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Toxicology, Exposure Assessment and Epidemiology of Primary and Secondary Ultrafine Particles

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2016) | Viewed by 37066

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Doug Brugge

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Guest Editor

Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA
Interests: ultrafine particles; particle number count; traffic-related air pollution; air pollution monitoring; modeling air pollution; cardiovascular; respiratory; toxicology; epidemiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is increasing interest in ultrafine particles as a subfraction of particulate matter. Interest stems from studies showing that ultrafine levels are elevated near heavy traffic, and that living near major roadways is associated with a range of cardiovascular, respiratory and other adverse health outcomes. Toxicology, controlled exposure and acute studies have added some evidence for ultrafine particles presenting risks to human health. There are fewer chronic and longitudinal studies, but there are a few that have been recently published or that are anticipated. Still, the evidence base remains insufficient to drive policy responses. Thus, additional academic papers are needed related to monitoring, modeling, assigning exposure and assessing associations with health. Additional toxicology would also be helpful. Papers responding to this issue should report original findings, reviews, and methods relevant to ultrafine particles and health.

Dr. Doug Brugge
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

ultrafine particles
particle number count
traffic-related air pollution
air pollution monitoring
modeling air pollution
cardiovascular
respiratory
toxicology
epidemiology

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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569 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association of Long-Term Near-Highway Exposure to Ultrafine Particles with Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes and Hypertension

by Yu Li, Kevin J. Lane, Laura Corlin, Allison P. Patton, John L. Durant, Mohan Thanikachalam, Mark Woodin, Molin Wang and Doug Brugge

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(5), 461; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14050461 - 26 Apr 2017

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 6507

Abstract

Ultrafine particle (UFP) concentrations are elevated near busy roadways, however, their effects on prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension are not well understood. To investigate these associations, data on demographics, diseases, medication use, and time of activities were collected by in-home surveys for 704 participants in three pairs of near-highway and urban background neighborhoods in and near Boston (MA, USA). Body mass index (BMI) was measured for a subset of 435 participants. Particle number concentration (PNC, a measure of UFP) was collected by mobile monitoring in each area. Intra-neighborhood spatial-temporal regression models (approximately 20 m resolution) were used to estimate hourly ambient PNC at the residences of participants. We used participant time activity information to adjust annual average residential PNC values and assign individualized time activity adjusted annual average PNC exposures (TAA-PNC). Using multivariate logistic regression models, we found an odds ratio (OR) of 1.35 (95% CI: 0.83, 2.22) of TAA-PNC with stroke and ischemic heart diseases (S/IHD), an OR of 1.14 (95% CI: 0.81, 1.62) with hypertension, and an OR of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.46, 1.10) for diabetes. A subset analysis controlling for BMI produced slightly stronger associations for S/IHD (OR = 1.61, 95% CI: 0.88, 2.92) and hypertension (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 0.81, 2.02), and no association with diabetes (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.61, 1.96). Further research is needed with larger sample sizes and longitudinal follow-up. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology, Exposure Assessment and Epidemiology of Primary and Secondary Ultrafine Particles)

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1978 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phenology of a Vegetation Barrier and Resulting Impacts on Near-Highway Particle Number and Black Carbon Concentrations on a School Campus

by Christina H. Fuller, David R. Carter, Matthew J. Hayat, Richard Baldauf and Rebecca Watts Hull

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(2), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14020160 - 08 Feb 2017

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4543

Abstract

Traffic-related air pollution is a persistent concern especially in urban areas where populations live in close proximity to roadways. Innovative solutions are needed to minimize human exposure and the installation of vegetative barriers shows potential as a method to reduce near-road concentrations. This study investigates the impact of an existing stand of deciduous and evergreen trees on near-road total particle number (PNC) and black carbon (BC) concentrations across three seasons. Measurements were taken during spring, fall and winter on the campus of a middle school in the Atlanta (GA, USA) area at distances of 10 m and 50 m from a major interstate highway. We identified consistent decreases in BC concentrations, but not for PNC, with increased distance from the highway. In multivariable models, hour of day, downwind conditions, distance to highway, temperature and relative humidity significantly predicted pollutant concentrations. The magnitude of effect of these variables differed by season, however, we were not able to show a definitive impact of the vegetative barrier on near-road concentrations. More detailed studies are necessary to further examine the specific configurations and scenarios that may produce pollutant and exposure reductions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology, Exposure Assessment and Epidemiology of Primary and Secondary Ultrafine Particles)

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580 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Participatory Democracy, Community Organizing and the Community Assessment of Freeway Exposure and Health (CAFEH) Partnership

by Linda Sprague Martinez, Ellin Reisner, Maria Campbell and Doug Brugge

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(2), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14020149 - 04 Feb 2017

