scholarly journals Relationship between Wildfire Smoke and Children’s Respiratory Health in the Metropolitan Cities of Central-Chile

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Rebecca Ciciretti ◽  
Francisco Barraza ◽  
Francisco De la Barrera ◽  
Lorna Urquieta ◽  
Sandra Cortes

Wildfire causes multiple problems for people living in cities. One of them is the deterioration of air quality as a result of wildfire smoke. This smoke can consequently have effects on human health. The present study aims to characterize the relationship between the occurrence of wildfires in central Chile and the effects on children’s respiratory health. Public databases provided the number of emergency care visits, wildfires, and concentration of air pollutants, demographics and meteorological variables for the regions of Santiago and Valparaiso from 2010 to 2013. Time series analysis was used monthly on health care visits to determine the relative health risk in children when in the presence of additional wildfires. Significant health risks were observed in Santiago for children younger than 1-year-old of bronchitis (RR 1.007, CI 95% 1.007–1.008; chronic lower respiratory diseases (RR 1.012, CI 95% 1.012–1.013); and pneumonia (RR 1.026 CI 95% 1.026–1.027) and in children aged one to four years old (RR 1.016 CI 95% 1.015–1.016). A dose-response relationship was also observed for pneumonia, showing that it affects younger children particularly when there is an increase in the number of wildfires. In the Region of Valparaíso, wildfires did not significantly change the risk of respiratory illness, this could be due to favorable ventilation. Currently, Santiago has an urgent need for monitoring and the evaluation of the damage to children’s respiratory health, along with the development of comprehensive prevention strategies.

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 00166-2020
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Odajima ◽  
Toshiaki Kawano ◽  
Masatoshi Wakatsuki ◽  
Yuko Akaminea ◽  
Koki Okabe ◽  
...  

The relationship between the annual changes of the prevalence of bronchial asthma (BA) and that of concentrations of air pollutants has not been reported.We studied the annual prevalence of BA, remission of BA, and wheeze in children at the same five elementary schools in Fukuoka city, Japan, in October to November from 1988 to 2016 by the same methods using the same questionnaire.Annual changes in the prevalence of asthma among boys were related to changes in the air concentrations of NO (r=0.708), NO2 (r=0.665) suspended particulate matter (SPM) (r=0.803), and smoking rate (r=0.741), but there were no such relationships among girls. Annual changes in the prevalence of wheeze were related to changes of NO, NO2, SPM, and smoking rate among boys and girls (NO: r=0.650, 0.660; NO2: r=0.556, 0.490; SPM: r=0.582, 0.518; smoking rate: r=0.656, 0.593, respectively) (all of the above are significant with p<0.05). There was no relationship between remission of BA and any of the pollutants.Annual changes in the prevalence of boys' BA and boys' and girls' wheeze among first-grade children (age 6 or 7 years) in Fukuoka were correlated with changes in the concentration of air pollutants (SPM, NO, NO2 or smoking rate).Recent decrease of asthma prevalence in this area might be related to the decreasing tendency of air pollutant concentration. The causal relationship between the two will need to be verified in the future


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Zhang ◽  
Yujie Meng ◽  
Hejia Song ◽  
Ran Niu ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Although exposure to air pollution has been linked to many health issues, few studies have quantified the modification effect of temperature on the relationship between air pollutants and daily incidence of influenza in Ningbo, China. Methods The data of daily incidence of influenza and the relevant meteorological data and air pollution data in Ningbo from 2014 to 2017 were retrieved. Low, medium and high temperature layers were stratified by the daily mean temperature with 25th and 75th percentiles. The potential modification effect of temperature on the relationship between air pollutants and daily incidence of influenza in Ningbo was investigated through analyzing the effects of air pollutants stratified by temperature stratum using distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM). Stratified analysis by sex and age were also conducted. Results Overall, a 10 μg/m3 increment of O3, PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 could increase the incidence risk of influenza with the cumulative relative risk of 1.028 (95% CI 1.007, 1.050), 1.061 (95% CI 1.004, 1.122), 1.043 (95% CI 1.003, 1.085), and 1.118 (95% CI 1.028, 1.216), respectively. Male and aged 7–17 years were more sensitive to air pollutants. Through the temperature stratification analysis, we found that temperature could modify the impacts of air pollution on daily incidence of influenza with high temperature exacerbating the impact of air pollutants. At high temperature layer, male and the groups aged 0–6 years and 18–64 years were more sensitive to air pollution. Conclusion Temperature modified the relationship between air pollution and daily incidence of influenza and high temperature would exacerbate the effects of air pollutants in Ningbo.


