Chronic Bronchitis In Adults Research Articles

Spatiotemporal distribution of air quality dynamics and health risks study during 2019–2021 lockdown in urban and industrial cities of West Bengal, India

Globally, air pollution is the second most common cause of mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), after tobacco smoking. Breathing polluted air has potential to cause a diverse array of health problems. This study comprehensively investigates the health risk of different areas of the population mainly industrial and urban belt by using AIRQ + health risk assessment model. This study also analyzes the spatiotemporal distribution of air quality in industrial and urban areas and correlation study was conducted between air pollutants and meteorological factors with episodic influences mainly lockdown phases. In Kolkata, Howrah, Asansol and Siliguri, the average Air quality index (AQI) varied from satisfactory (51–100) to moderate (101–200) values. The poor (201−300) to very poor (301−400) air quality observed in January, February, November and December month of the year. The higher AQI observed in the study area in winter season as compared to summer season. In the lockdown period overall air quality was improved. The meteorological factors, including rainfall and temperature played a crucial role in influencing air quality in this area. The regression analysis indicates a significant negative association between temperature and the following pollutants: PM2.5 (β = − 4.91, p < 0.01), PM10 (β = − 8.27, p < 0.01), NO2 (β = − 2.10, p < 0.01), NOx (β = − 4.05, p < 0.01), CO (β = − 0.04, p < 0.01), and SO2 (β = − 0.45, p < 0.01). The number of attributable cases of long-term PM2.5 exposure mortality due to lung cancer, stroke, IHD and COPD in four cities were 1132, 3969, 4381 and 974 in Kolkata; 1454, 4913, 5327 and 1221 in Howrah; 154, 531, 581 and 131 for Asansol; 137, 474, 520 and 117 in Siliguri respectively. IHD is the leading cause for mortality in the study area. The long-term effects of PM10 such as chronic bronchitis in adults and post-neonatal infant mortality were 30,860 and 738,450 in Kolkata, 53,961 and 898,920 in Howrah, 3782 and 89,460 in Asansol, and 3293 and 76,331 in Siliguri respectively. These study findings help policymakers, stakeholders and governments to take early action to reduce the effects of air pollution and implement interventions for the well-being of the population.

Phylogenetic Lineages and Diseases Associated with Moraxella catarrhalis Isolates Recovered from Bulgarian Patients.

Moraxella catarrhalis has been recognized as an important cause of upper respiratory tract and middle ear infections in children, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic bronchitis in adults. We aim to study the clonal structure, antimicrobial resistance, and serotypes of M. catarrhalis strains recovered from patients of different ages. Nasopharyngeal swabs, middle ear fluid, and sputum samples were collected. In vitro susceptibility testing was performed according to EUCAST criteria. The monoclonal Ab hybridoma technique was used for serotyping. All strains were subjected to MLST. The studied population demonstrated susceptibility to all tested antimicrobials M. catarrhalis strains, with the majority being serotype A (90.4%), followed by B (6.8%), and C (2.7%). We observed a predominant clonal complex CC224 (21.9%) along with other clusters including CC141 (8.2%), CC184 (8.2%), CC449 (6.8%), CC390 (5.5%), and CC67 (2.7%). Two primary founders, namely, ST224 and ST141, were identified. The analyzed genetic lineages displayed diversity but revealed the predominance of two main clusters, CC224 and CC141, encompassing multidrug-resistant sequence types distributed in other regions. These data underscore the need for ongoing epidemiological monitoring of successfully circulating clones and the implementation of adequate antibiotic policies to limit or delay the spread of multidrug-resistant strains in our region.

Chronic Bronchitis in Children and Adults: Definitions, Pathophysiology, Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Consequences.

The complex nature of chronic bronchitis (CB) and changing definitions have contributed to challenges in understanding its aetiology and burden. In children, CB is characterised by persistent airway inflammation often linked to bacterial infections and is therefore termed "protracted bacterial bronchitis" (PBB). Longitudinal studies suggest that CB in childhood persists into adulthood in a subgroup. It can also be associated with future chronic respiratory diseases including asthma, bronchiectasis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Adult CB is traditionally associated with smoking, occupational exposures, and lower socioeconomic status. The interplay between risk factors, childhood CB, adult CB, and other chronic respiratory diseases is intricate, requiring comprehensive longitudinal studies for a clearer understanding of the natural history of CB across the lifespan. Such longitudinal studies have been scarce to date given the logistic challenges of maintaining them over time. In this review, we summarise current evidence on the evolution of the definitions, pathophysiology, risk factors, and consequences of childhood and adulthood chronic bronchitis.

