Effects Of Ambient Air Pollution Research Articles

Short-term effects of ambient air pollution and meteorological factors on tuberculosis in semi-arid area, northwest China: a case study in Lanzhou.

To investigate the short-term effects of ambient air pollution and meteorological factors on daily tuberculosis (TB), semi-parametric generalized additive model was used to assess the impacts of ambient air pollutants and meteorological factors on daily TB case from 2005 to 2010 in Chengguan District, Lanzhou, China. Then a non-stratification parametric model and a stratification parametric model were applied to study the interactive effect of air pollutants and meteorological factors on daily TB. The results show that sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10μm (PM10) were positively correlated with daily TB case; the excess risk (ER) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were 1.79% (0.40%, 3.20%), 3.86% (1.81%, 5.96%), and 0.32% (0.02%, 0.62%), respectively. Daily TB case was positively correlated with maximum temperature, minimum temperature, average temperature, vapor pressure, and relative humidity, but negatively correlated with atmospheric pressure, wind speed, and sunshine duration. The association with average temperature was the strongest, whose ER and 95% CI were 4.43% (3.15%, 5.72%). In addition, there were significant interaction effects between air pollutants and meteorological factors on daily TB case.

Association between eye-level greenness and lung function in urban Chinese children

BackgroundHealth effects of greenness perceived by residents at eye level has received increasing attention. However, the associations between eye-level greenness and respiratory health are unknown. The aim of the study was to investigate the associations between exposure to eye-level greenness and lung function in children. MethodsFrom 2012 to 2013, a total of 6740 school children in seven cities in northeast China were recruited into this cross-sectional study. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow rate (PEF), and maximum mid expiratory flow rate (MMEF) were measured to evaluate lung function and to define lung impairment. Eye-level greenness was extracted from segmented Tencent Map street view images, and a corresponding green view index (GVI) was calculated. Higher GVIs mean more greenness coverage. Mixed-effects logistic regressions were used to estimate the health effects on lung impairment per interquartile range (IQR) increase in GVI. Linear regressions were used to estimate the associations between GVI and lung function. The health effects of ambient air pollutants were also assessed, including particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <1.0 μm (PM1), <2.5 μm (PM2.5), <10 μm (PM10) as well as nitrogen dioxide (NO2). ResultsAn increase of GVI800m was associated with lung impairment in FEV1, FVC, PEF and MMEF, with ORs ranging from 0.68 (95% CI: 0.59, 0.79) to 0.83 (95% CI: 0.74, 0.93). The associations between an IQR increase of GVI800m and FEV1 (48.15 ml, 95% CI: 30.33–65.97 ml), FVC (50.57 ml, 95% CI: 30.65–70.48 ml), PEF (149.59 ml/s, 95% CI: 109.79–189.38 ml/s), and MMEF (61.18 ml/s, 95% CI: 31.07–91.29 ml/s) were significant, and PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 were found to be mediators of this relationship. ConclusionMore eye-level greenness was associated with better lung function and reduced impairment. However, eye-level greenness associations with lung function became non-significant once lower particulate matter air pollution exposures were considered.

Ambient air pollution and meteorological factors escalate electricity consumption

The impact of climate change is evident in the variability of weather patterns, hence, affecting electricity generation and consumption. Existing literature examines the effect of humidity and temperature on energy, but suffers from omitted variable bias. Here, we adopt several parameters namely ambient air pollution, precipitation, surface pressure, dew-frost point, relative humidity, wind speed, earth skin temperature, cooling degree days, heating degree days, solar and wind generation, cumulative installed PV power, and wind turbine capacity, solar and wind electricity consumption, and energy price index to investigate the role of climatic and energy-related factors on households, industry sector, commercial and public service attributed electricity consumption in Norway. Our machine learning estimator accounts for climate change heterogeneity, and historical effects while controlling omitted-variable and misspecification bias. The empirical assessment shows the radiative forcing effect of ambient air pollution decreases electricity consumption. In contrast, the scavenging effect of rainfall intensity on ambient air pollution improves both wind and solar electricity consumption. Rising levels of earth skin temperature, and humidity increases solar and wind electricity consumption whereas dew-frost point drops temperature, and humidity to improve human comfort. Our study highlights that energy price index is critical to the adoption of solar and wind energy technologies.

