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Li P, Wu J, Tong M, Wang R, Tang M, Guan T, Zheng M, Zhu T, Xue T. Stillbirths Associated with Particle Pollution are Disproportionally Contributed by Sand Dust: Findings from 52 Low- and Middle-Income Countries. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 39190587 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c04460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Whether maternal exposure to dust-sourced particulate matter (hereafter, dust PM2.5) is associated with stillbirth remains unknown. We adopted a sibling-matched case-control design to analyze 9332 stillbirths and 17,421 live births. We associated the risk of stillbirth simultaneously with dust and nondust components of PM2.5 and developed a nonlinear joint exposure-response function. Next, we estimated the burden of stillbirths attributable to the PM2.5 mixture. The concentration index was used to evaluate whether the burden of PM2.5-related stillbirths was disproportionally distributed among pregnancies exposed to dust-rich particles. Each 10 μg/m3 increase in dust PM2.5 was associated with a 14.5% (95% confidence interval: 5.5, 24.2%) increase in the odds of stillbirth. Based on the risk assessment across 137 countries, sand dust contributed to about 15% of the PM2.5 exposure but to about 45% of the PM2.5-related stillbirths during 2003-2019. In 2015, 30% of the PM2.5-related stillbirths were concentrated within 15% of pregnancies exposed to the dust-richest PM2.5. The index increased in subregions, such as South Asia, suggesting the growth of health inequality due to exposure to dust PM2.5. Based on our findings, land management, such as halting desertification, will help prevent stillbirths and reduce global maternal health inequality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Li
- Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
- Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, Hangzhou 311215, China
| | - Jingyi Wu
- Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, Hangzhou 311215, China
| | - Mingkun Tong
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Ruohan Wang
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Mingjin Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Tianjia Guan
- School of Health Policy and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Mei Zheng
- SKL-ESPC, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Tong Zhu
- SKL-ESPC, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Tao Xue
- Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, Hangzhou 311215, China
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China
- Center for Environment and Health, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
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Weeda LJZ, Bradshaw CJA, Judge MA, Saraswati CM, Le Souëf PN. How climate change degrades child health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 920:170944. [PMID: 38360325 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170944] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children are more vulnerable than adults to climate-related health threats, but reviews examining how climate change affects human health have been mainly descriptive and lack an assessment of the magnitude of health effects children face. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis that identifies which climate-health relationships pose the greatest threats to children. OBJECTIVES We reviewed epidemiologic studies to analyse various child health outcomes due to climate change and identify the relationships with the largest effect size. We identify population-specific risks and provide recommendations for future research. METHODS We searched four large online databases for observational studies published up to 5 January 2023 following PRISMA (systematic review) guidelines. We evaluated each included study individually and aggregated relevant quantitative data. We used quantitative data in our meta-analysis, where we standardised effect sizes and compared them among different groupings of climate variables and health outcomes. RESULTS Of 1301 articles we identified, 163 studies were eligible for analysis. We identified many relationships between climate change and child health, the strongest of which was increasing risk (60 % on average) of preterm birth from exposure to temperature extremes. Respiratory disease, mortality, and morbidity, among others, were also influenced by climate changes. The effects of different air pollutants on health outcomes were considerably smaller compared to temperature effects, but with most (16/20 = 80 %) pollutant studies indicating at least a weak effect. Most studies occurred in high-income regions, but we found no geographical clustering according to health outcome, climate variable, or magnitude of risk. The following factors were protective of climate-related child-health threats: (i) economic stability and strength, (ii) access to quality healthcare, (iii) adequate infrastructure, and (iv) food security. Threats to these services vary by local geographical, climate, and socio-economic conditions. Children will have increased prevalence of disease due to anthropogenic climate change, and our quantification of the impact of various aspects of climate change on child health can contribute to the planning of mitigation that will improve the health of current and future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis J Z Weeda
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Corey J A Bradshaw
- Global Ecology | Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, EpicAustralia.org.au, Australia
| | - Melinda A Judge
- Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | - Peter N Le Souëf
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Saraswati CM, Judge MA, Weeda LJZ, Bassat Q, Prata N, Le Souëf PN, Bradshaw CJA. Net benefit of smaller human populations to environmental integrity and individual health and wellbeing. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1339933. [PMID: 38504675 PMCID: PMC10949988 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1339933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The global human population is still growing such that our collective enterprise is driving environmental catastrophe. Despite a decline in average population growth rate, we are still experiencing the highest annual increase of global human population size in the history of our species-averaging an additional 84 million people per year since 1990. No review to date has accumulated the available evidence describing the associations between increasing population and environmental decline, nor solutions for mitigating the problems arising. Methods We summarize the available evidence of the relationships between human population size and growth and environmental integrity, human prosperity and wellbeing, and climate change. We used PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science to identify all relevant peer-reviewed and gray-literature sources examining the consequences of human population size and growth on the biosphere. We reviewed papers describing and quantifying the risks associated with population growth, especially relating to climate change. Results These risks are global in scale, such as greenhouse-gas emissions, climate disruption, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and spread of disease-all potentially catastrophic for human standards of living, health, and general wellbeing. The trends increasing the risks of global population growth are country development, demographics, maternal education, access to family planning, and child and maternal health. Conclusion Support for nations still going through a demographic transition is required to ensure progress occurs within planetary boundaries and promotes equity and human rights. Ensuring the wellbeing for all under this aim itself will lower population growth and further promote environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melinda A. Judge
- Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Lewis J. Z. Weeda
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- Paediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Esplugues, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ndola Prata
- Bixby Center for Population Health and Sustainability, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Peter N. Le Souëf
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Corey J. A. Bradshaw
- Global Ecology | Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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Barkoski J, Van Fleet E, Liu A, Ramsey S, Kwok RK, Miller AK. Data Linkages for Wildfire Exposures and Human Health Studies: A Scoping Review. GEOHEALTH 2024; 8:e2023GH000991. [PMID: 38487553 PMCID: PMC10937504 DOI: 10.1029/2023gh000991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity, with significant consequences that impact human health. A scoping review was conducted to: (a) understand wildfire-related health effects, (b) identify and describe environmental exposure and health outcome data sources used to research the impacts of wildfire exposures on health, and (c) identify gaps and opportunities to leverage exposure and health data to advance research. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and a sample of 83 articles met inclusion criteria. A majority of studies focused on respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes. Hospital administrative data was the most common health data source, followed by government data sources and health surveys. Wildfire smoke, specifically fine particulate matter (PM2.5), was the most common exposure measure and was predominantly estimated from monitoring networks and satellite data. Health data were not available in real-time, and they lacked spatial and temporal coverage to study health outcomes with longer latency periods. Exposure data were often available in real-time and provided better temporal and spatial coverage but did not capture the complex mixture of hazardous wildfire smoke pollutants nor exposures associated with non-air pathways such as soil, household dust, food, and water. This scoping review of the specific health and exposure data sources used to underpin these studies provides a framework for the research community to understand: (a) the use and value of various environmental and health data sources, and (b) the opportunities for improving data collection, integration, and accessibility to help inform our understanding of wildfires and other environmental exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Barkoski
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc.a DLH Holdings CompanyDurhamNCUSA
| | - E. Van Fleet
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc.a DLH Holdings CompanyDurhamNCUSA
| | - A. Liu
- Department of Health and Human ServicesNational Institute of Environmental Health SciencesNational Institutes of HealthDurhamNCUSA
- Kelly Government SolutionsRockvilleMDUSA
| | - S. Ramsey
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc.a DLH Holdings CompanyDurhamNCUSA
| | - R. K. Kwok
- Department of Health and Human ServicesNational Institute on AgingNational Institutes of HealthBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - A. K. Miller
- Department of Health and Human ServicesNational Institute of Environmental Health SciencesNational Institutes of HealthDurhamNCUSA
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Zhang Y, Tingting Y, Huang W, Yu P, Chen G, Xu R, Song J, Guo Y, Li S. Health Impacts of Wildfire Smoke on Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Curr Environ Health Rep 2024; 11:46-60. [PMID: 38038861 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00420-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Wildfire smoke is associated with human health, becoming an increasing public health concern. However, a comprehensive synthesis of the current evidence on the health impacts of ambient wildfire smoke on children and adolescents, an exceptionally vulnerable population, is lacking. We conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed epidemiological studies on the association between wildfire smoke and health of children and adolescents. RECENT FINDINGS We searched for studies available in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus from database inception up to October 11, 2022. Of 4926 studies initially identified, 59 studies from 14 countries were ultimately eligible. Over 33.3% of the studies were conducted in the USA, and two focused on multi-countries. The exposure assessment of wildfire smoke was heterogenous, with wildfire-specific particulate matters with diameters ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5, 22.0%) and all-source (22.0%) PM2.5 during wildfire period most frequently used. Over half of studies (50.6%) focused on respiratory-related morbidities/mortalities. Wildfire smoke exposure was consistently associated with enhanced risks of adverse health outcomes in children/adolescents. Meta-analysis results presented a pooled relative risk (RR) of 1.04 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96-1.12) for all-cause respiratory morbidity, 1.11 (95% Ci: 0.93-1.32) for asthma, 0.93 (95% CI, 0.85-1.03) for bronchitis, and 1.13 (95% CI, 1.05-1.23) for upper respiratory infection, whilst - 21.71 g for birth weight (95% CI, - 32.92 to - 10.50) per 10 µg/m3 increment in wildfire-specific PM2.5/all-source PM2.5 during wildfire event. The majority of studies found that wildfire smoke was associated with multiple adverse health outcomes among children and adolescents, with respiratory morbidities of significant concern. In-utero exposure to wildfire smoke may increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes and have long-term impacts on height. Higher maternal baseline exposure to wildfire smoke and poor family-level baseline birthweight respectively elevated risks in preterm birth and low birth weight associated with wildfire smoke. More studies in low- and middle-income countries and focusing on extremely young children are needed. Despite technological progress, wildfire smoke exposure measurements remain uncertain, demanding improved methodologies to have more precise assessment of wildfire smoke levels and thus quantify the corresponding health impacts and guide public mitigation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhang
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Ye Tingting
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Wenzhong Huang
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Pei Yu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Gongbo Chen
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Rongbin Xu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Jiangning Song
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Yuming Guo
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
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Foo D, Stewart R, Heo S, Dhamrait G, Choi HM, Song Y, Bell ML. Wildfire smoke exposure during pregnancy and perinatal, obstetric, and early childhood health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 241:117527. [PMID: 37931734 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117527] [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: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal exposure to air pollution during pregnancy is associated with adverse birth outcomes, although less is known for wildfire smoke. This systematic review evaluated the association between maternal exposure to wildfire smoke during pregnancy and the risk of perinatal, obstetric, and early childhood health outcomes. METHODS We searched CINAHL Complete, Ovid/EMBASE, Ovid/MEDLINE, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to identify relevant epidemiological observational studies indexed through September 2023. The screening of titles, abstracts, and full-texts, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment was performed by pairs of independent reviewers. RESULTS Our systematic search yielded 28,549 records. After duplicate removal, we screened 14,009 studies, identifying 31 for inclusion in the present review. Data extraction highlighted high methodological heterogeneity between studies, including a lack of geographic variation. Approximately 56.5% and 16% originated in the United States and Brazil, respectively, and fewer in other countries. Among the studies, wildfire smoke exposure during pregnancy was assessed using distance of residence from wildfire-affected areas (n = 15), measurement of air pollutant concentration during wildfires (n = 11), number of wildfire records (n = 3), aerosol index (n = 1), and geographic hot spots (n = 1). Pooled meta-analysis for birthweight and low birthweight were inconclusive, likely due to low number of methodologically homogenous studies. However, the reviewed studies provided suggestive evidence for an increased risk of birthweight reduction, low birthweight, preterm birth, and other adverse health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS This review identified 31 studies evaluating the impacts of maternal wildfire smoke exposure on maternal, infant, and child health. Although we found suggestive evidence of harm from exposure to wildfire smoke during pregnancy, more methodologically homogenous studies are required to enable future meta-analysis with greater statistical power to more accurately evaluate the association between maternal wildfire smoke and adverse birth outcomes and other health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Foo
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States; Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Rory Stewart
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Seulkee Heo
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Gursimran Dhamrait
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Hayon Michelle Choi
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Yimeng Song
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Michelle L Bell
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
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Xue T, Li J, Tong M, Fan X, Li P, Wang R, Li Y, Zheng Y, Li J, Guan T, Zhu T. Stillbirths attributable to open fires and their geographic disparities in non-Western countries. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 334:122170. [PMID: 37451590 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122170] [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: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Due to global warming, an increased number of open fires is becoming a major contributor to PM2.5 pollution and thus a threat to public health. However, the burden of stillbirths attributable to fire-sourced PM2.5 is unknown. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a co-occurrence of high baseline stillbirth rates and frequent firestorms, which may lead to a geographic disparity. Across 54 LMICs, we conducted a self-matched case-control study, making stillbirths comparable to the corresponding livebirths in terms of time-invariant characteristics (e.g., genetics) and duration of gestational exposure. We established a joint-exposure-response function (JERF) by simultaneously associating stillbirth with fire- and non-fire-sourced PM2.5 concentrations, which were estimated by fusing multi-source data, such as chemical transport model simulations and satellite observations. During 2000-2014, 35,590 pregnancies were selected from multiple Demographic and Health Surveys. In each mother, a case of stillbirth was compared to her livebirth(s) based on gestational exposure to fire-sourced PM2.5. We further applied the JERF to assess stillbirths attributable to fire-sourced PM2.5 in 136 non-Western countries. The disparity was evaluated using the Gini index. The risk of stillbirth increased by 17.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6-35.7%) per 10 μg/m3 increase in fire-sourced PM2.5. In 2014, referring to a minimum-risk exposure level of 10 μg/m3, total and fire-sourced PM2.5 contributed to 922,860 (95% CI: 578,451-1,183,720) and 49,951 (95% CI: 3,634-92,629) stillbirths, of which 10% were clustered within the 6.4% and 0.6% highest-exposure pregnancies, respectively. The Gini index of stillbirths attributable to fire-sourced PM2.5 was 0.65, much higher than for total PM2.5 (0.28). Protecting pregnant women against PM2.5 exposure during wildfires is critical to avoid stillbirths, as the burden of fire-associated stillbirths leads to a geographic disparity in maternal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xue
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (PKU), School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China; Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Exposure and Health Risk Management and Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Jiajianghui Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (PKU), School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China.
