The Science of the total environment
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Sci. Total Environ. · Jul 2012
Short-term effects of ambient air pollution on stroke: who is most vulnerable?
Several studies have demonstrated positive associations between day-to-day increases in air pollution and stroke. These findings have been inconsistent, and the influence of patient characteristics has been largely ignored. In this study, we investigated the short-term effects of air pollution on stroke using a time-stratified case-crossover design. ⋯ Temperature was inversely associated with ischemic stroke during the 'warm' season, but no associations were evident with the other stroke subtypes. Air pollution was not associated with hemorrhagic stroke or transient ischemic attacks. The findings suggest that specific patient characteristics modify associations between air pollution and ischemic stroke.
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Sci. Total Environ. · Jun 2012
Efficiency of mitigation measures to reduce particulate air pollution--a case study during the Olympic Summer Games 2008 in Beijing, China.
Atmospheric particles were studied before, during, and after the period of the Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, China, in August 2008 in order to investigate the efficiency of the mitigation measures implemented by the Chinese Government. Total suspended particles (TSP) and fine particles (PM(2.5) and PM(1)) were collected continuously from October 2007 to February 2009 and were analyzed in detail with regard to mass and element concentrations, water-soluble ions, and black carbon (BC). Mass as well as element concentrations during the Olympic air quality control period were lower than the respective concentrations during the time directly before and after the Olympic Games. ⋯ Furthermore, the mentioned anthropogenic element concentrations were reduced more in the finer PM(2.5) samples whereas geogenic ones were reduced stronger in TSP samples including the coarser fraction. Consequently, it can be assumed that the mitigation measures, as intended, were successful in reducing more toxic and health-relevant particles from anthropogenic sources. Firework displays, especially at the Opening Ceremony, could be identified as a special short-time source for atmospheric particles during the Olympic Games.
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Sci. Total Environ. · May 2012
Examining nocturnal railway noise and aircraft noise in the field: sleep, psychomotor performance, and annoyance.
Traffic noise is interfering during day- and nighttime causing distress and adverse physiological reactions in large parts of the population. Railway noise proved less annoying than aircraft noise in surveys which were the bases for a so called 5 dB railway bonus regarding noise protection in many European countries. ⋯ Nocturnal freight train noise exposure in Germany was associated with increased awakening probabilities exceeding those for aircraft noise and contrasting the findings of many annoyance surveys and annoyance ratings of our study. During nighttime a bonus for railway noise seems not appropriate.
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Sci. Total Environ. · May 2012
Airport environmental noise mapping and land use management as an environmental protection action policy tool. The case of the Larnaka International Airport (Cyprus).
The evidence from epidemiological studies on the association between exposure to traffic and aircraft noise and hypertension and ischemic heart disease has increased during the recent years. Both road traffic and aircraft noise increase the risk of high blood pressure. Environmental noise mapping, as per the 2002/49/EC Directive, is an obligation of all European Union (EU) member states. ⋯ The case of the Larnaka International Airport in Cyprus, a typical Mediterranean airport, (considered as a "large airport" according to the above EU Directive and the recent Cyprus Legislation Law No. 224(Ι)/2004), is presented. In this paper a review of both assessment and action implementation procedures focusing on the dominant--in the area--aircraft traffic noise is presented, with emphasis to (a) a full calculation of Strategic Noise Map (SNM) scenarios of actual and future airport operation using the ECAC. CEAC Doc 29 methodology for both EU common indicators L(den) and L(night) in scales of 5 dB, (b) a full evaluation of results with emphasis to the Larnaka greater area land uses and the exposure of inhabitants in residences in various levels of environmental noise, and (c) a full evaluation of Noise Action Plans (NAP) introducing especially a new land use management scheme for the future Larnaka Town Land Use Plan.
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Sci. Total Environ. · Dec 2011
Relationship between mean daily ambient temperature range and hospital admissions for schizophrenia: Results from a national cohort of psychiatric inpatients.
Environmental temperature is known to correlate with schizophrenia, but little is known about the association with changes in temperature. This 12-year study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the mean daily range of ambient temperature and schizophrenia admissions in a national cohort of psychiatric inpatients in Taiwan. Meteorological data provided by the Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan were interpolated to create representative estimates. ⋯ The joint effect of temperature and temperature range was associated with elevated risk, particularly at cooler temperatures. A positive correlation was found between increasing temperature range and schizophrenia admissions. The increase in morbidity at high percentiles suggests that the increasing dynamics of temperature range are a valid reflection of risk, highlighting the need for precautionary action.