Ambient particulate matter air pollution is associated with increased risk of papillary thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND: The association between exposure to air pollution and papillary thyroid carcinoma is unknown. We sought to estimate the relationship between long-term exposure to the fine (diameter ≤ 2.5 µm) particulate matter component of air pollution and the risk of papillary thyroid cancer. METHODS: Adult (age ≥18) patients with newly diagnosed papillary thyroid carcinoma between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2016 across a single health system were identified using electronic medical records. Data from 1,990 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma were compared with 3,980 age- and sex-matched control subjects without any evidence of thyroid disease. Cumulative fine (diameter <2.5 µm) particulate matter exposure was estimated by incorporating patients' residential zip codes into a deep learning neural networks model, which uses both meteorological and satellite-based measurements. Conditional logistic regression was performed to assess for association between papillary thyroid carcinoma and increasing fine (diameter ≤2.5 µm) particulate matter concentrations over 1, 2, and 3 years of cumulative exposure preceding papillary thyroid carcinoma diagnosis. RESULTS: Increased odds of developing papillary thyroid carcinoma was associated with a 5 µg/m3 increase of fine (diameter ≤2.5 µm) particulate matter concentrations over 2 years (adjusted odds ratio = 1.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.00-1.40) and 3 years (adjusted odds ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.44) of exposure. This risk differed by smoking status (pinteraction = 0.04). Among current smokers (n = 623), the risk of developing papillary thyroid carcinoma was highest (adjusted odds ratio = 1.35, 95% confidence interval: 1.12-1.63). CONCLUSION: Increasing concentration of fine (diameter ≤2.5 µm) particulate matter in air pollution is significantly associated with the incidence of papillary thyroid carcinoma with 2 and 3 years of exposure. Our novel findings provide additional insight into the potential associations between risk factors and papillary thyroid carcinoma and warrant further investigation, specifically in areas with high levels of air pollution both nationally and internationally.

Active environmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Midwestern United States meatpacking plants.

This pilot project investigated environmental SARS-CoV-2 presence in seven Midwestern meatpacking plants from May 2020 to January 2021. This study investigated social distancing and infection control practices and incorporated environmental sampling of surfaces and air in employee common areas. All plants increased their social distancing efforts, increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting worker areas, and screened for symptomatic people to prevent entry into the workplace. 575 samples from common areas were collected and evaluated with RT-qPCR for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. 42/367 surface samples were positive, while no virus was detected in air samples. Case positive data from the counties surrounding each plant showed peak positive SARS-CoV-2 cases from 12-55 days before the virus was detected in the plant, indicating that environmental sampling is likely a lagging indicator of community and plant infection.

HEALTH IN THE SYSTEM OF VALUES OF THE POPULATION OF THE SURVEILLANCE ZONES NUCLEAR POWER PLANTSS. / ZDOROV'Ia V SYSTEMI TsINNOSTEI NASELENNIa ZON SPOSTEREZhENNIa ATOMNYKh ELEKTROSTANTsII.

OBJECTIVE: to determine the place of health in the system of values of the population of the surveillance zone (SZ)of nuclear power plants (NPPs) and its importance in the perception of emergency risks (ER). MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine the place of health in the value system, a survey of the able-bodied popula-tion of satellite cities of Rivne (RNPP) and South Ukrainian (SUNPP) nuclear power plants was conducted using non-repetitive sampling, where the sampling error does not exceed 7,0 %. The motivational and behavioral componentthat determined health in the individual hierarchy of values of the subject according to the questionnaireBerezovskaya R. A. was studied. Statistical and mathematical methods were used in the research process. RESULTS: The array of respondents was conditionally divided into 4 groups according to their attitude to humanhealth. And the group where a person's life position is focused exclusively on health is the most common - 77,0 %.Group IV, which wants to live without limiting itself, is 8,1 %. The component integrity of values-goals and values-means among the urban population of the SZ of both nuclear power plants is the same: the main goal in life is health,happy family life, and as a means - perseverance, diligence and health. Goal values in groups I and IV have somedifferences: in the first group of respondents the main goal in life is health, and in the fourth, where a person's lifeguidelines exclude any restrictions - a happy family life. Values for these populations have some differences, but inboth groups health appears to be the main means to an end. There is a close correlation between the core of termi-nal values and the average indicators of the state of concern about the risk of emergencies. CONCLUSIONS: Identified hierarchy of values: a group of stable dominant values; average status values; group of leastsignificant values. The values of the highest status among the values-goals are - health, happy family life and inte-resting work. Most respondents plan to achieve them through values such as «health¼, «perseverance and hardwork¼. There is a close correlation between the core of terminal values and the average indicators of the state ofconcern about the risk of emergencies.

