Short-term effects of air pollutants on outpatient volume of respiratory diseases in Guiyang / 环境与职业医学

Background Affected by concentration, composition, and population tolerance of air pollutants, the relationship between air pollutants and population health has regional differences. There is still a research gap in Guiyang. Objective To explore the short-term effects of air pollutant concentrations in low-pollution areas on the outpatient volume of respiratory diseases. Methods Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between air pollutants, meteorological factors, and respiratory outpatient volume from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2020 in Guiyang City. A single pollutant distribution lag nonlinear model and a multi-pollutant interaction model were established based on Poisson distribution. A three-dimensional diagram was drawn to display the relationship between air pollutants and respiratory outpatient volume. Quantitative analysis was conducted on the attribution risk and lag effect of air pollutant concentration on outpatient volume of respiratory diseases in Guiyang City. Results The results of the single pollutant model showed that fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) elevated the outpatient volume of respiratory diseases. The maximum relative risk (RR) and 95%CI values of PM2.5, NO2,CO, and SO2 appeared on Day 2, 0, 5, and 6, respectively, which were 1.019 (1.015, 1.023), 1.146 (1.122, 1.171), 1.129 (1.116, 1.143), and 1.046(1.040, 1.052), respectively. For every quartile concentration increment of PM2.5, NO2, CO, or SO2, the outpatient volume of respiratory diseases increased by 0.943% (0.111%, 1.782%), 4.050% (3.573%, 4.529%), 0.595% (0.317%, 0.874%), or 0.667% (0.235%, 1.100%), respectively. The maximum RR (95%CI) of O3 was 1.015 (1.007, 1.023) and appeared on Day 0. The results of multi-pollutant model showed that PM2.5, NO2, CO, SO2, and O3 all elevated the outpatient volume of respiratory diseases. The maximum RR values of PM2.5, NO2, CO, SO2 and O3 appeared on Day 14, 0, 5, 7 and 0, respectively, which were 1.027 (1.021, 1.034), 1.213 (1.179, 1.248), 1.059 (1.043, 1.074), 1.016 (1.005, 1.026), and 1.024 (1.015, 1.033), respectively. Compared with the single pollutant model, the RR values of PM2.5, NO2, and O3 on the outpatient volume of respiratory diseases in the multi-pollutant model showed an upward trend, while the RR values of CO and SO2 in the multi-pollutant model showed a downward trend. Conclusion The impact of low concentrations of PM2.5, NO2, CO, and SO2 on human health cannot be ignored.

Individual and interactive effects of atmospheric PM2.5 and O3 on mortality of circulatory system diseases in Ningxia / 环境与职业医学

Background The impact of atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) on the mortality of circulatory system diseases cannot be ignored. However, whether the interaction between PM2.5 and O3 can affect population health is rarely reported and requires study. Objective To investigate the individual and interactive impacts of atmospheric PM2.5 and O3 on the mortality of circulatory system diseases in the population of Ningxia region. Methods The data of 119647 deaths due to circulatory system diseases, daily average concentrations of atmospheric pollutants, and meteorological data in Ningxia from 2013 to 2020 were retrieved. PM2.5 was divided into low, medium, and high concentrations according to the primary and secondary national limits (35 and 75 μg·m−3) of the Ambient air quality standards. Similarly, O3 was divided into low, medium, and high concentrations according to the national limits (100 and 160 μg·m−3). Using a generalized additive mixed model based on quasi Poisson distribution, the impacts of atmospheric PM2.5 and O3 as well as their interaction on the mortality of circulatory system diseases were analyzed using the population data of Ningxia region. Results During the target period, males and the ≥ 65 year group accounted for larger proportions of deaths due to circulatory system diseases (55.47% and 79.87% respectively). The daily average concentration of PM2.5 (40.25 μg·m−3) exceeded the national primary limit. In the single pollution model, the highest cumulative lag effects for mortality from circulatory system diseases were PM2.5 exposure over previous 1 d (lag01) and O3 exposure for previous 2 d (lag02), and their excess risk (ER) values were 1.03% (95%CI: 0.67%, 1.40%) and 1.02% (95%CI: 0.57%, 1.50%), respectively. The results of concentration stratification analysis showed that the most significant risks of death from circulatory system diseases [ER (95%CI): 1.12% (0.32%, 1.92%) and 0.95% (0.13%, 1.79%) respectively] were found at medium PM2.5 and O3 concentrations. The interaction analysis revealed that under, a synergistic effect on the risk of death from circulatory system diseases was identified (relative excess risk due to interaction=3.08%, attributable proportion of interaction=2.90%, synergy index=1.89) when considering the coexistence of PM2.5 and O3 above the primary limit. As the concentrations of PM2.5 and O3 increased, the synergistic effect increased the risk of death from circulatory system diseases in the general population, men, women, and the ≥ 65 years group. Conclusion Both atmospheric PM2.5 and O3 can increase the risk of death from circulatory system diseases, and the two pollutants have a synergistic effect on the risk of death from circulatory system diseases.

