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Demoury C, Aerts R, Berete F, Lefebvre W, Pauwels A, Vanpoucke C, Van der Heyden J, De Clercq EM. Impact of short-term exposure to air pollution on natural mortality and vulnerable populations: a multi-city case-crossover analysis in Belgium. Environ Health 2024; 23:11. [PMID: 38267996 PMCID: PMC10809644 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-024-01050-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The adverse effect of air pollution on mortality is well documented worldwide but the identification of more vulnerable populations at higher risk of death is still limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between natural mortality (overall and cause-specific) and short-term exposure to five air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, O3 and black carbon) and identify potential vulnerable populations in Belgium. METHODS We used a time-stratified case-crossover design with conditional logistic regressions to assess the relationship between mortality and air pollution in the nine largest Belgian agglomerations. Then, we performed a random-effect meta-analysis of the pooled results and described the global air pollution-mortality association. We carried out stratified analyses by individual characteristics (sex, age, employment, hospitalization days and chronic preexisting health conditions), living environment (levels of population density, built-up areas) and season of death to identify effect modifiers of the association. RESULTS The study included 304,754 natural deaths registered between 2010 and 2015. We found percentage increases for overall natural mortality associated with 10 μg/m3 increases of air pollution levels of 0.6% (95% CI: 0.2%, 1.0%) for PM2.5, 0.4% (0.1%, 0.8%) for PM10, 0.5% (-0.2%, 1.1%) for O3, 1.0% (0.3%, 1.7%) for NO2 and 7.1% (-0.1%, 14.8%) for black carbon. There was also evidence for increases of cardiovascular and respiratory mortality. We did not find effect modification by individual characteristics (sex, age, employment, hospitalization days). However, this study suggested differences in risk of death for people with preexisting conditions (thrombosis, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, diabetes and thyroid affections), season of death (May-September vs October-April) and levels of built-up area in the neighborhood (for NO2). CONCLUSIONS This work provided evidence for the adverse health effects of air pollution and contributed to the identification of specific population groups. These findings can help to better define public-health interventions and prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Demoury
- Risk and Health Impact Assessment, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Raf Aerts
- Risk and Health Impact Assessment, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
- Division Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
- Center for Environmental Sciences, University of Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium
| | | | - Wouter Lefebvre
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Arno Pauwels
- Risk and Health Impact Assessment, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
- Health Information, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | | | - Eva M De Clercq
- Risk and Health Impact Assessment, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
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Guo T, Chen S, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Du Z, Wu W, Chen S, Ju X, Li Z, Jing Q, Hao Y, Zhang W. Potential causal links of long-term air pollution with lung cancer incidence: From the perspectives of mortality and hospital admission in a large cohort study in southern China. Int J Cancer 2024; 154:251-260. [PMID: 37611179 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Evidence on the potential causal links of long-term air pollution exposure with lung cancer incidence (reflected by mortality and hospital admission) was limited, especially based on large cohorts. We examined the relationship between lung cancer and long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM, including PM2.5 , PM10 and PM10-2.5 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ) among a large cohort of general Chinese adults using causal inference approaches. The study included 575 592 participants who were followed up for an average of 8.2 years. The yearly exposure of PM and NO2 was estimated through satellite-based random forest approaches and the ordinary kriging method, respectively. Marginal structural Cox models were used to examine hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality and hospital admission due to lung cancer following air pollution exposure, adjusting for potential confounders. The HRs of mortality due to lung cancer were 1.042 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.033-1.052), 1.032 (95% CI:1.024-1.041) and 1.052 (95% CI:1.041-1.063) for each 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 , PM10 and NO2 , respectively. In addition, we observed statistically significant effects of PMs on hospital admission due to lung cancer. The HRs (95%CI) were 1.110 (1.027-1.201), 1.067 (1.020-1.115) and 1.079 (1.010-1.153) for every 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 , PM10 , PM10-2.5 , respectively. Furthermore, we found larger effect estimates among the elderly and those who exercised more frequently. We provided the most comprehensive evidence of the potential causal links between two outcomes of lung cancer and long-term air pollution exposure. Relevant policies should be developed, with special attention to protecting the vulnerable groups of the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Guo
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health & Center for Health Information Research & Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shirui Chen
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health & Center for Health Information Research & Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health & Center for Health Information Research & Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuqin Zhang
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health & Center for Health Information Research & Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhicheng Du
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health & Center for Health Information Research & Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenjing Wu
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health & Center for Health Information Research & Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shimin Chen
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health & Center for Health Information Research & Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xu Ju
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health & Center for Health Information Research & Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhiqiang Li
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health & Center for Health Information Research & Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qinlong Jing
- Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuantao Hao
- Peking University Center for Public Health and Epidemic Preparedness & Response, Beijing, China
| | - Wangjian Zhang
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health & Center for Health Information Research & Sun Yat-sen Global Health Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Abed Al Ahad M. The association of long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution with all-cause GP visits and hospital admissions by ethnicity and country of birth in the United Kingdom. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0275414. [PMID: 37819897 PMCID: PMC10566689 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275414] [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: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution is associated with poor health. Yet, more research is needed to reveal the association of long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution with less studied health outcomes like hospital admissions and general-practitioner (GP) visits and whether this association is stronger for ethnic minorities compared to the rest of population. This study investigates the association between air pollution and all-cause GP visits and hospital admissions by ethnicity in the United-Kingdom (UK). METHODS We used individual-level longitudinal data from the "UK Household Longitudinal Study" including 46,442 adult individuals who provided 140,466 responses across five years (2015-2019). This data was linked to yearly concentrations of NO2, SO2, and particulate-matter (PM10, PM2.5) outdoor pollution using the Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) of residence for each individual. Multilevel mixed-effects ordered logistic models were used to assess the association between air pollution and all-cause GP visits and hospital admissions. RESULTS We found higher odds of hospital admissions per 1 μg/m3 increase in annual concentrations of NO2 (OR = 1.008; 95%CI = 1.004-1.012), SO2 (OR = 1.048; 95%CI = 1.014-1.083), PM10 (OR = 1.011; 95%CI = 1.003-1.018), and PM2.5 (OR = 1.018; 95%CI = 1.007-1.029) pollutants. Higher odds of GP visits were also observed with increased exposure to NO2 (OR = 1.010; 95%CI = 1.006-1.014) and SO2 (OR = 1.114; 95%CI = 1.077-1.152) pollutants. The observed associations did not differ across ethnic groups, but by country of birth, they were more pronounced in individuals born outside UK than those born in UK. CONCLUSION This study supports an association between higher exposure to outdoor air pollution and increased all-cause hospital admissions and GP visits. Further longitudinal studies with longer follow-up time periods may be able to reveal more definite conclusions on the influence of ethnicity on the association between long-term outdoor air pollution and both hospital admissions and GP visits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Abed Al Ahad
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Park H, Yang PS, Sung JH, Jin MN, Jang E, Yu HT, Kim TH, Pak HN, Lee MH, Joung B. Association Between the Combined Effects of Physical Activity Intensity and Particulate Matter and All-Cause Mortality in Older Adults. Mayo Clin Proc 2023; 98:1153-1163. [PMID: 37422738 DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2023.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between the combined effects of physical activity (PA) intensity and particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM10) and mortality in older adults. METHODS This nationwide cohort study included older adults without chronic heart or lung disease who engaged in regular PA. Physical activity was assessed by a standardized, self-reported questionnaire that asked the usual frequency of PA sessions with low (LPA), moderate (MPA), or vigorous intensity (VPA). Each participant's annual average cumulative PM10 was categorized as low to moderate and high PM10 on the basis of a cutoff value of 90th percentile. RESULTS A total of 81,326 participants (median follow-up, 45 months) were included. For participants engaged in MPA or VPA sessions, every 10% increase in the proportion of VPA to total PA sessions resulted in a 4.9% (95% CI, 1.0% to 9.0%; P=.014) increased and 2.8% (95% CI, -5.0% to -0.5%; P=.018) decreased risk of mortality for those exposed to high and low to moderate PM10, respectively (Pinteraction, <.001). For participants engaged only in LPA or MPA sessions, every 10% increase in the proportion of MPA to total PA sessions resulted in a 4.8% (95% CI, -8.9% to -0.4%; P=.031) and 2.3% (95% CI, -4.2% to -0.3%; P=.023) decreased risk of mortality for those exposed to high and low to moderate PM10, respectively (Pinteraction, .096). CONCLUSION We found that for the same level of total PA, MPA was associated with delayed mortality whereas VPA was associated with hastened mortality of older adults in high levels of PM10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanjin Park
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Pil-Sung Yang
- Division of Cardiology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hoon Sung
- Division of Cardiology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Moo-Nyun Jin
- Division of Cardiology, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunsun Jang
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Tae Yu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Hoon Kim
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hui-Nam Pak
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon-Hyoung Lee
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Boyoung Joung
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Gilardi L, Marconcini M, Metz-Marconcini A, Esch T, Erbertseder T. Long-term exposure and health risk assessment from air pollution: impact of regional scale mobility. Int J Health Geogr 2023; 22:11. [PMID: 37208713 PMCID: PMC10196305 DOI: 10.1186/s12942-023-00333-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The negative effect of air pollution on human health is widely reported in recent literature. It typically involves urbanized areas where the population is concentrated and where most primary air pollutants are produced. A comprehensive health risk assessment is therefore of strategic importance for health authorities. METHODS In this study we propose a methodology to perform an indirect and retrospective health risk assessment of all-cause mortality associated with long-term exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) in a typical Monday to Friday working week. A combination of satellite-based settlement data, model-based air pollution data, land use, demographics and regional scale mobility, allowed to examine the effect of population mobility and pollutants daily variations on the health risk. A Health Risk Increase (HRI) metric was derived on the basis of three components: hazard, exposure and vulnerability, utilizing the relative risk values from the World Health Organization. An additional metric, the Health Burden (HB) was formulated, which accounts for the total number of people exposed to a certain risk level. RESULTS The effect of regional mobility patterns on the HRI metric was assessed, resulting in an increased HRI associated with all three stressors when considering a dynamic population compared to a static one. The effect of diurnal variation of pollutants was only observed for NO2 and O3. For both, the HRI metric resulted in significantly higher values during night. Concerning the HB parameter, we identified the commuting flows of the population as the main driver in the resulting metric. CONCLUSIONS This indirect exposure assessment methodology provides tools to support policy makers and health authorities in planning intervention and mitigation measures. The study was carried out in Lombardy, Italy, one of the most polluted regions in Europe, but the incorporation of satellite data makes our approach valuable for studying global health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenza Gilardi
- German Remote Sensing Data Center, Department Atmosphere (DFD-ATM), German Aerospace Center (DLR), Münchener Str. 20, 82234, Weßling, Germany.