Author(s):  
Eugen Silviu Bud ◽  
Cristina Ioana Bica ◽  
Oana Elena Stoica ◽  
Alexandru Vlasa ◽  
Daniela Eșian ◽  
...  

The prevalence of dental caries and obesity is high as both raise significant health problems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between dental caries, the number of salivary colonies forming units of Mutans Streptococci (MS) and Lactobacillus (LB), and the nutritional status in a group of children from Transylvania. This observational study used a sample of 154 school children, aged 9 to 12 years. The prevalence of caries was measured using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth index for deciduous teeth (dmft index) and for permanent teeth (DMFT index). Height and weight were assessed for each subject, and their body mass index (BMI) percentile was calculated. Salivary levels of Mutans Streptococci (MS) and Lactobacillus (LB) were determined using the CRT Bacteria Test from Ivoclar Vivadent. In our study, we found a positive association between the BMI percentile, MS count, LB count, tooth brushing frequency, and the incidence of dental caries in children aged 9 to 12 years old. Future preventive programs should include nutrition control in order to prevent both the apparition of dental caries and obesity in children.


1988 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.C. Sherlock ◽  
M.J. Quinn

Wide discrepancies have been observed between controlled and uncontrolled intake studies of the relationship of blood mercury concentration to intake of mercury. The probable reason for the apparent discrepancies is that the within-subject variation of mercury intake in the uncontrolled studies was almost certainly considerably larger than the within-subject variation in blood mercury concentration; in these circumstances, the apparent slope obtained from a linear regression of blood mercury on intake will invariably be much smaller than the true slope. Studies of the exposure or intake of any substance should therefore include a consideration of the likely within-subject variation in the exposure or intake relative to that in the effect.


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Chun Liu ◽  
Vincent Chin-Hung Chen ◽  
Yao-Hsu Yang ◽  
Yi-Lung Chen ◽  
Michael Gossop

Abstract Aims Although the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and transport accidents has been shown, there is limited information on the relationship between medication and dose–response effects and transport accident risk. This study aims to determine whether young people with ADHD, including adolescents, are more prone to transport accidents than those without, and the extent to which methylphenidate (MPH) prescription in these patients reduces the risk. Methods We identified 114 486 patients diagnosed with ADHD from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 1997 to 2013. Using a Cox regression model, we compared the risk of transport accidents between ADHD and non-ADHD groups and estimated the effect of MPH on accidents. Furthermore, we applied a self-control case-series analysis to compare the risk of accidents during the medication periods with the same patients' non-medication periods. Results Male ADHD patients had a higher risk of transport accidents than non-ADHD individuals (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.24, [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10–1.39]), especially for those comorbid with epilepsy, oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD), and intellectual disabilities (ID). Female ADHD patients showed no relationship, except for comorbid with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or ID. We found a reduced risk of transport accidents in patients with ADHD with MPH medication than those without MPH, with a plausible dose–response relationship (aHR of 0.23 to 0.07). A similar pattern was found in self-controlled case-series analysis. Conclusions Male patients with ADHD, especially those comorbid with epilepsy, ODD/CD, or ID, were at high risk of transport accidents. Female patients, when comorbid with ASD or ID, also exhibited a higher risk of accidents. MPH treatment lowered the accident risk with a dose–response relationship.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mateus Habermann ◽  
Míriam Souza ◽  
Rogério Prado ◽  
Nelson Gouveia

