Human biomonitoring of microplastics and health implications: A review.

BACKGROUND: Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles (<5 mm) ubiquitous in water, soil, and air, indicating that humans can be exposed to MPs through ingestion of water and food, and inhalation. OBJECTIVE: This review provides an overview of the current human biomonitoring data available to evaluate human exposure and health impact of MPs. METHOD: We compiled 91 relevant studies on MPs in human matrices and MPs toxicological endpoints to provide evidence on MPs distribution in the different tissues and the implications this can have from a health perspective. RESULTS: Human exposure to MPs has been corroborated by the detection of MPs in different human biological samples including blood, urine, stool, lung tissue, breast milk, semen and placenta. Although humans have clearance mechanisms protecting them from potentially harmful substances, health risks associated to MPs exposure include the onset of inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage, potentially leading to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as cancer, as suggested by in vitro and in vivo studies. CONCLUSION: Based on compiled data, MPs have been recurrently identified in different human tissues and fluids, suggesting that humans are exposed to MPs through inhalation and ingestion. Despite differences in MPs concentrations appear in exposed and non-exposed people, accumulation and distribution pathways and potential human health hazards is still at an infant stage. Human biomonitoring data enables the assessment of human exposure to MPs and associated risks, and this information can contribute to draw management actions and guidelines to minimize MP release to the environment, and thus, reduce human uptake.

How can ventilation be improved on public transportation buses? Insights from CO2 measurements.

Measurements of CO2 and counting of occupants were carried out in 37 public bus trips during commuting rush hours in Barcelona (NE Spain) with the aim of evaluating parameters governing ventilation inside the vehicles and proposing actions to improve it. The results show that CO2 concentrations (1039 and 934 ± 386 ppm, as average and median, during rush hours but with average reduced occupancy due to the fair to be infected by SARS-CoV-2 during the measurement period, and measured in the middle of the busses) are in the lower range of values recorded in the literature for public buses, however an improvement in ventilation is required in a significant proportion of the journeys. Thus, we found better ventilation in the older Euro 3+ (retrofitted with filter traps and selective catalytic reduction) and Euro 5 buses (average 918 ± 257 ppm) than in the hermetically closed new Euro 6 ones (1111 ± 432 ppm). The opening of the windows in the older buses yielded higher ventilation rates (778 ± 432 ppm). The opening of all doors at all stops increases the ventilation by causing a fall in concentrations of 200-350 ppm below inter-stop concentrations, with this effect typically lasting 40-50 s in the hermetically closed new Euro 6 hybrid buses. Based on these results a number of recommendations are offered in order to improve ventilation, including measurement of CO2 and occupancy, and installation of ventilation fans on the top of the hermetically closed new buses, introducing outdoor air when a given concentration threshold is exceeded. In these cases, a CO2 sensor installed in the outdoor air intake is also recommended to take into account external CO2 contributions.

The risks of acute exposure to black carbon in Southern Europe: results from the MED-PARTICLES project.

OBJECTIVES: While several studies have reported associations of daily exposures to PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 µm) with mortality, few studies have examined the impact of its constituents such as black carbon (BC), which is also a significant contributor to global climate change. METHODS: We assessed the association between daily concentrations of BC and total, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality in two southern Mediterranean cities. Daily averages of BC were collected for 2 years in Barcelona, Spain and Athens, Greece. We used case-crossover analysis and examined single and cumulative lags up to 3 days. RESULTS: We observed associations between BC and all mortality measures. For a 3-day moving average, cardiovascular mortality increased by 4.5% (95% CI 0.7 to 8.5) and 2.0% (95% CI 0 to 4.0) for an interquartile change in BC in Athens and Barcelona, respectively. Considerably higher effects for respiratory mortality and for those above age 65 were observed. In addition, BC exhibited much greater toxicity per microgram than generic PM2.5. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that BC, derived in western industrialised nations primarily from diesel engines and biomass burning, poses a significant burden to public health, particularly in European cities with high-traffic density.

Effects of road dust suppressants on PM levels in a Mediterranean urban area.