| | - Mattia Marconcini
- German Remote Sensing Data Center, Department Land Surface Dynamics (DFD-LAX), German Aerospace Center (DLR), Münchener Str. 20, 82234, Weßling, Germany
| | - Annekatrin Metz-Marconcini
- German Remote Sensing Data Center, Department Land Surface Dynamics (DFD-LAX), German Aerospace Center (DLR), Münchener Str. 20, 82234, Weßling, Germany
| | - Thomas Esch
- German Remote Sensing Data Center, Department Land Surface Dynamics (DFD-LAX), German Aerospace Center (DLR), Münchener Str. 20, 82234, Weßling, Germany
| | - Thilo Erbertseder
- German Remote Sensing Data Center, Department Atmosphere (DFD-ATM), German Aerospace Center (DLR), Münchener Str. 20, 82234, Weßling, Germany
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Abed Al Ahad M, Demšar U, Sullivan F, Kulu H. The spatial-temporal effect of air pollution on individuals' reported health and its variation by ethnic groups in the United Kingdom: a multilevel longitudinal analysis. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:897. [PMID: 37189130 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15853-y] [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: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution is associated with poor health; though it is unclear whether this association is stronger for ethnic minorities compared to the rest of the population. This study uses longitudinal data to investigate the spatial-temporal effect of air pollution on individuals' reported health and its variation by ethnicity in the United-Kingdom (UK). METHODS Longitudinal individual-level data from Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study including 67,982 adult individuals with 404,264 repeated responses over 11 years (2009-2019) were utilized and were linked to yearly concentrations of NO2, SO2, and particulate-matter (PM10, PM2.5) pollution once at the local authority and once at the census Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) of residence for each individual. This allows for analysis at two geographical scales over time. The association between air pollution and individuals' health (Likert scale: 1-5, Excellent to poor) and its variation by ethnicity was assessed using three-level mixed-effects ordered logistic models. Analysis distinguished between spatial (between areas) and temporal (across time within each area) effects of air pollution on health. RESULTS Higher concentrations of NO2, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 pollution were associated with poorer health. Decomposing air pollution into between (spatial: across local authorities or LSOAs) and within (temporal: across years within each local authority or LSOA) effects showed a significant between effect for NO2 and SO2 pollutants at both geographical scales, while a significant between effect for PM10 and PM2.5 was shown only at the LSOAs level. No significant within effects were detected at an either geographical level. Indian, Pakistani/Bangladeshi, Black/African/Caribbean and other ethnic groups and non-UK-born individuals reported poorer health with increasing concentrations of NO2, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 pollutants in comparison to the British-white and UK-born individuals. CONCLUSION Using longitudinal data on individuals' health linked with air pollution data at two geographical scales (local authorities and LSOAs), this study supports the presence of a spatial-temporal association between air pollution and poor self-reported health, which is stronger for ethnic minorities and foreign-born individuals in the UK, partly explained by location-specific differences. Air pollution mitigation is necessary to improve individuals' health, especially for ethnic minorities who are affected the most.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Abed Al Ahad
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, UK.
| | - Urška Demšar
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, UK
| | - Frank Sullivan
- School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, UK
| | - Hill Kulu
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, UK
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Requia WJ, Vicedo-Cabrera AM, Amini H, da Silva GL, Schwartz JD, Koutrakis P. Short-term air pollution exposure and hospital admissions for cardiorespiratory diseases in Brazil: A nationwide time-series study between 2008 and 2018. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 217:114794. [PMID: 36410458 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114794] [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: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The established evidence associating air pollution with health is limited to populations from specific regions. Further large-scale studies in several regions worldwide are needed to support the literature to date and encourage national governments to act. Brazil is an example of these regions where little research has been performed on a large scale. To address this gap, we conducted a study looking at the relationship between daily PM2.5, NO2, and O3, and hospital admissions for circulatory and respiratory diseases across Brazil between 2008 and 2018. A time-series analytic approach was applied with a distributed lag modeling framework. We used a generalized conditional quasi-Poisson regression model to estimate relative risks (RRs) of the association of each air pollutant with the hospitalization for circulatory and respiratory diseases by sex, age group, and Brazilian regions. Our study population includes 23, 791, 093 hospital admissions for cardiorespiratory diseases in Brazil between 2008 and 2018. Among those, 53.1% are respiratory diseases, and 46.9% are circulatory diseases. Our findings suggest significant associations of ambient air pollution (PM2.5, NO2, and O3) with respiratory and circulatory hospital admissions in Brazil. The national meta-analysis for the whole population showed that for every increase of PM2.5 by 10 μg/m3, there is a 3.28% (95%CI: 2.61; 3.94) increase in the risk of hospital admission for respiratory diseases. For O3, we found positive associations only for some sub-group analyses by age and sex. For NO2, our findings suggest that a 10 ppb increase in this pollutant, there was a 35.26% (95%CI: 24.07; 46.44) increase in the risk of hospital admission for respiratory diseases. This study may better support policymakers to improve the air quality and public health in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weeberb J Requia
- School of Public Policy and Government, Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil.
| | - Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Heresh Amini
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Joel D Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
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Feng YT, Lang CF, Chen C, Harry Asena M, Fang Y, Zhang RD, Jiang LQ, Fang X, Chen Y, He YS, Wang P, Pan HF. Association between air pollution exposure and coronary heart disease hospitalization in a humid sub-tropical region of China: A time-series study. Front Public Health 2023; 10:1090443. [PMID: 36711381 PMCID: PMC9874291 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1090443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Emerging evidence has highlighted the possible links of environmental pollution with several cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The current study aimed to explore the impact of short-term air pollution exposure on CHD hospitalization in Hefei. Methods Data about the daily number of CHD admissions (from 2014 to 2021) were retrieved from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. Air pollutants and meteorological data were obtained from the China Environmental Monitoring Station and the China Meteorological Data Service Center, respectively. The correlation between air pollution and CHD hospitalization was assessed using distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) and Poisson generalized linear regression. Results In the single-pollutant model, NO2, O3, and CO strongly correlated with CHD hospitalization rate. Specifically, exposure to NO2 (lag0, relative risk [RR]: 1.013, 95%CI: 1.002-1.024, per 10 μg/m3 increase) and CO (lag13, RR: 1.035, 95%CI: 1.001-1.071, per 1 μg/m3 increase) revealed a positive correlation with an increased rate of CHD hospitalization. Interestingly, O3 had a protective association with hospitalization of CHD (lag0, RR: 0.993, 95%CI: 0.988-0.999, per 10 μg/m3 increase). Similar results, to those of the single-pollutant model, were revealed following verification using two-pollutant models. Subgroup analyses indicated that young people, women, and people in hot seasons were more susceptible to NO2 exposure, while the elderly, women, and people in cold seasons were more susceptible to O3. Furthermore, the elderly were more susceptible to CO exposure. Conclusion Overall, exposure to NO2 and CO increases the rate of CHD hospitalization, but exposure to O3 shows a protective association with the rate of CHD hospitalization. Therefore, early preventive measures against air pollutants should be applied to protect vulnerable patients with CHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Ting Feng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Cui-Feng Lang
- Department of General Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Cong Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Musonye Harry Asena
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yang Fang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Ruo-Di Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Ling-Qiong Jiang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xi Fang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yue Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yi-Sheng He
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Teaching Center for Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Anhui, China,*Correspondence: Peng Wang ✉
| | - Hai-Feng Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Hai-Feng Pan ✉
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Gariazzo C, Renzi M, Marinaccio A, Michelozzi P, Massari S, Silibello C, Carlino G, Rossi PG, Maio S, Viegi G, Stafoggia M. Association between short-term exposure to air pollutants and cause-specific daily mortality in Italy. A nationwide analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 216:114676. [PMID: 36328229 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114676] [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: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Daily air pollution has been linked with mortality from urban studies. Associations in rural areas are still unclear and there is growing interest in testing the role that air pollution has on other causes of death. This study aims to evaluate the association between daily air pollution and cause-specific mortality in all 8092 Italian municipalities. METHODS Natural, cardiovascular, cardiac, ischemic, cerebrovascular, respiratory, metabolic, diabetes, nervous and psychiatric causes of death occurred in Italy were extracted during 2013-2015. Daily ambient PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations were estimated through machine learning algorithms. The associations between air pollutants and cause-specific mortality were estimated with a time-series approach using a two-stage analytic protocol where area-specific over-dispersed Poisson regression models where fit in the first stage, followed by a meta-analysis in the second. We tested for effect modification by sex, age class and the degree of urbanisation of the municipality. RESULTS We estimated a positive association between PM10 and PM2.5 and the mortality from natural, cardiovascular, cardiac, respiratory and nervous system causes, but not with metabolic or psychiatric causes of death. In particular, mortality from nervous diseases increased by 4.55% (95% CI: 2.51-6.63) and 9.64% (95% CI: 5.76-13.65) for increments of 10 μg/m3 in PM10 and PM2.5 (lag 0-5 days), respectively. NO2 was positively associated with respiratory (6.68% (95% CI: 1.04-12.62)) and metabolic (7.30% (95% CI: 1.03-13.95)) mortality for increments of 10 μg/m3 (lag 0-5). Higher associations with natural mortality were found among the elderly, while there were no differential effects between sex or between rural and urban areas. CONCLUSIONS Short-term exposure to particulate matter was associated with mortality from nervous diseases. Mortality from metabolic diseases was associated with NO2 exposure. Other associations are confirmed and updated, including the contribution of lowly urbanised areas. Health effects were also found in suburban and rural areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Gariazzo
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene Department, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL), Roma, Italy.
| | - Matteo Renzi
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Marinaccio
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene Department, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL), Roma, Italy
| | - Paola Michelozzi
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Massari
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene Department, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL), Roma, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Sara Maio
- CNR - Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Viegi
- CNR - Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Massimo Stafoggia
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
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10
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Bellato A, Robino P, Stella MC, Scarrone L, Scalas D, Nebbia P. Resistance to Critical Important Antibacterials in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Strains of Veterinary Origin. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11121758. [PMID: 36551415 PMCID: PMC9774309 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11121758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcal infections represent a challenge in companion animals and hospitalized patients. This study aimed to assess the resistance of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolates, against a broad panel of antibacterials, including exclusive to human medicine. A total of 40 S. pseudintermedius were collected from clinical specimens of dogs (n = 31) and cats (n = 5). All strains were tested for 20 antibacterials, namely 14 Critical Important and eight Highly Important Antibacterials (CIA and HIA, respectively), indicative for 18 antimicrobial classes. All strains were susceptible to seven antibiotics (daptomycin, fosfomycin, fusidic acid, linezolid, quinupristin-dalfopristin, teicoplanin/vancomycin, tigecycline). The highest resistance was against penicillin (97.5% Confidence Interval [CI]: 83.8-100.0), whereas the lowest against telavancin (2.5%, CI: 0.0-16.2). Resistance versus Highest Priority CIA was observed, namely against macrolides (70.0, CI: 52.1-84.3), quinolones (62.5, CI: 44.5-78.3), 5th generation cephalosporins (7.5, CI: 1.3-21.6), and glycopeptides (2.5%, CI: 0.0-14.2). Among High Priority CIA, strains were resistant only to aminoglycosides (65.0, CI: 47.0-80.4) and ansamycins (12.5, CI: 3.8-28.1). We observed the highest resistance against veterinary medicine antibacterials, but there was also resistance against antibacterials exclusive to human medicine, namely ceftaroline (7.5, CI: 1.0-23.8) and telavancin. S. pseudintermedius zoonotic potential and its rate of acquisition of new resistance should encourage surveillance on a broad spectrum of antibacterials.
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Gawełko J, Cierpiał-Wolan M, Bwanakare S, Czarnota M. Association between Air Pollution and Squamous Cell Lung Cancer in South-Eastern Poland. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph191811598. [PMID: 36141870 PMCID: PMC9517499 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811598] [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: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution is closely associated with the development of respiratory illness. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between long-term exposure to PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and SO2 pollution and the incidence of lung cancer in the squamous subtype in south-eastern Poland from the years 2004 to 2014. We collected data of 4237 patients with squamous cell lung cancer and the level of selected pollutants. To investigate the relationship between the level of concentrations of pollutants and the place of residence of patients with lung cancer in the squamous subtype, proprietary pollution maps were applied to the places of residence of patients. To analyze the data, the risk ratio was used as well as a number of statistical methods, i.e., the pollution model, inverse distance weighted interpolation, PCA, and ordered response model. Cancer in women and in men seems to depend in particular on the simultaneous inhalation of NO2 and PM10 (variable NO2PM10) and of NO2 and SO2 (variable NO2 SO2), respectively. Nitrogen dioxide exercises a synergistic leading effect, which once composed with the other elements it becomes more persistent in explaining higher odds in the appearance of cancers and could constitute the main cause of squamous cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Gawełko
- Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszów, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
| | - Marek Cierpiał-Wolan
- Statistical Office in Rzeszów, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland
- Institute of Economics and Finance, College of Social Sciences, University of Rzeszów, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
| | - Second Bwanakare
- Institute of Economics and Finance, Faculty of Socio-Economics, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, 01-938 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michalina Czarnota
- Institute of Health Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszów, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
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12
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Liu J, Chen W. First satellite-based regional hourly NO 2 estimations using a space-time ensemble learning model: A case study for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 820:153289. [PMID: 35066047 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153289] [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: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Surface Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations have been generated with satellite retrievals using multiple statistical algorithms. However, they are often given at coarse frequencies ("snapshot", daily or even longer), limiting their applications in epidemiological studies and assessing the evolution of NO2 pollution. This study investigated the potential applicability of Himawari-8 derived hourly fine particulate matter concentrations in producing hourly NO2 concentrations by constructing a space-time ensemble model. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, one of the serious pollution regions in China, is the study region chosen. The proposed model performs well in estimating hourly NO2 concentration with a high cross-validation (CV) coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.81) and low CV root-mean-square (RMSE = 9.71 μg/m3), mean prediction errors (MPE = 6.33 μg/m3), and relative prediction errors (RPE = 22.5%). On daily, monthly, seasonal, and annual time scales, CV R2 increases to 0.89, 0.93, 0.97, and 0.99, respectively. The annual mean model estimated NO2 concentration over BTH region is 28.2 ± 6.5 μg/m3, with relatively higher NO2 concentrations are seen in southern and southeastern BTH. Winter experiences the most severe NO2 concentrations, followed by autumn, spring, and summer. Surface NO2 concentrations are higher (lower) in the morning (afternoon) and tend to decrease gradually with time. The model generally captures the hourly evolution of NO2 concentrations for the severe pollution episode but shows some underestimations. The annual mean NO2 concentrations were 2.8% lower on the weekend than on weekdays. In addition, the weekend effects of NO2 concentrations are larger at rush hour and lower in the noon. The hourly NO2 products derived from proposed approach are potentially useful for improving our understanding of the source, evolution, and transportation behavior of NO2 pollution episodes and for exposure- and health-related research. The proposed approach also enriches the potential applications of geostationary satellites (e.g., Himawari-8).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjun Liu
- Environmental Model and Data Optima (EMDO) Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20707, United States.
