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Air Quality and Global Health
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Air Quality and Global Health

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 17929

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Mauro Scungio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Economics, Engineering, Society and Business Organization, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: thermodynamics; energy; environment; air quality; computational fluid dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As guest editor of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH), I would like to invite you to submit a paper to the Special Issue, Air Quality and Global Health. IJERPH publishes articles and communications in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health. Detailed information on the journal can be found at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

Ambient and indoor air may affect public health through environmental exposure. Air pollution can cause side effects, ranging from discomfort to severe consequences on health; recent findings showed that polluted air kills seven million people every year, causing one third of the deaths from stroke, lung cancer, and heart diseases. Pollutants in the air can deeply penetrate into the respiratory and circulatory system, damaging the lungs, heart, and brain. Research on outdoor air quality, in cities and rural areas of both developing and developed countries, as well as in indoor environments, can offer a critical guide for policy efforts and planning for public health.

This Special Issue aims to present original research articles and reviews in order to provide solid new findings extending the current state of knowledge about air quality and its impact on global health. The volume will involve, but is not limited to, the following: (1) evaluating the correlation between exposure to indoor and/or outdoor air pollution and health issues, (2) proposing new methodologies to correlate exposure to air pollutants and health effects, (3) estimating the risk of incurring in health issues due to poor air quality and/or propose new risk assessment methodologies, (4) investigating the effectiveness of technical solutions to increase air quality, and (5) characterize the air pollutant emission sources and their impact on air quality.

Dr. Mauro Scungio
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • air quality
  • global health
  • air pollution
  • airborne particles
  • indoor air quality
  • outdoor air quality
  • urban pollution
  • particulate matter
  • pollutant dispersion
  • population exposure assessment