Air pollution status and attributable health effects across the state of West Bengal, India, during 2016-2021.

Air pollution is one of the most significant threats to human safety due to its detrimental health consequences worldwide. This study examines the air pollution levels in 22 districts of West Bengal from 2016 to 2021, using data from 81 stations operated by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB). The study assesses the short- and long-term impacts of particulate matter (PM) on human health. The highest annual variation of PM10 was noted in 2016 (106.99 ± 34.17 μg/m3), and the lowest was reported in 2020 (88.02 ± 13.61 μg/m3), whereas the highest annual variations of NO2 (μg/m3) were found in 2016 (35.17 ± 13.55 μg/m3), and lowest in 2019 (29.72 ± 13.08 μg/m3). Similarly, the SO2 level was lower (5.35 μg/m3) in 2017 and higher in 2020 (7.78 μg/m3). In the state, Bardhaman, Bankura, Kolkata, and Howrah recorded the highest PM10 concentrations. The monthly and seasonal variations of pollution showed higher in December, January, and February (winter season) and lowest observed in June, July, and August (rainy season). The southern part of West Bengal state has recorded higher pollution levels than the northern part. The short- and long-term health impact assessment due to particulate matter shows that the estimated number of attributable cases (ENACs) for incidence of chronic bronchitis in adults and prevalence of bronchitis in children were 305,234 and 14,652 respectively. The long-term impact of PM2.5 on human health ENACs for mortality due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for adults, acute lower respiratory infections in children aged 0-5, lung cancer, and stroke for adults were 21,303, 12,477, 25,064, 94,406, and 86,272 respectively. This outcome assists decision-makers and stakeholders in effectively addressing the air pollution and health risk concerns within the specified area.

Association of urinary bisphenol A with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-related diseases: evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database (2005-2016).

In vivo and in vitro studies have found that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) can lead to pulmonary diseases, but there exists little evidence regarding the association between urinary BPA level and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-related diseases in the population. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, from 2005 to 2016, were utilized in this study. Participants who self-reported having emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or COPD were defined as having COPD-related diseases. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association of urinary BPA with COPD-related diseases in the overall population and according to sex. Three separate models including different covariates were used in our analyses. The association of urinary BPA with COPD-related diseases in different subgroups (age, smoking status, participants belonging to "ever had asthma" and "ever had cardiovascular disease") other than sex was also analyzed. Based on the different models, 9189, 7006, and 6946 participants were used in our study. BPA was found to be significantly associated with COPD-related diseases in all models. The concentration of BPA in urine was significantly associated with COPD-related diseases regardless of whether BPA concentration was treated as a continuous variable (odds ratio (OR): 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-1.38, in model 3) or as tertiles (OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.49-2.72, between the lowest group and highest group, in model 3). This association was significant among male but not female participants. BPA also demonstrated a significant association with emphysema and chronic bronchitis in adults, particularly in males. No significant interaction was found for all the other subgroup analyses. Urinary BPA was associated with COPD-related diseases in adult participants, especially males.

Haemophilus influenzae Protein D antibody suppression in a multi-component vaccine formulation.

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) has emerged as a dominant mucosal pathogen causing acute otitis media (AOM) in children, acute sinusitis in children and adults, and acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis in adults. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop a vaccine to protect against NTHi infection. A multi-component vaccine will be desirable to avoid emergence of strains expressing modified proteins allowing vaccine escape. Protein D (PD), outer membrane protein (OMP) 26, and Protein 6 (P6) are leading protein vaccine candidates against NTHi. In pre-clinical research using mouse models, we found that recombinantly expressed PD, OMP26, and P6 induce robust antibody responses after vaccination as individual vaccines, but when PD and OMP26 were combined into a single vaccine formulation, PD antibody levels were significantly lower. We postulated that PD and OMP26 physiochemically interacted to mask PD antigenic epitopes resulting in the observed effect on antibody response. However, column chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis did not support our hypothesis. We postulated that the effect might be in vivo through the mechanism of protein vaccine immunologic antigenic competition. We found when PD and OMP26 were injected into the same leg or separate legs of mice, so that antigens were immunologically processed at the same or different regional lymph nodes, respectively, antibody levels to PD were significantly lower with same leg vaccination. Different leg vaccination produced PD antibody levels quantitatively similar to vaccination with PD alone. We conclude that mixing PD and OMP26 into a single vaccine formulation requires further formulation studies.