The abatement of road dust emissions is currently a major challenge for sustainable transportation, causing exceedances of limits on particulate matter (PM) and high population exposures to mineral dust and metals. Mitigation measures have been proposed such as improved street cleaning and the use of dust suppressants. This study evaluated, for the first time, the effectiveness of calcium-magnesium acetate (CMA) and MgCl2 in reducing road dust emissions in a Mediterranean city. During a two-month campaign, a typical urban road in the city of Barcelona was sprayed, and changes in PMx levels and components were monitored at four traffic sites and one background monitoring sites. The integrated results indicate no statistically significant effectiveness of dust suppressants on PM10 and PM2.5-10 levels. Episodic reductions of Al, K, Mg, Cr, Li, Cu, and Zn were observed during CMA applications, but they were not systematically statistically significant over different stations and spreading days. MgCl2 days showed lower PM10 mean concentrations, but these reductions were not statistically significant and were not supported by significant drops in mineral and brake-wear metals. Based on our literature review, it can be postulated that the higher the road dust loading, the higher the dust suppressant effectiveness.

Air quality modeling and mortality impact of fine particles reduction policies in Spain.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, Spain has implemented a number of air quality control measures that are expected to lead to a future reduction in fine particle concentrations and an ensuing positive impact on public health. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the impact on mortality attributable to a reduction in fine particle levels in Spain in 2014 in relation to the estimated level for 2007. METHODS: To estimate exposure, we constructed fine particle distribution models for Spain for 2007 (reference scenario) and 2014 (projected scenario) with a spatial resolution of 16×16km(2). In a second step, we used the concentration-response functions proposed by cohort studies carried out in Europe (European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects and Rome longitudinal cohort) and North America (American Cancer Society cohort, Harvard Six Cities study and Canadian national cohort) to calculate the number of attributable annual deaths corresponding to all causes, all non-accidental causes, ischemic heart disease and lung cancer among persons aged over 25 years (2005-2007 mortality rate data). We examined the effect of the Spanish demographic shift in our analysis using 2007 and 2012 population figures. RESULTS: Our model suggested that there would be a mean overall reduction in fine particle levels of 1µg/m(3) by 2014. Taking into account 2007 population data, between 8 and 15 all-cause deaths per 100,000 population could be postponed annually by the expected reduction in fine particle levels. For specific subgroups, estimates varied from 10 to 30 deaths for all non-accidental causes, from 1 to 5 for lung cancer, and from 2 to 6 for ischemic heart disease. The expected burden of preventable mortality would be even higher in the future due to the Spanish population growth. Taking into account the population older than 30 years in 2012, the absolute mortality impact estimate would increase approximately by 18%. CONCLUSIONS: Effective implementation of air quality measures in Spain, in a scenario with a short-term projection, would amount to an appreciable decline in fine particle concentrations, and this, in turn, would lead to notable health-related benefits. Recent European cohort studies strengthen the evidence of an association between long-term exposure to fine particles and health effects, and could enhance the health impact quantification in Europe. Air quality models can contribute to improved assessment of air pollution health impact estimates, particularly in study areas without air pollution monitoring data.

Microplastics: Human exposure assessment through air, water, and food.

BACKGROUND: Microplastics (MP) are plastic particles with dimension up to 5 mm. Due to their persistence, global spread across different ecosystems and potential human health effects, they have gained increasing attention during the last decade. However, the extent of human exposure to MP through different pathways and their intake have not been elucidated. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review is to provide an overview on the pathways of exposure to MP through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact considering data from the open bibliography on MP in air, dust, food, water and drinks. METHODS: A bibliographic search on Scopus and PubMed was conducted using keywords on MP in outdoor and indoor air, indoor dust, food including beverages and water and human intake (n = 521). Articles were sorted by their title and abstract (n = 213), and only studies reporting MP identification and quantification techniques were further considered (n = 168). A total of 115 articles that include quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) procedures are finally discussed in the present review. Based on MP concentration data available in literature, we estimated the potential inhaled dose (ID), dust intake (DI), the estimated daily intake (EDI) via food and beverages. Finally, the total daily intake (TDI) considering both inhalation and ingestion routes are provided for adults, infants and newborns. RESULTS: The concentrations of MP in outdoor and indoor air, dust, and in food and water are provided according to the bibliography. Human exposure to MP through dust ingestion, inhalation of air and food/drinks consumption revealed that indoor air and drinking waters were the main sources of MP. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals that humans are constantly exposed to MP, and that the indoor environment and the food and water we ingest decisively contribute to MP intake. Additionally, we highlight that infants and newborns are exposed to high MP concentrations and further studies are needed to evaluate the presence and risk of MP in this vulnerable age-population.

