大气颗粒物(PM2.5、PM10)对地表景观结构的响应研究进展

颗粒物PM_(2.5)、PM_(10)是近年来我国大气首要污染物,威胁环境和人类健康。地表景观结构直接或间接影响PM_(2.5)、PM_(10)浓度,了解其影响过程和机理对于改善生态环境具有重要意义。系统总结了国内外关于PM_(2.5)、PM_(10)对地表景观结构响应的研究成果,指出研究中出现不确定性的可能影响因素,并对今后的发展方向进行展望。得出基本结论:(1)地表景观类型的构成及其格局显著影响大气颗粒物浓度,对PM_(2.5)、PM_(10)起到"源"和"汇"的作用。(2)地表景观结构引起局地气候变化并影响颗粒物的迁移转化,但其影响过程和机理复杂,研究结论并不明确。(3)颗粒物浓度和地表景观数据主要通过实际监测或遥感处理方法获得,但因为获取方法、监测点微观环境及遥感影像等因素影响,导致数据具有不确定性,加上时空尺度相对应的复杂性,大大限制了地表景观结构与PM_(2.5)、PM_(10)响应关系的研究进展,是未来要突破的难点。(4)PM_(2.5)、PM_(10)对地表景观结构响应的区域时空差异及过程,局地小气候变化对颗粒物浓度的影响过程和强度,主要景观类型尤其是水体、湿地景观对大气颗粒物浓度的影响过程、机理与贡献程度等是未来需要关注的方向。     

深圳市大气污染时空分布及其与景观格局的关系

气溶胶和臭氧是我国大部分地区的两种主要大气污染物,对城市生态环境和人类身体健康影响严重。以深圳市为研究区,利用大气监测站点提供的监测数据和普通kriging空间插值法,从年、季、月尺度上开展近5年（2015-2019）深圳全市PM_2.5和臭氧的时空分布研究,通过皮尔逊分析和显著性检验从月尺度上分析土地覆盖类型及其景观格局对大气污染的影响。结果表明：（1）近5年内深圳市PM_2.5浓度总体呈现下降趋势,臭氧浓度则先降后升,二者季节性和月度差异显著。（2）PM_2.5和臭氧在年、季、月尺度上空间差异明显,全市PM_2.5浓度整体为西北高、东南低;臭氧浓度西北、东南较高,其余区域相对较低。（3）植被占比的增多对PM_2.5浓度有明显的抑制和调控作用,植被斑块间距离越近,对PM_2.5浓度的调控作用越明显;水体占比的增高会导致臭氧浓度增高和变化幅度增大。研究结果可为城市大气污染防治和景观格局规划管理提供参考。     

Characterizing the Indoor-Outdoor Relationship of Fine Particulate Matter in Non-Heating Season for Urban Residences in Beijing

Objective

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) pollution is currently a major public health concern in Chinese urban areas. However, PM_2.5 exposure primarily occurs indoors. Given such, we conducted this study to characterize the indoor-outdoor relationship of PM_2.5 mass concentrations for urban residences in Beijing.

Methods

In this study, 24-h real-time indoor and ambient PM_2.5 mass concentrations were concurrently collected for 41 urban residences in the non-heating season. The diurnal variation of pollutant concentrations was characterized. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between indoor and ambient PM_2.5 mass concentrations. Regression analysis with ordinary least square was employed to characterize the influences of a variety of factors on PM_2.5 mass concentration.

Results

Hourly ambient PM_2.5 mass concentrations were 3–280 μg/m³ with a median of 58 μg/m³, and hourly indoor counterpart were 4–193 μg/m³ with a median of 34 μg/m³. The median indoor/ambient ratio of PM_2.5 mass concentration was 0.62. The diurnal variation of residential indoor and ambient PM_2.5 mass concentrations tracked with each other well. Strong correlation was found between indoor and ambient PM_2.5 mass concentrations on the community basis (coefficients: r≥0.90, p<0.0001), and the ambient data explained ≥84% variance of the indoor data. Regression analysis suggested that the variables, such as traffic conditions, indoor smoking activities, indoor cleaning activities, indoor plants and number of occupants, had significant influences on the indoor PM_2.5 mass concentrations.

