Typical and extreme weather datasets for studying the resilience of buildings to climate change and heatwaves.

We present unprecedented datasets of current and future projected weather files for building simulations in 15 major cities distributed across 10 climate zones worldwide. The datasets include ambient air temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, direct and diffuse solar irradiance, and wind speed at hourly resolution, which are essential climate elements needed to undertake building simulations. The datasets contain typical and extreme weather years in the EnergyPlus weather file (EPW) format and multiyear projections in comma-separated value (CSV) format for three periods: historical (2001-2020), future mid-term (2041-2060), and future long-term (2081-2100). The datasets were generated from projections of one regional climate model, which were bias-corrected using multiyear observational data for each city. The methodology used makes the datasets among the first to incorporate complex changes in the future climate for the frequency, duration, and magnitude of extreme temperatures. These datasets, created within the IEA EBC Annex 80 "Resilient Cooling for Buildings", are ready to be used for different types of building adaptation and resilience studies to climate change and heatwaves.

Asbestos Air Pollution: Description of a Mesothelioma Cluster Due to Residential Exposure from an Asbestos Cement Factory.

The study describes a cluster of 71 malignant mesothelioma cases among Bari residents without asbestos exposure other than residential exposure. This small cohort, as expected, was composed of a majority of females (56.34%) with a M/F ratio of 0.8, ages ≤ 65 years old (52.11%) and the epithelioid morphological type (78.87%). Sixty-four subjects (90.14%) lived between 10 m and 1000 m from the asbestos cement factory (Fibronit), and the latency length was longer than 55 years for 25 subjects (35.21%). The adjusted risk (adjusted OR) of observing the epithelial form of mesothelioma among subjects living at small distances from Fibronit was high (OR = 1.870 (0.353-9.905)) for people living 550-1000 m from the site and for those living less than 550 m from the site (OR = 1.470 (0.262-8.248)). Additionally, the subjects with a high length of exposure showed a relevant risk of epithelioid mesothelioma both for 21-40 years of exposure (OR = 2.027 (0.521-7.890)) and more than 40 years of exposure (OR = 2.879 (0.651-12.736)). All of the estimates were high but not significant because this transitional study has a typically low power. The adjustment for latency showed the same trend. Using detailed information collected by the regional mesothelioma registry, this study provided evidence of a continuing health impact of the Fibronit asbestos cement factory in Bari on the resident population.

Environmental Monitoring of PAHs Exposure, Biomarkers and Vital Status in Coke Oven Workers.

A follow-up study of a cohort of workers from a coke plant compared with a control group from the same industrial area was conducted in 2019. The recruitment and environmental and biomarker measurements were performed during 1993/1994. The environmental concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), B(a)P, pyrene and nitro-PAH were measured. Personal data were collected via an individual semi-structured questionnaire by a trained physician. All biomarkers were measured after a specific blood drawing for every test. Significant risks (ORs) were observed for nitro-PAH (≥0.12 µg/m3) [OR = 7.96 (1.01-62.82)], urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHpy) (≥0.99 µmoles/moles of creatinine) [OR = 11.71 (1.47-92.90)], PAH DNA adducts (P32) (≥2.69 adducts/108 nucleotides) [OR = 5.46 (1.17-25.58)], total nitro-PAH hemoglobin adducts (≥161.68 fg/µg of Hb) [OR = 5.92 (1.26-27.86)], sister chromatid exchange (SCE) with TCR (≥377.84 SCE/cell chromosomes) [OR = 13.06 (3.95-93.10)], sister chromatid exchange with T (≥394.72 total SCE) [OR = 13.06 (3.95-93.10)], and sister chromatid exchange with X (≥8.19 mean SCE) [OR = 13.06 (3.95-93.10)]. Significant risk of death for all causes and chromosomal aberrations (48 h) (OR = 7.19 [1.19-43.44]) or micronuclei in culture at 48 h (OR = 3.86 [1.04-14.38]) were also found.

Correction to: Risk of lymphoma subtypes by occupational exposure in southern Italy.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s12995-017-0177-2.].

Lymphocytes DNA damages and exposure to chlorpyrifos, deltamethrin, penconazole, copper oxicloride.

