Role In Adverse Health Effects Research Articles

Physicochemical Analysis of Water Extracts of Particulate Matter from Polluted Air in the Area of Kraków, Poland

Solubility of transition metal compounds plays a significant role in adverse health effects because that is one of the most important factors of particulate matter bioavailability in the body. In this study, we focus on the chemical analysis of particulate matter (PM) collected at different locations in the area of Kraków, one of the most polluted cities in Poland, and compare them with Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1648a from NIST. The content of four elements (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur) was determined by elemental analysis, and the ratio between organic and inorganic carbon in PM extracts was confirmed by Total Organic Carbon analysis. Among the most concentrated elements found there are calcium, magnesium, sulfur, silicon, and zinc, whereas copper, iron, and manganese were present in lower concentrations. SEM-EDS analysis showed a similar morphology of the SRM and PM collected in the urban area of Kraków, while PM collected in the industrial area has smaller particles with a smooth surface. The reported analyses are significant for the APARIC project (“Air Pollution versus Autoimmunity: Role of multiphase aqueous Inorganic Chemistry”), which aims to identify the main inorganic components of PM and to understand how they affect the development of immunological diseases.

Differentiating the effects of ambient fine and coarse particles on mortality from cardiopulmonary diseases: A nationwide multicity study

BackgroundBoth inhalable particles (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5) are regulated in various countries mainly due to their adverse health effects. However, there is increasing evidence that PM2.5 might be responsible for these effects and coarse particles (PMc) plays little role in adverse health effects, if so, it might be not necessary to monitor PM10. MethodsIn this study, we conducted a time-series analysis using a generalized additive model to explore the effects of PM2.5, PMc, and PM10 on mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 96 Chinese cities during 2013–2016. The mortality number and attributable fraction were further estimated using the national air quality standard and WHO’s guideline as the reference. ResultsWe observed significant effects of PM2.5 on IHD and COPD mortality; each 10 ug/m3 increase in lag01 PM2.5 was associated with a 0.26% (95% CI: 0.17%, 0.34%) increase in IHD mortality and a 0.19% (95% CI: 0.09%, 0.29%) increase in COPD mortality. We also found significant effects of PMc and PM10 on mortality from IHD and COPD, but the magnitudes of effects were weaker than those of PM2.5. The results were robust when adjusting for co-pollutants and altering model parameters. We further estimated that about 1.27% (95% CI: 0.29%, 2.30%) of IHD mortality and 1.25% (95% CI: 0.08%, 2.46%) of COPD mortality could be attributable to PM2.5 exposure using WHO’s guideline (25 ug/m3) as a reference, corresponding to 15,337 (95% CI: 3,375, 27,842) mortalities from IHD and 5,653 (95% CI: 379, 11,152) COPD mortalities in the 96 cities. Across all of China, almost fifty thousand cases of IHD mortality and twenty thousand cases of COPD mortality might be avoidable if the PM2.5 concentration declined to the WHO guideline. ConclusionsOur study indicates that short-term exposure to PM2.5 could be an important risk factor of mortality from IHD and COPD, and substantial cardiopulmonary mortality could be avoidable by reducing daily PM2.5 concentrations. It is nonnegligible to consider the role of PMc in triggering in cardiopulmonary mortality. And it could be necessary to continue monitoring PM10 in the study regions due to the adverse effects of PMc.

Oxidative Potential of Particulate Matter and Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species in Epithelial Lining Fluid

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a central role in adverse health effects of atmospheric particulate matter (PM). Respiratory deposition can lead to the formation of ROS in the epithelial lining fluid due to redox reactions of PM components with lung antioxidants. As direct quantification of ROS is challenging, PM oxidative potential is more commonly measured using antioxidant surrogates including dithiothreitol and ascorbic acid, assuming that the decay of surrogates corresponds to ROS formation. However, this assumption has not yet been validated and the lack of ROS quantification in the respiratory tract causes major limitations in evaluating PM impacts on oxidative stress. By combining field measurements of size-segregated chemical composition, a human respiratory tract model, and kinetic modeling, we quantified production rates and concentrations of different types of ROS in different regions of the epithelial lining fluid by considering particle-size-dependent respiratory deposition. The extrathoracic region is found to have higher ROS concentrations compared to the bronchial and alveolar regions. Although H2O2 and O2- production is governed by Fe and Cu ions, OH radicals are mainly generated by organic compounds and Fenton-like reactions of metal ions. In winter when affected by biomass burning, model comparisons suggest that humic-like substances (HULIS) contribute to ROS formation substantially. We found that PM oxidative potential is a good indicator of the chemical production of H2O2 and O2- but does not represent OH generation. These results provide rationale and limitations of the use of oxidative potential as an indicator of PM toxicity in epidemiological and toxicological studies.

