Effects Of Ambient Air Pollution Research Articles

Effects of ambient air pollution on the risk of small- and large-for-gestational-age births: an analysis using national birth data in Japan.

Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and large-for-gestational-age (LGA) births are major adverse birth outcomes related to newborn health. In contrast, the association between ambient air pollution levels and SGA or LGA births has not been investigated in Japan; hence, the purpose of our study is to investigate this association. We used birth data from Vital Statistics in Japan from 2017 to 2021 and municipality-level data on air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), photochemical oxidants, and particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5). Ambient air pollution levels throughout the first, second, and third trimesters, as well as the whole pregnancy, were calculated for each birth. The association between SGA/LGA and ambient levels of the air pollutants was investigated using crude and adjusted log-binomial regression models. In addition, a regression model with spline functions was also used to detect the non-linear association. We analyzed data from 2,434,217 births. Adjusted regression analyses revealed statistically significant and positive associations between SGA birth and SO2 level, regardless of the exposure period. Specifically, the risk ratio for average SO2 values throughout the whole pregnancy was 1.014 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.009, 1.019) per 1ppb increase. In addition, regression analysis with spline functions indicated that an increase in risk ratio for SGA birth depending on SO2 level was linear. Furthermore, statistically significant and negative associations were observed between LGA birth and SO2 except for the third trimester. It was suggested that ambient level of SO2 during the pregnancy term is a risk factor for SGA birth in Japan.

Nationwide estimation of daily ambient PM2.5 from 2008 to 2020 at 1 km2 in India using an ensemble approach.

High-resolution assessment of historical levels is essential for assessing the health effects of ambient air pollution in the large Indian population. The diversity of geography, weather patterns, and progressive urbanization, combined with a sparse ground monitoring network makes it challenging to accurately capture the spatiotemporal patterns of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in India. We developed a model for daily average ambient PM2.5 between 2008 and 2020 based on monitoring data, meteorology, land use, satellite observations, and emissions inventories. Daily average predictions at each 1 km × 1 km grid from each learner were ensembled using a Gaussian process regression with anisotropic smoothing over spatial coordinates, and regression calibration was used to account for exposure error. Cross-validating by leaving monitors out, the ensemble model had an R2 of 0.86 at the daily level in the validation data and outperformed each component learner (by 5-18%). Annual average levels in different zones ranged between 39.7 μg/m3 (interquartile range: 29.8-46.8) in 2008 and 30.4 μg/m3 (interquartile range: 22.7-37.2) in 2020, with a cross-validated (CV)-R2 of 0.94 at the annual level. Overall mean absolute daily errors (MAE) across the 13 years were between 14.4 and 25.4 μg/m3. We obtained high spatial accuracy with spatial R2 greater than 90% and spatial MAE ranging between 7.3-16.5 μg/m3 with relatively better performance in urban areas at low and moderate elevation. We have developed an important validated resource for studying PM2.5 at a very fine spatiotemporal resolution, which allows us to study the health effects of PM2.5 across India and to identify areas with exceedingly high levels.

Effects of exposure to environmental factors on obesity-related growth parameters and leptin (LEP) methylation in children.

