Environmental pollution
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Environmental pollution · Nov 2019
Concomitant occurrence of anthropogenic air pollutants, mineral dust and fungal spores during long-distance transport of ragweed pollen.
Large-scale synoptic conditions are able to transport considerable amounts of airborne particles over entire continents by creating substantial air mass movement. This phenomenon is observed in Europe in relation to highly allergenic ragweed (Ambrosia L.) pollen grains that are transported from populations in Central Europe (mainly the Pannonian Plain and Balkans) to the North. The path taken by atmospheric ragweed pollen often passes through the highly industrialised mining region of Silesia in Southern Poland, considered to be one of the most polluted areas in the EU. ⋯ In addition, atmospheric concentrations of other allergenic biological particles, i.e. Alternaria Nees ex Fr. spores, also increased markedly (by 115%) during LDT episodes. We suggest that the LDT episodes of ragweed pollen over Europe are not a "one-component" phenomenon, but are often related to elevated levels of chemical air pollutants and other biotic and abiotic components (fungal spores and desert dust).
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Environmental pollution · May 2019
ReviewCharacteristics, sources and health risk assessment of airborne particulate PAHs in Chinese cities: A review.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds composed of at least two benzene rings. This paper reviews the characteristics, sources and health risk of airborne particulate PAHs in Chinese cities. The airborne particulate PAH concentrations varied from 3.35 to 910 ng m-3, with an average of 75.0 ng m-3, and the pollution level of PAHs in northern cities was generally higher than that in southern cities. ⋯ The results of a health risk assessment indicated that the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for people in the northern cities was higher than that for people in the other regions, especially during the cold season. Moreover, adults were at greater risk than people in other age groups, and the health risk to females was slightly higher than that to males. The potential risk of airborne particulate PAH exposure was relatively high in some cities, and controlling PAH emissions at the source should be required to prevent pollution.
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Environmental pollution · Mar 2019
Fine particulate matter exposure and medication dispensing during and after a coal mine fire: A time series analysis from the Hazelwood Health Study.
Limited research has examined the impacts of coal mine fire smoke on human health. The aim of this study was to assess the association between prolonged smoke PM2.5 exposure from a brown coal mine fire that burned over a seven week period in 2014 and medications dispensed across five localities in South-eastern Victoria, Australia. Spatially resolved PM2.5 concentrations were retrospectively estimated using a dispersion model coupled with a chemical transport model. ⋯ Positive associations were found between mine fire-related PM2.5 and increased risks of medications dispensed for respiratory, cardiovascular and psychiatric conditions, over a lag range of 3-7 days. A 10 μg/m3 increase in coal mine fire-related PM2.5 was associated with a 25% (95%CI 19-32%) increase in respiratory medications, a 10% (95%CI 7-13%) increase in cardiovascular medications and a 12% (95%CI 8-16%) increase in psychiatric medications dispensed. These findings have the potential to better prepare for and develop more appropriate public health responses in the event of future coal mine fires.
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Environmental pollution · Feb 2019
A combined Arctic-tropical climate pattern controlling the inter-annual climate variability of wintertime PM2.5 over the North China Plain.
In recent years, the Chinese government has made tremendous efforts to reduce the emissions of atmospheric pollutants throughout the country. An apparent improvement in air quality was observed in Beijing and its adjacent region during the winter of 2017/2018. However, caution should be taken in directly attributing this improvement to air control actions without taking the effects of climate variability into account. ⋯ Specifically, the rapid warming of the Barents-Kara Sea region enhances the Siberian High and thus plays an important role in improving the air quality over the NCP during the 2017/2018 wintertime. These results help us understand the role of climate variability in modulating air quality, especially its contributions to the winter of 2017/2018. These results may assist in the evaluation of current air control actions and the revision of relevant policy for the future, which are urgently needed for China.
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Environmental pollution · Nov 2018
The burden of ozone pollution on years of life lost from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a city of Yangtze River Delta, China.
Ambient ozone is one of the most important air pollutants with respect to its impacts on human health and its increasing concentrations globally. However, studies which explored the burden of ozone pollution on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and estimated the relevant economic loss were rare. ⋯ Our findings highlight that ozone exposure was related to tremendous disease burden of COPD in Ningbo, China. The effects were more pronounced in the cool season, and the elderly were more susceptible populations.