Association of Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter and Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Diseases in Children and Adolescents

Background: Risk factors of non-communicable disease (NCD) origin from early life, and exposure to environmental pollutant may be a predisposing factor. This study aimed to investigate the association of air quality index (AQI) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with some NCD risk factors in a sample of Iranian children and adolescents. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014 to 2016 among children and adolescents, aged 6-18 years, in Isfahan, Iran. Physical examination, including weight, height, and blood pressure, was conducted by standard methods. Fasting blood sample was obtained for fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein- cholesterol, and triglycerides. The mean AQI and PM2.5 values from the study time till one year prior to the survey were used. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted for the association of AQI and PM2.5 with other variables. Results: Participants consisted of 186 children and adolescents with mean (SD) age of 10.52(2.38) years. Exposure to higher level of PM2.5 had significant associations with higher levels of systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. It also had positive relationship with other risk factors and inverse association with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), but these associations were not statistically significant. The corresponding figures were not significant for AQI. Conclusion: At current study results showed that exposure to higher levels of fine particulates was associated with some NCD risk factors in children and adolescents. Early life prevention of NCDs can lead to large reductions in disease risk; adverse effects of ambient pollutants should be considered in this regard

Influence of Air Pollution on Chemical Quality of Wet Atmospheric Deposition: a Case Study in Urmia, Iran

Increased combustion of fossil fuel owing to the energy requirement is a main cause of air pollution throughout the world. Atmospheric precipitation is considered as a major water resource for indoor, municipal, industrial and agricultural uses. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of air pollution on chemical quality of rain and snow in Urmia, a city in northwest of Iran. Sampling was performed during the wet seasons from October to March at six sampling stations in different locations of the city. Acidity, alkalinity, NO3- , SO42-, Cl- and pH contents of the collected samples were analyzed. All samples showed a pH value of more than 6.8, and lower acidity than alkalinity, therefore, the precipitations were not acidic. Maximum concentrations of SO42- and NO3- in the samples were 5 and 8.8mg/L, respectively. Chloride was varied from 1 to 11.5 mg/L with the highest measures observing in autumn. According to the results, concentrations of the analyzed parameters in wet precipitations in Urmia were within the natural ranges except chloride ions, which was higher than its common level in the atmosphere. This phenomenon may be the result of desert dusts which transfers by wind from the west border to Iran.

Effects of gaseous NH3 and SO2 on the concentration profiles of PCDD/F in flyash under post-combustion zone conditions

The influence of gaseous ammonia and sulphur dioxide on the formation of 2378-substituted PCDD/F on a reference flyash from a municipal waste incinerator has been investigated using a laboratory scale fixed-bed reactor. The reference flyash samples (BCR-490) was reacted under a simulated flue gas stream at temperatures of 225 and 375 °C for 96 h. The experiments were carried out in two series: first with simulated flue gas alone, and then with injection of NH3 or SO2 gas into the flue gas just before the reactor inlet. It was found that the injection of gaseous ammonia into the flue gas could decrease the concentration of both PCDD and PCDF by 34–75% from the solid phase and by 21–40% from the gas phase. Converting the results to I-TEQ values, it could reduce the total I-TEQ values of PCDD and PCDF in the sum of the flyash and exhaust flue gas by 42–75% and 24–57% respectively. The application of SO2 led to 99% and 93% reductions in the PCDD and PCDF average congener concentrations, respectively in the solid phase. In the gas phase, the total reductions were 89% and 76% for PCDD and PCDF, respectively. Moreover, addition of SO2 reduced the total I-TEQ value of PCDD and PCDF in the flyash and exhaust flue gas together by 60–86% and 72–82% respectively. Sulphur dioxide was more effective than ammonia in suppressing PCDD/F formation in flyash under the conditions investigated

Phytoremediation of formaldehyde from indoor environment by ornamental plants: An approach to promote occupants health

