Traffic-Related Particulate Matter and Cardiometabolic Syndrome: A Review

Ozonolysis of Terpene Flavor Additives in Vaping Emissions: Elevated Production of Reactive Oxygen Species and Oxidative Stress

The production of e-cigarette aerosols through vaping processes is known to cause the formation of various free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Despite the well-known oxidative potential and cytotoxicity of fresh vaping emissions, the effects of chemical aging on exhaled vaping aerosols by indoor atmospheric oxidants are yet to be elucidated. Terpenes are commonly found in e-liquids as flavor additives. In the presence of indoor ozone (O3), e-cigarette aerosols that contain terpene flavorings can undergo chemical transformations, further producing ROS and reactive carbonyl species. Here, we simulated the aging process of the e-cigarette emissions in a 2 m3 FEP film chamber with 100 ppbv of O3 exposure for an hour. The aged vaping aerosols, along with fresh aerosols, were collected to detect the presence of ROS. The aged particles exhibited 2- to 11-fold greater oxidative potential, and further analysis showed that these particles formed a greater number of radicals in aqueous conditions. The aging process induced the formation of various alkyl hydroperoxides (ROOH), and through iodometric quantification, we saw that our aged vaping particles contained significantly greater amounts of these hydroperoxides than their fresh counterparts. Bronchial epithelial cells exposed to aged vaping aerosols exhibited an upregulation of the oxidative stress genes, HMOX-1 and GSTP1, indicating the potential for inhalation toxicity. This work highlights the indirect danger of vaping in environments with high ground-level O3, which can chemically transform e-cigarette aerosols into new particles that can induce greater oxidative damage than fresh e-cigarette aerosols. Given that the toxicological characteristics of e-cigarettes are mainly associated with the inhalation of fresh aerosols in current studies, our work may provide a perspective that characterizes vaping exposure under secondhand or thirdhand conditions as a significant health risk.

Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution and Respiratory Distress in Term Newborns: Results from the MIREC Prospective Pregnancy Cohort

BACKGROUND

Respiratory distress is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide, and prenatal exposure to air pollution is associated with adverse long-term respiratory outcomes; however, the impact of prenatal air pollution exposure on neonatal respiratory distress has not been well studied.

OBJECTIVES

We examined associations between prenatal exposures to fine particular matter (PM 2.5 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) with respiratory distress and related neonatal outcomes.

METHODS

We used data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study, a prospective pregnancy cohort (n = 2,001 ) recruited in the first trimester from 10 Canadian cities. Prenatal exposures to PM 2.5 (n = 1,321 ) and NO 2 (n = 1,064 ) were estimated using land-use regression and satellite-derived models coupled with ground-level monitoring and linked to participants based on residential location at birth. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between air pollution and physician-diagnosed respiratory distress in term neonates in hierarchical logistic regression models adjusting for detailed maternal and infant covariates.

RESULTS

Approximately 7 % of newborns experienced respiratory distress. Neonates received clinical interventions including oxygen therapy (6%), assisted ventilation (2%), and systemic antibiotics (3%). Two percent received multiple interventions and 4% were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Median PM 2.5 and NO 2 concentrations during pregnancy were 8.81   μ g / m 3 and 18.02  ppb , respectively. Prenatal exposures to air pollution were not associated with physician-diagnosed respiratory distress, oxygen therapy, or NICU admissions. However, PM 2.5 exposures were strongly associated with assisted ventilation (OR per 1 - μ g / m 3 increase in PM 2.5 = 1.17 ; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.35), multiple clinical interventions (OR per 1 - μ g / m 3 increase in PM 2.5 = 1.16 ; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.26), and systemic antibiotics, (OR per 1 - μ g / m 3 increase in PM 2.5 = 1.12 ; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.21). These associations were consistent across exposure periods-that is, during prepregnancy, individual trimesters, and total pregnancy-and robust to model specification. NO 2 exposure was associated with administration of systemic antibiotics (OR per 1-ppb increase in NO 2 = 1.03 ; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.06).