VALUASI EKONOMI DEGRADASI DALAM MEWUJUDKAN KOTA HIJAU DI JAKARTA

Sustainable urban development requires various efforts to balance the carrying capacity of the city's environment. Another environmental problem that also appears in urban areas, is traffic congestion which is at risk of increasing carbon monoxide emissions. Air pollution has both acute and chronic effects on human health, affecting a number of different organ systems. Ranging from mild such as upper respiratory irritation (ARI) for chronic respiratory and heart disease, to lung cancer, including acute respiratory infections in children and chronic bronchitis in adults, to pre-existing heart and lung diseases will aggravating the disease, or an asthma attack. This study analyzes the valuation of the degradation of air pollution in order to create a green city in Jakarta. The results of the Degradation Economic Valuation of the City of Jakarta are calculated from the number of pneumonia &amp; tuberculosis patients multiplied by the cost of treatment per capita, the result is for the total DKI Jakarta in 2011 of Rp. 6,497,- (in million) while 2014 increased by Rp. 1,148,976,- (in million) while for 2020 it decreased by Rp. 98,535,- (in million). For 2020. This valuation represents the loss resulting from air pollution so that people have to pay for medical treatment due to illness suffered from pollutants

On the nature of heavy metals in particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) and their health impact assessment for a desert city in Iran, Birjand

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Introduction: Air pollution is the leading environmental risk factor for health. This study aimed to assess heavy metals in Particulate Matter (PM10 , PM2.5) and their health impact assessment for a desert city in Iran, Birjand.&#x0D; Materials and methods: In this study, the concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 were measured from September 2019 to March 2020. Measurements were performed once every six days for 24 h using high-volume samplers. Moreover, health-related effects attributed to the suspended particles were estimated using the AirQ2.2.3.&#x0D; Results: Mean and standard deviation of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were 97.5±38.7 μg/m3 and 36.3±19.1 μg/m3, respectively. The mean metal concentrations in PM2.5 were in the Co&gt;Cd&gt;Ce&gt;V order, while the metal concentrations in PM10 were in the Cd&gt;As&gt;Ce&gt;V order. The lowest and highest number of deaths attributed to PM2.5 per 100,000 persons were related to ischemic heart disease (1.73) and chronic respiratory disease (18.35). The highest number of deaths attributed to PM10 per 100,000 persons was related to chronic bronchitis in adults (35.74).&#x0D; Conclusion: This study revealed that particle-based air pollution negatively affects health as caused by heavy metals, whereas further research is required to determine the effects of bacterial and fungal bioaerosols on human health. Monitoring the elemental composition of atmospheric particles can contribute to better air quality management.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Particulate Matter Associated Human Health Effects Determination Through AirQ+ for Alwar, Rajasthan (India)

The present study estimates the long-term and short-term health impacts of particulate matter on humans in Alwar, Rajasthan (India), with the help of AirQ+ software. The annual concentration of particulate matter violates the Indian and WHO standards. The PM2.5 induced long-term estimated number of attributable cases (ENACs) for mortality due to all-natural causes in adults, LC, ALRI, COPD, IHD, and stroke were 12867, 2225, 634, 1089, 4671, and 4353, respectively, while short-term ENACs for hospital admission due to respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality in adults were 4399, 174, and 2333, respectively. The PM10 induced long-term ENACs for post-neonatal infant mortality, chronic bronchitis in adults, and the prevalence of bronchitis in children were 878494, 32698, and 700, respectively, while short-term ENACs for incidence of asthma symptoms in asthmatic children were 1799. The estimated human health risk assessment results are terrifying and require immediate actions from policymakers for mitigation.

