Estimating the total exposure to air pollutants for different population age groups in Hong Kong

Abstract. This paper describes a simple but practical methodology to identify the contribution of primary and secondary air pollutants from the local/regional emission sources to Hong Kong, a highly urbanized city with complex terrain and coastlines. The meteorological model MM5 coupled with a three-dimensional, mutli-particle trajectory model is used to identify salient aspects of regional air pollutant transport characteristics during some typical meteorological conditions over the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. Several weighting factors are determined for calculating the air mass/pollutant trajectory and are used to evaluate the local and regional contribution of primary pollutants over the PRD to Hong Kong pollution. The relationships between emission inventories, physical paths and chemical transformation rates of the pollutants, and observational measurements are formulated. The local and regional contributions of secondary pollutants are obtained by this conceptual module under different weather scenarios. Our results demonstrate that major pollution sources over Hong Kong come from regional transport. In calm-weather situations, 78% of the respirable suspended particulates (RSP) totals in Hong Kong are contributed by regional transport, and 49% are contributed by the power plants within the PRD. In normal-day situations, 71% of the RSP are contributed by regional transport, and 45% are contributed by the power plants.

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Artrite Reumatoide e a Poluição do Ar

UNICIÊNCIAS ◽

10.17921/1415-5141.2020v24n2p195-200 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 195-200

Author(s):

Dayane Dos Santos Souza Magalhães ◽

Leticia Rosa Espírito Santo de Freitas ◽

Maria Amélia Dos Santos Peres Santos Souza ◽

Vander Fernandes ◽

Walkiria Shimoya-Bittencourt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Activity Index ◽

Age Groups ◽

Unknown Etiology ◽

World Population ◽

Artrite Reumatoide ◽

The Relationship

A artrite reumatoide é uma doença inflamatória, crônica, autoimune, sistêmica e progressiva com etiologia ainda desconhecida, que causa danos progressivos ao sistema musculoesquelético. Esta doença atinge aproximadamente 0,5% a 1% da população mundial, predomina no sexo feminino e acomete todas as faixas etárias com maior prevalência entre 40-60 anos. A atividade da doença é avaliada pelo Índice de Atividade da Doença (DAS28) analisando 28 articulações. Estudos demonstram que a poluição atmosférica está associada aos agravos à saúde humana e à perda de qualidade de vida. Este estudo teve como objetivo relatar o papel da poluição atmosférica na artrite reumatoide, através de uma revisão narrativa de literatura, a partir das bases de dados PubMed e Scielo. Incluíram-se artigos nos idiomas inglês e português publicados em periódicos, nacionais e internacionais, acerca da temática da pesquisa. A relação entre o desenvolvimento da AR e diferentes poluentes atmosféricos foi analisada em diversos estudos, que demostraram associação entre diferentes poluentes atmosféricos e o desenvolvimento da doença, no entanto, nenhum estudo publicado até a data atual, avaliou a relação com a exacerbação da atividade da doença. Palavras-chave: Artrite Reumatoide. Poluição do Ar. Doenças Autoimunes. Abstract Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory, chronic, autoimmune, systemic and progressive disease with a still unknown etiology that causes progressive damage to the musculoskeletal system. This disease affects approximately 0.5% to 1% of the world population, predominates in females and affects all age groups with a higher prevalence between 40-60 years. The disease activity is assessed by the Disease Activity Index (DAS28) analyzing 28 joints. Studies show that air pollution is associated with damage to human health and loss of quality of life. This study aimed to report the role of air pollution in rheumatoid arthritis, through a literature narrative review, using the PubMed and Scielo databases. Articles in English and Portuguese published in national and international journals about the research theme were included. The relationship between the RA development and different air pollutants has been analyzed in several studies, which showed an association between different air pollutants and the development of the disease, however, no study published to date has evaluated the relationship with the disease activity exacerbation. Keywords: Rheumatoid Arthritis. Air Pollution. Autoimmune Diseases.

