scholarly journals Exploring the Use of Mould Estimation Software in New Zealand Residential Houses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jarred Butler
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Research Association ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
House Condition ◽  
The Impact

<p>Regularly being exposed to the types of mould spores that can grow in houses has been shown to lead to adverse health effects such as respiratory diseases, and the exacerbation of asthma. While susceptible groups such as children, the elderly, and atopic persons are more susceptible to these effects, adverse health effects from mould spores have been shown to affect non-topic populations.  The 2015 Building Research Association of New Zealand House Condition Survey found that 46% of owner-occupied properties, and 54% of rented properties in a representative sample of the New Zealand housing stock have some form of mould in them. This means that a large portion of the population could be at risk of suffering from the adverse health effects associated with mould growth in houses. Increased air-tightness in new houses could also be at risk of being under-ventilated, potentially exacerbating this mould issue.  It is unknown whether the current New Zealand Building Code, at the time of writing, provides sufficient ventilation requirements to prevent new houses from being under-ventilated. It also does not consider existing houses, which is where most of the mould in the HCS was found.  This study explored whether data from the House Condition Survey and WuFi-Bio could be used to test mould mitigation strategies in New Zealand residential bathrooms. This was done by modelling a subset of houses from the House Condition Survey in WuFi-Pro, estimating the risk of mould in them with WuFi-Bio, and comparing this to the observations from the House Condition Survey. Parameters in the models were then changed to reflect the impact that strategies would have on the humidity and temperature in the bathrooms. The aim of this was to develop a hierarchy of recommendations that could help home occupiers and designers determine the most appropriate methods they could use to prevent mould from growing in their homes/designs.  However, the results did not align with the observations from the House Condition Survey, and testing the validity of the models by exploring the impact of assumptions showed they had no significant impact. The cause of this misalignment could not be determined, however a lack of internal condition time-series data and information about how observed mould from the House Condition Survey were identified of areas of uncertainty and prevented further exploration.  The exploration that was conducted revealed the importance of having enough data to understand the conditions that lead to any observed mould if an existing bathroom is being assessed using WuFi-Bio. It was concluded that attempting to assess a large number of houses with little data using WuFi-Bio was impractical. A controlled experimental study aimed at understanding a few houses in-depth would be a more appropriate method to test mould mitigation strategies, and help address the mould issue in New Zealand houses.</p>

scholarly journals Exploring the Use of Mould Estimation Software in New Zealand Residential Houses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jarred Butler
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Research Association ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
House Condition ◽  
The Impact

<p>Regularly being exposed to the types of mould spores that can grow in houses has been shown to lead to adverse health effects such as respiratory diseases, and the exacerbation of asthma. While susceptible groups such as children, the elderly, and atopic persons are more susceptible to these effects, adverse health effects from mould spores have been shown to affect non-topic populations.  The 2015 Building Research Association of New Zealand House Condition Survey found that 46% of owner-occupied properties, and 54% of rented properties in a representative sample of the New Zealand housing stock have some form of mould in them. This means that a large portion of the population could be at risk of suffering from the adverse health effects associated with mould growth in houses. Increased air-tightness in new houses could also be at risk of being under-ventilated, potentially exacerbating this mould issue.  It is unknown whether the current New Zealand Building Code, at the time of writing, provides sufficient ventilation requirements to prevent new houses from being under-ventilated. It also does not consider existing houses, which is where most of the mould in the HCS was found.  This study explored whether data from the House Condition Survey and WuFi-Bio could be used to test mould mitigation strategies in New Zealand residential bathrooms. This was done by modelling a subset of houses from the House Condition Survey in WuFi-Pro, estimating the risk of mould in them with WuFi-Bio, and comparing this to the observations from the House Condition Survey. Parameters in the models were then changed to reflect the impact that strategies would have on the humidity and temperature in the bathrooms. The aim of this was to develop a hierarchy of recommendations that could help home occupiers and designers determine the most appropriate methods they could use to prevent mould from growing in their homes/designs.  However, the results did not align with the observations from the House Condition Survey, and testing the validity of the models by exploring the impact of assumptions showed they had no significant impact. The cause of this misalignment could not be determined, however a lack of internal condition time-series data and information about how observed mould from the House Condition Survey were identified of areas of uncertainty and prevented further exploration.  The exploration that was conducted revealed the importance of having enough data to understand the conditions that lead to any observed mould if an existing bathroom is being assessed using WuFi-Bio. It was concluded that attempting to assess a large number of houses with little data using WuFi-Bio was impractical. A controlled experimental study aimed at understanding a few houses in-depth would be a more appropriate method to test mould mitigation strategies, and help address the mould issue in New Zealand houses.</p>

