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Introduction: Located in Mpumalanga’s Highveld Priority Area (HPA), Nkangala and Gert Sibande are well‑known for sustained exposure to high levels of air pollution, which is linked to adverse health effects. We aimed to carry out a comprehensive health risk assessment to determine to what extent air pollution impacts mortality rates in Nkangala and Gert Sibande. Methods: A standardized US EPA health risk assessment (HRA) protocol was used to calculate hazard quotients (HQs), using pollutant concentration, average body mass and inhalation rates, and pollutant concentrations (2009–2018) for PM2.5, SO2, and NO2 from three air quality monitoring stations in Nkangala and three in Gert Sibande. Cause‑specific mortality rates were compared with the HQs. Results: The study findings revealed frequent exceedances of WHO air quality guidelines for PM2.5, NO2, and SO2 in Nkangala and Gert Sibande, despite compliance with less stringent South African NAAQS reference standards. Gert Sibande consistently had higher pollutant levels and associated hazard quotients (HQs) and greater attributable mortality, particularly for lower respiratory infections (LRIs), stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Secunda, in Gert Sibande, showed especially high short‑term PM2.5 exposure risks. Discussion: Continued exposure to air pollution has been associated with the development of multiple health concerns, as well as increased mortality. This study suggests that SO2 and NO2 exposure is not as great a concern for populations living in the HPA. However, continuous monitoring is needed to ensure these pollutants’ concentrations do not increase in the future. Conclusions: These findings highlight the history of inadequate South African national reference standards in protecting public health and the need for stricter air quality regulations that align with international standards. PM2.5 is a major health concern for people living in the HPA, South Africa. Air quality management should be bolstered to decrease the amount of PM2.5 in the area.

World Health Organization updated the target of annual mean NO2 from 40 μg m−3 to 10 μg m−3 in 2021 based on new evidences that showed statistically independent effects of long-term exposure to ambient NO2 and mortality. We estimate the excess deaths associated with long-term exposure to ambient NO2 (DAAN) from non-accidental disease (NAD), cardiovascular disease (CVD) and respiratory disease (RD) in China in 2013–2020 using a counterfactual analytic framework adopted by Global Burden Disease. We use relative risk (RR) values based on a meta-analysis, and assume a linear concentration-response (C-R) function and a threshold value of 10 μg m−3. DAAN from NAD vary in 279 (95% Cl: 189–366) to 339 (95% Cl: 231–442) thousand in 2013–2020, comparable to excess deaths attributed to long-term exposure to ambient O3 in China. DAAN from NAD changes by −43%–+220% using different RR values, C-R function shapes, and threshold values. DAAN from RD reduces while those from CVD increases significantly in 2013–2020. DAAN from RD account for ∼10% of total DAAN. We found that the reduction of NO2 concentration and baseline mortality of NAD offsets the adverse effects of population growth and aging in 2013–2017. In 2017–2020, the contribution from air pollution reduction surpasses the adverse effects of population growth and aging in most regions. We suggest that continuing the reduction rate of NO2 emissions in 2013–2020 would offset the effects of population growth and aging in 2020–2030. Faster reduction of NO2 sources is required to reduce DAAN in Liaoning, Shanxi, Shanghai, and Anhui, where DAAN from NAD, CVD and RD increased in 2013–2020. Our results should be interpreted with caution because the causality support of long-term exposure to ambient NO2 on mortality from toxicological studies is not firm yet, and NO2 is possibly just a marker of traffic-related pollutants.

