Comparison of exposure to traffic-related pollutants on different commuting routes to a primary school in Jinan, China.
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SUBMITTER: An F
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8799450 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Vehicles are major sources of air pollutant emissions, and individuals living near large roads endure high exposures and health risks associated with traffic-related air pollutants. Air pollution epidemiology, health risk, environmental justice, and transportation planning studies would all benefit from an improved understanding of the key information and metrics needed to assess exposures, as well as the strengths and limitations of alternate exposure metrics. This study develops and evaluates several metrics for characterizing exposure to traffic-related air pollutants for the 218 residential locations of participants in the NEXUS epidemiology study conducted in Detroit (MI, USA). Exposure metrics included proximity to major roads, traffic volume, vehicle mix, traffic density, vehicle exhaust emissions density, and pollutant concentrations predicted by dispersion models. Results presented for each metric include comparisons of exposure distributions, spatial variability, intraclass correlation, concordance and discordance rates, and overall strengths and limitations. While showing some agreement, the simple categorical and proximity classifications (e.g., high diesel/low diesel traffic roads and distance from major roads) do not reflect the range and overlap of exposures seen in the other metrics. Information provided by the traffic density metric, defined as the number of kilometers traveled (VKT) per day within a 300 m buffer around each home, was reasonably consistent with the more sophisticated metrics. Dispersion modeling provided spatially- and temporally-resolved concentrations, along with apportionments that separated concentrations due to traffic emissions and other sources. While several of the exposure metrics showed broad agreement, including traffic density, emissions density and modeled concentrations, these alternatives still produced exposure classifications that differed for a substantial fraction of study participants, e.g., from 20% to 50% of homes, depending on the metric, would be incorrectly classified into "low", "medium" or "high" traffic exposure classes. These and other results suggest the potential for exposure misclassification and the need for refined and validated exposure metrics. While data and computational demands for dispersion modeling of traffic emissions are non-trivial concerns, once established, dispersion modeling systems can provide exposure information for both on- and near-road environments that would benefit future traffic-related assessments.
| S-EPMC4199035 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We examined traffic-related pollution (TRP) exposure and respiratory health effects in Hispanic white (HW) children, both compared with non-Hispanic white (NHW) children and according to genetically determined Native American (NA) ancestry. The sample included over 5,000 children from the Children's Health Study in California, followed during 1993-2014. HW children were 1.47 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.24, 1.73) times more likely to live close (<500 m) to a freeway and 1.54 (95% CI: 1.26, 1.87) times more likely to live close (<75 m) to a major nonfreeway road compared with NHW children. Among HW children, those with >50% NA ancestry were >40% more likely to live close to a freeway or to a major nonfreeway road, compared with those with ?50% NA ancestry. The association of TRP with ever having been diagnosed by a doctor as having asthma differed between HW and NHW children (P < 0.05), with the strongest association among HW children with >50% NA ancestry. Within this subgroup, those close to a major nonfreeway road were 2.16 (95% CI: 1.26, 3.69) times more likely to have ever reported asthma compared with those living further away. This paper provides evidence that HW children in southern California, especially those with greater NA ancestry, are more exposed to TRP and are potentially at greater risk for TRP-related respiratory health effects.
| S-EPMC5860055 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Human exposure to air pollution in many studies is represented by ambient concentrations from space-time kriging of observed values. Space-time kriging techniques based on a limited number of ambient monitors may fail to capture the concentration from local sources. Further, because people spend more time indoors, using ambient concentration to represent exposure may cause error. To quantify the associated exposure error, we computed a series of six different hourly-based exposure metrics at 16,095 Census blocks of three Counties in North Carolina for CO, NO(x), PM(2.5), and elemental carbon (EC) during 2012. These metrics include ambient background concentration from space-time ordinary kriging (STOK), ambient on-road concentration from the Research LINE source dispersion model (R-LINE), a hybrid concentration combining STOK and R-LINE, and their associated indoor concentrations from an indoor infiltration mass balance model. Using a hybrid-based indoor concentration as the standard, the comparison showed that outdoor STOK metrics yielded large error at both population (67% to 93%) and individual level (average bias between -10% to 95%). For pollutants with significant contribution from on-road emission (EC and NO(x)), the on-road based indoor metric performs the best at the population level (error less than 52%). At the individual level, however, the STOK-based indoor concentration performs the best (average bias below 30%). For PM(2.5), due to the relatively low contribution from on-road emission (7%), STOK-based indoor metric performs the best at both population (error below 40%) and individual level (error below 25%). The results of the study will help future epidemiology studies to select appropriate exposure metric and reduce potential bias in exposure characterization.
