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Bredeck G, Dobner J, Rossi A, Schins RPF. Saharan dust induces the lung disease-related cytokines granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 186:108580. [PMID: 38507932 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108580] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Desert dust exposure is associated with adverse respiratory health effects. Desert dust is a complex pollutant mixtures that includes respirable crystalline and amorphous particles, metals, and microbial constituents. Given the health effects of desert dust and its heterogeneity, as yet unidentified harmful biological pathways may be triggered. Therefore, we exposed human in vitro air-liquid interface co-cultures of alveolar epithelial A549 cells and THP-1 macrophages to Saharan dust (SD). For comparison, we used the known pulmonary toxicant DQ12 quartz dust. Via RNA sequencing, we identified that SD but not DQ12 increased the gene expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF). These findings were confirmed by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. SD dose-dependently upregulated GMCSF and GCSF expression with significant 7 and 9-fold changes, respectively, at the highest tested concentration of 31 µg/cm2. Furthermore, we observed that SD significantly enhanced the secretion of GM-CSF and G-CSF by 2-fold. Both cytokines have previously been associated with lung diseases such as asthma and fibrosis. Hence, we present two molecular messengers that may contribute to the adverse health effects of desert dust and might serve as drug targets for this globally relevant non-anthropogenic air pollutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit Bredeck
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Auf'm Hennekamp 50, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Jochen Dobner
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Auf'm Hennekamp 50, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Andrea Rossi
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Auf'm Hennekamp 50, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Roel P F Schins
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Auf'm Hennekamp 50, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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2
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Zhang C, Zhao D, Liu F, Yang J, Ban J, Du P, Lu K, Ma R, Liu Y, Sun Q, Chen S, Li T. Dust particulate matter increases pulmonary embolism onset: A nationwide time-stratified case-crossover study in China. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 186:108586. [PMID: 38521047 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108586] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Particulate matter (PM) has been found to elevate the risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) onset. Among the contributors to PM, dust PM stands as the second natural source, and its emissions are escalating due to climate change. Despite this, information on the effect of dust PM on PE onset is scarce. Hence, this study aims to investigate the impacts of dust PM10, dust PM2.5-10, and dust PM2.5 on PE onset. METHODS A nationwide time-stratified case-crossover study was conducted between 2015 and 2020, using data from 18,616 PE onset cases across 1,921 hospitals in China. The analysis employed a conditional logistic regression model to quantify the associations between dust PM10, dust PM2.5-10, and dust PM2.5 and PE onset. Furthermore, the study explored the time-distributed lag pattern of the effect of dust PM on PE development. Stratified analyses were performed based on sex, age, region, and season. RESULTS Dust PM10, dust PM2.5-10, and dust PM2.5 exhibited significant health effects on PE onset, particularly concerning exposure on the same day. The peak estimates were observed at lag 01 day, with the odds ratio being 1.011 [95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.003, 1.019], 1.014 (95 % CI: 1.003, 1.026), and 1.039 (95 % CI: 1.011, 1.068), for a 10 μg/m3 increase in the concentration of dust PM10, dust PM2.5-10, and dust PM2.5, respectively. In addition, the study identified a higher risk of PE onset associated with dust PM exposure during the warm season than that in cool season, particularly for dust PM2.5. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this study suggest that short-term exposure to dust PM, particularly dust PM2.5, may trigger PE onset, posing a significant health threat. Implementing measures to mitigate dust PM emissions and protect patients with PE from dust PM exposure is imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Zhang
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China; National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Dan Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Semi-Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Suzhou Kowloon Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Suzhou 215127, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jie Ban
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China; National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Peng Du
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China; National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Kailai Lu
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China; National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Runmei Ma
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China; National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China; National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Qinghua Sun
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China; National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Siyu Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Tiantian Li
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China; National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China.
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3
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Jasim SA, Mohammadi MJ, Patra I, Jalil AT, Taherian M, Abdullaeva UY, Sharma S, Ekrami HA, Mousavion K, Alborzi M. The effect of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) in dust storm on human health. REVIEWS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2024; 39:65-75. [PMID: 36169390 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2022-0162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Dust storms expose people suspended particles, microorganisms and potential allergens that have been absorbed by dust particles during airborne transport. The purpose of this study was investigation effect of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) in dust storm on human health. Databases used to for searched were the PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Springer and Science Direct (Scopus). 58 papers based on abstract and article text filtered. In the end after sieve we selected 10 papers. Identify all relevant studies published 1978-2022. The literature showed that green spaces created by city officials in different areas include a set of trees and shrubs in accordance with the effect of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) in dust storm on human health. Based on the result the many studies are conducted every year on the characteristics and different sources of dust, one of the most important of which is the ability of these storms to carry pathogenic microorganisms. the purpose of this study is the effect of bacteria and fungi in dust storms on human health. The findings of this study showed that the evaluation of various studies showed that with the occurrence of dust storms that originate from different sources, in addition to transporting suspended solids, pathogenic bacteria and fungi are also transmitted by dust storms from near and far places and cause various diseases of these include respiratory and pulmonary problems, upper respiratory tract infections, and cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohammad Javad Mohammadi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Environmental Technologies Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
- Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Indrajit Patra
- An Independent Researcher, NIT Durgapur, Durgapur, West Bengal, India
| | - Abduladheem Turki Jalil
- Medical Laboratories Techniques Department, Al-Mustaqbal University College, Babylon, Hilla, Iraq
| | - Masoume Taherian
- Student of Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Ugiloy Yakubovna Abdullaeva
- Department of Communal Hygiene and Occupational Health, Ferghana Medical Institute of Public Health, Ferghana, Uzbekistan
| | - Sandhir Sharma
- Chitkara Business School, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Hafez Ajam Ekrami
- Student of Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Kiana Mousavion
- Student of Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Marzie Alborzi
- Student of Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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4
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Mylonaki M, Gini M, Georgopoulou M, Pilou M, Chalvatzaki E, Solomos S, Diapouli E, Giannakaki E, Lazaridis M, Pandis SN, Nenes A, Eleftheriadis K, Papayannis A. Wildfire and African dust aerosol oxidative potential, exposure and dose in the human respiratory tract. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169683. [PMID: 38160832 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169683] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to wildfire smoke and dust can severely affect air quality and health. Although particulate matter (PM) levels and exposure are well-established metrics linking to health outcomes, they do not consider differences in particle toxicity or deposition location in the respiratory tract (RT). Usage of the oxidative potential (OP) exposure may further shape our understanding on how different pollution events impact health. Towards this goal, we estimate the aerosol deposition rates, OP and resulting OP deposition rates in the RT for a typical adult Caucasian male residing in Athens, Greece. We focus on a period when African dust (1-3 of August 2021) and severe wildfires at the northern part of the Attika peninsula and the Evia island, Greece (4-18 of August 2021) affected air quality in Athens. During these periods, the aerosol levels increased twofold leading to exceedances of the World Health Organization (WHO) [15(5) μg m-3] PM10 (PM2.5) air quality standard by almost 100 %. We show that the OP exposure is 1.5-times larger during the wildfire smoke events than during the dust intrusion, even if the latter was present in higher mass loads - because wildfire smoke has a higher specific OP than dust. This result carries two important implications: OP exposure should be synergistically used with other metrics - such as PM levels - to efficiently link aerosol exposure with the resulting health effects, and, certain sources of air pollution (in our case, exposure to biomass burning smoke) may need to be preferentially controlled, whenever possible, owing to their disproportionate contribution to OP exposure and ability to penetrate deeper into the human RT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Mylonaki
- Laser Remote Sensing Unit, Department of Physics, National and Technical University of Athens, Zografou 15780, Greece; Meteorological Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 80333, Germany
| | - Maria Gini
- ENRACT, Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy & Safety, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Ag. Paraskevi 15310, Greece
| | - Maria Georgopoulou
- Center for the Study of Air Quality and Climate Change, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Patras 26504, Greece
| | - Marika Pilou
- Thermal Hydraulics and Multiphase Flow Laboratory, INRaSTES, NCSR "Demokritos", Agia Paraskevi 15310, Greece
| | - Eleftheria Chalvatzaki
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania 73100, Greece
| | - Stavros Solomos
- Research Centre for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology, Academy of Athens, Athens 10679, Greece
| | - Evangelia Diapouli
- ENRACT, Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy & Safety, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Ag. Paraskevi 15310, Greece
| | - Elina Giannakaki
- Department of Environmental Physics and Meteorology, Faculty of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Mihalis Lazaridis
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania 73100, Greece
| | - Spyros N Pandis
- Center for the Study of Air Quality and Climate Change, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Patras 26504, Greece; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, Patras 26504, Greece
| | - Athanasios Nenes
- Center for the Study of Air Quality and Climate Change, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Patras 26504, Greece; Laboratory of Atmospheric Processes and their Impacts, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland.
| | - Konstantinos Eleftheriadis
- ENRACT, Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy & Safety, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Ag. Paraskevi 15310, Greece
| | - Alexandros Papayannis
- Laser Remote Sensing Unit, Department of Physics, National and Technical University of Athens, Zografou 15780, Greece; Laboratory of Atmospheric Processes and their Impacts, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland.
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5
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Pouri N, Karimi B, Kolivand A, Mirhoseini SH. Ambient dust pollution with all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168945. [PMID: 38042201 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
A severe health crisis has been well-documented regarding dust particle exposure. We aimed to present the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality due to particulate matter (PM) exposure during non-dust and dust storm events by performing a meta-analysis. A systematic review of the literature was conducted by an online search of the databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed) with no restrictions according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines until December 2022. We performed a random-effects model to compute the pooled rate ratio (RR) of mortality with 95 % confidence intervals (CI). The Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) risk of bias rating tool was prepared to assess the quality of the individual study. The registration number in PROSPERO was CRD42023423212. We found a 16 % (95 % CI: 0.7 %, 24 %) increase in all-cause, 25 % (95 % CI: 14 %, 37 %) increase in cardiovascular, and 18 % (95 % CI: 13 %, 22 %) increase in respiratory mortality per 10 μg/m3 increment in dust exposure. Furthermore, the RRs per 10 μg/m3 increment in PM10-2.5 were 1.046 (95 % CI: 1.019, 1.072)¸ 1.085 (95 % CI: 1.045, 1.0124), and 1.089 (95 % CI: 0.939, 1.24) for all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality, respectively. PM10 during dust days significantly increased the all-cause (1.013, 95 % CI: 1.007, 1.018) cardiovascular mortality risk (1.014, 95 % CI: 1.009, 1.02). We also found significant evidence for all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality among females and the elderly age group due to dust particle (PM10-2.5 and PM10) exposure. Our results provided significant evidence about high concentrations of PM10-2.5 and PM10 during dust storm events related to mortality risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasrin Pouri
- Students Research Committee, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Behrooz Karimi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
| | - Ali Kolivand
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Seyed Hamed Mirhoseini
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
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6
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Zhang C, Yan M, Du H, Ban J, Chen C, Liu Y, Li T. Mortality risks from a spectrum of causes associated with sand and dust storms in China. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6867. [PMID: 37891159 PMCID: PMC10611721 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42530-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) pose considerable health risks worldwide. Previous studies only indicated risk of SDS on overall mortality. This nationwide multicenter time-series study aimed to examine SDS-associated mortality risks extensively. We analyzed 1,495,724 deaths and 2024 SDS events from 1 February to 31 May (2013-2018) in 214 Chinese counties. The excess mortality risks associated with SDS were 7.49% (95% CI: 3.12-12.05%), 5.40% (1.25-9.73%), 4.05% (0.41-7.83%), 3.45% (0.34-6.66%), 3.37% (0.28-6.55%), 3.33% (0.07-6.70%), 8.90% (4.96-12.98%), 12.51% (6.31-19.08%), and 11.55% (5.55-17.89%) for ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke, hypertensive heart disease, myocardial infarction, acute myocardial infarction, acute ischemic heart disease, respiratory disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), respectively. SDS had significantly added effects on ischemic stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease, and COPD mortality. Our results suggest the need to implement public health policy against SDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Zhang
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Meilin Yan
- School of Ecology and Environment, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, China
| | - Hang Du
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Ban
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Chen
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Tiantian Li
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
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7
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Alahmad B, Khraishah H, Althalji K, Borchert W, Al-Mulla F, Koutrakis P. Connections Between Air Pollution, Climate Change, and Cardiovascular Health. Can J Cardiol 2023; 39:1182-1190. [PMID: 37030516 PMCID: PMC11097327 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2023.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally, more people die from cardiovascular disease than any other cause. Climate change, through amplified environmental exposures, will promote and contribute to many noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Air pollution, too, is responsible for millions of deaths from cardiovascular disease each year. Although they may appear to be independent, interchangeable relationships and bidirectional cause-and-effect arrows between climate change and air pollution can eventually lead to poor cardiovascular health. In this topical review, we show that climate change and air pollution worsen each other, leading to several ecosystem-mediated effects. We highlight how increases in hot climates as a result of climate change have increased the risk of major air pollution events such as severe wildfires and dust storms. In addition, we show how altered atmospheric chemistry and changing patterns of weather conditions can promote the formation and accumulation of air pollutants: a phenomenon known as the climate penalty. We demonstrate these amplified environmental exposures and their associations to adverse cardiovascular health outcomes. The community of health professionals-and cardiologists, in particular-cannot afford to overlook the risks that climate change and air pollution bring to the public's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barrak Alahmad
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health Department, College of Public Health, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait; Dasman Diabetes Institute (DDI), Kuwait City, Kuwait.
