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Salvador P, Pey J, Pérez N, Alastuey A, Querol X, Artíñano B. Estimating the probability of occurrence of African dust outbreaks over regions of the western Mediterranean basin from thermodynamic atmospheric parameters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171307. [PMID: 38428593 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Desert dust is currently recognized as a health risk factor. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) is actively promoting the establishment of early warning systems for sand and dust storms. This study introduces a methodology to estimate the probability of African dust outbreaks occurring in eight different regions of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. In each region, a multilinear regression model was developed to calculate daily probabilities of dust events using three thermodynamic variables (geopotential thickness in the 1000-500 hPa layer, mean potential temperature between 925 and 700 hPa, and temperature anomalies at 850 hPa) as assessment parameters. All days with African dust transport over each study region were identified in the period 2001-2021 using a proven procedure. This information was then utilized to establish a functional relationship between the values of the thermodynamic parameters and the probability of African dust outbreaks occurring. The validation of this methodology involved comparing the daily probabilities of dust events generated by the models in 2001-2021 with the daily African dust contributions to PM10 regional background levels in each region. On average, daily dust contributions increased proportionally with the increase in daily probabilities, reaching zero for days with low probabilities. Furthermore, a well-defined seasonal evolution of probability values was observed in all regions, with the highest values in the summer months and the lowest in the winter period, ensuring the physical relevance of the models' results. Finally, upward trends were observed in all regions for the three thermodynamic parameters over 1940-2021. Thus, the probability of dust events development also increased in this period. It demonstrates that the aggravation of warm conditions in southern Europe in the last decades, have modified the frequency of North-African dust outbreaks over the western Mediterranean basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Salvador
- CIEMAT, Department of Environment - Joint Research Unit Atmospheric Pollution CIEMAT-CSIC, Av. Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jorge Pey
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE), CSIC, Av. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Noemí Pérez
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, c. Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrés Alastuey
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, c. Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, c. Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Begoña Artíñano
- CIEMAT, Department of Environment - Joint Research Unit Atmospheric Pollution CIEMAT-CSIC, Av. Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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2
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Liger E, Hernández F, Expósito FJ, Díaz JP, Salazar-Carballo PA, Gordo E, González C, López-Pérez M. Transport and deposition of radionuclides from northern Africa to the southern Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands during the intense dust intrusions of March 2022. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 352:141303. [PMID: 38280650 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141303] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
The present study focuses on the two consecutive and markedly intense Saharan dust intrusion episodes that greatly affected southern Spain (Málaga) and, to a lesser extent, the Canary Islands (Tenerife), in March 2022. These two episodes were the result of atypical meteorological conditions in the region and resulted in record levels of aerosols in the air at the Málaga location. The activity levels of various natural and artificial radionuclides (7Be, 210Pb, 40K, 137Cs, 239Pu, 240Pu, 239+240Pu) and radioactive indicators (gross alpha and gross beta) were impacted by these events and the results are described herein. These episodes caused, for example, the activities of 137Cs in aerosol samples at the Málaga monitoring station to reach the highest concentrations ever recorded since high-volume aerosol monitoring started at this site in 2009. A link between the activity levels of 137Cs, 40K and gross alpha in the atmospheric aerosols and daily PM10 concentrations during the episodes is also reported. In addition, isotopic ratios are discussed in the context of the source and destination of the various anthropogenic radionuclides measured. The atmospheric residence time of aerosols during these episodes is also evaluated because it concerns how intrusions to the Canary Islands should be analysed. Finally, for the first time, the concentrations of 137Cs deposition by rainwater during a Saharan dust intrusion are reported and the deposition rate of these radionuclides during these episodes is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esperanza Liger
- Departamento de Física Aplicada II, Universidad de Málaga, Spain; Grupo de Geoquímica y Radiactividad Ambiental, Universidad de Málaga, Spain.
| | - Francisco Hernández
- Grupo de Geoquímica y Radiactividad Ambiental, Universidad de Málaga, Spain; Grupo de Observación de la Tierra y la Atmósfera, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | | | - Juan Pedro Díaz
- Grupo de Observación de la Tierra y la Atmósfera, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Pedro A Salazar-Carballo
- Laboratorio de Física Médica y Radioactividad Ambiental, SEGAI, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain; Departamento de Medicina Física y Farmacología, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Elisa Gordo
- Grupo de Geoquímica y Radiactividad Ambiental, Universidad de Málaga, Spain; Servicios Centrales de Apoyo a la Investigación, Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | - Cristina González
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias. Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | - María López-Pérez
- Laboratorio de Física Médica y Radioactividad Ambiental, SEGAI, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
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3
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Das S, McEwen A, Prospero J, Spalink D, Chellam S. Respirable Metals, Bacteria, and Fungi during a Saharan-Sahelian Dust Event in Houston, Texas. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:19942-19955. [PMID: 37943153 PMCID: PMC10862556 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Although airborne bacteria and fungi can impact human, animal, plant, and ecosystem health, very few studies have investigated the possible impact of their long-range transport in the context of more commonly measured aerosol species, especially those present in an urban environment. We report first-of-kind simultaneous measurements of the elemental and microbial composition of North American respirable airborne particulate matter concurrent with a Saharan-Sahelian dust episode. Comprehensive taxonomic and phylogenetic profiles of microbial communities obtained by 16S/18S/ITS rDNA sequencing identified hundreds of bacteria and fungi, including several cataloged in the World Health Organization's lists of global priority human pathogens along with numerous other animal and plant pathogens and (poly)extremophiles. While elemental analysis sensitively tracked long-range transported Saharan dust and its mixing with locally emitted aerosols, microbial diversity, phylogeny, composition, and abundance did not well correlate with the apportioned African dust mass. Bacterial/fungal diversity, phylogenetic signal, and community turnover were strongly correlated to apportioned sources (especially vehicular emissions and construction activities) and elemental composition (especially calcium). Bacterial communities were substantially more dissimilar from each other across sampling days than were fungal communities. Generalized dissimilarity modeling revealed that daily compositional turnover in both communities was linked to calcium concentrations and aerosols from local vehicles and Saharan dust. Because African dust is known to impact large areas in northern South America, the Caribbean Basin, and the southern United States, the microbiological impacts of such long-range transport should be assessed in these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Das
- Department
of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Alyvia McEwen
- Department
of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Joseph Prospero
- Rosenstiel
School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33149, United States
| | - Daniel Spalink
- Department
of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas
A&M University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Shankararaman Chellam
- Department
of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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4
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Birinci E, Denizoğlu M, Özdemir H, Özdemir ET, Deniz A. Ambient air quality assessment at the airports based on a meteorological perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1542. [PMID: 38012423 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-12135-3] [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: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Natural mineral dust episodes elevate particle concentrations and eventually decrease air quality. Air pollutant emissions from aircraft, airport ground operations, and long-range dust transport are producing problems for the aviation sector. Dust transport from the Sahara Desert, one of the primary dust sources globally, significantly affects the eastern Mediterranean basin, including Türkiye. This study investigates the effect of long-range dust transport on particulate matter (PM) concentrations at Turkish airports. Three different approaches were used to analyse dust episodes in the study area. Firstly, routine reports of meteorological conditions at the airports were investigated. For this purpose, airport routine meteorological reports (Metar) and aviation-selected special weather report (Speci) codes, recorded at 11 airports from 2012 to 2021, were used to determine the dust episode days. Secondly, the hourly PM measurement dataset was analyzed from the closest air quality monitoring stations to the airports. Finally, regional atmospheric model results and backward-trajectory analysis were used to validate the dust episodes and determine the dust origin. Results showed that 163 dust episodes occurred during the study period, 17% from North Africa and 12% from the Mediterranean region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enes Birinci
- Department of Meteorological Engineering, İstanbul Technical University, 34469 Maslak, İstanbul, Turkey.
| | - Muhammed Denizoğlu
- Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, Climate and Marine Sciences, İstanbul Technical University, 34469, Maslak, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Hüseyin Özdemir
- Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, Climate and Marine Sciences, İstanbul Technical University, 34469, Maslak, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Emrah Tuncay Özdemir
- Department of Meteorological Engineering, İstanbul Technical University, 34469 Maslak, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Ali Deniz
- Department of Meteorological Engineering, İstanbul Technical University, 34469 Maslak, İstanbul, Turkey
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5
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Turner MC, Andersen ZJ, Neira M, Krzyzanowski M, Malmqvist E, González Ortiz A, Kiesewetter G, Katsouyanni K, Brunekreef B, Melén E, Ljungman P, Tolotto M, Forastiere F, Dendale P, Price R, Bakke O, Reichert S, Hoek G, Pershagen G, Peters A, Querol X, Gerometta A, Samoli E, Markevych I, Basthiste R, Khreis H, Pant P, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Sacks JD, Hansen K, Lymes T, Stauffer A, Fuller GW, Boogaard H, Hoffmann B. Clean air in Europe for all! Taking stock of the proposed revision to the ambient air quality directives: a joint ERS, HEI and ISEE workshop report. Eur Respir J 2023; 62:2301380. [PMID: 37827574 PMCID: PMC10894647 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01380-2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Ambient air pollution is a major public health concern and comprehensive new legislation is currently being considered to improve air quality in Europe. The European Respiratory Society (ERS), Health Effects Institute (HEI), and International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) organised a joint meeting on May 24, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium, to review and critically evaluate the latest evidence on the health effects of air pollution and discuss ongoing revisions of the European Ambient Air Quality Directives (AAQDs). A multi-disciplinary expert group of air pollution and health researchers, patient and medical societies, and policy representatives participated. This report summarises key discussions at the meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Turner
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Maria Neira
- World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Gregor Kiesewetter
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria
| | | | | | - Erik Melén
- Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Paul Dendale
- European Society of Cardiology (ESC), Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Richard Price
- European Cancer Organisation (ECO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ole Bakke
- Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sibylle Reichert
- International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies (AIM), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gerard Hoek
- Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Annette Peters
- Helmholtz München - German Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- IBE, Medical Faculty, Ludwig Maximilians Universität, Munich, Germany
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Evangelia Samoli
- Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Iana Markevych
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Health and Quality of Life in a Green and Sustainable Environment, SRIPD, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | | | - Haneen Khreis
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jason D Sacks
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Kjeld Hansen
- European Lung Foundation, Sheffield, UK
- Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | - Gary W Fuller
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
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6
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Di Biagio C, Doussin JF, Cazaunau M, Pangui E, Cuesta J, Sellitto P, Ródenas M, Formenti P. Infrared optical signature reveals the source-dependency and along-transport evolution of dust mineralogy as shown by laboratory study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13252. [PMID: 37582963 PMCID: PMC10427689 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39336-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Advancing knowledge of the mineralogical composition of dust is key for understanding and predicting its climate and environmental impacts. The variability of dust mineralogy from one source to another and its evolution during atmospheric transport is not measured at large scale. In this study we use laboratory measurements to demonstrate that the extinction signature of suspended dust aerosols in the 740 - 1250 cm-1 atmospheric window can be used to derive dust mineralogy in terms of the main infrared - active minerals, namely quartz, clays, feldspars and calcite. Various spectral signatures in dust extinction enable to distinguish between multiple global sources with changing composition, whereas modifications of the dust extinction spectra with time inform on size - dependent particles mineralogy changes during transport. The present study confirms that spectral and hyperspectral infrared remote sensing observations offer great potential for elucidating the size - segregated mineralogy of airborne dust at regional and global scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Di Biagio
- Université Paris Cité and Univ Paris Est Creteil, CNRS, LISA, F-75013, Paris, France.
