Dendrograms, heat maps and principal component analysis - the practical use of statistical methods for source apportionment of trace elements in PM10.

Dendrogram (DE), heat map (HM) and principal component analysis (PCA) methods were used in order to identify possible emission sources of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb and Se in ambient PM10 collected in the surroundings of working power plants. Each statistical tool resulted in slightly different clusters. The best approximation of possible emission sources was received by the use of statistical analysis of trace-element concentrations combined with characterization of the sampling sites. In the study, PCA was indicated as the most useful statistical tool for source apportionment of trace elements in PM10. Major sources identified by PCA included: (1) coal combustion, (2) soil and road-dust resuspension, (3) the use of pesticides and (4) waste incineration.

Fractionation of trace elements and human health risk of submicron particulate matter (PM1) collected in the surroundings of coking plants.

Samples of PM1 were collected in the surroundings of coking plants located in southern Poland. Chemical fractionation provided information on the contents of trace elements As, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb and Se in all mobile (F1-F3) and not mobile (F4) fractions of PM1 in the vicinity of large sources of emissions related to energochemical processing of coal during the summer. The determined enrichment factors indicate the influence of anthropogenic sources on the concentration of the examined elements contained in PM1 in the areas subjected to investigation. The analysis of health risk for the assumed scenario of inhabitant exposure to the toxic effect of elements, based on the values of the hazard index, revealed that the absorption of the examined elements contained in the most mobile fractions of particulate matter via inhalation by children and adults can be considered potentially harmless to the health of people inhabiting the surroundings of coking plants during the summer (HI < 1). It has been estimated that due to the inhalation exposure to carcinogenic elements, i.e., As, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni and Pb, contained in the most mobile fractions (F1 + F2) of PM1, approximately four adults and one child out of one million people living in the vicinity of the coking plants may develop cancer.

Assessment of personal deposited dose and particle size distribution of bacterial aerosol in kindergarten located in southern Poland.

The study's primary focus lies in examining the relationship between respiratory and deposition doses of bacterial aerosols in urban kindergarten, providing valuable insights into the specific doses absorbed by individuals in different sections of their respiratory systems based on the aerodynamic diameter of bacterial particles. Samples were collected twice a week, using by an Andersen cascade impactor during autumn and winter seasons 2018/2019 resulting in a total of 1152 Petri dishes analyzed. The highest average concentration of bacterial aerosol was observed during autumn (1698 ± 663 CFU/m3) in comparison to winter months (723 ± 134 CFU/m3). Respirable doses for children and staff were 2945 and 2441 CFU/day during winter and 5988 and 4964 CFU/day during autumn, respectively. Deposition doses incorporated from empirical models for regional deposition in the respiratory tract showed that children in kindergarten absorb 33% less of bacteria into alveolar region if breath by nose instead of mouth. Additionally, risk assessment results indicate that the hazard indices for children attending kindergartens for 3 years and for staff working 25 years are below 1, suggesting minor risks associated with the inhalation of bioaerosols during autumn and winter. HI was <1, so the non-carcinogenic effects are on an acceptable level, but the indoor/outdoor ratio were 3.5 and 2.4 for autumn and winter, respectively, indicating children's and adult's exposure to bacterial aerosol should be reduced.

Synergistic or Antagonistic Health Effects of Long- and Short-Term Exposure to Ambient NO2 and PM2.5: A Review.

Studies on adverse health effects associated with air pollution mostly focus on individual pollutants. However, the air is a complex medium, and thus epidemiological studies face many challenges and limitations in the multipollutant approach. NO2 and PM2.5 have been selected as both originating from combustion processes and are considered to be the main pollutants associated with traffic; moreover, both elicit oxidative stress responses. An answer to the question of whether synergistic or antagonistic health effects of combined pollutants are demonstrated by pollutants monitored in ambient air is not explicit. Among the analyzed studies, only a few revealed statistical significance. Exposure to a single pollutant (PM2.5 or NO2) was mostly associated with a small increase in non-accidental mortality (HR:1.01-1.03). PM2.5 increase of <10 µg/m3 adjusted for NO2 as well as NO2 adjusted for PM2.5 resulted in a slightly lower health risk than a single pollutant. In the case of cardiovascular heart disease, mortality evoked by exposure to PM2.5 or NO2 adjusted for NO2 and PM2.5, respectively, revealed an antagonistic effect on health risk compared to the single pollutant. Both short- and long-term exposure to PM2.5 or NO2 adjusted for NO2 and PM2.5, respectively, revealed a synergistic effect appearing as higher mortality from respiratory diseases.

