Short-Term Exposure to PM and O Impairs Liver Function in HIV/AIDS Patients: Evidence from a Repeated Measurements Study.
Toxics
Studies investigating the relationship between ambient air pollutants and liver function are scarce. Our objective was to examine the associations of acute exposure to PM and O with levels of hepatic enzymes in people living with HIV/AIDS (PWHA). Our study involved 163 PWHA, who were evaluated for serum hepatic enzymes up to four times within a year. We extracted daily average concentrations of PM, PM components, and O for each participant, based on their residential address, using the Tracking of Air Pollution in China database. Linear mixed-effect models were utilized to assess the associations of acute exposure to PM and O with hepatic enzymes. Weighted quantile sum regression models were employed to identify the major constituents of PM that affect hepatic enzymes. The percent change of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) concentration was positively correlated with a 10 µg/m increase in PM, ranging from 1.92 (95% CI: 3.13 to 4.38) to 6.09 (95% CI: 9.25 to 12.38), with the largest effect observed at lag06. Additionally, acute O exposure was related to increased levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), AST, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentrations. Co-exposure to high levels of PM and O had an antagonistic effect on the elevation of AST. Further analysis revealed that SO and BC were major contributors to elevated AST concentration due to PM constituents. A stronger association was found between O exposure and ALT concentration in female PWHA. Our study found that short-term exposure to PM and O was associated with increased levels of hepatic enzymes, indicating that PM and O exposure may contribute to hepatocellular injury in PWHA. Our study also found that PWHA may be more vulnerable to air pollution than the general population. These findings highlight the relationship between air pollutants and liver function in PWHA, providing a scientific basis for the implementation of measures to protect susceptible populations from the adverse effects of air pollution. A reduction in the burning of fossil fuels and reduced exposure to air pollutants may be effective hazard reduction approaches.
10.3390/toxics11090729
Modification effects of ambient temperature on associations of ambient ozone exposure before and during pregnancy with adverse birth outcomes: A multicity study in China.
Environment international
BACKGROUND:Epidemiological studies suggest that both ambient ozone (O) and temperature were associated with increased risks of adverse birth outcomes. However, very few studies explored their interaction effects, especially for small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA). OBJECTIVES:To estimate the modification effects of ambient temperature on associations of ambient O exposure before and during pregnancy with preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), SGA and LGA based on multicity birth cohorts. METHODS:A total of 56,905 singleton pregnant women from three birth cohorts conducted in Tianjin, Beijing and Maoming, China, were included in the study. Maximum daily 8-h average O concentrations of each pregnant woman from the preconception period to delivery for every day were estimated by matching their home addresses with the Tracking Air Pollution in China (TAP) datasets. We first applied the Cox proportional-hazards regression model to evaluate the city-specific effects of O exposure before and during pregnancy on adverse birth outcomes at different temperature levels with adjustment for potential confounders, and then a meta-analysis across three birth cohorts was conducted to calculate the pooled associations. RESULTS:In pooled analysis, significant modification effects of ambient temperature on associations of ambient O with PTB, LBW and LGA were observed (P < 0.05). For a 10 μg/m increase in ambient O exposure at high temperature level (> 75 percentile), the risk of LBW increased by 28 % (HR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.13-1.46) during the second trimester and the risk of LGA increased by 116% (HR: 2.16, 95%CI: 1.16-4.00) during the entire pregnancy, while the null or weaker association was observed at corresponding low (≤ 25 percentile) and medium (> 25 and ≤ 75 percentile) temperature levels. CONCLUSION:This multicity study added new evidence that ambient high temperature may enhance the potential effects of ambient O on adverse birth outcomes.
10.1016/j.envint.2023.107791
Ambient ozone and ovarian reserve in Chinese women of reproductive age: Identifying susceptible exposure windows.
Journal of hazardous materials
Little is known about the association of ambient ozone with ovarian reserve. Based on a retrospective cohort study of 6008 women who attended a fertility center in Hubei, China, during 2018-2021, we estimated ozone exposure levels by calculating averages during the development of follicles (2-month [W1], 4-month [W2], 6-month [W3]) and 1-year before measurement (W4) according to Tracking Air Pollution in China database. We used multivariate logistic regression and linear regression models to investigate association of ozone exposure with anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), the preferred indicator of ovarian reserve. Each 10 μg/m increases in ozone were associated with 2.34% (0.68%, 3.97%), 2.08% (0.10%, 4.01%), 4.20% (1.67%, 6.67%), and 8.91% (5.79%, 11.93%) decreased AMH levels during W1-W4; AMH levels decreased by 15.85%, 11.90%, 16.92% in the fourth quartile during W1, W3, and W4 when comparing the extreme quartile, with significant exposure-response relationships during W4 (P < 0.05). Ozone exposure during W1 was positively associated with low AMH. Additionally, we detected significant effect modification by age, body mass index, and temperature in ozone-associated decreased AMH levels. Our findings highlight the potential adverse impact of ozone pollution on female ovarian reserve, especially during the secondary to small antral follicle stage and 1-year before measurement.