| | - Jean-François Doussin
- Univ Paris Est Creteil and Université Paris Cité, CNRS, LISA, F-94010, Créteil, France
| | - Mathieu Cazaunau
- Univ Paris Est Creteil and Université Paris Cité, CNRS, LISA, F-94010, Créteil, France
| | - Edouard Pangui
- Univ Paris Est Creteil and Université Paris Cité, CNRS, LISA, F-94010, Créteil, France
| | - Juan Cuesta
- Univ Paris Est Creteil and Université Paris Cité, CNRS, LISA, F-94010, Créteil, France
| | - Pasquale Sellitto
- Univ Paris Est Creteil and Université Paris Cité, CNRS, LISA, F-94010, Créteil, France
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservartorio Etneo, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Paola Formenti
- Université Paris Cité and Univ Paris Est Creteil, CNRS, LISA, F-75013, Paris, France
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7
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Alli AS, Clark SN, Wang J, Bennett J, Hughes AF, Ezzati M, Brauer M, Nimo J, Bedford-Moses J, Baah S, Cavanaugh A, Agyei-Mensah S, Owusu G, Baumgartner J, Arku RE. High-resolution patterns and inequalities in ambient fine particle mass (PM 2.5) and black carbon (BC) in the Greater Accra Metropolis, Ghana. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 875:162582. [PMID: 36870487 PMCID: PMC10131145 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Growing cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) experience high levels of ambient air pollution. However, sparse long-term city-wide air pollution exposure data limits policy mitigation efforts and assessment of the health and climate effects. In the first study of its kind in West Africa, we developed high resolution spatiotemporal land use regression (LUR) models to map fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) concentrations in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), one of the fastest sprawling metropolises in SSA. We conducted a one-year measurement campaign covering 146 sites and combined these data with geospatial and meteorological predictors to develop separate Harmattan and non-Harmattan season PM2.5 and BC models at 100 m resolution. The final models were selected with a forward stepwise procedure and performance was evaluated with 10-fold cross-validation. Model predictions were overlayed with the most recent census data to estimate the population distribution of exposure and socioeconomic inequalities in exposure at the census enumeration area level. The fixed effects components of the models explained 48-69 % and 63-71 % of the variance in PM2.5 and BC concentrations, respectively. Spatial variables related to road traffic and vegetation explained the most variability in the non-Harmattan models, while temporal variables were dominant in the Harmattan models. The entire GAMA population is exposed to PM2.5 levels above the World Health Organization guideline, including even the Interim Target 3 (15 μg/m3), with the highest exposures in poorer neighborhoods. The models can be used to support air pollution mitigation policies, health, and climate impact assessments. The measurement and modelling approach used in this study can be adapted to other African cities to bridge the air pollution data gap in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abosede S Alli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
| | - Sierra N Clark
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jiayuan Wang
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
| | - James Bennett
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Majid Ezzati
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Michael Brauer
- School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - James Nimo
- Department of Physics, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Solomon Baah
- Department of Physics, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Samuel Agyei-Mensah
- Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - George Owusu
- Institute of Statistical, Social & Economic Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Jill Baumgartner
- Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Raphael E Arku
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA.
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8
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Mancinelli E, Avolio E, Morichetti M, Virgili S, Passerini G, Chiappini A, Grasso F, Rizza U. Exposure Assessment of Ambient PM2.5 Levels during a Sequence of Dust Episodes: A Case Study Coupling the WRF-Chem Model with GIS-Based Postprocessing. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20085598. [PMID: 37107880 PMCID: PMC10139170 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20085598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
A sequence of dust intrusions occurred from the Sahara Desert to the central Mediterranean in the second half of June 2021. This event was simulated by means of the Weather Research and Forecasting coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem) regional chemical transport model (CTM). The population exposure to the dust surface PM2.5 was evaluated with the open-source quantum geographical information system (QGIS) by combining the output of the CTM with the resident population map of Italy. WRF-Chem analyses were compared with spaceborne aerosol observations derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and, for the PM2.5 surface dust concentration, with the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis. Considering the full-period (17-24 June) and area-averaged statistics, the WRF-Chem simulations showed a general underestimation for both the aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the PM2.5 surface dust concentration. The comparison of exposure classes calculated for Italy and its macro-regions showed that the dust sequence exposure varies with the location and entity of the resident population amount. The lowest exposure class (up to 5 µg m-3) had the highest percentage (38%) of the population of Italy and most of the population of north Italy, whereas more than a half of the population of central, south and insular Italy had been exposed to dust PM2.5 in the range of 15-25 µg m-3. The coupling of the WRF-Chem model with QGIS is a promising tool for the management of risks posed by extreme pollution and/or severe meteorological events. Specifically, the present methodology can also be applied for operational dust forecasting purposes, to deliver safety alarm messages to areas with the most exposed population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Mancinelli
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Elenio Avolio
- National Research Council—Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), 88046 Lamezia Terme, Italy
| | - Mauro Morichetti
- National Research Council—Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Simone Virgili
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Giorgio Passerini
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Alessandra Chiappini
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Fabio Grasso
- National Research Council—Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Umberto Rizza
- National Research Council—Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), 73100 Lecce, Italy
- Correspondence:
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9
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Anagnostopoulou P, Kouis P, Papatheodorou SI, Middleton N, Papasavvas I, Avraamides P, Simantirakis E, Anastasiou I, Novack V, Stamatelatos G, Revvas E, Kaniklides C, Tymvios F, Savvides C, Koutrakis P, Yiallouros PK. MEDEA randomised intervention study protocol in Cyprus, Greece and Israel for mitigation of desert dust health effects in adults with atrial fibrillation. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e069809. [PMID: 36963790 PMCID: PMC10040014 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Mediterranean countries experience frequent desert dust storm (DDS) events originating from neighbouring Sahara and Arabian deserts, which are associated with significant increase in mortality and hospital admissions, mostly from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Short-term exposure to ambient air pollution is considered as a trigger for symptomatic exacerbations of pre-existing paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) and other types of heart arrhythmia. The Mitigating the Health Effects of Desert Dust Storms Using Exposure-Reduction Approaches clinical randomised intervention study in adults with AF is funded by EU LIFE+programme to evaluate the efficacy of recommendations aiming to reduce exposure to desert dust and related heart arrhythmia effects. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The study is performed in three heavily exposed to desert dust regions of the Eastern Mediterranean: Cyprus, Israel and Crete-Greece. Adults with paroxysmal AF and implanted pacemaker are recruited and randomised to three parallel groups: (a) no intervention, (b) interventions to reduce outdoor exposure to desert dust, (c) interventions to reduce both outdoor and indoor exposure to particulate matter during desert dust episodes. Eligible participants are enrolled on a web-based platform which communicates, alerts and makes exposure reduction recommendations during DDS events. Exposure changes are assessed by novel tools (smartwatches with Global Positioning System and physical activity sensors, air pollution samplers assessing air quality inside and outside participant's homes, etc). Clinical outcomes include the AF burden expressed as the percentage of time with paroxysmal AF over the total study period, the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia episodes as recorded by the participants' pacemakers or cardioverters/defibrillators and the disease-specific Atrial Fibrillation Effect on QualiTy-of-Life questionnaire. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Local bioethics' authorities approved the study at all sites, according to national legislations (Cyprus: National Bioethics Committee, Data Protection Commissioner and Ministry of Health; Greece, Scientific Committee and Governing Board of the University General Hospital of Heraklion; Israel: Institutional Review Board ('Helsinki committee') of the Soroka University Medical Center). The findings will be publicised in peer-reviewed scientific journals, in international conferences and in professional websites and newsletters. A summary of the results and participants' interviews will be included in a documentary in English, Greek and Hebrew. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier; NCT03503812.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Nicos Middleton
- Department of Nursing, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Ilias Papasavvas
- Department of Cardiology, Nicosia General Hospital, Leukosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Emmanuel Simantirakis
- Cardiology Department, Heraklion, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ioannis Anastasiou
- Cardiology Department, Heraklion, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Victor Novack
- Soroka University Medical Center, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | | | | | - Filippos Tymvios
- Department of Meteorology, Rural Development and Environment, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Chrysanthos Savvides
- Department of Labour Inspection, Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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10
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Lwin KS, Tobias A, Chua PL, Yuan L, Thawonmas R, Ith S, Htay ZW, Yu LS, Yamasaki L, Roqué M, Querol X, Fussell JC, Nadeau KC, Stafoggia M, Saliba NA, Sheng Ng CF, Hashizume M. Effects of Desert Dust and Sandstorms on Human Health: A Scoping Review. GEOHEALTH 2023; 7:e2022GH000728. [PMID: 36874170 PMCID: PMC9976568 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Desert dust and sandstorms are recurring environmental phenomena that are reported to produce serious health risks worldwide. This scoping review was conducted to identify the most likely health effects of desert dust and sandstorms and the methods used to characterize desert dust exposure from the existing epidemiological literature. We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus to identify studies that reported the effects of desert dust and sandstorms on human health. Search terms referred to desert dust or sandstorm exposure, names of major deserts, and health outcomes. Health effects were cross-tabulated with study design variables (e.g., epidemiological design and methods to quantify dust exposure), desert dust source, health outcomes and conditions. We identified 204 studies that met the inclusion criteria for the scoping review. More than half of the studies (52.9%) used a time-series study design. However, we found a substantial variation in the methods used to identify and quantify desert dust exposure. The binary metric of dust exposure was more frequently used than the continuous metric for all desert dust source locations. Most studies (84.8%) reported significant associations between desert dust and adverse health effects, mainly for respiratory and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity causes. Although there is a large body of evidence on the health effects of desert dust and sandstorms, the existing epidemiological studies have significant limitations related to exposure measurement and statistical analysis that potentially contribute to inconsistencies in determining the effect of desert dust on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaung Suu Lwin
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Aurelio Tobias
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water ResearchSpanish Council for Scientific ResearchBarcelonaSpain
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global HealthNagasaki UniversityNagasakiJapan
| | - Paul Lester Chua
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Lei Yuan
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Ramita Thawonmas
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Sophearen Ith
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Zin Wai Htay
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Lin Szu Yu
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Lisa Yamasaki
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- School of MedicineNagasaki UniversityNagasakiJapan
| | - Marta Roqué
- Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre ‐ Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU)BarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)MadridSpain
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water ResearchSpanish Council for Scientific ResearchBarcelonaSpain
| | - Julia C. Fussell
- National Institute for Health ResearchHealth Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and HealthSchool of Public HealthImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Kari Christine Nadeau
- Sean N Parker Center for Allergy & Asthma ResearchStanford UniversityMountain ViewCAUSA
| | | | - Najat A. Saliba
- Faculty of Arts and SciencesAmerican University of BeirutBeirutLebanon
| | - Chris Fook Sheng Ng
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Masahiro Hashizume
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
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11
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Karimi SM, Mostafavi-Dehzooei M, Asadi G, Jacobs C, Majbouri M. Early-life exposure to Saharan dust storms and adolescence functional disability: Evidence from Cameroon. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:160007. [PMID: 36368388 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160007] [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: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The direct link between early-life dust storm exposure and later-in-life outcomes is not fully understood. This study examines the association of functional disability in a large sample of adolescent Cameroonians (N = 112,855) with in-utero and early childhood exposure to Saharan dust storms. Adjusting all estimations for temperature, precipitation, time and location fixed-effects, and person and family sociodemographic characteristics, we documented adverse effects on functional disability in female adolescents due to exposure to dense dust storms during the third gestation trimester and the second postnatal trimester. We also found suggestive evidence that an effect exists for the first as well as the third through fifth postnatal trimesters. In the third trimester of gestation and the second postnatal trimester, exposure to an average length dust storm with PM10 levels beyond 190 μg/m3 increased the likelihood of disability among female adolescents by approximately 229 (95 % CI: 10-464) in 100,000. The size of the adverse effects for the other periods followed similar patterns. These results show the value of creating infrastructures to mitigate or adapt to the effects of dust storms. These endeavors should focus on communities and populations in and around the Sahara where international organizations can play a role. In addition, establishing health data infrastructures not only improves public health but also advances our understanding of the long-term effects of dust storms. This study demonstrates the importance of research on the long-term effects of early-life exposure to dust storms and the need for additional work on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed M Karimi
- Department of Health Management and System Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
| | | | | | - Claire Jacobs
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Mahdi Majbouri
- Department of Economics, Babson College, Wellesley, MA, USA.