Dominance of the residential sector in Chinese black carbon emissions as identified from downwind atmospheric observations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emissions of black carbon (BC) particles from anthropogenic and natural sources contribute to climate change and human health impacts. Therefore, they need to be accurately quantified to develop an effective mitigation strategy. Although the spread of the emission flux estimates for China have recently narrowed under the constraints of atmospheric observations, consensus has not been reached regarding the dominant emission sector. Here, we quantified the contribution of the residential sector, as 64% (44-82%) in 2019, using the response of the observed atmospheric concentration in the outflowing air during Feb-Mar 2020, with the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic and restricted human activities over China. In detail, the BC emission fluxes, estimated after removing effects from meteorological variability, dropped only slightly (- 18%) during Feb-Mar 2020 from the levels in the previous year for selected air masses of Chinese origin, suggesting the contributions from the transport and industry sectors (36%) were smaller than the rest from the residential sector (64%). Carbon monoxide (CO) behaved differently, with larger emission reductions (- 35%) in the period Feb-Mar 2020, suggesting dominance of non-residential (i.e., transport and industry) sectors, which contributed 70% (48-100%) emission during 2019. The estimated BC/CO emission ratio for these sectors will help to further constrain bottom-up emission inventories. We comprehensively provide a clear scientific evidence supporting mitigation policies targeting reduction in residential BC emissions from China by demonstrating the economic feasibility using marginal abatement cost curves.

Danube as a symbol of Europe. Perception of the river from varied geographical perspectives.

The Danube is promoted as a pan-European river, what can be justified for instance by the vast range of its drainage basin, covering 19 countries on both sides of the historical border diving Eastern and Western Europe. Differentiation of imaginations of Danube course from the perspective of 7 European cities, based on research covering 1577 respondents, conducted between 2005-2007 and 2016-2018 has been presented in the paper. Maps presenting the generalized imagination of river course have been generated for each city. It has been proved that in spite of substantial political, economical and symbolical importance of this river for big part of Europe, the course of Danube remains unknown for inhabitants of its Western part, in parallel to more correct recognition of the river by students from Eastern Europe. It has been shown that the perception does not change despite the progressing integration processes.

A national cohort study (2000-2018) of long-term air pollution exposure and incident dementia in older adults in the United States.

Air pollution may increase risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) in the U.S., but the extent of this relationship is unclear. Here, we constructed two national U.S. population-based cohorts of those aged ≥65 from the Medicare Chronic Conditions Warehouse (2000-2018), combined with high-resolution air pollution datasets, to investigate the association of long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) with dementia and AD incidence, respectively. We identified ~2.0 million incident dementia cases (N = 12,233,371; dementia cohort) and ~0.8 million incident AD cases (N = 12,456,447; AD cohort). Per interquartile range (IQR) increase in the 5-year average PM2.5 (3.2 µg/m3), NO2 (11.6 ppb), and warm-season O3 (5.3 ppb) over the past 5 years prior to diagnosis, the hazard ratios (HRs) were 1.060 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.054, 1.066), 1.019 (95% CI: 1.012, 1.026), and 0.990 (95% CI: 0.987, 0.993) for incident dementias, and 1.078 (95% CI: 1.070, 1.086), 1.031 (95% CI: 1.023, 1.039), and 0.982 (95%CI: 0.977, 0.986) for incident AD, respectively, for the three pollutants. For both outcomes, concentration-response relationships for PM2.5 and NO2 were approximately linear. Our study suggests that exposures to PM2.5 and NO2 are associated with incidence of dementia and AD.

