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The extent to which occupational exposure to ozone in ambient air can affect lung function remains unclear. We conducted a panel study in 43 mail carriers by measuring their peak expiratory flow rates (PEFRs) twice daily for 6 weeks in 2001. The daily exposure of each mail carrier to O3, particulate matter < 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10)...
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... air monitoring station operated in Taichung City, Taiwan, by the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (2005) also pro- vided hourly meteorologic data on wind direc- tion, wind speed, temperature, dew point, and precipitation. The locations of the air monitor- ing station and post office in this study are shown in Figure 1 values for O 3 , NO 2 , and PM 10 between 0900 and 1700 hr were calculated from the data obtained from this monitoring station to repre- sent each subject's daily exposures to air pollu- tants. We also summarized meteorologic variables of temperature and relative humidity for the same time segments. ...
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Introduction
Air pollution represents a serious threat to health on a global scale, being responsible for a large portion of the global burden of disease from environmental factors. Current evidence about the association between air pollution exposure and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is still controversial. We aimed to evaluate the association between ar...
The collection of real-time air quality measurements while in motion (i.e.,
mobile monitoring) is currently conducted worldwide to evaluate in situ
emissions, local air quality trends, and air pollutant exposure. This
measurement strategy pushes the limits of traditional data analysis with
complex second-by-second multipollutant data varying as a f...
Short-term exposures to outdoor air pollutants have been associated with lower lung function, but the results are inconsistence. The effects of different pollutant levels on lung function changes are still unclear. We quantified the effects of outdoor air pollution exposure (NO2, PM10, O3, and PM2.5) on lung function among 1,694 female non-smokers...
Citations
... Total cholesterol and triglycerides were estimated by enzyme colorimetric methods (Artiss andZak, 1997, Cole et al., 1997), HDL-C by enzyme colorimetric method after precipitation (Izzo et al., 1981), LDL-C and VLDL-C were derived using Friedewal's formula (Friedewald et al., 1972) while the atherogenic index of plasma was calculated as a ratio of TG to HDL-C (Dobiasova and Frohlich, 2001). The PEFR was estimated using a peak flow meter (Chan and Wu, 2005), urine 1-hydroxypyrene was estimated by high performance liquid chromatography (Hansen et al., 1993), and urine creatinine by colorimetry (Andersen et al., 2014). ...
Dyslipidemia, hypertension, and lung function impairment leading to cardio-pulmonary disorders has been associated with chronic exposure to chemical toxicants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in automobile workshop. The cardiovascular risk factors, indices of lung function and PAH exposure in relation to duration of years at occupation were assessed in automobile workers. This comparative cross-sectional study enrolled one hundred men comprising 50 automobile workers and 50 non-automobile workers (controls). The peak expiratory flow rate was estimated using the peak flow meter, PAH metabolite (urine 1-hydroxy pyrene (1-HOP) by high-performance liquid chromatography, lipid profile indices (triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)) by colorimetry, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) by Friedewal’s formular. Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) was calculated as a ratio of TG to HDL-C. The Anthropometric indices and blood pressure (systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP)) were obtained. Data analysis was done using t-test and correlation at P<0.05. Automobile workers had lower PEFR, HDL-C, and higher SBP, AIP and LDL-C compared to non-automobile workers (P<0.001). PEFR correlated negatively with 1-HOP (r=-0.322, P=0.022) while AIP correlated negatively with HDL (r=-0.307, P=0.030) and positively with TG (r=0.774, P=0.000), TC (r=0.726, P=0.000), LDL (r=0.777, P=0.000) and VLDL (r=0.793, P=0.000) respectively only in automobile workers. Atherogenic dyslipidemia characterized by elevated LDL, AIP, and lower HDL and PEFR observed in automobile workers may suggest an increased risk for cardio-pulmonary dysfunctions.
... Exposure to air pollution can potentially impair productivity through damage to physical and mental health (Levinson, 2012;Zhang et al., 2017;Chen et al., 2013) and through direct impacts on cognitive ability (Ailshire et al., 2015;Ebenstein et al., 2016;Luo et al., 2019). Previous studies have focused on the impact of air pollution on outdoor worker efficiency (Chan and Wu, 2005;Lichter et al., 2017;Zivin and Neidell, 2012). Air pollutants such as outdoor fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) can penetrate indoors through various channels, affecting indoor workers (Chen et al., 2012). ...
