Ambient Air Particulate Matter Research Articles

Atmospheric reactive nitrogen conversion kicks off the co-directional and contra-directional effects on PM2.5-O3 pollution

As the two important ambient air pollutants, particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) can both originate from gas nitrogen oxides. In this study, applied by theoretical analysis and machine learning method, we examined the effects of atmospheric reactive nitrogen on PM2.5-O3 pollution, in which nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), gaseous nitric acid (HNO3) and particle nitrate (pNO3−) conversion process has the co-directional and contra-directional effects on PM2.5-O3 pollution. Of which, HNO3 and SO2 are the co-directional driving factors resulting in PM2.5 and O3 growing or decreasing simultaneously; while NO, NO2, and temperature represent the contra-directional factors, which can promote the growth of one pollutant and reduce another one. Our findings suggest that designing the suitable co-controlling strategies for PM2.5-O3 sustainable reduction should target at driving factors by considering the contra-directional and co-directional effects under suitable sensitivity regions. For co-directional driving factors, the design of suitable mitigation strategies will jointly achieve effective reduction in PM2.5 and O3; while for contra-directional driving factors, it should be more patient, otherwise, it is possible to reduce one item but increase another one at the same time.

Temporal variation characteristics of microbial aerosols in the goose house environment

ABSTRACT 1. Preventing disease is important in poultry production systems, but this has mainly been studied in chickens. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of microbial aerosols in intensive goose house environments. 2. To evaluate the environmental quality of geese housing, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was collected using an ambient air particulate matter sampler. High-throughput sequencing was used to analyse bacterial diversity and relative abundance. Results showed that the number of general and operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were 1,578 and 19 112 in all PM2.5 samples. Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria, Acidobacterota were the four most abundant phyla in PM2.5. 3. Compared with bacterial phyla in the PM2.5 from chicken houses, those in the genus Acidobacterota were increased in goose housing. There are various genera of bacteria present in PM2.5, and their composition was similar across different samples. No significant change was observed in the diversity of microbiota in the PM2.5, although multiple pathogenic bacteria were detected. 4. A prediction function showed that a variety of bacterial phyla correlated positively with the human diseases. 5. In summary, the microbial aerosols in the goose shed pose significant risks to the health of the geese. Regular monitoring of the composition of microbial aerosols is important for the healthy growth of geese and disease prevention and control.

Evaluation of Ambient Air Quality Levels at Various Locations within Lead City University, Ibadan

Universities are big metropolitan institutions with sizable populations of students, employees, and visitors. However, university settings can contribute to air pollution, with diverse activities such as lab work, cooking in dorms, and vehicle traffic, among others, causing interior and ambient air pollution. It is impossible to overestimate how much air pollution affects the health and happiness of students. Based on this, evaluation of ambient air quality (i.e., temperature, relative humidity (RH), CO2, and particulate matter (PM2.5)) at various locations within Lead City University, Ibadan, is essential. Ambient concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), relative humidity (RH), temperature (TEMP), and particulate matter (PM) were recorded from 15 locations across Lead City University over a two-week period. Morning temperatures in all the locations measured ranged from 23.7°C to 29.2°C, while afternoon temperatures fluctuated more significantly, with the lowest recorded at 27.2°C and the highest at a notably warmer 35.8°C in all the locations measured. The morning RH levels ranged from 63.8% to 74.7%, while afternoon RH values ranged from 58.2% to 63.4%. The findings also show that afternoon CO2 levels range from 468.5 ppm to 971.6 ppm, with Location 13 having an unusually high average. Morning CO levels ranged from 4.1 µg/m³ to 49 µg/m³, with location 13 showing an outlier at 184.2 µg/m³. CO2 and CO levels are mostly within acceptable ranges. Conclusively, variability in these parameters has implications for human health; therefore, adequate ventilation and pollution control measures are thereby recommended for the university management in order to improve indoor air quality.

Ambient Air Particulate Matter and Hospital Admissions for Chronic Kidney Disease in China: A Nationwide Case-Crossover Study.

Incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) may be accelerated (could be indicated by repeated admissions to the hospital) by environmental triggers such as ambient particulate matter (PM). Additionally, hospital admission is a sensitive proxy reflecting the disease burden. However, the association of PM exposure with hospital admissions for CKD is still unknown, let alone the excess risks (ERs) in hospital admissions for CKD due to high PM level exposure. In this study, a two-stage time-stratified case-crossover study was conducted to investigate the association of ambient air PM exposure with hospital admission for CKD in 282 Chinese cities of prefecture-level or above during 2013-2017. City-specific associations of single and cumulative 0-3 days lagged exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and inhalable particles (PM10) with hospital admissions for total CKD and its subtypes were evaluated by the conditional logistic regression model, then were pooled using the random-effect model. A total of 3,490,416 hospital admissions for CKD were identified. We found that per interquartile range (IQR) increment in PM2.5 at lag02 and per IQR increment in PM10 at lag03 were associated with increases of 2.36% (95%CI: 1.58%, 3.14%) and 2.87% (95% CI:1.91%, 3.85%) in hospital admissions for total CKD, respectively. Compared to control concentrations (PM2.5: 35 μg/m3; PM10: 50 μg/m3), the largest ERs in hospital admissions for total CKD were 2.63% (95% CI: 2.15%-3.11%) and 4.45% (95% CI: 3.85%-5.06%) in association with exposure to heavily excessive PM2.5 (≥75 μg/m3) and PM10 (≥150 μg/m3), respectively. Moreover, the attributable fractions (AFs) for CKD admissions were 2.83% for PM2.5 and 3.46% for PM10 during the study period. These findings suggested that exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 is associated with substantially increased risk and burden of CKD admissions.

A comprehensive review of urban vegetation as a Nature-based Solution for sustainable management of particulate matter in ambient air.

Air pollution is one of the most pressing environmental threats worldwide, resulting in several health issues such as cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, as well as premature mortality. The harmful effects of air pollution are particularly concerning in urban areas, where mismanaged anthropogenic activities, such as growth in the global population, increase in the number of vehicles, and industrial activities, have led to an increase in the concentration of pollutants in the ambient air. Among air pollutants, particulate matter is responsible for most adverse impacts. Several techniques have been implemented to reduce particulate matter concentrations in the ambient air. However, despite all the threats and awareness, efforts to improve air quality remain inadequate. In recent years, urban vegetation has emerged as an efficient Nature-based Solution for managing environmental air pollution due to its ability to filter air, thereby reducing the atmospheric concentrations of particulate matter. This review characterizes the various mitigation mechanisms for particulate matter by urban vegetation (deposition, dispersion, and modification) and identifies key areas for further improvements within each mechanism. Through a systematic assessment of existing literature, this review also highlights the existing gaps in the present literature that need to be addressed to maximize the utility of urban vegetation in reducing particulate matter levels. In conclusion, the review emphasizes the urgent need for proper air pollution management through urban vegetation by integrating different fields, multiple stakeholders, and policymakers to support better implementation.

Assessment of particulate matter (PM) in ambient air of different settings and its associated health risk in Haripur city, Pakistan.

Particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant causing serious health problems. The aim of the present study was to find out concentration of PM in ambient air and its associated health risk in Haripur city, Pakistan. Twenty-three samples were taken at various educational institutes, hospitals, recreational areas and industries in Haripur city. Concentration of PM2.5 (µg/m3) and PM10 (µg/m3) was measured with Youngteng YT-HPC 3000A portable PM counter. The results revealed that values of both PM2.5 and PM10 were above the permissible limits (35 µg/m3 for PM2.5 and 150 µg/m3 for PM10) set by Environmental Protection Agency Pakistan (Pak-EPA) in all the educational institutes, hospitals, recreational areas and industries investigated. Furthermore, significant (p<0.05) variation was found in the concentration of both PM2.5 and PM10 in all the educational institutes, hospitals, recreational areas, and industries studied. The concentration of PM2.5 was positively correlated with the concentration of PM10 in all the sampling sites. Therefore, from 1-14 scale standard of health index, the values of PM2.5 and PM10 exhibited that the ambient air quality of Haripur city Pakistan is under high risk. If the regulatory authorities such as Environmental Protection Agency, Health Department and Local Government monitor PM pollution in different settings of Haripur city, then a decrease can be possible in the pollution level. The remedies that can be taken to overcome the problem of ambient air pollution such as PM are plantation of trees at the sites where there are higher levels of air pollutants and use of masks on personal protection basis along with implementation of pollution control system in industries of Hattar Industrial Estate Haripur city, Pakistan.

