Pub Date : 2024-06-12DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ad5751
Claire Rowan, R. D'souza, Xiaping Zheng, James L Crooks, Kirk Hohsfield, Daniel Q Tong, Howard H. Chang, S. Ebelt
Background: Climate change is projected to increase the risk of dust storms, particularly in subtropical dryland, including the southwestern US. Research on dust storm’s health impacts in the US is limited and hindered by challenges in dust storm identification. This study assesses the potential link between dust storms and cardiorespiratory emergency department (ED) visits in the southwestern US. Methods: We acquired data for 2005-2016 from 8 IMPROVE (Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environments) sites in Arizona, California, and Utah. We applied a validated algorithm to identify dust storm days at each site. We acquired patient-level ED visit data from state agencies and ascertained visits for respiratory, cardiovascular, and cause-specific subgroups among patients residing in ZIP codes within 50 km of an IMPROVE site. Using a case-crossover design, we estimated short-term associations of ED visits and dust storms, controlling for temporally varying covariates. Results: During 2005-2016, 40 dust storm days occurred at the 8 IMPROVE sites. Mean PM10 and PM2.5 levels were 3-6 times greater on dust storm days compared to non-dust storm days. Over the study period, there were 2,524,259 respiratory and 2,805,925 cardiovascular ED visits. At lags of 1, 2, and 3 days after a dust storm, we observed 3.7% (95% CI: 1.0%, 7.6%), 4.9% (95% CI: 1.1%, 8.9%), and 5.0% (95% CI: 1.3%, 8.9%) elevated odds of respiratory ED visits compared to non-dust storm days. Estimated associations of dust storm days and cardiovascular disease ED visits were largely consistent with the null. Conclusions: Using a monitoring-based exposure metric, we observed associations among dust storms and respiratory ED visits. The results add to growing evidence of the health threat posed by dust storms. The dust storm metric was limited by lack of daily data; future research should consider information from satellite and numerical models to enhance dust storm characterization.
{"title":"Dust storms and cardiorespiratory emergency department visits in three southwestern United States: application of a monitoring-based exposure metric","authors":"Claire Rowan, R. D'souza, Xiaping Zheng, James L Crooks, Kirk Hohsfield, Daniel Q Tong, Howard H. Chang, S. Ebelt","doi":"10.1088/2752-5309/ad5751","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5309/ad5751","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Background: Climate change is projected to increase the risk of dust storms, particularly in subtropical dryland, including the southwestern US. Research on dust storm’s health impacts in the US is limited and hindered by challenges in dust storm identification. This study assesses the potential link between dust storms and cardiorespiratory emergency department (ED) visits in the southwestern US. Methods: We acquired data for 2005-2016 from 8 IMPROVE (Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environments) sites in Arizona, California, and Utah. We applied a validated algorithm to identify dust storm days at each site. We acquired patient-level ED visit data from state agencies and ascertained visits for respiratory, cardiovascular, and cause-specific subgroups among patients residing in ZIP codes within 50 km of an IMPROVE site. Using a case-crossover design, we estimated short-term associations of ED visits and dust storms, controlling for temporally varying covariates. Results: During 2005-2016, 40 dust storm days occurred at the 8 IMPROVE sites. Mean PM10 and PM2.5 levels were 3-6 times greater on dust storm days compared to non-dust storm days. Over the study period, there were 2,524,259 respiratory and 2,805,925 cardiovascular ED visits. At lags of 1, 2, and 3 days after a dust storm, we observed 3.7% (95% CI: 1.0%, 7.6%), 4.9% (95% CI: 1.1%, 8.9%), and 5.0% (95% CI: 1.3%, 8.9%) elevated odds of respiratory ED visits compared to non-dust storm days. Estimated associations of dust storm days and cardiovascular disease ED visits were largely consistent with the null. Conclusions: Using a monitoring-based exposure metric, we observed associations among dust storms and respiratory ED visits. The results add to growing evidence of the health threat posed by dust storms. The dust storm metric was limited by lack of daily data; future research should consider information from satellite and numerical models to enhance dust storm characterization.","PeriodicalId":517104,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research: Health","volume":"121 43","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141351865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-11DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ad56bb
A. Caseiro, Seán Schmitz, Andreas Kerschbaumer, Erika von Schneidemesser
Local policies are part of the toolbox available to decision makers to improve air quality but their effectiveness is underevaluated and underreported. We evaluate the impact of the closure of a street in the city centre of Berlin on the local air pollution. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was measured on the street where the policy was implemented and on two parallel streets using low-cost sensor systems supported by periodic calibrations against reference-grade instruments and constrained by passive samplers. Further measurements of NO2 were conducted with a reference-grade instrument mounted on a mobile platform. The concentrations were evaluated against the urban background to isolate the policy-related signal from natural fluctuations, long-term trends and the COVID-19 lockdown. Our analysis show that the most likely result of the intervention is a reduced NO$_2$ concentrations to the level of the urban background on weekdays. Kerbside NO2 concentrations exhibited substantial differences to the concentrations measured at lampposts highlighting the difficulty for such measurements to capture personal exposure. The results have implications for policy, showing that an intervention on the local traffic patterns can possibly be effective in improving local air quality.
