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Schwarz M, Schneider A, Cyrys J, Bastian S, Breitner S, Peters A. Impact of ultrafine particles and total particle number concentration on five cause-specific hospital admission endpoints in three German cities. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 178:108032. [PMID: 37352580 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Numerous studies have shown associations between daily concentrations of fine particles (e.g., particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm; PM2.5) and morbidity. However, evidence for ultrafine particles (UFP; particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 10-100 nm) remains conflicting. Therefore, we aimed to examine the short-term associations of UFP with five cause-specific hospital admission endpoints for Leipzig, Dresden, and Augsburg, Germany. MATERIAL AND METHODS We obtained daily counts of (cause-specific) cardiorespiratory hospital admissions between 2010 and 2017. Daily average concentrations of UFP, total particle number (PNC; 10-800 nm), and black carbon (BC) were measured at six sites; PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were obtained from monitoring networks. We assessed immediate (lag 0-1), delayed (lag 2-4, lag 5-7), and cumulative (lag 0-7) effects by applying station-specific confounder-adjusted Poisson regression models. We then used a novel multi-level meta-analytical method to obtain pooled risk estimates. Finally, we performed two-pollutant models to investigate interdependencies between pollutants and examined possible effect modification by age, sex, and season. RESULTS UFP showed a delayed (lag 2-4) increase in respiratory hospital admissions of 0.69% [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.28%; 1.67%]. For other hospital admission endpoints, we found only suggestive results. Larger particle size fractions, such as accumulation mode particles (particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 100-800 nm), generally showed stronger effects (respiratory hospital admissions & lag 2-4: 1.55% [95% CI: 0.86%; 2.25%]). PM2.5 showed the most consistent associations for (cardio-)respiratory hospital admissions, whereas NO2 did not show any associations. Two-pollutant models showed independent effects of PM2.5 and BC. Moreover, higher risks have been observed for children. CONCLUSIONS We observed clear associations with PM2.5 but UFP or PNC did not show a clear association across different exposure windows and cause-specific hospital admissions. Further multi-center studies are needed using harmonized UFP measurements to draw definite conclusions on the health effects of UFP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Schwarz
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany; Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
| | - Alexandra Schneider
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Josef Cyrys
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Susanne Bastian
- Saxon State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG), Dresden, Germany
| | - Susanne Breitner
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany; Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Annette Peters
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany; Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Chung CS, Lane KJ, Black-Ingersoll F, Kolaczyk E, Schollaert C, Li S, Simon MC, Levy JI. Assessing the impact of aircraft arrival on ambient ultrafine particle number concentrations in near-airport communities in Boston, Massachusetts. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 225:115584. [PMID: 36868447 PMCID: PMC10079358 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115584] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Aircraft emissions contribute to overall ambient air pollution, including ultrafine particle (UFP) concentrations. However, accurately ascertaining aviation contributions to UFP is challenging due to high spatiotemporal variability along with intermittent aviation emissions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of arrival aircraft on particle number concentration (PNC), a proxy for UFP, across six study sites 3-17 km from a major arrival aircraft flight path into Boston Logan International Airport by utilizing real-time aircraft activity and meteorological data. Ambient PNC at all monitoring sites was similar at the median but had greater variation at the 95th and 99th percentiles with more than two-fold increases in PNC observed at sites closer to the airport. PNC was elevated during the hours with high aircraft activity with sites closest to the airport exhibiting stronger signals when downwind from the airport. Regression models indicated that the number of arrival aircraft per hour was associated with measured PNC at all six sites, with a maximum contribution of 50% of total PNC at a monitor 3 km from the airport during hours with arrival activity on the flight path of interest (26% across all hours). Our findings suggest strong but intermittent contributions from arrival aircraft to ambient PNC in communities near airports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe S Chung
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kevin J Lane
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Eric Kolaczyk
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claire Schollaert
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sijia Li
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew C Simon
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan I Levy