The prevalence of childhood obesity is rapidly increasing. Therefore, gaining more information on the role of environmental parameters is key. With overexpression of leptin (encoded by LEP) in obesity, LEP methylation might be altered by environmental exposures. This study aims to assess effects of ambient air pollution and nearby greenness on obesity-related growth and LEP methylation in early childhood. We monitored 120 mother-child pairs from conception until the age of five. Buccal swabs and anthropometric measurements of the children were taken at six months, one year, and five years old. Buccal DNA was extracted to determine LEP methylation levels. Estimates of air pollution and nearby greenness were calculated using high-resolution models. Effects of air pollution and nearby greenness on growth or LEP methylation were investigated using linear mixed effects models. Positive associations were shown for air pollution between conception and age one on impedance in six-month-olds and one-year-olds in the crude model. PM with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 (PM10) and ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) positively associated with waist-hip-ratio and waist circumference at age five in the fully adjusted model. In early childhood, closest distance to forest negatively, and urban green and forest positively associated with weight-for-length, body mass index, and fat percentage in five-year-olds in the fully adjusted model. No significant associations for noise, and walkability on growth were seen. Negative associations were shown for smaller green clusters and positive associations for greater green clusters on LEP methylation in one-year-olds. For forest distance, walkability, noise, or all green on LEP methylation, no significant associations were found. Evidence is provided that ambient air pollution might have a significant effect on impedance and waist-hip-ratio, suggesting an increased risk of childhood obesity. Based on LEP methylation, greater green clusters might associate with a decreased risk of childhood obesity, while smaller green clusters showed the opposite.

Effects of ambient air pollution on obesity and ectopic fat deposition: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionGlobally, the prevalence of obesity tripled from 1975 to 2016. There is evidence that air pollution may contribute to the obesity epidemic through an increase in oxidative stress and inflammation...

How multiple air pollutants affect hand, foot, and mouth disease incidence in children: assessing effect modification by geographical context in multicity of Sichuan, southwest China

BackgroundSeveral studies have suggested a significant association of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) with ambient air pollutants. Existing studies have characterized the role of air pollutants on HFMD using only risk ratio measures while ignoring the attributable burden. And whether the geographical context (i.e., diverse topographic features) could modulate the relationships is unclear.MethodsDaily reported childhood HFMD counts, ambient air pollution, and meteorological data during 2015–2017 were collected for each of 21 cities in Sichuan Province. A multistage analysis was carried out in different populations based on geographical context to assess effect modification by topographic conditions. We first constructed a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) for each city to describe the relationships with risk ratio measures. Then, we applied a multivariate meta-regression to estimate the pooled effects of multiple air pollutants on HFMD from the exposure and lagged dimensions. Finally, attributable risks measures were calculated to quantify HFMD burden by air pollution.ResultsBased on 207554 HFMD cases in Sichuan Province, significant associations of HFMD with ambient air pollutants were observed mainly at relatively high exposure ranges. The effects of ambient air pollutants on HFMD are most pronounced on lag0 or around lag7, with relative risks gradually approaching the reference line thereafter. The attributable risks of O3 were much greater than those of other air pollutants, particularly in basin and mountain regions.ConclusionsThis study revealed significant pooled relationships between multiple air pollutants and HFMD incidence from both exposure and lag dimensions. However, the specific effects, including RRs and ARs, differ depending on the air pollution variable and geographical context. These findings provide local authorities with more evidence to determine key air pollutants and regions for devising and implementing targeted interventions.

Assessing the short-term effects of PM2.5 and O3 on cardiovascular mortality using high-resolution exposure: a time-stratified case cross-over study in Southwestern China.

Air pollution is a major risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). To date, limited studies have estimated the effects of ambient air pollution on CVD mortality using high-resolution exposure assessment, which might fail to capture the spatial variation in exposure and introduce bias in results. Besides, the three-year action plan (TYAP, 2018-2020) was released; thus, the constitution and health effect of air pollutants may have changed. In this study, we estimated the short-term effect exposed to particulate matters with parameter less than 2.5µm (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) with 0.05° × 0.05° resolution on CVD mortality and measured the influence of TYAP in the associations. We used random forest models with spatial weight matrices to attain high-resolution pollutant concentrations and conditional Poisson regression to assess the relationship between air pollution and cardiovascular mortality. With an increase of 10µg/m3 in PM2.5 and O3 during 2018-2021 in the Sichuan Basin (SCB), CVD mortality increased 1.0134 (95% CI 1.0102, 1.0166) and 1.0083 (95% CI 1.0060, 1.0107), respectively, using high-resolution air pollutant concentration, comparing to 1.0070 (95% CI 1.0052, 1.0087) and 1.0057 (95% CI 1.0037, 1.0078) using data from air quality monitoring stations (AQMs). After TYAP, the relative risk (RR) due to PM2.5 rose up to 1.0149 (95% CI 1.0054, 1.0243), and the RR due to O3 rose up to 1.0089 (95% CI 1.0030, 1.0148) in Sichuan Province. We found significantly positive association of cardiovascular mortality and air pollution in Sichuan Province. And using high-resolution exposure would be more accurate to estimate the effect of air pollution on CVD. After TYAP, the cardiovascular mortality risk estimation due to PM2.5 decreased in elderly in SCB, and the risk due to O3 increased in Sichuan Province.