Size Distribution as a Forensic Tool to Source Apportion Ambient PM

The particulate matter (PM) emitted from multiple sources contribute to air pollution near highways, affecting, mainly the commuters on road, dwellers and shopkeepers nearby. In this study, the size distribution of the PM near a highway, obtained using real time laser aerosol spectrometer, was used to apportion the contributions from vehicular traffic and road dust. Data on vehicle count and type were obtained for the selected highway stretch. The size distribution of emission from petrol and diesel vehicles and the size distribution of re-suspended dust were obtained through independent studies. Size based distribution of PM in the study area contributed by vehicles, were modelled using AERMOD using the vehicle emissions and vehicle count data. Aggregation of the modelled concentrations of PM of various size ranges with the contribution from re-suspended dust gave size based concentration distributions closely matching with that of PM in ambient air. The size based PM analyses showed that in the study area, 47.36%, 15.74%, and 15.46% of PM2.5, were contributed by diesel vehicles, petrol vehicles and suspended dust, respectively. The corresponding contributions to PM10 were, 14.42%, 10.59% and 68.35%. The emission studies on vehicles showed diesel vehicles contributing significantly higher concentration of PM to ambient air than petrol vehicles, with condition of vehicle influencing the amount of PM emitted. The use of particle size distribution pattern for preliminary source apportionment, demonstrated in this study, has promising environmental forensic applications as it provides a cheap and fast corroborative evidence for responsibility allocation.

Comparison of Biological Activities and Protective Effects on PAH-Induced Oxidative Damage of Different Coffee Cherry Pulp Extracts.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the main toxic components of ambient air particulate matter (PM), causing oxidative damage to the skin and ultimately resulting in skin aging. This study was conducted to determine the anti-oxidant, anti-aging properties and protective effects of the extracts of coffee cherry pulp (Coffea arabica L.), which is a by-product of the coffee industry, against the oxidative damage induced by PAH exposure in human epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT). Three different techniques were used to extract the coffee cherry pulp: maceration, Soxhlet and ultrasonication to obtain CCM, CCS and CCU extract, respectively, which were then compared to investigate the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The chemical compositions were identified and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results demonstrated that Soxhlet could extract the highest content of chlorogenic acid, caffeine and theophylline. CCS showed the significantly highest TPC (324.6 ± 1.2 mg GAE/g extract), TFC (296.8 ± 1.2 mg QE/g extract), anti-radical activity against DPPH free radicals (98.2 ± 0.8 µM Trolox/g extract) and lipid peroxidation inhibition (136.6 ± 6.2 µM Trolox/g extract). CCS also showed the strongest anti-aging effects based on collagenase, elastase, hyaluronidase and tyrosinase inhibitory enzymes. In addition, CCS can protect human keratinocyte cells from PAH toxicity by increasing the cellular anti-oxidant capacity. This study suggests that CCS has the potential to be used as a cosmetic material that helps alleviate skin damage caused by air pollution.

