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Marchetti S, Colombo A, Saibene M, Bragato C, La Torretta T, Rizzi C, Gualtieri M, Mantecca P. Shedding light on the cellular mechanisms involved in the combined adverse effects of fine particulate matter and SARS-CoV-2 on human lung cells. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 952:175979. [PMID: 39233085 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175979] [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: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 08/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Airborne pathogens represent a topic of scientific relevance, especially considering the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Air pollution, and particulate matter (PM) in particular, has been proposed as a possible risk factor for the onset and spread of pathogen-driven respiratory diseases. Regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection, exposure to fine PM (PM2.5, particles with an aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 μm) has been associated with increased incidence of the COVID-19 disease. To provide useful insights into the mechanisms through which PM might be involved in infection, we exposed human lung cells (A549) to PM2.5 and SARS-CoV-2, to evaluate the toxicological properties and the molecular pathways activated when airborne particles are combined with viral particles. Winter PM2.5 was collected in a metropolitan urban area and its physico-chemical composition was analyzed. A549 cells were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 concomitantly or after pre-treatment with PM2.5. Inflammation, oxidative stress and xenobiotic metabolism were the main pathways investigated. Results showed that after 72 h of exposure PM2.5 significantly increased the expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which is one of the keys used by the virus to infect host cells. We also analyzed the endosomal route in the process of internalization, by studying the expression of RAB5 and RAB7. The results show that in cells pre-activated with PM and then exposed to SARS-CoV-2, RAB5 expression is significantly increased. The activation of the inflammatory process was then studied. Our findings show an increase of pro-inflammatory markers (NF-kB and IL-8) in cells pre-activated with PM for 72 h and subsequently exposed to the virus for a further 24 h, further demonstrating that the interaction between PM and SARS-CoV-2 determines the severity of the inflammatory responses in lung epithelial cells. In conclusion, the study provides mechanistic biological evidence of PM contribution to the onset and progression of viral respiratory diseases in exposed populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Marchetti
- POLARIS Research Centre, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy.
| | - Anita Colombo
- POLARIS Research Centre, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Melissa Saibene
- Platform of Microscopy, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Cinzia Bragato
- POLARIS Research Centre, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Teresa La Torretta
- Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution, National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, ENEA, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Cristiana Rizzi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Maurizio Gualtieri
- POLARIS Research Centre, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Paride Mantecca
- POLARIS Research Centre, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
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Zhang T, Lui KH, Ho SSH, Chen J, Chuang HC, Ho KF. Characterization of airborne endotoxin in personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and bioreactivity for elderly residents in Hong Kong. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 280:116530. [PMID: 38833976 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116530] [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: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
The heavy metals and bioreactivity properties of endotoxin in personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were characterized in the analysis. The average personal exposure concentrations to PM2.5 were ranged from 6.8 to 96.6 μg/m3. The mean personal PM2.5 concentrations in spring, summer, autumn, and winter were 32.1±15.8, 22.4±11.8, 35.3±11.9, and 50.2±19.9 μg/m3, respectively. There were 85 % of study targets exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) PM2.5 threshold (24 hours). The mean endotoxin concentrations ranged from 1.086 ± 0.384-1.912 ± 0.419 EU/m3, with a geometric mean (GM) varied from 1.034 to 1.869. The concentration of iron (Fe) (0.008-1.16 μg/m3) was one of the most abundant transition metals in the samples that could affect endotoxin toxicity under Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) stimulation. In summer, the interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels showed statistically significant differences compared to other seasons. Spearman correlation analysis showed endotoxin concentrations were positively correlated with chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni), implying possible roles as nutrients and further transport via adhering to the surface of fine inorganic particles. Mixed-effects model analysis demonstrated that Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production was positively associated with endotoxin concentration and Cr as a combined exposure factor. The Cr contained the highest combined effect (0.205-0.262), suggesting that Cr can potentially exacerbate the effect of endotoxin on inflammation and oxidative stress. The findings will be useful for practical policies for mitigating air pollution to protect the public health of the citizens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhang Zhang
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ka Hei Lui
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Steven Sai Hang Ho
- Division of Atmosphere Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, United States; Hong Kong Premium Services and Research Laboratory, Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jiayao Chen
- School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Hsiao-Chi Chuang
- School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kin Fai Ho