Previous studies analysing the effects of air pollution on work efficiency did not pay much attention to indoor impacts. This paper attempts to fill this gap by using technical data from Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) players. For the first time, we present personal work efficiency using a comprehensive evaluation index, the player efficiency rating (PER). The information is then combined with daily air quality data. We find that air pollution reduces work productivity: for every 10% increase in the air quality index (AQI), the average PER decreases by 0.4221, and the effects vary by air pollutant. Heterogeneity analysis shows that at the level of competition venues, the negative impact of air pollution on work efficiency can be weakened at home, while the rising temperature in the competition city can amplify the negative impact of air pollution on work efficiency. At the level of individual players, older players and foreign players are less affected by air pollution. Moreover, we find that air pollution affects work efficiency by reducing total work output and work accuracy.
Our research constructs a comprehensive evaluation index for work efficiency, enriches research on the influence of air pollution on work efficiency, and provides a policy basis for identifying groups that are sensitive to air pollution, which might help with air pollution control policy making.
... PEF has found use in the diagnosis of Asthma, but more importantly in the domiciliary assessment of disease control in patients with Asthma (5), including self-monitoring by patients on treatment for asthma and adjustment of their medications based on the traffic sign rule (6). It has also been used in monitoring the effect of ozone (7) and other air pollutants on pulmonary function as well as monitoring of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (8). ...
Background: Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) is the maximum flow produced during a forced expiration following a full inspiration. It is useful in the management of lung diseases especially the domiciliary assessment of disease control in patients with Asthma. PEF can be measured with either a peak flow meter or a spirometer. We aimed at comparing PEF measured using a Mini Wright peak flow meter with PEF measured using Spirolab III spirometer in order to assess its clinical applicability in resource-limited settings.Method: A method-comparison study with records of PEF values at the Niger-Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri. Hypotheses were formulated and tested after data was analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 25 software.Results: PEF readings of a total of 100 adults were analyzed. Mean age was 48.90 ± 19.77 years. Males (51%) were slightly more than females (49%). One- sample t-test showed no statistical difference in the mean PEF values measured with the two devices (p = 0.295). There was significant correlation between the PEF values measured with the two devices (p<0.0001) with demonstration of agreement and absence of proportional bias in the PEF values measured by the two methods following linear regression analysis (p = 0.959).Conclusion: PEF values obtained from the Mini wright PEF meter and the Spirolab III spirometer are comparable. Therefore, the Mini Wright peakflow meter may be effectively used in the diagnosis and monitoring of Asthma and other lung diseases in resource-limited settings.
... Increasing evidence has revealed that particulate matter (PM2.5-10), as a representative air pollutant, can damage the heart and lungs [13,14] and can induce acute myocardial infarction [15]. Exposure to SO 2 , NO 2 and other air pollutants has also been proven to be closely related to morbidity and mortality due to respiratory diseases [16][17][18][19][20]. Previous researches have shown that short-term exposure to O 3 or CO was associated with adverse respiratory outcomes, including acute changes in lung function [21,22], asthma, bronchiectasis, pneumonia and the total number of respiratory diseases [23]. Besides, long-term historical O 3 exposure has also been associated with decreased lung function [24]. ...
Background:
The influences of air pollution exposure and temperature on respiratory diseases have become major global health concerns. This study investigated the relationship between ambient air pollutant concentrations and temperature in cold industrial cities that have the risk of hospitalization for respiratory diseases.
Methods:
A time-series study was conducted in Changchun, China, from 2015 to 2019 to analyse the number of daily admissions for respiratory diseases, air pollutant concentrations, and meteorological factors. Time-series decomposition was applied to analyse the trend and characteristics of the number of admissions. Generalized additive models and distributed lag nonlinear models were constructed to explore the effects of air pollutant concentrations and temperature on the number of admissions.
Results:
The number of daily admissions showed an increasing trend, and the seasonal fluctuation was obvious, with more daily admissions in winter and spring than in summer and autumn. There were positive and gradually decreasing lag effects of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, and CO concentrations on the number of admissions, whereas O3 showed a J-shaped trend. The results showed that within the 7-day lag period, 0.5°C was the temperature associated with the lowest relative risk of admission due to respiratory disease, and extremely low and high temperatures (<-18°C, >27°C, respectively) increased the risk of hospitalization for respiratory diseases by 8.3% and 12.1%, respectively.
Conclusions:
From 2015 to 2019, respiratory diseases in Changchun showed an increasing trend with obvious seasonality. The increased concentrations of SO2, NO2, CO, PM2.5, O3 and PM10 lead to an increased risk of hospitalization for respiratory diseases, with a significant lag effect. Both extreme heat and cold could lead to increases in the risk of admission due to respiratory disease.