| | - Haitham Khraishah
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Khalid Althalji
- Jaber Alahmad Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - William Borchert
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Fahd Al-Mulla
- Dasman Diabetes Institute (DDI), Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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8
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Hohsfield K, Rowan C, D’Souza R, Ebelt S, Chang H, Crooks J. Evaluating Data Product Exposure Metrics for Use in Epidemiologic Studies of Dust Storms. GEOHEALTH 2023; 7:e2023GH000824. [PMID: 37637996 PMCID: PMC10459620 DOI: 10.1029/2023gh000824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Dust storms are increasing in frequency and correlate with adverse health outcomes but remain understudied in the United States (U.S.), partially due to the limited spatio-temporal coverage, resolution, and accuracy of current data sets. In this work, dust-related metrics from four public areal data products were compared to a monitor-based "gold standard" dust data set. The data products included the National Weather Service (NWS) storm event database, the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications-Version 2, the EPA's Air QUAlity TimE Series (EQUATES) Project using the Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System (CMAQ), and the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service global reanalysis product. California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, which account for most dust storms reported in the U.S., were examined. Dichotomous and continuous metrics based on reported dust storms, particulate matter concentrations (PM10 and PM2.5), and aerosol-type variables were extracted or derived from the data products. Associations between these metrics and a validated dust storm detection method utilizing Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments monitors were estimated via quasi-binomial regression. In general, metrics from CAMS yielded the strongest associations with the "gold standard," followed by the NWS storm database metric. Dust aerosol (0.9-20 μm) mixing ratio, vertically integrated mass of dust aerosol (9-20 μm), and dust aerosol optical depth at 550 nm from CAMS generated the highest standardized odds ratios among all metrics. Future work will apply machine-learning methods to the best-performing metrics to create a public dust storm database suitable for long-term epidemiologic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirk Hohsfield
- Department of EpidemiologyColorado School of Public HealthUniversity of Colorado—Denver|Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraCOUSA
- Division of Biostatistics and BioinformaticsNational Jewish HealthDenverCOUSA
| | - Claire Rowan
- Department of EpidemiologyRollins School of Public HealthEmory UniversityAtlantaGAUSA
| | - Rohan D’Souza
- Department of Biostatistics and BioinformaticsRollins School of Public HealthEmory UniversityAtlantaGAUSA
| | - Stefanie Ebelt
- Department of EpidemiologyRollins School of Public HealthEmory UniversityAtlantaGAUSA
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental HealthRollins School of Public HealthEmory UniversityAtlantaGAUSA
| | - Howard Chang
- Department of Biostatistics and BioinformaticsRollins School of Public HealthEmory UniversityAtlantaGAUSA
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental HealthRollins School of Public HealthEmory UniversityAtlantaGAUSA
| | - James Crooks
- Department of EpidemiologyColorado School of Public HealthUniversity of Colorado—Denver|Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraCOUSA
- Division of Biostatistics and BioinformaticsNational Jewish HealthDenverCOUSA
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Nishita‐Hara C, Kobayashi H, Hara K, Hayashi M. Dithiothreitol-Measured Oxidative Potential of Reference Materials of Mineral Dust: Implications for the Toxicity of Mineral Dust Aerosols in the Atmosphere. GEOHEALTH 2023; 7:e2022GH000736. [PMID: 37426691 PMCID: PMC10326488 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Oxidative stress is a mechanism that might raise the toxicity of mineral dust aerosols. We evaluated the oxidative potential (OP) of four reference materials (RMs) of mineral dusts using dithiothreitol assay. The OP of the water-soluble fraction of the dust RMs accounts for 40%-70% of the OP of the total fraction. The values of total and water-soluble OP normalized by the surface area of insoluble particles showed agreement among the different dust RMs. The surface area of insoluble dust particles was therefore inferred as an important factor affecting the OP of mineral dust. Using the relation between total OP and the surface area of insoluble particles of the dust RMs, we estimated the total OPs of fine and coarse atmospheric mineral dust aerosols assuming a typical particle size distribution of Asian dust aerosols observed in Japan. Mass-normalized total OPs were estimated at 44 and 23 pmol min-1 μg-1 for fine and coarse atmospheric mineral dust particles. They closely approximate the values observed for urban aerosols in Japan, which suggests that mineral dust plume advection can lead to a marked increase in human exposure to redox-active aerosols, even far downwind from mineral dust source regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiharu Nishita‐Hara
- Fukuoka Institute for Atmospheric Environment and HealthFukuoka UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Hiroshi Kobayashi
- Division of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of YamanashiKofuJapan
| | - Keiichiro Hara
- Fukuoka Institute for Atmospheric Environment and HealthFukuoka UniversityFukuokaJapan
- Department of Earth System ScienceFaculty of ScienceFukuoka UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Masahiko Hayashi
- Fukuoka Institute for Atmospheric Environment and HealthFukuoka UniversityFukuokaJapan
- Department of Earth System ScienceFaculty of ScienceFukuoka UniversityFukuokaJapan
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10
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Liu T, Duan F, Ma Y, Ma T, Zhang Q, Xu Y, Li F, Huang T, Kimoto T, Zhang Q, He K. Classification and sources of extremely severe sandstorms mixed with haze pollution in Beijing. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 322:121154. [PMID: 36736562 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121154] [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: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Air quality has significantly improved in China; however, new challenges emerge when dust weather is combined with haze pollution during spring in northern China. On March 15, 2021, an extremely severe sandstorm occurred in Beijing, with hourly maximum PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations reaching 5267.7 μg m-3 and 963.9 μg m-3, respectively. Continuous sandstorm events usually lead to complicated pollution status in spring. Three pollution types were identified disregarding the time sequence throughout March. The secondary formation type was dominant, with high ratios of PM2.5/PM10 (mean 74%) and PM1/PM2.5 (mean 52%). This suggests that secondary transformations are the primary cause of heavy pollution, even during the dry seasons. Sandstorm type resulted in dramatic PM10 levels, with a noticeable decrease in PM2.5/PM10 levels (27%), although PM2.5 levels remain high. The transitional pollution type was distinguished by an independent increase in PM10 levels, although PM2.5 and PM1 levels differed from the PM10 levels. Throughout March, the sulfur oxidation rate varied considerably, with high levels during most periods (mean 0.52). A strong correlation indicated that relative humidity was the primary variable promoting the formation of secondary sulfate. Sandstorms promote heterogeneous reactions by providing abundant reaction surfaces from mineral particles, therefore aggravating secondary pollution. The sandstorm air mass from the northwest passing through the sand sources of Mongolia carried not only crustal matter but also organic components, such as bioaerosols, resulting in a sharp increase in the organic carbon in PM2.5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Fengkui Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Yongliang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Tao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Qinqin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yunzhi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Fan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Tao Huang
- Kimoto Electric Co., Ltd, 3-1 Funahashi-cho Tennoji-ku, Osaka, 543-0024, Japan
| | - Takashi Kimoto
- Kimoto Electric Co., Ltd, 3-1 Funahashi-cho Tennoji-ku, Osaka, 543-0024, Japan
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Kebin He
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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11
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Psistaki K, Achilleos S, Middleton N, Paschalidou AK. Exploring the impact of particulate matter on mortality in coastal Mediterranean environments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 865:161147. [PMID: 36587685 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution is one of the most important problems the world is facing nowadays, adversely affecting public health and causing millions of deaths every year. Particulate matter is a criteria pollutant that has been linked to increased morbidity, as well as all-cause and cause-specific mortality. However, this association remains under-investigated in smaller-size cities in the Eastern Mediterranean, which are also frequently affected by heat waves and dust storms. This study explores the impact of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) and ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) on mortality (all-cause, cardiovascular, respiratory) in two coastal cities in the Eastern Mediterranean; Thessaloniki, Greece and Limassol, Cyprus. Generalized additive Poisson models were used to explore overall and gender-specific associations, controlling for long- and short-term patterns, day of week and the effect of weather variables. Moreover, the effect of different lags, season, co-pollutants and dust storms on primary associations was investigated. A 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 resulted in 1.10 % (95 % CI: -0.13, 2.34) increase in cardiovascular mortality in Thessaloniki, and in 3.07 % (95 % CI: -0.90, 7.20) increase in all-cause mortality in Limassol on the same day. Additionally, significant positive associations were observed between PM2.5 as well as PM10 and mortality at different lags up to seven days. Interestingly, an association with dust storms was observed only in Thessaloniki, having a protective effect, while the gender-specific analysis revealed significant associations only for the males in both cities. The outcome of this study highlights the need of city- or county-specific public health interventions to address the impact of climate, population lifestyle behaviour and other socioeconomic factors that affect the exposure to air pollution and other synergistic effects that alter the effect of PM on population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Psistaki
- Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace, Orestiada 68200, Greece
| | - S Achilleos
- Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University of Nicosia Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - N Middleton
- Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - A K Paschalidou
- Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace, Orestiada 68200, Greece.
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12
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Achilleos S, Michanikou A, Kouis P, Papatheodorou SI, Panayiotou AG, Kinni P, Mihalopoulos N, Kalivitis N, Kouvarakis G, Galanakis E, Michailidi E, Tymvios F, Chrysanthou A, Neophytou M, Mouzourides P, Savvides C, Vasiliadou E, Papasavvas I, Christophides T, Nicolaou R, Avraamides P, Kang CM, Middleton N, Koutrakis P, Yiallouros PK. Improved indoor air quality during desert dust storms: The impact of the MEDEA exposure-reduction strategies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 863:160973. [PMID: 36539092 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160973] [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: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Desert dust storms (DDS) are natural events that impact not only populations close to the emission sources but also populations many kilometers away. Countries located across the main dust sources, including countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, are highly affected by DDS. In addition, climate change is expanding arid areas exacerbating DDS events. Currently, there are no intervention measures with proven, quantified exposure reduction to desert dust particles. As part of the wider "MEDEA" project, co-funded by LIFE 2016 Programme, we examined the effectiveness of an indoor exposure-reduction intervention (i.e., decrease home ventilation during DDS events and continuous use of air purifier during DDS and non-DDS days) across homes and/or classrooms of schoolchildren with asthma and adults with atrial fibrillation in Cyprus and Crete-Greece. Participants were randomized to a control or intervention groups, including an indoor intervention group with exposure reduction measures and the use of air purifiers. Particle sampling, PM10 and PM2.5, was conducted in participants' homes and/or classrooms, between 2019 and 2022, during DDS-free weeks and during DDS days for as long as the event lasted. In indoor and outdoor PM10 and PM2.5 samples, mass and content in main and trace elements was determined. Indoor PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations, adjusting for premise type and dust conditions, were significantly lower in the indoor intervention group compared to the control group (PM2.5-intervention/PM2.5-control = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.70; PM10-intervention/PM10-control = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.71). In addition, the PM2.5 and PM10 particles of outdoor origin were significantly lower in the intervention vs. the control group (PM2.5 infiltration intervention-to-control ratio: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.42, 0.58; PM10 infiltration intervention-to-control ratio: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.52, 0.89). Our findings suggest that the use of air purifiers alongside decreased ventilation measures is an effective protective measure that reduces significantly indoor exposure to particles during DDS and non-DDS in high-risk population groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Souzana Achilleos
- Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University of Nicosia Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus; Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.
