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Environmental Chemical Exposure and Human Health in the Modern Era

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 20017

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Dr. Yuexia Sun

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Guest Editor

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300000, China
Interests: indoor air quality; human health; built environment; modern chemical exposure; endocrine disruption compounds; risk management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, a significant increase in the development and production of synthetic chemicals (e.g., phthalates, bisphenol A, 4-nonylphenol, and perfluorochemicals) has been observed, impacting many aspects of human life and the natural environment. During the same period of time as the exposure for these new chemicals has increased, there has been a remarkable increase in several chronic diseases/disorders such as asthma and allergy, reproduction disorders, overweight/obesity, diabetes, autism, etc.

The majority of these chemicals have endocrine-disrupting properties. These new chemicals have been shown to be toxic in studies on animals, and an increasing body of evidence suggests that they also have impact on human health. Exposure to these chemicals is not related to occupational setting (with some exceptions when coming to pesticides, etc.) or industrial pollutants. It is related to consumer products and building materials, and such exposure might be modified by environmental parameters such as temperature, ventilation, etc. This means that our homes and non-industrial workplaces (e.g., offices, schools, day care centers) are important places for exposure.

In this Special Issue, we focus on new scientific data on daily chemical exposure; the influence of environmental parameters on exposures; identification of sources and human update procedures for adults and infants; the health relevance of new chemical exposures; and determination of affected biological mechanisms. With this Special Issue, we want to increase knowledge regarding exposure to new environmental chemicals and their health effects, as well as regarding risk governance in the intersection between public policies, practical solutions, and voluntary measures.

The themes of interest include (but are not limited to):

New methods for sampling and analysis of environmental chemicals;
Distribution of new chemical compounds in homes and non-industrial places;
Sources and transmission for environmental chemical compounds in built environments and in nature;
Modifying factors for environmental exposure of new compounds;
New methods for analyzing environmental chemicals in human fluid;
Distribution of biomarkers for new chemical compounds in the population;
Pathways for human uptake and the differences/similarities between infants and adults;
Health effects of environmental chemicals on humans;
Differences in health effects from exposure for single compounds and mixtures; between sexes; among infants and adults;
Biological/pathophysiological mechanism for chemical-related development of diseases/disorders;
Strategies for risk reduction that are beneficial from a societal point of view.

Dr. Yuexia Sun
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

endocrine disrupting compounds
modern chemical exposure
human health
modern disease
healthy indoor spaces
indoor air quality

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 3564 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Content and Emission form of Volatile Organic Compounds from Cooking Oils: A Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) Analysis

by Ge Zhang, Fulu Sun, Haichao Li, Yuanxin Lin, Kai Zhao and Lei Fang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 1796; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031796 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1838

Abstract

Cooking oil fumes are full of dangerous chemicals that are bad for human health. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in cooking oil fumes are not only emitted in the form of gas but may also accumulate with other substances in oil fumes and form particulate matter emitted into the atmosphere. Different forms of VOCs can enter different regions of the human body and have varying effects on health. This paper investigated the VOC emission types found in some cooking fumes. The findings demonstrate that organic contaminants from edible oils were released as gas and particle matter, with gas being the predominant component. The fraction of gaseous VOCs steadily declined as oil temperature rose, whereas the proportion of VOCs released as particulate matter gradually rose. It is possible to assume that the increase in oil fume with temperature was caused by the original oil’s components volatilizing more frequently under the influence of vapor pressure and that chemical reactions were not the primary cause of oil fume creation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Chemical Exposure and Human Health in the Modern Era)

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12 pages, 862 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phthalates in Glass Window Films of Chinese University Dormitories and Their Associations with Indoor Decorating Materials and Personal Care Products

by Liujia Fan, Lixin Wang, Kexin Wang, Fang Liu and Gang Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15297; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215297 - 19 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1941

Abstract

Phthalates are widely used as plasticizers in the production of various consumer products used daily. We analyzed phthalate concentrations in window film samples from 144 dormitories in 13 universities and combined them with the results of questionnaires to explore the associations of phthalate concentrations with indoor decorating materials and personal care products. The phthalate pollution levels discovered in this study were much higher than those in previous studies of baby rooms and university buildings. Moreover, it was found that phthalate concentrations in glass window films were associated with laminated wood or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring, iron furniture, medium density fiberboard (MDF) furniture, and the usage frequency of bottled skincare products. Laminated wood or PVC flooring, wallpaper, and iron furniture are very likely sources of specific phthalates, and the large surface areas of MDF furniture can act as sinks of phthalates. Transport of phthalates from the packaging of bottled skincare products into cosmetics should be given more attention. Our results provide a deep understanding of the sources of phthalates in glass window films. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Chemical Exposure and Human Health in the Modern Era)