Positive effects of COVID-19 lockdown on river water quality: evidence from River Damodar, India.

The global economic activities were completely stopped during COVID-19 lockdown and continuous lockdown partially brought some positive effects for the health of the total environment. The multiple industries, cities, towns and rural people are completely depending on large tropical river Damodar (India) but in the last few decades the quality of the river water is being significantly deteriorated. The present study attempts to investigate the river water quality (RWQ) particularly for pre- lockdown, lockdown and unlock period. We considered 20 variables per sample of RWQ data and it was analyzed using novel Modified Water Quality Index (MWQI), Trophic State Index (TSI), Heavy Metal Index (HMI) and Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI). Principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson's correlation (r) analysis are applied to determine the influencing variables and relationship among the river pollutants. The results show that during lockdown 54.54% samples were brought significantly positive changes applying MWQI. During lockdown, HMI ranged from 33.96 to 117.33 with 27.27% good water quality which shows the low ecological risk of aquatic ecosystem due to low mixing of toxic metals in the river water. Lockdown effects brought river water to oligotrophic/meso-eutrophic condition from eutrophic/hyper-eutrophic stage. Rejuvenation of river health during lockdown offers ample scope to policymakers, administrators and environmentalists for restoration of river health from huge anthropogenic stress.

Environmental Effects of Ultraviolet (UV) Filters.

Organic and inorganic ultraviolet (UV) filters are used in topical sunscreens and other applications to prevent or limit damage following exposure to UV light. Increasing use of UV filters has contributed to a growing number of investigations examining potential effects on human health and the environment. Worldwide environmental monitoring data demonstrate that UV filters reach aquatic environments through two main input sources - direct (i.e., washoff from swimmers/bathers) and indirect (i.e., incomplete wastewater treatment removal) - and can be taken up by various algal, plant, and animal species and sediments. In areas where industrial wastewater sources or significant recreational activities result in a greater input load, levels may be elevated and could impart an increased risk on native species health. In vitro, at higher levels typically not measured in the environment, effects on growth and reproduction are observed in different species, including fish, coral reef, and plants. Despite this, predicted no-effect concentrations for UV filters are generally above measured environmental concentrations. Recent legislative activity banning the use of certain UV filters has heightened awareness of their environmental ubiquity and precipitated a need for a thorough examination of evidence linking their ecological presence with adverse outcomes. In order to gauge the true potential risk to native ecosystems associated with UV filters, future studies should consider factors inherent both to finished sunscreen products (e.g., metabolic fate/transport and effect of inactive ingredients) and to the sampled environment (e.g., species sensitivity, presence of other contaminants, water flow, and photodegradation).

Interpreting Risk from Sunscreens in the Marine Environment.

Recent and pending bans in specific jurisdictions of some organic ultraviolet (UV) filters have resulted in significant concern and controversy over the potential impacts of these contaminants in the marine environment. Organic UV filters have been quantified in the aquatic environment as contaminants in water, sediments, and the tissues of aquatic organisms. The limited available laboratory studies on the toxicity of UV filters to keystone marine species such as reef-building corals describe a wide variety of impacts, from significant acute effects to no observed effects. However, interpretation of results is complicated by differences in methodology, and exposures to single agents in vitro may not reflect the effects of longer exposure to finished sunscreens containing UV filters in combination with numerous other chemicals. Relatively short-term observations of laboratory effects thus may not translate to real-life field conditions, where organisms may be subject to the effects of long-term chronic exposure to UV filters as well as other environmental contaminants and stressors. The lack of current understanding of the full impacts of UV filters, both in the laboratory and in the environment, represents a significant challenge in interpreting the environmental risk associated with the widespread use of sunscreens.

Health risk assessment of PM2.5 on walking trips.

