International Journal of Environmental Health Research最新文献

This study investigates the association between climate and childhood asthma in Australia. Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) was used to analyse this association in children who were 6-15 years between 2004 and 2018. Asthma prevalence decreased from 16% at 6-7 years to 13% at 14-15 years. Associations between climate zones and childhood asthma were observed in Zone 4 (hot dry Summer, cold Winter; Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.31; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.07-1.62), Zone 5 (mild/warm Summer, cold Winter; OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.04-1.45), and Zone 6 (hot dry Summer, mild Winter; OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.02-1.58), although these associations were attenuated in the adjusted model. Key predictors of asthma included parental asthma history (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]: 3.00; 95% CI: 2.48-3.64), breastfeeding for under six months (AOR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.10-1.64), maternal depression during pregnancy (AOR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.04-1.66) and male sex (AOR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.08-1.58). The findings highlight the influence of climate, along with other risk factors including parental asthma history and maternal depression during pregnancy, on the onset and exacerbation of childhood asthma.

The seasonal variation of peptic ulcers, a rhythmic phenomenon with diverse patterns and controversies, has remained an unresolved mystery for more than 90 years. A recent study identified that environmental factors cause peptic ulcers by inducing psychological stress. Based on this etiology, a synthetic review found that seasonal changes profoundly affect multiple occupational and environmental factors, each of which plays a causal role in peptic ulcers if they are studied individually. An integration of the monthly incidences caused by three occupational and environmental factors simulated the fluctuation curves in three representative seasonal patterns. The similarity between the simulated and original curves suggests that multiple occupational and environmental factors cause the seasonal variation by Superposition Mechanism, and regional differences in occupational and environmental factors account for the diverse patterns and controversies. Significantly, a full understanding of the seasonal variation of peptic ulcers validated a new concept, Superposition Mechanism, which may represent an indispensable methodological complement to modern life science and medicine.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of eating motivation on Mediterranean diet adherence, glycemia and lipid profile in individuals with type 2 diabetes. A questionnaire consisting of general information, eating motivation scale and Mediterranean diet adherence scale was applied to 400 individuals with diabetes. Height, weight, plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein values were measured. Environmental and political, health, commercial and marketing, economic and affordability motivations are effective in individuals with diabetes. Emotional motivation and social motivation were positively correlated with body mass index, HbA1C, total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein levels. Health motivation increased the likelihood of having glucose levels below 130 mg/dl. Individuals with diabetes were influenced by eating motivations and these motivations were associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet and glycemia. Eating motivation may be effective in the management of type 2 diabetes.

During tunnel construction, the protracted mucking phase poses significant occupational health risks, particularly from dust exposure. This study delves into comprehensive numerical simulations to examine the spatiotemporal dynamics of dust particles during the mucking process. A distinct 'bimodal pattern' was characterized by higher concentrations in the mucking area (0-30 m) and the inverted arch area (60-110 m), where concentrations exceed 30 mg/m3 under all conditions. To address this issue, a novel dust removal system has been developed. Integrating six dust collectors and one air curtain device, a dust removal trolley is strategically positioned at z = 70 m to locally purify the air. The extracted wind speed of the dust collectors ($V_{\mathrm{inlet}1}$) and the air curtain's wind speed ($V_{\mathrm{inlet}2}$) are optimized based on ventilation conditions and dust dispersion characteristics. This system effectively reduces dust mass concentrations to below 4.8 mg/m³ at six worker locations.

