International Journal of Environmental Health Research最新文献

This study investigated phytochemical constituents of Ruellia simplex extract and evaluated their molecular interactions with estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The whole plant was extracted with ethanol and fractionated into methanolic (ME01) and chloroform (CH02) fractions. HR-LCMS identified 11 compounds in ME01 and 8 in CH02, with flavonoids predominating in ME01 and terpenoids in CH02. Molecular docking against ERα (PDB ID: 3ERT) revealed five potent compounds: stigmasterol (-9.0 kcal/mol), apigenin (-8.6 kcal/mol), rosmarinic acid (-8.6 kcal/mol), luteolin (-8.4 kcal/mol), and β-sitosterol (-8.3 kcal/mol). MTT assay demonstrated superior cytotoxicity of ME01 (IC₅₀ = 38.42 ± 2.16 μg/mL) compared to CH02 (52.64 ± 3.05 μg/mL), approaching 5-Fluorouracil (32.18 ± 1.87 μg/mL). Results demonstrate that Ruellia simplex contains bioactive compounds with significant ERα binding affinities and notable cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cells. The ME01 fraction shows promise for developing natural anticancer agents targeting hormone-dependent breast cancers.

The risk of breast cancer in human subjects is associated with the exposure to organochlorines, although the findings have somewhat been inconclusive. A meta-analysis of published peer-reviewed articles was conducted to draw a definitive conclusion about exposure to organochlorine compounds and the incidence of breast cancer, taking into account hospital and population-based case-control studies. Scopus, MEDLINE and Web of Science databases were examined to gather retrospective case-control studies, wherein 16 case-control studies meeting the criteria were included, involving 2960 cases and 2777 controls. Heterogeneity tests, publication bias, sensitivity analysis and trial sequence analysis test were also performed. Chlorinated compounds such as p,p' DDE (p = 0.000, SDM = 4.027: lipid-unadjusted; p = 0.001, SDM = 1.145: lipid adjusted), HCB (p = 0.002, SDM = 2.718), cis-Nonachlor (p = 0.006, SDM = 3.558) and p,p' DDT (p = 0.015, SDM = 1.536: lipid-unadjusted), imposed a significant and positive association with breast cancer. Although compounds like Heptachlor, Dieldrin, γ-HCH, Oxychlordane, and trans-Nonachlor did not reach significant levels, they indicated a possible role in the risk of breast carcinoma. This meta-analysis supports the hypothesis that several organochlorine compounds contribute to an increased incidence of breast cancer.

Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) is a type of bacterium that causes cholera, a severe diarrheal disease globally affecting hundreds of people annually. However, the effect of the V. cholerae toxin on oyster metabolite signatures has not been well studied. In this study, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) based metabolomics was applied to investigate the metabolic level response of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) to cholera toxin (CT), under low concentrations. Our study demonstrated that the decrease of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in oysters was a response to CT exposure at low concentrations (10 ng/mL) in gill and mantle extracts. Metabolites such as leucine and isoleucine were significantly decreased in gills with toxin exposure at 10 ng/mL, and similar but weaker changes were also observed at 1 ng/mL, indicating an early response to CT. However, the trend reversed at 20 ng/mL, with acetate and propionate significantly increased over control (p < 0.07), which is a sign of antioxidant defenses that could help the recovery of the BCAAs. In the hemolymph study, acetate and propionate levels correlated strongly with those in the tissue extracts at 20 ng/mL, suggesting that hemolymph metabolites begin contributing to gill metabolic perturbations. More importantly, a principal component analysis (PCA) also revealed a partial separation between the control and the 20 ng/mL CT group, indicating potential major perturbations in hemolymph metabolites. This study provides evidence that metabolites in oyster tissues resulting from exposure to Vibrio toxin can serve as a new early warning system for predicting potential human pathogen risks in both environmental and seafood exposure.