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12
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Li R, Zhang M, Du Y, Wang G, Shang C, Liu Y, Zhang M, Meng Q, Cui M, Yan C. Impacts of dust events on chemical characterization and associated source contributions of atmospheric particulate matter in northern China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 316:120597. [PMID: 36343856 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120597] [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: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Sand and dust have significant impacts on air quality, climate, and human health. To investigate the influences of dust storms on chemical characterization and source contributions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in areas with different distances from dust source regions, PM2.5 and associated chemical composition were measured in two industrial cities with one near sand sources (i.e., Wuhai) and the other far from sand sources (i.e., Jinan) in northern China in March 2021. Results showed that PM mass concentrations significantly increased and exceeded the Chinese National Ambient Air Quality standard during the dust events, with absolute concentrations and fractional contributions of PM2.5-bound crustal and trace elements increased while secondary inorganic ions decreased at both sites. Crustal materials dominated the increased PM2.5 mass from non-dust period to dust period in both cities. These were further evidenced by PM2.5 source apportionment results from positive matrix factorization model. During the dust events, dust sources contributed up to 88% of PM2.5 mass in Wuhai and ∼38% of PM2.5 mass in Jinan, a city about thousands of kilometers away from the sand source. Besides, the measurement data indicated that dust from northwest China may also bring along with high abundance of organic matter and vanadium. Secondary and traffic sources were two of the most important source contributors to PM2.5 in both cities during the non-dust periods. However, the near sand source city was more susceptible to the aggravating effects of dust and minerals, with much higher contributions by crustal materials (∼47%, from the aspect of chemical components) and dust-related sources (∼26%, from the aspect of sources) to PM2.5 mass even during non-dust periods. This study highlighted the urgent need for more action and effective control of sand sources to reduce the impact on air quality in downstream regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyu Li
- Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Miao Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Eco-Environment Monitoring Center, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Yuming Du
- Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Environmental Monitoring Center, Wuhai Branch, Wuhai, 016000, China
| | - Guixia Wang
- Shandong Provincial Eco-Environment Monitoring Center, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Chunlin Shang
- Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Environmental Monitoring Center, Wuhai Branch, Wuhai, 016000, China
| | - Yao Liu
- Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Environmental Monitoring Center, Wuhai Branch, Wuhai, 016000, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Environmental Monitoring Center, Wuhai Branch, Wuhai, 016000, China
| | - Qingpeng Meng
- Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Min Cui
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Caiqing Yan
- Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
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13
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Faridi S, Krzyzanowski M, Cohen AJ, Malkawi M, Moh'd Safi HA, Yousefian F, Azimi F, Naddafi K, Momeniha F, Niazi S, Amini H, Künzli N, Shamsipour M, Mokammel A, Roostaei V, Hassanvand MS. Ambient Air Quality Standards and Policies in Eastern Mediterranean Countries: A Review. Int J Public Health 2023; 68:1605352. [PMID: 36891223 PMCID: PMC9986936 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1605352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives: National ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) are critical tools for controlling air pollution and protecting public health. We designed this study to 1) gather the NAAQS for six classical air pollutants: PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, SO2, and CO in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries, 2) compare those with the updated World Health Organizations Air Quality Guidelines (WHO AQGs 2021), 3) estimate the potential health benefits of achieving annual PM2.5 NAAQS and WHO AQGs per country, and 4) gather the information on air quality policies and action plans in the EMR countries. Methods: To gather information on the NAAQS, we searched several bibliographic databases, hand-searched the relevant papers and reports, and analysed unpublished data on NAAQS in the EMR countries reported from these countries to the WHO/Regional office of the Eastern Mediterranean/Climate Change, Health and Environment Unit (WHO/EMR/CHE). To estimate the potential health benefits of reaching the NAAQS and AQG levels for PM2.5, we used the average of ambient PM2.5 exposures in the 22 EMR countries in 2019 from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) dataset and AirQ+ software. Results: Almost all of the EMR countries have national ambient air quality standards for the critical air pollutants except Djibouti, Somalia, and Yemen. However, the current standards for PM2.5 are up to 10 times higher than the current health-based WHO AQGs. The standards for other considered pollutants exceed AQGs as well. We estimated that the reduction of annual mean PM2.5 exposure level to the AQG level (5 μg m-3) would be associated with a decrease of all natural-cause mortality in adults (age 30+) by 16.9%-42.1% in various EMR countries. All countries would even benefit from the achievement of the Interim Target-2 (25 μg m-3) for annual mean PM2.5: it would reduce all-cause mortality by 3%-37.5%. Less than half of the countries in the Region reported having policies relevant to air quality management, in particular addressing pollution related to sand and desert storms (SDS) such as enhancing the implementation of sustainable land management practices, taking measures to prevent and control the main factors of SDS, and developing early warning systems as tools to combat SDS. Few countries conduct studies on the health effects of air pollution or on a contribution of SDS to pollution levels. Information from air quality monitoring is available for 13 out of the 22 EMR countries. Conclusion: Improvement of air quality management, including international collaboration and prioritization of SDS, supported by an update (or establishment) of NAAQSs and enhanced air quality monitoring are essential elements for reduction of air pollution and its health effects in the EMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasan Faridi
- Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Michal Krzyzanowski
- Environmental Research Group, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron J Cohen
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.,Health Effects Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mazen Malkawi
- World Health Organization/Regional Office of the Eastern Mediterranean/Climate Change, Health and Environment Unit (WHO/EMR/CHE), Amman, Jordan
| | - Heba Adel Moh'd Safi
- World Health Organization/Regional Office of the Eastern Mediterranean/Climate Change, Health and Environment Unit (WHO/EMR/CHE), Amman, Jordan
| | - Fatemeh Yousefian
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Faramarz Azimi
- Environmental Health Research Center, School of Health and Nutrition, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Kazem Naddafi
- Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Momeniha
- Center for Solid Waste Research, Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sadegh Niazi
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Faculty of Science, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Heresh Amini
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nino Künzli
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mansour Shamsipour
- Department of Research Methodology and Data Analysis, Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Adel Mokammel
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Roostaei
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Sadegh Hassanvand
- Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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14
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Faridi S, Yousefian F, Roostaei V, Harrison RM, Azimi F, Niazi S, Naddafi K, Momeniha F, Malkawi M, Moh'd Safi HA, Rad MK, Hassanvand MS. Source apportionment, identification and characterization, and emission inventory of ambient particulate matter in 22 Eastern Mediterranean Region countries: A systematic review and recommendations for good practice. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 310:119889. [PMID: 35932896 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about the main sources of ambient particulate matter (PM) in the 22 Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries. We designed this study to systematically review all published and unpublished source apportionment (SA), identification and characterization studies as well as emission inventories in the EMR. Of 440 articles identified, 82 (11 emission inventory ones) met our inclusion criteria for final analyses. Of 22 EMR countries, Iran with 30 articles had the highest number of studies on source specific PM followed by Pakistan (n = 15 articles) and Saudi Arabia (n = 8 papers). By contrast, there were no studies in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Approximately 72% of studies (51) were published within a span of 2015-2021.48 studies identified the sources of PM2.5 and its constituents. Positive matrix factorization (PMF), principal component analysis (PCA) and chemical mass balance (CMB) were the most common approaches to identify the source contributions of ambient PM. Both secondary aerosols and dust, with 12-51% and 8-80% (33% and 30% for all EMR countries, on average) had the greatest contributions in ambient PM2.5. The remaining sources for ambient PM2.5, including mixed sources (traffic, industry and residential (TIR)), traffic, industries, biomass burning, and sea salt were in the range of approximately 4-69%, 4-49%, 1-53%, 7-25% and 3-29%, respectively. For PM10, the most dominant source was dust with 7-95% (49% for all EMR countries, on average). The limited number of SA studies in the EMR countries (one study per approximately 9.6 million people) in comparison to Europe and North America (1 study per 4.3 and 2.1 million people respectively) can be augmented by future studies that will provide a better understanding of emission sources in the urban environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasan Faridi
- Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Yousefian
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Vahid Roostaei
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roy M Harrison
- School of Geography Earth and Environmental Science, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faramarz Azimi
- Environmental Health Research Center, School of Health and Nutrition, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Sadegh Niazi
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kazem Naddafi
- Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Momeniha
- Center for Solid Waste Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mazen Malkawi
- Environmental Health Exposures Centre for Environmental Health Action (CEHA), World Health Organization (WHO), Jordan
| | - Heba Adel Moh'd Safi
- Environmental Health Exposures Centre for Environmental Health Action (CEHA), World Health Organization (WHO), Jordan
| | - Mona Khaleghy Rad
- Environmental Health Exposures Centre for Environmental Health Action (CEHA), World Health Organization (WHO), Jordan
| | - Mohammad Sadegh Hassanvand
- Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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15
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Adame JA, Notario A, Cuevas CA, Saiz-Lopez A. Saharan air outflow variability in the 1980-2020 period. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 839:156268. [PMID: 35643146 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156268] [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: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Airborne dust represents a hazard to the environment and human health. The outflow of air masses carrying dust from northern Africa, the world's largest active dust source, to the North Atlantic and Mediterranean regions is modulated by atmospheric conditions. However, how global warming-driven changes on atmospheric circulation have influenced North African air outflow in the recent past is not well understood. Here, we explore the Saharan air outflow from northwestern Africa over the 1980 to 2020 period. We find a decrease in the transport to the Atlantic Ocean and the Iberian Peninsula of -0.29 ± 0.16% dec-1 and -0.66 ± 0.18% dec-1, respectively, and an increasing trend to the Mediterranean Sea (0.24 ± 0.18% dec-1) and Europe (0.60 ± 0.18% dec-1). The results indicate that the strengthening of the Atlantic high pressure system and the Saharan thermal low, both associated with the narrowing of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and the Hadley Cell expansion under global warming, could be favoring the Saharan outflow to the Mediterranean Sea and Europe in detriment of transport to the Atlantic Ocean. The results also show that present-day Saharan air arrives at these regions at higher altitudes and in shorter timescales than decades ago. This is associated to the increase in surface heating conditions in the Sahara, 0.41 ± 0.02 °C dec-1, that can inject air into windier upper atmospheric levels, thereby allowing higher and faster air transport. Our results suggest a change in the Saharan air outflow likely associated with global warming and with potentially significant implications for the temporal and spatial patterns of North African dust export.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Adame
- Atmospheric Sounding Station, El Arenosillo observatory, Atmospheric Research and Instrumentation Branch, National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), Mazagón, Huelva, Spain.
