The impact of long-term PM2.5 exposure on specific causes of death: exposure-response curves and effect modification among 53 million U.S. Medicare beneficiaries.

BACKGROUND: The shape of the exposure-response curve for long-term ambient fine particulate (PM2.5) exposure and cause-specific mortality is poorly understood, especially for rural populations and underrepresented minorities. METHODS: We used hybrid machine learning and Cox proportional hazard models to assess the association of long-term PM2.5 exposures on specific causes of death for 53 million U.S. Medicare beneficiaries (aged ≥65) from 2000 to 2008. Models included strata for age, sex, race, and ZIP code and controlled for neighborhood socio-economic status (SES) in our main analyses, with approximately 4 billion person-months of follow-up, and additionally for warm season average of 1-h daily maximum ozone exposures in a sensitivity analysis. The impact of non-traffic PM2.5 on mortality was examined using two stage models of PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). RESULTS: A 10 µg /m3 increase in 12-month average PM2.5 prior to death was associated with a 5% increase in all-cause mortality, as well as an 8.8, 5.6, and 2.5% increase in all cardiovascular disease (CVD)-, all respiratory-, and all cancer deaths, respectively, in age, gender, race, ZIP code, and SES-adjusted models. PM2.5 exposures, however, were not associated with lung cancer mortality. Results were not sensitive to control for ozone exposures. PM2.5-mortality associations for CVD- and respiratory-related causes were positive and significant for beneficiaries irrespective of their sex, race, age, SES and urbanicity, with no evidence of a lower threshold for response or of lower Risk Ratios (RRs) at low PM2.5 levels. Associations between PM2.5 and CVD and respiratory mortality were linear and were higher for younger, Black and urban beneficiaries, but were largely similar by SES. Risks associated with non-traffic PM2.5 were lower than that for all PM2.5 and were null for respiratory and lung cancer-related deaths. CONCLUSIONS: PM2.5 was associated with mortality from CVD, respiratory, and all cancer, but not lung cancer. PM2.5-associated risks of CVD and respiratory mortality were similar across PM2.5 levels, with no evidence of a threshold. Blacks, urban, and younger beneficiaries were most vulnerable to the long-term impacts of PM2.5 on mortality.

Morin Protects Human Respiratory Cells from PM2.5 Induced Genotoxicity by Mitigating ROS and Reverting Altered miRNA Expression.

Chronic fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure causes oxidative stress and leads to many diseases in human like respiratory and cardiovascular disorders, and lung cancer. It is known that toxic responses elicited by PM2.5 particles depend on its physical and chemical characteristics that are greatly influenced by the source. Dietary polyphenolic compounds that possess antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties could be used for therapeutic or preventive approaches against air pollution related health hazards. This study evaluates characteristics and toxicity of PM2.5 collected from rural, urban, industrial, and traffic regions in and around Coimbatore City, Tamilnadu, India. Traffic PM2.5 particles contained higher amounts of metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). It also possessed higher levels of oxidative potential, induced more intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and caused more levels of cell death and DNA damage in human respiratory cells. Its exposure up regulated DNA damage response related miR222, miR210, miR101, miR34a, and miR93 and MycN and suppressed Rad52. Pre-treatment with morin significantly decreased the PM2.5 induced toxicity and conferred protection against PM2.5 induced altered miRNA expression. Results of this study showed that cytoprotective effect of morin is due to its antioxidative and free radical scavenging activity.

Impact of brick kilns industry on environment and human health in Pakistan.

The increase in population has led to the rise in the construction and manufacturing of bricks. Bricks are manufactured in brick kilns that emit very harmful gases which in turn affect the human health, environment and economy. In Pakistan, the diseases related to skin, and respiratory system have created a lot of problems for the humans and animals. According to experts and professionals, one of the main causes of the environment and health related problems is brick kiln. It is very important to identify the brick kilns and emissions that are extremely harmful for the environment and human health. Therefore, the objective of this research paper is threefold. Firstly, to identify and rank the emissions from brick kilns based on their harmful impact on human health and environment. Secondly, to rank the three types of brick kilns i.e. Traditional Brick Kilns (TBK) with coal as a fuel, Traditional Brick Kilns (TBK) with rubber as a fuel and Contemporary Brick Kilns (CBK) (technologically advanced brick kilns) based on their impact on human health and environment. Thirdly, to identify the relation of three alternative brick kilns with health and environmental problems, respectively. DEMATEL and Fuzzy-TOPSIS have used for achieving the objectives. The results show that CO2, CO and SO2 have the most harmful effects on the environment. Similarly, carcinogenic dioxin, SO2 and PM have the adverse effects on the human health. TBK in which rubber is used as a fuel is the most harmful and CBK is the safest types of brick kilns, respectively. In the light of the results, it is recommended to the government of Pakistan to formulate and implement the rules and regulations for minimizing the negative impacts of brick kilns on human health and environment. Moreover, new technologies should be used in order to reduce the harmful impacts.