Techno-commercial Assessment of Concurrent Municipal Brown Field Reclamation Procedures: A Pivotal Case study of Jawahar Nagar Dump Site

Techno-commercial Assessment of Concurrent Municipal Brown Field Reclamation Procedures: A Pivotal Case study of Jawahar Nagar Dump Site

Ambient Air Pollutions Are Associated with Vitamin D Status.

Evidence on the effect of ambient air pollution on vitamin D is limited. This study aimed to examine the association of air pollution exposure with serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) using UK Biobank health datasets. A total of 448,337 subjects were included in this analysis. Land Use Regression was applied to assess individual exposures to particulate matter with diameters ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5), ≤10 µm (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Linear regression models evaluated the associations between air pollutants and serum vitamin D levels after adjustment of a series of confounders. All analyzed air pollutants were negatively associated with serum vitamin 25OHD levels. After adjusting for potential confounders, a 10 μg/m3 increase in concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, NOx, and NO2 was associated with −9.11 (95%CI: −13.25 to −4.97), −2.47 (95%CI: −4.51 to −0.43), −0.56 (95%CI: −0.82 to −0.30), and −1.64 (95%CI: −2.17 to −1.10) nmol/L decrease in serum vitamin 25OHD levels, respectively. Interaction analyses suggested that the effects of air pollution were more pronounced in females. In conclusion, long-term exposures to ambient PM2.5, PM10, NOx, and NO2 were associated with vitamin D status in a large UK cohort.

Association with Ambient Air Pollutants and School Absence Due to Sickness in Schoolchildren: A Case-Crossover Study in a Provincial Town of Japan.

The effect of ambient air pollutants and Asian dust (AD) on absence from school due to sickness has not been well researched. By conducting a case-crossover study, this study investigated the influence of ambient air pollutants and desert sand dust particles from East Asia on absence from school due to sickness. From November 2016 to July 2018, the daily cases of absence due to sickness were recorded in five elementary schools in Matsue, Japan. During the study period, a total of 16,915 absence cases were recorded, which included 4865 fever cases and 2458 cough cases. The relative risk of overall absence in a 10-μg/m3 increment of PM2.5 and a 0.1-km−1 of desert sand dust particles from East Asia were found with 1.28 (95%CI: 1.15–1.42) and 2.15 (1.04–4.45) at lag0, respectively. The significant influence of PM2.5 persisted at lag5 and that of desert sand dust particles at lag2. NO2 had statistically significant effects at lag2, lag3, and lag4. However, there was no evidence of a positive association of Ox and SO2 with absence from school. These results suggested that PM2.5, NO2, and AD increased the risk of absence due to sickness in schoolchildren.

Joint effects of ambient air pollution and maternal smoking on neonatal adiposity and childhood BMI trajectories in the Healthy Start study.

Participants were 526 mother-child pairs, born ≥37 weeks. Cotinine was measured at ~27 weeks gestation. Whole pregnancy and trimester-specific O3 and PM2.5 were estimated via. inverse-distance weighted interpolation from stationary monitors. Neonatal adiposity (fat mass percentage) was measured via. air displacement plethysmography. Child weight and length/height were abstracted from medical records. Interaction was assessed by introducing cotinine (<31.5 vs. ≥31.5 ng/mL [indicating active smoking]), O3/PM2.5 (low [tertiles 1-2] vs. high [tertile 3]), and their product term in linear regression models for birth weight and neonatal adiposity and mixed-effects models for BMI trajectories. The rate of BMI growth among offspring jointly exposed to maternal smoking and high PM2.5 (between 8.1 and 12.7 μg/m3) in the third trimester was more rapid than would be expected due to the individual exposures alone (0.8 kg/m2 per square root year; 95% CI = 0.1, 1.5; P for interaction = 0.03). We did not detect interactions between maternal smoking and O3 or PM2.5 at any other time on birth weight, neonatal adiposity, or BMI trajectories. Although PM2.5 was generally below the EPA annual air quality standards of 12.0 μg/m3, exposure during the third trimester may influence BMI trajectories when combined with maternal smoking.

A Review of Spatial Causal Inference Methods for Environmental and Epidemiological Applications.

