The incidence of upper respiratory infections in children is related to the concentration of vanadium in indoor dust aggregates.

Background: It has been reported that the disease-initiated and disease-mediated effects of aerosol pollutants can be related to concentration, site of deposition, duration of exposure, as well as the specific chemical composition of pollutants. Objectives: To investigate the microelemental composition of dust aggregates in primary schools of Vilnius and determine trace elements related to acute upper respiratory infections among 6-to 11-year-old children. Methods: Microelemental analysis of aerosol pollution was performed using dust samples collected in the classrooms of 11 primary schools in Vilnius from 2016 to 2020. Sites included areas of its natural accumulation behind the radiator heaters and from the surface of high cupboards. The concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, W, Sb, Sn, Zr, Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn, Cr, V, and As) in dust samples were analyzed using a SPECTRO XEPOS spectrometer. The annual incidence rates of respiratory diseases in children of each school were calculated based on data from medical records. Results: The mean annual incidence of physician-diagnosed acute upper respiratory infections (J00-J06 according to ICD-10A) among younger school-age children was between 25.1 and 71.3% per school. A significant correlation was found between vanadium concentration and the number of episodes of acute upper respiratory infections during each study year from 2016 to 2020. The lowest was r = 0.67 (p = 0.024), and the highest was r = 0.82 (p = 0.002). The concentration of vanadium in the samples of dust aggregates varied from 12.7 to 52.1 parts per million (ppm). No significant correlations between the other trace elements and the incidence of upper respiratory infections were found, which could be caused by a small number of study schools and relatively low concentrations of other heavy metals found in the samples of indoor dust aggregates. Conclusion: A significant and replicable correlation was found between the concentration of vanadium in the samples of natural dust aggregates collected in primary schools and the incidence of acute upper respiratory infections in children. Monitoring the concentration of heavy metals in the indoor environment can be an important instrument for the prevention and control of respiratory morbidity in children.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Dust in Vilnius Schools: Source Identification, Pollution Levels, and Potential Health Risks for Children.

The main objective of this study is to thoroughly evaluate the diversity and sources of heavy metals in the school environment. Specifically, this study examines the presence of heavy metals in the dust found and collected from 24 schools in Vilnius. Employing hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and positive matrix factorization, we identified combustion-related activities as primary contributors to elevated metal concentrations, notably zinc, scandium, and copper, with PM2.5/PM10 ratios indicating a combustion source. They reveal significant differences in the levels of elements such as arsenic (4.55-69.96 mg/kg), copper (51.28-395.37 mg/kg), zinc, and lead, which are affected by both local environmental factors and human activities. Elevated pollution levels were found in certain school environments, indicating environmental degradation. Pollution assessment and specific element pairings' strong positive correlations suggested shared origins or deposition processes. While this study primarily assesses non-carcinogenic risks to children based on a health risk assessment model, it acknowledges the well-documented carcinogenic potential of substances such as lead and arsenic. The research emphasizes the immediate necessity for efficient pollution management in educational environments, as indicated by the elevated hazard index for substances such as lead and arsenic, which present non-carcinogenic risks to children. This research offers important insights into the composition and origins of dust pollution in schools. It also promotes the need for broader geographic sampling and prolonged data collection to improve our understanding of pollution sources, alongside advocating for actionable strategies such as environmental management and policy reforms to effectively reduce exposure risks in educational settings. Furthermore, it aims to develop specific strategies to safeguard the health of students in Vilnius and similar urban areas.

A comparative analysis of multi-biomarker responses to environmental stress: Evaluating differences in landfill leachate and pathogenic oomycete effects between wild and captive Salmo trutta.

Phenotypic plasticity is one of the major means by which organisms can manage with environmental factor changes. Captivity-related stress and artificial rearing settings have been shown to dramatically alter fish response plasticity in terms of physiology, behavior, and health, potentially reducing overall fitness and fish survival. Understanding the variations in plasticity between captive-bred (kept in a homogenous environment) and wild fish populations in response to varied environmental pressures is becoming increasingly important, particularly in risk assessment research. In this study, we investigated whether captive-bred trout (Salmo trutta) are more susceptible to stress stimuli than their wild counterparts. In both wild and captive-bred trout, we investigated a battery of biomarkers that depicts the effects at various levels of biological organization in response to landfill leachate as a chemical pollutant, and after exposure to pathogenic oomycetes Saprolegnia parasitica. According to the findings, wild trout were more susceptible to chemical stimuli based on cytogenetic damage and catalase activity changes, whereas captive-bred trout were more sensitive to biological stress as evidenced by changes in overall fish activity and increasing cytogenetic damage in gills erythrocytes. Our findings emphasize the significance of exercising caution when conducting risk assessments of environmental pollutants using captive-bred animals, especially when seeking to extrapolate hazards and better understand the consequences of environmental contamination on wild fish populations. Additional comparative studies are required to investigate the impact of environmental stressors on multi-biomarker responses in both wild and captive fish populations in order to uncover changes in the plasticity of various traits that can result in adaptation or maladaptation to environmental stimuli within these fish populations, affecting data comparability and transferability to wildlife.

