International Journal of Environmental Health Research最新文献

Understanding Aedes breeding sites is crucial for effective vector control, yet the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis in Kuala Lumpur is limited. This study explores the spatial distribution and characteristics of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus breeding sites in dengue-prone areas of Bandar Tasik Selatan. Entomological data from the Kuala Lumpur Health Department (2022-2023) were analyzed using Average Nearest Neighbor (ANN), Global Moran's I, and Kernel Density Estimation (KDE). Logistic regression and principal component analyses (PCA) were used to assess breeding site characteristics. Of 6,027 water containers inspected, 402 (6.7%) were positive for Aedes larvae. ANN and Moran's I analyses revealed significant clustering in Zone A and Zone B, while KDE identified breeding hotspots. Logistic regression indicated higher risk in plastic (aOR = 69.58), rubber (aOR = 35.11), and cement (aOR = 24.70) containers, while rainwater (aOR = 0.24), tap water (aOR = 0.27), and partial shading (aOR = 0.41) reduced risk. PCA revealed key breeding site variations across residential, public, school, and food areas. These findings support targeted vector control, efficient resource allocation, and tailored interventions to mitigate dengue risks in high-priority areas.

This study aims to assess the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in deposited dust (DD) from urban, suburban, and residential sporting footpaths (UFPs, SFPs, and RFPs) in Coimbatore, India, and evaluate the associated ecological and health risks. Dust samples were collected from sporting footpaths located in urban, suburban, and residential areas. The total concentrations of PTEs were found to be in USFs (1431 mg/kg), SFs (1073 mg/kg), and RSFs (892 mg/kg). EFs for cadmium exceeded 185, suggesting severe contamination. Ecological risk assessment indicated that cadmium was the primary contributor, accounting for 84.7% of the total ecological risk. Health risk analysis showed that children on USFs faced non-carcinogenic risks that were 5.5 times higher than those of adults, with the highest carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks observed in USFs, followed by SSFs and RSFs. This study highlights the significant pollution of sporting footpaths in urban areas, particularly with cadmium, which poses elevated risks to children's health. These findings suggest a need for targeted pollution management strategies to minimize exposure to PTEs, especially in areas with high pedestrian activity. Future research should focus on the long-term health impacts and evaluate pollution control measures for reducing PTE contamination in urban public spaces.

Despite demonstrated adverse health effects of air pollution, the impact of exposure measurement error on these associations remains unexplored, especially for NO₂ and PM_2.5 components. We compiled daily personal measurements of PM_2.5, NO₂, and PM_2.5 components - including Al, Cd, Fe, K, Ni, Pb, S, and Si - from previous studies as true exposure indicators. These were compared against ambient concentrations from the nearest monitors. We used Spearman correlation to examine relationships between monthly averages of personal exposures and ambient concentrations. Calibration coefficients were derived using linear mixed models to quantify measurement errors. Results showed strong correlations between monthly personal exposures and ambient concentrations for PM_2.5, NO₂, Cd, Ni, S, and Si across the US. Calibration coefficients for personal PM_2.5 and NO₂ were 0.46 (95% CI: 0.13, 0.78) and 0.97 (0.35, 1.59), respectively. Significant coefficients were also found for S (0.48; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.68), Cd (0.47; 0.17, 0.76), and Ni (0.17; 0.02, 0.32). Point estimates for calibration coefficients were all below one, indicating that using the nearest monitors as exposure surrogates would attenuate associations with health risks. The measurement error in component-wise analysis highlights the need for incorporating these calibration coefficients into future studies to adjust for such errors adequately.

High-altitude aerosols containing fungi and hyphal debris were collected from the Noto Peninsula, Japan, during Asian sand dust (ASD) events. Five fungal species (Bjerkandera adusta (Bje 07B507), Lecythophora (Lec 13H319), Cladosporium cladosporioides (Cla 16H615), Phialocephala sphaeroides (Phi 15H321), and Coniothyrium fuckelii (Con 15H316) were isolated. Fungi were inactivated using 1% formalin combined with heated-ASD (H-ASD) and introduced into the respiratory tracts of BALB/c mice. Con 15H316 exhibited the most significant exacerbation effect. Con 15H316 + H-ASD increased the number of eosinophils and neutrophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and along with Con 15H316 and Phi 15H321 + H-ASD enhanced the induction of interleukin (IL) -5, IL-13, and eotaxin compared to other mixed samples. Con 15H316 + H-ASD markedly elevated levels of IL-6, monocyte chemotactic protein-3, regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted, and lactate dehydrogenase. These changes led to pathological alterations, including mucosal cell proliferation in the airway epithelium and eosinophil infiltration in the submucosa. The ranking of eosinophil infiltration was: Con 15H316+ H-ASD > Phi 15H321 + H-ASD > Cla 16H615 + H-ASD > Lec 13H319 + H-ASD > Bje 07B507+ H-ASD. These results suggest that fungal debris in ASD particles can exacerbate fungal allergies in human lungs.

