1
|
Nicolaou L, Sylvies F, Veloso I, Lord K, Chandyo RK, Sharma AK, Shrestha LP, Parker DL, Thygerson SM, DeCarlo PF, Ramachandran G, Checkley W. Brick kiln pollution and its impact on health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024:119220. [PMID: 38797466 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Brick kiln emissions adversely affect air pollution and the health of workers and individuals living near the kilns; however, evidence of their impacts remains limited. We conducted a systematic review of brick kiln pollution (emissions, source contributions and personal exposures) and its effects on health. We extracted articles from electronic databases and through manual citation searching. We estimated pooled, sample-size-weighted means and standard deviations for personal exposures by job type; computed mean emission factors and pollutant concentrations by brick kiln design; and meta-analyzed differences in means or proportions for health outcomes between brick kiln workers and controls or for participants living near or far away from kilns. We identified 104 studies; 74 were conducted in South Asia. The most evaluated pollutants were particulate matter (PM; n=48), sulfur dioxide (SO2; n=24) and carbon monoxide (CO; n=22), and the most evaluated health outcomes were respiratory health (n=34) and musculoskeletal disorders (n=9). PM and CO emissions were higher among traditional than improved brick kilns. Mean respirable silica exposures were only measured in 4 (4%) studies and were as high as 620 μg/m3, exceeding the NIOSH recommended exposure limit by a factor of over 12. Brick kiln workers had consistently worse lung function, more respiratory symptoms, more musculoskeletal complaints, and more inflammation when compared to unexposed participants across studies; however, most studies had a small sample size and did not fully describe methods used for sampling or data collection. On average, brick kiln workers had worse health outcomes when compared to unexposed controls but study quality supporting the evidence was low. Few studies reported silica concentrations or personal exposures, but the few that did suggest that exposures are high. Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between brick kiln pollution and health among workers, and to evaluate exposure mitigation strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Nicolaou
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Center for Global Non-Communicable Disease Research and Training, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
| | - Fiona Sylvies
- Center for Global Non-Communicable Disease Research and Training, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Isabel Veloso
- Center for Global Non-Communicable Disease Research and Training, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Katherine Lord
- Center for Global Non-Communicable Disease Research and Training, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ram K Chandyo
- Kathmandu Medical College, Sinamangal, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Arun K Sharma
- Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Laxman P Shrestha
- Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - David L Parker
- University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, USA
| | | | - Peter F DeCarlo
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Gurumurthy Ramachandran
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
| | - William Checkley
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Center for Global Non-Communicable Disease Research and Training, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Berumen-Rodríguez AA, Alcántara-Quintana LE, Pérez-Vázquez FJ, Zamora-Mendoza BN, Díaz de León-Martínez L, Díaz Barriga F, Flores-Ramírez R. Assessment of inflammatory cytokines in exhaled breath condensate and exposure to mixtures of organic pollutants in brick workers. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:13270-13282. [PMID: 36129651 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23071-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Brick production causes a lot of pollution in the form of dust, fumes, and toxic substances. Therefore, brick workers are highly exposed to pollutants and present a high risk of developing respiratory diseases. The objective of this research was to determine the exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and toluene in urine and evaluate the effects on health using markers of oxidative stress in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) as well as the exposure to pollutants in suspended particles of the studied area. Exposure to PAHs and toluene was evaluated using hydroxylated markers (OH) of PAHs and hippuric acid in urine, respectively. Cytokines like TNF-α, INF-y, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 y GMCSF in EBC were also evaluated. PM2.5 particles were measured during an 8-h work shift. The results in brick workers presented a total OH-PAHs concentration of 97.3 µg/L and hippuric acid concentration of 0.2 g/L. The environmental concentrations of suspended particles were found within a range of 41.67-3541.6 μg/m3. The median of cytokines oscillated between 11.8 pg/mL to 1041 pg/mL. In conclusion, these results are similar to those of occupations in which there is high exposure to pollutants and populations with lung diseases. For that reason, the brick production sector requires prevention and control strategies against the pollutants emitted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Abigail Berumen-Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada en Ambiente Y Salud (CIAAS), Colonia Lomas Segunda Sección, Avenida Sierra Leona No. 550, CP, 78210, San Luis Potosí, SLP, México
| | - Luz Eugenia Alcántara-Quintana
- Unidad de Innovación en Diagnóstico Celular Y Molecular. Coordinación Para La Innovación Y La Aplicación de La Ciencia Y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí Av, Sierra Leona 550, Lomas 2a sección, 78120, San Luis Potosí, SLP, México
| | - Francisco Javier Pérez-Vázquez
- CONACYT Research Fellow, Coordinación Para La Innovación Y Aplicación de La Ciencia Y La Tecnología (CIACYT), Colonia Lomas Segunda Sección, Avenida Sierra Leona No. 550, CP, 78210, San Luis Potosí, SLP, México
| | - Blanca Nohemí Zamora-Mendoza
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada en Ambiente Y Salud (CIAAS), Colonia Lomas Segunda Sección, Avenida Sierra Leona No. 550, CP, 78210, San Luis Potosí, SLP, México
| | - Lorena Díaz de León-Martínez
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada en Ambiente Y Salud (CIAAS), Colonia Lomas Segunda Sección, Avenida Sierra Leona No. 550, CP, 78210, San Luis Potosí, SLP, México
| | - Fernando Díaz Barriga
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada en Ambiente Y Salud (CIAAS), Colonia Lomas Segunda Sección, Avenida Sierra Leona No. 550, CP, 78210, San Luis Potosí, SLP, México
| | - Rogelio Flores-Ramírez
- CONACYT Research Fellow, Coordinación Para La Innovación Y Aplicación de La Ciencia Y La Tecnología (CIACYT), Colonia Lomas Segunda Sección, Avenida Sierra Leona No. 550, CP, 78210, San Luis Potosí, SLP, México.
| |
Collapse
|