| | - Alberto Notario
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnologías Químicas, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Carlos A Cuevas
- Department of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate, Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Saiz-Lopez
- Department of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate, Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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16
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Chatoutsidou SE, Lazaridis M. Mass concentrations and elemental analysis of PM 2.5 and PM 10 in a coastal Mediterranean site: A holistic approach to identify contributing sources and varying factors. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:155980. [PMID: 35588836 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PM10 and PM2.5 were measured at a suburban coastal Mediterranean site. Daily mass concentrations were generally lower than the WHO air quality limits but showed significant diurnal and seasonal variations, with intensive African dust events and residential heating emissions during wintertime causing the higher % increase of ambient concentrations (32% and 59% respectively). However, analysis of the elemental content revealed intrinsic characteristics. Statistically significant seasonal variability was found for S with higher concentrations during warm seasons directly associated with the formation of secondary sulfates. Increased S was the driving reason for the significant depletion of both Cl and Br. On the other hand, elevated K during wintertime was attributed to biomass burning. Analysis of the mineral content of airborne particles showed that typical soil-derived particles were significantly increased during dust events (Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe) although the corresponding mass concentrations preserved relative low levels (<30 μg m-3). It was also found that dust events contributed to P, S, V, Zn, Sr and Pb with elemental ratios including Si (Si/Al, Si/Fe, Si/Ca) and Ca/Al serving as good markers for African dust. Heavy metals were found to have both direct and indirect influence on PM2.5 and PM10. PM2.5 were primarily enriched with metals produced from motor vehicles (Cu, Zn, Pb) and ships (V, Ni), whilst, PM10 enriched indirectly with Cr, Zn, Br and Pb due to road dust. At the end, source appointment has shown that the dominant contributing factor was mineral dust for both metrics (>30%) but significant contributions arose from secondary sulfates and traffic, (aged) sea salt, biomass burning (only for PM2.5) and road dust (only for PM10). Overall, this work provides a novel insight on the characteristics and chemical profile of atmospheric particles in a suburban environment largely affected by local, regional and long-range sources.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mihalis Lazaridis
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece
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17
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Aerosol Mineralogical Study Using Laboratory and IASI Measurements: Application to East Asian Deserts. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14143422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
East Asia is the second-largest mineral dust source in the world, after the Sahara. When dispersed in the atmosphere, mineral dust can alter the Earth’s radiation budget by changing the atmosphere’s absorption and scattering properties. Therefore, the mineralogical composition of dust is key to understanding the impact of mineral dust on the atmosphere. This paper presents new information on mineralogical dust during East Asian dust events that were obtained from laboratory dust measurements combined with satellite remote sensing dust detections from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). However, the mineral dust in this region is lifted above the continent in the lower troposphere, posing constraints due to the large variability in the Land Surface Emissivity (LSE). First, a new methodology was developed to correct the LSE from a mean monthly emissivity dataset. The results show an adjustment in the IASI spectra by acquiring aerosol information. Then, the experimental extinction coefficients of pure minerals were linearly combined to reproduce a Gobi dust spectrum, which allowed for the determination of the mineralogical mass weights. In addition, from the IASI radiances, a spectral dust optical thickness was calculated, displaying features identical to the optical thickness of the Gobi dust measured in the laboratory. The linear combination of pure minerals spectra was also applied to the IASI optical thickness, providing mineralogical mass weights. Finally, the method was applied after LSE optimization, and mineralogical evolution maps were obtained for two dust events in two different seasons and years, May 2017 and March 2021. The mean dust weights originating from the Gobi Desert, Taklamakan Desert, and Horqin Sandy Land are close to the mass weights in the literature. In addition, the spatial variability was linked to possible dust sources, and it was examined with a backward trajectory model. Moreover, a comparison between two IASI instruments on METOP-A and -B proved the method’s applicability to different METOP platforms. Due to all of the above, the applied method is a powerful tool for exploiting dust mineralogy and dust sources using both laboratory optical properties and IASI detections.
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18
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Das S, Miller BV, Prospero JM, Gaston CJ, Royer HM, Blades E, Sealy P, Chellam S. Coupling Sr-Nd-Hf Isotope Ratios and Elemental Analysis to Accurately Quantify North African Dust Contributions to PM 2.5 in a Complex Urban Atmosphere by Reducing Mineral Dust Collinearity. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:7729-7740. [PMID: 35670821 PMCID: PMC10069281 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Tracking Saharan-Sahelian dust across the globe is essential to elucidate its effects on Earth's climate, radiation budget, hydrologic cycle, nutrient cycling, and also human health when it seasonally enters populated/industrialized regions of Africa, Europe, and North America. However, the elemental composition of mineral dust arising locally from construction activities and aeolian soil resuspension overlaps with African dust. Therefore, we derived a novel "isotope-resolved chemical mass balance" (IRCMB) method by employing radiogenic strontium, neodymium, and hafnium isotopes to accurately differentiate and quantitatively apportion collinear proximal and synoptic-scale crustal and anthropogenic mineral dust sources. IRCMB was applied to two air masses that transported African dust to Barbados and Texas to track particulate matter (PM) spikes at both locations. During Saharan-Sahelian intrusions, the radiogenic content of urban PM2.5 increased with respect to 87Sr/86Sr and 176Hf/177Hf but decreased in terms of 143Nd/144Nd, demonstrating the ability of these isotopes to sensitively track African dust intrusions even in complex metropolitan atmospheres. The principal aerosol strontium, neodymium, and hafnium end members were concrete dust and soil, soil and motor vehicles, and motor vehicles and North African dust, respectively. IRCMB separated and quantified local soil and distal crustal dust even when PM2.5 concentrations were low, opening a promising source apportionment avenue for urbanized/industrialized atmospheres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Das
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Brent V Miller
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Joseph M Prospero
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33149, United States
| | - Cassandra J Gaston
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33149, United States
| | - Haley M Royer
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33149, United States
| | - Edmund Blades
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33149, United States
| | - Peter Sealy
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33149, United States
| | - Shankararaman Chellam
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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19
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Das S, Miller BV, Prospero J, Chellam S. Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic analysis of reference materials and natural and anthropogenic particulate matter sources: Implications for accurately tracing North African dust in complex urban atmospheres. Talanta 2022; 241:123236. [PMID: 35074680 PMCID: PMC8858641 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We present novel chemical separation protocols for isotopic analysis of low mass aliquots (0.3 mg and 25 mg) of several reference materials and real-world samples of relevance to urban airborne particulate matter (PM) investigations. A high-yielding gravity flow column chromatography scheme was developed for facile and quantitative separation of Sr, Nd, and Hf prior to multi collector - inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). Because we are interested in isolating and accurately quantitating individual anthropogenic and natural aerosol sources in complex industrial/metropolitan atmospheric environments, laboratory protocols were optimized using National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1648a (urban atmospheric PM), SRM 1633b (coal fly ash), and European Commission standards BCR-723 (vehicular road dust), and BCR-2 (basalt rock standard). Sr, Nd, and Hf procedural blanks from column chromatography were low (averaging only 37 pg, 17 pg, 11 pg, respectively) and recoveries were high (averaging 95%, 82%, and 92%, respectively). A volume-adjustment protocol was established using isotope reference solutions SRM 987 (SrCO3), JNdi (Nd2O3), and in-house Hf standards to dilute the dried samples prior to MC-ICP-MS based on projected uncertainties for low sample masses. 87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, and 176Hf/177Hf isotopic ratios in SRM 1648a, BCR-723, and SRM 1633b are reported for the first time that can serve as provisional reference values. The novel method was used to characterize isotopic ratios and elemental abundances in two anthropogenic urban aerosol sources, namely motor vehicles and petroleum refining using airborne fine PM collected in a vehicular tunnel and fluidized-bed catalytic cracking catalysts, respectively. Two other important mineral-rich urban PM sources, namely soil (i.e., resuspended crustal material) and concrete/cement dust (i.e., construction activity) were also characterized. These are the first isotopic measurements in these environmental compartments and were compared with literature data for long-range transported North African dust, which is a prominent summertime PM source in urban regions in southeastern United States. We demonstrate the capability of coupled Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes to uniquely trace different mineral dust sources with overlapping elemental composition (Sahara-Sahel region, local soil, and concrete/cement) and accurately isolate various urban PM sources demonstrating the superiority of isotopic markers over elemental tracers.
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20
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Barnaba F, Alvan Romero N, Bolignano A, Basart S, Renzi M, Stafoggia M. Multiannual assessment of the desert dust impact on air quality in Italy combining PM10 data with physics-based and geostatistical models. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 163:107204. [PMID: 35366556 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Desert dust storms pose real threats to air quality and health of millions of people in source regions, with associated impacts extending to downwind areas. Europe (EU) is frequently affected by atmospheric transport of desert dust from the Northern Africa and Middle East drylands. This investigation aims at quantifying the role of desert dust transport events on air quality (AQ) over Italy, which is among the EU countries most impacted by this phenomenon. We focus on the particulate matter (PM) metrics regulated by the EU AQ Directive. In particular, we use multiannual (2006-2012) PM10 records collected in hundreds monitoring sites within the national AQ network to quantify daily and annual contributions of dust during transport episodes. The methodology followed was built on specific European Commission guidelines released to evaluate the natural contributions to the measured PM-levels, and was partially modified, tested and adapted to the Italian case in a previous study. Overall, we show that impact of dust on the yearly average PM10 has a clear latitudinal gradient (from less than 1 to greater than 10 µg/m3 going from north to south Italy), this feature being mainly driven by an increased number of dust episodes per year with decreasing latitude. Conversely, the daily-average dust-PM10 (≅12 µg/m3) is more homogenous over the country and shown to be mainly influenced by the site type, with enhanced values in more urbanized locations. This study also combines the PM10 measurements-approach with geostatistical modelling. In particular, exploiting the dust-PM10 dataset obtained at site- and daily-resolution over Italy, a geostatistical, random-forest model was set up to derive a daily, spatially-continuous field of desert-dust PM10 at high (1-km) resolution. This finely resolved information represent the basis for a follow up investigation of both acute and chronic health effects of desert dust over Italy, stemming from daily and annual exposures, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Barnaba
- National Research Council, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), Rome, Italy.
| | - Nancy Alvan Romero
- National Research Council, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), Rome, Italy; University of Rome 'La Sapienza', Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications (DIET), Rome, Italy(1)
| | - Andrea Bolignano
- Environmental Protection Agency of the Lazio Region, ARPA-Lazio, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Basart
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Matteo Renzi
- Department of Epidemiology (DEP), Lazio Region Health Service / ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Stafoggia
- Department of Epidemiology (DEP), Lazio Region Health Service / ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
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21
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Gini M, Manousakas M, Karydas AG, Eleftheriadis K. Mass size distributions, composition and dose estimates of particulate matter in Saharan dust outbreaks. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 298:118768. [PMID: 34990737 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The present study highlights the importance of examining the contribution of Saharan dust (SD) sources not only in terms of overall mass contribution but also in terms of composition, size distribution and inhaled dose. The effect of SD intrusions on PM and the respective major and trace metals mass concentrations and size distributions was investigated in a suburban site in Athens, Greece. SD events were associated, on average, with lower boundary layer heights (BLH) compared to the non-Sahara (nSD) dust days. During SD events, PM1-10 concentrations showed an increasing trend with increasing atmospheric BLH, in contrary to the fine PM (PM1). Generally, increased PM1 and CO (i.e. anthropogenic origin) levels were observed for BLH lower than around 500 m. The average contribution of SD to PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentration was roughly equal to 30.9% and 19.4%, respectively. The mass size distributions of PM and specific major and trace elements (Na, Al, Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, and Zn) displayed a somewhat different behavior with respect to the mass origin (Algeria-Tunisia vs Libya-Egypt), affecting in turn the regional deposition of inhaled aerosol in the human respiratory tract (HRT). The average PM deposited mass in the upper and lower HRT was 80.1% (Head) and 26.9% (Lung; Tracheobronchial and Pulmonary region) higher for SD days than for nSD days. Higher doses were estimated in the upper and lower HRT for the majority of the elements, when SD intrusions occurred, supporting the increasingly growing interest in exploring the health effects of SD. Only the mass deposition for S, and Na in the lower HRT and Zn in the upper HRT was higher in the case of nSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Gini
- Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Agia Paraskevi, Athens, 15310, Greece.
| | - M Manousakas
- Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Agia Paraskevi, Athens, 15310, Greece; Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Villigen, Switzerland
| | - A G Karydas
- Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", 15310, Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece
| | - K Eleftheriadis
- Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Agia Paraskevi, Athens, 15310, Greece
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22
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15-Year Analysis of Direct Effects of Total and Dust Aerosols in Solar Radiation/Energy over the Mediterranean Basin. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14071535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The direct radiative effects of atmospheric aerosols are essential for climate, as well as for other societal areas, such as the energy sector. The goal of the present study is to exploit the newly developed ModIs Dust AeroSol (MIDAS) dataset for quantifying the direct effects on the downwelling surface solar irradiance (DSSI), induced by the total and dust aerosol amounts, under clear-sky conditions and the associated impacts on solar energy for the broader Mediterranean Basin, over the period 2003–2017. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) and dust optical depth (DOD) derived by the MIDAS dataset, along with additional aerosol and dust optical properties and atmospheric variables, were used as inputs to radiative transfer modeling to simulate DSSI components. A 15-year climatology of AOD, DOD and clear-sky global horizontal irradiation (GHI) and direct normal irradiation (DNI) was derived. The spatial and temporal variability of the aerosol and dust effects on the different DSSI components was assessed. Aerosol attenuation of annual GHI and DNI were 1–13% and 5–47%, respectively. Over North Africa and the Middle East, attenuation by dust was found to contribute 45–90% to the overall attenuation by aerosols. The GHI and DNI attenuation during extreme dust episodes reached 12% and 44%, respectively, over particular areas. After 2008, attenuation of DSSI by aerosols became weaker mainly because of changes in the amount of dust. Sensitivity analysis using different AOD/DOD inputs from Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) reanalysis dataset revealed that using CAMS products leads to underestimation of the aerosol and dust radiative effects compared to MIDAS, mainly because the former underestimates DOD.