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Determinants of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in Hong Kong

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114515001683 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 114 (1) ◽

pp. 144-151 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Cuiling Xu ◽

Ranawaka A. P. M. Perera ◽

Yap-Hang Chan ◽

Vicky J. Fang ◽

Sophia Ng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Hong Kong ◽

Southern China ◽

Age Groups ◽

Dietary Vitamin ◽

Skeletal Health ◽

Mean Values ◽

Hydroxyvitamin D ◽

25 Hydroxyvitamin D ◽

The Mean

Vitamin D plays an important role in skeletal health throughout life. Some studies have hypothesised that vitamin D may reduce the risk of other diseases. Our study aimed to estimate age-specific and sex-specific serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status and to identify the determinants of serum 25(OH)D status in Hong Kong, a subtropical city in southern China. In 2009–2010, households in Hong Kong were followed up to identify acute respiratory illnesses, and sera from 2694 subjects were collected in three to four different study phases to permit measurement of 25(OH)D levels at different times of the year. A questionnaire survey on diet and lifestyle was conducted among children, with simultaneous serum collection in April and May 2010. The mean of serum 25(OH)D levels in age groups ranged from 39 to 63 nmol/l throughout the year with the mean values in all age groups in spring below 50 nmol/l. Children aged 6–17 years, and girls and women had significantly lower serum 25(OH)D levels than adults, and boys and men, respectively (allP< 0·001). We estimated that serum 25(OH)D levels in Hong Kong followed a lagged pattern relative to climatic season by 5 weeks with lowest observed levels in early spring (March). For children aged 6–17 years, reporting a suntan, having at least 1 servings of fish/week and having at least 1 serving of eggs/week were independently associated with higher serum 25(OH)D levels. Adequate sunlight exposure and increased intake of dietary vitamin D could improve vitamin D status, especially for children and females in the winter and spring.

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The Effect of Influenza Vaccination History on Changes in Hemagglutination Inhibition Titers After Receipt of the 2015–2016 Influenza Vaccine in Older Adults in Hong Kong

The Journal of Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/infdis/jiz327 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 221 (1) ◽

pp. 33-41 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tiffany W Y Ng ◽

Ranawaka A P M Perera ◽

Vicky J Fang ◽

Emily M Yau ◽

J S Malik Peiris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Hong Kong ◽

Influenza Vaccine ◽

Influenza Vaccination ◽

Hemagglutination Inhibition ◽

Age Groups ◽

Antibody Responses ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Vaccination History ◽

Antibody Titers

Abstract Background Immune responses to influenza vaccination can be weaker in older adults than in other age groups. We hypothesized that antibody responses would be particularly weak among repeat vaccinees when the current and prior season vaccine components are the same. Methods An observational study was conducted among 827 older adults (aged ≥75 years) in Hong Kong. Serum samples were collected immediately before and 1 month after receipt of the 2015–2016 quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine. We measured antibody titers with the hemagglutination inhibition assay and compared the mean fold rise from prevaccination to postvaccination titers and the proportions with postvaccination titers ≥40 or ≥160. Results Participants who reported receipt of vaccination during either of the previous 2 years had a lower mean fold rise against all strains than with those who did not. Mean fold rises for A(H3N2) and B/Yamagata were particularly weak after repeated vaccination with the same vaccine strain, but we did not generally find significant differences in the proportions of participants with postvaccination titers ≥40 and ≥160. Conclusions Overall, we found that reduced antibody responses in repeat vaccinees were particularly reduced among older adults who had received vaccination against the same strains in preceding years.

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Haemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) antibodies against four prototype strains of influenza A virus in different age groups

Journal of Hygiene ◽

10.1017/s0022172400025638 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 82 (2) ◽

pp. 225-230 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. L. Terzin ◽

S. Djurišić ◽

B. Vuković ◽

V. Vujkov

Keyword(s):

Influenza Virus ◽

Hong Kong ◽

New Jersey ◽

Antibody Response ◽

Influenza A ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Other ◽

Younger Age ◽

Lower Antibody Response

SUMMARYSera of 197 apparently well persons were tested for residual haemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies against live Hong Kong/68, A/FM/47 and A/PR/34 strains. Sera of 62 well persons, regularly exposed to contacts with swine, were tested against an inactivated A/New Jersey/76 antigen.Those born some time before and during a certain influenza era showed a significantly greater proportion of homologous residual titres against the subtype prevailing in that influenza era, than those born after the termination of the same era.In each of the seven age groups tested both the percentage of positives and the geometric mean titres were usually highest against the Hong Kong strain (representing the most recent era); the next highest were those against the FM1 strain and the lowest were those against the PR8 strain (representing the most distant of these three influenza eras).The serological involvement of donors exposed to regular contacts with swine was relatively stronger against the New Jersey antigen than the response of other serum donors shown against the other three, more recent, prototypes of influenza virus A. The oldest age groups showed significantly lower antibody response against the PR8, FM1 and Hong Kong strains (but not against the New Jersey antigen) than the next one or two of the younger age groups.