Conclusions

PM_2.5 of ambient origin made dominant contribution to residential indoor PM_2.5 exposure in the non-heating season under the high ambient fine particle pollution condition. Nonetheless, the large inter-residence variability of infiltration factor of ambient PM_2.5 raised the concern of exposure misclassification when using ambient PM_2.5 mass concentrations as exposure surrogates. PM_2.5 of indoor origin still had minor influence on indoor PM_2.5 mass concentrations, particularly at 11:00–13:00 and 22:00–0:00. The predictive models suggested that particles from traffic emission, secondary aerosols, particles from indoor smoking, resuspended particles due to indoor cleaning and particles related to indoor plants contributed to indoor PM_2.5 mass concentrations in this study. Real-time ventilation measurements and improvement of questionnaire design to involve more variables subject to built environment were recommended to enhance the performance of the predictive models.     

The modeling and health risk assessment of PM2.5 from Tema Oil Refinery

Fine particulate matters (PM_2.5) are known to pose serious health problems compared to other air pollutants. The current study employed air dispersion modeling system (AERMOD) to simulate the concentration of PM_2.5 from Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and to assess the non-cancer risk and mortalities of the exposed population. In addition, the effects of local climatic factors on the distribution and concentration of PM_2.5 within the three main seasons (Major Raining Season (MRS), Low Raining Season (LRS) and Dry Season (DS)) were investigated. The AERMOD results showed that both 24-h (38.8 µg m^?3) and annual (12.6 µg m^?3) PM_2.5 concentration levels were in exceedance of the international limits. However, a decreasing trend in seasonal PM_2.5 concentrations was observed. Health risk assessment (HRA), indicated by hazard index (HI), revealed that the amount of Al₂O₃ present in the PM_2.5 caused a significant non-carcinogenic health risk to the exposed population (both adults and children) within the Metropolis (HI = 2.4 for adults and HI = 1.5 for children). Additionally, cardiopulmonary disease related mortalities due to PM_2.5 exposure (181 deaths for adults and 24 deaths for children) were found high compared to deaths caused by lung cancer (137 deaths for adults and 16 deaths for children).     

川渝地区空气质量时空分布格局及影响因素

川渝地区尤其是四川盆地已成为我国空气污染最严重的地区之一,基于2018—2019年川渝地区128个城市站和71个县级站空气质量监测及自然与社会经济数据,采用全局和局部莫兰指数分析了川渝地区空气质量指数(AQI)和不同空气质量分指数(IAQI)的时空格局,并采用偏最小二乘回归(PLSR)从较为宏观的尺度综合分析了川渝地区空气污染的主要驱动因素。研究结果表明：(1)川渝地区空气质量整体为良,主要污染物为O₃,其次为PM₁₀和PM_2.5。盆地区与高原区的主要污染物分别为PM_2.5和O₃;(2)AQI及PM_2.5、PM₁₀、NO₂呈“U”型变化,春冬季最高,夏秋季最低;O₃则在内部两区域都大致呈倒“U”型变化,但峰值分布时间与持续时长明显不同;SO₂和CO年内无明显变化;(3)各污染物具有明显的空间聚集性特征,AQI及PM₁₀、PM_2.5     

Estimation of Citywide Air Pollution in Beijing

There has been discrepancies between the daily air quality reports of the Beijing municipal government, observations recorded at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, and Beijing residents’ perceptions of air quality. This study estimates Beijing’s daily area PM_2.5 mass concentration by means of a novel technique SPA (Single Point Areal Estimation) that uses data from the single PM_2.5 observation station of the U.S Embassy and the 18 PM₁₀ observation stations of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau. The proposed technique accounts for empirical relationships between different types of observations, and generates best linear unbiased pollution estimates (in a statistical sense). The technique extends the daily PM_2.5 mass concentrations obtained at a single station (U.S. Embassy) to a citywide scale using physical relations between pollutant concentrations at the embassy PM_2.5 monitoring station and at the 18 official PM₁₀ stations that are evenly distributed across the city. Insight about the technique’s spatial estimation accuracy (uncertainty) is gained by means of theoretical considerations and numerical validations involving real data. The technique was used to study citywide PM_2.5 pollution during the 423-day period of interest (May 10, 2010 to December 6, 2011). Finally, a freely downloadable software library is provided that performs all relevant calculations of pollution estimation.     

