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Liger E, Hernández F, Expósito FJ, Díaz JP, Salazar-Carballo PA, Gordo E, González C, López-Pérez M. Transport and deposition of radionuclides from northern Africa to the southern Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands during the intense dust intrusions of March 2022. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 352:141303. [PMID: 38280650 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
The present study focuses on the two consecutive and markedly intense Saharan dust intrusion episodes that greatly affected southern Spain (Málaga) and, to a lesser extent, the Canary Islands (Tenerife), in March 2022. These two episodes were the result of atypical meteorological conditions in the region and resulted in record levels of aerosols in the air at the Málaga location. The activity levels of various natural and artificial radionuclides (7Be, 210Pb, 40K, 137Cs, 239Pu, 240Pu, 239+240Pu) and radioactive indicators (gross alpha and gross beta) were impacted by these events and the results are described herein. These episodes caused, for example, the activities of 137Cs in aerosol samples at the Málaga monitoring station to reach the highest concentrations ever recorded since high-volume aerosol monitoring started at this site in 2009. A link between the activity levels of 137Cs, 40K and gross alpha in the atmospheric aerosols and daily PM10 concentrations during the episodes is also reported. In addition, isotopic ratios are discussed in the context of the source and destination of the various anthropogenic radionuclides measured. The atmospheric residence time of aerosols during these episodes is also evaluated because it concerns how intrusions to the Canary Islands should be analysed. Finally, for the first time, the concentrations of 137Cs deposition by rainwater during a Saharan dust intrusion are reported and the deposition rate of these radionuclides during these episodes is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esperanza Liger
- Departamento de Física Aplicada II, Universidad de Málaga, Spain; Grupo de Geoquímica y Radiactividad Ambiental, Universidad de Málaga, Spain.
| | - Francisco Hernández
- Grupo de Geoquímica y Radiactividad Ambiental, Universidad de Málaga, Spain; Grupo de Observación de la Tierra y la Atmósfera, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | | | - Juan Pedro Díaz
- Grupo de Observación de la Tierra y la Atmósfera, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Pedro A Salazar-Carballo
- Laboratorio de Física Médica y Radioactividad Ambiental, SEGAI, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain; Departamento de Medicina Física y Farmacología, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Elisa Gordo
- Grupo de Geoquímica y Radiactividad Ambiental, Universidad de Málaga, Spain; Servicios Centrales de Apoyo a la Investigación, Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | - Cristina González
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias. Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | - María López-Pérez
- Laboratorio de Física Médica y Radioactividad Ambiental, SEGAI, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
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Russo A, Borras A. Comparison of dimension reduction techniques applied to the analysis of airborne radionuclide activity concentration. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2022; 244-245:106813. [PMID: 35092902 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Temporal variation of airborne radionuclide activity concentration is highly influenced by several meteorological parameters. A traditional key tool to perform a combined analysis on these data is Principal Component Analysis (PCA), a linear dimensionality reduction technique that prioritizes the conservation of the data set global structure. While it reveals important information regarding the correlation among the considered variables, the obtained visual representations do not usually allow to clearly discern different clusters of states with common properties. The main goal of this study is applying two recently introduced non linear dimensionality reduction techniques, t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) and Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) to a data set composed by 7Be and gross beta (Aβ) activity concentration and other meteorological data gathered in Mallorca (Spain) between 2004 and 2014. Compared to PCA, both algorithms reveal more details on the local structure of the data set. UMAP allows to clearly identify data clusters with different characteristics that are not clearly identified with the alternative techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Russo
- Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory, University of the Balearic Islads, Cra. Valldemossa km 7.5, E-07122, Palma, Spain
| | - A Borras
- Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory, University of the Balearic Islads, Cra. Valldemossa km 7.5, E-07122, Palma, Spain.
