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Pennington AF, Cornwell CR, Sircar KD, Mirabelli MC. Electric vehicles and health: A scoping review. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 251:118697. [PMID: 38499224 PMCID: PMC11273362 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118697] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The health impacts of the rapid transition to the use of electric vehicles are largely unexplored. We completed a scoping review to assess the state of the evidence on use of battery electric and hybrid electric vehicles and health. METHODS We conducted a literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, CINAHL, Scopus, and Environmental Science Collection databases for articles published January 1990 to January 2024. We included articles if they presented observed or modeled data on the association between battery electric or hybrid electric cars, trucks, or buses and health-related outcomes. We abstracted data and summarized results. RESULTS Out of 897 reviewed articles, 52 met our inclusion criteria. The majority of included articles examined transitions to the use of electric vehicles (n = 49, 94%), with fewer studies examining hybrid electric vehicles (n = 11, 21%) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (n = 8, 15%). The most common outcomes examined were premature death (n = 41, 79%) and monetized health outcomes such as medical expenditures (n = 33, 63%). We identified only one observational study on the impact of electric vehicles on health; all other studies reported modeled data. Almost every study (n = 51, 98%) reported some evidence of a positive health impact of transitioning to electric or hybrid electric vehicles, although magnitudes of association varied. There was a paucity of information on the environmental justice implications of vehicle transitions. CONCLUSIONS The results of the current literature on electric vehicles and health suggest an overall positive health impact of transitioning to electric vehicles. Additional observational studies would help expand our understanding of the real-world health effects of electric vehicles. Future research focused on the environmental justice implications of vehicle fleet transitions could provide additional information about the extent to which the health benefits occur equitably across populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey F Pennington
- Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Cheryl R Cornwell
- Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kanta Devi Sircar
- Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA; Commissioned Corps, United States Public Health Service, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Maria C Mirabelli
- Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Choma EF, Robinson LA, Nadeau KC. Adopting electric school buses in the United States: Health and climate benefits. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2320338121. [PMID: 38768355 PMCID: PMC11145267 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2320338121] [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: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Electric school buses have been proposed as an alternative to reduce the health and climate impacts of the current U.S. school bus fleet, of which a substantial share are highly polluting old diesel vehicles. However, the climate and health benefits of electric school buses are not well known. As they are substantially more costly than diesel buses, assessing their benefits is needed to inform policy decisions. We assess the health benefits of electric school buses in the United States from reduced adult mortality and childhood asthma onset risks due to exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We also evaluate climate benefits from reduced greenhouse-gas emissions. We find that replacing the average diesel bus in the U.S. fleet in 2017 with an electric bus yields $84,200 in total benefits. Climate benefits amount to $40,400/bus, whereas health benefits amount to $43,800/bus due to 4.42*10-3 fewer PM2.5-attributable deaths ($40,000 of total) and 7.42*10-3 fewer PM2.5-attributable new childhood asthma cases ($3,700 of total). However, health benefits of electric buses vary substantially by driving location and model year (MY) of the diesel buses they replace. Replacing old, MY 2005 diesel buses in large cities yields $207,200/bus in health benefits and is likely cost-beneficial, although other policies that accelerate fleet turnover in these areas deserve consideration. Electric school buses driven in rural areas achieve small health benefits from reduced exposure to ambient PM2.5. Further research assessing benefits of reduced exposure to in-cabin air pollution among children riding buses would be valuable to inform policy decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernani F. Choma
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Lisa A. Robinson
- Center for Health Decision Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Kari C. Nadeau
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
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Pedde M, Szpiro A, Hirth RA, Adar SD. School Bus Rebate Program and Student Educational Performance Test Scores. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e243121. [PMID: 38506806 PMCID: PMC10955349 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.3121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Students who ride older school buses are often exposed to high levels of exhaust during their commutes, which may adversely affect health and school attendance. As a result, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded millions of dollars to school districts to replace older, highly polluting school buses with newer, cleaner buses. Objective To leverage the EPA's randomized allocation of funding under the 2012-2016 School Bus Rebate Programs to estimate the association between replacing old, highly polluting buses and changes in district-average standardized test scores. Design, Setting, and Participants This study examined changes in reading and language arts (RLA) and math test scores among US school district applicants to the EPA's 2012-2016 national School Bus Rebate Programs 1 year before and after each lottery by selection status. Data analysis was conducted from January 15 to July 30, 2023. Exposure Selection to receive EPA funding to replace older school buses with newer, cleaner alternatives. Main Outcomes and Measures School district changes in RLA and math test scores among students in grades 3 through 8 before and after the EPA funding lotteries by selection status were measured using an intention-to-treat approach. Results This study included 1941 school district applicants to the 2012-2106 EPA School Bus Rebate Programs. These districts had a mean (SD) of 14.6 (33.7) schools per district, 8755 (23 776) students per district, and 41.3% (20.2%) of students with free lunch eligibility. Among the applicants, 209 districts (11%) were selected for the clean bus funding. District-average student test scores did not improve among selected districts overall. In secondary analyses, however, districts replacing the oldest, highest polluting buses (ie, pre-1990) experienced significantly greater improvements in district-average test scores in the year after the lottery for RLA and math (SD improvement in test scores, 0.062 [95% CI, 0.050-0.074] and 0.025 [95% CI, 0.011-0.039], respectively) compared with districts without replacements. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, the EPA funding was not associated with student test scores overall, but in secondary analyses, the replacement of the oldest school buses was associated with improved educational performance. These findings support prioritizing clean bus replacement of the oldest buses as an actionable way for improving students' educational performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith Pedde
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Adam Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Richard A. Hirth
- Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Sara D. Adar
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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4
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Yalung JE, Shifman HP, Manning ER, Beck A, Bucuvalas J, Lai JC, Wadhwani SI. Ambient air pollution is associated with graft failure/death in pediatric liver transplant recipients. Am J Transplant 2024; 24:448-457. [PMID: 37898318 PMCID: PMC10922359 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajt.2023.10.015] [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: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Children exposed to disproportionately higher levels of air pollution experience worse health outcomes. In this population-based, observational registry study, we examine the association between air pollution and graft failure/death in children following liver transplantation (LT) in the US. We modeled the associations between air pollution (PM2.5) levels localized to the patient's ZIP code at the time of transplant and graft failure or death using Cox proportional-hazards models in pediatric LT recipients aged <19 years in the US from 2005-2015. In univariable analysis, high neighborhood PM2.5 was associated with a 56% increased hazard of graft failure/death (HR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.32, 1.83; P < .001). In multivariable analysis, high neighborhood PM2.5 was associated with a 54% increased risk of graft failure/death (HR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.29, 1.83; P < .001) after adjusting for race as a proxy for racism, insurance status, rurality, and neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation. Children living in high air pollution neighborhoods have an increased risk of graft failure and death posttransplant, even after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Our findings add further evidence that air pollution contributes to adverse health outcomes for children posttransplant and lay the groundwork for future studies to evaluate underlying mechanisms linking PM2.5 to adverse LT outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared E Yalung
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Holly P Shifman
- School of Medicine, Oakland University William Beaumont, Rochester, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Andrew Beck
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - John Bucuvalas
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hepatology, Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer C Lai
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sharad I Wadhwani
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
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Tsai YG, Chio CP, Yang KD, Lin CH, Yeh YP, Chang YJ, Chien JW, Wang SL, Huang SK, Chan CC. Long-term PM 2.5 exposure is associated with asthma prevalence and exhaled nitric oxide levels in children. Pediatr Res 2024:10.1038/s41390-023-02977-5. [PMID: 38263452 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-023-02977-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exhaled nitric oxide concentration (FENO) is a marker of airway inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate the association of air pollution exposure with FENO levels and asthma prevalence with respiratory symptoms in school children. METHODS We analyzed 4736 school children who reside in six townships near industrial areas in central Taiwan. We evaluated asthmatic symptoms, FENO, and conducted the environmental questionnaire. The personal exposure of PM2.5, NO, and SO2 was estimated using land-use regression models data on children's school and home addresses. RESULTS Annual exposure to PM2.5 was associated with increased odds of physician-diagnosed asthma (OR = 1.595), exercise-induced wheezing (OR = 1.726), itchy eyes (OR = 1.417), and current nasal problems (OR = 1.334) (P < 0.05). FENO levels in the absence of infection were positively correlated with age, previous wheezing, allergic rhinitis, atopic eczema, near the road, and for children with high exposure to PM2.5 (P < 0.05). An increase of 1 μg/m3 PM2.5 exposure was significantly associated with a 1.0% increase in FENO levels for children after adjusting for potential confounding variables, including exposures to NO and SO2. CONCLUSIONS Long-term exposures to PM2.5 posed a significant risk of asthma prevalence and airway inflammation in a community-based population of children. IMPACT Annual exposure to PM2.5 was associated with increased odds of physician-diagnosed asthma and nasal problems and itchy eyes. Long-term exposures to PM2.5 were significantly associated with FENO levels after adjusting for potential confounding variables. This is first study to assess the association between FENO levels and long-term air pollution exposures in children near coal-based power plants. An increase of 1 μg/m3 annual PM2.5 exposure was significantly associated with a 1.0% increase in FENO levels. Long-term exposures to PM2.5 posed a significant risk of asthma prevalence and airway inflammation in a community-based population of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Giien Tsai
- Department of Pediatrics, Changhua Christian Children's Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan, ROC
- School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chia-Pin Chio
- Department of Medical Research, Tungs' Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Kuender D Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, and Department of Microbiology & Immunology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ching-Hsiung Lin
- Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan, ROC
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
- Ph.D. Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Recreation and Holistic Wellness, MingDao University, Changhua, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yen-Po Yeh
- Changhua County Public Health Bureau, Changhua, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Jun Chang
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Center, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Jien-Wen Chien
- Department of Pediatrics, Changhua Christian Children's Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Shu-Li Wang
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Rd, Zhunan, Miaoli County, Miaoli, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Shau-Ku Huang
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Rd, Zhunan, Miaoli County, Miaoli, Taiwan, ROC.
- Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Chang-Chuan Chan
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
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Gao C, Sanchez KM, Lovinsky-Desir S. Structural and Social Determinants of Inequitable Environmental Exposures in the United States. Clin Chest Med 2023; 44:451-467. [PMID: 37517826 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccm.2023.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
American Indian (AI)/Alaskan Natives, African Americans, and Latino Americans have disproportionally high exposure to harmful environmental conditions as a consequence of unjust laws and policies, systemic racism, residential segregation, and discrimination. In this review, we draw connections between historical policies and social movements in the United States' history that have been rooted in racism and classism, leading to social isolation and marginalization of AIs, African Americans, and Latino Americans. We then discuss the structural factors that stem from the aforementioned inequities and that contribute to the inequitable distribution of environmental hazards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Gao
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 3959 Broadway, CHC 7-701, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kimberly M Sanchez
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 3959 Broadway, CHC 7-701, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir
- Pulmonary Division, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 3959 Broadway, CHC 7-701, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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7
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Ogbunuzor C, Fransen LFH, Talibi M, Khan Z, Dalzell A, Laycock A, Southern D, Eveleigh A, Ladommatos N, Hellier P, Leonard MO. Biodiesel exhaust particle airway toxicity and the role of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 259:115013. [PMID: 37182301 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Renewable alternatives to fossil diesel (FD) including fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biodiesel have become more prevalent. However, toxicity of exhaust material from their combustion, relative to the fuels they are displacing has not been fully characterised. This study was carried out to examine particle toxicity within the lung epithelium and the role for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Exhaust particles from a 20% (v/v) blend of FAME biodiesel had little impact on primary airway epithelial toxicity compared to FD derived particles but did result in an altered profile of PAHs, including an increase in particle bound carcinogenic B[a]P. Higher blends of biodiesel had significantly increased levels of more carcinogenic PAHs, which was associated with a higher level of stress response gene expression including CYP1A1, NQO1 and IL1B. Removal of semi-volatile material from particulates abolished effects on airway cells. Particle size difference and toxic metals were discounted as causative for biological effects. Finally, combustion of a single component fuel (Methyl decanoate) containing the methyl ester molecular structure found in FAME mixtures, also produced more carcinogenic PAHs at the higher fuel blend levels. These results indicate the use of FAME biodiesel at higher blends may be associated with an increased particle associated carcinogenic and toxicity risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Ogbunuzor
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Roberts Building, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | | | - Midhat Talibi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Roberts Building, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Zuhaib Khan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Roberts Building, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Abigail Dalzell
- Toxicology Department, UK Health Security Agency, Harwell Campus, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Adam Laycock
- Toxicology Department, UK Health Security Agency, Harwell Campus, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Daniel Southern
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Roberts Building, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Aaron Eveleigh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Roberts Building, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Nicos Ladommatos
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Roberts Building, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Paul Hellier
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Roberts Building, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
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Garcia E, Johnston J, McConnell R, Palinkas L, Eckel SP. California's early transition to electric vehicles: Observed health and air quality co-benefits. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 867:161761. [PMID: 36739036 PMCID: PMC10465173 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The transition to electric vehicles is projected to have considerable public health co-benefits, but most evidence regarding air quality and health impacts comes from projections rather than real-world data. We evaluated whether population-level respiratory health and air quality co-benefits were already detectable at the relatively low levels of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs: battery electric, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen fuel cell vehicle) adoption in California, and evaluated the ZEV adoption gap in underserved communities. We conducted a zip code-level ecologic study relating changes in annual number of ZEVs (nZEV) per 1000 population from 2013 to 2019 to: (i) annual average monitored nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations and (ii) annual age-adjusted asthma-related emergency department (ED) visit rates, while considering educational attainment. The average nZEV increased from 1.4 per 1000 population in 2013 (standard deviation [SD]: 2.1) to 14.7 per 1000 in 2019 (SD: 14.7). ZEV adoption was considerably slower in zip codes with lower educational attainment (p < 0.0001). A within-zip code increase of 20 ZEVs per 1000 was associated with a - 0.41 ppb change in annual average NO2 (95 % confidence interval [CI]:-1.12, 0.29) in an adjusted model. A within-zip code increase of 20 ZEVs per 1000 population was associated with a 3.2 % decrease in annual age-adjusted rate of asthma-related ED visits (95 % CI:-5.4, -0.9). Findings were supported by a variety of sensitivity analyses. Observational data on the early phase ZEV transition in California provided a natural experiment, enabling us to document the first real-world associations between increasing nZEV and changes in air quality and health. Results suggest co-benefits of the early-phase transition to ZEVs but with an adoption gap among populations with lower socioeconomic status which threatens the equitable distribution of possible co-benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Garcia
- University of Southern California, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Los Angeles, California, United States.
