On the interrelationship between outdoor air pollution and respiratory allergy

Respiratory allergic diseases appear to be increasingin both prevalence and severity in most countries, andsubjects living in urban and industrialized areas aremore likely to have respiratory allergic symptoms thanthose living in rural areas. This increase has beenlinked, among various factors, to air pollution and tothe westernized lifestyle. In the outdoor environment,the most important air pollutants are sulphur dioxide,nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particulate matter.Particulate diesel exhaust emissions, besides actingas irritant, are thought to modulate the immuneresponse, with an adjuvant activity on IgE synthesis,thereby facilitating allergic sensitization inpredisposed subjects. In other words, atopic statecan be upregulated by environmental influences, andsome subjects develop atopic disease in response tothese environmental factors when they are inhaled incombination with aeroallergens. Moreover, airpollutants produce greater responses in asthmaticsubjects. Since airborne pollen allergens and airpollutants are often increased contemporaneously, anenhanced IgE-mediated response to aeroallergens andenhanced airway inflammation could account for theincreasing frequency of allergic respiratory diseases,in particular those induced by pollen allergens, inurban areas.     

European Directives for Air Quality: Analysis of the New Limits in Comparison with Asthmatic Symptoms in Children Living in the Oporto Metropolitan Area,Portugal

This study analyzes the air pollutant concentrations in the Oporto Metropolitan Area, Portugal, comparing them with the limits fixed by the previous legislation currently in force, as well as by European Union (EU) Directives. The impacts were estimated using the prevalence of asthmatic symptoms and asthma in children as indicators. The objectives were: (i) to evaluate the impact on air quality associated with the reduction of sulphur content in fuels, (ii) to compare health impacts associated with SO₂ and particles with the limits fixed by both legislations, and (iii) to assess whether the delayed application of the EU Directives can be associated with health risks. It was concluded that: (i) after the reduction of sulphur content in fuels, a reduction of 60% of the annual averages of SO₂ concentration was observed, as well as a decrease in the rates of asthmatic symptoms and asthma in children, (ii) the limits fixed by the previous legislation do not protect against health impacts of SO₂ and particles, but the new EU Directives are protective; the EU limits for PM₁₀ are very difficult to attain, being probably unnecessarily low concerning the impact on asthmatic symptoms and asthma in children, and (iii) the delayed application of the EU Directives can be associated with unnecessary health risks.     

二球悬铃木不同器官对空气中Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn的累积作用

以交通繁忙区(污染点)和相对清洁区(对照点)道路两侧的二球悬铃木〔Platanus acerifolia ( Ait.) Willd.〕为研究对象,测定了不同器官(包括主干、老树皮、2年生枝条、1年生枝条、腋芽、叶片和果实)中Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn的含量,并对污染点二球悬铃木各器官中4种重金属元素的累积量和污染指数及二者的分布比例进行分析。结果表明：二球悬铃木体内重金属元素的含量因样点、器官及元素的不同而呈现不同的变化规律,污染点4种重金属元素的累积量及其分布比例、污染指数及其分布比例则因器官和元素的不同而有明显差异。总体上看,污染点各器官的Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn的含量均高于对照点且差异显著(P<0.05);4种重金属元素相比较,均以Zn含量最高,Cu含量次之,而Ni和Pb含量则较低;在不同器官中同一重金属元素的含量也有明显差异,其中,Cu、Ni和Zn含量均在腋芽中最高,Pb含量在2年生枝条中最高。4种重金属元素的累积量及其分布比例均在叶片中最高,在老树皮中次之,在1年生枝条、2年生枝条和腋芽中均较低;而4种重金属元素的污染指数及其分布比例则在老树皮中最高,在叶片中次之。研究结果显示：二球悬铃木各器官对空气中的重金属元素均有一定的吸滞能力,并且叶片和老树皮的吸滞能力明显优于其他器官。     