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Vaccarella E, Piacentini D, Falasca G, Canepari S, Massimi L. In-vivo exposure of a plant model organism for the assessment of the ability of PM samples to induce oxidative stress. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 900:165694. [PMID: 37516174 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165694] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to propose an innovative, simple, rapid, and cost-effective method to study oxidative stress induced by PM through in-vivo exposure of the plant model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. A. thaliana seedlings were exposed to urban dust certified for its elemental content and to PM2.5 samples collected in an urban-industrial area of Northern Italy. An innovative technique for the detachment and suspension in water of the whole intact dust from membrane filters was applied to expose the model organism to both the soluble and insoluble fractions of PM2.5, which were analyzed for 34 elements by ICP-MS. Oxidative stress induced by PM on A. thaliana was assessed by light microscopic localization and UV-Vis spectrophotometric determination of superoxide anion (O2-) content on the exposed seedlings by using the nitro blue tetrazole (NBT) assay. The results showed a good efficiency and sensitivity of the method for PM mass concentrations >20 μg m-3 and an increase in O2- content in all exposed seedlings, which mainly depends on the concentration, chemical composition, and sources of the PM administered to the model organism. Particles released by biomass burning appeared to contribute more to the overall toxicity of PM. This method was found to be cost-effective and easy to apply to PM collected on membrane filters in intensive monitoring campaigns in order to obtain valuable information on the ability of PM to generate oxidative stress in living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Vaccarella
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le Aldo Moro, 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Diego Piacentini
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le Aldo Moro, 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Falasca
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le Aldo Moro, 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Silvia Canepari
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le Aldo Moro, 5, Rome 00185, Italy; C.N.R. Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Via Salaria, Km 29,300, Monterotondo St., Rome 00015, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Massimi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le Aldo Moro, 5, Rome 00185, Italy; C.N.R. Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Via Salaria, Km 29,300, Monterotondo St., Rome 00015, Italy.
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Goodarzi B, Azimi Mohammadabadi M, Jafari AJ, Gholami M, Kermani M, Assarehzadegan MA, Shahsavani A. Investigating PM 2.5 toxicity in highly polluted urban and industrial areas in the Middle East: human health risk assessment and spatial distribution. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17858. [PMID: 37857811 PMCID: PMC10587072 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45052-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to particulate matter (PM) can be considered as a factor affecting human health. The aim of this study was to investigate the concentration of PM2.5 and heavy metals and their influence on survival of A549 human lung cells in exposure to PM2.5 breathing air of Ahvaz city. In order to assess the levels of PM2.5 and heavy metals, air samples were collected from 14 sampling stations positioned across Ahvaz city during both winter and summer seasons. The concentration of heavy metals was determined using ICP OES. Next, the MTT assay [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] was employed to ascertain the survival rate of A549 cells. The findings from this research demonstrated that average PM2.5 of the study period was (149.5 μg/m3). Also, the average concentration of PM2.5 in the urban area in winter and summer was (153.3- and 106.9 μg/m3) and in the industrial area this parameter was (191.6 and 158.3 μg/m3). The average concentration of metals (ng/m3) of urban areas against industrial, Al (493 vs. 485), Fe (536 vs. 612), Cu (198 vs. 212), Ni (128 vs. 129), Cr (48.5 vs. 54), Cd (118 vs. 124), Mn (120 vs. 119), As (51 vs. 67), Hg (37 vs. 50), Zn (302 vs. 332) and Pb (266 vs. 351) were obtained. The results of the MTT assay showed that the highest percentage of cell survival according to the exposure concentration was 25 > 50 > 100 > 200. Also, the lowest percentage of survival (58.8%) was observed in the winter season and in industrial areas with a concentration of 200 μg/ml. The carcinogenic risk assessment of heavy metals indicated that except for Cr, whose carcinogenicity was 1.32E-03, other metals were in the safe range (10-4-10-6) for human health. The high concentration of PM2.5 and heavy metals can increase respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and reduce the public health level of Ahvaz citizens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babak Goodarzi
- Research Center for Environmental Health Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, Iran
| | - Maryam Azimi Mohammadabadi
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Jonidi Jafari
- Research Center for Environmental Health Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Air Pollution Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mitra Gholami
- Research Center for Environmental Health Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Kermani
- Research Center for Environmental Health Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Air Pollution Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad-Ali Assarehzadegan
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Abbas Shahsavani
