ALBERT

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 177〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ana Carolina Bertin de Almeida Lopes, Airton Martins da Cunha, Mariana Ragassi Urbano, Marcia Liane Buzzo, Alissana Ester Iakmiu Camargo, Tiago Severo Peixe, Michael Aschner, Fernando Barbosa, Ana Maria Rigo da Silva, Monica Maria Bastos Paoliello〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 177〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jiayuan Hao, Zhiyi Yang, Shuqiong Huang, Wenwen Yang, Zhongmin Zhu, Liqiao Tian, Yuanan Lu, Hao Xiang, Suyang Liu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Previous studies have estimated the association between meteorological factors and mumps outbreaks without assessing the influence of air pollution. In this research, we explored the effects of short-term exposure to air pollution on the incidence of mumps.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉Our time-series analysis was conducted using data collected in Wuhan, China from 2015 to 2017. Daily number of mumps cases was obtained from Disease Reporting System in Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Data on air pollution was obtained from 10 national air quality monitoring stations, including nitrogen dioxide (NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉), sulfur dioxide (SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉), ground-level ozone (O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉), particulate matter less than or equal to 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM〈sub〉10〈/sub〉), and particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉). Daily meteorological data including temperature and relative humidity were obtained from Hubei Meteorological Bureau. We performed a Poisson regression in generalized additive models (GAM) to explore the association between the incidence of mumps and exposure to air pollution.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉We observed that the effects of air pollutants were statistically significant mainly in two periods, lag 0 to lag 5 and lag 20 to lag 25, with the strongest effects appearing at lag 2 and lag 23. The cumulative effects were stronger than single-day lag effects. The stratified analysis showed the effect of pollutants during the hot season was stronger than that during the cold season, especially for NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉We found that exposure to NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 was significantly associated with higher risk of developing mumps. Our findings could help deepen the understanding of how air pollution exposure affects the incidence of mumps.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 177〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Anne E. Nigra, Pablo Olmedo, Maria Grau-Perez, Rae O'Leary, Marcia O'Leary, Amanda M. Fretts, Jason G. Umans, Lyle G. Best, Kevin A. Francesconi, Walter Goessler, Shelley A. Cole, Ana Navas-Acien〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) in the US occurs mainly through drinking water and diet. Although American Indian (AI) populations have elevated urinary arsenic concentrations compared to the general US population, dietary sources of arsenic exposure in AI populations are not well characterized.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We evaluated food frequency questionnaires to determine the major dietary sources of urinary arsenic concentrations (measured as the sum of arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonate, and dimethylarsinate, ΣAs) for 1727 AI participants in the Strong Heart Family Study (SHFS). We compared geometric mean ratios (GMRs) of urinary ΣAs for an interquartile range (IQR) increase in reported food group consumption. Exploratory analyses were stratified by gender and study center.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉In fully adjusted generalized estimating equation models, the percent increase (95% confidence interval) of urinary ΣAs per increase in reported food consumption corresponding to the IQR was 13% (5%, 21%) for organ meat, 8% (4%, 13%) for rice, 7% (2%, 13%) for processed meat, and 4% (1%, 7%) for non-alcoholic drinks. In analyses stratified by study center, the association with organ meat was only observed in North/South Dakota. Consumption of red meat [percent increase −7% (−11%, −3%)] and fries and chips [-6% (−10%, −2%)] was inversely associated with urinary ΣAs.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Organ meat, processed meat, rice, and non-alcoholic drinks contribute to ΣAs exposure in the SHFS population. Organ meat is a unique source of ΣAs exposure for North and South Dakota participants and may reflect local food consumption. Further studies should comprehensively evaluate drinking water arsenic in SHFS communities and determine the relative contribution of diet and drinking water to total arsenic exposure.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 177〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Talita Dias da Silva, Viviani Barnabé, Ana Laura Ricci-Vitor, Vasileios Papapostolou, Matias Tagle, Andres Henriquez, Joy Lawrence, Stephen Ferguson, J. Mikhail Wolfson, Petros Koutrakis, Pedro Oyola, Celso Ferreira, Luiz Carlos de Abreu, Carlos Bandeira de Mello Monteiro, John J. Godleski〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Ethanol vehicles release exhaust gases that contribute to the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objective〈/h6〉 〈p〉To determine in vivo toxicity resulting from exposure to SOA derived from vehicles using different ethanol-gasoline blends (E0, E10, E22, E85W, E85S, E100).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉Exhaust emissions from vehicles using ethanol blends were delivered to a photochemical chamber and reacted to produce SOA. The aerosol samples were collected on filters, extracted, and dispersed in an aqueous solutions and intratracheally instilled into Sprague Dawley rats in doses of 700 μg/0.2 ml. After 45 min and 4 h pulmonary and cardiac chemiluminescence (CL) was measured to estimate the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in the lungs and heart. Inflammation was measured by differential cell count in bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Statistically and biologically significant differences in response to secondary particles from the different fuel formulations were detected. Compared to the control group, animals exposed to SOA from gasoline (E0) showed a significantly higher average CL in the lungs at 45 min. The highest CL averages in the heart were observed in the groups exposed to SOA from E10 and pure ethanol (E100) at 45 min. BAL of animals exposed to SOA from E0 and E85S had a significant increased number of macrophages at 45 min. BAL neutrophil count was increased in the groups exposed to E85S (45 min) and E0 (4 h). Animals exposed to E0 and E85W had increased BAL lymphocyte count compared to the control and the other exposed groups.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Discussion〈/h6〉 〈p〉Our results suggest that SOA generated by gasoline (E0), followed by ethanol blends E85S and E85W, substantially induce oxidative stress measured by ROS generation and pulmonary inflammation measured by the recruitment of white blood cells in BAL.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 177〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Merja Lusa, Hanna Help, Ari-Pekka Honkanen, Jenna Knuutinen, Joni Parkkonen, Dominika Kalasová, Malin Bomberg〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient but toxic when taken in excessive amounts. Therefore, understanding the metabolic processes related to selenium uptake and bacteria-plant interactions coupled with selenium metabolism are of high importance. We cultivated 〈em〉Brassica oleracea〈/em〉 with the previously isolated heterotrophic aerobic Se(IV)-reducing 〈em〉Pseudomonas〈/em〉 sp. T5-6-I strain to better understand the phenomena of bacteria-mediated Se(IV) reduction on selenium availability to the plants. 〈em〉B. oleracea〈/em〉 grown on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS-salt agar) with and without of 〈em〉Pseudomonas〈/em〉 sp. were amended with Se(IV)/〈sup〉75〈/sup〉Se(IV), and selenium transfer into plants was studied using autoradiography and gamma spectroscopy. XANES was in addition used to study the speciation of selenium in the 〈em〉B. oleracea〈/em〉 plants. In addition, the effects of Se(IV) on the protein expression in 〈em〉B. oleracea〈/em〉 was studied using HPLC-SEC. TEM and confocal microscopy were used to follow the bacterial/Se-aggregate accumulation in plants and the effects of bacterial inoculation on root-hair growth. In the tests using 〈sup〉75〈/sup〉Se(IV) on average 130% more selenium was translocated to the 〈em〉B. oleracea〈/em〉 plants grown with 〈em〉Pseudomonas〈/em〉 sp. compared to the plants grown with selenium, but without 〈em〉Pseudomonas〈/em〉 sp.. In addition, these bacteria notably increased root hair density. Changes in the protein expression of 〈em〉B. oleracea〈/em〉 were observed on the ∼30–58 kDa regions in the Se(IV) treated samples, probably connected e.g. to the oxidative stress induced by Se(IV) or expression of proteins connected to the Se(IV) metabolism. Based on the XANES measurements, selenium appears to accumulate in 〈em〉B. oleracea〈/em〉 mainly in organic C-Se-H and C-Se-C bonds with and without bacteria inoculation. We conclude that the 〈em〉Pseudomonas〈/em〉 sp. T5-6-I strain seems to contribute positively to the selenium accumulation in plants, establishing the high potential of Se〈sup〉0〈/sup〉-producing bacteria in the use of phytoremediation and biofortification of selenium.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 177〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Efthimios Dardiotis, Vasileios Siokas, Sotiria Moza, Mary H. Kosmidis, Christina Vogiatzi, Athina-Maria Aloizou, Nikoletta Geronikola, Eva Ntanasi, Ioannis Zalonis, Mary Yannakoulia, Nikolaos Scarmeas, Georgios M. Hadjigeorgiou〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Results from studies to date, regarding the role of chronic pesticide exposure on cognitive function remain contradictory.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objective〈/h6〉 〈p〉To investigate the relationship between self-reported pesticide exposure and cognitive function.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉Data from a population-based cohort study of older adults (HEllenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet) in Greece was used. Pesticide exposure classification was based on 1) living in areas that were being sprayed; 2) application of spray insecticides/pesticides in their gardens; and 3) occupational application of sprays. Associations between z-scores of cognitive performance and self-reported pesticide exposure were examined with linear regression analyses. Adjusted models were applied, for all analyses.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Non-demented individuals who reported that they had been living in areas near sprayed fields, had poorer neuropsychological performance, compared to those who had never lived in such areas. Sub-analyses revealed poorer performance in language, executive and visual-spatial functioning, and attention. These associations remained after a sensitivity analysis excluding subjects with mild cognitive impairment.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusion〈/h6〉 〈p〉Self-reported exposure to pesticides was negatively associated with cognitive performance.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 177〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jacob K. Kresovich, Serap Erdal, Hua Yun Chen, Peter H. Gann, Maria Argos, Garth H. Rauscher〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Emerging evidence suggests airborne metals may be associated with breast cancer risk. However, breast cancer is heterogenous and associations with heavy metals vary by subtype. Heavy metals possess both carcinogenic and xenoestrogenic properties which may be related to different tumor etiologies. Therefore, we tested for etiologic heterogeneity, using a case-series approach, to determine whether associations between residential airborne metal concentrations and breast cancer differed by tumor subtype.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉Between 2005 and 2008, we enrolled incident breast cancer cases into the Breast Cancer Care in Chicago study. Tumor estrogen and progesterone receptors status was determined by medical record abstraction and confirmed immunohistochemically (N = 696; 147 ER/PR-negative). The 2002 USEPA's National Air Toxics Assessment census-tract estimates of metal concentrations (antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel and selenium) were matched to participants' residences of the same year. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to examine whether the airborne heavy metal associations differed by tumor ER/PR status. Principal component analysis was performed to assess associations by metal co-exposures.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Comparing the highest and lowest quintiles, higher concentrations of antimony (odds ratio[OR]: 1.8, 95% confidence interval[CI]: 0.9, 3.7, 〈em〉P〈/em〉-trend: 0.05), cadmium (OR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2, 4.4, 〈em〉P〈/em〉-trend: 0.04) and cobalt (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 0.9, 4.4, 〈em〉P〈/em〉-trend: 0.04) were associated with ER/PR-negative breast cancer. Mixture analysis using principal components suggested co-exposures to multiple airborne heavy metals may drive associations with tumor receptor status.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Among women diagnosed with breast cancer, metallic air pollutants were associated with increased odds of developing ER/PR-negative breast cancer.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 177〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Vaughn Barry, Kyle Steenland〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉A cohort of male lead-exposed workers with past blood lead levels, previously followed for mortality over 12 years, has now been followed for an additional 10 years. This has doubled the number of deaths and allowed for examination of mortality outcomes across a wide range of blood lead levels.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objective〈/h6〉 〈p〉Evaluate association between lead exposure and 16 causes of death.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉The cohort included male workers from 11 U.S. states enrolled in a U.S. lead surveillance program. Maximum blood lead level for each worker was abstracted from surveillance records. Mortality was assessed using the National Death Index. We conducted internal analyses via Cox regression adjusting for age, calendar time, and race. External analyses compared cohort mortality rates with those of the U.S. population. Blood lead categories were defined as 0-〈5, 5-〈25, 25-〈40, and ≥40 μg/dL with the two lower categories combined for outcomes with 〈5 deaths in the 0-〈5 group.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉The cohort (n = 58,368) was followed for a median of 19 years and experienced 6,527 deaths. Average maximum blood lead was 25.9 μg/dL and mean year of first blood lead test was 1997. Strong associations were found between blood lead level with larynx and lung cancer mortality. For these outcomes, hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals across blood lead categories were 1.0 (ref), 1.1 (0.4–3.2), 3.4 (1.3–9.1) for larynx and 1.0 (ref), 1.6 (1.0–2.5), 2.0 (1.3–3.1), 2.9 (1.9–4.5) for lung (trend p-values = 0.08 and 〈 0.01, respectively). Positive significant trends were also seen for mortality from brain cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease, and non-hodgkin's lymphoma. Findings suggested associations with chronic renal disease and rectal cancer mortality, although trends were not statistically significant.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉The additional follow up confirmed previous relationships between lead and mortality and also detected new associations.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 177〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Dario Consonni, Enrica Migliore, Francesco Barone-Adesi, Barbara Dallari, Sara De Matteis, Enrico Oddone, Angela C. Pesatori, Luciano Riboldi, Dario Mirabelli, Carolina Mensi〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Higher mesothelioma rates in men (vs women) reflect more frequent and more intense asbestos exposure. We assessed the impact of exposure difference between genders on age-specific rates of pleural mesothelioma (PM) occurrence using data from two Italian regions.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We used data from the Lombardy and Piedmont mesothelioma registries (period 2000–2016, age 45–74 years) to compare rates of PM in men and women and to estimate the rate advancement period (RAP).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Based on 3384 cases (2405 men, 979 women) in Lombardy and 2042 (1389 men, 653 women) in Piedmont, the rate ratio was 2.81 (90% confidence interval: 2.61–3.03) in Lombardy and 2.39 (2.17–2.62) in Piedmont. In both regions RAP ranged from 7 to 10 years (at age 45 and 63 in men, respectively).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusion〈/h6〉 〈p〉Men showed more than twofold increased PM rates and reached the same incidence as women 7–10 years earlier. RAP can be a useful measure of exposure impact on premature disease occurrence.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 177〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Renato I.S. Alves, Gabriel P. Machado, Guilherme S. Zagui, Otniel A. Bandeira, Danilo V. Santos, Martí Nadal, Jordi Sierra, José L. Domingo, Susana I. Segura-Muñoz〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Ribeirão Preto City is supplied by the Guarani Aquifer System and suffers with intense environmental degradation due to growth of the vehicle fleet, burning of cane fields and also with water contamination by agricultural products, such as pesticides and fertilizers. The aim of the present study was to assess the human health risk derived from the exposure to metals through water and air (PM〈sub〉10〈/sub〉) for two population groups (adults and children) of the municipality of Ribeirão Preto during the dry and wet seasons. Seasonal and spatial assessments of the metal concentrations in supply wells and household waters and the concentrations of PM〈sub〉10〈/sub〉 and its metals were also performed. Element concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma spectrometry. Environmental exposure to metals were assessed under a residential scenario and estimated considering the three main routes of exposure: ingestion, dermal contact and inhalation. The results showed a higher concentration of PM〈sub〉10〈/sub〉 during the dry season, which may be due to the lower precipitation and higher number of burns in this period. Copper in household waters presented a great increase when compared with the concentrations of the supply wells, probably related to the contamination during the route from its source until the residences supply. Although presenting levels in accordance with the national legislation, household waters in the municipality of Ribeirão Preto may be a concern for human exposure to metals for children during the wet season as well as the levels found for the carcinogenic risk (ELCR).〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 177〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Agnieszka Jankowska, Kinga Polańska, Wojciech Hanke, Ewelina Wesołowska, Danuta Ligocka, Małgorzata Waszkowska, Aleksander Stańczak, Anna Maria Tartaglione, Fiorino Mirabella, Flavia Chiarotti, Mercè Garí, Gemma Calamandrei〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Phthalates are among the most frequently investigated environmental chemicals influencing children's health and particularly their neuropsychological development. However, the reported effects of these compounds on child behavior, cognitive and psychomotor outcomes are not fully consistent. The aim of this study is to evaluate the associations between prenatal and early postnatal phthalate exposures and child neurodevelopment at age of 7 years. A total of 134 mother-child pairs from Polish Mother and Child Cohort (REPRO_PL) constitute the basis for current analysis. Eleven phthalate metabolites were measured in urine samples collected from mothers in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and from children at the age of 2 years. Child neuropsychological development at early school age (7 years) was assessed by both the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) filled by mothers and the Polish adaptation of the Intelligence and Development Scales (IDS) performed by psychologists. Mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) concentration during pregnancy was significantly associated with increased risk of peer relationship problems in SDQ (OR = 2.7, p = 0.03). The results of the IDS analyses focused on child's cognitive and psychomotor development are not fully conclusive. Negative associations were evident between some phthalates in early childhood period and fluid intelligence and cognition (MEP: β = −5.2; p = 0.006; β = −4.2; p = 0.006; mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP): β = −4.9; p = 0.03; β = −4.0; p = 0.03; respectively), while positive associations have been found in the prenatal period (mono-2-ethyl-5-oxo-hexyl phthalate (oxo-MEHP): β = 3.6; p = 0.03 for fluid intelligence; β = 2.9; p = 0.03 for cognition). Further studies are required in order to elucidate which are the most critical periods of phthalate exposure on children's neurodevelopmental outcomes.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 177〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yixuan Jiang, Yue Niu, Yongjie Xia, Cong Liu, Zhijing Lin, Weidong Wang, Yihui Ge, Xiaoning Lei, Cuiping Wang, Jing Cai, Renjie Chen, Haidong Kan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Few epidemiological studies have evaluated the respiratory effects of personal exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉), a major traffic-related air pollutant. The biological pathway for these effects remains unknown.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objectives〈/h6〉 〈p〉To evaluate the short-term effects of personal NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 exposure on lung function, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and DNA methylation of genes involved.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We conducted a longitudinal panel study among 40 college students with four repeated measurements in Shanghai from May to October in 2016. We measured DNA methylation of the key encoding genes of inducible nitric oxide synthase (〈em〉NOS2A〈/em〉) and arginase (〈em〉ARG2〈/em〉). We applied linear mixed-effect models to assess the effects of NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 on respiratory outcomes.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Personal exposure to NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 was 27.39 ± 23.20 ppb on average. In response to a 10-ppb increase in NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 exposure, 〈em〉NOS2A〈/em〉 methylation (%5 mC) decreased 0.19 at lag 0 d, 〈em〉ARG2〈/em〉 methylation (%5 mC) increased 0.21 and FeNO levels increased 2.82% at lag 1 d; and at lag 2 d the percentage of forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s and peak expiratory flow in predicted values decreased 0.12, 0.37 and 0.67, respectively. The model performance was better compared with those estimated using fixed-site measurements. These effects were robust to the adjustment for co-pollutants and weather conditions.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Our study suggests that short-term personal exposure to NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 is associated with 〈em〉NOS2A〈/em〉 hypomethylation, 〈em〉ARG2〈/em〉 hypermethylation, respiratory inflammation and lung function impairment. The use of personal measurements may better predict the respiratory effects of NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: April 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 171〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Wenyuan Li, Kirsten S. Dorans, Elissa H. Wilker, Mary B. Rice, Petter L. Ljungman, Joel D. Schwartz, Brent A. Coull, Petros Koutrakis, Diane R. Gold, John F. Keaney,, Ramachandran S. Vasan, Emelia J. Benjamin, Murray A. Mittleman〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Short-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with cardiovascular events, potentially by promoting endothelial cell activation and inflammation. A few large-scale studies have examined the associations and have had mixed results.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We included 3820 non-current smoking participants (mean age 56 years, 54% women) from the Framingham Offspring cohort examinations 7 (1998–2001) and 8 (2005–2008), and Third Generation cohort examination 1 (2002–2005), who lived within 50 km of a central monitoring station. We calculated the 1- to 7-day moving averages of fine particulate matter (PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉), black carbon (BC), sulfate (SO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉2-〈/sup〉), nitrogen oxides (NO〈sub〉x〈/sub〉), and ozone before examination visits. We used linear mixed effect models for P-selectin, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity and mass, and osteoprotegerin that were measured up to twice, and linear regression models for CD40 ligand and interleukin-18 that were measured once, adjusting for demographics, life style and clinical factors, socioeconomic position, time, and meteorology.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉We found negative associations of PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 and BC with P-selectin, of ozone with MCP-1, and of SO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉2-〈/sup〉 and NO〈sub〉x〈/sub〉 with osteoprotegerin. At the 5-day moving average, a 5 µg/m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉 higher PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 was associated with 1.6% (95% CI: − 2.8, − 0.3) lower levels of P-selectin; a 10 ppb higher ozone was associated with 1.7% (95% CI: − 3.2, − 0.1) lower levels of MCP-1; and a 20 ppb higher NO〈sub〉x〈/sub〉 was associated with 2.0% (95% CI: − 3.6, − 0.4) lower levels of osteoprotegerin.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉We did not find evidence of positive associations between short-term air pollution exposure and endothelial cell activation. On the contrary, short-term exposure to higher levels of ambient pollutants were associated with lower levels of P-selectin, MCP-1, and osteoprotegerin in the Framingham Heart Study.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: April 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 171〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Alba Cabré-Riera, Maties Torrent, David Donaire-Gonzalez, Martine Vrijheid, Elisabeth Cardis, Mònica Guxens〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Purpose〈/h6〉 〈p〉To investigate the association between telecommunication and other screen devices use and subjective and objective sleep measures in adolescents at 17–18 years.