Their monitoring in urban regions is essential for policymakers and the population. In this study, the electromagnetic intensity (EMI) was measured around 30 stations of base transcriptive stations (BTS) at both distances lower than 20m and higher than 200m using real-time equipment SMP2-dual in summer and winter. Results have shown that EMI in summer (range: 2-6500 mW/m2) was more than in winter (1.5-5000), and the intensity of about 93% of samples exceeded WHO standards. EMI has consistently decreased with the increasing distance from BTS. There was a negative correlation between the temperature and EMI in summer and humidity and EMI for both distances. The mapping of EMI depicted the highest value of EMI across the central region from south to eastern north at a distance lower than 20 m in winter. The clustering of the EMI in this region was influenced by the geographical location of BTS.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the air pollutants emitted from the petrochemical industry known to pose adverse health effects on workers. The database based on the third phase of The Environmental Health Study in the Korean National Industrial Complexes (EHSNIC) in Ulsan conducted from 2018 to 2021 was used. Subjects were divided into the exposed and control group according to the estimated pollution level and distances from the industrial complexes. Ambient benzene, ethylbenzene, and xylene were significantly higher in the exposed group compared to the controls, as well as their metabolites. Risk of chronic disease and atopic dermatitis was higher in the exposed group which was supported by higher serum inflammatory markers and high hazard index of the exposed region. These results can draw attention to people engaged with environmental plans and used as primary data when making policies to reduce pollutant levels around industrial complexes.

This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the relationship between nutrition according to chronotype and the Mediterranean diet and environmental footprints. "Morningness Eveningness Questionnaire" was used to determine the chronotype classification, and "Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener" was used to evaluate adherence to the Mediterranean diet. In addition, the food consumption record of the participants was taken and the carbon and water footprints were calculated. A total of 472 adults with a mean age of 22.7 ± 5.0 years participated in the study. Accordingly, 61.0% of the participants were morning type, 15.7% were intermediate type, and 23.3% were evening type. Individuals with higher chronotype values (morning) tended to be more adherent to the Mediterranean diet and had lower environmental (carbon and water) footprints (p < 0.05). The results of this study; showed that diet according to chronotype affects adherence to the Mediterranean diet and environmental footprints.

Previous research yields inconsistent findings on the effect of telecommuting on health and little knowledge on its explanatory mechanisms. In reply, this study investigated work-home interference, home-work interference and social support from colleagues as explanations (mediators) of the relationship between the extent of telecommuting and psychological distress. We collected 4-wave data during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-June 2020) from 5,959 Belgian workers. Using Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Modeling, we investigated within-person processes over time. Results showed that telecommuting predicted work-home interference and social support, with these effects varying by pandemic stage. Also, the effects of the mediators on psychological distress varied over time. No indirect effects from telecommuting to psychological distress via the mediators were found. Our findings suggest that the context presents certain challenges to teleworkers that may make telecommuting demanding in terms of home-work interference and social support, implying the need for tailored support.

The spatio-temporal distribution, source apportionment, and risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) were investigated in the Sombreiro River Estuary, Niger Delta, Nigeria. Water, sediment and oysters were obtained from the estuary and analyzed for 16 priority PAHs using gas chromatograph coupled with mass selective detector after extraction. The levels of the ∑16-PAHs in the water, sediment and oyster ranged from 25-10079 µg/L, 495-12811 µg/kg and 489-10823 µg/kg respectively for all locations and seasons. The results showed significant spatio-temporal variations in PAHs concentrations in all the matrices. The ecological risk assessment revealed high risk posed by the PAHs level to the estuarine ecosystem. The health risk indicated unacceptable carcinogenic risk to human via ingestion of oysters. Besides, for water and sediments, both ingestion and dermal pathways indicated unacceptable cancer risk. Source apportionment suggested that the PAHs in the estuary were from both pyrogenic and petrogenic sources.   .

The study aimed to elucidate metal transitions from cooking utensils to the solutions at different pH. Alkaline, acidic, drinking water solutions were boiled in themost preferred cooking utensils determined by a survey. The metal concentrations were measured using ICP-MS for Aluminium, Iron, Nickel, and Lead. Theresults showed that the most preferred utensils were stainless-steel, granite, teflon and cast-iron. There was a considerable difference between the transition amounts of the metals in acidic and alkaline solutions depending on the cookware.Cooking in stainless-steel, teflon, and cast-iron lead to metal concentrations exceeding WHO guidelines in acidic and alkaline media.Granite was the safest pot to cook in all media. Different brands of utensils made of the same material showed different amounts of metals released in different environmental conditions. Choosing the right cooking utensil and standardizing the metal release is important to minimize heavy metal exposure and the related health impacts.