- Environmental and Occupational Hazards Control Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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do Nascimento RDKS, Carvalho JS, Miranda RR, Lima MA, Rocha FV, Zucolotto V, Lynch I, Urban RC. In vitro toxicity and lung cancer risk: Atmospheric particulate matter from a city in southeastern Brazil impacted by biomass burning. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 338:139484. [PMID: 37442389 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139484] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The effects of PM10 on human health were investigated using samples collected in São Carlos city (São Paulo state), by the determination of the concentrations of PAHs and derivatives, together with evaluations of cytotoxicity and the formation of ROS in in vitro tests. In 2016, the mean concentrations of PM10, ΣPAHs, Σoxy-PAHs, Σnitro-PAHs, Σsaccharides, and Σions were 21.12 ± 9.90 μg m-3, 1.47 ± 1.70 ng m-3, 0.37 ± 0.31 ng m-3, 0.84 ng m-3, 119.91 ± 62.14 ng m-3, and 5.66 ± 4.52 μg m-3, respectively. The PM10 concentrations did not exceed the limit thresholds set by national legislation, however, the annual lung cancer risk calculated was 2.59 ± 1.22 cases per 100,000 people, in the dry season, which accounts for the annual risk (April to September). Moreover, the carcinogenic activities of the PAHs mixture were more than 1000-fold higher in the dry season (dry season: BaPeq = 0.30 ng m-3; wet season BaPeq = 0.02 ng m-3). The concentrations of most analytes were also higher during the dry season, as had already been demonstrated in the same city. This was due to reductions in precipitation, relative humidity and air temperature, and increased biomass burning, which was the main source of PM10 in the city in 2016 (contribution rate of more than 50%). Toxicological results also showed the negative impacts of PM10, exposure to PM10 extracts for 72 h reduced the viability of A549 and MRC5 cells, and the formation of ROS was observed. The cellular responses obtained using combined and individual extracts of PM10 differed and were sometimes associated with specific compounds. These demonstrate the importance of monitoring PM toxicity using different approaches and the main anthropogenic sources' contribution. Therefore, to improve air quality and human health, existing legislation needs to be modified to incorporate these tests.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonatas S Carvalho
- Chemistry Department, Federal University of São Carlos, 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Renata R Miranda
- Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology Group, São Carlos Physics Institute, University of São Paulo, 13566-590, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Mauro A Lima
- Chemistry Department, Federal University of São Carlos, 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Fillipe V Rocha
- Chemistry Department, Federal University of São Carlos, 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Valtencir Zucolotto
- Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology Group, São Carlos Physics Institute, University of São Paulo, 13566-590, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Iseult Lynch
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Roberta C Urban
- Chemistry Department, Federal University of São Carlos, 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil; School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
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Shetaya WH, Bailey EH, Young SD, Mohamed EF, Antoniadis V, Rinklebe J, Shaheen SM, Marzouk ER. Soil and plant contamination by potentially toxic and emerging elements and the associated human health risk in some Egyptian environments. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023; 45:359-379. [PMID: 34676511 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-021-01097-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this work was to assess the origins, mobility, bioavailability and potential health risks of V, Cr, Co, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Sn and Sb, which are not sufficiently studied in the terrestrial environment of Egypt. This has been carried out by employing a combination of chemical fractionation, plants uptake, mathematical modeling and risk assessment approaches on a wide range of soils and plants sampled from industrial, urban and agricultural locations across Egypt. The contents of As, Cd, Sn and Sb were elevated in the soils of some urban and industrial locations within Cairo, although their soil geo-accumulation (Igeo) indices remained ≤ 2, indicating only moderate contamination. Selenium showed moderate to heavy contamination levels (Igeo up to 4.7) in all sampling locations, and Sb was highly elevated (Igeo = 7.1; extreme contamination) in one industrial location. Therefore, Se was the most important contributor to the pollution load followed by Sb and Cd. Both principle component analysis (of total content) and geochemical fractionation (by sequential extraction) suggested that V, Cr and Co are mostly of geogenic origin, while Se and Sb contents appear to be highly influenced by anthropogenic inputs. The most mobile and bioavailable element was Cd with a large non-residual fraction in all soils (76% of total Cd). The bio-concentration factors of Cd in leafy and fruiting plants were 50 times larger than other elements (except Mo) indicating preferential systematic plant uptake of Cd. Risk assessment models showed an overall low noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to the population of Egypt due to the studied elements with only a few anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waleed H Shetaya
- Air Pollution Research Department, Environmental Research Division, National Research Centre, 33 El-Bohouth St., Dokki, 12622, Giza, Egypt.
| | - Elizabeth H Bailey
- Division of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Scott D Young
- Division of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Elham F Mohamed
- Air Pollution Research Department, Environmental Research Division, National Research Centre, 33 El-Bohouth St., Dokki, 12622, Giza, Egypt
| | - Vasileios Antoniadis
- Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, University of Wuppertal, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285, Wuppertal, Germany
- Department of Environment, Energy and Geoinformatics, Sejong University, Seoul, 05006, Republic of Korea
- International Research Centre of Nanotechnology for Himalayan Sustainability (IRCNHS), Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173212, India
| | - Sabry M Shaheen
- School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, University of Wuppertal, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285, Wuppertal, Germany.
- Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, Department of Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Soil and Water Sciences, University of Kafrelsheikh, Kafr El-Sheikh, 33 516, Egypt.
| | - Ezzat R Marzouk
- Division of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, Arish University, North Sinai, 45516, Egypt.
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Hassan SK, Alghamdi MA, Khoder MI. Effect of restricted emissions during COVID-19 on atmospheric aerosol chemistry in a Greater Cairo suburb: Characterization and enhancement of secondary inorganic aerosol production. ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH 2022; 13:101587. [PMID: 36340245 PMCID: PMC9627639 DOI: 10.1016/j.apr.2022.101587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
To prevent the rapid spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Egyptian government had imposed partial lockdown restrictions which led emissions reduction. This served as ideal conditions for a natural experiment, for study the effect of partial lockdown on the atmospheric aerosol chemistry and the enhanced secondary inorganic aerosol production in a semi-desert climate area like Egypt. To achieve this objective, SO2, NO2, and PM2.5 and their chemical compositions were measured during the pre-COVID, COVID partial lockdown, and post-COVID periods in 2020 in a suburb of Greater Cairo, Egypt. Our results show that the SO2, NO2, PM2.5 and anthropogenic elements concentrations follow the pattern pre-COVID > post-COVID > COVID partial lockdown. SO2 and NO2 reductions were high compared with their secondary products during the COVID partial lockdown compared with pre-COVID. Although, PM2.5, anthropogenic elements, NO2, SO2, SO4 2-, NO3 -, and NH4 + decreased by 39%, 38-55%, 38%, 32.9%. 9%, 14%, and 4.3%, respectively, during the COVID partial lockdown compared with pre-COVID, with the secondary inorganic ions (SO4 2-, NO3 -, and NH4 +) being the dominant components in PM2.5 during the COVID partial lockdown. Moreover, the enhancement of NO3 - and SO4 2- formation during the COVID partial lockdown was high compared with pre-COVID. SO4 2- and NO3 - formation enhancements were significantly positive correlated with PM2.5 concentration. Chemical forms of SO4 2- and NO3 - were identified in PM2.5 based on their NH4 +/SO4 2- molar ratio and correlation between NH4 + and both NO3 - and SO4 2-. The particles during the COVID partial lockdown were more acidic than those in pre-COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salwa K Hassan
- Air Pollution Research Department, Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute, National Research Centre, El Behooth Str., Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt
| | - Mansour A Alghamdi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80208, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mamdouh I Khoder
- Air Pollution Research Department, Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute, National Research Centre, El Behooth Str., Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt
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Imane S, Oumaima B, Kenza K, Laila I, Youssef EM, Zineb S, Mohamed EJ. A Review on Climate, Air Pollution, and Health in North Africa. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:276-298. [PMID: 35352307 PMCID: PMC8964241 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00350-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The aim of this review is to summarize and provide clear insights into studies that evaluate the interaction between air pollution, climate, and health in North Africa. RECENT FINDINGS Few studies have estimated the effects of climate and air pollution on health in North Africa. Most of the studies highlighted the evidence of the link between climate and air pollution as driving factors and increased mortality and morbidity as health outcomes. Each North African country prioritized research on a specific health factor. It was observed that the health outcome from each driving factor depends on the studied area and data availability. The latter is a major challenge in the region. As such, more studies should be led in the future to cover more areas in North Africa and when more data are available. Data availability will help to explore the applicability of different tools and techniques new to the region. This review explores studies related to climate and air pollution, and their possible impacts on health in North Africa. On one hand, air quality studies have focused mainly on particulate matter exceedance levels and their long-term exposure impacts, namely, morbidity and mortality. The observed differences between the various studies are mainly due to the used exposure-response function, the studied population, background emissions, and natural emission from the Sahara Desert that characterize the region. On the other hand, climate studies have focused primarily on the impact of heat waves, vector-borne disease, and mental disorders. More than half of these studies have been on leishmaniasis disease. The review revealed unbalanced and insufficient research on health impacts from air pollution episodes and climate extremes across the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sekmoudi Imane
- Process and Environment Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Mohammedia. Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Bouakline Oumaima
- SETIME Laboratory, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ibn Tofail University, B.P 133, Kenitra, 14000 Morocco
| | - Khomsi Kenza
- General Directorate of Meteorology, Casablanca, Morocco
- Laboratory of Chemistry-Biochemistry, Environment, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hassan II University, Ain Chock, Casablanca, P.O. Box 5696, Morocco
| | - Idrissi Laila
- Process and Environment Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Mohammedia. Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - El merabet Youssef