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23
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Liu H, Wang X, Talifu D, Ding X, Abulizi A, Tursun Y, An J, Li K, Luo P, Xie X. Distribution and sources of PM 2.5-bound free silica in the atmosphere of hyper-arid regions in Hotan, North-West China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 810:152368. [PMID: 34914986 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The composition of atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is complex and exhibits strong regional differences. Free silica (α-SiO2) in atmospheric particulate matter is carcinogenic and is an important component of respirable particulate matter in urban areas. Measurements determined that the concentration of silicon dioxide (α-SiO2) in PM2.5 in the urban area of Hotan City, China, was 8.02 μg·m-3 during the dust period and exceeded 1.77 μg·m-3 during the non-dust period. The proportion of α-SiO2 in PM2.5 was 8.07% during the dust period and 2.25% during the non-dust period. Atmospheric visibility during the dust period was mainly influenced by the content of atmospheric floating dust. Analysis of α-SiO2 pollution sources during the dust period showed that the air masses containing sand and dust originated from the desert hinterland. Following passage through oasis areas, the air mass was effectively reduced in the concentration of α-SiO2 in PM2.5. During the dusty period, α-SiO2 and PM2.5 originated from the same source in Hotan City. Moreover, wind speed was the main influencing factor for the α-SiO2 concentration. During the non-dust period, α-SiO2 and PM2.5 were not from the same source of pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huibin Liu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineer, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
| | - Xinming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Dilinuer Talifu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineer, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China.
| | - Xiang Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Abulikemu Abulizi
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineer, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
| | - Yalkunjan Tursun
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineer, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
| | - Juqin An
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineer, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
| | - Kejun Li
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineer, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
| | - Ping Luo
- Hotan Environmental Monitoring Station, Hotan 848000, China
| | - Xiaoxia Xie
- Hotan Environmental Monitoring Station, Hotan 848000, China
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24
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Zhou X, Strezov V, Jiang Y, Kan T, Evans T. Temporal and spatial variations of air pollution across China from 2015 to 2018. J Environ Sci (China) 2022; 112:161-169. [PMID: 34955200 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2021.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO and O3, and air quality index (AQI) values across 368 cities in mainland China during 2015-2018. The study further examined relationships of air pollution status with local industrial capacities and vehicle possessions. Strong correlations were found between industrial capacities (coal, pig iron, crude steel and rolled steel) and air pollution levels. Although statistical and significant reductions of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO and AQI values were observed in response to various laws and regulations in industrial sectors, both particle and gaseous pollutants still had annual average concentrations above recommended limits. In order to further reduce air pollution, more efforts can be done to control traffic emissions caused by minicars and heavy trucks, which was revealed after investigating 16 vehicle types. This was also consistent with the apparent air quality improvement during the COVID-19 lockdown period in China in 2020, despite industrial operations being still active at full capacities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoteng Zhou
- ARC Research Hub for Computational Particle Technology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia.
| | - Vladimir Strezov
- ARC Research Hub for Computational Particle Technology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Yijiao Jiang
- ARC Research Hub for Computational Particle Technology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia; School of Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Tao Kan
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Tim Evans
- ARC Research Hub for Computational Particle Technology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
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25
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Altuwayjiri A, Pirhadi M, Kalafy M, Alharbi B, Sioutas C. Impact of different sources on the oxidative potential of ambient particulate matter PM 10 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A focus on dust emissions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150590. [PMID: 34597581 PMCID: PMC8907835 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we employed Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multi-Linear Regression (MLR) to identify the most significant sources contributing to the toxicity of PM10 in the city center of Riyadh. PM10 samples were collected using a medium-volume air sampler during cool (December 2019-March 2020) and warm (May 2020-August 2020) seasons, including dust and non-dust events. The collected filters were analyzed for their chemical components (i.e., water-soluble ions, metals, and trace elements) as well as oxidative potential and elemental and organic carbon (EC/OC) contents. Our measurements revealed comparable extrinsic oxidative potential (P-value = 0.30) during the warm (1.2 ± 0.1 nmol/min-m3) and cool (1.1 ± 0.1 nmol/min-m3) periods. Moreover, we observed higher extrinsic oxidative potential of PM10 samples collected during dust events (~30% increase) compared to non-dust samples. Our PCA-MLR analysis identified soil and resuspended dust, secondary aerosol (SA), local industrial activities and petroleum refineries, and traffic emissions as the four sources contributing to the ambient PM10 oxidative potential in central Riyadh. Soil and resuspended dust were the major source contributing to the oxidative potential of ambient PM10, accounting for 31% of the total oxidative potential. Secondary aerosols (SA) were the next important source of PM10 toxicity in the area as they contributed to about 20% of the PM10 oxidative potential. Results of this study revealed the major role of soil and resuspended road dust on PM10 toxicity and can be helpful in adopting targeted air quality policies to reduce the population exposure to PM10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulmalik Altuwayjiri
- University of Southern California, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Majmaah University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Majmaah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Milad Pirhadi
- University of Southern California, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mohammed Kalafy
- Saudi Envirozone, Air Quality Monitoring Department, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Badr Alharbi
- National Center for Environmental Technology, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Constantinos Sioutas
- University of Southern California, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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26
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Polarization Lidar Measurements of Dust Optical Properties at the Junction of the Taklimakan Desert–Tibetan Plateau. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14030558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that dust aerosols may accelerate the melting of snow and glaciers over the Tibetan Plateau. To investigate the vertical structure of dust aerosols, we conducted a ground-based observation by using multi-wavelength polarization lidar which is designed for continuous network measurements. In this study, we used the lidar observation from September to October 2020 at the Ruoqiang site (39.0°N, 88.2°E; 894 m ASL), located at the junction of the Taklimakan Desert–Tibetan Plateau. Our results showed that dust aerosols can be lifted up to 5 km from the ground, which is comparable with the elevation of the Tibetan Plateau in autumn with a mass concentration of 400–900 μg m−3. Moreover, the particle depolarization ratio (PDR) of the lifted dust aerosols at 532 nm and 355 nm are 0.34 ± 0.03 and 0.25 ± 0.04, respectively, indicating the high degree of non-sphericity in shape. In addition, extinction-related Ångström exponents are very small (0.11 ± 0.24), implying the large values in size. Based on ground-based lidar observation, this study proved that coarse non-spherical Taklimakan dust with high concentration can be transported to the Tibetan Plateau, suggesting its possible impacts on the regional climate and ecosystem.
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27
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Font A, Tremper AH, Priestman M, Kelly FJ, Canonaco F, Prévôt ASH, Green DC. Source attribution and quantification of atmospheric nickel concentrations in an industrial area in the United Kingdom (UK). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 293:118432. [PMID: 34742819 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pontardawe in South Wales, United Kingdom (UK), consistently has the highest concentrations of nickel (Ni) in PM10 in the UK and repeatedly breaches the 20 ng m-3 annual mean EU target value. Several local industries use Ni in their processes. To assist policy makers and regulators in quantifying the relative Ni contributions of these industries and developing appropriate emission reduction approaches, the hourly concentrations of 23 elements were measured using X-ray fluorescence alongside meteorological variables and black carbon during a four-week campaign in November-December 2015. Concentrations of Ni ranged between 0 and 2480 ng m-3 as hourly means. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) was used to identify sources contributing to measured elements. Cluster analysis of bivariate polar plots of those factors containing Ni in their profile was further used to quantify the industrial processes contributing to ambient PM10 concentrations. Two sources were identified to contribute to Ni concentrations, stainless-steel (which contributed to 10% of the Ni burden) and the Ni refinery (contributing 90%). From the stainless-steel process, melting activities were responsible for 66% of the stainless-steel factor contribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Font
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Environmental Research Group, Imperial College London, 86 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
| | - Anja H Tremper
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Environmental Research Group, Imperial College London, 86 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Max Priestman
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Environmental Research Group, Imperial College London, 86 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Frank J Kelly
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Environmental Research Group, Imperial College London, 86 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Francesco Canonaco
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Villigen PSI, 5232, Switzerland
| | - André S H Prévôt
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Villigen PSI, 5232, Switzerland
| | - David C Green
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Environmental Research Group, Imperial College London, 86 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
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28
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Wang W, Shao L, Zhang D, Li Y, Li W, Liu P, Xing J. Mineralogical similarities and differences of dust storm particles at Beijing from deserts in the north and northwest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 803:149980. [PMID: 34525764 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Dust storm particles have been one of the important contributors to global aerosol loading, affecting human health and climate system. Beijing, a megapolitan city, experienced two severe dust storms in spring of 2015, with maximum hourly-mean PM10 mass concentrations exceeding 1000 μg/m3. The first dust storm (Dust 1) was from east area of Gobi Desert about 850 km in the north of Beijing and the second (Dust 2) was from west area of Gobi Desert about 1500 km in the northwest of Beijing. Morphologies and elemental compositions of dust particles were identified using high-resolution electron microscopy. The statistical analysis showed that the number fractions of mineral dust particles during the two dust storm episodes were 85.3% and 95.4%, respectively. Clay minerals were the most abundant among mineral particles, with a number fraction larger than 50%, followed by quartz particles (17.3% and 14.8%) and feldspar. Feldspar and carbonate particles accounted for 14.8% and 3.4% of mineral particles in Dust 1, and 9.9% and 13.6% in Dust 2, with the difference due to the different source areas. When the dust storms directly migrated to Beijing, the occurrence of S-containing mineral particles and the relative weight ratio of S in individual mineral particles were extremely low, indicating limited production of sulfate on the dust-storm particles in the atmosphere, regardless of the differences of source areas, migration paths, and mineralogical components. After the peaks of dust storms passed, the occurrence of S on the mineral particles were much higher, although the relative weight ratios of S in the mineral particles was still very small. This result suggests that most of the mineral particles underwent heterogeneous reactions, but the reaction rates were low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining & College of Geosciences and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China; School of Resources and Materials, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Longyi Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining & College of Geosciences and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Daizhou Zhang
- Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan
| | - Yaowei Li
- Hebei Center for Ecological and Environmental Geology Research, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, China
| | - Wenjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining & College of Geosciences and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Pengju Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining & College of Geosciences and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jiaoping Xing
- School of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
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29
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Wang J, Alli AS, Clark S, Hughes A, Ezzati M, Beddows A, Vallarino J, Nimo J, Bedford-Moses J, Baah S, Owusu G, Agyemang E, Kelly F, Barratt B, Beevers S, Agyei-Mensah S, Baumgartner J, Brauer M, Arku RE. Nitrogen oxides (NO and NO 2) pollution in the Accra metropolis: Spatiotemporal patterns and the role of meteorology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 803:149931. [PMID: 34487903 PMCID: PMC7611659 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Economic and urban development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) may be shifting the dominant air pollution sources in cities from biomass to road traffic. Considered as a marker for traffic-related air pollution in cities, we conducted a city-wide measurement of NOx levels in the Accra Metropolis and examined their spatiotemporal patterns in relation to land use and meteorological factors. Between April 2019 to June 2020, we collected weekly integrated NOx (n = 428) and NO2 (n = 472) samples at 10 fixed (year-long) and 124 rotating (week-long) sites. Data from the same time of year were compared to a previous study (2006) to assess changes in NO2 concentrations. NO and NO2 concentrations were highest in commercial/business/industrial (66 and 76 μg/m3, respectively) and high-density residential areas (47 and 59 μg/m3, respectively), compared with peri-urban locations. We observed annual means of 68 and 70 μg/m3 for NO and NO2, and a clear seasonal variation, with the mean NO2 of 63 μg/m3 (non-Harmattan) increased by 25-56% to 87 μg/m3 (Harmattan) across different site types. The NO2/NOx ratio was also elevated by 19-28%. Both NO and NO2 levels were associated with indicators of road traffic emissions (e.g. distance to major roads), but not with community biomass use (e.g. wood and charcoal). We found strong correlations between both NO2 and NO2/NOx and mixing layer depth, incident solar radiation and water vapor mixing ratio. These findings represent an increase of 25-180% when compared to a small study conducted in two high-density residential neighborhoods in Accra in 2006. Road traffic may be replacing community biomass use (major source of fine particulate matter) as the prominent source of air pollution in Accra, with policy implication for growing cities in SSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayuan Wang
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
| | - Abosede Sarah Alli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
| | - Sierra Clark
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Allison Hughes
- Department of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Majid Ezzati
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics, Imperial College London, London, UK; Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Andrew Beddows
- NIHR HPRU in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Jose Vallarino
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - James Nimo
- Department of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | | | - Solomon Baah
- Department of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - George Owusu
- Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Ernest Agyemang
- Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Frank Kelly
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; NIHR HPRU in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Benjamin Barratt
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; NIHR HPRU in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Sean Beevers
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Samuel Agyei-Mensah
- Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Jill Baumgartner
- Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Michael Brauer
- School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Raphael E Arku
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA.