Short-term health effects from outdoor exposure to biomass burning emissions: A review.

Biomass burning (BB) including forest, bush, prescribed fires, agricultural fires, residential wood combustion, and power generation has long been known to affect climate, air quality and human health. With this work we supply a systematic review on the health effects of BB emissions in the framework of the WHO activities on air pollution. We performed a literature search of online databases (PubMed, ISI, and Scopus) from year 1980 up to 2020. A total of 81 papers were considered as relevant for mortality and morbidity effects. High risk of bias was related with poor estimation of BB exposure and lack of adjustment for important confounders. PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations originating from BB were associated with all-cause mortality: the meta-analytical estimate was equal to 1.31% (95% CI 0.71, 1.71) and 1.92% (95% CI -1.19, 5.03) increased mortality per each 10 µg m-3 increase of PM10 and PM2.5, respectively. Regarding cardiovascular mortality 8 studies reported quantitative estimates. For smoky days and for each 10 µg m-3 increase in PM2.5 concentrations, the risk of cardiovascular mortality increased by 4.45% (95% CI 0.96, 7.95) and by 3.30% (95% CI -1.97, 8.57), respectively. Fourteen studies evaluated whether respiratory morbidity was adversely related to PM2.5 (9 studies) or PM10 (5 studies) originating from BB. All found positive associations. The pooled effect estimates were 4.10% (95% CI 2.86, 5.34) and 4.83% (95% CI 0.06, 9.60) increased risk of total respiratory admissions/emergency visits, per 10 µg m-3 increases in PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. Regarding cardiovascular morbidity, sixteen studies evaluated whether this was adversely related to PM2.5 (10 studies) or PM10 (6 studies) originating from BB. They found both positive and negative results, with summary estimates equal to 3.68% (95% CI -1.73, 9.09) and 0.93% (95% CI -0.18, 2.05) increased risk of total cardiovascular admissions/emergency visits, per 10 µg m-3 increases in PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. To conclude, a significant number of studies indicate that BB exposure is associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and respiratory morbidity.

Health effects of desert dust and sand storms: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Desert dust concentrations raise concerns about adverse effects on human health. During the last decade, special attention has been given to mineral dust particles from desert dust and sand storms. However, evidence from previous reviews reported inconclusive results on their health effects and the biological mechanism remains unclear. We aim to systematically synthesise evidence on the health effects of desert dust and sand storms accounting for the relevant desert dust patterns from source areas and emissions, transport and composition. METHODS AN ANALYSIS: We will conduct a systematic review that investigated the health effects of desert dust and sand storms in any population. The search will be performed for any eligible studies from previous reviews and selected electronic databases until 2018. Study selection and reporting will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Data from individual studies will be extracted using a standardised data extraction form. Quality of the studies will be assessed using a risk of bias tool for environmental exposures developed by experts convened by the WHO. A meta-analysis will be performed by calculating the appropriate effect measures of association for binary and continuous outcomes from individual studies. Subgroup analyses will be performed by geographical areas to account for desert dust patterns. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No primary data will be collected. For this reason, no formal ethical approval is required. This systematic review will help to fill the research gaps in the knowledge of desert dust on human health. The results will be disseminated through a WHO peer-reviewed publication and a conference presentation. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018091809.