The scientific rigor and computational methods of causal inference have had great impacts on many disciplines but have only recently begun to take hold in spatial applications. Spatial causal inference poses analytic challenges due to complex correlation structures and interference between the treatment at one location and the outcomes at others. In this paper, we review the current literature on spatial causal inference and identify areas of future work. We first discuss methods that exploit spatial structure to account for unmeasured confounding variables. We then discuss causal analysis in the presence of spatial interference including several common assumptions used to reduce the complexity of the interference patterns under consideration. These methods are extended to the spatiotemporal case where we compare and contrast the potential outcomes framework with Granger causality and to geostatistical analyses involving spatial random fields of treatments and responses. The methods are introduced in the context of observational environmental and epidemiological studies and are compared using both a simulation study and analysis of the effect of ambient air pollution on COVID-19 mortality rate. Code to implement many of the methods using the popular Bayesian software OpenBUGS is provided.

Association of long-term exposure to ambient particulate pollution with stage 1 hypertension defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline and cardiovascular disease: The CHCN-BTH cohort study

BackgroundEvidence regarding the effects of ambient air pollution on new stage 1 hypertension defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline remains sparse. ObjectivesTo investigate the association of long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 with stage 1 hypertension and to explore the mediating and modifying effects of PM2.5 on cardiovascular disease (CVD). MethodsA total of 32,135 participants aged 18–80 years were recruited in 2017. The three-year (2014–2016) average PM2.5 concentrations were assessed by a spatial statistical model. Blood pressure (BP) was divided into four categories according to the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline: normal BP (SBP<120 mmHg and DBP<80 mmHg), elevated BP (SBP 120–129 mmHg and DBP<80 mmHg), stage 1 hypertension (SBP 130–139 mmHg or DBP 80–89 mmHg), and stage 2 hypertension (SBP≥140 mmHg or DBP≥90 mmHg or taking antihypertensive medications). The associations of PM2.5 with BP categories were estimated by two-level generalized linear mixed models. Analyses stratified by age, mediation and interaction analyses of PM2.5 and stage 1 hypertension with CVD were performed. ResultsWe detected a positive significant association between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and stage 1 hypertension. Compared to normal BP, the OR was 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.08) per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5. The association was stronger than that of elevated BP but weaker than that of stage 2 hypertension. Stage 1 hypertension only partially mediated the association between PM2.5 and CVD, and the mediation proportions ranged from 1.55% to 11.00%. However, it modified the association between PM2.5 and CVD, which was greater in participants with stage 1 hypertension (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.43, 1.93) than in participants with normal BP (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.57), with Pinteraction<0.001. In the analysis stratified by age, the above associations were age-specific, and significant associations were only observed in the young and middle-aged (<60 years) groups. ConclusionsLong-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 was significantly associated with stage 1 hypertension. This earlier stage of hypertension may be a trigger BP range for adverse effects of air pollution in the development of hypertension and CVD, especially in young and middle-aged individuals.

Ambient air pollutants, diabetes and risk of newly diagnosed drug-resistant tuberculosis

BackgroundDrug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), diabetes and exposure to air pollution are thought to be important threat to human health, but no studies have explored the effects of ambient air pollutants on DR-TB when adjusting diabetes status so far. MethodsWe performed a study among 3759 newly diagnosed TB cases with drug-susceptibility testing results, diabetes status, and individual air pollution data in Shandong from 2015 to 2019. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) including three models (Model 1: without covariates, Model 2: adjusted by diabetes status only, Model 3: with all covariates) were applied. ResultsOf 3759 TB patients enrolled, 716 (19.05%) were DR-TB, and 333 (8.86%) had diabetes. High exposure to O3 was associated with an increased risk of RFP-resistance (Model 2 or 3: odds ratio (OR) = 1.008, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.002–1.014), ethambutol-resistance (Model 3: OR = 1.015, 95%CI: 1.004–1.027) and any rifampicin+streptomycin resistance (Model 1,2,3: OR = 1.01, 95%CI: 1.002–1.018) at 90 days. In contrast, NO2 was associated with a reduced risk of DR-TB (Model 3: OR = 0.99, 95%CI: 0.981–0.999) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) (Model 3: OR = 0.977, 95%CI: 0.96–0.994) at 360 days. Additionally, SO2 (Model 1, 2, 3: OR = 0.987, 95%CI: 0.977–0.998) showed a protective effect on MDR-TB at 90 days. PM2.5 (90 days, Model 2: OR = 0.991, 95%CI: 0.983–0.999), PM10 (360 days, Model 2: OR = 0.992, 95%CI: 0.985–0.999) had protective effects on any RFP+SM resistance. ConclusionsO3 contributed to an elevated risk of TB resistance but PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2 showed an inverse effect. Air pollutants may affect the development of drug resistance among TB cases by adjusting the status of diabetes.