| | - Antonis Michanikou
- Respiratory Physiology Laboratory, Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Panayiotis Kouis
- Respiratory Physiology Laboratory, Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Stefania I Papatheodorou
- Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrie G Panayiotou
- Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Paraskevi Kinni
- Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus; Respiratory Physiology Laboratory, Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus; Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Nikos Mihalopoulos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece; National Observatory of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikos Kalivitis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | | | - Emmanouil Galanakis
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Eleni Michailidi
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | | | | | - Marina Neophytou
- Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Petros Mouzourides
- Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Chrysanthos Savvides
- Air Quality and Strategic Planning Section, Department of Labour Inspection, Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Emily Vasiliadou
- Air Quality and Strategic Planning Section, Department of Labour Inspection, Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Ilias Papasavvas
- Department of Cardiology, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Rozalia Nicolaou
- Department of Cardiology, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Choong-Min Kang
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicos Middleton
- Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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13
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Lwin KS, Tobias A, Chua PL, Yuan L, Thawonmas R, Ith S, Htay ZW, Yu LS, Yamasaki L, Roqué M, Querol X, Fussell JC, Nadeau KC, Stafoggia M, Saliba NA, Sheng Ng CF, Hashizume M. Effects of Desert Dust and Sandstorms on Human Health: A Scoping Review. GEOHEALTH 2023; 7:e2022GH000728. [PMID: 36874170 PMCID: PMC9976568 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Desert dust and sandstorms are recurring environmental phenomena that are reported to produce serious health risks worldwide. This scoping review was conducted to identify the most likely health effects of desert dust and sandstorms and the methods used to characterize desert dust exposure from the existing epidemiological literature. We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus to identify studies that reported the effects of desert dust and sandstorms on human health. Search terms referred to desert dust or sandstorm exposure, names of major deserts, and health outcomes. Health effects were cross-tabulated with study design variables (e.g., epidemiological design and methods to quantify dust exposure), desert dust source, health outcomes and conditions. We identified 204 studies that met the inclusion criteria for the scoping review. More than half of the studies (52.9%) used a time-series study design. However, we found a substantial variation in the methods used to identify and quantify desert dust exposure. The binary metric of dust exposure was more frequently used than the continuous metric for all desert dust source locations. Most studies (84.8%) reported significant associations between desert dust and adverse health effects, mainly for respiratory and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity causes. Although there is a large body of evidence on the health effects of desert dust and sandstorms, the existing epidemiological studies have significant limitations related to exposure measurement and statistical analysis that potentially contribute to inconsistencies in determining the effect of desert dust on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaung Suu Lwin
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Aurelio Tobias
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water ResearchSpanish Council for Scientific ResearchBarcelonaSpain
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global HealthNagasaki UniversityNagasakiJapan
| | - Paul Lester Chua
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Lei Yuan
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Ramita Thawonmas
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Sophearen Ith
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Zin Wai Htay
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Lin Szu Yu
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Lisa Yamasaki
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- School of MedicineNagasaki UniversityNagasakiJapan
| | - Marta Roqué
- Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre ‐ Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU)BarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)MadridSpain
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water ResearchSpanish Council for Scientific ResearchBarcelonaSpain
| | - Julia C. Fussell
- National Institute for Health ResearchHealth Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and HealthSchool of Public HealthImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Kari Christine Nadeau
- Sean N Parker Center for Allergy & Asthma ResearchStanford UniversityMountain ViewCAUSA
| | | | - Najat A. Saliba
- Faculty of Arts and SciencesAmerican University of BeirutBeirutLebanon
| | - Chris Fook Sheng Ng
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Masahiro Hashizume
- Department of Global Health PolicyGraduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
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14
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Al-Abadleh HA, Kubicki JD, Meskhidze N. A perspective on iron (Fe) in the atmosphere: air quality, climate, and the ocean. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2023; 25:151-164. [PMID: 36004543 DOI: 10.1039/d2em00176d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
As scientists engage in research motivated by climate change and the impacts of pollution on air, water, and human health, we increasingly recognize the need for the scientific community to improve communication and knowledge exchange across disciplines to address pressing and outstanding research questions holistically. Our professional paths have crossed because our research activities focus on the chemical reactivity of Fe-containing minerals in air and water, and at the air-sea interface. (Photo)chemical reactions driven by Fe can take place at the surface of the particles/droplets or within the condensed phase. The extent and rates of these reactions are influenced by water content and biogeochemical activity ubiquitous in these systems. One of these reactions is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause damage to respiratory organs. Another is that the reactivity of Fe and organics in aerosol particles alter surficial physicochemical properties that impact aerosol-radiation and aerosol-cloud interactions. Also, upon deposition, aerosol particles influence ocean biogeochemical processes because micronutrients such as Fe or toxic elements such as copper become bioavailable. We provide a perspective on these topics and future research directions on the reactivity of Fe in atmospheric aerosol systems, from sources to short- and long-term impacts at the sinks with emphasis on needs to enhance the predictive power of atmospheric and ocean models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hind A Al-Abadleh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo N2L 3C5, Ontario, Canada.
| | - James D Kubicki
- Department of Earth, Environmental & Resource Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso 79968, Texas, USA.
| | - Nicholas Meskhidze
- Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695, North Carolina, USA.
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15
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Bredeck G, Busch M, Rossi A, Stahlmecke B, Fomba KW, Herrmann H, Schins RPF. Inhalable Saharan dust induces oxidative stress, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and inflammatory cytokine release. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 172:107732. [PMID: 36680803 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Desert dust is increasingly recognized as a major air pollutant affecting respiratory health. Since desert dust exposure cannot be regulated, the hazardousness of its components must be understood to enable health risk mitigation strategies. Saharan dust (SD) comprises about half of the global desert dust and contains quartz, a toxic mineral dust that is known to cause severe lung diseases via oxidative stress and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome-interleukin-1β pathway. We aimed to assess the physicochemical and microbial characteristics of SD responsible for toxic effects. Also, we studied the oxidative and pro-inflammatory potential of SD in alveolar epithelial cells and the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophage-like cells in comparison to quartz dusts and synthetic amorphous silica (SAS). Characterization revealed that SD contained Fe, Al, trace metals, sulfate, diatomaceous earth, and endotoxin and had the capacity to generate hydroxyl radicals. We exposed A549 lung epithelial cells and wild-type and NLRP3-/- THP-1 macrophage-like cells to SD, three well-investigated quartz dusts, and SAS. SD induced oxidative stress in A549 cells after 24 h more potently than the quartz dusts. The quartz dusts and SAS upregulated interleukin 8 expression after 4 h and 24 h while SD only caused a transient upregulation. SD, the quartz dusts, and SAS induced interleukin-1β release from wild-type THP-1 cells>20-fold stronger than from NLRP3-/- THP-1 cells. Interleukin-1β release was lower for SD, in which microbial components including endotoxin were heat-destructed. In conclusion, microbial components in SD are pivotal for its toxicity. In the epithelium, the effects of SD contrasted with crystalline and amorphous silica in terms of potency and persistence. In macrophages, the strong involvement of the NLRP3 inflammasome emphasizes the acute and chronic health risks associated with desert dust exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit Bredeck
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mathias Busch
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Andrea Rossi
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Burkhard Stahlmecke
- Institute for Energy and Environmental Technology e.V. (IUTA), Duisburg, Germany
| | - Khanneh Wadinga Fomba
- Atmospheric Chemistry Department (ACD), Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hartmut Herrmann
- Atmospheric Chemistry Department (ACD), Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roel P F Schins
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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16
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Okello G, Nantanda R, Awokola B, Thondoo M, Okure D, Tatah L, Bainomugisha E, Oni T. Air quality management strategies in Africa: A scoping review of the content, context, co-benefits and unintended consequences. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 171:107709. [PMID: 36580733 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
One of the major consequences of Africa's rapid urbanisation is the worsening air pollution, especially in urban centres. However, existing societal challenges such as recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty, intensifying effects of climate change are making prioritisation of addressing air pollution harder. We undertook a scoping review of strategies developed and/or implemented in Africa to provide a repository to stakeholders as a reference that could be applied for various local contexts. The review includes strategies assessed for effectiveness in improving air quality and/or health outcomes, co-benefits of the strategies, potential collaborators, and pitfalls. An international multidisciplinary team convened to develop well-considered research themes and scope from a contextual lens relevant to the African continent. From the initial 18,684 search returns, additional 43 returns through reference chaining, contacting topic experts and policy makers, 65 studies and reports were included for final analysis. Three main strategy categories obtained from the review included technology (75%), policy (20%) and education/behavioural change (5%). Most strategies (83%) predominantly focused on household air pollution compared to outdoor air pollution (17%) yet the latter is increasing due to urbanisation. Mobility strategies were only 6% compared to household energy strategies (88%) yet motorised mobility has rapidly increased over recent decades. A cost effective way to tackle air pollution in African cities given the competing priorities could be by leveraging and adopting implemented strategies, collaborating with actors involved whilst considering local contextual factors. Lessons and best practices from early adopters/implementers can go a long way in identifying opportunities and mitigating potential barriers related to the air quality management strategies hence saving time on trying to "reinvent the wheel" and prevent pitfalls. We suggest collaboration of various stakeholders, such as policy makers, academia, businesses and communities in order to formulate strategies that are suitable and practical to various local contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Okello
- Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; AirQo, Department of Computer Science, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
| | | | - Babatunde Awokola
- Department of Clinical Services, Medical Research Council Gambia at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, Gambia
| | - Meelan Thondoo
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Deo Okure
- AirQo, Department of Computer Science, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Lambed Tatah
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tolu Oni
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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17
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Khraishah H, Alahmad B, Ostergard RL, AlAshqar A, Albaghdadi M, Vellanki N, Chowdhury MM, Al-Kindi SG, Zanobetti A, Gasparrini A, Rajagopalan S. Climate change and cardiovascular disease: implications for global health. Nat Rev Cardiol 2022; 19:798-812. [PMID: 35672485 DOI: 10.1038/s41569-022-00720-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is the greatest existential challenge to planetary and human health and is dictated by a shift in the Earth's weather and air conditions owing to anthropogenic activity. Climate change has resulted not only in extreme temperatures, but also in an increase in the frequency of droughts, wildfires, dust storms, coastal flooding, storm surges and hurricanes, as well as multiple compound and cascading events. The interactions between climate change and health outcomes are diverse and complex and include several exposure pathways that might promote the development of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease. A collaborative approach is needed to solve this climate crisis, whereby medical professionals, scientific researchers, public health officials and policymakers should work together to mitigate and limit the consequences of global warming. In this Review, we aim to provide an overview of the consequences of climate change on cardiovascular health, which result from direct exposure pathways, such as shifts in ambient temperature, air pollution, forest fires, desert (dust and sand) storms and extreme weather events. We also describe the populations that are most susceptible to the health effects caused by climate change and propose potential mitigation strategies, with an emphasis on collaboration at the scientific, governmental and policy levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitham Khraishah
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Barrak Alahmad
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.,Environmental & Occupational Health Department, Faculty of Public Health, Kuwait University, Hawalli, Kuwait
| | | | - Abdelrahman AlAshqar
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mazen Albaghdadi
- Division of Cardiology, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nirupama Vellanki
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mohammed M Chowdhury
- Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sadeer G Al-Kindi
- University Hospitals, Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Antonella Zanobetti
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Antonio Gasparrini
- Centre for Statistical Methodology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Department of Public Health Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Sanjay Rajagopalan
- University Hospitals, Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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18