Background: Formaldehyde is a common hazardous indoor air pollutant which recently raised public concerns due to its well-known carcinogenic effects on human. The aim of this study was to investigate a potted plant-soil system ability in formaldehyde removal from a poor ventilated indoor air to promote dwellers health. Methods: For this purpose, we used one of the common interior plants from the fern species (Nephrolepis obliterata), inside a Plexiglas chamber under controlled environment. Entire plant removal efficiency and potted soil/roots contribution were determined by continuously introducing different formaldehyde vapor concentrations to the chamber (0.6–11 mg/m3) each over a 48-h period. Sampling was conducted from inlet and outlet of the chamber every morning and evening over the study period, and the average of each stage was reported. Results: The results showed that the N. obliterata plant efficiently removed formaldehyde from the polluted air by 90%–100%, depending on the inlet concentrations, in a long time exposure. The contribution of the soil and roots for formaldehyde elimination was 26%. Evaluation of the plant growing characteristics showed that the fumigation did not affect the chlorophyll content, carotenoid, and average height of the plant; however, a decrease in the plant water content was observed. Conclusions: According to the results of this study, phytoremediation of volatile organic compound-contaminated indoor air by the ornamental potted plants is an effective method which can be economically applicable in buildings. The fern species tested here had high potential to improve interior environments where formaldehyde emission is a health concern

Human health risk assessment of cadmium exposure in dry deposition of atmospheric dust (Uncertainty analysis)

Background and purpose: The atmospheric suspended particulate matter is a major route of human exposure to different kinds of environmental pollutants especially toxic heavy metals. The aim of this study was to assess the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk of cadmium in dry deposition of atmospheric dust in Qazvin, Iran. Materials and methods: Glass traps were used for sampling dry atmospheric dust. To determine the concentration of cadmium (Cd), the samples were injected into ICP-OES after preparation. Then, the risk of carcinogenicity and non-carcinogenicity of Cd was calculated in children and adults. Results: The mean concentration of Cd was 0.0164 mg/kg. Cumulative non-carcinogenic risk (HI) in all exposure pathways for children and adults were 2.31E-4 and 1.94 E-4, respectively. The cumulative carcinogenic risk (TCR) in children and adults were 4.72 E-9 and 9.21 E-9, respectively. Conclusion: The risk of carcinogenicity and non-carcinogenicity due to the presence of cadmium in atmospheric dust and exposure in children and adults was found to be lower than acceptable limits. However, due to increasing air pollution in the future, it may cause harmful effects to the health of citizen

Monitoring the level of urinary metabolites of toluene and xylene in pregnant women in Isfahan and Khansar and their relationship with demographic factors and air quality index

Aim: In this study, the levels of urinary metabolites of toluene and xylene isomers in pregnant women in Isfahan and Khansar cities and their associations with air quality index (AQI) and demographic factors were investigated. Materials and Methods: Depending on the population, 55 pregnant women from Isfahan and 15 pregnant women from Khansar, a total of 70 people were enrolled in the study and 140 urine samples were collected during their 1st and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy (autumn and spring). Urinary metabolites of hippuric acid (HA), ortho-, meta-, and para-methyl HA (o-m-p-MHA) were extracted by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method, derivatized and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometer. The results were statistically correlated with AQI level and demographic factors using appropriate statistical methods. Results: Mean urinary concentrations of HA, o-m-p-MHA in the 1st trimester of pregnancy were 371.2, 1.14, 2.48, and 1.97 mg/g cr, and those in the 3rd trimester were 582.1, 3.54, 6.93, and 2.43 mg/g cr, respectively. In the 1st trimester, the mean urinary level of ortho-MHA was significantly associated with the outdoor exposure time on workdays and fragrances use (P < 0.05). In the 3rd trimester, the mean concentration of HA was significantly correlated to age and outdoor exposure time on workdays (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The mean urinary concentrations of HA and MHA isomers in the 1st trimester of pregnancy in Isfahan were more than those in Khansar. Because the level of air pollution in Isfahan was higher than Khansar and that in autumn was higher than spring. In the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, the mean levels of MHA isomers in Isfahan were more than those in Khansar. Only the amount of p-MHA was significantly associated with AQI in the 1st trimester of pregnancy. Thus, women who lived in high-traffic urban areas with high AQI were more exposed to toluene and xylene compounds

Mortality and morbidity due to exposure to Ambient NO2, SO2, and O3in Isfahan in 2013–2014

Background: The presence of air pollutants such as CO, NO2, SO2, O3, and PM in the ambient air mainly emitted from fossil fuels combustion has become a major health concern. The aims of this study were to estimate the attribution of NO2, SO2, and O3 in the premature deaths and prevalence of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Isfahan in 2013–2014. Methods: In this study, short-term health effects (total mortality, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and acute myocardial infarction) of exposure NO2, SO2, and O3 on the population of Isfahan were assessed using AirQ 2.2.3 software suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO). Results: The result showed that from nonaccident total mortality in 2013–2014 in Isfahan, the attributable proportion related to NO2, SO2, and O3 were 1.03% (109 cases), 3.46% (365 cases), and 1.29% (136 cases), respectively. The percentage of days that people were exposed to the highest concentration of NO2 (40–49 μg/m3), SO2 (60–69 μg/m3), and O3 (40–49 μg/m3) was 34.46%, 16.85%, and 42.74% of a year, respectively. Total mortality attributed to NO2, SO2, and O3exposure was 0.36%, 0.79%, and 0.83%, respectively. Conclusions: The concentrations of NO2and SO2were upper than the WHO guidelines. The Air-Q software in spite of its limitations can provide useful information regarding the health outcome of the air pollutants. The results estimated in this study were considerable. This information can help the health authorities and policy makers to draw suitable strategies and fulfill effective emission control programs

