Exposure to aircraft and road traffic noise and associations with heart disease and stroke in six European countries: a cross-sectional study

This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (grant ES/F038763/1) with additional funding from the European Network for Noise and Health (ENNAH, EU FP7 grant number 226442)

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and traffic noise and incident hypertension in seven cohorts of the European study of cohorts for air pollution effects (ESCAPE)

We investigated whether traffic-related air pollution and noise are associated with incident hypertension in European cohorts.; We included seven cohorts of the European study of cohorts for air pollution effects (ESCAPE). We modelled concentrations of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5), ≤10 µm (PM10), >2.5, and ≤10 µm (PMcoarse), soot (PM2.5 absorbance), and nitrogen oxides at the addresses of participants with land use regression. Residential exposure to traffic noise was modelled at the facade according to the EU Directive 2002/49/EC. We assessed hypertension as (i) self-reported and (ii) measured (systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or intake of BP lowering medication (BPLM). We used Poisson regression with robust variance estimation to analyse associations of traffic-related exposures with incidence of hypertension, controlling for relevant confounders, and combined the results from individual studies with random-effects meta-analysis. Among 41 072 participants free of self-reported hypertension at baseline, 6207 (15.1%) incident cases occurred within 5-9 years of follow-up. Incidence of self-reported hypertension was positively associated with PM2.5 (relative risk (RR) 1.22 [95%-confidence interval (CI):1.08; 1.37] per 5 µg/m³) and PM2.5 absorbance (RR 1.13 [95% CI:1.02; 1.24] per 10 - 5m - 1). These estimates decreased slightly upon adjustment for road traffic noise. Road traffic noise was weakly positively associated with the incidence of self-reported hypertension. Among 10 896 participants at risk, 3549 new cases of measured hypertension occurred. We found no clear associations with measured hypertension.; Long-term residential exposures to air pollution and noise are associated with increased incidence of self-reported hypertension

Modeled and perceived RF-EMF, noise and air pollution and symptoms in a population cohort. Is perception key in predicting symptoms?

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial research has shown that perceived exposure can influence symptom reporting, regardless of actual exposure. The impact of this phenomenon on the interpretation of results from epidemiological research on environmental determinants of symptoms is unclear. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to compare associations between modeled exposures, the perceived level of these exposures and reported symptoms (non-specific symptoms, sleep disturbances, and respiratory symptoms) for three different environmental exposures (radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), noise, and air pollution). These environmental exposures vary in the degree to which they can be sensorially observed. METHODS: Participant characteristics, perceived exposures, and self-reported health were assessed with a baseline (n = 14,829, 2011/2012) and follow-up (n = 7905, 2015) questionnaire in the Dutch population-based Occupational and Environmental Health Cohort (AMIGO). Environmental exposures were estimated at the home address using spatial models. Cross-sectional and longitudinal regression models were used to examine the associations between modeled and perceived exposures, and reported symptoms. RESULTS: The extent to which exposure sources could be observed by participants likely influenced correlations between modeled and perceived exposure as correlations were moderate for air pollution (rSp = 0.34) and noise (rSp = 0.40), but less so for RF-EMF (rSp = 0.11). Perceived exposures were consistently associated with increased symptom scores (respiratory, sleep, non-specific). Modeled exposures, except RF-EMF, were associated with increased symptom scores, but these associations disappeared or strongly diminished when accounted for perceived exposure in the analyses. DISCUSSION: Perceived exposure has an important role in symptom reporting. When environmental determinants of symptoms are studied without acknowledging the potential role of both modeled and perceived exposures, there is a risk of bias in health risk assessment. However, the etiological role of exposure perceptions in relation to symptom reporting requires further research

Modeled and perceived RF-EMF, noise and air pollution and symptoms in a population cohort. Is perception key in predicting symptoms?

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial research has shown that perceived exposure can influence symptom reporting, regardless of actual exposure. The impact of this phenomenon on the interpretation of results from epidemiological research on environmental determinants of symptoms is unclear. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to compare associations between modeled exposures, the perceived level of these exposures and reported symptoms (non-specific symptoms, sleep disturbances, and respiratory symptoms) for three different environmental exposures (radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), noise, and air pollution). These environmental exposures vary in the degree to which they can be sensorially observed. METHODS: Participant characteristics, perceived exposures, and self-reported health were assessed with a baseline (n = 14,829, 2011/2012) and follow-up (n = 7905, 2015) questionnaire in the Dutch population-based Occupational and Environmental Health Cohort (AMIGO). Environmental exposures were estimated at the home address using spatial models. Cross-sectional and longitudinal regression models were used to examine the associations between modeled and perceived exposures, and reported symptoms. RESULTS: The extent to which exposure sources could be observed by participants likely influenced correlations between modeled and perceived exposure as correlations were moderate for air pollution (rSp = 0.34) and noise (rSp = 0.40), but less so for RF-EMF (rSp = 0.11). Perceived exposures were consistently associated with increased symptom scores (respiratory, sleep, non-specific). Modeled exposures, except RF-EMF, were associated with increased symptom scores, but these associations disappeared or strongly diminished when accounted for perceived exposure in the analyses. DISCUSSION: Perceived exposure has an important role in symptom reporting. When environmental determinants of symptoms are studied without acknowledging the potential role of both modeled and perceived exposures, there is a risk of bias in health risk assessment. However, the etiological role of exposure perceptions in relation to symptom reporting requires further research

Air pollution from road traffic and systemic inflammation in adults : a cross-sectional analysis in the European ESCAPE project

Exposure to particulate matter air pollution (PM) has been associated with cardiovascular diseases.; In this study we evaluated whether annual exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with systemic inflammation, which is hypothesized to be an intermediate step to cardiovascular disease.; Six cohorts of adults from Central and Northern Europe were used in this cross-sectional study as part of the larger ESCAPE project (European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects). Data on levels of blood markers for systemic inflammation-high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen-were available for 22,561 and 17,428 persons, respectively. Land use regression models were used to estimate cohort participants' long-term exposure to various size fractions of PM, soot, and nitrogen oxides (NOx). In addition, traffic intensity on the closest street and traffic load within 100 m from home were used as indicators of traffic air pollution exposure.; Particulate air pollution was not associated with systemic inflammation. However, cohort participants living on a busy ( 1,000 vehicles/day). Annual NOx concentration was also positively associated with levels of CRP (3.2%; 95% CI: 0.3, 6.1 per 20 μg/m3), but the effect estimate was more sensitive to model adjustments. For fibrinogen, no consistent associations were observed.; Living close to busy traffic was associated with increased CRP concentrations, a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. However, it remains unclear which specific air pollutants are responsible for the association