Effects of Cement Dusts on Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) in Female Cement Dust Exposed Construction Workers

Background: Occupational and environmental lung diseases are the major problems of clinical medicine. The cement dust workers are constantly exposed to high amounts of visible ambient air particulate matter, mostly without any respiratory protective device. Therefore, the inhalation of dust over periods of time leads to impaired lung functions. Objectives: To observe the effects of cement dust exposure on PEFR in female cement dust workers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Rangpur Medical College, Rangpur from July 2016 to June 2017. A total of 60 female subjects aged 20–50 years were selected for the study. Among them, 30 were apparently healthy workers exposed to cement dust, and 30 apparently healthy height, weight &amp; BMI-matched subjects not exposed to cement dust were selected as control from the surrounding community. Their pulmonary functions were studied by measuring PEFR. For statistical analysis, an unpaired ‘t’-test was performed by computer-based software SPSS-17.0 version for Windows. Results: The mean measured and mean percentage of the predicted value of PEFR was significantly (p_0.001) lower in cement dust-exposed female workers (CD- EFW) than the non-exposed female workers (CD-NEFW). Conclusion: From the result of this study, it can be concluded that cement dust (CD) may have harmful effects on some pulmonary functions. J Rang Med Col. September 2023; Vol. 8, No. 2: 25-28

Detection and identification of shape, size, and concentration of particulate matter in ambient air using bright field microscopy-based system

Currently, air pollution monitoring for supplemental information is performed using optical sensors based on light scattering by particulate matter. These devices provide results in the form of particle counts and the concentration of particulate matter is calculated and demonstrated in real-time. We have developed a bright field (BF) microscopy-based system for air quality monitoring (AQM) in real-time, named SENSurAIR, which provides not only just counts but shape, size as well as concentration. The system comprises a mini vacuum pump, cyclone separator, LED light source (λ = 480 nm), and bright field microscopic unit. The pump drives the ambient air toward the sampling media so that PM2.5 is impacted and deposited. The light rays from the source are incident on the sampling media, and microscopic unit records images of particulate matter. The custom-developed algorithm then processes the recorded images to identify the shape, size distribution, and concentration of PM2.5. The size and shape of PM2.5 are the principal factors that help identify the sources contributing to PM2.5 in ambient air. The developed device is evaluated by collocating with the reference grade Beta Attenuation Monitoring (BAM) system. The system is fully automatic, compact, low-cost, and can be integrated with a wireless network for data communication. The simultaneous monitoring of shape, size, and concentration using the developed device is unique and which will be highly useful to alarm the health hazards due to the existing pollution.

Assessment of particulate matter exposure on ambient air and its impact on workers at two granite quarry mines at Njuli, Southern Malawi.

Quarrying activities are among the significant sources of pollution caused by particulate matter (PM) in ambient air. Besides affecting the environment, PM exposure is one of the leading causes of respiratory illnesses worldwide. The current study, unique to Malawi, aimed to understand the impact of particulate matter on ambient air and the possible effects on workers' health at Njuli in Blantyre and Chiradzulu districts. The study measured concentrations of particulate matter in ambient air, conducted a chemical analysis of fallen dust, and surveyed respiratory symptoms. Results showed higher exposures to particulate matter at a Terrastone mine (126µg/m3 highest exposure) than a Mota Engil mine (83µg/m3 highest exposure), attributed to poor management practices at Terrastone mine. Higher PM readings (0-85.98µg/m3) were observed for sites located downwind of the mines than sites located upwind (0-59µg/m3), demonstrating the impact of quarrying operations at the mines; differences were, however, not statistically significant (P 0.165, Terrastone, P 0.678 Mota Engil). The observed amount of PM in ambient air was consistent with the scale of quarrying and processing operations at both mines, 0-56.2µg/m3 in pre-operational phases, 0-126.1µg/m3 during operations, and 0-56µg/m3 after closure of operations; differences were statistically significant only at Terrastone mine P 0.003. The impact of season variation was observed following lower PM readings recorded during the rainy season than those obtained during the dry season at both mines. Analysis of health symptoms revealed that a higher proportion of workers at the Terrastone mine experienced respiratory symptoms compared to the Mota Engil mine.