PM2.5 has an impact on residents' physical health during travelling, especially walking completely exposed to the environment. In order to obtain the specific impact of PM2.5 on walking, 368 healthy volunteers were selected and they were grouped according to gender and age. In the experiment, the heart rate change rate (HR%) is taken as test variable. According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the travel is divided into two states: safety and risk. Based on this, a binary logit model considering Body Mass Index (BMI) is established to determine the contribution of PM2.5 concentration and body characteristics to travel risk. The experiment was conducted on Chang'an Middle Road in Xi'an City. The analysis results show that the threshold of HR% for safety and risk ranges from 31.1 to 40.1%, and that of PM2.5 concentration ranges from 81 to 168 µg/m3. The probability of risk rises 5.8% and 11.4%, respectively, for every unit increase in PM2.5 concentration and HR%. Under same conditions, the probability of risk for male is 76.8% of that for female. The probability of risk for youth is 67.5% of that for middle-aged people, and the probability of risk for people with BMI in healthy range is 72.1% of that for non-healthy range. The research evaluates risk characteristics of walking in particular polluted weather, which can improve residents' health level and provide suggestions for travel decision while walking.

Indoor and outdoor noise changes due to the COVID-19 lockdown and their effects on individuals' expectations and preferences.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly modified our urban territories. One of the most strongly affected parameters was outdoor noise, caused by traffic and human activity in general, all of which were forced to stop during the spring of 2020. This caused an indubitable noise reduction both inside and outside the home. This study investigates how people reacted to this new unexpected, unwanted and unpredictable situation. Using field measurements, it was possible to demonstrate how the outdoor sound pressure level clearly decreased. Furthermore, by means of an international survey, it was discovered that people had positive reaction to the lower noise level. This preference was generally not related to home typology or location in the city, but rather to a generalized wish to live in a quieter urban environment.

Quantifying responses to changes in the jurisdiction of a congestion charge: A study of the London western extension.

This paper quantifies behavioural responses to changes in the jurisdiction of a congestion charge, with a successive focus on (i) an extension and (ii) a reduction in the size of the charging zone. We exploit the unanticipated nature of both the implementation and removal of London's Western Expansion Zone (WEZ) as quasi-natural experiments to test whether individual responses to policies are asymmetric. We use the UK Department of Transport Annual Average Daily Flow (AADF) data, which records traffic flows for seven transport modes (including cars, buses, bicycles, heavy and light goods vehicles). Using a difference-in-differences approach, we find that the introduction of the WEZ led to a 4.9% decline in road traffic flows in the new congestion charge area. These results are robust to different model specifications. HGVs traffic did not significantly change post-WEZ, which indicates that their road demand is price inelastic. The removal of the WEZ led to no significant variations in traffic. This result indicates asymmetry in behaviour with persistent changes in post-intervention traffic demand levels.

Quantifying nitrate pollution sources of the drinking water source area using a Bayesian isotope mixing model in the northeastern suburbs of Beijing, China.

Nitrate pollution has become an environmental problem of global concern. One effective way for controlling the nitrate pollution of water is to identify the pollution source and reduce the input of nitrate. This study traces and quantifies the sources of nitrate contamination to groundwater and surface water in the northeastern suburbs of Beijing, where an emergency groundwater source zone is located. Nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope analysis, geospatial analysis techniques, principal component analysis, correlation analysis, and a Bayesian isotope mixing model were used to achieve our goals. The results show that the main sources of nitrate pollution in groundwater were manure and sewage (M&S) (42.6 %) > soil nitrogen (SN) (26.6 %) > NH4+ in fertilizer and rain (NHF&R) (24.5 %) > NO3- fertilizer (NOF) (5.0 %) > NO3- in atmospheric deposition (NAD) (1.3 %), and main sources of nitrate in surface water were M&S (28.8 %) > SN (20.4 %) > NAD (19.8%) > NOF (16.5%) > NHF&R (14.5 %). Due to the high permeability of the aquifer in the study area, there was a strong hydraulic connection between groundwater and surface water. The discharge of treated wastewater (reclaimed water) into the mostly dried river channel in the study area might aggravate nitrate pollution in the groundwater.

Health risk assessment of occupational exposure to heavy metals in a steel casting unit of a steelmaking plant using Monte-Carlo simulation technique.

