Radiocarbon analysis of nuclear waste produced in nuclear facilities lacks fast, in situ detection methods. Moreover, the amount of radiocarbon desorbing from graphitic waste is not well known. In this study, we demonstrate the use of mid-infrared cavity ring-down spectroscopy combined with an automatic sample processing unit as a method to examine radiocarbon concentration in three types of nuclear waste: spent ion-exchange resin, graphite, and graphite outgassing in sealed storage crates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParticulate matter (PM) and contaminants attached to PM can increase the risk of respiratory diseases. However, the health risk assessment of chlorinated paraffins (CPs), an emerging pollutant occupying a high proportion of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in PM, remains scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PM-bound CPs and asthma, along with relative symptoms, in school-aged children and adolescents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe emissions and exposure limits for airborne PM are lacking, with limited scientific data for toxicity. Therefore, we continuously monitored and calculated the number and mass concentrations of airborne PM in December 2017, January 2018 and March 2018 during the high pollution period in Guangzhou. We collected PM from the same period and analyzed their chemical components.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe sources and chemical components of urban air particles exhibit seasonal variations that may affect their hazardousness to human health. Our aims were to investigate winter and spring variation in particulate matter (PM) sources, components and toxicological responses of different PM size fractions from samples collected in Guangzhou, China. Four size-segregated PM samples (PM, PM, PM, and PM) were collected separately during winter (December 2017 and January 2018) and spring (March 2018).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLittle evidence is available regarding the impact of different sizes of inhaled particulate matter (PM) on inflammatory responses in healthy young adults in connection with toxicological responses. We conducted a five-time repeated measurement panel study on 88 healthy young college students in Guangzhou, China from December 2017 to January 2018. Blood samples were collected from each participant and tested for tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels every week for 5 consecutive weeks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground Although several studies have focused on the associations between particle size and constituents and blood pressure, results have been inconsistent. Methods and Results We conducted a panel study, between December 2017 and January 2018, in 88 healthy university students in Guangzhou, China. Weekly systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were measured for each participant for 5 consecutive weeks, resulting in a total of 440 visits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvidence of the effects of various particle sizes and constituents on blood biomarkers is limited. We performed a panel study with five repeated measurements in 88 healthy college students in Guangzhou, China between December 2017 and January 2018. Mass concentrations of particles with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExisting evidence is scarce concerning the various effects of different PM sizes and chemical constituents on blood lipids. A panel study that involved 88 healthy college students with five repeated measurements (440 blood samples in total) was performed. We measured mass concentrations of particulate matter with diameters ≤ 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhilos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci
October 2020
During the summer of 2018, a widespread drought developed over Northern and Central Europe. The increase in temperature and the reduction of soil moisture have influenced carbon dioxide (CO) exchange between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems in various ways, such as a reduction of photosynthesis, changes in ecosystem respiration, or allowing more frequent fires. In this study, we characterize the resulting perturbation of the atmospheric CO seasonal cycles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Wood combustion emissions have been studied previously either by in vitro or in vivo models using collected particles, yet most studies have neglected gaseous compounds. Furthermore, a more accurate and holistic view of the toxicity of aerosols can be gained with parallel in vitro and in vivo studies using direct exposure methods. Moreover, modern exposure techniques such as air-liquid interface (ALI) exposures enable better assessment of the toxicity of the applied aerosols than, for example, the previous state-of-the-art submerged cell exposure techniques.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Ambient air pollution exposure and influenza virus infection have been documented to be independently associated with reduced lung function previously. Influenza vaccination plays an important role in protecting against influenza-induced severe diseases. However, no study to date has focused on whether influenza vaccination may modify the associations between ambient air pollution exposure and lung function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAmbient particulate matter (PM) is a leading global environmental health risk. Current air quality regulations are based on airborne mass concentration. However, PM from different sources have distinct chemical compositions and varied toxicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvidence on the associations between airborne particulates of diameter ≤1 μm (PM) and airborne particulates of diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM) and childhood blood pressure (BP) is scarce. To help to address this literature gap, we conducted a study to explore the associations in Chinese children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLiving in greener places may protect against obesity, but epidemiological evidence is inconsistent and mainly comes from developed nations. We aimed to investigate the association between greenness and obesity in Chinese adults and to assess air pollution and physical activity as mediators of the association. We recruited 24,845 adults from the 33 Communities Chinese Health Study in 2009.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvidence suggests that residential greenness may be protective of high blood pressure, but there is scarcity of evidence on the associations between greenness around schools and blood pressure among children. We aimed to investigate this association in China. Our study included 9354 children from 62 schools in the Seven Northeastern Cities Study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Little information exists on interaction effects between air pollution and influenza vaccination on allergic respiratory diseases. We conducted a large population-based study to evaluate the interaction effects between influenza vaccination and long-term exposure to ambient air pollution on allergic respiratory diseases in children and adolescents.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was investigated during 2012-2013 in 94 schools from Seven Northeastern Cities (SNEC) in China.