Prenatal Air Pollution Exposure and Early Cardiovascular Phenotypes in Young Adults

Exposure to ambient air pollutants increases risk for adverse cardiovascular health outcomes in adults. We aimed to evaluate the contribution of prenatal air pollutant exposure to cardiovascular health, which has not been thoroughly evaluated. The Testing Responses on Youth (TROY) study consists of 768 college students recruited from the University of Southern California in 2007–2009. Participants attended one study visit during which blood pressure, heart rate and carotid artery arterial stiffness (CAS) and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) were assessed. Prenatal residential addresses were geocoded and used to assign prenatal and postnatal air pollutant exposure estimates using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System (AQS) database. The associations between CAS, CIMT and air pollutants were assessed using linear regression analysis. Prenatal PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 exposures were associated with increased CAS. For example, a 2 SD increase in prenatal PM_2.5 was associated with CAS indices, including a 5% increase (β = 1.05, 95% CI 1.00–1.10) in carotid stiffness index beta, a 5% increase (β = 1.05, 95% CI 1.01–1.10) in Young’s elastic modulus and a 5% decrease (β = 0.95, 95% CI 0.91–0.99) in distensibility. Mutually adjusted models of pre- and postnatal PM_2.5 further suggested the prenatal exposure was most relevant exposure period for CAS. No associations were observed for CIMT. In conclusion, prenatal exposure to elevated air pollutants may increase carotid arterial stiffness in a young adult population of college students. Efforts aimed at limiting prenatal exposures are important public health goals.     

Effects of air pollution and habitual exercise on the risk of death: a longitudinal cohort study

Background:Exercise may exacerbate the adverse health effects of air pollution by increasing the inhalation of air pollutants. We investigated the combined effects of long-term exposure to fine particle matter (PM_2.5) and habitual exercise on deaths from natural causes in Taiwan.Methods:We recruited 384 130 adults (aged ≥ 18 yr) with 842 394 medical examination records between 2001 and 2016, and followed all participants until May 31, 2019. We obtained vital data from the National Death Registry of Taiwan. We estimated PM_2.5 exposure using a satellite-based spatiotemporal model, and collected information on exercise habits using a standard self-administered questionnaire. We analyzed the data using a Cox regression model with time-dependent covariates.Results:A higher level of habitual exercise was associated with a lower risk of death from natural causes, compared with inactivity (hazard ratio [HR] 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.80–0.88 for the moderate exercise group; HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.62–0.68 for the high exercise groups), whereas a higher PM_2.5 exposure was associated with a higher risk of death from natural causes compared with lower exposure (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.98–1.07, and HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.10–1.20, for the moderate and high PM_2.5 exposure groups, respectively). Compared with inactive adults with high PM_2.5 exposure, adults with high levels of habitual exercise and low PM_2.5 exposure had a substantially lower risk of death from natural causes. We found a minor, but statistically significant, interaction effect between exercise and PM_2.5 exposure on risk of death (HR 1.03 95% CI 1.01–1.06). Subgroup analyses, stratified by PM_2.5 categories, suggested that moderate and high levels of exercise were associated with a lower risk of death in each PM_2.5 stratum, compared with inactivity.Interpretation:Increased levels of exercise and reduced PM_2.5 exposure are associated with a lower risk of death from natural causes. Habitual exercise can reduce risk regardless of the levels of PM_2.5 exposure. Our results suggest that exercise is a safe health improvement strategy, even for people residing in relatively polluted regions.

