Benzo Pyrene Levels Research Articles

Effect of air pollution on age at menarche in polish females, born 1993\u20131998

The aim of the study was to analyse the association between the degree of air pollution (suspended particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, benzopyrene levels) in the location of residence during childhood and adolescence and the age at menarche. The research was carried out in the period from 2015 to 2018 in Poland. Anthropometric measurements were performed, and questionnaire data were collected from 1,257 women, aged 19–25 years. The average levels of subjects’ exposure to analysed air pollutants, i.e., particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, nitric oxide and benzene during childhood-adolescence was assessed from the data acquired by the Polish Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection. Negative relationships between age at menarche and suspended particulate matter as well as nitrogen levels were found. A similar trend was observed in an analysis of the relationship between age at menarche and the complex air pollution index. The tendency for age at menarche to decrease together with worsening air quality was also visible after adjusted for socioeconomic status. Girls exposed to high suspended particulate matter levels were characterised by higher risk of early age at menarche. High levels of air pollution are related to younger age at menarche and the risk of the menstruation onset below 11 years.

「環境と健康」研究における最前線「環境と健康」研究の諸課題

Study of health and environment has been problematic. Chemical compounds hazardous to health have not been identified until after health problems have arisen. Adverse health effects are noted, the problems are discussed for the first time, and hazardous chemical compounds are then identified. Attention is paid to the removal of causative compounds, and new fields of study start to gain importance.For example, many chemical substances were once considered candidates for air pollution. Causative substances were confirmed through animal experiments, and studies of pollution-related health effects were conducted. Such was the case with formaldehyde related to sick house syndrome. When formaldehyde was suspected to be a substance causing the symptoms, studies of the effects of formaldehyde were begun, and levels of formaldehyde in the environment were measured. Benzopyrene is a known carcinogen and is implicated in lung cancer. When coal-burning systems were converted to oil-burning systems, levels of benzopyrene in the Sapporo area decreased markedly.In 1999, however, the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) law was enacted in Japan; developed nations worldwide have approved similar systems. We believe that much research into health and environment will now be conducted prospectively. It also appears that research into the problems of health and environment will be actively promoted.