Cell Recovery in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid in Smokers Is Dependent on Cumulative Smoking History

Background: Smoking is a risk factor for various lung diseases in which BAL may be used as a part of a clinical investigation. Interpretation of BAL fluid cellularity is however difficult due to high variability, in particular among smokers. In this study we aimed to evaluate the effect of smoking on BAL cellular components in asymptomatic smokers. The effects of smoking cessation, age and gender were also investigated in groups of smokers and exsmokers. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of BAL findings, to our knowledge the largest single center investigation, in our department from 1999 to 2009. One hundred thirty two current smokers (48 males and 84 females) and 44 ex-smokers (16 males and 28 females) were included. A group of 295 (132 males and 163 females) never-smokers served as reference. Result: The median [5–95 pctl] total number of cells and cell concentration in current smokers were 63.4 [28.6–132.1]610 6 and 382.1 [189.7–864.3]610 6 /L respectively and correlated positively to the cumulative smoking history. Macrophages were the predominant cell type (96.7 % [90.4–99.0]) followed by lymphocytes (2 % [0.8–7.7]) and neutrophils (0.6 % [0–2.9]). The concentration of all inflammatory cells was increased in smokers compared to never smokers and ex-smokers. BAL fluid recovery was negatively correlated with age (p,0.001). Smoking men had a lower BAL fluid recovery than smoking women. Conclusion: Smoking has a profound effect on BAL fluid cellularity, which is dependent on smoking history. Our results performed on a large group of current smokers and ex-smokers in a well standardized way, can contribute to bette

Status of the Single Stage AMS machine at Lund University after 4 years of operation

The Lund SSAMS machine has been in routine operation since 2004. We present results from the last year of operation of the facility. The reference sample IAEA C7 and the "old" oxalic acid, Oxl, were used as secondary standards. As primary standard for calculations the OxII was used. The background and long term stability of the facility are discussed. We also report on the quality of the C-13/C-12 ratio from the SSAMS system. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Mikroplaster i snö i urbana trafikmiljöer

Microplastics from road traffic, mainly from tyre wear, are globally considered to be one of the largest sources of microplastic contamination in the environment. Plastics can either be deposited in the road vicinity, at the roadside and in ditches or spread via stormwater and air to the environment and receiving water bodies. In cold climates, microplastics, as well as other traffic-related pollutants, can be temporarily stored in snow and ice on and around roads and streets. The location and concentration of these pollutants is influenced by winter operations, where ploughing and skid control contribute to redistribution, and by melting and compaction of ice and snow. This creates reservoirs of microplastics and other pollutants, which are released into stormwater or surrounding soil during thaws, but also provides an opportunity to reduce the spread of microplastics by managing snow and ice appropriately. In the present report, a case study of microplastics in snow has been carried out in the municipality of Karlstad in Sweden, to get an idea of the potential variation, both in terms of concentration and total amounts in relation to traffic and the location of the sampling in the street environment. Microplastics have been analysed by pyrolysis GC/MS to identify tyre-specific polymers in combination with eight commonly occurring plastic types. In addition, six municipalities in different parts of the country responded to a questionnaire on microplastics in snow and urban snowmelt management. The results show that microplastics related to tyre wear (rubber polymers) tend to be present in higher concentrations on and near the carriageway. Other plastics show a less clear link to traffic. Along a salted bicycle lane, an elevated level of polypropylene, from which the brush of the sweep-salting machine is made, could be detected in the surface layer of the snow. In general, knowledge about microplastics in urban snow is low in the municipalities that responded to the survey.Mikroplaster från vägtrafik, främst från slitage av däck, bedöms globalt vara en av de största källorna till kontamineringen av mikroplast i miljön. Plasterna kan antingen deponera i närområdet, vid vägkanten och i dikena eller spridas via dagvatten och luft till omgivning och recipienter. I kalla klimat kan mikroplaster, liksom andra trafikrelaterade föroreningar, komma att mellanlagras i snö och is på och kring vägar och gator. Var föroreningarna återfinns, och i vilka halter, som de påverkas av vinterdriften, där plogning och halkbekämpning bidrar till omfördelning, samt av smältning och kompaktering av is och snö. Detta skapar förråd av mikroplaster och andra föroreningar, som vid töväder frigörs till dagvatten eller omgivande mark men utgör även en möjlighet att minska spridningen av mikroplaster genom att hantera snö och is på ett anpassat sätt. I föreliggande rapport har en fallstudie av mikroplaster i snö genomförts i Karlstad för att få en bild av den potentiella variationen, både med avseende på koncentration och totala mängder i förhållande till trafik och var i gatumiljön proverna tagits. Mikroplaster har analyserats med pyrolys GC/MS för att kunna identifiera däckspecifika polymerer i kombination med åtta vanligt förekommande plasttyper. Vidare har sex kommuner i olika delar av landet besvarat en enkät om mikroplaster i snö och hantering av urbana snömassor. Resultatet visar att mikroplaster som kan relateras till däckslitage (gummipolymerer) tenderar att förekomma i högre halter på och nära körfälten. Övrig plast visar mindre tydlig koppling till trafik. Längs ett sopsaltat cykelstråk kunde en förhöjd halt av polypropen, som sopsaltmaskinens borste är tillverkad av, påvisas i snöns ytskikt. Generellt är kunskapen om mikroplaster i urban snö låg hos de kommuner som besvarade enkäten

Gatustädning : en källa till, eller åtgärd mot, emissioner av mikroplaster?