Effect of glyphosate and ciprofloxacin exposure on enteric bacteria of tadpoles / Efecto de la exposición a glifosato y ciprofloxacina en bacterias entéricasde renacuajos

Abstract The high load of agrochemicals and antibiotics present in agricultural aquatic environments represents a risk for wildlife. Since enteric bacteria, which play a key role in the physiological functioning of their hosts, are sensitive to a wide variety of pollutants, their study allows to evaluate the health of organisms. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of commercial formulations of a glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP), individually and in mixture, on the bacterial diversity of the intestinal content of common toad (Rhinella arenarum) tadpoles. The diversity of cultivable fast-growing bacteria with low nutritional requirements was evaluated using classic microbiological tests and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry identification. Bacterial diversity varied among treatments. Taxa diversity increased in the GBH-treated group but decreased in the CIP-treated group. Remarkably, Yersinia spp. and Proteus spp. were only found in the GBH-treated group. The prevalence of Klebsiella spp. and Pseudomonas spp. decreased in the intestinal microbiota of the GBH-CIP-treated group. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the alteration of cultivable enteric bacteria of autochthonous tadpoles due to two pollutants of emerging concern. Our results demonstrate that R. arenarum tadpoles can be used as non-conventional model organisms for environmental pollution monitoring. Our preliminary findings would contribute to understanding how the presence of GBH and CIP in freshwaters may represent a threat to wildlife and human health by causing enteric dysbiosis of part of the bacterial community.

Resumen La alta carga de agroquímicos y antibióticos en los ambientes acuáticos y los agroe-cosistemas representa un riesgo para la vida silvestre. Dado que la microbiota intestinal juega un papel fundamental en el funcionamiento de su hospedador y es sensible a una amplia variedad de contaminantes, su estudio permite evaluar la salud de los organismos. En este trabajo estudiamos los efectos de formulaciones comerciales de un herbicida a base de glifosato (GBH) y del antibiótico ciprofloxacina (CIP), por separado y en mezcla, sobre la diversidad de bacterias intestinales de renacuajos del sapo común (Rhinella arenarum). El estudio de la diversidad de bacterias entéricas cultivables de rápido crecimiento y bajo requerimiento nutricional se llevó a cabo utilizando pruebas microbiológicas clásicas e identificación por espectrometría de masas de tiempo de vuelo por desorción/ionización láser asistida por matriz (MALDI-TOF). La microbiota entérica fue diferente según el tratamiento. El GBH indujo un aumento de la diversidad bacteriana, mientras que la CIP produjo una reducción. Entre estos cambios, destaca la presencia de Yersinia spp. y Proteus spp. solo en el tratamiento con GBH. Además, en el tratamiento GBH-CIP se encontró una disminución en la prevalencia de Klebsiella spp. y Pseudomonas spp. en la microbiota intestinal de los renacuajos. Este es el primer informe sobre la alteración del contenido bacteriano intestinal de renacuajos de R. arenarum producido por dos contaminantes emergentes de preocupación. Demostramos que el renacuajo del sapo común se puede utilizar como un organismo modelo no convencional para el monitoreo de la contaminación ambiental. Estos hallazgos constituyen el primer paso para comprender cómo la presencia de GBH y CIP en aguas dulces puede representar una amenaza para la vida silvestre y la salud humana a través de la disbiosis entérica asociada al efecto sobre la comunidad bacteriana.

Construction and application of a field-scale rapid prediction system for wind field and pollutant dispersion / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To construct a rapid prediction system to improve the accuracy and efficiency of evaluation of the consequences of nuclear accidents at a field scale. Methods Base on a diagnostic wind field model and Lagrangian particle diffusion, we established a rapid prediction method for wind field and pollutant dispersion around complex underlying surfaces within a field scale, in a way of visual discrimination of buildings and vegetation distribution. With data simulation and the use of a real urban field example, the simulated results were compared with wind tunnel test measurements and computational fluid dynamics results to study the influence of complex underlying surfaces on wind field and pollutant transport in the region. Results The rapid prediction system could clearly simulate the high-resolution wind field and pollutant concentration distribution of the region in about five minutes. It could interface with geographic information software and couple with a mesoscale weather prediction model. In terms of accuracy, the system performed well in wind field simulation, with the fractional deviations of wind speed and wind direction being 0.33 and −0.08, respectively. Concentration field simulation was greatly affected by the wind field, and the ratios of simulated concentrations to observed concentrations were between 0.05 and 3.4, except for a few low concentration points. Conclusion The rapid prediction system can effectively simulate the distribution characteristics of the flow field and improve calculation efficiency when ensuring calculation accuracy, which provides an important reference for emergency response to nuclear accidents.

