Current Environmental Health Reports最新文献

Purpose of review: Exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in early life have demonstrable adverse implications on child health and development. Yet, there is a dearth of studies evaluating the potential exposures to EDCs, such as bisphenols, parabens, phthalates, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), in hospital-based settings among children who are critically ill and/or particularly vulnerable. This narrative review seeks to provide up-to-date evidence on the sources and magnitude of exposure to EDCs in neonatal-, pediatric-, and cardiac intensive care units (NICUs/PICUs/CICUs) as well as resulting health impacts.

Recent findings: Thirty-three studies were included in this review. The most frequently studied and characterized EDCs in NICUs/PICUs/CICUs were phthalates followed by terephthalates and alternative plasticizers. Evaluations of health outcomes resulting from such exposures were scarce, and few studies assessed health outcomes after hospital discharge. EDCs are pervasive in NICU/PICU/CICU settings and pediatric exposure levels are much higher than in other environments. However, the existing evidence has multiple limitations that should be addressed in future work. Specifically, studies evaluating a more expansive array of chemicals, including contemporary and emerging replacements for legacy compounds, are needed, as are studies that consider chemical mixtures. Additionally, few studies evaluated the health impacts of chemical exposures, and their mixtures, in NICU/PICU/CICU settings, especially long-term health outcomes observed after hospital discharge. Such studies could be invaluable in supporting policy as well as development of medical products without toxic chemicals.

Purpose of review: Understanding hurricane vulnerability is crucial for targeting and identifying climate adaptation measures. However, vulnerability assessments often focus on proximal factors, which may obscure underlying drivers of health inequities. We sought to describe the literature characterizing hurricane vulnerability in the U.S., from 2000 to 2022. We abstracted the approaches and factors in each hurricane vulnerability assessment study, and developed a conceptual framework to guide data collection on structural determinants of climate vulnerability.

Recent findings: The review included a total of 121 studies. The majority pre-specified vulnerable populations, while 40% empirically derived vulnerability. Downstream factors pertaining to demographics, spatial analysis, and health status were most commonly used to assess vulnerability to hurricanes. Only five studies reported structural vulnerabilities, including racism, governance, institutions, and infrastructure deficiencies, which form the basis of our conceptual framework. Most hurricane vulnerability studies do not consider upstream factors of health inequities. We developed a conceptual framework and provided example data measures for structural determinants to incorporate into climate and health research, facilitating the development of more effective interventions to address root causes.

Purpose of review: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals with many modern applications, leading to widespread contamination and universal human exposure. PFAS exposure during early life is of particular concern, given susceptibility of the developing fetal and infant brain to toxic exposures. This review aims to synthesize current evidence, discuss methodological challenges, and highlight research gaps to guide future studies on the impact of PFAS on neurodevelopment.

Recent findings: Sixty-one studies in total were published from 2008 to March 2024, with 35 in the last five years. Findings primarily link early life PFAS exposure to reduced cognitive, motor, and language development in infancy and increased behavioral issues like hyperactivity in childhood. Large studies have shown mixed results concerning child cognition, executive function, autism, and ADHD, with some indicating no association or unexpected protective findings. Sex-specific associations have been observed, but not consistently. Most research has addressed low-level exposure, suggesting subtle but potentially significant population-wide neurodevelopmental effects. Recent research also highlights concerns about newer, alternative PFAS, suggesting they too might affect neurodevelopment.  The effects of early-life PFAS exposure on neurodevelopment merit further study, particularly the cumulative effects of prenatal and postnatal exposures. Research has not fully explored sensitive subgroups or potential mitigating factors such as breastfeeding and nutrient intake, which will require larger, more diverse samples. Future directions include deeper study of PFAS mixtures, interactions with other neurotoxic environmental chemicals, and effects of newer PFAS types. There is also a need to focus on neuropsychological functioning in later childhood, using direct assessments for more reliable evaluations.

Purpose of review: A major contributor to household air pollution (HAP) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is unclean cooking fuel. Improved cookstove technology (ICT) interventions have been promoted as a solution, but their impacts on health are unclear. Our aim is to conduct a systematic review to explore the impacts of ICT interventions on health outcomes in SSA. We conducted a systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, on ICT interventions in SSA from 2000-present. We performed this search in MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, Web of Science CABI, and EMBASE via ProQuest. Two reviewers assessed each study using predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria and extracted data. We evaluated each study on participant selection, exposure assessment, control comparability, outcomes, analyses, and biases.

