Nose Irritation Research Articles

Synthetic Pesticides and Farmer Health Awareness in Alegria, Surigao del Norte, Philippines

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the effects of pesticide use on the health of farmers and raise awareness and knowledge of the proper use, handling, application, and waste disposal of pesticides to prevent detrimental effects on their health.Research Method: The study used a close-ended structured survey questionnaire and employed non-probability sampling based on convenience in selecting 100 farmers. The survey gathered data on the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, pesticide use, mixing and application of pesticides, after-spraying practices, and farmers’ health. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the collected data.Findings: The study found that over half of the participants perceived symptoms of pesticide poisoning (68%). The most prevalent complaints felt by farmers right after applying pesticides were skin irritation (50%), dry throat (35%), headache (16%), eye irritation (11%), nose irritation (9%), dizziness (4%), blurring of eyes (2%), and weakness or fatigue (1%). These symptoms were attributed to the longevity of pesticide exposure, unsafe storage practices, improper disposal of empty pesticide containers, and the lack of use of personal protective devices.Research Limitations: The study is limited by the non-probability sampling method used in selecting the participants, which may limit the generalizability of the results. Moreover, self-reporting and recall bias may have also affected the accuracy of the data collected.Originality/ Value: According to the research, farmers must be educated on pesticide usage, handling, application, and disposal to avoid health problems. The report also calls for legislative initiatives to address pesticide abuse and safety in agriculture, especially in rural regions.

(Invited) review of Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopic Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds with Surface Anchored Organic Frameworks As Solid-State Sensor Materials

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) encompass a very wide range of organic compounds characterized by high vapor pressure at lower temperatures, which gives them significant volatility already at room temperatures. They are present in the living and work environments. Long-term indoor exposure to VOCs can cause fatigue, headache, nausea, eye, nose, and throat irritation in sensitive persons, but also damage the central nervous system and other organs. Because of their widespread occurrence in our environment, there is a need for good detectors and sensors for VOCs. We have investigated the perturbation of the physico-chemical the properties of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) in the presence of VOCs, and developed a novel approach for the detection of such VOCs utilizing Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) techniques.In this talk, we will review the current state-of-the-art in MOF sensing research to provide a context for the novel BDS metrology we have developed, discuss our effort to elucidate the sensing mechanisms of HKUST-1 MOF films with BDS, and showcase the capabilities of BDS for metal-oxide sensing research advancement. Specifically, we will focus on the use of surface anchored MOF (SURMOF)– as opposed to free running powdery MOFs, as sensing agents. Our results show that the SURMOF sensing agent is stable, more robust, and more sensitive in detecting VOCs, than traditional metal oxide (MOS) agents even at temperatures well below 100 °C.

Secondhand smoke Infiltration in multiunit housing: Health effects and nicotine levels

IntroductionApproximately 46% of U.S. multiunit housing residents with smoke-free home rules, 29 million persons, experience secondhand smoke infiltration in their apartments. Federal health authorities warn that secondhand smoke exposure in multiunit housing is detrimental to the health of children and nonsmoking adults. However, none of the 50 U.S. States bans smoking in privately-owned multiunit housing, and less than 0.1% of the 91,000 U.S. municipalities do. Materials and methodsThis study investigates the health problems reported by 162 nonsmoking residents residing in 104 multiunit apartments in 71 municipalities in 19 U.S. States and the District of Columbia, plus 2 Canadian Provinces. Smoke infiltration was confirmed for residents of 103 nonsmoking apartments using self-deployed passive nicotine monitors from 2006 to 2023. Another five subjects reported health problems from marijuana smoke infiltration confirmed by self-administered marijuana surface wipe tests. The secondhand smoke levels in smokers’ units are estimated using mathematical modeling. ResultsNonsmokers complained of eye, nose, throat, and lung irritation, headache, dizziness, nausea, difficulty in breathing, tachycardia, and asthmatic attacks as well as malodors. Many sought medical care and some were hospitalized. Some regarded their apartments as uninhabitable. About 12% resorted to litigation. Nicotine concentrations in subjects’ apartments ranged from 0.001 to 6.60 µg/m3 (geometric mean, 0.028 µg/m3). Modeled PM2.5 levels for a typical smoker’s apartment estimated air pollution levels ranging from “Very Unhealthy” to “Hazardous” levels of the U.S. Air Quality Index. Marijuana surface wipe tests in 5 units showed Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ranging from 1.25 µg/m2 to 6.92 µg/m2. Reported health effects were similar to those with tobacco complaints. ConclusionsSecondhand smoke infiltration from smokers’ apartments into nonsmokers’ apartment units in multiunit housing can provoke major morbidity for nonsmoking residents. Nonsmokers’ efforts to eliminate infiltration by sealing of cracks, air cleaning, or increased ventilation proved futile. Building owners and managers need to be educated about protecting nonsmoking residents’ health and welfare from secondhand smoke infiltration. Smoking of tobacco and marijuana products in multiunit housing should be banned.