{"title":"Low-cost system application for policy assessment: a case study from Berlin","authors":"A. Caseiro, Seán Schmitz, Andreas Kerschbaumer, Erika von Schneidemesser","doi":"10.1088/2752-5309/ad56bb","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5309/ad56bb","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Local policies are part of the toolbox available to decision makers to improve air quality but their effectiveness is underevaluated and underreported. We evaluate the impact of the closure of a street in the city centre of Berlin on the local air pollution. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was measured on the street where the policy was implemented and on two parallel streets using low-cost sensor systems supported by periodic calibrations against reference-grade instruments and constrained by passive samplers. Further measurements of NO2 were conducted with a reference-grade instrument mounted on a mobile platform. The concentrations were evaluated against the urban background to isolate the policy-related signal from natural fluctuations, long-term trends and the COVID-19 lockdown. Our analysis show that the most likely result of the intervention is a reduced NO$_2$ concentrations to the level of the urban background on weekdays. Kerbside NO2 concentrations exhibited substantial differences to the concentrations measured at lampposts highlighting the difficulty for such measurements to capture personal exposure. The results have implications for policy, showing that an intervention on the local traffic patterns can possibly be effective in improving local air quality.","PeriodicalId":517104,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research: Health","volume":"98 36","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141359248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-06DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ad54e5
Yazan Alwadi, B. Alahmad
Background: The Middle East, with its vast arid landscape, is facing escalating health risks due to intensifying heat under climate change. Kuwait and Jordan, two representative countries from the region, have no heat action plan in place. This study aims to 1) quantify the mortality burden of extreme heat in these countries, and hence 2) identify critical temperature thresholds. Methods: We collected 17 years of daily mortality records from 2000 to 2016 in Amman, Jordan, and the entire state of Kuwait. We fitted a time series design restricted to the summer months (June to August) for each location. We used distributed lag non-linear models to estimate non-linear associations and lagged effects of temperature on mortality. We then calculated attributable mortality for a range of temperature percentiles. Results: We analyzed a total of 56,654 (39,996 all-cause deaths in Amman and 16,658 non-accidental deaths in Kuwait). Kuwait's average summer temperature (38.7°C) was higher than Amman (26.5°C). In Kuwait, 202.1 (95% eCI: 17.7, 344.8) attributable heat deaths occurred over 79 days at temperatures above 41.9 °C (>95th percentile), averaging 2.6 heat deaths per day. Amman experienced 500.7 (95% eCI: 17.7, 344.8) attributable heat deaths over 77 days at temperatures above 30.75 °C, with an average of 6.5 deaths per day. Conclusion: This study equips Kuwait and Jordan with critical data to develop and implement targeted heat action plans. The two Middle Eastern countries face extreme heat challenges and are undergoing serious demographic changes with an influx of migrant workers and refugees.