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Effect of Climate Change on the Incidence and Geographical Distribution of Coccidioidomycosis. Fungal Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-89664-5_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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McDuffie E, Martin R, Yin H, Brauer M. Global Burden of Disease from Major Air Pollution Sources (GBD MAPS): A Global Approach. Res Rep Health Eff Inst 2021; 2021:1-45. [PMID: 36148817 PMCID: PMC9501767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Ambient fine particulate matter (particles <2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter [PM2.5]) is the world's leading environmental health risk factor. Reducing the PM2.5 disease burden requires specific strategies that target dominant sources across multiple spatial scales. The Global Burden of Disease from Major Air Pollution Sources (GBD MAPS) project provides a contemporary and comprehensive evaluation of contributions to the ambient PM2.5 disease burden from source sectors and fuels across 21 regions, 204 countries, and 200 subnational areas. We first derived quantitative contributions from 24 emission sensitivity simulations using an updated global atmospheric chemistry-transport model, input with a newly developed detailed anthropogenic emissions dataset that includes emissions specific to source sector and fuels. These simulation results were integrated with newly available high-resolution satellite-derived PM2.5 exposure estimates and disease-specific concentration-response relationships consistent with the GBD project to quantify contributions of specific source sector and fuel to the ambient PM2.5 disease burden across all regions, countries, and subnational areas. To improve the transparency and reproducibility of this and future work, we publicly provided the global atmospheric chemistry-transport model source code, emissions dataset and emissions model source code, analysis scripts, and source sensitivity results, and further described the emissions dataset and source contribution results in two publications. We found that nearly 1.05 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 0.74-1.36 million) deaths worldwide (27.3% of the total mortality attributable to PM2.5) would be avoidable by eliminating fossil fuel combustion, with coal contributing over half of that burden. Residential (19.2%; 736,000 deaths [95% UI: 521,000-955,000]), industrial (11.7%; 448,000 deaths [95% UI: 318,000-582,000]), and energy (10.2%; 391,000 deaths [95% UI: 277,000-507,000]) sector emissions are among the dominant global sources Uncertainty in these estimates reflects those of the input datasets. Regions with the largest anthropogenic contributions generally have the highest numbers of attributable deaths, which clearly demonstrates the importance of reducing these emissions to realize reductions in global air pollution and its disease burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- E McDuffie
- Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A
| | - R Martin
- Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A
- co-principal investigator
| | - H Yin
- The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - M Brauer
- The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- co-principal investigator
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Morawska L, Zhu T, Liu N, Amouei Torkmahalleh M, de Fatima Andrade M, Barratt B, Broomandi P, Buonanno G, Carlos Belalcazar Ceron L, Chen J, Cheng Y, Evans G, Gavidia M, Guo H, Hanigan I, Hu M, Jeong CH, Kelly F, Gallardo L, Kumar P, Lyu X, Mullins BJ, Nordstrøm C, Pereira G, Querol X, Yezid Rojas Roa N, Russell A, Thompson H, Wang H, Wang L, Wang T, Wierzbicka A, Xue T, Ye C. The state of science on severe air pollution episodes: Quantitative and qualitative analysis. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 156:106732. [PMID: 34197974 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Severe episodic air pollution blankets entire cities and regions and have a profound impact on humans and their activities. We compiled daily fine particle (PM2.5) data from 100 cities in five continents, investigated the trends of number, frequency, and duration of pollution episodes, and compared these with the baseline trend in air pollution. We showed that the factors contributing to these events are complex; however, long-term measures to abate emissions from all anthropogenic sources at all times is also the most efficient way to reduce the occurrence of severe air pollution events. In the short term, accurate forecasting systems of such events based on the meteorological conditions favouring their occurrence, together with effective emergency mitigation of anthropogenic sources, may lessen their magnitude and/or duration. However, there is no clear way of preventing events caused by natural sources affected by climate change, such as wildfires and desert dust outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Morawska
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; Global Centre for Clean Air Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom.
| | - Tong Zhu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Nairui Liu
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Mehdi Amouei Torkmahalleh
- Chemical and Aerosol Research Team, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; The Environment and Resource Efficiency Cluster, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Maria de Fatima Andrade
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences (IAG), University of Sao Paulo (USP), Brazil
| | - Benjamin Barratt
- Department of Environmental Health, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Parya Broomandi
- Chemical and Aerosol Research Team, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; School of Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Masjed Soleiman Branch, Iran
| | - Giorgio Buonanno
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, Italy
| | | | - Jianmin Chen
- Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Cheng
- School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, China
| | - Greg Evans
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Mario Gavidia
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences (IAG), University of Sao Paulo (USP), Brazil
| | - Hai Guo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ivan Hanigan
- The University of Sydney, University Centre for Rural Health, School of Public Health, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Min Hu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Cheol H Jeong
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Frank Kelly
- Department of Environmental Health, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Gallardo
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2) and Departamento de Geofísica, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaopu Lyu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Benjamin J Mullins
- School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Claus Nordstrøm
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Gavin Pereira
- School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nestor Yezid Rojas Roa
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia
| | - Armistead Russell
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Helen Thompson
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Hao Wang
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lina Wang
- Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Aneta Wierzbicka
- Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tao Xue
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Celine Ye
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Khaniabadi YO, Sicard P. A 10-year assessment of ambient fine particles and related health endpoints in a large Mediterranean city. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 278:130502. [PMID: 34126698 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fine particles i.e., with an aerodynamic diameter lower than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) have potentially the most significant effects on human health compared to other air pollutants. The main objectives of this study were to i) investigate the temporal variations of ambient PM2.5 in Marseille (Southern France), where air pollution is again a major public health issue, and ii) estimate their short-term health effects and annual trend (Mann-Kendall test) over a 10-year period from 2010 to 2019. In Marseille, the main sources of PM2.5 could be related to road traffic, industrial complexes, and oil refineries surrounded the city. The number of premature deaths and hospital admissions attributable to ambient PM2.5 exposure for non-accidental causes, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases were estimated by using in-situ air quality data, city-specific relative risk values and baseline incidence. Despite significant reduction of PM2.5 (- 0.80 μg m-3 year-1), Marseille citizens were exposed to PM2.5 levels exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guideline for human health protection (10 μg m-3) during entire study period. Exposure to ambient PM2.5 substantially contributed to mortality and hospital admissions: 871 deaths for non-accidental causes, 515 deaths for cardiovascular diseases, 47 deaths for respiratory diseases, as well as 1034 hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases and 834 for respiratory diseases were reported between 2010 and 2019. Compliance with WHO annual limit values can result in substantial socio-economic benefits by preventing premature deaths and hospital admissions. For instance, based on the value of a statistical life and average cost of a hospital admission, the associated benefit for healthcare would have been €131 million in 2019. Between 2010 and 2019, the number of PM2.5-related non-accidental deaths decreased by 1.15 per 105 inhabitants annually. Compared to 2010-2019, the restrictive measures associated to COVID-19 pandemic led to a reduction in PM2.5 of 11% in Marseille, with 2.6 PM2.5-related deaths averted in 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusef Omidi Khaniabadi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Industrial Medial and Health, Petroleum Industry Health Organization (PIHO), Ahvaz, Iran
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34
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Kutralam-Muniasamy G, Pérez-Guevara F, Martínez IE, Chari SV. Particulate matter concentrations and their association with COVID-19-related mortality in Mexico during June 2020 Saharan dust event. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:49989-50000. [PMID: 33945088 PMCID: PMC8093133 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14168-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
The present study evaluated the impact of Saharan dust event on particulate matter (PM: PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations by analyzing the daily average PM data between Saharan dust days (June 23-29, 2020) and non-Saharan dust days (June 15 to June 22 and June 30 to July 12, 2020) for four majorly affected regions in Mexico and by comparing with three major previous events (2015, 2018, and 2019). The results showed that PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were 2-5 times higher during the Saharan dust event with the highest daily averages of 197 μg/m3 and 94 μg/m3, respectively, and exceeded the Mexican standard norm (NOM-020-SSA1-2014). When comparing with the previous Saharan dust episodes of 2015, 2018, and 2019, the levels of PM10 and PM2.5 considerably increased and more than doubled across Mexico. The correlation analysis revealed a positive association of PM levels with the number of daily COVID-19 cases and deaths during Saharan dust event. Furthermore, the human health risk assessment showed that the chronic daily intake and hazard quotient values incremented during Saharan dust days compared to non-Saharan days, indicating potential health effects and importance of taking necessary measures to ensure better air quality following the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurusamy Kutralam-Muniasamy
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Fermín Pérez-Guevara
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
- Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Program, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ignacio Elizalde Martínez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Centro Mexicano para la Producción más Limpia (CMP+L), Av. Acueducto s/n, Col. Barrio la Laguna Ticomán, Del Gustavo A. Madero, C.P. 07340, México, D.F., México
| | - Shruti Venkata Chari
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Centro Mexicano para la Producción más Limpia (CMP+L), Av. Acueducto s/n, Col. Barrio la Laguna Ticomán, Del Gustavo A. Madero, C.P. 07340, México, D.F., México.