DISCUSSION

Prenatal exposures to PM 2.5 increased the risk of severe respiratory distress among term newborns. These findings support the development and prioritization of public health and prenatal care strategies to increase awareness and minimize prenatal exposures to air pollution. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12880.

Altered long non-coding RNAs expression in normal and diseased primary human airway epithelial cells exposed to diesel exhaust particles

BACKGROUND

Exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP) has been linked to a variety of adverse health effects, including increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), metabolic syndrome, and lung cancer. The epigenetic changes caused by air pollution have been associated with increased health risks. However, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying the lncRNA-mediated pathogenesis induced by DEP exposure have not been revealed.

METHODS

Through RNA-sequencing and integrative analysis of both mRNA and lncRNA profiles, this study investigated the role of lncRNAs in altered gene expression in healthy and diseased human primary epithelial cells (NHBE and DHBE-COPD) exposed to DEP at a dose of 30 μg/cm2.

RESULTS

We identified 503 and 563 differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs and a total of 10 and 14 DE lncRNAs in NHBE and DHBE-COPD cells exposed to DEP, respectively. In both NHBE and DHBE-COPD cells, enriched cancer-related pathways were identified at mRNA level, and 3 common lncRNAs OLMALINC, AC069234.2, and LINC00665 were found to be associated with cancer initiation and progression. In addition, we identified two cis-acting (TMEM51-AS1 and TTN-AS1) and several trans-acting lncRNAs (e.g. LINC01278, SNHG29, AC006064.4, TMEM51-AS1) only differentially expressed in COPD cells, which could potentially play a role in carcinogenesis and determine their susceptibility to DEP exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our work highlights the potential importance of lncRNAs in regulating DEP-induced gene expression changes associated with carcinogenesis, and individuals suffering from COPD are likely to be more vulnerable to these environmental triggers.

Inter-annual variability of source contributions to PM10, PM2.5, and oxidative potential in an urban background site in the central mediterranean

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is studied because of its effects on human health and climate change. PM long-term characterisation allows identifying trends and evaluating the outcomes of environmental protection policies. This work is aimed to study the inter-annual variability of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations and chemical composition in an urban background site (Italy). A dataset of daily PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ was collected in the period 2016-2017, including the content of OC, EC, major water-soluble ions, main metals, and compared to a similar dataset collected in the period 2013-2014. Oxidative potential using DTT assay (dithiothreitol) was evaluated and expressed in DTT_V as 0.39 nmol/min·m³ in PM₁₀ and 0.29 in PM_2.5 nmol/min·m³. PM source apportionment was computed using the EPA PMF5.0 model and source contributions compared with those of a previous dataset collected between 2013 and 2014. Multi linear regression analysis identified which source contributed (p < 0.05) to the oxidative potential of each size fraction. Inter-annual trends were more evident on PM_2.5 with reductions of biomass burning contribution and increases in traffic contribution in the 2016-2017 period. Crustal contributions were similar for the two periods, in both size fractions. Carbonates were comparable in PM₁₀ with a slight increase in PM_2.5. Sea spray decreased in PM₁₀. The DTT_V of PM_2.5 peaked during cold periods, while, the DTT_V of the PM_10-2.5 fraction peaked in summer, suggesting that different sources, with different seasonality, influence OP in the PM_2.5 and PM_10-2.5 fractions. Analysis showed that sea spray, crustal, and carbonates sources contribute ∼13.6% to DTT_V in PM_2.5 and ∼62.4% to DTT_V in PM_10-2.5. Combustion sources (biomass burning and traffic) contribute to the majority of DTT_V (50.6%) in PM_2.5 and contribute for ∼26% to DTT_V in PM_10-2.5. Secondary nitrate contributes to DTT_V in both fine and coarse fraction; secondary sulphate contribute to DTT_V in PM_2.5 with negligible contributions to DTT_V in PM_10-2.5.