Particulate matter (PM) air pollution has challenged the global community and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified airborne particulate matter as carcinogenic to humans. However, while most studies of cancer examined a single cancer type using different cohorts, few studies compared the associations of PM between different cancer types. We aimed to compare the association of long-term exposure to PM (PM10 and PM2.5) and cancer mortality across 17 different types of cancer using a population-based cohort in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA), South Korea; Our study population includes 87,608 subjects (mean age: 46.58 years) residing in the SMA from the National Health Insurance Services–National Sample cohort (NHIS–NSC) and followed up for 2007–2015. We used the time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of each cancer mortality per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM concentrations, after adjusting for individual and areal characteristics. During eight years of follow-up, 1487 people died with any of 17 cancer types. Lung cancer death was the highest, followed by liver and stomach cancer. Although we did not find the association for all cancer types, possibly because of limited cancer cases, HRs of PM2.5 were relatively high for lung, stomach, pancreas, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate, esophagus, oral and pharynx, and brain cancer mortality (HRs = 1.44–7.14). High HRs for pancreas, non–Hodgkin’s lymphoma, esophagus, and oral and pharynx cancer were also seen for PM10; our findings suggest PM air pollution as a potential risk factor of cancer mortality for upper digestive tracts, mouth, pancreas, and non–Hodgkin’s lymphoma in a highly urbanized population with high exposure to PM for a long time.

Background The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) began in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and was declared a global pandemic on 11 March 2020. This study aimed to assess the effects of temperature and long-term exposure to air pollution on the COVID-19 mortality rate at the sub-national level in France. Methods This cross-sectional study considered different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic from May to December 2020. It included 96 departments (or NUTS 3) in mainland France. Data on long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), annual mean temperature, health services, health risk, and socio-spatial factors were used as covariates in negative binomial regression analysis to assess their influence on the COVID-19 mortality rate. All data were obtained from open-access sources. Results The cumulative COVID-19 mortality rate by department increased during the study period in metropolitan France—from 19.8/100,000 inhabitants (standard deviation (SD): 20.1) on 1 May 2020, to 65.4/100,000 inhabitants (SD: 39.4) on 31 December 2020. The rate was the highest in the departments where the annual average of long-term exposure to PM 2.5 was high. The negative binomial regression models showed that a 1 μg/m 3 increase in the annual average PM 2.5 concentration was associated with a statistically significant increase in the COVID-19 mortality rate, corresponding to 24.4%, 25.8%, 26.4%, 26.7%, 27.1%, 25.8%, and 15.1% in May, June, July, August, September, October, and November, respectively. This association was no longer significant on 1 and 31 December 2020. The association between temperature and the COVID-19 mortality rate was only significant on 1 November, 1 December, and 31 December 2020. An increase of 1 °C in the average temperature was associated with a decrease in the COVID-19-mortality rate, corresponding to 9.7%, 13.3%, and 14.5% on 1 November, 1 December, and 31 December 2020, respectively. Conclusion This study found significant associations between the COVID-19 mortality rate and long-term exposure to air pollution and temperature. However, these associations tended to decrease with the persistence of the pandemic and massive spread of the disease across the entire country.

Background Gunshot emissions contain toxic elements that can harm those frequently exposed, such as police officers. Several years ago, police indoor firing ranges were closed by the Berlin municipality in response to police officer health complaints, and an investigation was launched into the possible respiratory health risks of frequent gunshot emission exposure. We, therefore, conducted an exploratory cross‐sectional study to investigate clinical and functional parameters of respiratory health as well as the burden of trace elements in policemen with long‐term high exposure to indoor gunshot emissions, compared to low‐exposure and control groups. Methods We conducted lung function tests and collected blood and urine samples from Berlin police officers and government employees who were divided into three subject groups based on exposure to gunshot emissions: high exposure (n = 53), low exposure (n = 94) and no exposure (n = 76). Lung function was examined using body plethysmography. Blood and urine samples were tested via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the presence of common gunshot powder elements (antimony, lead and manganese). Exposure and symptoms were assessed using records as well as questionnaires. Results Higher exposure was associated with more respiratory symptoms during gun shooting practice (64% vs. 21%, P < 0.001) compared to the low‐exposure group. Headache, cough, discoloured mucous and shortness of breath were also more common as were some other symptoms. The cough symptomatology of the high‐exposure group also persisted significantly longer (median: 0.67 vs. 0.01 days, range: 0 to 5 days, P = 0.029) compared to the low‐exposure group. They also showed a lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity quotient (Tiffeneau index), P = 0.018 between the three groups and P = 0.005 for the high‐exposure group, a possible marker of early, subclinical bronchial obstruction. We observed increased blood lead concentrations depending on subject's age (+1.2% per year, 95% confidence interval: 0.5–1.9%, P < 0.001) and cumulative gunshot exposure (+0.34% per 100 000 shots, 0.02–0.66%, P = 0.037). Conclusions These first results suggest that long‐term exposure to indoor gunshot emissions induces bronchitic reactions due to repeated irritation of the airways. Higher levels of exposure lead to more negatively impacted lung function and higher blood lead levels with the possible reason that more frequent exposure may mean shorter regeneration phases for the respiratory mucous membrane. We recommend a reduction of exposure to gunshot emissions in order to decrease symptoms and avoid any—even small—deterioration in spirometry.