{"title":"The burden of heat in arid regions of the Middle East: an analysis from Jordan and Kuwait","authors":"Yazan Alwadi, B. Alahmad","doi":"10.1088/2752-5309/ad54e5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5309/ad54e5","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Background: The Middle East, with its vast arid landscape, is facing escalating health risks due to intensifying heat under climate change. Kuwait and Jordan, two representative countries from the region, have no heat action plan in place. This study aims to 1) quantify the mortality burden of extreme heat in these countries, and hence 2) identify critical temperature thresholds. Methods: We collected 17 years of daily mortality records from 2000 to 2016 in Amman, Jordan, and the entire state of Kuwait. We fitted a time series design restricted to the summer months (June to August) for each location. We used distributed lag non-linear models to estimate non-linear associations and lagged effects of temperature on mortality. We then calculated attributable mortality for a range of temperature percentiles. Results: We analyzed a total of 56,654 (39,996 all-cause deaths in Amman and 16,658 non-accidental deaths in Kuwait). Kuwait's average summer temperature (38.7°C) was higher than Amman (26.5°C). In Kuwait, 202.1 (95% eCI: 17.7, 344.8) attributable heat deaths occurred over 79 days at temperatures above 41.9 °C (>95th percentile), averaging 2.6 heat deaths per day. Amman experienced 500.7 (95% eCI: 17.7, 344.8) attributable heat deaths over 77 days at temperatures above 30.75 °C, with an average of 6.5 deaths per day. Conclusion: This study equips Kuwait and Jordan with critical data to develop and implement targeted heat action plans. The two Middle Eastern countries face extreme heat challenges and are undergoing serious demographic changes with an influx of migrant workers and refugees.","PeriodicalId":517104,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research: Health","volume":"2 3‐4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141377585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-24DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ad503b
Jonathan Liu, Qi Meng, Jiaqi Shen, Irish del Rosario, P. Lakey, Manabu Shiraiwa, Suzanne E Paulson, S. Weichenthal, Yifang Zhu, F. Oroumiyeh, Carla Janzen, Sherin U Devaskar, Michael Jerrett, Beate Ritz
Road traffic is a significant source of particulate matter pollution, whose exposure is a significant risk factor in pregnancy-related health outcomes. The exact mechanisms behind the relationship between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes remain unclear. We aim to assess the relationship between exposure to brake and tire wear-associated metals and oxidative potential and ischemic placental disease (IPD). Data were assembled from a population of women who sought specialized prenatal care at UCLA between 2016 and 2019 in Los Angeles, CA. Modeled first trimester exposures to chemical constituents and oxidative stress potential of PM2.5, black carbon, and PM2.5 mass concentration. Speciated measurements included tracers of brake wear (barium), tire wear (zinc), and oxidative potential markers based on metal concentrations (KM-SUB-ELF ROS) or laboratory assays (DTT loss, OH radical formation). Exposures were modeled by integrating data from filter samples, a low-cost PM2.5 sensor network, and land-use data. We used logistic regression to estimate the associations between air pollution exposures and IPD, adjusting for covariates assessed through medical records and interviews. Scaled to the interquartile range, odds ratios (95% CI) were as follows: barium OR: 1.7 (1.1, 2.7), zinc OR: 1.4 (.86, 2.4), and oxidative potential markers, both modeled as well as measured through DTT loss and OH formation assays (ORs ranging from 1.1-2.0). Effect sizes for PM2.5 and black carbon were lower than most measurements (ORs: 1.3-1.4). We observe higher effect sizes with Ba and oxidative potential markers compared to traditional measurements such as PM2.5 mass and black carbon. Our findings suggest two key points: (i) metals associated with brake and tire wear, currently unregulated, may play a role in the relationship between TRAP and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and (ii) reducing tailpipe emissions may not be sufficient to protect pregnant women from TRAP.
{"title":"Association of ischemic placental disease in a Southern California birth cohort and PM2.5 chemical species and oxidative potential markers","authors":"Jonathan Liu, Qi Meng, Jiaqi Shen, Irish del Rosario, P. Lakey, Manabu Shiraiwa, Suzanne E Paulson, S. Weichenthal, Yifang Zhu, F. Oroumiyeh, Carla Janzen, Sherin U Devaskar, Michael Jerrett, Beate Ritz","doi":"10.1088/2752-5309/ad503b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5309/ad503b","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Road traffic is a significant source of particulate matter pollution, whose exposure is a significant risk factor in pregnancy-related health outcomes. The exact mechanisms behind the relationship between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes remain unclear. We aim to assess the relationship between exposure to brake and tire wear-associated metals and oxidative potential and ischemic placental disease (IPD). Data were assembled from a population of women who sought specialized prenatal care at UCLA between 2016 and 2019 in Los Angeles, CA. Modeled first trimester exposures to chemical constituents and oxidative stress potential of PM2.5, black carbon, and PM2.5 mass concentration. Speciated measurements included tracers of brake wear (barium), tire wear (zinc), and oxidative potential markers based on metal concentrations (KM-SUB-ELF ROS) or laboratory assays (DTT loss, OH radical formation). Exposures were modeled by integrating data from filter samples, a low-cost PM2.5 sensor network, and land-use data. We used logistic regression to estimate the associations between air pollution exposures and IPD, adjusting for covariates assessed through medical records and interviews. Scaled to the interquartile range, odds ratios (95% CI) were as follows: barium OR: 1.7 (1.1, 2.7), zinc OR: 1.4 (.86, 2.4), and oxidative potential markers, both modeled as well as measured through DTT loss and OH formation assays (ORs ranging from 1.1-2.0). Effect sizes for PM2.5 and black carbon were lower than most measurements (ORs: 1.3-1.4). We observe higher effect sizes with Ba and oxidative potential markers compared to traditional measurements such as PM2.5 mass and black carbon. Our findings suggest two key points: (i) metals associated with brake and tire wear, currently unregulated, may play a role in the relationship between TRAP and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and (ii) reducing tailpipe emissions may not be sufficient to protect pregnant women from TRAP.","PeriodicalId":517104,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research: Health","volume":"62 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141102010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-22DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ad4f05