Airborne pollen and fungi indoors: Evidence from primary schools in Lithuania.

The number of children suffering from respiratory allergies and asthma has been increasing worldwide and, hence, it is crucial to understand the burden of inhalant biological particles present in school facilities, where children spend one third of their life. From the perspective of indoor air quality, while there are numerous studies on outdoor bioaerosol exposure, there are still uncertainties regarding the diversity and deposition of airborne pollen and fungi indoors. When it comes to schools, there is limited research as to the potential bioaerosol exposure. Here we studied the indoor environment of public schools aiming to reveal whether primary schools of different sizes and at localities of different levels of urbanization may exhibit a variability in the biodiversity and abundance of particles of biological origin, which could pose a risk to child health. To achieve this, 11 schools were selected, located in a variety of environments, from downtown, to city centre-periphery, and to the suburbs. Fungal and pollen samples were collected from various surfaces in school classrooms and corridors, using passive air sampling and swab sampling. We demonstrated that fungi and pollen are detected in school premises during and after the vegetation season. The highest diversity of bioaerosols was found on the top of cabinets and windowsills, with Penicillium, Cladosporium and Acremonium being the most abundant indoors. The levels of fungi were higher in schools with more students. The diversity and amount of pollen in the spring were significantly higher than in samples collected in autumn. Our findings complemented existing evidence that bioaerosol measurements in schools (including kindergartens or informal education facilities) are vital. Hence, we here suggest that, in addition to monitoring air quality and bacterial levels indoors, fungi and pollen measurements have to be integrated in the existing regular biomonitoring campaigns so as to prevent exposure, increase awareness and manage efficiently allergic symptomatology.

Cytogenetic damage in native Baltic Sea fish species: environmental risks associated with chemical munition dumping in the Gotland Basin of the Baltic Sea.

This study represents the first attempt to assess genotoxicity and cytotoxicity effects in herring (Clupea harengus membras), flounder (Platichthys flesus), and cod (Gadus morhua callarias) caught at 47 study stations, located close to chemical munition dumpsites in the Gotland Basin, the Baltic Sea. Herring sampled from stations located in the center of chemical munition dumpsites exhibited the highest levels of micronuclei (MN) and total genotoxicity (ΣGentox), which is defined as the sum of frequencies of such nuclear abnormalities as micronuclei, nuclear buds, nuclear buds on the filament, and bi-nucleated erythrocytes with nucleoplasmic bridges. Exceptionally high and high ΣGentox risks were determined for flounder (89.47%), herring (79.31%), and cod (50%) caught at the stations located close to the chemical munition dumpsites.

Induction of nuclear abnormalities in herring (Clupea harengus membras), flounder (Platichthys flesus), and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) collected from the southern part of the Gotland Basin-the Baltic Sea (2010-2017).

Eight nuclear abnormalities of genotoxicity and cytotoxicity were studied in peripheral blood erythrocytes of herring (Clupea harengus membras), flounder (Platichthys flesus), and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) sampled (2010-2017) from the Polish and the Lithuanian Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in the Baltic Sea. At all study stations, total genotoxicity (∑Gentox) was found to be higher than total cytotoxicity (∑Cytox). A significant time-related decrease in genotoxicity was detected in the Lithuanian EEZ (2015-2017), while in the Polish EEZ (2014-2016), the opposite tendency was revealed. The highest ∑Gentox and ∑Cytox values recorded in fish sampled at the study stations located relatively close to each other clearly indicate an increased environmental genotoxicity and cytotoxicity pressure for fish in these areas. Exceptionally high and high-level genotoxicity risks to herring followed by those to flounder and cod were determined at a higher percentage of the stations studied.

Environmental genotoxicity and cytotoxicity levels in herring (Clupea harengus), flounder (Platichthys flesus) and cod (Gadus morhua) inhabiting the Gdansk Basin of the Baltic Sea.