- SETIME Laboratory, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ibn Tofail University, B.P 133, Kenitra, 14000 Morocco
| | - Souhaili Zineb
- Laboratory of Chemistry-Biochemistry, Environment, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hassan II University, Ain Chock, Casablanca, P.O. Box 5696, Morocco
| | - El jarmouni Mohamed
- National School of Applied Sciences, Water and Environmental Engineering Team, Applied Sciences Laboratory, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, B.P03, Ajdir, Al-Hoceima, Morocco
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Marzouk ER, Donner E, von der Kammer F, Bailey EH, Shetaya WH, Young SD, Lombi E. Assessing the Lability and Environmental Mobility of Organically Bound Copper by Stable Isotope Dilution. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:5580-5589. [PMID: 35438975 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The environmental mobility of Cu and therefore its potential toxicity are closely linked to its attachment to natural organic matter (NOM). Geochemical models assume full lability of metals bound to NOM, especially under strong oxidizing conditions, which often leads to an overestimation of the lability of soil metals. Stable isotope dilution (SID) has been successfully applied to estimate the labile (isotopically exchangeable) pool of soil metals. However, its application to study the lability of NOM-Cu required development of a robust separation and detection approach so that free Cu ions can be discriminated from (the also soluble) NOM-Cu. We developed a SID protocol (with enriched 65Cu) to quantify the labile pool of NOM-Cu using size exclusion chromatography coupled to a UV detector (for the identification of different NOM molecular weights) and ICP-MS (for 65Cu/63Cu ratio measurement). The Cu isotopic-exchange technique was first characterized and verified using standard NOM (SR-NOM) before applying the developed technique to an "organic-rich" podzol soil extract. The developed protocol indicated that, in contrast to the common knowledge, significant proportions of SR-NOM-Cu (25%) and soil organic-Cu (55%) were not labile, i.e., permanently locked into inaccessible organic structures. These findings need to be considered in defining Cu interactions with the reactive pool of NOM using geochemical models and risk evaluation protocols in which complexed Cu has always been implicitly assumed to be fully labile and exchangeable with free Cu ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezzat R Marzouk
- Division of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, Arish University, North Sinai 45516, Egypt
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Building X, Mawson Lakes Campus, Adelaide, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Erica Donner
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Building X, Mawson Lakes Campus, Adelaide, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Frank von der Kammer
- University of Vienna, Department of Environmental Geosciences, Althanstraße 14 UZAII, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Elizabeth H Bailey
- Division of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire, Loughborough LE12 5RD, U.K
| | - Waleed H Shetaya
- Air Pollution Research Department, Environment and Climate Change Research Institute, National Research Centre, 33 El-Bohouth St., Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Scott D Young
- Division of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire, Loughborough LE12 5RD, U.K
| | - Enzo Lombi
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Building X, Mawson Lakes Campus, Adelaide, SA 5095, Australia
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10
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Guerra E Oliveira T, Trancoso IA, Lorençoni MF, Souza Júnior AD, Campagnaro BP, Coco LZ, Weitzel Dias Carneiro MT, do Espírito Santo Lemos M, Endringer DC, Fronza M. Toxicological effects of air settled particles from the Vitoria Metropolitan Area mediated by oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory mediators and NFΚB pathway. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112015. [PMID: 34509484 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric pollution is a major environmental and public health risk due to its effect on global air quality and climate. Increase in pollutants concentrations, especially particulate matter (PM), are associated with increased respiratory diseases. The pathophysiology of respiratory diseases involves molecular and cellular mechanisms as inflammatory biomarkers and reactive oxygen species production. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the in vitro cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory effects of particulate matter (PM) of six monitoring stations (1-6) from the Vitoria Metropolitan Area (VMA), Espirito Santo, Brazil in 2018. The PM was chemically characterized by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In vitro cytotoxic effects of PM (3.12-200.0 μg/mL) were analyzed in human lung epithelial cells (A549) and macrophage cells (RAW 264.7) by MTT assay (3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide). To investigate the pro-inflammatory effects of PM in RAW 264.7 cells, the levels of proinflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), superoxide anion (O2•-), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF- κB) were measured. The comet assay evaluated genotoxicity. Cell cycle, oxidative stress (DCF and DHE), and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry. Chemical analysis of PM revealed aluminum (Al) and Iron (Fe) as the major chemical elements in all studied monitoring stations. In addition, worrying concentrations of mercury (Hg) were detected in the PM. The in vitro results showed that PM presents a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect in macrophage and pulmonary epithelial cell lines. The PM increased the production of NO, O2•-, and pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6. PM also promoted alterations in the cell cycle, increased apoptosis frequency, and DNA damage. Moreover, PM increased the expression NF-κB. In addition, a positive correlation between Al and Fe and ROS production was observed. Based on the results obtained during the study period, it was concluded that the sedimented particles from the VMA might have deleterious effects on human health, which was evidenced by the increase in oxidative stress, an increase in pro-inflammatory mediators, and genotoxic effects partially mediated by the NF-κB pathway. These results add aspects to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the effects of sedimented particles in vivo and in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trícia Guerra E Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Laboratório de Cultura de Células, Universidade Vila Velha, Vila Velha, Brazil
| | - Isabelle Araújo Trancoso
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Laboratório de Cultura de Células, Universidade Vila Velha, Vila Velha, Brazil
| | - Mariane Fioroti Lorençoni
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Laboratório de Cultura de Células, Universidade Vila Velha, Vila Velha, Brazil
| | - Antônio Domingos Souza Júnior
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Laboratório de Cultura de Células, Universidade Vila Velha, Vila Velha, Brazil
| | - Bianca Prandi Campagnaro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Laboratório de Fisiologia Translacional, Universidade Vila Velha, Vila Velha, Brazil
| | - Larissa Zambom Coco
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Laboratório de Fisiologia Translacional, Universidade Vila Velha, Vila Velha, Brazil
| | | | | | - Denise Coutinho Endringer
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Laboratório de Cultura de Células, Universidade Vila Velha, Vila Velha, Brazil
| | - Marcio Fronza
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Laboratório de Cultura de Células, Universidade Vila Velha, Vila Velha, Brazil.
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11
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Abbass RA, Kumar P, El-Gendy A. Fine particulate matter exposure in four transport modes of Greater Cairo. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 791:148104. [PMID: 34126484 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The number of daily commuters in Greater Cairo has exceeded 15 million nevertheless personal exposure studies in transport microenvironments are limited. The aim of this study is to quantify PM2.5 exposure during peak hours in four transport modes of Greater Cairo - car (windows-open, windows-closed with recirculation and AC-on), microbus (windows-open), cycling and walking - and understand its underlying drivers. Data was collected using a pDR-1500 monitor and analysed to capture concentration variations, spatial variability, exposure doses, commuting costs versus inhaled doses, health burden and economic losses. Car with recirculation resulted in the least average PM2.5 concentrations (32 ± 6 μg/m3), followed by walking (77 ± 35 μg/m3), car with windows-open (82 ± 32 μg/m3), microbus with windows-open (96 ± 29 μg/m3) and cycling (100 ± 28 μg/m3). Evening hours observed average PM2.5 concentrations by 26-58% lesser than morning. Spatial variability analysis showed that 75th-90th percentile PM2.5 concentrations coincided with congested spots. Cycling and walking lanes are rare hence commuters are exposed to surges in PM2.5 concentrations when passing near construction and solid waste burning sites. Cycling and walking also resulted in inhaling 40-times and 32-times higher PM2.5 dose per kilometre than for car with recirculation. Commuting by microbus cost (with windows-open) ~45% of car cost (with recirculation) but it resulted in 4-times higher inhaled PM2.5 dose. As expected due to the lowest PM2.5 exposure concentrations, health burden resulting from car travel (with recirculation) caused the least death rates of 0.07 (95% CI 0.07-0.08) prematures deaths per 100,000 commuters/year while microbus with windows-open resulted in the highest death rates; 0.52 (95% CI 0.49-0.56). Microbus deaths represent 57% of national economic losses due to PM2.5 exposure amongst the four transport modes. This study provides real-time exposure data and analyses its implications on commuter health as a first step in informed decision-making and better urban planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Alaa Abbass
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom; Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Ahmed El-Gendy
- Department of Construction Engineering, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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12
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Mostafa MK, Gamal G, Wafiq A. The impact of COVID 19 on air pollution levels and other environmental indicators - A case study of Egypt. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021. [PMID: 33069147 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) not only affected health and economics, but also its effect extended to include other aspects, such as the environment. Using Egypt as a case study, this paper presents the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on air pollution levels by studying nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), particulate matter represented in absorbing aerosol index (AAI), carbon monoxide (CO), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The paper also highlights the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on other environmental indicators including environmental noise, medical and municipal solid wastes. The paper presents the Egyptian COVID-19 story from its different angles including the development of confirmed COVID-19 cases, containment measures from the government, the impact on the country's economy and the national energy consumption