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Monthly-Term Associations Between Air Pollutants and Respiratory Morbidity in South Brazil 2013–2016: A Multi-City, Time-Series Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16203787 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (20) ◽

pp. 3787 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Dayana Milena Agudelo-Castañeda ◽

Elba Calesso Teixeira ◽

Larissa Alves ◽

Julián Alfredo Fernández-Niño ◽

Laura Andrea Rodríguez-Villamizar

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Time Series ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Age Groups ◽

Information Service ◽

Average Concentration ◽

Respiratory Morbidity ◽

Maximum Effect ◽

South Brazil

Most air pollution research conducted in Brazil has focused on assessing the daily-term effects of pollutants, but little is known about the health effects of air pollutants at an intermediate time term. The objective of this study was to determine the monthly-term association between air pollution and respiratory morbidity in five cities in South Brazil. An ecological time-series study was performed using the municipality as the unit of observation in five cities in South Brazil (Gravataí, Triunfo, Esteio, Canoas, and Charqueadas) between 2013 and 2016. Data for hospital admissions was obtained from the records of the Hospital Information Service. Air pollution data, including PM10, SO2, CO, NO2, and O3 (µg/m3) were obtained from the environmental government agency in Rio Grande do Sul State. Panel multivariable Poisson regression models were adjusted for monthly counts of respiratory hospitalizations. An increase of 10 μg/m3 in the monthly average concentration of PM10 was associated with an increase of respiratory hospitalizations in all age groups, with the maximum effect on the population aged between 16 and 59 years (IRR: Incidence rate ratio 2.04 (95% CI: Confidence interval = 1.97–2.12)). For NO2 and SO2, stronger intermediate-term effects were found in children aged between 6 and 15 years, while for O3 higher effects were found in children under 1 year. This is the first multi-city study conducted in South Brazil to account for intermediate-term effects of air pollutants on respiratory health.

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Occurrence of influenza B/Hong Kong-Like strains in Brazil, during 2002

Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo ◽

10.1590/s0036-46652003000100011 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 51-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Terezinha Maria de Paiva ◽

Maria Akiko Ishida ◽

Maria Gisele Gonçalves ◽

Margareth Aparecida Benega ◽

Maria Candida Oliveira de Souza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Influenza Virus ◽

Hong Kong ◽

Influenza A ◽

Vaccination Campaign ◽

Age Groups ◽

Respiratory Illness ◽

The Elderly ◽

Influenza B ◽

Surveillance Period ◽

Influenza A H1n1

Through the influenza virus surveillance from January to October 2002, influenza B/Hong Kong-like strains circulating in the Southeast and Centre East regions of Brazil have been demonstrated. This strain is a variant from B/Victoria/02/88 whose since 1991 and until recently have been isolated relatively infrequently and have been limited to South-Eastern Asia. A total of 510 respiratory secretions were collected from patients 0 to 60 years of age, with acute respiratory illness, living in the Southeast and Centre East regions of Brazil, of which 86 (17.13%) were positive for influenza virus. Among them 12 (13.95%) were characterized as B/Hong Kong/330/2001; 3 (3.49%) as B/Hong Kong/1351/2002 a variant from B/Hong Kong/330/2001; 1 (1.16%) as B/Sichuan/379/99; 1 (1.16%) as B/Shizuoka/5/2001, until now. The percentages of cases notified during the surveillance period were 34.88%, 15.12%, 15.12%, 4.65%, 15.12%, 13.95%, in the age groups of 0-4, 5-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-30, 31-50, respectively. The highest proportion of isolates was observed among children younger than 4 years but serious morbidity and mortality has not been observed among people older than 65 years, although B influenza virus component for vaccination campaign 2002 was B/Sichuan/379/99 strain. This was probably due to the elderly protection acquired against B/Victoria/02/88. In addition, in influenza A/Panama/2007/99-like (H3N2) strains 22 (25.58%) were also detected, but influenza A(H1N1) has not been detected yet.

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Toxoplasma antibodies in immigrants from Hong Kong

Journal of Hygiene ◽

10.1017/s0022172400023159 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 72 (1) ◽

pp. 19-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

S. K. K. Seah

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Toxoplasma Gondii ◽

Indigenous Population ◽

Fluorescent Antibody ◽

Age Groups ◽

Fluorescent Antibody Technique ◽

Indirect Fluorescent Antibody ◽

Chinese Adults ◽

Antibody Technique ◽

Total Incidence

SUMMARYThe sera of 200 Chinese adults recently immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong were examined for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique. It was found that the total incidence was 18·0%. This is significantly lower than that of the indigenous population of the same age groups in this area.

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