Effects of Montmorency Tart Cherry and Blueberry Juice on Cardiometabolic and Other Health-Related Outcomes: A Three-Arm Placebo Randomized Controlled Trial

The current study aimed to investigate the influence of tart cherry and blueberry juices on cardiometabolic and other health indices following a 20-day supplementation period. Forty-five adults were randomly assigned to receive tart cherry, blueberry, or a placebo, of which they drank 60 mL per day for 20 days. The primary outcome, which was systolic blood pressure, and secondary measures, including anthropometric, energy expenditure, substrate oxidation, hematological, diastolic blood pressure/resting heart rate, psychological wellbeing, and sleep efficacy, were measured before and after the intervention. There were no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) for systolic blood pressure; however, total and LDL cholesterol were significantly improved with blueberry intake (pre: total cholesterol = 4.36 mmol/L and LDL cholesterol = 2.71 mmol/L; post: total cholesterol = 3.79 mmol/L and LDL cholesterol = 2.23 mmol/L) compared to placebo (pre: total cholesterol = 4.01 mmol/L and LDL cholesterol = 2.45 mmol/L; post: total cholesterol = 4.34 mmol/L and LDL cholesterol = 2.67 mmol/L). Furthermore, psychological wellbeing indices measured using the Beck Depression Inventory, State Trait Anxiety Inventory, and COOP WONCA improved statistically in the blueberry arm compared to placebo. Given the clear association between lipid concentrations and the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as the importance of psychological wellbeing to health-related quality of life, this investigation indicates that it could be an effective approach to assist in managing cardiometabolic disease.

On the Relationship between Diabetes and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Evolution and Epigenetics

This review offers an overview of the relationship between diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), obesity, and heart disease. It then addresses evidence that the traditional understanding of this relationship is incomplete or misleading. In the process, there is a brief discussion of the evolutionary rationale for the development and retention of OSA in light of blood sugar dysregulation, as an adaptive mechanism in response to environmental stressors, followed by a brief overview of the general concepts of epigenetics. Finally, this paper presents the results of a literature search on the epigenetic marks and changes in gene expression found in OSA and diabetes. (While some of these marks will also correlate with obesity and heart disease, that is beyond the scope of this project). We conclude with an exploration of alternative explanations for the etiology of these interlinking diseases.

Using Distributed Lag Non-Linear Models to Estimate Exposure Lag-Response Associations between Long-Term Air Pollution Exposure and Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease

Long-term air pollution exposure increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, but little is known about the temporal relationships between exposure and health outcomes. This study aims to estimate the exposure-lag response between air pollution exposure and risk for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke incidence by applying distributed lag non-linear models (DLNMs). Annual mean concentrations of particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM_2.5) and black carbon (BC) were estimated for participants in five Swedish cohorts using dispersion models. Simultaneous estimates of exposure lags 1-10 years using DLNMs were compared with separate year specific (single lag) estimates and estimates for lag 1-5- and 6-10-years using moving average exposure. The DLNM estimated no exposure lag-response between PM_2.5 total, BC, and IHD. However, for PM_2.5 from local sources, a 20% risk increase per 1 µg/m³ for 1-year lag was estimated. A risk increase for stroke was suggested in relation to lags 2-4-year PM_2.5 and BC, and also lags 8-9-years BC. No associations were shown in single lag models. Increased risk estimates for stroke in relation to lag 1-5- and 6-10-years BC moving averages were observed. Estimates generally supported a greater contribution to increased risk from exposure windows closer in time to incident IHD and incident stroke.

Characteristics and Extent of Particulate Matter Emissions of a Ropeway Public Mobility System in the City Center of Perugia (Central Italy)

Minimetrò (MM) is a ropeway public mobility system that has been in operation in the city of Perugia for about ten years to integrate with urban mobility and lighten vehicular traffic in the historic city center. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the impact of MM as a source of pollutants in the urban context, and the exposure of people in the cabins and the platforms along the MM line. These topics have been investigated by means of intensive measurement and sampling campaigns performed in February and June 2015 on three specific sites of the MM line representative of different sources and levels of urban pollution. Stationary and dynamic measurements of particle size distribution, nanoparticle and black carbon aerosol number and mass concentrations measurements were performed by means of different bench and portable instruments. Aerosol sampling was carried out using low volume and high-volume aerosol samplers, and the samples nalysed by off-line methods. Results show that MM is a considerable source of atmospheric particulate matter having characteristics very similar to those of the common urban road dust in Perugia. In the lack of clear indications on road dust effect, the contribution of MM to the aerosol in Perugia cannot be neglected.