Wet shotcreting operations in tunnels produce large amounts of dust that threaten workers' health. In this study, a coupled airflow - dust model was developed based on gas - solid two-phase flow theory to simulate dust migration under different ventilation airflow and shotcreting positions. Using CFD simulations in ANSYS FLUENT and field data validation, the spatiotemporal evolution of dust concentration was analyzed. The results indicate that dust diffusion can be divided into three zones - jet - recirculation, transition, and stable - and that the average dust concentration decreases along the airflow direction, following the order: working face region > shotcreting operation region > transition region > stable region. Increasing ventilation speed effectively reduces peak dust levels and shortens the time to reach permissible concentration. An air duct outlet velocity of 12 m/s (corresponding to a ventilation volume of 1374.1 m³/min and an average tunnel cross-sectional wind speed of approximately 0.64 m/s) is identified as the optimal velocity. Different spraying positions significantly alter dust distribution characteristics, with crown spraying showing the widest and most uneven diffusion. The findings provide a quantitative reference for ventilation optimization and occupational dust control during tunnel shotcreting operations.

Children's health is especially vulnerable in contexts where traditional and emerging environmental risks coexist. Potentially contaminated sites (PCS) pose significant threats, and their identification should incorporate community perception and participation for improved characterization. Ticul, a Mayan community in Yucatan, Mexico, is home to children living in poverty and exposed to unrecognized chemical hazards associated with artisanal production processes. This mixed methods study aimed to explore parents' perceptions regarding environmental health risks to children, describe environmental factors at the community, household, and indoor levels, and explore their potential relationship with the health of children residing near PCS. Social mapping, focus groups, and participant observation were conducted with parents. Potentially contaminated sites were prioritized using PAHO's methodology. The WHO's "Green Page" for Children's Environmental Health Diagnosis, a Potential Exposure to Substances Questionnaire, and clinical histories were applied. Our study shows the usefulness of employing mixed methods and highlights the importance of including community perceptions in the assessment of children's environmental health. Parents' perceptions of risks and hazards to children's environmental health were found to be modifiable and preventable, respectively, and require the implementation of interventions and public policies to protect the health and rights of children living in PCS in Ticul, Yucatán.

This study assessed long-term trends of tropospheric ozone (O₃) concentrations in Tehran, Iran, over the time period 2015-2024, and quantified the non-carcinogenic health risks across different age groups by applying the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) human health risk assessment methodology. The O₃ data from 22 air-quality monitoring stations and satellite-retrieved columnar from Copernicus Sentinel-5P were analyzed. Annual O₃ mean concentrations exhibited a slight non-statistically significant decreasing trend (-0.11% year^-1). Peak concentrations were recorded in 2021, corresponding to post-COVID-19 socio-economic recovery and rising precursor emissions. Age-specific Hazard Quotients (HQ) remained <1.0 in all years, indicating acceptable non-carcinogenic risk for any single life stage. However, the cumulative lifetime Hazard Index (HI), obtained by summing age-specific HQs, ranged from 5.48 to 8.10 and consistently exceeded the U.S. EPA safe threshold of 1.0, showing potential adverse non-carcinogenic health effects from chronic O₃ exposure over a full lifetime. These results underline the importance of controlling O₃ precursors in densely populated cities and demonstrate the value of combining ground and satellite observations with lifetime exposure modeling for urban air-quality management.

The health implications of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) exposure are well documented, particularly its penetration into the respiratory tract, posing serious health risks. This prospective longitudinal study investigates PM2.5 exposure levels during athletics events in South Africa, highlighting the short-term exposure risks for athletes. PM2.5 concentrations were measured at four events across rural, central metropolitan, and industrial metropolitan settings in 2023. Results indicated significant variations in PM2.5 levels, with mean concentrations ranging from 28.6 μg/m³ in rural areas to 132.7 μg/m³ in industrial metropolitan regions, exceeding WHO 24-hour exposure recommendations. Factors such as local industries and cooking methods at event sites contributed to these elevated levels. The findings underscore the need for establishing short-term PM2.5 exposure standards for outdoor activities, where added respiratory stress from exercise could exacerbate underlying conditions; we also highlight the importance of location selection to mitigate health risks for athletes.