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉Cross-sectional study on adolescents aged 17–18 years from a Spanish population-based birth cohort established in Menorca in 1997–1998. Information on devices use was collected using self-reported questionnaires. Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale was used to assess mobile phone use dependency. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess subjective sleep (n = 226). ActiGraph wGT3X-BT for 7 nights was used to assess objective sleep (n = 110).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉One or more cordless phone calls/week was associated with a lower sleep quality [Prevalence Ratio (PR) 1.30 (95%Confidence Interval (CI) 1.04; 1.62)]. Habitual and frequent problematic mobile phone use was associated with a lower sleep quality [PR 1.55 (95%CI 1.03; 2.33) and PR 1.67 (95%CI 1.09; 2.56), respectively]. Higher tablet use was associated with decreased sleep efficiency and increased minutes of wake time after sleep onset [β-1.15 (95%CI −1.99; −0.31) and β 7.00 (95%CI 2.40; 11.60) per increase of 10 min/day of use, respectively]. No associations were found between other devices and sleep measures.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Frequency of cordless phone calls, mobile phone dependency, and tablet use were related to an increase of subjective and objective sleep problems in adolescents. These results seem to indicate that sleep displacement, mental arousal, and exposure to blue light screen emission might play a more important role on sleep than a high RF-EMF exposure to the brain. However, more studies are needed assessing personal RF-EMF levels to draw conclusions.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: April 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 171〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Brian Pachkowski, Gloria B. Post, Alan H. Stern〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is ubiquitous in populations and environments worldwide. Its long half-life in humans, indefinite persistence in the environment, and awareness of its widespread presence in drinking water make the human health assessment of PFOS a priority. While developmental, endocrine, and hepatic effects, and increased serum cholesterol are among the outcomes resulting from PFOS exposure, immunosuppression has also consistently emerged as an adverse effect. An in-depth review of the relevant scientific literature on the toxicology of PFOS has identified immunosuppression as a sensitive endpoint for PFOS toxicity. Here, we focus specifically on that endpoint and provide a detailed derivation of a Reference Dose (RfD) of 1.8 × 10〈sup〉−6〈/sup〉 mg/kg/day for chronic human exposure to PFOS. This RfD is based on decreased plaque-forming cell (PFC) response in mice, an endpoint that reflects suppression of the immune response to a foreign antigen. We additionally identify two endpoints in the epidemiology literature, decreased vaccine response and increased incidence of childhood infections, that are associated with PFOS exposure and that are consistent with and support the decreased PFC response endpoint from animal studies. We provide a weight of evidence analysis integrating the evidence from animal and epidemiology endpoints. Finally, we compare this RfD to the PFOS RfD derived by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Office of Water based on a developmental endpoint. Based on this comparison, and given our assessment, the USEPA RfD does not provide sufficient protection against the adverse health effects of PFOS. The RfD derived herein is intended to be public health protective and appropriately minimizes PFOS exposure based on available evidence.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: April 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 171〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sheela Sathyanarayana, Joseph T. Flynn, Mary Jo Messito, Rachel Gross, Kathryn B. Whitlock, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Rajendiran Karthikraj, Debra Morrison, Maryann Huie, Dimitri Christakis, Leonardo Trasande〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Melamine and cyanuric acid, which are currently used in a variety of common consumer products and present in foods, have been implicated in the development of urolithiasis and acute kidney injury in Chinese children. To determine whether US children have measurable concentrations of these chemicals in their bodies and whether they are at greater risk of acute kidney injury, we measured melamine and cyanuric acid exposure in a cohort of US children and determined their relationship with markers of kidney injury.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We measured urinary melamine and cyanuric acid in a convenience sample of 109 children (4 months – 8 years) from Seattle, WA and New York City, NY using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. We measured several urinary markers of kidney injury: fatty acid binding protein 3 (FABP3), kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) using Luminex xMAP methods, and urine urea was measured using standard laboratory methods. We described urinary melamine and cyanuric acid concentrations and assessed predictors of the exposures. We used multivariable linear regression to assess relationships between melamine/cyanuric acid and kidney injury markers in unadjusted and adjusted (creatinine, age, sex) analyses.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Melamine and cyanuric acid were above the limit of detection (LOD) in 78% and 95% of all samples, respectively. The mean concentrations (SD) for melamine and cyanuric acid were 27.4 ng/ml (141.9 ng/ml) and 35.3 ng/ml (42.4 ng/ml). In unadjusted analyses, we observed statistically significant increases in the percentages of FABP3 and KIM1 in relation to a one log unit change in melamine and cyanuric acid, respectively. In adjusted analyses, we observed a 55% (95% CI 0, 141) increase in KIM1 in relation to a one log unit increase in cyanuric acid.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉US children have detectable concentrations of melamine and cyanuric acid in urine, and these concentrations are higher than those reported in children from other countries. This is a novel finding that improves upon previous exposure estimates using questionnaires only and suggests widespread exposure in the population. Cyanuric acid is associated with increased KIM 1 concentrations, suggesting kidney injury. Given the potential widespread exposure, future analyses should examine melamine and cyanuric acid in relation to chronic kidney disease and markers of kidney injury in a larger cohort that is representative of the general population.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: June 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 173〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Qianlai Luo, Shanshan Li, Yuming Guo, Xuemei Han, Jouni J.K. Jaakkola〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Purpose〈/h6〉 〈p〉We summarized the evidence on the effects of heat and cold exposures on mortality in China. We included studies published on this topic in both Chinese and English, thereby filling a gap in knowledge using data from a country that consists of one-fifth of the world's population.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We conducted a systematic search of peer-reviewed studies on the association between daily mean temperature and mortality published from 2001 up to July 2018. We searched one Chinese database (China National Knowledge infrastructure, 〈a href="http://www.cnki.net/" target="_blank"〉http://www.cnki.net〈/a〉) and three English databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science). We converted the effect estimates of heat/cold to rate ratios (RRs) associated with 1° increase/decrease beyond the heat/cold reference temperatures. For studies that provided lag-specific estimates, we used both the maximum and minimum of RR estimates. We calculated summary effect estimates for all-cause and cause-specific mortalities, as well as RRs stratified by sex, age, and socioeconomic status. We also investigated patterns of heat and cold adaptation at different latitudes, and at different reference temperatures.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉In total, 45 articles were included in this systematic review. For every 1° temperature increase/decrease beyond reference points, the rate of non-accidental mortality increased by 2% (RR, 1.02; 95% confidence interval (95% CI [1.01–1.02]) for heat and 4% (RR, 1.04; 95% CI [1.03–1.04]) for cold, respectively; the rate of cardiovascular mortality increased 3% (RR, 1.03; 95% CI [1.03–1.04]) for heat and 6% (RR, 1.06; 95% CI [1.04–1.07]) for cold; the rate of respiratory mortality increased 2% (RR, 1.02; 95% CI [1.01–1.03]) for heat and 2% (RR, 1.02; 95% CI [1.00–1.04]) for cold; the rate of cerebrovascular mortality increased 2% (RR, 1.02; 95% CI [1.02–1.03]) for heat and 3% (RR, 1.03; 95% CI [1.02–1.04]) for cold. We identified a variation in optimal temperature range related to latitude of the residential area, and differences in people's capability to adapt to heat versus cold.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusion〈/h6〉 〈p〉We found consistent evidence of the association between temperature and mortality, as well as evidence of patterns in human adaptation, and we discussed the implications of our findings.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: June 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 173〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ramison Santos, Camila Piccoli, Cleber Cremonese, Carmen Freire〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉This study aimed to assess the association of short- and long-term exposure to pesticides with circulating levels of thyroid and reproductive hormones in an agricultural population in the South of Brazil. Serum specimens from 122 male and female adults residing in small agricultural properties were sampled both in the low and high pesticide use season. A comprehensive questionnaire was used to collect detailed information on recent and cumulative lifetime use of pesticides and other agricultural-related exposures. The difference in serum hormone levels between seasons was assessed by the T-test and Wilcoxon test for paired samples, and associations between pesticide exposure-related variables and hormone values were explored by multivariate linear regression analysis. Levels of total thyroxine (T4) and male testosterone were significantly reduced from the low to high pesticide use season. In the high exposure season, recent use of dithiocarbamate fungicides, not using full personal protection equipment, and use of manual equipment was associated with reduced levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Moreover, recent use of lambda-cyhalothrin (pyrethroid) was associated with reduced total T4 and increased male luteinizing hormone (LH), use of paraquat (herbicide) with reduced free triiodothyronine (T3), and use of phthalamide (fungicide) with increased male LH. We also found associations of lifetime years of agricultural work with reduced total T4 and increased male testosterone; and of lifetime agricultural work and use of various pesticide classes (〈em〉i.e.〈/em〉 insecticides, herbicides, organophosphate insecticides, dithiocarbamate fungicides, and pyrethroids), mancozeb (fungicide), and paraquat with slight changes in free or total levels of T4 and/or T3. Findings suggest that both short- and long-term exposure to agricultural pesticides may alter thyroid hormones and male testosterone levels among farm residents.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: April 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 171〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Amy R. Sapkota〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Climate change and population growth are contributing to a growing global freshwater crisis that is exacerbating agricultural water scarcity and compromising food security and public health. In light of these challenges, the increased reliance on nontraditional irrigation water sources, such as reclaimed or recycled water, is emerging as a potentially viable strategy to address water and food insecurity worldwide. This editorial provides an overview of the global need for agricultural water reuse and outlines the environmental and public health impacts associated with this practice. Policy implications, including an emphasis on “One Water” approaches, are discussed. Finally, the editorial leads off a Special Issue that includes a collection of articles reporting on the initial research and extension/outreach findings of CONSERVE: A Center of Excellence at the Nexus of Sustainable Water Reuse, Food and Health, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Taken together, this compilation of articles addresses the overarching theme that transdisciplinary teams are key with regard to moving the science of agricultural water reuse forward to achieve water and food security and advance public health in a changing climate.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Anja Stajnko, Zdenka Šlejkovec, Darja Mazej, Alenka France-Štiglic, Alenka Sešek BRIŠKI, Igor Prpić, Zdravko Špirić, Milena Horvat, Ingrid Falnoga〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The relationships between inorganic arsenic (iAs) metabolism, selenium (Se) status, and genetic polymorphisms of various genes, commonly studied in populations exposed to high levels of iAs from drinking water, were studied in a Croatian-Slovenian population from the wider PHIME-CROME project. Population consisted of 136 pregnant women in the 3〈sup〉rd〈/sup〉 trimester and 176 non-pregnant women with their children (n = 176, 8–9 years old). Their exposure to iAs, defined by As (speciation) analyses of biological samples, was low. The sums of biologically active metabolites (arsenite + arsenate + methylated As forms) for pregnant women, non-pregnant women, and children, respectively were: 3.23 (2.84–3.68), 1.83 (1.54–2.16) and 2.18 (1.86–2.54) ng/mL〈sub〉SG〈/sub〉; GM (95 CI). Corresponding plasma Se levels were: 54.8 (52.8–56.9), 82.3 (80.4–84.0) and 65.8 (64.3–67.3) ng/mL; GM (95 CI). As methylation efficiency indexes confirmed the relationship between pregnancy/childhood and better methylation efficiency. Archived blood and/or saliva samples were used for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping of arsenic(3+) methyltransferase - 〈em〉AS3MT〈/em〉 (rs7085104, rs3740400, rs3740393, rs3740390, rs11191439, rs10748835, rs1046778 and the corresponding 〈em〉AS3MT〈/em〉 haplotype); methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase - 〈em〉MTHFR〈/em〉 (rs1801131, rs1801133); aquaporin - 〈em〉AQP〈/em〉 4 and 9 (rs9951307 and rs2414539); selenoprotein P1 - 〈em〉SELENOP〈/em〉 (rs7579, rs3877899); indolethylamine N-methyltransferase - 〈em〉INMT〈/em〉 (rs6970396); and metallothionein 2A - 〈em〉MT2A〈/em〉 (rs28366003). Associations of SNPs with As parameters and urine Se were determined through multiple regression analyses adjusted using appropriate confounders (blood As, plasma Se, ever smoking, etc.). SNPs’ influence on As methylation, defined particularly by the secondary methylation index (SMI), confirmed the ‘protective’ role of minor alleles of six 〈em〉AS3MT〈/em〉 SNPs and their haplotype only among non-pregnant women. Among the other investigated genes, the carriers of 〈em〉AQP9〈/em〉 (rs2414539) were associated with more efficient As methylation and higher urine concentration of As and Se among non-pregnant women; poorer methylation was observed for carriers of 〈em〉AQP4〈/em〉 (rs9951307) among pregnant women and 〈em〉SELENOP〈/em〉 (rs7579) among non-pregnant women; 〈em〉MT2A〈/em〉 (rs28366003) was associated with higher urine concentration of AsIII regardless of the pregnancy status; and 〈em〉INMT〈/em〉 (rs6970396) was associated with higher As and Se concentration in non-pregnant women. Among confounders, the strongest influence was observed for plasma Se; it reduced urine AsIII concentration during pregnancy and increased secondary methylation index among non-pregnant women. In the present study of populations with low As exposure, we observed a few new As–gene associations (particularly with 〈em〉AQPs〈/em〉). More reliable interpretations will be possible after their confirmation in larger populations with higher As exposure levels.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: April 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 171〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sharf Ilahi Siddiqui, Ovais Manzoor, Mohd. Mohsin, Saif Ali Chaudhry〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Antimicrobial 〈em〉Nigella sativa〈/em〉 seed-based nanocomposite, MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/BC, was synthesized and utilized for the water purification through adsorption, and the photocatalytic degradation. MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/BC was prepared by co-precipitation method, and characterized using FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, TGA, and DSC techniques. The composite was investigated for inhibition of bacterial cells growth. FT-IR spectrum indicated the presence of oxygenous groups on the surface; TGA and DSC showed thermal degradation; and XRD, SEM, and TEM investigations indicated amorphous, and porous nature of MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/BC having particle size of 190–220 nm. The nanocomposite inhibited the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria cells in water. The adsorption of Methylene blue from water was investigated in batch method in terms of amount of MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/BC, dye concentration, pH, time, and temperature. 1.0 g L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 of MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/BC removed more than 98% of Methylene blue from aqueous solution having concentration of 10 mg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 and pH 7.0 at 27 °C. The maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity of MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/BC was 185.185 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 at 45 °C. The adsorption was an endothermic process which obeyed Freundlich isotherm, and pseudo-second order kinetics. Therefore, the Methylene blue binding onto MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/BC surface was site-specific partially through the weak hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interactions. The photocatalytic activity of MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/BC has been investigated by degrading the Methylene blue molecules/ions in water under the sunlight and 85% of degradation was achieved during 120 min irradiation. The dye was desorbed at lower pH and regenerated MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/BC was used for second cycle of Methylene blue adsorption. The results obtained for this study are much better than the previous Methylene blue adsorption studies with acid washed Black cumin seeds and MnFe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉/BC for which the capacities were 73.529 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 and 10.070 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 at 27 °C, respectively (J. Mol. liq. 2018a, 264, 275–284; J. Clean. Prod. 2018a, 200, 996–1008).〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S001393511830625X-fx1.jpg" width="346" alt="fx1" title="fx1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jamie A. Seabrook, Alexandra Smith, Andrew F. Clark, Jason A. Gilliland〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉A growing body of research has examined the association between exposure to environmental factors during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes; however, many studies do not control for potential covariates and findings vary considerably.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objective〈/h6〉 〈p〉To test the relative influence of environmental factors including exposure to air pollution, major roads, highways, industry, parks, greenspaces, and food retailers on low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB) in Southwestern Ontario (SWO), Canada, while accounting for medical (e.g., previous preterm birth, gestational diabetes), behavioral (e.g., alcohol, smoking), demographic (e.g., maternal age, body mass index), and neighborhood-level socioeconomic (e.g., household income, education) factors.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉This retrospective cohort study consisted of a large sample of pregnant women from SWO who gave birth to singleton newborns between February 2009 and February 2014 at London Health Sciences Centre. Data on maternal postal codes were entered into a Geographic Information System to map the distribution of maternal residences and determine selected characteristics of their neighborhood environments (i.e., socioeconomic, built, natural). These variables were developed based on postal codes where the mothers lived prior to giving birth. Logistic regression was used to assess the relative effects of the physical environment, socioeconomic status, clinical history, and behavioral risk factors on mothers having a LBW or PTB infant.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Out of 25,263 live births, 5.7% were LBW and 7.5% were PTB. Exposure to sulfur dioxide was a top predictor of both LBW and PTB. For every one-unit increase in sulfur dioxide, the odds of a LBW and PTB were 3.4 (95% CI: 2.2, 5.2) and 2.0 (95% CI: 1.4, 3.0) times higher, after controlling for other variables in the model, respectively (p 〈 0.001). Previous PTB was also highly associated with both birth outcomes.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Health care providers should be informed about the hazards of air pollution to developing fetuses so that recommendations can be made to their pregnant patients about limiting exposure when air quality is poor.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: April 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 171〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Young Ran Kim, Rosana E. Pacella, Fiona A. Harden, Nicole White, Leisa-Maree L. Toms〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Emerging scientific evidence suggests that exposure to environmental pollutants is associated with negative effects on fecundity as measured by time to pregnancy (TTP).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objectives〈/h6〉 〈p〉To conduct a systematic review of the literature on the association between selected endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and fecundity as measured by TTP in humans. Compounds included in this review are: brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as hexabromocyclododecane, tetrabromobiphenol A and polybrominated diphenyl ethers; organophosphates flame retardants (OPFRs); and phthalates.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉Scopus, MEDLINE via Ebscohost and EMBASE databases were searched for articles exploring the relationships between selected EDCs and fecundity as measured by time to pregnancy. We assessed the quality of included studies and evidence for causality was graded using the criteria developed by the World Cancer Research Fund.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉14 studies of 191 full-text articles assessed for eligibility were included for qualitative synthesis. Five studies examined BFRs and 10 studies examined phthalates. Among the fourteen, one study assessed both BFRs and phthalates. There were no studies which investigated fecundity as measured by TTP on HBCD, TBBPA, or OPFRs. We recorded plausible fecundity outcomes as measured by TTP related to some of these EDCs. BFRs or phthalates increased TTP. However, results were inconsistent.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusion〈/h6〉 〈p〉We recorded mostly weak associations between exposure to selected EDCs and fecundity. However, evidence was considered limited to conclude a causal relationship due to inconsistency of results. The health risks posed by these chemicals in exposed populations are only beginning to be recognized and prospective measurement of the environmental effects of the chemicals in large cohort studies are urgently needed to confirm these relationships and inform policies aimed at exposure prevention.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Nguyen T.K. Vo, Colin B. Seymour, Carmel E. Mothersill〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Purpose〈/h6〉 〈p〉To evaluate if the common field lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) that is intended to eradicate the invasive species sea lampreys in the Great Lakes has the potential to sensitize radiation responses in cells from non-targeted native fish〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Materials and methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉The TFM toxicity was assessed acutely and chronically with the clonogenic fish cell line eelB. The acute toxicity (24-h exposure) was determined by the fluorescent cell viability probe Alamar Blue. The chronic toxicity was determined either by Alamar Blue (7-d exposure) or the clonogenic survival assay (14-d exposure). Pre- and post-exposure of fish cells to environmentally relevant TFM concentrations following gamma irradiation were performed. Clonogenic survival was determined to assess the damage level of radiation-induced reproductive cell death.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉The chronic toxicity tests were more sensitive than the acute toxicity tests. The 14-d EC〈sub〉50〈/sub〉 using the clonogenic survival endpoint was 2.09 ± 0.28 μg/mL and was statistically similar to the 7-d EC〈sub〉50〈/sub〉 (1.85 ± 0.07 μg/mL) based on the Alamar Blue-based cytotoxicity endpoint. Post-exposure of cells to environmentally relevant TFM concentrations following irradiation did not have any effect as compared to the irradiation alone group. In contrast, pre-exposure of cells to TFM following irradiation had a negative additive effect when the total radiation dose was 2 Gy, but not 0.1 or 0.5 Gy.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusion〈/h6〉 〈p〉Our results suggest that the common field lampricide TFM is a potential radiation sensitizer in cells from non-targeted native fish. This could be a health problem of concern for non-targeted native fish if a large accidental radioactive release occurs.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: April 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 171〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Lauren Granillo, Sunjay Sethi, Kimberly P. Keil, Yanping Lin, Sally Ozonoff, Ana-Maria Iosif, Birgit Puschner, Rebecca J. Schmidt〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is suspected to have environmental and genetic contributions. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are environmental risk factors of interest due to their potential as neurodevelopmental toxicants and environmental persistence despite a US production ban in the 1970s.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉Participants were mother-child pairs from MARBLES, a high-risk pregnancy cohort that enrolls families who have one child diagnosed with ASD and are planning to have another child. PCB concentrations were measured in maternal blood at each trimester of pregnancy using gas chromatography coupled with triple quadruple mass spectrometry. Concentrations were summed into total PCB and two categories based on function/mechanisms of action: dioxin-like (DL), and ryanodine receptor (RyR)-activating PCBs. Multinomial logistic regression assessed risk of clinical outcome classification of ASD and non-typical development (Non-TD) compared to typically developing (TD) in the children at 3 years old.