PURPOSE: The evaluation of the association between different exposure to pesticides and different types of comet images among a group of 26 recruited subject. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have recruited 26 subjects (farmers and not farmers). They were submitted to a blood drawing of 10 mL and a questionnaire was administered to investigate personal habits and work history. By means of the comet assay it was assessed the oxidative DNA damage of peripheral lymphocytes by pesticides in the exposed and non-exposed workers. RESULT: The data measured by means of the comet were log transformed and the associations (odds ratios - ORs) with the single pesticides were calculated. The regression analysis shows a significant dose effects relationships between the Intensity Score of pesticides exposures tail moment (TM) and other measured parameters. Insecticides TM OR = 17.00 [1.47 - 196.41]. This relationship is independent from the smoking habits. CONCLUSIONS: TM values higher than the 75° percentile were significantly associated with the exposure to particular insecticides such as chlorpyriphos, deltamethrin and with other pesticides (near the statistical significance).

Estimates of the Lung Cancer Cases Attributable to Radon in Municipalities of Two Apulia Provinces (Italy) and Assessment of Main Exposure Determinants.

Indoor radon exposure is responsible for increased incidence of lung cancer in communities. Building construction characteristics, materials, and environmental determinants are associated with increased radon concentration at specific sites. In this study, routine data related to radon measurements available from the Apulia (Italy) Regional Environmental Protection Agency (ARPA) were combined with building and ground characteristics data. An algorithm was created based on the experience of miners and it was able to produce estimates of lung cancer cases attributable to radon in different municipalities with the combined data. In the province of Lecce, the sites with a higher risk of lung cancer are Campi Salentina and Minervino, with 1.18 WLM (working level months) and 1.38 WLM, respectively, corresponding to lung cancer incidence rates of 3.34 and 3.89 per 10 × 10³ inhabitants. The sites in the province of Bari with higher risks of lung cancer are Gravina di Puglia and Locorotondo, measuring 1.89 WLM and 1.22 WLM, respectively, which correspond to an incidence rate of lung cancer of 5.36 and 3.44 per 10 × 10³ inhabitants. The main determinants of radon exposure are whether the buildings were built between 1999 and 2001, were one-room buildings with porous masonry, and were built on soil consisting of pelvis, clayey sand, gravel and conglomerates, calcarenites, and permeable lithotypes.

Risk of lymphoma subtypes by occupational exposure in Southern Italy.

Background: Occupational exposure is known to play a role in the aetiology of lymphomas. The aim of the present work was to explore the occupational risk of the major B-cell lymphoma subtypes using a case-control study design. Methods: From 2009 to 2014, we recruited 158 lymphoma cases and 76 controls in the provinces of Bari and Taranto (Apulia, Southern Italy). A retrospective assessment of occupational exposure based on complete work histories and the Carcinogen Exposure (CAREX) job-exposure matrix was performed. Results: After adjusting for major confounding factors, farmers showed an increased risk of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) [odds ratio (OR) = 10.9 (2.3-51.6)] and multiple myeloma (MM) [OR = 16.5 (1.4-195.7)]; exposure to the fungicide Captafol was significantly associated with risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) [OR = 2.6 (1.1-8.2)], particularly with the risk of DLBCL [OR = 5.3 (1.6-17.3)]. Conclusions: Agricultural activity seems to be a risk factor for developing lymphoma subtypes, particularly DLBCL, in the provinces of Bari and Taranto (Apulia Region, Southern Italy). Exposure to the pesticides Captafol, Paraquat and Radon might be implicated. Trial registration: Protocol number UNIBA 2207WEJLZB_004 registered 22/09/2008.

Assessment of environmental and occupational exposure to heavy metals in Taranto and other provinces of Southern Italy by means of scalp hair analysis.

The monitoring of heavy metals in industrialized areas to study their association with different occupational and environmental factors is carried out in different ways. In this study, scalp hair analysis was used for the assessment of exposure to these metals in the industrial city of Taranto, characterized by a severe environmental pollution. The highest median values were observed for aluminum, barium, cadmium, lead, mercury, and uranium. Moreover, in the industrial area of Taranto, high levels of barium, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel, and silver were observed in comparison with other Apulia areas. The risk odds ratios (ORs) for observing values above the 50th percentile were elevated for mercury and fish consumption, uranium and milk consumption, lead and female sex, and aluminum and mineral water consumption. No significant increased risk was observed for occupational activities. In a dendrogram of a cluster analysis, three clusters were observed for the different areas of Taranto (Borgo, San Vito, and Statte). A scree plot and score variables plot underline the presence of two principal components: the first regarding antimony, lead, tin, aluminum and silver; the second regarding mercury and uranium. The observed clusters (Borgo, San Vito, and Statte) showed that lead, antimony, tin, aluminum, and silver were the main component. The highest values above the 50th percentile of these minerals, especially lead, were observed in the Borgo area. The observed metal concentration in the Borgo area is compatible with the presence in Taranto of a military dockyard and a reported increase of lung cancer risk among residents of that area.