Effects of Ambient Air Pollution on Blood Pressure Among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BackgroundPrevious studies have investigated the association of ambient air pollution with blood pressure (BP) in children and adolescents, however, the results are not consistent. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to assess the relationship between short‐term and long‐term ambient air pollutant exposure with BP values among children and adolescents.Methods and ResultsWe searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase before September 6, 2020. Two reviewers independently searched and selected studies, extracted data, and assessed study quality. The studies were divided into groups by composition of air pollutants (NO2, particulate matter (PM) with diameter ≤10 μm or ≤2.5 μm) and length of exposure. The beta regression coefficients (β) and their 95% CIs were calculated to evaluate the strength of the effect with each 10 μg/m3 increase in air pollutants. Out of 36 650 articles, 14 articles were included in this meta‐analysis. The meta‐analysis showed short‐term exposure to PM with diameter ≤10 μm (β=0.267; 95% CI, 0.033‒0.501) was significantly associated with elevated systolic BP values. In addition, long‐term exposure to PM with diameter ≤2.5 μm (β=1.809; 95% CI, 0.962‒2.655), PM with diameter ≤10 μm (β=0.526; 95% CI, 0.095‒0.958), and NO2 (β=0.754; 95% CI, 0.541‒0.968) were associated with systolic BP values and long‐term exposure to PM with diameter ≤2.5 μm (β=0.931; 95% CI, 0.157‒1.705), and PM with diameter ≤10 μm (β=0.378; 95% CI, 0.022‒0.735) was associated with diastolic BP.ConclusionsOur study indicates that both short‐term and long‐term exposure to some ambient air pollutants may increase BP values among children and adolescents.

Effects of ambient air pollution on emergency room visits of children for acute respiratory symptoms in Delhi, India.

The present study explored the association between daily ambient air pollution and daily emergency room (ER) visits due to acute respiratory symptoms in children of Delhi. The daily counts of ER visits (ERV) of children (≤15 years) having acute respiratory symptoms were obtained from two hospitals of Delhi for 21 months. Simultaneously, data on daily concentrations of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3) and weather variables were provided by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee. K-means clustering with time-series approach and multi-pollutant generalized additive models with Poisson link function was used to estimate the 0-6-day lagged change in daily ER visits with the change in multiple pollutants levels. Out of 1,32,029 children screened, 19,120 eligible children having acute respiratory symptoms for ≤2 weeks and residing in Delhi for the past 4 weeks were enrolled. There was a 29% and 21% increase in ERVs among children on high and moderate level pollution cluster days, respectively, compared to low pollution cluster days on the same day and previous 1-6 days of exposure to air pollutants. There was percentage increase (95% CI) 1.50% (0.76, 2.25) in ERVs for acute respiratory symptoms for 10 μg/m3 increase of NO2 on previous day 1, 46.78% (21.01, 78.05) for 10 μg/m3 of CO on previous day 3, and 13.15% (9.95, 16.45) for 10 μg/m3 of SO2 on same day of exposure. An increase in the daily ER visits of children for acute respiratory symptoms was observed after increase in daily ambient air pollution levels in Delhi.

