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Chan EAW, Fann N, Kelly JT. PM 2.5-Attributable Mortality Burden Variability in the Continental U.S. Atmos Environ (1994) 2023; 315:1-9. [PMID: 38299035 PMCID: PMC10829079 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.120131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Epidemiologic studies have consistently observed associations between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and premature mortality. These studies use air quality concentration information from a combination of sources to estimate pollutant exposures and then assess how mortality varies as a result of differing exposures. Health impact assessments then typically use a single log-linear hazard ratio (HR) per health outcome to estimate counts of avoided human health effects resulting from air quality improvements. This paper estimates the total PM2.5-attributable premature mortality burden using a variety of methods for estimating exposures and quantifying PM2.5-attributable deaths in 2011 and 2028. We use: 1) several exposure models that apply a wide range of methods, and 2) a variety of HRs from the epidemiologic literature that relate long-term PM2.5 exposures to mortality among the U.S. population. We then further evaluate the variability of aggregated national premature mortality estimates to stratification by race and/or ethnicity or exposure level (e.g., below the current annual PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards). We find that unstratified annual adult mortality burden incidence estimates vary more (e.g., ~3-fold) by HR than by exposure model (e.g., <10%). In addition, future mortality burden estimates stratified by race/ethnicity are larger than the unstratified estimates of the entire population, and studies that stratify PM2.5-attributable mortality HRs by an exposure concentration threshold led to substantially higher estimates. These results are intended to provide transparency regarding the sensitivity of mortality estimates to upstream input choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A W Chan
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Neal Fann
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - James T Kelly
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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Simon H, Baker KR, Sellers J, Amend M, Penn SL, Bankert J, Chan EAW, Fann N, Jang C, McKinley G, Zawacki M, Roman H. Evaluating reduced-form modeling tools for simulating ozone and PM 2.5 monetized health impacts. Environ Sci Atmos 2023; 19:1-13. [PMID: 37590244 PMCID: PMC10425884 DOI: 10.1039/d3ea00092c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Reduced-form modeling approaches are an increasingly popular way to rapidly estimate air quality and human health impacts related to changes in air pollutant emissions. These approaches reduce computation time by making simplifying assumptions about pollutant source characteristics, transport and chemistry. Two reduced form tools used by the Environmental Protection Agency in recent assessments are source apportionment-based benefit per ton (SA BPT) and source apportionment-based air quality surfaces (SABAQS). In this work, we apply these two reduced form tools to predict changes in ambient summer-season ozone, ambient annual PM2.5 component species and monetized health benefits for multiple sector-specific emission control scenarios: on-road mobile, electricity generating units (EGUs), cement kilns, petroleum refineries, and pulp and paper facilities. We then compare results against photochemical grid and standard health model-based estimates. We additionally compare monetized PM2.5 health benefits to values derived from three reduced form tools available in the literature: the Intervention Model for Air Pollution (InMAP), Air Pollution Emission Experiments and Policy Analysis (APEEP) version 2 (AP2) and Estimating Air pollution Social Impact Using Regression (EASIUR). Ozone and PM2.5 changes derived from SABAQS for EGU scenarios were well-correlated with values obtained from photochemical modeling simulations with spatial correlation coefficients between 0.64 and 0.89 for ozone and between 0.75 and 0.94 for PM2.5. SABAQS ambient ozone and PM2.5 bias when compared to photochemical modeling predictions varied by emissions scenario: SABAQS PM2.5 changes were overpredicted by up to 46% in one scenario and underpredicted by up to 19% in another scenario; SABAQS seasonal ozone changes were overpredicted by 34% to 83%. All tools predicted total PM2.5 benefits within a factor of 2 of the full-form predictions consistent with intercomparisons of reduced form tools available in the literature. As reduced form tools evolve, it is important to continue periodic comparison with comprehensive models to identify systematic biases in estimating air pollution impacts and resulting monetized health benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Simon
