Air Quality Atmosphere and Health最新文献

Stunting and wasting are important indicators of the child’s physical and cognitive impairments. These indicators are frequently associated with malnutrition and related health care. However, with the increase in air pollution threats, the role of air pollution in impacting children’s growth has been speculated. This study assessed prenatal and postnatal exposure to air pollution and the effects it may have on the child’s growth in five East African countries. The adjusted linear regression model showed that prenatal exposure to PM_2.5 and CO reduced the height-for-age score with an increase of 1 µg/m³ in PM_2.5 and 1 ppb in CO above the average values resulting in the reduction of the height-for-age score by 0.0106 (Standard Error (SE): 0.0016) and 0.0020 (SE: 0.0005) points, respectively. Moreover, the logistic regression model suggested that postnatal exposure to PM_2.5, O₃, and CO respectively contributed by 0.1% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): -0.7%; 0.8%), 3.0% (1.9%; 4.1%) and 1.4% (1.2%; 1.6%) on the stunting prevalence. Furthermore, the same air criteria pollutants showed significant effects on the weight-for-height and weight-for-age related indicators. These results should be useful for policies aiming at the protection of children’s health in the region.

The Chinese government took many measures to improve air quality in recent years, and the Atmosphere Ten Articles Plan (ATAP) was one of the most significant air pollution control policies. We used the staggered difference-in-differences method to determine the causal link between air quality improvement and people's subjective well-being (SWB) by utilizing the quasi-natural experiment of different Chinese cities implementing the ATAP. We found that ATAP implementations significantly improved people’s SWB, as supported by multiple robustness tests, such as excluding spillover effects and self-selection effects and placebo tests. Moreover, potential mechanisms by which ATAP implementations affected people’s SWB included improving physical and mental health status, alleviating emotional problems, reducing insomnia, and promoting exercise and outdoor activities. Furthermore, heterogeneity effect results suggested that ATAP implementations were more beneficial to some socially vulnerable groups and this SWB improvement effect was greater for residents living in urban areas. These findings added to the body of literature on how environmental policies affect people's welfare and had important implications for better air quality improvement policies in China and other developing countries.

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the bulk sample concentration and airborne concentrations of phthalate in different types of propellent and triggers in consumer spray products and estimate health risk assessment via inhalation. First, the phthalate concentrations were analyzed in the solutions of all products 174 from markets. Then, among 64 products containing phthalates, 10 propellant-type products were selected that contained high phthalate concentrations; airborne concentrations were measured at distances of 1, 3, and 5 m from the spray nozzle in a clean room. Four phthalates were detected in spray products: diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP), and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Among propellant-type products, repellents contained the highest mean concentrations (3.90 ppm), whereas sterilized products contained the lowest mean concentrations (0.59 ppm). Among trigger-type products, cleaning products contained the highest mean concentrations (4.54 ppm), whereas coating products contained the lowest mean concentrations (0.73 ppm). In both propellant- and trigger-type products, DnBP and DEHP exceeded the standard set by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of South Korea. No significant patterns were observed for the airborne DiBP, DnBP, and DEHP concentrations at 1, 3, and 5 m (p > 0.05). Children were one of the population groups most susceptible to health risks. Overall, phthalates were detected in both product solutions and the air in consumer spray products; some even exceeded safe limits. Therefore, consumer spray products should be used in well-ventilated areas to avoid respiratory exposure.