Association between ambient air particulate matter and human health impacts in northern Thailand

Air pollution in Thailand is regarded as a serious health threat, especially in the northern region. High levels of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) are strongly linked to severe health consequences and mortality. This study analyzed the relationship between exposure to ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 by using data from the Pollution Control Department of Thailand and the burden of disease due to an increase in the ambient particulate matter concentrations in northern Thailand. This study was conducted using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology considering the human health damage impact category in the ReCiPe 2016 method. The results revealed that the annual average years of life lived with disability from ambient PM2.5 in northern Thailand is about 41,372 years, while from PM10 it is about 59,064 years per 100,000 population. The number of deaths from lung cancer and cardiopulmonary diseases caused by PM2.5 were approximately 0.04% and 0.06% of the population of northern Thailand, respectively. Deaths due to lung cancer and cardiopulmonary diseases caused by PM10, on the other hand, were approximately 0.06% and 0.08%, respectively. The findings expressed the actual severity of the impact of air pollution on human health. It can provide valuable insights for organizations in setting strategies to address air pollution. Organizations can build well-informed strategies and turn them into legal plans by exploiting the study’s findings. This ensures that their efforts to tackle air pollution are successful, in accordance with regulations, and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable future guidelines on appropriate practices of air pollution act/policy linkage with climate change mitigation.

55 Investigating the co-Exposure of Micro(nano)Plastics and Indoor/Outdoor Particulate Matter Using an Alveolar BarrierIn Vitro Model

Abstract The impact of micro-, nanoplastics (MNPs) and particulate matter (PM) upon human health are escalating concerns worldwide. MNPs released from surgical face masks, and PM from ambient air pollution, can both be inhaled and consequently have potentially significant negative impacts upon human health, particularly on our lung epithelial cell structure and function. Currently, the impact of the realistic co-exposure of these samples is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the potential inhaled hazardous health effects of the co-exposure of MNPs and ambient (indoor and outdoor) air PM. Using an advanced in vitro testing model combined with a specific mechanistic toxicology approach, it is hypothesised that the co-exposure approach will elucidate important information regarding the differential toxicology of ambient (indoor and outdoor) air PM. The in vitro system will consist of alveolar epithelial type-II cells (-NCI-H441) combined with differentiated monocytes (dTHP-1), cultured at the relevant in vivo ratio and at the air-liquid interface. Cell cultures will be exposed for both 4 and 24hrs to MNP (commercially available polypropylene (PP) and blue face mask extracted PP), PM (NIST 2584 and NIST 1649a respectively) and then subsequent MNP+PM (both NIST 2584 and NIST 1649a respectively) via aerosol (VITROCELL Cloud12), using alternative dosimetry patterns. The biochemical endpoints of cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, (pro-)inflammatory response and genotoxicity, will then be assessed to provide the basis for future global analytical techniques to examine the currently unknown human hazard of inhaled MNPs (+/- PM).

Determination of subpicogram levels of airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for personal exposure monitoring assessment

A method based on the use of GC coupled to Q-exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry (GC-Orbitrap-MS) has been developed for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at sub-picogram levels. Outdoor ambient air particulate matter (PM2.5) and standard reference materials (SRM2260a) were analyzed in full scan mode showing low instrumental uncertainties (1–22%) and high linearity over a wide concentration range (0.5 pg and 500 pg/μL). Good reproducibility was obtained compared to the use of conventional single quadrupole GC–MS of PM samples. The quantification limit of the GC-Orbitrap-MS method for full scan analysis of PAHs in outdoor ambient air PM samples was 0.5 pg/μL. This low limit allowed the analysis of PAHs in samples collected with low volumes (< 0.5 m3), such as punch samples from whole filters or filter strips from personal exposure monitoring equipment. PAHs were successfully analyzed in filter strips from real-time Aethalometer AE51 equivalent black carbon (eBC) analyzers used in urban and rural sites, and in personal exposure monitors of firefighters during prescribed burns. The correlations between PAHs and eBC in these analyses were very strong (r2 ≥ 0.93). However, the equations obtained reflected the dominance of different emission sources, such as traffic in urban areas, wood burning for domestic heating, or wildfires. The method reported here affords the analyses of PAHs in high precision studies of atmospheric PM samples, e.g., high frequency sampling of low volumes, affording personal exposure monitoring assessments.