This study investigates the removal of fluoranthene (Flu) from vehicle-wash wastewater (VWW) using biochar (EWB) derived from eucalyptus wood waste. Analytical techniques such as surface area analysis (SAA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were employed to characterize the EWB. Optimal conditions for Flu adsorption (98.80%) were determined as 40 ppm initial concentration, 60 minutes contact time, pH 5, 60°C, and 0.4 g adsorbent dosage. The adsorption process was evaluated using kinetic models and isotherms, showing that Flu adsorption onto EWB follows a pseudo-second order kinetic model. The Langmuir isotherm provided the best fit for the experimental data. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the adsorption process is exothermic and spontaneous, as indicated by the values of entropy (ΔS°), Gibbs free energy (ΔG°), and enthalpy (ΔH°). A comparative analysis with commercial adsorbents demonstrated the high efficacy of EWB in removing Flu from industrial wastewater, achieving over 98% efficiency.

We used the Bayesian spatio-temporal model to describe the spatial and temporal distribution of the incidence and risk of mumps and evaluate the effects of meteorological factors, air pollutants and socioeconomic factors on the incidence of mumps in Gansu Province from 2015 to 2019 by using the incidence data of mumps in 87 districts and counties in Gansu Province from 2015 to 2019, as well as socio-economic data, meteorological data and some air pollutant data of each district and county in the same period. The incidence of mumps has increased in Gansu Province in recent years. The risk of mumps showed a decreasing and then increasing trend, and the areas with higher relative risk were mainly in Dingxi City, Jiuquan City and Jiayuguan City. The four variables of per capita gross domestic product, average temperature, nitrate and black carbon had positive effects on the incidence of mumps, and the relative risk of mumps increased by 14.5%, 21.5%, 101.7% and 21.6% for each unit increase in value, respectively. Targeted active interventions against anthropogenic sources of specific PM_2.5 components and enhanced prevention and control under specific meteorological conditions can help prevent mumps.

Given that climate change can exacerbate the health impacts of air pollutants, we evaluated the impact of temperature increase scenarios on air pollutant levels (O₃, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀) in Porto Alegre and Recife, Brazil. Air pollutants and meteorological data were collected, and simulations were performed using a Support Vector Machine model with radial basis function kernel, applying temperature increases of 0.5°C, 1.0°C, 1.5°C, and 2.0°C to predict future pollutant concentrations. The data were analyzed seasonally and annually. Pearson correlation and principal component analyses (PCA) explored the relation with meteorological conditions. Simulations revealed that rising temperatures do not uniformly lead to increased pollutant concentrations; instead, the effects are highly dependent on local meteorological and climatic conditions. In Porto Alegre, O₃ levels increased throughout the year, with a peak of 14.14% during the summer in the + 2.0°C scenario, while PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ also showed marked seasonal increases. Conversely, in Recife, O₃ levels decreased in some seasons but increased during autumn, with particulate matter levels also rising during the summer. The findings underscore the need for health systems to consider these dynamics in their management strategies through location-specific investigations and emphasize the importance of policy-driven adaptive measures to build climate-resilient health systems.

This study investigated the phenolic composition of Moringa oleifera organ extracts via RP-HPLC. In addition, their antioxidant and insecticidal potential were assessed. Polyphenols, flavonoids and condensed tannin levels depend on the different plant parts. Phenolic composition was distinguished by the presence of quercetin-3-O-galactoside as the major compound with high insecticidal activity due to their phenolic composition. So, repellent proprieties against two stored pest species Tribolium castaneum and Sitophilus oryzae without food substrate were assessed. In addition, contact toxicity toward T. castaneum with wheat flour substrate was investigated. The repulsive dose of Moringa extracts from different morphological organs was more marked for leaves compared to stems, seeds and flowers with the lowest repulsive dose (RD₅₀ = 0.069 µl/cm²) for T. castaneum. Moreover, M. oleifera MeOH extracts from different morphological organs exhibited a contact toxicity potential against T. castaneum with and without wheat flour substrate. MeOH extracts of M. oleifera from leaves caused the highest mortality percentages (83.33%) after 48 h of exposure for both concentrations of 0.9 and 1.9 µl/cm² towards T. castaneum on wheat flour substrate. To reduce pesticide, Drumstick could offer an effective protection to T. castaneum and S. oryzae.

This study investigates the changes in the epidemiological patterns of six common respiratory pathogens in Changchun City, Jilin Province, following the pandemic. Nucleic acid detection using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed on collected samples. Results showed that human rhinovirus (23.18%) and influenza A virus (22.88%) were the most common pathogens in single-virus infections. The combination of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and adenovirus accounted for 18.57% in mixed infections. Gender distribution revealed a slightly higher detection rate in females (49.81%) than in males (44.41%), though the difference was not statistically significant. Age-stratified analysis showed that children ≤ 14 years had the highest infection rates for Mycoplasma pneumoniae and human rhinovirus (22.22%). Among 15-17-year-olds, the influenza A virus was most prevalent (26.23%). In adults, the influenza A virus (22.47%) and human rhinovirus (24.54%) were the dominant pathogens, while in the elderly (≥60), influenza A (36.54%) and respiratory syncytial virus (25%) were the leading causes of infection. Seasonal analysis indicated autumn and winter were peak seasons for respiratory infections, with Mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza returning to pre-pandemic patterns. Human rhinovirus exhibited year-round circulation. These findings offer important insights into the shifting epidemiology of respiratory pathogens post-pandemic.