Air pollutant effects on fetal and early postnatal development

Numerical research on the health effects of air pollution has been published in the last decade. Epidemiological studies have shown that children's exposure to air pollutants during fetal development and early postnatal life is associated with many types of health problems including abnormal development (low birth weight [LBW], very low birth weight [VLBW], preterm birth [PTB], intrauterine growth restriction [IUGR], congenital defects, and intrauterine and infant mortality), decreased lung growth, increased rates of respiratory tract infections, childhood asthma, behavioral problems, and neurocognitive decrements. This review focuses on the health effects of major outdoor air pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur and nitrogen oxides (SO(2), NOx), ozone, and one common indoor air pollutant, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Animal data is presented that demonstrate perinatal windows of susceptibility to sidestream smoke, a surrogate for ETS, resulting in altered airway sensitivity and cell type frequency. A study of neonatal monkeys exposed to sidestream smoke during the perinatal period and/or early postnatal period that resulted in an altered balance of Th1-/Th2-cytokine secretion, skewing the immune response toward the allergy-associated Th2 cytokine phenotype, is also discussed.     

Exposure to moderate air pollution during late pregnancy and cord blood cytokine secretion in healthy neonates

Background/Objectives

Ambient air pollution can alter cytokine concentrations as shown in vitro and following short-term exposure to high air pollution levels in vivo. Exposure to pollution during late pregnancy has been shown to affect fetal lymphocytic immunophenotypes. However, effects of prenatal exposure to moderate levels of air pollutants on cytokine regulation in cord blood of healthy infants are unknown.

Methods

In a birth cohort of 265 healthy term-born neonates, we assessed maternal exposure to particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 µm or less (PM₁₀), as well as to indoor air pollution during the last trimester, specifically the last 21, 14, 7, 3 and 1 days of pregnancy. As a proxy for traffic-related air pollution, we determined the distance of mothers'' homes to major roads. We measured cytokine and chemokine levels (MCP-1, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1ß, TNF-α and GM-CSF) in cord blood serum using LUMINEX technology. Their association with pollution levels was assessed using regression analysis, adjusted for possible confounders.

Results

Mean (95%-CI) PM₁₀ exposure for the last 7 days of pregnancy was 18.3 (10.3–38.4 µg/m³). PM₁₀ exposure during the last 3 days of pregnancy was significantly associated with reduced IL-10 and during the last 3 months of pregnancy with increased IL-1ß levels in cord blood after adjustment for relevant confounders. Maternal smoking was associated with reduced IL-6 levels. For the other cytokines no association was found.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that even naturally occurring prenatal exposure to moderate amounts of indoor and outdoor air pollution may lead to changes in cord blood cytokine levels in a population based cohort.     

Socioeconomic Position and Low Birth Weight among Mothers Exposed to Traffic-Related Air Pollution

Background

Atmospheric pollution is a major public health concern. It can affect placental function and restricts fetal growth. However, scientific knowledge remains too limited to make inferences regarding causal associations between maternal exposure to air pollution and adverse effects on pregnancy. This study evaluated the association between low birth weight (LBW) and maternal exposure during pregnancy to traffic related air pollutants (TRAP) in São Paulo, Brazil.

Methods and findings

Analysis included 5,772 cases of term-LBW (<2,500 g) and 5,814 controls matched by sex and month of birth selected from the birth registration system. Mothers’ addresses were geocoded to estimate exposure according to 3 indicators: distance from home to heavy traffic roads, distance-weighted traffic density (DWTD) and levels of particulate matter ≤10 µg/m³ estimated through land use regression (LUR-PM₁₀). Final models were evaluated using multiple logistic regression adjusting for birth, maternal and pregnancy characteristics. We found decreased odds in the risk of LBW associated with DWTD and LUR-PM₁₀ in the highest quartiles of exposure with a significant linear trend of decrease in risk. The analysis with distance from heavy traffic roads was less consistent. It was also observed that mothers with higher education and neighborhood-level income were potentially more exposed to TRAP.

Conclusions

This study found an unexpected decreased risk of LBW associated with traffic related air pollution. Mothers with advantaged socioeconomic position (SEP) although residing in areas of higher vehicular traffic might not in fact be more expose to air pollution. It can also be that the protection against LBW arising from a better SEP is stronger than the effect of exposure to air pollution, and this exposure may not be sufficient to increase the risk of LBW for these mothers.     