An overview of health hazards of volatile organic compounds regulated as indoor air pollutants.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) standards and guidelines for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been stipulated by various national and international agencies. The main purpose of this paper is to establish an overview of indoor VOCs regarding their impacts on human health. Herein, 13 VOCs were designated as indoor air pollutants (IAPs) in the IAQ standards and guidelines. They were further grouped into four types: nonchlorinated aromatic compounds, chlorinated aromatic compounds, chlorinated aliphatic compounds and aldehydes. For this purpose, the present study discusses the criteria for designating VOCs, and summarizes their main sources in indoor environments. Because the occupational exposure limit (OEL) in workplaces has often used as a preliminary basis for establishing acceptable health-based IAQ guidelines in buildings and residences, this paper thus reviews the OEL values, especially in the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)-threshold limit value (TLV). In addition, this paper also reviews the information about the classification of carcinogenicity in human by the international agencies for these VOCs. It shows that human tissues, including kidney, liver, leukemia, nasal cavity, paranasal sinus, liver and bile duct, could be more involved in the development of cancers or tumors when people are exposed to these VOCs through inhalation route in buildings over a long period of time.

A comprehensive classification method for VOC emission sources to tackle air pollution based on VOC species reactivity and emission amounts.

In China, volatile organic compound (VOC) control directives have been continuously released and implemented for important sources and regions to tackle air pollution. The corresponding control requirements were based on VOC emission amounts (EA), but never considered the significant differentiation of VOC species in terms of atmospheric chemical reactivity. This will adversely influence the effect of VOC reduction on air quality improvement. Therefore, this study attempted to develop a comprehensive classification method for typical VOC sources in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (BTH), by combining the VOC emission amounts with the chemical reactivities of VOC species. Firstly, we obtained the VOC chemical profiles by measuring 5 key sources in the BTH region and referencing another 10 key sources, and estimated the ozone formation potential (OFP) per ton VOC emission for these sources by using the maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) index as the characteristic of source reactivity (SR). Then, we applied the data normalization method to respectively convert EA and SR to normalized EA (NEA) and normalized SR (NSR) for various sources in the BTH region. Finally, the control index (CI) was calculated, and these sources were further classified into four grades based on the normalized CI (NCI). The study results showed that in the BTH region, furniture coating, automobile coating, and road vehicles are characterized by high NCI and need to be given more attention; however, the petro-chemical industry, which was designated as an important control source by air quality managers, has a lower NCI.

Material particulado y gases contaminantes en la comuna de El Bosque ¿cuánto influyen en la cantidad de consultas por enfermedades respiratorias? / Association between air pollution and emergency consultations for respiratory diseases

Background Air pollution has a direct influence on health. Aim To determine the association between particulate matter and contaminant gas concentrations in the environment with the number of consultations for respiratory diseases in emergency rooms in Metropolitan Santiago, Chile. Material and Methods During five years, the daily number emergency consultations for respiratory diseases and the daily concentrations of particulate matter and contaminant gases in a community of Santiago, were recorded. The degree of change of these variables during summer and winter was determined. Their correlation coefficients with a 0 to 100 days gap, were calculated. Results During winter, there was a higher number of consultations and higher pollution levels, except for O3, which increased in summer. There were positive correlations between the concentrations of different pollutants (mainly 2.5 and 10 μm particulate matter, CO and NO2). There was a negative association between consultations for respiratory diseases and O3 concentrations, an almost negligible association with SO2 and variable positive and significant associations with the concentration of other pollutants, with variations according to the time gap. Conclusions Pollution and respiratory diseases increase during winter. There are variable associations between pollutant concentrations and the number of consultations for respiratory diseases.