Prediction of atmospheric PM2.5 level by machine learning techniques in Isfahan, Iran

Abstract With increasing levels of air pollution, air quality prediction has attracted more attention. Mathematical models are being developed by researchers to achieve precise predictions. Monitoring and prediction of atmospheric PM2.5 levels, as a predominant pollutant, is essential in emission mitigation programs. In this study, meteorological datasets from 9 years in Isfahan city, a large metropolis of Iran, were applied to predict the PM2.5 levels, using four machine learning algorithms including Artificial Neural |Networks (ANNs), K-Nearest-Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector |Machines (SVMs) and ensembles of classification trees Random Forest (RF). The data from 7 air quality monitoring stations located in Isfahan City were taken into consideration. The Confusion Matrix and Cross-Entropy Loss were used to analyze the performance of classification models. Several parameters, including sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, F1 score, precision, and the area under the curve (AUC), are computed to assess model performance. Finally, by introducing the predicted data for 2020 into ArcGIS software and using the IDW (Inverse Distance Weighting) method, interpolation was conducted for the area of Isfahan city and the pollution map was illustrated for each month of the year. The results showed that, based on the accuracy percentage, the ANN model has a better performance (90.1%) in predicting PM2.5 grades compared to the other models for the applied meteorological dataset, followed by RF (86.1%), SVM (84.6%) and KNN (82.2%) models, respectively. Therefore, ANN modelling provides a feasible procedure for the managerial planning of air pollution control

Myeloperoxidase levels predicts angiographic severity of coronary artery disease in patients with chronic stable angina

Background : Myeloperoxidase (MPO) has an important role in the both processes of inflammation and oxidative stress. It plays proatherogenic role via low-density lipoprotein oxidation, functional inactivation of the high-density lipoprotein and endothelial dysfunction, and seems to be involved in the atherogenesis of coronary arteries. This study designed to evaluate the association between the plasma MPO levels and angiographic severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with the stable CAD. Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight patients who had documented CAD with angiography and 66 subjects who had normal angiography were selected as case and the control groups for this study, respectively. Gensini scoring system was used for evaluation of severity of coronary artery stenosis. Plasma MPO and C-reactiveprotein (CRP) levels of both case and control groups were determined. Results: Plasma MPO levels and CRP levels were significantly higher in CAD patients (P < 0.001), and plasma levels of MPO and CRP were correlated with Genssini scores. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that the plasma MPO levels increase in patients with stable CAD and hence that, it can be used as adiagnostic factor to predict the coronary artery atherosclerosis severity in stable CAD patients; However, it needs further widespread investigations to achieve an accurate cut point

Assessing the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks of metals in the drinking water of Isfahan, Iran

Abstract Metals are significant contributors to water pollution, posing serious threats to human health. This study aims to assess the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with metals in Isfahan drinking water. Eighty water samples were randomly collected from the city's distribution network between January and March 2020–2021. Inductively coupled plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry was used to measure toxic metals, namely Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni, and As concentrations. Results revealed that the mean concentration of Ni (70.03 µg/L) exceeded the WHO reference value (70 µg/L), while the other metals were below the standard values. The average chronic daily intake order of toxic metals was Ni > Cr > Pb > As > Cd. Non-carcinogenic risk assessment through hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) demonstrated that both THI for adults (HQingestion + HQdermal = 4.02E−03) and THI for children (HIingestion + HIdermal = 3.83E−03) were below the acceptable limit (less than 1). This indicated no non-carcinogenic risk to residents through water ingestion or dermal exposure. However, findings indicated that the ingestion route was the primary exposure pathway, with HQ values for ingestion exceeding HQ values for dermal adsorption. Carcinogenic risk assessment showed that the risk associated with As metal exceeded the acceptable limit (1 × 10−6). Therefore, implementing treatment improvement programs and appropriate control measures is essential to safeguard the health of Isfahan City residents