| | - Wen Chen
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
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13
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Wu YH, Wu CD, Chung MC, Chen CH, Wu LY, Chung CJ, Hsu HT. Long-Term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter and the Deterioration of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate: A Cohort Study in Patients With Pre-End-Stage Renal Disease. Front Public Health 2022; 10:858655. [PMID: 35462847 PMCID: PMC9024125 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.858655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Limited literature has explored the effect of air pollutants on chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression, especially for patients with pre-end-stage renal disease (pre-ESRD). In this study, we reported the linear and nonlinear relationships of air pollutants of particles with diameter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) deterioration after adjusting for smoking status and other traditional clinical factors. This study adopted a retrospective cohort of patients with stage 3b to stage 5 CKD (N = 11,479) from Taichung Veterans General Hospital during January 2006 to December 2020. The eGFR deterioration was defined as a decline in eGFR > 5 ml/min/1.73 m2/year. Hybrid kriging/land-use regression models were used to estimate the individual exposure levels of PM2.5 and NO2. The relationships of air pollutants with eGFR deterioration were evaluated using Cox proportional hazard models. After adjusting for smoking status, baseline eGFR stages, and other traditional clinical factors, the risk of eGFR deterioration was found to increase with increasing PM2.5 and NO2 level (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.041, respectively), especially for those exposed to PM2.5 ≥ 31.44 μg/m3 or NO2 ≥ 15.00 ppb. Similar results were also found in the two-pollutant models. Nonlinear dose-response relationships of eGFR deterioration were observed for concentrations of 26.11 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 15.06 ppb for NO2. In conclusion, linear and nonlinear associations between PM2.5 and NO2 levels and the incidence risk of eGFR deterioration were observed in patients with pre-ESRD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hsien Wu
- School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Da Wu
- Department of Geomatics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Adjunct Associate Research Fellow, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Mu-Chi Chung
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsu Chen
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Laing-You Wu
- Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Jung Chung
- Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Tsung Hsu
- Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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Motesaddi Zarandi S, Hadei M, Hashemi SS, Shahhosseini E, Hopke PK, Namvar Z, Shahsavani A. Effects of ambient air pollutants on hospital admissions and deaths for cardiovascular diseases: a time series analysis in Tehran. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:17997-18009. [PMID: 34677770 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17051-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Short-term exposures to air pollution have been associated with various adverse health effects. In this study, we investigated the associations between ambient air pollutants with the number of hospital admissions and mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This time series study was conducted in Tehran for the years 2014-2017 (1220 day). We collected the ambient air pollutant concentration data from the regulatory monitoring stations. The health data were obtained from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used for the analyses. Total CVDs and ischemic heart disease (IHD) admissions were associated with CO for each 1 mg/m3 increase at lags of 6 and 7 days. Also, there was a positive association between total CVDs (RR 1.01; 1.001 to 1.03), IHD (RR 1.04; 1.006 to 1.07), and cerebrovascular diseases (RR 1.03; 1.005 to 1.07) mortality with SO2 at a lag of 4 days. PM2.5 and PM10 were associated with cerebrovascular disease admissions in females aged 16-65 years and 16 years and younger for each 10 µg/m3 increase, respectively. Short-term exposure to SO2, NO2, and CO was associated with hospital admissions and mortality for CVDs, IHD, cerebrovascular diseases, and other cardiovascular diseases at different lags. Moreover, females were more affected by ambient air pollutants than males in terms of their burden of CVDs. Therefore, identifying the likely harmful effects of pollutants given their current concentrations requires the planning and implementation of strategies to reduce air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Motesaddi Zarandi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Hadei
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Saeed Hashemi
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Shahhosseini
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Philip K Hopke
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
- Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, USA
| | - Zahra Namvar
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Abbas Shahsavani
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Air Quality and Climate Change Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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15
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Renzi M, Scortichini M, Forastiere F, De' Donato F, Michelozzi P, Davoli M, Gariazzo C, Viegi G, Stafoggia M, Ancona C, Bucci S, De' Donato F, Michelozzi P, Renzi M, Scortichini M, Stafoggia M, Bonafede M, Gariazzo C, Marinaccio A, Argentini S, Sozzi R, Bonomo S, Fasola S, Forastiere F, La Grutta S, Viegi G, Cernigliaro A, Scondotto S, Baldacci S, Maio S, Licitra G, Moro A, Angelini P, Bonvicini L, Broccoli S, Ottone M, Rossi PG, Colacci A, Parmagnani F, Ranzi A, Galassi C, Migliore E, Bisceglia L, Chieti A, Brusasca G, Calori G, Finardi S, Nanni A, Pepe N, Radice P, Silibello C, Tinarelli G, Uboldi F, Carlino G. A nationwide study of air pollution from particulate matter and daily hospitalizations for respiratory diseases in Italy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:151034. [PMID: 34666080 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM The relationship between air pollution and respiratory morbidity has been widely addressed in urban and metropolitan areas but little is known about the effects in non-urban settings. Our aim was to assess the short-term effects of PM10 and PM2.5 on respiratory admissions in the whole country of Italy during 2006-2015. METHODS We estimated daily PM concentrations at the municipality level using satellite data and spatiotemporal predictors. We collected daily counts of respiratory hospital admissions for each Italian municipality. We considered five different outcomes: all respiratory diseases, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lower and upper respiratory tract infections (LRTI and URTI). Meta-analysis of province-specific estimates obtained by time-series models, adjusting for temperature, humidity and other confounders, was applied to extrapolate national estimates for each outcome. At last, we tested for effect modification by sex, age, period, and urbanization score. Analyses for PM2.5 were restricted to 2013-2015 cause the goodness of fit of exposure estimation. RESULTS A total of 4,154,887 respiratory admission were registered during 2006-2015, of which 29% for LRTI, 12% for COPD, 6% for URTI, and 3% for asthma. Daily mean PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations over the study period were 23.3 and 17 μg/m3, respectively. For each 10 μg/m3 increases in PM10 and PM2.5 at lag 0-5 days, we found excess risks of total respiratory diseases equal to 1.20% (95% confidence intervals, 0.92, 1.49) and 1.22% (0.76, 1.68), respectively. The effects for the specific diseases were similar, with the strongest ones for asthma and COPD. Higher effects were found in the elderly and in less urbanized areas. CONCLUSIONS Short-term exposure to PM is harmful for the respiratory system throughout an entire country, especially in elderly patients. Strong effects can be found also in less urbanized areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Renzi
- Department of Epidemiology, ASL Rome 1, Local Health Authority, Lazio Region, Italy.
| | - Matteo Scortichini
- Department of Epidemiology, ASL Rome 1, Local Health Authority, Lazio Region, Italy
| | - Francesco Forastiere
- CNR Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), Palermo, Italy; Environmental Research Group, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Francesca De' Donato
- Department of Epidemiology, ASL Rome 1, Local Health Authority, Lazio Region, Italy
| | - Paola Michelozzi
- Department of Epidemiology, ASL Rome 1, Local Health Authority, Lazio Region, Italy
| | - Marina Davoli
- Department of Epidemiology, ASL Rome 1, Local Health Authority, Lazio Region, Italy
| | - Claudio Gariazzo
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene Department, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL), Monteporzio Catone (RM), Italy
| | - Giovanni Viegi
- CNR Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), Palermo, Italy; CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology (IFC), Pisa, Italy
| | - Massimo Stafoggia
- Department of Epidemiology, ASL Rome 1, Local Health Authority, Lazio Region, Italy
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16
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Jiang W, Chen H, Liao J, Yang X, Yang B, Zhang Y, Pan X, Lian L, Yang L. The short-term effects and burden of particle air pollution on hospitalization for coronary heart disease: a time-stratified case-crossover study in Sichuan, China. Environ Health 2022; 21:19. [PMID: 35045878 PMCID: PMC8767695 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00832-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of death globally, might be developed or exacerbated by air pollution, resulting high burden to patients. To date, limited studies have estimated the relations between short-term exposure to air pollution and CHD disease burden in China, with inconsistent results. Hence, we aimed to estimate the short-term impact and burden of ambient PM pollutants on hospitalizations of CHD and specific CHD. METHODS PM10 and PM2.5 were measured at 82 monitoring stations in 9 cities in Sichuan Province, China during 2017-2018. Based on the time-stratified case-crossover design, the effects of short-term exposure to particle matter (PM) pollution on coronary heart disease (CHD) hospital admissions were estimated. Meanwhile, the linked burden of CHD owing to ambient PM pollution were estimated. RESULTS A total of 104,779 CHD records were derived from 153 hospitals from these 9 cities. There were significant effects of PM pollution on hospital admissions (HAs) for CHD and specific CHD in Sichuan Province. A 10 μg/m3 increase of PM10 and PM2.5 was linked with a 0.46% (95% CI: 0.08, 0.84%), and 0.57% (95% CI: 0.05, 1.09%) increments in HAs for CHD at lag7, respectively. The health effects of air pollutants were comparable modified by age, season and gender, showing old (≥ 65 years) and in cold season being more vulnerable to the effects of ambient air pollution, while gender-specific effects is positive but not conclusive. Involving the WHO's air quality guidelines as the reference, 1784 and 2847 total cases of HAs for CHD could be attributable to PM10 and PM2.5, separately. The total medical cost that could be attributable to exceeding PM10 and PM2.5 were 42.04 and 67.25 million CNY from 2017 to 2018, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This study suggested that the short-term exposure to air pollutants were associated with increased HAs for CHD in Sichuan Province, which could be implications for local environment improvement and policy reference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanyanhan Jiang
- School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, Sichuan, China
| | - Han Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystem, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Jiaqiang Liao
- West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, No. 17 People's South Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Xi Yang
- School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, Sichuan, China
| | - Biao Yang
- School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuqin Zhang
- School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoqi Pan
- School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, Sichuan, China
| | - Lulu Lian
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Western Ecological Safety, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Lian Yang
- School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, Sichuan, China.
