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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 Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (22 March 2023) | Viewed by 18131

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Prof. Dr. Chunrong Jia

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Guest Editor

Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
Interests: community air pollution; exposure assessment; risk assessment; sampling and analytical techniques for air pollutants; indoor air quality (IAQ); environmental disparity
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Characterizing health risks from exposure to environmental contaminants remains a challenging field in environmental public health. In 1983, the United States National Academy of Science published the “Red Book” that established the well-known 4-step risk assessment framework. In the past 40 years, almost all risk assessment research and practice have been conducted within this framework. However, new environmental health issues have emerged in recent years, e.g., climate change., complex new chemical mixtures, risks in different life stages, and gene–environment interactions. New methodologies, models, and applications are needed to advance our understanding and management of environmental health risks. This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to disseminate their new findings and understandings in all aspects of environmental risk assessment in public health. The topics may include but are not limited to:

Exposure–response relationships from epidemiological studies;
Dose–response relationships from toxicological studies;
Quantitative estimate of cumulative risks from chemical mixtures;
Health risks from climate change;
Risk of epigenetic modifications arising from exposure to environmental toxicants;
Applications of the exposome in health risk assessment;
Case studies of risks from toxicants in multiple environmental media, e.g., air, water, food, soil, dust, and consumer products;
Socioeconomic and ethnical disparities in environmental risks;
Methods to address uncertainties in risk assessment; and
Qualitative methods for risk assessment.

Article types may be research articles or reviews.

Dr. Chunrong Jia
Guest Editor

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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

risk assessment
cumulative risk
cancer risk
chemical mixture
environmental disparities
children’s health
dose-response
climate change

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 633 KiB

Open AccessArticle

by Melanie Schubert, Karla Romero Starke, Julia Gerlach, Matthias Reusche, Pauline Kaboth, Wolfram Schmidt, Dieter Friedemann, Janice Hegewald, Hajo Zeeb, Andrea Zülke, Steffi G. Riedel-Heller and Andreas Seidler

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 4903; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064903 - 10 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1692

Abstract

Sleep is negatively affected by environmental noise. In the present study, we investigated self-reported high sleep disturbances (being “highly sleep disturbed”—HSD) from road traffic (primary and secondary road networks), rail (train and tram) and air traffic noise in the LIFE-Adult cohort study in Leipzig, Germany. For this, we used exposure data from 2012 and outcome data of Wave 2 (collected during 2018–2021). HSD was determined and defined according to internationally standardized norms. The highest risk for transportation noise-related HSD was found for aircraft noise: the odds ratio (OR) was 19.66, 95% CI 11.47–33.71 per 10 dB increase in L_night. For road and rail traffic, similar risk estimates were observed (road: OR = 2.86, 95% CI 1.92–4.28; rail: OR = 2.67, 95% CI 2.03–3.50 per 10 dB L_night increase). Further, we compared our exposure-risk curves with the curves of the WHO environmental noise guidelines for the European region. The proportion of individuals with HSD for a given noise level was lower for rail traffic but higher for aircraft noise in the LIFE study than in the WHO curves. For road traffic, curves are not directly comparable because we also included the secondary road network. The results of our study add to the body of evidence for increased health risks by traffic noise. Moreover, the results indicate that aircraft noise is particularly harmful to health. We recommend reconsidering threshold values for nightly aircraft exposure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment in Public Health)

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16 pages, 389 KiB

Open AccessArticle

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

by Suzhen Cao, Sai Li, Xiaoli Duan, Yaqun Zhang, Jicheng Gong, Qian Guo, Xiangyu Xu, Li Peng and Xin Meng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1134; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021134 - 9 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1862

Abstract

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. Information on personal behavior patterns and household characteristics, as well as parental factors, was collected based on a questionnaire survey. Spirometry was used to measure fifteen lung function indicators. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios of prevalence of impaired lung function with regard to socioeconomic, personal behavior patterns, household, and parental factors, respectively. Four lung function indicators such as FET and EVC in urban children had higher values than in the suburban children after adjusting for confounders (p < 0.05). A higher prevalence of impaired lung function (FEV₆, FEV₃, EVC, and VC) was found in the children from the rural area than in those from the urban area. A sex difference in FET impairment was observed, however, no significant difference in impairment in other lung function indicators were found between girls and boys. The elevated height and weight of the children was significantly associated with an increased and decreased prevalence of impaired lung function, respectively, particularly both for FEV₆, FEV₃, FIVC, and FIV₁. Opening windows for a longer time in summer was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of impaired FEF₂₅ and MVV, and an extended time of opening windows in winter was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of impaired FEV₆. While, opening windows for a longer time in autumn was significantly associated with higher prevalence of impaired FEV₆ and FEV₁/VC. Home renovations, doing physical exercise for more than 30 min per day, air pollution exposure during commuting, sleeping in own rooms, height stunting, and preterm birth were significantly associated with an increased risk of impaired lung function. Breastfeeding, having a father with a white-collar profession and with a higher education level were positively associated with the lower prevalence of impaired lung function. Impaired lung function is commonly found in school children in Wuhan, nowadays. Breastfeeding, opening windows long-term in summer and winter, higher socioeconomics, and an urban living environment were protective factors for impaired lung function. However, opening windows long-term and using air conditioning short-term in autumn, as well as home renovations, doing physical exercise for more than 30 min per day, preterm birth, height stunting, and air pollution exposure during commuting were regarded as significant risk factors for impaired lung function. Promoting breastfeeding, lengthening window opening times in winter and summer, and controlling household renovation and air pollution exposure during commuting are recommended to reduce the risk of impaired lung function in children in Wuhan. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment in Public Health)