Intensive agriculture is closely associated with the use of pesticides for pest control. These pesticides are often diluted in non-potable water before field application, which may pose microbiological risks to consumers of raw fresh produce. This study aimed to experimentally evaluate the survival and growth of Salmonella Typhimurium in commonly used and recently introduced pesticide solutions. Four commercial insecticidal formulations were evaluated at high, medium, and low concentrations, as recommended by the manufacturers. Each was diluted with sterile distilled water and inoculated with S. Typhimurium at an initial concentration of 10⁷ CFU mL^-1. Bacterial survival was assessed after 1, 60 and 1440 min of exposure. The average survival percentages of S. Typhimurium were 98.13% in solutions containing the active ingredient (a.i.) afidopyropen, 96.69% for thiamethoxam and lambda-cyhalothrin, and 90.88% for pymetrozine. Chlorpyrifos completely inhibited S. Typhimurium after 60 min of exposure at all tested dilutions. Neither pesticide concentration nor exposure time had a statistically significant effect (p > 0.05) on bacterial survival. These findings indicate that S. Typhimurium can persist in pesticide solutions, potentially posing a health risk to consumers.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are environmental contaminants linked to adverse health outcomes, but their impact on epigenetic aging remains incompletely characterized. This study investigated associations between serum concentrations of POPs and DNA methylation (DNAm)-based age acceleration using twelve established epigenetic clocks in 815 U.S. adults aged ≥50 years from NHANES 1999-2002. POPs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, furans, and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), were quantified using high-resolution gas chromatography/ isotope- dilution high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGS/ID-HRMS), and age acceleration was estimated using multiple DNAm algorithms. The findings revealed bidirectional associations: while most PCBs exhibited inverse correlations with epigenetic age acceleration (e.g. PCB74 with HorvathAgeAcc: β = -1.08, 95% CI: -1.69, -0.46), certain furans and OCPs demonstrated positive associations with HorvathTelo acceleration (e.g. 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF: β = 0.04, P = 0.0306). Sex-stratified analyses revealed significant effect modification, with positive associations between several OCPs (e.g. trans-nonachlor) and mortality-related clocks (GrimAge2Mortacc) being significantly stronger in females (P-interaction <0.0001). Age-specific patterns also emerged, where inverse associations between certain PCBs (e.g. PCB74) and epigenetic age acceleration were substantially amplified in or exclusively present among older adults (≥65 years) (P- interaction < 0.0001). These findings suggest that POP exposures differentially modulate epigenetic aging trajectories in a compound-dependent manner, highlighting the need for tailored risk assessment approaches for vulnerable populations.

Microplastics (MPs) and their degradation products pose growing environmental and health risks. This study investigates how polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-derived degradation products, ethylene glycol (EG) and terephthalic acid (TPA), influence colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis. Integrating network toxicology, machine learning (ML), and molecular docking, we identified 43 genes linking EG/TPA exposure to CRC pathogenesis. Functional enrichment analysis revealed their involvement in TNF/IL-17 signaling and glucocorticoid (GC)-mediated metabolic pathways, synergistically promoting chronic inflammation and immune suppression. Prognostic ML models prioritized SPP1, TJP1, and DDIT3 as hub genes significantly correlated with poor survival outcomes. Molecular docking confirmed EG's stable binding to these targets, suggesting mechanisms involving cytoskeletal remodeling, tight junction disruption, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Notably, GC pathway activation emerged as a critical driver of CRC progression, facilitating tumor immune evasion and therapy resistance. Our findings highlight the prognostic relevance of PET-derived MPs via GC signaling dysregulation, providing mechanistic insights into how environmental pollutants exacerbate cancer risks. This study advances strategies for refining MPs toxicity assessments and developing targeted interventions to mitigate CRC progression linked to MPs exposure.