Airborne microplastics (MPs) can be easily inhaled by humans, impacting their health as they spend more than 80% of their time indoors, especially during the pandemic. Only a few research studies have examined indoor MPs in the micrometer size range using active sampling, and studies have mainly concentrated on MPs that are millimeters in size. This study investigated the composition of indoor airborne MPs by active sampling in seven houses in the city center of northwestern Turkey (Eskişehir) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The visual identification showed the presence of different colored MPs, white, red, orange, green, and yellow, with different shapes (fibers, fragments, films, lines, foam, and pellets). The size of the identified MPs was between 2.5 and 327.36 μm. The polymeric composition analysis showed the presence of 123 MPs in all the samples with 22 different polymeric compositions. Residents in these houses are exposed to airborne MPs, with inhalation estimates ranging from 12.03 to 18.51 MPs/m³. However, it was also estimated that humans inhale 156–240 MPs daily in these houses. The dominant MPs were polyamide 6, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, ethylene propylene, polystyrene, and high-density polyethylene. Scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive x-ray elemental analysis revealed the presence of common structural elements, additives, or vectors that are added or adsorbed to MPs like carbon, oxygen, fluorine, magnesium, silicon, chlorine, nitrogen, and aluminum. These indoor environments are prone to MP pollution. Still, the MP level varies due to different characteristics of indoor environments, like activities and the number of occupants/people in the space, etc. The smaller MPs in all the samples highlight the necessity for standardized techniques of MP collection.

Apart from homes, daycare centers (DCCs) serve as essential indoor environments for children. The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between IAQ and respiratory health implications in children and to identify patterns in IAQ using chemometric analysis. A total of 100 children aged 4 to 6 from 5 urban DCCs in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, were included in the study. The selected IAQ variables comprised temperature, humidity, air velocity, particulate matter, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, airborne bacteria, and fungi. Reported respiratory health symptoms were collected along with sociodemographic and exposure history. There was a significant difference in the median concentration of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, temperature, and relative humidity (p = 0.035; p = 0.008; p < 0.001; p < 0.001) among DCCs. DCC B recorded the highest concentration of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, airborne fungi, and temperature which exceeded the standard guidelines. The prevalence of cough (χ2² = 12.810, p = 0.012), running nose (χ2² = 11.130, p = 0.013), and blocked nose (χ2² = 11.097, p = 0.025) were significantly higher among DCCs. Statistical results showed that there was a significant association between cough and running nose with high concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5. The chemometric analysis of HCA showed that DCC C was found to have the highest dissimilarity in IAQ pollutants. PCA identified that PM_2.5, PM_10, airborne fungi, air velocity, and temperature have positive coefficients, accounting for 92.3% of DCCs located on the roadway and ongoing construction. The findings highlight the importance of maintaining good IAQ in DCCs to promote children's respiratory health and develop interventions and policies.

Graphical Abstract

Previous studies have investigated the major sources and health risks associated with atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, the spatial variability of the impact of their emission sources on health risks has rarely been studied. In this study, passive air sampling of VOCs was conducted at 24 sites in Ulsan, the largest industrial city in South Korea. Toluene exhibited the highest time-averaged concentration (6.37 µg/m³), followed by m,p,o-xylenes (4.69 µg/m³), ethyl acetate (3.26 µg/m³), and ethylbenzene (2.70 µg/m³). Higher concentrations of total (Σ₅₉) VOCs and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and m,p,o-xylenes) were observed near industrial complexes. The mean cumulative (Σ₁₁) cancer risk was 9.1E-6, with the highest contribution from benzene (4.7E-6), while the mean cumulative (Σ₁₇) non-cancer risk was 2.6E-1, primarily driven by naphthalene (1.7E-1), suggesting the importance of carcinogenic VOCs. Five major sources were identified using the positive matrix factorization model, revealing the dominance of industrial activities. Both cancer and non-cancer risks were elevated in the petrochemical industrial complex, which is located close to densely populated areas. Consequently, prioritized management of VOC exposure to workers and residents is necessary for the petrochemical industrial complex and nearby residential areas.

In order to clarify the impact of dust generated during production operations at a coal port on the regional atmospheric environment, the dustfall particles from October 2021 to September 2022 were sampled. The chemical fractions of dustfall particles are determined and the seasonal distribution characteristics are analyzed. The study shows that the annual average content of total carbon (TC) of the dustfall particles is 45.10%, which includes organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), with annual average contents of 35.61% and 9.49%, respectively. And the contributions of primary organic carbon (POC) and secondary organic carbon (SOC) to OC are 41.00% and 59.00%, respectively. The generation of SOC is 3.27 t/(km²·30d), which makes up 21.42% of dustfall mass concentration. The measurements of water-soluble anions and cations reveal the annual average concentration of anions and cations is 2.88 t/(km²·30d) with a proportion of 22.97%. And the content of secondary ions (SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺) accounts for 9.19%. The positive definite matrix factor (PMF) model shows the main sources of atmospheric particulate matter in the port are coal-combustion sources (36.47%), dust sources (12.14%), ship emissions (12.44%), industrial emissions (14.75%), marine sources and their secondary sources (8.61%) and mobile road sources (15.59%). The study enriches the basic data of air pollution for atmospheric pollution control in the port.