Advances on associations of exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy with congenital heart disease in offspring / 环境与职业医学

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect and one of the major causes of neonatal death, with an average prevalence of 9.4‰ worldwide. We reviewed recent epidemiological studies and found that exposure to air pollutants is associated with increased CHD risks, but the associations are inconsistent between exposure to air pollutants and different subtypes of CHD due to developmental and etiological heterogeneity among different subtypes of CHD. It has been reported that air pollutants are associated with increased risks of ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, pulmonary stenosis, tetralogy of Fallot, and transposition of the great arteries. However, associations between maternal exposure to air pollutants and atrial septal defect (ASD) are contradictory, with significantly positive associations of inhalable particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide exposure, negative associations of fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide, and mixed associations of sulfur dioxide. Adverse effects of air pollutant on cardiac development cover a wide time window beyond 3-8 weeks during gestation; particulate matter and nitrogen oxide are more likely to affect fetal heart in early pregnancy, while the association strength of carbon monoxide shows a trough in early pregnancy, and sulfur dioxide and ozone affect cardiac health throughout pregnancy. In addition, we discussed the limitations of previous studies on the associations between maternal air pollutant exposure and CHD, and highlighted the application of precise assessment on exposure to air pollutants, the performance of prospective cohort studies and longitudinal studies, and the necessity of studies on CHD subtypes, in order to provide scientific evidence to control exposure to environmental pollutants and CHD occurrence.

Exposure characteristics of common chemical pollutants and health risk assessment in indoor air of barber shops and beauty salons in Liaocheng City / 环境与职业医学

Background The presence of formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and xylene in indoor air of public places has been confirmed to cause health damage. The employees of barber and beauty shops are exposed to relatively enclosed space for a long time, and could surfer more serious health risks from indoor air chemical pollutants. Objective To analyze the concentrations of common indoor air chemical pollutants in barber shops and beauty salons in Liaocheng City, and explore potential health risks of the pollutants for employees. Methods Using a stratified randomized sampling method, 8 to 10 barber shops and 5 to 10 beauty salons were selected in the main urban area of Liaocheng City to conduct monitoring of the sanitary conditions of public places in winter and summer every year from 2016 to 2021; the indoor air concentrations of formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and xylene in the selected sites were measured, and a questionnaire survey was conducted to collect exposure characteristics of indoor pollutants. The concentration distributions of the five chemical pollutants were obtained from the monitoring data for 6 consecutive years, and the health risk assessment model recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was used to perform health risk assessment of inhalation exposure. Results In 2016–2021, the median indoor air concentrations of formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and xylene in the two types of sites were lower than the limits of Hygienic Indicators and Limits for Public Places (GB 37488-2019), but the concentrations of some monitoring sites were higher than the limits. The disqualification rates of the five pollutants in the barber shops were 16.8%, 2.7%, 2.4%, 6.4%, and 12.0%, respectively. The disqualification rate of formaldehyde was the highest in all pollutants (22.0%), while the disqualification rates of ammonia, toluene, and xylene were 1.3%, 2.0%, and 2.0% in beauty salons respectively. Both formaldehyde and benzene were found to have carcinogenic risks (CR) in the two types of public places. Both median values of CR were greater than 1.0×10−6, and both maximum values were greater than 1.0×10−4. Formaldehyde had the highest non-carcinogenic risk in the indoor air of barber shops and beauty salons. The median non-carcinogenic hazard quotients (HQ) of formaldehyde were both greater than 1, and the maximum values were 16.72 and 12.19 times of the standard value; ammonia and toluene had the lowest non-carcinogenic risks, and their maximum values of HQ were less than 1; the median HQs of benzene and xylene were far less than 1, but their maximum risk values of barber shop were greater than 1. Conclusion For the sake of worker's health, formaldehyde and benzene should be the indoor air pollutant control priority for barber shops and beauty salons in Liaocheng; formaldehyde poses the most serious health hazard to practitioners and should be given high attention and necessary measures to reduce the hazard; benzene poses certain carcinogenic risks, with some of its highest values exceeding 10−4, which is higher than the recommended safety threshold.

