Air Pollution and Cardiorespiratory Changes in Older Adults Living in a Polluted Area in Central Chile.

One recognized cause of cardiorespiratory diseases is air pollution. Older adults (OA) are one of the most vulnerable groups that suffer from its adverse effects. The objective of the study was to analyze the association between exposure to air pollution and changes in cardiorespiratory variables in OA. Observational prospective cohort study. Health questionnaires, blood pressure (BP) measurements, lung functions, respiratory symptoms, physical activity levels, and physical fitness in high and low exposure to air pollution were all methods used in evaluating OAs in communes with high contamination rates. Linear and logistic models were created to adjust for variables of interest. A total of 92 OA participated in this study. 73.9% of the subjects were women with 72.3 ± 5.6 years. 46.7% were obese, while 12.1% consumed tobacco. The most prevalent diseases found were hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Adjusted linear models maintained an increase for systolic BP of 6.77 mmHg (95% CI: 1.04-12.51), and diastolic of 3.51 mmHg (95% CI: 0.72-6.29), during the period of high exposure to air pollution. The adjusted logistic regression model indicated that, during the period of high exposure to air pollution increase the respiratory symptoms 4 times more (OR: 4.43, 95% CI: 2.07-10.04) in the OA. The results are consistent with an adverse effect on cardiorespiratory variables in periods of high exposure to air pollution in the OA population.

Estudio de metales urinarios y plomo en sangre: parámetros poblacionales en Antofagasta, 2018 / Urinary heavy metals and blood lead levels among residents of Antofagasta, Chile

Background: The presence of toxic metals in human populations is strongly associated with chronic diseases. Aim: To determine levels of lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury and inorganic arsenic (AsIn) in the general population aged over 5 years in Antofagasta, Chile. Material and Methods: People living in Urban Antofagasta for at least five years were considered eligible. Biological samples were obtained to measure heavy metals. Results: One thousand two hundred three participants with a median age of 43 years (656 women) were studied. Their mean time of residence in the city was 30 years, and 52% smoked. Eight percent of the adult population and 12% of children had AsIn values above 35 µg/L, while 75% of the population had levels below 21.9 µg/L. The other metals were below the risk levels defined by the health authority (10 µg/L for chromium, 10 µg/L for mercury, 2 µg/L for cadmium, 5 and 10 μg/dL for blood lead for children and adults, respectively). The factors associated with high levels of AsIn in adults were male sex, living more than 200 meters from monitoring points, and low schooling. In children, the associated variables were high intake of seafood products and having a caregiver with less than 8 years of schooling. Contrary to expectations, the greatest risk of presenting altered levels of the metals occurred in the population living more than 500 meters from the identified risk sources (90% of the population). Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that all potential sources of exposure to AsIn should be evaluated, and surveillance actions should be established to reduce involuntary exposure to this metalloid.

[Urinary heavy metals and blood lead levels among residents of Antofagasta, Chile]. / Estudio de metales urinarios y plomo en sangre: parámetros poblacionales en Antofagasta, 2018.

BACKGROUND: The presence of toxic metals in human populations is strongly associated with chronic diseases. AIM: To determine levels of lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury and inorganic arsenic (AsIn) in the general population aged over 5 years in Antofagasta, Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: People living in Urban Antofagasta for at least five years were considered eligible. Biological samples were obtained to measure heavy metals. RESULTS: One thousand two hundred three participants with a median age of 43 years (656 women) were studied. Their mean time of residence in the city was 30 years, and 52% smoked. Eight percent of the adult population and 12% of children had AsIn values above 35 µg/L, while 75% of the population had levels below 21.9 µg/L. The other metals were below the risk levels defined by the health authority (10 µg/L for chromium, 10 µg/L for mercury, 2 µg/L for cadmium, 5 and 10 µg/dL for blood lead for children and adults, respectively). The factors associated with high levels of AsIn in adults were male sex, living more than 200 meters from monitoring points, and low schooling. In children, the associated variables were high intake of seafood products and having a caregiver with less than 8 years of schooling. Contrary to expectations, the greatest risk of presenting altered levels of the metals occurred in the population living more than 500 meters from the identified risk sources (90% of the population). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that all potential sources of exposure to AsIn should be evaluated, and surveillance actions should be established to reduce involuntary exposure to this metalloid.

An integrated study of health, environmental and socioeconomic indicators in a mining-impacted community exposed to metal enrichment.

The occurrence of toxic metals and metalloids associated with mine tailings is a serious public health concern for communities living in mining areas. This work explores the relationship between metal occurrence (e.g., spatial distribution in street dusts), human health indicators (e.g., metals in urine samples, lifestyle and self-reported diseases) and socioeconomic status (SES) using Chañaral city (in northern Chile) as study site, where a copper mine tailing was disposed in the periurban area. This study model may shed light on the development of environmental and health surveillance plans on arid cities where legacy mining is a sustainability challenge. High concentrations of metals were found in street dust, with arsenic and copper concentrations of 24 ± 13 and 607 ± 911 mg/kg, respectively. The arsenic concentration in street dust correlated with distance to the mine tailing (r = - 0.32, p-value = 0.009), suggesting that arsenic is dispersed from this source toward the city. Despite these high environmental concentrations, urinary levels of metals were low, while 90% of the population had concentrations of inorganic arsenic and its metabolites in urine below 33.2 µg/L, copper was detected in few urine samples (< 6%). Our results detected statistically significant differences in environmental exposures across SES, but, surprisingly, there was no significant correlation between urinary levels of metals and SES. Despite this, future assessment and control strategies in follow-up research or surveillance programs should consider environmental and urinary concentrations and SES as indicators of environmental exposure to metals in mining communities.