Effects of Montmorency Tart Cherry and Blueberry Juice on Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Healthy Individuals: Protocol for a 3-Arm Placebo Randomized Controlled Trial

Cardiometabolic disease is recognized as the predominant cause of global mortality and healthcare expenditure. Whilst pharmaceutical interventions are effective in the short term, their long-term efficacy remain equivocal and their associated side-effects are concerning. Owing to their high levels of anthocyanins, Montmorency tart cherries and blueberries have been cited as potentially important natural treatment/preventative modalities for cardiometabolic disease. This study proposed a randomized controlled trial, aims to test the effects of consumption of Montmorency tart cherry and blueberry juice on cardiometabolic outcomes compared to placebo. This 20-day, parallel, single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial will recruit 45 individuals, who will be assigned to receive 60 mL per day of either Montmorency tart cherry juice, blueberry juice or a cherry/blueberry flavoured placebo. The primary study outcome is the between-group difference in systolic blood pressure from baseline to post-intervention. Secondary outcome measures will be between-group differences in anthropometric, energy expenditure and substrate oxidation (during rest and physical activity), haematological, blood pressure/resting heart rate, psychological wellbeing and sleep efficacy indices. Statistical analysis will be conducted on an intention-to-treat basis. This study has been granted ethical approval by the University of Central Lancashire, Health Research Ethics Committee (ref: HEALTH 0016) and formally registered as a trial. Dissemination of the study findings from this investigation will be through publication in a leading peer-reviewed journal.

The contribution of cooking appliances and residential traffic proximity to aerosol personal exposure

PURPOSE

Indoor and outdoor factors affect personal exposure to air pollutants. Type of cooking appliance (i.e. gas, electricity), and residential location related to traffic are such factors. This research aims to investigate the effect of cooking with gas and electric appliances, as an indoor source of aerosols, and residential traffic as outdoor sources, on personal exposures to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter lower than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5), black carbon (BC), and ultrafine particles (UFP).

METHODS

Forty subjects were sampled for four consecutive days measuring personal exposures to three aerosol pollutants, namely PM_2.5, BC, and UFP, which were measured using personal sensors. Subjects were equally distributed into four categories according to the use of gas or electric stoves for cooking, and to residential traffic (i.e. houses located near or away from busy roads).

RESULTS/CONCLUSION

Cooking was identified as an indoor activity affecting exposure to aerosols, with mean concentrations during cooking ranging 24.7-50.0 μg/m³ (PM_2.5), 1.8-4.9 μg/m³ (BC), and 1.4 × 10⁴-4.1 × 10⁴ particles/cm³ (UFP). This study also suggest that traffic is a dominant source of exposure to BC, since people living near busy roads are exposed to higher BC concentrations than those living further away from traffic. In contrast, the contribution of indoor sources to personal exposure to PM_2.5 and UFP seems to be greater than from outdoor traffic sources. This is probably related to a combination of the type of building construction and a varying range of activities conducted indoors. It is recommended to ensure a good ventilation during cooking to minimize exposure to cooking aerosols.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40201-020-00604-7.