Estimating perinatal critical windows of susceptibility to environmental mixtures via structured Bayesian regression tree pairs

Maternal exposure to environmental chemicals during pregnancy can alter birth and children's health outcomes. Research seeks to identify critical windows, time periods when exposures can change future health outcomes, and estimate the exposure–response relationship. Existing statistical approaches focus on estimation of the association between maternal exposure to a single environmental chemical observed at high temporal resolution (e.g., weekly throughout pregnancy) and children's health outcomes. Extending to multiple chemicals observed at high temporal resolution poses a dimensionality problem and statistical methods are lacking. We propose a regression tree–based model for mixtures of exposures observed at high temporal resolution. The proposed approach uses an additive ensemble of tree pairs that defines structured main effects and interactions between time-resolved predictors and performs variable selection to select out of the model predictors not correlated with the outcome. In simulation, we show that the tree-based approach performs better than existing methods for a single exposure and can accurately estimate critical windows in the exposure–response relation for mixtures. We apply our method to estimate the relationship between five exposures measured weekly throughout pregnancy and birth weight in a Denver, Colorado, birth cohort. We identified critical windows during which fine particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and temperature are negatively associated with birth weight and an interaction between fine particulate matter and temperature. Software is made available in the R package dlmtree.     

Developmental Exposure of Mice to Dioxin Promotes Transgenerational Testicular Inflammation and an Increased Risk of Preterm Birth in Unexposed Mating Partners

TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, commonly known as dioxin) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant and known endocrine disruptor. Using a mouse model, we previously found that adult female mice exposed in utero to TCDD (F1 generation) as well as multiple subsequent generations (F2-F4) exhibited reduced fertility and an increased incidence of spontaneous preterm birth. Additional studies revealed that male F1 mice with a similar in utero/developmental TCDD exposure also exhibited diminished fertility and conferred an increased risk of preterm birth to their unexposed mating partners. Herein, we extend these previous observations, reporting that reduced fertility in male F1 mice is linked to testicular inflammation which coincides with apoptosis of developing spermatocytes, sub-fertility and an increased risk of preterm birth in their unexposed mating partners. Significantly, in the absence of additional toxicant exposure, testicular inflammation and reduced fertility persisted in F2 and F3 males and their control mating partners also frequently exhibited spontaneous preterm birth. Although a steady, global decline in male fertility has been noted over the last few decades, the reasons for these changes have not been firmly established. Likewise, the PTB rate in the U.S. and other countries has paralleled industrial development, suggesting a possible relationship between environmental toxicant exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Most current clinical strategies to prevent preterm birth are focused solely on the mother and have yielded limited benefits. In contrast, our studies strongly suggest that the preconception testicular health of the father is a critical determinant of pregnancy outcomes in mice. Future clinical studies should examine the potential contribution of the male to gestation length in women and whether efforts to reduce the incidence of preterm birth should be initiated in both parents prior to pregnancy.     

森林火灾污染物质释放及其影响研究进展

森林火灾是大气中气体污染物和颗粒物的重要来源,可对全球气候系统、大气环境以及生态系统产生重要影响,对全球温室气体和含碳颗粒物释放具有重要的贡献,是推动全球气候变化的重要因素。森林火灾释放污染物已成为区域乃至全球范围内重要污染源之一,这些污染物质与辐射、能见度以及温室效应等问题直接相关。准确地描述森林火灾释放的气体和颗粒污染物释放机理、释放总量、时空分布特征、不同尺度的扩散过程模拟,以及对区域大气环境的影响,对于量化森林火灾释放污染物总量及区域影响具有重要意义。基于森林火灾污染物质释放方面的国内外文献,从火灾释放的污染物质对环境的影响、森林火灾释放污染物定量化和传输路径监测的研究方法、污染物质的扩散和运输模型以及跨区域影响等几个方面进行了综述。森林火灾释放的CO、PM₁₀和PM_2.5对环境和人的生命安全造成巨大威胁,而且森林火灾释放的污染物质能够随气流长距离传输,不仅对当地的空气造成污染,污染物也能够随着气团进行长距离传输,并在传输过程与当地气溶胶混合,形成跨区域污染。森林火灾释放污染物扩散、传输模拟通过不同模型相互耦合完成,包括可燃物载量估算模型、可燃物消耗和释放模型、污染物扩散传输模型,以及污染物预测和可视化模型等。总结了国内外森林火灾释放污染物质主要研究方法,并展望了今后研究重点:目前我国关于森林火灾释放物质相关的研究尚不足以支撑我国森林火灾温室气体释放、污染物释放等方面的研究,并且我国目前还没有发展出适合于我国的森林火灾污染物释放模型,以及污染物扩散、传输系统。森林火灾排放因子库大多数引用国外研究结果,在一定程度上增加不确定性,缺乏森林火灾对区域大气环境影响的定量化研究。因此,今后我国应加强对森林火灾污染物质释放与影响的研究,尤其是污染物质扩散和传输模型的预测和可视化研究以及排放因子的测量。     