Gaseous Pollutants and Particulate Matter in Ambient Air: First Field Experiment in an Urban Mediterranean Area (Nador, Morocco)

Mediterranean urban areas are reportedly affected by poor air quality due to numerous emission sources, as well as topography and meteorological conditions that facilitate the accumulation of pollution. This present study makes an initial attempt to assess the effect of gaseous pollutants (NO2, CO, and O3) and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) on the air quality of Nador city, which lies on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco. Three daily, short-term sampling campaigns were conducted between 2016 and 2018 in an urban area. The concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 together with elemental compositions (up to 16 elements) and black carbon content were determined. The obtained data were characterized using descriptive analysis, correlation matrices, elemental enrichment factors (EFs), and elemental ratios. On average, the particulate matter and gaseous pollutant concentrations were below the national standard limits. Two categories of PM2.5 and PM10 sources, as derived from the EF investigation, were defined as soil/crustal (Ti, Al, Mn, Sr, K, Na, Ba, and V) and anthropogenic (Ni, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Pb). For black carbon, biomass burning was found to be the largest contributing source (3.1–8.4 µg m–3), more so than fossil fuels (0.9–1.8 µg m–3). This study highlights that an air quality management plan should be established for Nador city, including the implementation of a network of monitoring stations to help with identifying and controlling the activities causing air pollution.

Inflammation Describes and Explains the Adverse Effects of Aerosol Optical Depth-Particulate Matter on Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Literature Review Since 2012

The success of remote sensing methodology to accurately estimate ambient particulate matter (PM) on the earth’s surface has resulted in the increased use of aerosol optical depth (AOD) AOD-PM 10 , AOD-PM 2.5 and AOD-PM 1 concentration level fused surfaces in cardiovascular epidemiologic and hypothesis-testing of inflammatory physiologic studies. Uniform space-time AOD-PM concentration level fused surfaces have been used as proxies for ambient PM monitor measurements in economically developed and developing counties as well as in densely populated urban regions with on-the-ground ambient PM monitors and in sparsely populated rural areas without ambient PM air monitors to determine the contribution of PM exposure to the subsequent occurrence of cardiovascular chronic diseases and circulatory-related adverse health outcomes. Since 2012, 45 published studies have evaluated the association between increased AOD-PM concentration level readings and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Fifteen surveillance studies used inflammation as a descriptive physiologic mechanism and another nine publications mentioned another description. In contrast, another 20 investigations have used the inflammatory physiologic mechanism to explain how AOD-PM exposure changes the cardiovascular system and other organs connected to the cardiovascular system through the circulatory system and one report referred to some other explanation. The full extent of the adverse effects of AOD-PM exposure on the cardiovascular system only becomes evident when cardiovascular and other pathophysiological changes are also considered and evaluated. This review paper aims to demonstrate why AOD-PM and cardiovascular system studies are a new and useful source of information about how ambient PM exposure adversely impacts the cardiovascular system in diverse populations in different countries.

Investigation of vertical distribution of ambient air particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) concentration at the respiratory heights of children and adults

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Introduction: Air pollution is one of the most important environmental risks to human health. The particulate matter tend to be carcinogenic for humans and can pose a greater hazard to children due to their immaturity and lack of development of the immune system. The current study is aimed to investigate the difference in the concentration of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in the ambient air in the breathing height of children and adults.&#x0D; Materials and methods: Particulate matter were measured cross-sectionally in sidewalks, streets, alleys, squares, and parks of Tehran simultaneously at two heights of 160 cm and 70 cm from the ground. As well as, other variables such as vegetation, buildings and meteorological data were also measured in each location.&#x0D; Results: There was a difference between the concentration of PM2.5 at the breathing height of children, with the average concentration of 52.0 μg/ m3, and the concentration of PM2.5 at the breathing height of adults with the average concentration of 51.6 μg/m3, with p-value of 0.013. Even though the difference is significant, it does not seem to have a significant impact on health. No significant difference was observed between the PM10 concentration at the breathing height of children and adults; however, there was significant difference between the concentrations of PM2.5 with the clean air standard of Iran and data from monitoring stations.&#x0D; Conclusion: The amount of PM2.5 and PM10 is almost the same in children and adults based on the difference in breathing height.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Health and economic impacts of ambient air particulate matter (PM2.5) in Karaj city from 2012 to 2019 using BenMAP-CE.