11 pages, 1181 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association of PM_2.5 and Its Chemical Compositions with Metabolic Syndrome: A Nationwide Study in Middle-Aged and Older Chinese Adults

by Qian Guo, Yuchen Zhao, Tao Xue, Junfeng Zhang and Xiaoli Duan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 14671; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214671 - 8 Nov 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2095

Abstract

Studies on the association of PM_2.5 and its compositions with metabolic syndrome (MetS) were limited, and it was unclear which was the most hazardous composition. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between PM_2.5 and its compositions with MetS and identified the most hazardous composition. In this study, we included 13,418 adults over 45 years across 446 communities from 150 counties of 28 provinces in nationwide China in 2015. MetS was defined based on the five indicators of the Joint Interim Societies, including: blood pressure (SBP (systolic blood pressure) and DBP (diastolic blood pressure)); fasting blood glucose (FBG); fasting triglyceride (FTG); high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); and waist circumference (WC). We used chemical transport models to estimate the concentration of PM_2.5 and its compositions, including black carbon, ammonium, nitrate, organic matter, and sulfate. We used a generalized linear regression model to examine the association of PM_2.5 and its compositions with MetS. In this study, we observed that the average age was 61.40 (standard deviation (SD): 9.59). Each IQR (29.76 μg/m³) increase in PM_2.5 was associated with a 1.27 (95% CI: 1.17, 1.37) increase in the odds for MetS. We indicated that black carbon showed stronger associations than other compositions. The higher associations were observed among women, participants aged less than 60 years, who lived in urban areas and in the Northeast, smokers, drinkers, and the obese populations. In conclusion, our findings identified the most harmful composition and sensitive populations and regions that required attention, which would be helpful for policymakers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment in Public Health)

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14 pages, 1773 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pollution Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soils over the Past Five Years in Zhejiang, Southeast China

by Jie Xiang, Peiwei Xu, Weizhong Chen, Xiaofeng Wang, Zhijian Chen, Dandan Xu, Yuan Chen, Mingluan Xing, Ping Cheng, Lizhi Wu and Bing Zhu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 14642; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214642 - 8 Nov 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2152

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this study, 1999 agricultural soil samples were collected from 11 cities in Zhejiang Province from 2016 to 2020, and the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of 3 of the most important heavy metals, i.e., lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr) were analyzed. The results showed that Cd had a slightly higher sample over-standard rate of 12.06%. Spatial distribution and temporal trends showed that the Pb concentrations overall increased from 2016 to 2020 and mainly accumulated in southern Zhejiang. In addition, multiple exposure routes were evaluated for human health risks. Children are more susceptible to the adverse effects of heavy metals in agricultural soils, and oral ingestion was the major exposure route. Cr poses higher human health risks to humans than Pb and Cd in agricultural soils. Therefore, more rigid environmental monitoring and related soil remediation counter-measures for some sites with high concentrations of heavy metals are necessary to limit the potential threat to human health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment in Public Health)

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15 pages, 1298 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Children’s Metal Exposure via Hand Wipe, Outdoor Soil and Indoor Dust and Their Associations with Blood Biomarkers

by Beibei Wang, Fei Gao, Yujie Li, Chunye Lin, Hongguang Cheng and Xiaoli Duan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14614; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114614 - 7 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2102

Abstract

The soil environment contributes considerably to human exposure to metals. This study aimed to comprehensively compare children’s exposure to soil metals using different sampling approaches (i.e., hand wipe, indoor dust and outdoor soil) and assessment strategies, combing the method of external exposure evaluation and the correlation with internal biomarkers. Environmental exposure samples (hand wipe, outdoor soil and indoor dust), blood samples and child-specific exposure factors were simultaneously collected for 60 children aged 3 to 12 years from an area of northwestern China. Eight typical toxic metals were analyzed. Results showed that metal levels in hand wipes were associated with children’s age, years of residency and the ground types of the play areas. Hand-to-mouth contact was an important pathway for children’s metal exposure, with the corresponding oral exposure cancer risk to Cr already exceeding the maximum acceptable level. In comparison, metal concentrations in hand wipes were one to seven times higher than those in outdoor soil and indoor dust. Even greater discrepancies were found for the estimated exposure dose, which could lead to differences of several to dozens of times. In addition, Pb, Mn and Cr in hand wipes were significantly correlated with those in blood, whereas no relationships were found with soil and dust. This study indicates that the selection of different sampling and assessing strategies could lead to great differences in children metal exposure outcomes. It also suggests that hand wipe, which could reflect the true and integrated exposure level and the individual difference, serves as a better matrix to assess children’s metal exposure compared to soil and dust. Further studies should standardize the sampling method for hand wipes and verify its applicability for other age groups. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment in Public Health)

