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Isaifan RJ. Air pollution burden of disease over highly populated states in the Middle East. Front Public Health 2023; 10:1002707. [PMID: 36684989 PMCID: PMC9853520 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1002707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Recent epidemiological research has proven that air pollution triggers the risk of morbidity and mortality due to respiratory and cardiovascular-related diseases. More specifically, fine particulate matter with a diameter of <2.5 μm (PM2.5) can penetrate deeply into the lung and bloodstream, causing critical adverse effects on human health. Objective It is found that there is inadequate published research related to the health impact of ambient air pollution in the Middle East region. Some states are well studied, while others are not. This work aims to evaluate the health impact of long-term exposure to PM2.5 in the nine most populated countries in the Middle East region, with a total population of about 363 million (in 2012). Methods In this study, the human health impacts in terms of total mortality and the estimated attributable proportion (AP) due to long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 were estimated using the World Health Organization method and software (AirQ+). Results In 2012, the annual median PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 34 μg/m3 in Turkey and Syria to 108 μg/m3 in Saudi Arabia. The total estimated mortalities in the nine most populated countries in the Middle East due to long-term exposure to fine particulate matter was about 152,925 (half of which were residents in Egypt). Moreover, the relative risk (RR) was the highest for Saudi Arabia at 1.8031 and the lowest for Turkey and Syria at a value of 1.1553. The highest AP (central value) was 44.5% in Saudi Arabia, while the lowest was 13.4% in Turkey and Syria. Conclusions The results indicate a significant impact of air pollution due to long-term exposure to fine particles resulting in early mortality. This urges the collaboration between the governments and different sectors to adopt stringent regulations to control the anthropogenic sources related to traffic and industrial emissions in the Middle East in order to reduce the health burden of air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rima J. Isaifan
- Division of Sustainable Development (DSD), College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Education City, Doha, Qatar
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Nouri F, Taheri M, Ziaddini M, Najafian J, Rabiei K, Pourmoghadas A, Shariful Islam SM, Sarrafzadegan N. Effects of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter pollution on hospital admissions for hypertensive cardiovascular disease: A time series analysis. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1124967. [PMID: 36891138 PMCID: PMC9986430 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1124967] [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: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and aims: Air pollution is a major environmental risk factor and the leading cause of disease burden with detrimental effects on cardiovascular systems. Cardiovascular diseases are predisposed by various risk factors, including hypertension, as the most important modifiable risk factor. However, there is a lack of sufficient data concerning the impact of air pollution on hypertension. We sought to study the associations of short-term exposure to Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM10) with the number of daily hospital admissions of hypertensive cardiovascular diseases (HCD). Methods: All hospitalized patients between March 2010 to March 2012 were recruited with the final diagnosis of HCD based on the International Classification of Diseases 10 (codes: I10-I15) from 15 hospitals in Isfahan, one of the most polluted cities in Iran. The 24-hour average concentrations of pollutants were obtained from 4 monitoring stations. In addition to single- and two-pollutant models, we used Negative Binomial and Poisson models with covariates of holidays, dew point, temperature, wind speed, and extracted latent factors of other pollutants controlling for multi-collinearity to examine the risk for hospital admissions for HCD affected by SO2 and PM10 exposures in the multi-pollutant model. Results: A total of 3132 hospitalized patients (63% female) with a mean (standard deviation) age of 64.96 (13.81) were incorporated in the study. The mean concentrations of SO2 and PM10 were 37.64 μg/m3 and 139.08 μg/m3, respectively. Our findings showed that a significantly increased risk of HCD-induced hospital admission was detected for a 10 μg/m3 increase in the 6-day and 3-day moving average of SO2 and PM10 concentrations in the multi-pollutant model with a percent change of 2.11% (95% confidence interval: 0.61 to 3.63%) and 1.19% (0.33 to 2.05%), respectively. This finding was robust in all models and did not vary by gender (for SO2 and PM10) and season (for SO2). However, people aged 35-64 and 18-34 years were vulnerable to SO2 and PM10 exposure-triggered HCD risk, respectively. Conclusions: This study supports the hypothesis of the association between short-term exposure to ambient SO2 and PM10 and the number of hospital admissions due to HCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Nouri
- Heart Failure Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Marzieh Taheri
- Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mahdi Ziaddini
- Student Research Committee, Department of Occupational Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Jamshid Najafian
- Hypertension Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Katayoun Rabiei
- Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Ali Pourmoghadas
- Interventional Cardiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | | | - Nizal Sarrafzadegan
- Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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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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Xu C, Zhang Z, Ling G, Wang G, Wang M. Air pollutant spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and effects on human health in North China. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 294:133814. [PMID: 35120956 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