Impacts of Ambient Air Pollution on Health Risk in Korea: A Spatial Panel Model Assessment

This paper investigates the impact of air quality pollution on respiratory health risk in Korea. In particular, we consider transboundary effects of particulate matter (PM10) on the health risk of pneumonia by using the spatial panel model. PM10, generated by natural phenomena and anthropogenic activities, migrates to neighboring areas contributing to not only local but also ambient regional health risks. We employ the spatial panel model to explain the spillover effects of air pollution on the respiratory health risk. The panel data covers environmental, demographic and economic variables that are associated with pneumonia of 120 local districts in Korea during the period from 2010 to 2015. Empirical evidence based on non-spatial and spatial models commonly indicates that the impact of air pollution on pneumonia-related risk is significant. The spatial panel model assessment reveals improvement in explanation and evidences more significant effect of ambient air pollution on pneumonia related hospital visits. As such, evidences of spatial dependence and borderless impacts of air pollution on the health risk of pneumonia are found to be strong. We also investigate the spatial dynamics of the potential association between air pollution and respiratory diseases with respect to variations in wind direction by extending the conventional weight matrix specification. Empirical results imply that transboundary effects of PM10 on health risk are stronger for districts located downwind from Northwest districts than from other directions.

Atmospheric pollutants sources, health risk assessment study at a commercial, urban and traffic site

Ambient air pollutants have detrimental effects on human health and ambient air quality in central Taiwan is worsening. The aims of this study are as follows: (1) Measure the ambient air concentrations and dry deposition fluxes of particulates at a mixed commercial, urban and traffic sampling site in Luliao. (2) Identify the metallic elements that are attached to the particulates at this mixed sampling site. (3) Discuss the effects of ambient air pollutants (metallic elements that are attached to the particulates) on the health of local people using contamination factors and degrees of contamination [Ghosh et al. (2018). Source and chemical species characterization of PM10 and human health risk assessment of semi-urban, urban and industrial areas of West Bengal, India. Chemosphere 207:626–636]. The mean total suspended particulate concentrations were highest in the winter and lowest in the summer. The deposition fluxes were highest in the autumn and lowest in the summer. ANOVA results revealed no significant seasonal variation in the concentrations or dry depositions of particulates and metallic elements (Al, Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) at the sampling site. Cu was the only exception, as its concentration varied seasonally. Degrees of contamination and contamination factor values for metallic elements Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were low. Most of the metallic elements – Zn, Cr, Ni, Cd, Pb and Al – were locally emitted. Local residents close to the site faced no immediate carcinogenic or other health-related risk. Taichung World Flora Exposition was held in Taichung city and lasted as long as six months, and traffic flow increased significantly during this period. Hence, high density traffic flow during the Taichung World Flora Exposition might have been responsible for the high concentration and seasonal variations concentrations of metallic elements Cu and Mn at this time.

Assessing short-term effects of ambient air pollution on respiratory diseases in Guwahati, India with the application of the generalized additive model

Research studies connecting air pollution and its effect on health are much needed by the policymakers in India. Generalized additive model (GAM) was applied to quantify the effect of air pollutants on hospital visits related to respiratory diseases for an Indian city, Guwahati. A total of 6335 patients visited the only medical college and hospital in the city for respiratory diseases during 2016-2018. The multi-pollutant GAM models indicate the existence of synergistic effects of particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) on hospital visits of the patients due to respiratory diseases. The ambient PM2.5 concentrations have a strong link with hospital visits in all 6 single lag days. However, the effect of CO on hospital visits due to respiratory diseases was more robust. The percent change of hospital visits associated with each 1 unit increase in CO concentrations at lag 1 day was 15.7% (RR = 1.157; 95% CI 0.929, 1.442), which was enhanced to as high as 40.8% (RR = 1.408; 1.130,1.755) at lag3. The rise of each 10 units of concentrations of PM2.5 and 1 unit of CO at cumulative lag0-6 day was associated with the percentage change in hospital visits of 6.67% and 62.36% respectively. Single-pollutant GAM models indicate that the risk percentage of PM2.5 causing respiratory disease increased in combination with other pollutants.

