater hazard of late-life dementia incidence with elevated levels of long-term TRAP exposures. The estimated hazard ratio of all-cause dementia was 0.98 (95 % CI: 0.92-1.05) for every 2000 pt/cm3 increment in UFP, 0.95 (0.89-1.01) for every 100 ng/m3 increment in BC, and 0.96 (0.91-1.02) for every 2 ppb increment in NO2. These findings were consistent across sensitivity and secondary analyses. DISCUSSION We did not find evidence of a greater hazard of late-life dementia risk with elevated long-term TRAP exposures in this population-based prospective cohort study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali N Blanco
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Rachel M Shaffer
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ge Li
- VA Northwest Network Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Virginia Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA; Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Virginia Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sara D Adar
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Marco Carone
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adam A Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joel D Kaufman
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Timothy V Larson
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anjum Hajat
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Eric B Larson
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Paul K Crane
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lianne Sheppard
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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8
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Lloyd M, Ganji A, Xu J, Venuta A, Simon L, Zhang M, Saeedi M, Yamanouchi S, Apte J, Hong K, Hatzopoulou M, Weichenthal S. Predicting spatial variations in annual average outdoor ultrafine particle concentrations in Montreal and Toronto, Canada: Integrating land use regression and deep learning models. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 178:108106. [PMID: 37544265 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108106] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Concentrations of outdoor ultrafine particles (UFP; <0.1 µm) and black carbon (BC) can vary greatly within cities and long-term exposures to these pollutants have been associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes. OBJECTIVE This study integrated multiple approaches to develop new models to estimate within-city spatial variations in annual median (i.e. average) outdoor UFP and BC concentrations as well as mean UFP size in Canada's two largest cities, Montreal and Toronto. METHODS We conducted year-long mobile monitoring campaigns in each city that included evenings and weekends. We developed generalized additive models trained on land use parameters and deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models trained on satellite-view images. Using predictions from these models, we developed final combined models. RESULTS In Toronto, the median observed UFP concentration, UFP size, and BC concentration values were 16,172pt/cm3, 33.7 nm, and 1225 ng/m3, respectively. In Montreal, the median observed UFP concentration, UFP size, and BC concentration values were 14,702pt/cm3, 29.7 nm, and 1060 ng/m3, respectively. For all pollutants in both cities, the proportion of spatial variation explained (i.e., R2) was slightly greater (1-2 percentage points) for the combined models than the generalized additive models and a greater (approximately 10 percentage points) than the deep CNN models. The Toronto combined model R2 values in the test set were 0.73, 0.55, and 0.61 for UFP concentrations, UFP size, and BC concentration, respectively. The Montreal combined model R2 values were 0.60, 0.49, and 0.60 for UFP concentration, UFP size, and BC concentration models respectively. For each pollutant, predictions from the combined, deep CNN, and generalized additive models were highly correlated with each other and differences between models were explored in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION Predictions from these models are available to support future epidemiological research examining long-term health impacts of outdoor UFPs and BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marshall Lloyd
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Québec H3A 1G1, Canada.
| | - Arman Ganji
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada.
| | - Junshi Xu
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada.
| | - Alessya Venuta
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Québec H3A 1G1, Canada.
| | - Leora Simon
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Québec H3A 1G1, Canada.
| | - Mingqian Zhang
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada.
| | - Milad Saeedi
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada.
| | - Shoma Yamanouchi
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada.
| | - Joshua Apte
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States; School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States.
| | - Kris Hong
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Québec H3A 1G1, Canada.
| | - Marianne Hatzopoulou
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada.
| | - Scott Weichenthal
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Québec H3A 1G1, Canada.