10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132579
Fine particulate matter and its constituent on ovarian reserve: Identifying susceptible windows of exposure.
The Science of the total environment
BACKGROUND:Little is known about the associations of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) and its constituents with ovarian reserve, and the potential susceptible window of exposure remains unclear. METHODS:We performed a retrospective cohort study of 5189 women who attended a fertility center in Hubei, China, during 2019-2022, and estimated concentrations of PM and its major constituents during the development of follicles (4th-6th month [W1], 0-4th month [W2], 0-6th month [W3]) and 1-year before measurement (W4) based on Tracking Air Pollution in China database. We used multivariable linear regression and logistic regression models to examine the associations of PM and its constituent exposures with anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), the preferred indicator of ovarian reserve. RESULTS:We observed significantly decreased AMH levels associated with increasing PM concentrations, with the percent changes (95 % confidence intervals [CIs]) of 1.99 % (0.24 %-3.71 %) during W1 and 3.99 % (0.74 %-7.15 %) during W4 for per 10 μg/m increases in PM.When PM exposure levels were equal to 50th percentile (32.6-42.3 μg/m) or more, monotonically decreased AMH levels and increased risks of low AMH were seen with increasing PM concentrations during W1 and W4 (P < 0.05). Black carbon (BC), ammonium (NH), nitrate (NO), and organic matter (OM) during W1, and NH, NO, as well as sulfate (SO) during W4 were significantly associated with decreased AMH. Moreover, PM and SO exposures during W4 were positively associated with low AMH. Additionally, the associations were stronger among women aged <35 years, lived in urban regions, or measured AMH in cold-season (P for interaction <0.05). CONCLUSION:PM and specific chemical components (particularly NH, NO3, and SO4) exposure during the secondary to antral follicle stage and 1-year before measurement were associated with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), indicating the adverse impact of PM and its constituent exposures on female reproductive potential.
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166744
Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of outdoor air pollution exposure and cognitive function in UK Biobank.
Scientific reports
Observational studies have shown consistently increased likelihood of dementia or mild cognitive impairment diagnoses in people with higher air pollution exposure history, but evidence has been less consistent for associations with cognitive test performance. We estimated the association between baseline neighbourhood-level exposure to airborne pollutants (particulate matter and nitrogen oxides) and (1) cognitive test performance at baseline and (2) cognitive score change between baseline and 2.8-year follow-up, in 86,759 middle- to older-aged adults from the UK Biobank general population cohort. Unadjusted regression analyses indicated small but consistent negative associations between air pollutant exposure and baseline cognitive performance. Following adjustment for a range of key confounders, associations were inconsistent in direction and of very small magnitude. The largest of these indicated that 1 interquartile range higher air pollutant exposure was associated on average with 0.35% slower reaction time (95% CI: 0.13, 0.57), a 2.92% higher error rate on a visuospatial memory test (95% CI: 1.24, 4.62), and numeric memory scores that were 0.58 points lower (95% CI: -0.96, -0.19). Follow-up analyses of cognitive change scores did not show evidence of associations. The findings indicate that in this sample, which is five-fold larger than any previous cross-sectional study, the association between air pollution exposure and cognitive performance was weak. Ongoing follow-up of the UK Biobank cohort will allow investigation of longer-term associations into old age, including longitudinal tracking of cognitive performance and incident dementia outcomes.
10.1038/s41598-018-30568-6
The mediation effect of lipids, blood pressure and BMI between air pollutant mixture and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: The CHCN-BTH cohort study.