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12 pages, 325 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phthalate Metabolites in Urine of Chinese Children and Their Association with Asthma and Allergic Symptoms

by Yuxuan Zhao, Yuexia Sun, Changqi Zhu, Ying Zhang, Jing Hou, Qinghao Zhang and Yeganeh Ataei

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14083; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114083 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1543

Abstract

Phthalates are ubiquitous ‘modern’ chemical compounds with potential negative impacts on children’s health. A nested case–control study was designed to investigate associations of phthalate exposure with children’s asthma and allergic symptoms. We collected 243 first morning urine samples from 4–8-year-old children in Tianjin, China. Eight metabolites (i.e., mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) and mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxylpentyl) phthalate (MECPP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) and mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP)) of five phthalates were analyzed using HPLC-MS. MiBP, MnBP and MECPP were the dominant phthalate metabolites in urine of children in Tianjin with median concentrations of 31.6 μg/L, 26.24 μg/L and 46.12 μg/L, respectively. We found significantly positive associations of diagnosed asthma with MnBP (adjusted odds ratios (AOR): 1.96; 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 1.07–3.61), MEHHP (AOR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.08–3.71) and MEOHP (AOR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.06–4.10). Our study indicates that phthalate exposure in childhood, especially to di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), may be a risk factor for children’s asthma. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Chemical Exposure and Human Health in the Modern Era)

16 pages, 2583 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Electrode Distances on Remediation of Eutrophic Water and Sediment by Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell Coupled Floating Beds

by Qing Wu, Jieqiong Liu, Qiannan Li, Wenjun Mo, Ruihan Wan and Sen Peng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 10423; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610423 - 21 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1892

Abstract

Efficient and sustainable technologies for cleaning of contaminated water and sediments are in urgent demand. In this study, a new type of sediment microbial fuel cell coupled floating bed (FB-SMFC) was developed to repair eutrophic water and sediment in a cleaner way. The effect of electrode spacing on the power generation capacity and the synchronous remediation of pollutants from eutrophic water and sediment were studied. When the electrode distance was 60 cm, the maximum power generation and pollutant removal effects were obtained. At the end of the experiment, the maximum output voltage was 0.4 V, and the chemical oxygen demand (COD_Cr, potassium dichromate method), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) contents in the overlying water were 8 mg/L, 0.7 mg/L, and 0.39 mg/L. The corresponding removal rates were 88.2%, 78.8%, and 59.0%, respectively. The removal rates of organic matter and TN in the sediment were 12.8% and 86.4%, respectively, and the fixation rate of TP was 29.2%. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum of bacteria in the sediment and anode. Many anaerobic bacteria were found in the overlying water, which facilitated denitrification. Overall, the results of this research revealed a highly efficient and reliable strategy for eutrophic water and sediment remediation, aquatic ecosystems restoration, and human health protection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Chemical Exposure and Human Health in the Modern Era)

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12 pages, 1368 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Phthalates from Artificial Products in Chinese Kindergarten Classrooms and the Implications for Preschool Children’s Exposure Assessments

by Jiahui Wang, Zefei Xu, Jingyu Yao, Maochao Hu, Yuewen Sun, Cong Dong and Zhongming Bu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 8011; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138011 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1809

Abstract

Phthalates are typical chemical pollutants in kindergarten classrooms since numerous artificial products (e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC) floorings, soft polymers and plastic toys) that might contain phthalates are widely distributed in kindergarten classrooms. Although Chinese preschool children spend a considerable amount of their waking hours (>8 h/day) in kindergartens, phthalate exposure in such indoor environment has not been given much attention. In this study, the mass fractions of six phthalates in twenty-six artificial products (fifteen flat decoration materials and eleven plastic toys) commonly found in Chinese kindergarten classrooms were measured. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) was the most predominant compound in all materials. The emission characteristics of the DEHP from these materials were further investigated. The measured emission characteristics were used for predicting multi-phase DEHP concentrations in kindergarten classrooms by applying a mass transfer model. The modeled concentrations were comparable with those measured in the real environment, indicating that these products might be the major sources of DEHP in Chinese kindergarten classrooms. Preschool children’s exposure to DEHP was found to be 0.42 μg/kg/day in kindergartens under baseline conditions, accounting for 18% of the total exposure to DEHP in Chinese indoor environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Chemical Exposure and Human Health in the Modern Era)

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11 pages, 2787 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Assessment of Airborne Bacteria and Fungi in the Female Dormitory Environment: Level, Impact Factors and Dose Rate

by Yanju Li, Xinyu Wang, Guoqing Cao, Yu Wang, Qingqing Miao and Jinlu He

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6642; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116642 - 29 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1739