Relationship among managanese, arginase, and nitric oxide in childhood asthma

It has been demonstrated that the lowest intakes of manganese (Mn) were associated with more than a fivefold increased risk of bronchial reactivity. It was also known that nitric oxide (NO) production was found to be significantly higher in asthmatics. There is a reciprocal pathway between arginase and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) for NO production, and Mn is required for arginase activity and stability. We investigated plasma NO, arginase, and its cofactor Mn levels to evaluate this reciprocal pathway in patients with childhood asthma. Arginase activities and Mn and NO levels were measured in plasma from 31 patients with childhood asthma and 22 healthy control subjects. Plasma arginase activities and Mn concentrations were found to be significantly lower and NO levels were significantly higher found to be significantly lower and NO levels were significantly higher in patients with childhood asthma as compared to the control subjects. There was a significantly positive correlation between plasma Mn and arginase and negative correlations between arginase and NO values and Mn and NO values in patients with childhood asthma. These data indicate that the lower concentration of Mn could cause lower arginase activity and this could also upregulate NO production by increasingl-arginine content in patients with childhood asthma.     

植物叶的波动性不对称对空气污染的响应及其指示功能

植物发育的波动性不对称(fluctuating asymmetry,FA)与环境之间具有密切的关系。该研究以城市常用绿化树种大叶女贞(Ligustrum lucidum Ait.)和小叶女贞(Ligustrum quihoui Carr.)为对象,在西安市区9个空气质量监测点采集了两树种成熟叶片样品,以叶脉为对称轴测定叶左右两边的半宽度、半周长和半面积,计算其相应FA,考察植物叶片FA对空气环境条件变化的响应特征,探讨叶FA作为空气质量指标的可行性。结果表明:大叶女贞叶周长(FAP)、宽度(FAW)和面积(FAA)波动性不对称分别为0.051、0.063和0.082,小叶女贞分别为0.043、0.082和0.102,均以FAA最大,FAP最小;FAP、FAW和FAA在树种间、立地环境间均具有极显著的差异;两树种的FAP与空气中SO_2浓度之间存在显著相关性。可见,大叶女贞和小叶女贞叶的波动性不对称特征对不同环境条件具有敏感的反应,具有作为生物监测指标的潜力,但在合适监测物种和叶特征指标的选择、样本数确定以及FA与空气特征污染物的关系等方面有待深入探讨。     

Exhaled 8-isoprostane in childhood asthma

Background

In the backdrop of conflicting reports (some studies reported adverse outcomes of biomass fuel use whereas few studies reported absence of any association between adverse health effect and fuel use, may be due to presence of large number of confounding variables) on the respiratory health effects of biomass fuel use, this cross sectional survey was undertaken to understand the role of fuel use on pulmonary function.

Method

This study was conducted in a village of western India involving 369 randomly selected adult subjects (165 male and 204 female). All the subjects were interviewed and were subjected to pulmonary function test. Analysis of covariance was performed to compare the levels of different pulmonary function test parameters in relation to different fuel use taking care of the role of possible confounding factors.

Results

This study showed that biomass fuel use (especially wood) is an important factor for deterioration of pulmonary function (particularly in female). FEV₁ (p < .05), FEV₁ % (p < .01), PEFR (p < .05) and FEF_25–75 (p < .01) values were significantly lower in biomass fuel using females than nonusers. Comparison of only biomass fuel use vs. only LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) use and only wood vs. only LPG use has showed that LPG is a safer fuel so far as deterioration of pulmonary function is concerned. This study observes some deterioration of pulmonary function in the male subjects also, who came from biomass fuel using families.

Conclusion

This study concluded that traditional biomass fuels like wood have adverse effects on pulmonary function.     

化学性大气污染的植物修复与绿化树种选择(综述)

简要介绍化学性大气污染的植物修复过程与机理,阐述植物对空气污染物抗性研究的主要方法和抗性指标,以及修复大气污染绿化树种的选择依据。     

Study of small air ions concentrations versus asthma attacks in the region of Athens-Greece after the Chernobyl disaster

A consequence of the Chernobyl disaster was the isolated increase of small air ions for a limited time period over Athens-Greece. Taking advantage of this unique condition we studied the relation of log daily mean concentrations of small positive air ions, small negative air ions, NO2 and SO2 with the total daily number of asthma attacks attendances at the region's largest chest diseases hospital for 35 days following the disaster and during a same time period in the preceding four years. No correlation was found between air ionization and asthma attacks, though the study was of a rather short duration and several possible influencing factors such as aeroallergen concentrations were not taken into consideration.     