Assessment of sources and health impacts of PM10 in an urban environment over eastern coastal plain of India

Aerosol health impacts are gaining considerable attention from the scientific community. Our study's primary purpose was to identify the source regions of PM10 and quantify its long-term health effects at an eastern Indian urban site Bhubaneswar from July 2018 to June 2019. The seasonal average of PM10 surface observations displayed higher values in winter, followed by post-monsoon, summer and monsoon. Eastern India, Northern India, and South-East Asia emerged as potential source regions of PM10 contributors to the study location using source-receptor models. The health endpoints, (i) incidence of chronic bronchitis in adults, (ii) post neonatal infant mortality and, (iii) prevalence of bronchitis in children, were estimated employing the World Health Organization developed model, AirQ+. The attributable proportion, the excess number of attributable cases, and the excess number of attributable cases per 100,000 population for three endpoints showed the highest impact during the winter season. Winter impact is 3 to 5 times higher compared to the rest of other seasons. This study highlights the health impact of PM10 on the population of Bhubaneswar, especially during winter. Thus, it is imperative to give considerable focus to controlling and mitigating air pollution at the investigation location.

053 Epidermal barrier dysfunction is associated with chronic bronchitis in adults: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2006

Epidermal barrier dysfunction (EBD) has been associated with increased circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α), many of which are also elevated in chronic bronchitis and emphysema; few studies have examined the relationship between EBD and these inflammatory lung conditions, which we investigated using the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The study population included adult participants (age ≥20 years) from survey years 1999-2006. The exposure of interest was EBD, defined as self-reported “dermatitis, eczema, rash in past year” for survey years 1999-2004 and “itchy rash at any time in past 12 months” for survey years 2005-2006. Outcomes of interest included self-reported ever diagnosis of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, as well as frequent cough and phlegm production in the past three months. We used survey-weighted multiple logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for each outcome. Models were adjusted for survey cycle, sex, age group, race/ ethnicity, education level, income to poverty ratio, body mass index category, smoking history (≥100 cigarettes in lifetime), and alcohol use history (≥12 drinks in past year). Among 15,158 adult participants included in the study, 1,627 (10.7%) had EBD. After adjusting for covariates, EBD was associated with 61% increased odds of having a history of chronic bronchitis (aOR 1.61, 95% CI 1.29-2.01, P<0.001), but no association was seen for emphysema (aOR 1.25, 95% CI 0.76-2.05, P=0.37). EBD was also associated with frequent cough (aOR 1.69, 95% CI 1.36-2.09, P<0.001) and phlegm production (aOR 1.60, 95% CI 1.28-1.99, P<0.001). Associations of EBD with chronic bronchitis and related respiratory symptoms provide further support for the link between skin barrier disruption and systemic inflammatory processes. Additional research is needed to further elucidate this link and explore the role of skin barrier restoration in the management of pulmonary disorders.

The effects of meteorological parameters on PM10: Health impacts assessment using AirQ+ model and prediction by an artificial neural network (ANN)

The estimation of PM10 health effects and air quality forecasting plays an essential role in protecting public health against harmful air pollutants. This study aimed to estimate the impact of meteorological parameters on PM10, evaluate its health impacts, and its prediction using an artificial neural network (ANN) in Yasuj. Demographic, meteorological, and PM10 data were collected from March 2013 to March 2018 in one of Iran's cities. The health impacts of PM10 were estimated using the AirQ+ software. Furthermore, the daily average of PM10 concentrations combined with the meteorological data was used to predict PM10 concentration. The results showed a greater risk of respiratory symptoms for the incidence of asthma symptoms in asthmatic children, the prevalence of bronchitis in children, incidence of chronic bronchitis in adults, and postneonatal infant mortality due to exposure to PM10 with a relative risk of 1.028, 1.08, 1.117, and 1.04 respectively. Also, the best MLP-ANN model predicted PM10 value with correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.87. It can be concluded that decreased PM10 levels were associated with reduced symptoms of bronchitis and asthma in children and bronchitis in adults, and ANN modeling provides a feasible procedure for managerial planning in the view of air pollution.