Exposure to ambient air pollution and prevalence of asthma in adults

Air pollution is defined as the risk factors for asthma. This study aimed to investigate the effect of exposure to ambient air pollution and prevalence of asthma in adults. This cross-sectional study was done between November 2015 and February 2016. The asthma prevalence was surveyed in 3172 adults between 20 and 44 years old in Tehran, Iran. Face to face interview and standardized questionnaire (European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS)) were used for data gathering. Concentrations of air pollutants in the whole city of Tehran were obtained from Tehran Air Quality Control Company (AQCC). Air pollution exposure assessed by the spatial analysis based on GIS method. The effect of ambient air pollution on the asthma symptoms was assessed with the crude and adjusted logistic regression. Results were reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results showed that the asthma prevalence in adults in Tehran was 11.73%, higher than the average prevalence of asthma in the whole country equal to the 8.9%. The prevalence of asthma in males (6.43%, n=204) was significantly higher than females (5.26%, n=167), but this difference was not significant (P = 0.29). A significant positive association was observed between the asthma prevalence and the concentration of CO (OR 1.64; 1.26 to 1.85) and PM10 (1.04; 1.01 to 1.08) (P <0.05). Finally, we concluded that exposure to some air pollutants can affect the asthma prevalence in adults. Therefore, control of air pollution is recommended to reduce the asthma in Tehran metropolis.

The Association Between Ambient Air Pollution and Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia; it has been known to increase the risk of stroke and heart failure. The association between air pollutants and AF has remained to be controversial. Thus, in this study, we sought to undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to assess the short- and long-term effects of ambient air pollution on AF.We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Ovid for all related studies up to October 2019. We used the random-effects model to estimate the excess risk percentage (ER%) and confidence intervals (CI) for particulate matter with diameter ≤ 2.5 (PM2.5) and ≤ 10 μm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and carbon monoxide (CO). Results were further analyzed by subgroups according to location, age, outcome, and gender.In total, 18 studies were included in our meta-analysis: 5 evaluated for long-term effects, 12 for short-term effects, and 1 for both long- and short-term effects. For the short term, ER per 10 μg/m3 increase of pollutants was 1.8% (0%-3.7%) for PM2.5 and 1.1% (-0.2%-2.4%) for PM10; per 10 parts per billion (ppb) increment of gaseous pollutions was 3.2% (0.6%-5.8%) for NO2, 2.9% (0.3%-5.7%) for SO2, 0.5% (-3.4%-4.7%) for O3, and 2.0% (-1.3%-5.4%) for CO per 1000 ppb change. The subgroup analysis showed the short-term effect was significantly different by region, gender, outcome, and age. Meanwhile, in the long term, except for O3, a statistically significant association was noted between AF incidence and all pollutants.Our meta-analysis suggests that short-term exposure to part of pollutants (PM2.5, SO2, and NO2) increases AF attack. Further, long-term exposure to air pollution can significantly contribute to the incidence of AF in a healthy population.

Effects of ambient air pollution on childhood asthma exacerbation in the Philadelphia metropolitan Region, 2011–2014

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) air pollutants are known risk factors for asthma exacerbation. We studied the association of these air pollutants with pediatric asthma exacerbation in the Philadelphia metropolitan region, and evaluated potential effect modification by children's characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, atopic conditions) and environmental factors (e.g., neighborhood tree canopy, meteorological factors, aeroallergens). We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study of 54,632 pediatric (age ≤18 years) asthma exacerbation cases occurring from 2011 to 2014, identified through electronic health records (EHR) of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) health system. We applied conditional logistic regression to estimate associations between air pollution and asthma exacerbation, using daily census-tract level pollutant concentrations estimated from the EPA Fused Air Quality Surface Using Downscaling (FAQSD) files. The associations were estimated within warm (Apr–Sep) and cold (Oct–Mar) months for unlagged exposure and for cumulative effects up to 5 days after exposure, with adjustment for temperature, relative humidity, and holidays. We found small increases in odds of asthma exacerbation with higher pollutant concentrations, with positive associations (OR, comparing concentrations of 75th to 25th percentile) observed for PM2.5 during both warm (1.03, 95% CI: 0.98–1.08) and cold months (1.05, 95% CI: 1.02–1.07), and for O3 during cold months (1.08, 95% CI: 1.02–1.14). The exposure-response relationship with PM2.5 during the cold months was essentially linear, whereas thresholds of effect were observed for the other associations at low-medium pollutant concentrations. Results were robust to multi-pollutant modeling and adjustment for additional covariates. We found no effect modification by most children's characteristics, while effect sizes were higher on days with detected tree and grass pollens during warm months. Our results suggest that even small decreases in pollutant concentrations could potentially reduce risk of childhood asthma exacerbation – an important finding, given the high burden of childhood asthma and known disparities in asthma control.

Association between ambient air pollution and mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Wuhan, China: a population-based time-series study.