| S-EPMC4690943 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is increasing worldwide. Habitual physical activity is known to prevent cardiorespiratory diseases and mortality, but whether exposure to TRAP during exercise affects respiratory health is still uncertain. Exercise causes inflammatory changes in the airways, and its interaction with the effects of TRAP or ozone might be detrimental, for both athletes exercising outdoor and urban active commuters. In this Mini-Review, we summarize the literature on the effects of exposure to TRAP and/or ozone during exercise on lung function, respiratory symptoms, performance, and biomarkers. Ozone negatively affected pulmonary function after exercise, especially after combined exposure to ozone and diesel exhaust (DE). Spirometric changes after exercise during exposure to particulate matter and ultrafine particles suggest a decrease in lung function, especially in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ozone frequently caused respiratory symptoms during exercise. Women showed decreased exercise performance and higher symptom prevalence than men during TRAP exposure. However, performance was analyzed in few studies. To date, research has not identified reliable biomarkers of TRAP-related lung damage useful for monitoring athletes' health, except in scarce studies on airway cells obtained by induced sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage. In conclusion, despite partly counteracted by the positive effects of habitual exercise, the negative effects of TRAP exposure to pollutants during exercise are hard to assess: outdoor exercise is a complex model, for multiple and variable exposures to air pollutants and pollutant concentrations. Further studies are needed to identify pollutant and/or time thresholds for performing safe outdoor exercise in cities.
| S-EPMC7793908 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundFew studies have investigated the associations between outdoor air pollution and outpatient visits for respiratory diseases (RDs) in general population.MethodsWe collected daily outpatient data of primary RDs from five hospitals in Jinan during January 2012 and December 2016, as well as daily measurements of air pollutants from the Jinan Environmental Monitoring Center and daily meteorological variables from the China Meteorological Data Sharing Service System. A generalized additive model (GAM) with quasi-Poisson regression was constructed to estimate the associations between daily average concentrations of outdoor air pollutants (PM2.5,PM10, SO2, NO2, CO and O3) and daily outpatient visits of RDs after adjusting for long-time trends, seasonality, the "day of the week" effect, and weather conditions. Subgroup analysis stratified by gender, age group and the type of RDs was conducted.ResultsA total of 1,373,658 outpatient visits for RDs were identified. Increases of 10??g/m3 in PM2.5, PM10, NO2, CO and O3 were associated with0.168% (95% CI, 0.072-0.265%), 0.149% (95% CI, 0.082-0.215%), 0.527% (95% CI, 0.211-0.843%), 0.013% (95% CI, 0.003-0.023%), and 0.189% (95% CI, 0.032-0.347%) increases in daily outpatient visits for RDs, respectively. PM2.5 and PM10 showed instant and continuous effects, while NO2, CO and O3 showed delayed effects on outpatient visits for RDs. In stratification analysis, PM2.5 and PM10 were associated with acute RDs only.ConclusionsExposure to outdoor air pollutants including PM2.5, PM10, NO2, CO and O3 associated with increased risk of outpatient visits for RDs.