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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Markozannes G, Pantavou K, Rizos EC, Sindosi OΑ, Tagkas C, Seyfried M, Saldanha IJ, Hatzianastassiou N, Nikolopoulos GK, Ntzani E. Outdoor air quality and human health: An overview of reviews of observational studies. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 306:119309. [PMID: 35469927 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The epidemiological evidence supporting putative associations between air pollution and health-related outcomes continues to grow at an accelerated pace with a considerable heterogeneity and with varying consistency based on the outcomes assessed, the examined surveillance system, and the geographic region. We aimed to evaluate the strength of this evidence base, to identify robust associations as well as to evaluate effect variation. An overview of reviews (umbrella review) methodology was implemented. PubMed and Scopus were systematically screened (inception-3/2020) for systematic reviews and meta-analyses examining the association between air pollutants, including CO, NOX, NO2, O3, PM10, PM2.5, and SO2 and human health outcomes. The quality of systematic reviews was evaluated using AMSTAR. The strength of evidence was categorized as: strong, highly suggestive, suggestive, or weak. The criteria included statistical significance of the random-effects meta-analytical estimate and of the effect estimate of the largest study in a meta-analysis, heterogeneity between studies, 95% prediction intervals, and bias related to small study effects. Seventy-five systematic reviews of low to moderate methodological quality reported 548 meta-analyses on the associations between outdoor air quality and human health. Of these, 57% (N = 313) were not statistically significant. Strong evidence supported 13 associations (2%) between elevated PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and SO2 concentrations and increased risk of cardiorespiratory or pregnancy/birth-related outcomes. Twenty-three (4%) highly suggestive associations were identified on elevated PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, and SO2 concentrations and increased risk of cardiorespiratory, kidney, autoimmune, neurodegenerative, cancer or pregnancy/birth-related outcomes. Sixty-seven (12%), and 132 (24%) meta-analyses were graded as suggestive, and weak, respectively. Despite the abundance of research on the association between outdoor air quality and human health, the meta-analyses of epidemiological studies in the field provide evidence to support robust associations only for cardiorespiratory or pregnancy/birth-related outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Markozannes
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Evangelos C Rizos
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece; School of Medicine, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus; Hellenic Open University, Patra, Greece
| | - Ourania Α Sindosi
- Laboratory of Meteorology, Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Christos Tagkas
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Maike Seyfried
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Ian J Saldanha
- Center for Evidence Synthesis in Health, Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, and Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, RI, USA
| | - Nikos Hatzianastassiou
- Laboratory of Meteorology, Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | | | - Evangelia Ntzani
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece; Center for Evidence Synthesis in Health, Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, and Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, RI, USA.
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Alkotob SS, Cannedy C, Harter K, Movassagh H, Paudel B, Prunicki M, Sampath V, Schikowski T, Smith E, Zhao Q, Traidl‐Hoffmann C, Nadeau KC. Advances and novel developments in environmental influences on the development of atopic diseases. Allergy 2020; 75:3077-3086. [PMID: 33037680 DOI: 10.1111/all.14624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Although genetic factors play a role in the etiology of atopic disease, the rapid increases in the prevalence of these diseases over the last few decades suggest that environmental, rather than genetic factors are the driving force behind the increasing prevalence. In modern societies, there is increased time spent indoors, use of antibiotics, and consumption of processed foods and decreased contact with farm animals and pets, which limit exposure to environmental allergens, infectious parasitic worms, and microbes. The lack of exposure to these factors is thought to prevent proper education and training of the immune system. Increased industrialization and urbanization have brought about increases in organic and inorganic pollutants. In addition, Caesarian birth, birth order, increased use of soaps and detergents, tobacco smoke exposure and psychosomatic factors are other factors that have been associated with increased rate of allergic diseases. Here, we review current knowledge on the environmental factors that have been shown to affect the development of allergic diseases and the recent developments in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shifaa Suhayl Alkotob
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Department of Medicine Stanford University Stanford CA USA
| | - Cade Cannedy
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Department of Medicine Stanford University Stanford CA USA
| | - Katharina Harter
- Chair and Institute of Environmental Medicine UNIKA‐TTechnical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München Augsburg Germany
| | - Hesam Movassagh
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Department of Medicine Stanford University Stanford CA USA
| | - Bibek Paudel
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Department of Medicine Stanford University Stanford CA USA
| | - Mary Prunicki
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Department of Medicine Stanford University Stanford CA USA
| | - Vanitha Sampath
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Department of Medicine Stanford University Stanford CA USA
| | - Tamara Schikowski
- IUF‐Leibniz Institute for Environmental Medicine Duesseldorf Germany
| | - Eric Smith
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Department of Medicine Stanford University Stanford CA USA
| | - Qi Zhao
- IUF‐Leibniz Institute for Environmental Medicine Duesseldorf Germany
| | - Claudia Traidl‐Hoffmann
- Chair and Institute of Environmental Medicine UNIKA‐TTechnical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München Augsburg Germany
- CK‐CARE Christine Kühne Center for Allergy Research and Education Davos Switzerland
| | - Kari C. Nadeau
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Department of Medicine Stanford University Stanford CA USA