Source apportionment of urban PM1 in Barcelona during SAPUSS using organic and inorganic components.

Source apportionment of atmospheric PM1 is important for air quality control, especially in urban areas where high mass concentrations are often observed. Chemical analysis of molecular inorganic and organic tracer compounds and subsequently data analysis with receptor models give insight on the origin of the PM1 sources. In the present study, four source apportionment approaches were compared with an extended database containing inorganic and organic compounds that were measured during an intensive sampling campaign at urban traffic and urban background sites in Barcelona. Source apportionment of the combined database, containing both inorganic and organic compounds, was compared with more conventional approaches using inorganic and organic databases separately. Traffic emission sources were identified in all models for the two sites. The combined inorganic and organic databases provided higher discrimination capacity of emission sources. It identified aerosols generated by regional recirculation of biomass burning, secondary biogenic organic aerosols, harbor emissions, and specific industrial emissions. In this respect, this approach identified a relevant industrial source situated at NE Barcelona in which a waste incinerator plant, a combined-cycle power plant, and an industrial glass complex are located. Models using both inorganic and organic molecular tracer compounds improve the source apportionment of urban PM.

Standardisation of a European measurement method for organic carbon and elemental carbon in ambient air: results of the field trial campaign and the determination of a measurement uncertainty and working range.

The European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) Technical Committee 264 'Air Quality' has recently produced a standard method for the measurements of organic carbon and elemental carbon in PM2.5 within its working group 35 in response to the requirements of European Directive 2008/50/EC. It is expected that this method will be used in future by all Member States making measurements of the carbonaceous content of PM2.5. This paper details the results of a laboratory and field measurement campaign and the statistical analysis performed to validate the standard method, assess its uncertainty and define its working range to provide clarity and confidence in the underpinning science for future users of the method. The statistical analysis showed that the expanded combined uncertainty for transmittance protocol measurements of OC, EC and TC is expected to be below 25%, at the 95% level of confidence, above filter loadings of 2 µg cm-2. An estimation of the detection limit of the method for total carbon was 2 µg cm-2. As a result of the laboratory and field measurement campaign the EUSAAR2 transmittance measurement protocol was chosen as the basis of the standard method EN 16909:2017.

Elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in exhaust particles emitted by light-duty vehicles.

The main purpose of this work was to evaluate the chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) emitted by eight different light-duty vehicles. Exhaust samples from petrol and diesel cars (Euro 3 to Euro 5) were collected in a chassis dynamometer facility. To simulate the real-world driving conditions, three ARTEMIS cycles were followed: road, to simulate a fluid traffic flow and urban with hot and cold starts, to simulate driving conditions in cities. Samples were analysed for the water-soluble ions, for the elemental composition and for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), respectively, by ion chromatography, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Nitrate and phosphate were the major water-soluble ions in the exhaust particles emitted from diesel and petrol vehicles, respectively. The amount of material emitted is affected by the vehicle age. For vehicles ≥Euro 4, most elements were below the detection limits. Sodium, with emission factors in the ranges 23.5-62.4 and 78.2-227µg km(-1), for petrol and diesel Euro 3 vehicles, respectively, was the major element. The emission factors of metallic elements indicated that diesel vehicles release three to five times more than petrol automobiles. Element emissions under urban cycles are higher than those found for on-road driving, being three or four times higher, for petrol vehicles, and two or three times, for diesel vehicles. The difference between cycles is mainly due to the high emissions for the urban cycle with hot start-up. As registered for elements, most of the PAH emissions for vehicles ≥Euro 4 were also below the detection limits. Regardless of the vehicle models or driving cycles, the two- to four-ring PAHs were always dominant. Naphthalene, with emission factors up to 925 µg km(-1), was always the most abundant PAH. The relative cancer risk associated with naphthalene was estimated to be up to several orders of magnitude higher than any of the chemical species found in the PM phase. The highest PAH emission factors were registered for diesel-powered vehicles. The condition of the vehicle can exert a decisive influence on both element and PAH emissions.

Urban NH3 levels and sources in six major Spanish cities.