Analysis of PM2.5, PM10, and Total Suspended Particle Exposure in the Tema Metropolitan Area of Ghana

Dust levels around the Tema industrial area of the Greater Accra Region have seen no reduction in recent years. Even though at some periods in time a natural drop in dust pollution levels is assured, the overall variation characteristics of the concentration of PM2.5, PM10, and Total Suspended Particles (TSP) have not been studied in recent years. This paper examines the levels of dust pollution across four (4) locations within the Tema metropolitan area with a specific interest in selecting locations and periods (weeks) significantly affected by dust pollution within the study area. Data collection was done over a nine-month period using the Casella 712 Microdust Pro Kit equipment. Measurements were done day and night at sampling points about 100 m apart in a given location. Monitoring was conducted once a week during the day and at night with a sampling period of 24 h per location, for thirty-six weeks. The generalized linear models were explored in selecting locations and weeks significantly affected by dust pollution. The study results showed no significant difference between pollution levels across the four selected locations. Eight, eleven, and five weeks out of the 36 weeks recorded significantly high concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, and TSP respectively. In addition, two out of the selected four areas (the oil jetty area and the VALCO hospital area) were found to have significantly high concentrations of dust pollution. The study recommends that an urgent air quality control policy intervention be put in place to control the highly alarming levels of dust pollution concentrations to guarantee and protect human health within the study area and beyond.

Particulate matter inhalation and the exacerbation of cardiopulmonary toxicity due to metabolic disease

Particulate matter is a significant public health issue in the United States and globally. Inhalation of particulate matter is associated with a number of systemic and organ-specific adverse health outcomes, with the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems being particularly vulnerable. Certain subpopulations are well-recognized as being more susceptible to inhalation exposures, such as the elderly and those with pre-existing respiratory disease. Metabolic syndrome is becoming increasingly prevalent in our society and has known adverse effects on the heart, lungs, and vascular systems. The limited evaluations of individuals with metabolic syndromehave demonstrated that theymay compose a sensitive subpopulation to particulate exposures. However, the toxicological mechanisms responsible for this increased vulnerability are not fully understood. This review evaluates the currently available literature regarding how the response of an individual's pulmonary and cardiovascular systems is influenced by metabolic syndrome and metabolic syndrome-associated conditions such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. Further, we will discuss potential therapeutic agents and targets for the alleviation and treatment of particulate-matter induced metabolic illness. The information reviewed here may contribute to the understanding of metabolic illness as a risk factor for particulate matter exposure and further the development of therapeutic approaches to treat vulnerable subpopulations, such as those with metabolic diseases.

Effect of PM characterization on PM oxidative potential by acellular assays: a review

The health risks brought by particles cannot be present via a sole parameter. Instead, the particulate matter oxidative potential (PM OP), which expresses combined redox properties of particles, is used as an integrated metric to assess associated hazards and particle-induced health effects. OP definition provides the capacity of PM toward target oxidation. The latest technologies of a cellular OP measurement has been growing in relevant studies. In this review, OP measurement techniques are focused on discussing along with PM characterization because of many related studies via OP measurements investigating relationship with human health. Many OP measurement methods, such as dithiothreitol (DTT), ascorbic acid (AA), glutathione (GSH) assay and other a cellular assays, are used to study the association between PM toxicity and PM characterization that make different responses, including PM components, size and sources. Briefly, AA and DTT assays are sensitive to metals (such as copper, manganese and iron etc.) and organics (quinones, VOCs and PAH). Measured OP have significant association with certain PM-related end points, for example, lung cancer, COPD and asthma. Literature has found that exposure to measured OP has higher risk ratios than sole PM mass, which may be containing the PM health-relevant fraction. PM characterization effect on health via OP measurement display a promising method.

Role of functional groups in reaction kinetics of dithiothreitol with secondary organic aerosols

The toxicity of organic aerosols has been largely ascribed to the generation of reactive oxygen species, which could subsequently induce oxidative stress in biological systems. The reaction of DTT with redox-active species in PM has been generally assumed to be pseudo-first order, with the oxidative potential of PM being represented by the DTT consumption per minute of reaction time per μg of PM. Although catalytic reactive species such as transition metals and quinones are long believed to be the main contributors of DTT responses, the role of non-catalytic DTT reactive species such as organic hydroperoxides (ROOH) and electron-deficient alkenes (e.g., conjugated carbonyls) in DTT consumption has been recently highlighted. Thus, understanding the reaction kinetics and mechanisms of DTT consumption by various PM components is required to interpret the oxidative potential measured by DTT assays more accurately. In this study, we measured the DTT consumptions over time and characterized the reaction products using model compounds and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) with varying initial concentrations. We observed that the DTT consumption rates linearly increased with both initial DTT and sample concentrations. The overall reaction order of DTT with non-catalytic reactive species and SOA in this study is second order. The reactions of DTT with different functional groups have significantly different rate constants. The reaction rate constant of isoprene SOA with DTT is mainly determined by the concentration of ROOH. For toluene SOA, both ROOH and electron-deficient alkenes may dominate its DTT reaction rates. These results provide some insights into the interpretation of DTT-based aerosol oxidative potential and highlight the need to study the toxicity mechanism of ROOH and electron-deficient alkenes in PM for future work.