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Kirk R Baker
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Jennifer Sellers
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | | | | | | | - Elizabeth A W Chan
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Neal Fann
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Carey Jang
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Gobeail McKinley
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Margaret Zawacki
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Henry Roman
- Industrial Economics, Incorporated, Cambridge, MA
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Nassikas NJ, Chan EAW, Nolte CG, Roman HA, Micklewhite N, Kinney PL, Carter EJ, Fann NL. Modeling future asthma attributable to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) in a changing climate: a health impact assessment. Air Qual Atmos Health 2022; 15:311-319. [PMID: 35173822 PMCID: PMC8842843 DOI: 10.1007/s11869-022-01155-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with asthma development as well as asthma exacerbation in children. PM2.5 can be directly emitted or can form in the atmosphere from pollutant precursors. PM2.5 emitted and formed in the atmosphere is influenced by meteorology; future changes in climate may alter the concentration and distribution of PM2.5. Our aim is to estimate the future burden of climate change and PM2.5 on new and exacerbated cases of childhood asthma. Projected concentrations of PM2.5 are based on the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Coupled Model version 3 climate model, the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 greenhouse gas scenario, and two air pollution emissions datasets: a 2011 emissions dataset and a 2040 emissions dataset that reflects substantial reductions in emissions of PM2.5 as compared to the 2011 inventory. We estimate additional PM2.5-attributable asthma as well as PM2.5-attributable albuterol inhaler use for four future years (2030, 2050, 2075, and 2095) relative to the year 2000. Exacerbations, regardless of the trigger, are counted as attributable to PM2.5 if the incident disease is attributable to PM2.5. We project 38 thousand (95% CI 36, 39 thousand) additional PM2.5-attributable incident childhood asthma cases and 29 million (95% CI 27, 31 million) additional PM2.5-attributable albuterol inhaler uses per year in 2030, increasing to 200 thousand (95% CI 190, 210 thousand) additional incident cases and 160 million (95% CI 150, 160 million) inhaler uses per year by 2095 relative to 2000 under the 2011 emissions dataset. These additional PM2.5-attributable incident asthma cases and albuterol inhaler use would cost billions of additional U.S. dollars per year by the late century. These outcomes could be mitigated by reducing air pollution emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Nassikas
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Present Address: Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. W. Chan
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christopher G. Nolte
- Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - E. Jane Carter
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Neal L. Fann
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
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Fann N, Baker KR, Chan EAW, Eyth A, Macpherson A, Miller E, Snyder J. Assessing Human Health PM 2.5 and Ozone Impacts from U.S. Oil and Natural Gas Sector Emissions in 2025. Environ Sci Technol 2018; 52:8095-8103. [PMID: 30004688 PMCID: PMC6718951 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b02050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Incomplete information regarding emissions from oil and natural gas production has historically made it challenging to characterize the air quality or air pollution-related health impacts for this sector in the United States. Using an emissions inventory for the oil and natural gas sector that reflects information regarding the level and distribution of PM2.5 and ozone precursor emissions, we simulate annual mean PM2.5 and summer season average daily 8 h maximum ozone concentrations with the Comprehensive Air-Quality Model with extensions (CAMx). We quantify the incidence and economic value of PM2.5 and ozone health related effects using the environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program (BenMAP). We find that ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and ozone, and associated health impacts, are highest in a handful of states including Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia. On a per-ton basis, the benefits of reducing PM2.5 precursor emissions from this sector vary by pollutant species, and range from between $6,300 and $320,000, while the value of reducing ozone precursors ranges from $500 to $8,200 in the year 2025 (2015$).