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9
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Doubleday A, Blanco MN, Austin E, Marshall JD, Larson TV, Sheppard L. Characterizing Ultrafine Particle Mobile Monitoring Data for Epidemiology. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:9538-9547. [PMID: 37326603 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c00800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Mobile monitoring is increasingly used to assess exposure to traffic-related air pollutants (TRAPs), including ultrafine particles (UFPs). Due to the rapid spatial decrease in the concentration of UFPs and other TRAPs with distance from roadways, mobile measurements may be non-representative of residential exposures, which are commonly used for epidemiologic studies. Our goal was to develop, apply, and test one possible approach for using mobile measurements in exposure assessment for epidemiology. We used an absolute principal component score model to adjust the contribution of on-road sources in mobile measurements to provide exposure predictions representative of cohort locations. We then compared UFP predictions at residential locations from mobile on-road plume-adjusted versus stationary measurements to understand the contribution of mobile measurements and characterize their differences. We found that predictions from mobile measurements are more representative of cohort locations after down-weighting the contribution of localized on-road plumes. Further, predictions at cohort locations derived from mobile measurements incorporate more spatial variation compared to those from short-term stationary data. Sensitivity analyses suggest that this additional spatial information captures features in the exposure surface not identified from the stationary data alone. We recommend the correction of mobile measurements to create exposure predictions representative of residential exposure for epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Doubleday
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Magali N Blanco
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Elena Austin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Julian D Marshall
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Timothy V Larson
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Lianne Sheppard
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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10
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Bramble K, Blanco MN, Doubleday A, Gassett AJ, Hajat A, Marshall JD, Sheppard L. Exposure Disparities by Income, Race and Ethnicity, and Historic Redlining Grade in the Greater Seattle Area for Ultrafine Particles and Other Air Pollutants. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:77004. [PMID: 37404015 PMCID: PMC10321236 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Growing evidence shows ultrafine particles (UFPs) are detrimental to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory health. Historically, racialized and low-income communities are exposed to higher concentrations of air pollution. OBJECTIVES Our aim was to conduct a descriptive analysis of present-day air pollution exposure disparities in the greater Seattle, Washington, area by income, race, ethnicity, and historical redlining grade. We focused on UFPs (particle number count) and compared with black carbon, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) levels. METHODS We obtained race and ethnicity data from the 2010 U.S. Census, median household income data from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey, and Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) redlining data from the University of Richmond's Mapping Inequality. We predicted pollutant concentrations at block centroids from 2019 mobile monitoring data. The study region encompassed much of urban Seattle, with redlining analyses restricted to a smaller region. To analyze disparities, we calculated population-weighted mean exposures and regression analyses using a generalized estimating equation model to account for spatial correlation. RESULTS Pollutant concentrations and disparities were largest for blocks with median household income of < $ 20,000 , Black residents, HOLC Grade D, and ungraded industrial areas. UFP concentrations were 4% lower than average for non-Hispanic White residents and higher than average for racialized groups (Asian, 3%; Black, 15%; Hispanic, 6%; Native American, 8%; Pacific Islander, 11%). For blocks with median household incomes of < $ 20,000 , UFP concentrations were 40% higher than average, whereas blocks with incomes of > $ 110,000 had UFP concentrations 16% lower than average. UFP concentrations were 28% higher for Grade D and 49% higher for ungraded industrial areas compared with Grade A. Disparities were highest for UFPs and lowest for PM 2.5 exposure levels. DISCUSSION Our study is one of the first to highlight large disparities with UFP exposures compared with multiple pollutants. Higher exposures to multiple air pollutants and their cumulative effects disproportionately impact historically marginalized groups. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11662.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaya Bramble
- Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Magali N. Blanco
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Annie Doubleday
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Amanda J. Gassett
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Anjum Hajat
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Julian D. Marshall
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lianne Sheppard
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Kim SY, Blanco MN, Bi J, Larson TV, Sheppard L. Exposure assessment for air pollution epidemiology: A scoping review of emerging monitoring platforms and designs. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 223:115451. [PMID: 36764437 PMCID: PMC9992293 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115451] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Both exposure monitoring and exposure prediction have played key roles in assessing individual-level long-term exposure to air pollutants and their associations with human health. While there have been notable advances in exposure prediction methods, improvements in monitoring designs are also necessary, particularly given new monitoring paradigms leveraging low-cost sensors and mobile platforms. OBJECTIVES We aim to provide a conceptual summary of novel monitoring designs for air pollution cohort studies that leverage new paradigms and technologies, to investigate their characteristics in real-world examples, and to offer practical guidance to future studies. METHODS We propose a conceptual summary that focuses on two overarching types of monitoring designs, mobile and non-mobile, as well as their subtypes. We define mobile designs as monitoring from a moving platform, and non-mobile designs as stationary monitoring from permanent or