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(1) Background: There is increasing awareness that the quality of the indoor environment affects our health and well-being. Indoor air quality (IAQ) in particular has an impact on multiple health outcomes, including respiratory and cardiovascular illness, allergic symptoms, cancers, and premature mortality. (2) Methods: We carried out a global systematic literature review on indoor exposure to selected air pollutants associated with adverse health effects, and related household characteristics, seasonal influences and occupancy patterns. We screened records from six bibliographic databases: ABI/INFORM, Environment Abstracts, Pollution Abstracts, PubMed, ProQuest Biological and Health Professional, and Scopus. (3) Results: Information on indoor exposure levels and determinants, emission sources, and associated health effects was extracted from 141 studies from 29 countries. The most-studied pollutants were particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10); nitrogen dioxide (NO2); volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene, toluene, xylenes and formaldehyde; and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) including naphthalene. Identified indoor PM2.5 sources include smoking, cooking, heating, use of incense, candles, and insecticides, while cleaning, housework, presence of pets and movement of people were the main sources of coarse particles. Outdoor air is a major PM2.5 source in rooms with natural ventilation in roadside households. Major sources of NO2 indoors are unvented gas heaters and cookers. Predictors of indoor NO2 are ventilation, season, and outdoor NO2 levels. VOCs are emitted from a wide range of indoor and outdoor sources, including smoking, solvent use, renovations, and household products. Formaldehyde levels are higher in newer houses and in the presence of new furniture, while PAH levels are higher in smoking households. High indoor particulate matter, NO2 and VOC levels were typically associated with respiratory symptoms, particularly asthma symptoms in children. (4) Conclusions: Household characteristics and occupant activities play a large role in indoor exposure, particularly cigarette smoking for PM2.5, gas appliances for NO2, and household products for VOCs and PAHs. Home location near high-traffic-density roads, redecoration, and small house size contribute to high indoor air pollution. In most studies, air exchange rates are negatively associated with indoor air pollution. These findings can inform interventions aiming to improve IAQ in residential properties in a variety of settings.

Objective To conduct a systematic review to evaluate the association between residential or occupational short- and long–term exposure to odour pollution from industrial sources and the health status of the exposed population. Methods The searches were conducted in Medline, EMBASE and Scopus in April 2021. Exposure to an environmental odour from industrial sources in population resident near the source or in workers was considered. We considered outcomes for which there was a biological plausibility, such as wheezing and asthma, cough, headache, nausea and vomiting (primary outcomes). We also included stress-related symptoms and novel outcomes (e.g. mood states). Risk of bias was evaluated using the OHAT tool. For primary outcomes, when at least 3 studies provided effect estimates by comparing exposed subjects versus not exposed, we pooled the study-specific estimates of odour-related effect using random effects models. Heterogeneity was evaluated with Higgins I 2 . Results Thirty studies were eligible for this review, mainly cross-sectional ( n  = 23). Only one study involved school-age children and two studies involved workers. Only five studies reported odour effects on objective laboratory or clinical outcomes. Animal Feeding Operations and waste were the most common industrial sources. The overall odds ratios in exposed versus not exposed population were 1.15 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.29) for headache (7 studies), 1.09 (95% CI 0.88 to 1.30) for nausea/vomiting (7 studies), and 1.27 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.44) for cough/phlegm (5 studies). Heterogeneity was a moderate concern. Overall, the body of evidence was affected by a definitely high risk of bias in exposure and outcome assessment since most studies used self-reported information. Conclusions Findings underline the public health importance of odour pollution for population living nearby industrial odour sources. The limited evidence for most outcomes supports the need for high quality epidemiological studies on the association between odour pollution and its effects on human health.

Background Municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) are widely used for waste management. However, the health effects of their emissions remain uncertain, needing further investigation and monitoring of the potential risks associated with such exposure. The aim of this study is to update and synthesize evidence on the health effects of residential exposure to MSWIs. Methods A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. The systematic search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science (April 2025), using specific search strategies, identified observational studies reporting quantitative estimates on the association between long term residential exposure to MSWIs and health outcomes. Study quality was assessed using the Navigation Guide tool. A narrative synthesis was conducted for all outcomes. When possible, a random-effects meta-analysis was performed and Higgins I 2 was used to summarize heterogeneity. For the overall body of evidence, heatmaps were used to visually represent the direction of the associations (positive, negative or lack of association) stratified by study quality. Results Out of 3,273 records identified, 51 studies were included. The most frequently investigated outcomes were congenital anomalies, pregnancy outcomes, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and cancers. The narrative synthesis suggests a weak association for hospitalizations due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in high-quality studies and a potential increased risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, based on low-quality evidence. The meta-analysis confirms a slight increased risk for respiratory diseases (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.94–1.11), particularly for COPD (HR 1.08; 95% CI 0.82–1.41) and asthma (HR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00–1.05). Moderate heterogeneity was observed for most outcomes (I 2  = 30%-60%). Conclusions This review highlights the current uncertainty surrounding the long-term health effects of MSWI exposure. While a slight indication of increased risk emerged for cardiovascular and respiratory hospitalizations, and a weak association with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was observed, overall evidence remains weak. Methodological limitations, heterogeneity across studies, and low exposure levels complicate risk assessment and comparability. Standardized, high-quality research is needed to clarify these associations and support evidence-based public health decisions and transparent communication with affected communities. Trial registration The protocol of this review was registered in PROSPERO on 02/06/2024 (CRD42024550168).