Time-series analysis of association between air pollution and hospital outpatient visits in a district of Shanghai from 2015 to 2019 / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo explore the association between air pollutants and hospital outpatient visits in a district of Shanghai. MethodsDaily meteorological data， environmental data， data of outpatient visits to two secondary hospitals and two tertiary hospitals in this district from January 1， 2015 to December 31， 2019 were collected. A Poisson regression generalized linear model was used to analyze the exposure-response relationship between the air pollutants and hospital outpatient visits in this area. ResultsDuring the study period， the total number of outpatient visits in the included hospitals was 17 802 634， with an average daily total of （9 750±4 191） outpatient visits，and an average daily of （761±341） respiratory outpatient visits. In the lag effect of single pollutant model， when the concentration of air pollutant increased by 10 μg·m-3， PM2.5， SO2， NO2 had the maximum lag effect on the number of outpatient visits in the department of internal medicine for respiratory diseases on lag day 4， day 5 and day 7， respectively. And the RR values and 95%CI were 1.002 0（1.001 3‒1.002 6）， 1.0154（1.012 3‒1.018 5）， and 1.006 1（1.005 3‒1.006 9）， respectively. ConclusionThere is a exposure-response relationship between air pollutants and the number of outpatient visits in each department of the hospitals， and different pollutants have different degrees of lag effects.

Associations between isomers and alternatives of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and fasting blood glucose / 环境与职业医学

Background Previous research indicated that isomers and alternatives of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) probably disturb glucose metabolism; however, current epidemiological evidence on the associations of PFAS with fasting blood glucose is inconsistent. Besides, studies on the joint association of multiple components of PFAS and fasting blood glucose as well as the key component are scarce. Objective To evaluate the associations of PFAS isomers and alternatives with fasting blood glucose and their joint effects, as well as identify the key component among population without glucose metabolism problems. Methods We selected 923 adults without glucose metabolism problems or missing data from the Isomers of C8 Health Project in China (2015—2016). Serum PFAS isomers and alternatives and fasting blood glucose were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and automatic biochemical analyzer. We applied multiple linear regression to explore the associations of 16 pollutants which were detected among over 80% participants with fasting blood glucose. Meanwhile, we utilized qgcomp and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models to explore the joint effects of PFAS isomers and alternatives mixture on target outcome indicators and identify the key component. Results The average age among the 923 participants in this study was (62.4±13.8) years old, including 472 men (51.1%) and 451 women (48.9%). Among selected PFAS isomers and alternatives, the highest serum concentration was ∑3+4+5m-PFOS (perfluoro-3/4/5-methylheptanesulfonate) with a median concentration of 10.20 ng·mL−1. The concentrations of linear perfluorooctane sulfonate (n-PFOS, 9.61 ng·mL−1), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, 4.55 ng·mL−1), linear perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (n-PFHxS, 2.48 ng·mL−1), 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ethersulfonic acid (6:2 Cl-PFESA, 1.90 ng·mL−1), perfluoro-6-methylheptanesulfonate (iso-PFOS, 1.85 ng·mL−1), perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA, 1.81 ng·mL−1), perfluorinated n-nonanoic acid (PFNA, 1.39 ng·mL−1), and perfluoro-1-methylheptanesulfonate (1m-PFOS, 1.27 ng·mL−1) were higher than 1.00 ng·mL−1. After being adjusted for selected confounders, PFAS isomers and alternatives were positively associated with fasting blood glucose. With 1 ln unit concentration increment of 6:2 Cl-PFESA and PFNA, the estimated changes of fasting blood glucose were 0.18 (95%CI: 0.13, 0.23) mmol·L−1 and 0.24 (95%CI: 0.18, 0.30) mmol·L−1, respectively. The multi-pollutant models indicated a joint association of PFAS isomers and alternatives mixture with fasting blood glucose. The BKMR models reveals that as the quantiles of mixture elevated from the 50th to the 75th percentile, the values of fasting blood glucose increased 0.25 (95%CI: 0.21, 0.30) mmol·L−1, and the posterior inclusion probability of PFNA was 0.92, implying that PFNA was the key component. Conclusion PFAS isomers and alternatives are positively associated with fasting blood glucose. PFNA is the key component of the joint association.

Research progress on effects of metallic elements on male semen quality / 环境与职业医学

In recent years, the quality of male sperm has shown a downward trend year by year. The male infertility rate in China continues to increase. It has been found that the impacts of environmental factors on male semen quality are mainly negative. Inorganic metallic elements as environmental contaminants have become a class of chemicals that cannot be ignored, and their health impacts on human reproductive systems have been received widespread attention and research. They certainly play a significant role in impairing male reproductive ability and are relative to the lower and lower semen quality. This review focused on the relationship between exposure to environmental metallic elements and semen quality of humans and animals, as well as summarized specific results from epidemiological studies, animal trials, or molecular experiments to provide a theoretical basis for protecting male reproductive capacity.

