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Wang N, Zhou L, Feng M, Song T, Zhao Z, Song D, Tan Q, Yang F. Progressively narrow the gap of PM 2.5 pollution characteristics at urban and suburban sites in a megacity of Sichuan Basin, China. J Environ Sci (China) 2023; 126:708-721. [PMID: 36503796 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.05.017] [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: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, the fine particle pollution is still severe in some megacities of China, especially in the Sichuan Basin, southwestern China. In order to understand the causes, sources, and impacts of fine particles, we collected PM2.5 samples and analyzed their chemical composition in typical months from July 2018 to May 2019 at an urban and a suburban (background) site of Chengdu, a megacity in this region. The daily average concentrations of PM2.5 ranged from 5.6-102.3 µg/m3 and 4.3-110.4 µg/m3 at each site. Secondary inorganics and organic matters were the major components in PM2.5 at both sites. The proportion of nitrate in PM2.5 has exceeded sulfate and become the primary inorganic component. SO2 was easier to transform into sulfate in urban areas because of Mn-catalytic heterogeneous reactions. In contrast, NO2 was easily converted in suburbs with high aerosol water content. Furthermore, organic carbon in urban was much greater than that in rural, other than elemental carbon. Element Cr and As were the key cancer risk drivers. The main sources of PM2.5 in urban and suburban areas were all secondary aerosols (42.9%, 32.1%), combustion (16.0%, 25.2%) and vehicle emission (15.2%, 19.2%). From clean period to pollution period, the contributions from combustion and secondary aerosols increased markedly. In addition to tightening vehicle controls, urban areas need to restrict emissions from steel smelters, and suburbs need to minimize coal and biomass combustion in autumn and winter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Wang
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Li Zhou
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
| | - Miao Feng
- Chengdu Academy of Environmental Sciences, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Tianli Song
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Zhuoran Zhao
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Danlin Song
- Chengdu Academy of Environmental Sciences, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Qinwen Tan
- Chengdu Academy of Environmental Sciences, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Fumo Yang
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
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Toyib O, Lavigne E, Traub A, Umbrio D, You H, Ripley S, Pollitt K, Shin T, Kulka R, Jessiman B, Tjepkema M, Martin R, Stieb DM, Hatzopoulou M, Evans G, Burnett RT, Weichenthal S. Long-term Exposure to Oxidant Gases and Mortality: Effect Modification by PM 2.5 Transition Metals and Oxidative Potential. Epidemiology 2022; 33:767-776. [PMID: 36165987 PMCID: PMC9531968 DOI: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Populations are simultaneously exposed to outdoor concentrations of oxidant gases (i.e., O 3 and NO 2 ) and fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.5 ). Since oxidative stress is thought to be an important mechanism explaining air pollution health effects, the adverse health impacts of oxidant gases may be greater in locations where PM 2.5 is more capable of causing oxidative stress. METHODS We conducted a cohort study of 2 million adults in Canada between 2001 and 2016 living within 10 km of ground-level monitoring sites for outdoor PM 2.5 components and oxidative potential. O x exposures (i.e., the redox-weighted average of O 3 and NO 2 ) were estimated using a combination of chemical transport models, land use regression models, and ground-level data. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate associations between 3-year moving average O x and mortality outcomes across strata of transition metals and sulfur in PM 2.5 and three measures of PM 2.5 oxidative potential adjusting for possible confounding factors. RESULTS Associations between O x and mortality were consistently stronger in regions with elevated PM 2.5 transition metal/sulfur content and oxidative potential. For example, each interquartile increase (6.27 ppb) in O x was associated with a 14.9% (95% CI = 13.0, 16.9) increased risk of nonaccidental mortality in locations with glutathione-related oxidative potential (OP GSH ) above the median whereas a 2.50% (95% CI = 0.600, 4.40) increase was observed in regions with OP GSH levels below the median (interaction P value <0.001). CONCLUSION Spatial variations in PM 2.5 composition and oxidative potential may contribute to heterogeneity in the observed health impacts of long-term exposures to oxidant gases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaniyan Toyib
- Health Analysis Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Eric Lavigne
- Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- School of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Alison Traub
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dana Umbrio
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hongyu You
- Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Susannah Ripley
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Krystal Pollitt
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale, New Haven, CT
| | - Tim Shin
- Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ryan Kulka
- Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Randall Martin
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Washington University, St Louis, MI
| | - Dave M. Stieb
- Population Studies Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Marianne Hatzopoulou
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Greg Evans
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Scott Weichenthal
- Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Zhang L, Wilson JP, Zhao N, Zhang W, Wu Y. The dynamics of cardiovascular and respiratory deaths attributed to long-term PM 2.5 exposures in global megacities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 842:156951. [PMID: 35753463 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156951] [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: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution is a significant driver of premature deaths. We estimate the number of cardiovascular and respiratory (CR) premature deaths attributed to long-term exposure to PM2.5 in 33 global megacities based on long-term remotely sensed observations from 2000 to 2019. Our analysis uses high-resolution (0.01 degree) PM2.5 concentration data and cause-specific integrated exposure-response (IER) functions developed for the Global Burden of Disease Project. From 2000 to 2019, PM2.5-related CR death rates per 1000 people increased in 6 of 33 megacities, decreased in 9, and remained constant in 18 megacities. The increase in PM2.5-related CR mortality in 11 megacities located in South and East Asia during the period 2000-2019 can be attributed to the increases in PM2.5 concentrations. All 33 megacities could avoid 30,248 (9 %), 62,989 (20 %), 128,457 (40 %), 198,462 (62 %) and all of the estimated 322,515 CR deaths attributed to PM2.5 pollution in 2019 if they were to attain the World Health Organization's four interim PM2.5 targets (IT-1, IT-2, IT-3, and IT-4) and the new air quality guideline (AQG), respectively. Major improvements in air quality are needed to reduce the number of CR deaths attributed to PM2.5 in South and East Asia, in addition to ny reductions that would likely follow shifts in the population structures of these megacities moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Zhang
- Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Spatial Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0374, USA; State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environment Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Zhongke Langfang Institute of Spatial Information Applications, Langfang, Hebei 065001, China
| | - John P Wilson
- Spatial Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0374, USA; State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environment Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Na Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environment Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Wenhao Zhang
- North China Institute of Aerospace Engineering, Langfang, Hebei 065000, China
| | - Yu Wu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
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Adeyemi A, Molnar P, Boman J, Wichmann J. Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) Characterization, Air Quality Level and Origin of Air Masses in an Urban Background in Pretoria. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2022; 83:77-94. [PMID: 35680664 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-022-00937-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Several sources have been identified as contributing to the concentration of ambient fine particulate matter, which has been associated to a variety of health issues. The chemical characteristics and sources of trace elements in PM2.5, as well as the air quality index, were investigated in this study. Twenty four-hour fine aerosol particles were collected in an urban area in Pretoria, South Africa, from April 2017 to April 2018. Eighteen trace elements were determined using an XEPOS 5 energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer, while black and organic carbon were estimated using an optical transmissometer from the samples collected. The HYPLIT model (version 4.9) was used to estimate air mass trajectories. Health risk was calculated by comparing it to the World Health Organization's air quality index (AQI). The overall mean PM2.5 concentration of the collected sample equals 21 µg/m3. Majority of PM2.5 exceedances were reported during mid-autumn and winter seasons, as compared to daily WHO guidelines and South African standards. S had the highest concentrations, greater than 1 µg/m3. Ni, Se, Br and Sb showed they were extremely enriched, (EF > 10) and suggestive of anthropogenic or non crustal origin The 24-h PM, soot, BC and OC were significantly different by the geographical origin of air masses (p < 0.05). The AQI showed that 70% of the samples showed levels above the AQI range of good and healthy air. The findings include details on the concentration, composition, and potential sources of fine PM2.5, which is essential for policy formulation and mitigation strategies in South Africa's fight against air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adewale Adeyemi
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, 31 Bophelo Road 00 01, Pretoria, South Africa.
- Department of Environmental Modeling and Biometrics, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, Nigeria.
| | - Peter Molnar
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital & University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 16A, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Boman
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Janine Wichmann
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, 31 Bophelo Road 00 01, Pretoria, South Africa
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Simulation of Traffic-Born Pollutant Dispersion and Personal Exposure Using High-Resolution Computational Fluid Dynamics. ENVIRONMENTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/environments9060067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Road vehicles are a large contributor to nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollution. The routine roadside monitoring stations, however, may underrepresent the severity of personal exposure in urban areas because long-term average readings cannot capture the effects of momentary, high peaks of air pollution. While numerical modelling tools historically have been used to propose an improved distribution of monitoring stations, ultra-high resolution Computational Fluid Dynamics models can further assist the relevant stakeholders in understanding the important details of pollutant dispersion and exposure at a local level. This study deploys a 10-cm-resolution CFD model to evaluate actual high peaks of personal exposure to NOx from traffic by tracking the gases emitted from the tailpipe of moving vehicles being dispersed towards the roadside. The investigation shows that a set of four Euro 5-rated diesel vehicles travelling at a constant speed may generate momentary roadside concentrations of NOx as high as 1.25 mg/m3, with a 25% expected increase for doubling the number of vehicles and approximately 50% reduction when considering Euro 6-rated vehicles. The paper demonstrates how the numerical tool can be used to identify the impact of measures to reduce personal exposure, such as protective urban furniture, as traffic patterns and environmental conditions change.