Abstract

In this study, the levels of airborne bacteria and fungi were tested in a female dormitory room; the effects of heating, relative humidity and number of occupants on indoor microorganisms were analyzed and the dose rate of exposure to microbes was assessed. The bacterial and fungal concentrations in the room ranged from 100 to several thousand CFU/m³, and the highest counts were observed in the morning (930 ± 1681 CFU/m³). Staphylococcus spp. and Micrococcus spp. were found in the dormitory. When the heating was on, the total bacterial and fungal counts were lower than when there was no heating. Moreover, statistically significant differences were observed for bacterial concentrations during the morning periods between the times when there was no heating and the times when there was heating. The number of occupants had an obvious positive effect on the total bacterial counts. Moreover, RH had no correlation with the airborne fungi in the dormitory, statistically. Furthermore, the highest dose rate from exposure to bacteria and fungi was observed during sleeping hours. The dose rate from exposure to airborne microorganisms in the dormitory was associated with the activity level in the room. These results helped to elucidate the threat of bioaerosols to the health of female occupants and provide guidance for protective measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Chemical Exposure and Human Health in the Modern Era)

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17 pages, 607 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Indoor Air Purification and Residents’ Self-Rated Health: Evidence from the China Health and Nutrition Survey

by Lei Li, Yilin Zheng and Shaojun Ma

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6316; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106316 - 23 May 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2446

Abstract

Indoor air pollution is injurious to human health, even worse than outdoor air pollution. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence using large samples in developing countries regarding whether indoor air purification can improve human health by reducing indoor air pollutants. Using the data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2015, this study analyzes the relationship between indoor air purification and residents’ self-rated health. We apply the generalized ordered logit model and find that indoor air purification has a significantly positive effect on residents’ self-rated health. This positive effect is limited to improving the probability of residents’ health level being rated “good”, and there is no significant movement between the two levels of “bad” and “fair”. The results also show that, as an important source of indoor air pollutants, solid fuels used in cooking significantly reduced residents’ self-rated health level. Additional results show the heterogeneity of the relationship between indoor air purification and resident health among groups with different characteristics. This study provides empirical evidence for further optimizing the indoor air environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Chemical Exposure and Human Health in the Modern Era)

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15 pages, 4904 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling di (2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) and Its Metabolism in a Body’s Organs and Tissues through Different Intake Pathways into Human Body

by Ao Li, Lingyi Kang, Runjie Li, Sijing Wu, Ke Liu and Xinke Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5742; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095742 - 9 May 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2665

Abstract

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are ubiquitous in indoor environments as plasticizers in indoor products. Residences are often exposed to indoor PAEs in the form of gas, particles, settled dust, and surface phases. To reveal the mechanism behind the accumulation of PAEs in different tissues or organs such as the liver and the lungs when a person exposed to indoor PAEs with different phases, a whole-body physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for PAEs is employed to characterize the dynamic process of phthalates by different intake pathways, including oral digestion, dermal adsorption, and inhalation. Among three different intake pathways, dermal penetration distributed the greatest accumulation of DEHP in most of the organs, while the accumulative concentration through oral ingestion was an order of magnitude lower than the other two doses. Based on the estimated parameters, the variation of di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) concentration in the venous blood, urine, the liver, the thymus, the pancreas, the spleen, the lungs, the brain, the heart, and the kidney for different intake scenarios was simulated. The simulated results showed a different accumulation profile of DEHP and MEHP in different organs and tissues and demonstrated that the different intake pathways will result in different accumulation distributions of DEHP and MEHP in organs and tissues and may lead to different detrimental health outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Chemical Exposure and Human Health in the Modern Era)

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Review

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14 pages, 752 KiB

Open AccessReview

Health Effects of Exposure to Indoor Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds in Chinese Building Environment: A Systematic Review

by Yeganeh Ataei, Yuexia Sun, Wei Liu, Agnes S. Ellie, Hui Dong and Umme Marium Ahmad

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 678; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010678 - 30 Dec 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2483

Abstract

People spend a considerable portion of their lives indoors; thus, the quality of the indoor environment is crucial. Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are among the primary indoor pollutants responsible for various health risks. This paper systematically reviews the impact of SVOC exposure on human health in Chinese built environments. Based on a set of criteria, we judged 12 publications as providing sufficient information on both SVOC exposure and health effects to inform the relationship. Out of six studies on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), three observed a positive association between PAH exposure and lung cancer. Out of six studies of phthalate exposure, two studies reported a significant positive association between DEP and DiBP and asthma, between DEP and DEHP and dry cough among children, and between DBP and rhinitis among younger adults. The results of this review suggest that there might be a link between phthalate exposure and asthma and allergies, as well as a link between PAH exposure and lung cancer. However, due to the limited number of studies conducted, more evidence is necessary to definitively guide the establishment of standards for SVOC control in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Chemical Exposure and Human Health in the Modern Era)

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