Possible mechanisms of nutritional components ameliorating adverse health effects caused by environmental pollutants / 环境与职业医学

Exposure to environmental pollutants imposes important health risks to human beings. In recent years, emerging evidence has suggested that nutritional components may ameliorate the adverse health effects of environmental pollutants. Therefore, it raises great public health interests in protecting human health from environmental pollutants by nutrition interventions. Considering in vivo and in vitro experimental evidence, as well as epidemiological studies, this paper reviewed the possible mechanisms underlying how nutritional components counteract the adverse health impacts of environmental pollutants, which can provide directions for further studies on health risk assessment and nutrition intervention associated with environmental pollutant exposure.

Systematic review of synergistic effect between air pollutants and temperature on human mortality in China / 环境与职业医学

Background Air pollutants and extreme temperature both pose significant threats to human health, but the synergistic effect between air pollutants and temperature on health is inconsistent. Objective To explore a potential synergistic effect between air pollutants and temperature on the mortality in China through literature review. Methods Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Information Chinese Journal Service Platform, PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Embase databases were searched. "Temperature" "air pollution" "mortality" were selected as keywords to collect literature on synergistic effect between air pollutants and temperature on mortality in China. Literature was published from 2000-01-01 to 2022-07-31 in Chinese or English. Two researchers screened the literature independently according to the inclusion criteria, and the results were integrated and analyzed after data extraction. The "meta" package of R software was used for meta-analysis. Results Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria and associated air pollutants included PM10, PM2.5, O3, SO2, NO2, and CO. The impact of PM10 and PM2.5 on mortality in high temperature days was higher than that in moderate temperature days. In high temperature days, a 10 μg·m−3 increment in PM10 concentration corresponded to pooled estimates of 2.30% (95%CI: 1.34%-3.26%), 1.23% (95%CI: 0.64%-1.82%), and 1.42% (95%CI: 0.63%-2.22%) increase in non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortalities, respectively. A 10 μg·m−3 increment in PM2.5 concentration corresponded to pooled estimates of 2.56% (95%CI: 2.00%-3.13%), 2.37% (95%CI: 1.64%-3.12%), and 2.14% (95%CI: 1.03%-3.25%) increase in non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortalities, respectively. The synergistic effect of SO2 and NO2 on cardiovascular and respiratory mortalities in low temperature days was higher than that in moderate temperature days. Conclusion The synergistic effects of air pollutants and temperature on mortality in low temperature days or in high temperature days are higher than that in moderate temperature days. The health protection related to these pollutants should be strengthened in these days.

Impacto da pandemia de COVID-19 nas emissões veiculares no Brasil no período de janeiro a maio de 2020 / Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vehicle emissions in Brazil from January to May 2020

RESUMO No presente trabalho foi realizada a estimativa das emissões dos gases de efeito estufa (CO2eq), monóxido de carbono (CO), óxido de nitrogênio (NOx), material particulado (MP), aldeído (RCHO) e hidrocarboneto não metano (NMHC) dos veículos licenciados nos cinco primeiro meses do ano de 2020 no Brasil. Os resultados foram comparados com as emissões veiculares da frota licenciada no mesmo período do ano de 2019 a fim de verificar o impacto da pandemia de COVID-19 nos referidos licenciamentos, nas emissões e, consequentemente, na qualidade do ar do país. Os resultados apontaram redução de 14% nas emissões dos gases de efeito estufa, com diminuição observada para todos os veículos, exceto para os caminhões semipesados, que tiveram incremento nas emissões de gases de efeito estufa de 12,8%. Os demais poluentes também reduziram, em 12,5% para o CO, em 29,6% para o NOx, em 24,1% para o MP, em 21,5% para o RCHO e em 16,3% para o NMHC. Por fim, quanto ao total de poluentes acumulados, entre todos os veículos analisados, os únicos que tiveram aumento nas emissões em relação a 2019, de 2,1%, foram as motocicletas com tecnologia flexfuel, que são abastecidas preferencialmente com etanol hidratado. Com isso, pôde-se concluir que a pandemia da COVID-19, por meio das medidas de restrição e isolamento social adotadas no país para frear a transmissão da doença, impactou positivamente a qualidade do ar no Brasil no período analisado.