A detailed spatial and temporal assessment of urban NH3 levels and potential emission sources was made with passive samplers in six major Spanish cities (Barcelona, Madrid, A Coruña, Huelva, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Valencia). Measurements were conducted during two different periods (winter-autumn and spring-summer) in each city. Barcelona showed the clearest spatial pattern, with the highest concentrations in the old city centre, an area characterised by a high population density and a dense urban architecture. The variability in NH3 concentrations did not follow a common seasonal pattern across the different cities. The relationship of urban NH3 with SO2 and NOX allowed concluding on the causes responsible for the variations in NH3 levels between measurement periods observed in Barcelona, Huelva and Madrid. However, the factors governing the variations in A Coruña, Valencia and Santa Cruz de Tenerife are still not fully understood. This study identified a broad variability in NH3 concentrations at the city-scale, and it confirms that NH3 sources in Spanish urban environments are vehicular traffic, biological sources (e.g. garbage containers), wastewater treatment plants, solid waste treatment plants and industry. The importance of NH3 monitoring in urban environments relies on its role as a precursor of secondary inorganic species and therefore PMX. Further research should be addressed in order to establish criteria to develop and implement mitigation strategies for cities, and to include urban NH3 sources in the emission inventories.

Short-term effects of particulate matter constituents on daily hospitalizations and mortality in five South-European cities: results from the MED-PARTICLES project.

BACKGROUND: Few recent studies examined acute effects on health of individual chemical species in the particulate matter (PM) mixture, and most of them have been conducted in North America. Studies in Southern Europe are scarce. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between particulate matter constituents and daily hospital admissions and mortality in five cities in Southern Europe. METHODS: The study included five cities in Southern Europe, three cities in Spain: Barcelona (2003-2010), Madrid (2007-2008) and Huelva (2003-2010); and two cities in Italy: Rome (2005-2007) and Bologna (2011-2013). A case-crossover design was used to link cardiovascular and respiratory hospital admissions and total, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality with a pre-defined list of 16 PM10 and PM2.5 constituents. Lags 0 to 2 were examined. City-specific results were combined by random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: Most of the elements studied, namely EC, SO4(2-), SiO2, Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, Ti, Mn, V and Ni, showed increased percent changes in cardiovascular and/or respiratory hospitalizations, mainly at lags 0 and 1. The percent increase by one interquartile range (IQR) change ranged from 0.69% to 3.29%. After adjustment for total PM levels, only associations for Mn, Zn and Ni remained significant. For mortality, although positive associations were identified (Fe and Ti for total mortality; EC and Mg for cardiovascular mortality; and NO3(-) for respiratory mortality) the patterns were less clear. CONCLUSIONS: The associations found in this study reflect that several PM constituents, originating from different sources, may drive previously reported results between PM and hospital admissions in the Mediterranean area.

Assessment of personal exposure to particulate air pollution during commuting in European cities--recommendations and policy implications.

Commuting is considered as one of the high-exposure periods among various daily activities, especially in high vehicle-density metropolitan areas. There is a growing awareness of the need to change our transportation habits by reducing our use of cars and shifting instead to active transport, i.e. walking or cycling. A review was undertaken using the ISI web of knowledge database with the objective to better understand personal exposure during commuting by different modes of transport, and to suggest potential strategies to minimise exposure. The air pollutants studied include particulate matter, PM black carbon, BC and particle number concentration. We focused only in European studies in order to have comparable situation in terms of vehicle fleet and policy regulations applied. Studies on personal exposure to air pollutants during car commuting are more numerous than those dealing with other types of transport, and typically conclude by emphasising that travelling by car involves exposure to relatively high particulate matter, PM exposure concentrations. Thus, compared to other transport methods, travelling by car has been shown to involve exposure both to higher PM and BC as compared with cycling. Widespread dependence on private car transport has produced a significant daily health threat to the urban commuter. However, a forward-looking, integrated transport policy, involving the phased renovation of existing public vehicles and the withdrawal of the more polluting private vehicles, combined with incentives to use public transport and the encouragement of commuter physical exercise, would reduce commuters' exposure.