Evidence on the short-term effects of ambient air pollution on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality is still not conclusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between them in Wuhan China. Daily death numbers, concentrations of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and O3), and meteorological characteristics in Wuhan from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2019, were collected. Time-series analysis using generalized additive model was applied. The results showed that a total of 16,150 deaths (7.37 deaths per day) from COPD were observed. The daily average concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and O3 were 59.03, 90.48, 12.91, 48.84, and 91.77 μg/m3, respectively. In single pollutant model, for every increase of 10 μg/m3 in PM10, SO2, and NO2 levels, COPD mortality increased by 0.583% (95% CI: 0.055–1.113%), 4.299% (95% CI: 0.978–7.729%), and 1.816% (95% CI: 0.515–3.313%) at lag03, respectively. No significant associations were found for PM2.5 and O3. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that females were more susceptible to PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2. The concentrations of PM10, SO2, and NO2 were significantly associated with COPD mortality for older adults. The effects of PM2.5 and O3 on COPD mortality were higher in warm period. In two-pollutant models, the significantly positive associations between SO2 and NO2 and COPD mortality remained after adjusting for PM2.5 or O3. In conclusions, short-term exposure to PM10, SO2, and NO2 are significantly associated with a higher risk of COPD mortality. Female or elderly are more susceptible to air pollution. It is urgent to implement the environmental protection policy.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-021-13180-6.

Ambient air pollution and cardiovascular disease in Ugandan adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAir pollution is known to induce systemic inflammation and contribute to cardiovascular disease. The effects of ambient air pollution on adolescents living with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) in Africa has been understudied. In this study, we aim to investigate the relationship between particulate matter, a common proxy indicator for air pollution, and markers of inflammation, monocyte activation, and cardiovascular disease risk. MethodsWe recruited a cohort of PHIV-positive and HIV-negative adolescents who were from around Kampala, aged 10–18 years, had no known active infections, and who lived within 40 km of an PM2·5 monitoring site. Adolescents with PHIV were on ART with HIV-1 RNA concentrations ≤400 copies/mL. Daily ambient concentrations of particulate matter (PM2·5), a proxy for air pollution, were measured with continuous central site monitoring using a Beta Attenuation Monitor or E-Samplers from the GeoHealth Hub. We measured carotid intima media thickness (IMT) using ultrasound, plasma concentrations of soluble CD14 and CD163 as markers of monocyte activation, plasma markers of systemic inflammation (hsCRP, IL6, sTNFRI), oxidised lipids, and intestinal permeability (zonulin). FindingsOne hundred and nineteen participants were included (69 with PHIV, 50 were HIV-negative). Median age was 12·7 years (IQR 11·4–14·2) years, 55% were female and 63% lived below the extreme poverty line (living with <US$1·90 a day). Median CD4+ cell count was 962 cells/μL (643–1313), 82% had viral load <20 copies/mL and median ART duration was 12·1 years (9·7–13·3) years. Overall median daily PM2·5 exposure was 29·08 μg/m3 (23·40–41·70), considered a moderate health risk (WHO definition). There was no significant difference in exposure of PM2·5 between groups (p=0·073), nor between sexes (p=0·099). PM2·5 concentrations significantly correlated with intestinal permeability (zonulin; r=0·43, p<0·001), monocyte activation (soluble CD163: r=0·25, p=0·053), and IMT (r=0·35, p=0·004) in participants with PHIV but not in those who were HIV-negative (p≥0·05 for all three correlations in HIV-negative children). In multivariable quantile regression models, after adjusting for age, sex, and, separately, soluble CD163 and zonulin, daily PM2·5 concentrations remained associated with IMT (β=0·005, 95%CI [0·001–0·009], p=0·007 and β=0·004, 95%CI [0·001–0·008], p=0·014, respectively) in children with PHIV. InterpretationPM2·5 exposure was associated with elevated subclinical vascular disease in adolescents with PHIV but not HIV-negative adolescents, despite there being no significant difference in exposure between these two groups. Our findings suggest the combined effects of HIV infection and air pollution may amplify and contribute to early development of cardiovascular disease. FundingNICHD K23HD088295 (SDF); University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center; The Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Cleveland; and UL1TR002548 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.