ABSTRACT The estimated emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2eq), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx), particulate matter (PM), aldehyde (RCHO) and non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) from vehicles licensed in the first five months of 2020 in Brazil were calculated in the present study, and the results compared with vehicular emissions from the licensed fleet in the same period of the year 2019, in order to verify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these permits, emissions and, consequently, air quality in the country. The results showed a 14% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, with a decrease observed for all vehicles, except for semi heavy trucks, which had a 12.8% increase in GHG emissions. The other pollutants also decreased, being 12.5% for CO, 29.6% for NOx, 24.1% for PM, 21.5% for RCHO, and 16.3% for NMHC. Finally, in relation to the total accumulated pollutants, among all vehicles analyzed, the only ones that had a 2.1% increase in emissions in relation to 2019 were the motorcycles with flexfuel technology, which are preferably fueled with hydrated ethanol. Thus, it was concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic, through the measures of restriction and social isolation adopted in the country to curb the transmission of the disease, had a positive impact on air quality in Brazil during the analyzed period.

Identification of factors affecting Oncomelania hupensis density in Eastern Dongting Lake regions / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To evaluate the impact of water pollutants, water levels and meteorological factors on the Oncomelania hupensis density in Eastern Dongting Lake regions, so as to provide insights into schistosomiasis control. Methods O. hupensis snails were surveyed using a systematic sampling method in snail-infested marshlands in Eastern Dongting Lake regions from 2007 to 2014, and data pertaining to water pollutants, water levels and meteorological factors were collected. The duration of submergence and the date of the start of submergence were calculated. The snail density and its influencing factors were descriptively analyzed, and a linear mixed model was generated to examine the impacts of variables on the snail density. In addition, smooth curves were fitted to investigate the relationship between snail density and variables. Results The snail density appeared a fluctuation in Eastern Dongting Lake regions during the period from 2007 to 2014, with the highest density on October, 2010 (52.79 snails/0.1 m2) and the lowest density on January 2009 (2.15 snails/0.1 m2). Linear mixed-model analysis showed that permanganate index, total phosphorus and the date of the start of submergence affected the snail density (t = 6.386, −2.920 and −3.892, all P values < 0.01). Smooth curve analysis revealed that the associations of the snail density with the permanganate index and total phosphorus appeared an approximately quadratic curve. After the end of April, the earlier date of the start of submergence resulted in a higher snail density. Conclusion Permenganate index, total phosphorus and the date of the start of submergence affect the O. hupensis snail density in Eastern Dongting Lake regions.

Interaction between oxidant pollutants and ambient temperature on cardio-cerebrovascular mortality risks in Guangzhou, China / 环境与职业医学

Background The increasing threats of air pollution and extreme weather have been widely recognized in recent years in China, but their individual and joint effects on cardio-cerebrovascular mortality are unclear. Objective This study aims to investigate the individual effects of and potential interactions between oxidant pollutants and ambient temperature on cardio-cerebrovascular mortality risks. Methods We collected daily data on death counts of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, concentrations of ambient air pollutants, and meteorological parameters in Guangzhou, Chinabetween 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2016. A generalized additive model with a Poisson distribution was conducted to assess the associations of oxidant pollutants and ambient temperature with cardio-cerebrovascular mortality risks. Bivariate response surface models and stratified analyses were further adopted to qualitatively and quantitatively examine the potential interactions between oxidant pollutants and ambient temperature on cardio-cerebrovascular mortality risks. Results During the study period, the daily averages were 60.3 μg·m−3 for ozone (O3), 50.9 μg·m−3 for combined atmospheric oxidant capacity (Ox), 32.5 μg·m−3 for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and 22.3℃ for ambient temperature. The average daily death counts of coronary and stroke diseases were 20 and 15, respectively. Per 10 μg·m−3 increment in O3, Ox, and NO2 were associated with increased coronary mortality risks (excess risk, ER) of 1.26% (95%CI: 0.79%-1.74%), 1.61% (95%CI: 0.99%-2.23%), and 1.33% (95%CI: 0.59%-2.07%), and with increased stroke mortality risks of 1.56% (95%CI: 1.04%-2.09%), 2.30% (95%CI: 1.60%-3.01%), and 2.93% (95%CI: 2.07%-3.79%) over cumulative lags of 2-5 days, respectively. The exposure-response relationships between ambient temperature and coronary and stroke mortality risks exhibited an inverse "J" shape, with the minimum mortality at temperatures of 25.7℃ for coronary disease and 27.3℃ for stroke. Our results further showed potentially synergic effects of higher temperatures and higher levels of O3 and Ox exposures on coronary mortality risks, and the relative ER due to interactions was 0.103 (95%CI: 0.028-0.178) for O3 and 0.079 (95%CI: 0.004-0.154) for Ox. We didn't find evidence of an interaction between oxidant pollutants and low temperature. Conclusion Short-term exposures to oxidant pollutants are associated with increased cardio-cerebrovascular mortality risks, and the interactive effects of high temperature and oxidant pollutants are synergistic in relation to cardio-cerebrovascular mortality risks.

