scholarly journals Health effects of banning beehive coke ovens and implementation of the ban in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (11) ◽  
pp. 2693-2698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Xu ◽  
Huizhong Shen ◽  
Xiao Yun ◽  
Fei Gao ◽  
Yilin Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Population Exposure ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Coke Ovens ◽  
The Law ◽  
Significant Health

Environmental legislation and proper implementation are critical in environmental protection. In the past, beehive coke ovens (BCOs) were popular in China, resulting in enormous emissions of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a common indicator of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. BCOs were banned by the Coal Law in 1996. Although BCO numbers have declined since the ban, they were not eliminated until 2011 due to poor implementation. Here, we present the results of a quantitative evaluation of the health effects of historical BCO operation, the health benefits of the ban, and the adverse impacts of the poor implementation of the ban. With only limited official statistics available, historical and geospatial data about BCOs were reconstructed based on satellite images. Emission inventories of BaP from BCOs were compiled and used to model atmospheric transport, nonoccupational population exposure, and induced lung cancer risk. We demonstrated that more than 20% of the BaP in ambient air was from BCOs in the peak year. The cumulative nonoccupational excess lung cancer cases associated with BaP from BCOs was 3,500 (±1,500) from 1982 to 2015. If there was no ban, the cases would be as high as 9,290 (±4,300), indicating the significant health benefits of the Coal Law. On the other hand, if the ban had been fully implemented immediately after the law was enforced in 1996, the cumulative cases would be 1,500 (±620), showing the importance of implementing the law.

VARIATIONS IN SOIL RADON LEVELS DURING WINTER AND SPRING PERIODS

2020 ◽  
Vol 191 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-254
Author(s):  
Sakhayaan Gavriliev ◽  
Tatiana Petrova ◽  
Petr Miklyaev ◽  
Nikolay Nefedov
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Activity Concentration ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Α Decay ◽  
Radon Flux ◽  
Significant Health

Abstract Radon poses significant health risk due to inhalation and subsequent α-decay of its progeny and is the second biggest cause of lung cancer worldwide. In Russian Federation, radon flux density (RFD) measurements are performed routinely to assess radon safety of land lots before construction takes place. This study aims to show possible ‘weather’-influenced variations in RFD and radon activity concentration (RAC) that can occur during winter and spring periods in climatic conditions typical for territories with severe snowy winters. Results show that RFD correlates with weather, having a significant correlation with ambient air temperature in winter as well as spring periods and a weak inverse correlation with wind speed. In spring, RFD also responds to an increase in soil moisture, dropping severely because of rainfall. RAC, however, correlates very little with weather but has a weak inverse correlation with RFD.

Environmental Degradation: Estimating the Health Effects of Ambient PM2.5 Air Pollution in Developing Countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernesto Sánchez-Triana ◽  
Bjorn Larsen ◽  
Santiago Enriquez ◽  
Andreia Costa Santos
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Population Exposure ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Premature Deaths ◽  
Level Monitoring

Air pollution of fine particulates (PM2.5) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. It is estimated that ambient PM2.5 air pollution results in between 4.1 million and 8.9 million premature deaths annually. According to the World Bank, the health effects of ambient PM2.5 air pollution had a cost of $6.4 trillion in purchasing power parity (PPP) adjusted dollars in 2019, equivalent to 4.8% of global gross domestic product (PPP adjusted) that year. Estimating the health effects and cost of ambient PM2.5 air pollution involves three steps: (1) estimating population exposure to pollution; (2) estimating the health effects of such exposure; and (3) assigning a monetary value to the illnesses and premature deaths caused by ambient air pollution. Estimating population exposure to ambient PM2,5 has gone from predominantly using ground level monitoring data mainly in larger cities to estimates of nationwide population weighted exposures based on satellite imagery and chemical transport models along with ground level monitoring data. The Global Burden of Disease 2010 (GBD 2010) provided for the first time national, regional and global estimates of exposures to ambient PM2.5. The GBD exposure estimates have also evolved substantially from 2010 to 2019, especially national estimates in South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. Estimation of health effects of ambient PM2.5 has also undergone substantial developments during the last two decades. These developments involve: i) going from largely estimating health effects associated with variations in daily exposures to estimating health effects of annual exposure; ii) going from estimating all-cause mortality or mortality from broad disease categories (i.e., cardiopulmonary diseases) to estimating mortality from specific diseases; and iii) being able to estimate health effects over a wide range of exposure that reflect ambient and household air pollution exposure levels in low- and middle-income countries. As to monetary valuation of health effects of ambient air pollution, estimates in most low- and middle-income countries still rely on benefit transfer of values of statistical life (VSL) from high-income countries.