Ecotoxicology and environmental safety
BACKGROUND:The combine effect of air pollutant mixture on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remain undefined. This study aims to explore the association between long-term exposure of air pollutants and ASCVD, focusing on the mediating role of lipids, blood pressure and BMI. METHODS:This study was based on the CHCN-BTH cohort study. The annual concentrations of air pollutants and PM constituents were sourced from in the Tracking Air Pollution in China (TAP) and ChinaHighAirPollutants (CHAP) datasets from 2014 to 2019. A Cox mixed-effects model was used to investigate the associations between long-term exposure of air pollutants and ASCVD. The combined impact of the air pollutant mixture was assessed using Quantile g-Computation. Stratified, sensitivity, and mediation analyses were conducted. RESULTS:A total of 27,134 participants aged 18-80 were recruited in the present study. We found that each IQR increase of PM, PM, NO, O, BC, SO, and OM were significantly associated with the incidence of ASCVD, the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were 1.55 (1.35, 1.78), 1.46 (1.27, 1.67), 1.30 (1.21, 1.39), 1.66 (1.41,1.95), 2.14 (1.63, 2.83), 1.65 (1.25, 2.17) and 1.92(1.52, 2.45), respectively. The combined effect of air pollutant mixture on ASCVD was 1.79 (1.46, 2.20), PM contributed 83.3 % to this combined effect. Mediation effect models suggested that air pollutants and ASCVD might be mediated through SBP, DBP, HDL-C, LDL-C, hsCRP and BMI (mediation proportion range from 1.3 % to 26.1 %), Notably, HDL-C played mediation roles of 11.3 % (7.0 %, 18.4), 26.1 % (17.7 %, 38.1 %) and 25.4 % (15.4, 47.7 %) in the effects of long-term exposure to PM PM and OM on ASCVD, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:Long-term, high-level air pollutant exposure was significantly associated with an elevated risk of ASCVD, particularly for PM. Blood pressure, lipids and BMI, especially HDL-C, may mediate the effects of air pollutants exposure on ASCVD.
10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115491
Cumulative exposure to air pollution and subsequent mortality among older adults in China.
Zhang Jiaan,McLaughlin Sara J,Li Lydia W
Journal of public health (Oxford, England)
BACKGROUND:Research on the health effects of exposure to air pollution is growing. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the effects of long-term and cumulative exposure to air pollutants. Individual-level studies on the health consequences of air pollution in China are especially scarce. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of cumulative exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2), an air pollutant of particular concern in China, on all-cause mortality in older Chinese adults. METHODS:Using a nationally representative sample of older adults in China (N = 11 199), we tracked mortality over an 11-year period (2000-11). Air pollution data were linked to respondents using provincial identifiers. To examine the effect of cumulative SO2 exposure on mortality, we employed multilevel multinomial logistic regression models that account for within subject clustering of observations over time and clustering at the province level. RESULTS:We found that every 10-μg/m3 increase in cumulative exposure to SO2 increased the odds of death by nearly 1% (OR = 1.008; 95% CI: 1.002-1.014), controlling for province- and individual-level social and economic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS:Our analysis shows that air pollution is a risk factor for morality in older Chinese adults. Findings suggest that stronger SO2 regulations may enhance longevity.
10.1093/pubmed/fdy154
The use of personal and indoor air pollution monitors in reproductive epidemiology studies.
Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology
BACKGROUND:Personal and indoor air pollution monitors represent two ways to assess acute air pollution exposures; however, few reproductive epidemiology studies have incorporated these tools. OBJECTIVE:To provide an overview of the unique challenges and opportunities that arise when measuring acute exposure to air pollution in two ongoing reproductive epidemiology studies. METHODS:The Air Pollution, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), and Reproductive Outcomes (AIR) Study recruits women undergoing IVF to wear a personal particulate matter (PM) air pollution monitor (AirBeam2©) for the 72-hour period following the start of controlled ovarian stimulation. The Reproductive Effects of Chemicals and Air Pollutants (RECAP) Study recruits men across the United States to place an air pollution monitor (emmET) in their home for 3 months, use a smartphone application, and provide a semen sample. We highlight the key issues identified in implementing exposure assessment for both studies. RESULTS:The main advantages of using the AirBeam2© personal monitor are as follows: (a) the low cost, (b) the ability to collect multiple size fractions of PM data every second, (c) the portability, (d) its capability to track GPS location, and (e) the ability for the participant to observe their real-time exposure information. The limited battery life, incompatibility with iOS-based smartphones, and frequent connection issues that arise between the AirBeam2© and smartphone are the main disadvantages. The main advantages of the emmET are the ability to measure multiple air pollutants at a high level of accuracy, collect data for a long period of time without burdening the participant, and ship monitors to participants around the country without the need for in-person set-up by trained technicians; however, the monitor only measures the indoor home environment. CONCLUSIONS:Novel methods can be utilised to characterise short-term air pollution exposure in reproductive epidemiology studies and represent an exciting area for future research.
10.1111/ppe.12599
Impact of air pollution on running performance.