| S-EPMC6292059 | biostudies-literature
Project description:1-Nitro-pyrene has been considered a compound specific to diesel combustion emission, while 1- and 2-nitro-napthalene are mainly produced through photochemical conversion of naphthalene released to the atmosphere. Metabolites of these compounds may serve as biomarkers of exposure to traffic related pollutants. We collected urine samples from 111 healthy and non-smoking subjects within (i.e., during the Beijing Olympics) and outside (i.e., before and after the Olympics) a traffic control regime to improve Beijing's air quality. Urines were analyzed for the sum of 1&2-amino-naphthalene (metabolites of 1- and 2-nitro-naphthalene) and 1-amino-pyrene (a metabolite of 1-nitro-pyrene), using an HPLC-fluorescence method. Within the same time periods, PM2.5 mass and constituents were measured, including elemental carbon, sulfate, nitrate, PAHs, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, and particle number concentrations. The associations between the urinary metabolites and air pollutants were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. From the pre- to during-Olympic period, 1&2-amino-naphthalene and 1-hydroxy-pyrene decreased by 23% (p=0.066) and 16% (p=0.049), respectively, while there was no change in 1-amino-pyrene (2% increase, p=0.892). From during- to post-Olympic period, 1&2-amino-naphthalene, 1-amino-pyrene and 1-hydroxy-pyrene concentrations increased by 26% (p=0.441), 37% (p=0.355), and 3% (p=0.868), respectively. Furthermore, 1&2-amino-naphthalene and 1-hydroxy-pyrene were associated with traffic related pollutants in a similar lag pattern. 1-amino-pyrene was associated more strongly with diesel combustion products (e.g. PN and elemental carbon) and not affected by season. Time-lag analyses indicate strongest/largest associations occurred 24-72h following exposure. 1&2-amino-naphthalene and 1-hydroxy-pyrene can be used as a biomarker of exposure to general vehicle-emitted pollutants. More data are needed to confirm 1-amino-pyrene as a biomarker of exposure to diesel combustion emissions. Controlling creatinine as an independent variable in the models will provide a moderate adjusting effect on the biomarker analysis.
| S-EPMC4765327 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Environmental and host predictors of asthma control in older asthmatic patients (>65 years old) are poorly understood.To examine the effects of residential exposure to traffic exhaust and other environmental and host predictors on asthma control in older adults.One hundred four asthmatic patients 65 years of age or older from allergy and pulmonary clinics in greater Cincinnati, Ohio, completed the validated Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), pulmonary function testing, and skin prick testing to 10 common aeroallergens. Patients had a physician's diagnosis of asthma, had significant reversibility in forced expiratory volume in 1 second or a positive methacholine challenge test result, and did not have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The mean daily residential exposure to elemental carbon attributable to traffic (ECAT) was estimated using a land-use regression model. Regression models were used to evaluate associations among independent variables, ACQ scores, and the number of asthma exacerbations, defined as acute worsening of asthma symptoms requiring prednisone use, in the past year.In the adjusted model, mean daily residential exposure to ECAT greater than 0.39 ?g/m(3) was significantly associated with poorer asthma control based on ACQ scores (adjusted ? = 2.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-5.12; P = .02). High ECAT levels were also significantly associated with increased risk of asthma exacerbations (adjusted odds ratio, 3.24; 95% CI, 1.01-10.37; P = .05). A significant association was found between higher body mass index and worse ACQ scores (adjusted ? = 1.15; 95% CI, 0.53-1.76; P < .001). Atopic patients (skin prick test positive) had significantly better ACQ scores than nonatopic patients (adjusted ? = -0.39; 95% CI, -0.67 to -0.11; P < .01).Higher mean daily residential exposure to traffic exhaust, obesity, and nonatopic status are associated with poorer asthma control among older asthmatic patients.