Recent findings: From 4,461 articles, k = 23 (n = 31,261 individuals) articles described results of ICT interventions on health outcomes. Pooled mean exposure estimates for fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in control and intervention groups were 102.88 µg/m³ (95% confidence interval [CI]I: 52.63, 153.14; I² 96.9%) and 101.76 µg/m³ (95%CI: 57.47, 146.06; I² 98.2%), respectively. Estimates for pooled mean carbon monoxide (CO) were 2.40 ppm (95% CI: 0, 8.33; I² 99.0%) and 1.66 ppm (0, 4.91; I² 98.5%) respectively. Of health outcomes, 19.4% were reported as significantly different between control and intervention groups. There is mixed evidence that ICT interventions influence health outcomes due to heterogeneity in study designs, sample size, stove stacking, etc. ICT interventions may decrease HAP, but other sources of air pollutant exposure are not addressed by improved cookstoves.

Purpose of review: This review explores the use of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) for quantifying metals and metalloids in biological matrices such as hair, nails, blood, bone, and tissue. It provides a comprehensive overview of these methodologies, detailing their technological limitations, application scopes, and practical considerations for selection in both laboratory and field settings. By examining traditional and novel aspects of each method, this review aims to guide researchers and clinical practitioners in choosing the most suitable analytical tool based on their specific needs for sensitivity, precision, speed, and sample preparation.

Recent findings: Recent studies highlight enhanced capabilities of both ICP-MS and XRF technologies, making them more adaptable to various analytical needs. ICP-MS is renowned for its unmatched sensitivity and precision in detecting ultra-trace metals and metalloids in complex biological samples, such as lead in plasma or seawater. XRF advancements include lower detection limits and reduced sample preparation time, enabling rapid, non-destructive analyses, ideal for quick field assessments. Portable XRF analyzers have revolutionized on-the-spot testing, providing robust data without traditional wet-lab constraints. Moreover, hybrid techniques combining ICP-MS and XRF features are emerging, offering rapid and precise metal analysis for environmental monitoring, clinical diagnostics, and epidemiological studies. Matching analytical methods to specific research demands is critical. ICP-MS is the gold standard for detailed quantitative analysis in laboratories, while XRF excels in non-destructive, immediate field applications. Selection should consider sample complexity, sensitivity, speed, and cost-efficiency. Integrating ICP-MS and XRF offers a versatile approach to metals analysis, transforming practices in environmental science and healthcare diagnostics. As these technologies evolve, they are promising to expand capabilities in detecting and understanding the roles of metals and metalloids in health and the environment.

Purpose of review: The burgeoning field of environmental epigenetics has revealed the malleability of the epigenome and uncovered numerous instances of its sensitivity to environmental influences; however, pinpointing specific mechanisms that tie together environmental triggers, epigenetic pathways, and organismal responses has proven difficult. This article describes how Caenorhabditis elegans can fill this gap, serving as a useful model for the discovery of molecular epigenetic mechanisms that are conserved in humans.

Recent findings: Recent results show that environmental stressors such as methylmercury, arsenite, starvation, heat, bacterial infection, and mitochondrial inhibitors can all have profound effects on the epigenome, with some insults showing epigenetic and organismal effects for multiple generations. In some cases, the pathways connecting the stressor to epigenetic pathways and organismal responses have been elucidated. For example, a small RNA from the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa induces transgenerational learned avoidance by activating the RNA interference PIWI-interacting RNA pathways across generations to downregulate, via Cer1 retrotransposon particles and histone methylation, maco-1, a gene that functions in sensory neurons to regulate chemotaxis. Mitochondrial inhibitors seem to have a profound effect on both the DNA methylation mark 6mA and histone methylation, and may act within mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to regulate mitochondrial stress response genes. Transgenerational transcriptional responses to alcohol have also been worked out at the single-nucleus resolution in C. elegans, demonstrating its utility when combined with modern sequencing technologies. These recent studies highlight how C. elegans can serve as a bridge between biochemical in vitro experiments and the more associative findings of epidemiological studies in humans to unveil possible mechanisms of environmental influence on the epigenome. The nematode is particularly well-suited to transgenerational experiments thanks to its rapid generation time and ability to self-fertilize. These studies have revealed connections between the various epigenetic mechanisms, and so studies in C. elegans that take advantage of recent advancements in sequencing technologies, including single-cell techniques, to gain unprecedented resolution of the whole epigenome across development and generations will be critical.

Purpose of review: Zinc is an essential micronutrient with a myriad of key roles in human health. This review summarizes mechanistic data supporting the protective effects of zinc on metal toxicity and discusses the framework for an interventional clinical trial of zinc supplementation within a metal exposed Native American community.