Benzo(a)pyrene in Europe: Ambient air concentrations, population exposure and health effects

2016 ◽  
Vol 214 ◽  
pp. 657-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.B.B. Guerreiro ◽  
J. Horálek ◽  
F. de Leeuw ◽  
F. Couvidat
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Population Exposure ◽  
Air Concentrations

scholarly journals Impact of Sawmill Industry on Ambient Air Quality: A Case Study of Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. p1
Author(s):  
Raimi Morufu Olalekan ◽  
Adio Zulkarnaini Olalekan ◽  
Odipe Oluwaseun Emmanuel ◽  
Timothy Kayode Samson ◽  
Ajayi Bankole Sunday ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Ambient Air Quality ◽  
Direct Reading ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Wood Processing

Amid sawmill busy lives, air pollution is one of the greatest casualties of our time and has increased worldwide since 1990. Today, the history of air pollution in sawmills accounts for 93.32% of the total number of wood processing industries in Nigeria, it seems daunting, overwhelming and have positioned the country at a perilous crossroad. For emerging nations such as Nigeria with a population projected to hit 410.6 million humans by 2050 with up to 40-60 million people with mental disorders at the moment, consequently more than 40,000 deaths a year will be due to air pollution. 7 million deaths worldwide is attributed to air pollution with the number set to increase significantly in coming decades mostly through non-communicable diseases like lung cancer, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but also through acute respiratory infections like pneumonia. Similarly, around 90% of all people breathe air contaminated with pollutants. In 2015, tobacco caused 7 million deaths, 1.2 million AIDS, 1.1 million cases of tuberculosis and 0.7 million of malaria, 19% of all cardiovascular deaths, 24% of all deaths due to ischaemic heart disease. 21% of stroke deaths, and 23% of deaths from lung cancer. Non-communicable diseases are responsible for 70% of deaths from air pollution and are a major cause of unexplained infections. In addition, air pollution seems to be significant but it is still not a determinant factor of the risk of neurodegenerative disorders in children and neurodegenerative diseases in adults. This study assessed ambient air quality in major sawmill sites in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria. Air pollution measurements were made using direct reading through automatic in situ gas monitors; Hand held mobile multi-gas monitor with model AS8900 (Combustible (LEL), and Oxygen (O2)), BLATN with model BR—Smart Series air quality monitor (PM10, Formaldehyde) and air quality multimeter with model B SIDE EET100 (Dust (PM2.5), VOC, Temperature and Relative Humidity). The results show that the mean concentrations of CO, O2 and other measured parameters such as Formaldehyde (HcHo) etc., are commonly lower and within acceptable range of National and International regulatory standards for air quality indices. There are however some exceptions such as mean concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), PM2.5, PM10 and Combustible (LEL) respectively high when compared to National and International standards. This high value is attributed to the amount of pollutant present in the sawmills due to the input of influents it receives from activities of the sawmill. This is why there has been air pollution in Ilorin metropolis and were however, found to be polluted. Given the high cost of additional measures to lessen air pollution and the new perspectives suggesting that health effects can be observed at low concentrations, the health effects of air pollution should be of scientific and regulatory interest in coming years. In the absence of aggressive control, ambient air pollution is expected to cause between 6 and 9 million deaths a year by 2060.