| S-EPMC4715904 | biostudies-literature
Project description:To evaluate lifetime exposure to trihalomethanes (THM) through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption in a hospital based case-control study of bladder cancer conducted between 1998 and 2001 in five areas of Spain. The study base was comprised of subjects living in the catchment areas of the participating hospitals.Individual information on water related habits was obtained from personal interviews of 1219 cases and 1271 controls: residential and occupational history, drinking water source at each residence and job, amount of water consumption, frequency and duration of showering, bathing, and swimming pool attendance. THM levels, water source history, and year when chlorination started in study areas were ascertained through measurements in drinking water samples and questionnaires to water companies and local authorities. Estimates of THM levels covered 79% of the subjects' person-years of exposure.Current and historical average THM levels in water were correlated. Control subjects reported that drinking water source in the last residence was municipal for 63%, bottled for 22%, private well for 2%, and other sources for 13%. For the time window between age 15 and the time of interview, average residential THM level was 32.2 mug/l. THM exposure through ingestion was 23.7 mug/day on average, and was correlated with the ingestion THM level in the workplace. Overall, 79% usually took showers, 16% usually took baths, and 13% had ever attended a swimming pool. Between 21% and 45% of controls unexposed to THM through ingestion were evaluated as moderately or highly exposed through showering or bathing, and 5-10% were exposed through swimming in pools.The importance of evaluating different routes is underscored by findings from experimental studies showing substantial differences in THM uptake and internal distribution by route.
| S-EPMC2078091 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundWillingness to be vaccinated with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among junior middle school students in China is not well understood. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess awareness of HPV and the HPV vaccine and explore the factors associated with willingness to be vaccinated.MethodsFirst-year students from two junior middle schools in Jinan, China were selected by cluster sampling on December 28, 2015, December 26, 2016, and January 11, 2017, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to explore the factors associated with willingness to be vaccinated with the HPV vaccine.ResultsA total of 1021 junior middle school students participated in this survey. Only 15.5% of them had heard of HPV and 18.9% of them had heard of the HPV vaccine. Students who were willing to take the HPV vaccine in the future accounted for 66.9%. Factors associated with the HPV vaccination were: urban junior middle school students (AOR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.09-2.09), female students (AOR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.36-2.66), students surveyed in 2015 (AOR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.26-2.28), regarding menstruation/spermatorrhoea as a normal physiological phenomenon (AOR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.14-2.36), believing vaccination is an important way to prevent diseases (AOR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.01-1.83), believing that the first vaccination should be in infancy (AOR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.04-1.92), believing that cervical cancer is a concern for themselves (AOR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.28-2.97), and having heard of HPV (AOR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.13-2.98).ConclusionsAwareness of HPV and the HPV vaccine among junior students was low, however willingness to be vaccinated was high. Education focusing on HPV-related knowledge in addition to sex education is needed to promote the coverage of the HPV vaccine.
| S-EPMC5806637 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background Literature focusing on youth has reported limited evidence and non-conclusive associations between neighborhood walkability measures and active commuting to and from school (ACS). Moreover, there is a lack of studies evaluating both macro- and micro-scale environmental factors of the neighborhood when ACS is analyzed. Likewise, most studies on built environment attributes and ACS focus on urban areas, whereas there is a lack of studies analyzing rural residential locations. Moreover, the relationship between built environment attributes and ACS may differ in children and adolescents. Hence, this study aimed to develop walkability indexes in relation to ACS for urban and rural children and adolescents, including both macro- and micro-scale school-neighborhood factors. Methods A cross-sectional study of 4593 participants from Spain with a mean age of 12.2 (SD 3.6) years was carried out. Macro-scale environmental factors were evaluated using geographic information system data, and micro-scale factors were measured using observational procedures. Socio-demographic characteristics and ACS were assessed with a questionnaire. Several linear regression models were conducted, including all the possible combinations of six or less built environment factors in order to find the best walkability index. Results Analyses showed that intersection density, number of four-way intersections, and residential density were positively related to ACS in urban participants, but negatively in rural participants. In rural children, positive streetscape characteristics, number of regulated crossings, traffic calming features, traffic lanes, and parking street buffers were also negatively related to ACS. In urban participants, other different factors were positively related to ACS: number of regulated crossings, positive streetscape characteristics, or crossing quality. Land use mix acted as a positive predictor only in urban adolescents. Distance to the school was a negative predictor on all the walkability indexes. However, aesthetic and social characteristics were not included in any of the indexes. Conclusions Interventions focusing on improving built environments to increase ACS behavior need to have a better understanding of the walkability components that are specifically relevant to urban or rural samples.
| S-EPMC7526424 | biostudies-literature