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Khadka A, Canning D. Understanding the Pathways from Prenatal and Post-Birth PM 2.5 Exposure to Infant Death: An Observational Analysis Using US Vital Records (2011-2013). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 19:258. [PMID: 35010519 PMCID: PMC8751133 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We studied the relationship of prenatal and post-birth exposure to particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) with infant mortality for all births between 2011 and 2013 in the conterminous United States. Prenatal exposure was defined separately for each trimester, post-birth exposure was defined in the 12 months following the prenatal period, and infant mortality was defined as death in the first year of life. For the analysis, we merged over 10 million cohort-linked live birth-infant death records with daily, county-level PM2.5 concentration data and then fit a Structural Equation Model controlling for several individual- and county-level confounders. We estimated direct paths from the two exposures to infant death as well as indirect paths from the prenatal exposure to the outcome through preterm birth and low birth weight. Prenatal PM2.5 exposure was positively associated with infant death across all trimesters, although the relationship was strongest in the third trimester. The direct pathway from the prenatal exposure to the outcome accounted for most of this association. Estimates for the post-birth PM2.5-infant death relationship were less precise. The results from our study add to a growing literature that provides evidence in favor of the potential harmful effects on human health of low levels of air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aayush Khadka
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
| | - David Canning
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
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Combined Effect of Hot Weather and Outdoor Air Pollution on Respiratory Health: Literature Review. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12060790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Association between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and respiratory health is well documented. At the same time, it is widely known that extreme weather events intrinsically exacerbate air pollution impact. Particularly, hot weather and extreme temperatures during heat waves (HW) significantly affect human health, increasing risks of respiratory mortality and morbidity. Concurrently, a synergistic effect of air pollution and high temperatures can be combined with weather–air pollution interaction during wildfires. The purpose of the current review is to summarize literature on interplay of hot weather, air pollution, and respiratory health consequences worldwide, with the ultimate goal of identifying the most dangerous pollution agents and vulnerable population groups. A literature search was conducted using electronic databases Web of Science, Pubmed, Science Direct, and Scopus, focusing only on peer-reviewed journal articles published in English from 2000 to 2021. The main findings demonstrate that the increased level of PM10 and O3 results in significantly higher rates of respiratory and cardiopulmonary mortality. Increments in PM2.5 and PM10, O3, CO, and NO2 concentrations during high temperature episodes are dramatically associated with higher admissions to hospital in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, daily hospital emergency transports for asthma, acute and chronic bronchitis, and premature mortality caused by respiratory disease. Excessive respiratory health risk is more pronounced in elderly cohorts and small children. Both heat waves and outdoor air pollution are synergistically linked and are expected to be more serious in the future due to greater climate instability, being a crucial threat to global public health that requires the responsible involvement of researchers at all levels. Sustainable urban planning and smart city design could significantly reduce both urban heat islands effect and air pollution.
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Wu CD, Zeng YT, Lung SCC. A hybrid kriging/land-use regression model to assess PM 2.5 spatial-temporal variability. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 645:1456-1464. [PMID: 30248867 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Proximate pollutant data can provide information for land-use predictors in LUR models, when coupled with spatial interpolation of ambient pollutant measurements, may provide better pollutant predictions. This study applies a hybrid kriging/LUR model to assess the spatial-temporal variability of PM2.5 for Taiwan. Using PM2.5 concentrations at 71 EPA monitoring stations from 2006 to 2011, pollutant gradient surfaces were spatially interpolated using a leave-one-out ordinary kriging method based on "n-1" observations. The predicted concentration level of the targeted site was then extracted from the generated kriging map and adopted as a variable in LUR modelling. Annual and monthly resolutions of LUR models were developed to assess the effects by incorporating kriging-based estimates into pollutant predictions. The R2 obtained from conventional LUR procedures was 0.66 and 0.70 for annual and monthly models, respectively, whereas models using the hybrid approach showed better explanatory power (R2 of annual model: 0.85; R2 of monthly model: 0.88). Moreover, kriging-based PM2.5 estimates were the most important factor in the resultant models according to the dominant partial R2 of 0.82 and 0.7 in monthly and yearly models. Cross-validation and external data verification showed similar results, demonstrating robustness of the proposed approach. Using governmental pollutant observations is usually publicly available for most areas, this method provides an efficient mean to better assess PM2.5 spatial-temporal variations and predicts levels for nonmonitored areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Da Wu
- Department of Geomatics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Zeng
- Department of Geomatics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Chun Candice Lung
- Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Atmospheric Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Environmental Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Li J, Liu H, Lv Z, Zhao R, Deng F, Wang C, Qin A, Yang X. Estimation of PM 2.5 mortality burden in China with new exposure estimation and local concentration-response function. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 243:1710-1718. [PMID: 30408858 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The estimation of PM2.5-related mortality is becoming increasingly important. The accuracy of results is largely dependent on the selection of methods for PM2.5 exposure assessment and Concentration-Response (C-R) function. In this study, PM2.5 observed data from the China National Environmental Monitoring Center, satellite-derived estimation, widely collected geographic and socioeconomic information variables were applied to develop a national satellite-based Land Use Regression model and evaluate PM2.5 exposure concentrations within 2013-2015 with the resolution of 1 km × 1 km. Population weighted concentration declined from 72.52 μg/m3 in 2013 to 57.18 μg/m3 in 2015. C-R function is another important section of health effect assessment, but most previous studies used the Integrated Exposure Regression (IER) function which may currently underestimate the excess relative risk of exceeding the exposure range in China. A new Shape Constrained Health Impact Function (SCHIF) method, which was developed from a national cohort of 189,793 Chinese men, was adopted to estimate the PM2.5-related premature deaths in China. Results showed that 2.19 million (2013), 1.94 million (2014), 1.65 million (2015) premature deaths were attributed to PM2.5 long-term exposure, different from previous understanding around 1.1-1.7 million. The top three provinces of the highest premature deaths were Henan, Shandong, Sichuan, while the least ones were Tibet, Hainan, Qinghai. The proportions of premature deaths caused by specific diseases were 53.2% for stroke, 20.5% for ischemic heart disease, 16.8% for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 9.5% for lung cancer. IER function was also used to calculate PM2.5-related premature deaths with the same exposed level used in SCHIF method, and the comparison of results indicated that IER had made a much lower estimation with less annual amounts around 0.15-0.5 million premature deaths within 2013-2015.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Huan Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Zhaofeng Lv
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Ruzhang Zhao
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Fanyuan Deng
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Chufan Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Anqi Qin
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Xiaofan Yang
- SINOPEC Economics and Development Research Institute, Beijing 100084, China.
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Sicard P, Agathokleous E, Araminiene V, Carrari E, Hoshika Y, De Marco A, Paoletti E. Should we see urban trees as effective solutions to reduce increasing ozone levels in cities? ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 243:163-176. [PMID: 30172122 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.08.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Outdoor air pollution is considered as the most serious environmental problem for human health, associated with some million deaths worldwide per year. Cities have to cope with the challenges due to poor air quality impacting human health and citizen well-being. According to an analysis in the framework of this study, the annual mean concentrations of tropospheric ozone (O3) have been increasing by on average 0.16 ppb year-1 in cities across the globe over the time period 1995-2014. Green urban infrastructure can improve air quality by removing O3. To efficiently reduce O3 in cities, it is important to define suitable urban forest management, including proper species selection, with focus on the removal ability of O3 and other air pollutants, biogenic emission rates, allergenic effects and maintenance requirements. This study reanalyzes the literature to i) quantify O3 removal by urban vegetation categorized into trees/shrubs and green roofs; ii) rank 95 urban plant species based on the ability to maximize air quality and minimize disservices, and iii) provide novel insights on the management of urban green spaces to maximize urban air quality. Trees showed higher O3 removal capacity (3.4 g m-2 year-1 on average) than green roofs (2.9 g m-2 year-1 as average removal rate), with lower installation and maintenance costs (around 10 times). To overcome present gaps and uncertainties, a novel Species-specific Air Quality Index (S-AQI) of suitability to air quality improvement is proposed for tree/shrub species. We recommend city planners to select species with an S-AQI>8, i.e. with high O3 removal capacity, O3-tolerant, resistant to pests and diseases, tolerant to drought and non-allergenic (e.g. Acer sp., Carpinus sp., Larix decidua, Prunus sp.). Green roofs can be used to supplement urban trees in improving air quality in cities. Urban vegetation, as a cost-effective and nature-based approach, aids in meeting clean air standards and should be taken into account by policy-makers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Evgenios Agathokleous
- Hokkaido Research Centre, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Sapporo, Japan; Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Valda Araminiene
- Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Institute of Forestry, Girionys, Lithuania
| | - Elisa Carrari
- Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Alessandra De Marco
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Paoletti
- Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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Ozone augments interleukin-8 production induced by ambient particulate matter. Genes Environ 2018; 40:14. [PMID: 30026883 PMCID: PMC6050665 DOI: 10.1186/s41021-018-0102-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Experimental and controlled human exposure studies have demonstrated additive effects of ambient particulate matter and ozone on health. A few epidemiological studies have suggested that ambient particulate matter components are important for the combined effects of ambient particulate matter and ozone on health. However, few studies have examined whether ozone changes the effects of ambient particulate matter on pro-inflammatory cytokine production. In this study, the influence of ozone on pro-inflammatory cytokine production in response to ambient particulate matter was evaluated. Results Ambient particulate matter smaller than 1 μm was collected and the suspension of this particulate matter was bubbled through 0.12 ppm and 0.24 ppm ozone. THP1 cells were stimulated by the solution containing the particulate matter with and without bubbling through ozone at 1 μg/mL. The interleukin-8 concentrations in the supernatants of THP1 cells stimulated by collected particulate matter dissolved in solution were 108.3 ± 24.7 pg/mL without ozone exposure, 165.0 ± 26.1 pg/mL for 0.12 ppm ozone bubbling for 1 min, 175.1 ± 33.1 pg/mL for 0.12 ppm for 5 min, 183.3 ± 17.8 pg/mL for 0.12 ppm for 15 min, 167.8 ± 35.9 pg/mL for 0.24 ppm for 1 min, 209.2 ± 8.4 pg/mL for 0.24 ppm for 5 min, and 209.3 ± 14.3 pg/mL for 0.24 ppm for 15 min. Ozone significantly increased interleukin-8 concentrations compared to those for particulate matter dissolved in solution without ozone exposure and the solvent only (8.2 ± 0.9 pg/mL) in an ozone concentration-dependent manner. Collected particulate matter in solutions with or without bubbling through ozone had no effect on interleukin-6 production. The antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine significantly inhibited the increases in interleukin-8 induced by solutions with particulate matter, regardless of ozone exposure. The reactive oxygen species concentration in solutions with collected particulate matter was not associated with ozone bubbling. Conclusion Ozone may augment the production of interleukin-8 in response to ambient particulate matter by a mechanism unrelated to reactive oxygen species. These results support the epidemiological evidence for combined effects of ambient particulate matter and ozone on human health.
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Auger N, Fraser WD, Smargiassi A, Bilodeau-Bertrand M, Kosatsky T. Elevated outdoor temperatures and risk of stillbirth. Int J Epidemiol 2018; 46:200-208. [PMID: 27160765 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyw077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The causes of stillbirth are poorly understood, including whether elevated outdoor temperatures increase risk. We assessed the relationship between elevated ambient temperatures and risk of stillbirth by gestational age and cause of death during warm months in a temperate region. Methods We performed a case-crossover study of 5047 stillbirths in continental Quebec, Canada, between the months of April through September from 1981 to 2011. Using data on maximum daily temperatures adjusted for relative humidity, we estimated associations with stillbirth, comparing temperatures before fetal death with temperatures on adjacent days. The main outcomes were stillbirth according to age of gestation (term, preterm), and cause of death (undetermined, maternal, placenta/cord/membranes, birth asphyxia, congenital anomaly, other). Results Elevated outdoor temperatures the week before the death were more strongly associated with risk of term than preterm stillbirth. Odds of term stillbirth for temperature 28 °C the day before death were 1.16 times greater relative to 20 °C (95% confidence interval, CI 1.02-1.33). Elevated outdoor temperature was associated with stillbirth due to undetermined and maternal causes, but not other causes. Compared with 20 °C, the odds of stillbirth at 28 °C were 1.19 times greater for undetermined causes (95% CI 1.02-1.40) and 1.46 times greater for maternal complications (95% CI 1.03-2.07). Conclusions Elevated outdoor temperatures may be a risk factor for term stillbirth, including stillbirth due to undetermined causes or maternal complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Auger
- Institut national de santé publique du Québec and University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - William D Fraser
- Centre de recherche du CHUS and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Audrey Smargiassi
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada and
| | - Marianne Bilodeau-Bertrand
- Institut national de santé publique du Québec and University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tom Kosatsky
- National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Tian Y, Xiang X, Juan J, Song J, Cao Y, Huang C, Li M, Hu Y. Short-term Effect of Ambient Ozone on Daily Emergency Room Visits in Beijing, China. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2775. [PMID: 29426845 PMCID: PMC5807436 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21154-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the acute effects of ozone on morbidity risk in China. We conducted a time-series study to examine the association between ozone and daily emergency room visits (ERVs) in Beijing, China. We identified 7,088,309 ERVs between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015. A generalized additive model with Poisson regression incorporating penalized spline functions was employed to analyze ERVs in association with daily 8-h maximum ozone concentrations. An increase of 10 μg/m3 of same-day ozone concentration was significantly associated with a 0.24% (95% CI, 0.21%–0.26%), 0.31% (95% CI, 0.27%–0.35%), and 0.43% (95% CI, 0.36%–0.50%) increase in daily ERVs for the whole study period, days when the daily 8-h maximum ozone met the Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) Grade II standard, and days that met the CAAQS Grade I standard, respectively. These results were robust when considering the potential confounding effects of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO. In conclusion, our findings suggested significant effects of ozone exposure on daily ERVs in Beijing. Improving air quality with even lower ozone level than the current CAAQS could yield important public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaohua Tian
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Xiang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Juan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Song
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Yaying Cao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Huang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Man Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Yonghua Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China.