Estimation of health risk to humans from heavy metals in soil of coal mines in Harnai, Balochistan

ABSTRACT Presence of heavy metals in soil and atmospheric dust of coal mines have adverse effects on human health through inhalation, dermal contact and ingestion exposure. These effects include lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory infections in children and chronic bronchitis in adults. This study presents the concentration of heavy metals in soil of Dukki and Sharigh coal mines in Balochistan and health risks through inhalation, ingestion and dermal contact of soil. Proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) was used for investigation of heavy metals in soil of coal mines. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks through ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact of soil were calculated for children and adults.The average values of Cr, Ni, Cu and Zn in soil of Dukki and Sharigh coal mines were found above the permissible limits recommended by Grade I of Environmental Quality Standard.The results show that highest risk is associated with soil ingestion among children followed by adults. The highest risk through ingestion (HQing) was observed for Cr (5.31E-02 for adults, 4.58E-01for children) in Dukki coal mines and lower was found for Zn (4.63E-08 for adults, 1.56E-07 for children) in Sharigh coal mines. The values of HQ were found less than one which show that adults and children are experiencing non-carcinogenic effects.Carcinogenic risk for Cr was found1.03E-02 (for adults) and 1.04E-02 (for children) in Dukki coal mines while in case of Sharigh coal mines, carcinogenic risk was 6.77E-04 (for adults) and 5.77E-03 (for children). The carcinogenic risk for Cr was found higher than permissible limits(1 × 10−6 to 10−4) and found lower for Ni. Therefore, the conditions of Dukki and Sharigh coal mines are unsatisfactory.

An Analysis Of Air Pollution And Human Health Effects

Hazardous chemicals escape to the environment by a number of natural and/or anthropogenic activities and may cause adverse effects on human health and the environment. Increased combustion of fossil fuels in the last century is responsible for the progressive change in the atmospheric composition. Air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds(VOCs), ozone (O3), heavy metals, and respirable particulate matter, differ in their chemical composition, reaction properties, emission, time of disintegration and ability to diffuse in long or short distances. Air pollution has both acute and chronic effects on human health, affecting a number of different systems and organs. It ranges from minor upper respiratory irritation to chronic respiratory and heart disease, lung cancer, acute respiratory infections in children and chronic bronchitis in adults, aggravating pre-existing heart and lung disease, or asthmatic attacks. In addition, short- and long- term exposures have also been linked with premature mortality and reduced life expectancy. This paper discussed about effects of air pollutants on human health.

Long-term trend of ambient air PM10, PM2.5, and O3 and their health effects in Tabriz city, Iran, during 2006–2017

