Early life exposure to pollens and increased risks of childhood asthma: a prospective cohort study in Ontario children.

https://bit.ly/3Tboabo

Associations of neighborhood greenspace, and active living environments with autism spectrum disorders: A matched case-control study in Ontario, Canada.

Background: Increasing evidence links early life residential exposure to natural urban environmental attributes and positive health outcomes in children. However, few studies have focused on their protective effects on the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of neighborhood greenspace, and active living environments during pregnancy with ASD in young children (≤6 years).

Inequality in the Distribution of Air Pollution Attributable Mortality Within Canadian Cities.

Recent studies have identified inequality in the distribution of air pollution attributable health impacts, but to our knowledge this has not been examined in Canadian cities. We evaluated the extent and sources of inequality in air pollution attributable mortality at the census tract (CT) level in seven of Canada's largest cities. We first regressed fine particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO) attributable mortality against the neighborhood (CT) level prevalence of age 65 and older, low income, low educational attainment, and identification as an Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) or Black person, accounting for spatial autocorrelation.

Critical windows of exposure to air pollution and gestational diabetes: assessing effect modification by maternal pre-existing conditions and environmental factors.

Background: Ambient air pollution has been associated with gestational diabetes (GD), but critical windows of exposure and whether maternal pre-existing conditions and other environmental factors modify the associations remains inconclusive.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all singleton live birth that occurred between April 1 2006 and March 31 2018 in Ontario, Canada. Ambient air pollution data (i.

The Canadian Optimized Statistical Smoke Exposure Model (CanOSSEM): A machine learning approach to estimate national daily fine particulate matter (PM) exposure.

Exposure to biomass smoke has been associated with a wide range of acute and chronic health outcomes. Over the past decades, the frequency and intensity of wildfires has increased in many areas, resulting in longer smoke episodes with higher concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM). There are also many communities where seasonal open burning and residential wood heating have short- and long-term impacts on ambient air quality.

Residential proximity to greenness and adverse birth outcomes in urban areas: Findings from a national Canadian population-based study.

Background: Over the last decade, several studies have reported that residential proximity to vegetation, or 'greenness', is associated with improved birth outcomes, including for term birth weight (TBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age (SGA). However, there remain several uncertainties about these possible benefits including the role of air pollution, and the extent to they are influenced socioeconomic status.

Methods: We addressed these gaps using a national population-based study of 2.

Within-City Variation in Reactive Oxygen Species from Fine Particle Air Pollution and COVID-19.

Evidence linking outdoor air pollution with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) incidence and mortality is largely based on ecological comparisons regions that may differ in factors such as access to testing and control measures that may not be independent of air pollution concentrations. Moreover, studies have yet to focus on key mechanisms of air pollution toxicity such as oxidative stress. To conduct a analysis of spatial variations in COVID-19 incidence and the estimated generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lung lining fluid attributable to fine particulate matter (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ⩽2.

Fine particulate matter concentration and composition and the incidence of childhood asthma.

Background: Several studies have found positive associations between outdoor fine particulate air pollution (≤2.5 μm, PM) and childhood asthma incidence. However, the impact of PM composition on children's respiratory health remains uncertain.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies of long term outdoor nitrogen dioxide exposure and mortality.

Objective: To determine whether long term exposure to outdoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is associated with all-cause or cause-specific mortality.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, Global Health and Toxline databases were searched using terms developed by a librarian. Screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessment were completed independently by two reviewers.

Ambient ultrafine particle concentrations and incidence of childhood cancers.

Background: Ambient air pollution has been associated with childhood cancer. However, little is known about the possible impact of ambient ultrafine particles (<0.1 μm) (UFPs) on childhood cancer incidence.

An ecological analysis of long-term exposure to PM and incidence of COVID-19 in Canadian health regions.

Background: Ambient fine particulate matter (PM) is associated with a wide range of acute and chronic health effects, including increased risk of respiratory infection. However, evidence specifically related to novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is limited.

Methods: COVID-19 case counts for 111 Canadian health regions were obtained from the COVID-19 Canada Open Data portal.