The present work aimed to evaluate the health risks of occupational exposure to heavy metals in a steel casting unit of a steel plant. To determine occupational exposure to heavy metals, personal air samples were taken from the workers' breathing zones using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health method. Noncancer and cancer risks due to the measured metals were calculated according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency procedures. The results indicated that the noncancer risks owing to occupational exposure to lead (Pb) and manganese were higher than the recommended value in most of the workstations. The estimated cancer risk of Pb was also higher than the allowable value. Moreover, the results of sensitivity analysis indicated that the concentration, inhalation rate, and exposure duration were the most influencing variables contributing to the calculated risks. It was thus concluded that the present control measures were not adequate and further improvements were required for reducing the exposure levels.

Association of PM2.5 exposure with hospitalization for cardiovascular disease in elderly individuals in Japan.

Although exposure to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) influences cardiovascular disease (CVD), its association with CVD-related hospitalizations of super-aged patients in Japan remains uncertain. We investigated the relationship between short-term PM2.5 exposure and CVD-related hospitalizations, lengths of hospital stays, and medical expenses. We analyzed the Japanese national database of patients with CVD (835,405) admitted to acute-care hospitals between 2012 and 2014. Patients with planned hospitalizations and those with missing PM2.5 exposure data were excluded. We classified the included patients into five quintiles based on their PM2.5 exposure: PM-5, -4, -3, -2, and -1 groups, in descending order of concentration. Compared with the PM-1 group, the other groups had higher hospitalization rates. The PM-3, -4, and -5 groups exhibited increased hospitalization durations and medical expenses, compared with the PM-1 group. Interestingly, the hospitalization period was longer for the ≥ 90-year-old group than for the ≤ 64-year-old group, yet the medical expenses were lower for the former group. Short-term PM2.5 exposure is associated with increased CVD-related hospitalizations, hospitalization durations, and medical expenses. The effects of incident CVDs were more marked in elderly than in younger patients. National PM2.5 concentrations should be reduced and the public should be aware of the risks.

Open fire exposure increases the risk of pregnancy loss in South Asia.

Interactions between climate change and anthropogenic activities result in increasing numbers of open fires, which have been shown to harm maternal health. However, few studies have examined the association between open fire and pregnancy loss. We conduct a self-comparison case-control study including 24,876 mothers from South Asia, the region with the heaviest pregnancy-loss burden in the world. Exposure is assessed using a chemical transport model as the concentrations of fire-sourced PM2.5 (i.e., fire PM2.5). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of pregnancy loss for a 1-µg/m3 increment in averaged concentration of fire PM2.5 during pregnancy is estimated as 1.051 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.035, 1.067). Because fire PM2.5 is more strongly linked with pregnancy loss than non-fire PM2.5 (OR: 1.014; 95% CI: 1.011, 1.016), it contributes to a non-neglectable fraction (13%) of PM2.5-associated pregnancy loss. Here, we show maternal health is threaten by gestational exposure to fire smoke in South Asia.

A system of coordinated autonomous robots for Lagrangian studies of microbes in the oceanic deep chlorophyll maximum.

The deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) layer is an ecologically important feature of the open ocean. The DCM cannot be observed using aerial or satellite remote sensing; thus, in situ observations are essential. Further, understanding the responses of microbes to the environmental processes driving their metabolism and interactions requires observing in a reference frame that moves with a plankton population drifting in ocean currents, i.e., Lagrangian. Here, we report the development and application of a system of coordinated robots for studying planktonic biological communities drifting within the ocean. The presented Lagrangian system uses three coordinated autonomous robotic platforms. The focal platform consists of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) fitted with a robotic water sampler. This platform localizes and drifts within a DCM community, periodically acquiring samples while continuously monitoring the local environment. The second platform is an AUV equipped with environmental sensing and acoustic tracking capabilities. This platform characterizes environmental conditions by tracking the focal platform and vertically profiling in its vicinity. The third platform is an autonomous surface vehicle equipped with satellite communications and subsea acoustic tracking capabilities. While also acoustically tracking the focal platform, this vehicle serves as a communication relay that connects the subsea robot to human operators, thereby providing situational awareness and enabling intervention if needed. Deployed in the North Pacific Ocean within the core of a cyclonic eddy, this coordinated system autonomously captured fundamental characteristics of the in situ DCM microbial community in a manner not possible previously.