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Short-Term Joint Effects of PM 10, NO 2 and SO 2 on Cardio-Respiratory Disease Hospital Admissions in Cape Town, South Africa. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19010495. [PMID: 35010755 PMCID: PMC8744938 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Background/Aim: In sub-Sahara Africa, few studies have investigated the short-term association between hospital admissions and ambient air pollution. Therefore, this study explored the association between multiple air pollutants and hospital admissions in Cape Town, South Africa. Methods: Generalized additive quasi-Poisson models were used within a distributed lag linear modelling framework to estimate the cumulative effects of PM10, NO2, and SO2 up to a lag of 21 days. We further conducted multi-pollutant models and stratified our analysis by age group, sex, and season. Results: The overall relative risk (95% confidence interval (CI)) for PM10, NO2, and SO2 at lag 0–1 for hospital admissions due to respiratory disease (RD) were 1.9% (0.5–3.2%), 2.3% (0.6–4%), and 1.1% (−0.2–2.4%), respectively. For cardiovascular disease (CVD), these values were 2.1% (0.6–3.5%), 1% (−0.8–2.8%), and −0.3% (−1.6–1.1%), respectively, per inter-quartile range increase of 12 µg/m3 for PM10, 7.3 µg/m3 for NO2, and 3.6 µg/m3 for SO2. The overall cumulative risks for RD per IQR increase in PM10 and NO2 for children were 2% (0.2–3.9%) and 3.1% (0.7–5.6%), respectively. Conclusion: We found robust associations of daily respiratory disease hospital admissions with daily PM10 and NO2 concentrations. Associations were strongest among children and warm season for RD.
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Geospatial Correlation Analysis between Air Pollution Indicators and Estimated Speed of COVID-19 Diffusion in the Lombardy Region (Italy). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182212154. [PMID: 34831909 PMCID: PMC8617767 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182212154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Background: the Lombardy region in Italy was the first area in Europe to record an outbreak of COVID-19 and one of the most affected worldwide. As this territory is strongly polluted, it was hypothesized that pollution had a role in facilitating the diffusion of the epidemic, but results are uncertain. Aim: the paper explores the effect of air pollutants in the first spread of COVID-19 in Lombardy, with a novel geomatics approach addressing the possible confounding factors, the reliability of data, the measurement of diffusion speed, and the biasing effect of the lockdown measures. Methods and results: all municipalities were assigned to one of five possible territorial classes (TC) according to land-use and socio-economic status, and they were grouped into districts of 100,000 residents. For each district, the speed of COVID-19 diffusion was estimated from the ambulance dispatches and related to indicators of mean concentration of air pollutants over 1, 6, and 12 months, grouping districts in the same TC. Significant exponential correlations were found for ammonia (NH3) in both prevalently agricultural (R2 = 0.565) and mildly urbanized (R2 = 0.688) areas. Conclusions: this is the first study relating COVID-19 estimated speed of diffusion with indicators of exposure to NH3. As NH3 could induce oxidative stress, its role in creating a pre-existing fragility that could have facilitated SARS-CoV-2 replication and worsening of patient conditions could be speculated.
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Wang M, Li H, Huang S, Qian Y, Steenland K, Xie Y, Papatheodorou S, Shi L. Short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide and mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 202:111766. [PMID: 34331919 PMCID: PMC8578359 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ambient air pollution has been characterized as a leading cause of mortality worldwide and has been associated with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. There is increasing evidence that short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), is related to adverse health effects and mortality. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of short-term NO2 and daily mortality, which were indexed in PubMed and Embase up to June 2021. We calculated random-effects estimates by different continents and globally, and tested for heterogeneity and publication bias. RESULTS We included 87 articles in our quantitative analysis. NO2 and all-cause as well as cause-specific mortality were positively associated in the main analysis. For all-cause mortality, a 10 ppb increase in NO2 was associated with a 1.58% (95%CI 1.28%-1.88%, I2 = 96.3%, Eggers' test p < 0.01, N = 57) increase in the risk of death. For cause-specific mortality, a 10 ppb increase in NO2 was associated with a 1.72% (95%CI 1.41%-2.04%, I2 = 87.4%, Eggers' test p < 0.01, N = 42) increase in cardiovascular mortality and a 2.05% (95%CI 1.52%-2.59%, I2 = 78.5%, Eggers' test p < 0.01, N = 38) increase in respiratory mortality. In the sensitivity analysis, the meta-estimates for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality were nearly identical. The heterogeneity would decline to varying degrees through regional and study-design stratification. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence of an association between short-term exposure to NO2, a proxy for traffic-sourced air pollutants, and all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingrui Wang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Haomin Li
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shiwen Huang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yaoyao Qian
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kyle Steenland
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yang Xie
- School of Economics and Management, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Liuhua Shi
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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20
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Mu J, Zeng D, Fan J, Liu M, Yu S, Ding W, Zhang S. Associations Between Air Pollution Exposure and Daily Pediatric Outpatient Visits for Dry Eye Disease: A Time-Series Study in Shenzhen, China. Int J Public Health 2021; 66:1604235. [PMID: 34483811 PMCID: PMC8415162 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2021.1604235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the associations between air pollution exposure and pediatric outpatient visits for dry eye disease (DED) in Shenzhen, China. Methods: Generalized additive models were utilized to explore the acute effects of air pollution exposure on pediatric outpatient visits for DED. Results: Single-day lag exposures to NO2, O3, PM2.5, and PM10 were associated with DED outpatient visits at lag days 0, 6, 4 and 2. Relative risks (RRs) for DED given a 10-μg/m3 increase in NO2, O3, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations were 1.062[95% confidence interval (CI) 1.003, 1.123], 1.015(95% CI 1.001, 1.031), 1.052(95% CI 1.001, 1.115), and 1.038 (95% CI 1.002, 1.076), respectively. RR for DED given a 10-μg/m3 increase in NO2 over cumulative lag days 0–1 was 1.075 (95% CI 1.009, 1.147), and RR for DED given a 10-μg/m3 increase in PM10 over cumulative lag days 0–4 was 1.051 (95% CI 1.003, 1.102). Conclusion: The observed associations between air pollution and outpatient visits for DED may provide evidence for policy makers to consider implementing measures to reduce the risk of DED owing to air pollution in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingfeng Mu
- Shenzhen Eye Institute, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.,School of Ophthalmology, Optometry, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dan Zeng
- Shenzhen Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jingjie Fan
- Shenzhen Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Meizhou Liu
- Shenzhen Eye Institute, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.,School of Ophthalmology, Optometry, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuyuan Yu
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wanfu Ding
- Shenzhen Eye Institute, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.,School of Ophthalmology, Optometry, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shaochong Zhang
- Shenzhen Eye Institute, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.,School of Ophthalmology, Optometry, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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21
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Namdari S, Valizadeh Kamran K, Sorooshian A. Analysis of some factors related to dust storms occurrence in the Sistan region. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:45450-45458. [PMID: 33866504 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13922-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Dust storms over the Sistan region in East Iran are associated with predominant northwest winds (called 120-day winds) which promote desertification, including drying of the Hamoun wetlands. These storms are more frequent in spring and summer seasons in the Sistan region. The study aims to examine the relationship between vegetation cover and wind speed with dust storms intensity in order to understand the behavior of dust sources using satellite remote sensing data (AOD) between 2000 and 2019. Based on the time series, the study period can be divided into three parts based on the following characteristics: high dust intensity (2004), moderate relative intensity of value in all parameters studied (2005 to 2014), and dust reduction (2015-2019). Time series analysis shows a negative relationship between AOD and wind speed owing presumably to vegetative cover changes during years that wind speed has increased. Based on multiple regression analysis by monthly time scales that conforms time series result, monthly NDVI is significantly related to AOD. Analysis of the 3 hourly wind data suggests a positive relationship between wind and dust, and effective thresholds for dust erosion based on wind speeds are proposed for the Sistan region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soodabeh Namdari
- Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
| | | | - Armin Sorooshian
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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22
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Long- and Short-Term Exposures to PM 10 Can Shorten Telomere Length in Individuals Affected by Overweight and Obesity. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11080808. [PMID: 34440552 PMCID: PMC8400348 DOI: 10.3390/life11080808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced telomere length (TL) has been associated with increased risk of age-related diseases, most likely through oxidative stress and inflammation, which have also been claimed as mechanisms underlying health effects of air pollution exposure. We aimed to verify whether exposure to particulate matter with diameter ≤10 µm (PM10) affects TL. We recruited 1792 participants with overweight/obesity in Milan (Italy) in 2010-2015 who completed a structured questionnaire on sociodemographic data, gave a blood sample for TL measurement by real-time PCR, and were assigned air pollution and meteorological data of their residential address. In multivariate mixed-effects linear models (with a random intercept on PCR plate), we observed a -0.51% change in TL (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.98; -0.05)) per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10 at the day of recruitment. A similar decreasing trend in TL was observed up to two weeks before withdrawal, with percentage changes as low as -1.53% (average exposure of the 12 days before recruitment). Mean annual exposure to PM10 was associated with -2.57% TL reduction (95%CI: -5.06; -0.08). By showing consistent associations between short- and long-term PM10 exposures and reduced TL, our findings shed light on the potential mechanisms responsible for the excess of age-related diseases associated with air pollution exposure.
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Magnoni P, Murtas R, Russo AG. Residential exposure to traffic-borne pollution as a risk factor for acute cardiocerebrovascular events: a population-based retrospective cohort study in a highly urbanized area. Int J Epidemiol 2021; 50:1160-1171. [PMID: 34279611 PMCID: PMC8522025 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyab068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Long-term exposure to traffic-borne noise and air pollution has been variably
associated with incidence of acute vascular events, namely acute myocardial
infarction, ischaemic stroke and haemorrhagic stroke. This study aims at
exploring this association within a highly urbanized city. Methods This is a population-based retrospective dynamic cohort study including all
residents aged ≥ 35 years in the municipality of Milan over
the years 2011–18 (1 087 110 inhabitants).
Residential exposure to road traffic noise (day-evening-night levels) and
nitrogen dioxide was estimated using a noise predictive model and a land use
regression model, respectively. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses
were performed to assess the incidence of acute vascular events and specific
outcomes in single-exposure and two-exposure models including adjustment for
sociodemographic confounders, fine particulate matter and surrounding
greenness. Results A total of 27 282 subjects (2.5%) had an acute vascular
event. Models using nitrogen dioxide produced inconsistent results. The
strongest effect was observed for noise, with an optimal cut-off for
dichotomization set at 70 dBA (hazard ratio 1.025, 95% confidence
interval 1.000–1.050). This association was observed specifically
for ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke. When stratifying by age group and
sex, a remarkable effect was found for haemorrhagic stroke in men aged
<60 years (hazard ratio 1.439, 95% confidence
interval 1.156–1.792). Conclusions Living by roads with a day-evening-night noise level above 70 dBA exerts a
small but tangible independent effect on the risks of both ischaemic and
haemorrhagic stroke. It is urgent to propose mitigation measures against
pollution and noise originating from vehicular traffic in order to reduce
their impact, especially in the population younger than
60 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Magnoni
- Epidemiology Unit, Agency for Health Protection of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Postgraduate School of Public Health, Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Rossella Murtas
- Epidemiology Unit, Agency for Health Protection of Milan, Milan, Italy
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24
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Liu J. Mapping high resolution national daily NO 2 exposure across mainland China using an ensemble algorithm. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 279:116932. [PMID: 33744633 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is an important air pollutant and highly related to air quality, short- and long-term health effects, and even climate. A national model was developed using the extreme gradient boosting algorithm with high-resolution tropospheric vertical column NO2 densities from the Sentinel-5 Precursor/Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument and general meteorological variables as input to generate daily mean surface NO2 concentrations across mainland China. Model-derived daily NO2 estimates were high accuracy with sample-based cross-validation coefficient of determination of 0.83, a root-mean-square error of 7.58 μg/m3, a mean prediction error of 5.56 μg/m3, and a mean relative prediction error of 18.08%. It has good performance in NO2 estimations at both regional and individual site scale. The model also performed well in terms of estimating monthly, seasonal, and annual mean NO2 concentrations across China. The model performance appears to better than or comparable to most previous related studies. The seasonal and annual spatial distributions of surface NO2 across China and several regional NO2 hotspots in 2019 were derived from the model and analyzed. Also evaluated were the population exposure levels of NO2 for cities in and provinces of China. At the national scale, about 12% of the population experienced annual mean NO2 concentrations exceeding the Chinese national air quality standard. The nationwide model with conventional predictors developed here can derive high-resolution surface NO2 concentrations across China routinely, benefitting air epidemiological and environmental related studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjun Liu
- Laboratory of Environmental Model and Data Optima (EMDO), Laurel, MD, 20707, USA.