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11 pages, 646 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Correlation of Air Pollution and Prevalence of Acute Pulmonary Embolism in Northern Thailand

by Chaiwat Bumroongkit, Chalerm Liwsrisakun, Athavudh Deesomchok, Chaicharn Pothirat, Theerakorn Theerakittikul, Atikun Limsukon, Konlawij Trongtrakul, Pattraporn Tajarernmuang, Nutchanok Niyatiwatchanchai, Juntima Euathrongchit, Juthamas Inchai and Warawut Chaiwong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12808; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912808 - 6 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1665

Abstract

Background: The relationship between the level of air pollution and acute pulmonary embolism (APE) has had inconsistent results. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the high level of air pollution exposure and APE. Methods: A ten-year retrospective cohort, single-center study was performed on patients diagnosed with APE from October 2010 to December 2020. The association between air pollution and monthly APE case diagnosis was analyzed. Results: A total number of 696 patients was included. The effect of every 10 µg/m³ increment of particulate matters with an aerodynamic diameter < 10 µm (PM₁₀) on total monthly APE cases (unprovoked PE and provoked PE) was increased significantly at lag 4, 5 and 6 months with adjusted RR (95% CI) of 1.06 (1.01, 1.12), p = 0.011, 1.07 (1.01, 1.13), p = 0.021 and 1.06 (1.01, 1.12), p = 0.030, respectively. Adjusted RR for APE was significantly increased for PM₁₀ in the second tertile ((adjusted RR (95% CI) 1.76 (1.12, 2.77)), p = 0.014. Conclusions: We conclude that PM₁₀ is associated with an increased prevalence of APE cases. The policy for tighter control of air pollution in our country is needed to reduce the impact of air pollutants on people’s health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment in Public Health)

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13 pages, 1446 KiB

Open AccessArticle

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?

by Sai Li, Gang Wang, Beibei Wang, Suzhen Cao, Kai Zhang, Xiaoli Duan and Wei Wu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12529; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912529 - 1 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1773

Abstract

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. A quasi-Poisson generalized additive model was used to evaluate the relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with the pollutant concentrations during the entire study period and three specific periods. We also analyzed the temporal variations of the period-specific associations and tested the trend of change using the Mann–Kendall test. The concentration-response relationships for the specific periods were further investigated. The RRs (95%CI) for an interquartile range (IQR) increased in PM₁₀ (70 μg/m³) and CO (0.5 mg/m³) decreased from period 1 to period 3. However, The RRs (95%CI) of PM_2.5 (55 μg/m³), SO₂ (7 μg/m³) and NO₂ (27 μg/m³) increased from 1.015 (0.978, 1.054), 1.027 (1.009, 1.044) and 1.086 (1.037, 1.137) in period 1 to 1.069 (1.005, 1.135), 1.074 (1.003, 1.149) and 1.214 (1.149, 1.282) in period 3, respectively. A statistically significant temporal change and the stable effects were observed between the NO₂ exposure and AR visits over time. Despite a substantial reduction in ambient air pollution, the short-term effects on AR outpatient visits remained significant. Our findings provide a rationale for continued air pollution control efforts in the future to minimize air pollution and to protect the public. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment in Public Health)

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Review

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14 pages, 927 KiB

Open AccessReview

Mycotoxin-Linked Mutations and Cancer Risk: A Global Health Issue

by Theodora Ekwomadu, Mulunda Mwanza and Alfred Musekiwa

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7754; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137754 - 24 Jun 2022

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3555

Abstract

Humans continue to be constantly exposed to mycotoxins, mainly through oral exposure (dietary), inhalation, or dermal contact. Recently, it has been of increasing interest to investigate mycotoxin-linked carcinogenicity. This systematic review was conducted to synthesize evidence of the association between mycotoxin-linked mutations and the risk of cancer, to provide an overview of the data linking exposure to different mycotoxins with human cancer risk, and to provide an update on current research on the risk of cancer associated with human exposure to mycotoxins. PRISMA guidelines were used when conducting the systematic review. PubMed, MEDLINE, and CINAHL electronic databases were comprehensively searched to extract the relevant studies published from inception to May 2022. A total of sixteen relevant studies (4907 participants) were identified and included in this review. Of these, twelve studies were from Asia, while four of the studies were conducted in Africa. The overall meta-analysis result found no significant association, although some of the studies confirmed an association between mycotoxin-linked mutations and primary liver cancer risk. Mainly, the experimental studies have shown associations between mycotoxin-linked mutations and cancer risk, and there is a need for researchers to confirm these links in epidemiological studies in order to guide public health policies and interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment in Public Health)

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