Frequencies of eight nuclear abnormalities (NAs) reflecting environmental genotoxicity and cytotoxicity, were examined in 739 specimens of herring (Clupea harengus), flounder (Platichthys flesus) and cod (Gadus morhua) collected between 2009 and 2017 at 50 study stations located in the Gulf of Gdansk and the southern part of the Gdansk Deep (the Baltic Sea). The highest levels of geno-cytotoxicity were recorded in fish caught at stations located in close proximity to chemical and conventional munitions dumping sites or in zones polluted by Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs). The values of NAs were significantly higher (up to 51-fold compared with the reference level) in herring caught at seven stations and in cod from one station located close to the munitions dumping sites. Exceptionally high total genotoxicity (∑Gtox) risk was found for flounder collected from 18 (72.0%) stations, herring caught at 12 (38.7%) stations and cod caught at four (17.4%) studied stations.

Environmental genotoxicity and risk assessment in the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea) using fish, bivalves, and crustaceans.

Environmental genotoxicity in the Gulf of Riga was assessed using different bioindicators (fish, clams, and isopods) collected from 14 study stations. Comparison of genotoxicity responses (micronuclei (MN) and nuclear buds (NB)) in blood erythrocytes of herring (Clupea harengus), eelpout (Zoarces viviparous), and flounder (Platichthys flesus) revealed the species- and site-specific differences. For the first time, the analysis of genotoxicity was carried out in gill cells of isopods Saduria entomon. The highest inductions of MN and NB in gill cells of investigated S. entomon and clams (Macoma balthica) were evaluated in specimens from station 111A (offshore zone). In fish, the highest incidences of MN were measured in eelpout and in herring collected in the southern part of Gulf of Riga (station GOR3/41S). Moreover, in the southern coastal area, the assessment of genotoxicity risk (according to micronuclei levels) indicated exceptionally high risk for flounder, eelpout, and clams.

Analysis of nuclear abnormalities in erythrocytes of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) treated with Cu and Zn and after 4-, 8-, and 12-day depuration (post-treatment recovery).

The induction of micronuclei (MN), nuclear buds (NB), bi-nucleated erythrocytes with nucleoplasmic bridge (BNb), vacuolated (VacNuc), blebbed (BL), 8-shaped nuclei, bi-nucleated (BN) and fragmented-apoptotic (FA) erythrocytes was analysed in the peripheral blood, cephalic kidney and liver of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss after 4-day treatment with copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) mixture solutions and in 4-, 8- and 12-day depuration process. Fish (three treatment and one control group, N=40) were exposed to 0.0625, 0.125 and 0.25 fractions of 96-h LC50, respectively under semi-static conditions. Exposure of O. mykiss to Cu and Zn induced significant increase of MN (in blood in all test groups; in liver 0.125, 0.25 and in kidney 0.25 groups, respectively), NB and BL (in blood and kidney 0.25 group), 8-shaped (in blood 0.25; in liver 0.125, 0.25 and in kidney all test groups, respectively) and VacNuc (in liver and kidney 0.0625 and 0.125 groups). After 4-day recovery, significantly elevated levels of MN (in blood 0.0625, 0.125; in liver and kidney 0.125 group, respectively) and 8-shaped (in kidney-0.0625 group) were observed in fish. Significant recovery was observed in 0.0625 group after 12-day depuration, estimating the formation of MN in erythrocytes of blood, of 8-shaped nuclei erythrocytes in liver and kidney (after 8-, 12-day and 8-day recovery, respectively). Significant decrease of MN in blood (after 8- and 12-day recovery), in liver (after 8-day recovery), of NB in blood and kidney (after 8-day recovery) and of 8-shaped nuclei erythrocytes in blood (after 8 and 12-day recovery), kidney and liver (after 8-day recovery) was determined in 0.25 group. Changes in gross morphometric indices and biological parameters were observed. The binary metal mixture did not induce FA erythrocytes in any tissue at any test concentration.

Environmental genotoxicity assessment along the transport routes of chemical munitions leading to the dumping areas in the Baltic Sea.

The frequencies of micronuclei (MN), nuclear buds (NB) and nuclear buds on filament (NBf) were examined in 660 specimens of herring (Clupea harengus) collected in 2009-2014 at 65 study stations located mainly along the chemical munition transport routes in the Baltic Sea. The frequency of nuclear abnormalities was strongly increased in herring caught at four stations located close to chemical munition dumping sites, or CWAs - substances (chemical warfare agents) in sediments. Significant increase of MN, NB and NBf was observed in fish caught November 2010-2013 compared to 2009. The most significantly increased genotoxicity responses were recorded in fish caught at stations along CW (chemical weapons) transport routes, close to the Bornholm CW dumping area, in zones with CWAs in sediments and with oil-gas platforms.