| | - Jill Johnston
- University of Southern California, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Rob McConnell
- University of Southern California, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Lawrence Palinkas
- University of Southern California, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Los Angeles, California, United States; University of Southern California, Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Sandrah P Eckel
- University of Southern California, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Los Angeles, California, United States
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Rawat N, Kumar P. Interventions for improving indoor and outdoor air quality in and around schools. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159813. [PMID: 36411671 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159813] [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: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Students spend nearly one third of their typical day in the school environment, where they may be exposed to harmful air pollutants. A consolidated knowledge base of interventions to reduce this exposure is required for making informed decisions on their implementation and wider uptake. We attempt to fill this knowledge gap by synthesising the existing scientific literature on different school-based air pollution exposure interventions, their efficiency, suitability, and limitations. We assessed technological (air purifiers, HVAC - Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning etc.), behavioural, physical barriers, structural, school-commute and policy and regulatory interventions. Studies suggest that the removal efficiency of air purifiers for PM2.5, PM10, PM1 and BC can be up to 57 %, 34 %, 70 % and 58 %, respectively, depending on the air purification technology compared with control levels in classroom. The HVAC system combined with high efficiency filters has BC, PM10 and PM2.5 removal efficiency up to 97 %, 34 % and 30 %, respectively. Citizen science campaigns are effective in reducing the indoor air pollutants' exposure up to 94 %. The concentration of PM10, NO2, O3, BC and PNC can be reduced by up to 60 %, 59 %, 16 %, 63 % and 77 %, respectively as compared to control conditions, by installing green infrastructure (GI) as a physical barrier. School commute interventions can reduce NO2 concentration by up to 23 %. The in-cabin concentration reduction of up to 77 % for PM2.5, 43 % for PNC, 89 % for BC, 74 % for PM10 and 75 % for NO2, along with 94 % reduction in tailpipe emission of total particles, can be achieved using clean fuels and retrofits. No stand-alone method is found as the absolute solution for controlling pollutants exposure, their combined application can be effective in most of the scenarios. More research is needed on assessing combined interventions, and their operational synchronisation for getting the optimum results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Rawat
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom.
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10
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Chen W, Wang X, Chen J, You C, Ma L, Zhang W, Li D. Household air pollution, adherence to a healthy lifestyle, and risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity: Results from the China health and retirement longitudinal study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 855:158896. [PMID: 36150596 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The adverse health effects of household air pollution have been widely explored, but few studies have evaluated the effects of household air pollution on the risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM), a pressing public health concern worldwide. Thus, we aimed to investigate whether exposure to household use of polluting fuels is associated with morbid CMM and, if so, whether a healthy lifestyle could mitigate this association. METHODS In this prospective, nationwide representative cohort of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), participants free of CMM (defined as the coexistence of 2 or more of the following: heart disease, stroke, and diabetes or high blood sugar) were included in 2011-2012 and followed for CMM incidence until 2018. Household air pollution was measured as the use of solid fuels for cooking and heating. The healthy lifestyle score was determined by six factors, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, total cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure, and categorized into three groups (unhealthy, 0-1 factors; intermediate, 2-4; and healthy, 5-6). Cox proportional hazards models investigated associations between household air pollution and incident CMM. The potential modifier effect of a healthy lifestyle score was tested through stratified analyses. RESULTS Among 7125 eligible participants, 239 incident cases of CMM were identified over a median follow-up of 7.0 years. After adjustment for potential confounders, the use of solid household fuels for heating was associated with more significant hazards of CMM (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.71, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.28 to 2.28), while use for cooking (HR, 1.14; 95 % CI, 0.85 to 1.52) was not. Compared with participants in the unhealthy group, those in the healthy and intermediate groups had considerably lower CMM risk, with adjusted HRs (95 % CI) of 0.17 (0.09 to 0.31) and 0.39 (0.29 to 0.53), respectively, regardless of the household air pollution category. Importantly, when participants adhered to a healthy lifestyle, exposure to household air pollution was no longer significantly associated with a higher risk of CMM (adjusted HR 1.77, 95 % CI 0.51 to 6.12; P = 0.369). CONCLUSIONS Household usage of polluting fuels was significantly associated with a higher risk of CMM, and adherence to a healthy lifestyle may mitigate this adverse effect. From a broader perspective, our findings underscore the importance of public health policies and interventions targeting multiple exposures (air pollution, physical activity, smoking, etc.) in enhancing the prevention of detrimental cardiometabolic health effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chao You
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lu Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Dong Li
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Zhang T, Wu Y, Guo Y, Yan B, Wei J, Zhang H, Meng X, Zhang C, Sun H, Huang L. Risk of illness-related school absenteeism for elementary students with exposure to PM 2.5 and O 3. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 842:156824. [PMID: 35738367 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution addresses short-term health effects on morbidity, especially for children. Assessing the impacts of air pollution on elementary students is critical for developing preparedness response strategies for this sensitive group. In the 2016-17 academic year, up to 687,748 groups of illness-related absence records and the information on whether the absentee had gone to a hospital or not were collected from 2564 elementary schools across Jiangsu Province China. We explored the associations between air pollution and illness-related records using a time-stratified case-crossover analysis with distributed lag non-linear design. An increase of 10 μg/m3 in the current-day concentration of PM2.5 and O3 was positively associated with illness-related absenteeism overall. The excess risk of absenteeism was 4.52 % (95%CI 4.37-4.67 %) for PM2.5 and 0.25 % (95%CI 0.01-0.36 %) for O3. The risk associated with O3 was boosted for the frequent absentees who tended to have basic diseases or were more vulnerable to infectious diseases. Students in 43.1 % illness-related absenteeism, mainly due to highly infectious diseases, only received home nursing without going to a hospital. The increase in the number of illness cases associated with PM2.5 and O3 estimated based on the illness-related absence data was 41.5 % and 18.6 % higher than that evaluated based on hospital visit records. Such underestimations persisted in sensitivity analyses and persisted in subgroups classified by gender or grade. Together, the performance of illness-related absence records far outweighed that of hospital visit data regarding the thorough evaluation of air pollution-related illness cases for elementary students. Improvement in air quality and home health care education are warranted as well for the health benefits of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Qixia, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yangyang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Qixia, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yuming Guo
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Beizhan Yan
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Rt. 9W., Palisades, NY 10964, United States
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, 20740, USA
| | - Hongliang Zhang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xia Meng
- School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of the Ministry of Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Can Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Qixia, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Hong Sun
- Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Road 172, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Lei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Qixia, Nanjing, 210023, China
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Bahrami Asl F, Amini Rabati SE, Poureshgh Y, Kermani M, Kalan ME, Hosseini F, Dehghani A, Taghi Livari K. Ambient air pollutants and respiratory health outcomes in Tabriz and Urmia, two metropolises of Iran. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 194:812. [PMID: 36131102 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10463-4] [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: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Polluted air affects human life and it is crucial to assess air pollutants to inform policy and protect human lives. In this study, we sought to assess the respiratory outcomes associated with PM10, O3, SO2, and NO2 in the Iranian population. The required data, which included concentrations of air pollutants, meteorology, and population size, were obtained from the department of environment and meteorological organizations. The validity of the data was evaluated, and appropriate calculations were conducted on the data to extract the required values and parameters for modeling (using the AirQ2.2.3). This study was conducted in two megacities of Iran (Tabriz and Urmia) with over 2 million population. The annual averages of SO2, NO2, and PM10 concentrations were 9, 73, and 43 μg/m3 in Tabriz and 76, 29, and 76 μg/m3 in Urmia, respectively. Excess deaths from respiratory diseases associated with PM10 and SO2 were estimated to be 33.1 and 1.2 cases in Tabriz and 31.6 and 24.7 cases in Urmia, respectively. The proportions of hospitalizations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) attributable to SO2 and NO2 in Tabriz were 0.07% and 1.61%, respectively, whereas they were 2.84% and 0.48% in Urmia. O3 had an annual average of 56 μg/m3 in Tabriz and with 44.5 excess respiratory deaths and 42.5 excess hospital admissions for COPD, it had the greatest health impacts among the pollutants studied. Findings from this study add to the growing literature, especially from developing countries, that provides insights to help authorities and decision-makers develop and implement effective interventions to curb air pollution and save lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farshad Bahrami Asl
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
| | | | - Yousef Poureshgh
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Majid Kermani
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ebrahimi Kalan
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Carolina, NC, USA
- Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Carolina, NC, USA
- School of Health Professions, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Fatemeh Hosseini
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Anahita Dehghani
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
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Wu Y, Zhang T, Wang Y, Wei J, Huang L, Yang J, Sun H. Spatial heterogeneity in health risks of illness-related absenteeism associated with PM 2.5 exposure for elementary students. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113473. [PMID: 35609651 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113473] [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: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about the impact of socio-economic and environmental factors on the associations between PM2.5 exposure and health risk for elementary students. We estimated the space variability of effects of PM2.5 on daily illness-related absence rate for 2278 elementary schools from 97 counties across Jiangsu Province with data collected in the 2016-17 academic year. We evaluated the effects at school- and county-scales and examined the role of socio-economic and environmental factors with generalized addictive models (GAM). With an interquartile range (IQR, 32 μg/m3) increase in PM2.5 concentration, the relative risk of absence rate for a given school ranged between 1.00 and 2.81. Factors including high economic development level, low health expenditure, dense road network, dense population and low vegetation coverage drove strong effects for schools/counties. For the implementation of efficient clean air policies and public health interventions, we should concern about not only high-polluted areas but also areas under specific socio-economic and environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Qixia, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Ting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Qixia, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Yiyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Qixia, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - Lei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Qixia, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Jie Yang
- Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu, Road 172, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Hong Sun
- Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu, Road 172, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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Xue Y, Wang L, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Liu Y. Air pollution: A culprit of lung cancer. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 434:128937. [PMID: 35452993 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution is a global health problem, especially in the context of rapid economic development and the expansion of urbanization. Herein, we discuss the harmful effects of outdoor and indoor pollution on the lungs. Ambient particulate matters (PMs) from industrial and vehicle exhausts is associated with lung cancer. Workers exposed to asbestos, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and toxic metals are also likely to develop lung cancer. Indoors, cooking fumes, second-hand smoke, and radioactive products from house decoration materials play roles in the development of lung cancer. Bacteria and viruses can also be detrimental to health and are important risk factors in lung inflammation and cancer. Specific effects of lung cancer caused by air pollution are discussed in detail, including inflammation, DNA damage, and epigenetic regulation. In addition, advanced materials for personal protection, as well as the current government policies to prevent air pollution, are summarized. This review provides a basis for future research on the relationship between lung cancer and air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueguang Xue
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China; CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nano safety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, PR China; Henan Institute of advanced technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, PR China
| | - Liuxiang Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China; CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nano safety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, PR China; Henan Institute of advanced technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, PR China
| | - Yiming Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nano safety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, PR China; Henan Institute of advanced technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, PR China
| | - Yuliang Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nano safety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, PR China; GBA National Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510700, PR China.
| | - Ying Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China; CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nano safety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, PR China; GBA National Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510700, PR China.
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15
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederica Perera
- From the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Columbia University, New York (F.P.); and the Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, Otolaryngology, and Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, CA (K.N.)
| | - Kari Nadeau
- From the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Columbia University, New York (F.P.); and the Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, Otolaryngology, and Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, CA (K.N.)
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16
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Uttajug A, Ueda K, Seposo XT, Honda A, Takano H. Effect of a vegetation fire event ban on hospital visits for respiratory diseases in Upper Northern Thailand. Int J Epidemiol 2022; 51:514-524. [PMID: 35134940 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyac005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Upper Northern Thailand (UNT) has been episodically affected by air pollution from vegetation burning, which causes adverse respiratory health effects. However, no study has evaluated the effect of regulatory actions to prohibit vegetation burning on respiratory morbidity. We examined the effect of a burning ban enforced in May 2016 on hospital visits for respiratory diseases in UNT. METHODS This study used data from eight provinces in UNT. Analyses were conducted for January to April of 2014-2016 (before ban enforcement) and January to April of 2017-2018 (after ban enforcement). Particulate matter of 10 microns in diameter or smaller (PM10) concentrations, numbers of satellite fire hotspots and age-standardized rates of hospital visits for respiratory diseases before and after ban enforcement were compared. The effect of the ban on hospital visits for respiratory diseases was evaluated using an interrupted time-series analysis controlled for season-specific temporal trends, day of week, public holiday, temperature, relative humidity, number of hospitals and offset population, with gastrointestinal diseases as a negative control. A meta-analysis was performed to pool province-specific effect estimates. RESULTS The daily average PM10 concentration and the number of fire hotspots decreased after ban enforcement in all provinces in UNT, with percent changes ranging from 5.3 to 34.3% and 14.3 to 81.5%, respectively. The adjusted pooled effect estimates of hospital visits for respiratory diseases decreased by 9.1% (95% CI: 5.1, 12.9), whereas a null association was observed for gastrointestinal diseases. CONCLUSION The burning ban had a positive impact on both air pollution levels and rates of hospital visits for respiratory diseases in UNT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athicha Uttajug
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Hygiene, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Kayo Ueda
- Department of Hygiene, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Xerxes Tesoro Seposo
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Akiko Honda
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Takano
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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17
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Air pollution and lung function in children. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2021; 148:1-14. [PMID: 34238501 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In this narrative review, we summarize the literature and provide updates on recent studies of air pollution exposures and child lung function and lung function growth. We include exposures to outdoor air pollutants that are monitored and regulated through air quality standards, and air pollutants that are not routinely monitored or directly regulated, including wildfires, indoor biomass and coal burning, gas and wood stove use, and volatile organic compounds. Included is a more systematic review of the recent literature on long-term air pollution and child lung function because this is an indicator of future adult respiratory health and exposure assessment tools have improved dramatically in recent years. We present "summary observations" and "knowledge gaps." We end by discussing what is known about what can be done at the individual/household, local/regional, and national levels to overcome structural impediments, reduce air pollution exposures, and improve child lung function. We found a large literature on adverse air pollution effects on children's lung function level and growth; however, many questions remain. Important areas needing further research include whether early-life effects are fixed or reversible; and what are windows of increased susceptibility, long-term effects of repeated wildfire events, and effects of air quality interventions.
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Abstract
Ambient air pollution is produced by sources including vehicular traffic, coal-fired power plants, hydraulic fracturing, agricultural production, and forest fires. It consists of primary pollutants generated by combustion and secondary pollutants formed in the atmosphere from precursor gases. Air pollution causes and exacerbates climate change, and climate change worsens health effects of air pollution. Infants and children are uniquely sensitive to air pollution, because their organs are developing and they have higher air per body weight intake. Health effects linked to air pollution include not only exacerbations of respiratory diseases but also reduced lung function development and increased asthma incidence. Additional outcomes of concern include preterm birth, low birth weight, neurodevelopmental disorders, IQ loss, pediatric cancers, and increased risks for adult chronic diseases. These effects are mediated by oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, endocrine disruption, and genetic and epigenetic mechanisms across the life span. Natural experiments demonstrate that with initiatives such as increased use of public transportation, both air quality and community health improve. Similarly, the Clean Air Act has improved air quality, although exposure inequities persist. Other effective strategies for reducing air pollution include ending reliance on coal, oil, and gas; regulating industrial emissions; reducing exposure with attention to proximity of residences, schools, and child care facilities to traffic; and a greater awareness of the Air Quality Index. This policy reviews both short- and long-term health consequences of ambient air pollution, especially in relation to developmental exposures. It examines individual, community, and legislative strategies to mitigate air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather L Brumberg
- Division of Neonatology, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, Westchester Medical Center and Departments of Pediatrics and Public Health, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York; and
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19
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Osborne S, Uche O, Mitsakou C, Exley K, Dimitroulopoulou S. Air quality around schools: Part I - A comprehensive literature review across high-income countries. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 196:110817. [PMID: 33524334 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Children are particularly vulnerable to the detrimental health impacts of poor air quality. In the UK, recent initiatives at local council level have focussed on mitigating children's air pollution exposure at school. However, an overview of the available evidence on concentration and exposure in school environments - and a summary of key knowledge gaps - has so far been lacking. To address this, we conducted a review bringing together recent academic and grey literature, relating to air quality in outdoor school environments - including playgrounds, drop-off zones, and the school commute - across high-income countries. We aimed to critically assess, synthesise, and categorise the available literature, to produce recommendations on future research and mitigating actions. Our searches initially identified 883 articles of interest, which were filtered down in screening and appraisal to a final total of 100 for inclusion. Many of the included studies focussed on nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM) in both the coarse and fine fractions, around schools across a range of countries. Some studies also observed ozone (O3) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) outside schools. Our review identified evidence that children can encounter pollution peaks on the school journey, at school gates, and in school playgrounds; that nearby traffic is a key determinant of concentrations outside schools; and that factors relating to planning and urban design - such as the type of playground paving, and amount of surrounding green space - can influence school site concentrations. The review also outlines evidence gaps that can be targeted in future research. These include the need for more personal monitoring studies that distinguish between the exposure that takes place indoors and outdoors at school, and a need for a greater number of studies that conduct before-after evaluation of local interventions designed to mitigate children's exposure, such as green barriers and road closures. Finally, our review also proposes some tangible recommendations for policymakers and local leaders. The creation of clean air zones around schools; greening of school grounds; careful selection of new school sites; promotion of active travel to and from school; avoidance of major roads on the school commute; and scheduling of outdoor learning and play away from peak traffic hours, are all advocated by the evidence collated in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Osborne
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Onyekachi Uche
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Christina Mitsakou
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Karen Exley
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Sani Dimitroulopoulou
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK.
