PM10 Alters Trophoblast Cell Function and Modulates miR-125b-5p Expression

Air pollution is one of the largest global environmental health hazards that threaten premature mortality or morbidity. Particulate matter 10 (PM10) has been demonstrated to contribute to several human diseases via dysregulated miRNA expression. Trophoblast cells play a key role in implantation and placentation for a successful pregnancy. Nonetheless, the PM10 associated trophoblast cell functions during pregnancy and miRNA expression are still unknown. Our study showed that PM10 affected HTR-8/SVneo cell viability and also decreased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. A high concentration of PM10 caused an increase in HTR-8/SVneo cell apoptosis. Treatment with PM10 induced inflammation through the upregulated IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α expression in trophoblast cells. In PM10-treated HTR-8/SVneo cells, miR-125b-5p expression was considerably increased and TXNRD1 was found to be negatively related to miR-125b-5p. Collectively, our findings revealed that PM10 could alter miR-125b-5p expression by targeting TXNRD1 and suppressing trophoblast cell functions. Additional investigations relating to the function of miR-125b-5p and its target on particulate pollution exposure in trophoblast are warranted for future biomarker or effective therapeutic approaches.

Dominant climate drivers of wintertime severe particulate pollution in North China

Severe particulate pollution days (SPPDs, characterized by a daily mean PM2.5 concentration exceeding 150 μg m-3), which are extremely harmful to human health and the environment, occurred frequently in North China during the boreal winters of 2013–2019. SPPDs generally occur under conducive weather patterns (CWPs) characterized by a weakened East Asian Trough in the mid-troposphere, reduced winter northerlies in the lower troposphere, and a temperature inversion at the surface. The occurrence of CWPs has been attributed to variations in numerous climate factors (e.g., Arctic sea ice cover, sea surface temperature, and atmospheric teleconnections), but the dominant climate drivers remain inconclusive. Here, we show that the East Atlantic-West Russia (EA/WR) teleconnection pattern and the Victoria Mode (VM) of sea surface temperature anomalies are the first and second dominant climate drivers, respectively, leading to CWPs in North China through the zonal and meridional propagations of Rossby waves and explaining 36.3% and 18.5%, respectively, of the observed wintertime SPPDs in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. Our results suggest that, with the help of seasonal forecast from climate models, the indices of the EA/WR and VM can be used to predict wintertime SPPDs over Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei.

9-year trends of PM₁₀sources and oxidative potential in a rural background site in France

Long-term monitoring at sites with relatively low particulate pollution could provide an opportunity to identify changes in pollutant concentration and potential effects of current air quality policies. In this study, a 9-year sampling of PM10 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter below 10 µm) was performed in a rural background site in France from February 28, 2012 to December 22, 2020. The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) method was used to apportion sources of PM10 based on quantified chemical constituents and specific chemical tracers from collected filters. Oxidative potential (OP), an emerging health-metric that measures PM capability to potentially cause anti-oxidant imbalance in the lung, was also measured using two acellular assays: dithiothreitol (DTT) and ascorbic acid (AA). The contribution of PMF-resolved sources to OP were also estimated using multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis. In terms of mass contribution, the dominant sources are secondary aerosols (nitrate- and sulphate-rich), associated with long-range transport (LRT). However, in terms of OP contributions, the main drivers are traffic, mineral dust, and biomass burning factors. There is also some OP contribution apportioned to the sulphate- and nitrate-rich sources influenced by processes and aging during LRT that could have encouraged mixing with other anthropogenic sources. The study indicates much lower OP values than in urban areas. A substantial decrease (58 % reduction from year 2012 to 2020) in the mass contributions from the traffic factor was found, however, this is not clearly reflected in its OP contribution. Nevertheless, the findings in this long-term study in the OPE site could signal effectiveness of implemented emission control policies, as also seen in other long-term studies conducted in Europe, mainly for urban areas.

Quantifying COVID-19’s Silver Lining: Avoided Deaths from Air Quality Improvements in Bogotá

In cities around the world, Covid-19 lockdowns have improved outdoor air quality, in some cases dramatically. Even if only temporary, these improvements could have longer-lasting effects on policy by making chronic air pollution more salient and boosting political pressure for change. To that end, it is important to develop objective estimates of both the air quality improvements associated with Covid-19 lockdowns and the benefits these improvements generate. We use panel data econometric models to estimate the effect of Bogotás lockdown on fine particulate pollution, epidemiological models to simulate the effect of reductions in that pollution on long-term and short-term mortality, and benefit transfer methods to estimate the monetary value of the avoided mortality. We find that in its first year of implementation, on average, Bogotás lockdown cut fine particulate pollution by more than one-fifth. However, the magnitude of that effect varied considerably over the course of the year and across the citys neighborhoods. Equivalent permanent reductions in fine particulate pollution would reduce long-term premature deaths by more than one-quarter each year, a benefit valued at $670 million per year. Finally, we estimate that in 2020-2021, the lockdown reduced short-term deaths by 31 percent, a benefit valued at $180 million.