Air pollution and physical inactivity are both major public health challenges worldwide.¹ Air pollution was the fifth leading cause of disability related to health and accounted for 4.9 million deaths worldwide in 2017.² More than 91% of the global population lives in areas where air quality does not meet the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.³ In addition, physical inactivity was the fourth leading risk factor for death globally, accounting for 5.3 million deaths worldwide in 2012.⁴ The WHO has challenged its member states to reduce physical inactivity by 15% by 2030.⁵As people exercise, their ventilation rate increases, which increases the volume of air pollutants they inhale. This may exacerbate the adverse health effects of air pollutants. Thus, the risk–benefit relation between air pollution and exercise needs to be assessed to understand whether it is safe to exercise regularly in polluted regions. Indeed, some studies have shown that acute exposure to air pollution when exercising may override the benefits of exercise.^6,7 It is possible that the effects of long-term exposure to air pollution may be irreversible and cause a much larger disease burden than short-term exposure. Limited information exists on the combined effects of long-term exposure to air pollution and habitual exercise on human health, and findings have been inconsistent depending on health outcome. Three cohort studies have explored the relation between air pollution, physical activity and risk of death in Hong Kong,⁸ Denmark and the United States,⁹ with relatively small sample sizes.¹⁰ Therefore, we sought to investigate the combined effects of habitual exercise and long-term exposure to fine particle matter (PM_2.5) on the risk of death from natural causes (i.e., deaths not attributable to accident, suicide or homicide) using a longitudinal cohort of adults in Taiwan, where the annual PM_2.5 concentrations are 1.6 times higher than the WHO-recommended limit. We hypothesized that the beneficial effects of habitual exercise on risk of death may outweigh the risk of high levels of air pollutants inhaled during exercise.     

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in PM2.5, PM10, TSP and Gas Phase in Office Environment in Shanghai,China: Occurrence and Human Exposure

To evaluate risk via inhalation exposure of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in office environment, thirty-six pairs air samples including PM_2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm), PM₁₀ (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm), total suspended particles (TSP) with matching gas phase were collected in office environment in Shanghai, China. The average concentrations of PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and TSP were 20.4, 27.2 and 50.3 μg/m₃, respectively. Σ₁₅PBDEs mean concentrations in PM_2.5, PM₁₀, TSP and gas phase were 51.8, 110.7, 148 and 59.6 pg/m³, respectively. Much more PBDEs distributed in fine fractions than coarse ones. PBDEs congener profiles found in PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and TSP (dominated by BDE-209) were different from that in gas phase (dominated by the tri- to penta-BDEs). Approximately 3.20 pg/kg/d PM_2.5 bound PBDEs can be inhaled into the lung; 3.62 pg/kg/d PM₁₀-PM_2.5(particles with aerodynamic diameter of 2.5-10 μm) bound PBDEs tended to be deposited in the upper part of respiratory system, and the intake of PBDEs via gas-phase was 2.74 pg/kg/d. The exposure of PBDEs was far below the minimal risk levels (MRLs), indicating lower risk from PBDEs via inhalation in the studied office in Shanghai.     

寒地校园植物群落对大气细颗粒物浓度的消减作用

近年来随着我国城市的快速发展,空气污染作为城市生态环境破坏的首要问题日益严重。因此探究城市绿地中的植物群落是否能够消减大气细颗粒物浓度及其变化特征成为公众和学者广泛关注的焦点。选取位于寒地城市哈尔滨的东北林业大学作为研究对象,通过对校园PM_2.5浓度进行测定和校园植物群落进行调查,定量地分析不同植物群落对PM_2.5浓度的消减作用、PM_2.5浓度的时间变化规律、PM_2.5浓度与温度和空气相对湿度之间的关系。结果显示：（1）PM_2.5浓度日变化呈"双峰单谷"型,早晚偏高;季节变化是夏季PM_2.5浓度最低,秋季PM_2.5浓度最高。（2）不同结构的植物群落对大气细颗粒物的削减效果略有差异,乔灌草配置型绿地的PM_2.5消减率为30.30%,消减效果最佳;乔草和灌草的PM_2.5消减率分别为14.30%和7.77%,消减效果较差。（3）PM_2.5浓度与温度呈负相关关系,与空气相对湿度呈正相关关系。     