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Monteiro A, Basart S, Kazadzis S, Votsis A, Gkikas A, Vandenbussche S, Tobias A, Gama C, García-Pando CP, Terradellas E, Notas G, Middleton N, Kushta J, Amiridis V, Lagouvardos K, Kosmopoulos P, Kotroni V, Kanakidou M, Mihalopoulos N, Kalivitis N, Dagsson-Waldhauserová P, El-Askary H, Sievers K, Giannaros T, Mona L, Hirtl M, Skomorowski P, Virtanen TH, Christoudias T, Di Mauro B, Trippetta S, Kutuzov S, Meinander O, Nickovic S. Multi-sectoral impact assessment of an extreme African dust episode in the Eastern Mediterranean in March 2018. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 843:156861. [PMID: 35750162 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In late March 2018, a large part of the Eastern Mediterranean experienced an extraordinary episode of African dust, one of the most intense in recent years, here referred to as the "Minoan Red" event. The episode mainly affected the Greek island of Crete, where the highest aerosol concentrations over the past 15 yeas were recorded, although impacts were also felt well beyond this core area. Our study fills a gap in dust research by assessing the multi-sectoral impacts of sand and dust storms and their socioeconomic implications. Specifically, we provide a multi-sectoral impact assessment of Crete during the occurrence of this exceptional African dust event. During the day of the occurrence of the maximum dust concentration in Crete, i.e. March 22nd, 2018, we identified impacts on meteorological conditions, agriculture, transport, energy, society (including closing of schools and cancellation of social events), and emergency response systems. As a result, the event led to a 3-fold increase in daily emergency responses compare to previous days associated with urban emergencies and wildfires, a 3.5-fold increase in hospital visits and admissions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations and dyspnoea, a reduction of visibility causing aircraft traffic disruptions (eleven cancellations and seven delays), and a reduction of solar energy production. We estimate the cost of direct and indirect effects of the dust episode, considering the most affected socio-economic sectors (e.g. civil protection, aviation, health and solar energy production), to be between 3.4 and 3.8 million EUR for Crete. Since such desert dust transport episodes are natural, meteorology-driven and thus to a large extent unavoidable, we argue that the efficiency of actions to mitigate dust impacts depends on the accuracy of operational dust forecasting and the implementation of relevant early warning systems for social awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Monteiro
- CESAM & Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Sara Basart
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stelios Kazadzis
- Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, World Radiation Center, Switzerland
| | - Athanasios Votsis
- Dept. of Governance and Technology for Sustainability, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands; Climate Change and Society, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Antonis Gkikas
- IAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Aurelio Tobias
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain; School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Carla Gama
- CESAM & Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Carlos Pérez García-Pando
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - George Notas
- School of Medicine and University Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Nick Middleton
- St Anne's College, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6HS, United Kingdom
| | - Jonilda Kushta
- Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C), The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
| | | | - Kostas Lagouvardos
- Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens (IERSD/NOA), Greece
| | - Panagiotis Kosmopoulos
- Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens (IERSD/NOA), Greece
| | - Vasiliki Kotroni
- Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens (IERSD/NOA), Greece
| | - Maria Kanakidou
- Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Chemistry Department, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Nikos Mihalopoulos
- Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens (IERSD/NOA), Greece; Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Chemistry Department, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Nikos Kalivitis
- IAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, Greece; Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Chemistry Department, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserová
- Agricultural University of Iceland, Keldnaholt, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 165 21, Czech Republic
| | - Hesham El-Askary
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA; Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21522, Egypt
| | - Klaus Sievers
- ZAMG - Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik, Wien, Austria
| | - T Giannaros
- Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens (IERSD/NOA), Greece
| | - Lucia Mona
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Metodologie per l'Analisi Ambientale (CNR-IMAA), Tito Scalo (PZ), Italy
| | - Marcus Hirtl
- ZAMG - Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik, Wien, Austria
| | - Paul Skomorowski
- ZAMG - Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik, Wien, Austria
| | - Timo H Virtanen
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Climate Research, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Theodoros Christoudias
- Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C), The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
| | - Biagio Di Mauro
- Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council of Italy, Milano, Italy
| | - Serena Trippetta
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Metodologie per l'Analisi Ambientale (CNR-IMAA), Tito Scalo (PZ), Italy
| | - Stanislav Kutuzov
- Dept. of Glaciology, Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia; Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technologies, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russia
| | - Outi Meinander
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Climate Research, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
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19
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Liu X, Turner JR, Hand JL, Schichtel BA, Martin RV. A Global-Scale Mineral Dust Equation. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. ATMOSPHERES : JGR 2022; 127:e2022JD036937. [PMID: 36591339 PMCID: PMC9787586 DOI: 10.1029/2022jd036937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
A robust method to estimate mineral dust mass in ambient particulate matter (PM) is essential, as the dust fraction cannot be directly measured but is needed to understand dust impacts on the environment and human health. In this study, a global-scale dust equation is developed that builds on the widely used Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network's "soil" formula that is based on five measured elements (Al, Si, Ca, Fe, and Ti). We incorporate K, Mg, and Na into the equation using the mineral-to-aluminum (MAL) mass ratio of (K2O + MgO + Na2O)/Al2O3 and apply a correction factor (CF) to account for other missing compounds. We obtain region-specific MAL ratios and CFs by investigating the variation in dust composition across desert regions. To calculate reference dust mass for equation evaluation, we use total-mineral-mass (summing all oxides of crustal elements) and residual-mass (subtracting non-dust species from total PM) approaches. For desert dust in source regions, the normalized mean bias (NMB) of the global equation (within ±1%) is significantly smaller than the NMB of the IMPROVE equation (-6% to 10%). For PM2.5 with high dust content measured by the IMPROVE network, the global equation estimates dust mass well (NMB within ±5%) at most sites. For desert dust transported to non-source regions, the global equation still performs well (NMB within ±2%). The global equation can also represent paved road, unpaved road, and agricultural soil dust (NMB within ±5%). This global equation provides a promising approach for calculating dust mass based on elemental analysis of dust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Liu
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical EngineeringWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - Jay R. Turner
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical EngineeringWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - Jenny L. Hand
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the AtmosphereColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | | | - Randall V. Martin
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical EngineeringWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMOUSA
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20
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Aznar F, Negral L, Moreno-Grau S, Elvira-Rendueles B, Costa-Gómez I, Moreno JM. Cannabis, an emerging aeroallergen in southeastern Spain (Region of Murcia). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 833:155156. [PMID: 35421463 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of the behaviour of the Cannabis taxon in the Region of Murcia, Spain, has been analysed (in the cities of Cartagena, 1993-2020; Murcia, 2010-2020; and Lorca, 2010-2020). An attempt has been made to establish the origin of Cannabis pollen in this region to determine whether it is transported locally or from long distances based on air mass origins. Cannabis is an herbaceous, normally dioecious and anemophilous plant, which produces large quantities of pollen grains. It has been widely used for fibre (hemp), bird food (hempseed), essential oils and narcotics. The origin of Cannabis pollen grains has been established by calculating back trajectories at the altitudes of: 750, 1500 and 2500 m above mean sea level (m amsl); 350, 500 and 650 m amsl; and 10, 100 and 250 m amsl, using the HYSPLIT model. Considering this data, 29 days of Cannabis pollen potentially originating in Africa were identified in Cartagena, 19 days in Murcia and 15 days in Lorca. Of the remaining days, the air mass back trajectories showed local or regional pollen origins. These were 83 days in Cartagena, 61 days in Murcia and 57 days in Lorca. The presence of Cannabis in the bioaerosol of the Region of Murcia is irregular, and it is considered a minority pollen type. However, from 2017 to 2020, concentrations increased, with a positive and significant trend of 90% in the Annual Pollen Integral. The pollen season can be defined between June and August. This increase in the concentration of Cannabis pollen grains during this period coincides with an increase in local transport, suggesting the possibility of increased Cannabis cultivation in the study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Aznar
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain.
| | - L Negral
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain.
| | - S Moreno-Grau
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain.
| | - B Elvira-Rendueles
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain.
| | - I Costa-Gómez
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain.
| | - J M Moreno
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain.
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21
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Chen CS, Chan YS, Liu TC. Tracheitis hospital admissions are associated with Asia dust storm. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2022; 32:1337-1343. [PMID: 33508951 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2021.1879740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The risks of tracheitis have been widely studied, but no investigation has yet to assess the impact of air pollutants on tracheitis hospital admissions. This research explores the relationship between Asia dust storm (ADS) and tracheitis hospital admissions, by using a Poisson time-series model on the 2000-2012 National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRB) from Taiwan and linking air pollutants and temperature data. From a total of 126,013 tracheitis hospital admissions, the average number of daily tracheitis hospital admissions is 26.53 and increases 10% notably one day after ADS. The empirical result shows that ADS does significantly affect tracheitis hospital admissions 3 and 5 days after an event for the overall sample and 2-4 days after it for females. For the age group <45, the number significantly increases 3-4 days after ADS, revealing that ADS has a prolonged effect on tracheitis hospital admissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin-Shyan Chen
- Department of Economics, National Taipei University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Shan Chan
- Department of Public Finance, National Taipei University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Tsai-Ching Liu
- Department of Public Finance, National Taipei University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
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22
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Barnaba F, Alvan Romero N, Bolignano A, Basart S, Renzi M, Stafoggia M. Multiannual assessment of the desert dust impact on air quality in Italy combining PM10 data with physics-based and geostatistical models. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 163:107204. [PMID: 35366556 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Desert dust storms pose real threats to air quality and health of millions of people in source regions, with associated impacts extending to downwind areas. Europe (EU) is frequently affected by atmospheric transport of desert dust from the Northern Africa and Middle East drylands. This investigation aims at quantifying the role of desert dust transport events on air quality (AQ) over Italy, which is among the EU countries most impacted by this phenomenon. We focus on the particulate matter (PM) metrics regulated by the EU AQ Directive. In particular, we use multiannual (2006-2012) PM10 records collected in hundreds monitoring sites within the national AQ network to quantify daily and annual contributions of dust during transport episodes. The methodology followed was built on specific European Commission guidelines released to evaluate the natural contributions to the measured PM-levels, and was partially modified, tested and adapted to the Italian case in a previous study. Overall, we show that impact of dust on the yearly average PM10 has a clear latitudinal gradient (from less than 1 to greater than 10 µg/m3 going from north to south Italy), this feature being mainly driven by an increased number of dust episodes per year with decreasing latitude. Conversely, the daily-average dust-PM10 (≅12 µg/m3) is more homogenous over the country and shown to be mainly influenced by the site type, with enhanced values in more urbanized locations. This study also combines the PM10 measurements-approach with geostatistical modelling. In particular, exploiting the dust-PM10 dataset obtained at site- and daily-resolution over Italy, a geostatistical, random-forest model was set up to derive a daily, spatially-continuous field of desert-dust PM10 at high (1-km) resolution. This finely resolved information represent the basis for a follow up investigation of both acute and chronic health effects of desert dust over Italy, stemming from daily and annual exposures, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Barnaba
- National Research Council, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), Rome, Italy.
| | - Nancy Alvan Romero
- National Research Council, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), Rome, Italy; University of Rome 'La Sapienza', Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications (DIET), Rome, Italy(1)
| | - Andrea Bolignano
- Environmental Protection Agency of the Lazio Region, ARPA-Lazio, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Basart
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Matteo Renzi
- Department of Epidemiology (DEP), Lazio Region Health Service / ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Stafoggia
- Department of Epidemiology (DEP), Lazio Region Health Service / ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
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23
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A Pre-Operational System Based on the Assimilation of MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth in the MOCAGE Chemical Transport Model. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14081949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
In this study we present a pre-operational forecasting assimilation system of different types of aerosols. This system has been developed within the chemistry-transport model of Météo-France, MOCAGE, and uses the assimilation of the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) onboard both Terra and Aqua. It is based on the AOD assimilation system within the MOCAGE model. It operates on a daily basis with a global configuration of 1∘×1∘ (longitude × latitude). The motivation of such a development is the capability to predict and anticipate extreme events and their impacts on the air quality and the aviation safety in the case of a huge volcanic eruption. The validation of the pre-operational system outputs has been done in terms of AOD compared against the global AERONET observations within two complete years (January 2018–December 2019). The comparison between both datasets shows that the correlation between the MODIS assimilated outputs and AERONET over the whole period of study is 0.77, whereas the biases and the RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) are 0.006 and 0.135, respectively. The ability of the pre-operational system to predict extreme events in near real time such as the desert dust transport and the propagation of the biomass burning was tested and evaluated. We particularly presented and documented the desert dust outbreak which occurred over Greece in late March 2018 as well as the wildfire event which happened on Australia between July 2019 and February 2020. We only presented these two events, but globally the assimilation chain has shown that it is capable of predicting desert dust events and biomass burning aerosols which happen all over the globe.