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Krall JR, Hackstadt AJ, Peng RD. A hierarchical modeling approach to estimate regional acute health effects of particulate matter sources. Stat Med 2017; 36:1461-1475. [PMID: 28098412 PMCID: PMC5378603 DOI: 10.1002/sim.7210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution has been associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease hospitalizations and other clinical parameters. Determining which sources of PM, such as traffic or industry, are most associated with adverse health outcomes could help guide future recommendations aimed at reducing harmful pollution exposure for susceptible individuals. Information obtained from multisite studies, which is generally more precise than information from a single location, is critical to understanding how PM impacts health and to informing local strategies for reducing individual-level PM exposure. However, few methods exist to perform multisite studies of PM sources, which are not generally directly observed, and adverse health outcomes. We developed SHared Across a REgion (SHARE), a hierarchical modeling approach that facilitates reproducible, multisite epidemiologic studies of PM sources. SHARE is a two-stage approach that first summarizes information about PM sources across multiple sites. Then, this information is used to determine how community-level (i.e., county-level or city-level) health effects of PM sources should be pooled to estimate regional-level health effects. SHARE is a type of population value decomposition that aims to separate out regional-level features from site-level data. Unlike previous approaches for multisite epidemiologic studies of PM sources, the SHARE approach allows the specific PM sources identified to vary by site. Using data from 2000 to 2010 for 63 northeastern US counties, we estimated regional-level health effects associated with short-term exposure to major types of PM sources. We found that PM from secondary sulfate, traffic, and metals sources was most associated with cardiovascular disease hospitalizations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. R. Krall
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Mailstop 1518-002-3AA, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - A. J. Hackstadt
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, 2525 West End Avenue, Suite 11000, Nashville, TN 37203
| | - R. D. Peng
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205
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15
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Milojevic A, Armstrong BG, Gasparrini A, Bohnenstengel SI, Barratt B, Wilkinson P. Methods to Estimate Acclimatization to Urban Heat Island Effects on Heat- and Cold-Related Mortality. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2016; 124:1016-22. [PMID: 26859738 PMCID: PMC4937865 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1510109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Revised: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Investigators have examined whether heat mortality risk is increased in neighborhoods subject to the urban heat island (UHI) effect but have not identified degrees of difference in susceptibility to heat and cold between cool and hot areas, which we call acclimatization to the UHI. OBJECTIVES We developed methods to examine and quantify the degree of acclimatization to heat- and cold-related mortality in relation to UHI anomalies and applied these methods to London, UK. METHODS Case-crossover analyses were undertaken on 1993-2006 mortality data from London UHI decile groups defined by anomalies from the London average of modeled air temperature at a 1-km grid resolution. We estimated how UHI anomalies modified excess mortality on cold and hot days for London overall and displaced a fixed-shape temperature-mortality function ("shifted spline" model). We also compared the observed associations with those expected under no or full acclimatization to the UHI. RESULTS The relative risk of death on hot versus normal days differed very little across UHI decile groups. A 1°C UHI anomaly multiplied the risk of heat death by 1.004 (95% CI: 0.950, 1.061) (interaction rate ratio) compared with the expected value of 1.070 (1.057, 1.082) if there were no acclimatization. The corresponding UHI interaction for cold was 1.020 (0.979, 1.063) versus 1.030 (1.026, 1.034) (actual versus expected under no acclimatization, respectively). Fitted splines for heat shifted little across UHI decile groups, again suggesting acclimatization. For cold, the splines shifted somewhat in the direction of no acclimatization, but did not exclude acclimatization. CONCLUSIONS We have proposed two analytical methods for estimating the degree of acclimatization to the heat- and cold-related mortality burdens associated with UHIs. The results for London suggest relatively complete acclimatization to the UHI effect on summer heat-related mortality, but less clear evidence for cold-related mortality. CITATION Milojevic A, Armstrong BG, Gasparrini A, Bohnenstengel SI, Barratt B, Wilkinson P. 2016. Methods to estimate acclimatization to urban heat island effects on heat- and cold-related mortality. Environ Health Perspect 124:1016-1022; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510109.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Milojevic
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Address correspondence to A. Milojevic, Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 15–17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH. Telephone: 44-(0)20-7927-2054. E-mail:
| | - Ben G. Armstrong
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio Gasparrini
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Benjamin Barratt
- Environmental Research Group, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Wilkinson
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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16