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The Role of Ambient Particle Radioactivity in Inflammation and Endothelial Function in an Elderly Cohort. Epidemiology 2021; 31:499-508. [PMID: 32282436 DOI: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanisms by which exposure to particulate matter might increase risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are not fully known. However, few existing studies have investigated the potential role of particle radioactivity. Naturally occurring radionuclides attach to particulate matter and continue to release ionizing radiation after inhalation and deposition in the lungs. We hypothesize that exposure to particle radioactivity increases biomarkers of inflammation. METHODS Our repeated-measures study included 752 men in the greater Boston area. We estimated regional particle radioactivity as a daily spatial average of gross beta concentrations from five monitors in the study area. We used linear mixed-effects regression models to estimate short- and medium-term associations between particle radioactivity and biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, with and without adjustment for additional particulate air pollutants. RESULTS We observed associations between particle radioactivity on C-reactive protein (CRP), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), but no associations with fibrinogen. An interquartile range width increase in mean 7-day particle radioactivity (1.2 × 10 Bq/m) was associated with a 4.9% increase in CRP (95% CI = 0.077, 9.9), a 2.8% increase in ICAM-1 (95% CI = 1.4, 4.2), and a 4.3% increase in VCAM-1 (95% CI = 2.5, 6.1). The main effects of particle radioactivity remained similar after adjustment in most cases. We also obtained similar effect estimates in a sensitivity analysis applying a robust causal model. CONCLUSION Regional particle radioactivity is positively associated with inflammatory biomarkers, indicating a potential pathway for radiation-induced cardiovascular effects.
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Papatheodorou S, Gold DR, Blomberg AJ, Hacker M, Wylie BJ, Requia WJ, Oken E, Fleisch AF, Schwartz JD, Koutrakis P. Ambient particle radioactivity and gestational diabetes: A cohort study of more than 1 million pregnant women in Massachusetts, USA. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 733:139340. [PMID: 32464573 PMCID: PMC7472683 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to ionizing radiation increases the risk of chronic metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Internal ionizing radiation from inhaled radioactive aerosol may contribute to the associations between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS We used the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records to study 1,061,937 pregnant women from 2001 to 2015 with a singleton pregnancy without pre-existing diabetes. Gross β activity measured by seven monitors of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's RadNet monitoring network was utilized to represent ambient particle radioactivity (PR). We obtained GDM status from birth certificates and used logistic regression analyses adjusted for socio-demographics, maternal comorbidities, PM2.5, temperature and relative humidity. We also examined effect modification by smoking habits. RESULTS Ambient particle radioactivity exposure during first and second trimester of pregnancy was associated with higher odds of GDM (OR: 1.18 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.22). Controlling for PM2.5 did not substantially change the effects of PR on GDM. In women that reported being former or current smokers, the association between PR and GDM was null. In the full cohort, the overall effect of PM2.5 on GDM without adjusting for PR was not significant. CONCLUSION This is the first population-based study to examine the association between particle radioactivity and gestational diabetes mellitus - one of the most common pregnancy-related diseases with lifelong effects for the mother and the fetus. This finding has important public health policy implications because it enhances our understanding about the toxicity of PR, a modifiable risk factor, which to date, has been considered only as an indoor and occupational air quality risk.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diane R Gold
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Annelise J Blomberg
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michele Hacker
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Blair J Wylie
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Weeberb J Requia
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily Oken
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Abby F Fleisch
- Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME, USA; Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Portland, ME, USA
| | - Joel D Schwartz
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Blomberg AJ, Li L, Schwartz JD, Coull BA, Koutrakis P. Exposure to Particle Beta Radiation in Greater Massachusetts and Factors Influencing Its Spatial and Temporal Variability. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:6575-6583. [PMID: 32363859 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Particle radioactivity is a property of airborne particles caused by the presence of naturally occurring or anthropogenic radionuclides. Recent studies have found associations between particle radioactivity and adverse health outcomes, including changes in blood pressure and lung function. However, the spatiotemporal distribution of particle radioactivity and factors influencing its variability have not been extensively studied. We address these knowledge gaps using measurements of gross beta activity, collected at seven Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) RadNet monitors located in and around Massachusetts. We apply back-trajectory analysis to identify prevailing air mass trajectories and find that these trajectories strongly influence seasonal trends in beta activity. We also evaluate the effects of different meteorological predictors on daily beta activity concentrations using a mixed-effect model. Important predictors of beta activity include air mass trajectories, temperature, and relative humidity. Finally, we create a series of random forest models to impute missing beta activity concentrations at each RadNet monitor for use in future health studies. This is the first study to analyze spatiotemporal trends in particle radioactivity using measurements from the EPA RadNet system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelise J Blomberg
