A study of particulates and metallic element concentrations in temple

Exposure assessment of PM2.5 in temple premises and crematoriums in Kanpur, India

Regular use of incense and earthen lamps in temples leads to the release of particulate matter (PM), airborne flecks, and gaseous pollutants. Similarly, the cremation of dead bodies using timber and other accessories such as incense, organic chemicals containing carbon, and clothes generates air pollutants. It is currently unclear how much emissions and exposure these activities may lead. This work attempts to fill this gap in our understanding by assessing the associated emissions of PM_2.5 and the corresponding exposure. Ten temples and two cremation grounds were considered for the sampling of PM_2.5. The average PM_2.5 concentration at the ten temples and the two crematoriums was found to be 658.30 ± 112.63 µg/m³ and 1043.50 ± 191.63 µg/m³, respectively. The range of real-time PM_2.5 data obtained from the nearest twelve stations located in the vicinity was 113-191 µg/m³. The exposure assessment in terms of deposition dose was carried out using the ICRP model. The maximum and minimum total respiratory deposition dose rate for PM_2.5 for temples was 175.75 µg/min and 101.15 µg/min, respectively. For crematoriums, the maximum and minimum value of same was 252.3 µg/min and 194.31 µg/min, respectively, for an exposure period of 10 min.

The Adverse Impact of Incense Smoke on Human Health: From Mechanisms to Implications

Incense burning is a very popular activity in daily life among many parts all over the world. A growing body of both epidemiological and experimental evidences has reported the negative effects of incense use on human well-being, posing a potential threat at public significance. This work is a comprehensive review that covers the latest findings regarding the adverse impact of incense smoke on our health, providing a panoramic visualization ranging from mechanisms to implications. The toxicities of incense smoke come directly from its harmful constituents and deposition capacity in the body. Besides, reactive oxygen species-driven oxidative stress and associated inflammation seem to be plausible underlying mechanisms, eliciting various unfavorable responses. Although our current knowledge remains many gaps, this issue still has some important implications.

Physiochemical characteristics of aerosol particles collected from the Jokhang Temple indoors and the implication to human exposure

This paper presents a detailed study on the indoor air pollution in the Jokahng Temple at Tibet Plateau, and its implication to human health. The mean concentrations of PM_1.0 and PM_2.5 were 435.0 ± 309.5 and 483.0 ± 284.9 μg/m³, respectively. The PM_2.5 concentration exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (75 μg/m³) by 6.4 times. The size-segregated aerosols displayed a bimodal distribution. One peak was observed in the fine mode (0.4-2.1 μm) and the other peak appeared in the coarse mode (2.1-9.0 μm). The concentration of the total size-resolved PM was 794.3 ± 84.9 μg/m³. The mass fraction of coarse particles shared by 41.1%, apparently higher than that reported at low altitudes, probably due to incomplete combustion at Tibet Plateau with hypoxic atmospheric environment. The total concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was 331.2 ± 60.3 ng/m³, in which the concentration of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) was 18.5 ± 4.3 ng/m³, over ten times higher than the maximum permissible risk value of 1 ng/m³ on account of carcinogenic potency of particulate PAHs through inhalation. PAHs exhibited a trimodal distribution, of which two peaks were observed in the fine mode and one peak in the coarse mode. With the aromatic rings increasing, the peak intensity increased in the fine mode. Na, Ca, Al, Mg and K dominated the elemental mass profiles, and metals displayed a bimodal distribution with a dominant peak in the coarse range. The total PAH deposition flux was 123.6 and 53.1 ng/h for adults and children, respectively. Coarse particles contributed most deposition flux in the head region, while fine particles contribute most deposition flux in the alveolar region. The increment lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of PAHs ranaged at 10^-5-10^-4, indicating potential cancer risk to human health. The total deposition flux of metals was estimated at 1.4-13.2 ng/h. With the size increasing, deposition flux increased in the head region while decreased in the alveolar region. The highest ILCR of Cr and Ni were 4.9 × 10^-5 and 1.5 × 10^-6, respectively, exceeding the permissible risk of 10^-6. The hazard quotient (HQ) of Fe (10^-5-10^-4) and Zn (10^-6-10^-5) were much lower than the safe level of 1.0, and thus they were not considered as a health concern.