... Moreover, in Finland (Pnk et al. 1998) and America (Bell et al. 2006), O 3 at low concentrations was still associated with cardiovascular diseases. Low levels of O 3 have been associated with an increase in other adverse health responses, such as asthma (Gent et al. 2003) and lung function (Chan and Wu 2005). O 3 is a strong oxidant that can cause pulmonary dysfunction through (Chan and Wu 2005). ...
... Low levels of O 3 have been associated with an increase in other adverse health responses, such as asthma (Gent et al. 2003) and lung function (Chan and Wu 2005). O 3 is a strong oxidant that can cause pulmonary dysfunction through (Chan and Wu 2005). Studies have found that acute exposure to O 3 can cause autonomic alterations, oxidation, and fibrinolysis, which may affect the cardiovascular system (Song et al. 2020;Arjomandi et al. 2015). ...
Previous studies demonstrated that short-term exposure to gaseous pollutants (nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3)) had a greater adverse effect on cardiovascular disease. However, little evidence exists regarding the synergy between gaseous pollutants and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore, we aimed to estimate the effect of individual gaseous pollutants on hospital admissions for CVD and to explore the possible synergistic effects between gaseous pollutants. Daily hospitalization counts for CVD were collected from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2015. We also collected daily time series on gaseous pollutants from the Environment of the People’s Republic of China, including NO2, SO2, and O3. We used distributed lag nonlinear models (DLNMs) to assess the association of individual gaseous pollutants on CVD hospitalization, after controlling for seasonality, day of the week, public holidays, and weather variables. Then, we explored the variability across age and sex groups. In addition, we analyzed the synergistic effects between gaseous pollutants on CVD. Extremely low NO2 and SO2 increase the risk of CVD in all subgroup at lag 7 days. The greatest effect of high concentration of SO2 was observed in male and the elderly (≥ 65 years) at lag 3 days. Greater effects of high concentration of O3 were more pronounced in the young (< 65 years) and female at lag 3 days, while the effect of low concentration of O3 was greater in male and the young (< 65 years) at lag 0 day. We found a synergistic effect between NO2 and SO2 for CVD, as well as between SO2 and O3. The synergistic effects of NO2 and SO2 on CVD were stronger in the elderly (≥ 65) and female. The female was sensitive to synergistic effects of SO2-O3 and NO2-O3. Interestingly, we found that there was a risk of CVD in the susceptible population even for gaseous pollutant concentrations below the National Environmental Quality Standard. The synergy between NO2 and SO2 was significantly associated with cardiovascular disease hospitalization in the elderly (≥ 65). This study provides evidence for the synergistic effect of gaseous pollutants on hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease.
... In another study, PM 10 , ozone (O 3 ), and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) were associated with respiratory health effects such as rhinitis and lung function impairment in mail carriers (Karakatsani et al. 2010). Among PM 10 , O 3 , and NO 2 , only exposure to O 3 was associated to a reduction in peak expiratory flow rates (PEFRs) among mail carriers (Chan and Wu 2005). These studies have investigated some criteria air pollutants, and no studies have been conducted to measure the concentrations of some hazardous compounds such as BTEX to which mail carriers are exposed. ...
... There are no other published studies on the BTEX exposure of mail carriers. Previous studies have focused on the PM, SO 2 , O 3 , NO 2 , and black smoke (Zuskin et al. 2000;Karakatsani et al. 2010;Chan and Wu 2005). In an occupational setting, employees working in beauty salons were exposure to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, and o-xylene with concentrations of 4.9, 118.7, 7.5, 16.7, and 7.5 μg/m 3 , respectively (Moradi et al. 2019). ...
This study investigated personal exposure of mail carriers to atmospheric benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) and estimated their carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks due to their exposure to these compounds. A total of 36 mail carriers and 24 post office employees as the control group working in Tehran were included in this study. Spot urine samples were also collected before and after shifts. Monte Carlo simulations were used to estimate the distributions of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks from BTEX exposures. Mail carriers were exposed to 10.4 (± 6.2), 35.3 (± 15.5), 5.5 (± 2.3), and 23.1 (± 10.4) μg/m3 as the average (±SD) concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes, respectively. The urinary concentrations of these compounds were 124.0 (±61.2), 242.5 (±96.9), 140.7 (±74.2), and 444.3 (±147.0) ng/L, respectively. These values were significantly higher than those observed for control group. For mail carriers, after-shift urinary concentrations of BTEX were statistically higher than before-shifts concentrations. Carcinogenic risks of mail carriers were higher than those for control group with a mean of 5.82×10−6 exceeding the US EPA limits. Sensitivity analyses showed that concentration had the highest effect on the estimated risks, followed by exposure frequency and exposure time. This study showed that mail carriers are exposed to BTEX at levels that increase their risk to develop cancer. Therefore, programs to reduce the cancer risk among mail carriers should be designed to reduce exposures, possibly by changing shift hours, working days per year, and total years of occupation.