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25
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Manojkumar N, Srimuruganandam B. Health effects of particulate matter in major Indian cities. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2021; 31:258-270. [PMID: 31392891 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2019.1651257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Background: Particulate matter (PM) is one among the crucial air pollutants and has the potential to cause a wide range of health effects. Indian cities ranked top places in the World Health Organization list of most polluted cities by PM. Objectives: Present study aims to assess the trends, short- and long-term health effects of PM in major Indian cities. Methods: PM-induced hospital admissions and mortality are quantified using AirQ+ software. Results: Annual PM concentration in most of the cities is higher than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards of India. Trend analysis showed peak PM concentration during post-monsoon and winter seasons. The respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions in the male (female) population are estimated to be 31,307 (28,009) and 5460 (4882) cases, respectively. PM2.5 has accounted for a total of 1,27,014 deaths in 2017. Conclusion: Cities with high PM concentration and exposed population are more susceptible to mortality and hospital admissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Manojkumar
- School of Civil Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) , Vellore, India
| | - B Srimuruganandam
- School of Civil Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) , Vellore, India
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26
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Yu Z, Razzaq A, Rehman A, Shah A, Jameel K, Mor RS. Disruption in global supply chain and socio-economic shocks: a lesson from COVID-19 for sustainable production and consumption. OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT RESEARCH 2021. [PMCID: PMC7969150 DOI: 10.1007/s12063-021-00179-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The novel COVID-19 has emerged as a severe threat to global health globally, affecting over 210 countries and regions. The profound dilemma interrupted global trade and social activities and enormously influenced daily lives through social distance and confinements. The outbreak of COVID-19 has exacerbated human misery due to the crippling of economies globally. The effects are substantial on health, economy, environment, and society. Nearly every country is trying to prevent the transmission of this communicable disease. Remedial policies include testing and treating patients, isolating suspects through contact tracking, banning public gatherings, and asserting a complete or partial shutdown. In this context, the present paper's core objective is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment and energy market, society, economy, and global protective measures taken to reduce COVID-19 transmission. The study's main contribution is revealed lessons to provide insights for business and the efficacy of governments’ initiative globally. Finally, this paper describes future actions for governments, leaders, energy providers, and all stakeholders in response to the global pandemic crisis.
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Filippini T, Rothman KJ, Cocchio S, Narne E, Mantoan D, Saia M, Goffi A, Ferrari F, Maffeis G, Orsini N, Baldo V, Vinceti M. Associations between mortality from COVID-19 in two Italian regions and outdoor air pollution as assessed through tropospheric nitrogen dioxide. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 760:143355. [PMID: 33187703 PMCID: PMC7609227 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
After the appearance of COVID-19 in China last December 2019, Italy was the first European country to be severely affected by the outbreak. The first diagnosis in Italy was on February 20, 2020, followed by the establishment of a light and a tight lockdown on February 23 and on March 8, 2020, respectively. The virus spread rapidly, particularly in the North of the country in the 'Padan Plain' area, known as one of the most polluted regions in Europe. Air pollution has been recently hypothesized to enhance the clinical severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, acting through adverse effects on immunity, induction of respiratory and other chronic disease, upregulation of viral receptor ACE-2, and possible pathogen transportation as a virus carrier. We investigated the association between air pollution and subsequent COVID-19 mortality rates within two Italian regions (Veneto and Emilia-Romagna). We estimated ground-level nitrogen dioxide through its tropospheric levels using data available from the Sentinel-5P satellites of the European Space Agency Copernicus Earth Observation Programme before the lockdown. We then examined COVID-19 mortality rates in relation to the nitrogen dioxide levels at three 14-day lag points after the lockdown, namely March 8, 22 and April 5, 2020. Using a multivariable negative binomial regression model, we found an association between nitrogen dioxide and COVID-19 mortality. Although ecological data provide only weak evidence, these findings indicate an association between air pollution levels and COVID-19 severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Filippini
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Kenneth J Rothman
- RTI Health Solutions, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Silvia Cocchio
- Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Italy
| | | | - Domenico Mantoan
- Department for Health and Social Affairs of Veneto Region, Venice, Italy
| | - Mario Saia
- Azienda Zero of Veneto Region, Padua, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Nicola Orsini
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vincenzo Baldo
- Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Italy
| | - Marco Vinceti
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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Shin HH, Parajuli RP, Gogna P, Maquiling A, Dehghani P. Pollutant-sex specific differences in respiratory hospitalization and mortality risk attributable to short-term exposure to ambient air pollution. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 755:143135. [PMID: 33168238 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many studies have reported associations of individual pollutants with respiratory hospitalization and mortality based on different populations, which makes it difficult to directly compare adverse health effects among multiple air pollutants. OBJECTIVES The study goal is to compare acute respiratory-related hospitalization and mortality associated with short-term exposure to three ambient air pollutants and analyze differences in health risks by season, age and sex. METHODS Hourly measurements of air pollutants (ozone, NO2, PM2.5) and temperature were collected from ground-monitors for 24 cities along with daily hospitalization (1996-2012) and mortality (1984-2012) data. National associations between air pollutant and health outcome were estimated for season (warm, cold vs. year-round), age (base ≥ 1, seniors > 65), and sex (females ≥ 1 and males ≥ 1) using Bayesian hierarchical models. RESULTS Overall, the three air pollutants were significantly associated with acute respiratory health outcomes at different lag-days. For respiratory hospitalization, the increased risks in percent changes with 95% posterior intervals for a 10-unit increase in each pollutant were: ozone (lag1, 0.7% (0.4, 0.9)), NO2 (lag0, 0.7% (0.1, 1.4)), and PM2.5 (lag1, 1.3% (0.7, 1.9)). For respiratory mortality: ozone (lag2, 1.2% (0.4, 1.9)), NO2 (lag1, 2.1% (0.6, 3.5)), and PM2.5 (lag1, 0.6% (-1.0, 2.2)). While some differences in risk were observed by season and age group, sex-specific differences were more pronounced. Compared with males, females had a higher respiratory mortality risk (1.8% (0.6, 2.9) vs 0.5% (-0.3, 1.3)) from ozone, a higher respiratory hospitalization risk (0.9% (0.0, 1.8) vs 0.6% (-0.3, 1.4)) but lower mortality risk (1.4% (-1.0, 3.7) vs 2.2% (0.4, 4.0)) from NO2, and a lower hospitalization risk (0.7% (-0.2, 1.7) vs 1.8% (1.0, 2.6)) from PM2.5. CONCLUSION This study reports significant health effects of short-term exposure to three ambient air pollutants on respiratory hospitalization (ozone≈NO2 < PM2.5 per-10 unit; ozone>NO2 ≈ PM2.5 per-IQR) and mortality (ozone≈NO2 > PM2.5) in Canada. Pollutant-sex-specific differences were found, but inconclusive due to limited biological and physiological explanations. Further studies are warranted to understand the pollutant-sex specific differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwashin Hyun Shin
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | | | - Priyanka Gogna
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Aubrey Maquiling
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Parvin Dehghani
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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Barik P, Naoghare P, Sivanesan S, Kannan K, Middey A. Increased average annual prevalence of upper respiratory tract infection (UTRI) in the central Indian population residing near the coal-fired thermal power plants. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42452-021-04222-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractPeople are vulnerable to health risks due to particulate matter generated through the coal combustion processes. The air pollution due to the thermal power plant is a primary concern among all sources of pollution. The air pollution due to the coal-fired thermal power plant is a primary concern among all the different sources of pollution. The air quality (suspended particulate matter; SPM) modeling in the study area of central India was carried out using CALAUFF model. In addition, real-time air monitoring of particulate matter PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 was carried out in the study area. Real-time air quality monitoring data showed higher concentration of particulate matter (PM1 and PM2.5) at different locations in the study area, exceeding the regulatory limits set by NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards) and WHO (World Health Organization). Considering the most probable health impacts due to coal-fired thermal power plant, diseases such as chronic upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), and asthma were focused in this study. Hospital admission data were collected for respiratory disorders from six different public health centers (PHCs) located in the study area for the years 2012 and 2013. Average annual prevalence (AAP) of asthma at Dhapewada, Patansaongi, Chicholi, Satak, Droli and Kanhan PHCs was observed to be 0.581, 0.218, 0.201, 0.155, 0.377 and 0.198%, respectively, whereas AAP of UTRI at Dhapewada, Patansaongi, Chicholi, Satak, Droli and Kanhan PHCs was 24.961, 40.693, 0.769, 12.775, 28.605 and 14.898%, respectively. Thus, we conclude that the study population residing nearby the coal-fired thermal power plants may have an increased risk to upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) than asthma.
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Shin HH, Gogna P, Maquiling A, Parajuli RP, Haque L, Burr B. Comparison of hospitalization and mortality associated with short-term exposure to ambient ozone and PM 2.5 in Canada. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 265:128683. [PMID: 33158503 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hospitalization and mortality (H-M) have been linked to air pollution separately. However, previous studies have not adequately compared whether air pollution is a stronger risk factor for hospitalization or mortality. This study aimed to investigate differences in H-M risk from short-term ozone and PM2.5 exposures, and determine whether differences are modified by season, age, and sex. METHODS Daily ozone, PM2.5, temperature, and all-cause H-M counts (ICD-10, A00-R99) were collected for 22-24 Canadian cities for up to 29 years. Generalized additive Poisson models were employed to estimate associations between each pollutant and health outcome, which were compared across season (warm, cold, or year-round), age (all ages or seniors > 65), and sex. RESULTS Overall, ozone and PM2.5 showed higher season-specific risk of mortality than hospitalization: warm-season ozone: 0.54% (95% credible interval, 0.20, 0.85) vs. 0.14% (0.02, 0.27) per 10 ppb; and year-round PM2.5: 0.90% (0.33, 1.41) vs. 0.29% (0.03, 0.56) per 10 μg/m3. While age showed little H-M difference, sex appeared to be a modifier of H-M risk. While females had higher mortality risk, males had higher hospitalization risk: for females, ozone 0.87% (0.36, 1.35) vs. -0.03% (-0.18, 0.11) and PM2.5 1.19% (0.40, 1.90) vs. 0.19% (-0.10, 0.47); and for males ozone 0.20% (-0.28, 0.65) vs. 0.35% (0.18, 0.51). CONCLUSION This study found H-M differences attributable to ozone and PM2.5, suggesting that both are stronger risk factors for mortality than hospitalization. In addition, there were clear H-M differences by sex: specifically, females showed higher mortality risk and males showed higher hospitalization risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwashin Hyun Shin
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Priyanka Gogna
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Aubrey Maquiling
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | | | - Lani Haque
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Benjamin Burr
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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Gorji A, Khaleghi Ghadiri M. Potential roles of micronutrient deficiency and immune system dysfunction in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Nutrition 2021; 82:111047. [PMID: 33277150 PMCID: PMC7647394 DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2020.111047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Preliminary studies indicate that a robust immune response across different cell types is crucial in recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). An enormous number of investigations point to the vital importance of various micronutrients in the interactions between the host immune system and viruses, including COVID-19. There are complex and multifaceted links among micronutrient status, the host immune response, and the virulence of pathogenic viruses. Micronutrients play a critical role in the coordinated recruitment of innate and adaptive immune responses to viral infections, particularly in the regulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory host responses. Furthermore, inadequate amounts of micronutrients not only weaken the immune system in combating viral infections, but also contribute to the emergence of more virulent strains via alterations of the genetic makeup of the viral genome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the evidence that suggests the contribution of micronutrients in the spread as well as the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19. Both the presence of micronutrient deficiencies among infected individuals and the effect of micronutrient supplementation on the immune responses and overall outcome of the disease could be of great interest when weighing the use of micronutrients in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infection. These investigations could be of great value in dealing with future viral epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Gorji
- Epilepsy Research Center, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany; Shefa Neuroscience Research Center, Khatam Alanbia Hospital, Tehran, Iran; Neuroscience Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Neurology with Institute of Translational Neurology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany.