so as to effectively evaluate the effect on both the air pollution levels and the other studied environmental indicators. For the other environmental indicators, a strong link was observed between COVID-19 lockdown and the reduction in environmental noise, beaches, surface and groundwater pollution. For environmental noise, this has been confirmed by officially governmental announcements which reported that the level of environmental noise in Egypt was reduced by about 75% during the lockdown period. On the other hand, there are some negative effects, including an increase in medical solid waste (from 70 to 300 ton/day), municipal solid waste, as well as a less efficient solid waste recycling process. For air pollution levels, the data were obtained from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and European Space Agency satellite data sets. The data for the lockdown period in 2020 have been extracted and compared to the corresponding months in the selected baseline period (2015-2019) to identify the effect that the lockdown period had on the air pollution levels in Egypt with focus on Cairo and Alexandria governorates. It was found that the AAI decreased by about 30%, the NO2 decreased by 15 and 33% over Cairo and Alexandria governorates, respectively, and that the CO decreased by about 5% over both governorates. In addition, the GHG emissions in Egypt were reduced by at least 4% during the pandemic. In contrast, ozone levels increased by about 2% over Cairo and Alexandria governorates. It can be concluded that the implemented containment measures during COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in both positive and negative environmental impacts. The positive environmental impacts are not sustainable and deterioration on them is expected to occur after the lockdown as it was before the pandemic. Therefore, stricter laws must be enacted to protect the environment in Egypt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed K Mostafa
- Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Gamil Gamal
- Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of African Postgraduate Studies, Cairo University, Egypt
| | - A Wafiq
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Egypt
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13
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Mostafa MK, Gamal G, Wafiq A. The impact of COVID 19 on air pollution levels and other environmental indicators - A case study of Egypt. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 277:111496. [PMID: 33069147 PMCID: PMC7547608 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) not only affected health and economics, but also its effect extended to include other aspects, such as the environment. Using Egypt as a case study, this paper presents the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on air pollution levels by studying nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), particulate matter represented in absorbing aerosol index (AAI), carbon monoxide (CO), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The paper also highlights the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on other environmental indicators including environmental noise, medical and municipal solid wastes. The paper presents the Egyptian COVID-19 story from its different angles including the development of confirmed COVID-19 cases, containment measures from the government, the impact on the country's economy and the national energy consumption so as to effectively evaluate the effect on both the air pollution levels and the other studied environmental indicators. For the other environmental indicators, a strong link was observed between COVID-19 lockdown and the reduction in environmental noise, beaches, surface and groundwater pollution. For environmental noise, this has been confirmed by officially governmental announcements which reported that the level of environmental noise in Egypt was reduced by about 75% during the lockdown period. On the other hand, there are some negative effects, including an increase in medical solid waste (from 70 to 300 ton/day), municipal solid waste, as well as a less efficient solid waste recycling process. For air pollution levels, the data were obtained from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and European Space Agency satellite data sets. The data for the lockdown period in 2020 have been extracted and compared to the corresponding months in the selected baseline period (2015-2019) to identify the effect that the lockdown period had on the air pollution levels in Egypt with focus on Cairo and Alexandria governorates. It was found that the AAI decreased by about 30%, the NO2 decreased by 15 and 33% over Cairo and Alexandria governorates, respectively, and that the CO decreased by about 5% over both governorates. In addition, the GHG emissions in Egypt were reduced by at least 4% during the pandemic. In contrast, ozone levels increased by about 2% over Cairo and Alexandria governorates. It can be concluded that the implemented containment measures during COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in both positive and negative environmental impacts. The positive environmental impacts are not sustainable and deterioration on them is expected to occur after the lockdown as it was before the pandemic. Therefore, stricter laws must be enacted to protect the environment in Egypt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed K Mostafa
- Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Gamil Gamal
- Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of African Postgraduate Studies, Cairo University, Egypt
| | - A Wafiq
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Egypt
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14