Environmental and health impacts of air pollution: A mini-review

Air pollution is one of the leading risk factors for death but also a significant contributor to the global disease burden, affecting quality of life. According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, seven million people die from air pollution every year, and 9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air. Any person can be affected by exposure to polluted air, especially the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with comorbidities. Some studies indicate that the diseases most affected by air pollution are respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. The degree of effect on the body depends on the pollutant composition, source and dose, level and duration of exposure to polluted air. Particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulphur dioxide (SO2) could lead to air pollution. Long-term exposure to air pollution can affect every organ in the body and worsen existing health conditions. Short-term exposure to contaminants can include unpleasant sensations such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, eye, nose, and throat irritation, headache, dizziness, and fatigue. Community and individual solutions such as using clean fuel, wearing personal masks, filtering indoor air, and ventilating need to be taken to reduce the impact of air pollution.

PERCEIVED IMPACT OF SOOT POLLUTION ON RESIDENTS NEAR ARTISANAL CRUDE OIL REFINERIES IN TOMBIA COMMUNITY, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Soot pollution arising from artisanal crude oil is on the increase in the Niger Delta. This development is worsening the already fragile ecosystem, occasioned by many years of oil and gas exploration. The implications are adverse environmental health outcomes. This study aimed to assess the perception of the impact of soot pollution among residents near artisanal oil refineries in Tombia Community, Rivers State, Nigeria. Four hundred and twenty (420) questionnaires were administered to residents to find out the perceived impact of soot. Obtained data was analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentages) and inferential statistics (chi-square). Respondents were highly knowledgeable on the impact of artisanal crude oil refineries, with 79.9% affirming to that, though only 54.6% attributed the occurrence of soot in the area to artisanal crude oil refineries. The majority (67.3%) felt discomfort when in the building or shortly after using the building. The predominant health complaints by respondents were cough, sneezing, nose irritation, eye irritation and breathing difficulties. The Chi-square result revealed that the age and gender of respondents are significantly associated with the effect of soot pollution (p < 0.05). However, marital status, educational level and period of stay have no significant association with soot effect. During the period of soot pollution, the majority (65%) observed changes in plants. Soot pollution was more evident during the dry season, as reported by 95.4% of respondents. This study has shown that soot pollution adversely affects man and the environment. Artisanal crude oil refining should be fought to a...

Who Is Affected by Saharan Dust in the Caribbean? A Spatial Analysis and Citizen’s Perspective from Puerto Rico during the Godzilla Dust Event in June 2020

Abstract An extreme Saharan dust storm (named Godzilla) arrived at the Caribbean region in June 2020, deteriorating the air quality to hazardous levels and unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups of people. Our main objective was to characterize populations at risk for Saharan dust by analyzing distribution and levels of dust events in Puerto Rico, and by conducting an online survey to assess community perceptions on Saharan dust health effects. Three daily satellite aerosols products from 2013 to 2020 were retrieved from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite over Puerto Rico to better understand the patterns, frequency, and seasonality of aerosols. The atmospheric results indicated that extreme values (>99th) of big size aerosols (e.g., Sahara dust) were observed over Puerto Rico on 22 June 2020. A total of 1504 qualified people participated in the survey during the summer of 2020, and it was analyzed with descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, and chi-square tests. 51% of the survey participants were on the age group of 25–44 years old, and 65% of the participants had at least one preexisting health condition (respiratory diseases 27%; cardiovascular diseases 28%). Nearly 90% of the participants indicated that Saharan dust affected the health status of both the respondents and their family members. Irritation of eyes (22%), nose (24%), and throat (23%), as well as breathing difficulties (10%), were the most common symptoms reported. Understanding patients’ health profiles associated with Saharan dust is essential before developing public health strategies to minimize exacerbation of health conditions in Puerto Rico.

