Emissions generated by sugarcane burning promote genotoxicity in rural workers: a case study in Barretos, Brazil

Background: To determine the possible genotoxic effect of exposure to the smoke generated by biomass burning on workers involved in manual sugar cane harvesting. Methods: The frequency of micronuclei in exfoliated buccal cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined in sugarcane workers in the Barretos region of Brazil, during the harvest season and compared to a control population, comprised of administrative employees of Barretos Cancer Hospital. Results: The frequency of micronuclei was higher in the sugar cane workers. The mean frequency in blood lymphocytes (micronuclei/1000 cells) in the test group was 8.22 versus 1.27 in the control group. The same effect was observed when exfoliated buccal cells were considered (22.75 and 9.70 micronuclei/1000 cells for sugar cane workers and controls, respectively). Conclusion: Exposure to emissions produced by the burning of sugar cane during harvesting induces genomic instability in workers, indicating the necessity of adopting more advanced techniques of harvesting sugar cane to preserve human health.We thank the Researcher Support Center of Barretos Cancer Hospital, especially the statistician Zanardo C. for assisting in the statistical analysis. We thank Oliveira R. for technical support, and we acknowledge financial support from FAPESP Proc. 2010/10192-6

Circulatory disease mortality rates in the elderly and exposure to PM2.5 generated by biomass burning in the Brazilian Amazon in 2005

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between the exposure to fine particulate matter and circulatory disease mortality rates in the elderly living in the Brazilian Amazon. An ecological study of circulatory disease, acute myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular disease mortality rates in micro areas of the Brazilian Amazon was carried out. The environmental exposure indicator used was percentage hours of PM2.5 concentrations > 25µg/m³ divided by the total number of estimated hours of PM2.5 in 2005. The association between exposure and circulatory disease mortality rates was strongest in the oldest age group. No significant statistical association was found between cerebrovascular disease mortality rates and exposure. Circulatory disease mortality rates in the elderly living in the Amazon have been influenced by atmospheric pollution from emissions caused by forest fires

Clinical and epidemiological profile of tuberculosis in an urban area with high human development index in southeastern Brazil. Time series study

ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: In the twenty-first century, tuberculosis remains a serious public health problem in Brazil. The aim here was to characterize tuberculosis in a municipality with a high human development index (HDI), based on clinical and epidemiological variables. DESIGN AND SETTING: Epidemiological study with analysis of incidence that included 533 new cases of tuberculosis in the municipality of Araraquara, São Paulo, reported to the Brazilian Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) between 2002 and 2011. METHODS: To identify trends, this period was divided into two five-year periods (2002-2006 and 2007-2011). The incidence rates were compared using ratios and confidence intervals. RESULTS: The incidence of tuberculosis was 26.82 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and decreased by 22% between the two periods, which was statistically significant. Cases were more prevalent among men (72.61%) and among adults between 30 and 59 years of age with non-specialized professions and low education levels. There was a statistically significant reduction in cases among individuals over 50. The age group with highest incidence was 50-59 years in the first period and 30-39 years in the second. Total recovery occurred in more than 70%. There was a reduction in the number of diagnoses made within primary care and an increase within public hospital care between the two periods. The most common coinfections were AIDS and hepatitis C. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of tuberculosis in this municipality was lower than the national incidence, with a declining trend and a high cure rate, and the main coinfections were AIDS and hepatitis C

In-home solid fuel use and cardiovascular disease: a cross-sectional analysis of the Shanghai Putuo study

Background: Although recent research evidence suggests an association between household air pollution from solid fuel use, such as coal or biomass, and cardiovascular events such as hypertension, little epidemiologic data are available concerning such exposure effects on cardiovascular endpoints other than hypertension. We explored the association between in-home solid fuel use and self-reported diagnoses of cardiovascular endpoints, such as hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and diabetes. Methods: We analyzed 14,068 Chinese adults, aged 18 years and older. Odds ratios (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using logistic regression models for the risk of each outcome after adjusting for potential confounders. Results: The use of solid fuel in home was significantly associated with an increased risk for hypertension (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.40 to 2.07), CHD (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.53 to 4.32), and diabetes (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.59 to 3.86), after adjusting for potential confounders. Compared with individuals in the lowest tertile of the duration of solid fuel exposure, those in the highest tertile of the duration of solid fuel exposure had an increased odds of hypertension (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.45 to 2.06), stroke (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.03 to 3.38), and diabetes (OR 3.18, 95% CI 2.11 to 4.78). Conclusions: Our data suggest that in-home solid fuel exposure maybe associated with increased risk for hypertension, CHD, stroke, and diabetes in the Chinese adult population. Further large-scale longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm these findings