基于RANS的城市广场空气质量评价及健康场所指引

空气中污染物及病菌的浓度直接影响人类健康。在污染源不变的情况下,有效通风决定了空气质量的优劣。因此,建立有效通风的定量判定指标,并利用此指标对特定区域空气质量进行实时评价,引导居民选择健康的室外活动场所成为迫切需要解决的问题。本研究采用雷诺平均Navier-Stokes(RANS)方法建立了基于计算流体力学(CFD)技术的城市空气污染模拟系统,研究了风速、污染物浓度和污染物扩散效率之间的关系。在此基础上,借助实时气象数据,对城市广场空间不同时段进行了风场模拟及空气质量评价。结果表明: 行人高度(1.5 m)空气中污染物有效扩散的临界风速值为1.0 m·s^-1,此指标可作为某一具体区域空气质量评价标准。参照此判定指标,链接实时天气系统,通过模拟得到的行人高度风速分布,可实时、可视化地显示该场所空气质量优劣分布,实现公平、效率、合理地利用城市空间资源,为人们选择健康的室外活动场地提供指引,为公众疾病预防和健康促进提供技术和手段。     

Ambient and household PM2.5 pollution and adverse perinatal outcomes: A meta-regression and analysis of attributable global burden for 204 countries and territories

BackgroundParticulate matter <2.5 micrometer (PM_2.5) is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, but the impact on disease burden mediated by this pathway has not previously been included in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), Mortality, Injuries, and Risk Factors studies. We estimated the global burden of low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB) and impacts on reduced birth weight and gestational age (GA), attributable to ambient and household PM_2.5 pollution in 2019.Methods and findingsWe searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for peer-reviewed articles in English. Study quality was assessed using 2 tools: (1) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality checklist; and (2) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) risk of bias questions. We conducted a meta-regression (MR) to quantify the risk of PM_2.5 on birth weight and GA. The MR, based on a systematic review (SR) of articles published through April 4, 2021, and resulting uncertainty intervals (UIs) accounted for unexplained between-study heterogeneity. Separate nonlinear relationships relating exposure to risk were generated for each outcome and applied in the burden estimation.The MR included 44, 40, and 40 birth weight, LBW, and PTB studies, respectively. Majority of the studies were of retrospective cohort design and primarily from North America, Europe, and Australia. A few recent studies were from China, India, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America. Pooled estimates indicated 22 grams (95% UI: 12, 32) lower birth weight, 11% greater risk of LBW (1.11, 95% UI: 1.07, 1.16), and 12% greater risk of PTB (1.12, 95% UI: 1.06, 1.19), per 10 μg/m³ increment in ambient PM_2.5. We estimated a global population–weighted mean lowering of 89 grams (95% UI: 88, 89) of birth weight and 3.4 weeks (95% UI: 3.4, 3.4) of GA in 2019, attributable to total PM_2.5. Globally, an estimated 15.6% (95% UI: 15.6, 15.7) of all LBW and 35.7% (95% UI: 35.6, 35.9) of all PTB infants were attributable to total PM_2.5, equivalent to 2,761,720 (95% UI: 2,746,713 to 2,776,722) and 5,870,103 (95% UI: 5,848,046 to 5,892,166) infants in 2019, respectively. About one-third of the total PM_2.5 burden for LBW and PTB could be attributable to ambient exposure, with household air pollution (HAP) dominating in low-income countries. The findings should be viewed in light of some limitations such as heterogeneity between studies including size, exposure levels, exposure assessment method, and adjustment for confounding. Furthermore, studies did not separate the direct effect of PM_2.5 on birth weight from that mediated through GA. As a consequence, the pooled risk estimates in the MR and likewise the global burden may have been underestimated.ConclusionsAmbient and household PM_2.5 were associated with reduced birth weight and GA, which are, in turn, associated with neonatal and infant mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Rakesh Ghosh and co-workers report on associations between particulate matter air pollution and adverse perinatal health outcomes.     