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Bărbulescu A, Postolache F. New approaches for modeling the regional pollution in Europe. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 753:141993. [PMID: 32889322 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Generally, official statistical reports provide information on the pollution extent over a region using the average records from all the observation sites. In the outliers' presence, the average is not a good choice. Therefore, in this article, we propose two alternatives for replacing the average series by most significant regional series, obtained by two selection procedures. The first algorithm chooses the candidates to be utilized for the regional estimation of pollution by a data segmentation that provides the most representative value for a given time interval. Since the number of segments to be used should be prior introduced, the second algorithm proposes a version of the selection procedure based on the k-means algorithm. The performances of these methods are verified on three groups of series (carbon oxides, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides) recorded in the EEA33 countries during a period of 28 years. Both algorithms give better results than the average series, in terms of mean standard errors (MSE) and mean absolute errors (MAE).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Bărbulescu
- Department of Mathematics and Informatics, Ovidius University of Constanta, 124, Mamaia Bd., 900527 Constanta, Romania.
| | - Florin Postolache
- Department of Naval Electro-mechanics Systems, Mircea cel Batran Naval Academy, 1, Fulgerului Street, Romania.
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Trivelli L, Borrelli P, Cadum E, Pisoni E, Villani S. Spatial-Temporal Modelling of Disease Risk Accounting for PM2.5 Exposure in the Province of Pavia: An Area of the Po Valley. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18020658. [PMID: 33466700 PMCID: PMC7828801 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18020658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Spatio-temporal Bayesian disease mapping is the branch of spatial epidemiology interested in providing valuable risk estimates in certain geographical regions using administrative areas as statistical units. The aim of the present paper is to describe spatio-temporal distribution of cardiovascular mortality in the Province of Pavia in 2010 through 2015 and assess its association with environmental pollution exposure. To produce reliable risk estimates, eight different models (hierarchical log-linear model) have been assessed: temporal parametric trend components were included together with some random effects that allowed the accounting of spatial structure of the region. The Bayesian approach allowed the borrowing information effect, including simpler model results in the more complex setting. To compare these models, Watanabe–Akaike Information Criteria (WAIC) and Leave One Out Information Criteria (LOOIC) were applied. In the modelling phase, the relationship between the disease risk and pollutants exposure (PM2.5) accounting for the urbanisation level of each geographical unit showed a strong significant effect of the pollutant exposure (OR = 1.075 and posterior probability, or PP, >0.999, equivalent to p < 0.001). A high-risk cluster of Cardiovascular mortality in the Lomellina subareas in the studied window was identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Trivelli
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (L.T.); (P.B.)
| | - Paola Borrelli
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (L.T.); (P.B.)
- Laboratory of Biostatistics, Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Ennio Cadum
- Environmental Health Unit, Agency for Health Protection, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Enrico Pisoni
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 21027 Ispra, Italy;
| | - Simona Villani
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (L.T.); (P.B.)
- Correspondence:
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Cervena T, Vojtisek-Lom M, Vrbova K, Ambroz A, Novakova Z, Elzeinova F, Sima M, Beranek V, Pechout M, Macoun D, Klema J, Rossnerova A, Ciganek M, Topinka J, Rossner P. Ordinary Gasoline Emissions Induce a Toxic Response in Bronchial Cells Grown at Air-Liquid Interface. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:E79. [PMID: 33374749 PMCID: PMC7801947 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Gasoline engine emissions have been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans and represent a significant health risk. In this study, we used MucilAir™, a three-dimensional (3D) model of the human airway, and BEAS-2B, cells originating from the human bronchial epithelium, grown at the air-liquid interface to assess the toxicity of ordinary gasoline exhaust produced by a direct injection spark ignition engine. The transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), production of mucin, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and adenylate kinase (AK) activities were analyzed after one day and five days of exposure. The induction of double-stranded DNA breaks was measured by the detection of histone H2AX phosphorylation. Next-generation sequencing was used to analyze the modulation of expression of the relevant 370 genes. The exposure to gasoline emissions affected the integrity, as well as LDH and AK leakage in the 3D model, particularly after longer exposure periods. Mucin production was mostly decreased with the exception of longer BEAS-2B treatment, for which a significant increase was detected. DNA damage was detected after five days of exposure in the 3D model, but not in BEAS-2B cells. The expression of CYP1A1 and GSTA3 was modulated in MucilAir™ tissues after 5 days of treatment. In BEAS-2B cells, the expression of 39 mRNAs was affected after short exposure, most of them were upregulated. The five days of exposure modulated the expression of 11 genes in this cell line. In conclusion, the ordinary gasoline emissions induced a toxic response in MucilAir™. In BEAS-2B cells, the biological response was less pronounced, mostly limited to gene expression changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Cervena
- Department of Nanotoxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (T.C.); (K.V.); (A.A.); (Z.N.); (F.E.); (M.S.)
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinicna 7, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Vojtisek-Lom
- Centre of Vehicles for Sustainable Mobility, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Technicka 4, 160 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.V.-L.); (V.B.)
| | - Kristyna Vrbova
- Department of Nanotoxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (T.C.); (K.V.); (A.A.); (Z.N.); (F.E.); (M.S.)
| | - Antonin Ambroz
- Department of Nanotoxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (T.C.); (K.V.); (A.A.); (Z.N.); (F.E.); (M.S.)
| | - Zuzana Novakova
- Department of Nanotoxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (T.C.); (K.V.); (A.A.); (Z.N.); (F.E.); (M.S.)
| | - Fatima Elzeinova
- Department of Nanotoxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (T.C.); (K.V.); (A.A.); (Z.N.); (F.E.); (M.S.)
| | - Michal Sima
- Department of Nanotoxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (T.C.); (K.V.); (A.A.); (Z.N.); (F.E.); (M.S.)
| | - Vit Beranek
- Centre of Vehicles for Sustainable Mobility, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Technicka 4, 160 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.V.-L.); (V.B.)
| | - Martin Pechout
- Department of Vehicles and Ground Transport, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 21 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.P.); (D.M.)
| | - David Macoun
- Department of Vehicles and Ground Transport, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 21 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.P.); (D.M.)
| | - Jiri Klema
- Department of Computer Science, Czech Technical University in Prague, 121 35 Prague, Czech Republic;
| | - Andrea Rossnerova
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Epigenetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (A.R.); (J.T.)
| | - Miroslav Ciganek
- Department of Chemistry and Toxicology, Veterinary Research Institute, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic;
| | - Jan Topinka
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Epigenetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (A.R.); (J.T.)
| | - Pavel Rossner
- Department of Nanotoxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (T.C.); (K.V.); (A.A.); (Z.N.); (F.E.); (M.S.)
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Lovarelli D, Conti C, Finzi A, Bacenetti J, Guarino M. Describing the trend of ammonia, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides: The role of livestock activities in northern Italy during Covid-19 quarantine. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 191:110048. [PMID: 32818500 PMCID: PMC7429516 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and ammonia (NH3) are among the main contributors to the formation of secondary particulate matter (PM2.5), which represent a severe risk to human health. Even if important improvements have been achieved worldwide, traffic, industrial activities, and the energy sector are mostly responsible for NOx and SOx release; instead, the agricultural sector is mainly responsible for NH3 emissions. Due to the emergency of coronavirus disease, in Italy schools and universities have been locked down from late February 2020, followed in March by almost all production and industrial activities as well as road transport, except for the agricultural ones. This study aims to analyze NH3, PM2.5 and NOx emissions in principal livestock provinces in the Lombardy region (Brescia, Cremona, Lodi, and Mantua) to evaluate if and how air emissions have changed during this quarantine period respect to 2016-2019. For each province, meteorological and air quality data were collected from the database of the Regional Agency for the Protection of the Environment, considering both data stations located in the city and the countryside. In the 2020 selected period, PM2.5 reduction was higher compared to the previous years, especially in February and March. Respect to February, PM2.5 released in March in the city stations reduced by 19%-32% in 2016-2019 and by 21%-41% in 2020. Similarly, NOx data of 2020 were lower than in the 2016-2019 period (reduction in March respect to February of 22-42% for 2016-2019 and of 43-62% for 2020); in particular, this can be observed in city stations, because of the current reduction in anthropogenic emissions related to traffic and industrial activities. A different trend with no reductions was observed for NH3 emissions, as agricultural activities have not stopped during the lockdown. Air quality is affected by many variables, for which making conclusions requires a holistic perspective. Therefore, all sectors must play a role to contribute to the reduction of harmful pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Lovarelli
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Cecilia Conti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Alberto Finzi
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Jacopo Bacenetti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Marcella Guarino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milan, Italy
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Qiu Z, Cao H. Commuter exposure to particulate matter in urban public transportation of Xi'an, China. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 2020; 18:451-462. [PMID: 33312574 PMCID: PMC7721829 DOI: 10.1007/s40201-020-00473-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate commuter exposures to particulate matter (PM) in urban public transportation buses and subways, PM concentrations were simultaneously monitored for these two modes, over the same routes, in Xi'an, China. METHODS The microenvironment variabilities in each stage of the total trip were analyzed. Exposure doses for the different commute processes were estimated based on the heart rates of volunteers. Experimental measurements were taken during peak traffic hours in July and October (summer and autumn) on two typical commute routes, for a total of 36 trips. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the effects of different variables on commuter exposures. RESULTS On the same route, the average PM exposure concentration of bus commuters was higher than those of subway commuters. For example, on Route 1 in the case study, the average PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 exposure concentrations of bus commuters were 71.6%, 19%, and 10.4% higher, respectively, than those of subway commuters. In the ground transportation mode, the exposure concentration of bus commuters was affected by the type of vehicle. Particle concentrations were significantly higher inside compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, than in pure electric (PE) buses, and in summer, the PM10 concentration in a CNG bus was 4.3 times higher than that in a PE bus. In a CNG bus, commuters in the back door area suffered the highest PM10 exposure concentration (179.6 μg/m3), followed by those in the rear of the carriage (142.8 μg/m3), and then those in the front door area (105.4 μg/m3). CONCLUSION Commuters' avoidance of ground traffic sources, effective ventilation systems in buses, and the use of screens in subway systems can all help to lower the PM exposure of commuters. For all the modes of transportation in our study, the hottest spots for PM exposure appeared in the period when commuters were waiting for transit vehicles to arrive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaowen Qiu
- School of Automobile, Chang’an University, Chang’an Road, Xi’an, 710064 Shaanxi China
| | - Huihui Cao
- School of Automobile, Chang’an University, Chang’an Road, Xi’an, 710064 Shaanxi China
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Short-Term Associations of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) on Mortality in 18 French Cities, 2010–2014. ATMOSPHERE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos11111198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We present an analysis of short-term associations between ambient NO2 and mortality according to cause, age-group, and period (cold and warm) in 18 areas in metropolitan France for the 2010–2014 period. Associations were estimated in each area using a generalized additive Poisson regression model, and effects were summarized in a meta-analysis. The percentage increase in mortality rate was estimated for a 10 µg m−3 increase in the NO2 level in each area for each complete calendar year and for cold (November to April) and warm periods (May to October) in each year. We found that the NO2 increase (lag of 0–1 days) was associated with a 0.75% increase of non-accidental mortality for all age-groups (95% confidence interval (CI): (0.4; 1.10)). During the warm period, this NO2 increase was associated with a 3.07% increase in non-accidental mortality in the ≥75 years old group (95% CI: 1.97; 4.18). This study supports the short-term effects of NO2 as a proxy of urban traffic pollution on mortality, even for concentrations below the maximum guideline of 40 µg m−3 set down by the European Air Quality Standards and the World Health Organization (WHO).
