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The Effects of Air Pollution and Traffic Exposure in the General Population

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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 (31 January 2021) | Viewed by 22339

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jaime Hart

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Guest Editor

1. Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
2. Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Interests: environmental epidemiology; spatial and contextual exposures; geographic information systems; air pollution; greenness; external exposome
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I am organizing a Special Issue on the impacts of air pollution and/or traffic-related exposures on health (with a focus on general population studies/cohorts) in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The venue is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes articles and communications in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health. For detailed information on the journal, please go to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

Exposures to air pollution remain a key determinant of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Research in this area has been instrumental in setting policies worldwide, however, data is still needed in many countries around the world, and on understudied diseases. More information is also needed on how traffic-related exposures (including air pollution) interact with other aspects of the environment (e.g., temperature, humidity, greenness, urban form) to impact health in the general population. Intervention studies are also needed to provide examples of how changes in behaviors or in exposures can lead to changes in health outcomes.

This Special Issue is open to any subject area related to the impacts of air pollution or traffic exposures on public health. The listed keywords suggest just a few of the many possibilities.

Dr. Jaime Hart
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 pollution
Particulate matter
Nitrogen oxides
Ozone
Environmental exposure
Emissions
Traffic noise
External exposome
Urban exposures
Rural exposures
Intervention studies

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 14600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sport in Town: The Smart Healthy ENV Project, a Pilot Study of Physical Activity with Multiparametric Monitoring

by Marco Laurino, Tommaso Lomonaco, Francesca Giuseppa Bellagambi, Silvia Ghimenti, Alessandro Messeri, Marco Morabito, Elena Marrucci, Lorenza Pratali and Maria Giovanna Trivella

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(5), 2432; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052432 - 2 Mar 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2486

Abstract

Background: Increasing evidence links meteorological characteristics and air pollution to physiological responses during sports activities in urban areas with different traffic levels. Objective: The main objective of the Smart Healthy ENV (SHE, “Smart Monitoring Integrated System For A Healthy Urban Environment In Smart Cities”) project was to identify the specific responses of a group of volunteers during physical activity, by monitoring their heart rates and collecting breath samples, combined with data on meteorological determinants and pollution substances obtained through fixed sensor nodes placed along city routes and remotely connected to a dedicated data acquisition server. Methods: Monitoring stations were placed along two urban routes in Pisa, each two km long, with one located within the park beside the Arno river (green route) and the other in a crowded traffic zone (red route). Our sample participants were engaged in sports activities (N = 15, with different levels of ability) and were monitored through wearable sensors. They were first asked to walk back and forth (4 km) and then to run the same route. The experimental sessions were conducted over one day per route. A breath sample was also collected before each test. A questionnaire concerning temperature and fatigue perception was administered for all of the steps of the study over the two days. Results: The heart rates of the participants were monitored in the baseline condition, during walking, and while running, and were correlated with meteorological and pollutant data and with breath composition. Changes in the heart rates and breath composition were detected during the experimental sessions. These variations were related to the physical activity and to the meteorological conditions and air pollution levels. Conclusions: The SHE project can be considered a proof-of-concept study aimed at monitoring physiological and environmental variables during physical activity in urban areas, and can be used in future studies to provide useful information to those involved in sports and the broader community. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Air Pollution and Traffic Exposure in the General Population)

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13 pages, 3573 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical Characterization of Seasonal PM_2.5 Samples and Their Cytotoxicity in Human Lung Epithelial Cells (A549)

by Ao Di, Yun Wu, Mindong Chen, Dongyang Nie and Xinlei Ge

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(12), 4599; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124599 - 26 Jun 2020

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3045

Abstract

In order to study the toxicity of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) sourced from different seasons on human health, we collected PM_2.5 samples quarterly from March 2016 to February 2017 in Nanjing, China. The component analysis results showed that high proportions of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), SO₄²⁻, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ were found in the summer samples, while high proportions of NO₃⁻, NH₄⁺ and heavy metals were observed in the spring and winter samples. Then human lung epithelial cells (A549) were exposed to the PM_2.5 samples. The toxicological results indicated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the spring and winter samples was higher than that in the summer and fall samples, which was related to the contribution of some heavy metals and inorganic ions (e.g., Pb and NO₃⁻). However, the apoptosis rates of the cells showed the opposite seasonal changes as what the ROS did, which might be caused by the higher WSOC content in the summer. In addition, regression analysis also showed the importance of the PM_2.5 components in ROS production and apoptosis. Particularly, Zn had the strongest correlation with ROS production (R = 0.863) and cell apoptosis (R = 0.675); thus, the specific toxicity of Zn in PM_2.5 deserves further investigation. Our results could be beneficial for assessing the health risks and controlling the toxic components of PM_2.5 in Nanjing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Air Pollution and Traffic Exposure in the General Population)

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17 pages, 4775 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seasonal Impacts of Particulate Matter Levels on Bike Sharing in Seoul, South Korea

by Hyungkyoo Kim

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(11), 3999; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113999 - 4 Jun 2020