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4782

Abstract

Background: Conflicting interests, power imbalance and relationships characterized by distrust are just a few of the many challenges community–academic research partnerships face. In addition, the time it takes to build relationships is often overlooked, which further complicates matters and can leave well-intentioned individuals re-creating oppressive conditions through inauthentic partnerships. This paper presents a novel approach of using meeting minutes to explore partnership dynamics. The Community Assessment of Freeway Exposure and Health (CAFEH) partnership is used as an illustrative case study to identify how community academic partnerships overcome the challenges associated with community-based participatory research (CBPR). CAFEH is a study of ultrafine particle exposure (UFP) near highways in the Boston, MA area. Methods: Qualitative analysis was applied to meeting minutes and process evaluation reports from the first three years of the CAFEH study (n = 73 files). In addition, a group meeting was held with project partners in order to contextualize the findings from the document analysis. Results: The three most commonly referenced challenges included language barriers, the overall project structure and budgetary constraints. Meanwhile, a heavy emphasis on process and an approach steeped in participatory democracy facilitated CAFEH’s ability to overcome these challenges, as well as sustain and augment strong partnership ties. Conclusions: This experience suggests that leadership that incorporates an organizing approach and a transformational style facilitates CBPR processes and helps teams surmount challenges. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology, Exposure Assessment and Epidemiology of Primary and Secondary Ultrafine Particles)

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6311 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ultrafine and Fine Particulate Matter Inside and Outside of Mechanically Ventilated Buildings

by Shelly L. Miller, Nick A. Facciola, Darin Toohey and John Zhai

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(2), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14020128 - 28 Jan 2017

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 7649

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to measure levels of particulate matter (PM) in mechanically ventilated buildings and to improve understanding of filtration requirements to reduce exposure. With the use of an Ultra High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer and an Aerodyne Mass Spectrometer, ultrafine (0.055–0.1 μm) and fine (0.1–0.7 μm) indoor and outdoor PM was measured as a function of time in an office, a university building, and two elementary schools. Indoor particle levels were highly correlated with outdoor levels. Indoor and outdoor number concentrations in Denver were higher than those in Boulder, with the highest number concentrations occurring during summer and fall. The ratio of indoor-to-outdoor (I/O) PM was weakly but positively correlated with the amount of ventilation provided to the indoor environment, did not vary much with particle size (ranged between 0.48 and 0.63 for the entire size range), and was similar for each period of the week (weekend vs. weekday, night vs. day). Regression analyses showed that ultrafine indoor PM baseline concentrations were higher at night from nighttime infiltration. A lag time was observed between outdoor and indoor measurements. Weekday days had the shortest lag time of 11 min, and weekend nighttime lags when the HVAC was not in use were 50 to 148 min. Indoor-outdoor PM concentration plots showed ultrafine PM was more correlated compared to fine, and especially when the HVAC system was on. Finally, AMS data showed that most of the PM was organic, with occasional nitrate events occurring outdoors. During nitrate events, there were less indoor particles detected, indicating a loss of particulate phase nitrate. The results from this study show that improved filtration is warranted in mechanically ventilated buildings, particularly for ultrafine particles, and that nighttime infiltration is significant depending on the building design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology, Exposure Assessment and Epidemiology of Primary and Secondary Ultrafine Particles)

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4962 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Three Real-Time Measurement Methods for Airborne Ultrafine Particles in the Silicon Alloy Industry

by Ida Teresia Kero and Rikke Bramming Jørgensen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13(9), 871; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13090871 - 01 Sep 2016

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5176

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the applicability and the correlation between three commercially available instruments capable of detection, quantification, and characterization of ultrafine airborne particulate matter in the industrial setting of a tapping area in a silicon alloy production plant. The number concentration of ultrafine particles was evaluated using an Electric Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI^TM), a Fast Mobility Particle Sizer (FMPS^TM), and a Condensation Particle Counter (CPC). The results are discussed in terms of particle size distribution and temporal variations linked to process operations. The instruments show excellent temporal covariation and the correlation between the FMPS and ELPI is good. The advantage of the FMPS is the excellent time- and size resolution of the results. The main advantage of the ELPI is the possibility to collect size-fractionated samples of the dust for subsequent analysis by, for example, electron microscopy. The CPC does not provide information about the particle size distribution and its correlation to the other two instruments is somewhat poor. Nonetheless, the CPC gives basic, real-time information about the ultrafine particle concentration and can therefore be used for source identification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology, Exposure Assessment and Epidemiology of Primary and Secondary Ultrafine Particles)

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Other

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1599 KiB

Open AccessConference Report

Ultrafine Particle Metrics and Research Considerations: Review of the 2015 UFP Workshop

by Richard W. Baldauf, Robert B. Devlin, Peter Gehr, Robert Giannelli, Beth Hassett-Sipple, Heejung Jung, Giorgio Martini, Joseph McDonald, Jason D. Sacks and Katherine Walker

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13(11), 1054; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13111054 - 28 Oct 2016

Cited by 107 | Viewed by 7965

Abstract

In February 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sponsored a workshop in Research Triangle Park, NC, USA to review the current state of the science one missions, air quality impacts, and health effects associated with exposures to ultraﬁne particles[1].[...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology, Exposure Assessment and Epidemiology of Primary and Secondary Ultrafine Particles)

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