Health Impact Assessments (HIA) approach can be executed by calculating the attributable burden of disease. The most common indicators used in the HIA methodology are: premature mortality, morbidity, life-expectancy, and Disability Adjusted Life-Year (DALY). The term Disability Adjusted Life-Years (DALYs) indicates months/years lost due to a premature death or disability. The aim of the study was to present health benefits, expressed in terms of lower total mortality and cardio-respiratory hospitalization rates, due to a decreased particulate matter (PM) concentration in ambient air, in Silesian voivodeship. In this paper, results obtained from the APHEKOM (Improving Knowledge and Communication for Decision Making on Air Pollution and Health in Europe) project, which provided specialized HIA tools, useful for assessing health benefits resulting from reducing air pollution, were used. Both short-term and long-term exposure HIA tools were applied with regard to the appropriate data for Silesian voivodeship. Exposure data were obtained from the Regional Environmental Inspectorate in Katowice, while population and health data were obtained from the Central Statistical Office of Poland or from the Silesian Voivodeship Office, respectively. Health benefits that are related to an improvement of ambient air quality in Silesia region are similar to previous estimates obtained for Kraków city. The reduction of short-term exposure to PM10 by 5 μg/m3 results in a lower number of yearly non-external deaths (2.6-2.75 per 100 000 inhabitants). This effect was also shown to be similar in the city of Zabrze, as well as in the whole Silesia region. The Health Impact Assessments tools developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) can help public health experts make decisions in order to improve the health of populations living in particular regions of Europe.

BACKGROUND : The systematic evaluation of the results of time-series studies of air pollution is challenged by differences in model specification and publication bias. METHODS : We evaluated the associations of inhalable particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm or less (PM10) and fine PM with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) with daily all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality across multiple countries or regions. Daily data on mortality and air pollution were collected from 652 cities in 24 countries or regions. We used overdispersed generalized additive models with random-effects meta-analysis to investigate the associations. Two-pollutant models were fitted to test the robustness of the associations. Concentration–response curves from each city were pooled to allow global estimates to be derived. RESULTS : On average, an increase of 10 μg per cubic meter in the 2-day moving average of PM10 concentration, which represents the average over the current and previous day, was associated with increases of 0.44% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39 to 0.50) in daily all-cause mortality, 0.36% (95% CI, 0.30 to 0.43) in daily cardiovascular mortality, and 0.47% (95% CI, 0.35 to 0.58) in daily respiratory mortality. The corresponding increases in daily mortality for the same change in PM2.5 concentration were 0.68% (95% CI, 0.59 to 0.77), 0.55% (95% CI, 0.45 to 0.66), and 0.74% (95% CI, 0.53 to 0.95). These associations remained significant after adjustment for gaseous pollutants. Associations were stronger in locations with lower annual mean PM concentrations and higher annual mean temperatures. The pooled concentration–response curves showed a consistent increase in daily mortality with increasing PM concentration, with steeper slopes at lower PM concentrations. CONCLUSIONS : Our data show independent associations between short-term exposure to PM10 and PM2.5 and daily all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality in more than 600 cities across the globe. These data reinforce the evidence of a link between mortality and PM concentration established in regional and local studies.