Effects of ambient air pollution on the hospitalization risk and economic burden of mental disorders in Qingdao, China.

The aim of this study was to examine the impacts of short-term exposure to air pollutants on hospitalizations for mental disorders (MDs) in Qingdao, a Chinese coastal city, and to assess the corresponding hospitalization risk and economic cost. Daily data on MD hospitalizations and environmental variables were collected from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019. An overdispersed generalized additive model was used to estimate the association between air pollution and MD hospitalizations. The cost of illness method was applied to calculate the corresponding economic burden. With each 10μg/m3 increase in the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at lag05, inhalable particulate matter (PM10) at lag0, sulfur dioxide (SO2) at lag06 and ozone (O3) at lag0, the corresponding relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were 1.0182 (1.0035-1.0332), 1.0063 (1.0001-1.0126), 1.0997 (1.0200-1.1885) and 1.0099 (1.0005-1.0194), respectively. However, no significant effects of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) or carbon monoxide (CO) were found. Stratified analysis showed that males were susceptible to SO2 and O3, while females were susceptible to PM2.5. Older individuals (≥ 45years) were more vulnerable to air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and O3) than younger individuals (< 45years). Taking the Global Air Quality Guidelines 2021 as a reference, 8.71% (2,168 cases) of MD hospitalizations were attributable to air pollutant exposure, with a total economic burden of 154.36 million RMB. Short-term exposure to air pollution was associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for MDs. The economic advantages of further reducing air pollution are enormous.

Methodological and reporting quality of systematic reviews on health effects of air pollutants were higher than extreme temperatures: a comparative study

BackgroundAn increasing number of systematic reviews (SRs) in the environmental field have been published in recent years as a result of the global concern about the health impacts of air pollution and temperature. However, no study has assessed and compared the methodological and reporting quality of SRs on the health effects of air pollutants and extreme temperatures. This study aims to assess and compare the methodological and reporting quality of SRs on the health effects of ambient air pollutants and extreme temperatures.MethodsPubMed, Embase, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Epistemonikos databases were searched. Two researchers screened the literature and extracted information independently. The methodological quality of the SRs was assessed through A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2). The reporting quality was assessed through Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).ResultsWe identified 405 SRs (286 for air pollution, 108 for temperature, and 11 for the synergistic effects). The methodological and reporting quality of the included SRs were suboptimal, with major deficiencies in protocol registration. The methodological quality of SRs of air pollutants was better than that of temperature, especially in terms of satisfactory explanations for any heterogeneity (69.6% v. 45.4%). The reporting quality of SRs of air pollution was better than temperature, however, adherence to the reporting of the assessment results of risk of bias in all SRs (53.5% v. 34.3%) was inadequate.ConclusionsMethodological and reporting quality of SRs on the health effect of air pollutants were higher than those of temperatures. However, deficiencies in protocol registration and the assessment of risk of bias remain an issue for both pollutants and temperatures. In addition, developing a risk-of-bias assessment tool applicable to the temperature field may improve the quality of SRs.