... It has been reported to have serious effects on cognition (Calderón-Garcidueñas 2016). There has been evidence of its relation to dementia (Bell et al. 2004;Levy et al. 2005;Chan and Wu 2005). According to Gilbert and Brushfield (2009), O3 develops biochemical and morphological changes in the hippocampus sub-regions, which have a vital role in learning and spatial memory. ...
... This is related to the inhaled O3 dose to efficiently evaluate the risk and produce relevant response thresholds (McDonnell et al. 2012;Schelegle et al. 2009). The important results from such studies have shown that subjects such as children in summer camps, outdoor workers, exercising adults, etc., exposed to high outdoor O3 levels, experienced a lower reduction in lung function than that of chamber studies (Brunekreef et al. 1994;Kinney et al. 1996;Chan and Wu 2005;Thaller et al. 2008). ...
Ozone (O3) is found in the stratosphere as well the troposphere. Stratospheric O3 (good O3) forms a protective layer and shields us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. However, tropospheric O3 proves to be a harmful secondary air pollutant because of its adverse effects on people and the environment. Ozone has been identified as one of the six common air pollutants in the Clean Air Act. It is a photochemical smog component, a major air pollutant that demonstrates harm to health because of the toxic properties inherent to its powerful oxidizing capabilities. Environmental O3 exposure is associated with many respiratory disorders, including loss of lung function, exacerbation of asthma, airway damage, and lung inflammation. The effects of O3 are not restricted to the respiratory system or its functions, but adverse effects within the central nervous system
... In 2005, the EU has set a target value and WHO a guideline for the ozone concentration in ambient air for a daily 8 h maximum of 120 and 100 micrograms per cubic meter (µg m −3 ), respectively [15]. However, a growing number of studies are finding adverse health effects from ozone exposures at even lower concentrations [16][17][18][19][20]. For instance, a study from the US by Bell et al [17] found associations between premature mortality and ozone exposures near typical background ozone levels at 20 µg m −3 , thus suggesting that there are almost no safe levels of nearsurface ozone. ...
... This cut-off is, to some degree, lower compared to previous HIAs which adopted concentrations over ∼70 µg m −3 (SOMO35) [16,88,89]. The rationale behind using SOMO25 as a concentration cut-off is based on the earlier mentioned indications that suggest health effects occur in low ozone concentrations, such as typical background values [17][18][19][20]. A similar cut-off was also applied in a recent EU-wide ozone-related mortality impact assessment [21]. ...
... With SOMO35, only a little more than 4000 preterm births are expected with future emissions. This would probably underestimate the real effects based on current susceptibility [17][18][19][20]. ...
Preterm birth is the largest contributor to neonatal mortality globally and it is also associated with several adverse health outcomes. Recent studies have found an association between maternal exposure to air pollution and an increased risk for preterm birth. As a constituent of air pollution, ozone is a highly reactive molecule with several negative health effects when present near earth’s surface. This health impact assessment aims to estimate the proportion of preterm births—in current and future situations—attributable to maternal ozone exposure in 30 European countries (EU30). A literature search was performed using relevant keywords, followed by meta-analysis with STATA software in which five studies investigating exposure-response relationship of interest were included. The attributable proportion, and number of cases, was modelled with the software AirQ+ against current and future European ozone concentrations. According to our meta-analysis, the relative risk for giving birth preterm was calculated to 1.027 (95% CI 1.009–1.046) per 10 μg m⁻³ increase in ozone concentration. This rendered 7.1% (95% CI 2.5–11.7) of preterm births attributable to maternal ozone exposure to in EU30 during 2010, which is equal to approximately 27 900 cases. By 2050, the projected decrease in ozone precursor emissions rendered an estimated 30% decrease of ozone attributable preterm births. Not taking emission change into account, due to climate change the ozone-related preterm birth burden might slightly increase by 2050 in Central and Southern Europe, and decrease in Eastern and Northern Europe. In summation, these numbers make a substantial impact on public health.
... Ozone exposure occurs primarily via inhalation, after which ozone is able to penetrate into the lower respiratory tract and dissolve in the epithelial lining fluid [17]. The most common health effect from ozone exposure is decreased lung function [18][19][20][21][22][23]. Studies conducted to ascertain cardiovascular complications from ozone exposure are less consistent [24][25][26][27][28] but positive associations have been found between ozone and inflammation, altered heart rate viability, coagulation, and myocardial infarction [29][30][31]. ...