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20
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Abstract
Air pollution is a grave risk to human health that affects nearly everyone in the world and nearly every organ in the body. Fortunately, it is largely a preventable risk. Reducing pollution at its source can have a rapid and substantial impact on health. Within a few weeks, respiratory and irritation symptoms, such as shortness of breath, cough, phlegm, and sore throat, disappear; school absenteeism, clinic visits, hospitalizations, premature births, cardiovascular illness and death, and all-cause mortality decrease significantly. The interventions are cost-effective. Reducing factors causing air pollution and climate change have strong cobenefits. Although regions with high air pollution have the greatest potential for health benefits, health improvements continue to be associated with pollution decreases even below international standards. The large response to and short time needed for benefits of these interventions emphasize the urgency of improving global air quality and the importance of increasing efforts to reduce pollution at local levels.
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21
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Ma X, Longley I, Gao J, Salmond J. Assessing schoolchildren's exposure to air pollution during the daily commute - A systematic review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 737:140389. [PMID: 32783874 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution is mostly caused by emissions from human activities, and exposure to air pollution is linked with numerous adverse human health outcomes. Recent studies have identified that although people only spend a small proportion of time on their daily commutes, the commuter microenvironment is a significant contributor to their total daily air pollution exposure. Schoolchildren are a particularly vulnerable cohort of the population, and their exposure to air pollution at home or school has been documented in a number of case studies. A few studies have identified that schoolchildren's exposure during commutes is linked with adverse cognitive outcomes and severe wheeze in asthmatic children. However, the determinants of total exposure, such as route choice and commute mode, and their subsequent health impacts on schoolchildren are still not well-understood. The aim of this paper is to review and synthesize recent studies on assessing schoolchildren's exposure to various air pollutants during the daily commute. Through reviewing 31 relevant studies published between 2004 and 2020, we tried to identify consistent patterns, trends, and underlying causal factors in the results. These studies were carried out across 10 commute modes and 12 different air pollutants. Air pollution in cities is highly heterogeneous in time and space, and commuting schoolchildren move through the urban area in complex ways. Measurements from fixed monitoring stations (FMSs), personal monitoring, and air quality modeling are the three most common approaches to determining exposure to ambient air pollutant concentrations. The time-activity diary (TAD), GPS tracker, online route collection app, and GIS-based route simulation are four widely used methods to determine schoolchildren's daily commuting routes. We found that route choices exerted a determining impact on schoolchildren's exposure. It is challenging to rank commute modes in order of exposure, as each scenario has numerous uncontrollable determinants, and there are notable research gaps. We suggest that future studies should concentrate on examining exposure patterns of schoolchildren in developing countries, exposure in the subway and trains, investigating the reliability of current simulation methods, exploring the environmental justice issue, and identifying the health impacts during commuting. It is recommended that three promising tools of smartphones, data fusion, and GIS should be widely used to overcome the challenges encountered in scaling up commuter exposure studies to population scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuying Ma
- School of Environment, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
| | - Ian Longley
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Jay Gao
- School of Environment, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Jennifer Salmond
- School of Environment, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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22
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Development, Validation, and Application of School Audit Tool (SAT): An Effective Instrument for Assessing Traffic Safety and Operation around Schools. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11226438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There is a need for a reliable school audit tool with well-defined scales to convert qualitative evaluation of existing school sites into a quantitative assessment in order to help public agencies to improve schools’ safety and efficiency. In this study, a new, simple, and versatile School Audit Tool (SAT) was developed and tested. SAT was formed using a 30-item checklist categorized into four domains: school site assessment, road network assessment, parking/loading assessment, and active transport assessment. The tool was applied on a sample of 22 schools. Then, categorical and item-by-item Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) were calculated to validate the tool. The results showed acceptable overall test-retest (ICC = 0.919) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.843) across all items and domains. SAT’s adaptable framework to assess and compare the safety and efficiency of schools is reliable, easy-to-use, and comprehensive. The tool is also effective in ranking schools and identifying items that may require upgrades or modifications.
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23
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da Costa E Oliveira JR, Base LH, de Abreu LC, Filho CF, Ferreira C, Morawska L. Ultrafine particles and children's health: Literature review. Paediatr Respir Rev 2019; 32:73-81. [PMID: 31427160 DOI: 10.1016/j.prrv.2019.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to review and synthesize the existing knowledge of the effects of ultrafine particles [UFPs] with a specific focus on children's health. An extensive literature search identified 16 studies fulfilling the criteria set for the review. One of the most important findings of the review was that, in general, there is an association between children's health and exposure to UFPs, especially among children with respiratory diseases, who commonly experience alterations in inflammatory biomarkers and deterioration in lung function as a result of UFP exposure. Notably, the health effects of UFPs are related to their ability to penetrate through different systems of the body due to their small size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Regis da Costa E Oliveira
- Departamento de Medicina, Disciplina de Cardiologia, Hospital São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, 715 Napoleão de Barros St, São Paulo 04024002, SP, Brazil.