Long-Term Exposure to Primary Traffic Pollutants and Lung Function in Children: Cross-Sectional Study and Meta-Analysis

Background

There is widespread concern about the possible health effects of traffic-related air pollution. Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is a convenient marker of primary pollution. We investigated the associations between lung function and current residential exposure to a range of air pollutants (particularly NO₂, NO, NOx and particulate matter) in London children. Moreover, we placed the results for NO₂ in context with a meta-analysis of published estimates of the association.

Methods and Findings

Associations between primary traffic pollutants and lung function were investigated in 4884 children aged 9–10 years who participated in the Child Heart and Health Study in England (CHASE). A systematic literature search identified 13 studies eligible for inclusion in a meta-analysis. We combined results from the meta-analysis with the distribution of the values of FEV₁ in CHASE to estimate the prevalence of children with abnormal lung function (FEV₁<80% of predicted value) expected under different scenarios of NO₂ exposure. In CHASE, there were non-significant inverse associations between all pollutants except ozone and both FEV1 and FVC. In the meta-analysis, a 10 μg/m³ increase in NO₂ was associated with an 8 ml lower FEV₁ (95% CI: -14 to -1 ml; p: 0.016). The observed effect was not modified by a reported asthma diagnosis. On the basis of these results, a 10 μg/m³ increase in NO₂ level would translate into a 7% (95% CI: 4% to 12%) increase of the prevalence of children with abnormal lung function.

Conclusions

Exposure to traffic pollution may cause a small overall reduction in lung function and increase the prevalence of children with clinically relevant declines in lung function.     

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关关系,探究其空气质量演变特征与调控经验。结果表明,深圳市各类型空气污染物与城市社会经济发展均符合EKC模型假说,但不同污染物所处阶段不同。颗粒物、SO₂和NO₂均处于下降阶段,而O₃目前处于高水平平稳阶段。总结深圳市空气质量改善历程及调控措施,发现主要有两大方面：宏观上严格把控;微观上精准治理。宏观上,重点放在产业结构和能源结构的快速调整上,对于空气质量的改善起到了非常明显的作用。而在微观精细化的管理上,对于空气污染的治理政策要具有持续性、精准性和及时性。当下,针对首要的O₃污染问题,深圳市应重点关注城市人为排放VOCs和植物释放VOCs对O₃生成的影响,以及城市热环境对O₃浓度的影响。     

城市街谷大气污染物分布研究进展

城市街谷是现代城市最重要的空间形式与特征之一,是城市中使用频率最高、汽车尾气污染最严重、日常人口密度最大的公共空间类型之一。城市街谷不合理的空间配置和结构会造成城市通风自净能力降低,大气污染物浓度增高。本文综述了城市街谷形态、行道树配置、机动车车流量和气象因素等对街谷大气污染物分布的影响,以及数值模拟、风洞试验和实地监测等用于街谷大气污染物分布及扩散研究的相关方法。建议未来以实地监测数据为基础,综合考虑多种因素对街谷大气污染物分布的研究,提出适宜城市大气污染物扩散的城市街谷构建模式,从城市规划和格局优化的角度为城市大气污染物的减控提出科学支撑和优化方案。     

Bayesian modeling of air pollution extremes using nested multivariate max‐stable processes

Capturing the potentially strong dependence among the peak concentrations of multiple air pollutants across a spatial region is crucial for assessing the related public health risks. In order to investigate the multivariate spatial dependence properties of air pollution extremes, we introduce a new class of multivariate max‐stable processes. Our proposed model admits a hierarchical tree‐based formulation, in which the data are conditionally independent given some latent nested positive stable random factors. The hierarchical structure facilitates Bayesian inference and offers a convenient and interpretable characterization. We fit this nested multivariate max‐stable model to the maxima of air pollution concentrations and temperatures recorded at a number of sites in the Los Angeles area, showing that the proposed model succeeds in capturing their complex tail dependence structure.     

Ambient Air Pollution and Birth Defects in Brisbane,Australia

Background

Birth defects are a major public health concern as they are the leading cause of neonatal and infant mortality. Observational studies have linked environmental pollution to adverse birth outcomes, including congenital anomalies. This study examined potential associations between ambient air pollution and congenital heart defects and cleft lip or palate among births in Brisbane, Australia (1998–2004).