Asthma induced by house dust mites: benefits resulting from a correct environmental hygienization

Summary The aim of the present work has been the determination of the effectiveness of a primary prevention in the allergopathy induced by house dust mites weighing its benefits as regards asthmatic symptomatology.A sample of 56 subjects, aged 6 to 30 years, monosensitive to house dust mites (DTP and DTF) and with a diagnosis of bronchial asthma has been examined. The patients have entered a study plan whose purpose has been the evaluation of the effects of an environmental improvement on symptomatology. The diagnosis of asthma induced by house dust mites has been confirmed both by in vivo (Prick-test) and in vitro (PRIST and RAST) investigations.A follow-up after 3 months has shown that the hygienic measures have produced beneficial effects on symptomatology in as many as 22 patients (52.4%) out of a total of 42 who have put into practice the environmental improvement. These results encourage to proceed on this path in the choice of the therapy for those subjects affected by respiratory allergopathy to house dust mites.     

江苏氮磷钾化肥使用地域分异及环境风险评价

深入认识江苏省氮磷钾化肥投入的空间格局及其环境风险,有利于调控江苏农田施肥合理分布、加强化肥使用风险管理和分区指导,防治农业面源污染.考虑氮磷钾3种化肥不同的环境污染效应,建立带有权重系数的化肥使用环境风险指数模型,对江苏省氮磷钾化肥使用强度的地域分异特征和环境风险进行研究.应用层次分析法,确定氮磷钾3因子的权重.根据国家生态县建设化肥使用强度小于250 kg·hm-2的标准,参照目前发达国家氮磷钾1∶0.5∶0.5的养分结构,确定氮磷钾3元素的环境安全阈值.结果表明:目前江苏氮磷钾化肥使用强度呈现出从南到北逐步增加的规律性地域分异,极值比为3.3.其中,氮肥、磷肥和钾肥的极值比分别是3.3、4.5、4.4.全省13个地市氮磷钾投入平均比例是1∶0.39∶0.26,不尽合理.苏南地区氮磷钾肥比例相对平衡,苏北地区养分结构失调严重.全省氮磷钾化肥施用环境风险指数为0.69,属于中度环境风险;苏南地区处于低度风险,苏中地区处于中度风险,苏北地区各地市处于中度、重度或严重风险.江苏省化肥施用的地域分异及环境风险受到自然、经济、体制、政策、管理等多种因素影响.     

我国典型城市空气质量演变及其调控——以深圳市2000-2017年为例

目前国内外许多城市面临严重的空气污染问题,严重制约城市发展、影响人体健康.同时,部分城市(如深圳)空气质量已经达到并保持在良好的水平.探究这些城市空气质量演变过程及其调控,可为我国大量仍面临严重空气污染问题的城市提供参考和借鉴.以深圳市为案例,利用环境质量公报数据和统计年鉴数据,通过分析多个社会经济因子与典型污染物的相...     

Discussion on “A formal causal interpretation of the case-crossover design” by Zach Shahn,Miguel A. Hernán,and James M. Robins

It has always been clear that the case-crossover design works, for some definition of “works,” but some of the details have been surprisingly elusive, and it is good to see more of them nailed down by Shahn et al. My interest in case-crossover analyses has mostly been in the context of air pollution epidemiology mentioned at the end of the paper. The air pollution setting is distinctive for several reasons: as the exposure variable is plausibly exogenous, it is possible to use control times after the case time, the effects of interest are quite small, and the same measured exposure series is shared over many—perhaps all—of the cohort.     