Distribution of trace elements in particle size fractions for contaminated soils by a copper smelting from different zones of the Puchuncaví Valley (Chile).

Metal contents in soil samples are commonly used to evaluate contamination levels. However, the distribution of metals is dependent on particle size. We investigated the distribution of metals in various particle size fractions of the soil from four sites of the Puchuncaví Valley (Central Chile). The soil samples were segregated into size fractions ranging from 0.3 to 20µm and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results of the statistical analysis of the total metal concentrations indicated that the soil samples from Greda and Maitenes, the sites nearest the industrial sources, are the most contaminated. For these sites, the size-fractionated samples containing higher concentrations of Cu, Zn, As, and Pb were found in the finer fractions, suggesting anthropogenic depositions from smelter facilities. In addition, a high Ca concentration was observed in the finer fractions, which could be attributed to the technological approaches used to reduce the SO2 emissions from the roasting process of copper sulfide. The mineral composition of fine particles permitted the identification of Tenorite and Calcium oxide, which are most likely associated with smelting activities, confirming emission of enriched particulate matter from the copper smelter.

Particulate matter and gaseous pollutants in the Mediterranean Basin: results from the MED-PARTICLES project.

Previous studies reported significant variability of air pollutants across Europe with the lowest concentrations generally found in Northern Europe and the highest in Southern European countries. Within the MED-PARTICLES project the spatial and temporal variations of long-term PM and gaseous pollutants data were investigated in traffic and urban background sites across Southern Europe. The highest PM levels were observed in Greece and Italy (Athens, Thessaloniki, Turin and Rome) while all traffic sites showed high NO2 levels, frequently exceeding the established limit value. High PM2.5/PM10 ratios were calculated indicating that fine particles comprise a large fraction of PM10, with the highest values found in the urban background sites. It seems that although in traffic sites the concentrations of both PM2.5 and PM10 are significantly higher than those registered in urban background sites, the coarse fraction PM2.5-10 is more important at the traffic sites. This fact is probably due to the high levels of resuspended road dust in sites highly affected by traffic, a phenomenon particularly relevant for Mediterranean countries. The long-term trends of air pollutants revealed a significant decrease of the concentration levels for PM, SO2 and CO while for NO2 no clear trend or slightly increasing trends were observed. This reduction could be attributed to the effectiveness of abatement measures and strategies and also to meteorological conditions and to the economic crisis that affected Southern Europe.

Which specific causes of death are associated with short term exposure to fine and coarse particles in Southern Europe? Results from the MED-PARTICLES project.

We investigated the short-term effects of particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5µm (PM2.5), between 2.5 and 10µm (PM2.5-10) and less than 10µm (PM10) on deaths from diabetes, cardiac and cerebrovascular causes, lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 10 European Mediterranean metropolitan areas participating in the MED-PARTICLES project during 2001-2010. In the first stage of the analysis, data from each city were analyzed separately using Poisson regression models, whereas in the second stage, the city-specific air pollution estimates were combined to obtain overall estimates. We investigated the effects following immediate (lags 0-1), delayed (lags 2-5) and prolonged exposure (lags 0-5) and effect modification patterns by season. We evaluated the sensitivity of our results to co-pollutant exposures or city-specific model choice. We applied threshold models to investigate the pattern of selected associations. For a 10µg/m(3) increase in two days' PM2.5 exposure there was a 1.23% (95% confidence interval (95% CI): -1.63%, 4.17%) increase in diabetes deaths, while six days' exposure statistically significantly increased cardiac deaths by 1.33% (95% CI: 0.27, 2.40%), COPD deaths by 2.53% (95% CI: -0.01%, 5.14%) and LRTI deaths by 1.37% (95% CI: -1.94%, 4.78%). PM2.5 results were robust to co-pollutant adjustments and alternative modeling approaches. Stronger effects were observed in the warm season. Coarse particles displayed positive, even if not statistically significant, associations with mortality due to diabetes and cardiac causes that were more variable depending on exposure period, co-pollutant and seasonality adjustment. Our findings provide support for positive associations between PM2.5 and mortality due to diabetes, cardiac causes, COPD, and to a lesser degree to cerebrovascular causes, in the European Mediterranean region, which seem to drive the particles short-term health effects.