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Morillas H, Gredilla A, Gallego-Cartagena E, Upasen S, Maguregui M, Madariaga JM. PM 10 spatial distribution and metals speciation study in the Bilbao metropolitan area during the 2017-2018 period. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 259:127482. [PMID: 32640380 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Speciation of respirable particles is becoming increasingly important from an epidemiological and analytical point of view to determine the potential effects of air pollution on human health. For this reason, current laws and analytical sampling methods focus on particle size, as it turns out to be the main factor for the greater or lesser penetration into the airways. In this sense, particles of less than 10 μm in diameter (<10 μm), referred to as PM10, are the particles that have a higher capacity for access to the respiratory tract and, therefore, more significant effect on them. In this sense, one of the most important factors that have a key role in the PM10 atmospheric pollution effect is the dispersion effect with the direct influence of natural effects such as wind, rain, topography apart from others. In this work, PM10 data extracted from the Basque Government environmental stations (19 sampling points) in the Biscay province (Basque Country, north of Spain) were combined with the results obtained from the use of self-made passive samplers (SMPS) in the same sampling points areas and subsequently, the sample analysis with a non-invasive elemental technique (Scanning Electron Microscope coupled to Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry) was carried out. Thanks to this methodology, it was possible to determine a wide variety of metals in PM10 such as Al, Fe, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, Ti, etc. Most of them present as oxides and others as part of natural aggregations such as quartz, aluminosilicates, phosphates etc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Morillas
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, P.O. Box 644, 48080, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain; Department of Mathematics and Experimental Sciences Didactics, Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, II Building, Oñati Plaza 3, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain.
| | - Ainara Gredilla
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, E-2018, San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Euler Gallego-Cartagena
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, P.O. Box 644, 48080, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain; Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de La Costa, Calle 58 #55-66, 080002, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Settakorn Upasen
- Research Unit of Developing Technology and Innovation of Alternative Energy for Industries, Burapha University, 169 Long-Hard Bangsean Road, Seansuk Sub-District, Muang District, Chonburi Province, 20131, Thailand
| | - Maite Maguregui
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, P.O. Box 450, 01080, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Madariaga
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, P.O. Box 644, 48080, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain
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Mishra R, Krishnamoorthy P, Gangamma S, Raut AA, Kumar H. Particulate matter (PM 10) enhances RNA virus infection through modulation of innate immune responses. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 266:115148. [PMID: 32771845 PMCID: PMC7357538 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Sensing of pathogens by specialized receptors is the hallmark of the innate immunity. Innate immune response also mounts a defense response against various allergens and pollutants including particulate matter present in the atmosphere. Air pollution has been included as the top threat to global health declared by WHO which aims to cover more than three billion people against health emergencies from 2019 to 2023. Particulate matter (PM), one of the major components of air pollution, is a significant risk factor for many human diseases and its adverse effects include morbidity and premature deaths throughout the world. Several clinical and epidemiological studies have identified a key link between the PM existence and the prevalence of respiratory and inflammatory disorders. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is not well understood. Here, we investigated the influence of air pollutant, PM10 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm) during RNA virus infections using Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) - H5N1 virus. We thus characterized the transcriptomic profile of lung epithelial cell line, A549 treated with PM10 prior to H5N1infection, which is known to cause severe lung damage and respiratory disease. We found that PM10 enhances vulnerability (by cellular damage) and regulates virus infectivity to enhance overall pathogenic burden in the lung cells. Additionally, the transcriptomic profile highlights the connection of host factors related to various metabolic pathways and immune responses which were dysregulated during virus infection. Collectively, our findings suggest a strong link between the prevalence of respiratory illness and its association with the air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richa Mishra
- Laboratory of Immunology and Infectious Disease Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, 462066, MP, India
| | - Pandikannan Krishnamoorthy
- Laboratory of Immunology and Infectious Disease Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, 462066, MP, India
| | - S Gangamma
- National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, Mangaluru, 575025, Karnataka, India; Centre for Water Food and Environment, IIT Ropar, Rupnagar, 140001, Punjab, India
| | - Ashwin Ashok Raut
- Pathogenomics Laboratory, ICAR - National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), OIE Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, Bhopal, 462021, MP, India
| | - Himanshu Kumar
- Laboratory of Immunology and Infectious Disease Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, 462066, MP, India; WPI Immunology, Frontier Research Centre, Osaka University, Osaka, 5650871, Japan.
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Qiu H, Wang L, Zhou L, Pan J. Coarse particles (PM 2.5-10) and cause-specific hospitalizations in southwestern China: Association, attributable risk and economic costs. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 190:110004. [PMID: 32745536 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The short-term morbidity effects of the coarse particle (diameter in 2.5-10 μm, PM2.5-10), as well as the corresponding morbidity burden and economic costs, remain understudied, especially in developing countries. This study aimed to examine the associations of PM2.5-10 with cause-specific hospitalizations in a multi-city setting in southwestern China and assess the attributable risk and economic costs. City-specific associations were firstly estimated using generalized additive models with quasi-poisson distribution to handle over-dispersion, and then combined to obtain the regional average association. City-specific and pooled concentration-response (C-R) associations of PM2.5-10 with cause-specific hospitalizations were also modeled. Subgroup analyses were performed by age, sex, season and region. The health and economic burden of hospitalizations for multiple outcomes due to PM2.5-10 were further evaluated. A total of 4,407,601 non-accidental hospitalizations were collected from 678 hospitals. The estimates of percentage change in hospitalizations per 10 μg/m³ increase in PM2.5-10 at lag01 was 0.68% (95%CI: 0.33%-1.03%) for non-accidental causes, 0.86% (95% CI: 0.36%-1.37%) for circulatory diseases, 1.52% (95% CI: 1.00%-2.05%) for respiratory diseases, 1.08% (95% CI: 0.47%-1.69%) for endocrine diseases, 0.66% (95% CI: 0.12%-1.21%) for nervous system diseases, and 0.84% (95% CI: 0.42%-1.25%) for genitourinary diseases, respectively. The C-R associations of PM2.5-10 with cause-specific hospitalizations suggested some evidence of nonlinearity, except for endocrine diseases. Meanwhile, the adverse effects were modified by age and season. Overall, about 0.70% (95% CI: 0.35%-1.06%) of non-accidental hospitalizations and 0.78% (95% CI: 0.38%-1.17%) of total hospitalization expenses could be attributed to PM2.5-10. The largest morbidity burden and economic costs were observed in respiratory diseases. Our findings indicate that PM2.5-10 exposure may increase the risk of hospitalizations for multiple outcomes, and account for considerable morbidity and economic burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Qiu
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; Big Data Research Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Liya Wang
- Big Data Research Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Health Information Center of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Jingping Pan
- Health Information Center of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
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Abed Al Ahad M, Sullivan F, Demšar U, Melhem M, Kulu H. The effect of air-pollution and weather exposure on mortality and hospital admission and implications for further research: A systematic scoping review. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241415. [PMID: 33119678 PMCID: PMC7595412 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air-pollution and weather exposure beyond certain thresholds have serious effects on public health. Yet, there is lack of information on wider aspects including the role of some effect modifiers and the interaction between air-pollution and weather. This article aims at a comprehensive review and narrative summary of literature on the association of air-pollution and weather with mortality and hospital admissions; and to highlight literature gaps that require further research. METHODS We conducted a scoping literature review. The search on two databases (PubMed and Web-of-Science) from 2012 to 2020 using three conceptual categories of "environmental factors", "health outcomes", and "Geographical region" revealed a total of 951 records. The narrative synthesis included all original studies with time-series, cohort, or case cross-over design; with ambient air-pollution and/or weather exposure; and mortality and/or hospital admission outcomes. RESULTS The final review included 112 articles from which 70 involved mortality, 30 hospital admission, and 12 studies included both outcomes. Air-pollution was shown to act consistently as risk factor for all-causes, cardiovascular, respiratory, cerebrovascular and cancer mortality and hospital admissions. Hot and cold temperature was a risk factor for wide range of cardiovascular, respiratory, and psychiatric illness; yet, in few studies, the increase in temperature reduced the risk of hospital admissions for pulmonary embolism, angina pectoris, chest, and ischemic heart diseases. The role of effect modification in the included studies was investigated in terms of gender, age, and season but not in terms of ethnicity. CONCLUSION Air-pollution and weather exposure beyond certain thresholds affect human health negatively. Effect modification of important socio-demographics such as ethnicity and the interaction between air-pollution and weather is often missed in the literature. Our findings highlight the need of further research in the area of health behaviour and mortality in relation to air-pollution and weather, to guide effective environmental health precautionary measures planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Abed Al Ahad
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Frank Sullivan
- School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Urška Demšar
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Maya Melhem
- Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hill Kulu
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom
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The 10-Year Study of the Impact of Particulate Matters on Mortality in Two Transit Cities in North-Eastern Poland (PL-PARTICLES). J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9113445. [PMID: 33120927 PMCID: PMC7692125 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9113445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The detrimental influence of air pollution on mortality has been established in a series of studies. The majority of them were conducted in large, highly polluted cities-there is a lack of studies from small, relatively clean regions. The aim was to analyze the short-term impact of particulate matters (PMs) on mortality in north-eastern Poland. Time-stratified case-crossover design was performed for mortality in years 2008-2017. Daily concentrations of PM2.5 (28.4 µg/m3, interquartile range (IQR) = 25.2) vs. (12.6 µg/m3, IQR = 9.0) and PM10 (29.0 µg/m3, IQR = 18.0) vs. (21.7 µg/m3, IQR = 14.5) were higher in Łomża than Suwałki (p < 0.001). Impact of PM2.5 on mortality was recorded in Łomża (odds ratio (OR) for IQR increase 1.061, 1.017-1.105, p = 0.06, lag 0) and Suwałki (OR for IQR increase 1.044, 1.001-1.089, p = 0.004, lag 0). PM10 had an impact on mortality in Łomża (OR for IQR increase 1.028, 1.000-1.058, p = 0.049, lag 1). Cardiovascular mortality was affected by increase of PM2.5 in Łomża (1.086, 1.020-1.156, p = 0.01) and Suwałki (1.085, 1.005-1.171, p = 0.04). PM2.5 had an influence on respiratory mortality in Łomża (1.163, 1.021-1.380, p = 0.03, lag 1). In the whole studied region, despite differences in the air quality, the influence of PMs on mortality was observed.
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Zoran MA, Savastru RS, Savastru DM, Tautan MN. Assessing the relationship between ground levels of ozone (O 3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) with coronavirus (COVID-19) in Milan, Italy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 740:140005. [PMID: 32559534 PMCID: PMC7274116 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigates the correlation between the high level of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection accelerated transmission and lethality, and surface air pollution in Milan metropolitan area, Lombardy region in Italy. For January-April 2020 period, time series of daily average inhalable gaseous pollutants ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), together climate variables (air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, precipitation rate, atmospheric pressure field and Planetary Boundary Layer) were analyzed. In spite of being considered primarily transmitted by indoor bioaerosols droplets and infected surfaces or direct human-to-human personal contacts, it seems that high levels of urban air pollution, and climate conditions have a significant impact on SARS-CoV-2 diffusion. Exhibited positive correlations of ambient ozone levels and negative correlations of NO2 with the increased rates of COVID-19 infections (Total number, Daily New positive and Total Deaths cases), can be attributed to airborne bioaerosols distribution. The results show positive correlation of daily averaged O3 with air temperature and inversely correlations with relative humidity and precipitation rates. Viral genome contains distinctive features, including a unique N-terminal fragment within the spike protein, which allows coronavirus attachment on ambient air pollutants. At this moment it is not clear if through airborne diffusion, in the presence of outdoor and indoor aerosols, this protein "spike" of the new COVID-19 is involved in the infectious agent transmission from a reservoir to a susceptible host during the highest nosocomial outbreak in some agglomerated industrialized urban areas like Milan is. Also, in spite of collected data for cold season (winter-early spring) period, when usually ozone levels have lower values than in summer, the findings of this study support possibility as O3 can acts as a COVID-19 virus incubator. Being a novel pandemic coronavirus version, it might be ongoing during summer conditions associated with higher air temperatures, low relative humidity and precipitation levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Zoran
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania.
