Environmental research
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Environmental research · Apr 2017
Ambient air pollution and primary liver cancer incidence in four European cohorts within the ESCAPE project.
Tobacco smoke exposure increases the risk of cancer in the liver, but little is known about the possible risk associated with exposure to ambient air pollution. ⋯ The results provide suggestive evidence that ambient air pollution may increase the risk of liver cancer. Confidence intervals for associations with NO2 and NOX were narrower than for the other exposures.
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Environmental research · Feb 2017
Occupational airborne exposure in relation to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung function in individuals without childhood wheezing illness: A 50-year cohort study.
Evidence from longitudinal population-based studies relating occupational exposure to the full range of different forms of airborne pollutants and lung function and airway obstruction is limited. ⋯ People with no history of childhood wheezing who have been occupationally exposed to biological dusts or vapors or had longer duration of lifetime exposure to any VGDFFiM are at a higher risk of reduced lung function at age 58-64 years. Occupational exposure to biological dusts or vapors also increased the risk of self-reported COPD.
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Environmental research · Nov 2016
Assessment of tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in oral fluid as biomarkers of cancer risk: A population-based study.
Smoke-free laws are expected to reduce smoking habits and exposure to secondhand smoke. The objective of this study was the measurement of tobacco specific carcinogens (TSNAs) in oral fluid to assess the most suitable biomarker of cancer risk associated with tobacco smoke. ⋯ TSNAs are detectable in oral fluid of smokers and non-smokers. NNN is the most abundant, in line with its association with esophageal and oral cavity cancers. The NNN/cotinine ratio confirms the relative NNN increase in second hand smoke. Findings provide a new oral fluid biomarker of cancer risk associated with exposure to tobacco smoke.
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Environmental research · Nov 2016
Effects of long-range transported air pollution from vegetation fires on daily mortality and hospital admissions in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions from vegetation fires can be transported over long distances and may cause significant air pollution episodes far from the fires. However, epidemiological evidence on health effects of vegetation-fire originated air pollution is limited, particularly for mortality and cardiovascular outcomes. ⋯ Our research provides suggestive evidence for an association of exposure to long-range transported PM2.5 from vegetation fires with increased cardiovascular mortality, and to a lesser extent with increased hospital admissions due to respiratory causes. Hence, vegetation-fire originated air pollution may have adverse effects on public health over a distance of hundreds to thousands of kilometres from the fires.
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Environmental research · Oct 2016
Exposure to outdoor air pollution during trimesters of pregnancy and childhood asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema.
Mounting evidence suggests that exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with the development of childhood allergic diseases, but the effect of prenatal exposure to air pollution on the risk of childhood asthma and allergy is unclear. ⋯ Maternal exposure to traffic-related air pollutant NO2 during pregnancy, especially in specific trimesters, is associated with an increased risk of developing asthma, rhinitis, and eczema in children. Our results support the hypothesis that childhood allergic diseases originate in fetal life and are triggered by traffic-related air pollution in sensitive trimesters.