Genotoxic potential generated by biomass burning in the Brazilian Legal Amazon by Tradescantia micronucleus bioassay: a toxicity assessment study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Brazilian Amazon has suffered impacts from non-sustainable economic development, especially owing to the expansion of agricultural commodities into forest areas. The Tangará da Serra region, located in the southern of the Legal Amazon, is characterized by non-mechanized sugar cane production. In addition, it lies on the dispersion path of the pollution plume generated by biomass burning. The aim of this study was to assess the genotoxic potential of the atmosphere in the Tangará da Serra region, using <it>Tradescantia pallida </it>as <it>in situ </it>bioindicator.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was conducted during the dry and rainy seasons, where the plants were exposed to two types of exposure, active and passive.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results showed that in all the sampling seasons, irrespective of exposure type, there was an increase in micronucleus frequency, compared to control and that it was statistically significant in the dry season. A strong and significant relationship was also observed between the increase in micronucleus incidence and the rise in fine particulate matter, and hospital morbidity from respiratory diseases in children.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Based on the results, we demonstrated that pollutants generated by biomass burning in the Brazilian Amazon can induce genetic damage in test plants that was more prominent during dry season, and correlated with the level of particulates and elevated respiratory morbidity.</p

Public Health Nutr.

Objective: To evaluate the association between weight gain in the first two years of life and the occurrence of wheezing, asthma, serum IgE, skin reactivity and pulmonary function. Design: Cohort study. Setting: The metropolitan region of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Subjects: The association was studied between 1997 and 2005 in 669 children up to 11 years of age. Data were collected on asthma and risk factors, both current factors and those present in the first years of life. Weight gain was considered fast when the Z-score was .0?67. Poisson regression was used in the multivariate statistical analysis. Results: Wheezing was reported in 25?6% of the children. Weight gain was considered fast (Z-score .0?67) in 29?6% of the children and slow (Z-score,20?67) in 13?9%. Children in the slow weight gain group had 36% fewer symptoms of asthma (prevalence ratio50?65; 95% CI 0?42, 0?99). Conclusions: Slower weight gain in the early years of life may constitute a protective factor against symptoms of asthma. The relevance of this finding for public health is not yet certain, since it is known that children with slow and fast weight gain may be more likely to develop adverse health consequences related to both these situations

[Weight gain rate in early childhood and overweight in children 5-11 years old in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil].

Overweight children are more prone to become overweight or obese adults. The most effective prevention is intervention in early childhood. We analyzed the association between early weight gain and overweight/obesity in 1,056 children under 11 years of age. Data were collected on lifestyle, sanitation, socioeconomic status, birth weight, and breastfeeding. Weight gain from birth until different age brackets ( 12 to 18, > 18 to 24, and > 24 to 60 months) was considered a continuous variable in z-scores. Overweight was defined as body mass index (BMI) > +1 z-score, based on 2006 and 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Poisson regression and linear regression were used in the multivariate statistical analysis. Weight gain rate was associated with BMI, and overweight or obesity in the 5-11-year age bracket increased twofold for each unit increase in the weight gain standard deviation between 24 and 60 months of age (RR = 2.08; 95%CI: 1.87-2.32). For all early childhood age brackets, there was an association between rapid weight gain and subsequent overweight or obesity