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉A total of 104 mother-child pairs were included. There were no significant associations for total PCB; however, there were borderline significant associations between DL-PCBs and decreased risk for Non-TD outcome classification (adjusted OR: 0.41 (95% CI 0.15–1.14)) and between RyR-activating PCBs and increased risk for ASD outcome classification (adjusted OR: 2.63 (95% CI 0.87–7.97)).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusion〈/h6〉 〈p〉This study does not provide strong supporting evidence that PCBs are risk factors for ASD or Non-TD. However, these analyses suggest the need to explore more deeply into subsets of PCBs as risk factors based on their function and structure in larger cohort studies where non-monotonic dose-response patterns can be better evaluated.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Dimosthenis A. Sarigiannis, Janja Snoj Tratnik, Darja Mazej, Tina Kosjek, Ester Heath, Milena Horvat, Ourania Anesti, Spyros P. Karakitsios〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The current study aims to characterize exposure and risk associated to bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure in Slovenia, starting from biomonitoring data. Based on the urinary data, daily intake for the individuals was back-calculated using a physiology based biokinetic (PBBK) model properly parameterized for BPA, coupled with an exposure reconstruction algorithm. Re-running the PBBK model in forward mode allowed the estimation of biologically effective dose (free plasma BPA) and the respective daily area under the curve (AUC). Finally, risk characterization ratio was derived using both external and internal dose metrics. The urinary BPA levels were found low, with GM of 0.79, 1.51 and 0.20 μg/g creatinine for mothers, children and fathers respectively, similar to the levels of other European countries. Based on the above and accounting for the dynamics of exposure and biokinetics, daily intake was estimated, median exposure levels have been estimated equal to 0.019, 0.035 and 0.005 μg/kg_bw/d for mothers, fathers and children respectively. The highest estimated intake level was found in a child, equal to 0.87 μg/kg_bw/d, while the maximum intake for mothers and fathers were 0.7 and 0.8 μg/kg_bw/d respectively. The respective RCR levels using the EFSA t-TDI of 4 μg/kg_bw/d were 2 magnitudes of order lower below 1, independently of the selected method. It has to be noted that had daily intake been estimated solely based on the urinary concentrations mass balance, the estimated intake would be lower, as a result of the oversimplification on exposure and elimination time dynamics. This highlights the importance for using PBBK modelling based exposure reconstruction schemes for rapidly metabolized and excreted compounds such as BPA, as well as the study design of efficient sampling for rapidly metabolized compounds.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): J.M. Molina-Molina, I. Jiménez-Díaz, M.F. Fernández, A. Rodriguez-Carrillo, F.M. Peinado, V. Mustieles, R. Barouki, C. Piccoli, N. Olea, C. Freire〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high-production-volume chemical with endocrine disrupting properties commonly used as color developer in thermal paper. Concerns about the potential hazards of human BPA exposure have led to the increasing utilization of alternatives such as bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF). This study was designed to assess: (i) BPA, BPS, and BPF concentrations in 112 thermal paper receipts from Brazil, France, and Spain by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS); and (ii) hormone-like activities of these receipts using two receptor-specific bioassays, the E-Screen for (anti-)estrogenicity and PALM luciferase assay for (anti-)androgenicity. BPA was present in 95.3% of receipts from Spain, 90.9% of those from Brazil, and 51.1% of those from France at concentrations up to 20.27 mg/g of paper. Only two samples from Brazil, two from Spain, and ten from France had a BPS concentration ranging from 6.46 to 13.29 mg/g; no BPA or BPS was detected in 27.7% of French samples. No BPF was detected in any receipt. Estrogenic activity was observed in all samples from Brazil and Spain and in 74.5% of those from France. Anti-androgenic activity was observed in 〉 90% of samples from Brazil and Spain and in 53.2% of those from France. Only 25.5% of French samples were negative for both estrogenic and anti-androgenic activity. Estrogenic and anti-androgenic activities per gram of paper were up to 1.411 µM estradiol (E〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) equivalent units (E〈sub〉2〈/sub〉eq) and up to 359.5 mM procymidone equivalent units (Proceq), respectively. BPA but not BPS concentrations were positively correlated with both estrogenic and anti-androgenic activities. BPA still dominates the thermal paper market in Brazil and Spain, and BPS appears to be one of the main alternatives in France. There is an urgent need to evaluate the safety of alternatives proposed to replace BPA as developer in thermal printing. The large proportion of samples with hormonal activity calls for the adoption of preventive measures.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Anastasis Christou, George Papadavid, Panagiotis Dalias, Vasileios Fotopoulos, Costas Michael, Josep Maria Bayona, Benjamin Piña, Despo Fatta-Kassinos〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation and the use of biosolids and manures as soil amendment constitute significant pathways for the introduction of the contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) to the agricultural environment. Consequently, CECs are routinely detected in TWW-irrigated agricultural soils and runoff from such sites, in biosolids- and manure-amended soils, and in surface and groundwater systems and sediments receiving TWW. Crop plants grown in such contaminated agricultural environments have been found to uptake and accumulate CECs in their tissues, constituting possible vectors of introducing CECs into the food chain; an issue that is presently considered of high priority, thus needing intensive investigation. This review paper aims at highlighting the responsible mechanisms for the uptake of CECs by plants and the ability of each crop plant species to uptake and accumulate CECs in its edible tissues, thus providing tools for mitigating the introduction of these contaminants into the food chain. Both biotic (e.g. plants’ genotype and physiological state, soil fauna) and abiotic factors (e.g. soil pore water chemistry, physico-chemical properties of CECs, environmental perturbations) have been proven to influence the ability of crop plants to uptake and accumulate CECs. According to authors’ estimates, based on the thorough elaboration of knowledge produced by existing relevant studies, the ability of crop plants to uptake and accumulate CECs decrease in the order of leafy vegetables 〉 root vegetables 〉 cereals and fodder crops 〉 fruit vegetables; though, the uptake of CECs by important crop plants, such as fruit trees, is not yet evaluated. Overall, further studies must be performed to estimate the potential of crop plants to uptake and accumulate CECs in their edible tissues, and to characterize the risk for human health represented by their presence in human and livestock food products.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Joanna Burger, Michael Gochfeld, David S. Kosson, Kevin G. Brown, Jennifer A. Salisbury, Christian Jeitner〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The U.S. and other developed nations are faced with many contaminated sites remaining from World War II, the Cold War, and abandoned industries, that require remediation and restoration to allow future land uses with minimum acceptable risk to humans and ecological resources. For large Department of Energy (DOE) sites with massive remediation tasks remaining, it is important for managers to be able to assure regulators, Tribal Nations, and the public that human and ecological health are protected. Hanford Site has the largest and most expensive cleanup task within the DOE complex; cleanup will continue beyond 2090. Cleanup involves the use of operating facilities, which also may present a risk to humans or ecological resources. We present a brief description of a methodology to evaluate risks to ecological receptors at the Hanford Site from remaining remediation tasks, and evaluate the risk to ecological resources that operating facilities present currently, during active cleanup of these facilities, and during the post cleanup period. Operating facilities include current, active operations that are located on the site and aid in site cleanup, including both storage and treatment operations. At the Hanford Site, they include waste treatment plants, sludge basins, waste trenches, Central Waste Complex, storage facilities, and disposal facilities, among others. Risk ratings for ecological resources are highest during the remediation phase. Risk ratings for the operating facilities at the Hanford Site range from not discernible to medium currently, from not discernible (ND) to high during active cleanup, and from not discernible to medium following cleanup. The highest ratings are for the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant that is being constructed to stabilize radioactive and chemical wastes, and the Liquid Effluent Retention and Treatment Facility that removes and deactivates hazardous contaminants from waste water. Higher ratings in the post-cleanup period are largely due to restoration of ecological resources during cleanup, which increases the potential for injury (if these resources are harmed) because a site will then have higher quality resources after cleanup than it did before. Assessing the value of ecological resources, and determining potential consequences during active remediation and after remediation is essential for compliance with state and federal laws. Understanding the risks to ecological resources from now until clean-up is completed at these facilities is important because of the potential for ecological resources of high value to be degraded, and because cleanup completion is not expected until 2090 or later. The methodology can be applied to any contaminated site requiring a rapid method of assessing potential damages to ecological resources from proposed management actions.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935118306881-fx1.jpg" width="250" alt="fx1" title="fx1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Qirong Lu, Yaqi Sun, Irma Ares, Arturo Anadón, Marta Martínez, María-Rosa Martínez-Larrañaga, Zonghui Yuan, Xu Wang, María-Aránzazu Martínez〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Deltamethrin is widely used worldwide due to its valuable insecticidal activity against pests and parasites. Increasing evidence has shown that deltamethrin causes varying degrees of toxicity. Moreover, oxidative stress and metabolism are highly correlated with toxicity. For the first time, this review systematically summarizes the deltamethrin toxicity mechanism from the perspective of oxidative stress, including deltamethrin-mediated oxidative damage, antioxidant status, oxidative signaling pathways and modulatory effects of antagonists, synergists and placebos on oxidative stress. Further, deltamethrin metabolism, including metabolites, metabolic enzymes and pathways and deltamethrin metabolite toxicity are discussed. This review will shed new light on deltamethrin toxicity mechanisms and provide effective strategies to ensure pest control and prevention of human and animal poisoning.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Careen Khachatoorian, Peyton Jacob, Amy Sen, Yifang Zhu, Neal L. Benowitz, Prue Talbot〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Electronic cigarette (EC) users may exhale large clouds of aerosol that can settle on indoor surfaces forming ECEAR (EC exhaled aerosol residue). Little is known about the chemical composition or buildup of this residue.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objective〈/h6〉 〈p〉Our objective was to identify and quantify ECEAR chemicals in two field sites: an EC user's living room and a multi-user EC vape shop.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We examined the buildup of ECEAR in commonly used materials (cotton, polyester, or terrycloth towel) placed inside the field sites. Materials were subjected to different lengths of exposure. Nicotine, nicotine alkaloids, and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) were identified and quantified in unexposed controls and field site samples using analytical chemical techniques.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Nicotine and nicotine alkaloids were detected in materials inside the EC user's living room. Concentrations of ECEAR chemicals remained relatively constant over the first 5 months, suggesting some removal of the chemicals by air flow in the room approximating a steady state. ECEAR chemicals were detected in materials inside the vape shop after 6 h of exposure and levels continually increased over a month. By 1 month, the nicotine in the vape shop was 60 times higher than in the EC user's living room. ECEAR chemical concentrations varied in different locations in the vape shop. Control fabrics had either no detectable or very low concentrations of chemicals.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉In both field sites, chemicals from exhaled EC aerosols were deposited on indoor surfaces and accumulated over time forming ECEAR. Non-smokers, EC users, and employees of vape shops should be aware of this potential environmental hazard.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Hui-Yuan Cheng, De-Chang Li, Bin-Hai Cheng, Hong Jiang〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Fast and accurate detection of Fe〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 under relevant natural conditions is important in environmental monitoring. In this study, an improved and simplified fluorescence method based on the multiwavelength luminescence in the visible region and the avoidance of the self-quenching property of N, S-doped carbon dots (NSC-Dots) was developed for the first time to determine Fe〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 concentration under varied environmental conditions. This method can simultaneously save time and provide accurate information. The as-prepared NSC-Dots exhibit two stable excitation peaks from 200 nm to 450 nm at a fixed emission wavelength (〈em〉λ〈/em〉〈sub〉em〈/sub〉 = 450 nm). A standard equation (〈em〉R〈/em〉〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 = 0.995) can be derived by measuring the quenching degree of the two peaks and referring to Stern–Volmer theory. Thus, Fe〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 concentration was accurately determined. The interference of the environmentally relevant concentrations of other metal ions, humic acid, and pH on Fe〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 measurement was tested. Results showed that the standard equation can be used to accurately determine Fe〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 concentration within the range of the 95% prediction band. The fast and facile multiwavelength method may facilitate the real-time monitoring of Fe〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 concentration in complex water environments.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Àurea Cartanyà-Hueso, Cristina Lidón-Moyano, Marcela Fu, Raúl Perez-Ortuño, Montse Ballbè, Nuria Matilla-Santander, Juan Carlos Martín-Sánchez, José A. Pascual, Esteve Fernández, Jose M. Martínez-Sánchez〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objective〈/h6〉 〈p〉To compare tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) measured in saliva according to different types of tobacco smoked in a sample of smokers of the city of Barcelona (Spain).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We used data from a cross-sectional study of a sample of the adult smoking population of Barcelona, Spain in 2013–2014 (n = 165). We classified smokers in five groups according to the type of tobacco smoked: a) manufactured cigarettes only, b) roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes only, c) dual smokers (both manufactured and RYO cigarettes), d) manufactured plus other types of tobacco products different from RYO and e) other types of tobacco products different from manufactured and RYO cigarettes. We calculated the geometric mean (GM) and geometric standard deviation (GSD) of TSNAs concentration in saliva (pg/mL), including N’-nitroaonornicotine (NNN), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) according to the five tobacco groups. We also described all TSNAs concentration in each tobacco group stratified by the number of cigarettes smoked per day.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Smokers from the RYO cigarette group had higher TSNAs concentration than smokers from the manufactured cigarette group: 13 pg/mL vs 4.9 pg/mL of NNN, 1.9 pg/mL vs 1.7 pg/mL in NNK and 1.1 pg/mL vs 0.9 pg/mL of NNAL. There were significant differences in NNN concentrations between smokers of RYO vs manufactured cigarettes. The higher the number of cigarettes smoked, the higher the TSNAs concentrations. After adjusted by number of cigarettes smoked, there were not statistically significant differences in TSNAs between RYO and manufactured cigarettes.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Our data shows that RYO cigarette is at least as hazardous as manufactured cigarettes. Regulating RYO tobacco prices could be an effective strategy to control tobacco use.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Matej Baláž, Zdenka Bujňáková, Marcela Achimovičová, Matej Tešinský, Peter Baláž〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉A semi-industrial approach for simultaneous treatment of eggshell and industrial polyvinyl chloride waste utilizing tools of ball milling is reported therein. On a hundred-gram scale, it is possible to transfer more than 55% of chlorine present in the polyvinyl chloride representing an environmental burden, into harmless soluble form. On a laboratory scale, a complete dechlorination was achieved. The ratio of eggshell-to-polyvinyl chloride plays a significant role for the effective dechlorination and the kinetics of semi-industrial process follows zero-order kinetics with the rate constant 1.23 × 10〈sup〉−5〈/sup〉 s〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. Chlorine is mainly in the form of calcium chloride. This study is an example of efficient simultaneous valorization of two waste materials on a semi-industrial scale, as the products can be utilized again.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935118306340-fx1.jpg" width="414" alt="fx1" title="fx1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Edward J. Calabrese, Evgenios Agathokleous, Walter J. Kozumbo, Edward J. Stanek, Denise Leonard〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉An ever-expanding hormetic database (HDB) was used to demonstrate that the median maximal hormetic stimulatory response (MHSR) of biphasic dose-response relationships increases in value with an increase in the number of stimulatory doses/concentrations that are administered below the estimated threshold/ZEP (zero equivalent point – 〈em〉i.e.,〈/em〉 the dose where the response crosses the control group value). With only one dose or concentration administered below the ZEP, the median MHSR for microbes (〈em〉in vitro〈/em〉), animals (〈em〉in vitro〈/em〉 and 〈em〉in vivo〈/em〉), and plants (〈em〉in vitro〈/em〉 and 〈em〉in vivo〈/em〉) ranged between 120% and 125% of the control response. However, when individual agents having at least six doses below the ZEP were mined from the HDB (and a median MHSR then determined), the median MHSR increased to 160–190%. This progressive increase in the MHSR appears to be due to several factors, including (i) the enhanced capacity of additional doses in the stimulatory hormetic zone to better estimate the response optima, and (ii) enhanced variability due to the presence of more doses in the stimulatory zone. This study offers a novel perspective for improving research protocols, unraveling the limits of biological plasticity, understanding low-level stress biology, advancing human and ecological health, and enhancing human performance.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: April 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 171〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yongchang Zhu, Jingjing Guo, Ai Zhang, Lanlan Li, Xuewei Liu, Huanxiang Liu, Xiaojun Yao〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉As the broad application of graphene in the biomedical field, it is urgent and important to evaluate how the graphene affects the structure and function of the proteins in our body, especially the amyloid-related proteins. Prion protein, as a typical amyloid protein, it misfolding and aggregation will lead to serious prion diseases. To explore if graphene promotes or inhibits the formation of amyloid, here, we combined the experimental and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation methods to study the influence of graphene on the globular domain of prion protein (PrP〈sub〉117–231〈/sub〉). The results from fluorescence quenching and circular dichroism spectrum showed that the addition of graphene changed the secondary structure of prion protein largely, mainly reflecting in the reduced α-helix structure and the increased coil structure, indicating graphene may strengthen the misfolding inclination of prion. To further uncover the mechanism of conformational change of prion under the induction of graphene, the all-atoms MD simulations in explicit solvent were performed. Our simulations suggest that prion protein can be quickly and tightly adsorbed onto graphene together with the weak conformational rearrangement and may reorient when approaching the surface. The Van der Waals' force drive the adsorption process. In the induction of graphene, H1 and S2-H2 loop regions of prion become unstable and prion begins to misfold partially. Our work shows that graphene can induce the misfolding of prion protein and may cause the potential risk to biosystems.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Berihun M. Zeleke, Chhavi Raj Bhatt, Christopher Brzozek, Michael J. Abramson, Frederik Freudenstein, Rodney J. Croft, Peter Wiedemann, Geza Benke〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Exposure to far-field radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) has raised public concerns in recent decades. However, it is not known if individuals’ perception towards the health risks of RF-EMF is dependent on their knowledge of the objectively measured personal RF-EMF exposure levels.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objectives〈/h6〉 〈p〉This pilot study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of objectively measuring personal RF-EMF exposure from mobile phone base stations (MPBS) and to determine if the risk perception of people to the potential health risk of exposure to RF-EMF from MPBS is dependent on their knowledge of personal RF-EMF exposure levels.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Design〈/h6〉 〈p〉An experimental study was conducted in 383 adults, recruited in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were randomized to one of the three groups: 〈em〉1) basic information group〈/em〉 who were provided with basic information about RF-EMF to read prior to completing a risk perception assessment questionnaire; 〈em〉2) precautionary group〈/em〉 who were provided with an information pack which included precautionary messages; and 〈em〉3) personal exposure measurement group〈/em〉 who were provided with a summary of their quantitative RF-EMF exposure from MPBS. The same basic information about RF-EMF was also given to the precautionary and personal exposure measurement groups.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Participants had a mean (± SD) age of 36.9 ± 12.5 years; 66.7% were women. Overall, 44.1% had noticed an MPBS in their neighbourhood. The mean (SD) values (from 1 to 7) for risk perceptions to RF-EMF from MPBS were 4.02 (1.67) for basic information, 3.82 (1.62) for precautionary messages, and 3.97 (1.72) for the personal exposure measurement groups. These differences were not statistically significant. Nevertheless, the personal exposure measurement group were more confident that they could protect themselves from RF-EMF than the precautionary or basic information groups.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusion〈/h6〉 〈p〉Our findings suggest that providing people with personal RF-EMF exposure measurements may not affect their perceived risk from MPBS, but increase their confidence in protecting themselves.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): David C. Bellinger, Brecht Devleesschauwer, Keri O’Leary, Herman J. Gibb〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉We describe analyses to estimate the global burden of disease associated with methylmercury (MeHg). An intelligence quotient 〈 70, indicating intellectual disability (ID), was selected as the critical disease, maternal hair Hg concentration during pregnancy selected as the critical exposure biomarker, and a dose-effect relationship of an 0.18 point IQ reduction per µg/g increase in maternal hair Hg was assumed, based on a meta-analysis. A systematic review was conducted to obtain country-specific data on the distribution of maternal hair Hg concentrations. The country-specific incidence of MeHg-associated ID was calculated, and a random effects model was used to impute the incidence for countries for which no exposure data could be found. The global burden of MeHg-associated ID was quantified in terms of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) using the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Estimates methodology, and presented by 14 subregions. In 2015, the global total for MeHg-associated cases of ID was 226,655; 210,074 of these cases (93%) were mild cases of ID. The highest rate of ID (6 cases per 100,000 population) was found in the Americas D subregion. The global DALY estimate was 1,963,869. The Western Pacific B subregion contributed the most to this total (696,417), although the Americas D subregion had the greatest rate (54 DALYs per 100,000 population). The burden of disease associated with MeHg is therefore highly subregion-dependent even in areas that are geographically related. The priority given to reducing this burden can therefore be expected to vary considerably by subregion depending on other health needs.