Impact of Different Air Pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, and Bacterial Aerosols) on COVID-19 Cases in Gliwice, Southern Poland.

Many studies have shown that air pollution may be closely associated with increased morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19. It has been observed that exposure to air pollution leads to reduced immune response, thereby facilitating viral penetration and replication. In our study, we combined information on confirmed COVID-19 daily new cases (DNCs) in one of the most polluted regions in the European Union (EU) with air-quality monitoring data, including meteorological parameters (temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, and direction) and concentrations of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2), ozone (O3), and carbon monoxide (CO). Additionally, the relationship between bacterial aerosol (BA) concentration and COVID-19 spread was analyzed. We confirmed a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) between NO2 concentrations and numbers of confirmed DNCs and observed positive correlations (p < 0.05) between BA concentrations and DNCs, which may point to coronavirus air transmission by surface deposits on bioaerosol particles. In addition, wind direction information was used to show that the highest numbers of DNCs were associated with the dominant wind directions in the region (southern and southwestern parts).

Preschool children health impacts from indoor exposure to PM2.5 and metals.

To better understand the relation between children health and indoor air quality, we measured the concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 11 metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, antimony, selenium, and zinc) from air samples taken during both winter and spring, and focused on urban and rural area kindergartens of the Upper Silesia Region, Poland, typified by the use of fossil fuels for power and heat purposes. We combined related inhalation intake estimates for children and health effects using separate dose-response approaches for PM2.5 and metals. Results show that impacts on children from exposure to PM2.5 was 7.5 min/yr, corresponding to 14 µDALY/yr (DALY: disability-adjusted life years) with 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3-164 min/yr, which is approximately 10 times lower than cumulative impacts from exposure to the metal components in the PM2.5 fraction of indoor air (median 76 min/yr; CI: 0.2-4.5 × 103 min/yr). Highest metal-related health impacts were caused by exposure to hexavalent chromium. The average combined cancer and non-cancer effects for hexavalent chromium were 55 min/yr, corresponding to 104 µDALY/yr, with CI: 0.5 to 8.0 × 104 min/yr. Health impacts on children varied by season and across urban and rural sites, both as functions of varying PM2.5 metal compositions influenced by indoor and outdoor emission sources. Our study demonstrates the need to consider indoor environments for evaluating health impacts of children, and can assist decision makers to focus on relevant impact reduction and indoor air quality improvement.

[Erratum to the article "The usefulness of an optical monitor for the assessment of human exposure to fine dust in indoor air" (MED PR. 2019;70(2):213-20)]. / Errata do artykulu "Przydatnosc optycznego miernika do oceny narazenia ludzi na drobny pyl zawarty w powietrzu pomieszczen" (MED. PR. 2019;70(2):213­220).

The original version of the article can be found at: https://doi.org/10.13075/mp.5893.00780.

[The usefulness of an optical monitor for the assessment of human exposure to fine dust in indoor air]. / Przydatnosc optycznego miernika do oceny narazenia ludzi na drobny pyl zawarty w powietrzu pomieszczen.

BACKGROUND: An important issue in the assessment of health risks related to air pollution with fine dust is the measurement of individual exposure. Such possibilities are provided by relatively easy to use optical monitors. The aim of the presented work was to assess the possibility of using the AM520 optical monitor to measure individual human exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 indoors by determining the calibration factor and assessing the compliance of the measurement with the reference method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: As part of the research, indoor concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 and were measured (3 locations in the Gliwice Poviat, March-May 2017) with the use of the SidePak Personal Aerosol Monitor AM520, as well as the reference LVS3D device by means of the gravimetric method. The value of the calibration coefficient for the optical monitor was determined, and the consistency of measurements performed with both methods was assessed. RESULTS: The photometric calibration factor ranged 0.33-0.40 and was concurrent with the 0.38 value recommended by the manufacturer. The determination coefficient for the correlation between the measurement results obtained with the optical and gravimetric methods was very high (R2 = 0.91). CONCLUSIONS: The presented results are promising and allow for the conclusion that the AM520 optical monitor can be used to assess individual exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 indoors. Med Pr. 2019;70(2):213-20.