temporary locations. We only consider non-mobile studies with cost-effective sampling devices. Then we discuss similarities and differences across previous studies with respect to spatial and temporal representation, data comparability between design classes, and the data leveraged for model development. Finally, we provide specific suggestions for future monitoring designs. RESULTS Most mobile and non-mobile monitoring studies selected monitoring sites based on land use instead of residential locations, and deployed monitors over limited time periods. Some studies applied multiple design and/or sub-design classes to the same area, time period, or instrumentation, to allow comparison. Even fewer studies leveraged monitoring data from different designs to improve exposure assessment by capitalizing on different strengths. In order to maximize the benefit of new monitoring technologies, future studies should adopt monitoring designs that prioritize residence-based site selection with comprehensive temporal coverage and leverage data from different designs for model development in the presence of good data compatibility. DISCUSSION Our conceptual overview provides practical guidance on novel exposure assessment monitoring for epidemiological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Young Kim
- Department of Cancer AI and Digital Health, Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, National Cancer Center, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Magali N Blanco
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jianzhao Bi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Timothy V Larson
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lianne Sheppard
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Blanco MN, Bi J, Austin E, Larson TV, Marshall JD, Sheppard L. Impact of Mobile Monitoring Network Design on Air Pollution Exposure Assessment Models. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:440-450. [PMID: 36508743 PMCID: PMC10615227 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05338] [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] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Short-term mobile monitoring campaigns are increasingly used to assess long-term air pollution exposure in epidemiology. Little is known about how monitoring network design features, including the number of stops and sampling temporality, impacts exposure assessment models. We address this gap by leveraging an extensive mobile monitoring campaign conducted in the greater Seattle area over the course of a year during all days of the week and most hours. The campaign measured total particle number concentration (PNC; sheds light on ultrafine particulate (UFP) number concentration), black carbon (BC), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and carbon dioxide (CO2). In Monte Carlo sampling of 7327 total stops (278 sites × 26 visits each), we restricted the number of sites and visits used to estimate annual averages. Predictions from the all-data campaign performed well, with cross-validated R2s of 0.51-0.77. We found similar model performances (85% of the all-data campaign R2) with ∼1000 to 3000 randomly selected stops for NO2, PNC, and BC, and ∼4000 to 5000 stops for PM2.5 and CO2. Campaigns with additional temporal restrictions (e.g., business hours, rush hours, weekdays, or fewer seasons) had reduced model performances and different spatial surfaces. Mobile monitoring campaigns wanting to assess long-term exposure should carefully consider their monitoring designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali N Blanco
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, University of Washington, 3980 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, Washington98195, United States
| | - Jianzhao Bi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, University of Washington, 3980 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, Washington98195, United States
| | - Elena Austin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, University of Washington, 3980 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, Washington98195, United States
| | - Timothy V Larson
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, University of Washington, 3980 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, Washington98195, United States
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Washington, 201 More Hall, Box 352700, Seattle, Washington98195, United States
| | - Julian D Marshall
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Washington, 201 More Hall, Box 352700, Seattle, Washington98195, United States
| | - Lianne Sheppard
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, University of Washington, 3980 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, Washington98195, United States
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, University of Washington, 3980 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, Washington98195, United States
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Exposure to ultrafine particles and the incidence of asthma in children: A population-based cohort study in Montreal, Canada. Environ Epidemiol 2022; 7:e236. [PMID: 36777524 PMCID: PMC9916019 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Asthma is the most prevalent chronic respiratory disease in children. The role of ultrafine particles (UFPs) in the development of the disease remains unclear. We used a population-based birth cohort to evaluate the association between prenatal and childhood exposure to low levels of ambient UFPs and childhood-onset asthma. Methods The cohort included all children born and residing in Montreal, Canada, between 2000 and 2015. Children were followed for asthma onset from birth until <13 years of age. Spatially resolved annual mean concentrations of ambient UFPs were estimated from a land use regression model. We assigned prenatal exposure according to the residential postal code at birth. We also considered current exposure during childhood accounting for time-varying residence location. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, neighborhood material and social deprivation, calendar year, and coexposure to ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particles (PM2.5). Results The cohort included 352,966 children, with 30,825 children developing asthma during follow-up. Mean prenatal and childhood UFP exposure were 24,706 particles/cm3 (interquartile range [IQR] = 3,785 particles/cm3) and 24,525 particles/cm3 (IQR = 3,427 particles/cm3), respectively. Both prenatal and childhood UFP exposure were not associated with childhood asthma onset in single pollutant models (HR per IQR increase of 0.99 [95% CI = 0.98, 1.00]). Estimates of association remained similar when adjusting for coexposure to ambient NO2 and PM2.5. Conclusion In this population-based birth cohort, childhood asthma onset was not associated with prenatal or childhood exposure to low concentrations of UFPs.
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