Effect of ambient air pollution on hospital admission for respiratory diseases in Hanoi children during 2007–2019

Air pollution poses a threat to children's respiratory health. This study aims to quantify the association between short-term air pollution exposure and respiratory hospital admissions among children in Hanoi, Vietnam, and estimate the population-attributable burden using local data. A case-crossover analysis was conducted based on the individual records where each case is their own control. The health data was obtained from 13 hospitals in Hanoi and air pollution data was collected from four monitoring stations from 2007 to 2019. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate Percentage Change (PC) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) in odd of hospital admissions per 10 μg/m3 increase in daily average particulate matter (e.g. PM1, PM2.5, PM10), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), 8-h maximum Ozone and per 1000 μg/m3 increase in daily mean of Carbon Monoxide (CO). We also calculated the number and fraction of admissions attributed to air pollution in Hanoi by using the coefficient at lag 0. A 10 μg/m3 increase in the concentration of PM10, PM2.5, PM1, SO2, NO2, O3 8-h maximum and 1000 μg/m3 increase in CO concentration was associated with 0.6%, 1.2%, 1.4%, 0.8%, 1.6%, 0.3%, and 1.7% increase in odd of admission for all respiratory diseases among children under 16 years at lag 0–2. All PM metrics and NO2 are associated with childhood admission for pneumonia and bronchitis. Admissions due to asthma and upper respiratory diseases are related to increments in NO2 and CO. For attributable cases, PM2.5 concentrations in Hanoi exceeding the World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines accounted for 1619 respiratory hospital admissions in Hanoi children in 2019. Our findings show that air pollution has a detrimental impact on the respiratory health of Hanoi children and there will be important health benefits from improved air quality management planning to reduce air pollution in Vietnam.

The effect of ambient air pollution on birth outcomes in Norway

BackgroundAmbient air pollution can be harmful to the fetus even in countries with relatively low levels of pollution. Most of the established literature estimates the association between air pollution and health rather than causality. In this paper, I examine the causal effects of ambient air pollution on birth outcomes in Norway.MethodsWith the large sample size and geographic division of sub-postal codes in Norway, I can control for a rich set of spatio-temporal fixed effects to overcome most of the endogeneity problems caused by the choice of residential area and date of delivery. After controlling for a rich set of spatio-temporal fixed effects, my paper uses the variance in ambient air pollutant concentrations over narrow time intervals and in a small geographic area of Norway to determine how prenatal air pollution exposure affects birth outcomes. My data contain extensive information about parents as well as meteorological conditions that can be used to control for potential confounding factors.ResultsI find that prenatal exposure to ambient nitric oxide in the last trimester causes significant birth weight and birth length loss under the same sub-postcode fixed effects and calendar month fixed effects, whereas other ambient air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide appear to be at safe levels for the fetus in Norway. In addition, the marginal adverse effect of ambient nitric oxide is larger for newborns with disadvantaged parents. Both average concentrations of nitric oxide and occasional high concentration events can adversely affect birth outcomes.ConclusionsPrenatal exposure to NO pollution has an adverse effect on birth outcomes. This suggests that government and researchers should pay more attention to examining NO pollution and that health care providers need to advise pregnant women about the risks of air pollution during pregnancy.

The impact of air pollution on urban health in Nigeria: Possible solutions

Air pollution has been a major topic of discussion due to its detrimental impact on health and the environment as a result of the urban population's explosive development and associated human activities. The main objective of the study is to give a critical review of the causes, impacts, and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for reducing air pollution with an emphasis on urban centers in Nigeria. The study adopted natural approaches to address/improve air quality and lessen health risks related to the emission of hazardous substances. To work with nature rather than against it, however, there must be cooperation between the government and its agent, the community, non-governmental organizations, civil society, faith-based organizations, associations, union bodies, young people, women, and people with disabilities, as well as support from international organizations. The study carried out showed that human activities are the major source of air pollution in Nigeria through the release of harmful gaseous substances, carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NO2) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, particles and heavy metal and this pollution is extremely dangerous due to the particles and substance discharged into the atmosphere. The findings contribute to the limited body of literature that already exists on the detrimental effects of ambient air pollution on respiratory health that are experienced by residents of urban cities in specific regions of Nigeria and other cities that are similar to those in Nigeria. In order to reduce air pollution in our urban centers, the study suggested adopting Nature-based Solutions (NbS).