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jessica L. Dery, Channah M. Rock, Rachel Rosenberg Goldstein, Cathy Onumajuru, Natalie Brassill, Stevi Zozaya, Mayhah R. Suri〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The use of nontraditional water sources, including reclaimed or recycled water, has become a desirable option to meet increasing demands in water stressed regions. In the Southwest United States, utilization of alternative water sources is becoming increasingly common, including use for landscape irrigation, environmental enhancement, cooling and power generation, potable reuse, and as a source water for agricultural irrigation. While much research has gone into identifying public perception towards water reuse schemes, little attention has been given to understanding grower attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge on the use of nontraditional water, including reclaimed water, in agriculture and how that may influence grower acceptance and production practices. This unique study utilized a needs assessment survey of growers (n = 521) within the Southwest region of the United States to gain an understanding of industry attitudes and needs regarding nontraditional water in agriculture. Results indicate that the majority of survey respondents were concerned with water availability (67.49%) yet less than half (48.30%) thought using a nontraditional water source in agriculture was ‘very important’. Interestingly, respondents rated irrigation of ‘food crops’ third (42.20%) among agricultural activities for which they would be willing to use nontraditional water sources, behind irrigation of forage crops (61.60%) and dust control (61.60%). The importance of the use of nontraditional water sources in agriculture was influenced mostly by farm size (〈em〉p〈/em〉 = 0.007) and primary water source (〈em〉p〈/em〉 = 0.016), and the level of education was significant in respondent's level of concern over water availability (〈em〉p〈/em〉 = 0.021). Information on the quality of nontraditional water sources, showing that it is as good or better than respondents current sources, was found to shift rejection and uncertainty towards acceptance by 16.04%. The results of this study provide insight into perceived risks, willingness to use, drivers and constraints to grower adoption, and preferred methods of education regarding water reuse in agriculture. These findings can be used by water managers and planners to aid in the adoption of nontraditional waters, including reclaimed or recycled water, in agriculture thus extending water resources, securing food supplies, and protecting public health.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): M.H.B. Müller, A. Polder, O.B. Brynildsrud, R. Grønnestad, M. Karimi, E. Lie, W.B. Manyilizu, R.H. Mdegela, F. Mokiti, M. Murtadha, H.E. Nonga, J.U. Skaare, A. Solhaug, J.L. Lyche〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Human exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) begins during pregnancy and may cause adverse health effects in the fetus or later in life. The present study aimed to assess prenatal POPs exposure to Tanzanian infants and evaluate the distribution of POPs between breast milk, maternal blood, placenta and cord blood. For assessment of prenatal exposure, 48 maternal blood samples from Mount Meru Regional Referral Hospital (MMRRH), Arusha Tanzania, were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), dioxin-like (DL) activity and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs). For evaluation of POPs distribution between maternal/infant compartments, breast milk, placenta and cord blood corresponding to the maternal blood were analyzed for OCPs, PCBs and BFRs. In maternal blood, p,p´- DDE was detected in 100% of the samples ranging between 29 and 1890 ng/g lipid weight (lw). PCB-153 was the only PCB detected in maternal blood, with detection rate of 29% and concentrations up to 116 ng/g lw. BDE-47 was detected in 65% of the maternal blood samples, ranging between 〈LOD and 83.2 ng/g lw. DL activity was measured using Dioxin Responsive CALUX® bioassay. The DL activity was above LOQ in 92% of the samples, ranging from 〈LOQ to 114 pg CALUX TEQ/g lw. PFASs was dominated by PFOS and PFOA, however, the concentrations were low (range ∑PFASs 0.18–3.14 ng/mL). p,p´-DDE was detected in 100% of the breast milk, placenta and cord blood samples and the concentrations were strongly correlated (r = 0.89–0.98) between all compartments. Maternal blood (MB) had significantly lower p,p´-DDE concentrations (ng/g lw) than cord blood (CB) and breast milk (BM). The median CB/MB ratio was 1.3 and median MB/BM ratio was 0.8. p,p´-DDE concentrations in breast milk and cord blood did not show significant difference and median CB/BM ratio was 1. In addition, the relative p,p`-DDE transfer from maternal blood to breast milk and to cord blood increased when p,p`-DDE concentrations in maternal blood increased. This study shows that Tanzanian infants are exposed to a wide range of POPs during fetal life, which raise concerns for potential health effects. In addition, this study found that maternal blood concentrations may lead to underestimation of prenatal exposure, while breast milk collected close to delivery may be a more suitable indicator of prenatal exposure.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Francisco Cerqueira, Víctor Matamoros, Josep Bayona, Goffe Elsinga, Luc M. Hornstra, Benjamin Piña〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Social concern has raised during the last years due to the development of antibiotic resistance hotspots in different environmental compartments, including the edible parts of crops. To assess the influence of the water quality used for watering, we collected samples from soil, roots, leaves and beans from the legume plant 〈em〉Vicia faba〈/em〉 (broad beans) in three agricultural peri-urban plots (Barcelona, NE Spain), irrigated with either groundwater, river water, or reclaimed water. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) 〈em〉sul1, tet〈/em〉M〈em〉, qnrS1, bla〈/em〉〈sub〉CTX-M-32〈em〉,〈/em〉〈/sub〉 〈em〉bla〈/em〉〈sub〉OXA-58〈/sub〉〈em〉, mecA,〈/em〉 and 〈em〉bla〈/em〉〈sub〉TEM〈/sub〉 were quantified by real-time PCR, along with 16S rDNA and 〈em〉intl1〈/em〉 sequences, as proxies for bacterial abundance and integron prevalence, respectively. Microbiome composition of all samples were analyzed by high-throughput DNA sequencing. Results show a gradient of bacterial species diversity and of ARG prevalence from highly diverse soil samples to microbially-poor beans and leaves, in which Rhizobiales essentially displaced all other groups, and that presented very small loads of ARGs and integron sequences. The data suggest that the microbiome and the associated resistome were likely influenced by agricultural practices and water quality, and that future irrigation water legal standards should consider the specific Physiology of the different crop plants.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): F. Perera, A. Ashrafi, P. Kinney, D. Mills〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Fossil fuel combustion by-products, including particulate matter (PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), nitrogen dioxide (NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) and carbon dioxide (CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉), are a significant threat to children's health and equality. Various policies to reduce emissions have been implemented to reduce air pollution and mitigate climate change, with sizeable estimated health and economic benefits. However, only a few adverse outcomes in children have been considered, resulting in an undercounting of the benefits to this vulnerable population.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objectives〈/h6〉 〈p〉Our goal was to expand the suite of child health outcomes addressed by programs to assess health and economic benefits, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program (BenMAP), by identifying concentration-response (C-R) functions for six outcomes related to PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉, NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, PAH, and/or PM〈sub〉10〈/sub〉: preterm birth (PTB), low birthweight (LBW), autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, IQ reduction, and the development of childhood asthma.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We conducted a systematic review of the literature published between January 1, 2000 and April 30, 2018 to identify relevant peer-reviewed case-control and cohort studies and meta–analyses. In some cases meta-analyses were available that provided reliable C-R functions and we assessed their consistency with subsequent studies. Otherwise, we reviewed all eligible studies published between our search dates.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉For each pollutant and health outcome, we present the characteristics of each selected study. We distinguish between C-R functions for endpoints having a causal or likely relationship (PTB, LBW, autism, asthma development) with the pollutants for incorporation into primary analyses and endpoints having a suggestive causal relationship with the pollutants (IQ reduction, ADHD) for secondary analyses.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusion〈/h6〉 〈p〉We have identified C-R functions for a number of adverse health outcomes in children associated with air pollutants largely from fossil fuel combustion. Their incorporation into expanded assessments of health benefits of clean air and climate mitigation policies will provide an important incentive for preventive action.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: April 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 171〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Zahra Beigzadeh, Bahman Pourhassan, Saba kalantary, Farideh Golbabaei〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Introduction〈/h6〉 〈p〉Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is one of the most commonly occurring cancers in some regions. While wood dust is a confirmed human carcinogen, its association with NPC remains uncertain due to inconsistent findings in the related studies. We performed the first systematic review and meta-analysis on the epidemiological evidence to examine the association between occupational exposure to wood dust and the risk of NPC.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉In this meta-analysis study, the PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for English-language publications. seven case-control studies were included in the pooled analysis.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉These studies were published between 1991 and 2016. The heterogeneity across the studies was significant (P = 0.06, I〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 = 50.4%). The results of the random effects model meta-analysis showed that there was a direct relationship between occupational exposure to wood dust and NPC (OR = 1.5 95% CI: 1.09–2.07). Among different histological subtypes of NPC, there was a significantly increased risk for the nonkeratinizing carcinoma following wood dust exposure (OR = 1.68, 95%CI: 1.03–2.74). We found no evidence of publication bias across studies according to the result of the Egger's test (P of bias = 0.073).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉This meta-analysis suggests that occupational exposure to wood dust can be associated with an increased risk of the nonkeratinizing carcinoma of the histological subtypes of nasopharyngeal cancer.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Holly Ching Yu Lam, Shakoor Hajat, Emily Ying Yang Chan, William Bernard Goggins〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objectives〈/h6〉 〈p〉Asthma can be triggered by various factors due to different etiologies. Environmental factors remain a common trigger of asthma, especially amongst children, and such ambient exposures can be harder to avoid compared to behavioral triggers. As such, the contribution of environmental factors may be enhanced when considering repeat asthma cases compared to initial presentations. To test this hypothesis, we assessed associations between ambient temperature and hospital admissions for asthma in Hong Kong and stratified admission records into first and repeat asthma hospitalizations.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉The daily number of asthma hospitalizations among children aged 0–5 years in Hong Kong during 2007–2011 was regressed on daily mean temperature using distributed lagged nonlinear models, with adjustment for seasonal patterns, day-of-week effects, and other meteorological factors and air-pollutants. Analyses were stratified by summer/winter and by type of admission (first admission and repeated admission).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉About 33% of the 12284 asthma hospitalizations were repeat admissions. Repeat admissions demonstrated higher sensitivity to high temperature in the summer. During this period, high temperatures were associated with increased risk of repeat admission but not with first admissions: RR (95% CI) comparing 31 °C vs. 29 °C across lags 0–15 days was 3.40 (1.26, 9.18) and 0.74 (0.31, 1.77) for repeat and first admissions respectively. In the cold season, all admissions increased with falls in temperature, with slightly stronger associations apparent for repeat admissions compared to first admission: 1.20 (1.00, 1.44) vs. 1.10 (0.96, 1.26) respectively comparing risk at 15 °C vs. 12 °C across lags 0–5 days.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉To our knowledge, this is the first study to show stronger associations between ambient temperature and repeat asthma admissions compared to first admissions. The higher sensitivity among those experiencing repeat admissions may allow for more personalized disease management. Given the substantial differences in associations by admission type, future studies of ambient exposures on asthma should consider analyzing the two groups separately.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: April 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 171〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Raúl Cabrera-Rodríguez, Octavio P. Luzardo, Maira Almeida-González, Luis D. Boada, Manuel Zumbado, Andrea Acosta-Dacal, Cristian Rial-Berriel, Luis Alberto Henríquez-Hernández〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Despite the fact that many of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been banned for decades, they still constitute a group of harmful substances to human health. Prenatal exposure can have adverse effects on one's health as well as on their newborns. The present cross-sectional study, which includes 87% of the births registered in La Palma Island (Canary Islands, Spain) during 2016 (n = 447), aims to evaluate the potential adverse health effects exerted by a wide range of POPs on newborns. We quantified blood cord levels of twenty organochlorine pesticides, eighteen polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), eight bromodiphenyl ethers (BDEs), and sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using the method of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. By groups, p,p′-DDE, PCB-28, BDE-47, and phenanthrene were the most frequently detected compounds (median values = 0.148, 0.107, 0.065, and 0.380 ng/mL, respectively). p,p′-DDE was found to be significantly associated with an increase in neonatal birth weight, with a special emphasis on girls. An inverse association between PCB-28 and PCB-52 with birth weight was observed, and these associations were determined by the gender. A similar trend was obtained for BDE-47 but not for any of the PAHs. When assessing the effect of mixtures, boys exhibiting ≥ 3 OCPs were at lower risk of having higher birth weight (OR = 0.25; 95% CI = 0.07 – 0.89; P = 0.032). The effect of these pollutants on birth weight does not go in the same direction, a fact that is conditioned by several factors, including the chemical nature of the substance or the gender of the newborn. Additional research is needed to understand the role of POPs on fetal development.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mohamed Moharem, Elsayed Elkhatib, Mohamed Mesalem〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Stabilization is an emerging technology for the cost-effective remediation of heavy metals polluted soils. To evaluate the potential of water treatment residual nanoparticles (nWTR) in reducing Hg and Cr mobility in contaminated calcareous soil, sorption-desorption kinetics; speciation and fractionation experiments were performed. Application of nWTR strongly enhanced Cr and Hg sorbed in the calcareous soil, whereas the released amount of both metals through 6 successive desorption steps dramatically decreased. The power function model best described the desorption kinetic data of Cr and Hg from nWTR amended and non-amended calcareous soil. Fractionation experiment data demonstrated that nWTR amendment significantly increased metals concentration in the residual fraction (RS) and simultaneously decreased the more accessible forms of Hg and Cr. Addition of nWTR at a rate of 0.3% to the contaminated calcareous soil significantly increased Hg and Cr in the RS fraction from 69.27% and52.62% to 93.89% and 90.05% respectively. Additionally, the formation of stable Hg and Cr species such as Hg(OH)〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 amor, CrSO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉. xH〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O and Cr(OH)〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) were increased as a result of nWTR application. These findings jointly indicate the enhancement of Hg and Cr immobilization in the nWTR amended calcareous soil. FTIR spectroscopy analysis indicated the contribution of OH group and Al-O-Si of nWTR in Hg and Cr sorption process and suggests chemo-sorption reaction between both metals and the nWTR surface functional groups. Overall, the final results confirm the strong capability of nWTR application in reducing Hg and Cr risks in highly contaminated sites of the calcareous soil.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935118306893-fx1.jpg" width="437" alt="fx1" title="fx1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yu-Ting Cheng, Shih-Chun Candice Lung, Jing-Shiang Hwang〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉A critical adaptation strategy for reducing heat-related health risk under climate change is to establish a heat warning system with a proper threshold that requires evaluation of heat-health relationships using empirical data.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objectives〈/h6〉 〈p〉This work presents a new approach to selecting proper health-based thresholds for a heat warning system which are different from thresholds of heat-health relationship.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉The proposed approach examined heat-health relationships through analyzing 15 years of health records with a modified generalized additive model (GAM), compared risk ratio increments (RRIs) of threshold candidates against a reference, assessed frequency of days above these candidates, and presented results graphically for easy communication. The candidate with the maximum RRI and proper occurring frequency is potentially the best threshold. Three heat indicators, including wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), temperature (T), and apparent temperature (AT), as well as three health outcomes, including all-cause mortality, heat-related hospital admissions, and heat-related emergency visits were evaluated.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Risk ratios for all three health outcomes showed a consistent rising trend with increasing threshold candidates for all three heat indicators among different age and gender groups. WBGT had the most obvious increasing trend of RRIs with the three health outcomes. The maximum RRI was observed in heat-related emergency visits (242%), followed by heat-related hospital admissions (73%), and all-cause mortality (9%). The RRIs assessed for the three health outcomes pointed to the same thresholds, 33.0 °C, 34.0 °C, and 37.5 °C for WBGT, T, and AT, respectively. The number of days above these thresholds and for warning to be issued ranged between 0 and 7 days during 2000–2014.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Discussion〈/h6〉 〈p〉This study demonstrated a new approach to determining heat-warning thresholds with different heat indicators and health outcomes. The proposed approach provides a straightforward, feasible, and flexible scientific tool that assists the authorities around the world in selecting a proper threshold for a heat warning system.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Tina Kold Jensen, Vicente Mustieles, Dorthe Bleses, Hanne Frederiksen, Fabio Trecca, Greet Schoeters, Helle Raun Andersen, Philippe Grandjean, Henriette Boye Kyhl, Anders Juul, Niels Bilenberg, Anna-Maria Andersson〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Bisphenol A (BPA) is a non-persistent chemical with endocrine disrupting abilities widely used in a variety of consumer products. The fetal brain is particularly sensitive to chemical exposures due to its rapid growth and complexity. Some studies have reported associationbetween maternal BPA exposure and behavior but few have assessed impact on cognitive development, and to our knowledge no studies have specifically assessed the impact on language development. We therefore assessed whether maternal urinary BPA concentration during pregnancy was associated with language development and attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in offspring aged 18–36 months in the prospective Odense Child Cohort. BPA was analyzed in 3rd trimester maternal fasting urine spot samples. Language development was addressed among 535 children using the Danish adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories at median age 21 months; ADHD traits were assessed by parents of 658 children using the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1½-5 years at mean age 2.7 years. Associations were assessed using logistic regression models comparing children below the 15th percentile score for language and above the 85 percentiles score for ADHD with the other children while stratifying by sex and adjusting for maternal education, duration of breastfeeding and maternal urine phthalates. BPA was detected in 85.3% of the urine samples (median 1.2 ng/ml). Boys of mothers with BPA exposure in the highest tertile had an odds ratio of 3.70 (95% CI 1.34–10.21) of being in the lowest 15th percentile of vocabulary score compared to boys of mothers within the lowest tertile of BPA exposure after adjustment, whereas no association was found in girls. No clear dose-response relationship between maternal BPA and ADHD scores above the 85th percentile was found for either sex. Since early language development is a predictor of future reading skills and educational success, more epidemiological studies assessing BPA exposure and language skills are needed to confirm our findings.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: April 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 171〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Raphael Cassoulet, Lounes Haroune, Nadia Abdelouahab, Virginie Gillet, Andrea A. Baccarelli, Hubert Cabana, Larissa Takser, Jean-Philippe Bellenger〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Evaluating 〈em〉in utero〈/em〉 exposure to inorganic and multiclass organic contaminants is critical to better evaluate potential harmful effects on prenatal and postnatal development. The analysis of meconium, the first bowel discharge of the newborn, has been proposed as a non-invasive way to assess cumulative prenatal exposure. The aim of this study was to implement an analytical method for quantifying 72 targeted organic compounds, including pesticides, pharmaceutical compounds and daily life xenobiotics, in meconium in addition to selected elements (17 elements). We report initial monitoring results based on the analysis of 396 meconium samples from an Eastern Canada cohort (Quebec, Canada). Element contents in meconium were analysed by mass spectrometry after digestion in nitric acid and peroxide. Targeted organic compounds were extracted and purified from meconium samples by a solid-liquid extraction followed by a dispersive-SPE purification before tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Concentrations of targeted elements were within the range of concentration reported in European and US studies but were lower than concentrations found in a developing country cohort (i.e., Pb, Cd). Out of the 72 targeted organic compounds, 31 were detected at least once and 30 were quantified. Compounds with the highest frequency of detection were caffeine, detected in all samples (from 2.80 to 6186 ng g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉), followed by acetaminophen detected in 53% of the samples (up to ~402 µg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) and methyl paraben detected in 20% of the samples (up to ~10 µg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). Pesticides were detected in low frequencies (〈 2%) and low concentration (〈 35 ng g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). Results show that meconium can be used to monitor prenatal exposure of foetus to a wide array of inorganic and organic contaminants.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Kejia Hu, Shanshan Li, Jieming Zhong, Xuchao Yang, Fangrong Fei, Feng Chen, Qi Zhao, Yunquan Zhang, Gongbo Chen, Qian Chen, Tingting Ye, Yuming Guo, Jiaguo Qi〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Epidemiological studies increasingly provide evidence about the adverse health effects of temperature variability (TV), which reflects short-term intra- and inter-day temperature change. However, calculation of TV only considers the temporal variability and lacks spatial variability. This study intends to investigate whether the lack of spatial variability in TV calculations has biased the health effect estimates. We collected daily data from the fine-gridded hourly temperatures and more than 2 million all-cause mortality counts in Zhejiang province in China from 2009 to 2015. A spatiotemporal TV index was developed by calculating the standard deviation of the hourly temperatures based on records from multiple sites. This new index could be compared to the two typical temporal TV indices that are calculated based on the hourly temperatures from one-site and area-average records. The three types of TV are compared using a three-stage analytical approach: district-specific time series Poisson regression, meta-analysis, and calculation of attributable mortality fraction. We observe that both spatiotemporal and temporal TVs produce very similar TV–mortality associations, attributable mortality fractions, and model fits at the district level. For example, the mortality increase associated for every increase of 1 °C during 0–7 exposure days is 1.53% (95% CI: 1.31, 1.73) in spatiotemporal TV, whereas it is 1.48% (95% CI: 1.27, 1.68) and 1.45% (95% CI: 1.24, 1.67) in the one-site and area-average temporal TV, respectively. Thus, time series models using temporal TV index are equally good at estimating the associations between TV and mortality as spatiotemporal TV at the district level in population-based epidemiological studies in China. Epidemiological studies using temperature from one site or the averages of multiple sites in TV calculation will not bias the effect estimates of TV. Our study could provide an important guidance method for future TV-related research in China and even in other countries.