| | - Luis Henrique Base
- Departamento de Medicina, Disciplina de Cardiologia, Hospital São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, 715 Napoleão de Barros St, São Paulo 04024002, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz Carlos de Abreu
- Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Laboratório de Delineamento de Estudos e Escrita Científica, 2000 Lauro Gomes Av, Santo André, SP 09060-870, Brazil
| | - Celso Ferreira Filho
- Departamento de Medicina, Disciplina de Cínica Médica, Hospital São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, 715 Napoleão de Barros St, São Paulo 04024002, SP, Brazil
| | - Celso Ferreira
- Departamento de Medicina, Disciplina de Cardiologia, Hospital São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, 715 Napoleão de Barros St, São Paulo 04024002, SP, Brazil
| | - Lidia Morawska
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Qld 4001, Australia
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Realizing the Paris Climate Agreement to Improve Cardiopulmonary Health. Where Science Meets Policy. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2019; 15:791-798. [PMID: 29652522 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.201803-203ps] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Godri Pollitt KJ, Chhan D, Rais K, Pan K, Wallace JS. Biodiesel fuels: A greener diesel? A review from a health perspective. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 688:1036-1055. [PMID: 31726536 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Biodiesels have been promoted as a greener alternative to diesel with decreased emissions and health effects. To investigate the scientific basis of the suggested environmental and health benefits offered by biodiesel, this review examines the current state of knowledge and key uncertainties of pollutant profiles of biodiesel engine exhaust and the associated the respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes. The ease and low cost of biodiesel production has facilitated greater distribution and commercial use. The pollutant profile of biodiesel engine exhaust is distinct from diesel, characterised by increased NOx and aldehyde emissions but decreased CO and CO2. Lower engine-out particulate matter mass concentrations have also been observed over a range of feedstocks. However, these reduced emissions have been attributable to a shift towards smaller sized particulate emissions. The toxicity of biodiesel engine exhaust has been investigated in vitro using various lung cell, in vivo evaluating responses induced in animals and through several human exposure studies. Discrepancies exist across results reported by in vitro and in vivo studies, which may be attributable to differences in biodiesel feedstocks, engine characteristics, operating conditions or use of aftertreatment systems across test scenarios. The limited human testing further suggests short-term exposure to biodiesel engine exhaust is associated with cardiopulmonary outcomes that are comparable to diesel. Additional information about the health effects of biodiesel engine exhaust exposure is required for effective public health policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystal J Godri Pollitt
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Yale University, Laboratory of Epidemiology and Public Health, 60 College Street, Room 444, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Dany Chhan
- Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Khaled Rais
- Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kang Pan
- Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - James S Wallace
- Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Estrella B, Sempértegui F, Franco OH, Cepeda M, Naumova EN. Air pollution control and the occurrence of acute respiratory illness in school children of Quito, Ecuador. J Public Health Policy 2019; 40:17-34. [PMID: 30377300 DOI: 10.1057/s41271-018-0148-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Because of air quality management and control, traffic-related air pollution has declined in Quito, Ecuador. We evaluated the effect of a city-wide 5-year air pollution control program on the occurrence of acute respiratory illness (ARI). We compared two studies conducted at the same location in Quito: in 2000, 2 years before the policy to control vehicle emission was introduced, and in 2007. Each study involved ~ 730 children aged 6-12 years, observed for 15 weeks. We examined associations between carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) serum concentration-an exposure proxy for carbon monoxide (CO)-ambient CO, and ARI in both cohorts. In 2007, we found a 48% reduction in the ARI incidence (RR 0.52; 95% CI 0.45-0.62, p < 0.0001), and 92% decrease in the percentage of children with COHb > 2.5% as compared to the 2000 study. We found no association between COHb concentrations above the safe level of 2.5% and the ARI incidence (p = 0.736). The decline in air pollution due to vehicle emissions control was associated with a lower incidence of respiratory illness in school children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertha Estrella
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Central Ecuador, Luis Sodiro sn, 170136, Quito, Ecuador.
| | - Fernando Sempértegui
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Central Ecuador, Luis Sodiro sn, 170136, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Oscar H Franco
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Magda Cepeda
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elena N Naumova
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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Burns J, Boogaard H, Polus S, Pfadenhauer LM, Rohwer AC, van Erp AM, Turley R, Rehfuess E. Interventions to reduce ambient particulate matter air pollution and their effect on health. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2019; 5:CD010919. [PMID: 31106396 PMCID: PMC6526394 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd010919.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ambient air pollution is associated with a large burden of disease in both high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To date, no systematic review has assessed the effectiveness of interventions aiming to reduce ambient air pollution. OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness of interventions to reduce ambient particulate matter air pollution in reducing pollutant concentrations and improving associated health outcomes. SEARCH METHODS We searched a range of electronic databases with diverse focuses, including health and biomedical research (CENTRAL, Cochrane Public Health Group Specialised Register, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO), multidisciplinary research (Scopus, Science Citation Index), social sciences (Social Science Citation Index), urban planning and environment (Greenfile), and LMICs (Global Health Library regional indexes, WHOLIS). Additionally, we searched grey literature databases, multiple online trial registries, references of included studies and the contents of relevant journals in an attempt to identify unpublished and ongoing studies, and studies not identified by our search strategy. The final search date for all databases was 31 August 2016. SELECTION CRITERIA Eligible for inclusion were randomized and cluster randomized controlled trials, as well as several non-randomized study designs, including controlled interrupted time-series studies (cITS-EPOC), interrupted time-series studies adhering to EPOC standards (ITS-EPOC), interrupted time-series studies not adhering to EPOC standards (ITS), controlled before-after studies adhering to EPOC standards (CBA-EPOC), and controlled before-after studies not adhering to EPOC standards (CBA); these were classified as main studies. Additionally, we included uncontrolled before-after studies (UBA) as supporting studies. We included studies that evaluated interventions to reduce ambient air pollution from industrial, residential, vehicular and multiple sources, with respect to their effect on mortality, morbidity and several air pollutant concentrations. We did not restrict studies based on the population, setting or comparison. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS After a calibration exercise among the author team, two authors independently assessed studies for inclusion, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We conducted data extraction, risk of bias assessment and evidence synthesis only for main studies; we mapped supporting studies with regard to the types of intervention and setting. To assess risk of bias, we used the Graphic Appraisal Tool for Epidemiological studies (GATE) for correlation studies, as modified and employed by the Centre for Public Health Excellence at the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). For each intervention category, i.e. those targeting industrial, residential, vehicular and multiple sources, we synthesized evidence narratively, as well as graphically using harvest plots. MAIN RESULTS We included 42 main studies assessing 38 unique interventions. These were heterogeneous with respect to setting; interventions were implemented in countries across the world, but most (79%) were implemented in HICs, with the remaining scattered across LMICs. Most interventions (76%) were implemented in urban or community settings.We identified a heterogeneous mix of interventions, including those aiming to address industrial (n = 5), residential (n = 7), vehicular (n = 22), and multiple sources (n = 4). Some specific interventions, such as low emission zones and stove exchanges, were assessed by several studies, whereas others, such as a wood burning ban, were only assessed by a single study.Most studies assessing health and air quality outcomes used routine monitoring data. Studies assessing health outcomes mostly investigated effects in the general population, while few studies assessed specific subgroups such as infants, children and the elderly. No identified studies assessed unintended or adverse effects.The judgements regarding the risk of bias of studies were mixed. Regarding health outcomes, we appraised eight studies (47%) as having no substantial risk of bias concerns, five studies (29%) as having some risk of bias concerns, and four studies (24%) as having serious risk of bias concerns. Regarding air quality outcomes, we judged 11 studies (31%) as having no substantial risk of bias concerns, 16 studies (46%) as having some risk of bias concerns, and eight studies (23%) as having serious risk of bias concerns.The evidence base, comprising non-randomized studies only, was of low or very low certainty for all intervention categories and primary outcomes. The narrative and graphical synthesis showed that evidence for effectiveness was mixed across the four intervention categories. For interventions targeting industrial, residential and multiple sources, a similar pattern emerged for both health and air quality outcomes, with essentially all studies observing either no clear association in either direction or a significant association favouring the intervention. The evidence base for interventions targeting vehicular sources was more heterogeneous, as a small number of studies did observe a significant association favouring the control. Overall, however, the evidence suggests that the assessed interventions do not worsen air quality or health. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Given the heterogeneity across interventions, outcomes, and methods, it was difficult to derive overall conclusions regarding the effectiveness of interventions in terms of improved air quality or health. Most included studies observed either no significant association in either direction or an association favouring the intervention, with little evidence that the assessed interventions might be harmful. The evidence base highlights the challenges related to establishing a causal relationship between specific air pollution interventions and outcomes. In light of these challenges, the results on effectiveness should be interpreted with caution; it is important to emphasize that lack of evidence of an association is not equivalent to evidence of no association.We identified limited evidence for several world regions, notably Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Southeast Asia; decision-makers should prioritize the development and implementation of interventions in these settings. In the future, as new policies are introduced, decision-makers should consider a built-in evaluation component, which could facilitate more systematic and comprehensive evaluations. These could assess effectiveness, but also aspects of feasibility, fidelity and acceptability.The production of higher quality and more uniform evidence would be helpful in informing decisions. Researchers should strive to sufficiently account for confounding, assess the impact of methodological decisions through the conduct and communication of sensitivity analyses, and improve the reporting of methods, and other aspects of the study, most importantly the description of the intervention and the context in which it is implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Burns
- Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichInstitute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public HealthMarchioninistr. 15MunichGermany
| | | | - Stephanie Polus
- Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichInstitute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public HealthMarchioninistr. 15MunichGermany
| | - Lisa M Pfadenhauer
- Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichInstitute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public HealthMarchioninistr. 15MunichGermany
| | - Anke C Rohwer
- Stellenbosch UniversityCentre for Evidence‐based Health Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesFrancie van Zijl DriveCape TownSouth Africa7505
| | | | - Ruth Turley
- Cardiff UniversityCentre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer)1 Museum PlaceCardiffUKCF10 3BD
| | - Eva Rehfuess
- Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichInstitute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public HealthMarchioninistr. 15MunichGermany
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Walker ED, Hart JE, Garshick E, Cavallari JM, Davis ME, Smith TJ, Laden F. The Characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Northeastern US Trucking Terminals. Ann Work Expo Health 2018; 61:844-853. [PMID: 28810687 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxx050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, significant attention has been given to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposures given their mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. However, levels of exposure and the key determinants of exposure are not well defined for the trucking industry. We measured ultrafine particle characteristics at 10 trucking terminals of varying operating size and location in the Northeast region of the United States using particle concentration counter and a surface area analyzer. Multivariate mixed-effects linear regression models were used to assess determinants of the concentration of total bound PAHs (tPAH), the total aerosol active surface area (AS), and the ratio tPAH/AS overall and individually within docks, trucking cabs, and administrative offices. Associations between PAH measures with integrated measures of elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and particulate matter (PM)2.5 were assessed by Spearman rank correlation. In adjusted models, tPAH, AS, and tPAH/AS average concentrations (95% confidence interval) were significantly higher in truck cabs compared to office locations (1.26 (ng m-3) (1.18, 1.35); 0.99 (mm2 mm-3) (0.91, 1.08); 0.26 (ng mm-2) (0.18, 0.33), respectively). In the loading dock, AS concentrations were significantly higher than in the office (0.67 (0.61, 0.71), while the tPAH/AS was not (-0.63 (-0.67, -0.58). In each location, average tPAH concentrations were moderately but significantly correlated with EC (r = 0.47-0.63) and with tPAH/AS (r = 0.34-0.40) in the truck cabs and loading docks. In conclusion, key predictors of tPAH, AS, and tPAH/AS within the trucking industry are work location (in particular truck cabs and terminal docks) and terminal characteristics (size). The association of tPAH and tPAH/AS with EC concentrations in dockworkers and pick-up and delivery drivers is consistent with occupational exposure attributable to vehicle exhaust. Therefore, measurement of tPAH, AS, and tPAH/AS to characterize ultrafine particles and bound PAH concentrations provide additional information regarding exposures in the trucking industry not captured by integrated measures by EC, OC, and PM2.5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica D Walker
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Landmark Center 4 West, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jaime E Hart
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Landmark Center 4 West, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Drive, Landmark Center 3 West, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eric Garshick
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Drive, Landmark Center 3 West, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep, and Critical Care Medicine Section, Medical Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, 1400 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, Boston, MA 02132, USA
| | - Jennifer M Cavallari
- Department of Community Medicine and Healthcare, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Mary E Davis
- Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Thomas J Smith
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Landmark Center 4 West, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Francine Laden
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Landmark Center 4 West, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Drive, Landmark Center 3 West, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Landmark Center 3 West, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Annesi-Maesano I, Dinh-Xuan AT. Is exhaled nitric oxide a marker of air pollution effect? Eur Respir J 2018; 47:1304-6. [PMID: 27132258 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00521-2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Annesi-Maesano
- Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases Dept (EPAR), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health (IPLESP UMRS 1136), Saint-Antoine Medical School, Paris, France
| | - Anh Tuan Dinh-Xuan
- Université Paris Descartes, Hôpital Cochin - Paris Centre, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Laboratoire de Physiologie Respiratoire, UPRES-EA 2511, Paris, France
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30
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Personal Exposure to PM2.5 in the Megacity of Mexico: A Multi-Mode Transport Study. ATMOSPHERE 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos9020057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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31
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Wang H, Duan H, Meng T, Yang M, Cui L, Bin P, Dai Y, Niu Y, Shen M, Zhang L, Zheng Y, Leng S. Local and Systemic Inflammation May Mediate Diesel Engine Exhaust–Induced Lung Function Impairment in a Chinese Occupational Cohort. Toxicol Sci 2017; 162:372-382. [DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfx259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Wang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Huawei Duan
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Tao Meng
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Mo Yang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Lianhua Cui
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Ping Bin
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yufei Dai
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yong Niu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Meili Shen
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Liping Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Yuxin Zheng
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Shuguang Leng
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
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Meldrum K, Guo C, Marczylo EL, Gant TW, Smith R, Leonard MO. Mechanistic insight into the impact of nanomaterials on asthma and allergic airway disease. Part Fibre Toxicol 2017; 14:45. [PMID: 29157272 PMCID: PMC5697410 DOI: 10.1186/s12989-017-0228-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease known for its high susceptibility to environmental exposure. Inadvertent inhalation of engineered or incidental nanomaterials is a concern for human health, particularly for those with underlying disease susceptibility. In this review we provide a comprehensive analysis of those studies focussed on safety assessment of different nanomaterials and their unique characteristics on asthma and allergic airway disease. These include in vivo and in vitro approaches as well as human and population studies. The weight of evidence presented supports a modifying role for nanomaterial exposure on established asthma as well as the development of the condition. Due to the variability in modelling approaches, nanomaterial characterisation and endpoints used for assessment in these studies, there is insufficient information for how one may assign relative hazard potential to individual nanoscale properties. New developments including the adoption of standardised models and focussed in vitro and in silico approaches have the potential to more reliably identify properties of concern through comparative analysis across robust and select testing systems. Importantly, key to refinement and choice of the most appropriate testing systems is a more complete understanding of how these materials may influence disease at the cellular and molecular level. Detailed mechanistic insight also brings with it opportunities to build important population and exposure susceptibilities into models. Ultimately, such approaches have the potential to more clearly extrapolate relevant toxicological information, which can be used to improve nanomaterial safety assessment for human disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty Meldrum
- Toxicology Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Harwell Campus, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Chang Guo
- Toxicology Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Harwell Campus, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Emma L Marczylo
- Toxicology Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Harwell Campus, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Timothy W Gant
- Toxicology Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Harwell Campus, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Rachel Smith
- Toxicology Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Harwell Campus, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Martin O Leonard
- Toxicology Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Harwell Campus, OX11 0RQ, UK.