An Assessment of Risk from Particulate Released from Outdoor Wood Boilers

Use of outdoor wood boilers (OWB) has increased due to cost of fossil fuels. OWB short stacks release particles close to the breathing level, producing high levels of particulate matter ≤2.5 μm in diameter (PM_2.5). This assessment determines OWB contribution to local cancer risk and estimates thresholds for acute non-cancer risks. Carcinogenic PAHs in wood smoke (PM_2.5) cancer risks range from 2.7 × 10^–3 for the upper bound scenario (95% UCL value of PM_2.5 (665 μg/m³)) to 7.6 × 10^–5 for the lower bound (mean (186 μg/m³)). These risks represent a 7-fold increase of acceptable cancer risk for the lower bound value and 2 orders of magnitude above acceptable levels for the upper bound values. Non-cancer effects such as asthma and cardiopathies include respiratory attacks, hospital emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. Inhaled dose acute risk thresholds of 96, 120, and 250 μg PM 2.5/6 hours are proposed. Operation of an OWB that emits 100 grams PM_2.5/h was modeled and found to increase the exposures that exceed the 120-μg-risk level at and in residences within 500 to 1000 feet. The increases are projected to occur during periods of poor air mixing due to decreased wind speeds or inversions. Our analysis proposes a 6-h PM_2.5 inhaled dose threshold to predict peak periods of unhealthy air quality instead of 24-h and annual averages standards, which mask peak emissions.     

In-Field Ambient Fine Particle Monitoring of an Outdoor Wood Boiler: Public Health Concerns

Outdoor wood boilers (OWBs) are detached wood-fired units that heat water used for domestic consumption and heating. The increasing use of OWBs has prompted regulatory concern because of escalating public complaints. Few field studies of OWB ambient emissions have been conducted, limiting efforts to assess this air quality problem. A screening level evaluation was conducted to characterize ambient fine particle (PM_2.5) levels nearby an OWB device and to overview operating and design factors that could influence PM_2.5 levels. High hourly (186 μ g/m³ 4.3 h mean, 665 μg/m³ 95th percentile) and peak continuous (8,880 μg/m³ 15 s avg) PM_2.5 concentrations were found within 50–150 ft of an OWB relative to background levels throughout the course of nearly routine operating conditions. Values were highest during air intake within 1 h of fuel loading (416 μg/m³ 1 h mean) compared to air-starved 22–24 h after loading (115 μg/m³ 3.3 h mean). OWB features that could affect PM_2.5 levels include exemption from federal wood stove standards, poor combustion design, large firebox capacity, trash burning use, low stack height, and four-season utility. In view of cardiac and respiratory health risks associated with transient exposure to ambient PM_2.5 at levels well below those reported here, this pilot study contributes to the risk assessment field by identifying an emerging problem of potential public health significance.     

Fine Particulate Air Pollution and Hospital Emergency Room Visits for Respiratory Disease in Urban Areas in Beijing,China, in 2013