Importance: Breastfeeding and exposure to ambient air pollutants have been found to be independently associated with respiratory health in children; however, previous studies have not examined the association of breastfeeding as a potential moderator of the association.
Objective: To assess associations of breastfeeding and air pollution with lung function in children.
Design, Setting, And Participants: Using a cross-sectional study design, children were recruited from 62 elementary and middle schools located in 7 Chinese cities from April 1, 2012, to October 31, 2013.
Importance: Which cardiometabolic risk factors (eg, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, overweight or obesity, and dyslipidemia) are more sensitive to long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and whether participants with these conditions are more susceptible to the cardiovascular effects of air pollution remain unclear.
Objectives: To evaluate the associations among long-term exposure to air pollutants, cardiometabolic risk factors, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 1 through December 31, 2009, in 3 cities in Northeastern China.
Industrial processes, coal combustion, biomass burning (BB), and vehicular transport are important sources of atmospheric fine particles (PM) and contribute to ambient air concentrations of health-hazardous species, such as heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and oxygenated-PAHs (OPAH). In China, emission controls have been implemented to improve air quality during large events, like the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in August 2014 in Nanjing. In this work, six measurement campaigns between January 2014 and August 2015 were undertaken in Nanjing to determine the effects of emission controls and meteorological factors on PM concentration and composition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Little is known about PM effects on respiratory health, relative to larger size fractions (PM). To address this literature gap, we assessed associations between PM exposure and asthmatic symptoms in Chinese children and adolescents, compared with PM.
Methods: A total of 59,754 children, aged 2-17 years, were recruited from 94 kindergartens, elementary and middle schools in the Seven Northeast Cities (SNEC) study, during 2012-2013.
Ambient inhalable particulate matter (PM) is a serious health concern worldwide, but especially so in China where high PM concentrations affect huge populations. Atmospheric processes and emission sources cause spatial and temporal variations in PM concentration and chemical composition, but their influence on the toxicological characteristics of PM are still inadequately understood. In this study, we report an extensive chemical and toxicological characterization of size-segregated urban air inhalable PM collected in August and October 2013 from Nanjing, and assess the effects of atmospheric processes and likely emission sources.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Health effects of air pollution on diabetes have been scarcely studied in developing countries. We aimed to explore the associations of long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants with diabetes prevalence and glucose-homoeostasis markers in China.
Methods: Between April 1 and Dec 31, 2009, we recruited a total of 15 477 participants aged 18-74 years using a random number generator and a four-staged, stratified and cluster sampling strategy from a large cross-sectional study (the 33 Communities Chinese Health Study) from three cities in Liaoning province, northeastern China.
Residential wood combustion (RWC) emits high amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into ambient air, leading to formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), and various health and climate effects. In this study, the emission factors of VOCs from a logwood-fired modern masonry heater were measured using a Proton-Transfer-Reactor Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer. Next, the VOCs were aged in a 29 m Teflon chamber equipped with UV black lights, where dark and photochemical atmospheric conditions were simulated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Technol
February 2017
Interactions between anthropogenic and biogenic emissions, and implications for aerosol production, have raised particular scientific interest. Despite active research in this area, real anthropogenic emission sources have not been exploited for anthropogenic-biogenic interaction studies until now. This work examines these interactions using α-pinene and pellet boiler emissions as a model test system.
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