Background

The majority of studies examining long-term exposure to ambient ozone have utilized averages as the exposure parameter. However, averaging ozone exposures may underestimate the impact of ozone peaks and seasonality. The current study aimed to examine the association between ozone exposure evaluated by different exposure metrics and lung function in healthy adolescents.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among 665 healthy adolescent males living within a 2 km radius of an ozone monitoring station. Multiple ozone exposure metrics were evaluated, including two-year and peak-season averages, peaks, peak intensity, and the total excess of peak level. Lung function was measured using FEV₁, FVC, and FEV₁/FVC ratio.

Results

The peak intensity during the ozone peak-season was associated with the largest decrease in the FEV₁/FVC ratio, -1.52% (95%CI: -2.55%, -0.49%) (p < 0.01). Concurrently, we did not observe a significant association between ozone exposure, assessed by different metrics, and either FEV₁ or FVC.

Conclusions

The study findings suggest that when evaluating ambient ozone exposures, ozone peak intensity during peak-season should be considered, as it may predict greater adverse health effects than averages alone.

Microplastics (MPs) have become a growing concern in the context of environmental pollution, with an increasing focus on their presence in indoor environments, including university facilities. This study investigates the presence and characteristics of MPs in different university indoor environments. Initial examination of indoor ambient MPs involved physical characterization through optical microscopy, focusing on classifying MPs by shape and color. Various types of MPs, including fibers, fragments, pellets, foams, films, and lines, were identified, with the most common colors being black, red, blue, and brown. Fragments were the predominant type of MPs found, although accurately quantifying their numbers proved challenging due to the dense sample content. These MPs displayed rough and irregular margins suggestive of abrasion. Subsequent chemical and elemental characterization was conducted using micro-Raman and SEM-EDX, revealing the presence of 25 different types of MPs, including PA 66, PTFE, PP, HDPE, and PE. The study indicates that university inhabitants are exposed to airborne MPs (≥ 2.5–336.89 μm) at inhalation rates of 13.88–18.51 MPs/m³ and 180–240 MPs daily. These MPs exhibited significant variations in size, and their distribution varied among the different indoor environments studied. SEM-EDX analysis revealed common elements in the identified MPs, with C, O, F, Na, Cl, Al, Si, and others consistently detected. This research is the first to comprehensively analyze MPs in nine different indoor university environments using active sampling. Identifying and reducing MP contamination in these facilities might stimulate more awareness, promote extensive scientific investigation, and facilitate the development of informed policies.

PM₁₀ concentrations in Krakow have decreased by about 50% during the last decade, however, high levels of air pollution are still observed in this Polish city especially during wintertime. Poland’s first official COVID-19 case was detected in March 2020, and subsequently the first restrictions to reduce transmission were implemented. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the COVID-19 lockdown on the mass concentrations of Airborne Particulate Matter (APM) as well as on the deposited dose of particles in Human Respiratory Tract (HRT). For that the hourly particle number and mass concentrations of 10 size fractions of APM were assessed in 2019 (before pandemic) and 2022 (during pandemic) and the deposited dose of particles in the HRT was determined through the dosimetry model ExDoM2. Results showed that the concentrations of PM_2.5 and PM_2.5−10 did not alter significantly in the two periods and that the daily PM dose in the HRT did not decrease during the lockdown. These results provided important information for policy design in the environment, energy, transport, industry and health sectors once they indicated that the main source of APM in the city was associated with residential combustion and therefore it is essential to continue the investment in cleaner energy in the residential sector.