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935118306650-fx1.jpg" width="368" alt="fx1" title="fx1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 170〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Aftab Ahmad Khan, Imtiaz Afzal Khan, Muhammad Irfan Siyal, Chang-Kyu Lee, Jong-Oh Kim〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The goal of this study was to prepare a robust anti-wetting and anti-fouling polyethersulfone (PES) membrane for the rejection of a highly saline (NaCl and CaCl〈sub〉2〈/sub〉·2H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O) feed solution containing humic acid (HA) in direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the optimum formulation of the used materials. The variable factors selected were polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) and silica (SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉); liquid entry pressure (LEP) and contact angle (CA) were selected as responses. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed the SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 deposition and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) test evidenced the new functional groups i.e., Si–OH, siloxane, and C–F bond vibrations at 3446, 1099 cm〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, and 1150–1240 cm〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 respectively on the membrane surface. The average roughness (Ra) was increased four times for the coated membranes (0.202–0.242 µm) as compared to that for pristine PES membrane (0.053 µm). The optimum PES-13 membrane exhibited consistent flux of 12 LMH and salt rejection (〉 99%) with anti-fouling characteristic in DCMD using the feed solution of 3.5 wt% NaCl + 10 mM CaCl〈sub〉2〈/sub〉·2H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O + 10 mg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 HA. The PES-13 membrane may therefore be a key membrane for application in DCMD against CaCl〈sub〉2〈/sub〉·2H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O-containing salty solutions with HA.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 26 September 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Chong Liu, Peng Duan, Ying-Jun Chen, Yan-Ling Deng, Qiong Luo, Yu Miao, Shu-Heng Cui, Er-Nan Liu, Qi Wang, Liang Wang, Wen-Qing Lu, Jorge E. Chavarro, Yi-Kai Zhou, Yi-Xin Wang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Emerging evidence from animals indicates that oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the effects of phthalate exposure on male reproductive dysfunctions, which has never been thoroughly explored in humans.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objective〈/h6〉 〈p〉To explore the potential mediating role of oxidative stress in the association of phthalate exposure with semen quality among 1034 Chinese men.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Method〈/h6〉 〈p〉Repeated urine samples gathered from the male partners of sub-fertile couples were analyzed for 3 oxidative stress markers [8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), 8-iso-prostaglandin F〈sub〉2α〈/sub〉 (8-isoPGF〈sub〉2α〈/sub〉) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-mercapturic acid (HNE-MA)], using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Multivariate regression models were constructed to evaluate the associations of urinary oxidative stress markers with urinary phthalate metabolites and semen quality. We also explored the potential mediation effects by oxidative stress markers.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Significantly positive dose-dependent relationships were observed between each individual phthalate metabolite and all analyzed oxidative stress markers (all 〈em〉p〈/em〉 for trend〈0.05), except for monoethyl phthalate (MEP) in relation to HNE-MA. Additionally, significantly or suggestively inverse dose-dependent relationships were exhibited between urinary 8-isoPGF〈sub〉2α〈/sub〉 and sperm concentration (〈em〉p〈/em〉 for trend = 0.05), and between urinary 8-OHdG and percent of normal sperm morphology (〈em〉p〈/em〉 for trend = 0.01). Mediation analysis showed that urinary 8-isoPGF〈sub〉2α〈/sub〉 suggestively mediated 12% of the inverse association between monobutyl phthalate (MBP) and sperm concentration, and that urinary 8-OHdG suggestively mediated 32% of the inverse association of MEP with percent of normal sperm morphology (both 〈em〉p〈/em〉 〈 0.10).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Although further investigations are required, our results suggest that oxidative stress may play a mediating role in the effects of phthalate exposure on impaired semen quality.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 26 September 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ishara Fernando, Tingting Qian, Yan Zhou〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), Tween 20, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) are among the commonly used surfactants and polymers to stabilize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). However, their interactions with AgNPs are different. The impact of these surfactants and polymers on the colloidal stability of freshly synthesized uncoated AgNPs was evaluated through a series of long-term experiments and analyzed in terms of their physical and chemical behavior. The cationic surfactant, CTAB was able to produce a mono modal particle size distribution in a prolonged period without affecting the dissolution. In the presence of Tween 20, a non-ionic surfactant, dissolution was promoted in the long run and the particles were preserved with minimal aggregation. In the presence of the polymers, PVP and PEG, the particle structure was not affected even though dissolution was observed. This study presents important insights on the interactions of AgNPs with surfactants and polymers, which could significantly affect the transformations and fate of AgNPs in the aquatic environment.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 27 September 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yang Hu, Gang Liu, Jennifer Rood, Liming Liang, George A. Bray, Lilian de Jonge, Brent Coull, Jeremy D. Furtado, Lu Qi, Philippe Grandjean, Qi Sun〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Recent studies suggested an inverse association between exposures to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and bone mineral density (BMD). Whether exposures to PFASs are also associated with changes in BMD has not been examined.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉Five major PFASs (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, PFOS; perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOA; perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, PFHxS; perfluorononanoic acid, PFNA; perfluorodecanoic acid, PFDA) and BMD (g/cm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉) at six bone sites (spine, total hip, femoral neck, hip intertrochanteric area, hip trochanter, and hip Ward's triangle area) were measured at baseline among 294 participants in the POUNDS-LOST study, a weight-loss trial, of whom a total of 175 participants had BMD measured at both baseline and year 2. Linear regression was used to model the differences or changes in BMD for each SD increment of PFAS concentrations. In a secondary analysis, interactions between PFASs and baseline body mass index (BMI), as well as a BMI-related genetic risk score (GRS) derived from 97 BMI-predicting SNPs were examined in relation to changes in BMD.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉At baseline, both PFOS and PFOA were significantly associated with lower BMD at several sites. For each SD increase of PFOS, the βs (95% CIs) for BMD were −0.020(-0.037, −0.003) for spine, −0.013(-0.026, 0.001) for total hip, −0.014(-0.028, 0.000) for femoral neck, and −0.013(-0.026, 0.000) for hip trochanter. For PFOA, the corresponding figures were −0.021(-0.038, −0.004) for spine, −0.015(-0.029, −0.001) for total hip, and −0.015(-0.029, −0.002) for femoral neck. After adjusting for baseline covariates and 2-year weight change, higher baseline plasma concentrations of PFOS, PFNA, and PFDA were associated with greater reduction in BMD in the hip; the βs (95% CIs) were −0.005(-0.009, −0.001), −0.006(-0.010, −0.001), and −0.005(-0.009, −0.001), respectively. Similar associations were found in hip intertrochanteric area for all PFASs except PFHxS, with βs ranging from −0.006 for PFOA to −0.008 for PFOS and PFNA. Participants with a higher GRS tended to have less PFAS-related BMD decline in total hip (P〈sub〉interaction〈/sub〉 = 0.005) and the hip intertrochanteric area (P〈sub〉interaction〈/sub〉 = 0.021). There were similar PFAS-related BMD changes by baseline BMI levels, although the interactions did not achieve statistical significance.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉This study demonstrated that higher plasma PFAS concentrations were not only associated with a lower BMD at baseline, but also a faster BMD loss in a weight-loss trial setting. Genetic predisposition to larger body size may somewhat attenuate the deleterious effects of PFASs on BMD. Further exploration of the possible impact of PFAS exposures on bone density is warranted.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 26 September 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Lianqin Zhao, Shengnan Yang, Ailimire Yilihamu, Qiang Ma, Mengyao Shi, Bowei Ouyang, Qiangqiang Zhang, Xin Guan, Sheng-Tao Yang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Graphene adsorbents have been applied to remove diverse pollutants from aqueous systems. However, the mechanical strength of most graphene adsorbents is low and the fragile graphene sheets are released into the environment. In this study, we prepared carboxylated graphene oxide/chitosan/cellulose (GCCSC) composite beads with good mechanical strength for the immobilization of Cu〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 from both water and soil. The proportional limit of GCCSC beads was 3.2 N, a much larger value than graphene oxide beads (0.2 N). The largest pressure for GCCSC beads recorded before brittle failure was 26 N. The Cu〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 adsorption capacity of GCCSC beads was 22.4 mg/g in aqueous systems at initial Cu〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 concentration of 40 μg/mL, which is competitive with many efficient adsorbents. The partition coefficient (PC) for the Cu〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 adsorption onto GCCSC beads was 1.12 mg/g/μM at 〈em〉C〈/em〉〈sub〉e〈/sub〉 of 0.83 mg/L and 〈em〉q〈/em〉〈sub〉e〈/sub〉 of 14.3 mg/g. The PC decreased to 0.055 mg/g/μM at 〈em〉C〈/em〉〈sub〉e〈/sub〉 of 26.0 mg/L and 〈em〉q〈/em〉〈sub〉e〈/sub〉 of 22.4 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics of Cu〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 on GCCSC beads were moderately fast and required approximately 3 h to reach equilibrium with a 〈em〉k〈/em〉〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 of 0.0021 g/(mg·min). A lower temperature and higher pH slightly increased the adsorption capacity of GCCSC beads. The ionic strength did not influence the adsorption. The porous structure of GCCSC beads blocked the direct contact between soil and the graphene surface; thus, a high Cu〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 immobilization efficiency was achieved by GCCSC beads applied to soil. The implications for the design of high-performance graphene adsorbents for water and soil remediation are discussed.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 26 September 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Nicolas Borchers-Arriagada, Joshua A. Horsley, Andrew J. Palmer, Geoffrey G. Morgan, Rachel Tham, Fay H. Johnston〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Asthma-related outcomes are regularly used by studies to investigate the association between human exposure to landscape fire smoke and health. Robust summary effect estimates are required to inform health protection policy for fire smoke exposure.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objective〈/h6〉 〈p〉To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the association between short-term exposure to landscape fire smoke (LFS) fine particulate matter (PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉) and asthma-related outcomes.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines. Four databases (PubMed, Medline, EMBASE and Scopus) and reference lists of recent fire smoke and health reviews were searched. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the quality of case-crossover studies, and a previously validated quality assessment framework was used for observational studies lacking control groups. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger's Test. The trim and fill method was used when there was evidence of publication bias. Sensitivity and influence analyses were conducted on all endpoints to test the robustness of estimates. Summary estimates were obtained for hospitalisations and emergency department (ED) visits. A descriptive analysis was conducted for physician visits, medication use, and salbutamol dispensations.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉From an initial 181 articles (after duplicate removal), 20 studies were included for quantitative assessment and descriptive synthesis. LFS PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 levels were positively associated with asthma hospitalisations (RR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02–1.09) and emergency department visits (RR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.04–1.09). Subgroup analyses found that females were more susceptible than males for ED visits, and that there was an increasing association by age groups for hospital admissions and ED visits. High heterogeneity between studies was observed, but results were robust to sensitivity analysis.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Females and all adults aged over 65 years appear to be the population groups most sensitive to asthma-related outcomes when exposed to LFS PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉. Overall, results were higher than those obtained for a typical PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 mixture.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 179, Part A〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ana Kovačič, Marjeta Česen, Maria Laimou-Geraniou, Dimitra Lambropoulou, Tina Kosjek, David Heath, Ester Heath〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The limited knowledge on the stability, removal, and the fate of bisphenol A analogues in the aqueous environment led us to assess the removal by hydrolysis, adsorption, biological treatment and UV photolysis of eighteen common bisphenol compounds (BPs). Hydrolysis of BPs does not occur. The main factor affecting their stability in wastewater samples is storage time, and safe storage conditions were found to be −20 °C or 4 °C for up to four weeks. The results also revealed no significant reduction in the levels of BPs standards when stored in either methanol or ultrapure water. BPE was found to be the most stable, followed by BPF isomers, BPS and BPF, while BP26DM was the least stable and BPM, BPPH, BPP, BPBP and BPFL were quickly adsorbed. For most BPs, the removal efficiency of biological treatment was 〉85%, and there was no difference between the suspended activated sludge and moving bed bioreactors. Different adsorption affinities of the BPs to biomass were observed and reflect the differences in their K〈sub〉ow〈/sub〉. In terms of degradability, direct UV photolysis in water produced three groups of BPs: (A) highly removable (RE 〉 94%), (B) moderately removable (RE 50–80%) and (C) poorly removable (RE 25–45%). In nearly all cases degradation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935119305353-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 179, Part A〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jillian Ashley-Martin, Linda Dodds, Tye E. Arbuckle, Bruce Lanphear, Gina Muckle, Maryse F. Bouchard, Mandy Fisher, Elizabeth Asztalos, Warren Foster, Stefan Kuhle〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉Fetal exposure to some toxic metals has been associated with reduced fetal growth, but the impact of contemporary, low-level metals on anthropometric measures in childhood is not well understood. Our primary objective was to quantify associations between childhood levels of toxic metals and concurrently measured body mass index (BMI) in a population of Canadian preschool-aged children.〈/p〉 〈p〉We collected biomonitoring data and anthropometric measures on 480 children between the ages of two and five years in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Child Development Plus study. Concentrations of four toxic metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury) were measured in whole blood collected from pregnant women and their children. Blood levels of key essential elements were also measured in children. Children's weight, height, and BMI z-scores were calculated using the World Health Organization growth standards. We used a series of linear regression models, adjusted for potential parental confounders, concurrently measured metals and elements, and prenatal blood metal levels, to evaluate associations between tertiles of each toxic metal and anthropometric measures. We tested for effect modification by sex.〈/p〉 〈p〉Of the 480 children, 449 (94%) were singleton births and had complete biomonitoring and anthropometric data. The majority of children had detectable concentrations of metals. In the adjusted models, girls with blood lead concentrations in the highest tertile (〉0.82 μg/dL) had, on average, 0.26 (95% Cl: -0.55, 0.03) lower BMI z-scores than those in the referent category. In contrast, boys with lead levels in the highest tertile had, on average, 0.14 higher BMI z-scores (95% Cl: -0.14, 0.41) (p-value heterogeneity = 0.04).〈/p〉 〈p〉In this population of Canadian preschool-aged children with low-level blood lead concentrations, we observed effect modification by sex in the association between Pb and BMI but no statistically significant associations in the sex-specific strata. Child blood levels of As, Cd, and Hg were not associated with childhood BMI, weight, or height in boys or girls.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 21 October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yuankun Wang, Yuwei Tao, Dong Sheng, Yuting Zhou, Dong Wang, Xiaorui Shi, Jichun Wu, Xirong Ma〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Hydrological processes of the Yangtze River have changed over the past decades due to environmental change and human activity. This paper uses sample entropy to investigate the spatial distribution and dynamic change in streamflow series complexity in the Yangtze River, China. In this study, the complexity of the streamflow series is quantified by entropy analysis. Daily streamflow series for four stations located in the mainstem and two control stations of the two largest freshwater lakes were analysed for the past 60 years. The results showed that the complexity of the streamflow series showed an obvious spatial difference and an increasing trend from upstream to downstream in the Yangtze River. There was a negative relationship between the annual streamflow and the corresponding sample entropy, and their peak-to-valley values showed well-corresponding relationships. The complexity of the runoff series at the Cuntan, Yichang, and Datong stations showed a continuous increasing trend, while that of the Hankou station showed a decreasing trend. The Three Gorges Dam changed the streamflow series complexity in the middle reach of the Yangtze River during the initial impoundment stage, while it had only slight impacts during the fully operational stage. Compared to the mainstem reaches, the streamflow series complexity of the two lakes showed no obvious change. The complexity of the streamflow series in the mainstem of the Yangtze River has been influenced by dam construction. The study could provide a scientific reference for understanding the flow dynamic evolution in the Yangtze River.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 180〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Shaodan Huang, Eric Garshick, Carolina L.Z. Vieira, Stephanie T. Grady, Joel D. Schwartz, Brent A. Coull, Jaime E. Hart, Francine Laden, Petros Koutrakis〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉We hypothesized that particulate matter (PM) gamma activity (gamma radiation associated with PM) is associated with systemic effects.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objective〈/h6〉 〈p〉Examine short-term relationships between ambient and indoor exposures to PM gamma activities with systemic inflammation and endothelial activation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉In 85 COPD patients from Eastern Massachusetts, USA from 2012 to 2014, plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) were measured seasonally up to four times. We used US EPA RadNet data measuring ambient gamma radiation attached to PM adjusted for background radiation, and estimated in-home gamma radiation exposures using the ratio of in-home-to-ambient sulfur in PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉. Linear mixed-effects regression models were used to determine associations between moving averages of PM gamma activities through the week before phlebotomy with these biomarkers. We explored ambient and indoor PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉, black carbon (BC), and NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 as confounders.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Ambient and indoor PM gamma activities measured as energy spectra classes 3 through 9 were positively associated with CRP and IL-6. For example, averaged from phlebotomy day through previous 6 days, each IQR increase in indoor PM gamma activity for each spectra class, was associated with an CRP increase ranging from 7.45% (95%CI: 2.77, 12.4) to 13.4% (95%CI: 5.82, 21.4) and for ambient exposures were associated with an increase of 8.75% (95%CI: −0.57, 18.95) to 14.8% (95%CI: 4.5, 26.0). Indoor exposures were associated with IL-6 increase of 3.56% (95%CI: 0.31, 6.91) to 6.46% (95%CI:1.33, 11.85) and ambient exposures were associated with an increase of 0.03% (95%CI: −6.37, 6.87) to 3.50% (95%CI: −3.15, 10.61). There were no positive associations with sVCAM-1. Sensitivity analyses using two-pollutant models showed similar effects.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Our results demonstrate that short-term exposures to environmental PM gamma radiation activities were associated with systemic inflammation in COPD patients.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 12 October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Kumar Vikrant, Ki-Hyun Kim, Jan E. Szulejko, Danil Boukhvalov, Jin Shang, Jörg Rinklebe〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this research, the competitive adsorption characteristics between aromatic hydrocarbons were investigated. It is well-known that an industrial effluent may contain a mixture of pollutants. The composition of effluents is usually highly dynamic in nature to depend upon the feedstock. Hence, one of the pollutants that is present in larger amounts may have the potential to dominate the sorption processes. Although many studies have investigated the competitive adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) onto activated carbon (AC) in detail, little is known about how the overall process is influenced when a fresh incoming VOC molecule encounters a sorbent bed pre-loaded with other VOCs. Consequently, the objective of the present study was to investigate the stability of pre-adsorbed VOC molecules in the presence of other potentially competitive VOCs in the influent stream. In this regard, the sorbent bed of AC was first preloaded with benzene (50 ppm (0.16 mg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉)) and subsequently challenged by either high purity nitrogen or a stream of xylene (at 10, 50, or 100 ppm (0.04, 0.22, or 0.43 mg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉)). The desorption rate of preloaded benzene and uptake rate of challenger xylene were assessed simultaneously. The maximum desorption rates of benzene (R〈sub〉b〈/sub〉) against two challenge scenarios (e.g., 100 ppm (0.43 mg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) xylene and pure N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) were very different from each other, i.e., 663 vs. 257 g kg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, and their final benzene recoveries were 84% and 42%, respectively. The initially high desorption rate for the former quickly decreased with decreasing benzene residual capacity (C, mg∙g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). Interestingly, the adsorption capacity of xylene increased considerably after the preloading of benzene (relative to no preloading). As such, 10% breakthrough volumes (BTV10) of 100, 50, and 10 ppm (0.43, 0.22, and 0.04 mg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) xylene challenge scenarios increased significantly from 100 to 186, 43.4 to 694, and 600 to 1000 L atm g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, respectively. The prevalent mechanisms were analyzed using density functional theory (DFT)-based modelling approaches. The results demonstrated effective replacement of pre-adsorbed molecules with weaker affinity (e.g., benzene) when challenged by molecules with stronger affinity (e.g., xylene) toward the sorbent; this was accompanied by noticeable synergistic enhancement in the adsorption capacity of the latter.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935119306115-fx1.jpg" width="300" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 180〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Marta Jagodic, Doris Potočnik, Janja Snoj Tratnik, Darja Mazej, Majda Pavlin, Ajda Trdin, Tome Eftimov, Lijana Kononenko, Nives Ogrinc, Milena Horvat〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The maternal diet and living environment can affect levels of chemical elements and fatty acid (FA) composition and their stable isotopes (〈em〉δ〈/em〉〈sup〉13〈/sup〉C〈sub〉FA〈/sub〉) in human milk. Information obtained from questionnaires is frequently imprecise, thus limiting proper associations between external and internal exposures as well as health effects. In this study, we focused on seafood as a source of potentially toxic and essential elements and nutritional FAs. Concentrations of selected elements in human milk (As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, Se and Zn) were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Hg using cold vapour atomic-absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS). The identification and quantification of FAs in maternal milk were performed by an in-situ trans-esterification method (FAMEs), and the characterization of FAMEs was performed by gas chromatography with a flame ionisation detector (GC-FID). 