scholarly journals Impact of Carcinogenic Chromium on the Cellular Response to Proteotoxic Stress

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (19) ◽  
pp. 4901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo M. R. Ferreira ◽  
Teresa Cunha-Oliveira ◽  
Margarida C. Sobral ◽  
Patrícia L. Abreu ◽  
Maria Carmen Alpoim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Proteotoxic Stress ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
The Impact

Worldwide, several million workers are employed in the various chromium (Cr) industries. These workers may suffer from a variety of adverse health effects produced by dusts, mists and fumes containing Cr in the hexavalent oxidation state, Cr(VI). Of major importance, occupational exposure to Cr(VI) compounds has been firmly associated with the development of lung cancer. Counterintuitively, Cr(VI) is mostly unreactive towards most biomolecules, including nucleic acids. However, its intracellular reduction produces several species that react extensively with biomolecules. The diversity and chemical versatility of these species add great complexity to the study of the molecular mechanisms underlying Cr(VI) toxicity and carcinogenicity. As a consequence, these mechanisms are still poorly understood, in spite of intensive research efforts. Here, we discuss the impact of Cr(VI) on the stress response—an intricate cellular system against proteotoxic stress which is increasingly viewed as playing a critical role in carcinogenesis. This discussion is preceded by information regarding applications, chemical properties and adverse health effects of Cr(VI). A summary of our current understanding of cancer initiation, promotion and progression is also provided, followed by a brief description of the stress response and its links to cancer and by an overview of potential molecular mechanisms of Cr(VI) carcinogenicity.

scholarly journals Air Pollution as a Cause of Obesity: Micro-Level Evidence from Chinese Cities

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiming Yang ◽  
Qianhao Song ◽  
Jing Li ◽  
Yunquan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particle Size ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Multinomial Logit Model ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Individual Vulnerability ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Chinese air pollution is obviously increasing, and the government makes efforts to strengthen air pollution treatment. Although adverse health effects gradually emerge, research determining individual vulnerability is limited. This study estimated the relationship between air pollution and obesity. Individual information of 13,414 respondents from 125 cities is used in the analysis. This study employs ordinary least squares (OLS) and multinomial logit model (m-logit) to estimate the impact of air pollution on obesity. We choose different air pollution and Body Mass Index (BMI) indicators for estimation. Empirical results show Air Quality Index (AQI) is significantly positively associated with the BMI score. As AQI adds one unit, the BMI score increases 0.031 (SE = 0.002; p < 0.001). The influence coefficients of particle size smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), particle size smaller than 10 μm (PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) to the BMI score are 0.034 (SE = 0.002; p < 0.001), 0.023 (SE = 0.001; p < 0.001), 0.52 (SE = 0.095; p < 0.001), 0.045 (SE = 0.004; p < 0.001), 0.021 (SE = 0.002; p < 0.001), 0.008 (SE = 0.003; p = 0.015), respectively. Generally, air pollution has an adverse effect on body weight. CO is the most influential pollutant, and female, middle-aged, and low-education populations are more severely affected. The results confirm that the adverse health effects of air pollution should be considered when making the air pollution policies. Findings also provide justification for health interventions, especially for people with obesity.