Methods

Ambient air pollution levels were averaged over weeks 3–8 of pregnancy among 150,308 births. Using a case–control design, we used conditional logistic regression and matched cases to 5 controls. Analyses were conducted using all births, and then births where the mother resided within 6 and 12 kilometers of an ambient air quality monitor.

Findings

When analyzing all births there was no indication that ambient air pollution in Brisbane was associated with a higher risk of cardiac defects. Among births where the mother resided within 6 kilometers of an ambient air quality monitor, a 5 ppb increase in O₃ was associated with an increased risk of pulmonary artery and valve defects (OR 2.96, 95% CI: 1.34, 7.52) while a 0.6 ppb increase in SO₂ was associated with an increased risk of aortic artery and valve defects (OR 10.76, 95% CI: 1.50, 179.8). For oral cleft defects among all births, the only adverse association was between SO₂ and cleft lip with or without cleft palate (OR 1.27, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.62). However, various significant inverse associations were also found between air pollutants and birth defects.

Conclusions

This study found mixed results and it is difficult to conclude whether ambient air pollution in Brisbane has an adverse association with the birth defects examined. Studies using more detailed estimates of air pollution exposure are needed.     

中国主要城市森林对大气PM2.5的削减量及其占大气PM2.5总量比例

空气中的细颗粒物(PM_2.5)是我国城市空气污染的主要污染物之一,严重威胁着城市居民的健康,限制城市发展的可持续性。PM_2.5去除的自然途径有两种,分别是干沉降和湿沉降,其中干沉降占据主导作用,且干沉降的过程和效率与城市森林紧密关联。目前针对城市森林对干沉降作用的研究主要是在小尺度中从不同树种、不同群落结构、不同景观类型等角度来估算并比较其滞尘量,较少关注其占空气污染总量的比率,从而可能影响对城市森林滞尘服务能力的判断。因此,利用城市森林效益(Urban Forest Effect, UFORE)模型中的大气污染干沉降模块的核心算法,以2015年为例,估算了我国主要城市辖区的城市森林一年内对大气中的PM_2.5削减量以及其占空气中PM_2.5污染总量的比重。结果显示：(1)2015年全国主要城市单位绿地面积日均滞尘量较高地区主要集中在华北地区、华东地区、以及东北地区。其中北京30.47mg/m²,苏州24.63mg/m²,沈阳28.55mg/m²     

The Asian Games,air pollution and birth outcomes in South China: An instrumental variable approach

We estimate the effects of air-pollution exposure on low birthweight, birthweight, and prematurity risk in South China, for all expectant mothers and by maternal age group and child sex. We do so by exploiting exogenous improvement in air quality during the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, when strict regulations were mandated to assure better air quality. We use daily air-pollution levels collected from monitoring stations in Guangzhou, the Asian Games host city, and Shenzhen, a nearby control city, between 2009 and 2011. We first show that air quality during the Asian Games significantly improved in Guangzhou, relative to Shenzhen. Next, using birth-certificate data for both cities for 2009–2011 and using expected pregnancy overlap with the Asian Games as an instrumental variable, we study the effects of three pollutants (PM₁₀, SO₂, and NO₂) on birth outcomes. Four main conclusions emerge: 1) air pollutants significantly reduce average birthweight and increase preterm risk; 2) for birthweight, late pregnancy is most sensitive to PM₁₀ exposure, but there is not consistent evidence of a sensitive period for other pollutants and outcomes; 3) for birthweight, babies of mothers who are at least 35 years old show more vulnerability to all three air pollutants; and 4) male babies show more vulnerability than female babies to PM₁₀ and SO₂, but birthweights of female babies are more sensitive than those of male babies to NO₂.     

Estimating causal effects of air quality regulations using principal stratification for spatially correlated multivariate intermediate outcomes

Methods for causal inference regarding health effects of air quality regulations are met with unique challenges because (1) changes in air quality are intermediates on the causal pathway between regulation and health, (2) regulations typically affect multiple pollutants on the causal pathway towards health, and (3) regulating a given location can affect pollution at other locations, that is, there is interference between observations. We propose a principal stratification method designed to examine causal effects of a regulation on health that are and are not associated with causal effects of the regulation on air quality. A novel feature of our approach is the accommodation of a continuously scaled multivariate intermediate response vector representing multiple pollutants. Furthermore, we use a spatial hierarchical model for potential pollution concentrations and ultimately use estimates from this model to assess validity of assumptions regarding interference. We apply our method to estimate causal effects of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments among approximately 7 million Medicare enrollees living within 6 miles of a pollution monitor.     