Appraisal of Variation in Particulate Pollution Loading with a Change Induced by Anthropogenic Cultural Activity Over a South Indian City-Visakhapatnam

The study focusses on the variation of air quality assessed from mass concentrations of air pollutants in the year 2020 (particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3)) amidst COVID–19 restrictions on firework activity during Diwali festive period in Visakhapatnam city. The results are compared with 2018 and 2019. The results indicate that the firework activity affected ambient air quality. The effect is lower in 2020 than in 2018 and even in 2019. In 2019, the effect is lower compared to 2018 due to the washout of pollutants caused by unusual rains on those days.

Viral Environmental Warfare: Technology Bill of Rights Critically Needed

The ongoing “hidden in plain sight” geoengineering operations including the pervasive, near global spraying of ultrafine particles into the troposphere pose an existential risk to the biosphere and humanity. Likewise, bioengineering and genetic manipulation of potential pandemic pathogens with associated accidental or deliberate release represents a dire risk to the modern world. Compelling evidence to date indicates that the chimeric structure and added furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2 was the result of human manipulation in the laboratory. Coronavirus and vaccine patents indicate a foreknowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic, which conveniently serves the interests of the global elites. The new COVID-19 vaccines, hailed as the answer to the pandemic, have potential toxicity, fail to prevent transmission, drive the development of new variants, and over time may predispose recipients to antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of infection. Other important technological threats include Internet-based censorship, nano-particulate pollution, electro-pollution and the massive amounts of electromagnetic energy inflicted on humans and Earth’s natural environment. A Technology Bill of Rights is critically needed to protect humanity and salvage what remains of earth’s life support systems.

Philosophical Reflections on Facilitating Paradigm Shifts

A paradigm shift by definition is a major change in scientific understanding that upends and replaces a prior paradigm. Over the past 47 years, I have made a number of paradigm shifts in the geosciences, planetary sciences, and astrophysical sciences. These include the composition of the inner core and deep interior of Earth, recognizing that Earth’s early formation as a Jupiter-like gas giant makes it possible to derive virtually all the geological and geodynamic behavior of our planet, including the origin of mountains characterized by folding, the primary initiation of fjords and submarine canyons, the origin and typography of ocean floors and continents (described in Whole-Earth Decompression Dynamics), which upends and replaces plate tectonics theory, Earth’s previously unanticipated, powerful, and variable energy sources, namely, a terra-centric nuclear fission georeactor and the stored energy of protoplanetary compression, the nuclear georeactor origin of Earth’s magnetic field and the reasons for its variability. I also revealed a new concept that explains the thermonuclear ignition of stars and, concomitantly, the dark matter surrounding galaxies, the origin of heavy elements, and the reason why the vast multitude of galaxies in the universe display just a few prominent patterns of luminous stars. Recently, I discovered that particulate pollution, not carbon dioxide, is the primary cause of anthropogenic global warming. These are paradigm shifts which, unless successfully refuted, provide new, more-correct logical pathways for future discoveries. Here I reflect on some aspects of my personal science philosophy that has facilitated these fundamental paradigm shifts.

Volatile Organic Compound Composition of Urban Air in Nairobi, Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria

Sub-Saharan Africa is seeing rapid urbanization, with the population of cities such as Lagos and Nairobi growing at a rate of 3–4% a year. The region is extremely under-sampled for all air pollutants, particularly VOCs, which are useful markers for source apportionment as well as toxic in their own right. There are many contributors to air pollution in the region, and studies examining fine particulate pollution implicate traffic as the primary source in urban areas. In this pilot study, VOCs were analysed at a selection of roadside and urban background locations in Nairobi and Lagos, and 74 VOCs were quantified. GC×GC–MS/FID analysis revealed all locations were dominated by hydrocarbons typical of vehicle emissions, with the aromatic hydrocarbons benzene and toluene among the most abundant VOCs. Typical personal exposure scenarios for citizens of the cities were calculated to far exceed those of a resident in a city in Europe/US. Finally, the calculated ozone forming potential of the VOCs measured was found to be similarly high to other large cities studied with similar air pollution problems. Further study is therefore essential to determine the full extent of VOC pollution in the region and its impact on tropospheric chemistry.