Deng Ke, D. Ialnazov, Kaoru Takara
The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with more frequent and stronger heatwaves, has introduced a novel confluence of challenges. for example, it has become very difficult for emergency transport staffs to differentiate between COVID-19 and heat stroke at the scene because they share some similar symptoms. This paper studied the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on heat-related ambulance calls and identifies the challenges faced by local fire departments in the Kansai region of Japan 2020-2022 by using historical data analysis and an online questionnaire survey. We utilized a heat-related ambulance calls prediction model developed in our previous research based on the historical data (2008 ~ 2019) and projected the expected number of heat-related ambulance calls from 2020 to 2022. Then, a comparison was done between the expected number and the actual number of daily heat-related ambulance calls to examine the changes of heat-related ambulance calls in six prefectures of the Kansai region. We found a statistically significant decrease, ranging from 77.1% to 96.8%, of heat-related ambulance calls during the COVID-19 pandemic in all Kansai prefectures. The decline in heat-related ambulance calls can be attributed by changes in people’s daily lifestyles such as the increase of remote work and decrease of outdoor exercise. However, it may also be influenced by the strain on the emergency medical resource. Another research finding highlighted significant pressures on local fire departments and emergency medical transport systems during the pandemic. The predominant challenge for local fire departments was finding available medical facilities for their patients. Improving the efficiency of emergency medical transport system and enhancing the coordination between emergency medical services and healthcare facilities may offer a more resilient response in future crises.
{"title":"The impact of COVID-19 on heat-related ambulance calls and the challenges for emergency medical transport in the Kansai region, Japan: a mixed methods approach","authors":"Deng Ke, D. Ialnazov, Kaoru Takara","doi":"10.1088/2752-5309/ad4f05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5309/ad4f05","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with more frequent and stronger heatwaves, has introduced a novel confluence of challenges. for example, it has become very difficult for emergency transport staffs to differentiate between COVID-19 and heat stroke at the scene because they share some similar symptoms. This paper studied the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on heat-related ambulance calls and identifies the challenges faced by local fire departments in the Kansai region of Japan 2020-2022 by using historical data analysis and an online questionnaire survey. We utilized a heat-related ambulance calls prediction model developed in our previous research based on the historical data (2008 ~ 2019) and projected the expected number of heat-related ambulance calls from 2020 to 2022. Then, a comparison was done between the expected number and the actual number of daily heat-related ambulance calls to examine the changes of heat-related ambulance calls in six prefectures of the Kansai region. We found a statistically significant decrease, ranging from 77.1% to 96.8%, of heat-related ambulance calls during the COVID-19 pandemic in all Kansai prefectures. The decline in heat-related ambulance calls can be attributed by changes in people’s daily lifestyles such as the increase of remote work and decrease of outdoor exercise. However, it may also be influenced by the strain on the emergency medical resource. Another research finding highlighted significant pressures on local fire departments and emergency medical transport systems during the pandemic. The predominant challenge for local fire departments was finding available medical facilities for their patients. Improving the efficiency of emergency medical transport system and enhancing the coordination between emergency medical services and healthcare facilities may offer a more resilient response in future crises.","PeriodicalId":517104,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research: Health","volume":"48 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141110854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-23DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ad4202
Emily Nix, Willah Nabukwangwa, J. Mwitari, F. Lorenzetti, Arthur Gohole, Serena Saligari, M. Shupler, Michael Abbott, Ghislaine Rosa, R. M. Anderson de Cuevas, Margaret Nyongesa, E. Puzzolo, Daniel Pope
Links between cooking with polluting fuels (e.g., wood and charcoal), air pollution and health in domestic settings are well-established. However, few studies have been conducted in schools that rely on such fuels for catering. This study is the first investigation of air pollution, cooking, and health in schools in Nairobi, Kenya. We carried out an in-depth mixed-methods study in three schools (two primary schools and a college) in an informal settlement using wood and/or charcoal for catering. In each school, repeated 24-hour air pollution measurements (fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO)) were collected to assess concentrations in the main kitchen and a nearby classroom, in addition to personal exposure for the main cook. Surveys with catering staff collected data on perspectives on air pollution and health symptoms. Focus groups were conducted with catering staff, teachers and senior management to understand perceived impacts on health and the school environment. 24-hour levels of PM2.5 were found to surpass World Health Organization (WHO) interim target level 1 (IT-1) (35µg/m3) in all schools – with levels three times higher (107.6µg/m3) in classrooms, ten times higher (316.2µg/m3) in kitchens and nearly six times higher (200.9µg/m3) among cooks. Peak levels of pollution were closely linked to times of stove use, as concentrations doubled in classrooms and tripled in kitchens during cooking. Catering staff reported being concerned about their health, and reported experiencing wheezing, chest pains, eye irritation and headaches and attempted to avoid the smoke to reduce exposure. Disturbance to classes from cooking smoke was reported by teachers, with students reporting coughing and sneezing from exposure. Support is needed to enable clean cooking transitions in schools to create a healthy and safe learning environment.