Air quality-related health damages of food.

Agriculture is a major contributor to air pollution, the largest environmental risk factor for mortality in the United States and worldwide. It is largely unknown, however, how individual foods or entire diets affect human health via poor air quality. We show how food production negatively impacts human health by increasing atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and we identify ways to reduce these negative impacts of agriculture. We quantify the air quality-related health damages attributable to 95 agricultural commodities and 67 final food products, which encompass >99% of agricultural production in the United States. Agricultural production in the United States results in 17,900 annual air quality-related deaths, 15,900 of which are from food production. Of those, 80% are attributable to animal-based foods, both directly from animal production and indirectly from growing animal feed. On-farm interventions can reduce PM2.5-related mortality by 50%, including improved livestock waste management and fertilizer application practices that reduce emissions of ammonia, a secondary PM2.5 precursor, and improved crop and animal production practices that reduce primary PM2.5 emissions from tillage, field burning, livestock dust, and machinery. Dietary shifts toward more plant-based foods that maintain protein intake and other nutritional needs could reduce agricultural air quality-related mortality by 68 to 83%. In sum, improved livestock and fertilization practices, and dietary shifts could greatly decrease the health impacts of agriculture caused by its contribution to reduced air quality.

Mapping biodiversity hotspots of fish communities in subtropical streams through environmental DNA.

Large tropical and subtropical rivers are among the most biodiverse ecosystems worldwide, but also suffer from high anthropogenic pressures. These rivers are hitherto subject to little or no routine biomonitoring, which would be essential for identification of conservation areas of high importance. Here, we use a single environmental DNA multi-site sampling campaign across the 200,000 km2 Chao Phraya river basin, Thailand, to provide key information on fish diversity. We found a total of 108 fish taxa and identified key biodiversity patterns within the river network. By using hierarchical clustering, we grouped the fish communities of all sites across the catchment into distinct clusters. The clusters not only accurately matched the topology of the river network, but also revealed distinct groups of sites enabling informed conservation measures. Our study reveals novel opportunities of large-scale monitoring via eDNA to identify relevant areas within whole river catchments for conservation and habitat protection.

Environmental Surveillance for Polioviruses in Haïti (2017-2019): The Dynamic Process for the Establishment and Monitoring of Sampling Sites.

Haïti is at risk for wild poliovirus (WPV) importation and circulation, as well as vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) emergence. Environmental surveillance (ES) for polioviruses was established in Port au Prince and Gonaïves in 2016. During 2017-2019, initial ES sites were re-evaluated, and ES was expanded into Cap Haïtien and Saint Marc. Wastewater samples and data on weather, hour of collection, and sample temperature and pH were collected every 4 weeks during March 2017-December 2019 (272 sampling events) from 21 sites in Cap Haïtien, Gonaïves, Port au Prince, and Saint Marc. Samples were processed for the detection of polio and non-polio enteroviruses using the two-phase and "Concentration and Filter Elution" methodologies. Polioviruses were serotyped and underwent intra-typic characterization. No WPV or VDPVs were isolated. Sabin-like polioviruses (oral vaccine strain) of serotypes 1 and 3 were sporadically detected. Five of six (83%), one of six (17%), five of six (83%), and two of three (67%) sites evaluated in Cap Haïtien, Gonaïves, Port au Prince, and Saint Marc, respectively, had enterovirus isolation from >50% of sampling events; these results and considerations, such as watershed population size and overlap, influence of sea water, and excessive particulates in samples, were factors in site retention or termination. The evaluation of 21 ES sampling sites in four Haïtian cities led to the termination of 11 sites. Every-four-weekly sampling continues at the remaining 10 sites across the four cities as a core Global Polio Eradication Initiative activity.