Indexes of tobacco smoke contribution to environmental particulates based on molecular fingerprints of alkanes

Author(s):  
Angelo Cecinato ◽  
Alessandro Bacaloni ◽  
Paola Romagnoli ◽  
Mattia Perilli ◽  
Catia Balducci

Abstract Tobacco smoking is a very common habit and causes the spreading into the atmosphere of a number of toxicants, which heavily affect also health of no smokers. Hence, chemical, physical and toxicological features of smoking products (vapours as well as mainstream, sidestream and third hand smoke) have been extensively investigated. In particular, attention has been paid to organic compounds (individuals, or in combination giving raise to peculiar molecular fingerprints), potentially suitable to act as “chemical signature” of tobacco smoke (TS). At this regard, the signature of long-chain iso and anteiso alkanes has known since long time as typical of TS. Nevertheless, until now no indexes have been identified as suitable to estimate the contribution of TS to environmental pollution, e.g. the TS percentage in carbonaceous aerosol as well as in settled dusts, nor in the respective organic fractions. This paper describes the results of an extensive investigation conducted on non-polar lipid fraction of soot and dust collected in interiors and outdoors. Six potential quantities associated to iso, anteiso and normal C29-C34 alkanes were tested, and finally a cumulative index (TSI) was defined through averaging the three most promising ones in order to estimate TS contribution to organic particulate. The behaviour of TSI was plotted vs. a further parameter, i.e. the exceedance of normal C31 alkane with respect to average of C29 and C33 homologues, revealing a link in the case of aerosols but not of dusts. According to back analysis carried out on several sets of particulate matters, traces of TS seemed to affect even rural areas, while inside smokers’ homes the contributions of TS to PM could account for up to 12.3% and 3.2%, respectively, in aerosols and dusts. This suggests the importance of further investigations aimed at assessing the potential risk for humans associated to tobacco smoking, by means of reliable TS indexes.

2021 ◽  
pp. 72-76
Author(s):  
Vinoth Kumar. N ◽  
Mukesh Kumar ◽  
Anand Agrawal

It is a known fact for a long time now that tobacco smoke having ample harmful effects on the lung function, but biomass fuel being one of the cheapest mode of fuel available for cooking and domestic purposes, especially in the rural areas also having near or even more ill effects on the lung function health. Does the biomass fuel smoke impact on the lung function health being concealed, due to the fact of over impression of effects by the tobacco smoke? So, exposure indexes been formulated to assess how much impact been created by these different kinds of smoke on the lung function indices.


2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deesha Deepak Ghorpade ◽  
Anchala Raghupathy ◽  
Jyoti Deepak Londhe ◽  
Sapna Jitendra Madas ◽  
Nisha Vijay Kale ◽  
...  

AbstractCOPD is the second leading cause of death and disability adjusted life years (DALYs) in India, yet, it remains poorly recognized. We aimed to study the level of awareness of COPD in urban slums of Pune city in India and its neighboring rural areas. All male and female subjects above the age of 30 years residing in 13 randomly selected slums of Pune city (total population of 3000) and 7 randomly selected neighboring rural villages (total population of 3000) were invited to participate in this cross-sectional community survey. After obtaining written informed consent, 13 trained community health workers (CHWs) administered a questionnaire that captured their level of awareness of COPD. Of the 6000 subjects approached, 5420 residents (mean age ± SD = 48.0 ± 13.5 years; 38% males) consented and answered all questions. The number of people who had ever heard the word COPD was 49/5420 [0.9% (0.6–1.1%); 0.7% (0.5–1.3%) of the urban slum dwellers and 1.15% (0.5–1.3%) of rural residents]. Among those who had never heard the word COPD (n = 5371), when asked what was the name of the disease caused by long-term tobacco smoking, 38% said cancer, 16.7% said asthma, and 4.4% said TB. Among those who had heard the word COPD (n = 49), 6.1% said it was a disease of the heart, and 61% attributed COPD to smoke and dust pollution and 20% to tobacco smoking. The level of awareness of COPD in the Indian community is extremely low, highlighting the need to have nationwide mass awareness programs in India.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-40
Author(s):  
Faiha Fairouz ◽  
Rumana Rashid ◽  
Abdullah Abu Sayeed

