Ambient air pollution has been associated with adverse respiratory outcomes, especially among children with asthma. This study reports on associations between daily ambient air pollutant concentrations and the respiratory symptoms of schoolchildren living in Durban, South Africa. This city is Africa's busiest port and a key hub for imported crude oil and exported refined petroleum and petrochemical products, and it experiences a mixture of air pollutants that reflects emissions from industry, traffic and biomass burning. Children in four communities in the highly industrialized southern portion of the city were compared to children of similar socio-economic profiles living in the north of the city. One school was selected in each community. A total of 423 children were recruited. Symptom logs were completed every 1.5–2 h over 3-week period in each of four seasons. Ambient concentrations of NO₂, NO, SO₂, CO, O₃, PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ were measured throughout the study. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and assess lag effects (1–5 days) using single pollutant (single lags or distributed lags) models. Concentrations of SO₂ and NOₓ were markedly higher in the south, while PM₁₀ did not vary. Significant increase in the odds ratios of cough were identified for the various lags analyzed. The OR of symptoms was further increased among those living in the south compared to the north. In conclusion, in this analysis of over 70,000 observations, we provide further evidence that exposure to PM₁₀, SO₂, NO₂ and NO is associated with significantly increased occurrence of respiratory symptoms among children. This was evident for cough, shortness of breath, and chest tightness, across the four pollutants and for different lags of exposure. This is the first study describing these changes in sub-Saharan Africa.

A prospective cohort study of a Chinese population of mother–neonate pairs (n = 3103) was conducted to investigate the relationship between the cumulative hazard index (HI) of combined diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dibenzyl phthalate (BBzP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure and birth outcomes. The estimated HI for phthalates was based on phthalate metabolite concentrations in urine collected between 5th and 14th gestational weeks. The median HI values according to the European Food Safety Authority tolerable daily intake (HITDI) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference dose (HIRfD) were 0.358 and 0.187, respectively. A total of 16.3% and 1.9% of the women exhibited HITDI and HIRfD exceeding the value of one, respectively. In unadjusted models, the categories (low < P25, median P25–P50, high > P75) of HITDI were associated with decreased birth weight (β = −26.34 g, p = 0.021) and head circumference (β = −0.09 cm, p = 0.029), whereas those for HIRfD were negatively associated with birth weight (β = −31.74 g, p = 0.005), birth length (β = −0.11 cm, p = 0.032), head circumference (β = −0.13 cm, p = 0.003) and chest circumference (β = −0.10 cm, p = 0.021) in all neonates. Adjustment for potential confounders revealed that HIRfD was inversely associated with head circumference (β = −0.10 cm, p = 0.020). Stratification by gender indicated that HIRfD was associated with decreased birth length (β = −0.17 cm, p = 0.041) in infant boys and HITDI was associated with decreased birth weight (β = −33.12 g, p = 0.036) and head circumference (β = −0.13 cm, p = 0.027) in girls. This is the first study on the cumulative risk assessment of phthalate exposures in pregnant Chinese women. We found that the HI values of multiple phthalate co-exposure were sex-specifically related to birth outcomes.

In the present study, we evaluated the effects of chronic exposure to traffic from a heavy-duty diesel-fueled vehicle area on respiratory symptoms and airway inflammation in a nonsmoking adult and elderly population. Respiratory symptoms were evaluated by the ISAAC questionnaire (International Study of Asthma and Allergies questionnaire), and airway inflammation was assessed by fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). Forty volunteers were selected from the 112 volunteers who completed the ISAAC questionnaire for the measurement of FeNO. The FeNO population comprised seven men (six aged ≥ 64 years old, four aged ≥ 75 years old) and 32 women (27 aged ≥ 64 years old, nine aged ≥ 75 years old). FeNO levels were tracked for six months, from November 2014 to June 2015. Results: Twenty-four percent of the volunteers reported having had wheezing in the chest in the last 12 months. However, only 2.7% of the volunteers reported doctor-diagnosed asthma. There was a positive association between FeNO and pollutants in most of the study months. An increase of 1 μg m⁻³ in NO₂ was associated with a mean increase of 1.08 ppb in FeNO, and an increase of 1 μg m₋₃ in O₃ was associated with a mean increase of 1.06 ppb in FeNO. The relative risk for NO₂ ranged from 1.009 to 1.32 and that for O₃ ranged from 1.014 to 1.020. Conclusion: The frequency of respiratory symptoms was much higher than the previously described levels of 6% in the Brazilian adult population. In summary, a high frequency of respiratory symptoms and high levels of FeNO were described in an underdiagnosed adult population living very close to a heavy-duty diesel-traffic area. Older elderly adults presented greater susceptibility to airway inflammation than younger adults.