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24
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Lee M, Lim S, Kim YS, Khalmuratova R, Shin SH, Kim I, Kim HJ, Kim DY, Rhee CS, Park JW, Shin HW. DEP-induced ZEB2 promotes nasal polyp formation via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2022; 149:340-357. [PMID: 33957165 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) are associated with the prevalence and exacerbation of allergic respiratory diseases, including allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma. However, DEP-induced mechanistic pathways promoting upper airway disease and their clinical implications remain unclear. OBJECTIVE We sought to investigate the mechanisms by which DEP exposure contributes to nasal polyposis using human-derived epithelial cells and a murine nasal polyp (NP) model. METHODS Gene set enrichment and weighted gene coexpression network analyses were performed. Cytotoxicity, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, and nasal polyposis were assessed. Effects of DEP exposure on EMT were determined using epithelial cells from normal people or patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with or without NPs. BALB/c mice were exposed to DEP through either a nose-only exposure system or nasal instillation, with or without house dust mite, followed by zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox (ZEB)2 small hairpin RNA delivery. RESULTS Bioinformatics analyses revealed that DEP exposure triggered EMT features in airway epithelial cells. Similarly, DEP-exposed human nasal epithelial cells exhibited EMT characteristics, which were dependent on ZEB2 expression. Human nasal epithelial cells derived from patients with chronic rhinosinusitis presented more prominent EMT features after DEP treatment, when compared with those from control subjects and patients with NPs. Coexposure to DEP and house dust mite synergistically increased the number of NPs, epithelial disruptions, and ZEB2 expression. Most importantly, ZEB2 inhibition prevented DEP-induced EMT, thereby alleviating NP formation in mice. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that DEP facilitated NP formation, possibly via the promotion of ZEB2-induced EMT. ZEB2 may be a therapeutic target for DEP-induced epithelial damage and related airway diseases, including NPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyu Lee
- Obstructive Upper airway Research Laboratory, the Department of Pharmacology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Suha Lim
- Obstructive Upper airway Research Laboratory, the Department of Pharmacology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yi Sook Kim
- Obstructive Upper airway Research Laboratory, the Department of Pharmacology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Roza Khalmuratova
- Obstructive Upper airway Research Laboratory, the Department of Pharmacology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung-Hyun Shin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Iljin Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
| | - Hyun-Jik Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dong-Young Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chae-Seo Rhee
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jong-Wan Park
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Ischemic/Hypoxic Disease Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyun-Woo Shin
- Obstructive Upper airway Research Laboratory, the Department of Pharmacology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Ischemic/Hypoxic Disease Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
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25
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Luftverschmutzung und Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen. AKTUELLE KARDIOLOGIE 2021. [DOI: 10.1055/a-1546-7355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
ZusammenfassungDie chronische Belastung durch Luftschadstoffe, insbesondere Feinstaub, ist ein primärer Risikofaktor für die öffentliche Gesundheit. Während sich die Luftqualität in Deutschland in den letzten 3 Jahrzehnten erheblich verbessert hat und die Standards der Europäischen Union die meiste Zeit eingehalten werden, werden die strengeren Richtlinien der Weltgesundheitsorganisation immer noch überschritten. Feinstaub verursacht chronischen oxidativen Stress in den Atemwegen, in der Lunge und den Gefäßen, der bereits bei relativ geringen Konzentrationen Entzündungsreaktionen unter anderem in der Lunge hervorruft. Dies führt zu einer Übersterblichkeit durch Atemwegs- und Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen. In Deutschland sind etwa 42000 frühzeitige Todesfälle pro Jahr durch Luftverschmutzung auf ischämische Herzerkrankungen und etwa 6700 Todesfälle pro Jahr auf Schlaganfälle zurückzuführen. Daher könnte die Reduzierung der Luftverschmutzung dazu beitragen, Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen ebenso
wirksam zu verhindern wie das Begrenzen des Tabakrauchens.
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26
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Fussell JC, Kelly FJ. Mechanisms underlying the health effects of desert sand dust. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 157:106790. [PMID: 34333291 PMCID: PMC8484861 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Desertification and climate change indicate a future expansion of the global area of dry land and an increase in the risk of drought. Humans may therefore be at an ever-increasing risk of frequent exposure to, and resultant adverse health effects of desert sand dust. This review appraises a total of 52 experimental studies that have sought to identify mechanisms and intermediate endpoints underlying epidemiological evidence of an impact of desert dust on cardiovascular and respiratory health. Toxicological studies, in main using doses that reflect or at least approach real world exposures during a dust event, have demonstrated that virgin sand dust particles and dust storm particles sampled at remote locations away from the source induce inflammatory lung injury and aggravate allergen-induced nasal and pulmonary eosinophilia. Effects are orchestrated by cytokines, chemokines and antigen-specific immunoglobulin potentially via toll-like receptor/myeloid differentiation factor signaling pathways. Findings suggest that in addition to involvement of adhered chemical and biological pollutants, mineralogical components may also be implicated in the pathogenesis of human respiratory disorders during a dust event. Whilst comparisons with urban particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) suggest that allergic inflammatory responses are greater for microbial element-rich dust- PM2.5, aerosols generated during dust events appear to have a lower oxidative potential compared to combustion-generated PM2.5 sampled during non-dust periods. In vitro findings suggest that the significant amounts of suspended desert dust during storm periods may provide a platform to intermix with chemicals on its surfaces, thereby increasing the bioreactivity of PM2.5 during dust storm episodes, and that mineral dust surface reactions are an unrecognized source of toxic organic chemicals in the atmosphere, enhancing toxicity of aerosols in urban environments. In summary, the experimental research on desert dust on respiratory endpoints go some way in clarifying the mechanistic effects of atmospheric desert dust on the upper and lower human respiratory system. In doing so, they provide support for biological plausibility of epidemiological associations between this particulate air pollutant and events including exacerbation of asthma, hospitalization for respiratory infections and seasonal allergic rhinitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C Fussell
- National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health, School of Public Health, Sir Michael Uren Building, Imperial College London, White City Campus, 80-92 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, United Kingdom.
| | - Frank J Kelly
- National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health, School of Public Health, Sir Michael Uren Building, Imperial College London, White City Campus, 80-92 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, United Kingdom
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27
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Millán-Martínez M, Sánchez-Rodas D, Sánchez de la Campa AM, de la Rosa J. Contribution of anthropogenic and natural sources in PM10 during North African dust events in Southern Europe. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 290:118065. [PMID: 34523517 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The influence of North African (NAF) dust events on the air quality at the regional level (12 representative monitoring stations) in Southern Europe during a long time series (2007-2014) was studied. PM10 levels and chemical composition were separated by Atlantic (ATL) and NAF air masses. An increase in the average PM10 concentrations was observed on sampling days with NAF dust influence (42 μg m-3) when compared to ATL air masses (29 μg m-3). Major compounds such as crustal components and secondary inorganic compounds (SIC), as well as toxic trace elements derived from industrial emissions, also showed higher concentrations of NAF events. A source contribution analysis using positive matrix factorisation (PMF) 5.0 of the PM10 chemical data, discriminating ATL and NAF air mass origins, allowed the identification of five sources: crustal, sea salt, traffic, regional, and industrial. A higher contribution (74%) of the natural sources to PM10 concentrations was confirmed under NAF episodes compared with ATL. Furthermore, there was an increase in anthropogenic sources during these events (51%), indicating the important influence of the NAF air masses on these sources. The results of this study highlight that environmental managers should take appropriate actions to reduce local emissions during NAF events to ensure good air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Millán-Martínez
- Associate Unit CSIC-University of Huelva "Atmospheric Pollution", Center for Research in Sustainable Chemistry - CIQSO, University of Huelva, E21071, Huelva, Spain; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Campus El Carmen s/n, 21071, Huelva, Spain.
| | - Daniel Sánchez-Rodas
- Associate Unit CSIC-University of Huelva "Atmospheric Pollution", Center for Research in Sustainable Chemistry - CIQSO, University of Huelva, E21071, Huelva, Spain; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Campus El Carmen s/n, 21071, Huelva, Spain
| | - Ana M Sánchez de la Campa
- Associate Unit CSIC-University of Huelva "Atmospheric Pollution", Center for Research in Sustainable Chemistry - CIQSO, University of Huelva, E21071, Huelva, Spain; Department of Mining, Mechanic, Energetic and Construction Engineering, ETSI, University of Huelva, 21071, Huelva, Spain
| | - Jesús de la Rosa
- Associate Unit CSIC-University of Huelva "Atmospheric Pollution", Center for Research in Sustainable Chemistry - CIQSO, University of Huelva, E21071, Huelva, Spain; Department of Earth Science, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Campus El Carmen s/n, 21071, Huelva, Spain
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Aghababaeian H, Ostadtaghizadeh A, Ardalan A, Asgary A, Akbary M, Yekaninejad MS, Sharafkhani R, Stephens C. Effect of Dust Storms on Non-Accidental, Cardiovascular, and Respiratory Mortality: A Case of Dezful City in Iran. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2021; 15:11786302211060152. [PMID: 34819734 PMCID: PMC8606970 DOI: 10.1177/11786302211060152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the fact that Iran has been exposed to severe dust storms during the past 2 decades, few studies have investigated the health effects of these events in Iran. This study was conducted to assess the association between dust storms and daily non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality in Dezful City (Khuzestan Province, Iran) during 2014 to 2019. METHODS In this study, mortality, meteorological, and climatological data were obtained from the Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Iranian Meteorological Organization, and Department of Environment in Khuzestan Province, respectively. Days of dust storm were identified based on the daily concentration threshold of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 μm (PM10) according to Hoffmanns҆ definition, and then an ecological time-series was used to estimate the short-term effects of dust storms on daily mortality. Statistical analysis was performed using a distributed lag linear model (DLM) and a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) packages by R software and the study results were reported as excess mortality. RESULTS During the study period, 15 223 deaths were recorded, and 139 dust storms occurred in Dezful city. In addition, there was statistically significant excess risk of mortality due to dust storms in Dezful City (mortality in the group under 15 years of age, lag4: 34.17% and 15-64 years of age groups, lag5: 32.19%, lag6: 3.28%), also dust storms had statistically significant effects on respiratory mortality (lag6: 5.49%). CONCLUSION The findings of the current study indicate that dust storms increase the risk of mortality with some lags. An evidence-based early warning system may be able to aware the people of the health effects of dust storms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamidreza Aghababaeian
- Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Nursing and Emergency, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran
| | - Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh
- Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Ardalan
- Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Asgary
- Disaster and Emergency Management, School of Administrative Studies, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mehry Akbary
- Department of Climatology, Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mir Saeed Yekaninejad
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rahim Sharafkhani
- School of Public Health, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, Iran
| | - Carolyn Stephens
- UCL Institute of Health Equity, London, UK
- UK Faculty of Public Health Medicine, London, UK
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Evaluation of Nine Operational Models in Forecasting Different Types of Synoptic Dust Events in the Middle East. GEOSCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences11110458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates four types of synoptic dust events in the Middle East region, including cyclonic, pre-frontal, post-frontal and Shamal dust storms. For each of these types, three intense and pervasive dust events are analyzed from a synoptic meteorological and numerical simulation perspective. The performance of 9 operational dust models in forecasting these dust events in the Middle East is qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated against Terra-MODIS observations and AERONET measurements during the dust events. The comparison of model AOD outputs with Terra-MODIS retrievals reveals that despite the significant discrepancies, all models have a relatively acceptable performance in forecasting the AOD patterns in the Middle East. The models enable to represent the high AODs along the dust plumes, although they underestimate them, especially for cyclonic dust storms. In general, the outputs of the NASA-GEOS and DREAM8-MACC models present greater similarity with the satellite and AERONET observations in most of the cases, also exhibiting the highest correlation coefficient, although it is difficult to introduce a single model as the best for all cases. Model AOD predictions over the AERONET stations showed that DREAM8-MACC exhibited the highest R2 of 0.78, followed by NASA_GEOS model (R2 = 0.74), which both initially use MODIS data assimilation. Although the outputs of all models correspond to valid time more than 24 h after the initial time, the effect of data assimilation on increasing the accuracy is important. The different dust emission schemes, soil and vegetation mapping, initial and boundary meteorological conditions and spatial resolution between the models, are the main factors influencing the differences in forecasting the dust AODs in the Middle East.
