The World Health Organisation recently listed air pollution as the most significant threat to human health. Air pollution comprises particulate matter (PM), metals, black carbon and gases such as ozone (O ), nitrogen dioxide (NO ) and carbon monoxide (CO). In addition to respiratory and cardiovascular disease, PM exposure is linked with increased risk of neurodegeneration as well as neurodevelopmental impairments. Critically, studies suggest that PM crosses the placenta, making direct in utero exposure a reality. Rodent models reveal that neuroinflammation, neurotransmitter imbalance and oxidative stress are triggered following gestational/early life exposure to PM, and may be exacerbated by concomitant mitochondrial dysfunction. Gestational PM exposure (potentiated by mitochondrial impairment in the metabolically active neonatal brain) not only impacts neurodevelopment but may sensitise the brain to subsequent cognitive impairment. Having reviewed this field, we conclude that strategies are urgently required to reduce exposure to PM during this sensitive developmental period.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bies.202000288 | DOI Listing |
ACS Nano
January 2025
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
A surfactant is an efficient and common additive used to enhance the spreading of droplets on hydrophobic surfaces. However, a high surfactant concentration is required to achieve the desired performance, resulting in environmental pollution and increased costs. Additionally, the pesticide loading capacity of surfactants at low concentrations (below their critical micelle concentrations) is a concern.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS EST Air
January 2025
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States.
Due to the increased prevalence of plastic pollution globally, atmospheric deposition of microplastics (MPs) is a significant issue that needs to be better understood to identify potential consequences for human health. This study is the first to quantify and characterize atmospheric MP deposition in the Eastern United States. Passive sampling was conducted at two locations within the Eastern United States, specifically in remote South Central Appalachia, from March to September 2023.
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January 2025
Lyles School of Civil & Construction Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
Commercial HVAC systems intended to mitigate indoor air pollution are operated based on standards that exclude aerosols with smaller diameters, such as ultrafine particles (UFPs, D ≤ 100 nm), which dominate a large proportion of indoor and outdoor number-based particle size distributions. UFPs generated from occupant activities or infiltrating from the outdoors can be recirculated and accumulate indoors when they are not successfully filtered by an air handling unit. Monitoring UFPs in real occupied environments is vital to understanding these source and mitigation dynamics, but capturing their rapid transience across multiple locations can be challenging due to high-cost instrumentation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJACC Adv
December 2024
Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Background: Air pollution is a significant environmental risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), but its impact on African populations is under-researched due to limited air quality data and health studies.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to synthesize available research on the effects of air pollution on CVDs outcomes in African populations, identify knowledge gaps, and suggest areas for research and policy intervention.
Methods: A systematic search of PubMed was conducted using terms capturing criteria ambient air pollutants (for example particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and sulfur dioxide) and CVDs and countries in Africa.
Heliyon
July 2024
Department of Nursing, Pharmacology and Physiotherapy, University of Córdoba, 14014, Córdoba, Spain.
Introduction: Cancer is a leading cause of death in the Americas. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, while stomach cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Tobacco and alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and air pollution are risk factors for these cancers.
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