Since controversial results have been obtained in studies dealing with nanoceria usefulness in biomedical applications, the transforming effects of long-term exposure to nanoceria in lung epithelial cells, alone or together with cigarette smoke condensate (CSC), were evaluated. cell transformation techniques were used to study several hallmarks of carcinogenesis. Morphology, cell proliferation, gene expression, cell migration, anchorage-independent cell growth and cell secretome were analyzed. Data evidence no transforming ability of nanoceria, but support a synergistic role on CSC's transforming ability. A more noticeable spindle-like phenotype, increased proliferation rate, higher degree of differentiation status dysregulation, higher migration capacity, increased anchorage-independent cell growth and higher levels of MMP-9 and cell growth promoting capability, were observed. In addition, nanoceria co-exposure exacerbates the expression of .

To understand bioaccumulation kinetics of metals within biota inhabiting industrially contaminated soils, toxicokinetic dynamics and subcellular fractionation were carried out with the terrestrial snail Helix aspersa in a long-term (six-month) laboratory experiment. Accumulation and elimination kinetics were determined for Cd, Pb, and Zn in both viscera and foot of snails and were described accurately by one-compartment models. The subcellular fractions were obtained by sequential centrifugations and were analyzed by isolating metal-rich granules, tissue fragments, and cytosolic fractions. Different fractions showed metal-specific binding capacities that might be useful in identifying the biological significance of accumulated metal levels in snails. Cadmium was retrieved mainly from the cytosolic fraction, where it was stored in the long term and not excreted, thus explaining the linear accumulation patterns. Most of the accumulated Pb was found in the granular fraction, and snails appeared able to excrete these concretions, leading to achievement of a steady state in internal Pb body burdens. Significant levels of Pb, however, were retrieved at the end of the depuration phase and retained in the cell debris fraction. Zinc showed affinities for both cytosolic and granular fractions, leading to intermediate uptake and excretion patterns. The dynamics of the different sequestration forms at the subcellular level support the observed kinetics of metal body burdens and, in association with the determination of uptake fluxes, allow precise assessment of metal accumulation in snails.

Aims/hypothesisInformation on the associations of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm; PM2.5) with the development of type 2 diabetes is scarce, especially for south-east Asia, where most countries are experiencing serious air pollution. This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of exposure to ambient PM2.5 on the incidence of type 2 diabetes in a population of Taiwanese adults.MethodsA total of 147,908 participants without diabetes, at least 18 years of age, were recruited in a standard medical examination programme between 2001 and 2014. They were encouraged to take medical examinations periodically and underwent at least two measurements of fasting plasma glucose (FPG). Incident type 2 diabetes was identified as FPG ≥7 mmol/l or self-reported physician-diagnosed diabetes in the subsequent medical visits. The PM2.5 concentration at each participant’s address was estimated using a satellite-based spatiotemporal model with a resolution of 1 × 1 km2. The 2 year average of PM2.5 concentrations (i.e. the year of and the year before the medical examination) was treated as an indicator of long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 air pollution. We performed Cox regression models with time-dependent covariates to analyse the long-term effects of exposure to PM2.5 on the incidence of type 2 diabetes. A wide range of covariates were introduced in the models to control for potential effects, including age, sex, education, season, year, smoking status, alcohol drinking, physical activity, vegetable intake, fruit intake, occupational exposure, BMI, hypertension and dyslipidaemia (all were treated as time-dependent covariates except for sex).ResultsCompared with the participants exposed to the first quartile of ambient PM2.5, participants exposed to the second, third and fourth quartiles of ambient PM2.5 had HRs of 1.28 (95% CI 1.18, 1.39), 1.27 (95% CI 1.17, 1.38) and 1.16 (95% CI 1.07, 1.26), respectively, for the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Participants who drank occasionally or regularly (more than once per week) or who had a lower BMI (<23 kg/m2) were more sensitive to the long-term effects of exposure to ambient PM2.5.Conclusions/interpretationLong-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 appears to be associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in this Asian population experiencing high levels of air pollution.