Background: Snakebite is an old health problem in rural areas. In Bangladesh, the snakebite issue is included in school syllabus, in curriculum since long time, so that people can take/get immediate first aid treatment and can prevent snakebite. The success of snakebite treatment depends more on providing first aid treatment immediately after snakebite by learning and by sending the patients quickly to hospital. Snakebite is a preventable health problem indeed. If it can be prevented the rate of snakebite will also decrease. In the recently published snake bite management Guideline by WHO it has been targeted to reduce 50% of mortality & disability due to snakebite by 2030.1 Methods: a. The snakebite topic or issue has been thoroughly reviewed in the secondary and higher secondary school books. b. National Guidelines on snakebite in providing/ giving first aid treatment has been reviewed.2 c. The correlation between the topic to learn the subject and the national guidelines have been reviewed and given taken into account. d. The similarity or correlation between the national guidelines and the topic in the prevention of snakebite in the book have been observed & reviewed. It was a descriptive/narrative research study. Results: In the book of class IV in Primary and Secondary level students, ‘Elementary Science, (‘Prathomiik Bigghan’) page no. 86 and in book of class VIII Home Science (‘Gharjhastha Biggan’) page no. 16 the Snakebite issue/topic is mentioned.2,3 There are 22 information on the first aid/primary treatment of Snakebite among which 5 (five) are nonscientific rather harmful. (Table & Picture) Bangladesh J Medicine Jan 2020; 31(1) : 39-40


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-20
Author(s):  
Vladimir Shaidurov

The period between the 19th – early 20th century witnessed waves of actively forming Polish communities in Russia’s rural areas. A major factor that contributed to the process was the repressive policy by the Russian Empire towards those involved in the Polish national liberation and revolutionary movement. Large communities were founded in Siberia, the Volga region, Caucasus, and European North of Russia (Arkhangelsk). One of the largest communities emerged in Siberia. By the early 20th century, the Polonia in the region consisted of tens of thousands of people. The Polish population was engaged in Siberia’s economic life and was an important stakeholder in business. Among the most well-known Polish-Siberian entrepreneurs was Alfons Poklewski-Koziell who was called the “Vodka King of Siberia” by his contemporaries. Poles, who returned from Siberian exile and penal labor, left recollections of their staying in Siberia or notes on the region starting already from the middle of the 19th century. It was this literature that was the main source of information about the life of the Siberian full for a long time. Exile undoubtedly became a significant factor that was responsible for Russia’s negative image in the historical memory of Poles. This was reflected in publications based on the martyrological approach in the Polish historiography. Glorification of the struggle of Poles to restore their statehood was a central standpoint adopted not only in memoirs, but also in scientific studies that appeared the second half of the 19th – early 20th century. The martyrological approach dominated the Polish historiography until 1970s. It was not until the late 20th century that serious scientific research started utilizing the civilizational approach, which broke the mold of the Polish historical science. This is currently a leading approach. This enables us to objectively reconstruct the history of the Siberian Polonia in the imperial period of the Russian history. The article is intended to analyze publications by Polish authors on the history of the Polish community in Siberia the 19th – early 20th century. It focuses on memoirs and research works, which had an impact on the reconstruction of the Siberian Polonia’s history. The paper is written using the retrospective, genetic, and comparative methods.re.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-78
Author(s):  
Natalya S. Maiorova

The article is devoted to the analysis of the results of population censuses conducted in the USSR in 1937 and 1939, in relation to Ivanovo and Yaroslavl regions. The research is based on census materials that had been classified for a long time and published only in the 1990s. Of all the various aspects of the censuses, the author's attention was focused on only three – population, its social structure, and religious composition. Based on the results of the censuses, conclusions are drawn about the prevalence of women in the region, both in rural areas and in cities. It was women who, in the conditions of World War II, became the strong rear, on whose shoulders the front was supported by food, uniforms, and weapons. The urban population was greater in Ivanovo Region, which was explained by its characteristic high rates of industrialisation. The 1937 census recorded a fairly high level of religiosity, despite the largely anti-religious policy that had been carried out for almost 20 years. The war led to an increase in religiosity, probably because often only faith could become the core around which daily life was built, full of deprivation, anxiety and fear for loved ones.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 977-986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M Wurster ◽  
Michael I Bird ◽  
Ian Bull ◽  
Charlotte Bryant ◽  
Philippa Ascough

We present accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates on several organic fractions isolated from tropical guano deposits recovered from insular Southeast Asia. Differences were observed between 14C measurements made on bulk guano as well as bulk lipids, the saturated hydrocarbon fraction, solvent-extracted guano, and insect cuticles extracted from the same bulk sample. We infer that 14C dates from the bulk lipid fraction and saturated hydrocarbon fractions can be variably contaminated by exogenous carbon. In contrast, 14C measurements on solvent-extracted guano and isolated insect cuticles appear to yield the most robust age determinations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 316 (3) ◽  
pp. H639-H646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey Dikalov ◽  
Hana Itani ◽  
Bradley Richmond ◽  
Liaison Arslanbaeva ◽  
Aurelia Vergeade ◽  
...  

Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and hypertension. It is associated with the oxidative stress and induces metabolic reprogramming, altering mitochondrial function. We hypothesized that cigarette smoke induces cardiovascular mitochondrial oxidative stress, which contributes to endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. To test this hypothesis, we studied whether the scavenging of mitochondrial H2O2 in transgenic mice expressing mitochondria-targeted catalase (mCAT) attenuates the development of cigarette smoke/angiotensin II-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress and hypertension compared with wild-type mice. Two weeks of exposure of wild-type mice with cigarette smoke increased systolic blood pressure by 17 mmHg, which was similar to the effect of a subpresssor dose of angiotensin II (0.2 mg·kg−1·day−1), leading to a moderate increase to the prehypertensive level. Cigarette smoke exposure and a low dose of angiotensin II cooperatively induced severe hypertension in wild-type mice, but the scavenging of mitochondrial H2O2 in mCAT mice completely prevented the development of hypertension. Cigarette smoke and angiotensin II cooperatively induced oxidation of cardiolipin (a specific biomarker of mitochondrial oxidative stress) in wild-type mice, which was abolished in mCAT mice. Cigarette smoke and angiotensin II impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation and induced superoxide overproduction, which was diminished in mCAT mice. To mimic the tobacco smoke exposure, we used cigarette smoke condensate, which induced mitochondrial superoxide overproduction and reduced endothelial nitric oxide (a hallmark of endothelial dysfunction in hypertension). Western blot experiments indicated that tobacco smoke and angiotensin II reduce the mitochondrial deacetylase sirtuin-3 level and cause hyperacetylation of a key mitochondrial antioxidant, SOD2, which promotes mitochondrial oxidative stress. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This work demonstrates tobacco smoking-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress, which contributes to endothelial dysfunction and development of hypertension. We suggest that the targeting of mitochondrial oxidative stress can be beneficial for treatment of pathological conditions associated with tobacco smoking, such as endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Listen to this article’s corresponding podcast at https://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/mitochondrial-oxidative-stress-in-smoking-and-hypertension/ .


2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 591-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aldur W. Eriksson ◽  
Johan Fellman

AbstractTemporal variations in the stillbirth rate among singletons, twins and triplets in Sweden between 1869 and 1967 were studied. Both among single and multiple births there were marked secular decreasing trends in the stillbirth rates. Based on our long time series since 1869, this study confirms that among twins and triplets the stillbirth rate was higher among same-sexed than among opposite-sexed sets. Comparisons between the stillbirth rates among twin births in urban and rural regions indicate higher stillbirth rates in rural areas. In addition, the stillbirth rates among twins of unmarried mothers were higher than those of twins of married mothers. These findings also hold for both same-sexed and opposite-sexed twin pairs. Analyses of the stillbirth rates for singletons and for different types of twins indicate that up to 1950 the risk of stillbirth among males was almost constantly between 15% to 20% higher than among females. After that the difference in the risk decreased. Comparisons with other populations were performed.


2003 ◽  
Vol 1819 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali A. Selim ◽  
Kenneth O. Skorseth ◽  
Ratnasamy Muniandy

Gravel surfacing is commonly used on low-volume roads in rural areas of the United States to form farm-to-market networks that contain more than a million miles of unpaved roads. Some of these roads carry appreciable amounts of trucks and farm machinery. Some of these roads, if properly designed and constructed, can last a long time. One such road is in Hand County, South Dakota. This road was constructed in 1963 and has never been rehabilitated or reconstructed since its construction, and it has shown excellent performance for more than 37 years. This road normally carries less than 200 vehicles per day, but significant numbers of heavy trucks use the road. This exceptional performance led to an investigation of the reasons why that road lasted as long as it did without major maintenance or rehabilitation. Although this type of road construction is common in other nations, under different names, the practice of constructing this type of road in the United States was done without documented specifications. The main objectives of the study were to determine all factors that contributed to the longevity and the remarkable performance of this road through field and laboratory investigations. Field investigations with a dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) revealed that both the quality and the quantity of aggregate base were more than adequate. Although the subgrade soil was classified as A6 according to AASHTO soil specifications, it provided good support according to DCP data. Tests of the flatness and elongation of the coarse aggregate and the angularity of the fine aggregate also revealed satisfactory results. Gradation tests also revealed compliance with specifications.


Geosciences ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Ruggeri ◽  
Viviene M. E. Fruzzetti ◽  
Antonio Ferretti ◽  
Giuseppe Scarpelli

“La Sorbella” is a deep-seated existing landslide in a Miocene clayey formation located in central Italy. Given the interaction with a national road, this landslide has been monitored for a long time with inclinometers and hydraulic piezometers. Recently, the monitoring system was implemented by adding pressure transducers in the Casagrande cells and by equipping the old inclinometers with in-place probes, to allow a remote reading of the instruments and data recording. This system allowed to identify that the very small average rate of movement observed over one year (1.0–1.5 cm/year) is the sum of small single sliding processes, strictly linked to the sequence of rainfall events. Moreover, data recorded by in-place inclinometer probes detected the response of the landslide to the seismic sequence of 2016 occurring in central Italy. Such in situ measurements during earthquakes, indeed rarely available in the scientific literature, allowed an assessment of the critical acceleration of the sliding mass by means of a back-analysis. The possibility to distinguish the difference between seismic and rainfall induced displacements of the slope underlines the potential of continuous monitoring in the diagnosis of landslide mechanisms.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document