Environmental and Behavioral Factors in Association with Lung Function Impairment in Children Living in Wuhan, China.

Children’s lung function is a significant predictor of health status throughout their lifetime. This study aims to identify the prevalence of impaired lung function in children and the potential influencing factors in elementary school children of Wuhan, China. Children of 6−12 years old were enrolled from elementary schools in Wuhan, China, in 2018, on the basis of a cross-sectional study design.

Domestic dogs as sentinels of children lead exposure: Multi-pathway identification and source apportionment based on isotope technique.

Environmental lead exposure poses risks to children' health, thus exposure sources and pathways identification remain important concern and research scope. Due to sharing the same environment, domestic animals, especially dogs, have been used as useful sentinels to identify human lead exposure. However, more evidence is needed on whether domestic dogs could be used to identify the lead exposure pathways and sources of children.

Traffic related activity pattern of Chinese adults: a nation-wide population based survey.

Background: Traffic-related air pollutants lead to increased risks of many diseases. Understanding travel patterns and influencing factors are important for mitigating traffic exposures. However, there is a lack of national large-scale research.

Has the Risk of Outpatient Visits for Allergic Rhinitis, Related to Short-Term Exposure to Air Pollution, Changed over the Past Years in Beijing, China?

A number of studies have found associations between the short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and hospital admissions. However, little is known about the temporal variations in ambient air pollution associated with health exposure, especially in China. We evaluated whether the risks of allergic rhinitis (AR) outpatient visits from short-term exposure to air pollution varied over time (2014-2020) in Beijing, China.

Source apportionment based on lead isotope ratios: Could domestic dog's blood lead be used to identify the level and sources of lead pollution in children?

Domestic dogs have been proved to be used as "sentinel organisms" to monitor human lead exposure. However, whether dogs' blood can be used to identify the levels and pollution source of children's lead exposure still needs evidence. To evaluate the potential use of domestic dogs' blood lead as an indicator of lead exposure levels and pollution source of children, accompanying with potential environmental media samples, lead concentrations and isotope ratios (expressed as Pb/Pb, Pb/Pb) in blood were investigated and compared between children and dogs, who came from a Pb-Zn smelter area, a coal fired area and a control area without industrial activity.

Chemical constituents of ambient fine particulate matter and obesity among school-aged children: A representative national study in China.

Background: Studies show that fine particulate matter (PM) contributes to childhood obesity. However, evidence on the effects of its constituents on obesity has not been explored.

Methods: Using multistage stratified cluster sampling, we enrolled 41,439 school-age children (aged 6-17 years) from a representative nationwide survey of 30 provinces in China (mean age ± standard deviation: 12.

Household mold exposure in association with childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis in a northwestern city and a southern city of China.

Background: The prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases has increased rapidly in Chinese cities over the past decades. Few studies have examined the potential role of household mold in asthma and allergies in Chinese cities.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey in 4,691 school-age children was performed in Lanzhou and Wuhan.

Sentinel animals for monitoring the environmental lead exposure: combination of traditional review and visualization analysis.

In nature, certain animals share a common living environment with humans, thus these animals have become biomonitors of health effects related to various environmental exposures. As one of the most toxic environmental chemicals, lead (Pb) can cause detriment health effects to animals, plants, and even humans through different exposure pathways such as atmosphere, soil, food, water, and dust, etc. Sentinel animals played an "indicative" role in the researches of environmental pollution monitoring and human health.

Effects of physical activity intensity on adulthood obesity as a function of long-term exposure to ambient PM: Observations from a Chinese nationwide representative sample.

Long-term exposure to PM has been associated with increased obesity risk, while physical activity (PA) is a suggested protective factor. This raises a dilemma whether the increased dose of PM due to PA-intensified ventilation would offset the benefits of PA. Using a national representative sample, we aim to (1) ascertain inclusive findings of the association between PA and obesity, and (2) examine whether PM exposure modifies the PA-obesity relationship.

Distributions and determinants of time spent outdoors among school-age children in China.

Background: The outdoor time is a key factor that determines children's exposure to environmental contaminants. Meanwhile, children reap numerous physical and mental health benefits from playing outdoors.

Objective: This study aimed to characterize the distributions and identify determinants of the time spent outdoors among school-age children in China.

Association between exposure to air pollution and risk of allergic rhinitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common allergic diseases in the world, and usually persists throughout the activity. Epidemiological studies have shown a positive association between air pollution and allergic rhinitis. However, we could not find any meta-analysis of the risk of air pollutants (PM, PM, NO, SO, O and CO) on the prevalence of AR in people of all ages.

A comprehensive analysis on source-distribution-bioaccumulation-exposure risk of metal(loid)s in various vegetables in peri-urban areas of Shenzhen, China.