Microplastics from road traffic are mainly caused by tyre wear, which is globally considered to be one of the largest sources of microplastics. Tyre wear particles have been shown to occur in all media (road surface, air, soil, stormwater, lakes and rivers and coastal sediments) and are dispersed both by runoff and by atmospheric transport. To reduce the dispersion and possible effects of road traffic microplastics emissions, measures can be taken to prevent the formation of particles and to prevent their dispersion through treatment measures. This study focuses on street cleaning as a method to reduce emissions, but as many street cleaning methods are based on the use of plastic brushes, cleaning as a source of microplastics has also been considered. The study was carried out in collaboration with the municipality of Karlstad and included a review of how street cleaning is carried out in Karlstad in relation to uptake and dispersion of microplastics.  Furthermore, a comparison between two cleaning machines (elevator and vacuum) has been made and a monitoring of microplastic amounts on the road surface during different phases of spring sweeping has been carried out. In order to estimate the amount of plastic torn from the brushes, weighing of the brushes has been carried out. In order to gain knowledge about the work of more municipalities on street sweeping from a microplastic perspective, a questionnaire study was sent out to six municipalities in different parts of the country. The results show that both cleaning machines have the capacity to reduce the amount of microplastics on the road surface. However, during spring sweeping, the amount of polypropylene (the most common plastic in the brushes) on the road surface increases. The distribution of analysed plastics differs significantly between the road surface and the material collected by the machines. This is thought to be due to the fact that the machines mainly collect coarser fractions, while finer fractions remain on the road surface. Knowledge of, and thus consideration of, microplastics in relation to operational measures such as street cleaning is currently low among the municipalities surveyed, but awareness exists, as does the need for support in implementing possible measures.  The present study shows a complex problem picture and represents a first step in understanding how street cleaning can be used as a measure, but also indicates that the wear of plastic brushes leads to a net emission of microplastics.Mikroplaster från vägtrafik har i huvudsak däckslitage som källa, vilket globalt bedöms vara en av de största källorna till mikroplaster. Däckslitagepartiklar har visat sig förekomma i alla medier (vägytan, mark, luft, dagvatten, sjöar och vattendrag och kustnära sediment). Partiklarna sprids både genom avrinning och genom lufttransport. För att minska spridning och eventuella effekter av vägtrafikens mikroplastutsläpp kan åtgärder vidtas för att dels förhindra bildningen av partiklar, dels för att förhindra spridningen genom reningsåtgärder. Denna studie fokuserar på gatustädning som metod för att minska emissionerna, men då många gatustädmetoder baseras på användning av plastborstar, har även städningen som källa till mikroplaster undersökts. Studien har genomförts i samverkan med Karlstads kommun och omfattat en genomgång av hur gatustädningen genomförs i Karlstad i relation till upptag och spridning av mikroplaster.  Vidare har en jämförelse mellan två städmaskiner (elevator och vakuum) gjorts och en uppföljning av mikroplastmängder på vägytan under olika moment av vårsopning genomförts. För att uppskatta hur mycket plast som slits från borstarna har vägning av borstar genomförts. För att få kunskap om fler kommuners arbete med gatusopning ur ett mikroplastperspektiv, har en enkätstudie skickats ut till sex kommuner i olika delar av landet. Resultaten visar att båda städmaskinerna har kapacitet att minska mängden mikroplast på vägytan. Under vårsopningen framgår dock att mängden polypropylen (den vanligaste plasten i borstarna) ökar på vägytan. Fördelningen av analyserade plaster skiljer sig markant mellan vägytan och det material som maskinerna samlat in. Detta bedöms bero på att maskinerna huvudsakligen samlar in grövre fraktioner, medan finare fraktioner blir kvar på vägytan. Kunskapen om, och därmed också beaktandet av just mikroplaster i relation till driftåtgärder som gatustädning, är i dagsläget låg bland tillfrågade kommuner, men kännedom finns liksom behov av stöd i implementering av eventuella åtgärder.  Föreliggande studie visar på en komplex problembild och utgör ett första steg i att förstå hur gatustädning kan användas som åtgärd, men indikerar också att slitage av plastborstar medför en nettoemission av mikroplaster

Tenascin-C and alpha-smooth muscle actin positive cells are increased in the large airways in patients with COPD

Abstract Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by inflammation and remodeling of the lungs. This results in alterations in extracellular matrix (ECM) and structural changes leading to airflow obstruction. We studied the expression of tenascin-C (Tn-C) and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), which act as a marker of myofibroblasts, in large airways from COPD patients. Our aim was to elucidate whether this expression correlated with smoking or with disease development. Methods Bronchoscopy was performed on 20 COPD patients (mean age 56 years; range 39-61; FEV1/FVC Results Biopsies from COPD patients had more (P Conclusions We demonstrate increased expression of Tn-C and α-SMA positive cells in the large airways in COPD. This was not associated to smoking per se, but to the presence of airway obstruction. Our findings add new information regarding remodeling characteristics and highlight the large airways as a potential site for airways obstruction in COPD.</p