| | - Mingkun Tong
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (PKU), School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China.
| | - Xinguang Fan
- Department of Sociology, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Pengfei Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (PKU), School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China; Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; National Institute of Health Data Science, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Ruohan Wang
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (PKU), School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China.
| | - Yanshun Li
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Yixuan Zheng
- Center of Air Quality Simulation and System Analysis, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Beijing, China.
| | - Jiwei Li
- School of Computer Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Tianjia Guan
- Department of Health Policy, School of Health Policy and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Tong Zhu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100084, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Exposure and Health Risk Management and Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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Xue T, Wang R, Tong M, Kelly FJ, Liu H, Li J, Li P, Qiu X, Gong J, Shang J, Zhu T. Estimating the exposure-response function between long-term ozone exposure and under-5 mortality in 55 low-income and middle-income countries: a retrospective, multicentre, epidemiological study. Lancet Planet Health 2023; 7:e736-e746. [PMID: 37673544 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00165-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2021, WHO suggested new target concentration limits for long-term exposure to ambient ozone. However, the harmful effects of ozone on vulnerable children have not been sufficiently studied. We aimed to evaluate the association between long-term ozone exposure and mortality in children younger than 5 years (hereafter denoted under-5 mortality) in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and to estimate this mortality burden for 97 LMICs. METHODS By combining information from 128 Demographic and Health Surveys, we evaluated the association between the survival status of more than 1·2 million children younger than 5 years from 2457 sampling strata in 55 LMICs and the average peak-season ozone concentration during the life course, using a fixed-effects Cox model. A non-linear exposure-response function was developed by integrating the marginal effects of within-strata variation in exposure. We extrapolated the function obtained from the 55 LMICs to estimate the under-5 mortality burden attributable to ozone exposure in 97 LMICs, in which more than 95% of global deaths in this age group occur. FINDINGS The fixed-effects model showed a robust association between ozone and under-5 mortality. According to the fully adjusted linear model, an increment of 10 ppb in the life-course average peak-season ozone concentration was associated with a 6·4% (95% CI 2·4-10·7) increase in the risk of under-5 mortality. The non-linear exposure-response function showed a sublinear curvature with a threshold, suggesting that the effect of ozone exposure was non-significant at concentrations lower than the first-stage interim target (100 μg/m3) recommended by WHO. Using this function, we estimate that, in 2010, long-term ozone exposure contributed to 153 361 (95% CI 17 077-276 768; 2·3% [0·3-4·1]) deaths of children younger than 5 years in 97 LMICs, which is equivalent to 56·8% of all ozone-related deaths in adults (269 785) in these countries. From 2003 to 2017, the ozone-related under-5 mortality burden decreased in most of the 97 LMICs. INTERPRETATION Long-term exposure to ozone concentrations higher than the WHO first-stage interim target is a risk factor for under-5 mortality, and ozone exposure contributes substantially to mortality in this age group in LMICs. Increased efforts should be made to control ambient ozone pollution as this will lead to positive health benefits. FUNDING Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China and China National Natural Science Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xue
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (PKU), School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China; Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Ruohan Wang
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (PKU), School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China
| | - Mingkun Tong
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (PKU), School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China
| | - Frank J Kelly
- Environmental Research Group, MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Hengyi Liu
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (PKU), School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China
| | - Jiajianghui Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (PKU), School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China
| | - Pengfei Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (PKU), School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China; Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xinghua Qiu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Exposure and Health Risk Management, Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing, China; College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jicheng Gong
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Exposure and Health Risk Management, Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing, China; College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Shang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Exposure and Health Risk Management, Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing, China; College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tong Zhu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Exposure and Health Risk Management, Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing, China; College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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9