Development of Exposure Characterization Regions for Priority Ambient Air Pollutants

To evaluate the relationship between air pollution and morbidity and mortality in epidemiological studies, the exposure of populations must be defined. Generally, ambient air monitoring networks are the source of the exposure data for these studies. In this study, we developed methods to define population exposure regions that represent minimal variation in air pollutant concentrations. We evaluated the spatial and temporal variation in concentrations for particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) and 10 μm (PM₁₀) and ozone (O₃) across New York State. The results from the PM_2.5 and ozone analysis indicate a significant degree of regional transport and showed regions of consistent concentrations of 100 and 50 miles, respectively, around each monitor. PM₁₀ analysis indicated little temporal and spatial variation for this pollutant and larger regions were adopted. The exposure characterization regions for PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and ozone have been used in ecological epidemiological investigations by the New York State Department of Health. This work was conducted under the Environmental Public Health Tracking grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.     

The association of season and temperature with adverse pregnancy outcome in two German states, a time-series analysis

Background

A seasonality of low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB) has been described for most regions and there is evidence that this pattern is caused by ambient outdoor temperature. However, the association as such, the direction of effect and the critical time of exposure remain controversial.

Methods

Logistic, time-series regression was performed on nearly 300,000 births from two German states to study the association between season and daily mean temperature and changes in daily proportions of term LBW (tLBW) or PTB. Analyses were adjusted for time-varying factors. Temperature exposures were examined during different periods of pregnancy.

Results

Weak evidence for an association between season of conception, season of birth or ambient outdoor temperature and tLBW or PTB was found. Results of analyses of temperature were not consistent between the two states. Different sources of bias which would have artificially led to stronger findings were detected and are described.

Conclusions

No clear evidence for an association between season of conception, season of birth or temperature and tLBW or PTB was found. In the study of pregnancy outcome different sources of bias can be identified which can potentially explain heterogeneous findings of the past.     

Air pollution and watershed research in the central Sierra Nevada of California: nitrogen and ozone

Maintaining healthy forests is the major objective for the Forest Service scientists and managers working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Air pollution, specifically ozone (O3) and nitrogenous (N) air pollutants, may severely affect the health of forest ecosystems in the western U.S. Thus, the monitoring of air pollution concentration and deposition levels, as well as studies focused on understanding effects mechanisms, are essential for evaluation of risks associated with their presence. Such information is essential for development of proper management strategies for maintaining clean air, clean water, and healthy ecosystems on land managed by the Forest Service. We report on two years of research in the central Sierra Nevada of California, a semi-arid forest at elevations of 1100-2700 m. Information on O3 and N air pollutants is obtained from a network of 18 passive samplers. We relate the atmospheric N concentration to N concentrations in streams, shallow soil water, and bulk deposition collectors within the Kings River Experimental Watershed. This watershed also contains an intensive site that is part of a recent Forest Service effort to calculate critical loads for N, sulfur, and acidity to forest ecosystems. The passive sampler design allows for extensive spatial measurements while the watershed experiment provides intensive spatial data for future analysis of ecosystem processes.     

Air pollution from natural and anthropic sources and male fertility

Exposure to air pollution has been clearly associated with a range of adverse health effects, including reproductive toxicity. However, a limited amount of research has been conducted to examine the association between air pollution and male reproductive outcomes, specially semen quality. We performed a systematic review (up to March 2017) to assess the impact of environmental and occupational exposure to air pollution on semen quality. Epidemiological studies focusing on air pollution exposures and male reproduction were identified by a search of the PUBMED, MEDLINE, EBSCO and TOXNET literature bases. Twenty-two studies were included which assess the impact of air pollutants (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, SO₂, NOx, O₃, PAHs) on main semen parameters (sperm concentration, motility, morphology), CASA parameters, DNA fragmentation, sperm aneuploidy and the level of reproductive hormones. The number of studies found significant results supporting the evidence that air pollution may affect: DNA fragmentation, morphology and motility.In summary, most studies concluded that outdoor air pollution affects at least one of the assessed semen parameters. However the diversity of air pollutants and semen parameters presented in the studies included in the review and different study design caused lack of consistency in results and difficulties in comparison.