Scientific reports
Air pollution exposures during training may impact race preformances. We aggregated data on 334 collegiate male track & field athletes from 46 universities across the United States over 2010-2014. Using distributed lag non-linear models, we analyzed the relationship between race time and PM, ozone, and two versions of the Air Quality Index (AQI) exposures up to 21 days prior to the race. We observed a 12.8 (95% CI: 1.3, 24.2) second and 11.5 (95% CI: 0.8, 22.1) second increase in race times from 21 days of PM exposure (10.0 versus 5.0 μg/m) and ozone exposure (54.9 versus 36.9 ppm), respectively. Exposure measured by the two-pollutant threshold (PM and ozone) AQI was not significantly associated with race time; however, the association for summed two-pollutant AQI (PM plus ozone) was similar to associations observed for the individual pollutants (12.4, 95% CI: 1.8, 23.0 s). Training and competing at elevated air pollution levels, even at exposures within AQI's good-to-moderate classifications, was associated with slower race times. This work provides an initial characterization of the effect of air pollution on running performance and a justification for why coaches should consider approaches to reduce air pollution exposures while training.
10.1038/s41598-023-28802-x
The effect of air pollution and emotional and behavioral problems on preschoolers' overweight and obesity.
Environmental science and pollution research international
Childhood overweight and obesity (OWO) has risen dramatically in both developed and developing countries over the past few decades, creating a huge burden of disease. Ambient air pollution and emotional and behavioral problems are important influencing factors of OWO in preschoolers, but few studies have evaluated the impact of air pollution and emotional and behavioral problems on OWO of preschoolers in rural areas and their potential interactions. This study selected 3802 preschool children from 26 kindergartens in 4 rural areas of Anhui Province for a cross-sectional study. A total of 3636 individuals were included in the final analysis. In this study, outdoor air pollutants (PM and O) were derived from the China Air Pollution Tracking (TAP) data set, matching preschoolers' external air pollution exposure according to their kindergarten address codes to neighborhoods or administrative villages. OWO were assessed based on WHO Child Growth and Development Standards. Generalized linear model (GLM) and interplot model were used to evaluate the separate effects and potential interactions of air pollutants and emotional and behavioral problems on preschoolers' OWO. In the separate analysis, we found a significant positive association between air pollution and emotional and behavioral problems and OWO among preschoolers. In the interaction analysis, air pollution could enhance the positive effect of emotional and behavioral problems on OWO in preschoolers. In addition, the effect of air pollution and emotional and behavioral problems on overweight and obesity was stronger in preschoolers aged 5 to 6 years. Finally, we also found a stronger positive association between emotional and behavioral problems among girls, macrosomia, non-left-behind children, and preschoolers without eating problems. This study provided a scientific basis for the control of air pollution and overweight and obesity among preschool children in Anhui Province.
10.1007/s11356-022-21144-7
Ambient air pollution and in vitro fertilization treatment outcomes.
Human reproduction (Oxford, England)
STUDY QUESTION:Is air pollution associated with IVF treatment outcomes in the USA? SUMMARY ANSWER:We did not find clear evidence of a meaningful association between reproductive outcomes and average daily concentrations of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) and ozone (O3). WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY:Maternal exposure to air pollution such as PM2.5, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide or O3 may increase risks for adverse perinatal outcomes. Findings from the few studies using data from IVF populations to investigate associations between specific pollutants and treatment outcomes are inconclusive. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE AND DURATION:Retrospective cohort study of 253 528 non-cancelled fresh, autologous IVF cycles including 230 243 fresh, autologous IVF cycles with a transfer of ≥1 embryo was performed between 2010 and 2012. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS:We linked 2010-2012 National ART Surveillance System data for fresh, autologous IVF cycles with the ambient air pollution data generated using a Bayesian fusion model available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Environmental Public Health Tracking Network. We calculated county-level average daily PM2.5 and O3 concentrations for three time periods: cycle start to oocyte retrieval (T1), oocyte retrieval to embryo transfer (T2) and embryo transfer +14 days (T3). Multivariable predicted marginal proportions from logistic and log-linear regression models were used to estimate adjusted risk ratios (aRR) and 95% CI for the association between reproductive outcomes (implantation rate, pregnancy and live birth) and interquartile increases in PM2.5 and O3. The multipollutant models were also adjusted for patients and treatment characteristics and accounted for clustering by clinic and county of residence. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE:For all exposure periods, O3 was weakly positively associated with implantation (aRR 1.01, 95% CI 1.001-1.02 for T1; aRR 1.01, 95% CI 1.001-1.02 for T2 and aRR 1.01, 95% CI 1.001-1.02 for T3) and live birth (aRR 1.01, 95% CI 1.002-1.02 for T1; aRR 1.01, 95% CI 1.004-1.02 for T2 and aRR 1.02, 95% CI 1.004-1.03 for T3). PM2.5 was not associated with any of the reproductive outcomes assessed. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION:The main limitation of this study is the use of aggregated air pollution data as proxies for individual exposure. The weak positive associations found in this study might be related to confounding by factors that we were unable to assess and may not reflect clinically meaningful differences. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS:More research is needed to assess the impact of air pollution on reproductive function. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S):None.
10.1093/humrep/dez128