{"title":"\"This smoke will finish us\": impacts of cooking with polluting fuels on air quality, health and education in three schools in Nairobi, Kenya","authors":"Emily Nix, Willah Nabukwangwa, J. Mwitari, F. Lorenzetti, Arthur Gohole, Serena Saligari, M. Shupler, Michael Abbott, Ghislaine Rosa, R. M. Anderson de Cuevas, Margaret Nyongesa, E. Puzzolo, Daniel Pope","doi":"10.1088/2752-5309/ad4202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5309/ad4202","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Links between cooking with polluting fuels (e.g., wood and charcoal), air pollution and health in domestic settings are well-established. However, few studies have been conducted in schools that rely on such fuels for catering. This study is the first investigation of air pollution, cooking, and health in schools in Nairobi, Kenya. We carried out an in-depth mixed-methods study in three schools (two primary schools and a college) in an informal settlement using wood and/or charcoal for catering. In each school, repeated 24-hour air pollution measurements (fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO)) were collected to assess concentrations in the main kitchen and a nearby classroom, in addition to personal exposure for the main cook. Surveys with catering staff collected data on perspectives on air pollution and health symptoms. Focus groups were conducted with catering staff, teachers and senior management to understand perceived impacts on health and the school environment. 24-hour levels of PM2.5 were found to surpass World Health Organization (WHO) interim target level 1 (IT-1) (35µg/m3) in all schools – with levels three times higher (107.6µg/m3) in classrooms, ten times higher (316.2µg/m3) in kitchens and nearly six times higher (200.9µg/m3) among cooks. Peak levels of pollution were closely linked to times of stove use, as concentrations doubled in classrooms and tripled in kitchens during cooking. Catering staff reported being concerned about their health, and reported experiencing wheezing, chest pains, eye irritation and headaches and attempted to avoid the smoke to reduce exposure. Disturbance to classes from cooking smoke was reported by teachers, with students reporting coughing and sneezing from exposure. Support is needed to enable clean cooking transitions in schools to create a healthy and safe learning environment.","PeriodicalId":517104,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research: Health","volume":"29 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140665835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-11DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ad3d79
M. J. Marchese, Jacqueline Gerson, A. Berky, Charles T. Driscoll, Luis Fernandez, H. Hsu-Kim, Kelsey Lansdale, Eliza Letourneau, M. Montesdeoca, William Pan, Emily Robie, Claudia Vega, E. Bernhardt
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the largest global anthropogenic mercury (Hg) source and is widespread in the Peruvian Amazon. Consuming Hg-laden foods exposes people to this potent neurotoxin. While numerous studies have examined fish Hg content near ASGM, Hg accumulation in other commonly consumed animal- and plant-based foods from terrestrial environments is often overlooked. In this study, we aim to address understudied dietary Hg exposures. To understand Hg exposure from food staples in the Peruvian Amazon, we measured total and methyl Hg in local crops, fish, chicken meat, chicken feathers, and eggs from ASGM-impacted and upstream (reference) communities. Diet surveys were used to estimate probable weekly Hg intake from each food. Fish and chicken stable carbon and nitrogen isotope signatures were analyzed to evaluate trophic magnification. Though few crops exceeded food safety recommendations, rice methyl Hg proportions were high (84%). Trophic level was an expected key predictor of fish Hg content. 81% (17 of 21) of local carnivorous fish exceeded WHO and USEPA recommendations. Compared to upstream communities, mining-impacted communities demonstrated elevated total Hg in crops (1.55 (IQR: 0.60-3.03) μg/kg upstream versus 3.38 (IQR: 1.62-11.58) in mining areas), chicken meats (2.69 (IQR: BDL-9.96) μg/kg versus 19.68 (IQR: 6.33-48.1)), and feathers (91.20 (IQR: 39.19-216.13) μg/kg versus 329.99 (IQR: 173.22-464.99)). Chicken meats from mining areas exhibited over double the methyl Hg concentrations of those upstream. Methyl Hg fractions in chicken muscle tissue averaged 93%. Egg whites and livers exceeded Hg recommendations most frequently. Proximity to mining, but not trophic position, was a predictor of chicken Hg content. Our results demonstrate that terrestrial and aquatic foods can accumulate Hg from mining activity, introducing additional human Hg exposure routes. However, locally sourced carnivorous fish was the largest contributor to an estimated three-fold exceedance of the provisional tolerable weekly Hg intake.