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal Fann
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , 109 T.W. Alexander Drive , Research Triangle Park , North Carolina 27711 , United States
| | - Kirk R Baker
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , 109 T.W. Alexander Drive , Research Triangle Park , North Carolina 27711 , United States
| | - Elizabeth A W Chan
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , 109 T.W. Alexander Drive , Research Triangle Park , North Carolina 27711 , United States
| | - Alison Eyth
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , 109 T.W. Alexander Drive , Research Triangle Park , North Carolina 27711 , United States
| | - Alexander Macpherson
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , 109 T.W. Alexander Drive , Research Triangle Park , North Carolina 27711 , United States
| | - Elizabeth Miller
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , 109 T.W. Alexander Drive , Research Triangle Park , North Carolina 27711 , United States
| | - Jennifer Snyder
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , 109 T.W. Alexander Drive , Research Triangle Park , North Carolina 27711 , United States
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Abstract
Exposure to particulate matter air pollution has been causally linked to cardiovascular disease in humans. Several broad and overlapping hypotheses describing the biological mechanisms by which particulate matter exposure leads to cardiovascular disease have been explored, although linkage with specific factors or genes remains limited. These hypotheses may or may not also lead to particulate matter-induced cardiac dysfunction. Evidence pointing to autocrine/paracrine signaling systems as modulators of cardiac dysfunction has increased interest in the emerging role of endothelins as mediators of cardiac function following particulate matter exposure. Endothelin-1, a well-described small peptide expressed in the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems, is best known for its ability to constrict blood vessels, although it can also induce extravascular effects. Research on the role of endothelins in the context of air pollution has largely focused on vascular effects, with limited investigation of responses resulting from the direct effects of endothelins on cardiac tissue. This represents a significant knowledge gap in air pollution health effects research, given the abundance of endothelin receptors found on cardiac tissue and the ability of endothelin-1 to modulate cardiac contractility, heart rate, and rhythm. The plausibility of endothelin-1 as a mediator of particulate matter-induced cardiac dysfunction is further supported by the therapeutic utility of certain endothelin receptor antagonists. The present review examines the possibility that endothelin-1 release caused by exposure to PM directly modulates extravascular effects on the heart, deleteriously altering cardiac function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A W Chan
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellow at the National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Barbara Buckley
- National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Aimen K Farraj
- Environmental Public Health Division, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Leslie C Thompson
- Environmental Public Health Division, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
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Majumder K, Koues OI, Chan EAW, Kyle KE, Horowitz JE, Yang-Iott K, Bassing CH, Taniuchi I, Krangel MS, Oltz EM. Lineage-specific compaction of Tcrb requires a chromatin barrier to protect the function of a long-range tethering element. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 212:107-20. [PMID: 25512470 PMCID: PMC4291525 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20141479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Majumder et al. explore the large-scale looping architecture of the Tcrb locus early in murine thymocyte development during the generation of TCRβ diversity. They dissect novel DNA regulatory elements controlling V to D-J recombination and identify within an insulator region a distally located CTCF-containing element functioning as a tether, which facilitates looping of distal Vβ to Dβ-Jβ regions and promotes locus contraction. A second CTCF-containing element, proximal to the Dβ-Jβ region, acts as a boundary, preventing the spread of active chromatin associated with Dβ-Jβ regions. Removal of the proximal boundary element impairs the locus contraction capabilities of the tethering element. Gene regulation relies on dynamic changes in three-dimensional chromatin conformation, which are shaped by composite regulatory and architectural elements. However, mechanisms that govern such conformational switches within chromosomal domains remain unknown. We identify a novel mechanism by which cis-elements promote long-range interactions, inducing conformational changes critical for diversification of the TCRβ antigen receptor locus (Tcrb). Association between distal Vβ gene segments and the highly expressed DβJβ clusters, termed the recombination center (RC), is independent of enhancer function and recruitment of V(D)J recombinase. Instead, we find that tissue-specific folding of Tcrb relies on two distinct architectural elements located upstream of the RC. The first, a CTCF-containing element, directly tethers distal portions of the Vβ array to the RC. The second element is a chromatin barrier that protects the tether from hyperactive RC chromatin. When the second element is removed, active RC chromatin spreads upstream, forcing the tether to serve as a new barrier. Acquisition of barrier function by the CTCF element disrupts contacts between distal Vβ gene segments and significantly alters Tcrb repertoires. Our findings reveal a separation of function for RC-flanking regions, in which anchors for long-range recombination must be cordoned off from hyperactive RC landscapes by chromatin barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinjal Majumder
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Olivia I Koues
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Elizabeth A W Chan
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Katherine E Kyle
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Julie E Horowitz
- Division of Cancer Pathobiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Katherine Yang-Iott
- Division of Cancer Pathobiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Craig H Bassing
- Division of Cancer Pathobiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Ichiro Taniuchi
- Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Michael S Krangel
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Eugene M Oltz
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
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