The LINA Study: Higher Sensitivity of Infant Compared to Maternal Eosinophil/Basophil Progenitors to Indoor Chemical Exposures. J Environ Public Health. 2016;2016:5293932. [PMID: 27313631 DOI: 10.1155/2016/5293932]

Chemicals in European residences - Part I: A review of emissions, concentrations and health effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

One of the more important classes of potentially toxic indoor air chemicals are the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). However, due to a limited understanding of the relationships between indoor concentrations of individual VOCs and health outcomes, there are currently no universal health-based guideline values for VOCs within Europe including the UK. In this study, a systematic search was conducted designed to capture evidence on concentrations, emissions from indoor sources, and health effects for VOCs measured in European residences. We identified 65 individual VOCs, and the most commonly measured were aromatic hydrocarbons (14 chemicals), alkane hydrocarbons (9), aldehydes (8), aliphatic hydrocarbons (5), terpenes (6), chlorinated hydrocarbons (4), glycol and glycol ethers (3) and esters (2). The pathway of interest was inhalation and 8 individual aromatic hydrocarbons, 7 alkanes and 6 aldehydes were associated with respiratory health effects. Members of the chlorinated hydrocarbon family were associated with cardiovascular neurological and carcinogenic health effects and some were irritants as were esters and terpenes. Eight individual aromatic hydrocarbons, 7 alkanes and 6 aldehydes identified in European residences were associated with respiratory health effects. Of the 65 individual VOCs, 52 were from sources associated with building and construction materials (e.g. brick, wood products, adhesives and materials for flooring installation etc.), 41 were linked with consumer products (passive, electric and combustible air fresheners, hair sprays, deodorants) and 9 VOCs were associated with space heating, which may reflect the relatively small number of studies discussing emissions from this category of sources. A clear decrease in concentrations of formaldehyde was observed over the last few years, whilst acetone was found to be one of the most abundant but underreported species. A new approach based on the operational indoor air quality surveillance will both reveal trends in known VOCs and identify new compounds.

Effects of environmental stressors on stem cells

Environmental toxicants are ubiquitous, and many are known to cause harmful health effects. However, much of what we know or think we know concerning the targets and long-term effects of exposure to environmental stressors is sadly lacking. Toxicant exposure may have health effects that are currently mischaracterized or at least mechanistically incompletely understood. While much of the recent excitement about stem cells (SCs) focuses on their potential as therapeutic agents, they also offer a valuable resource to give us insight into the mechanisms and risks of toxicant effects. Not only as a response to the increasing ethical pressure to reduce animal testing, SC studies allow us valuable insight into the true effects of human exposure to environmental stressors under controlled conditions. We present a review of the history of publications on the effects of environmental stressors on SCs, followed by a consolidation of the literature over the past five years on a subset of key environmental stressors of importance to human health and their effects on both embryonic and tissue SCs. The review will make constructive suggestions as to areas of toxicant research where further studies are needed, as well as making indications of the potential utility for advancing knowledge and directing research on environmental toxicology.

Background factors of chemical intolerance and parent-child relationships

Background

Chemical intolerance is a widespread public health problem characterized by symptoms that reportedly result from low-level exposure to chemicals. Although several studies have reported factors related to chemical intolerance in adults, the impact of family members has not been reported. In the present study, we investigated the background factors related to chemical intolerance in family members and parent–child relationships.

Methods

We distributed a self-reported questionnaire to 4325 mothers who were invited to visit the Kishiwada Health Center in Kishiwada City, Osaka, between January 2006 and December 2007 for the regular health checkup of their three-and-a-half-year-old children.

Results

The prevalence of chemical intolerance in the 3-year-old children was almost one eighteenth of that reported by their mothers. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that cold sensitivity [odds ratio (OR), 1.89; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04–3.44], past bronchial asthma (OR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.46–5.53), and any past allergies (OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.36–3.60) were significantly associated with chemical intolerance in the mother. The presence of indoor cat during childhood (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.08–3.69) was significantly associated with chemical intolerance in the mother; however, the association was weak compared with cold sensitivity and past asthma and allergies. The current chemical intolerance of the mother was significantly associated with allergic rhinitis (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.19–4.53), bronchial asthma (OR, 3.66; 95% CI, 2.00–6.69), and chronic bronchitis (OR, 3.69; 95% CI, 1.04–13.03) in her 3-year-old child.

Conclusions

The results suggest that inherent physical constitution and childhood housing environment are associated with a risk of acquiring chemical intolerance. Children of mothers with chemical intolerance have a possible risk of respiratory hypersensitivity or inflammation. Further investigation is recommended to determine the inherent physical constitution and background environmental factors associated with the risk of acquiring chemical intolerance. The impact of having mothers with chemical intolerance on the health of children also requires further study.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12199-018-0743-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.