{"title":"Diet choices determine mercury exposure risks for people living in gold mining regions of Peru","authors":"M. J. Marchese, Jacqueline Gerson, A. Berky, Charles T. Driscoll, Luis Fernandez, H. Hsu-Kim, Kelsey Lansdale, Eliza Letourneau, M. Montesdeoca, William Pan, Emily Robie, Claudia Vega, E. Bernhardt","doi":"10.1088/2752-5309/ad3d79","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5309/ad3d79","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the largest global anthropogenic mercury (Hg) source and is widespread in the Peruvian Amazon. Consuming Hg-laden foods exposes people to this potent neurotoxin. While numerous studies have examined fish Hg content near ASGM, Hg accumulation in other commonly consumed animal- and plant-based foods from terrestrial environments is often overlooked. In this study, we aim to address understudied dietary Hg exposures. To understand Hg exposure from food staples in the Peruvian Amazon, we measured total and methyl Hg in local crops, fish, chicken meat, chicken feathers, and eggs from ASGM-impacted and upstream (reference) communities. Diet surveys were used to estimate probable weekly Hg intake from each food. Fish and chicken stable carbon and nitrogen isotope signatures were analyzed to evaluate trophic magnification. Though few crops exceeded food safety recommendations, rice methyl Hg proportions were high (84%). Trophic level was an expected key predictor of fish Hg content. 81% (17 of 21) of local carnivorous fish exceeded WHO and USEPA recommendations. Compared to upstream communities, mining-impacted communities demonstrated elevated total Hg in crops (1.55 (IQR: 0.60-3.03) μg/kg upstream versus 3.38 (IQR: 1.62-11.58) in mining areas), chicken meats (2.69 (IQR: BDL-9.96) μg/kg versus 19.68 (IQR: 6.33-48.1)), and feathers (91.20 (IQR: 39.19-216.13) μg/kg versus 329.99 (IQR: 173.22-464.99)). Chicken meats from mining areas exhibited over double the methyl Hg concentrations of those upstream. Methyl Hg fractions in chicken muscle tissue averaged 93%. Egg whites and livers exceeded Hg recommendations most frequently. Proximity to mining, but not trophic position, was a predictor of chicken Hg content. Our results demonstrate that terrestrial and aquatic foods can accumulate Hg from mining activity, introducing additional human Hg exposure routes. However, locally sourced carnivorous fish was the largest contributor to an estimated three-fold exceedance of the provisional tolerable weekly Hg intake.","PeriodicalId":517104,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research: Health","volume":"7 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140714444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-27DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ad3840
Tomas Liska, Mathew R Heal, Chun Lin, Massimo Vieno, E. Carnell, Samuel Tomlinson, Miranda Loh, Stefan Reis
A large number of epidemiological studies have identified air pollution as a major risk to human health. Exposures to the pollutants PM2.5, NO2 and O3 cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer and premature mortality. Whilst previous studies have reported demographic inequalities in exposure, with the most deprived and susceptible often being disproportionately exposed to the highest pollutant concentrations, the vast majority of these studies have quantified exposure based only on individuals’ place of residence. Here we use anonymised personal data from UK Census 2011, and hourly modelled air pollution concentrations at 0.8 km × 1.4 km spatial resolution in the Central Belt of Scotland, to investigate how inclusion of time spent at place of work or study affects demographic inequalities in exposure. We split the population by sex, ethnic group, age and socio-economic status. Exposure gradients are observed across all demographic characteristics. Air pollution exposures of males are more affected by workplace exposures than females. The White ethnic group has the lowest exposures to NO2 and PM2.5, and highest to O3. Exposures to NO2 and PM2.5 tend to peak between the ages of 21 and 30, but those aged 31 to 50 tend to be most impacted by the inclusion of time spent at workplace in the exposure assessment. People in the two least deprived deciles consistently have the lowest residential-only and combined residential-workplace exposure to NO2 and PM2.5, but experience the highest increase in exposure when including workplace. Overall, including workplace exposure results in relatively small change in median exposure but attenuates some of the exposure inequalities associated with ethnicity and socioeconomic status observed in exposure assessments based only on place of residence.