Application of Natural Carbon Isotopes for Emission Source Apportionment of Carbonaceous Particulate Matter in Urban Atmosphere: A Case Study from Krakow, Southern Poland

Successful mitigation of air pollution in large cities requires information about the structure of emission sources and their contribution to total atmospheric load. The presented research demonstrates a possibility of application of isotope tracers for the estimation of contribution of different sources to the carbonaceous fraction of PM2.5 (Particulate Matter containing fraction below 2.5 μm) collected in the urban atmosphere of Krakow, Poland during the summer and winter seasons. Isotope mass balance approach was used to perform source apportionment analysis for those two seasons. The analysis showed that the dominant source of the carbonaceous fraction of PM2.5 in Krakow is coal burning during the winter season and biogenic emissions during the summer season. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the uncertainty of the percentage contribution of different sources to the overall carbon load of the analyzed PM2.5 fraction is in order of a few percent.

Sustainability by High–Speed Rail: The Reduction Mechanisms of Transportation Infrastructure on Haze Pollution

Haze pollution impacts human health, as well as the competitive capabilities of firms and local economic development. Considerable attention has been given to the study of mechanisms for reducing haze pollution, but few studies have investigated the effect of city-to-city transportation infrastructures on environmental issues based on an institutional perspective. To address this research gap, this study advances our understanding by assessing the effect of city–to–city transportation on haze pollution caused by the operation of high-speed rail, which triggers the rapid flow of individuals and information, improves information transparency, as well as imposes institutional pressure on local governments and firms to reduce haze pollution. To further verify the underlying mechanisms, we tested the development of hard infrastructure (information communication technology) and soft infrastructure (market development level), which represent two conditions for which the mechanism is likely to be critical. We tested our hypotheses using a sample of 288 prefecture-level cities in China during the period from 2005 to 2016. The empirical results indicate that the operation of high-speed rail can reduce haze pollution by 17% on average.

Toxicological responses in human airway epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) exposed to particulate matter emissions from gasoline fuels with varying aromatic and ethanol levels

In this study, we assessed the toxicological potencies of particulate matter (PM) emissions from a modern vehicle equipped with a gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine when operated on eight different fuels with varying aromatic hydrocarbon and ethanol contents. Testing was conducted over the LA92 driving cycle using a chassis dynamometer with a constant volume sampling system, where particles were collected onto Teflon filters. The extracted PM constituents were analyzed for their oxidative potential using the dithiothreitol (DTT) chemical assay and exposure-induced gene expression in human airway epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Different trends of DTT activities were seen when testing PM samples in 100% aqueous buffer solutions versus elevated fraction of methanol in aqueous buffers (50:50), indicating the effect of solubility of organic PM constituents on the measured oxidative potential. Higher aromatics content in fuels corresponded to higher DTT activities in PM. Exposure to PM exhaust upregulated the expression of HMOX-1, but downregulated the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, CCL5 and NOS2 in BEAS-2B cells. The principal component regression analysis revealed different patterns of correlations. Aromatics content contributed to more significant PAH-mediated IL-6 downregulation, whereas ethanol content was associated with decreased downregulation of IL-6. Our findings highlighted the key role of fuel composition in modulating the toxicological responses to GDI PM emissions.