We present a novel approach for energy-optimal control of indoor air quality in the presence of system-model mismatch. We develop a physics-based building model that predicts concentrations of indoor pollutants (ozone, formaldehyde, particulate matter) as a function of time-varying outdoor concentrations and instantaneous indoor emissions. We use a combined moving horizon estimation (MHE) and model predictive control (MPC) approach for simultaneous control of indoor air pollutants and energy consumption related to a dedicated ventilation system (DVS). The impact of model inaccuracies on MPC performance is addressed by combining the MPC with an MHE to predict the model parameters at each time instant based on a series of past measurements. The control performance of the proposed framework is shown through a case study, that also considers the impact of location and seasonality.
... T ropospheric, or ground-level, ozone is generated mainly in and downwind of large urban areas by chemical reactions between multiple pollutants in the presence of sunlight. 1 Exposure to ambient concentrations of tropospheric ozone is regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Act, and data from controlled human exposure studies and observational cohort studies support a causal relationship between ozone exposure and adverse health effects in humans. 1 Short-term ozone exposure (which varies from hours to weeks) is associated with adverse respiratory outcomes, including acute changes in lung function, [1][2][3] and increases in asthma symptoms 2 and respiratory-related emergency department (ED) visits. 4 Less is known about the respiratory sequelae of long-term ozone exposure (which varies from months to years). ...
Importance
Few studies have investigated the association of long-term ambient ozone exposures with respiratory morbidity among individuals with a heavy smoking history.
Objective
To investigate the association of historical ozone exposure with risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), computed tomography (CT) scan measures of respiratory disease, patient-reported outcomes, disease severity, and exacerbations in smokers with or at risk for COPD.
Design, Setting, and Participants
This multicenter cross-sectional study, conducted from November 1, 2010, to July 31, 2018, obtained data from the Air Pollution Study, an ancillary study of SPIROMICS (Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study). Data analyzed were from participants enrolled at 7 (New York City, New York; Baltimore, Maryland; Los Angeles, California; Ann Arbor, Michigan; San Francisco, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina) of the 12 SPIROMICS clinical sites. Included participants had historical ozone exposure data (n = 1874), were either current or former smokers (≥20 pack-years), were with or without COPD, and were aged 40 to 80 years at baseline. Healthy persons with a smoking history of 1 or more pack-years were excluded from the present analysis.
Exposures
The 10-year mean historical ambient ozone concentration at participants’ residences estimated by cohort-specific spatiotemporal modeling.
Main Outcomes and Measures
Spirometry-confirmed COPD, chronic bronchitis diagnosis, CT scan measures (emphysema, air trapping, and airway wall thickness), 6-minute walk test, modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnea Scale, COPD Assessment Test (CAT), St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration (FEV1) % predicted, and self-report of exacerbations in the 12 months before SPIROMICS enrollment, adjusted for demographics, smoking, and job exposure.
Results
A total of 1874 SPIROMICS participants were analyzed (mean [SD] age, 64.5 [8.8] years; 1479 [78.9%] white; and 1013 [54.1%] male). In adjusted analysis, a 5-ppb (parts per billion) increase in ozone concentration was associated with a greater percentage of emphysema (β = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.25-1.64; P = .007) and percentage of air trapping (β = 1.60; 95% CI, 0.16-3.04; P = .03); worse scores for the mMRC Dyspnea Scale (β = 0.10; 95% CI, 0.03-0.17; P = .008), CAT (β = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.05-1.26; P = .04), and SGRQ (β = 1.47; 95% CI, 0.01-2.93; P = .048); lower FEV1% predicted value (β = −2.50; 95% CI, −4.42 to −0.59; P = .01); and higher odds of any exacerbation (odds ratio [OR], 1.37; 95% CI, 1.12-1.66; P = .002) and severe exacerbation (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.07-1.76; P = .01). No association was found between historical ozone exposure and chronic bronchitis, COPD, airway wall thickness, or 6-minute walk test result.
Conclusions and Relevance
This study found that long-term historical ozone exposure was associated with reduced lung function, greater emphysema and air trapping on CT scan, worse patient-reported outcomes, and increased respiratory exacerbations for individuals with a history of heavy smoking. The association between ozone exposure and adverse respiratory outcomes suggests the need for continued reevaluation of ambient pollution standards that are designed to protect the most vulnerable members of the US population.