Air pollution and risk of hospitalization for epilepsy: the role of farm use of nitrogen fertilizers and emissions of the agricultural air pollutant, nitrous oxide / Poluição do ar e risco de hospitalização por epilepsia: o papel do uso agrícola de fertilizantes nitrogenados e as emissões de poluente atmosférico agrícola, óxido nitroso

ABSTRACT The link between various air pollutants and hospitalization for epilepsy has come under scrutiny. We have proposed that exposure to air pollution and specifically the pervasive agricultural air pollutant and greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N2O), may provoke susceptibility to neurodevelopmental disorders. Evidence supports a role of N2O exposure in reducing epileptiform seizure activity, while withdrawal from the drug has been shown to induce seizure-like activity. Therefore, we show here that the statewide use of anthropogenic nitrogen fertilizers (the most recognized causal contributor to environmental N2O burden) is significantly negatively associated with hospitalization for epilepsy in all three pre-specified hospitalization categories, even after multiple pollutant comparison correction (p<.007), while the other identified pollutants were not consistently statistically significantly associated with hospitalization for epilepsy. We discuss potential neurological mechanisms underpinning this association between air pollutants associated with farm use of anthropogenic nitrogen fertilizers and hospitalization for epilepsy.

RESUMO A ligação entre vários poluentes do ar e a hospitalização por epilepsia tem sido examinada. Propusemos que a exposição à poluição do ar, especificamente ao poluente atmosférico generalizado e ao gás de efeito estufa, o óxido nitroso (N2O), poderiam fomentar a susceptibilidade a distúrbios do desenvolvimento neurológico. A evidência apoia o papel da exposição ao N2O na redução da atividade convulsiva epileptiforme, enquanto mostra que a retirada do fármaco induz atividade pseudo-convulsiva. Portanto, mostramos aqui que o uso a nível estatal de fertilizantes nitrogenados antropogênicos (o agente causal mais reconhecido para a carga ambiental de N2O) está significativa e negativamente associado à hospitalização por epilepsia nas três categorias de hospitalização pré-especificadas, mesmo após a correção de comparação de poluentes múltiplos (p <0,007 ), enquanto os outros poluentes identificados não foram consistentemente associados de forma estatística com a hospitalização por epilepsia. Discutimos possíveis mecanismos neurológicos subjacentes a esta associação entre poluentes atmosféricos associados ao uso agrícola de fertilizantes nitrogenados antropogênicos, e hospitalização por epilepsia.

Cytotoxicity of Odorous Compounds from Poultry Manure.

Long-term exposure and inhalation of odorous compounds from poultry manure can be harmful to farm workers and the surrounding residents as well as animals. The aim of the present study was to determine the cytotoxicity and IC50 values of common odorous compounds such as ammonium, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, butyric acid, phenol, and indole in the chick liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line LMH (Leghorn Male Hepatoma), in vitro, using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) and PrestoBlue cytotoxicity assays. The cells were microscopically examined for any morphological changes post treatment. Dimethylamine exhibited the strongest cytotoxic effect on LMH cells with an IC50 value of 0.06% and 0.04% after an exposure of 24 h and 48 h, respectively. Both ammonium and trimethylamine had comparable cytotoxicity and their IC50 values were 0.08% and 0.04% after 24 h and 48 h, respectively. Of note, indole had the lowest cytotoxicity as the majority of cells were viable even after 72 h exposure. Thus, the IC50 for indole was not calculated. Results achieved from both MTT and PrestoBlue assays were comparable. Moreover, the morphological changes induced by the tested odours in LMH cells resulted in monolayer destruction, cytoplasm vacuolisation, chromatin condensation, and changes in nucleus and cell shape. Our study showed harmful effects of odorous compounds in chick tissues.

Environmental pollution and DNA methylation: carcinogenesis, clinical significance, and practical applications.

Environmental pollution is one of the main causes of human cancer. Exposures to environmental carcinogens result in genetic and epigenetic alterations which induce cell transformation. Epigenetic changes caused by environmental pollution play important roles in the development and progression of environmental pollution-related cancers. Studies on DNA methylation are among the earliest and most conducted epigenetic research linked to cancer. In this review, the roles of DNA methylation in carcinogenesis and their significance in clinical medicine were summarized, and the effects of environmental pollutants, particularly air pollutants, on DNA methylation were introduced. Furthermore, prospective applications of DNA methylation to environmental pollution detection and cancer prevention were discussed.

Ambient air pollution and lung disease in China: health effects, study design approaches and future research.