| | - Roxana S Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
| | - Dan M Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
| | - Marina N Tautan
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
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44
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Filippini T, Rothman KJ, Goffi A, Ferrari F, Maffeis G, Orsini N, Vinceti M. Satellite-detected tropospheric nitrogen dioxide and spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Northern Italy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 739:140278. [PMID: 32758963 PMCID: PMC7297152 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Following the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) last December 2019 in China, Italy was the first European country to be severely affected, with the first local case diagnosed on 20 February 2020. The virus spread quickly, particularly in the North of Italy, with three regions (Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna) being the most severely affected. These three regions accounted for >80% of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases when the tight lockdown was established (March 8). These regions include one of Europe's areas of heaviest air pollution, the Po valley. Air pollution has been recently proposed as a possible risk factor of SARS-CoV-2 infection, due to its adverse effect on immunity and to the possibility that polluted air may even carry the virus. We investigated the association between air pollution and subsequent spread of the SARS-CoV-2 infection within these regions. We collected NO2 tropospheric levels using satellite data available at the European Space Agency before the lockdown. Using a multivariable restricted cubic spline regression model, we compared NO2 levels with SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence rate at different time points after the lockdown, namely March 8, 22 and April 5, in the 28 provinces of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna. We found little association of NO2 levels with SARS-CoV-2 prevalence up to about 130 μmol/m2, while a positive association was evident at higher levels at each time point. Notwithstanding the limitations of the use of aggregated data, these findings lend some support to the hypothesis that high levels of air pollution may favor the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Filippini
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Kenneth J Rothman
- RTI Health Solutions, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Nicola Orsini
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marco Vinceti
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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45
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Rugani B, Caro D. Impact of COVID-19 outbreak measures of lockdown on the Italian Carbon Footprint. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 737:139806. [PMID: 32492608 PMCID: PMC7258837 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Stringent lockdown measures implemented in Italy to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are generating unprecedented economic impacts. However, the environmental consequences associated with the temporary shutdown and recovery of industrial and commercial activities are still not fully understood. Using the well-known carbon footprint (CF) indicator, this paper provides a comprehensive estimation of environmental effects due to the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown measures in Italy. Our aim was to quantify the CF associated with the consumption of energy by any economic activity and region in Italy during the lockdown, and then compare these environmental burdens with the CF calculated for analogous periods from 2015 to 2019 (~March and April). Complementarily, we also conducted a scenario analysis to estimate the post-lockdown CF impact in Italy. A consumption-based approach was applied according to the principles of the established Life Cycle Assessment method. The CF was therefore quantified as a sum of direct and indirect greenhouse gases (GHGs) released from domestically produced and imported energy metabolism flows, excluding the exports. Our findings indicate that the CF in the lockdown period is ~-20% lower than the mean CF calculated for the past. This means avoided GHGs in between ~5.6 and ~10.6 Mt CO2e. Results further suggest that a tendency occurs towards higher impact savings in the Northern regions, on average ~230 kt CO2e of GHGs avoided by province (against ~110-130 kt CO2e in central and Southern provinces). Not surprisingly, these are the utmost industrialized areas of Italy and have been the ones mostly affected by the outbreak. Despite our CF estimates are not free of uncertainties, our research offers quantitative insights to start understanding the magnitude generated by such an exceptional lockdown event in Italy on climate change, and to complement current scientific efforts investigating the relationships between air pollution and the spread of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetto Rugani
- RDI Unit on Environmental Sustainability Assessment and Circularity (SUSTAIN), Environmental Research & Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41 Rue du Brill, 4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Dario Caro
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, Roskilde, Denmark.
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46
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Paital B, Agrawal PK. Air pollution by NO 2 and PM 2.5 explains COVID-19 infection severity by overexpression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in respiratory cells: a review. ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS 2020; 19:25-42. [PMID: 32982622 PMCID: PMC7499935 DOI: 10.1007/s10311-020-01091-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Many major cities that witnessed heavy air pollution by nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM) have experienced a high rate of infection and severity of the coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19). This phenomenon could be explained by the overexpression of the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) on epithelial cell surfaces of the respiratory tract. Indeed, ACE-2 is a receptor for coronaviruses including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 and 2 (SARS-CoV), and ACE-2 is overexpressed under chronic exposure to air pollution such as NO2 and PM2.5. In this review, we explain that ACE-2 acts as the sole receptor for the attachment of the SARS-CoV-2 via its spike protein. The fact that respiratory and vascular epithelial cells express ACE-2 has been previously observed during the 2003 epidemic of the SARS-CoV-1 in China, and during the 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome in Saudi Arabia. High ACE-2 expression in respiratory epithelial cells under air pollution explains the positive correlation between the severity in COVID-19 patients and elevated air pollution, notably high NO2 and PM2.5 levels. Specific areas in India, China, Italy, Russia, Chile and Qatar that experience heavy air pollution also show high rates of COVID-19 infection and severity. Overall, we demonstrate a link between NO2 emissions, PM2.5 levels, ACE-2 expression and COVID-19 infection severity. Therefore, air pollution should be reduced in places where confirmed cases of COVID-19 are unexpectedly high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biswaranjan Paital
- Redox Regulation Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, College of Basic Science and Humanities, Bhubaneswar, 751003 India
| | - Pawan Kumar Agrawal
- Main Building, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751003 India
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47
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Han L, Sun Z, He J, Hao Y, Tang Q, Zhang X, Zheng C, Miao S. Seasonal variation in health impacts associated with visibility in Beijing, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 730:139149. [PMID: 32416509 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Visibility has been continuously and stably observed for more than half a century, while particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) was not introduced to the national monitoring system in China until 2013. It is a scientific issue as to whether visibility can be used as an alternative to assess the health risks of air pollution in periods and areas without pollutant monitoring data. A generalized additive model (GAM) was adopted to estimate the impacts of seasonal changes in visibility on mortality in Beijing, China. Moreover, we estimated the contributions of particulate matter in the health effects of visibility by adjusting for dry extinction coefficient (βdryext) and PM2.5 in the model, respectively. We found that the acute health impacts of visibility varied by season, with the highest risks in winter. For respiratory mortality, the effect estimates per 1 km decrease in visibility were 0.40% (95% CI: 0.17-0.62%) in spring, 0.10% (95% CI: -0.14-0.34%) in summer, 0.27% (95% CI: 0.09-0.45%) in autumn, and 0.62% (95% CI: 0.38-0.85%) in winter. For cardiovascular mortality, the effect estimates per 1 km decrease in visibility were 0.20% (95% CI: 0.08-0.31%) in spring, 0.16% (95% CI: 0.04-0.27%) in summer, 0.25% (95% CI: 0.13-0.37%) in autumn, and 0.24% (95% CI: 0.13-0.35%) in winter. The seasonal pattern of health impacts related to visibility reflected the seasonal variations in the characteristics of air pollution emission sources and meteorological conditions that are unfavorable for pollutant dispersion. Particulate matter, particularly PM2.5, made significant contributions to the health impacts of visibility. The results indicated that controlling pollutant emissions in winter would be of significant importance to improve air quality and mitigate the health hazard of air pollution in Beijing. Our study also provides further evidence on the feasibility of using visibility to assess the health impacts of particulate matter pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Han
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Zhaobin Sun
- Institute of Urban Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100089, China.
| | - Juan He
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yu Hao
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Qiaoling Tang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Plateau Atmosphere and Environment Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu, Sichuan 610225, China
| | - Canjun Zheng
- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Shiguang Miao
- Institute of Urban Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100089, China
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48
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Coker ES, Cavalli L, Fabrizi E, Guastella G, Lippo E, Parisi ML, Pontarollo N, Rizzati M, Varacca A, Vergalli S. The Effects of Air Pollution on COVID-19 Related Mortality in Northern Italy. ENVIRONMENTAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS 2020; 76:611-634. [PMID: 32836855 PMCID: PMC7399615 DOI: 10.1007/s10640-020-00486-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Long-term exposure to ambient air pollutant concentrations is known to cause chronic lung inflammation, a condition that may promote increased severity of COVID-19 syndrome caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). In this paper, we empirically investigate the ecologic association between long-term concentrations of area-level fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and excess deaths in the first quarter of 2020 in municipalities of Northern Italy. The study accounts for potentially spatial confounding factors related to urbanization that may have influenced the spreading of SARS-CoV-2 and related COVID-19 mortality. Our epidemiological analysis uses geographical information (e.g., municipalities) and negative binomial regression to assess whether both ambient PM2.5 concentration and excess mortality have a similar spatial distribution. Our analysis suggests a positive association of ambient PM2.5 concentration on excess mortality in Northern Italy related to the COVID-19 epidemic. Our estimates suggest that a one-unit increase in PM2.5 concentration (µg/m3) is associated with a 9% (95% confidence interval: 6-12%) increase in COVID-19 related mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S. Coker
- College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | | | - Enrico Fabrizi
- Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Gianni Guastella
- Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, Milan, Italy
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Maria Laura Parisi
- Department of Economics and Management, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Nicola Pontarollo
- Department of Economics and Management, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Alessandro Varacca
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Sergio Vergalli
- Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, Milan, Italy
- Department of Economics and Management, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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49
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Borro M, Di Girolamo P, Gentile G, De Luca O, Preissner R, Marcolongo A, Ferracuti S, Simmaco M. Evidence-Based Considerations Exploring Relations between SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Air Pollution: Involvement of PM2.5-Mediated Up-Regulation of the Viral Receptor ACE-2. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E5573. [PMID: 32748812 PMCID: PMC7432777 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17155573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 pandemic struck health, social and economic systems worldwide, and represents an open challenge for scientists -coping with the high inter-individual variability of COVID-19, and for policy makers -coping with the responsibility to understand environmental factors affecting its severity across different geographical areas. Air pollution has been warned of as a modifiable factor contributing to differential SARS-CoV-2 spread but the biological mechanisms underlying the phenomenon are still unknown. Air quality and COVID-19 epidemiological data from 110 Italian provinces were studied by correlation analysis, to evaluate the association between particulate matter (PM)2.5 concentrations and incidence, mortality rate and case fatality risk of COVID-19 in the period 20 February-31 March 2020. Bioinformatic analysis of the DNA sequence encoding the SARS-CoV-2 cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) was performed to identify consensus motifs for transcription factors mediating cellular response to pollutant insult. Positive correlations between PM2.5 levels and the incidence (r = 0.67, p < 0.0001), the mortality rate (r = 0.65, p < 0.0001) and the case fatality rate (r = 0.7, p < 0.0001) of COVID-19 were found. The bioinformatic analysis of the ACE-2 gene identified nine putative consensus motifs for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Our results confirm the supposed link between air pollution and the rate and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection and support the hypothesis that pollution-induced over-expression of ACE-2 on human airways may favor SARS-CoV-2 infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Borro
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Sant’Andrea, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy; (M.B.); (G.G.)
| | - Paolo Di Girolamo
- School of Engineering, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy;
| | - Giovanna Gentile
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Sant’Andrea, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy; (M.B.); (G.G.)
| | - Ottavia De Luca
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Sant’Andrea, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy;
| | - Robert Preissner
- Structural Bioinformatics Group, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Philippstr. 12, 10115 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Adriano Marcolongo
- General Direction, University Hospital Sant’Andrea, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy;
| | - Stefano Ferracuti
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Maurizio Simmaco
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Sant’Andrea, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy; (M.B.); (G.G.)
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50
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Chirumbolo S, Bjørklund G. Wheat and chaffs in the interpretation of the current COVID19 outbreak in Italy. Virusdisease 2020; 31:85-93. [PMID: 32656304 PMCID: PMC7274266 DOI: 10.1007/s13337-020-00602-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID19 outbreak in Italy is still a big concern. The Italian Government has recommended citizens to respect faithfully any compulsory legal disposition in order to stay home and so contributing in escaping viral contacts and slowing down epidemic. Emergency has raised a widely animated debate about how to read and comprehend the daily case numbers, the medical and caregivers availability, the needs to swab asymptomatic subjects. In this review the authors discuss about the many wheat and chaffs of how this virus disease is addressed .
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Chirumbolo
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
- Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM), Mo i Rana, Norway
- CONEM Scientific Secretary, strada Le Grazie 9, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Geir Bjørklund
- Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM), Mo i Rana, Norway
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