大气污染规制对城市空气污染的防治成效——基于准实验分析

以2003年实施的大气污染防治重点城市政策为准自然实验,运用双重差分模型从区域层面分析了大气污染规制对城市空气污染治理的影响,研究发现：（1）大气污染规制在1%的显著性水平下降低了重点城市的工业二氧化硫排放强度,工业二氧化硫排放量以及城市PM2.5年均浓度值。（2）大气污染防治重点城市政策实施后的9年时间内有效减少了12215.8万t城市工业二氧化硫排放量,并且使得城市PM2.5年均浓度改善2.97μg/m3,下降比分别达到了36.2%和8.5%,平均每年减少了3.7%的城市工业二氧化硫排放量并降低0.944%的城市PM2.5浓度值。（3）大气污染防治重点城市政策对于城市空气污染治理主要是通过减少能源消耗量、增加城市污染治理力度、促进规制地区产业结构转型升级和提升生产技术水平等渠道予以实现。     

植物叶表附属物对大气颗粒物滞留及再悬浮的影响研究:以空气凤梨为例

植物叶表附属物是与大气颗粒物最先接触的结构,但现在少有研究表明这些特殊结构是如何影响大气颗粒物的滞留的。因此,本研究以具有典型叶表面附属物-鳞片的植物-空气凤梨维路提拉为实验对象,通过人工去除鳞片,比较鳞片的有无对其叶片滞尘量的影响,并比较了不同时间、不同风力强度条件下其叶片表面所滞留的大气颗粒物再悬浮的比例。结果表明,未去除叶表鳞片的维路提拉的最大滞尘量（23.24±0.11 g·m^-2）和自然滞尘量（10.22±0.92 g·m^-2）均显著高于去除鳞片的植株（P<0.05）。大气颗粒物沉降到叶片表面后,在风力作用下,去除鳞片的空气凤梨植株上超过99.0%的粉尘会被吹起,而未去除鳞片的空气凤梨植株上这一比例仅有28.1%。而且,鳞片去除的越多,大气颗粒物的再悬浮比例越大。以上结果表明维路提拉叶表鳞片对大气颗粒物的作用不仅体现在总滞尘量上,而且体现在大气颗粒物的再悬浮过程中,它会有效降低沉降于叶表面颗粒物的再悬浮,起着促进颗粒物滞留的作用。     

Decomposition of Emission Multipliers in a National Accounting Matrix Including Environmental Accounts

This study defines a linear model of emission multipliers through the use of a national accounting matrix including environmental accounts (NAMEA) for the Catalan economy that integrates the regional economic information with the greenhouse gas emissions. As in the model of income multipliers, emission multipliers can be divided into own effects, open effects, and circular effects. This decomposition shows the channels of income generation and their effects on regional greenhouse gas emissions. Our results reveal significant differences among the three gases analyzed as well as important asymmetries at a sectorial level.     

煤电一体化开发对锡林郭勒盟环境经济的影响

国家“十二五”规划确定将在内蒙古锡林郭勒盟建设国家重点大型煤电基地.煤电一体化开发将大大地推动锡盟的区域经济发展,但也可能会对这一典型草原地区和重要生态屏障地区的生态环境造成不利影响.采用物料平衡法和指数增长模型对2001-2009年锡林郭勒盟SO2排放量与人均GDP做了相关性分析,发现二者关系基本符合环境库兹涅茨曲线,呈较缓和倒U型曲线,拐点在人均GDP35000-40000元,目前已过曲线拐点,SO2排放量缓步下降.对锡盟煤电一体化开发情景下(2012-2020)的SO2排放及人均GDP进行预测,结果显示SO2排放量将随经济发展呈上升趋势,表明煤电一体化开发会使环境库兹涅茨曲线的拐点后延,虽然到2020年SO2排放量仍然没有超出区域大气环境容量,但将接近环境容量极限,会给当地环境带来明显压力;基于以上判断,进而从制度、技术、市场三方面出发,探讨了促进锡盟煤电一体化产业建设与环境保护协调发展的对策.     

Bio-indicators in the monitoring of environmental pollution

Summary Surveying the chemical pollution status of a given area is increasingly becoming the task of biological indicators, ie animal and plant organisms capable of providing us with the necessary data. For example, in the wake of certain contaminations, they may increase or decrease in number, vary population proportions in relation to given traits, become vectors of certain toxic molecules or heavy metals, or accumulate them in their bodies or in their «products». The advantage of bioindicators over chemical or physical detectors is their ability to supply extensive — both spatially and temporally —rather than limited and instantaneous data, thus making such information more representative. In many instances the bioindicator takes samples for us-a service that is undoubtedly valuable even though it must be linked to a sound knowledge of the organism's ethogram and biology so as to arrive at a scientifically legitimate interpretation of the data provided.