Recent findings: Many metals have common underlying mechanisms of toxicity that contribute to adverse human health effects. Studies demonstrate that multiple aspects of metal toxicity can be attributed to disruption of essential zinc-dependent functions. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that zinc may confer protection against metal toxicity in human populations with mixed-metal exposures. Thinking Zinc is a mechanism-informed intervention study of zinc supplementation to test the potential benefits of zinc while maintaining a culturally responsive research approach. The current knowledge of diverse metal and zinc interactions, coupled with strong mechanistic evidence for zinc benefits in the context of toxic metal exposures, supports the hypothesis that zinc supplementation may mitigate the impact of toxic metals exposures in populations with chronic mixed metal exposures and in populations with low zinc status.

Purpose of review: Indoor air pollution is likely to be elevated in multi-family housing and to contribute to health disparities, but limited studies to date have systematically considered the empirical evidence for exposure differentials between multi-family and single-family housing. Our goal is to separately examine the drivers of residential indoor air pollution, including outdoor air pollution, ventilation and filtration, indoor sources, and occupant activity patterns, using secondhand smoke as a case study to examine the behavioral dimensions of indoor environmental interventions.

Recent findings: Within studies published from 2018 to 2023, multi-family homes have higher average outdoor air pollution than single-family homes given their more frequent presence in urban and near-roadway settings. Systematic differences in ventilation were principally related to the presence of working kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans, with heterogeneity in overall building infiltration. Indoor sources such as smoking and cooking were more prevalent in multi-family housing, partly because of the influence of adjacent units and shared spaces and partly because source utilization was higher among sociodemographic groups who tend to live in multi-family housing. The literature on smoke-free housing demonstrated that additional steps would be required to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke given some of the challenges associated with smoking cessation. Publications on the drivers of indoor air pollution in multi-family housing reinforce the likelihood of substantial exposure disparities, indicating the urgency of policy measures that address indoor sources and improve ventilation and filtration in a manner that recognizes the complex behavioral dynamics in the home environment.

Purpose of review: Metals are common environmental pollutants. Acute and chronic exposures to non-essential toxic metals or excessive essential metals cause various diseases including cancer in humans. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been well understood. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) refer to RNA transcripts that have more than 200 nucleotides but do not have significant protein coding capacities. While lncRNAs were once considered transcription noise, they have become increasingly recognized as crucial players in various physiological and pathogenesis processes. The goal of this article is to review and discuss recent studies that show important roles of lncRNA dysregulations in metal toxicity and carcinogenesis.

Recent findings: Recent studies showed that metal exposures dysregulate expression of lncRNAs in cultured cells, animals and humas. However, only a few studies determined the mechanisms of how metal exposure dysregulated expression of lncRNAs. The majority of the studies reported the association of abnormally expressed lncRNAs with various toxic effects of metal exposures, only limited studies established causal relationships demonstrating causal roles of dysregulated lncRNAs in metal toxicity and carcinogenesis. Mechanistically, most studies reported that dysregulated lncRNAs functioned as microRNA sponges to regulate gene expression, much less studies explored other mechanisms of lncRNA actions. It is evident that metal exposures dysregulate expression of lncRNAs, which may serve as novel mediators in metal toxicity and carcinogenesis. Further studies are needed to establish dysregulated lncRNAs as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for metal exposure-associated diseases.

Purpose of review: Parking is a ubiquitous feature of the built environment, but its implications for public health are under-examined. This narrative review synthesizes literature to describe pathways through which parking may affect population health.

Recent findings: We begin by contextualizing the issue, outlining key terminology, the sheer scale of land dedicated to parking, and the historical factors that led to this dominant land use. Next, we delineate four pathways linking parking with public health: 1) Promoting driving and car dependency, affecting air pollution, greenhouse-gas emissions, physical activity, traffic-related injuries and fatalities, and accessibility; 2) Creating impervious surfaces, with consequences for urban heat, flooding, water pollution, and green space; 3) Affecting housing affordability and associated health outcomes of this social determinant; and 4) Design, construction, and maintenance, the health impacts of which include on-street parking's positive and negative impacts on safety for all roadway users, air-quality effects of parking's construction and maintenance, and the potential for green parking lots to mitigate some health consequences of impervious surfaces. While evidence supports each pathway, additional empirical research is needed to evaluate impacts of parking on public-health outcomes. As a dominant feature of the built environment with many health implications, parking warrants attention by public-health research and practice.