Effect of Air Pollution on Emergency Room Visits for Respiratory Diseases in Lanzhou / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To explore the effect of air pollution on the number of emergency room visits for respiratory diseases in residents at different ages and its seasonal changes in Lanzhou,so as to provide a scientific basis for the early prevention of respiratory diseases in Lanzhou. Methods The daily number of emergency room visits for respiratory diseases in three class A hospitals in Lanzhou from January 1,2013 to December 31,2017,as well as the air pollutants and meteorological data of Lanzhou in the same period,was collected.After controlling the confounding factors including long-term trend of time,meteorological factors and day-of-week effect using a generalized additive model,we analyzed the relationships between air pollutants and the daily number of emergency room visits for respiratory diseases,and explored whether there was a lag effect of air pollutants.Results From 2013 to 2017,the emergency room visits for respiratory diseases in Lanzhou had a total number of 124 871,with an average of 69(1-367)visits per day.The single pollutant model showed that among the six conventional air pollutants monitored in Lanzhou,PM

Recent advances in surface-enhanced Raman scattering technique for pollutant detection in Chinese medicinal material / 中国中药杂志

Chinese medicinal material is the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) industry. Its quality is not only closely related to the health of residents but also the key to the development of the TCM industry. Pesticide residues, heavy metals and mycotoxins are the major pollutants of Chinese medicinal materials. In recent years, quite a number of rapid detection methods for pollutants have been constructed. Among them, surface-enhanced Raman scattering(SERS), which has been widely used in food chemistry, environmental analysis, and other fields because of its speediness and non-destructiveness, shows its great potential in the pollutant detection in Chinese medicinal material. This paper firstly reviews the application of SERS for the detection of common pollutants in Chinese medicinal material. We then discussed the characteristics and advantages of SERS technique for pesticide detection, including the principle, SERS substrate design, specific recognition, etc. Finally, simultaneous detection of multiple pesticide residues in Chinese medicinal material was explored.

Equilibrio, cinética y termodinámica de la adsorción del colorante DB-86 sobre carbón activado de la cáscara de yuca / Equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic of direct blue 86 dye adsorption on activated carbon obtained from manioc husk

RESUMEN Objetivo. Establecer mediante experimentos por lote la capacidad de remoción, la cinética y termodinámica de adsorción del carbón activado preparado a partir de la cáscara de yuca (Manihot esculenta) en la remoción del colorante azul directo 86. Materiales y métodos. La metodología experimental consistió inicialmente en la preparación del carbón activado por activación química de la cáscara de yuca con H3PO4 y su posterior calcinación a 530°C. En la caracterización se determinaron las propiedades de textura mediante el índice de yodo e índice de azul de metileno, se cuantificaron los grupos funcionales orgánicos ácidos y básicos con el método Boehm, y se realizó el análisis próximo siguiendo las normas ASTM D-2867-70, ASTM D2866 y ASTM D2866-94. En el estudio por lote, el efecto de varios parámetros sobre la capacidad de adsorción fueron evaluados: el pH (2, 4, 8 y 10), la temperatura (25, 30 y 40°C) y la concentración inicial de colorante (20, 40, 60, 80 y 100 mg/L). Tanto las características fisicoquímicas como los ensayos de adsorción del carbón activado preparado a partir de la cáscara de yuca (CAY) fueron comparadas con otro de marca comercial (CAM). Resultados. Los resultados de la caracterización indican que ambos carbones tienen una química de superfície heterogénea, de naturaleza ácida para el CAY y básica para el CAM. La máxima capacidad obtenida fue 6.1 mg/g para el CAY y de 3.7 mg/g para el CAM. Los cálculos termodinámicos indican que la remoción es espontánea y para ambos carbones la cinética se ajusta al modelo de pseudo segundo orden. Conclusiones. El carbón activado obtenido a partir de la cáscara de yuca puede considerarse un adsorbente eficiente en la remoción de colorantes.