Literature Review : Hubungan Kualitas Udara Indoor terhadap Kejadian Sick Building Syndrome pada Pekerja Perkantoran

Indoor air quality includes poor physical, chemical and biological quality which can have a negative impact on workers in the form of complaints of health problems or Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). This study aims to analyze the relationship between indoor air quality and the incidence of Sick Building Syndrome in Offices. Article searches were carried out through the journal sites Science Direct, Scopus, Semantic Scholar, Google Scholar, and nature. The selection of articles was carried out with the following criteria: open access full text, publication 2010-2022, articles in English, suitability of the dependent and independent variables. Based on 53 relevant articles, 5 main articles met the criteria and were discussed further in this study. The 5 main articles show the results of the statistical test p-value 0.05, which means there is a significant relationship between temperature, humidity, bad air such as dusty, stuffy, dry air and bad smell, increased exposure to CO2, ventilation quality, and light intensity with the incidence of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) in office workers which includes sneezing, skin redness, eye pain, sore eyes and itchy eyes, dizziness, headache, nausea, nose irritation, dry throat, dyspnea, bad taste, feeling unwell, sneezing, bad mood, motivation, and concentration problems.

Audiological Profile in Allergic Rhinitis, a Hospital Based Study.

A type-I hypersensitivity reaction of the nasal mucosa, allergic rhinitis (AR) is distinguished by nasal obstruction, watery rhinorrhea, sneezing, and throat, mouth, and nose irritation. It is assumed that allergies can affect the inner, middle, or outer ear. Many writers have studied the relationship between allergic rhinitis and otitis media. Most of them concur that bacterial infection and Eustachian tube obstruction are significant risk factors for the development of otitis media with effusion in addition to allergies. One hundred study participants had a full clinical evaluation that included an ENT history and examination. In the ENT OPD, the audiological examination was conducted using Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) and Impedance Audiometry (IA). At frequencies of 250 and 8000 Hz, respectively, the bone and air conduction thresholds were studied. The commercially available "AT235 INTERACOUSTICS" tympanometer was used for the tympanometry procedure. With pressure variations between + 200 and - 300daPa, tympanometry was carried out employing a 226 Hz probe tone. Mean age of study population was 52.16 and 24% each in age group 51 to 60 and 61 to 70 years respectively. 73 (73%) were male and 27 (27%) were female. 46% of allergic rhinitis study population was found to have normal hearing and 43% had mild conductive hearing loss. Most common type of impedance curve was A type (47%). Patients having acute phase of allergy with symptoms less than 3 months had more ear block and secretory otitis media. Patients with duration more than 3 months had resolved secretory otitis media hence the hearing was normal in 33 cases and 11 had mild conductive hearing loss. This study was concluded that there is correlation between the severity of the hearing loss and duration of allergic rhinitis.

Dry Eye Disease: Focus on Prescription Therapy

Objective To review the pharmacotherapy of prescription drugs approved for treatment of chronic dry eye disease (DED). A brief background on DED management and the pharmacist's role for care is included. Data Sources Articles indexed in PubMed (National Library of Medicine), Iowa Drug Information Service, Cochrane Reviews and Trials, and Google Scholar in the past 10 years using the key words "dry eye," "dry eye and treatment," "cyclosporine," "lifitegrast," and "varenicline." Current guidelines and manufacturers' prescribing information were reviewed. Primary sources were used to locate additional resources. Study Selection/Data Extraction Sixty-five publications were reviewed, and criteria supporting the objectives identified useful resources. Data Synthesis Selected literature included practice guidelines, review articles, research articles, product prescribing information, and drug information databases. Conclusion Patient education, eliminating causative factors, improving the daily environment for eye health, and using ocular lubricants are the first steps in DED management. A therapeutic mainstay is ocular lubricants; preservative-free formulations are recommended for chronic or repeated daily use. The Food and Drug Administration approved prescription medications for chronic use for DED, cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion and solution, lifitegrast ophthalmic solution, and varenicline nasal spray, all improve signs and symptoms but do not cure DED. The ophthalmic products all cause ocular discomfort upon instillation. As a nasal spray, varenicline does not cause ocular discomfort, but it can cause sneezing, cough, and throat and nose irritation in some patients. Pharmacists have an opportunity to provide patient education regarding lifestyle modifications to mitigate DED and provide counseling on available products. Emerging therapies may provide advances in DED treatment.

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on the short-term association between in-vehicle particulate pollutants and the respiratory health of Parisian taxi drivers.