BackgroundHeavy fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) air pollution occurs frequently in China. However, epidemiological research on the association between short-term exposure to PM_2.5 pollution and respiratory disease morbidity is still limited. This study aimed to explore the association between PM_2.5 pollution and hospital emergency room visits (ERV) for total and cause-specific respiratory diseases in urban areas in Beijing.MethodsDaily counts of respiratory ERV from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2013, were obtained from ten general hospitals located in urban areas in Beijing. Concurrently, data on PM_2.5 were collected from the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, including 17 ambient air quality monitoring stations. A generalized-additive model was used to explore the respiratory effects of PM_2.5, after controlling for confounding variables. Subgroup analyses were also conducted by age and gender.ResultsA total of 92,464 respiratory emergency visits were recorded during the study period. The mean daily PM_2.5 concentration was 102.1±73.6 μg/m³. Every 10 μg/m³ increase in PM_2.5 concentration at lag₀ was associated with an increase in ERV, as follows: 0.23% for total respiratory disease (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.11%-0.34%), 0.19% for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) (95%CI: 0.04%-0.35%), 0.34% for lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) (95%CI: 0.14%-0.53%) and 1.46% for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) (95%CI: 0.13%-2.79%). The strongest association was identified between AECOPD and PM_2.5 concentration at lag_0-3 (3.15%, 95%CI: 1.39%-4.91%). The estimated effects were robust after adjusting for SO₂, O₃, CO and NO₂. Females and people 60 years of age and older demonstrated a higher risk of respiratory disease after PM_2.5 exposure.ConclusionPM_2.5 was significantly associated with respiratory ERV, particularly for URTI, LRTI and AECOPD in Beijing. The susceptibility to PM_2.5 pollution varied by gender and age.     

Impact of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown on ambient air quality of Saudi Arabia

The outbreak of COVID-19 has spread globally affecting human activities but with improvement in ambient air quality. The first case of the virus in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was on the 2nd of March 2020. The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the ambient air quality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the first time using data from nine cities was determined in this study. Hourly air quality data, based on concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM₁₀), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃), and meteorological conditions (atmospheric temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed) of the nine cities studied were obtained from Saudi Arabian General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection (GAMEP), for the period between January 2019 to May 2020. Significant variation (p < 0.05) was recorded for the five atmospheric pollutants across the cities before and during the lockdown, with lower concentrations during the lockdown except for the concentration of O₃ in Tabuk, Al Qasim, and Haql. This can be a result of NO and O₃ reaction, causing the inability of effective O₃ depletion. The percentage changes in concentrations of CO (33.60%) and SO₂ (44.16%) were higher in Jeddah; PM₁₀ (91.12%) in Riyadh, while NO₂ (44.35%) and O₃ (18.98%) were highest in Makkah. However, even though there was a decrease in pollutants concentrations during the lockdown, the concentrations for CO, PM₁₀, SO₂, NO_2, and O₃ were still above WHO 24 h and annual mean limit levels. The COVID-19 lockdown in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia revealed the possibility of significant atmospheric pollutant reduction by controlling traffic, activities by industries, and environmentally friendly transportation programs such as green commuting programs.     

Longitudinal Relationship between Personal CO and Personal PM2.5 among Women Cooking with Woodfired Cookstoves in Guatemala

Household air pollution (HAP) due to solid fuel use is a major public health threat in low-income countries. Most health effects are thought to be related to exposure to the fine particulate matter (PM) component of HAP, but it is currently impractical to measure personal exposure to PM in large studies. Carbon monoxide (CO) has been shown in cross-sectional analyses to be a reliable surrogate for particles<2.5 µm in diameter (PM_2.5) in kitchens where wood-burning cookfires are a dominant source, but it is unknown whether a similar PM_2.5-CO relationship exists for personal exposures longitudinally. We repeatedly measured (216 measures, 116 women) 24-hour personal PM_2.5 (median [IQR] = 0.11 [0.05, 0.21] mg/m³) and CO (median [IQR] = 1.18 [0.50, 2.37] mg/m³) among women cooking over open woodfires or chimney woodstoves in Guatemala. Pollution measures were natural-log transformed for analyses. In linear mixed effects models with random subject intercepts, we found that personal CO explained 78% of between-subject variance in personal PM_2.5. We did not see a difference in slope by stove type. This work provides evidence that in settings where there is a dominant source of biomass combustion, repeated measures of personal CO can be used as a reliable surrogate for an individual''s PM_2.5 exposure. This finding has important implications for the feasibility of reliably estimating long-term (months to years) PM_2.5 exposure in large-scale epidemiological and intervention studies of HAP.     