Ambient air pollution in China has worsened following dramatic increases in industrialization, automobile use and energy consumption. Particularly bothersome is the increase in the PM2.5 fraction of pollutants. This fraction has been associated with increasing rates of cardio-respiratory disease in China and elsewhere. Ambient pollutant levels have been described in many of China's cities and are comparable to previous levels in southern California. Lung cancer mortality in China has increased since the 1970s and has been higher in men and in urban areas, the exact explanation for which has not been determined. The estimation of individual risk for Chinese citizens living in areas of air pollution will require further research. Occupational cohort and case-control designs each have unique attributes that could make them helpful to use in this setting. Other important future research considerations include detailed exposure assessment and the possible use of biomarkers as a means to better understand and manage the threat posed by air pollution in China.

The effect of long term storage on tobacco smoke particulate matter in in vitro genotoxicity and cytotoxicity assays.

Particulate matter (PM) collected from mainstream tobacco smoke is a test article commonly used for in vitro genotoxicity and cytotoxicity testing of combustible tobacco products. However, little published data exists concerning the stability of PM. We completed a 2 year study to quantify the effect of PM storage at -80 °C, on the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of PM generated from 3R4F and M4A reference cigarettes. The Ames test, Micronucleus assay (MNvit), Mouse Lymphoma assay (MLA) and the Neutral Red Uptake assay (NRU) were used. The majority of M4A and 3R4F PMs were genotoxic and cytotoxic at the timepoints tested. Some minor but statistically significant differences were observed for stored versus freshly prepared PM, but the magnitude of changes were within the variability observed for repeat testing.

[Detection of potentially carcinogenic compounds persisting in atmospheric air and having high priority for hygienic regulation].

The algorithm for the choice of potentially carcinogenic compounds (PCS) among emitted into air and results of the study, undertaken for realization of this algorithm are presented. The investigation was carried out in Magnitogorsk - Russian town of black metallurgy - in frames of the other study, aimed to evaluation of the influence of atmospheric pollution on children's health and genomic instability. The 11 PCS for further profound study of biological activity were selected out of more than 300 PCS, persisting in the air. The carcinogenic activity for 6 compounds out of these 11 ones was already have been found out before, that testifies correctness of the created approach and its adequacy for detection PCS in atmospheric air.

Mortality and morbidity among people living close to incinerators: a cohort study based on dispersion modeling for exposure assessment.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have been conducted on the possible health effects for people living close to incinerators and well-conducted reviews are available. Nevertheless, several uncertainties limit the overall interpretation of the findings. We evaluated the health effects of emissions from two incinerators in a pilot cohort study. METHODS: The study area was defined as the 3.5 km radius around two incinerators located near Forlì (Italy). People who were residents in 1/1/1990, or subsequently became residents up to 31/12/2003, were enrolled in a longitudinal study (31,347 individuals). All the addresses were geocoded. Follow-up continued until 31/12/2003 by linking the mortality register, cancer registry and hospital admissions databases. Atmospheric Dispersion Model System (ADMS) software was used for exposure assessment; modelled concentration maps of heavy metals (annual average) were considered the indicators of exposure to atmospheric pollution from the incinerators, while concentration maps of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were considered for exposure to other pollution sources. Age and area-based socioeconomic status adjusted rate ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals were estimated with Poisson regression, using the lowest exposure category to heavy metals as reference. RESULTS: The mortality and morbidity experience of the whole cohort did not differ from the regional population. In the internal analysis, no association between pollution exposure from the incinerators and all-cause and cause-specific mortality outcomes was observed in men, with the exception of colon cancer. Exposure to the incinerators was associated with cancer mortality among women, in particular for all cancer sites (RR for the highest exposure level = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.99), stomach, colon, liver and breast cancer. No clear trend was detected for cancer incidence. No association was found for hospitalizations related to major diseases. NO2 levels, as a proxy from other pollution sources (traffic in particular), did not exert an important confounding role. CONCLUSIONS: No increased risk of mortality and morbidity was found in the entire area. The internal analysis of the cohort based on dispersion modeling found excesses of mortality for some cancer types in the highest exposure categories, especially in women. The interpretation of the findings is limited given the pilot nature of the study.

Toxicity and clearance of intratracheally administered multiwalled carbon nanotubes from murine lung.

