Short-term residential exposure to endotoxin emitted from livestock farms in relation to lung function in non-farming residents

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the public health relevance of exposure to livestock farm emissions is increasing. Research mostly focused on chemical air pollution, less on microbial exposure, while endotoxins are suggested relevant bacterial components in farm emissions. Acute respiratory health effects of short-term exposure to livestock-related air pollution has been shown for NH 3 and PM 10, but has not yet been studied for endotoxin. We aimed to assess associations between lung function and short-term exposure to livestock farming emitted endotoxin in co-pollutant models with NH 3 and PM 10. METHODS: In 2014/2015, spirometry was conducted in 2308 non-farming residents living in a rural area in the Netherlands. Residential exposure to livestock farming emitted endotoxin during the week prior to spirometry was estimated by dispersion modelling. The model was applied to geo-located individual barns within 10 km of each home address using provincial farm data and local hourly meteorological conditions. Regional week-average measured concentrations of NH 3 and PM 10 were obtained through monitoring stations. Lung function parameters (FEV 1, FVC, FEV 1/FVC, MMEF) were expressed in %-predicted value based on GLI-2012. Exposure-response analyses were performed by linear regression modelling. RESULTS: Week-average endotoxin exposure was negatively associated with FVC, independently from regional NH 3 and PM 10 exposure. A 1.1% decline in FVC was estimated for an increase of endotoxin exposure from 10th to 90th percentile. Stratified analyses showed a larger decline (3.2%) for participants with current asthma and/or COPD. FEV 1 was negatively associated with week-average endotoxin exposure, but less consistent after co-pollutant adjustment. FEV 1/FVC and MMEF were not associated with week-average endotoxin exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Lower lung function in non-farming residents was observed in relation to short-term residential exposure to livestock farming emitted endotoxin. This study indicates the probable relevance of exposure to microbial emissions from livestock farms considering public health besides chemical air pollution, necessitating future research incorporating both

Flora - vegetatie voor een betere luchtkwaliteit; meten is weten - vegetatie voor een betere luchtkwaliteit.

In dit document worden de resultaten gepresenteerd van een meetproef langs de A50 bij Valburg-Heteren waar de effecten van een beplantingsstructuur op de luchtkwaliteit zijn gemeten. Voor fijnstof (PM10) is geen aanwijzing gevonden dat vegetatie belangrijke hoeveelheden afvangt. Voor stikstofdioxide (NO2) is sprake van een beperkte afname. Voor beide stoffen geldt dat vlak achter de vegetatie een verhoogde concentratie is gemeten. Voor fijnstof is een second opinion uitgevoerd waarbij een maximale reductie achter een vegetatie bestaande uit Grove Dennen is gemeten van 10%, ref: DVS-006-2009. Voor de modellering van vegetatie is een model beschikbaar. De modelresultaten laten hetzelfde beeld zien als de metingen

Endotoxin and particulate matter emitted by livestock farms and respiratory health effects in neighboring residents

BACKGROUND: Living in livestock-dense areas has been associated with health effects, suggesting airborne exposures to livestock farm emissions to be relevant for public health. Livestock farm emissions involve complex mixtures of various gases and particles. Endotoxin, a pro-inflammatory agent of microbial origin, is a constituent of livestock farm emitted particulate matter (PM) that is potentially related to the observed health effects. Quantification of livestock associated endotoxin exposure at residential addresses in relation to health outcomes has not been performed earlier. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess exposure-response relations for a range of respiratory endpoints and atopic sensitization in relation to livestock farm associated PM10 and endotoxin levels. METHODS: Self-reported respiratory symptoms of 12,117 persons participating in a population-based cross-sectional study were analyzed. For 2494 persons, data on lung function (spirometry) and serologically assessed atopic sensitization was additionally available. Annual-average PM10 and endotoxin concentrations at home addresses were predicted by dispersion modelling and land-use regression (LUR) modelling. Exposure-response relations were analyzed with generalized additive models. RESULTS: Health outcomes were generally more strongly associated with exposure to livestock farm emitted endotoxin compared to PM10. An inverse association was observed for dispersion modelled exposure with atopic sensitization (endotoxin: p = .004, PM10: p = .07) and asthma (endotoxin: p = .029, PM10: p = .022). Prevalence of respiratory symptoms decreased with increasing endotoxin concentration at the lower range, while at the higher range prevalence increased with increasing concentration (p  .05). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to livestock farm emitted particulate matter is associated with respiratory health effects and atopic sensitization in non-farming residents. Results indicate endotoxin to be a potentially plausible etiologic agent, suggesting non-infectious aspects of microbial emissions from livestock farms to be important with respect to public health