This study assessed the short-term associations between in-vehicle ultrafine particles (UFP) and black carbon (BC) concentrations and irritation symptoms and lung parameters of taxi drivers, pre- and post-lockdown. As part of PUF-TAXI project, 33 taxi drivers were followed up during two typical working days. In-vehicle UFP and BC were continuously measured by monitoring instruments. Irritation symptoms during the working day were reported via an auto-questionnaire and lung function was assessed by a portable spirometer, pre- and post- work shift. Generalized estimating equations, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to study the association between air pollutants and health outcomes. Effect modification by measurement period (pre- and post-lockdown) was investigated. UFP and BC concentrations inside taxi vehicles decreased significantly post- compared to pre-lockdown. Incidence of nose irritation was positively associated with in-vehicle UFP and BC levels pre-lockdown, when pollutant levels were higher, whereas no significant association was found post-lockdown. The decrease in the FEF25-75% (forced expiratory flow at 25-75% of the forced vital capacity) during the working day was significantly associated with in-taxi UFP levels before but not after lockdown. No association was found with BC. By contrast, incidence of eye irritation was significantly inversely associated with in-vehicle humidity, regardless of pollutant concentrations and the measurement period. Our findings indicate that an upgrade in in-vehicle air quality could improve respiratory health. This study showed that the magnitude of the incidence of nasal irritation and decrease in lung function depends on UFP concentrations the commuters are exposed to.

Public perceptions of air pollution and associated health risks in Nevada, USA: applications for health communication

ABSTRACT Background We examine the extent to which acute and chronic health conditions motivate individuals to seek air quality information. We apply the theoretical elements of the Health Belief Model (HBM) to improve risk communication about ambient air pollution. We discuss the practical applications of HBM, in tandem with the principles of health communication, within an environmental health context. Methods We test the predictive power of selected components related to the HBM (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and cues to action) for intentions to seek information about ambient air quality. We surveyed 325 individuals throughout Nevada where poor air quality poses a risk for vulnerable populations. Results Ordinal logistic regression analyses showed that experiencing mucous membrane symptoms (eye itching, nose irritation, and dry throat/cough), perceived severity to future health threats, and having an at-risk member in the household positively and significantly predicted intentions to seek air quality information. Experiencing neuropsychological symptoms (fatigue, feeling heavy-headed, and nausea/dizziness), and having a cardiovascular or a respiratory condition did not have significant effects on reported intentions. Conclusions We discuss how the results of this study can be integrated into health communication practices to increase public engagement with air quality information as a personal intervention measure.

Phototherapy in allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever, is a condition characterized by the inflammation of the nasal passages caused by allergens such as pollen, dust mites, animal dander, and mold. It affects approximately 10-30% of the global population, and its symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, and throat irritation. One of the treatment options for allergic rhinitis is phototherapy, a non-invasive and drug-free approach that has shown promising results in managing the condition. Objectives. The main objective is to study phototherapy in the treatment of allergic rhinitis compared with placebo therapy. We want to apply an effective therapeutic method, a safe one, without notable side effects, cheaper, which improve the health of our patients, and the quality of their life. Methods. It is randomized study, investigating the effect of placebo controlled rhinophototherapy, for a total of 187 patients who met the criteria for inclusion/exclusion. Rhinophototherapy effect was investigated measuring the nasal flow (rhinomanometry) and individual scores for subjective and objective symptoms. Results. Patients treated with phototherapy = 65, placebo = 32 patients treated. Evolution lot phototherapy: very good - 67% improvement, good improvement - 28%, 5%-unfavorable evolution. Analyzing the placebo treated group: good results-10%, 43% moderate-improvement, evolution-47% unfavorable. Conclusions. Phototherapy is an effective therapeutic method to treat patients with allergic rhinitis, is a well tolerated therapy, with minor side effects, easy to implement and monitor.