〈em〉δ〈/em〉〈sup〉13〈/sup〉C〈sub〉FA〈/sub〉 was determined by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). Seventy-four lactating Slovenian women from the coastal area of Koper (KP), with more frequent consumption of seafood, and the inland area of Pomurje (MS), with less frequent seafood consumption, were included in this study. Along with basic statistical analyses, data mining approaches (classification and clustering) were applied to investigate whether FA composition and 〈em〉δ〈/em〉〈sup〉13〈/sup〉C〈sub〉FA〈/sub〉 could improve the information regarding dietary sources of potentially toxic elements. As and Hg levels in milk were found to be statistically higher in populations from KP than in those from MS, and 71% of individual FAs and 30% of individual 〈em〉δ〈/em〉〈sup〉13〈/sup〉C〈sub〉FA〈/sub〉 values in milk differed statistically between the studied areas. In 19 cases, the levels of FAs in milk were higher in KP than in MS; these FAs include C20:5ω3 and C22:6ω3/C24:1ω9, which are typically contained in fish. In 16 cases, the mean percentage of FAs was higher in MS than in KP; these FAs include the PUFAs C18:2ω6, C18:3ω3, and C20:4ω6 which are important for human and infant growth. The difference in 〈em〉δ〈/em〉〈sup〉13〈/sup〉C levels of C10:0, C12:0, C14:0, C16:1, C16:0, C18:1ω9c, C22:6ω3, and 〈em〉δ〈/em〉〈sup〉13〈/sup〉C 18:0–16:0 in the study groups was statistically significant. In all seven cases where 〈em〉δ〈/em〉〈sup〉13〈/sup〉C of FA significantly differed between KP and MS, 〈em〉δ〈/em〉〈sup〉13〈/sup〉C was higher in KP, indicating a higher proportion of a marine-based diet. The data mining approaches confirmed that the percentage of selected FAs (iC17:0, C4:0, C18:2ω6t, aC17:0, CLA, and C22:4ω6) and 〈em〉δ〈/em〉〈sup〉13〈/sup〉C〈sub〉FA〈/sub〉 of C18:1ω9c in human milk could be used to distinguish between high and low frequency of fresh seafood consumption.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 180〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Rajendiran Karthikraj, Sunmi Lee, Kurunthachalam Kannan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Similar to humans, pet animals are exposed to environmental contaminants through multiple sources and pathways. Although a few studies have demonstrated exposure of cats and dogs to environmental chemicals, little is known about exposure to bisphenols, benzophenone UV filters, and antibacterial agents. In this study, we measured three bisphenols, three benzophenone-type UV filters, triclosan (TCS), and triclocarban (TCC) in dog (〈em〉n〈/em〉 = 50) and cat urine (〈em〉n〈/em〉 = 50) collected from New York State, USA. Among bisphenols, BPS was found at the highest concentrations (mean ± SD: 3.2 ± 8.5 ng/mL in dogs and 8.85 ± 30.0 ng/mL in cats) with detection frequencies of 96% in dogs and 78% in cats. Among benzophenones, BP-3 (oxybenzone) was the dominant compound in pet urine, followed by BP-1 and BP-8. TCS was found at concentrations higher than those of TCC in both cat and dog urine. There were no significant differences in bisphenol concentrations between sexes or age groups, both in dogs and cats. The calculated hazard quotients (HQ) suggested that the current exposure levels of BPS and BP-3 in pets were 2–5 orders of magnitude below the tentative threshold values available for humans.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935119306188-fx1.jpg" width="381" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 179, Part A〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Di Wu, Reinhard Well, Laura M. Cárdenas, Roland Fuß, Dominika Lewicka-Szczebak, Jan Reent Köster, Nicolas Brüggemann, Roland Bol〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The last step of denitrification, i.e. the reduction of N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O to N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, has been intensively studied in the laboratory to understand the denitrification process, predict nitrogen fertiliser losses, and to establish mitigation strategies for N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O. However, assessing N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 production via denitrification at large spatial scales is still not possible due to lack of reliable quantitative approaches. Here, we present a novel numerical “mapping approach” model using the δ〈sup〉15〈/sup〉N〈sup〉sp〈/sup〉/δ〈sup〉18〈/sup〉O slope that has been proposed to potentially be used to indirectly quantify N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O reduction to N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 at field or larger spatial scales. We evaluate the model using data obtained from seven independent soil incubation studies conducted under a He–O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 atmosphere. Furthermore, we analyse the contribution of different parameters to the uncertainty of the model. The model performance strongly differed between studies and incubation conditions. Re-evaluation of the previous data set demonstrated that using soils-specific instead of default endmember values could largely improve model performance. Since the uncertainty of modelled N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O reduction was relatively high, further improvements to estimate model parameters to obtain more precise estimations remain an on-going matter, e.g. by determination of soil-specific isotope fractionation factors and isotopocule endmember values of N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O production processes using controlled laboratory incubations. The applicability of the mapping approach model is promising with an increasing availability of real-time and field based analysis of N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O isotope signatures.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 180〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Lindsay R. Emer, Amy E. Kalkbrenner, Mallory O'Brien, Alice Yan, Ron A. Cisler, Lance Weinhardt〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Childhood lead exposure impairs future decision-making and may influence criminal behavior, but its role in future firearm violence is unclear. Using public health, education, and criminal justice datasets linked at the individual level, we studied a population-based cohort of all persons born between June 1, 1986 and December 31, 2003 with a valid blood lead test before age 6 years and stable Milwaukee residency (n = 89,129). We estimated associations with firearm violence perpetration (n = 553) and victimization (n = 983) using logistic regression, adjusting for temporal trends, child sex, race, and neighborhood socioeconomic status. Increasing risks for firearm violence perpetration and victimization were found in each higher category of blood lead compared to the lowest, after adjusting for confounding. For perpetration, risk ratios (RR) for increasing comparisons of mean blood lead in categories of ≥5 〈 10, ≥10 〈 20, and ≥20 μg/dL compared to persons with mean blood lead 〈 5 μg/dL, were: RR 2.3 (95% CI 1.6, 3.3), RR 2.5 (95% CI 1.7, 3.9), and RR 2.8 (95% CI 1.8, 4.4). For victimization, the same increasing categoric comparisons were: RR 1.8 (95% CI 1.4, 2.3), RR 2.4 (95% CI 1.8, 3.2), RR 3.3 (95% CI 2.4, 4.5). The proportion of firearm violence attributable to blood lead ≥5 μg/dL was 56% for perpetration and 51% for victimization. In Milwaukee, during a period of high lead exposures, childhood levels may have substantially contributed to adult firearm violence. While we cannot definitively conclude causality, the possibility that over half of firearm violence among this sample might be due to lead exposure suggests the potential importance of lead exposure reduction in firearm violence prevention efforts.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 180〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Qian Xiao, Gilbert Gee, Rena R. Jones, Peng Jia, Peter James, Lauren Hale〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Introduction〈/h6〉 〈p〉Artificial light at night (ALAN) can disrupt circadian rhythms and cause sleep disturbances. Several previous epidemiological studies have reported an association between higher levels of outdoor ALAN and shorter sleep duration. However, it remains unclear how this association may differ by individual- and neighborhood-level socioeconomic status, and whether ALAN may also be associated with longer sleep duration.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We assessed the cross-sectional relationship between outdoor ALAN and self-reported sleep duration in 333,365 middle- to older-aged men and women in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Study participants reported baseline addresses, which were geocoded and linked with outdoor ALAN exposure measured by satellite imagery data obtained from the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s Operational Linescan System. We used multinomial logistic regression to estimate the multinomial odds ratio (MOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the likelihood of reporting very short (〈5 h), short (〈7 h) and long (≥9 h) sleep relative to reporting 7–8 h of sleep across quintiles of LAN. We also conducted subgroup analyses by individual-level education and census tract-level poverty levels.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉We found that higher levels of ALAN were associated with both very short and short sleep. When compared to the lowest quintile, the highest quintile of ALAN was associated with 16% and 25% increases in the likelihood of reporting short sleep in women (MOR〈sub〉Q1 vs Q5〈/sub〉, (95% CI), 1.16 (1.10, 1.22)) and men (1.25 (1.19, 1.31)), respectively. Moreover, we found that higher ALAN was associated with a decrease in the likelihood of reporting long sleep in men (0.79 (0.71, 0.89)). We also found that the associations between ALAN and short sleep were larger in neighborhoods with higher levels of poverty.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉The burden of short sleep may be higher among residents in areas with higher levels of outdoor LAN, and this association is likely stronger in poorer neighborhoods. Future studies should investigate the potential benefits of reducing light intensity in high ALAN areas in improve sleep health.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 10 October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Konstantin Yu Kirichenko, Alexander M. Zakharenko, Konstantin S. Pikula, Vladimir V. Chaika, Zhanna V. Markina, Tatiana Yu Orlova, Stanislav A. Medvedev, Greta Waissi, Aleksey S. Kholodov, Aristides M. Tsatsakis, Kirill S. Golokhvast〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Welding fumes are a major source of metal oxide particles, ozone, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and many other toxic substances. Hazardous properties and the level of toxicity of welding fumes depend mostly on the welding electrode type and the welding regime parameters. The specific objective of this study was to evaluate the aquatic toxicity of metal welding fume particles 〈em〉in vivo〈/em〉 on microalga 〈em〉Heterosigma akashiwo〈/em〉. The quantity and size of particles were measured by flow cytometry using a scattering laser light with a wavelength of 405 nm. The number of microalgae cells after 72 h and 7 days exposition with welding fume particle suspensions was evaluated by flow cytometry. Morphological changes of the microalga were observed by optical microscopy. The toxic effect was demonstrated as a significant reduction of cell density after exposure of microalgae to welding fume particles. The greatest impact on the growth of microalga was caused by particles with high rutile content. It was shown that the adverse effect of metal oxide particles depends more on the chemical composition of particles in welding fume while the number and dispersity of particles had no noticeable toxic influence on microalgae. The findings of this research confirm the fact that the toxicity of welding fume particles can be significantly reduced by using rutile-cellulose coated electrodes.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 11 October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jingjing Zhao, Beilei Zhang, Hongwei Xie, Jiakang Qu, Xin Qu, Pengfei Xing, Huayi Yin〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉A reducing agent can reduce Co〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 to Co〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 in LiCoO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, thus increasing the leaching efficiency and extraction rate of Co-based cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, ethanol was employed as the reducing agent to leach LiCoO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 obtained from LIBs in a sulfuric acid solution. The effects of operating temperatures (50–90 °C), dosage of ethanol (0-20 vol%), concentration of sulfuric acid (2–6 mol/L), and solid/liquid ratio (10–40  g/L) on the leaching efficiency of LiCoO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 were investigated. By adding 5 vol% ethanol in a 6 mol/L sulfuric acid solution at 90 °C, the extraction efficiency of Co and Li are both over 99%, meaning that ethanol can reduce Co〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 to Co〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 while the ethanol was oxidized to acetic acid. The dissolution of LiCoO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 obeys the residue layer diffusion control model. Although ethanol is a promising reducing agent, future efforts should pay to the management of the secondary wastewater. Overall, the ethanol can be used as a reducing agent to assist the leaching of cathode materials from spent LIBs.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 179, Part A〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jie Luo, Wenxiang He, Jörg Rinklebe, Avanthi Deshani Igalavithana, Filip M.G. Tack, Yong Sik Ok〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Although cost-effective, phytoremediation is too expensive when considering the large-scale pollution. Relative to harvesting the whole plant, it is more practicable to remove and dispose of senescent and dead leaves after phytoremediation. The phytoremediation efficiency of 〈em〉Festuca arundinacea〈/em〉 for Cd was evaluated in this study, because over about 7% of the land area in China was contaminated with Cd. The accumulation, redistribution, and extraction of Cd were evaluated in different leaves of 〈em〉F. arundinacea〈/em〉 intercropped with N-fixing species at different densities (〈em〉Cicer arietinum〈/em〉 L). The results showed that coordinate and malposed intercropping systems increased the dry weight of the senescent and dead leaves of 〈em〉F. arundinacea〈/em〉 by 30–41% and 103–168% compared to the monoculture system, respectively. More Cd was redistributed to the senescent and dead leaves of 〈em〉F. arundinacea〈/em〉 under both intercropping systems. Occupying only 22–30% of the total leaf biomass, senescent and dead leaves accumulated 74–88% of leaf Cd under different cultivation conditions. Relative to the monoculture system, intercropping decreased the amount of time needed to reduce soil Cd by 44–53%. The biomass production and Cd accumulation of 〈em〉F. arundinacea〈/em〉 were higher in the malposed intercropping system, and it had higher remediation efficiency than the coordinate intercropping system. This study demonstrated that intercropping, especially malposed intercropping of 〈em〉F. arundinacea〈/em〉 and 〈em〉C. arietinum〈/em〉 L., is a practicable technology for leaf harvesting phytoremediation.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 179, Part A〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Hanyue Zhang, Baofeng Di, Dongren Liu, Jierui Li, Yu Zhan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Multiyear spatiotemporal distributions of daily ambient sulfur dioxide (SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) are essential for evaluating management effectiveness and assessing human health risk. In this study, we estimate the daily SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 levels across China on 0.1〈sup〉o〈/sup〉 grid from 2013 to 2016 by assimilating satellite- and ground-based SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 observations using the random-forest spatiotemporal kriging (RF-STK) model. The cross-validation 〈em〉R〈/em〉〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 is 0.64 and 0.81 for predicting the daily and multiyear averages, respectively. The multiyear population-weighted average of SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 for China is 28.1 ± 14.0 μg/m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉, and the severest SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 pollution occurs in the northern China (45.1 ± 14.7 μg/m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉). The SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 concentration shows a strong seasonality, i.e., highest in winter (41.6 ± 26.4 μg/m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉) and lowest in summer (19.6 ± 8.3 μg/m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉). During 2013–2016, the annual SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 decreases from 34.4 ± 18.2 to 22.7 ± 11.1 μg/m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉, and the population% exposed for more than 100 nonattainment days (SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 〉 20 μg/m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉) drops from 86% to 48%. While the seasonality of SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 is mainly determined by the meteorological variation, the substantial decrease attributes to the reduced emissions such as from coal consumption. The effectiveness of SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 emission reduction varies widely in different prefectures of China. In Shandong province, the SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 concentration decreases by −45% while the coal consumption increases by 9%. In Shanxi province, the SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 concentration decreases by −15% while the coal consumption decreases by −3%. The contrasting effectiveness between these two provinces is associated with the much fewer waste gas disposal facilities in Shanxi than Shandong. Stricter regulation is required to further lower the SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 concentration in order to protect the public health, especially in the northern China.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935119305924-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 182〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jong Cheol Shin, Kaustubh Vijay Parab, Ruopeng An, Diana S. Grigsby-Toussaint〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Green space is considered a critical environmental factor for sleep quality and quantity. However, no systematic review exploring this relationship exists. The purpose of this systematic review was to 1) explore research related to green space and sleep, and 2) examine the impact of green space exposure on sleep quality and quantity. Papers from eight electronic databases were eligible for inclusion if they met the following criteria: well-designed, any analysis exploring green space and sleep, provided sleep and green space measurement, published in peer-reviewed journals, and written in English. Thirteen eligible studies related to green space and sleep were selected after peer-review procedures. Cross-sectional studies (n = 7) used either a questionnaire or the combination of Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing images for green space measurement, while questionnaires were primarily used to measure both sleep quality and quantity. Intervention studies (n = 5) were categorized into three types: walking program, gardening, and working in a forest. Eleven out of thirteen studies concluded that green space exposure was associated with improvement in both sleep quality and quantity. The findings support the evidence of a positive association between green space exposures and sleep quality and quantity, and also suggest green exercise and therapeutic gardening as possible intervention methods to improve sleep outcomes.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 182〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jiang-Ping Wu, Ying Peng, Hui Zhi, Si-Kang Wu, Xiao-Yun Chen, Yan-Hong Zeng, Xiao-Jun Luo, Bi-Xian Mai〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The crude electronic waste (e-waste) recycling has caused severe contamination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the local environment, begging the question of whether wildlife like birds living at e-waste sites are suffering from adverse effects. We examined several oxidative status markers and their relationships with hepatic concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in common kingfisher (〈em〉Alcedo atthis〈/em〉) that inhabit an e-waste site in South China. The results showed that the mean concentrations of ∑PCBs (19100 ng/g) and ∑PBDEs (507 ng/g) in kingfishers from e-waste site were several orders of magnitude higher than those in the species from a reference site. Correspondingly, hepatic concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in kingfishers from the e-waste site were significantly higher than those detected in the reference population, suggesting oxidative distress in the birds breeding at the e-waste site. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the liver from the exposed group were significantly lower compared with the reference group, while the opposite trend was observed for glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Significantly positive correlations were observed between PCB or PBDE concentrations and the levels of MDA and ROS; while negative correlations were found for enzymatic activities of SOD and CAT. Overall, our results may suggest a potential linkage between exposure to e-waste-derived pollutants and elevated oxidative stress, thereby indicating a potential oxidative stress-related health effects in common kingfisher breeding at the e-waste site.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 182〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Chunhong Liang, Yue Tang, Xiaodan Zhang, Hongxiang Chai, Yuming Huang, Ping Feng〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The N-doped porous carbon (NPC) and N-doped hollow porous carbons (NHPC-1 and NHPC-2) were fabricated using ZIF-8 and its composites (resorcinol and formaldehyde coated ZIF-8, ZIF-8@RF and tannic acid coated ZIF-8, ZIF-8@TA) as precursors via high-temperature pyrolysis and their applications for removing tetracycline (TC) from water were investigated. The various technologies, including SEM, TEM, FT-IR, Raman, N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 adsorption-desorption, XRD and XPS were used to characterize the morphology, textual property, phase and microstructure of three porous carbon materials. The adsorption isotherms and kinetics of TC on three porous carbon materials were fitted well with Langmuir model and pseudo-2nd order model, respectively. In terms of the Langmuir model, the maximum TC adsorption capacities on the NPC, NHPC-1 and NHPC-2 were 180.2, 284.9 and 518.1 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 at 25 °C, respectively. The excellent performance of NHPC-2 for TC removal is mainly attributed to the suitable pore size distribution and pore volume, high nitrogen contents and large amounts of defects. High TC adsorption was achieved in 3–10 pH range and hardly affected by humic acid. TC adsorption on NHPC-2 is spontaneous and endothermic process. The NHPC-2 kept excellent TC adsorption capacity even after eight cycles, showing its good repeatability. Our result indicates that the MOF-mediated N-doped hollow porous carbon is promising for the TC removal from aqueous media.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 182〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Juan C. Mora, Valeria Amado, Fernando Manso, Benoit Charrasse, Justin Smith, Ari T.K. Ikonen, Benjamin Zorko, Yurii Bonchuk, Elizabeth Leclerc, Cecile Boyer, Tracey Anderson, Amanda Anderson, Peter Carný, Diego M. Telleria〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 182〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Navid Mosaleheh, Mehdi Nasiri Sarvi〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Variety of adsorbents have been developed and used for antibiotic separations (〈em〉e.g.〈/em〉 tetracycline), however, there is not enough information about the residual antimicrobial activity of adsorbed antibiotics. In this study, montmorillonite was modified using HDTMA and applied for adsorption of tetracycline in order to minimize the residual antimicrobial activity of tetracycline. Results revealed that despite the high adsorption capacity of the non-modified montmorillonite for tetracycline, high residual antimicrobial activity still remained which was probably correlated to the partial release of tetracycline from the montmorillonite structure. On the other hand, the adsorbed tetracycline onto HDTMA-modified montmorillonite had much weaker residual antimicrobial activity due to the strong attraction force between HDTMA and the tetracycline which minimize the chance of its desorption when releasing the complex in the environment. A series of changes on the HDTMA-modification process (by improvement of HDTMA arrangement in the interlayers of montmorillonite) enhanced the adsorption of tetracycline in the interlayer spaces of montmorillonite with the least residual antimicrobial activity of tetracycline and HDTMA-modified montmorillonite complex. Results of this study present a great enhancement in the adsorption of antibiotics to minimize the effect of antibiotics such as the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 182〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sunju Kim, Seonkyeong Park, Hyeri Jo, Seungwhan Song, Seunghon Ham, Chungsik Yoon〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Polyhexamethyleneguanidine (PHMG) is widely used as a disinfectant to prevent microbial contamination in ultrasonic humidifiers in Korea; however, sales have been prohibited by the government after an outbreak of severe lung injury among humidifier disinfectant users. This study was therefore conducted to determine the characteristics of PHMG particles in aqueous solution and to investigate the behavior of airborne particles generated when using PHMG as a humidifier disinfectant. Three types of PHMG were selected (manufactured in Korea, USA, and China), with dynamic light scattering (DLS) used to determine their behavioral characteristics in aqueous solution. To determine the airborne behavioral characteristics, PHMG was diluted to obtain high (62.5–65 ppm) and low (6.25–6.5 ppm) concentrations, and then real-time monitoring instruments were used to measure the effect of using a diffusion dryer and thermodenuder to control moisture in a cleanroom. A polycarbonate filter sample was analyzed by field emission-scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometry (FE-SEM-EDS) to determine the particle morphology. The DLS intensity results for the three products showed a slightly right-shifted (~100 nm) bimodal distribution relative to the airborne particle size distribution. The size of the airborne PHMG particles increased during the spraying due to aggregation, with the particle size of aggregated particles confirmed by FE-SEM to be approximately 20 nm or more. As the PHMG concentration increased by 10 times, the airborne concentrations measured by the real-time monitoring instrument increased by 2–3 times for nanoparticles, and by 45–85 times for 1–10 μm particles during humidifier operation; however, 99% of the particles generated could be classified as PM〈sub〉1〈/sub〉. Without ventilation, even after operating the humidifier, the PHMG particles could be airborne for about 2 h until the background concentration was reached. Therefore, we found that the airborne behavior was affected by PHMG concentration. Products from different manufacturers had no effect on the airborne behavior.