Data concerning the effects of prenatal exposures to nonylphenol (NP) and oxidative stress on neonatal birth outcomes from human studies are limited. A total of 146 pregnant women were studied (1) to investigate the association between prenatal NP exposure and maternal oxidative/nitrative stress biomarkers of DNA damage (8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), 8-nitroguanine (8-NO2Gua)) and lipid peroxidation (8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-isoPF2α), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-mercapturic acid (HNE-MA)) and (2) to explore the associations among oxidative stress biomarkers, NP exposure, and neonatal birth outcomes, including gestational age, birth weight, length, Ponderal index, and head and chest circumferences. NP significantly increased the 8-OHdG and 8-NO2Gua levels. All infants born to mothers with urinary 8-OHdG levels above the median exhibited a significantly shorter gestational duration (Badjusted = −4.72 days; 95% CI: −8.08 to −1.36 days). No clear association was found between NP levels and birth outcomes. Prenatal 8-OHdG levels might be a novel biomarker for monitoring fetal health related to NP exposure.

Studies revealed long-term associations between noise exposure and cardiovascular health, but the underlying short-term mechanisms remain uncertain.To explore the concomitant and lagged short-term associations between personal exposure to noise and heart rate variability (HRV) in a real life setting in the Île-de-France region.The RECORD MultiSensor Study collected between July 2014 and June 2015 noise and heart rate data for 75 participants, aged 34–74 years, in their living environments for 7 days using a personal dosimeter and electrocardiography (ECG) sensor on the chest. HRV parameters and noise levels were calculated for 5-min windows. Short-term relationships between noise level and log-transformed HRV parameters were assessed using mixed effects models with a random intercept for participants and a temporal autocorrelation structure, adjusted for heart rate, physical activity (accelerometry), and short-term trends.An increase by one dB(A) of A-weighted equivalent sound pressure level (Leq) was associated with a 0.97% concomitant increase of the Standard deviation of normal to normal intervals (SDNN) (95% CI: 0.92, 1.02), of 2.08% of the Low frequency band power (LF) (95% CI: 1.97, 2.18), of 1.30% of the High frequency band power (HF) (95% CI: 1.17, 1.43), and of 1.16% of the LF/HF ratio (95% CI: 1.10, 1.23). The analysis of lagged exposures to noise adjusted for the concomitant exposure illustrates the dynamic of recovery of the autonomic nervous system. Non-linear associations were documented with all HRV parameters with the exception of HF. Piecewise regression revealed that the association was almost 6 times stronger below than above 65 Leq dB(A) for the SDNN and LF/HF ratio.Personal noise exposure was found to be related to a concomitant increase of the overall HRV, with evidence of imbalance of the autonomic nervous system towards sympathetic activity, a pathway to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

The objectives of this study were to measure exposure to dust in the small bakery shops, to define the determinants of occupational asthma, and to propose control measures for this. The study included bakery workers of one hundred bakeries (the cases; n=200, the controls; n=20). Their individual information was obtained by a simple questionnaire based on “Ear–Nose–Throat” (ENT) work–related symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and irritations. Subjects were considered as “possible occupational asthma cases”. Medical visit was carried out to complete clinical and lung function investigations for these subjects. The mean flour dust concentration in the current study was 28mg/m3. Fifty six of bakery workers had work related symptoms significantly higher than those in controls. The spirometric results illustrated that the workers with experience of less than five years are not affected as there was no significant difference between exposed cases and controls in mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) or forced vital capacity (FVC) percent determined. But workers with experience of five years or more showed significantly lower mean FEV1 and FVC percent predicted when compared with controls. The results of lung function test for subjects demonstrated that the flour dust pollution adversely affects on main lung function parameters, such as FVC and FEV1. This study confirms that the risk of pulmonary disease among flour dust exposed workers is higher than the unexposed control subjects.