Further exploratory study of ultrafine particulate material around Schiphol

Rond Schiphol zijn de concentraties ultrafijnstof verhoogd als gevolg van de luchtvaart. Direct buiten het luchthaventerrein is de gemiddelde bijdrage van luchtvaartactiviteiten vergelijkbaar met de bijdrage van wegverkeer in straten in binnenstedelijk gebied. Naarmate de afstand tot het luchthaventerrein toeneemt, neemt de concentratie ultrafijnstof af: op zo'n vijftien kilometer van de luchthaven is de bijdrage van de luchtvaart nog circa 20 procent van de bijdrage direct naast het luchthaventerrein. Ultrafijnstof is het bestanddeel van fijnstof met de allerkleinste afmeting: kleiner dan 0,1 micrometer. In het algemeen wordt aangenomen dat ultrafijnstof schadelijk is. De wetenschappelijke kennis hierover is nog beperkt. Of, en zo ja in welke mate, in de omgeving van Schiphol sprake is van extra gezondheidseffecten als gevolg van de blootstelling aan ultrafijnstof kan op basis van de huidige inzichten niet worden bepaald. Dit blijkt uit verkennend onderzoek dat in opdracht van het Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Milieu is uitgevoerd. Ultrafijnstof komt zowel van nature in de lucht als door menselijk handelen voor. Vooral door het stoken van hout, verbranden van afval en het gebruik van fossiele brandstoffen in voertuigen voegt de mens ultrafijnstof toe. In het voorjaar van 2015 is voor dit onderzoek de hoeveelheid ultrafijnstof in de omgeving van Schiphol gemeten door een samenwerkingsverband van vier kennisorganisaties. Ultrafijnstof is in dat gebied voornamelijk afkomstig van wegverkeer, vliegtuigen en overige voertuigen op en rond het luchthaventerrein. Uit de beperkte gegevens die in de wetenschappelijke literatuur beschikbaar zijn, blijken de hoeveelheden ultrafijnstof rond Schiphol vergelijkbaar met die bij andere internationale luchthavens. De meetresultaten zijn met behulp van modelberekeningen vertaald naar een kaart van een groter gebied om Schiphol heen (circa twintig bij dertig kilometer). In het grootste deel van dit gebied zijn andere bronnen van fijnstof dan de luchtvaart, vooral wegverkeer, bepalend voor de totale hoeveelheid ultrafijnstof in de lucht. De meetgegevens laten zien dat er een extra bijdrage is, afkomstig van het vliegverkeer rond Schiphol en de activiteiten op de luchthaven.In the vicinity of Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, concentrations of ultrafine particles (UFPs) are elevated due to aircraft traffic. Immediately beyond the airport perimeter, the average contribution of aviation to the local UFP concentration is comparable to the contribution that road traffic makes to inner-city street UFP levels. As distance from the airport site increases, the UFP concentration diminishes: about fifteen kilometres from the airport, aviation's contribution to the concentration is roughly 20 per cent of what it is immediately outside the airport. Ultrafine particulate material is the finest fraction of particulate material, made up of particles measuring less than 0.1 micrometre in diameter. Although it is generally accepted that ultrafine particulate material is hazardous, relatively little is known about it. Consequently, it is not currently possible to ascertain whether and, if so, to what extent people living and working near to Schiphol experience adverse health effects as a result of exposure to ultrafine particulate material. Those are the central findings of an exploratory study undertaken for the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment. Both natural processes and human activity contribute to the presence of ultrafine particulate material in the atmosphere. The main contributory human activities are the combustion of wood, the incineration of waste, and the use of fossil fuels in transport. In the spring of 2015, the concentrations of ultrafine particulate material in the atmosphere near to Schiphol Airport were measured by a consortium of four knowledge centres. The ultrafine particulate material in the area originates mainly from road traffic, aviation, and other vehicular traffic on and around the airport site. The limited data available in the scientific literature suggest that the levels measured around Schiphol are similar to those in the vicinity of other international airports. By means of computer modelling, the measured data were used to generate a map of an area surrounding Schiphol measuring roughly twenty kilometres by thirty. In most parts of the area, the total airborne UFP concentration was attributable mainly to sources other than aviation, with road traffic being the biggest contributor. The measured data show that air traffic around Schiphol and activities on the airport itself do contribute to UFP levels.Ministerie van I&