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Chang FJ, Chang LC, Kang CC, Wang YS, Huang A. Explore spatio-temporal PM2.5 features in northern Taiwan using machine learning techniques. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 736:139656. [PMID: 32485387 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The complex mixtures of local emission sources and regional transportations of air pollutants make accurate PM2.5 prediction a very challenging yet crucial task, especially under high pollution conditions. A symbolic representation of spatio-temporal PM2.5 features is the key to effective air pollution regulatory plans that notify the public to take necessary precautions against air pollution. The self-organizing map (SOM) can cluster high-dimensional datasets to form a meaningful topological map. This study implements the SOM to effectively extract and clearly distinguish the spatio-temporal features of long-term regional PM2.5 concentrations in a visible two-dimensional topological map. The spatial distribution of the configured topological map spans the long-term datasets of 25 monitoring stations in northern Taiwan using the Kriging method, and the temporal behavior of PM2.5 concentrations at various time scales (i.e., yearly, seasonal, and hourly) are explored in detail. Finally, we establish a machine learning model to predict PM2.5 concentrations for high pollution events. The analytical results indicate that: (1) high population density and heavy traffic load correspond to high PM2.5 concentrations; (2) the change of seasons brings obvious effects on PM2.5 concentration variation; and (3) the key input variables of the prediction model identified by the Gamma Test can improve model's reliability and accuracy for multi-step-ahead PM2.5 prediction. The results demonstrated that machine learning techniques can skillfully summarize and visibly present the clusted spatio-temporal PM2.5 features as well as improve air quality prediction accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fi-John Chang
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
| | - Li-Chiu Chang
- Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Tamkang University, New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan
| | - Che-Chia Kang
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Shin Wang
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Angela Huang
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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15
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Cao X, Wang M, Li J, Luo Y, Li R, Yan X, Zhang H. Fine particulate matter increases airway hyperresponsiveness through kallikrein-bradykinin pathway. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2020; 195:110491. [PMID: 32213367 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have reported short-term fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure to increase incidence of asthma, related to the increase of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR); however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Aim of this study was to elucidate the role of kallikrein in PM2.5-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and understand the underlying mechanism. Nose-only PM2.5 exposure system was used to generate a mouse model of airway hyperresponsiveness. Compared with the control group, PM2.5 exposure could significantly increase airway resistance, lung inflammation, kallikrein expression of bronchi-lung tissue and bradykinin (BK) secretion. However, these changes could be alleviated by kallikrein inhibitor. In addition,PM2.5 could increase the viability of human airway smooth muscle cells (hASMCs), accompanied by increased expression of kallikrein 14 (Klk14), bradykinin 2 receptor (B2R), bradykinin secretion and cytosol calcium level, while kallikrein 14 gene knockdown could significantly amelioratethe above response induced by PM2.5. Taken together, the data suggested kallikrein to play a key role in PM2.5-induced airway hyperresponsiveness, and that it could be a potential therapeutic target in asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Cao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China; Department of Respiratory Medicine, The No.1 Hospital of Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China
| | - Jingwen Li
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China
| | - Yuan Luo
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China
| | - Rongqin Li
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China
| | - Xixin Yan
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China.
| | - Huiran Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China.
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16
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Fifteen Years of Airborne Particulates in Vitro Toxicology in Milano: Lessons and Perspectives Learned. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21072489. [PMID: 32260164 PMCID: PMC7177378 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Air pollution is one of the world’s leading environmental causes of death. The epidemiological relationship between outdoor air pollution and the onset of health diseases associated with death is now well established. Relevant toxicological proofs are now dissecting the molecular processes that cause inflammation, reactive species generation, and DNA damage. In addition, new data are pointing out the role of airborne particulates in the modulation of genes and microRNAs potentially involved in the onset of human diseases. In the present review we collect the relevant findings on airborne particulates of one of the biggest hot spots of air pollution in Europe (i.e., the Po Valley), in the largest urban area of this region, Milan. The different aerodynamic fractions are discussed separately with a specific focus on fine and ultrafine particles that are now the main focus of several studies. Results are compared with more recent international findings. Possible future perspectives of research are proposed to create a new discussion among scientists working on the toxicological effects of airborne particles.
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