Air Pollution and the microvasculature: a cross-sectional assessment of in vivo retinal images in the population-based multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA)

Background

Long- and short-term exposures to air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), have been linked to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. One hypothesized mechanism for these associations involves microvascular effects. Retinal photography provides a novel, in vivo approach to examine the association of air pollution with changes in the human microvasculature.

Methods and Findings

Chronic and acute associations between residential air pollution concentrations and retinal vessel diameters, expressed as central retinal arteriolar equivalents (CRAE) and central retinal venular equivalents (CRVE), were examined using digital retinal images taken in Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants between 2002 and 2003. Study participants (46 to 87 years of age) were without clinical cardiovascular disease at the baseline examination (2000–2002). Long-term outdoor concentrations of PM_2.5 were estimated at each participant''s home for the 2 years preceding the clinical exam using a spatio-temporal model. Short-term concentrations were assigned using outdoor measurements on the day preceding the clinical exam. Residential proximity to roadways was also used as an indicator of long-term traffic exposures. All associations were examined using linear regression models adjusted for subject-specific age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, smoking status, alcohol use, physical activity, body mass index, family history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes status, serum cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, emphysema, C-reactive protein, medication use, and fellow vessel diameter. Short-term associations were further controlled for weather and seasonality. Among the 4,607 participants with complete data, CRAE were found to be narrower among persons residing in regions with increased long- and short-term levels of PM_2.5. These relationships were observed in a joint exposure model with −0.8 µm (95% confidence interval [CI] −1.1 to −0.5) and −0.4 µm (95% CI −0.8 to 0.1) decreases in CRAE per interquartile increases in long- (3 µg/m³) and short-term (9 µg/m³) PM_2.5 levels, respectively. These reductions in CRAE are equivalent to 7- and 3-year increases in age in the same cohort. Similarly, living near a major road was also associated with a −0.7 µm decrease (95% CI −1.4 to 0.1) in CRAE. Although the chronic association with CRAE was largely influenced by differences in exposure between cities, this relationship was generally robust to control for city-level covariates and no significant differences were observed between cities. Wider CRVE were associated with living in areas of higher PM_2.5 concentrations, but these findings were less robust and not supported by the presence of consistent acute associations with PM_2.5.

Conclusions

Residing in regions with higher air pollution concentrations and experiencing daily increases in air pollution were each associated with narrower retinal arteriolar diameters in older individuals. These findings support the hypothesis that important vascular phenomena are associated with small increases in short-term or long-term air pollution exposures, even at current exposure levels, and further corroborate reported associations between air pollution and the development and exacerbation of clinical cardiovascular disease. Please see later in the article for the Editors'' Summary     

A Support Tool for Air Pollution Health Risk Management in Emerging Countries: A Case in Brazil

This study evaluated the health risk due to air pollution in São Paulo State, Brazil, comparing Brazil's standards and the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines. New methodology was applied considering, as hazard parameters, the maximum average concentrations of SO₂, NO₂, O₃, CO, and PM₁₀ from 2007 to 2011. As exposure parameters, population density and location sensitivity were considered. A health risk index based on fuzzy logic was performed to integrate the selected parameters, giving the likelihood of reaching different risk levels. Data gathering and spatial representation of parameters and risk scores were performed by means of geographic information system (GIS). Highest values of risk were observed in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo and near the cities of Cubatão and Piracicaba, associated to vehicular and industrial emissions and sugar cane burning. Discussions about the need to revise national air quality standards have intensified over the past years. Generally, indices used for air quality do not consider the population exposed. This study showed the integration of GIS with fuzzy logic methodology to be a useful tool for health risk assessment. When evaluating the risk, exposure parameters must be intrinsically considered to enhance the importance of population vulnerability when assessing environmental problems, especially in emerging economies.     

Acute Effects of Particulate Air Pollution on the Incidence of Coronary Heart Disease in Shanghai,China

Introduction

Evidence based on ecological studies in China suggests that short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) is associated with cardiovascular mortality. However, there is less evidence of PM-related morbidity for coronary heart disease (CHD) in China. This study aims to investigate the relationship between acute PM exposure and CHD incidence in people aged above 40 in Shanghai.