Short-term exposure to air pollution and emergency room visits for acute respiratory symptoms among adults.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the short-term effect of ambient air pollution on daily acute respiratory emergency room visits among adults.METHODS: A time-series study (June 2017-February 2019) was carried out among adults (≥18 years) visiting a multi-specialty hospital in Delhi. We evaluated the association between the daily levels of particulate matter (PM) <2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) and PM <10 μm in diameter (PM10), ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO) and sulphur dioxide and daily count of emergency room (ER) visits for acute respiratory symptoms. Generalised additive model (GAM) was used with the Poisson link function to analyse the associations for 0-1 to 0-7 lag days.RESULTS: A total of 69,400 ER visits were recorded, of which 2,669 were by adults due to acute respiratory symptoms. At 0-7 lag days, an increment of 1 standard deviation in NO₂ and PM2.5 concentration was associated with a percentage increase in acute respiratory ER visits of respectively 53.0% (95% CI 30.84-78.97) and 19.5% (95% CI 4.53-36.65). During 0-7 lag days, a positive trend was observed at higher concentrations of CO (>1.86-3.28 mg/m³), while a negative significant association was observed at low concentrations of CO (<1.171 mg/m³).CONCLUSION: Short-term exposure to ambient NO2 and PM2.5 was associated with acute respiratory emergency visits of adults at lag 0-7 days.

Effects of ambient air pollutants on cardiovascular disease hospitalization admission

Effects of ambient air pollutants on cardiovascular disease hospitalization admission

Effect of Ambient Air Pollution on Years of Life Lost from Deaths due to External Causes in Seoul, South Korea

Effect of Ambient Air Pollution on Years of Life Lost from Deaths due to External Causes in Seoul, South Korea

Joint and mediation effects of ambient air pollutants and PM2.5 components on renal function in China

Joint and mediation effects of ambient air pollutants and PM2.5 components on renal function in China

Does ambient air pollution influence biochemical markers of liver injury? Findings of a cross-sectional population-based survey

BackgroundThere is limited evidence supporting an adverse effect of ambient air pollution on the liver. ObjectivesTo test the association between exposure to residential air pollution and serum biochemical indicators of liver injury. MethodsWe used a nationally representative sample of 32,989 participants aged 3–79 years old who participated in the Canadian Health Measures Survey between 2007 and 2019. Cross-sectional associations were assessed by generalized linear mixed models incorporating survey-specific sampling weights. ResultsThe joint effect of an interquartile range (IQR) increase in nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was positively and significantly associated with all measures of liver injury adjusting for age, sex, education, income, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, and physical activity. The ranking of effect sizes from largest to smallest percent increases were 8.72% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.56, 9.88) for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), 5.54% (95%CI 3.31, 7.77) for gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), 4.81% (95%CI 3.87, 5.74) for aspartate aminotransferase (AST), 2.46% (95%CI 0.26, 4.65) for total bilirubin (TBIL) and 1.18% (95%CI 0.62, 1.75) for alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Findings were not significantly different when stratified by age (≤16, >16 yr), sex, smoking (current, other), cholesterol (≤6.18, >6.18 mmol/l) and BMI (<30, ≥30 kg/m2). DiscussionThese findings suggest that ambient air pollution may have a relatively small impact on the liver, but these changes may have significant impact from a population health perspective, considering the ubiquitous nature of air pollution, or for individuals exposed to very high levels of air pollution.

Effects of Ambient Air Pollutants on Hospital Admissions among Children Due to Asthma and Wheezing-Associated Lower Respiratory Infections in Mysore, India: A Time Series Study.