Associations between fine and coarse particles and mortality in Mediterranean cities: results from the MED-PARTICLES project.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated the independent health effects of different size fractions of particulate matter (PM) in multiple locations, especially in Europe. OBJECTIVES: We estimated the short-term effects of PM with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 µm (PM10), ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5), and between 2.5 and 10 µm (PM2.5-10) on all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality in 10 European Mediterranean metropolitan areas within the MED-PARTICLES project. METHODS: We analyzed data from each city using Poisson regression models, and combined city-specific estimates to derive overall effect estimates. We evaluated the sensitivity of our estimates to co-pollutant exposures and city-specific model choice, and investigated effect modification by age, sex, and season. We applied distributed lag and threshold models to investigate temporal patterns of associations. RESULTS: A 10-µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with a 0.55% (95% CI: 0.27, 0.84%) increase in all-cause mortality (0-1 day cumulative lag), and a 1.91% increase (95% CI: 0.71, 3.12%) in respiratory mortality (0-5 day lag). In general, associations were stronger for cardiovascular and respiratory mortality than all-cause mortality, during warm versus cold months, and among those ≥ 75 versus < 75 years of age. Associations with PM2.5-10 were positive but not statistically significant in most analyses, whereas associations with PM10 seemed to be driven by PM2.5. CONCLUSIONS: We found evidence of adverse effects of PM2.5 on mortality outcomes in the European Mediterranean region. Associations with PM2.5-10 were positive but smaller in magnitude. Associations were stronger for respiratory mortality when cumulative exposures were lagged over 0-5 days, and were modified by season and age.

Health impact assessment of a reduction in ambient PM(2.5) levels in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Health effects linked to exposure to high air pollutant levels have been described in depth, and many recent epidemiologic studies have also consistently reported positive associations between exposure to air pollutants at low concentrations (particularly PM(2.5)) and adverse health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the number of avoidable deaths associated with reducing PM(2.5) levels in Spain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For exposure assessment, we used the US Environmental Protection Agency's Community Multiscale Air Quality model to simulate air pollution levels with a spatial resolution of 18×18 km(2). Two different scenarios were compared, namely, a baseline 2004 scenario based on Spain's National Emissions Inventory and a projected 2011 scenario in which a reduction in PM(2.5) was estimated on the basis of the benefits that might be attained if specific air quality policies were implemented. Using an 18×18 km(2) grid, air pollution data were estimated for the entire Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. For these strata, crude all-cause mortality rates (ICD-10: A00-Y98) were then calculated for the over-30 and 25-74 age groups, taking into account the 2004 population figures corresponding to these same age groups, selected in accordance with the concentration-response functions (Pope CA 3rd, Burnett RT, Thun MJ, Calle EE, Krewski D, Ito K et al. Lung cancer, cardiopulmonary mortality, and long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution. JAMA 2002; 287:1132-41; Laden F, Schwartz J, Speizer FE, Dockery DW. Reduction in fine particulate air pollution and mortality: extended follow-up of the Harvard Six Cities study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2006; 173:667-72.). Health impacts were assessed using the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program (BenMAP). RESULTS: Air quality improvement was defined as an average annual reduction of 0.7 µg/m(3) in PM(2.5) levels. Using long-term health impact assessment analysis, we estimated that 1720 (673-2760) all-cause deaths (6 per 100,000 population) in the over-30 age group and 1450 (780-2108) all-cause deaths (5 per 100,000 population) in the 25-74 age group could be prevented annually. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed the potential benefits in general mortality which could be expected if pollution control policies were successfully implemented by 2011. A specifically adapted BenMAP could be used as a tool for estimating health impacts associated with changes in air pollution in Spain.