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Giltrap D, Cavanagh J, Stevenson B, Ausseil AG. The role of soils in the regulation of air quality. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200172. [PMID: 34365824 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Soils play a key role in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this study, we review the contribution of soils to the regulation of air quality, which is one of 'Nature's Contributions to People' identified by the Intergovernmental-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). This is particularly relevant for SDG3 (health and well-being) and 11 (sustainable cities and well-being) but also impacts other SDGs. Soils can act as both a source and a sink of air pollutants (and their precursors). In addition, soils support plant growth which plays a major role in regulating air quality. The scale of the soil impacts on air quality range from global (e.g. greenhouse gas fluxes, stratospheric ozone depletion) to local (e.g. odours, particulates, pathogen transport). Harmful emissions from soil can be increased or decreased by anthropogenic activity, while climate change is likely to modify future emissions patterns, both directly and in response to human mitigation and adaption actions. Although soils are not the only source of these pollutants, it is worthwhile managing them to reduce erosion and nutrient losses to maintain soil health so we may continue to benefit from the contributions to good quality of life they provide. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna Giltrap
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Private Bag 11052, Manawatu Mail Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Jo Cavanagh
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Private Bag 11052, Manawatu Mail Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Bryan Stevenson
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Private Bag 11052, Manawatu Mail Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Anne-Gäelle Ausseil
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Private Bag 11052, Manawatu Mail Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
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Nozza E, Valentini S, Melzi G, Vecchi R, Corsini E. Advances on the immunotoxicity of outdoor particulate matter: A focus on physical and chemical properties and respiratory defence mechanisms. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 780:146391. [PMID: 33774291 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Particulate matter (PM) is acknowledged to have multiple detrimental effects on human health. In this review, we report literature results on the possible link between outdoor PM and health outcomes with a focus on pulmonary infections and the mechanisms responsible for observed negative effects. PM physical and chemical properties, such as size and chemical composition, as well as major emission sources are described for a more comprehensive view about the role played by atmospheric PM in the observed adverse health effects; to this aim, major processes leading to the deposition of PM in the respiratory tract and how this can pave the way to the onset of pathologies are also presented. From the literature works here reviewed, two ways in which PM can threaten human health promoting respiratory infectious diseases are mostly taken into account. The first pathway is related to an enhanced susceptibility and here we will also report on molecular mechanisms in the lung immune system responsible for the augmented susceptibility to pathogens, such as the damage of mechanical defensive barriers, the alteration of the innate immune response, and the generation of oxidative stress. The second one deals with the relationship between infectious agents and PM; here we recall that viruses and bacteria (BioPM) are themselves part of atmospheric PM and are collected during sampling together with particles of different origin; so, data should be analysed with caution in order to avoid any false cause-effect relation. To face these issues a multidisciplinary approach is mandatory as also evident from the ongoing research about the mechanisms hypothesized for the SARS-CoV-2 airborne spreading, which is still controversial and claims for further investigation. Therefore, we preferred not to include papers dealing with SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Nozza
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy; Department of Physics, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 16, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - S Valentini
- Department of Physics, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 16, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - G Melzi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - R Vecchi
- Department of Physics, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 16, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - E Corsini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
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Analysis of Mineral Aerosol in the Surface Layer over the Caspian Lowland Desert by the Data of 12 Summer Field Campaigns in 2002–2020. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12080985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In-situ knowledge on characteristics of mineral aerosols is important for weather and climate prediction models, particularly for modeling such processes as the entrainment, transport and deposition of aerosols. However, field measurements of the dust emission flux, dust size distribution and its chemical composition under realistic wind conditions remain rare. In this study, we present experimental data over annual expeditions in the arid and semi-arid zones of the Caspian Lowland Desert (Kalmykia, south of Russia); we evaluate characteristics of mineral aerosol concentration and fluxes, estimate its chemical composition and calculate its long-distance transport characteristics. The mass concentration in different years ranges from several tens to several hundred of μg m−3. The significant influence of wind velocity on the value of mass and counting concentration and on the proposed entrainment mechanisms is confirmed. An increased content of anthropogenic elements (S, Sn, Pb, Bi, Mo, Ag, Cd, Hg, etc.), which is characteristic for all observation points in the south of the European Russia, is found. The trajectory analysis show that long-range air particles transport from the Caspian Lowland Desert to the central regions of European Russia tends to increase in the recent decades.
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Zerouki C, Bensalah F, Kuittinen S, Pappinen A, Turunen O. Whole-genome sequencing of two Streptomyces strains isolated from the sand dunes of Sahara. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:578. [PMID: 34315408 PMCID: PMC8317367 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07866-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sahara is one of the largest deserts in the world. The harsh climatic conditions, especially high temperature and aridity lead to unique adaptation of organisms, which could be a potential source of new metabolites. In this respect, two Saharan soils from El Oued Souf and Beni Abbes in Algeria were collected. The bacterial isolates were selected by screening for antibacterial, antifungal, and enzymatic activities. The whole genomes of the two native Saharan strains were sequenced to study desert Streptomyces microbiology and ecology from a genomic perspective. RESULTS Strains Babs14 (from Beni Abbes, Algeria) and Osf17 (from El Oued Souf, Algeria) were initially identified by 16S rRNA sequencing as belonging to the Streptomyces genus. The whole genome sequencing of the two strains was performed using Pacific Biosciences Sequel II technology (PacBio), which showed that Babs14 and Osf17 have a linear chromosome of 8.00 Mb and 7.97 Mb, respectively. The number of identified protein coding genes was 6910 in Babs14 and 6894 in Osf17. No plasmids were found in Babs14, whereas three plasmids were detected in Osf17. Although the strains have different phenotypes and are from different regions, they showed very high similarities at the DNA level. The two strains are more similar to each other than either is to the closest database strain. The search for potential secondary metabolites was performed using antiSMASH and predicted 29 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Several BGCs and proteins were related to the biosynthesis of factors needed in response to environmental stress in temperature, UV light and osmolarity. CONCLUSION The genome sequencing of Saharan Streptomyces strains revealed factors that are related to their adaptation to an extreme environment and stress conditions. The genome information provides tools to study ecological adaptation in a desert environment and to explore the bioactive compounds of these microorganisms. The two whole genome sequences are among the first to be sequenced for the Streptomyces genus of Algerian Sahara. The present research was undertaken as a first step to more profoundly explore the desert microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chahira Zerouki
- School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, FI-80101, Joensuu, Finland.
- Laboratory of Microbial Genetics, Department of Biology, University ORAN 1, 31000, Oran, Algeria.
| | - Farid Bensalah
- Laboratory of Microbial Genetics, Department of Biology, University ORAN 1, 31000, Oran, Algeria
| | - Suvi Kuittinen
- School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, FI-80101, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Ari Pappinen
- School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, FI-80101, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Ossi Turunen
- School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, FI-80101, Joensuu, Finland
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Alli AS, Clark SN, Hughes A, Nimo J, Bedford-Moses J, Baah S, Wang J, Vallarino J, Agyemang E, Barratt B, Beddows A, Kelly F, Owusu G, Baumgartner J, Brauer M, Ezzati M, Agyei-Mensah S, Arku RE. Spatial-temporal patterns of ambient fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and black carbon (BC) pollution in Accra. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS : ERL [WEB SITE] 2021; 16:074013. [PMID: 34239599 PMCID: PMC8227509 DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac074a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is rapidly urbanizing, and ambient air pollution has emerged as a major environmental health concern in growing cities. Yet, effective air quality management is hindered by limited data. We deployed robust, low-cost and low-power devices in a large-scale measurement campaign and characterized within-city variations in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) pollution in Accra, Ghana. Between April 2019 and June 2020, we measured weekly gravimetric (filter-based) and minute-by-minute PM2.5 concentrations at 146 unique locations, comprising of 10 fixed (∼1 year) and 136 rotating (7 day) sites covering a range of land-use and source influences. Filters were weighed for mass, and light absorbance (10-5m-1) of the filters was used as proxy for BC concentration. Year-long data at four fixed sites that were monitored in a previous study (2006-2007) were compared to assess changes in PM2.5 concentrations. The mean annual PM2.5 across the fixed sites ranged from 26 μg m-3 at a peri-urban site to 43 μg m-3 at a commercial, business, and industrial (CBI) site. CBI areas had the highest PM2.5 levels (mean: 37 μg m-3), followed by high-density residential neighborhoods (mean: 36 μg m-3), while peri-urban areas recorded the lowest (mean: 26 μg m-3). Both PM2.5 and BC levels were highest during the dry dusty Harmattan period (mean PM2.5: 89 μg m-3) compared to non-Harmattan season (mean PM2.5: 23 μg m-3). PM2.5 at all sites peaked at dawn and dusk, coinciding with morning and evening heavy traffic. We found about a 50% reduction (71 vs 37 μg m-3) in mean annual PM2.5 concentrations when compared to measurements in 2006-2007 in Accra. Ambient PM2.5 concentrations in Accra may have plateaued at levels lower than those seen in large Asian megacities. However, levels are still 2- to 4-fold higher than the WHO guideline. Effective and equitable policies are needed to reduce pollution levels and protect public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abosede S Alli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States of America
| | - Sierra N Clark
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Center for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Allison Hughes
- Department of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - James Nimo
- Department of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | | | - Solomon Baah
- Department of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Jiayuan Wang
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States of America
| | - Jose Vallarino
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Ernest Agyemang
- Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Benjamin Barratt
- MRC Center for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR HPRU in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Beddows
- MRC Center for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR HPRU in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Frank Kelly
- MRC Center for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR HPRU in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - George Owusu
- Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Jill Baumgartner
- Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Michael Brauer
- School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, United States of America
| | - Majid Ezzati
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Center for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Samuel Agyei-Mensah
- Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Raphael E Arku
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States of America
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Ebrahimi-Khusfi Z, Nafarzadegan AR, Khosroshahi M. Using multivariate adaptive regression splines and extremely randomized trees algorithms to predict dust events frequency around an international wetland and prioritize its drivers. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2021; 193:437. [PMID: 34159451 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-09198-5] [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: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the performance of multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) and extremely randomized trees (ERT) models for predicting the internal and external dust events frequencies (DEF) across the northeastern and southwestern regions of the Gavkhouni International Wetland. These models were also evaluated to model the internal DEF (IDEF) across the northwestern, southeastern, northern, and western regions around the wetland. Furthermore, the main factors controlling DEF and IDEF were identified based on the importance value (IV) of predictors in the best model. The results showed that the ERT model increased the prediction accuracies by an average of 40%, compared to the MARS model. According to the IV obtained from the ERT model, aerosol optical depth (IV = 0.28), wetland discharge (IV = 0.25), near-surface wind speed (IV = 0.08), and erosive winds frequency (IV = 0.07) were identified as the most important factors controlling DEF across the northeastern and southwestern regions of the wetland. However, the erosive wind speed was detected as the major factor affecting the IDEF in the northern (IV = 0.16), western (IV = 0.18), and southeastern (IV = 0.65) regions of study wetland. It was also found that vapor pressure with IV of 0.32 had the greatest effect on IDEF variations across the northwestern region of the wetland. Overall, the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the ERT model in modeling the factors affecting DEF and IDEF, and the results may be used to mitigate dust events hazards around the Gavkhouni Wetland, in central Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohre Ebrahimi-Khusfi
- Department of Ecological Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran.
| | - Ali Reza Nafarzadegan
- Department of Natural Resources Engineering, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Khosroshahi
- Desert Research Division, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, Iran
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41
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Source sector and fuel contributions to ambient PM 2.5 and attributable mortality across multiple spatial scales. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3594. [PMID: 34127654 PMCID: PMC8203641 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23853-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the world's leading environmental health risk factor. Reducing the PM2.5 disease burden requires specific strategies that target dominant sources across multiple spatial scales. We provide a contemporary and comprehensive evaluation of sector- and fuel-specific contributions to this disease burden across 21 regions, 204 countries, and 200 sub-national areas by integrating 24 global atmospheric chemistry-transport model sensitivity simulations, high-resolution satellite-derived PM2.5 exposure estimates, and disease-specific concentration response relationships. Globally, 1.05 (95% Confidence Interval: 0.74-1.36) million deaths were avoidable in 2017 by eliminating fossil-fuel combustion (27.3% of the total PM2.5 burden), with coal contributing to over half. Other dominant global sources included residential (0.74 [0.52-0.95] million deaths; 19.2%), industrial (0.45 [0.32-0.58] million deaths; 11.7%), and energy (0.39 [0.28-0.51] million deaths; 10.2%) sectors. Our results show that regions with large anthropogenic contributions generally had the highest attributable deaths, suggesting substantial health benefits from replacing traditional energy sources.