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Dust Criteria Derived from Long-Term Filter and Online Observations at Gosan in South Korea. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12111419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Dust and pollution are frequently mixed together in East Asia, causing large uncertainties in assessing climate change and environmental influence and in relevant policymaking. To discern the dust effect on particle mass, we carried out long-term measurements of the mass and key chemical compositions of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 from August 2007 to February 2012 and collected hourly data of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations from January 2012 to October 2020 at Gosan, South Korea. The principal component analysis of measured species reveals two dominant factors, pollution and dust, accounting for 46% and 16% of the total variance, respectively. The mode distribution of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 mass in addition to the dust events helps to provide a robust criterion of the dust impact. Dust can be identified by the mean + standard deviation (σ) of PM10, while the threshold is down to the mean concentration when dust particles experience precipitation. High PM2.5 concentration also presents dust impact; however, the criterion decreases from mean + σ in 2007–2012 to mean in 2012–2020. It indicates that dust is no longer a high-concentration event of PM2.5, but its influence gradually appears in low-concentration particles. Therefore, the dust criterion obtained from long-term PM10 concentration data is robust; however, the standard is based on PM2.5 changes over time and still needs to be determined by follow-up long-term observations.
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Associations between Dust Exposure and Hospitalizations in El Paso, Texas, USA. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12111413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Southwestern USA has been identified as one of the most persistent dust-producing regions of North America, where exposure to inhalable particulate matter (PM10) originating from desertic landscape during dust events/dust exposures (DEs) can reach hazardous levels. El Paso, Texas’s ambient air has reached hazardous levels of PM10 from dust with near zero visibility due to these natural events originating in the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert. The aim of this study was to investigate whether dust exposures in El Paso (generally acute, short-term exposures from nearby source areas) are associated with significant increases in hospitalizations on the day of the exposure and up to seven days afterwards. Using a Poisson regression, it was found that the relative risks of hospitalizations due to a variety of conditions were associated with dust exposures (through increases of 100 μg/m3 maximum hourly PM10 and/or increases of 4.5 m/s maximum hourly wind speed) in El Paso County, Texas between 2010 and 2014. Valley fever, coronary atherosclerosis, genitourinary diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, injury and poisoning, circulatory system conditions, respiratory system diseases, births, septicemia, Associated Diseases (the aggregation of hospital admissions for all causes, each associated with at least 5% of hospitalizations), and all ICD-9 admissions were significantly positively associated with dust exposures, indicated from higher to lower significant risk, at different lag periods after exposure. These findings, showing that an association does exist between dust exposures and hospitalizations, have important implications for residents of the world’s dryland cities.
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Pacheco SE, Guidos G, Annesi-Maesano I, Pawankar R, Amato GD, Latour-Staffeld P, Urrutia-Pereira M, Kesic MJ, Hernandez ML. Climate Change and Global Issues in Allergy and Immunology. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2021; 148:1366-1377. [PMID: 34688774 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The steady increase in global temperatures, resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels and the accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHG), continues to destabilize all ecosystems worldwide. Although annual emissions must halve by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050 to limit some of the most catastrophic impacts associated with a warming planet, the world's efforts to curb GHG emissions fall short of the commitments made in the 2015 Paris Agreement (1). To this effect, July 2021 was recently declared the hottest month ever recorded in 142 years (2). The ramifications of these changes on global temperatures are complex and further promote outdoor air pollution, pollen exposure, and extreme weather events. Besides worsening respiratory health, air pollution, promotes atopy and susceptibility to infections. The GHG effects on pollen affect the frequency and severity of asthma and allergic rhinitis. Changes in temperature, air pollution, and extreme weather events exert adverse multisystemic health effects and disproportionally affect disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. This article is an update for allergists and immunologists about the health impacts of climate change, already evident in our daily practices. It is also a call to action and advocacy, including integrating climate change-related mitigation, education, and adaptation measures to protect our patients and avert further injury to our planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E Pacheco
- Professor of Pediatrics, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, MSB3.228, Houston, Texas 77030.
| | - Guillermo Guidos
- Professor of Immunology, School of Medicine, ENMH, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico City
| | - Isabella Annesi-Maesano
- Deputy Director of Institute Desbrest of Epiddemioloy and Public Health, INSERM and Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Ruby Pawankar
- Professor, Division of Allergy, Dept. of Pediatrics, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Gennaro D' Amato
- Fellow and Honorary member of EAACI, FAAAAI, FERS. , Chairman Committee World Allergy Organization on "Aerobiology, Climate change, Biodiversity and Allergy"; Division of Respiratory Diseases and Allergy, High Specialty Hospital A. Cardarelli, Naples
| | - Patricia Latour-Staffeld
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Distinguished Graduate Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña, Medical director of Centro Avanzado De Alergia y Asma Santo Domingo, President Latin American Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Associate Professor School of Medicine Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña, Dominican Republic
| | | | - Matthew J Kesic
- Campbell University, Physician Assistant Program, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 4150 US HWY 421 South, Lillington, NC 27546
| | - Michelle L Hernandez
- Professor of Pediatrics Division of Allergy & Immunology Director, Clinical Research Unit, Children's Research Institute, UNC School of Medicine, 5008C Mary Ellen Jones Building, 116 Manning Drive, CB #7231 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7231
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González-Martín C, Pérez-González CJ, González-Toril E, Expósito FJ, Aguilera Á, Díaz JP. Airborne Bacterial Community Composition According to Their Origin in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:732961. [PMID: 34737729 PMCID: PMC8563076 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.732961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are ubiquitous in the environment, and the atmosphere is no exception. However, airborne bacterial communities are some of the least studied. Increasing our knowledge about these communities and how environmental factors shape them is key to understanding disease outbreaks and transmission routes. We describe airborne bacterial communities at two different sites in Tenerife, La Laguna (urban, 600 m.a.s.l.) and Izaña (high mountain, 2,400 m.a.s.l.), and how they change throughout the year. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to target 16S rRNA genes in 293 samples. Results indicated a predominance of Proteobacteria at both sites (>65%), followed by Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Gammaproteobacteria were the most frequent within the Proteobacteria phylum during spring and winter, while Alphaproteobacteria dominated in the fall and summer. Within the 519 genera identified, Cellvibrio was the most frequent during spring (35.75%) and winter (30.73%); Limnobacter (24.49%) and Blastomonas (19.88%) dominated in the summer; and Sediminibacterium represented 10.26 and 12.41% of fall and winter samples, respectively. Sphingomonas was also identified in 17.15% of the fall samples. These five genera were more abundant at the high mountain site, while other common airborne bacteria were more frequent at the urban site (Kocuria, Delftia, Mesorhizobium, and Methylobacterium). Diversity values showed different patterns for both sites, with higher values during the cooler seasons in Izaña, whereas the opposite was observed in La Laguna. Regarding wind back trajectories, Tropical air masses were significantly different from African ones at both sites, showing the highest diversity and characterized by genera regularly associated with humans (Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, and Cloacibacterium), as well as others related to extreme conditions (Alicyclobacillus) or typically associated with animals (Lachnospiraceae). Marine and African air masses were consistent and very similar in their microbial composition. By contrast, European trajectories were dominated by Cellvibrio, Pseudomonas, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Sediminibacterium. These data contribute to our current state of knowledge in the field of atmospheric microbiology. However, future studies are needed to increase our understanding of the influence of different environmental factors on atmospheric microbial dispersion and the potential impact of airborne microorganisms on ecosystems and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina González-Martín
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Carlos J. Pérez-González
- Departamento de Matemáticas, Estadística e Investigación Operativa, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Elena González-Toril
- Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | | | - Ángeles Aguilera
- Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | - Juan P. Díaz
- Departamento de Física, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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Deary ME, Griffiths SD. A novel approach to the development of 1-hour threshold concentrations for exposure to particulate matter during episodic air pollution events. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 418:126334. [PMID: 34329015 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Episodic air pollution events that occur because of wildfires, dust storms and industrial incidents can expose populations to particulate matter (PM) concentrations in the thousands of µg m-3. Such events have increased in frequency and duration over recent years, with this trend predicted to continue in the short to medium term because of climate warming. The human health cost of episodic PM events can be significant, and inflammatory responses are measurable even after only a few hours of exposure. Consequently, advice for the protection of public health should be available as quickly as possible, yet the shortest averaging period for which PM exposure guideline values (GVs) are available is 24-h. To address this problem, we have developed a novel approach, based on Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) statistical analysis, that derives 1-h threshold concentrations that have a probabilistic relationship with 24-h GVs. The ROC analysis was carried out on PM10 and PM2.5 monitoring data from across the US for the period 2014-2019. Validation of the model against US Air Quality Index (AQI) 24-h breakpoint concentrations for PM showed that the maximum-observed 1-h PM concentration in any rolling 24-h averaging period is an excellent predictor of exceedances of 24-h GVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Deary
- Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Northumbria, Ellison Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK.
| | - Simon D Griffiths
- Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Northumbria, Ellison Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
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Aghababaeian H, Ostadtaghizadeh A, Ardalan A, Asgary A, Akbary M, Yekaninejad MS, Stephens C. Global Health Impacts of Dust Storms: A Systematic Review. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2021; 15:11786302211018390. [PMID: 34103932 PMCID: PMC8150667 DOI: 10.1177/11786302211018390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dust storms and their impacts on health are becoming a major public health issue. The current study examines the health impacts of dust storms around the world to provide an overview of this issue. METHOD In this systematic review, 140 relevant and authoritative English articles on the impacts of dust storms on health (up to September 2019) were identified and extracted from 28 968 articles using valid keywords from various databases (PubMed, WOS, EMBASE, and Scopus) and multiple screening steps. Selected papers were then qualitatively examined and evaluated. Evaluation results were summarized using an Extraction Table. RESULTS The results of the study are divided into two parts: short and long-term impacts of dust storms. Short-term impacts include mortality, visitation, emergency medical dispatch, hospitalization, increased symptoms, and decreased pulmonary function. Long-term impacts include pregnancy, cognitive difficulties, and birth problems. Additionally, this study shows that dust storms have devastating impacts on health, affecting cardiovascular and respiratory health in particular. CONCLUSION The findings of this study show that dust storms have significant public health impacts. More attention should be paid to these natural hazards to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate these hazardous events to reduce their negative health impacts.Registration: PROSPERO registration number CRD42018093325.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamidreza Aghababaeian
- Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Nursing and Emergency, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran
| | - Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh
- Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Ardalan
- Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Asgary
- Disaster and Emergency Management, School of Administrative Studies, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mehry Akbary
- Department of Climatology, Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mir Saeed Yekaninejad
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Carolyn Stephens
- UCL Bartlett Development Planning Unit, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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The Indirect Impact of Surface Vegetation Improvement on the Climate Response of Sand-Dust Events in Northern China. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12030339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Extensive ecosystem restoration is increasingly seen as an essential practice to mitigate climate change and protect the ecological environment. However, the indirect impact of surface vegetation improvement on the regional climate, such as the climate effect of sand-dust events reduction, has never been evaluated. Here, we estimated the feedback of temperature and precipitation on the change of sand-dust events, arising from the vegetation growth with ecological restoration, using a simple theoretical framework with a series of scenario simulations based on a regional climate model (RegCM). The results showed that revegetation reduced dust emissions, with a contribution rate of approximately 40.15%. With the combined influence of ecological restoration and climate change, the cooling effect of sand-dust events strengthened with the increase in the intensity of sand-dust events, which is mainly caused by the strong absorption of shortwave radiation by the atmosphere. The response of precipitation was uncertain because of tropospheric circulation feedback and shortwave radiation absorption. Our results also indicate that changes in sand-dust events caused by vegetation restoration play important roles in shaping the future climate near the arid and semi-arid regions of northern China. The climatic effects of sand-dust events should be included in assessing ecological restoration impacts to promote sustainable development and enhance our understanding of climate change.
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Radiative Effect and Mixing Processes of a Long-Lasting Dust Event over Athens, Greece, during the COVID-19 Period. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12030318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
We report on a long-lasting (10 days) Saharan dust event affecting large sections of South-Eastern Europe by using a synergy of lidar, satellite, in-situ observations and model simulations over Athens, Greece. The dust measurements (11–20 May 2020), performed during the confinement period due to the COVID-19 pandemic, revealed interesting features of the aerosol dust properties in the absence of important air pollution sources over the European continent. During the event, moderate aerosol optical depth (AOD) values (0.3–0.4) were observed inside the dust layer by the ground-based lidar measurements (at 532 nm). Vertical profiles of the lidar ratio and the particle linear depolarization ratio (at 355 nm) showed mean layer values of the order of 47 ± 9 sr and 28 ± 5%, respectively, revealing the coarse non-spherical mode of the probed plume. The values reported here are very close to pure dust measurements performed during dedicated campaigns in the African continent. By utilizing Libradtran simulations for two scenarios (one for typical midlatitude atmospheric conditions and one having reduced atmospheric pollutants due to COVID-19 restrictions, both affected by a free tropospheric dust layer), we revealed negligible differences in terms of radiative effect, of the order of +2.6% (SWBOA, cooling behavior) and +1.9% (LWBOA, heating behavior). Moreover, the net heating rate (HR) at the bottom of the atmosphere (BOA) was equal to +0.156 K/d and equal to +2.543 K/d within 1–6 km due to the presence of the dust layer at that height. On the contrary, the reduction in atmospheric pollutants could lead to a negative HR (−0.036 K/d) at the bottom of the atmosphere (BOA) if dust aerosols were absent, while typical atmospheric conditions are estimated to have an almost zero net HR value (+0.006 K/d). The NMMB-BSC forecast model provided the dust mass concentration over Athens, while the air mass advection from the African to the European continent was simulated by the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model.