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Pullabhotla HK, Zahid M, Heft-Neal S, Rathi V, Burke M. Global biomass fires and infant mortality. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218210120. [PMID: 37253010 PMCID: PMC10266003 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218210120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Global outdoor biomass burning is a major contributor to air pollution, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Recent years have witnessed substantial changes in the extent of biomass burning, including large declines in Africa. However, direct evidence of the contribution of biomass burning to global health outcomes remains limited. Here, we use georeferenced data on more than 2 million births matched to satellite-derived burned area exposure to estimate the burden of biomass fires on infant mortality. We find that each additional square kilometer of burning is associated with nearly 2% higher infant mortality in nearby downwind locations. The share of infant deaths attributable to biomass fires has increased over time due to the rapid decline in other important causes of infant death. Applying our model estimates across harmonized district-level data covering 98% of global infant deaths, we find that exposure to outdoor biomass burning was associated with nearly 130,000 additional infant deaths per year globally over our 2004 to 2018 study period. Despite the observed decline in biomass burning in Africa, nearly 75% of global infant deaths due to burning still occur in Africa. While fully eliminating biomass burning is unlikely, we estimate that even achievable reductions-equivalent to the lowest observed annual burning in each location during our study period-could have avoided more than 70,000 infant deaths per year globally since 2004.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemant K. Pullabhotla
- Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Economics, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC3125, Australia
| | - Mustafa Zahid
- Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Sam Heft-Neal
- Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Vaibhav Rathi
- Department of Economics, Stockholm University, Stockholm106 91, Sweden
| | - Marshall Burke
- Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA02138
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Li P, Wu J, Tong M, Li J, Wang R, Ni X, Lu H, Deng J, Ai S, Xue T, Zhu T. The association of birthweight with fine particle exposure is modifiable by source sector: Findings from a cross-sectional study of 17 low- and middle-income countries. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 253:114696. [PMID: 36857918 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114696] [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: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low birthweight attributable to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure is a global issue affecting infant health, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, large-population studies of multiple LMICs are lacking, and little is known about whether the source of PM2.5 is a determinant of the toxic effect on birthweight. OBJECTIVE We examined the effect on birthweight of long-term exposure to PM2.5 from different sources in LMICs. METHODS The birthweights of 53,449 infants born between September 16, 2017 and September 15, 2018 in 17 LMICs were collected from demographic and health surveys. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 in 2017 produced by 20 different sources was estimated by combining chemical transport model simulations with satellite-based concentrations of total mass. Generalized linear regression models were used to investigate the associations between birthweight and each source-specific PM2.5 exposure. A multiple-pollutant model with a ridge penalty on the coefficients of all 20-source-specific components was employed to develop a joint exposure-response function (JERF) of the PM2.5 mixtures. The estimated JERF was then used to quantify the global burden of birthweight reduction attributable to PM2.5 mixtures and to PM2.5 from specific sources. RESULTS The fully adjusted single-pollutant model indicated that exposure to a 10 μg/m3 increase in total PM2.5 was significantly associated with a -6.6 g (95% CI -11.0 to -2.3) reduction in birthweight. In single- and multiple-pollutant models, significant birthweight changes were associated with exposure to PM2.5 produced by international shipping (SHP), solvents (SLV), agricultural waste burning (GFEDagburn), road transportation (ROAD), waste handling and disposal (WST), and windblown dust (WDUST). Based on the global average exposure to PM2.5 mixtures, the JERF showed that the overall change in birthweight could mostly be attributed to PM2.5 produced by ROAD (-37.7 g [95% CI -49.2 to -24.4] for a global average exposure of 2.2 μg/m3), followed by WST (-27.5 g [95% CI -42.6 to -10.7] for a 1.6-μg/m3 exposure), WDUST (-19.5 g [95% CI -26.7 to -12.6] for a 8.6-μg/m3 exposure), and SHP (-19.0 g [95% CI -32.3 to -5.7] for a 0.2-μg/m3 exposure), which, with the exception of WDUST, are anthropogenic sources. The changes in birthweight varied geographically and were co-determined by the concentration as well as the source profile of the PM2.5 mixture. CONCLUSION PM2.5 exposure is associated with a reduction in birthweight, but our study shows that the magnitude of the association differs depending on the PM2.5 source. A source-targeted emission-control strategy that considers local features is therefore critical to maximize the health benefits of air quality improvement, especially with respect to promoting maternal and child health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China; Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, Hangzhou 311215, China; National Institute of Health Data Science, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Jingyi Wu
- Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, Hangzhou 311215, China.