Air pollutants are known to trigger asthma and wheezing-associated lower respiratory infections in children, but evidence regarding their effect on hospital admissions in India is limited. We conducted a time-series study over a period of five years to assess the role of ambient air pollutants in daily asthma-related hospital admissions in children in Mysore, India. Daily asthma and wheeze (associated with lower respiratory infections) admissions were modelled using a generalised additive model (GAM) to examine the non-linear effects and generalised linear models (GLM) for linear effects, if any. Models were adjusted by day of the week and lag days, with smooth terms for time, maximum temperature, and relative humidity, and they were stratified by sex and age group. Of the 362 children admitted, more than 50% were boys, and the mean age was 5.34 years (±4.66). The GAMs showed non-linear associations between NO2, PM2.5, and NH3. For example, a 10 µgm-3 (or 10%) increase in NO2 increased admissions by 2.42. These non-linear effects were more pronounced in boys. A linear effect was detected for PM10 with a relative risk (95% CI) of 1.028, 1.013, and 1.043 with admission. Further research is needed to explore whether these findings can be replicated in different cities in India. Air pollution needs to be controlled, and policies that focus on lower cut-off levels for vulnerable populations are necessary.

Ambient air pollution and infant health: a narrative review.

The extensive evidence regarding the effects of ambient air pollution on child health is well documented, but limited review summarized their health effects during infancy. Symptoms or health conditions attributed to ambient air pollution in infancy could result in the progression of severe diseases during childhood. Here, we reviewed previous empirical epidemiological studies and/or reviews for evaluating the linkages between ambient air pollution and various infant outcomes including adverse birth outcomes, infant morbidity and mortality, early respiratory health, early allergic symptoms, early neurodevelopment, early infant growth and other relevant outcomes. Patterns of the associations varied by different pollutants (i.e., particles and gaseous pollutants), exposure periods (i.e., pregnancy and postpartum) and exposure lengths (i.e., long-term and short-term). Protection of infant health requires that paediatricians, researchers, and policy makers understand to what extent infants are affected by ambient air pollution, and a call for action is still necessary to reduce ambient air pollution.

Effect of Ambient Air Pollution on Years of Life Lost from Deaths due to Injury in Seoul, South Korea

Effect of Ambient Air Pollution on Years of Life Lost from Deaths due to Injury in Seoul, South Korea

The Relationship between Air Pollution and Brain Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

There is very little epidemiological evidence on the effects of ambient air pollution on brain tumor risk. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between exposure to air pollution and the incidence of brain tumors. A comprehensive literature search in five international databases, including PubMed/Medline, ProQuest, Scopus, Embase, and ISI/WOS on April 15, 2019, was conducted. The methodology of the present study was based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) statement. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Form was used to evaluate the quality of the selected papers. Five studies that measured adult brain tumors as well as their long-term exposure to at least one of the pollutants criteria for air pollution, PM2.5 absorbance, and proximity to traffic (Trafnear) were reviewed. The results showed that the pooled relative risk (RR) for incidence of brain tumor and long term exposure to Trafnear, PM2.5, PM2.5 absorbance, O3 and NOx were RR = 1.07, (95% CI 0.99-1.16), P = 0.079, for Trafnear; RR = 0.90, (95% CI 0.80-1.00), P = 0.064 for PM2.5; RR = 1.63, (95% CI 1.04-2.55), P = 0.031 for PM2.5 absorbance; RR = 1.3, (95% CI 1.03-1.6), P = 0.023 for O3; and RR = 1.16, (95% CI 0.93-1.45), P = 0.173 for NOx. Exposure to other air pollutants had no statistically significant association with brain tumor incidence. The results showed that exposure to air pollutants, such as O3 and PM2.5 absorbance, had the highest correlation with brain tumor incidence. They also showed an absence of correlation between exposure to certain pollutants (SO2, CO, NO2, PM10, PM2.5) and brain tumor incidence.