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are known to have widespread industrial applications; however, several reports indicated that these compounds may be associated with adverse effects in humans. In this study, multiwalled carbon nanotubes were administered to murine lungs intratracheally to determine whether acute and chronic pulmonary toxicity occurred. In particular, pristine multiwalled carbon nanotubes (PMWCNT) and acid-treated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (TMWCNT) were used in this study. In broncheoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cell analysis, PMWCNT induced more severe acute inflammatory cell recruitment than TMWCNT. Histopathologically, both PMWCNT and TMWCNT induced multifocal inflammatory granulomas in a dose-dependent manner. The observed granulomas were reversible, with TMWCNT-induced granulomas diminishing faster than PMWCNT-induced granulomas. Although the area of granuloma reduced with time, hyperplasia and dysplastic characteristics such as mitotic figures, anisokaryosis, and anisocytosis were still observed. These findings demonstrate that MWCNT induces granulomatous inflammation, and the duration and pattern of inflammation seem to vary depending upon the types of MWCNT to which mice are exposed. Therefore, toxicity studies on various types of CNT are needed as the responsiveness to these compounds differs.

Chemical speciation of respirable suspended particulate matter during a major firework festival in India.

Ambient respirable particles (PM ≤ 10 µm, denoted by PM(10)) were characterized with respect to 20 elements, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC) during a major firework event-the "Diwali" festival in Delhi, India. The event recorded extremely high 24-h PM(10) levels (317.2-616.8 µg m(-3), 6-12 times the WHO standard) and massive loadings of Ba (16.8 µg m(-3), mean value), K (46.8 µg m(-3)), Mg (21.3 µg m(-3)), Al (38.4 µg m(-3)) and EC (40.5 µg m(-3)). Elemental concentrations as high as these have not been reported previously for any firework episode. Concentrations of Ba, K, Sr, Mg, Na, S, Al, Cl, Mn, Ca and EC were higher by factors of 264, 18, 15, 5.8, 5, 4, 3.2, 3, 2.7, 1.6 and 4.3, respectively, on Diwali as compared to background values. It was estimated that firework aerosol contributed 23-33% to ambient PM(10) on Diwali. OC levels peaked in the post-Diwali samples, perhaps owing to secondary transformation processes. Atmospheric PAHs were not sourced from fireworks; instead, they correlated well with changes in traffic patterns indicating their primary source in vehicular emissions. Overall, the pollutant cocktail generated by the Diwali fireworks could be best represented with Ba, K and Sr as tracers. It was also found that chronic exposure to Diwali pollution is likely to cause at least a 2% increase in non-carcinogenic hazard index (HI) associated with Al, Mn and Ba in the exposed population.

Chronic inhalation exposures of Fischer 344 rats to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate did not reveal a carcinogenic potential.

The polyisocyanates of 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) find widespread commercial use as components of paints and in the formulation of light-stable polyurethane coating materials. This 2-year study assessed the oncogenicity of the diisocyanate monomer HDI in male and female Fischer-344 rats exposed 6 h/day, 5 days/week to mean analytical air concentrations of 0, 0.005, 0.025, and 0.164 ppm HDI. During the in-life phase, transient eye irritation was observed in 0.164 ppm males, and a slight body weight decrease (5%) in the 0.164 ppm females during the second year of exposure. There were no exposure-related effects on mortality. Compound-related, non-neoplastic histopathologic changes were limited to the respiratory tract and changes were characterized by epithelial tissue reaction to the acute irritant properties of HDI vapor. For tissues of the nasal cavity, the major histopathologic findings were degeneration of the olfactory epithelium characterized by destruction of the epithelial architecture often with narrowing or atrophy and occasional focal erosion or ulceration. In addition, there was variable degeneration of the respiratory epithelium with hyperkeratosis of the epithelium, epithelial and mucus secretory cell hyperplasia, squamous metaplasia, chronic-active inflammation, and errosive or ulcerative changes. These tissue effects along with a statistically significant decrease in body weight of female rats demonstrated attainment of a maximum tolerated dose. There was no evidence of progression of these changes in the nasal epithelium to neoplasia nor evidence of any compound-related neoplastic lesions for any of the other tissues examined. Therefore, it is concluded that HDI did not show a carcinogenic potential in this study.