| | - Mingkun Tong
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Jiajianghui Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Ruohan Wang
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Xueqiu Ni
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Hong Lu
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Jianyu Deng
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Siqi Ai
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Tao Xue
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China; Center for Environment and Health, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Tong Zhu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Center for Environment and Health, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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11
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Li P, Wu J, Wang R, Liu H, Zhu T, Xue T. Source sectors underlying PM 2.5-related deaths among children under 5 years of age in 17 low- and middle-income countries. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 172:107756. [PMID: 36669285 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107756] [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: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from different source sectors might differ in toxicity. However, data from large-scale studies on vulnerable children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are insufficient. OBJECTIVE To analyze the association of under-five death (U5D) with long-term exposure to PM2.5 from different sources. METHOD We evaluated demographic and health survey data for 79,995 babies born in 2017 in 16 Asian and African LMICs (AA-LMICs) and a Latin America low-income country (i.e., Haiti). Long-term exposure to PM2.5 was assessed by a well-established product that attributed the annual concentration to 20 source sectors in 2017. The associations of survival during < 5-year periods with each source-specific concentration of PM2.5 were analyzed by Cox regression with multiple adjustments. We derived a multiple-pollutant ridge regression model to estimate the joint exposure-response function (JERF) between U5D and PM2.5 mixtures. To evaluate how sources affected PM2.5 toxicity, we evaluated the number of U5Ds attributable to PM2.5 based on the source profiles for 88 AA-LMICs. RESULTS According to the single-pollutant model, the risk of U5D increased by 7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5%, 9%) for each 10 μg/m3 increment in total PM2.5 concentration. The model performance was lower than that of the multiple-pollutant ridge regression model. For each 10 μg/m3 increment in PM2.5, the excess risk of U5D ranged from 6% (95% CI: 4%, 9%) in Nepal to 10% (95% CI: 6%, 14%) in Mauritania. Based on the JERF, PM2.5 contributed to 817,647 (95% CI: 585,729, 1,050,439), i.e., 28.0% (95% CI: 20.1%, 35.8%), of all U5Ds across the 88 AA-LMICs. The PM2.5-related U5Ds were mostly attributable to PM2.5 produced by desert dust, followed by solid biofuel combustion and open fires. CONCLUSION The average toxicity of PM2.5 varied by source profile, which should be taken into consideration when planning public health interventions. For some AA LMICs, natural sources of PM2.5 had the most significant health effects, and should not be ignored to ensure the protection of child health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China; Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, Hangzhou 311215, China; National Institute of Health Data Science, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jingyi Wu
- Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, Hangzhou 311215, China.
| | - Ruohan Wang
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Hengyi Liu
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Tong Zhu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100086, China; Center for Environment and Health, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Tao Xue
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China; Center for Environment and Health, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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12
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Li J, Cai YS, Kelly FJ, Wooster MJ, Han Y, Zheng Y, Guan T, Li P, Zhu T, Xue T. Landscape fire smoke enhances the association between fine particulate matter exposure and acute respiratory infection among children under 5 years of age: Findings of a case-crossover study for 48 low- and middle-income countries. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 171:107665. [PMID: 36493611 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) produced by landscape fires is thought to be more toxic than that from non-fire sources. However, the effects of "fire-sourced" PM2.5 on acute respiratory infection (ARI) are unknown. METHODS We combined Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 48 countries with gridded global estimates of PM2.5 concentrations from 2003 to 2014. The proportions of fire-sourced PM2.5 were assessed by a chemical transport model using a variety of PM2.5 source data. We tested for associations between ARI and short-term exposure to fire- and "non-fire-sourced" PM2.5 using a bidirectional case-crossover analysis. The robustness and homogeneity of the associations were examined by sensitivity analyses. We also established a nonlinear exposure-response relationship between fire- and non-fire-sourced PM2.5 and ARI using a two-dimensional spline function. RESULTS The study included 36,432 children under 5 years who reported ARI symptoms. Each 1 µg/m3 increment of fire-sourced PM2.5 was associated with a 3.2 % (95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.2, 6.2) increment in the risk of ARI. This effect was comparable to that of each ∼5 µg/m3 increment in PM2.5 from non-fire sources (3.1 %; 95 % CI 2.4, 3.7). The association between ARI and total PM2.5 concentration was significantly mediated by the proportion of fire-sourced particles. Nonlinear analysis showed that the risk of ARI was increased by both fire- and non-fire-sourced PM2.5, but especially by the former. CONCLUSIONS PM2.5 produced by landscape fire was more strongly associated to ARI among children under 5 years than that from non-fire sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajianghui Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Yutong Samuel Cai
- Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK; National Institute for Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
| | - Frank J Kelly
- Environmental Research Group, MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Martin J Wooster
- Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment & Society and NERC National Centre for Earth Observation, Department of Geography, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Yiqun Han
- Environmental Research Group, MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Yixuan Zheng
- Department of Health Policy, School of Health Policy and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
| | - Tianjia Guan
- Center of Air Quality Simulation and System Analysis, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, China.
| | - Pengfei Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Tong Zhu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University Beijing, China.
| | - Tao Xue
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China.