scholarly journals Estimates of PI*S and PI*Z Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency alleles prevalence in the Caribbean and North, Central and South America

2016 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
F.J. De Serres ◽  
I. Blanco ◽  
E. Fernández-Bustillo
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
South America ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Genetic Disorder ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
North Central ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
The Caribbean

Background. AAT deficiency is not a rare disease, but one of the most common congenital disorders increasing susceptibility of individuals with this deficiency to both lung and liver disease as well as other several adverse health effects. Studies to develop accurate estimates of the magnitude of this genetic disorder in any given country is critical for the development of screening programs for detection, diagnosis, and treatment of those individuals and/or families at risk. In the present study, estimates of the prevalence of the two major deficiency alleles PI S and PI Z were estimated for 25 countries in the Caribbean and North, Central, and South America to supplement our previous studies on 69 countries worldwide. Method. Using data on the prevalence of the two most common deficiency alleles PI S and PIZ in the mother countries that provided the majority of immigrants to these 25 countries, as well as genetic epidemiological studies on various genetic subgroups indigenous to the Caribbean and North, Central and South America it was possible to develop new formulas to estimate the numbers in each of five phenotypic classes, namely PI MS, PI MZ, PI SS, PI SZ and PI ZZ for each country. Results. When these 25 countries were grouped into six different geographic regions, the present study demonstrated striking differences when comparisons were made in numeric tables, maps and figures. Highly significant numbers of individuals at risk for AAT Deficiency were found in both the European, Mestizo and Mulatto populations for most of the 25 countries studied in the Caribbean and North, Central and South America. Conclusions. Our studies demonstrated striking differences in the prevalence of both the PIS and PIZ alleles among these 25 countries in the Caribbean and North, Central and South America and significant numbers of individuals at risk for adverse health effects associated with AAT Deficiency in a given country. When these data are added to the results from our earlier studies on 69 countries, we now have data on AAT Deficiency in 94 of the 193 countries worldwide listed in the CIA FactBook.

scholarly journals Fatty acids and the metabolic syndrome

2005 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen M. Roche
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Resistance ◽  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Aetiological Factor ◽  
Dietary Therapy ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
The Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
The Impact

The metabolic syndrome is a very common condition, characterised by insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, abdominal obesity and hypertension, that is associated with a high risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and CVD. Obesity is a key aetiological factor in the development of the metabolic syndrome. In light of the increasing prevalence of obesity, there is a high requirement to reduce the impact of the adverse health effects associated with the metabolic syndrome. The aetiological role of nutrient-derived metabolic stressors, in particular fatty acids, in the development of obesity and the metabolic syndrome is explored. Also, the evidence that pro-inflammatory stressors may predispose to obesity-induced insulin resistance is reviewed. The present paper explores the concept that reducing the impact of metabolic and inflammatory stressors may reduce the adverse health effects of obesity and slow the progression towards the metabolic syndrome and T2DM. Evidence from human dietary intervention studies that have investigated the potential therapeutic effects of dietary fatty acid modification is explored. The present review highlights the requirement to take account of genetic background, within the context of nutrient regulation of gene expression and individual responsiveness to dietary therapy. This approach will further the understanding of the interaction between fatty acids in the pathogenesis and progression of the metabolic syndrome.

scholarly journals Urinary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Metabolites Are Associated with Biomarkers of Chronic Endocrine Stress, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Adolescents: FLEHS-4 (2016–2020)

Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 245
Author(s):  
Veerle J. Verheyen ◽  
Sylvie Remy ◽  
Eva Govarts ◽  
Ann Colles ◽  
Laura Rodriguez Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Environmental Pollutants ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Stress Biomarker