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Framing air pollution epidemiology in terms of population interventions, with applications to multipollutant modeling. Epidemiology 2015; 26:271-9. [PMID: 25643106 DOI: 10.1097/ede.0000000000000236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Air pollution epidemiology continues moving toward the study of mixtures and multipollutant modeling. Simultaneously, there is a movement in epidemiology to estimate policy-relevant health effects that can be understood in reference to specific interventions. Scaling regression coefficients from a regression model by an interquartile range (IQR) is one common approach to presenting multipollutant health effect estimates. We are unaware of guidance on how to interpret these effect estimates as an intervention. To illustrate the issues of interpretability of IQR-scaled air pollution health effects, we analyzed how daily concentration changes in 2 air pollutants (nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) related to one another within 2 seasons (summer and winter), within 3 cities with distinct air pollution profiles (Burbank, California; Houston, Texas; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). In each city season, we examined how realistically IQR scaling in multipollutant lag-1 time-series studies reflects a hypothetical intervention that is possible given the observed data. We proposed 2 causal conditions to explicitly link IQR-scaled effects to a clearly defined hypothetical intervention. Condition 1 specified that the index pollutant had to experience a daily concentration change of greater than 1 IQR, reflecting the notion that the IQR is an appropriate measure of variability between consecutive days. Condition 2 specified that the copollutant had to remain relatively constant. We found that in some city seasons, there were very few instances in which these conditions were satisfied (eg, 1 day in Pittsburgh during summer). We discuss the practical implications of IQR scaling and suggest alternative approaches to presenting multipollutant effects that are supported by empirical data.
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17
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Anderko L, Davies-Cole J, Strunk A. Identifying populations at risk: interdisciplinary environmental climate change tracking. Public Health Nurs 2014; 31:484-91. [PMID: 25319352 DOI: 10.1111/phn.12164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change, experienced as extreme weather events such as heat waves can lead to poorer air quality and underscores the critical need to consider the consequences of these environmental changes on health. Changes are occurring at a rate that exceeds what the world has experienced over the last 650,000 years, yet little attention has been focused on the potentially catastrophic public health effects of climate change. METHODS This study instituted a two-phase approach. In building capacity for an Environmental Public Health Tracking Network, the District of Columbia Department of Health first examined the availability of climate change and health data. These data were then used to assess vulnerabilities and disease burden associated with heat, air quality, and hospitalizations for asthma (N = 5,921) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (N = 2,773) during 2007-2010. A Poisson regression analysis was applied to the time series of daily counts for hospitalizations for selected age, race, and gender groups. RESULTS Although no significant associations were found for PM2.5, PM10, or ozone with asthma-related or AMI-related hospitalizations with seasonal changes, surveillance data found disparities in hospitalizations particularly in female, African American residents for both asthma and AMI. CONCLUSIONS Tracking Networks are critical for assessing community environmental health vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Anderko
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
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18
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19
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Jones MR, Diez-Roux AV, Hajat A, Kershaw KN, O'Neill MS, Guallar E, Post WS, Kaufman JD, Navas-Acien A. Race/ethnicity, residential segregation, and exposure to ambient air pollution: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Am J Public Health 2014; 104:2130-7. [PMID: 25211756 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2014.302135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We described the associations of ambient air pollution exposure with race/ethnicity and racial residential segregation. METHODS We studied 5921 White, Black, Hispanic, and Chinese adults across 6 US cities between 2000 and 2002. Household-level fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) were estimated for 2000. Neighborhood racial composition and residential segregation were estimated using US census tract data for 2000. RESULTS Participants in neighborhoods with more than 60% Hispanic populations were exposed to 8% higher PM2.5 and 31% higher NOX concentrations compared with those in neighborhoods with less than 25% Hispanic populations. Participants in neighborhoods with more than 60% White populations were exposed to 5% lower PM2.5 and 18% lower NOX concentrations compared with those in neighborhoods with less than 25% of the population identifying as White. Neighborhoods with Whites underrepresented or with Hispanics overrepresented were exposed to higher PM2.5 and NOX concentrations. No differences were observed for other racial/ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS Living in majority White neighborhoods was associated with lower air pollution exposures, and living in majority Hispanic neighborhoods was associated with higher air pollution exposures. This new information highlighted the importance of measuring neighborhood-level segregation in the environmental justice literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda R Jones
- Miranda R. Jones and Eliseo Guallar are with the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Wendy S. Post is with the Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Ana Navas-Acien is with the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Ana V. Diez-Roux and Marie S. O'Neill are with the Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor. Anjum Hajat and Joel D. Kaufman are with the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle. Kiarri N. Kershaw is with the Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