Reactive Oxygen Species Formed by Secondary Organic Aerosols in Water and Surrogate Lung Fluid.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a central role in adverse health effects of air pollutants. Respiratory deposition of fine air particulate matter can lead to the formation of ROS in epithelial lining fluid, potentially causing oxidative stress and inflammation. Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) account for a large fraction of fine particulate matter, but their role in adverse health effects is unclear. Here, we quantify and compare the ROS yields and oxidative potential of isoprene, β-pinene, and naphthalene SOA in water and surrogate lung fluid (SLF). In pure water, isoprene and β-pinene SOA were found to produce mainly OH and organic radicals, whereas naphthalene SOA produced mainly H2O2 and O2•-. The total molar yields of ROS of isoprene and β-pinene SOA were 11.8% and 8.2% in water and decreased to 8.5% and 5.2% in SLF, which can be attributed to ROS removal by lung antioxidants. A positive correlation between the total peroxide concentration and ROS yield suggests that organic (hydro)peroxides may play an important role in ROS formation from biogenic SOA. The total molar ROS yields of naphthalene SOA was 1.7% in water and increased to 11.3% in SLF. This strong increase is likely due to redox reaction cycles involving environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFR) or semiquinones, antioxidants, and oxygen, which may promote the formation of H2O2 and the adverse health effects of anthropogenic SOA from aromatic precursors.

Elemental and organic carbon exposure in highway tollbooths: A study of Taiwanese toll station workers

The carbon composition of fine particles (PM 2.5) from traffic exhausts may play a role in adverse health effects. The objective of this study was to assess the concentrations of elemental and organic carbon in PM 2.5 in traffic exhausts from different types of vehicles in the booths of Taiwanese toll station workers and estimate the relations between traffic density and carbon concentrations. Tollbooth indoor monitoring samples were collected for 10 days to assess the 8 h integrated PM 2.5 concentration. Particle samples were analyzed for the content of total carbon, and elemental, and organic carbon. The mean carbon concentrations in the bus and truck lanes were [total: 167.7 µg/m 3 (SD 79.8 µg/m 3); elemental: 131.7 (66.2); organic: 36.0 (25.8)], substantially higher compared with the car lanes with cash payment [39.2 (29.5); 20.2 (19.5); 19.2 (14.6)] and the car lanes with ticket payment [34.1 (26.1); 15.8 (17.6); 18.5 (12.2)]. The increase in elemental carbon concentration per vehicle in the bus and truck lane was 14 and 9 times greater than that of car lanes of ticket payment and car lanes of cash payment. The mass fraction of carbonaceous species in PM 2.5 accounted for 54% in bus and truck lanes, whereas the corresponding figure was 30–31% for car lanes. Elemental carbon is an important component of diesel exhaust. Workers in toll stations are exposed to high levels of both elemental and organic carbon.

Spatio-temporal effects of estimated pollutants released from an industrial estate on the occurrence of respiratory disease in Maptaphut Municipality, Thailand

BackgroundMaptaphut Industrial Estate (MIE) was established with a single factory in 1988, increasing to 50 by 1998. This development has resulted in undesirable impacts on the environment and the health of the people in the surrounding areas, evidenced by frequent complaints of bad odours making the people living there ill. In 1999, the Bureau of Environmental Health, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, conducted a study of the health status of people in Rayong Province and found a marked increase in respiratory diseases over the period 1993–1996, higher than the overall prevalence of such diseases in Thailand. However, the relationship between the pollutants and the respiratory diseases of the people in the surrounding area has still not been quantified. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the spatial distribution of respiratory disease, to estimate pollutants released from the industrial estates, and to quantify the relationship between estimated pollutants and respiratory disease in the Maptaphut Municipality.ResultsDisease mapping showed a much higher risk of respiratory disease in communities adjacent to the Maptaphut Industrial Estate. Disease occurrence formed significant clusters centred on communities near the estate, relative to the weighted mean centre of chimney stacks. Analysis of the rates of respiratory disease in the communities, categorized by different concentrations of estimated pollutants, found a dose-response effect. Spatial regression analysis found that the distance between community and health providers decreased the rate of respiratory disease (p < 0.05). However, after taking into account distance, total pollutant (p < 0.05), SO2 (p < 0.05) and NOx (p < 0.05) played a role in adverse health effects during the summer. Total pollutant (p < 0.05) and NOx (p < 0.05) played a role in adverse health effects during the rainy season after taking into account distance, but during winter there was no observed relationship between pollutants and rates of respiratory disease after taking into account distance. A 12-month time-series analysis of six communities selected from the disease clusters and the areas impacted most by pollutant dispersion, found significant effects for SO2 (p < 0.05), NOx (p < 0.05), and TSP (p < 0.05) after taking into account rainfall.ConclusionThis study employed disease mapping to present the spatial distribution of disease. Excessive risk of respiratory disease, and disease clusters, were found among communities near Maptaphut Industrial Estate. Study of the relationship between estimated pollutants and the occurrence of respiratory disease found significant relationships between estimated SO2, NOx, and TSP, and the rate of respiratory disease.