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13
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The impact of prolonged landscape fire smoke exposure on women with asthma in Australia. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2022; 22:919. [PMID: 36482359 PMCID: PMC9733231 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-022-05231-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the physical and mental health impact of exposure to landscape fire smoke in women with asthma. This study examined the health impacts and information-seeking behaviours of women with asthma exposed to the 2019/2020 Australian fires, including women who were pregnant. METHODS Women with asthma were recruited from the Breathing for Life Trial in Australia. Following the landscape fire exposure period, self-reported data were collected regarding symptoms (respiratory and non-respiratory), asthma exacerbations, wellbeing, quality of life, information seeking, and landscape fire smoke exposure mitigation strategies. Participants' primary residential location and fixed site monitoring was used to geolocate and estimate exposure to landscape fire-related fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5). RESULTS The survey was completed by 81 pregnant, 70 breastfeeding and 232 non-pregnant and non-breastfeeding women with asthma. Participants had a median daily average of 17 μg/m3 PM2.5 and 105 μg/m3 peak PM2.5 exposure over the fire period (October 2019 to February 2020). Over 80% of participants reported non-respiratory and respiratory symptoms during the fire period and 41% reported persistent symptoms. Over 82% reported asthma symptoms and exacerbations of asthma during the fire period. Half the participants sought advice from a health professional for their symptoms. Most (97%) kept windows/doors shut when inside and 94% stayed indoors to minimise exposure to landscape fire smoke. Over two in five (43%) participants reported that their capacity to participate in usual activities was reduced due to prolonged smoke exposure during the fire period. Participants reported greater anxiety during the fire period than after the fire period (mean (SD) = 53(13) versus 39 (13); p < 0.001). Two in five (38%) pregnant participants reported having concerns about the effect of fire events on their pregnancy. CONCLUSION Prolonged landscape fire smoke exposure during the 2019/2020 Australian fire period had a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of women with asthma, including pregnant women with asthma. This was despite most women taking actions to minimise exposure to landscape fire smoke. Effective and consistent public health messaging is needed during landscape fire events to guard the health of women with asthma.
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14
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Estimation of stillbirths attributable to ambient fine particles in 137 countries. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6950. [PMID: 36446772 PMCID: PMC9709081 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34250-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Gestational exposure to ambient fine particles (PM2.5) increases the risk of stillbirth, but the related disease burden is unknown, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We combine state-of-the-art estimates on stillbirths, and multiple exposure-response functions obtained from previous meta-analyses or derived by a self-matched case-control study in 54 LMICs. 13,870 stillbirths and 32,449 livebirths are extracted from 113 geocoded surveys from the Demographic and Health Surveys. Each stillbirth is compared to livebirth(s) of the same mother using a conditional logit regression. We find that 10-µg/m3 increase of PM2.5 is associated with an 11.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.4, 15.7) increase in the risk of stillbirth, and the association is significantly enhanced by maternal age. Based on age-specific nonlinear PM2.5-stillbirth curves, we evaluate the PM2.5-related stillbirths in 137 countries. In 2015, of 2.09 (95% CI: 1.98, 2.20) million stillbirths, 0.83 (0.54, 1.08) million or 39.7% (26.1, 50.8) are attributable to PM2.5 exposure exceeding the reference level of 10 μg/m3. In LMICs, preventing pregnant women from being exposed to PM2.5 can improve maternal health.