Management and Challenges of Slaughter Slab in Mubi Metropolis, Adamawa State, Nigeria

Study on the Management and Challenges of Slaughter Slab in Mubi Metropolis was carried out to determine the major challenges of slaughter slab in Mubi, Adamawa State, Nigeria. The data for the study was survey method. The instrument for data collection comprises of structured questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of two sections. Section A dealt with bio-data such variable as age, sex, religion, educational qualification, while section B will be constructed to provide information for objectives of the research. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study disclosed that lack of sanitary operational environment in Mubi slaughter slab affect health of staff/workers, users/customers, residents and host communities living within and around the slaughter slab are at risk of outbreak of water borne diseases. The result of the study on waste management have shown that annually a total of 11,072 tons of blood, 17,280 tons of gut contents and 13,824 tons of waste tissues are discharged directly into the environment. The result also reveal that odour emissions from slaughter slab could cause eye, nose and throat irritation, nausea, cough, bronchitis, shortness of breath, stress, drowsiness and alterations of mood, residences are infested by flies and mosquitoes with varying degrees as per distance. The researchers therefore recommend that the existing slaughter slab should be upgraded with modern slaughter slab infrastructures and facilities for hygienic slaughtering, handling, storage and selling of meat to consumers to forestall infestation of meat by flies and other vectors that affect human health.

Role of aralia racemosa in management of allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is a disease characterized by watery coryza, sneezing with irritation in nose, throat and eyes. Cases of allergic rhinitis is increasing globally, and it is impacting the quality of life of patient and increasing the economic burden of the country. The symptoms of allergic rhinitis though does not lead to mortality but it can cause various complications, thus these symptoms should not be neglected and proper,management should be done to prevent the complications and improve the quality of life of patients. Aralia racemosa is one of the most commonly indicated medicine for allergic rhinitis which can aid in improving the symptoms of allergic rhinitis along with asthma.

Environmental chamber studies of eye and respiratory irritation from use of a peracetic acid-based hospital surface disinfectant.

To characterize personal exposures and measures of eye and respiratory tract irritation in controlled environmental chamber studies of 44 healthy adult volunteers simulating upper-bound use of peracetic acid (PAA)-based surface disinfectant for terminal cleaning of hospital patient rooms. Experimental, within-subject, double-blinded cross-over design. Objective and subjective exposure effects were assessed for PAA and its components: acetic acid (AA) and hydrogen peroxide (HP). Deionized water was included as a control. Breathing-zone concentrations of PAA, AA, and HP were assessed for 8 female multiday volunteers (5 consecutive days) and 36 single-day volunteers (32 females and 4 males). Wetted cloths were used to wipe high-touch surfaces for 20 minutes per trial. Also, 15 objective measures of tissue injury or inflammation and 4 subjective odor or irritation scores were assessed. Disinfectant trials showed 95th percentile breathing zone concentrations of 101 ppb PAA, 500 ppb AA, and 667 ppb HP. None of the volunteers observed over 75 test days exhibited significant increases in IgE or objective measures of eye and respiratory tract inflammation. Subjective ratings for disinfectant and AA-only trials showed similar increases for odor intensity and nose irritation, with lower ratings for eye and throat irritation. Females were 2.5-fold more likely than males to assign moderate + irritation ratings. Simulated upper-bound hospital use of PAA-based disinfectant led to no significant increases in objective markers of tissue injury, inflammation, or allergic sensitization, and no frank signs of eye or respiratory tract irritation.

Facile synthesis of porous LaFeO3 hexagons for acetone sensing

Acetone is a colourless volatile organic compound naturally occurs in the environment in plants and animals, tobacco smokes, vehicle exhausts, volcanic gases and landfills etc. But getting exposed to acetone can cause irritation in eyes, nose or skin leading to acetone poisoning. Besides, acetone detection is considered as a biomarker in the field of clinical diagnosis for the detection of type-1 diabetics. Therefore, various materials have been tested for a long time for the detection of acetone. LaFeO3, a rare-earth composite metal oxide semiconductor material has shown good chemical stability and physical response towards acetone sensing. In this work, sol–gel method has been used to synthesize LaFeO3 perovskite by taking different molar ratios of lanthanum and iron precursors, using the cationic surfactant Cetyl Tetramethyl Ammonium Bromide (CTAB) as the structure directing agent. X-ray diffraction studies (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to study morphology and composition of the synthesized material. XRD patterns confirms the effective preparation of single-phase perovskite (LaFeO3) without any crystalline impurities like Fe2O3 or La2O3 and the crystallinity nature increases with the increasing temperatures at which the three different samples of LaFeO3 were calcined (700 °C, 800 °C and 900 °C). SEM results confirm that the shape of all the particles in the samples is almost hexagonal and porous in nature. Taking the samples of LaFeO3, calcined at different temperatures, thin films were deposited on glass substrate for the study of their electrical properties by Hall effect characterization and also current–voltage (I-V) characteristic study to understand the principle behind acetone detection for a temperature range of 300 K to 373 K.