scholarly journals Potential role of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in air pollution-induced non-malignant respiratory diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marit Låg ◽  
Johan Øvrevik ◽  
Magne Refsnes ◽  
Jørn A. Holme
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Respiratory Effects ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Pah Exposure

AbstractEpidemiological studies have found strong associations between air pollution and respiratory effects including development and/or exacerbation of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as increased occurrence of respiratory infections and lung cancer. It has become increasingly clear that also polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may affect processes linked to non-malignant diseases in the airways. The aim of the present paper was to review epidemiological studies on associations between gas phase and particle-bound PAHs in ambient air and non-malignant respiratory diseases or closely related physiological processes, to assess whether PAH-exposure may explain some of the effects associated with air pollution. Based on experimental in vivo and in vitro studies, we also explore possible mechanisms for how different PAHs may contribute to such events. Epidemiological studies show strongest evidence for an association between PAHs and asthma development and respiratory function in children. This is supported by studies on prenatal and postnatal exposure. Exposure to PAHs in adults seems to be linked to respiratory functions, exacerbation of asthma and increased morbidity/mortality of obstructive lung diseases. However, available studies are few and weak. Notably, the PAHs measured in plasma/urine also represent other exposure routes than inhalation. Furthermore, the role of PAHs measured in air is difficult to disentangle from that of other air pollution components originating from combustion processes. Experimental studies show that PAHs may trigger various processes linked to non-malignant respiratory diseases. Physiological- and pathological responses include redox imbalance, oxidative stress, inflammation both from the innate and adaptive immune systems, smooth muscle constriction, epithelial- and endothelial dysfunction and dysregulated lung development. Such biological responses may at the molecular level be initiated by PAH-binding to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), but possibly also through interactions with beta-adrenergic receptors. In addition, reactive PAH metabolites or reactive oxygen species (ROS) may interfere directly with ion transporters and enzymes involved in signal transduction. Overall, the reviewed literature shows that respiratory effects of PAH-exposure in ambient air may extend beyond lung cancer. The relative importance of the specific PAHs ability to induce disease may differ between the biological endpoint in question.

Characterization, identification of ambient air and road dust polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in central Taiwan, Taichung

2004 ◽  
Vol 327 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 135-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guor-Cheng Fang ◽  
Cheng-Nan Chang ◽  
Yuh-Shen Wu ◽  
Peter Pi-Cheng Fu ◽  
I-Lin Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Road Dust ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Central Taiwan

scholarly journals Exposure to Atmospheric Particulate Matter-Bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Their Health Effects: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 2177
Author(s):  
Lu Yang ◽  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Xuan Zhang ◽  
Wanli Xing ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Personal Exposure ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Atmospheric Particulate Matter ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

Particulate matter (PM) is a major factor contributing to air quality deterioration that enters the atmosphere as a consequence of various natural and anthropogenic activities. In PM, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a class of organic chemicals with at least two aromatic rings that are mainly directly emitted via the incomplete combustion of various organic materials. Numerous toxicological and epidemiological studies have proven adverse links between exposure to particulate matter-bound (PM-bound) PAHs and human health due to their carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. Among human exposure routes, inhalation is the main pathway regarding PM-bound PAHs in the atmosphere. Moreover, the concentrations of PM-bound PAHs differ among people, microenvironments and areas. Hence, understanding the behaviour of PM-bound PAHs in the atmosphere is crucial. However, because current techniques hardly monitor PAHs in real-time, timely feedback on PAHs including the characteristics of their concentration and composition, is not obtained via real-time analysis methods. Therefore, in this review, we summarize personal exposure, and indoor and outdoor PM-bound PAH concentrations for different participants, spaces, and cities worldwide in recent years. The main aims are to clarify the characteristics of PM-bound PAHs under different exposure conditions, in addition to the health effects and assessment methods of PAHs.

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