The present study aims to estimate the effects of PM2.5 on the health and economy of Karaj city from 2012 to 2019. In this study, mortality attributed to long-term exposure to PM2.5 and its spatial distribution in Karaj over the 2012-2019 period were estimated using the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) concentration-response function and BenMAP software. PM2.5 hourly concentration data of air quality monitoring stations were used to estimate PM2.5 for the whole city of Karaj. The economic effects of this pollutant were also assessed using the value of statistical life (VSL) method. The results showed that the annual average PM2.5 concentration during the studied time increased and was higher than the air quality guideline levels recommended by the World Health Organization. Also, the annual number of deaths attributed to PM2.5 in adults (older than 25years) was estimated to be about 1200. The highest to lowest proportions of PM2.5-related deaths were non-accidental mortality, ischemic heart attack, stroke, acute respiratory tract infection, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer, in the order of their appearance. The results showed that the economic loss attributed to this pollutant was estimated at 380 to 504 million USD per year. Due to the effects of PM2.5 on health and the economy in this city, we suggest conducting special planning to control and reduce the concentration of ambient air particulate matter by improving the public transportation system and updating industrial processes.

Process to Reduce Particulate Matter in Ambient Air Using Bubbles of Sodium Palmitate

AbstractMining is a significant dust‐generating activity, and almost every major process in mining contributes to the atmospheric load of total suspended particulate matter (TSPM). Prolonged exposure to TSPM is known to cause various respiratory diseases, including pneumoconiosis among miners. Thus, the generation of airborne TSPM and its subsequent movement into the surrounding environment is a significant problem for the mining industry. The present study describes a possible approach for removing SPM from air by the environmentally friendly approach of releasing bubbles of a salt of a long‐chain fatty acid. More specifically, the study examined the production of bubbles of sodium palmitate and releasing them into the air to capture and remove SPM. TPSM was reduced by using this method at laboratory scale.

Short-term associations of ambient air pollution with hospital admissions for ischemic stroke in 97 Japanese cities

The short-term association between ambient air pollution and hospital admissions for ischemic stroke is not fully understood. We examined the association between four regularly measured major ambient air pollutants, i.e., sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), photochemical oxidants (Ox), and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 2.5μm (PM2.5), and hospital admissions for ischemic stroke by analyzing 3years of nationwide claims data from 97 cities in Japan. We first estimated city-specific results by using generalized additive models with a quasi-Poisson regression, and we obtained the national average by combining city-specific results with the use of random-effect models. We identified a total of 335,248 hospital admissions for ischemic stroke during the 3-year period. Our analysis results demonstrated that interquartile range increases in the following four ambient air pollutants were significantly associated with hospital admissions for ischemic stroke on the same day: SO2 (1.05ppb), 1.05% (95% CI: 0.59-1.50%); NO2 (6.40ppb), 1.10% (95% CI: 0.61-1.59%); Ox (18.32ppb), 1.43% (95% CI: 0.81-2.06%); and PM2.5 (7.86μg/m3), 0.90% (95% CI: 0.35-1.45%). When the data were stratified by the hospital admittees' medication use, we observed stronger associations with SO2,NO2, and PM2.5 among the patients who were taking antihypertensive drugs and weaker associations with SO2, NO2, and Ox among those taking antiplatelet drugs. Short-term exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with increased hospital admissions for ischemic stroke, and medication use and season may modify the association.