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Reforestation as a novel abatement and compliance measure for ground-level ozone. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:E4204-13. [PMID: 25201970 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1409785111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
High ambient ozone (O3) concentrations are a widespread and persistent problem globally. Although studies have documented the role of forests in removing O3 and one of its precursors, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), the cost effectiveness of using peri-urban reforestation for O3 abatement purposes has not been examined. We develop a methodology that uses available air quality and meteorological data and simplified forest structure growth-mortality and dry deposition models to assess the performance of reforestation for O3 precursor abatement. We apply this methodology to identify the cost-effective design for a hypothetical 405-ha, peri-urban reforestation project in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria O3 nonattainment area in Texas. The project would remove an estimated 310 tons of (t) O3 and 58 t NO2 total over 30 y. Given its location in a nitrogen oxide (NOx)-limited area, and using the range of Houston area O3 production efficiencies to convert forest O3 removal to its NOx equivalent, this is equivalent to 127-209 t of the regulated NOx. The cost of reforestation per ton of NOx abated compares favorably to that of additional conventional controls if no land costs are incurred, especially if carbon offsets are generated. Purchasing agricultural lands for reforestation removes this cost advantage, but this problem could be overcome through cost-share opportunities that exist due to the public and conservation benefits of reforestation. Our findings suggest that peri-urban reforestation should be considered in O3 control efforts in Houston, other US nonattainment areas, and areas with O3 pollution problems in other countries, wherever O3 formation is predominantly NOx limited.
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Anderson GB, Krall JR, Peng RD, Bell ML. The authors reply. Am J Epidemiol 2013; 177:1460-2. [PMID: 23894752 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwt080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- G. Brooke Anderson
- Department of Biostatistics, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Jenna R. Krall
- Department of Biostatistics, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Roger D. Peng
- Department of Biostatistics, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Michelle L. Bell
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
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Sax S, Goodman JE. Re: "is the relation between ozone and mortality confounded by chemical components of particulate matter? analysis of 7 components in 57 us communities". Am J Epidemiol 2013; 177:1460. [PMID: 23696106 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwt081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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23
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Chen R, Peng RD, Meng X, Zhou Z, Chen B, Kan H. Seasonal variation in the acute effect of particulate air pollution on mortality in the China Air Pollution and Health Effects Study (CAPES). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2013; 450-451:259-65. [PMID: 23500824 PMCID: PMC3885864 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2012] [Revised: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/15/2013] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological findings concerning the seasonal variation in the acute effect of particulate matter (PM) are inconsistent. We investigated the seasonality in the association between PM with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 μm (PM10) and daily mortality in 17 Chinese cities. We fitted the "main" time-series model after adjustment for time-varying confounders using smooth functions with natural splines. We established a "seasonal" model to obtain the season-specific effect estimates of PM10, and a "harmonic" model to show the seasonal pattern that allows PM10 effects to vary smoothly with the day in a year. At the national level, a 10 μg/m(3) increase in the two-day moving average concentrations (lag 01) of PM10 was associated with 0.45% [95% posterior interval (PI), 0.15% to 0.76%], 0.17% (95% PI, -0.09% to 0.43%), 0.55% (95% PI, 0.15% to 0.96%) and 0.25% (95%PI, -0.05% to 0.56%) increases in total mortality for winter, spring, summer and fall, respectively. For the smoothly-varying plots of seasonality, we identified a two-peak pattern in winter and summer. The observed seasonal pattern was generally insensitive to model specifications. Our analyses suggest that the acute effect of particulate air pollution could vary by seasons with the largest effect in winter and summer in China. To our knowledge, this is the first multicity study in developing countries to analyze the seasonal variations of PM-related health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renjie Chen
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute for the Changing Global Environment and Fudan Tyndall Centre, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Roger D. Peng
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xia Meng
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute for the Changing Global Environment and Fudan Tyndall Centre, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhijun Zhou
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bingheng Chen
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haidong Kan
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute for the Changing Global Environment and Fudan Tyndall Centre, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Meteorology and Health, Shanghai Meteorological Bureau, Shanghai, China
- Corresponding author at: School of Public Health, Fudan University, P.O. Box 249, 130 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, China. Tel./fax: +86 21 5423 7908. (H. Kan)
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