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Domínguez-Rodríguez A, Báez-Ferrer N, Abreu-González P, Rodríguez S, Díaz R, Avanzas P, Hernández-Vaquero D. Impact of Desert Dust Events on the Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10040727. [PMID: 33673156 PMCID: PMC7918944 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10040727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Whether or not inhalation of airborne desert dust has adverse health effects is unknown. The present study, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis, was carried out to assess the influence desert dust on cardiovascular mortality, acute coronary syndrome, and heart failure. Methods: A systematic search was made in PubMed and Embase databases for studies published before March 2020. Studies based on daily measurements of desert dust were identified. The meta-analysis evaluated the impact of desert dust on cardiovascular events the same day (lag 0) of the exposure and during several days after the exposure (lags 1 to 5). The combined impact of several days of exposure was also evaluated. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated using the inverse variance random effects method. Results: Of the 589 identified titles, a total of 15 studies were selected. The impact of desert dust on the incidence of cardiovascular mortality was statistically significant (IRR = 1.018 (95%CI 1.008–1.027); p < 0.001) in lag 0 of the dust episode, in the following day (lag 1) (IRR = 1.005 (95%CI 1.001–1.009); p = 0.022), and during both days combined (lag 0–1) (IRR = 1.015 (95%CI 1.003–1.028); p = 0.014). Conclusions: The inhalation to desert dust results in a 2% increase (for every 10 µg/m3) in cardiovascular mortality risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Domínguez-Rodríguez
- Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, 38010 Tenerife, Spain;
- Departamento de Enfermería, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 Tenerife, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades CardioVasculares (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-922-679040; Fax: +34-922-678460
| | - Néstor Báez-Ferrer
- Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, 38010 Tenerife, Spain;
| | - Pedro Abreu-González
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 Tenerife, Spain;
| | - Sergio Rodríguez
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, EEZA, CSIC, 04120 Almería, Spain;
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, IPNA, CSIC, 38206 Tenerife, Spain
| | - Rocío Díaz
- Área del Corazón, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (R.D.); (P.A.); (D.H.-V.)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Pablo Avanzas
- Área del Corazón, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (R.D.); (P.A.); (D.H.-V.)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, 33003 Asturias, Spain
| | - Daniel Hernández-Vaquero
- Área del Corazón, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (R.D.); (P.A.); (D.H.-V.)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
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Estimation of Soiling Losses from an Experimental Photovoltaic Plant Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11041516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Fossil fuels and their use to generate energy have multiple disadvantages, with renewable energies being presented as an alternative to this situation. Among them is photovoltaic solar energy, which requires solar installations that are capable of producing energy in an optimal way. These installations will have specific characteristics according to their location and meteorological variables of the place, one of these factors being soiling. Soiling generates energy losses, diminishing the plant’s performance, making it difficult to estimate the losses due to deposited soiling and to measure the amount of soiling if it is not done using very economically expensive devices, such as high-performance particle counters. In this work, these losses have been estimated with artificial intelligence techniques, using meteorological variables, commonly measured in a plant of these characteristics. The study consists of two tests, depending on whether or not the short circuit current (Isc) has been included, obtaining a maximum normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) lower than 7%, a correlation coefficient (R) higher than 0.9, as well as a practically zero normalized mean bias error (nMBE).
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Dust Transport from Inland Australia and Its Impact on Air Quality and Health on the Eastern Coast of Australia during the February 2019 Dust Storm. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12020141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Dust storms originating from Central Australia and western New South Wales frequently cause high particle concentrations at many sites across New South Wales, both inland and along the coast. This study focussed on a dust storm event in February 2019 which affected air quality across the state as detected at many ambient monitoring stations in the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) air quality monitoring network. The WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecast Model—Chemistry) model is used to study the formation, dispersion and transport of dust across the state of New South Wales (NSW, Australia). Wildfires also happened in northern NSW at the same time of the dust storm in February 2019, and their emissions are taken into account in the WRF-Chem model by using Fire Inventory from NCAR (FINN) as emission input. The model performance is evaluated and is shown to predict fairly accurate the PM2.5 and PM10 concentration as compared to observation. The predicted PM2.5 concentration over New South Wales during 5 days from 11 to 15 February 2019 is then used to estimate the impact of the February 2019 dust storm event on three health endpoints, namely mortality, respiratory and cardiac disease hospitalisation rates. The results show that even though as the daily average of PM2.5 over some parts of the state, especially in western and north western NSW near the centre of the dust storm and wild fires, are very high (over 900 µg/m3), the population exposure is low due to the sparse population. Generally, the health impact is similar in order of magnitude to that caused by biomass burning events from wildfires or from hazardous reduction burnings (HRBs) near populous centres such as in Sydney in May 2016. One notable difference is the higher respiratory disease hospitalisation for this dust event (161) compared to the fire event (24).
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Salvador C, Nieto R, Linares C, Díaz J, Alves CA, Gimeno L. Drought effects on specific-cause mortality in Lisbon from 1983 to 2016: Risks assessment by gender and age groups. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 751:142332. [PMID: 33182008 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Portugal (Southwestern Europe) experiences a high incidence of dry hazards such as drought, a phenomenon that entails a notable burden of morbidity and mortality worldwide. For the first time in the Lisbon district, a time-series study was conducted to evaluate the impact of drought measured by the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) on the daily natural, circulatory, and respiratory mortality from 1983 to 2016. An assessment by gender and adult age population groups (45-64, 65-74, ≥75 years old) was included. To estimate the relative risks and attributable risks, generalised linear models with a Poisson link were used. Additionally, the influence of heatwaves and atmospheric pollution for the period from 2007 to 2016 (available period for pollution data) was considered. The main findings indicate statistically significant associations between drought conditions and all analysed causes of mortality. Moreover, SPEI shows an improved capability to reflect the different risks. People in the 45-64 year-old group did not indicate any significant influence in any of the cases, whereas the oldest groups had the highest risk. The drought effects on mortality among the population varied across the different study periods, and in general, the men population was affected more than the women population (except for the SPEI and circulatory mortality during the long study period). The short-term influence of droughts on mortality could be explained primarily by the effect of heatwaves and pollution; however, when both gender and age were considered in the Poisson models, the effect of drought also remained statistically significant when all climatic phenomena were included for specific groups of the total population and men. This type of study facilitates a better understanding of the population at risk and allows the development of more effective measures to mitigate the drought effects on the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Salvador
- EPhysLab (Environmental Physics Laboratory), CIM-UVIGO, Universidade de Vigo, Ourense, Spain.
| | - R Nieto
- EPhysLab (Environmental Physics Laboratory), CIM-UVIGO, Universidade de Vigo, Ourense, Spain
| | - C Linares
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, National School of Public Health, Carlos III National Institute of Health (Instituto de Salud Carlos III/ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - J Díaz
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, National School of Public Health, Carlos III National Institute of Health (Instituto de Salud Carlos III/ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - C A Alves
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - L Gimeno
- EPhysLab (Environmental Physics Laboratory), CIM-UVIGO, Universidade de Vigo, Ourense, Spain
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Abstract
Desert dust is associated with morbidity and mortality, and distant spread means lessons for mitigating the harms can be found by looking beyond cities in arid regions, writes Nick Middleton
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Rahmati O, Mohammadi F, Ghiasi SS, Tiefenbacher J, Moghaddam DD, Coulon F, Nalivan OA, Tien Bui D. Identifying sources of dust aerosol using a new framework based on remote sensing and modelling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 737:139508. [PMID: 32531509 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Dust particles are transported globally. Dust storms can adversely impact both human health and the environment, but they also impact transportation infrastructure, agriculture, and industry, occasionally severely. The identification of the locations that are the primary sources of dust, especially in arid and semi-arid environments, remains a challenge as these sites are often in remote or data-scarce regions. In this study, a new method using state-of-the-art machine-learning algorithms - random forest (RF), support vector machines (SVM), and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) - was evaluated for its ability to spatially model the distribution of dust-source potential in eastern Iran. To accomplish this, empirically identified dust-source locations were determined with the ozone monitoring instrument aerosol index and the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Deep Blue aerosol optical thickness methods. The identified areas were divided into training (70%) and validation (30%) sets. Measurements of the conditioning factors (lithology, wind speed, maximum air temperature, land use, slope angle, soil, rainfall, and land cover) were compiled for the study area and predictive models were developed. The area-under-the-receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) and true-skill statistics (TSS) were used to validate the maps of the models' predictions. The results show that the RF algorithm performed best (AUC = 89.4% and TSS = 0.751), followed by the SVM (AUC = 87.5%, TSS = 0.73) and the MARS algorithm (AUC = 81%, TSS = 0.69). The results of the RF indicated that wind speed and land cover are the most important factors affecting dust generation. The region of highest dust-source potential that was identified by the RF is in the eastern parts of the study region. This model can be applied to other arid and semi-arid environments that experience dust storms to promote management that prevents desertification and reduces dust production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid Rahmati
- Geographic Information Science Research Group, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam; Faculty of Environment and Labour Safety, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
| | - Farnoush Mohammadi
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Seid Saeid Ghiasi
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - John Tiefenbacher
- Department of Geography, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
| | - Davoud Davoudi Moghaddam
- Department of Watershed Management, Agriculture and Natural Resources Faculty, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Frederic Coulon
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK
| | - Omid Asadi Nalivan
- Department of Watershed Management, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Dieu Tien Bui
- Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Viet Nam.
