The impact of allergy and immunology on our expanding industrial environment

Urban Greening and Pollen Allergy: Balancing Health and Environmental Sustainability

Urban living requires a careful balance between human health and environmental sustainability when selecting urban vegetation. Public gardens and green roofs offer significant environmental benefits, including air filtration, exposure to health-associated microbiota, and mitigation of the urban heat island effect. However, prioritizing allergy-friendly species is crucial to prevent the exacerbation of pollen allergies. This review highlights 3 primary criteria for selecting vegetation that supports these ecosystem services while minimizing allergy risks. First, reducing the use of many wind-pollinated plants, such as birch trees and grasses, is crucial due to their high pollen production and cross-reactivity with other species, which can exacerbate allergies. In contrast, insect-pollinated plants are generally safer for allergy sufferers. Secondly, cultivating multispecies plant communities with minimal maintenance supports habitats for microbiota and invertebrates, further providing ecosystem services. Lastly, balancing plant gender ratios in urban spaces can help control pollen levels. Together these criteria provide a framework for urban planners to create green spaces that are both environmentally beneficial and allergy friendly. Although this review focuses on European data, the principles discussed have global relevance, reinforcing the need to integrate environmental sustainability with public health considerations in urban planning. Future studies should also investigate the health impacts of plant volatile emissions, explore heat-resistant plant varieties, and assess the ecological risks of invasive species to support sustainable, allergy-friendly urban environments.

Immunotoxic effects of xenobiotics in humans: A review of current evidence

Immunotoxic effects include immunosuppression and immunostimulation, hypersensitivity and autoimmunity. Infections and lymphoproliferative disorders have been associated with the use of immunosuppressive drugs, whereas infections have seldom been associated with chemical exposure. Fewer drugs and chemicals have been shown to enhance immune parameters. Clinical consequences, (i.e. flu-like syndromes, autoimmune reactions, facilitated allergic reactions to unrelated antigens and impaired hepatic drug metabolism) mostly have been associated with recombinant cytokines. Hypersensitivity reactions have commonly been reported in treated patients as well as in exposed workers. Autoimmune reactions have been associated with only a few drugs. Overall, current evidence suggests that marked immune changes in humans exposed to xenobiotics can result in overt clinical toxicities, but it remains to be established to what extent mild to moderate immune changes described in animals and/or humans can result in immune-mediated diseases. This issue could be investigated by the follow-up of selected cohorts, for example patients from clinical trials, exposed workers, or inhabitants of heavily polluted areas, using standardized and validated immunology assays, together with the identification of sentinel immune diseases.

Volatile organic compounds: do they present a risk to our health?

Indoor air quality has been recognised as a significant health, environment, and economic issue in many countries. Research findings have demonstrated that some air pollutants occur more frequently and at a higher concentration in indoor air than in outdoor air, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this context, the indoor environment can be of crucial importance because modem society spends most of their time indoors, and exposure to VOCs may result in a spectrum of illnesses ranging from mild, such as irritation, to very severe effects, including cancer. These effects have been seen at very low levels of exposure in many epidemiological studies. In this review, we discuss the nature of the VOCs that are ubiquitous in indoor environment and the evidence for adverse health effects associated with exposure to some of these compounds.

Multiple chemical sensitivity: a review of the theoretical and research literature

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a term used to describe a disorder characterized by a vast array of somatic, cognitive, and affective symptoms, the cause of which is attributed to exposure to extremely low levels of a variety of chemicals. Upon examination of the patient with a diagnosis of MCS, objective physical findings and consistent laboratory abnormalities are typically nonexistent. The concept of MCS has ignited considerable controversy in the fields of toxicology, immunology, allergy, psychology, and neuropsychology. Central to the controversy is the disagreement over the extent to which the manifestation of MCS is mediated by psychological factors. Because of the large number of neuropsychological symptoms associated with a diagnosis of MCS, neuropsychologists are increasingly receiving referrats for the assessment of these patients. It is important, therefore, that neuropsychologists become aware of the variety of clinical issues that must be taken into account when assessing an individual with a diagnosis of MCS. The theoretical and research literature on individuals with a diagnosis of MCS is reviewed here.

Asthma and the home environment

Recent years have seen a global increase in asthma prevalence. This has coincided with modifications to the home environment resulting in changes to the indoor air quality. This article considers the links between indoor pollution and asthma. Exposure to a range of substances is examined. Airborne allergens such as those from house dust mites may be important. Pollution from particulate materials associated with combustion and smoking is discussed, as is the role of chemical vapors and gases including nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds. The efficacy of various environmental controls to limit the impact of these pollutants is explored.

Asthma and domestic air quality

In recent years, there has been a global increase in the prevalence of asthma. This has coincided with many modifications to the home environment, resulting in changes to the quality of indoor air. This article considers the links between indoor air pollution and asthma. Exposure to a range of pollutants is examined. Airborne allergens such as those from house dust mites and cockroaches, domestic pets and moulds and fungal spores may be important. Pollution from particulate materials associated with bio-fuel combustion and smoking is discussed, as is the role of chemical vapours and gases including nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds. The efficacy of various environmental controls to limit the impact of these pollutants is explored. It is concluded that indoor air pollution may be an important risk for asthma and the health impacts of building design and management require greater recognition and further research.

Immune responses to pollutant mixtures from indoor sources

Indoor air pollution occurs as an undesirable consequence of urbanization, energy conservation, indoor bioaerosol contamination, and use of synthetic materials and new technologies, and has become a worldwide concern. It is important to comprehend not only the diversity of pollutant hazards but also to develop novel methods and approaches that establish dose-response relationships, cause-and-effect relationships, and clinical relevance. Coincident with heightened public concern over indoor air pollution and its health consequences, a revolution in immunology has occurred. The immune system is recognized as an essential defensive and homeostatic mechanism. Unfortunately, the immune apparatus is exquisitely sensitive to toxic damage. Equally important, among the disciplines available to assess the health impact of indoor air pollutants, immunology has the capability to provide sensitive and specific tools that may accurately measure relevant clinical effects at tissue, cellular, and molecular levels. Furthermore, exciting new insights into shared communications networks between the immune, endocrine, and central nervous systems may provide future explanations for the myriad human complaints associated with indoor air pollutants.

Indoor air pollution: an edifice complex

The collision of escalating technological sophistication and surging environmental awareness has caused the reexamination of many societal paradigms. Horror stories about lethal chemical exposures involving isolated cases of ignorance, carelessness or greed have caused the public to demand constant vigilance to prevent exposure to potentially hazardous substances. Accordingly, much time and resource has been expanded by the U.S. government and citizens to abate and prevent air and water pollution. While these efforts have met with measurable success, there is increasing public concern about a new generation of pollution-related human illness in office, home and transportation environments. New instances of Sick Building Syndrome or Building Related Illness are reported daily by the popular press. Human health effects such as cancer, infectious disease, allergy and irritation have been ascribed to indoor air pollution. The clinical aspects of indoor air pollution are often discounted by consulting engineers and industrial hygienists involved in indoor air quality. Physicians and clinically-trained scientists have received a "Macedonian call" to sift clinical relevance from the emotional aspects of indoor air quality problems. Point sources of pollutants, associated human health effects, and problem solving approaches associated with indoor air pollution are described. Regulatory and litigational aspects of indoor air pollution are also discussed.