Urban green space has a critical impact on the urban ecological environment, residents’ health, and urban sustainability. Quantifying residential exposure to green space and proposing targeted enhancement strategies in urban areas is helpful to rationally plan urban green space construction, reduce the inequality in residential exposure to green space, and promote environmental equity. However, the long-time evolution analysis of residential exposure to green space at different scales and the influence of green space quality on residential exposure to green space are rarely reported. Here we produced a long-time series dataset of urban green space from 1990 to 2020 based on the 30 m Landsat data and used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as a representation of the green space quality to comprehensively analyze residential exposure to green space at the city and block scales within the 5th ring of Beijing, China. We found that the urban green space in Beijing is mainly distributed in urban areas between the 4th and 5th rings (i.e., 153.4 km2 in 2020), and there is little green space within the 2nd ring area (i.e., 12.6 km2 in 2020). There is clear spatial inequality in residential exposure to green space, and about 2.88 million (i.e., ~27%) residents have experienced different degrees of decline in residential exposure to green space from 2015 to 2020. However, the degree of inequality in residential exposure to green space has gradually weakened from a high level (Palma ratio = 2.84) in 1990 to a relatively low level (Palma ratio = 0.81) in 2020. In addition, the spatial-temporal analysis method of residential exposure to green space based on green space quality has certain advantages that can help explore the degraded and lost areas of green space.

After smoking, residential radon is the second risk factor of lung cancer in general population and the first in never-smokers. Previous studies have analyzed radon attributable lung cancer mortality for some countries. We aim to identify, summarize, and critically analyze the available data regarding the mortality burden of lung cancer due to radon, performing a quality assessment of the papers included, and comparing the results from different countries. We performed a systematic scoping review using the main biomedical databases. We included original studies with attributable mortality data related to radon exposure. We selected studies according to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. PRISMA 2020 methodology and PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews requirements were followed. Data were abstracted using a standardized data sheet and a tailored scale was used to assess quality. We selected 24 studies describing radon attributable mortality derived from 14 different countries. Overall, 13 studies used risk models based on cohorts of miners, 8 used risks from residential radon case-control studies and 3 used both risk model options. Radon geometric mean concentration ranged from 11 to 83 Becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m3) and the population attributable fraction (PAF) ranged from 0.2 to 26%. Studies performed in radon prone areas obtained the highest attributable mortality. High-quality publications reported PAF ranging from 3 to 12% for residential risk sources and from 7 to 25% for miner risk sources. Radon PAF for lung cancer mortality varies widely between studies. A large part of the variation is due to differences in the risk source used and the conceptual description of radon exposure assumed. A common methodology should be described and used from now on to improve the communication of these results.

A comprehensive study was carried out to measure indoor radon/thoron concentrations in 78 dwellings and soil-gas radon in the city of Mashhad, Iran during two seasons, using two common radon monitoring devices (NRPB and RADUET). In the winter, indoor radon concentrations measured between 75 ± 11 to 376 ± 24 Bq·m−3 (mean: 150 ± 19 Bq m−3), whereas indoor thoron concentrations ranged from below the Lower Limit of Detection (LLD) to 166 ± 10 Bq·m−3 (mean: 66 ± 8 Bq m−3), while radon and thoron concentrations in summer fell between 50 ± 11 and 305 ± 24 Bq·m−3 (mean 115 ± 18 Bq m−3) and from below the LLD to 122 ± 10 Bq m−3 (mean 48 ± 6 Bq·m−3), respectively. The annual average effective dose was estimated to be 3.7 ± 0.5 mSv yr−1. The soil-gas radon concentrations fell within the range from 1.07 ± 0.28 to 8.02 ± 0.65 kBq·m−3 (mean 3.07 ± 1.09 kBq·m−3). Finally, indoor radon maps were generated by ArcGIS software over a grid of 1 × 1 km2 using three different interpolation techniques. In grid cells where no data was observed, the arithmetic mean was used to predict a mean indoor radon concentration. Accordingly, inverse distance weighting (IDW) was proven to be more suitable for predicting mean indoor radon concentrations due to the lower mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE). Meanwhile, the radiation health risk due to the residential exposure to radon and indoor gamma radiation exposure was also assessed.

In this work, the indoor radon concentration and radiation dose risks were studied in dwellings within the Greater Accra region, using CR-39 detectors. The indoor radon concentrations ranged from 36.1 ± 2.7 to 92.0 ± 5.2 Bq m − 3 with an annual average of 50.8 ± 3.4 Bq m − 3 . The annual mean effective dose was estimated as 1.3 mSv year −1 . Excess lifetime cancer risk and lung cancer cases were assessed with 5% annual lung cancer deaths due to radon was realized. Indoor radon maps created with ArcGIS software over a 5 × 5 km 2 grid showed radon prone areas in the region.