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Samoli E, Rodopoulou S, Schneider A, Morawska L, Stafoggia M, Renzi M, Breitner S, Lanki T, Pickford R, Schikowski T, Enembe O, Zhang S, Zhao Q, Peters A. Meta-analysis on short-term exposure to ambient ultrafine particles and respiratory morbidity. Eur Respir Rev 2020; 29:29/158/200116. [PMID: 33115789 PMCID: PMC9488642 DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0116-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim There is growing interest in the health effects following exposure to ambient particles with a diameter <100 nm defined as ultrafine particles (UFPs), although studies so far have reported inconsistent results. We have undertaken a systematic review and meta-analysis for respiratory hospital admissions and emergency room visits following short-term exposure to UFPs. Methods We searched PubMed and the Web of Science for studies published up to March 2019 to update previous reviews. We applied fixed- and random-effects models, assessed heterogeneity between cities and explored possible effect modifiers. Results We identified nine publications, reporting effects from 15 cities, 11 of which were European. There was great variability in exposure assessment, outcome measures and the exposure lags considered. Our meta-analyses did not support UFP effects on respiratory morbidity across all ages. We found consistent statistically significant associations following lag 2 exposure during the warm period and in cities with mean daily UFP concentrations <6000 particles·cm‒3, which was approximately the median of the city-specific mean levels. Among children aged 0–14 years, a 10 000 particle·cm‒3 increase in UFPs 2 or 3 days before was associated with a relative risk of 1.01 (95% CI 1.00–1.02) in respiratory hospital admissions. Conclusions Our study indicates UFP effects on respiratory health among children, and during the warm season across all ages at longer lags. The limited evidence and the large heterogeneity of previous reports call for future exposure assessment harmonisation and expanded research. Studies on short-term exposure to ultrafine particles and respiratory admissions show large variability in the exposure assessment methodology. We found indications of effects in lower concentrations, children and during the warm period of the year.https://bit.ly/2zynMza
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelia Samoli
- Dept of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical school, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Sophia Rodopoulou
- Dept of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical school, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Alexandra Schneider
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Lidia Morawska
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Matteo Renzi
- Dept of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy
| | - Susanne Breitner
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,IBE-Chair of Epidemiology, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Timo Lanki
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland.,University of Eastern Finland, Dept of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Kuopio, Finland.,University of Eastern Finland, School of Medicine, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Regina Pickford
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Tamara Schikowski
- Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Okokon Enembe
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Siqi Zhang
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Qi Zhao
- Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Annette Peters
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,IBE-Chair of Epidemiology, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, Munich, Germany
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Tiotiu AI, Novakova P, Nedeva D, Chong-Neto HJ, Novakova S, Steiropoulos P, Kowal K. Impact of Air Pollution on Asthma Outcomes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17176212. [PMID: 32867076 PMCID: PMC7503605 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by variable airflow obstruction, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and airway inflammation. Evidence suggests that air pollution has a negative impact on asthma outcomes in both adult and pediatric populations. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on the effect of various outdoor and indoor pollutants on asthma outcomes, their burden on its management, as well as to highlight the measures that could result in improved asthma outcomes. Traffic-related air pollution, nitrogen dioxide and second-hand smoking (SHS) exposures represent significant risk factors for asthma development in children. Nevertheless, a causal relation between air pollution and development of adult asthma is not clearly established. Exposure to outdoor pollutants can induce asthma symptoms, exacerbations and decreases in lung function. Active tobacco smoking is associated with poorer asthma control, while exposure to SHS increases the risk of asthma exacerbations, respiratory symptoms and healthcare utilization. Other indoor pollutants such as heating sources and molds can also negatively impact the course of asthma. Global measures, that aim to reduce exposure to air pollutants, are highly needed in order to improve the outcomes and management of adult and pediatric asthma in addition to the existing guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica I. Tiotiu
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Nancy, 54395 Nancy, France
- Development of Adaptation and Disadvantage, Cardiorespiratory Regulations and Motor Control (EA 3450 DevAH), University of Lorraine, 54395 Nancy, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-383-154-299
| | - Plamena Novakova
- Clinic of Clinical Allergy, Medical University, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | | | - Herberto Jose Chong-Neto
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 80000-000, Brazil;
| | - Silviya Novakova
- Allergy Unit, Internal Consulting Department, University Hospital “St. George”, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
| | - Paschalis Steiropoulos
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, University General Hospital Dragana, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece;
| | - Krzysztof Kowal
- Department of Allergology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-037 Bialystok, Poland;