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Longxiang Li
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Joel D Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Brent A Coull
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston Massachusetts 02115, United States
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Sáez-Muñoz M, Bas MDC, Ortiz J, Martorell S. Analysis of the evolution of gross alpha and gross beta activities in airborne samples in Valencia (Spain). JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2018; 183:94-101. [PMID: 29328944 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Gross alpha (Aα) and gross beta activities (Aβ) were measured weekly in the airborne of the Universitat Politècnica de Valencia campus (in the east of Spain) during the period 2009-2015 (7 years). The geometric mean values of weekly Aα and Aβ were 0.53·10-4 Bq m-3 and 5.77·10-4 Bq m-3, respectively; with an average ratio Aα/Aβ of 0.097. This study highlights the heterogeneity of gross alpha and gross beta activities depending on the different periods of the year. Data show seasonal variations with the highest activity in summer months and the lowest one in winter months. Several atmospheric factors were considered in order to explain this intra-annual variation (wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, precipitations, dust content and prevailing wind directions). Multiple Linear Regression Analysis were performed in order to obtain information on significant atmospheric factors that affect gross α and gross β variability, which could be useful in identifying meteorological or atmospheric changes that could cause deviations in gross α and gross β activity depending on the seasons considered. Models obtained explain more than 60% of variability for global data, and also for winter and spring-autumn months. However, more research is needed to explain gross α and gross β variability in summer months, because the atmospheric factors considered in the MLR explain less than 35% of variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Sáez-Muñoz
- Laboratorio de Radiactividad Ambiental, MEDASEGI Research Group, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain.
| | - María Del Carmen Bas
- Laboratorio de Radiactividad Ambiental, MEDASEGI Research Group, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain; Departamento de Matemáticas para la Economía y la Empresa, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Josefina Ortiz
- Laboratorio de Radiactividad Ambiental, MEDASEGI Research Group, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain
| | - Sebastián Martorell
- Laboratorio de Radiactividad Ambiental, MEDASEGI Research Group, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain
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Cabello M, Dueñas C, Liger E, Gordo E, Cañete S. Variables influencing the gross alpha and gross beta activities in airborne particulate samples in Málaga, Spain. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-017-5674-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Huang YJ, Tao YL, Lin J, Shang-Guan ZH. Annual cycle of gross beta activities in aerosol around Daya Bay area, China. CHEMOSPHERE 2009; 75:929-933. [PMID: 19249813 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2008] [Revised: 12/30/2008] [Accepted: 01/02/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, the monthly gross beta activities in aerosol during 1995-2004 at Daya Bay area are reported. The gross beta activities were observed to vary in the range of 0.22-5.14 mBq m(-3) with an arithmetic average of 1.60+/-1.00 mBq m(-3) and a geometric average about 1.78+/-0.33 mBq m(-3). It is shown an obvious seasonal variation characteristic, which is ascribed to the washout mechanism and the radon-suppressing mechanism from the soil by the seasonal rainfall. The exponential attenuation with the rainfall is verified and an attenuation index is defined, which is deduced as 0.007+/-0.002 mm(-1) by regression analysis. Finally, the correlation between gross beta activities and (210)Pb concentrations is analyzed. It is indicated that the radionuclide (210)Pb contributes about 61+/-9% to the gross beta activities in the aerosol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Jun Huang
- Suzhou Nuclear Power Research Institute, China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, Suzhou 215004, China.
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Determination of gross α and β activities in Ankara airborne particulate samples in 2003–2004. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-007-0918-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Dueñas C. Long-term variation (1992–1999) of gross-beta,210Pb and90Sr concentrations in rainwater and deposition to ground. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002jd002940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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