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2846 KiB  
Article
Particle and Carbon Dioxide Concentration Levels in a Surgical Room Conditioned with a Window/Wall Air-Conditioning System
by Marcelo Pereira, Arlindo Tribess, Giorgio Buonanno, Luca Stabile, Mauro Scungio and Ilaria Baffo
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(4), 1180; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041180 - 13 Feb 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2761
Abstract
One of the most important functions of air conditioning systems in operating rooms is to protect occupants against pathogenic agents transported by air. This protection is done by simultaneously controlling the air distribution, temperature, humidity, filtration and infiltration from other areas etc. Due [...] Read more.
One of the most important functions of air conditioning systems in operating rooms is to protect occupants against pathogenic agents transported by air. This protection is done by simultaneously controlling the air distribution, temperature, humidity, filtration and infiltration from other areas etc. Due to their low price, simple installation, operation and maintenance, window/wall air conditioning system have largely been used in operating rooms in Brazil, even if these types of equipment only recirculate the air inside the room without appropriate filtration and renovation with outdoor air. In this context, this work aims to analyse the performance of the window/wall air conditioning systems on indoor air ventilation in operating rooms by measuring particle number concentrations and carbon dioxide concentrations during different surgical procedures, in a single surgical room and in the nearby areas (corridor) for two cases: single surgery and two subsequent surgeries. In addition, the efficiency of the analysed air conditioning system was evaluated by comparing the ventilation level calculated in the surgical room with the ventilation required in order to maintain the carbon dioxide concentration within acceptable levels. The results showed that this type of air conditioning system is not appropriate for use in operating rooms since it cannot provide an adequate level of ventilation. The CO2 concentrations during surgeries, in fact, significantly exceeded acceptable values and a simultaneous increase in particle number concentration was observed. The results also showed that there is a high risk of contamination between subsequent surgeries in the same surgical room, due to residues of contaminants transported by the particles emitted during the surgeries that were not removed from the operating room by the air conditioning system. The particle number concentration measured in the second surgery, in fact, was approximately six times higher than in the first surgery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality and Global Health)
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23 pages, 6050 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Variations of Particulate and Gaseous Pollutants and Their Relations to Meteorological Parameters: The Case of Xiangyang, China
by Wei Xue, Qingming Zhan, Qi Zhang and Zhonghua Wu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(1), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17010136 - 24 Dec 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3188
Abstract
High air pollution levels have become a nationwide problem in China, but limited attention has been paid to prefecture-level cities. Furthermore, different time resolutions between air pollutant level data and meteorological parameters used in many previous studies can lead to biased results. Supported [...] Read more.
High air pollution levels have become a nationwide problem in China, but limited attention has been paid to prefecture-level cities. Furthermore, different time resolutions between air pollutant level data and meteorological parameters used in many previous studies can lead to biased results. Supported by synchronous measurements of air pollutants and meteorological parameters, including PM2.5, PM10, total suspended particles (TSP), CO, NO2, O3, SO2, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, at 16 urban sites in Xiangyang, China, from 1 March 2018 to 28 February 2019, this paper: (1) analyzes the overall air quality using an air quality index (AQI); (2) captures spatial dynamics of air pollutants with pollution point source data; (3) characterizes pollution variations at seasonal, day-of-week and diurnal timescales; (4) detects weekend effects and holiday (Chinese New Year and National Day holidays) effects from a statistical point of view; (5) establishes relationships between air pollutants and meteorological parameters. The principal results are as follows: (1) PM2.5 and PM10 act as primary pollutants all year round and O3 loses its primary pollutant position after November; (2) automobile manufacture contributes to more particulate pollutants while chemical plants produce more gaseous pollutants. TSP concentration is related to on-going construction and road sprinkler operations help alleviate it; (3) an unclear weekend effect for all air pollutants is confirmed; (4) celebration activities for the Chinese New Year bring distinctly increased concentrations of SO2 and thereby enhance secondary particulate pollutants; (5) relative humidity and wind speed, respectively, have strong negative correlations with coarse particles and fine particles. Temperature positively correlates with O3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality and Global Health)
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18 pages, 2181 KiB  
Article
Outdoor Endurance Training with Air Pollutant Exposure Versus Sedentary Lifestyle: A Comparison of Airway Immune Responses
by Juliana de Melo Batista dos Santos, Roberta Foster, Anne-Charlotte Jonckheere, Marcelo Rossi, Luiz Antonio Luna Junior, Catherine Machado Katekaru, Matheus Cavalcante de Sá, Lucas Guimarães Pagani, Francine Maria de Almeida, Jônatas do Bussador Amaral, Rodolfo de Paula Vieira, Andre Luis Lacerda Bachi, Dominique Magdalena A Bullens and Mauro Vaisberg
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(22), 4418; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224418 - 12 Nov 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3110
Abstract
Although regular exercise-training improves immune/inflammatory status, the influence of air pollutants exposure during outdoor endurance training compared to a sedentary lifestyle has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to compare the immune/inflammatory responses in the airways of street runners and sedentary people [...] Read more.