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Rublee CS, Sorensen CJ, Lemery J, Wade TJ, Sams EA, Hilborn ED, Crooks JL. Associations Between Dust Storms and Intensive Care Unit Admissions in the United States, 2000-2015. GEOHEALTH 2020; 4:e2020GH000260. [PMID: 32783014 PMCID: PMC7411550 DOI: 10.1029/2020gh000260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change is influencing the incidence of dust storms and associated human exposure to coarse particulate matter (PM2.5-10) in the United States. Studies have found adverse health consequences related to dust exposure. These consequences include respiratory disease exacerbations and premature mortality, resulting in increased health care utilization. However, the impact of dust storms on critical care demand has not been studied in the United States. We seek to quantify the relationship between dust storms and surges in critical care demand by investigating the association between dust storms and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions at nearby hospitals from 2000 to 2015. ICU data were acquired from Premier, Inc. and encompass 15-20% of all ICU admissions in the United States. Dust storm, meteorology, and air pollutant data were downloaded from the U.S. National Weather Service, the U.S. National Climatic Data Center, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency websites, respectively. Associations between ICU admission and dust storms, controlling for temperature, dew point temperature, ambient PM2.5 and ozone, as well as seasonally varying confounders, were estimated using a distributed lag conditional Poisson model with overdispersion. We found a 4.8% (95% CI: 0.4, 9.4; p = 0.033) increase in total ICU admissions on the day of the dust storm (Lag 0) and a 9.2% (95% CI: 1.8, 17.0; p = 0.013) and 7.5% (95% CI: 0.3, 15.2; p = 0.040) increase in respiratory admissions at Lags 0 and 5. North American dust storms are associated with increases in same day and lagged demand for critical care services at nearby hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. S. Rublee
- Department of Emergency MedicineUniversity of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraCOUSA
| | - C. J. Sorensen
- Department of Emergency MedicineUniversity of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraCOUSA
| | - J. Lemery
- Department of Emergency MedicineUniversity of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraCOUSA
| | - T. J. Wade
- United States Environmental Protection AgencyChapel HillNCUSA
| | - E. A. Sams
- United States Environmental Protection AgencyChapel HillNCUSA
| | - E. D. Hilborn
- United States Environmental Protection AgencyChapel HillNCUSA
| | - J. L. Crooks
- Division of Biostatistics and BioinformaticsNational Jewish HealthDenverCOUSA
- Department of EpidemiologyColorado School of Public HealthAuroraCOUSA
- Now at National Jewish Health Main CampusDenverCOUSA
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Kelly FJ, Fussell JC. Global nature of airborne particle toxicity and health effects: a focus on megacities, wildfires, dust storms and residential biomass burning. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2020; 9:331-345. [PMID: 32905302 PMCID: PMC7467248 DOI: 10.1093/toxres/tfaa044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Since air pollutants are difficult and expensive to control, a strong scientific underpinning to policies is needed to guide mitigation aimed at reducing the current burden on public health. Much of the evidence concerning hazard identification and risk quantification related to air pollution comes from epidemiological studies. This must be reinforced with mechanistic confirmation to infer causality. In this review we focus on data generated from four contrasting sources of particulate air pollution that result in high population exposures and thus where there remains an unmet need to protect health: urban air pollution in developing megacities, household biomass combustion, wildfires and desert dust storms. Taking each in turn, appropriate measures to protect populations will involve advocating smart cities and addressing economic and behavioural barriers to sustained adoption of clean stoves and fuels. Like all natural hazards, wildfires and dust storms are a feature of the landscape that cannot be removed. However, many efforts from emission containment (land/fire management practices), exposure avoidance and identifying susceptible populations can be taken to prepare for air pollution episodes and ensure people are out of harm's way when conditions are life-threatening. Communities residing in areas affected by unhealthy concentrations of any airborne particles will benefit from optimum communication via public awareness campaigns, designed to empower people to modify behaviour in a way that improves their health as well as the quality of the air they breathe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank J Kelly
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health, School of Public Health, Sir Michael Uren Building, Imperial College London, White City Campus, 80-92 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Julia C Fussell
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health, School of Public Health, Sir Michael Uren Building, Imperial College London, White City Campus, 80-92 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UK
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Abstract
Recently, the Korea Meteorological Administration developed Asian Dust Aerosol Model version 3 (ADAM3) by incorporating additional parameters into ADAM2, including anthropogenic particulate matter (PM) emissions, modification of dust generation by considering real-time surface vegetation, and assimilations of surface PM observations and satellite-measured aerosol optical depth. This study evaluates the performance of ADAM3 in identifying Asian dust days over the dust source regions in Northern China and their variations according to regions and soil types by comparing its performance with ADAM2 (from January to June of 2017). In all regions the performance of ADAM3 was markedly improved, especially for Northwestern China, where the threat score (TS) and the probability of detection (POD) improved from 5.4% and 5.5% to 30.4% and 34.4%, respectively. ADAM3 outperforms ADAM2 for all soil types, especially for the sand-type soil for which TS and POD are improved from 39.2.0% and 50.7% to 48.9% and 68.2%, respectively. Despite these improvements in regions and surface soil types, Asian dust emission formulas in ADAM3 need improvement for the loess-type soils to modulate the overestimation of Asian dust events related to anthropogenic emissions in the Huabei Plain and Manchuria.
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Hashizume M, Kim Y, Ng CFS, Chung Y, Madaniyazi L, Bell ML, Guo YL, Kan H, Honda Y, Yi SM, Kim H, Nishiwaki Y. Health Effects of Asian Dust: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2020; 128:66001. [PMID: 32589456 PMCID: PMC7319773 DOI: 10.1289/ehp5312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Potential adverse health effects of Asian dust exposure have been reported, but systematic reviews and quantitative syntheses are lacking. OBJECTIVE We reviewed epidemiologic studies that assessed the risk of mortality, hospital admissions, and symptoms/dysfunction associated with exposure to Asian dust. METHODS We performed a systematic search of PubMed and Web of Science to identify studies that reported the association between Asian dust exposure and human health outcomes. We conducted separate meta-analyses using a random-effects model for mortality and hospital admissions for a specific health outcome and assessed pooled estimates for each lag when at least three studies were available for a specific lag. RESULTS We identified 89 studies that met our inclusion criteria for the systematic review, and 21 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimates (percentage changes) of mortality from circulatory and respiratory causes for Asian dust days vs. non-Asian dust days were 2.33% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.76, 3.93] increase at lag 0 and 3.99% (95% CI: 0.08, 8.06) increase at lag 3, respectively. The increased risk for hospital admissions for respiratory disease, asthma, and pneumonia peaked at lag 3 by 8.85% (95% CI: 0.80, 17.55), 14.55% (95% CI: 6.74, 22.94), and 8.51% (95% CI: 2.89, 14.44), respectively. Seven of 12 studies reported reduced peak expiratory flow, and 16 of 21 studies reported increased respiratory symptoms associated with Asian dust exposure. There were substantial variations between the studies in definitions of Asian dust, study designs, model specifications, and confounder controls. DISCUSSION We found evidence of increased mortality and hospital admissions for circulatory and respiratory events. However, the number of studies included in the meta-analysis was not large and further evidences are merited to strengthen our conclusions. Standardized protocols for epidemiological studies would facilitate interstudy comparisons. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5312.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Hashizume
- Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yoonhee Kim
- Department of Global Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chris Fook Sheng Ng
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yeonseung Chung
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Lina Madaniyazi
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Michelle L Bell
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Yue Leon Guo
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University (NTU) and NTU Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Haidong Kan
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yasushi Honda
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Seung-Muk Yi
- Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Kim
- Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yuji Nishiwaki
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan
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Marone A, Kane CT, Mbengue M, Jenkins GS, Niang DN, Drame MS, Gernand JM. Characterization of Bacteria on Aerosols From Dust Events in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa. GEOHEALTH 2020; 4:e2019GH000216. [PMID: 32490303 PMCID: PMC7262684 DOI: 10.1029/2019gh000216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We identify bacteria types on collected dust samples in Dakar Senegal, a region that experiences frequent Saharan dust events. We use classical techniques to identify bacteria types from dust samples. Seventy-seven bacteria types are identified from samples collected by spatula and the QuickTake® 30 air sampling pump. The dominant groups in the first batch of 51 bacteria (collected via deposition) are Micrococcus (33.33%), Bacillus (13.73%), Kytococcus (11.76%), Pseudomonas (9.80%), and Burkholderia (7.84%) and dominants in the second batch of 26 bacteria (collected with aerosol sampling vacuum pump): Pseudomonas (38.61%), Burkholderia (26.92%), Micrococcus (11.54%), and Brucella spp (7.69%). These bacteria are found in earlier studies from desert sources and can potentially cause respiratory diseases to exposed populations. Future work will use molecular methods is necessary to search for additional pathogens, including viruses on dust aerosols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alioune Marone
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology and Industrial Engineering, École Supériure Polytechnique (ESP)Cheikh Anta Diop UniversityDakarSenegal
| | - Coumba Touré Kane
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology and Industrial Engineering, École Supériure Polytechnique (ESP)Cheikh Anta Diop UniversityDakarSenegal
- Institute of Health ResearchEpidemiological Surveillance and Training (IRESSEF)DiamniadioSenegal
| | - Malick Mbengue
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology and Industrial Engineering, École Supériure Polytechnique (ESP)Cheikh Anta Diop UniversityDakarSenegal
| | - Gregory S. Jenkins
- Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric SciencePennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| | - Demba Ndao Niang
- Laboratory for Atmospheric‐Oceanic Physics Simeon Fongang, École Supériure Polytechnique (ESP)Cheikh Anta Diop UniversityDakarSenegal
| | - Mamadou Simina Drame
- Laboratory for Atmospheric‐Oceanic Physics Simeon Fongang, École Supériure Polytechnique (ESP)Cheikh Anta Diop UniversityDakarSenegal
| | - Jeremy M. Gernand
- Department of Mineral EngineeringThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
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Ardon-Dryer K, Mock C, Reyes J, Lahav G. The effect of dust storm particles on single human lung cancer cells. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 181:108891. [PMID: 31740036 PMCID: PMC6982605 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to dust particles during dust storms can lead to respiratory problems, diseases, and even death. The effect of dust particles at the cellular level is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the impact that dust storm particles (Montmorillonite) have on human lung epithelial cells (A549) at the single cell level. Using live-cell imaging, we continuously followed individual cells after exposure to a wide range of concentrations of dust particles. We monitored the growth trajectory of each cell including number and timing of divisions, interaction with the dust particles, as well as time and mechanism of cell death. We found that individual cells show different cellular fates (survival or death) even in response to the same dust concentration. Cells that died interacted with dust particles for longer times, and engulfed more dust particles, compared with surviving cells. While higher dust concentrations reduced viability in a dose-dependent manner, the effect on cell death was non-monotonic, with intermediate dust concentration leading to a larger fraction of dying cells compared to lower and higher concentrations. This non-monotonic relationship was explained by our findings that high dust concentrations inhibit cell proliferation. Using cellular morphological features, supported by immunoblots and proinflammatory cytokines, we determined that apoptosis is the dominant death mechanism at low dust concentrations, while higher dust concentrations activate necrosis. Similar single cell approaches can serve as a baseline for evaluating other aerosol types that will improve our understanding of the health-related consequences of exposure to dust storms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Ardon-Dryer
- Department of System Biology Harvard Medical School Harvard University, 200 Longwood Avenue Warren Alpert Building, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Geosciences, Atmospheric Science Group, Texas Tech University, 3003 15th Street Department of Geosciences, Atmospheric Science Group, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA.
| | - Caroline Mock
- Department of System Biology Harvard Medical School Harvard University, 200 Longwood Avenue Warren Alpert Building, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jose Reyes
- Department of System Biology Harvard Medical School Harvard University, 200 Longwood Avenue Warren Alpert Building, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Galit Lahav
- Department of System Biology Harvard Medical School Harvard University, 200 Longwood Avenue Warren Alpert Building, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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Mirshekari Jahangiri H, Sarkaki A, Farbood Y, Dianat M, Goudarzi G. Gallic acid affects blood-brain barrier permeability, behaviors, hippocampus local EEG, and brain oxidative stress in ischemic rats exposed to dusty particulate matter. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:5281-5292. [PMID: 31848951 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-07076-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Dust storms are environmental natural events that transport high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) in living spaces. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that air pollution is associated with stroke. In the present study we aimed to investigate the probable protective effects of gallic acid (GA) on blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, brain oxidative stress, anxiety, depression, locomotion behaviors, and changes of hippocampal local electroencephalogram (local EEG) power induced by 4-vessel transient occlusion (4VO I/R) following exposure to dusty PM in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided randomly into eight groups: (1) vehicle+Sham (Veh + Sh), (2) vehicle+4VO I/R (Veh + I/R), (3) gallic acid+sham (GA + Sh), (4) gallic acid+4VO I/R (GA + I/R), (5) vehicle+PM (Veh + PM), (6) PM + 4VO I/R (PM + I/R), (7) gallic acid+PM + Sham (GA + PM + Sh), and (8) gallic acid+PM + 4Vo I/R (GA + PM + I/R). 4VO type of I/R was induced after 10 days of pretreatment by GA 100 mg/kg/2 ml/ip, or 2 ml/kg/ip, normal saline as vehicle (Veh) and exposure to dust storm composed of dusty PM (DPM, 2000-8000 μg/m3), 60 min daily for consecutive 10 days) simultaneously. Seventy-two hours after I/R induction, all behavioral tests and BBB permeability evaluation were done. Hippocampus local EEG was recorded just before and 72 h after I/R induction, and finally brain tissue oxidative stress was assayed. Data showed that 4VO I/R following exposure to DPM increased BBB permeability (p < 0.001), brain oxidative stress (p < 0.001), induced anxiety (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.01), locomotion impairment (p < 0.001), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and local EEG power also were decreased in PM + Sh (p < 0.001). Pretreatment with GA reversed BBB permeability and MDA. Our findings suggest that GA is a probable protective agent against adverse effects of both I/R and exposure to DPM and also in I/R subjects exposed to DPM. The beneficial effects of GA may induce by its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamzeh Mirshekari Jahangiri
- Persian Gulf Physiology Research center, Physiology Department, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Alireza Sarkaki
- Persian Gulf Physiology Research center, Physiology Department, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran.
- National Institute for Medical Research Development (NIMAD), Tehran, Iran.
- Medicinal Plants Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
| | - Yaghoob Farbood
- Persian Gulf Physiology Research center, Physiology Department, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mahin Dianat
- Persian Gulf Physiology Research center, Physiology Department, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Goudarzi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Environmental Technology Research Center, Jundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran
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