Effect of air pollution on diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in São Paulo, Brazil

Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular mortality and these patients, even without previous myocardial infarction, run the risk of fatal coronary heart disease similar to non-diabetic patients surviving myocardial infarction. There is evidence showing that particulate matter air pollution is associated with increases in cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of diabetes mellitus on the association of air pollution with cardiovascular emergency room visits in a tertiary referral hospital in the city of São Paulo. Using a time-series approach, and adopting generalized linear Poisson regression models, we assessed the effect of daily variations in PM10, CO, NO2, SO2, and O3 on the daily number of emergency room visits for cardiovascular diseases in diabetic and non-diabetic patients from 2001 to 2003. A semi-parametric smoother (natural spline) was adopted to control long-term trends, linear term seasonal usage and weather variables. In this period, 45,000 cardiovascular emergency room visits were registered. The observed increase in interquartile range within the 2-day moving average of 8.0 µg/m³ SO2 was associated with 7.0 percent (95 percentCI: 4.0-11.0) and 20.0 percent (95 percentCI: 5.0-44.0) increases in cardiovascular disease emergency room visits by non-diabetic and diabetic groups, respectively. These data indicate that air pollution causes an increase of cardiovascular emergency room visits, and that diabetic patients are extremely susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution on their health conditions.

Polución del aire y enfermedades respiratorias / Respiratory harm related to atmospheric air pollution

En este artículo se resumen los principales conceptos sobre la fisiopatogenia del daño respiratorio consecutivo a la contaminación ambiental atmosférica de acuerdo al tipo, estado y tamaño de las diferentes sustancias involucradas; así como la evidencia de asociación causal documentada en Latinoamérica -en general a través de estudios ecológicos de geo-referenciamiento y/o series temporales- entre elevaciones agudas de los niveles de polución ambiental y aumentos agudos de la morbilidad, mortalidad o del consumo de servicios de salud.

Critical assessment of the genetic toxicity of naphthalene.

Studies demonstrating that naphthalene produces respiratory tract tumors in mice and rats raised the question of whether humans are at risk for cancer, at environmental or workplace concentrations of naphthalene. Arguments in favor of a threshold-dependent mode of action for tumor induction have been based on the facts that naphthalene does not appear to bind to DNA in vivo and that the rodent tumors occurred at high dose levels associated with substantial target site toxicity. A summary of more than 45 publications describing results for naphthalene in genetic toxicology test methods shows that 80% of the studies reported found no evidence of genotoxicity for naphthalene and that some of the studies which reported positive finding were technically unsuited to study this class of chemicals and, therefore, generated unreliable data. The remaining positive findings for naphthalene were all consistent with secondary DNA effects produced by toxicity from naphthalene alone or one of its metabolites. Based on the data reviewed in this report, it is not apparent that genetic lesions produced by naphthalene or any of its metabolites drive the tumorigenic activity.

Description of industrial pollution in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Toxic substances released into the environment (to both air and water) by many types of industries might be related with the occurrence of some malignant tumours and other diseases. The publication of the EPER (European Pollutant Emission Register) Spanish data allows to investigate the presence of geographical mortality patterns related to industrial pollution. The aim of this paper is to describe industrial air and water pollution in Spain in 2001, broken down by activity group and specific pollutant, and to plot maps depicting emissions of carcinogenic substances. METHODS: All information on industrial pollution discharge in 2001 was drawn from EPER-Spain public records provided by the European Commission server. We described the distribution of the number of industries and amounts discharged for each pollutant, as well as emission by pollutant group and the industrial activities associated with each pollutant. Maps of Spain were drawn up, with UTM coordinates being used to plot pollutant foci, and circles with an area proportional to the emission to depict pollution emission values. RESULTS: The EPER-Spain contained information on 1,437 industrial installations. The industrial plants that discharge pollutant substances into air and water above the pollutant-specific EPER threshold were mainly situated in the Autonomous Regions of Aragon, Andalusia and Catalonia and in Catalonia, the Basque Country and Andalusia respectively. Pollution released in 2001 into air approached 158 million Mt. Emissions into water were over 8 million Mt. CONCLUSION: A few single industrial plants are responsible for the highest percentage of emissions, thus rendering monitoring of their possible health impact on the surrounding population that much simpler. Among European countries Spain is the leading polluter in almost one third of all EPER-registered pollutant substances released into the air and ranks among the top three leading polluters in two-thirds of all such substances. Information obtained through publication of EPER data means that the possible consequences of reported pollutant foci on the health of neighbouring populations can now be studied.