Air pollution is a leading public health concern. In addition, poor populations have been reported as showing increased exposure to such pollution. The current study thus aimed to evaluate the socioeconomic status of the population exposed to vehicle-related air pollution in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The study used data from the 2010 Census on head-of-household’s mean monthly income and the percentage of households connected to the sewage system. Exposure to air pollutants was estimated according to traffic density in the census tract plus a 200m surrounding buffer. The relationship between exposure and socioeconomic variables was analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis test. Exposure increased with increasing socioeconomic status (p < 0.001). The population with the highest socioeconomic status lives in the most polluted areas of the city. However, place of residence alone is not capable of measuring exposure. The study suggests that future epidemiological studies include other indicators of vulnerability.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 57-68
Author(s):  
M.V. Prasanna ◽  
S. Chidambaram

Malaysia is considered as one of the countries with the highest novel corona virus (COVID-19) infected cases in Southeast Asia. Recent studies have identified that the air quality of a region also governs the transmission of the virus through pollutants. Hence, a study was conducted to assess the influence of air quality on the COVID-19 pandemic spread in central Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah. An attempt was also made to infer the effect of monsoonal precipitation on air quality. Central Peninsular Malaysia consists of major cities like Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya. These cities are highly populated, with the expansion of industrial activities, rapid urbanisation and greater usage of vehicles has resulted in air quality deterioration. Such conditions have led to related public health issues, compared to Sabah in east Malaysia. In this study, COVID-19 infected cases, air quality index (AQI) and precipitation data were collected from 25 January to August 2020 to infer the relationship of air quality to the pandemic spread before, during and after the implementation of lockdown periods in the country, referred as movement control order (MCO). The lockdown periods fall under various monsoon climate patterns in the country. Interpretation of data reveals that the variation in air quality correlates with the infected cases. Improved air quality was observed during the last phase of MCO with a lesser number of infected cases. The HYSPLIT model was adopted to study the backward air mass trajectories for different time frames to identify the variation in the sources of pollutants reaching the study area. The study determined that the air pollutants have reached the study area from various directions, reflecting a mixed contribution from the ocean and land area. The relationship between high precipitation (during inter-monsoon and SW monsoon) and improved air quality reveals the washout effect of air pollutants. The outcome of this study inferred that the variation of air quality and precipitation rates facilitate the pandemic spread in this region in addition to the other meteorological factors, apart from individual immune capacity and social distancing.


UNICIÊNCIAS ◽  
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 ◽  
...  

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.    


2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-23
Author(s):  
Josiah Marquis ◽  
Meriem Benlamri ◽  
Elizabeth Dent ◽  
Tharmitha Suyeshkumar

Almost half of the Canadian landscape is made up of forests, but the amount of forest surface area burned every year has been growing steadily since 1960.1 This can be problematic due to the effects that forest fires have not only on the local environment but also on the globe as a whole. A forest fire or vegetation fire is defined as any open fire of vegetation such as savannah, forest, agriculture, or peat that is initiated by humans or nature.2 Vegetation fires contribute heavily to air pollution and climate change and are in turn exacerbated by them as well. Air pollution increases due to emissions from these fires, which contain 90-95% carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide as well as methane and other volatile compounds.2 Emissions from forest fires also contribute to global greenhouse gases and aerosol particles (biomass burning organic aerosols),2 leading to indirect and direct consequences to human health. In contrast to biomass burning for household heating and cooking, catastrophic events of forest fires and sweeping grassland fires result in unique exposures and health consequences. In this case report, the relationship between environmental hazardous air pollutants and the potential physiological and psychological health effects associated with the forest fire that affected Fort McMurray, AB in May 2016 are considered.


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