Correction to: Systematic review and meta-analysis of case-crossover and time-series studies of short term outdoor nitrogen dioxide exposure and ischemic heart disease morbidity.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of case-crossover and time-series studies of short term outdoor nitrogen dioxide exposure and ischemic heart disease morbidity.

Background: Nitrogen dioxide (NO) is a pervasive urban pollutant originating primarily from vehicle emissions. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is associated with a considerable public health burden worldwide, but whether NO exposure is causally related to IHD morbidity remains in question. Our objective was to determine whether short term exposure to outdoor NO is causally associated with IHD-related morbidity based on a synthesis of findings from case-crossover and time-series studies.

Health impact analysis of PM from wildfire smoke in Canada (2013-2015, 2017-2018).

Smoke from wildfires contains many air pollutants of concern and epidemiological studies have identified associations between exposure to wildfire smoke PM and mortality and respiratory morbidity, and a possible association with cardiovascular morbidity. For this study, a retrospective analysis of air quality modelling was performed to quantify the exposure to wildfire-PM across the Canadian population. The model included wildfire emissions from across North America for a 5-month period from May to September (i.

Space-time hot spots of critically ill small for gestational age newborns and industrial air pollutants in major metropolitan areas of Canada.

We assessed the association of spatiotemporal hot spots of critically ill small for gestational age (ciSGA) newborns and industrial air emissions. Using neonatal admission data from the Canadian Neonatal Network between 2006 and 2010 (n = 32,836 infants), we aggregated maternal residential postal codes from nineteen census metropolitan areas (CMA) into space-time cubes and applied emerging hot spot analyses. Using National Pollutant Release Inventory data (n = 161 chemicals) and Environment Canada weather station data (n = 19 sites), we estimated monthly wind-dispersion of air emissions and calculated hot spots.

Ambient air pollution and incidence of early-onset paediatric type 1 diabetes: A retrospective population-based cohort study.

Background: Studies have reported increasing incidence rates of paediatric diabetes, especially among those aged 0-5 years. Epidemiological evidence linking ambient air pollution to paediatric diabetes remains mixed.

Objective: This study investigated the association between maternal and early-life exposures to common air pollutants (NO, PM, O, and oxidant capacity [Ox; the redox-weighted average of O and NO]) and the incidence of paediatric diabetes in children up to 6 years of age.

Air Pollution, Physical Activity, and Cardiovascular Function of Patients With Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillators: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Indoor Versus Outdoor Activity.

Objective: To investigate whether implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients exercising indoors on higher air pollution (AP) days had reduced adverse cardiovascular effects compared with those exercising outdoors.

Methods: Eighteen participants were randomly divided into control or intervention groups. Blood pressure (BP), pulse rate (PR), and oxygen saturation (O2SAT) were measured daily before and after participants walked outdoors for 30 minutes.

Spatial variations in ambient ultrafine particle concentrations and risk of congenital heart defects.

Background: Cardiovascular malformations account for nearly one-third of all congenital anomalies, making these the most common type of birth defects. Little is known regarding the influence of ambient ultrafine particles (<0.1 μm) (UFPs) on their occurrence.

Using maps to communicate environmental exposures and health risks: Review and best-practice recommendations.

Background: Graphical materials can be effective communication tools, and maps in particular are a potentially powerful means of conveying spatial information. Previous reviews have provided insights on the application of cartographic best practices, pitfalls to avoid, and considerations related to risk perception and communication, but none has reviewed primary studies of the effectiveness or utility of maps to users, nor have they addressed the issue from the perspective of health literacy, environmental health literacy, or public health ethics.

Objectives: To systematically identify and review the literature pertaining to evaluation of maps in general, or specific map features, as environmental exposure and health risk communication tools; to formulate best-practice recommendations; and to identify future research priorities.

Spatiotemporal Variations in Ambient Ultrafine Particles and the Incidence of Childhood Asthma.

Little is known regarding the impact of ambient ultrafine particles (UFPs; <0.1 μm) on childhood asthma development. To examine the association between prenatal and early postnatal life exposure to UFPs and development of childhood asthma.