ABSTRACT Objective. To establish by means of experimenting by batch the capacity of removal, the kinetics and adsorption thermodynamics of activated carbon prepared from manioc husk (Manihot esculenta) in the removal of direct blue 86 dye. Materials and methods. Firstly, the experimental methodology worked on the preparation of activated carbon by chemical activation of manioc husk with H3PO4 calcined at 530°C. In the characterization the texture properties were determined by means of the blue methylene and iodine indices, the basic and acidic functional groups were quantified by the Boehm method, and the proximate analyses were done following the norms ASTM D2867-70, ASTM D2866 and ASTM D2866-94. During the batch studies, the effect of several parameters over the adsorption capacity was evaluated: pH (2, 4, 8 and 10), temperature (25, 30 and 40°C) and initial concentration of the dye (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 mg/L). Both physicochemical and adsorption characteristics of the activated carbon from manioc husk (CAY) were compared against those of a commercial brand (CAM). Results. The results of characterization showed that both carbons have a chemistry heterogeneous surface, acidic for CAY and basic for CAM. The maximum capacity obtained was 6.1 mg/g for CAY and 3.7 mg/g for CAM. The thermodynamic calculations showed that the removal was spontaneous. The kinetics for both carbon samples fits a pseudo second-order model. Conclusions. The activated carbon obtained from the manioc husk can be considered an efficient adsorbent for the removal of dyes.

Application of a support vector regression on prediction of bacillary dysentery combined with meteorological and air pollutants index / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To explore the application of support vector regression (SVR) model combined with meteorological and air pollutants index in the prediction of the cases of bacillary dysentery in Lanzhou City, so as to provide scientific reference for the prevention and control of bacillary dysentery.Methods Time series data of the reported cases of bacillary dysentery from December 2013 to August 2016, combined with the meteorological and air pollutants data, were used as training set to fit support vector regression model. The data from September 2016 to December 2017 was used as validation set to verify the model and compare the effect in fit and prediction with different models. Results A total of 7 192 bacillary dysentery cases were reported in Lanzhou City from 2013 to 2017. The correlation coefficient of meteorological and pollution factors with the cases of bacillary dysentery was more than 0.4, except air pressure. The parameters of the fit model were selected based on the integrated data, acquiring the three parameters with the smallest test error were C=5, γ=0.02 and ε=0.000 1, respectively. The validation set was used to test the different models, which showed that the integrated data model had the best predictive accuracy and robustness . The root mean squared error (RMSE) was 0.164 7 and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was 16.405%. Conclusion SVR model combined with meteorological and air pollutants index is effective in the prediction of bacterial dysentery.

Is Long-term Ambient Air Pollutant Exposure a Risk Factor for Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Children? A 12-year Longitudinal Cohort Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent studies suggest that air pollution may play a role in gastrointestinal disorders. However, the effect of long-term exposure to air pollution on childhood irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is unclear. Hence, we conducted a nationwide cohort study to investigate the association between long-term air pollution exposure and the incidence and risk of IBS in Taiwanese children during 2000–2012. METHODS: We collected data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, linked to the Taiwan Air Quality-Monitoring Database according to the insurant living area and the air quality-monitoring station locations. Children < 18 years old, identified from January 1st, 2000, were followed-up until IBS diagnosis or December 31st, 2012. The daily average air pollutant concentrations were categorized into 4 quartile-based groups (Q1–Q4). We measured the incidence rate, hazard ratios (HRs), and 95% confidence intervals for IBS stratified by the quartiles of air pollutant concentration. RESULTS: A total of 3537 children (1.39%) were diagnosed with IBS within the cohort during the follow-up period. The incidence rate for IBS increased from 0.84 to 1.76, from 0.73 to 1.68, from 0.85 to 1.98, and from 0.52 to 3.22 per 1000 person-years, with increase in the carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, non-methane hydrocarbon, and methane quartile (from Q1 to Q4) exposure concentration, respectively. The adjusted HR for IBS increased with elevated carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, non-methane hydrocarbon, and methane exposure in Q4 to 1.98, 2.14, 2.19, and 5.87, respectively, compared with Q1. CONCLUSION: Long-term ambient air pollutant exposure is an environmental risk factor for childhood IBS.

Impact of informal e-waste recycling on human health / 中华预防医学杂志

Increasing e-waste has become a major problem for global environment and public health. In the process of dismantling and recycling of disordered electronic waste, heavy metals such as lead and brominated flame retardants and organic substances are released into environmental media such as air, soil, dust and water, which is harmful to the health of local residents. Taking an e-waste dismantling area in Guangdong Province as an example, this paper reviews exposure levels of heavy metals and organic matters in e-waste recycling areas in China, as well as the health effects of local residents. Previous studies have found that e-waste recycling activities led to serious environmental pollution and high exposure levels of heavy metals and organic matters in local residents, which has a certain impact on the physiological functions of various human systems. The establishment of a centralized dismantling zone can effectively reduce the load level of various pollutants.