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42
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Saharan dust and giant quartz particle transport towards Iceland. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11891. [PMID: 34088966 PMCID: PMC8178365 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91481-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mineral dust emissions from Saharan sources have an impact on the atmospheric environment and sedimentary units in distant regions. Here, we present the first systematic observations of long-range Saharan dust transport towards Iceland. Fifteen Saharan dust episodes were identified to have occurred between 2008 and 2020 based on aerosol optical depth data, backward trajectories and numerical models. Icelandic samples from the local dust sources were compared with deposited dust from two severe Saharan dust events in terms of their granulometric and mineralogical characteristics. The episodes were associated with enhanced meridional atmospheric flow patterns driven by unusual meandering jets. Strong winds were able to carry large Saharan quartz particles (> 100 µm) towards Iceland. Our results confirm the atmospheric pathways of Saharan dust towards the Arctic, and identify new northward meridional long-ranged transport of giant dust particles from the Sahara, including the first evidence of their deposition in Iceland as previously predicted by models.
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Hammer MS, van Donkelaar A, Martin RV, McDuffie EE, Lyapustin A, Sayer AM, Hsu NC, Levy RC, Garay MJ, Kalashnikova OV, Kahn RA. Effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on fine particulate matter concentrations. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg7670. [PMID: 34162552 PMCID: PMC8221629 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg7670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic provide an unprecedented opportunity to examine the effects of human activity on air quality. The effects on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are of particular interest, as PM2.5 is the leading environmental risk factor for mortality globally. We map global PM2.5 concentrations for January to April 2020 with a focus on China, Europe, and North America using a combination of satellite data, simulation, and ground-based observations. We examine PM2.5 concentrations during lockdown periods in 2020 compared to the same periods in 2018 to 2019. We find changes in population-weighted mean PM2.5 concentrations during the lockdowns of -11 to -15 μg/m3 across China, +1 to -2 μg/m3 across Europe, and 0 to -2 μg/m3 across North America. We explain these changes through a combination of meteorology and emission reductions, mostly due to transportation. This work demonstrates regional differences in the sensitivity of PM2.5 to emission sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie S Hammer
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Aaron van Donkelaar
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Randall V Martin
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Erin E McDuffie
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Alexei Lyapustin
- Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Andrew M Sayer
- Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research, Universities Space Research Association, Greenbelt, MD 21046, USA
| | - N Christina Hsu
- Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Robert C Levy
- Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Michael J Garay
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Olga V Kalashnikova
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Ralph A Kahn
- Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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Teixidó O, Tobías A, Massagué J, Mohamed R, Ekaabi R, Hamed HI, Perry R, Querol X, Al Hosani S. The influence of COVID-19 preventive measures on the air quality in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). AIR QUALITY, ATMOSPHERE, & HEALTH 2021; 14:1071-1079. [PMID: 33841587 PMCID: PMC8019479 DOI: 10.1007/s11869-021-01000-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The preventive and cautionary measures taken by the UAE and Abu Dhabi governments to reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and promote social distancing have led to a reduction of mobility and a modification of economic and social activities. This paper provides statistical analysis of the air quality data monitored by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) during the first 10 months of 2020, comparing the different stages of the preventive measures. Ground monitoring data is compared with satellite images and mobility indicators. The study shows a drastic decrease during lockdown in the concentration of the gaseous pollutants analysed (NO2, SO2, CO, and C6H6) that aligns with the results reported in other international cities and metropolitan areas. However, particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) averaged concentrations followed a markedly different trend from the gaseous pollutants, indicating a larger influence from natural events (sand and dust storms) and other anthropogenic sources. The ozone (O3) levels increased during the lockdown, showing the complexity of O3 formation. The end of lockdown led to an increase of the mobility and the air pollution; however, air pollutant concentrations remained in lower levels than during the same period of 2019. The results in this study show the large impact of human activities on the quality of air and present an opportunity for policymakers and decision-makers to design stimulus packages to overcome the economic slow-down, with strategies to accelerate the transition to resilient, low-emission economies and societies more connected to the nature that protect human health and the environment. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11869-021-01000-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriol Teixidó
- Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Aurelio Tobías
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Massagué
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ruqaya Mohamed
- Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rashed Ekaabi
- Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hussein I. Hamed
- Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Richard Perry
- Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Shaikha Al Hosani
- Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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45
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Sveiven SN, Bookman R, Ma J, Lyden E, Hanson C, Nordgren TM. Milk Consumption and Respiratory Function in Asthma Patients: NHANES Analysis 2007-2012. Nutrients 2021; 13:1182. [PMID: 33918391 PMCID: PMC8067167 DOI: 10.3390/nu13041182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asthma prevalence has steadily risen since the 1980s. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we investigated associations between milk consumption and pulmonary function (PF). Multivariable analyses were performed, adjusted for a priori potential confounders for lung function, within the eligible total adult population (n = 11,131) and those self-reporting asthma (n = 1,542), included the following variables: milk-consumption, asthma diagnosis, forced vital capacity (FVC), FVC%-predicted (%), forced expiratory volume in one-second (FEV1), FEV1% and FEV1/FVC. Within the total population, FEV1% and FVC% were significantly associated with regular (5+ days weekly) consumption of exclusively 1% milk in the prior 30-days (β:1.81; 95% CI: [0.297, 3.325]; p = 0.020 and β:1.27; [0.16, 3.22]; p = 0.046). Among participants with asthma, varied-regular milk consumption in a lifetime was significantly associated with FVC (β:127.3; 95% CI: [13.1, 241.4]; p = 0.002) and FVC% (β:2.62; 95% CI: [0.44, 4.80]; p = 0.006). No association between milk consumption and FEV1/FVC was found, while milk-type had variable influence and significance. Taken together, we found certain milk consumption tendencies were associated with pulmonary function values among normal and asthmatic populations. These findings propound future investigations into the potential role of dairy consumption in altering lung function and asthma outcomes, with potential impact on the protection and maintenance of pulmonary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie N. Sveiven
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; (S.N.S.); (R.B.)
| | - Rachel Bookman
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; (S.N.S.); (R.B.)
| | - Jihyun Ma
- Biostatistics Department, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (J.M.); (E.L.)
| | - Elizabeth Lyden
- Biostatistics Department, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (J.M.); (E.L.)
| | - Corrine Hanson
- Medical Nutrition Education Division, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA;
| | - Tara M. Nordgren
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; (S.N.S.); (R.B.)
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Tuffier S, Upegui E, Raghoumandan C, Viel JF. Retrospective assessment of pregnancy exposure to particulate matter from desert dust on a Caribbean island: could satellite-based aerosol optical thickness be used as an alternative to ground PM 10 concentration? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:17675-17683. [PMID: 33403634 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-12204-x] [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: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Desert dust transported from the Saharan-Sahel region to the Caribbean Sea is responsible for peak exposures of particulate matter (PM). This study explored the potential added value of satellite aerosol optical thickness (AOT) measurements, compared to the PM concentration at ground level, to retrospectively assess exposure during pregnancy. MAIAC MODIS AOT retrievals in blue band (AOT470) were extracted for the French Guadeloupe archipelago. AOT470 values and PM10 concentrations were averaged over pregnancy for 906 women (2005-2008). Regression modeling was used to examine the AOT470-PM10 relationship during pregnancy and test the association between dust exposure estimates and preterm birth. Moderate agreement was shown between mean AOT470 retrievals and PM10 ground-based measurements during pregnancy (R2 = 0.289). The magnitude of the association between desert dust exposure and preterm birth tended to be lower using the satellite method compared to the monitor method. The latter remains an acceptable trade-off between epidemiological relevance and exposure misclassification, in areas with few monitoring stations and complex topographical/meteorological conditions, such as tropical islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Tuffier
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, University of Rennes 1, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Erika Upegui
- Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, CP, 110001, Bogota, Colombia
| | | | - Jean François Viel
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, University of Rennes 1, F-35000, Rennes, France.
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Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Desert dust is assumed to have substantial adverse effects on human health. However, the epidemiologic evidence is still inconsistent, mainly because previous studies used different metrics for dust exposure and its corresponding epidemiologic analysis. We aim to provide a standardized approach to the methodology for evaluating the short-term health effects of desert dust.
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Spatial patterns of lower respiratory tract infections and their association with fine particulate matter. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4866. [PMID: 33649419 PMCID: PMC7921673 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84435-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to identify the spatial patterns of lower respiratory tract infections (LRIs) and their association with fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The disability-adjusted life year (DALY) database was used to represent the burden each country experiences as a result of LRIs. PM2.5 data obtained from the Atmosphere Composition Analysis Group was assessed as the source for main exposure. Global Moran's I and Getis-Ord Gi* were applied to identify the spatial patterns and for hotspots analysis of LRIs. A generalized linear mixed model was coupled with a sensitivity test after controlling for covariates to estimate the association between LRIs and PM2.5. Subgroup analyses were performed to determine whether LRIs and PM2.5 are correlated for various ages and geographic regions. A significant spatial auto-correlated pattern was identified for global LRIs with Moran's Index 0.79, and the hotspots of LRIs were clustered in 35 African and 4 Eastern Mediterranean countries. A consistent significant positive association between LRIs and PM2.5 with a coefficient of 0.21 (95% CI 0.06-0.36) was identified. Furthermore, subgroup analysis revealed a significant effect of PM2.5 on LRI for children (0-14 years) and the elderly (≥ 70 years), and this effect was confirmed to be significant in all regions except for those comprised of Eastern Mediterranean countries.
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49
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Vijayakumar R, Abdulaziz Alfaiz F, Al-Malki ES, Sandle T. Assessment of airborne endotoxin in sandstorm dust and indoor environments using a novel passive sampling device in Al Zulfi city, Saudi Arabia - Establishing threshold exposure levels. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:1257-1266. [PMID: 33613055 PMCID: PMC7878821 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of sandstorm dust events affects local air quality and public health. These issues are becoming of greater concern in Saudi Arabia. There is a significant lack of research on airborne endotoxin exposure and analysis in the Middle East countries and no coherent body of research exists focusing on sandstorm dust in worldwide. In this study, we used a novel design of an aluminum foil plate (AFP) electrostatic dust cloth (EDC) for the passive air sampling of sandstorm dust. A total of 38 sandstorm dust samples were collected during sandstorm episodes occurring between January and April 2020 in both indoor (7 days, n = 20) and outdoor environments (24 h, n = 18). After exposure, and following an extraction procedure, bacterial endotoxin levels were measured using the Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL) gel clot method. The study highlights that the airborne endotoxin level observed was between 10 and 200 EU/m2 in both indoor and outdoor environments, during a sandstorm event. Agricultural activities and farmhouses observed higher airborne endotoxin levels. In general, increased endotoxin levels were related to the severity of the sandstorms. Given that the observed values were high as per existing guidelines for respiratory health, we recommend the setting an occupational airborne exposure limit for bacterial endotoxin. This is the first report and further studies across various sandstorm-hit regions will need to be undertaken, together with various sampling methods, in order to assess for seasonal and geographic trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajendran Vijayakumar
- Department of Biology, College of Science in Zulfi, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
- Corresponding author at: Department of Biology, College of Science in Zulfi, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Faiz Abdulaziz Alfaiz
- Department of Biology, College of Science in Zulfi, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Esam S. Al-Malki
- Department of Biology, College of Science in Zulfi, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tim Sandle
- Head of Microbiology, Risk Management and Sterility Assurance, Bio Products Laboratory, Elstree, United Kingdom
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50
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Abstract
This overview provides an update on silicosis epidemiology with review of exposures and emerging trends in acute and accelerated silicosis in the twenty-first century. The silicosis epidemics in mining, denim sandblasting, and engineering stone industries are highlighted. Clinical presentations of silicosis and silica-related conditions such as autoimmune, kidney, and mycobacterial disease, as well as lung cancer, are discussed. Important aspects of the new OSHA 2017 Silica Standard are presented. This review also includes practical guidance for clinicians to address questions that may arise when evaluating silica-exposed patients and to the public health responses needed following a diagnosis of silica-related disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silpa Krefft
- Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver, CO 80206, USA; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Aurora, CO, USA; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Jenna Wolff
- Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver, CO 80206, USA
| | - Cecile Rose
- Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver, CO 80206, USA; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, USA
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