ObjectivesPrenatal occupational exposure to pesticides has been associated with male reproductive tract abnormalities. Little is known about the possible impact of non-occupational pesticide exposure on fetal and child development in the general population. Using data from a nationwide birth cohort, we aimed to assess the association between residential sources of prenatal pesticide exposure and the risks of hypospadias and cryptorchidism.MethodsOf the 9281 boys in ELFE (French Longitudinal Study of Children), the national French birth cohort, 53 were diagnosed with hypospadias and 137 with cryptorchidism. We assessed residential exposure sources from self-reported domestic use of eight types of pesticide products and French spatial land use data with acreage within a 1000 m radius around each family’s home for 21 crop types. We used logistic regression modelling, adjusted for possible confounders that included estimated dietary pesticide intake. Multiple imputations were used to handle missing data.ResultsAn increased risk of hypospadias was associated with domestic pesticide use against fleas and ticks (OR=2.28, 95% CI 1.09 to 4.75); no associations were found between cryptorchidism and any domestic pesticide use. Slightly increased risks of cryptorchidism were observed in association with all crop acreages near homes during pregnancy, especially for orchards, and no association was observed for hypospadias.ConclusionsOur results suggest a possible increased risk of hypospadias associated with prenatal use of some domestic pesticide products, likely to contain insecticides, and of cryptorchidism with nearby orchard acreage (crops repeatedly sprayed with pesticides). This work is limited by its modest number of cases.

Petroleum refining and petrochemical complexes are significant sources of air pollution, emitting a variety of harmful pollutants with substantial health risks for nearby populations. While much of the information regarding this issue and the potential health impacts of this pollution has been documented, it remains fragmented across studies focusing on specific regions or health outcomes. These studies are often clustered into meta-analyses or reviews or exist as undeclared knowledge held by experts in the field, making it difficult to fully grasp the scope of the issue. To address this gap, our review consolidates the existing knowledge on the sources of air pollution from petroleum refining and petrochemical industries, the main pollutants involved, and their associated health outcomes. Additionally, we conducted an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis and also included critical reviews. With this approach, we identified 12 reviews that comprehensively evaluate the health impacts in populations living near petroleum refining and/or petrochemical complexes. These reviews included studies spanning several decades (from 1980 to 2020) and encompassing regions across North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa, reflecting diverse industrial practices and regulatory frameworks. From these studies, our umbrella review demonstrates that residents living near these facilities face elevated risks related to leukemia, lung and pancreatic cancer, nonmalignant respiratory conditions (such as asthma, cough, wheezing, bronchitis, and rhinitis), chronic kidney disease, and adverse reproductive outcomes. Furthermore, we discuss the key challenges in mitigating these health impacts and outline future directions, including the integration of cleaner technologies, which can significantly reduce harmful emissions; strengthening policy frameworks, emphasizing stringent emission limits, continuous monitoring, and regulatory enforcement; and advancing research on underexplored health outcomes. This review emphasizes the need for coordinated global efforts to align the industry’s evolution with sustainable development goals and climate action strategies to protect the health of vulnerable communities.

Background Research suggests that greenspace may confer neurocognitive benefits. This study examines whether residential greenspace is associated with risk of dementia among older adults. Methods Greenspace exposure was computed for 3047 participants aged 75 years and older enrolled in the Gingko Evaluation of Memory Study (GEMS) across four U.S. sites that prospectively evaluated dementia and its subtypes, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), and mixed pathologies, using neuropsychiatric evaluations between 2000 and 2008. After geocoding participant residences at baseline, three greenspace metrics—Normalized Difference Vegetative Index, percent park overlap within a 2-km radius, and linear distance to nearest park—were combined to create a composite residential greenspace measure categorized into tertiles. Cox proportional hazards models estimated the associations between baseline greenspace and risk of incident all-cause dementia, AD, and Mixed/VaD. Results Compared to low residential greenspace, high residential greenspace was associated with a reduced risk of dementia (HR = 0.76 95% CI: 0.59,0.98) in models adjusted for multiple covariates. After additional adjustment for behavioral characteristics, Apolipoprotein E ɛ4 status, and other covariates, the association was slightly attenuated (HR = 0.82; 95% CI:0.63,1.06). Those exposed to medium levels of greenspace also had 28% lower risk (HR = 0.72; CI: 0.55, 0.95) of dementia compared to those with low greenspace in adjusted models. Subtype associations between high residential greenspace and AD were not statistically significant. Greenspace was not found to be significantly associated with mixed/vascular pathologies. Conclusions This study showed evidence for an association between residential greenspace and all-cause dementia among older adults. Future research with larger sample size, precise characterization of different dementia subtypes, and assessment of residential greenspace earlier in life may help clarify the role between exposure to greenspace and dementia risk. Highlights Residential greenspace exposure was found to be associated with moderate cognitive health benefit for older U.S. adults. Dementia subtypes may be differentially impacted by exposure to residential greenspace. Combining multiple greenspace measures may better capture a holistic picture of exposure to greenspace compared to one measure alone.