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15
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Li J, Xue T, Tong M, Guan T, Liu H, Li P, Li J, Zhu T. Gestational exposure to landscape fire increases under-5 child death via reducing birthweight: A risk assessment based on mediation analysis in low- and middle-income countries. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 240:113673. [PMID: 35636233 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113673] [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: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to landscape fire smoke (LFS) is linked to child mortality and birthweight. It is unknown whether gestational exposure to LFS affects child survival rate. We aimed to link under-five death (U5D) to gestational LFS exposure by performing a causal mediation analysis based on birthweight. METHOD We conducted a sibling-matched case-control study of children under 5 years of age who were affiliated with the same mothers from Demographic and Health Surveys in 54 low- and middle-income countries, during the period from 2000 to 2014. LFS exposure was quantified as the surface concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) attributable to landscape fires, estimated using a global atmospheric model. Three pairwise associations between fire-sourced PM2.5, birthweight, and U5D were assessed using fixed-effects regressions. We used a bootstrap-based mediation test of regression coefficients to examine whether the LFS-birthweight-U5D pathway was statistically significant. We also conducted three pairwise exposure-response functions using nonlinear models and used them to estimate the pathway-specific disease burden from 2000 to 2014. RESULTS After adjustments for multiple confounders, each 1-µg/m3 increase in gestational exposure to fire-sourced PM2.5 was associated with a reduction of 2.179 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -3.777, -0.580) g in birthweight. Each 1-g birthweight reduction was associated with a 0.072% (95% CI: 0.065%, 0.078%) increase in U5D. Furthermore, each increase in exposure to fire-sourced PM2.5 was associated with a 2.853% (95% CI: 0.835%, 4.911%) increase in U5D; 7.294% (95% CI: 0.710%, 24.254%) of the linkage was explained by LFS-attributable birthweight reduction. Based on the estimated exposure-response functions, from 2000 to 2014, global exposure to fire-sourced PM2.5 contributed a mean birthweight reduction of 10.30 (95% CI: 2.93, 19.47) g, contributing to 60,350 (18,111, 106,619) premature U5Ds annually. CONCLUSION In low- and middle-income countries, gestational exposure to LFS can increase mortality during infancy; appropriate interventions are needed to promote health in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajianghui Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Tao Xue
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Mingkun Tong
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Tianjia Guan
- Department of Health Policy, School of Health Policy and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
| | - Hengyi Liu
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Pengfei Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health / Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100191, China; Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, China.
| | - Jiwei Li
- School of Computer Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Tong Zhu
- BIC-ESAT and SKL-ESPC, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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16
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Han Y, Xue T, Kelly FJ, Zheng Y, Yao Y, Li J, Li J, Fan C, Li P, Zhu T. Association of PM 2.5 Reduction with Improved Kidney Function: A Nationwide Quasiexperiment among Chinese Adults. HEALTH DATA SCIENCE 2022; 2022:9846805. [PMID: 38487491 PMCID: PMC10904065 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9846805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Background. Increasing evidence from human studies has revealed the adverse impact of ambient fine particles (PM 2.5) on health outcomes related to metabolic disorders and distant organs. Whether exposure to ambient PM 2.5 leads to kidney impairment remains unclear. The rapid air quality improvement driven by the clean air actions in China since 2013 provides an opportunity for a quasiexperiment to investigate the beneficial effect of PM 2.5 reduction on kidney function.Methods. Based on two repeated nationwide surveys of the same population of 5115 adults in 2011 and 2015, we conducted a difference-in-difference study. Variations in long-term exposure to ambient PM 2.5 were associated with changes in kidney function biomarkers, including estimated glomerular filtration rate by serum creatinine (GFR scr) or cystatin C (GFR cys), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and uric acid (UA).Results. For a 10 μg/m 3 reduction in PM 2.5, a significant improvement was observed for multiple kidney functional biomarkers, including GFR scr, BUN and UA, with a change of 0.42 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06, 0.78) mL/min/1.73m 2, -0.38 (-0.64, -0.12) mg/dL, and -0.06 (-0.12, -0.00) mg/dL, respectively. A lower socioeconomic status, indicated by rural residence or low educational level, enhanced the adverse effect of PM 2.5 on kidney function.Conclusions. These results support a significant nephrotoxicity of PM 2.5 based on multiple serum biomarkers and indicate a beneficial effect of improved air quality on kidney function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqun Han
- Environmental Research Group, MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- BIC-ESAT and SKL-ESPC, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Tao Xue
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Frank J. Kelly
- Environmental Research Group, MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Yixuan Zheng
- Center of Air Quality Simulation and System Analysis, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, 100012 Beijing, China
| | - Yao Yao
- China Center for Health Development Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiajianghui Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health/Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiwei Li
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chun Fan
- Computer Center, Peking University and Peng Cheng Laboratory, China
| | - Pengfei Li
- Advanced Institute of Information Technology, Peking University, China
| | - Tong Zhu
- BIC-ESAT and SKL-ESPC, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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17
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Holm SM, Balmes J. No fire without smoke (particles). eLife 2021; 10:74331. [PMID: 34787080 PMCID: PMC8598159 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollution from landscape fires, which are increasing with climate change, leads to babies being born with lower birthweights in low- and middle-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Holm
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - John Balmes
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
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