Extracellular histones mediate the effects of metal-rich air particles on blood coagulation

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological studies have shown associations of particulate matter (PM) exposure with hypercoagulability and thrombosis. Extracellular circulating histones have recently been identified as novel mediators of inflammatory and procoagulant responses. The potential roles of extracellular histones in PM-related hypercoagulability have yet not been investigated.

OBJECTIVES

In 63 steel workers, we evaluated the effects of exposure to PM and PM metal components on two extracellular histone modifications (H3K4me3 and H3K9ac); and the association of H3K4me3 and H3K9ac with coagulation markers.

METHODS

Extracellular H3K4me3 and H3K9ac were determined in plasma through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Coagulation markers included endogenous thrombin potentials (ETPs), tissue-type plasminogen activator antigen (t-PA) and D-dimer. Exposure to PM with aerodynamic diameters <1 μm (PM1) or <10 μm (PM10) and PM10 metal components were estimated for each participant.

RESULTS

The coagulation marker ETP, measured in the presence of soluble thrombomodulin (ETP TM+), showed significant positive associations with PM1 (β=107.84, p=0.03), PM10 (β=83.06, p=0.02), and zinc (β=75.14, p=0.03); and a marginal association with iron (β=122.58, p=0.07). Additional PM effects were observed on t-PA, D-dimer, and ETP TM+. PM1 exposure was associated with increased plasma H3K4me3 and H3K9ac (β=0.20, p=0.02; β=0.16, p=0.05, respectively). H3K4me3, but not H3K9ac, was associated with zinc (β=0.13, p=0.03) and iron (β=0.32, p=0.01) contained in PM. ETP TM+ was increased in association with higher plasma H3K4me3 (β=0.50, p=0.05) and H3K9ac (β=0.54, p=0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This observational study suggests potential roles of extracellular histones in PM-induced hypercoagulability. Experimental studies are warranted to further characterize these findings.

Inhalable metal-rich air particles and histone H3K4 dimethylation and H3K9 acetylation in a cross-sectional study of steel workers

BACKGROUND

Epidemiology investigations have linked exposure to ambient and occupational air particulate matter (PM) with increased risk of lung cancer. PM contains carcinogenic and toxic metals, including arsenic and nickel, which have been shown in in vitro studies to induce histone modifications that activate gene expression by inducing open-chromatin states. Whether inhalation of metal components of PM induces histone modifications in human subjects is undetermined.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated whether the metal components of PM determined activating histone modifications in 63 steel workers with well-characterized exposure to metal-rich PM.

METHODS

We determined histone 3 lysine 4 dimethylation (H3K4me2) and histone 3 lysine 9 acetylation (H3K9ac) on histones from blood leukocytes. Exposure to inhalable metal components (aluminum, manganese, nickel, zinc, arsenic, lead, iron) and to total PM was estimated for each study subject.

RESULTS

Both H3K4me2 and H3K9ac increased in association with years of employment in the plant (p-trend = 0.04 and 0.006, respectively). H3K4me2 increased in association with air levels of nickel [β = 0.16; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.03-0.3], arsenic (β = 0.16; 95% CI, 0.02-0.3), and iron (β = 0.14; 95% CI, 0.01-0.26). H3K9ac showed nonsignificant positive associations with air levels of nickel (β = 0.24; 95% CI, -0.02 to 0.51), arsenic (β = 0.21; 95% CI, -0.06 to 0.48), and iron (β = 0.22; 95% CI, -0.03 to 0.47). Cumulative exposures to nickel and arsenic, defined as the product of years of employment by metal air levels, were positively correlated with both H3K4me2 (nickel: β = 0.16; 95% CI, 0.01-0.3; arsenic: β = 0.16; 95% CI, 0.03-0.29) and H3K9ac (nickel: β = 0.27; 95% CI, 0.01-0.54; arsenic: β = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.04-0.51).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate histone modifications as a novel epigenetic mechanism induced in human subjects by long-term exposure to inhalable nickel and arsenic.