Although regular exercise-training improves immune/inflammatory status, the influence of air pollutants exposure during outdoor endurance training compared to a sedentary lifestyle has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to compare the immune/inflammatory responses in the airways of street runners and sedentary people after acute and chronic particulate matter (PM) exposure. Forty volunteers (street runners (RUN, n = 20); sedentary people (SED, n = 20)) were evaluated 1 (acute) and 10 (chronic) weeks after PM exposure. Cytokines [interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-13, and IL-17A] in nasal lavage fluid, salivary antibacterial peptides (lactoferrin (LTF), cathelicidin (LL-37), defensin-α 1–3), and secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), plasma club cell protein (CC16), and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were analyzed. After acute exposure, the RUN group showed lower levels of IL-13, IL-10, and FeNO, but higher defensin-α than the SED group. After chronic exposure, the RUN group showed elevation of IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-17A, and a decrease of FeNO levels, whereas the SED group showed elevation of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, and a decrease of IL-13 levels. Comparing these groups, the RUN group showed higher levels of SIgA and LTF, and lower FeNO levels than the SED group. In relation to the Th immune response analysis after acute and chronic PM exposure, the RUN group showed a pattern associated with Th1, while in the SED group, a Th2 pattern was found. Both groups showed also a Th17 immune response pattern. Our results allow us to suggest that the immune/inflammatory status of the respiratory tract after acute and chronic PM exposure was improved by the long-standing regular practice of outdoor endurance exercise compared to a sedentary lifestyle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality and Global Health)
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14 pages, 1595 KiB  
Article
Is Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emission an Important Factor Affecting Healthcare Expenditure? Evidence from China, 2005–2016
by Linhong Chen, Yue Zhuo, Zhiming Xu, Xiaocang Xu and Xin Gao
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(20), 3995; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16203995 - 18 Oct 2019
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3700
Abstract
As a result of China’s economic growth, air pollution, including carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, has caused serious health problems and accompanying heavy economic burdens on healthcare. Therefore, the effect of carbon dioxide emission on healthcare expenditure (HCE) has attracted the interest [...] Read more.
As a result of China’s economic growth, air pollution, including carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, has caused serious health problems and accompanying heavy economic burdens on healthcare. Therefore, the effect of carbon dioxide emission on healthcare expenditure (HCE) has attracted the interest of many researchers, most of which have adopted traditional empirical methods, such as ordinary least squares (OLS) or quantile regression (QR), to analyze the issue. This paper, however, attempts to introduce Bayesian quantile regression (BQR) to discuss the relationship between carbon dioxide emission and HCE, based on the longitudinal data of 30 provinces in China (2005–2016). It was found that carbon dioxide emission is, indeed, an important factor affecting healthcare expenditure in China, although its influence is not as great as the income variable. It was also revealed that the effect of carbon dioxide emission on HCE at a higher quantile was much smaller, which indicates that most people are not paying sufficient attention to the correlation between air pollution and healthcare. This study also proves the applicability of Bayesian quantile regression and its ability to offer more valuable information, as compared to traditional empirical tools, thus expanding and deepening research capabilities on the topic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality and Global Health)
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22 pages, 2739 KiB  
Article
Bioaerosols Play a Major Role in the Nasopharyngeal Microbiota Content in Agricultural Environment
by Hamza Mbareche, Marc Veillette, Jonathan Pilote, Valérie Létourneau and Caroline Duchaine
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(8), 1375; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16081375 - 16 Apr 2019
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 4756
Abstract
Background: Bioaerosols are a major concern for public health and sampling for exposure assessment purposes is challenging. The nasopharyngeal region could be a potent carrier of long-term bioaerosol exposure agents. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between nasopharyngeal bacterial flora of [...] Read more.
Background: Bioaerosols are a major concern for public health and sampling for exposure assessment purposes is challenging. The nasopharyngeal region could be a potent carrier of long-term bioaerosol exposure agents. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between nasopharyngeal bacterial flora of swine workers and the swine barns bioaerosol biodiversity. Methods: Air samples from eight swine barns as well as nasopharyngeal swabs from pig workers (n = 25) and from a non-exposed control group (n = 29) were sequenced using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing. Wastewater treatment plants were used as the industrial, low-dust, non-agricultural environment control to validate the microbial link between the bioaerosol content (air) and the nasopharynxes of workers. Results: A multivariate analysis showed air samples and nasopharyngeal flora of pig workers cluster together, compared to the non-exposed control group. The significance was confirmed with the PERMANOVA statistical test (p-value of 0.0001). Unlike the farm environment, nasopharynx samples from wastewater workers did not cluster with air samples from wastewater treatment plants. The difference in the microbial community of nasopharynx of swine workers and a control group suggest that swine workers are carriers of germs found in bioaerosols. Conclusion: Nasopharynx sampling and microbiota could be used as a proxy of air sampling for exposure assessment studies or for the determination of exposure markers in highly contaminated agricultural environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality and Global Health)
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