Environmental pollution
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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.
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Environmental pollution · Nov 2018
Contamination of agricultural soil by urban and peri-urban highways: An overlooked priority?
Highways are major, open and dynamic sources of contaminants that present a risk to adjacent agricultural soils. Urban and peri-urban soils are particularly at risk because of a greater density of nearby highways with high traffic volumes. In developing economies, these soils support valuable food production and income, while in more developed economies there is a growing interest in urban food production. ⋯ Elevated levels of non-threshold carcinogens (e.g. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) in soil adjacent to highways are widely reported, with significant attribution to highway emissions. Mitigation options include improved vehicle design and performance, porous asphalt pavements, physical and vegetative barriers and better drainage. Research priorities include: (1) targeted soil monitoring to identify where highway contamination already presents a significant risk of harm to food production and to identify and assess trends in response to mitigation measures; (2) studies to assess the role of tyre particulate in transporting and releasing contaminants that are hazardous to soil (3) assessment of the risk to soil from pesticides used in highway maintenance; (4) analysis to inform a new emphasis on controlling soil pollution by innovative highway design and maintenance.
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Environmental pollution · Oct 2018
ReviewFrom Muller to mechanism: How LNT became the default model for cancer risk assessment.
This paper summarizes the historical and scientific foundations of the Linear No-Threshold (LNT) cancer risk assessment model. The story of cancer risk assessment is an extraordinary one as it was based on an initial incorrect gene mutation interpretation of Muller, the application of this incorrect assumption in the derivation of the LNT single-hit model, and a series of actions by leading radiation geneticists during the 1946-1956 period, including a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Biological Effects of Atomic Radiation (BEAR) I Genetics Panel (Anonymous, 1956), to sustain the LNT belief via a series of deliberate obfuscations, deceptions and misrepresentations that provided the basis of modern cancer risk assessment policy and practices. ⋯ Thus, cancer risk assessment has a poorly appreciated, complex and seriously flawed history that has undermined policies and practices of regulatory agencies in the U. S. and worldwide to the present time.
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Environmental pollution · Apr 2018
Review Meta AnalysisGlobal association between ambient air pollution and blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Although numerous studies have investigated the association of ambient air pollution with hypertension and blood pressure (BP), the results were inconsistent. We performed a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of these studies. Seven international and Chinese databases were searched for studies examining the associations of particulate (diameter<2.5 μm (PM2.5), 2.5-10 μm (PM2.5-10) or >10 μm (PM10)) and gaseous (sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO)) air pollutants with hypertension or BP. ⋯ Stratified analyses showed a generally stronger relationship among studies of men, Asians, North Americans, and areas with higher air pollutant levels. In conclusion, our study indicates a positive association between ambient air pollution and increased BP and hypertension. Geographical and socio-demographic factors may modify the pro-hypertensive effects of air pollutants.
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Environmental pollution · Nov 2017
Review Meta AnalysisShort-term association between ambient air pollution and pneumonia in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis of time-series and case-crossover studies.
Ambient air pollution has been associated with respiratory diseases in children. However, its effects on pediatric pneumonia have not been meta-analyzed. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the short-term association between ambient air pollution and hospitalization of children due to pneumonia. ⋯ This meta-analysis shows a positive association between daily levels of ambient air pollution markers and hospitalization of children due to pneumonia. However, lack of studies from low-and middle-income countries limits the quantitative generalizability given that susceptibilities to the adverse effects of air pollution may be different in those populations. The meta-regression in our analysis further demonstrated a strong effect of country income level on heterogeneity.