This study was conducted to investigate the long-term temporal trends and spatial variations of ambient PM10, PM2.5 and O3 concentrations using the Moran’s I index and Mann-Kendall's test and also to evaluate their health effects in Tabriz city, between 2006 and 2017. The health impacts of air pollutants were estimated using the World Health Organization (WHO) AirQ + software updated in 2017. The results showed that the annual trend of PM concentrations was decreasing while O3 concentration was almost constant during the study period. The results indicated that in approximately 59 % and 4 % of the studied days for PM10, 48 % and 28 % for PM2.5, and 3 % and 0.3 % for O3, inhabitants of Tabriz city were exposed to the air pollutants in levels greater than the WHO AQG and National and U.S.EPA standard levels. Moreover, the highest monthly mean concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, and O3 were respectively observed in May (80.4 μg/m3), December (42.5 μg/m3), and June (78.4 μg/m3).It was estimated that attributable proportions due to long-term exposure to PM10 were between 7.9 % and 28.7 % for post neonatal infant mortality and between 20.7 % and 61.5 % for incidence of chronic bronchitis in adults. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 was attributed to about 11.8 % from all-cause, 34.6 % from ischemic heart disease, 26.7 % from stroke, 23.4 % from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 24.2 % from acute lower respiratory infection, and 16.5 % from lung cancer mortalities.Our study results showed that there were no effective policies and strategies to reduce Tabriz air pollution during the study period; and codification and implementation of effective control policies is necessary to improve ambient air quality of Tabriz.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The global prevalence of physiologically defined chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults aged >40 yr is approximately 9-10 per cent. Recently, the Indian Study on Epidemiology of Asthma, Respiratory Symptoms and Chronic Bronchitis in Adults had shown that the overall prevalence of chronic bronchitis in adults >35 yr is 3.49 per cent. The development of COPD is multifactorial and the risk factors of COPD include genetic and environmental factors. Pathological changes in COPD are observed in central airways, small airways and alveolar space. The proposed pathogenesis of COPD includes proteinase-antiproteinase hypothesis, immunological mechanisms, oxidant-antioxidant balance, systemic inflammation, apoptosis and ineffective repair. Airflow limitation in COPD is defined as a postbronchodilator FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 sec) to FVC (forced vital capacity) ratio <0.70. COPD is characterized by an accelerated decline in FEV1. Co morbidities associated with COPD are cardiovascular disorders (coronary artery disease and chronic heart failure), hypertension, metabolic diseases (diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and obesity), bone disease (osteoporosis and osteopenia), stroke, lung cancer, cachexia, skeletal muscle weakness, anaemia, depression and cognitive decline. The assessment of COPD is required to determine the severity of the disease, its impact on the health status and the risk of future events (e.g., exacerbations, hospital admissions or death) and this is essential to guide therapy. COPD is treated with inhaled bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids, oral theophylline and oral phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor. Non pharmacological treatment of COPD includes smoking cessation, pulmonary rehabilitation and nutritional support. Lung volume reduction surgery and lung transplantation are advised in selected severe patients. Global strategy for the diagnosis, management and prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease guidelines recommend influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations.

An Analysis of Air Pollution and Human Health Effects

Hazardous chemicals escape to the environment by a number of natural and/or anthropogenic activities and may cause adverse effects on human health and the environment. Increased combustion of fossil fuels in the last century is responsible for the progressive change in the atmospheric composition. Air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone (O3), heavy metals, and respirable particulate matter, differ in their chemical composition, reaction properties, emission, time of disintegration and ability to diffuse in long or short distances. Air pollution has both acute and chronic effects on human health, affecting a number of different systems and organs. It ranges from minor upper respiratory irritation to chronic respiratory and heart disease, lung cancer, acute respiratory infections in children and chronic bronchitis in adults, aggravating pre-existing heart and lung disease, or asthmatic attacks. In addition, short- and long-term exposures have also been linked with premature mortality and reduced life expectancy. This paper discussed about effects of air pollutants on human health.

Effects of Almaty city ecological factors on students blood indices at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Environment pollution is a wide-researching problem and it is likely to influence the health of human populations is great. And environmental health is that aspects of public health that is concerned with those forms of life substances, forces and conditions in the surroundings of man that may exert an influenceon man’s health and well-being. A number of natural and anthropogenic activities and may cause adverse effects on human health and the environment. Increased combustion of fossil fuels in the last century is responsible for the progressive change in the atmospheric composition. Air pollution has both acuteand chronic effects on human health, affecting a number of different systems and organs. It ranges from minor upper respiratory irritation to chronic effects on human disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections in children and chronic bronchitis in adults. The effects of environmental factors on student’shealth and its mechanisms are briefly discussed.The climatic – geographic conditions of the environmental living habitat is one of the most influential reasons that has always affected and produced physiological changes in our body. Because of this, it gives a chance to determine the change in organisms in time, and give us enough time to organize the appropriate prophylactic events in advance.In our work, the data which had been measured during laboratory research was statistical analyzed the methods were used in our study, and assessment of the value of the measured data, we paid much more attention to assess correctly the changes because of various climatic – geographical reasons effects tostudents body. In order to determine the functional status of the students’ organisms, we used special pilot tested, and got the effective positive comment on its using. In this study we put significant effort to determine the physiological variations (disorders) to the students’ which from the different regions ofthe republic of Kazakhstan and their adaptation process in immune system because of various climatic – geographical changes in their life.

Air Pollution and Potential Health Risk in Ostrava Region - a Review.