Respiratory Tract and Eye Symptoms in Wildland Firefighters in Two Canadian Provinces: Impact of Discretionary Use of an N95 Mask during Successive Rotations.

We examined whether discretionary use of an N95 mask reduced symptom reporting in wildland firefighters. The study collected data from two Canadian provinces during the 2021 fire season, with each firefighter followed for up to 4 rotations. Participants completed questionnaires on symptoms at the start and end of each rotation, when they reported also on mask use (if any) and completed a task checklist. Eighty firefighters contributed data. Nineteen firefighters were successfully fit-tested for N95 masks to wear whenever they felt conditions justified. Start-of-rotation symptoms reflected total hours firefighting in 2021. Symptoms of eye, nose and throat irritation and cough were more bothersome at the end of rotation. Cough, throat and nose (but not eye) symptoms were reported as significantly less bothersome at the end of rotation by those allocated masks, having allowed for crew type and start-of-rotation symptoms. Among those allocated a mask, use was most frequent during initial attack and least during driving and patrol. Reasons for not wearing included high work difficulty and low comfort. It is concluded that symptoms in wildland firefighters increased with hours of exposure. While provision of an N95 mask reduced symptoms, work is needed to overcome barriers to respiratory protection

Assessment of Farmers’ Health Risk Due to Pesticide Uses in Winter Vegetables at Selected Areas of Bogura District, Bangladesh

Farmers are facing various kinds of health problems due to exposure of pesticides. This study was conducted to find out the use of pesticides and their related health hazards to vegetable farmers. Data was collected by using a structured questionnaire from seventy-five vegetable cultivators of three different villages at Shajahanpur Upazila under Bogura district Bangladesh, from November to December 2021. The findings showed that the utmost used pesticide was Benzol 5 EC (used by 40% interviewed farmers), followed by Hexaconazol 5%, Amamectin 1% + Acetamiprid 3%, Cloropairiphos 50% + Chypermethin 5%, Chypermethin 10%, Lamda chyhelothrin 2.5%, Mancozeb 80 %. Mascut 550 EC had been reported as mostly used pesticide for which the frequency was recorded as 28 times. Diefenaconazol 15% + Propiconazol 15% were the highest using dose (7.5 kg/ha) in vegetable farms. Around 35% of the farmers reported the increasing rate of pesticide application in last 5 years whereas 52% of respondents reported that the amount was the same. No health risk was found for most of the interviewed farmers (65%) during applying pesticide whereas 35 percent of the interviewed farmers claimed that they faced some negative health symptoms. Twenty percent of respondents reported that they experienced itching of eye, skin, and nose irritation while applying pesticide, 11 percent faced headache, 15 percent faced dry cough, 9 percent had a digestive problem, 11 percent faced difficulty in breathing, 5 percent had chest pain and 21 percent had no health problem. This study also specifies that the farmers of Bogura are not conscious of the proper use of pesticides and this kind of behavior results in serious health hazards. Alternative methods and programs especially Integrated Pest Management may be applied for environmentally friendly agricultural production in Bangladesh.

Commentary: Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: Seeing Through the Clouds.

Commentary: Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: Seeing Through the Clouds.

Chronic respiratory diseases and respiratory symptoms after a mining dam rupture: Brumadinho Health Project.

To identify factors associated with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory symptoms, in Brumadinho, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, after a dam rupture. This is a cross-sectional study, including a representative sample of adults (aged 18 years and over) in the municipality. Associations were assessed between dependent variables (medical diagnosis of asthma and COPD; symptoms of wheezing, dry cough, and nose irritation) and exploratory variables (sex, age group, smoking habit, having worked at Vale S.A. company before the dam rupture, time and area of residence in relation to the dam rupture). Logistic regression models with odds ratio (OR) calculation and 95% confidence interval were used. We identified a prevalence of 7.2% of asthma; 3.5% of COPD; 8.8% of wheezing; 23.6% of dry cough; and 31.8% of nose irritation. We observed a greater chance of asthma among women and residents in the affected and mining regions, while a greater chance of COPD was observed in smokers and in those with longer time of residence in the municipality. Among the symptoms, we verified a higher chance of nose irritation among women, while a higher chance of wheezing and dry cough were found among smokers (current and former). Residents of regions affected by the mud reported a greater chance of presenting all the analyzed symptoms. Conversely, level of education was negatively associated with wheezing and dry cough. We found respiratory changes and identified the groups most vulnerable to developing them, which could contribute to directing actions to reduce the population's respiratory problems.