{"title":"The effect of workplace mobility on air pollution exposure inequality – a case study in the Central Belt of Scotland","authors":"Tomas Liska, Mathew R Heal, Chun Lin, Massimo Vieno, E. Carnell, Samuel Tomlinson, Miranda Loh, Stefan Reis","doi":"10.1088/2752-5309/ad3840","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5309/ad3840","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 A large number of epidemiological studies have identified air pollution as a major risk to human health. Exposures to the pollutants PM2.5, NO2 and O3 cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer and premature mortality. Whilst previous studies have reported demographic inequalities in exposure, with the most deprived and susceptible often being disproportionately exposed to the highest pollutant concentrations, the vast majority of these studies have quantified exposure based only on individuals’ place of residence. Here we use anonymised personal data from UK Census 2011, and hourly modelled air pollution concentrations at 0.8 km × 1.4 km spatial resolution in the Central Belt of Scotland, to investigate how inclusion of time spent at place of work or study affects demographic inequalities in exposure. We split the population by sex, ethnic group, age and socio-economic status. Exposure gradients are observed across all demographic characteristics. Air pollution exposures of males are more affected by workplace exposures than females. The White ethnic group has the lowest exposures to NO2 and PM2.5, and highest to O3. Exposures to NO2 and PM2.5 tend to peak between the ages of 21 and 30, but those aged 31 to 50 tend to be most impacted by the inclusion of time spent at workplace in the exposure assessment. People in the two least deprived deciles consistently have the lowest residential-only and combined residential-workplace exposure to NO2 and PM2.5, but experience the highest increase in exposure when including workplace. Overall, including workplace exposure results in relatively small change in median exposure but attenuates some of the exposure inequalities associated with ethnicity and socioeconomic status observed in exposure assessments based only on place of residence.","PeriodicalId":517104,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research: Health","volume":"33 21","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140375383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-06DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ad3084
Kimberly Ann Terrell, Gianna St. Julien, Maeve Wallace
Previous studies indicate that pollution exposure can increase risks of adverse birth outcomes, but Black communities are underrepresented in this research, and the potential moderating role of neighborhood context has not been explored. These issues are especially relevant in Louisiana, which has a high proportion of Black residents, an entrenched history of structural racism, the most pounds of toxic industrial emissions annually, and among the nation’s highest rates of low birthweight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and infant mortality. We investigated whether air pollution and social polarization by race and income (measured via the index of concentration at the extremes [ICE]) were associated with LBW and PTB among Louisiana census tracts (n = 1,101) using spatial lag models. Data sources included 2011-2020 birth records, U.S. Census Bureau 2017 demographic data, and 2017 Respiratory Hazard (RH) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Both RH and ICE were associated with LBW (z = 4.4, P < 0.0001; z = -27.0, P < 0.0001) and PTB (z = 2.3, P = 0.019; z = -16.7, P < 0.0001), with no interaction. Severely polluted tracts had 25% higher and 36% higher risks of LBW and PTB, respectively, versus unpolluted tracts. On average, 2,166 low birthweight and 3,583 preterm births annually were attributable to pollution exposure. Tracts with concentrated social deprivation (i.e. low ICE scores) had 53% higher and 34% higher risks of LBW and PTB, respectively, versus intermediate or mixed tracts. On average, 1,171 low birthweight and 1,739 preterm births annually were attributable to concentrated deprivation. Our ecological study found that a majority of adverse birth outcomes in Louisiana (i.e. 67% of LBW and PTB combined) are linked to air pollution exposure or disadvantage resulting from social polarization. These findings can inform research, policy, and advocacy to improve health equity in marginalized communities.