Construction cost (CC) is a quantifiable measure of energy demand for biomass production, and low CC is hypothesized to give an alien plant growth advantages and increase its potential to be an invader. Comparison of leaf CC and growth traits between alien and native mangroves in Shenzhen Futian Nature Reserve showed CC per unit mass (CCₘₐₛₛ), carbon concentration and gross and ash-free caloric values of alien mangroves were significantly lower than those of native species, while the height and chest circumference were just the opposite. Alien species Sonneratia apetala had the lowest CCₘₐₛₛ while Sonneratia caseolaris had the lowest CCₐᵣₑₐ, and were 8.99% and 32.17% lower than those of native species, respectively. Conversely, specific leaf area (SLA) of these two Sonneratia species was significantly higher than native species. Lower CC and higher SLA make the two Sonneratia species grow and spread faster than other mangroves and enhance their invasive potential.

Open landfilling is a common practice of waste dumping in developing countries, generating a range of environmental and public health hazards. In this study, we determined the distribution, composition and exposure risk of the size-segregated fungal and bacterial bioaerosols in an open landfill site in Dehradun, India. Bioaerosol and particulate matter (PM) measurements were carried out using a six-stage viable Andersen Cascade Impactor and a Wide Range Aerosol Spectrometer, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the relation of bioaerosol concentration with meteorological parameters and PM. The mean concentration of fungal and bacterial aerosols was observed to be 4582.75 ± 1358.25 CFU/m3 and 3609.53 ± 1000.28 CFU/m3, respectively. The bioaerosol composition showed the predominance of potential pathogens including Aspergillus (25.42%), Penicillium (20.34%), Cladosporium (15.25%), Alternaria (13.56%); and gram-negative Bacillus (21.15%), Streptobacillus (17.31%), Coccus (13.46%). Also, an inhalation risk assessment was conducted for the age-specific predictions of bioaerosol and PM deposition in human airways using a multiple path particle dosimetry model. For bioaerosols, maximum submicron depositions in the pulmonary region were observed in adults, while for PM, in children and infants. Finally, to identify the bioaerosol exposure caused respiratory disorders, a questionnaire-based health survey was conducted among the exposed population around the landfill site. The chi-square test showed significantly higher respiratory complaints in females for cold, cough, chest pain and chest tightness than in males. This work highlights the role of bioaerosols and PM in human health disorders in occupational environments associated with waste management.

Noise has been reported as one of the most important risk factors for asthma, but there are some disagreements. This study aimed to investigate the effect of road noise on asthma prevalence in adults. In the current study, 3172 adults were interviewed through the ECRHS standardized questionnaire in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Exposure to road noise was assessed considering distance of individual participants from the noise monitoring stations via the spatial analysis in GIS software. Logistic regression was used to assess the effect of noise on the symptoms of asthma. Findings showed a significant positive association between wheezing with dyspnea as the best marker for asthma and noise levels at daytime (OR 1.03; 0.98–1.05) and nighttime (OR 1.05; 0.84–1.09). Also, a significant positive association was obtained between daytime and nighttime noise levels and other asthma symptoms including wheezing, nocturnal chest tightness, nocturnal dyspnea, wheezing without cold, nocturnal cough, and asthma medication. Association between current asthma and noise level was not significant. There was a significant association between population age and current asthma prevalence (P = 0.001). Therefore, chronic exposure to road noise especially in the nighttime could increase asthma prevalence. So, control of noise sources can be suggested to diminish asthma in adults.

Cleaning products are mixtures of many chemical ingredients that are known to contain sensitizers, disinfectants, and fragrances, as well as strong airway irritants which associated with lower respiratory tract and asthma symptoms. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and possible risk factors of occupational asthma and its effect on quality of life among workers in detergent and cleaning products industries in El Asher men Ramadan city. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 780 workers. All participants were personally interviewed at their workplaces and were subjected to a questionnaire regarding sociodemographic, work characteristics and asthma symptoms, clinical examination, chest X-ray, spirometer, and bronchodilator test. The prevalence of occupational asthma among the studied workers was 35.4%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that female gender [odds ratio 1.397; 95% CI 1.09–1.96], manually working participants [odds ratio 3.067; 95% CI 1.72–5.46], and history of atopy [odds ratio 1.596; 95% CI 1.09–2.33] were risk factors for development of occupational asthma. The total mean score of asthma-specific quality of life was significantly lower in asthmatic (5.10 ± 0.49) than non-asthmatic workers (5.89 ± 0.46) (P < 0.01) indicating impairment of quality of life among asthmatic group. Workers in detergent and cleaning products industry are at higher risk for developing occupational asthma that adversely affects their general health and quality of life.