The health risk induced by metal(loid)s in crops are becoming increasingly serious. In this study, eight major vegetables and rhizosphere soils were collected in a peri-urban area with intense electronic information manufacturing activities. The source, distribution and bioaccumulation of six typical metal(loid)s in different vegetable species were analyzed, and exposure risk through vegetable ingestion was estimated.

Source identification of pollution and health risks to metals in household indoor and outdoor dust: A cross-sectional study in a typical mining town, China.

Dust is regarded as an important pathway of heavy metal(loid)s to the human body. Health risks posed by metal(loid)s from household dust are of particular concern. However, the contamination and sources of heavy metal(loid)s in household dust environments, as well as source identification of health risks related to heavy metal(loid)s from household dust for vulnerable populations such as children, have not been thoroughly studied in China, particularly for the areas involved with industrial activities such as ore mining.

Non-negligible contributions to human health from increased household air pollution exposure during the COVID-19 lockdown in China.

Background: Ambient and household air pollution are found to lead to premature deaths from all-cause or cause-specific death. The national lockdown measures in China during COVID-19 were found to lead to abrupt changes in ambient surface air quality, but indoor air quality changes were neglected. In this study, we aim to investigate the impacts of lockdown measures on both ambient and household air pollution as well as the short-term health effects of air pollution changes.

Changes in children's lung function over two decades in relation to socioeconomic, parental and household factors in Wuhan, China.

Background: It is important to identify risk and beneficial factors for children's lung function. This study aims to ascertain potential changes in children's lung function in relation to changes in socioeconomic, parental and household factors, based on a comparison between two periods spanning 25 years in Wuhan, the largest metropolis in central China.

Methods: In two cross-sectional studies, lung function measurements and questionnaire surveys were conducted on school-age children in 1993-1996 (Period I) and in 2018 (Period II).

Household environmental factors and children's respiratory health: comparison of two cross-sectional studies over 25 years in Wuhan, China.

Background: Over the recent decades, residential lifestyle and household environment have changed substantially with rapid development of industrialization and urbanization in China. Whether the prevalence of respiratory diseases changed is still lack of evidence. The objective of this study is to assess potential changes in children's respiratory disease prevalence and associated household environmental factors in Wuhan over a 25-year time interval.

Children's lung function in relation to changes in socioeconomic, nutritional, and household factors over 20 years in Lanzhou.

Background: Lanzhou has experienced rapid urbanization, leading to changes in socioeconomic, nutritional, and household factors. These changes may affect children's lung function.

Methods: Two cross-sectional studies of school-age children (6-13 years of age) from the urban (Chengguan) (Period 1 in 1996 with n=390; Period 2 in 2017 with n=192) and the suburban (Xigu) (Period 1 n=344; Period 2 n=492) district were conducted.

The effects of indoor and outdoor air pollution on the prevalence of adults' respiratory diseases in four Chinese cities: a comparison between 2017-2018 and 1993-1996.

Background: Over the past decades, both ambient and household air pollution have changed in several aspects, including the emission sources and the concentrations of pollutants, in many Chinese cities. It is unknown whether these changes are associated with changes in health conditions, especially given changes in other factors due to rapid economic growth.

Methods: Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in two periods spanning more than twenty years (1993-1996 .

Health risk assessment of As due to rice ingestion based on iAs distribution and actual consumption patterns for the residents in Beijing: a cross-sectional study.

As a well-known human carcinogen, arsenic (As) could pose various detrimental health effects to humans mainly through the exposure pathway of food ingestion. In comparison with other foods, rice can accumulate more arsenic due to its tissue specificity. Thus, it is of great significance to assess the health risk of As due to rice ingestion.

Development of season-dependent land use regression models to estimate BC and PM exposure.

Reliable estimation of exposure to black carbon (BC) and sub-micrometer particles (PM) within a city is challenging because of limited monitoring data as well as the lack of models suitable for assessing the intra-urban environment. In this study, to estimate exposure levels in the inner-city area, we developed land use regression (LUR) models for BC and PM based on specially designed mobile monitoring surveys conducted in 2019 and 2020 for three seasons. The daytime and nighttime LUR models were developed separately to capture additional details on the variation in pollutants.

Long-term exposure to ambient PM increase obesity risk in Chinese adults: A cross-sectional study based on a nationwide survey in China.

Certain studies suggest that air pollution could be a risk factor for obesity, but the evidence on the association between air pollution exposure and obesity in adults is limited. This study aims to examine the association between long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) and obesity-related traits in Chinese adults. Thus, a cross-sectional study was conducted based on a nationally representative sample of 91, 121 adults from 31 provinces in China.

Health risk assessment of total exposure from cadmium in South China.

Heavy metal pollution and hazards are a global major concern. Heavy metals can be directly or indirectly harmful to humans through ingestion, inhalation, and deraml. According to the literature survey, cadmium (Cd) total exposure assessment and health risk assessment were performed in a population group from South China.