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4490

Abstract

Bike sharing is increasingly attracting more riders in cities around the world for its benefits regarding the urban environment and public health. The public bike sharing program of Seoul, South Korea, first launched in October 2015, is now widely spread around the city and serves more than 27,000 riders daily. However, concerns are being raised as rising air pollution levels in Seoul, represented by particulate matter (PM) levels, in recent years may negatively discourage citizens from using bike sharing. This study investigates the impact of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 levels on bike sharing use in Seoul and seeks to identify any seasonal differences. A series of negative binomial regression models, which take into account control variables like weather conditions and calendar events, are adopted to empirically measure the impacts. Results show that the PM levels yield statistically significant negative impacts (p < 0.01) on bike sharing use throughout the year. The impacts are particularly stronger in winter and spring, when the PM levels are higher. Findings suggest that PM levels may operate as driving factors for bike sharing use in addition to meteorological conditions like temperature, humidity, and precipitation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Air Pollution and Traffic Exposure in the General Population)

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12 pages, 796 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dust Events and Indoor Air Quality in Residential Homes in Kuwait

by Yufei Yuan, Barrak Alahmad, Choong-Min Kang, Fhaid Al-Marri, Venkateswarlu Kommula, Walid Bouhamra and Petros Koutrakis

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(7), 2433; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072433 - 3 Apr 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3531

Abstract

Kuwait is a developed Middle Eastern country that is impacted by frequent dust storms from regional and/or remote deserts. The effectiveness of keeping homes tightly closed during these events to reduce dust exposures was assessed using indoor and outdoor particle samples at 10 residences within the metropolitan Kuwait City area. Specifically, this study compared indoor and outdoor levels of black carbon and 19 trace elements (Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Sr, and Zr) during dust and non-dust events and found that particle penetration efficiencies were lower during dust storm events (less than 20–30%) than during non-dust storm events (40–60%). Coarse particles had lower penetration efficiency compared to fine particles, which is due to differences in infiltration rates and settling velocities between these two size fractions. Our findings suggest that increasing home insulation could be an effective strategy to reduce indoor exposure to crustal particles from dust storm events in residential houses of Kuwait City. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Air Pollution and Traffic Exposure in the General Population)

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23 pages, 2396 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of PM₁₀ Levels on Pedestrian Volume: Findings from Streets in Seoul, South Korea

by Juwon Chung, Seung-Nam Kim and Hyungkyoo Kim

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(23), 4833; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16234833 - 1 Dec 2019

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3692

Abstract

Although many studies have revealed that both air quality and walking activity are dominant contributors to public health, little is known about the relationship between them. Moreover, previous studies on this subject have given little consideration to the day-to-day atmospheric conditions and floating populations of surrounding areas even though most pedestrian count surveys are not conducted on a single day. Against this backdrop, using the 2015 Pedestrian Volume Survey data and quasi-real-time weather, air quality, and transit ridership data in Seoul, this study investigates the relationship between particulate matter (PM)₁₀ and pedestrian street volumes empirically. The regression results suggest that PM₁₀ concentration determines people’s intention to walk and affects the volume of street-level pedestrians. The three regression models, which adopted different spatial aggregation units of air quality, demonstrated that PM₁₀ elasticity of pedestrian volume is the largest in the borough-level (the smallest spatial unit of air quality alert) model. This means that people react to the most accurate information they can access, implying that air quality information should be provided in smaller spatial units for public health. Thus, strengthening air quality warning standards of PM is an effective measure for enhancing public health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Air Pollution and Traffic Exposure in the General Population)

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18 pages, 3018 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Air Pollution Particulates Suppress Human T-Cell Responses to Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

by Olufunmilola Ibironke, Claudia Carranza, Srijata Sarkar, Martha Torres, Hyejeong Theresa Choi, Joyce Nwoko, Kathleen Black, Raul Quintana-Belmares, Álvaro Osornio-Vargas, Pamela Ohman-Strickland and Stephan Schwander

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(21), 4112; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214112 - 25 Oct 2019

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 4319

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) and air pollution both contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. Epidemiological studies show that exposure to household and urban air pollution increase the risk of new infections with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) and the development of TB in persons infected with M.tb and alter treatment outcomes. There is increasing evidence that particulate matter (PM) exposure weakens protective antimycobacterial host immunity. Mechanisms by which exposure to urban PM may adversely affect M.tb-specific human T cell functions have not been studied. We, therefore, explored the effects of urban air pollution PM_2.5 (aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5µm) on M.tb-specific T cell functions in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). PM_2.5 exposure decreased the capacity of PBMC to control the growth of M.tb and the M.tb-induced expression of CD69, an early surface activation marker expressed on CD3⁺ T cells. PM_2.5 exposure also decreased the production of IFN-γ in CD3⁺, TNF-α in CD3⁺ and CD14⁺ M.tb-infected PBMC, and the M.tb-induced expression of T-box transcription factor TBX21 (T-bet). In contrast, PM_2.5 exposure increased the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in CD3⁺ and CD14⁺ PBMC. Taken together, PM_2.5 exposure of PBMC prior to infection with M.tb impairs critical antimycobacterial T cell immune functions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Air Pollution and Traffic Exposure in the General Population)

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