North China, the political, economic, and cultural center of China, has been greatly harmed by frequent air pollution incidents. Therefore, it is vital to study air pollution characteristics and clarify their impact on human health. In this study, we first analyzed the spatiotemporal variations of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, CO, SO2, NO2, and O3) in North China from 2016 to 2019. Then, the air quality index (AQI), aggregate air quality index (AAQI), and health risk based air quality index (HAQI) were used to assess health risks. Based on these, the AirQ2.2.3 model was used to quantify health effects. The results showed that the major pollutant in the cities surrounding Beijing was PM2.5, while PM10 dominated in distant cities. Annual concentrations decreased (except for O3), which is related to governmental emission reduction policies. However, O3 concentrations increased owing to the complex precursor emissions. The AQI underestimated air pollution, while the AAQI and HAQI were accurate; the latter indicated that 55% of the study region population was exposed to polluted air. The AirQ2.2.3 model quantified the total mortality proportions attributable to PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO, NO2, and O3, which were 1.87%, 3.12%, 1.11%, 1.40%, 4.19%, and 2.52%, respectively. In high concentrations, PM10 and PM2.5 pose significant health risks. The health effects of SO2, NO2, CO, and O3 at lower concentrations were more obvious, indicating that the expected mortality rate due to low concentrations of some pollutants was much higher than that due to high concentrations of other pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanqi Xu
- College of Geographical Science, Shanxi Normal University, Linfeng, 041000, China; Gansu Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| | - Zhi Zhang
- School of Ecology and Environment, YuZhang Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Guangjiu Ling
- School of Tourism and Resource Environment, Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities, Duyun, 558000, China
| | - Guoqiang Wang
- College of Geographical Science, Shanxi Normal University, Linfeng, 041000, China
| | - Mingzhu Wang
- School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
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Bherwani H, Kumar S, Musugu K, Nair M, Gautam S, Gupta A, Ho CH, Anshul A, Kumar R. Assessment and valuation of health impacts of fine particulate matter during COVID-19 lockdown: a comprehensive study of tropical and sub tropical countries. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:44522-44537. [PMID: 33852112 PMCID: PMC8044290 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13813-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
A novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to challenge the whole world. The disease has claimed many fatalities as it has transcended from one country to another since it was first discovered in China in late 2019. To prevent further morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19, most of the countries initiated a countrywide lockdown. While physical distancing and lockdowns helped in curbing the spread of this novel coronavirus, it led to massive economic losses for the nations. Positive impacts have been observed due to lockdown in terms of improved air quality of the nations. In the current research, ten tropical and subtropical countries have been analysed from multiple angles, including air pollution, assessment and valuation of health impacts and economic loss of countries during COVID-19 lockdown. Countries include Brazil, India, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Validated Simplified Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm (SARA) binning model is used on data collated from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) for particulate matters with a diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) for all the countries for the month of January to May 2019 and 2020. The concentration results of PM2.5 show that air pollution has drastically reduced in 2020 post lockdown for all countries. The highest average concentration obtained by converting aerosol optical depth (AOD) for 2020 is observed for Thailand as 121.9 μg/m3 and the lowest for Mexico as 36.27 μg/m3. As air pollution is found to decrease in the April and May months of 2020 for nearly all countries, they are compared with respective previous year values for the same duration to calculate the reduced health burden due to lockdown. The present study estimates that cumulative about 100.9 Billion US$ are saved due to reduced air pollution externalities, which are about 25% of the cumulative economic loss of 435.9 Billion US$.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemant Bherwani
- CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, Maharashtra 440020 India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002 India
| | - Suman Kumar
- CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, Maharashtra 440020 India
| | - Kavya Musugu
- CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, Maharashtra 440020 India
| | - Moorthy Nair
- Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), Patna, Bihar 800013 India
| | - Sneha Gautam
- Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641114 India
| | - Ankit Gupta
- CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, Maharashtra 440020 India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002 India
| | - Chang-Hoi Ho
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 South Korea
| | - Avneesh Anshul
- CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, Maharashtra 440020 India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002 India
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, Maharashtra 440020 India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002 India
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Abstract
Solar-driven water desalination technologies are rapidly developing with various links to other renewable sources. However, the efficiency of such systems severely depends on the design parameters. The present study focused on using graphene oxide (GO) with the Φ = 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 wt.% dispersed in paraffin, as phase-change materials (PCMs), to improve the productivity of a solar still for desalination applications. The outcomes showed that by adding more graphene oxide to paraffin, the melting temperature got reduced. Solar still with GO/paraffin showed 25% productivity improvement in comparison with the solar still with only PCM. The obtained Nusselt number during the melting time also represented that free convection heat transfer into the melted region of the solar still has been enhanced by adding dispersed GO to the PCM, compared to the base paraffin. Also, increasing the hot wall temperature augments the Nusselt number. Finally, an empirical equation was derived to correlate the average Nusselt number as a function of Rayleigh number (Ra), the Stefan number (Ste), the subcooling factor (Sb), and the Fourier number (Fo). The obtained correlation depicted that Nusselt number enhancement has a reverse relation with Fourier number.
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