The Study of the Sterilization of the Indoor Air in Hospital/Clinic Rooms by Using the Electron Wind Generator.

(1) Background: Since exposure to airborne bacteria and fungi may be especially hazardous in hospitals and outpatient clinics, it is essential to sterilize the air in such rooms. The purpose of this study was to estimate the decrease in the concentration of airborne bacteria and fungi in the selected hospital and clinic rooms due to the work of the electron wind generator (EWG). (2) Methods: EWG is an air movement and air purification device using a sophisticated combination of electrode topology and specially designed high-voltage power supply. (3) Results: The concentration of both bacteria and fungi in the small patient's room dropped to approximately 25% of the initial (background) concentration. In the larger patient's room, the concentration dropped to 50% and 80% of the background concentration for bacteria and fungi, respectively. (4) Conclusions: The obtained data show that the studied sterilization process can be described by the exponential function of time. Moreover, the application of an activated carbon filter into EWG significantly decreases the concentration of ozone in the sterilized room. Sterilization by EWG significantly changes the characteristic of species and genera of airborne bacteria and shifts the main peak of the size distribution of airborne bacteria into the coarser bio-particles.

Indoor Air Quality in Urban and Rural Preschools in Upper Silesia, Poland: Particulate Matter and Carbon Dioxide.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) in preschools is an important public health challenge. Particular attention should be paid to younger children, because they are more vulnerable to air pollution than higher grade children and because they spend more time indoors. Among air pollutants, particulate matter (PM) is of the greatest interest mainly due to its acute and chronic effects on children's health. In addition, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels indicate ventilation conditions. In this paper, we present the concentrations of PM (PM1, PM2.5, PM10 and total-TSP) and CO2 monitored in four naturally ventilated nursery schools located in the area of Gliwice, Poland. The nursery schools were selected to characterize areas with different degrees of urbanization and traffic densities during the winter season. The results indicate the problem of elevated concentrations of PM inside the examined classrooms, as well as that of high levels of CO2 exceeding 1000 ppm in relation to outdoor air. The characteristics of IAQ were significantly different, both in terms of classroom occupation (younger or older children) and of localization (urban or rural). To evaluate the children's exposure to poor IAQ, indicators based on air quality guidelines were proposed to rank classrooms according to their hazard on the health of children.

Trace Elements Speciation of Submicron Particulate Matter (PM1) Collected in the Surroundings of Power Plants.

This study reports the concentrations of PM1 trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb and Se) content in highly mobile (F1), mobile (F2), less mobile (F3) and not mobile (F4) fractions in samples that were collected in the surroundings of power plants in southern Poland. It also reports source identification by enrichment factors (EF) and a principal component analysis (PCA). There is limited availability of scientific data concerning the chemical composition of dust, including fractionation analyses of trace elements, in the surroundings of power plants. The present study offers important results in order to fill this data gap. The data collected in this study can be utilized to validate air quality models in this rapidly developing area. They are also crucial for comparisons with datasets from similar areas all over the world. Moreover, the identification of the bioavailability of selected carcinogenic and toxic elements in the future might be used as output data for potential biological and population research on risk assessment. This is important in the context of air pollution being hazardous to human health.

PM2.5 in Urban and Rural Nursery Schools in Upper Silesia, Poland: Trace Elements Analysis.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) in nursery schools is an emerging public health challenge. Particular attention should be paid to younger children, because they are more vulnerable to air pollution than older children. Among air pollutants, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is of the greatest interest mainly due to its strong association with acute and chronic effects on children's health. In this paper, we present concentrations of PM2.5 and the composition of its trace elements at naturally ventilated nursery schools located in the area of Gliwice, Poland. The nursery schools were selected to characterize areas with different degrees of urbanization and traffic densities during the winter and spring seasons. The results indicate there is a problem with elevated concentrations of PM2.5 inside the examined classrooms. The children's exposure to trace elements was different based on localization and season. PM2.5 concentration and its trace element composition have been studied using correlation coefficients between the different trace elements, the enrichment factor (EF) and principal component analysis (PCA). PCA allowed the identification of the three components: anthropogenic and geogenic sources (37.2%), soil dust contaminated by sewage sludge dumping (18.6%) and vehicular emissions (19.5%).