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants of public health concern. Multiple biological mechanisms have been hypothesized to contribute to PAHs-associated adverse health effects. Little is known about the impact of PAHs on endocrine stress and inflammation in adolescence. We examined 393 Flemish adolescents (14–15 years) cross-sectionally, measured urinary concentrations of hydroxylated naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene metabolites, and calculated the sum of all measured metabolites. We determined hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as endocrine stress biomarker, leucocyte counts and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in peripheral blood as inflammatory biomarkers, and urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) concentration as oxidative stress biomarker. Exposure–response associations were analyzed by multiple regression, adjusted for a priori selected covariates. A doubling of 1-hydroxypyrene concentration was associated with a factor of 1.13 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.24) increase in HCC and a factor of 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.13) increase in 8-oxodG. Doublings of 2- and 3-hydroxyphenanthrene concentrations were associated with a factor of 1.08 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.14) and 1.06 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.12) increase in 8-oxodG, respectively. Doubling of 2-hydroxyphenanthrene and of the sum of 2- and 3-hydroxyfluorene was associated with, respectively, a factor of 1.08 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.14) and 1.06 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.13) increase in NLR. Our results indicate the glucocorticoid pathway as a potential target for PAH exposure in adolescents and suggest oxidative stress, endocrine stress, and inflammation in adolescence as underlying mechanisms and early markers for PAH-related adverse health effects.

scholarly journals PI S and PI Z Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency worldwide. A review of existing genetic epidemiological data

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
F.J. De Serres ◽  
I. Blanco ◽  
E. Fernández-Bustillo
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Antitrypsin Deficiency ◽  
Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency ◽  
Geographic Regions ◽  
Alpha 1 Antitrypsin

Background. AAT deficiency is not a rare disease, but one of the most common congenital disorders increasing susceptibility of deficiency individuals to both lung and liver disease as well as other several adverse health effects. Therefore, information on accurate estimates of the magnitude of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency in any given country is critical for the development of screening programs for detection, diagnosis, and treatment of those individuals and/or families at risk. Method. Genetic epidemiological studies for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency made by others have been used to determine the percentages and estimates of the numbers in each of the five phenotypic classes (PI MS, PI MZ, PI SS, PI SZ, and PI ZZ) of the most common deficiency alleles: PI S and PI Z in each of 69 countries worldwide and also when grouped into 13 major geographic regions. Results. Our studies have demonstrated striking differences between these estimates when comparisons were made in numeric tables, maps and figures. Conclusions. Our studies demonstrated striking differences in the prevalences of both the PIS and PIZ alleles among these 69 countries and the numbers at risk for AAT Deficiency in a given country in specific geographic regions. Data on the prevalence of the two major deficiency alleles as well as the numbers in those phenotypic classes known to be at risk for AAT Deficiency is considered critical for the identification of individuals at risk for adverse health effects associated with AAT Deficiency as well as the treatment and management of those individuals identified in a given country.

The Role of Lipids in the Pathogenesis of Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents

2017 ◽  
Vol 126 (01) ◽  
pp. 14-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahnaz Taghizadeh ◽  
Mohammad Alizadeh
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Resistance ◽  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Acid Modification ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe increasing prevalence of childhood obesity is a driving force behind the increase in adolescent’s metabolic syndrome (MetS). Although there is no clear consensus about the pediatric definition for MetS, this syndrome is becoming very common among adolescents. It is characterized by insulin resistance (IR), dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity and hypertension, and is associated with a high risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and CVD in adulthood. Due to the increasing prevalence of obesity, there is strong incentive to reduce the impact of the adverse health effects associated with MetS. We explored the etiological role of nutrient-derived metabolic stressors, especially fatty acids, in the development of obesity and MetS. We also reviewed the evidence that pro-inflammatory stressors may predispose to obesity-induced insulin resistance. This article presents the opinion that reducing the impact of metabolic and inflammatory stressors may reduce the adverse health effects of obesity, and slow the progression towards MetS and CVD in adolescents. Evidence so far is limited from pediatric dietary epidemiological and interventional studies investigating the potential preventive and therapeutic effects of dietary fatty acid modification. This review will further investigate our understanding of the interaction between fatty acids in the pathogenesis and progression of MetS in adolescents.

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