1
|
Kress S, Lane TJ, Brown D, Smith CL, Gao CX, McCrabb T, Thomas M, Borg BM, Thompson BR, Abramson MJ. Association between PM 2.5 from a coal mine fire and FeNO concentration 7.5 years later. BMC Pulm Med 2024; 24:272. [PMID: 38844929 PMCID: PMC11157905 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-024-03075-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM There are few long-term studies of respiratory health effects of landscape fires, despite increasing frequency and intensity due to climate change. We investigated the association between exposure to coal mine fire PM2.5 and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) concentration 7.5 years later. METHODS Adult residents of Morwell, who were exposed to the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire over 6 weeks, and unexposed residents of Sale, participated in the Hazelwood Health Study Respiratory Stream in 2021, including measurements of FeNO concentration, a marker of eosinophilic airway inflammation. Individual exposure to coal mine fire PM2.5 was modelled and mapped to time-location diaries. The effect of exposure to PM2.5 on log-transformed FeNO in exhaled breath was investigated using multivariate linear regression models in the entire sample and stratified by potentially vulnerable subgroups. RESULTS A total of 326 adults (mean age: 57 years) had FeNO measured. The median FeNO level (interquartile range [IQR]) was 17.5 [15.0] ppb, and individual daily exposure to coal mine fire PM2.5 was 7.2 [13.8] µg/m3. We did not identify evidence of association between coal mine fire PM2.5 exposure and FeNO in the general adult sample, nor in various potentially vulnerable subgroups. The point estimates were consistently close to zero in the total sample and subgroups. CONCLUSION Despite previous short-term impacts on FeNO and respiratory health outcomes in the medium term, we found no evidence that PM2.5 from the Hazelwood coal mine fire was associated with any long-term impact on eosinophilic airway inflammation measured by FeNO levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Kress
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tyler J Lane
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - David Brown
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Catherine L Smith
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Caroline X Gao
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- , Orygen, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Thomas McCrabb
- Respiratory Medicine, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Brigitte M Borg
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Respiratory Medicine, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Bruce R Thompson
- Melbourne School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael J Abramson
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mundisugih J, Gao CX, Ikin JF, Abramson MJ, Brown D, Biswas S, Dewar EM, Liew D, Stub D. Vascular Responses Among Adults Four Years Post Exposure to 6 Weeks of Smoke from the Hazelwood Coal Mine Fire. Vasc Health Risk Manag 2022; 18:253-265. [PMID: 35444423 PMCID: PMC9013675 DOI: 10.2147/vhrm.s339439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims Mega-wild fires are exposing large communities to weeks or months of high concentration smoke-related fine particulate air pollution (PM). However, little research has examined the long-term vascular responses from exposure to PM of this concentration and duration. We investigated whether level of exposure to 6 weeks of PM from the 2014 Hazelwood coal mine fire was associated with abnormal vascular responses approximately four years later. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was undertaken of 387 participants (225 exposed, 162 unexposed) aged 55–89 years, 3.5–4 years after the mine fire. The primary outcome was flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), with time to reach peak diameter as the secondary outcome. Other secondary markers included high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and ischaemic Electrocardiogram (ECG) changes. Results There was no evidence of a difference in FMD between participants with high, medium, low or no mine-fire related PM2.5 exposure (4.09% vs 4.06% vs 4.02% vs 3.98%, respectively, p=0.99). Likewise, there was no difference in hsCRP or ischaemic ECG changes. In contrast, there was evidence of a difference in time to peak diameter (p=0.002) with more unexposed participants reaching peak diameter within 30 seconds (36%) compared to those who had high, medium, or low exposure (23%, 22%, 13%, respectively). Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis suggested that township, Morwell (exposed) vs Sale (unexposed), but not level of PM2.5 exposure, was associated with delayed time to peak diameter (OR 2.71; 95% CI 1.56, 4.69). Smokers also had delayed time to peak diameter. Conclusion There was no association between level of exposure to PM2.5 from the 6-week Hazelwood coal mine fire smoke event and reduced FMD, elevated hsCRP or ischaemic ECG four years later. Evidence of delayed time to peak diameter observed in adults from the exposed town, compared to an unexposed town, requires further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Mundisugih
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Cardiology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Caroline X Gao
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health (Orygen), University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jillian F Ikin
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Correspondence: Jillian F Ikin, Tel +61 3 9903 0308, Email
| | - Michael J Abramson
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - David Brown
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sinjini Biswas
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Cardiology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Elizabeth M Dewar
- Department of Cardiology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Danny Liew
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Dion Stub
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Cardiology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Xu R, Gao CX, Dimitriadis C, Smith CL, Carroll MTC, Ikin JF, Johnston FH, Sim MR, Abramson MJ, Guo Y. Long-term impacts of coal mine fire-emitted PM2.5 on hospitalisation: a longitudinal analysis of the Hazelwood Health Study. Int J Epidemiol 2021; 51:179-190. [PMID: 34871381 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyab249] [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: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the long-term health impacts of exposures to landscape fire smoke. We aimed to evaluate the association between exposure to coal mine fire-related particulate matter 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM2.5) and hospitalisation in the 5 years following the 6-week Hazelwood coal mine fire in Australia in 2014. METHODS We surveyed 2725 residents (mean age: 58.3 years; 54.3% female) from an exposed and a comparison town. Individual PM2.5 exposures during the event were estimated using modelled PM2.5 concentrations related to the coal mine fire and self-reported location data. The individual exposure and survey data were linked with hospitalisation records between January 2009 and February 2019. Recurrent event survival analysis was used to evaluate relationships between PM2.5 exposure and hospitalisation following mine fire, adjusting for important covariates. RESULTS Each 10-µg/m3 increase in mine fire-related PM2.5 was associated with a 9% increased hazard [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.17] of respiratory hospitalisation over the next 5 years, with stronger associations observed for females (HR = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.27) than males (HR = 0.99; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.11). In particular, increased hazards were observed for hospitalisations for asthma (HR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.19, 1.73) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.28). No such association was found for hospitalisations for cardiovascular diseases, mental illness, injuries, type 2 diabetes, renal diseases or neoplasms. CONCLUSIONS A 6-week exposure to coal mine fire-related PM2.5 was associated with increased hazard of respiratory hospitalisations over the following 5 years, particularly for females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rongbin Xu
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Caroline X Gao
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkview, VIC, Australia
| | - Christina Dimitriadis
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Catherine L Smith
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Jillian F Ikin
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Fay H Johnston
- Menzies Institute of Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Malcolm R Sim
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael J Abramson
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Yuming Guo
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|