Methods

Daily CHD events during 2005–2012 were identified from outpatient and emergency department visits. Daily average concentrations for particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 microns (PM₁₀) were collected over the 8-year period. Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microns (PM_2.5) were measured from 2009 to 2012. Analyses were performed using quasi-poisson regression models adjusting for confounders, including long-term trend, seasonality, day of the week, public holiday and meteorological factors. The effects were also examined by gender and age group (41–65 years, and >65 years).

Results

There were 619928 CHD outpatient and emergency department visits. The average concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were 81.7μg/m³ and 38.6μg/m³, respectively. Elevated exposure to PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 was related with increased risk of CHD outpatients and emergency department visits in a short time course. A 10 μg/m³ increase in the 2-day PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 was associated with increase of 0.23% (95% CI: 0.12%, 0.34%) and 0.74% (95% CI: 0.44%, 1.04%) in CHD morbidity, respectively. The associations appeared to be more evident in the male and the elderly.

Conclusion

Short-term exposure to high levels of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 was associated with increased risk of CHD outpatient and emergency department visits. Season, gender and age were effect modifiers of their association.     

Direct effects of airborne PM2.5 exposure on macrophage polarizations

BackgroundExposure of atmospheric particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) is epidemiologically associated with illnesses. Potential effects of air pollutants on innate immunity have raised concerns. As the first defense line, macrophages are able to induce inflammatory response. However, whether PM_2.5 exposure affects macrophage polarizations remains unclear.MethodsWe used freshly isolated macrophages as a model system to demonstrate effects of PM_2.5 on macrophage polarizations. The expressions of cytokines and key molecular markers were detected by real-time PCR, and flow cytometry. The specific inhibitors and gene deletion technologies were used to address the molecular mechanisms.ResultsPM_2.5 increased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). PM_2.5 also enhanced the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced M1 polarization even though there was no evidence in the change of cell viability. However, PM_2.5 significantly decreased the number of mitochondria in a dose dependent manner. Pre-treatment with NAC, a scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS), prevented the increase of ROS and rescued the PM_2.5-impacted M1 but not M2 response. However, mTOR deletion partially rescued the effects of PM_2.5 to reduce M2 polarization.ConclusionsPM_2.5 exposure significantly enhanced inflammatory M1 polarization through ROS pathway, whereas PM_2.5 exposure inhibited anti-inflammatory M2 polarization through mTOR-dependent pathway.General significanceThe present studies suggested that short-term exposure of PM_2.5 acts on the balance of inflammatory M1 and anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage polarizations, which may be involved in air pollution-induced immune disorders and diseases. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Air Pollution, edited by Wenjun Ding, Andrew J. Ghio and Weidong Wu.     

Study of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 levels in during dust storms and local air pollution events in urban and rural sites in Tehran

The aim of this study is to survey the PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM₁ concentrations in rural and urban areas in Tehran province during cold, warm and dust storm days from December 22, 2016 to June 5, 2017 using Grimm Model aerosol spectrometer. During the study period, daily PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM₁ concentrations ranged from 27.2 to 244.96, 8.4 to 77.9, and 6.5 to 56.8 μg/m³ in urban sites, and 22.8 to 286.4, 6 to 41.1, and 2.1 to 20.2 μg/m³ in rural parts, respectively. Particularly, both daily WHO limits for outdoor PM₁₀ (50.0 μg/m³) and PM_2.5 (25.0 μg/m³) exceeded in 95% and 83% of the outdoor measurements in winter and 82% and 58% in total sampled days in urban site, respectively. The 24-h average PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations also exceeded by 59% and 18% in winter and by 36% and 14% of all sampling days in rural site, respectively. During the dust storm, the 24-h average PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM₁ concentrations were, respectively 4.7, 2, and 1.96 times higher than those in urban site and 2, 1.7, and 1.3 times more than those in rural site in all sampled days.