The aim of this review was to collect all available data about air pollution in Ostrava, which is one of the most polluted area in central Europe and to make a concise assessment of health risks resulting from historical exposures of air pollutants since the beginning of the monitoring, i.e. since 1970 to the present time. All available information sources (the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, the Institute of Public Health in Ostrava or publications) were used. To evaluate the exposures both short-term (hourly and daily) data and long term (yearly) data during 45 years were analysed. For health risk assessment the relationship between exposure and biological effects of pollutants published by the WHO and the US EPA were employed. During the studied period annual average concentrations of PM10 ranged from 25 to 96 µg/m3; PM2.5 from 24 to 45 µg/m3; SO2 from 3.4 to 101.5 µg/m3; NO2 from 17.76 to 51.17 µg/m3; benzene from 0.24 to 9.2 µg/m3; benzo[a]pyrene from 2.1 to 14 ng/m3; arsenic from 1.2 to 9.5 ng/m3. Since the turn of the 80s and 90s of the 20th century trend of air pollutant concentrations has been decreasing until the turn of millennium, when it stopped, and it has been constant until present time. However, presented results demonstrate that the citizens of Ostrava have been exposed to relatively high concentrations of pollutants in comparison to other similar cities. The most significant pollutants contributing to health risks are airborne dust (PM10, PM2.5), benzene and benzo[a]pyrene. The long-term average health risk of PM10 has increased in case of postneonatal infant mortality up to 30%; prevalence of bronchitis in children up to 61%; and incidence of chronic bronchitis in adults up to 89%. The long-term average health risk of PM2.5 increased for all-cause mortality in persons aged 30+ years up to 22%; cardiopulmonary related mortality up to 25%; and lung cancer related mortality up to 39%. The highest carcinogenic risk is observed in benzo[a]pyrene, when the range of individual lifetime carcinogenic risk is up to 1.25*10-3. This assessment is valid according to the strict carcinogenic risk by the WHO, while the maximum carcinogenic risk according the US EPA is 7.2*10-5. A significant reduction of the pollutants' concentrations in Ostrava in the nineties of the last century does not mean a required improvement of outdoor air quality to the desired level. Persisting episodes with a very strong short-term increase of the concentration of PM10 and PM2.5, as well as long-term load of these substances on the population is very high. Health risks from such burdens are likely to lead to a higher mortality and morbidity especially from specific diseases.

Current asthma contributes as much as smoking to chronic bronchitis in middle age: a prospective population-based study.

Background and objectivePersonal smoking is widely regarded to be the primary cause of chronic bronchitis (CB) in adults, but with limited knowledge of contributions by other factors, including current asthma. We aimed to estimate the independent and relative contributions to adult CB from other potential influences spanning childhood to middle age.MethodsThe population-based Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study cohort, people born in 1961, completed respiratory questionnaires and spirometry in 1968 (n=8,583). Thirty-seven years later, in 2004, two-thirds responded to a detailed postal survey (n=5,729), from which the presence of CB was established in middle age. A subsample (n=1,389) underwent postbronchodilator spirometry between 2006 and 2008 for the assessment of chronic airflow limitation, from which nonobstructive and obstructive CB were defined. Multivariable and multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate relevant associations.ResultsThe prevalence of CB in middle age was 6.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.5, 6.8). Current asthma and/or wheezy breathing in middle age was independently associated with adult CB (odds ratio [OR]: 6.2 [95% CI: 4.6, 8.4]), and this estimate was significantly higher than for current smokers of at least 20 pack-years (OR: 3.0 [95% CI: 2.1, 4.3]). Current asthma and smoking in middle age were similarly associated with obstructive CB, in contrast to the association between allergy and nonobstructive CB. Childhood predictors included allergic history (OR: 1.3 [95% CI: 1.1, 1.7]), current asthma (OR: 1.8 [95% CI: 1.3, 2.7]), “episodic” childhood asthma (OR: 2.3 [95% CI: 1.4, 3.9]), and parental bronchitis symptoms (OR: 2.5 [95% CI: 1.6, 4.1]).ConclusionThe strong independent association between current asthma and CB in middle age suggests that this condition may be even more influential than personal smoking in a general population. The independent associations of childhood allergy and asthma, though not childhood bronchitis, as clinical predictors of adult CB raise the possibility of some of this burden having originated in childhood.