{"title":"Toxic air pollution and concentrated social deprivation are associated with low birthweight and preterm birth in Louisiana","authors":"Kimberly Ann Terrell, Gianna St. Julien, Maeve Wallace","doi":"10.1088/2752-5309/ad3084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5309/ad3084","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Previous studies indicate that pollution exposure can increase risks of adverse birth outcomes, but Black communities are underrepresented in this research, and the potential moderating role of neighborhood context has not been explored. These issues are especially relevant in Louisiana, which has a high proportion of Black residents, an entrenched history of structural racism, the most pounds of toxic industrial emissions annually, and among the nation’s highest rates of low birthweight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and infant mortality. We investigated whether air pollution and social polarization by race and income (measured via the index of concentration at the extremes [ICE]) were associated with LBW and PTB among Louisiana census tracts (n = 1,101) using spatial lag models. Data sources included 2011-2020 birth records, U.S. Census Bureau 2017 demographic data, and 2017 Respiratory Hazard (RH) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Both RH and ICE were associated with LBW (z = 4.4, P < 0.0001; z = -27.0, P < 0.0001) and PTB (z = 2.3, P = 0.019; z = -16.7, P < 0.0001), with no interaction. Severely polluted tracts had 25% higher and 36% higher risks of LBW and PTB, respectively, versus unpolluted tracts. On average, 2,166 low birthweight and 3,583 preterm births annually were attributable to pollution exposure. Tracts with concentrated social deprivation (i.e. low ICE scores) had 53% higher and 34% higher risks of LBW and PTB, respectively, versus intermediate or mixed tracts. On average, 1,171 low birthweight and 1,739 preterm births annually were attributable to concentrated deprivation. Our ecological study found that a majority of adverse birth outcomes in Louisiana (i.e. 67% of LBW and PTB combined) are linked to air pollution exposure or disadvantage resulting from social polarization. These findings can inform research, policy, and advocacy to improve health equity in marginalized communities.","PeriodicalId":517104,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research: Health","volume":"6 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140261786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-29DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ad2f09
M. Maestas, Scott A. Epstein, Nico Schulte, Xiang Li, Xinqiu Zhang, Sang-Mi Lee, Andrea Polidori, Jason Low, Jo Kay Ghosh
Air toxics are an important category of air pollutants that are known to cause adverse health effects, including increased cancer risk. Regulatory efforts at federal, state, and local levels have aimed to decrease air toxics emissions over the past several decades. This study evaluated trends in air toxics cancer risks in Southern California using data from 1998 to 2018. We estimated air toxics cancer risk for each of four iterations of the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study, which included at least one year of measurements at 10 stations and air toxics modeling for each iteration. Cancer risks were calculated using the measured and modeled air toxics concentrations averaged over a one to two year period and multiplied by the corresponding cancer potency factor and combined exposure factor that accounted for multiple exposure pathways and children’s increased sensitivity to the health effects of air pollution. We examined temporal trends in overall air toxics cancer risks and evaluated changes in the air toxics species that contributed most to cancer risk in the region. Both measurement and modeling results show that air toxics cancer risk in Southern California decreased by more than 80% between 1998 and 2018, including a decrease of about 50% from 2012 to 2018. Diesel particulate matter was the main risk driver, followed by benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and formaldehyde. We found that more densely populated communities showed larger decreases than sparsely populated areas. The substantial decrease in air toxics levels over this 20-year period points to the success of air pollution policies aimed at addressing air toxics emissions and can inform future policy efforts to further reduce air toxics health impacts.
{"title":"Trends in air toxics cancer risk in Southern California, 1998-2018","authors":"M. Maestas, Scott A. Epstein, Nico Schulte, Xiang Li, Xinqiu Zhang, Sang-Mi Lee, Andrea Polidori, Jason Low, Jo Kay Ghosh","doi":"10.1088/2752-5309/ad2f09","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5309/ad2f09","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Air toxics are an important category of air pollutants that are known to cause adverse health effects, including increased cancer risk. Regulatory efforts at federal, state, and local levels have aimed to decrease air toxics emissions over the past several decades. This study evaluated trends in air toxics cancer risks in Southern California using data from 1998 to 2018. We estimated air toxics cancer risk for each of four iterations of the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study, which included at least one year of measurements at 10 stations and air toxics modeling for each iteration. Cancer risks were calculated using the measured and modeled air toxics concentrations averaged over a one to two year period and multiplied by the corresponding cancer potency factor and combined exposure factor that accounted for multiple exposure pathways and children’s increased sensitivity to the health effects of air pollution. We examined temporal trends in overall air toxics cancer risks and evaluated changes in the air toxics species that contributed most to cancer risk in the region. Both measurement and modeling results show that air toxics cancer risk in Southern California decreased by more than 80% between 1998 and 2018, including a decrease of about 50% from 2012 to 2018. Diesel particulate matter was the main risk driver, followed by benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and formaldehyde. We found that more densely populated communities showed larger decreases than sparsely populated areas. The substantial decrease in air toxics levels over this 20-year period points to the success of air pollution policies aimed at addressing air toxics emissions and can inform future policy efforts to further reduce air toxics health impacts.","PeriodicalId":517104,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research: Health","volume":"72 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140411425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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