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Remy LL, Clay T, Byers V, Rosenfeld PE. Hospital, health, and community burden after oil refinery fires, Richmond, California 2007 and 2012. Environ Health 2019; 18:48. [PMID: 31096983 PMCID: PMC6524223 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-019-0484-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Emergency Departments experience a significant census burst after disasters. The aim of this study is to describe patient presentations at Emergency Departments in Contra Costa County, California following chemical release incidents at an oil refinery in 2007 and 2012. Specific areas of focus include hospital and community burden with an emphasis on disease classes. METHODS Searching 4 weeks before through 4 weeks after each event, Emergency Department abstracts identified patients living in Contra Costa County and seeking care there or in neighboring Alameda County. City and ZIP-code of residence established proximity to the refinery. This provided the following contrast groups: Event (2007, 2012), time (before, after), location (bayside, rest of county), and within bayside, warned or not warned to shelter in place. Using the Multi-Level Clinical Classification Software, we classified primary health groups recorded 4 weeks before and after the events, then summarized the data, calculated rates, and made tables, graphs, and maps to highlight findings. RESULTS Number of visits meeting selection criteria totalled 105020 records. Visits increased modestly but statistically significantly after the 2007 incident. After the 2012 incident, two Emergency Departments took the brunt of the surge. Censuses increased from less than 600 a week each to respectively 5719 and 3072 the first week, with the greatest number 2 days post-event. It took 4 weeks for censuses to return to normal. The most common diagnosis groups that spiked were nervous/sensory, respiratory, circulatory, and injury. Bayside communities had statistically significant increases in residents seeking care. Specifically, visits of residents in warned communities nearest the refinery increased by a factor of 3.7 while visits of residents in other nearby un-warned communities increased by a factor of 1.5. CONCLUSIONS The 2012 Emergency Department census peaked in the first week and did not return to normal for 4 weeks. Diagnoses changed to reflect conditions associated with reactions to chemical exposures. Surrounding communities and nearby hospitals experienced significant emergent burdens. In addition to changes from such events in patient diagnoses and community burden, the discussion highlights the long-term implications of failures to require adequate monitoring and warning systems and failures of health planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda L. Remy
- Family Health Outcomes Project, Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 500 Parnassus Ave. Room MU-337, San Francisco, CA 94143-0900 USA
| | - Ted Clay
- Family Health Outcomes Project, Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 500 Parnassus Ave. Room MU-337, San Francisco, CA 94143-0900 USA
| | - Vera Byers
- Immunology Inc, PO Box 4703, Incline Village, NV 89450 USA
| | - Paul E. Rosenfeld
- SWAPE, 2656 29th Street, Suite 201, Santa Monica, California 90405 USA
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Rychlik KA, Secrest JR, Lau C, Pulczinski J, Zamora ML, Leal J, Langley R, Myatt LG, Raju M, Chang RCA, Li Y, Golding MC, Rodrigues-Hoffmann A, Molina MJ, Zhang R, Johnson NM. In utero ultrafine particulate matter exposure causes offspring pulmonary immunosuppression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:3443-3448. [PMID: 30808738 PMCID: PMC6397543 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1816103116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) in air is associated with infant respiratory disease and childhood asthma, but limited epidemiological data exist concerning the impacts of ultrafine particles (UFPs) on the etiology of childhood respiratory disease. Specifically, the role of UFPs in amplifying Th2- and/or Th17-driven inflammation (asthma promotion) or suppressing effector T cells (increased susceptibility to respiratory infection) remains unclear. Using a mouse model of in utero UFP exposure, we determined early immunological responses to house dust mite (HDM) allergen in offspring challenged from 0 to 4 wk of age. Two mice strains were exposed throughout gestation: C57BL/6 (sensitive to oxidative stress) and BALB/C (sensitive to allergen exposure). Offspring exposed to UFPs in utero exhibited reduced inflammatory response to HDM. Compared with filtered air (FA)-exposed/HDM-challenged mice, UFP-exposed offspring had lower white blood cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and less pronounced peribronchiolar inflammation in both strains, albeit more apparent in C57BL/6 mice. In the C57BL/6 strain, offspring exposed in utero to FA and challenged with HDM exhibited a robust response in inflammatory cytokines IL-13 and Il-17. In contrast, this response was lost in offspring exposed in utero to UFPs. Circulating IL-10 was significantly up-regulated in C57BL/6 offspring exposed to UFPs, suggesting increased regulatory T cell expression and suppressed Th2/Th17 response. Our results reveal that in utero UFP exposure at a level close to the WHO recommended PM guideline suppresses an early immune response to HDM allergen, likely predisposing neonates to respiratory infection and altering long-term pulmonary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristal A Rychlik
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Jeremiah R Secrest
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Carmen Lau
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Jairus Pulczinski
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Misti L Zamora
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Jeann Leal
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Rebecca Langley
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Louise G Myatt
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Muppala Raju
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Richard C-A Chang
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Yixin Li
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Michael C Golding
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | | | - Mario J Molina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Renyi Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Natalie M Johnson
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843;
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