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Hilly JJ, Singh KR, Jagals P, Mani FS, Turagabeci A, Ashworth M, Mataki M, Morawska L, Knibbs LD, Stuetz RM, Dansie AP. Review of scientific research on air quality and environmental health risk and impact for PICTS. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 942:173628. [PMID: 38848924 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173628] [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: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Air quality (AQ) significantly impacts human health, influenced by both natural phenomena and human activities. In 2021, heightened awareness of AQ's health impacts prompted the revision of the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, advocating for stricter pollution standards. However, research on AQ has predominantly focused on high-income countries and densely populated cities, neglecting low- and middle-income countries, particularly Pacific Island Countries, Territories, and States (PICTS). This systematic review compiles existing peer-reviewed literature on AQ research in PICTS to assess the current state of knowledge and emphasize the need for further investigation. A systematic literature search yielded 40 papers from databases including Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase. Among the 26 PICTS, only 6 (Hawai'i, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Republic of Marshall Islands, and Pacific) have been subject to AQ-related research, with 4 considering the World Health Organization (WHO) parameters and 26 addressing non-WHO parameters. Analysis reveals AQ parameters often exceed 2021 WHO guidelines for PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and CO, raising concerns among regional governments. Studies primarily focused on urban, agricultural, rural, and open ocean areas, with 15 based on primary data and 14 on both primary and secondary sources. Research interests and funding sources dictated the methods used, with a predominant focus on environmental risks over social, economic, and technological impacts. Although some papers addressed health implications, further efforts are needed in this area. This review underscores the urgent need for ongoing AQ monitoring efforts in PICTS to generate spatially and temporally comparable data. By presenting the current state of AQ knowledge, this work lays the foundation for coordinated regional monitoring and informs national policy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Hilly
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Australia; Environmental Health Division, Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Solomon Islands.
| | - K R Singh
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea
| | - P Jagals
- Children's Health and Environmental Program, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | - F S Mani
- School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences, The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | - A Turagabeci
- College of Medicine, Nursing & Health science, Fiji National University, Fiji
| | - M Ashworth
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited (ESR), Christchurch Science Centre, 27 Creyke Road, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - M Mataki
- Solomon Islands Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Solomon Islands
| | - L Morawska
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
| | - L D Knibbs
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Australia; Public Health Research Analytics and Methods for Evidence, Public Health Unit, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - R M Stuetz
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - A P Dansie
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Australia
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Johnston JE, Quist AJL, Navarro S, Farzan SF, Shamasunder B. Cardiovascular health and proximity to urban oil drilling in Los Angeles, California. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023:10.1038/s41370-023-00589-z. [PMID: 37553411 PMCID: PMC10850428 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00589-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although ~18 million people live within a mile from active oil and gas development (OGD) sites in the United States, epidemiological research on how OGD affects the health of nearby urban residents is sparse. Thousands of OGD sites are spread across Los Angeles (LA) County, California, home to the largest urban oil production in the country. Air pollution and noise from OGD may contribute to cardiovascular morbidity. OBJECTIVE We examined the association between proximity to OGD and blood pressure in a diverse cohort of residents in LA. METHODS We recruited residents in South LA who lived <1 km from an OGD site. We collected three blood pressure measurements for each participant and used the second and third measurements to calculate averages for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) separately. We conducted multivariable linear regression to examine the relationship between distance to OGD sites and continuous SBP and DBP, adjusting for BMI, smoking status, distance to freeway, sex, age, and use of antihypertension medications, with a random effect for household. We examined effect measure modification by BMI category and smoking category. RESULTS Among the 623 adult participants, we found that for every 100 meter increase in distance from the OGD site, DBP was reduced by an average of 0.73 mmHg (95% CI: -1.26, -0.21) in this population. We observed stronger effects of proximity to OGD site on DBP among never smokers and among participants with a healthy BMI. The associations observed between proximity to OGD site and SBP were weaker but followed the same patterns as those for DBP. IMPACT Our study suggests that living near urban oil drilling sites is significantly associated with greater diastolic blood pressure in urban Los Angeles communities. This research improves understanding of impacts from living nearby drilling operations on the health and welfare of this community, which is critical to inform public health relevant strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill E Johnston
- Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population & Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Arbor J L Quist
- Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population & Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Shohreh F Farzan
- Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population & Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bhavna Shamasunder
- Department of Urban & Environmental Policy, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kim MG, Kim JH, Yoon SJ, Cho SH, Yu JU, Kang CW, Moon KW, Lee HE. Evaluating the feasibility of air environment management system for VOCs through 'VOCs specification' of petroleum refining industry. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2023; 73:362-373. [PMID: 36809316 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2023.2182385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The chemical industry releases various types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, and the concentration of VOCs emitted from chimneys is regulated worldwide. However, some VOCs such as benzene are highly carcinogenic, while others such as ethylene and propylene may cause secondary air pollution, owing to their high ozone-generating ability. Accordingly, the US EPA(United State, Environment Protect Agency) introduced a fenceline monitoring system that regulates the concentration of VOCs at the boundary of a facility, away from the chimney source. This system was first introduced in the petroleum refining industry, which simultaneously emits benzene, affecting the local community because of its high carcinogenicity, and ethylene, propylene, xylene, and toluene, which have a high photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP). These emissions contribute to air pollution. In Korea, the concentration at the chimney is regulated; however, the concentration at the plant boundary is not considered. In accordance with the EPA regulations, Korea's petroleum refining industries were identified and the limitations of the Clean Air Conservation Act were studied. The average concentration of benzene at the research facility examined in this study was 8.53 µg/m3, which complied with the benzene action level of 9 µg/m3. However, this value was exceeded at some points along the fenceline, in proximity to the benzene-toluene-xylene (BTX) manufacturing process. The composition ratios of toluene and xylene were 27% and 16%, respectively, which were higher than those of ethylene or propylene. These results suggest that reduction measures in the BTX manufacturing process are necessary. This study shows that legal regulations should enforce reduction measures through continuous monitoring at the fenceline of petroleum refineries in Korea.Implications: Although volatile organic compounds(VOCs) are essential in various industrial sites, they adversely affect the health of people in the near community. Benzene is highly carcinogenic, so it is dangerous if exposed continuously. In addition, there are various types of VOCs, which combine with atmospheric ozone to generate smog. Globally, VOCs are managed as Total VOCs. However, through this study, VOCs have priority, and in the case of the petroleum refining industry, it is suggested that VOCs should be preemptively measured and analyzed to be regulated. In addition, it is necessary to minimize the impact on the local community by regulating the concentration at the fenceline beyond the chimney measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Gyu Kim
- Department of Health and Safety Convergence Science, Korea University, Seongbuk-gu, Korea
| | - Jeong Hun Kim
- Environmental Research Complex, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon, Korea
| | - Seok J Yoon
- Department of Health Science, Korea University, Seongbuk-gu, Korea
| | - Sung Hwan Cho
- Environmental Research Complex, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon, Korea
| | - Jeong Ung Yu
- Environmental Research Complex, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon, Korea
| | - Cheon Woong Kang
- Environmental Research Complex, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon, Korea
| | - Kyong Whan Moon
- Department of Health and Environmental Science, Korea University, Seong-buk-gu, Korea
- BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Learning Health System, Korea University, Seongbuk-gu, Korea
| | - Hyo Eun Lee
- Department of Health Science, Korea University, Seongbuk-gu, Korea
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Quist AJL, Van Horne YO, Farzan SF, Johnston JE. Metal Exposures in Residents Living Near an Urban Oil Drilling Site in Los Angeles, California. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:15981-15989. [PMID: 36288551 PMCID: PMC9670842 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04926] [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: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Urban environmental justice communities are potentially exposed to multiple toxic metals, through contaminated air, soil, water, and food. However, information on metals and their sources is lacking. This study uses non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) in a community-based participatory research study to identify potential sources and to understand how these metals cluster in a population near an urban oil drilling site. We recruited 203 Latinx, Black, and Asian residents who lived within 1 km of an oil drilling site in south Los Angeles and collected toenail clippings to assess exposure to arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and antimony (Sb). Using NMF, we identified three clusters based on concentrations in the participants' toenails. As, Cd, Pb, and Sb grouped together, indicative of an industrial source. A second grouping was composed of Ni and Mn, which may be related to oil drilling. We also identified a third source factor predominantly driven by Hg and As, which may arise from dietary sources. Utilizing NMF, a dimension reduction method, we identified a source factor high in Ni and Mn in residents living in a neighborhood near an active oil drilling site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arbor J. L. Quist
- Department of Population
and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1845 N Soto St, Los Angeles, California90032, United States
| | - Yoshira Ornelas Van Horne
- Department of Population
and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1845 N Soto St, Los Angeles, California90032, United States
| | - Shohreh F. Farzan
- Department of Population
and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1845 N Soto St, Los Angeles, California90032, United States
| | - Jill E. Johnston
- Department of Population
and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1845 N Soto St, Los Angeles, California90032, United States
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