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Morakinyo OM, Adebowale AS, Mokgobu MI, Mukhola MS. Health risk of inhalation exposure to sub-10 µm particulate matter and gaseous pollutants in an urban-industrial area in South Africa: an ecological study. BMJ Open 2017; 7:e013941. [PMID: 28289048 PMCID: PMC5353259 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the health risks associated with exposure to particulate matter (PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3). DESIGN The study is an ecological study that used the year 2014 hourly ambient pollution data. SETTING The study was conducted in an industrial area located in Pretoria West, South Africa. The area accommodates a coal-fired power station, metallurgical industries such as a coke plant and a manganese smelter. DATA AND METHOD Estimate of possible health risks from exposure to airborne PM10, SO2, NO2, CO and O3 was performed using the US Environmental Protection Agency human health risk assessment framework. A scenario-assessment approach where normal (average exposure) and worst-case (continuous exposure) scenarios were developed for intermediate (24-hour) and chronic (annual) exposure periods for different exposure groups (infants, children, adults). The normal acute (1-hour) exposure to these pollutants was also determined. OUTCOME MEASURES Presence or absence of adverse health effects from exposure to airborne pollutants. RESULTS Average annual ambient concentration of PM10, NO2 and SO2 recorded was 48.3±43.4, 11.50±11.6 and 18.68±25.4 µg/m3, respectively, whereas the South African National Ambient Air Quality recommended 40, 40 and 50 µg/m3 for PM10, NO2 and SO2, respectively. Exposure to an hour's concentration of NO2, SO2, CO and O3, an 8-hour concentration of CO and O3, and a 24-hour concentration of PM10, NO2 and SO2 will not likely produce adverse effects to sensitive exposed groups. However, infants and children, rather than adults, are more likely to be affected. Moreover, for chronic annual exposure, PM10, NO2 and SO2 posed a health risk to sensitive individuals, with the severity of risk varying across exposed groups. CONCLUSIONS Long-term chronic exposure to airborne PM10, NO2 and SO2 pollutants may result in health risks among the study population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oyewale Mayowa Morakinyo
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ayo Stephen Adebowale
- Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Matlou Ingrid Mokgobu
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Murembiwa Stanley Mukhola
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
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Rich DQ. Accountability studies of air pollution and health effects: lessons learned and recommendations for future natural experiment opportunities. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2017; 100:62-78. [PMID: 28089581 PMCID: PMC5291758 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
To address limitations of observational epidemiology studies of air pollution and health effects, including residual confounding by temporal and spatial factors, several studies have taken advantage of 'natural experiments', where an environmental policy or air quality intervention has resulted in reductions in ambient air pollution concentrations. Researchers have examined whether the population impacted by these air quality improvements, also experienced improvements in various health indices (e.g. reduced morbidity/mortality). In this paper, I review key accountability studies done previously and new studies done over the past several years in Beijing, Atlanta, London, Ireland, and other locations, describing study design and analysis strengths and limitations of each. As new 'natural experiment' opportunities arise, several lessons learned from these studies should be applied when planning a new accountability study. Comparison of health outcomes during the intervention to both before and after the intervention in the population of interest, as well as use of a control population to assess whether any temporal changes in the population of interest were also seen in populations not impacted by air quality improvements, should aid in minimizing residual confounding by these long term time trends. Use of either detailed health records for a population, or prospectively collected data on relevant mechanistic biomarkers coupled with such morbidity/mortality data may provide a more thorough assessment of if the intervention beneficially impacted the health of the community, and if so by what mechanism(s). Further, prospective measurement of a large suite of air pollutants may allow a more thorough understanding of what pollutant source(s) is/are responsible for any health benefit observed. The importance of using multiple statistical analysis methods in each paper and the difference in how the timing of the air pollution/outcome association may impact which of these design features is most important is also discussed. Based on these and other lessons learned, researchers may provide a more epidemiologically rigorous evaluation of cause-specific health impacts of an air quality intervention or action.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Q Rich
- Departments of Public Health Sciences and Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, United States.
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35
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Madden MC. A paler shade of green? The toxicology of biodiesel emissions: Recent findings from studies with this alternative fuel. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2016; 1860:2856-62. [PMID: 27261091 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biodiesel produced primarily from plants and algal feedstocks is believed to have advantages for production and use compared to petroleum and to some other fuel sources. There is some speculation that exposure to biodiesel combustion emissions may not induce biological responses or health effects or at a minimum reduce the effects relative to other fuels. In evaluating the overall environmental and health effects of biodiesel production to end use scenario, empirical data or modeling data based on such data are needed. SCOPE OF REVIEW This manuscript examines the available toxicology reports examining combustion derived biodiesel emissions since approximately 2007, when our last review of the topic occurred. Toxicity derived from other end uses of biodiesel - e.g., spills, dermal absorption, etc. - are not examined. Findings from biodiesel emissions are roughly divided into three areas: whole non-human animal model exposures; in vitro exposures of mammalian and bacterial cells (used for mutation studies primarily); and human exposures in controlled or other exposure fashions. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS Overall, these more current studies clearly demonstrate that biodiesel combustion emission exposure- to either 100% biodiesel or a blend in petroleum diesel- can induce biological effects. There are reports that show biodiesel exposure generally induces more effects or a greater magnitude of effect than petroleum diesel, however there are also a similar number of reports showing the opposite trend. It is unclear whether effects induced by exposure to a blend are greater than exposure to 100% biodiesel. Taken together, the evidence suggest biodiesel emissions can have some similar effects as diesel emissions on inflammatory, vascular, mutagenic, and other responses. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE While acute biodiesel exposures can show toxicity with a variety of endpoints, the potential effects on human health need further validation. Additionally there are few or no findings to date on whether biodiesel emissions can induce effects or even a weaker response that petroleum diesel with repeated exposure scenarios such as in an occupational setting. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Air Pollution, edited by Wenjun Ding, Andrew J. Ghio and Weidong Wu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Madden
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, United States.
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Schultz ES, Hallberg J, Bellander T, Bergström A, Bottai M, Chiesa F, Gustafsson PM, Gruzieva O, Thunqvist P, Pershagen G, Melén E. Early-Life Exposure to Traffic-related Air Pollution and Lung Function in Adolescence. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2016; 193:171-7. [DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201505-0928oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Ghanbari Ghozikali M, Heibati B, Naddafi K, Kloog I, Oliveri Conti G, Polosa R, Ferrante M. Evaluation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) attributed to atmospheric O3, NO2, and SO2 using Air Q Model (2011-2012 year). ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 144:99-105. [PMID: 26599588 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2015.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important disease worldwide characterized by chronically poor airflow. The economic burden of COPD on any society can be enormous if not managed. We applied the approach proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) using the AirQ2.2.3 software developed by the WHO European Center for Environment and Health on air pollutants in Tabriz (Iran) (2011-2012 year). A 1h average of concentrations of ozone (O3), daily average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were used to assess human exposure and health effect in terms of attributable proportion of the health outcome and annual number of excess cases of Hospital Admissions for COPD (HA COPD). The results of this study showed that 2% (95% CI: 0.8-3.1%) of HA COPD were attributed to O3 concentrations over 10 μg/m(3). In addition, 0.7 % (95% CI: 0.1-1.8%) and 0.5% (95% CI: 0-1%) of HA COPD were attributed to NO2 and SO2 concentrations over 10 μg/m(3) respectively. In this study, we have shown that O3, NO2 and SO2 have a significant impact on COPD hospitalization. Given these results the policy decisions are needed in order to reduce the chronic pulmonary diseases caused by air pollution and furthermore better quantification studies are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ghanbari Ghozikali
- Tabriz Health Services Management Research Center, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, East Azerbaijan Province Health Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behzad Heibati
- Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Faculty of Health and Health Sciences Research Center, Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Kazem Naddafi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Itai Kloog
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard University, 665 Huntington Avenue, Landmark Center Room 415, Boston, MA 0211, United States
| | - Gea Oliveri Conti
- Environmental and Food Hygiene Laboratories (LIAA), Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", Hygiene and Public Health, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 87, 95123 Catania, Italy.
| | - Riccardo Polosa
- Department of Internal and Emergency Medicine, Teaching Hospital-Policlinico-V. Emanuele II, University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy
| | - Margherita Ferrante
- Environmental and Food Hygiene Laboratories (LIAA), Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", Hygiene and Public Health, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 87, 95123 Catania, Italy
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Laumbach RJ. The Engine on the Bus Goes Vroom, Vroom, Vroom!. And the Fumes on the Bus Go . . . ? Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2015; 191:1350-2. [PMID: 26075420 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201504-0836ed] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Laumbach
- 1 Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Piscataway, New Jersey and.,2 Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute Rutgers University Piscataway, New Jersey
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