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935119308746-fx1.jpg" width="309" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 182〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Chien-Yu Lin, Hui-Ling Lee, Yi-Ting Hwang, Ta-Chen Su〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been widely used in consumer products. 〈em〉In vitro〈/em〉 and animal studies have demonstrated that exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and/or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) increases oxidative/nitrative stress. Recent studies have also found that isomers of PFOA/PFOS may have unique biological effects on clinical parameters. However, the correlation between PFOA/PFOS isomers and markers of oxidative/nitrative stress has never been investigated in the general population. In the current study, 597 adult subjects (ages between 22 and 63 years old) were enrolled from a control group of a case-control study entitled “Work-related risk factors and coronary heart disease”. We investigated the correlation between the serum isomers of PFOA/PFOS, lipid profiles, and the urine compounds 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 8-nitroguanine (8-NO2Gua) in these participants. There were 519 men and 78 women with a mean age of 45.8 years. Linear PFOA levels were positively correlated with serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), small dense LDL, and triglyceride, and linear PFOS levels were positively correlated with LDL-C and HDL-C in multiple linear regression analyses. After controlling for potential confounders, the mean levels of 8-OHdG and 8-NO2Gua significantly increased across the quartiles of linear PFOS in multiple linear regression analyses. When both the 8-OHdG and 8-NO2Gua levels were above the 50th percentile, the odds ratio (OR) of higher levels of LDL-C (〉75th percentile) with one unit increase in ln linear PFOS level was the highest (OR 3.15 (95% CI = 1.45–6.64), 〈em〉P〈/em〉 = 0.003) in logistic regression models. In conclusion, serum linear PFOA/PFOS were correlated with lipid profiles, and linear PFOS was associated with urine oxidative/nitrative stress biomarkers. The positive correlation between linear PFOS and LDL-C was more marked when concentrations of urine oxidative/nitrative stress biomarkers were elevated. Further studies are needed to elucidate the causal relationships among PFAS isomers, lipid profiles, and oxidative/nitrative stress.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: March 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 182〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Longfei Wang, Wei Chen, Xiaochong Song, Yi Li, Wenlong Zhang, Huanjun Zhang, Lihua Niu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉River biofilms inevitably serve as recipients of heavy metals including copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) following their introduction in fluvial systems. Nevertheless, the effects of cultivation substrata on the characteristics of river biofilm extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and the binding behaviors of heavy metals on biofilms remain unclear. Integrating spectroscopic methods with chemometric analyses, we explored the binding behaviors of Cu(II) and Cd(II) onto biofilm EPS cultivated from two representative substrata at the molecular level. Chemical analysis revealed that biofilm cultivated on polyethylene (PE) pieces contained more non-fluorescent protein fractions, whereas EPS from periphyton grown on mineral, i.e., cobblestones was richer in aromatic fractions and polysaccharides. Excitation-emmision matrix combined with parallel factor analysis suggested a stronger interaction between fluorophores in periphytic EPS with Cu(II) compared to fluorophores in plastic biofilm EPS. Integrated use of infrared spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation analyses revealed that, during the heavy metal binding processes, the amines and phenolics in plastic biofilm EPS gave the fastest responses to metal binding. While the amides and the aliphatic fractions in periphytic EPS showed a preferential binding to heavy metals. This study differentiates the effects of cultivation substrata on structuring the biofilm EPS characteristics and offers new insights into the environmental behaviors of heavy metal discharge into fluvial systems in river biofilm matrix.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935119308497-fx1.jpg" width="417" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 24 December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Lara Ferreira Azevedo, Maria Fernanda Hornos Carneiro, Carlos Roberto Porto Dechandt, Juliana Silva Cassoli, Luciane Carla Alberici, Fernando Barbosa〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS) has been associated with the development of metabolic disorders, such as obesity, dyslipidemias, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Nonetheless, the associated mechanisms are still not fully understood. BPS is being used with no restrictions to replace BPA, which increases the concern regarding its safety and claims for further investigation on its potential mechanisms of toxicity. The present study aims to access liver molecular disturbances which could be associated with systemic metabolic disorders following exposure to BPA or BPS. Therefore, body weight gain and serum biochemical parameters were measured in male Wistar rats chronically exposed to 50 or 500 μg/kg/day of BPA or BPS, while an extensive evaluation of liver protein expression changes was conducted after exposure to 50 μg/kg/day of both compounds. Exposure to the lowest dose of BPA led to the development of hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia, while the BPS lowest dose led to the development of hypertriglyceridemia. Besides, exposure to 500 μg/kg/day of BPS significantly increased body weight gain and LDL-cholesterol levels. Hepatic proteins differentially expressed in BPA and BPS-exposed groups compared to the control group were mostly related to lipid metabolism and synthesis, with upregulation of glucokinase activity-related sequence 1 (1.8-fold in BPA and 2.4-fold in BPS), which is involved in glycerol triglycerides synthesis, and hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase cytoplasmic (2-fold in BPS), an enzyme involved in mevalonate biosynthesis. Essential mitochondrial proteins of the electron transport chain were upregulated after exposure to both contaminants. Also, BPA and BPS dysregulated expression of liver antioxidant enzymes, which are involved in cellular reactive oxygen species detoxification. Altogether, the results of the present study contribute to expand the scientific understanding of how BPA and BPS lead to the development of metabolic disorders and reinforce the risks associated with exposure to these contaminants.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Juanjuan Liu, Stacey Marie Louie, Christopher Pham, Chong Dai, Dongli Liang, Yandi Hu〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉To better understand the fate and transport of ferrihydrite nanoparticles (FNPs), which carry many contaminants in natural and engineered aquatic environments, the aggregation of FNPs was systematically investigated in this study. The pH isoelectric point (pH〈sub〉IEP〈/sub〉), surface zeta potential, and particle size evolutions of FNPs were measured under varied aqueous conditions using dynamic light scattering (DLS). The influence of pH (5.0 ± 0.1 and 7.0 ± 0.1), ionic strength (IS), electrolytes (NaCl, CaCl〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and Na〈sub〉2〈/sub〉SO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉), and organics (humic acid, fulvic acid and CH〈sub〉3〈/sub〉COONa) on the aggregation behaviors of FNPs were explored. Meanwhile, Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory was employed to better understand the controlling mechanisms of FNP aggregation. In the presence of sulfate, the surface charge of FNPs was neutralized under varied pH and ionic strength due to ion adsorption and FNPs phase transformation to schwertmannite based on FT-IR results. This phase transformation resulted in rapid aggregation in all water chemistries tested, whereas other salt species affected the aggregation primarily by ion adsorption and charge screening. Presence of increasing concentrations of the organic acids significantly shifted the pH〈sub〉IEP〈/sub〉 of FNPs (7.0 ± 0.2) to lower pH (〈 4.0) due to adsorption of organics on FNPs surfaces making them negatively charged. The adsorption of HA/FA inhibited FNP aggregation significantly while CH〈sub〉3〈/sub〉COONa did not, due to different effects on steric and/or electrosteric interactions among FNPs by organics with varied p〈em〉K〈/em〉〈sub〉a〈/sub〉 values and molecular weights. After accounting for the important effects of pH, electrolytes, and organics in modifying FNPs’ surface charge, DLVO calculations agreed well with measured critical coagulation concentrations (CCC) values of FNPs at both pH 5.0 ± 0.1 and 7.0 ± 0.1 in the presence of NaCl. This study will hence be useful to better predict and control the fate and transport of FNPs in the presence of electrolytes and organics with different molecular weights, as well as the fate of the associated contaminants in natural and engineered systems.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Stephanie M. Eick, Catterina Ferreccio, Johanna Acevedo, Felicia Castriota, José F. Cordero, Taehyun Roh, Allan H. Smith, Martyn T. Smith, Craig Steinmaus〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objective〈/h6〉 〈p〉Evaluate whether arsenic-related diabetes risks differ between people of low and high socioeconomic status (SES).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We used data collected between October 2007-December 2010 from a population-based cancer case-control study (N = 1301) in Northern Chile, an area with high arsenic water concentrations (〉800 µg/L) and comprehensive records of past exposure. Information on lifetime exposure and potential confounders were obtained using structured interviews, questionnaires, and residential histories. Type 2 diabetes was defined as physician-diagnosed diabetes or oral hypoglycemic medication use. SES was measured using a 14-point scale based on ownership of household appliances, cars, internet access, or use of domestic help. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between arsenic and diabetes within strata of SES.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Among those with low SES, the odds ratio (OR) for diabetes comparing individuals in the highest to lowest tertile of lifetime average arsenic exposure was 2.12 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29–3.49, p = 0.004). However, those in the high SES group were not at increased risk (OR = 1.12 [95% CI = 0.72–1.73]).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Our findings provide evidence that risks of arsenic-related diabetes may be higher in Chile in people with low versus high SES.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yan Gao, Zhao Jiang, Jiaojiao Li, Weiling Xie, Qun Jiang, Mingchun Bi, Ying Zhang〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The biochar used in this study was prepared from corn straw and sawdust mixed in a ratio of 1:1 (m/m) at temperatures of 300 °C and 800 °C, which adopted the methods of co-pyrolysis (BC〈sub〉300A〈/sub〉 and BC〈sub〉800A〈/sub〉) and mixing of single biochar (BC〈sub〉300B〈/sub〉 and BC〈sub〉800B〈/sub〉). The obtained biochar was characterized by SEM, BET and FTIR analysis. Adsorption properties, including the atrazine adsorption kinetics and isotherms of the four kinds of biochar to atrazine, were investigated. The results showed that a pseudo-second order kinetic model was suitable for describing the adsorption of atrazine by BC〈sub〉800B〈/sub〉 because its R〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 value is greater than the pseudo-first order model. The adsorption capacity (q〈sub〉e〈/sub〉) of BC〈sub〉800B,〈/sub〉 blended from the two single biochars produced at 800 °C, is 37.2 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, which is better than that of the other three species. This value is 4–6 times the q〈sub〉e〈/sub〉 values of BC〈sub〉300A〈/sub〉, BC〈sub〉300B〈/sub〉 and BC〈sub〉800A〈/sub〉, which are 6.74 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, 7.77 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 and 5.26 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, respectively. At higher pyrolysis temperature, the pore structure of biochar is more developed, the specific surface area is larger, and the species and number of surface functional groups are also significantly different. At the same time, the results also showed that the order of mixing and pyrolysis affected the characteristics and adsorption capacity of biochar. This study reveals the atrazine adsorption mechanism of four kinds of biochar and provides information about the potential of these types of materials for the removal of atrazine in the aquatic environment.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sonia Grimbuhler, Jean-François Viel〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉This study aimed to develop a questionnaire-based tool measuring the safety climate in vineyards and to assess its psychometric properties.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉A literature search was conducted to identify the dimensions and items that constitute the safety culture construct in various occupational sectors and to draft a conceptual framework. Content validity appraisal was performed by 16 farm managers or pesticide operators. The resulting preliminary conceptual framework consisted of 9 dimensions and 42 questions. Then, a telephone survey was conducted in the French Aquitaine (Bordeaux) region with 312 vineyard workers. Item-total correlation tests, Cronbach's alpha analysis and a principal component analysis were performed to confirm the unidimensionality of the scale under construction. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques were used to verify the model hypothesized from the exploratory analyses and to determine how well it fits the data.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Exploratory analyses resulted initially in a 9-dimension, 20-item safety climate questionnaire. Internal consistency proved good with a Cronbach's alpha equal to 0.81. The SEM approach suggested two dimension groupings for a better fit of the data (7 dimensions operationalized through the same 20 items). Internal model parameters showed that the more influential dimensions of safety climate were Management commitment, Communication and feedback, Rules and practices, and Knowledge (all standardized path coefficients ≥ 0.7).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Owing to its good psychometric properties, we hope this score will help in drawing up relevant interventions aimed at improving safety culture, raising pesticide risk awareness, and hopefully inducing more sustainable practices in the medium-term future.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Govinda Bhandari, Paul Zomer, Kishor Atreya, Hans G.J. Mol, Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉We conducted this study in order to assess the pesticide residues in vegetables and examine the related human health risk. Therefore, residues of 23 pesticides (organophosphates, organochlorines, acaricides, fungicides, and insecticides of biological origin) were analysed in the three main vegetable crops grown in Southern Nepal: 27 eggplant, 27 chilli and 32 tomato samples representing (i) conventional (N = 67) and ii) integrated pest management (IPM) fields (N = 19). Pesticide residues were found in 93% of the eggplant samples and in all of the chilli and tomato samples. Multiple residues were observed in 56% of the eggplant samples, 96% of chilli samples and all of the tomato samples. The range (µg/kg) of total detected pesticide residues in eggplants, chillies and tomatoes was 1.71–231, 4.97–507, 13.1–3465, respectively. The most frequently detected pesticides in these vegetables were carbendazim and chloropyrifos. Pesticide residues in 4% of the eggplant, 44% of the tomato and 19% of the chilli samples exceeded the EU maximum residue limits (MRLs). The residues of triazophos, omethoate, chloropyrifos and carbendazim exceeded the EU MRLs. Compared to chilli and eggplant crops, more carbendazim was sprayed onto tomato crops (p 〈 0.05). We assessed adolescent and adult dietary exposure using hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) equations for the identified pesticides. HQ〉 1 was observed for chloropyrifos, triazophos and carbendazim in eggplants; profenofos, triazophos, dimethoate, omethoate, chloropyrifos and carbendazim in tomatoes; and dichlorvos and chloropyrifos in chillies. Of all of the HQs, the highest acute HQ (aHQ) was for triazophos (tomato) in adolescents (aHQ=657) and adults (aHQ=677), showing the highest risks of dietary exposure. The cumulative dietary exposure showed a higher HI for organophosphates (HI〉83) and a lower HI for organochlorines, acaricides and biological insecticides (HI〈1). The concentration of pesticide residues in the vegetable crops from the IPM field was considerably lower, suggesting a greater ability of IPM systems to reduce the dietary risks from exposure to pesticides.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935119301306-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="fx1" title="fx1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Michiel Bastiaensen, Yu Ait Bamai, Atsuko Araki, Nele Van den Eede, Toshio Kawai, Tazuru Tsuboi, Reiko Kishi, Adrian Covaci〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Indoor environments contain a wide range of new chemicals such as phosphate flame retardants and plasticizers (PFRs). Despite recent epidemiological evidence suggesting that children might be affected by widespread exposure to PFRs, questions remain about the various exposure pathways to these chemicals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate exposure to PFRs by measuring the concentrations a set of urinary metabolites for schoolchildren from Japan (n = 128) and associating them with house dust concentrations and housing characteristics. Detectable concentrations of both diaryl and dialkyl phosphates (DAPs) and hydroxylated metabolites (HO-PFRs) were found in urine samples of almost all children. 2-Hydroxyethyl bis(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (BBOEHEP) was the most frequently detected metabolite (98%) followed by 1-hydroxy-2-propyl bis(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCIPHIPP, 95%) and tris(chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP). Next to BBOEHEP, two other metabolites of tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) were also frequently detected. Significant correlations of moderate strength were found between parent compounds detected in high concentrations in house dust (TBOEP, tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP)) and their corresponding metabolites, suggesting that dust is a primary exposure source for these PFRs. Several personal and housing characteristics, such as gender, income, and the use of PVC and ventilation were associated with metabolite concentrations in multivariate linear regression. Overall, this study showed that Japanese schoolchildren are exposed to a wide range of PFRs.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Monica K. Silver, Jie Shao, Mingyan Li, Chai Ji, Minjian Chen, Yankai Xia, Betsy Lozoff, John D. Meeker〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Introduction〈/h6〉 〈p〉Despite widespread use, many herbicides and fungicides are not well studied for neurological effects. Fetal and infant brains are rapidly developing, yet the effects of early-life exposure to these classes of pesticides on visual and auditory function are unknown. Here we examined the effects of prenatal herbicide and fungicide exposure on infant grating visual acuity (VA) and auditory brainstem response (ABR).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉9 herbicides and 13 fungicides were measured in umbilical cord blood plasma from a cohort of infants in Fuyang County, China (n = 232). Grating VA and ABR latencies for waves I, III, V were measured at 3 time points: 6 weeks, 9 months, and 18 months. Outcomes included VA score, ABR wave V latency and ABR central conduction time (CCT [wave V- wave I]). Pesticides were analyzed as 3-level ordinal (non-detect [ND]/medium/high), or dichotomous (ND/detect), depending on detection rates. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate relations between pesticides and VA and ABR outcomes.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉2,4-dichloroacetic acid (2,4-D), prometryn, simazine, and tetrahydrophthalamide (THPI, a metabolite of captan) were detected in 27%, 81%, 17%, and 16% of samples, respectively. Infants prenatally exposed to 2,4-D had slower auditory response times at 6 weeks. Infants with cord levels of 2,4-D 〉 1.17 ng/mL had wave V latencies that were 0.12 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.22) ms slower (p = 0.01) and overall CCTs that were 0.15 (95% CI:0.05, 0.25) ms slower (p = 0.003) than infants with non-detectable 2,4-D in their cord blood. No other statistically significant findings were observed for the other herbicides and fungicides or for the grating VA outcome.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Prenatal exposure to the herbicide 2,4-D was associated with slower auditory signal transmission in early infancy. ABR latencies reflect auditory pathway maturation and longer latencies may indicate delayed auditory development.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Maria José Rosa, Hsiao-Hsien Leon Hsu, Allan C. Just, Kasey J. Brennan, Tessa Bloomquist, Itai Kloog, Ivan Pantic, Adriana Mercado García, Ander Wilson, Brent A. Coull, Robert O. Wright, Martha María Téllez Rojo, Andrea A. Baccarelli, Rosalind J. Wright〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Introduction〈/h6〉 〈p〉〈em〉In utero〈/em〉 particulate matter exposure produces oxidative stress that impacts cellular processes that include telomere biology. Newborn telomere length is likely critical to an individual's telomere biology; reduction in this initial telomere setting may signal increased susceptibility to adverse outcomes later in life. We examined associations between prenatal particulate matter with diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉) and relative leukocyte telomere length (LTL) measured in cord blood using a data-driven approach to characterize sensitive windows of prenatal PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 effects and explore sex differences.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉Women who were residents of Mexico City and affiliated with the Mexican Social Security System were recruited during pregnancy (n = 423 for analyses). Mothers’ prenatal exposure to PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 was estimated based on residence during pregnancy using a validated satellite-based spatio-temporally resolved prediction model. Leukocyte DNA was extracted from cord blood obtained at delivery. Duplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to compare the relative amplification of the telomere repeat copy number to single gene (albumin) copy number. A distributed lag model incorporating weekly averages for PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 over gestation was used in order to explore sensitive windows. Sex-specific associations were examined using Bayesian distributed lag interaction models.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉In models that included child's sex, mother's age at delivery, prenatal environmental tobacco smoke exposure, pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational age, birth season and assay batch, we found significant associations between higher PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 exposure during early pregnancy (4–9 weeks) and shorter LTL in cord blood. We also identified two more windows at 14–19 and 34–36 weeks in which increased PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 exposure was associated with longer LTL. In stratified analyses, the mean and cumulative associations between PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 and shortened LTL were stronger in girls when compared to boys.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Increased PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 during specific prenatal windows was associated with shorter LTL and longer LTL. PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 was more strongly associated with shortened LTL in girls when compared to boys. Understanding sex and temporal differences in response to air pollution may provide unique insight into mechanisms.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Johannah Cramer, Jeanette Therming Jørgensen, Mette Sørensen, Claus Backalarz, Jens Elgaard Laursen, Matthias Ketzel, Ole Hertel, Steen Solvang Jensen, Mette Kildevæld Simonsen, Elvira Vaclavik Bräuner, Zorana Jovanovic Andersen〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Studies have suggested that traffic noise is associated with markers of obesity. We investigated the association of exposure to road traffic noise with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference in the Danish Nurse Cohort.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We used data on 15,501 female nurses (aged 〉44 years) from the nationwide Danish Nurse Cohort who, in 1999, reported information on self-measured height, weight, and waist circumference, together with information on socioeconomic status, lifestyle, work and health. Road traffic noise at the most exposed façade of the residence was estimated using Nord2000 as the annual mean of a weighted 24-h average (L〈sub〉den〈/sub〉). We used multiple linear regression models to examine associations of road traffic noise levels in 1999 (1-year mean) with BMI and waist circumference, adjusting for potential confounders, and evaluated effect modification by degree of urbanization, air pollution levels, night shift work, job strain, sedative use, sleep aid use, and family history of obesity.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉We did not observe associations between road traffic noise (per 10 dB increase in the 1-year mean L〈sub〉den〈/sub〉) and BMI (kg/m〈sup〉2〈/sup〉) (β: 0.00; 95% confidence interval (CI: −0.07, 0.07) or waist circumference (cm) (β: −0.09; 95% CI: −0.31, 0.31) in the fully adjusted model. We found significant effect modification of job strain and degree of urbanization on the associations between L〈sub〉den〈/sub〉 and both BMI and waist circumference. Job strained nurses were associated with a 0.41 BMI-point increase, (95% CI: 0.06–0.76) and a 1.00 cm increase in waist circumference (95% CI: 0.00–2.00). Nurses living in urban areas had a statistically significant positive association of L〈sub〉den〈/sub〉 with BMI (β: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.11–0.42), whilst no association was found for nurses living in suburban and rural areas.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusion〈/h6〉 〈p〉Our results suggest that road traffic noise exposure in nurses with particular susceptibilities, such as those with job strain, or living in urban areas, may lead to increased BMI, a marker of adiposity.〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Teresa Moreno, Antonio Pacitto, Amaia Fernández, Fulvio Amato, Esther Marco, Joan O. Grimalt, Giorgio Buonanno, Xavier Querol〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Vehicle interior air quality (VIAQ) was investigated inside 14 diesel/non-diesel taxi pairs operating simultaneously and under normal working conditions over six weekday hours (10.00–16.00) in the city of Barcelona, Spain. Parameters measured included PM〈sub〉10〈/sub〉 mass and inorganic chemistry, ultrafine particle number (N) and size, lung surface deposited area (LDSA), black carbon (BC), CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, CO, and a range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Most taxi drivers elected to drive with windows open, thus keeping levels of CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and internally-generated VOCs low but exposing them to high levels of traffic-related air pollutants entering from outside and confirming that air exchange rates are the dominant influence on VIAQ. Median values of N and LDSA (both sensitive markers of VIAQ fluctuations and likely health effects) were reduced to around 10〈sup〉4〈/sup〉 #/cm〈sup〉3〈/sup〉 and 〈 20 µm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉/cm〈sup〉3〈/sup〉 respectively under closed conditions, but more than doubled with windows open and sometimes approached 10〈sup〉5〈/sup〉 #/cm〈sup〉3〈/sup〉 and 240 µm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉/cm〈sup〉3〈/sup〉. In exceptional traffic conditions, transient pollution peaks caused by outside infiltration exceeded N = 10〈sup〉6〈/sup〉 #/cm〈sup〉3〈/sup〉 and LDSA= 1000 µm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉/cm〈sup〉3〈/sup〉. Indications of self-pollution were implicated by higher BC and CO levels, and larger UFP sizes, measured inside diesel taxis as compared to their non-diesel pair, and the highest concentrations of CO (〉2 ppm) were commonly associated with older, high-km diesel taxis. Median PM〈sub〉10〈/sub〉 concentrations (67 µg/m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉) were treble those of urban background, mainly due to increased levels of organic and elemental carbon, with source apportionment calculations identifying the main pollutants as vehicle exhaust and non-exhaust particles. Enhancements in PM〈sub〉10〈/sub〉 concentrations of Cr, Cu, Sn, Sb, and a “High Field Strength Element” zircon-related group characterised by Zr, Hf, Nb, Y and U, are attributed mainly to the presence of brake-derived PM. Volatile organic compounds display a mixture which reflects the complexity of traffic-related organic carbon emissions infiltrating the taxi interior, with 2-methylbutane and n-pentane being the most abundant VOCs, followed by toluene, m-xylene, o-xylene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, benzene, and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene. Internally sourced VOCs included high monoterpene concentrations from an air freshener, and interior off-gassing may explain why the youngest taxi registered the highest content of alkanes and aromatic compounds. Carbon dioxide concentrations quickly climbed to undesirable levels (〉2500 ppm) under closed ventilation conditions and could stay high for much of the working day. Taxi drivers face daily occupational exposure to traffic-related air pollutants and would benefit from a greater awareness of VIAQ issues, notably the use of ventilation, to encourage them to minimise possible health effects caused by their working environment.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: June 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 173〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Liping Yi, Xin Xu, Wenxin Ge, Haibin Xue, Jin Li, Daoyuan Li, Chunping Wang, Haixia Wu, Xiaobo Liu, Dashan Zheng, Zhe Chen, Qiyong Liu, Peng Bi, Jing Li〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Climate change may lead to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and pose public health challenges to human health and the already overloaded healthcare system. It is therefore important to review current knowledge and identify further directions in China, the largest developing country in the world.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉A comprehensive literature review was conducted to examine the relationship between climate variability and infectious disease transmission in China in the new millennium. Literature was identified using the following MeSH terms and keywords: climatic variables [temperature, precipitation, rainfall, humidity, etc.] and infectious disease [viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases].〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Fifty-eight articles published from January 1, 2000 to May 30, 2018 were included in the final analysis, including bacterial diarrhea, dengue, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, HFRS, HFMD, Schistosomiasis. Each 1 °C rise may lead to 3.6%–14.8% increase in the incidence of bacillary dysentery disease in south China. A 1 °C rise was corresponded to an increase of 1.8%–5.9% in the weekly notified HFMD cases in west China. Each 1 °C rise of temperature, 1％ rise in relative humidity and one hour rise in sunshine led to an increase of 0.90%, 3.99% and 0.68% in the monthly malaria cases, respectively. Climate change with the increased temperature and irregular patterns of rainfall may affect the pathogen reproduction rate, their spread and geographical distribution, change human behavior and influence the ecology of vectors, and increase the rate of disease transmission in different regions of China.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusion〈/h6〉 〈p〉Exploring relevant adaptation strategies and the health burden of climate change will assist public health authorities to develop an early warning system and protect China's population health, especially in the new 1.5 °C scenario of the newly released IPCC special report.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: June 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 173〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Kedi Jiao, Wenqi Hu, Ci Ren, Zece Xu, Wei Ma〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objective〈/h6〉 〈p〉Guangdong province is one of the provinces most frequently hit by tropical cyclones in China. Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) continues to severely affect public health across the world. Our study aimed to evaluate the impacts of different grades of tropical cyclones and accompanying precipitation and wind velocity on HFMD among children younger than 6 years old in Guangdong province from 2009 to 2013.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉A time-stratified case-crossover design was used to examine the association between tropical cyclones and childhood HFMD. Principal component analysis (PCA) was first used to eliminate multicollinearity among meteorological variables. Conditional Poisson regression was then applied to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Tropical storms increased the risk of HFMD among children below 6 years of age on lag 4 days (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.28–1.88). Tropical storms were also a risk factor for boys below 3 years of age, boys between 3 and 6 and girls below 3 years of age with the largest OR = 1.52 (95%CI:1.15–2.00), OR = 1.81 (95%CI = 1.21–2.71) and OR = 1.51 (95%CI = 1.04–2.19), respectively. Precipitation during tropical cyclones had an adverse effect on childhood HFMD when reaching 25–49.9 mm or above 100 mm with OR = 1.20 (95%CI = 1.00–1.43) on lag 0 day and OR = 1.25 (95%CI = 1.04–1.49) on lag 7 days, respectively. For extreme wind velocity during tropical cyclones, the impact on childhood HFMD was largest on the day tropical cyclones landed (OR = 1.25, 95%CI: 1.06–1.48) with winds up to 13.9–24.4  m/s.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Tropical storms can increase the risk of HFMD among children younger than 3 years old, especially boys between 3 and 6 years old. Precipitation during tropical cyclones is a risk factor for childhood HFMD when it is between 25 and 49.9 mm or above 100 mm. As extreme wind velocity reaches 13.9–24.4  m/s, it has an adverse effect on children's health. Children below 3 years old and boys between 3 and 6 should be given more consideration during tropical storms.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935119301690-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 16 March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ione Avila-Palencia, Michelle Laeremans, Barbara Hoffmann, Esther Anaya-Boig, Glòria Carrasco-Turigas, Tom Cole-Hunter, Audrey de Nazelle, Evi Dons, Thomas Götschi, Luc Int Panis, Juan Pablo Orjuela, Arnout Standaert, Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Aim〈/h6〉 〈p〉To assess the main and interaction effects of black carbon and physical activity on arterial blood pressure in a healthy adult population from three European cities using objective personal measurements over short-term (hours and days) and long-term exposure.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉A panel study of 122 healthy adults was performed in three European cities (Antwerp, Barcelona, and London). In 3 seasons between March 2015 and March 2016, each participant wore sensors for one week to objectively measure their exposure to black carbon and monitor their physical activity continuously. Blood pressure was assessed three times during the week: at the beginning (day 0), in the middle (day 4), and at the end (day 7). Associations of black carbon and physical activity with blood pressure and their interactions were investigated with linear regression models and multiplicative interaction terms, adjusting for all the potential confounders.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉In multiple exposure models, we did not see any effects of black carbon on blood pressure but did see effects on systolic blood pressure of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity effect that were statistically significant from 1 h to 8 h after exposure and for long-term exposure. For a 1METhour increase of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, the difference in the expected mean systolic blood pressure varied from −1.46 mmHg (95%CI -2.11, −0.80) for 1 h mean exposure, to −0.29 mmHg (95%CI -0.55, −0.03) for 8 h mean exposure, and −0.05 mmHg (95%CI -0.09, −0.00) for long-term exposure. There were little to no interaction effects.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉Results from this study provide evidence that short-term and long-term exposure to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated with a decrease in systolic blood pressure levels. We did not find evidence for a consistent main effect of black carbon on blood pressure, nor any interaction between black carbon and physical activity levels.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: June 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 173〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Irmina Maria Michalek, Jan Ivar Martinsen, Elisabete Weiderpass, Johnni Hansen, Pär Sparen, Laufey Tryggvadottir, Eero Pukkala〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objectives〈/h6〉 〈p〉To determine whether occupational exposure to heavy metals (chromium (VI), iron, nickel, lead) and welding fumes is associated with the risk of kidney cancer and to describe whether other occupational exposures included in the Job Exposure Matrix of the Nordic Occupational Cancer (NOCCA) study are associated with the risk.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Materials and methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉Nested case-control study among individuals registered in population censuses in Finland, Iceland, and Sweden in 1960–1990. A total of 59,778 kidney cancer cases, and 298,890 controls matched on sex, age, and country. Cumulative occupational exposures to metals (chromium (VI), iron, nickel, lead), welding fumes, and 24 other occupational exposure covariates, lagged 0, 10, and 20 years.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉Overall, there was no or very little association between kidney cancer and exposures studied. The risk was elevated in individuals with high exposure to asbestos (OR 1.19, 95%CI 1.08–1.31). The risk was significantly decreased for individuals characterized with high perceived physical workload (OR 0.86, 95%CI 0.82–0.91), high exposure to ultraviolet radiation (OR 0.85, 95%CI 0.79–0.92), and high exposure to wood dust (OR 0.82, 95%CI 0.71–0.94). The risk of kidney cancer under the age of 59 was elevated in individuals with high exposure to nickel (OR 1.49, 95%CI 1.03–2.17). The risk of kidney cancer in age 59–74 years was elevated for individuals with high exposure to iron (OR 1.41, 95%CI 1.07–1.85), and high exposure to welding fumes (OR 1.43, 95%CI 1.09–1.89).〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusions〈/h6〉 〈p〉The only markedly elevated risks of kidney cancer were seen for the highest exposures of nickel and iron/welding fumes in specific age strata.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: June 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 173〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sangkeun Ahn, Hyeongcheol Koh, Jongho Lee, Junhong Park〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The purpose of this study was to investigate dynamic characteristics of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Fuel cell mounted on a vehicle is excited by road irregularities in operation conditions. To minimize performance degradation, proper vibration isolation after considering vibration properties is required. The vibration modal characteristics of PEMFC was measured by impact test to determine a dominant mode which affects fuel cell durability. The frequency range of the principal responses was identified by comparing the acceleration and interior noise in a fuel cell vehicle. At the resonant frequencies, the mode shapes of the PEMFC were analyzed. The measurement procedures to determine effective dynamic properties of a stack structure were proposed. Structural features of the stacked cell were considered when beam type specimens were fabricated. As the bending and torsional vibrations were applied to the specimens, the vibration responses were measured. The frequency dependent dynamic properties were obtained from the acceleration responses. The measured dynamic properties were compared for different beam constructions. Consequently, influence of structural features on the vibration modes was identified.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: June 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 173〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Albert Serra-Compte, Diana Álvarez-Muñoz, Montserrat Solé, Núria Cáceres, Damià Barceló, Sara Rodríguez-Mozaz〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Antibiotics accumulation in aquatic organisms may be of great concern from an ecological point of view but also from a human perspective, especially when they are accumulated in edible animals like marine mussels. In this work, mussels (〈em〉Mytilus galloprovincialis)〈/em〉 were exposed to sulfamethoxazole antibiotic (SMX) at 10 µg/L during 96 h, followed by 24 h of depuration. The experiment was carried out at summer and winter conditions. SMX showed a bioconcentration factor in mussel of 1.5 L/kg (dry weight) and 69% of the compound was eliminated from the organism in 24 h. The metabolomics approach revealed alterations in amino acids levels (aspartate, phenylalanine, valine and tryptophan) pinpointing disturbances in osmotic regulation and energy metabolism. Besides, the levels of some nucleotides (guanosine and inosine) and a carboxylic acid were also affected. However, SMX exposed mussels did not show any significant alteration in the enzymatic activities related to the xenobiotic metabolism and oxidative stress. Moreover, some of the changes observed in mussel’s metabolites suggested alterations in mussel’s organoleptic characteristics that can affect its quality as seafood commodity. Overall, our results showed that SMX exposure to marine mussels may have ecological implications by provoking sub-lethal effects to exposed organisms. Nevertheless, no risk for consumers derived from mussel ingestion is expected due to the low bioconcentration capacity of SMX and fast depuration in this seafood type.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: May 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 172〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Therese Haugdahl Nøst, Vivian Berg, Linda Hanssen, Charlotta Rylander, Eric Gaudreau, Pierre Dumas, Knut Breivik, Torkjel M. Sandanger〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉Human biomonitoring studies have demonstrated decreasing concentrations of many persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in years after emission peaks.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Objectives〈/h6〉 〈p〉To describe time trends of POPs in blood using four cross-sectional samples of 30 year olds from Tromsø, Norway across 1986–2007, and to compare the measured concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl 153 (PCB-153) to model-estimated values. A second objective was to compare the repeated cross-sectional time trends with those observed in our previous longitudinal study using repeated individual measurements in older men from the same surveys.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉Serum from 45 persons aged 30 years in each of the following years: 1986, 1994, 2001, and 2007 was analyzed for 14 POPs. Further, predicted concentrations of PCB-153 in each sampling year were derived using the emission-based CoZMoMAN model.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉The median decreases in summed serum POP concentrations (lipid-adjusted) in 1994, 2001, and 2007 relative to 1986 were − 71%, − 81%, and − 86% for women and − 65%, − 77%, and − 87% for men, respectively. The overall time trend in predicted PCB-153 concentrations demonstrated agreement with the observed trend although model predictions were higher than the measured concentrations at all time points. Compared to our previous longitudinal study of repeated individual measurements in older men, similar although more prominent declines were observed in the younger cross-sectional samples.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Discussion〈/h6〉 〈p〉Observed declines in serum concentrations from 1986 to 2007 were substantial for legacy POPs in men and women at reproductive ages in Northern Norway and are generally consistent with previous longitudinal biomonitoring efforts in the study population. The measured concentrations and observed declines likely reflect a combination of recent and historic exposures. Small differences in time trends observed between the studies could be attributed to different study designs (i.e. the chosen age group or sex and cross-sectional versus repeated individual measurement sampling).〈/p〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 12 March 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Akram Jamal, Noushin Rastkari, Reza Dehghaniathar, Mina Aghaei, Ramin Nabizadeh Nodehi, Simin Nasseri, Homa Kashani, Masud Yunesian〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Parabens are ubiquitous substances commonly used as preservatives because of their antibacterial activity. The estrogenic activity of parabens may cause undesirable health effects and adverse birth outcomes. The objective of the present systematic review was to investigate the association between prenatal exposure to parabens and anthropometric birth outcomes. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase databases were systematically searched until April 18, 2018. Of 326 records that remained after removing duplicates, 6 original articles were included in the final analysis after excluding irrelevant articles. The included studies indicated that most of the pregnant mothers were exposed to parabens, especially methyl and propyl parabens. However, no definitive association was found between the prenatal urinary concentration of parabens and birth weight or head circumference. In addition, a positive but non-significant association was detected between birth length and maternal exposure to parabens. The present systematic review revealed that assessment of significant associations in current epidemiological studies is impermissible due to methodological limitations and absence of inter-study consistency. Furthermore, because of the complexity of the effect of environmental factors on health, future large-scale studies with proper study design are required to investigate the effect of parabens exposure on birth outcomes.〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: June 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 173〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Hubdar Ali Maitlo, Ki-Hyun Kim, Azmatullah Khan, Jan E. Szulejko, Jo Chun Kim, Hee Nam Song, Wha-Seung Ahn〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Covalent-organic polymers (COPs) are recognized for their great potential for treating diverse pollutants via adsorption. In this study, the sorption behavior of benzene and toluene was investigated both individually and in a binary mixture against two types of COPs possessing different –NH〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 functionalities. Namely, the potential of COPs was tested against benzene and toluene in a low inlet partial pressure range (0.5–20 Pa) using carbonyl-incorporated aromatic polymer (CBAP)-1-based diethylenediamine (EDA) [CD] and ethylenetriamine (DETA) [CE]. The maximum adsorption capacity and breakthrough values of both COPs showed dynamic changes with increases in the partial pressures of benzene and toluene. The maximum adsorption capacities (A〈sub〉max〈/sub〉) of benzene (as the sole component in N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 under atmospheric conditions) on CD and CE were in the range of 24–36 and 33–75 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, respectively. In contrast, with benzene and toluene in a binary mixture, the benzene A〈sub〉max〈/sub〉 decreased more than two-fold (range of 2.7–15 and 6–39 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, respectively) due to competition with toluene for sorption sites. In contrast, the toluene A〈sub〉max〈/sub〉 values remained consistent, reflecting its competitive dominance over benzene. The adsorption behavior of the targeted compounds (i.e., benzene and toluene) was explained by fitting the adsorption data by diverse isotherm models (e.g., Langmuir, Freundlich, Elovich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich). The current research would be helpful for acquiring a better understanding of the factors affecting competitive adsorption between different VOCs in relation to a given sorbent and across varying partial pressures.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0013935119301562-fx1.jpg" width="369" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: June 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 173〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Patrick D.M.C. Katoto, Liliane Byamungu, Amanda S. Brand, Jolynne Mokaya, Hans Strijdom, Nandu Goswami, Patrick De Boever, Tim S. Nawrot, Benoit Nemery〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Background〈/h6〉 〈p〉People from low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected by the global burden of adverse health effects caused by ambient air pollution (AAP). However, data from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are still scarce. We systematically reviewed the literature to describe the existing knowledge on AAP and health outcomes in SSA.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Methods〈/h6〉 〈p〉We searched PubMed, Medline-OVID, EMBASE and Scopus databases to identify studies of AAP and health outcomes published up to November 15, 2017. We used a systematic review approach to critically analyze and summarize levels of outdoor air pollutants, and data on health effects associated with AAP. We excluded occupational and indoor exposure studies.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Results〈/h6〉 〈p〉We identified 60 articles, with 37 only describing levels of AAP and 23 assessing the association between air pollution and health outcomes. Most studies (75%) addressing the relation between AAP and disease were cross-sectional. In general, exposure data were only obtained for selected cities in the framework of temporary international collaborative research initiatives without structural long-term continuation. Measurements of AAP revealed 10–20 fold higher levels than WHO standards. Of the 23 studies reporting health effects, 14 originated from South Africa, and most countries within SSA contributed no data at all. No studies, except from South Africa, were based on reliable morbidity or mortality statistics at regional or country level. The majority of studies investigated self-reported respiratory symptoms. Children and the elderly were found to be more susceptible to AAP.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Conclusion〈/h6〉 〈p〉AAP and its negative health effects have been understudied in SSA compared with other continents. The limited direct measurements of air pollutants indicate that AAP in SAA cities is high compared with international standards. Efforts are needed to monitor AAP in African cities, to identify its main sources, and to reduce adverse health effects by enforcing legislation.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: June 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Environmental Research, Volume 173〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): H.X. Liu, Y.P. Li, L. Yu〈/p〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this study, a factorial fuzzy chance-constrained programming (FFCP) method is developed for planning urban agglomeration ecosystem under uncertainty. FFCP cannot only address uncertainties presented as possibility distributions and random variables, but also quantitatively evaluate the individual and the interactive effects of multiple eco-environmental factors on urban agglomeration ecosystem. The FFCP method is applied to planning the Guangzhou-Foshan-Zhaoqing (GFZ) urban agglomeration, one of the most important economic circles of the Pearl River Delta region. With rapid industrialization, urbanization and population growth, a number of eco-environmental issues (e.g., water contamination, air pollution, and ecological deterioration) are becoming more and more serious. Results reveal that (i) the main environmental problem of Guangzhou is water pollution due to excessive chemical oxygen demand (COD) discharge (with a contribution of 53.1%), (ii) Foshan would suffer air pollution due to sulfur dioxide (SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) emitted from industrial processing and production, and (iii) solid waste disposal would continue to be challenge faced by Zhaoqing. Results also disclose that multiple uncertainties in system components have sound effects on the urban agglomeration ecosystem management as well as eco-environmental constraints have individual and/or joint effects on the system benefit. Different probability levels would lead to changed land-use patterns. Decisions at a lower violation level would lead to an increased reliability in fulfilling ecosystem requirement but with a lower system benefit. The findings can help decision makers to gain insights into tradeoff between economic development and eco-environmental protection as well as generate synergetic development strategies of urban agglomeration in an economic-effective and ecological-harmonious way.〈/p〉〈/div〉