Particulate Matter and Its Impact on Mortality among Elderly Residents of Seoul, South Korea

Climate change, air pollution, and the rapidly aging population are important public health challenges. An understanding of air pollution impacts is imperative for preventing air-pollution-related deaths and illnesses, particularly in vulnerable subgroups such as the increasing population of older adults. To assess the effects of short-term air-pollution exposure on the elderly, we conducted a time-series analysis (1996–2015) of the associations between particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <10 μm (PM10) and deaths among elderly residents of Seoul, South Korea, which has a rapidly aging population. We also investigated the synergistic effects of temperature and the lag structures of the effects by sex, cause of death, and season. A 10 μg/m3 rise in the 4-day moving average concentration of PM10 was associated with 0.31% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18% to 0.44%), 0.32% (95% CI: 0.09% to 0.55%), and 0.22% (95% CI: –0.23% to 0.66%) increases in non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortalities, respectively. We found a significant and strong synergistic effect of PM10 concentration and ambient temperature on mortality in elderly people. PM10 posed an increased risk of non-accidental or cardiovascular mortality with increasing temperature, whereas the associated risk of respiratory death was highest on very cold days. The shape and length of the lag structure varied with the cause of death, sex, and season. Results indicate that elderly people exposed to PM10 are at increased risk of premature death. In the near future, these risks are likely to increase in step with the temperature rise associated with climate change and the continued population aging. Stronger emission controls will be needed to minimize the increased health risks associated with air pollution, especially in regions with high populations of elderly individuals.

Use of Dithiothreitol Assay to Evaluate the Oxidative Potential of Atmospheric Aerosols

Oxidative potential (OP) has been proposed as a useful descriptor for the ability of particulate matter (PM) to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and consequently induce oxidative stress in biological systems, which has been recognized as one of the most important mechanisms responsible for PM toxicity. The dithiothreitol (DTT) assay is one of the most frequently used techniques to quantify OP because it is low-cost, easy-to-operate, and has high repeatability. With two thiol groups, DTT has been used as a surrogate of biological sulfurs that can be oxidized when exposed to ROS. Within the DTT measurement matrix, OP is defined as the DTT consumption rate. Often, the DTT consumption can be attributed to the presence of transition metals and quinones in PM as they can catalyze the oxidation of DTT through catalytic redox reactions. However, the DTT consumption by non-catalytic PM components has not been fully investigated. In addition, weak correlations between DTT consumption, ROS generation, and cellular responses have been observed in several studies, which also reveal the knowledge gaps between DTT-based OP measurements and their implication on health effects. In this review, we critically assessed the current challenges and limitations of DTT measurement, highlighted the understudied DTT consumption mechanisms, elaborated the necessity to understand both PM-bound and PM-induced ROS, and concluded with research needs to bridge the existing knowledge gaps.

Characterization of electrophilicity and oxidative potential of atmospheric carbonyls

Carbonyls are reactive and electrophilic compounds found ubiquitously in the atmosphere. The interactions between atmospheric carbonyls and biological nucleophiles (e.g., thiol-containing compounds) have important implications on their toxicity, but the underlying mechanisms have not been fully understood. In this study, we used combined computational and experimental approaches to assess the reactivities of atmospheric carbonyls in respect to their electrophilic properties. Global electrophilicity indexes (ω) were calculated based on density functional theory. The reactivities of carbonyls with thiols were assessed using the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay as a surrogate of biological nucleophilic antioxidants. The computational results indicated that the ω of a given carbonyl compound is largely influenced by its molecular structure and adjacent functional groups. The calculated ω values showed a strong linear correlation with the logarithm of measured carbonyl mass-normalized DTT consumption rates (r² = 0.8378 and 0.9899 for simple and α,β-unsaturated carbonyls, respectively). The removal of DTT through the nucleophilic addition pathway was confirmed by the detection of carbonyl-DTT adducts using the gas chromatography/electron ionization-mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS) technique. Our results demonstrated that electrophilicity index can be potentially used as a molecular descriptor to predict toxicity of atmospheric carbonyls towards thiol-containing biomolecules. This work also highlights the significance of carbonyls in interpreting DTT-based aerosol oxidative potential.