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At least 1,135 records · Page 63Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Sequential health effect study in relation to air pollution in Bombay, India.

A health study done for 4 years in 4129 subjects from 3 urban (high, medium and low according to SO2 levels) and a rural community showed a higher morbidity with raised levels. Initially in the respective 4 areas standardised prevalences (in percent) were: for dyspnoea 7.3, 6, 3.2 and 5.5; for chronic cough 5.1, 2.7, 1.7 and 3.3; for intermittent cough 15.6, 5.8, 0.4 and 3.7 and frequent colds 18.0, 20.8, 12.1 and 11 percent. The diagnosis of chronic bronchitis was done in 4.5, 4.5, 2.3 and 5.0 percent and cardiac disorders 6.8, 4.3, 8.2 and 2.7 percent in respective 4 areas. After 3 years, 55-60% of urban and 44% of rural subjects were reassessed. Several minor symptoms, besides above ones were related closely to the urban air pollutant profile. Increased greenery protected only at lower levels of pollution. Initial lung functions were best in "urban low" area but in all urban areas, yearly declines were larger than in rural subjects. A cross sectional study for effect of slums in 4 areas on 22272 subjects revealed generally higher morbidity in slum residents, particularly in "urban medium" area for frequent colds, cough and dyspnoea. Daily health diaries maintained in 2232 subjects revealed high morbidity in 2 more polluted areas; monthly trends correlated to SO2 and S.P.M. and daily fluctuations with SO2 revealed a threshold between 50 to 100 micrograms/CM/day. There were greater mortality (S.M.R.) in cardiorespiratory and malignant diseases related to pollution. The major factors affecting morbidity were pollution, nutrition, occupation, smoking and age.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Effects of air pollution on hematological parameters in passerine birds.

The effects of atmospheric air pollution on some hematological, and bioquimic parameters, of passerine birds were analyzed. The studies were undertaken in the area of Cercs (polluted area in Spain), where there is a coal-fired power plant that emanates SO2, NOx, and particles, and the area of St. Jaume de Frontanya (nonpolluted area) located 40 km from the area of Cercs with similar climatology, relief, and altitude, but without air pollution. The results showed that there was a significant decrease in the erythrocyte count, and an increase in erythrocyte size in specimens from the polluted area. An increase in pre-albumines and a decrease in beta-globulines in Emberiza cia was observed, while an increase in transaminases (GOT and GPT), and a decrease in weight in Turdus merula from the polluted zone was observed.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effects of air pollution on health].

Air pollution is composed of a particulate phase and a gaseous phase. The particulate phase, consisting of dust and aerosols, is the vehicle of toxic pollutants, transporting them into the respiratory tract. The irritants (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, aldehydes, and hydrocarbons) are the most important pollutants as regards health; the mucous membranes of the eyes and the respiratory tract are mostly affected. Other substances penetrate into the organism where they can develop actions harmful to various organs (carbon monoxide), generate cancer (polyaromatic hydrocarbons) or attack enzymatic systems (lead). Epidemiologic studies have revealed that populations exposed to high degrees of air pollution show increased mortality, which is mainly due to illnesses of the respiratory tract. Atmospheric pollution can also cause sensations of unpleasantness due to irritations of the eyes and the respiratory tract, bad odours, and the impairment of visibility and sunlight.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1989

[Relationships between air pollution and well-being].

In two longitudinal field studies, influences of ambient pollutant concentrations on psychological well-being (mood, perceived stress), neuropsychological function (concentration, reaction times) and physical state (physiological arousal, complaints) were investigated over a two-months period in samples of healthy and ill residents of differentially polluted areas. In both studies, results of multivariate time-series analyses yielded decrements of emotional well-being with increased sulfur dioxide levels. Chronically ill persons reported somatic complaints and respiratory symptoms with pollutants. Analyses of variance suggested a pollution-induced neuropsychological impairment in healthy residents of polluted areas but no effects on arousal.

Affect↗
PubMed1986

[Air pollution and lung diseases in adults].

Short-time exposure to air pollutants and in particular to sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and photochemical oxidants may cause respiratory symptoms similar to acute bronchial asthma. In healthy adults however the concentrations required to evoke significant bronchial obstruction lie still above the level of atmospheric air pollution usually observed in our country. In contrast patients with preexisting pulmonary diseases or with impaired bronchopulmonary defense mechanisms may show harmful reactions even at concentrations which actually occur in urban and rural atmospheres. In addition there is evidence of on increased prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases in countries with high chemical pollution indicating that long-term exposure of ambient air pollution may cause chronic illness as well. Since air pollution is accepted to produce adverse health effects, emergent efforts are required to improve air quality in order to avoid further injuries in man.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Biomonitoring of air pollution as exemplified by recent IAEA programs.

Biomonitoring is an appropriate tool for assessing the levels of atmospheric pollution, having several advantages compared with the use of direct measurements of contaminants (e.g., in airborne particulate matter, atmospheric deposition, precipitation), related primarily to the permanent and common occurrence of the chosen organisms in the field, the ease of sampling, and trace element accumulation. Furthermore, biomonitors may provide a measure of integrated exposure over an extended period of time and are present in remote areas and no expensive technical equipment is involved in collecting them. They accumulate contaminants over the exposure time and concentrate them, thus facilitating analytical measurements. Based on large-scale biomonitoring surveys, polluted areas can be identified, and by applying appropriate statistical tools, information can be obtained on the type of pollution sources and on the transboundary transport of atmospheric pollutants. The International Atomic Energy Agency is including the research on biomonitors in its projects on health-related environmental studies. Biomonitoring activities from several coordinated research projects on air pollution are presented, and results from an international workshop are discussed. In addition, activities in supporting improvement quality in the participating laboratories are outlined.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2003

Persistent organic pollutants in little egret eggs from selected wetlands in Pakistan.

The main goal of the present work has been to study the use of egret eggs to assess environmental pollution by POPs (HCB, HCHs, cyclodienes, DDTs and PCBs) in three Pakistani wetlands that are presumed to be affected by different types of pollution. Taunsa Barrage, affected mainly by agricultural pollutants; Karachi Harbor because of the supposed exposure to industrial activity-related POPs; and Haleji Lake as a relatively pristine area because of its location in a stony desert. Taunsa Barrage and Haleji Lake are wetlands of international importance according to the Ramsar Convention, while the Karachi Harbor is of interest because of the large human population living there. Eggs of the white ( Egretta garzetta garzetta) and dark ( Egretta garzetta gularis) morphs of Little Egrets were used as monitoring tools. Concentrations were also determined in several prey in this species' diet and in the sediments collected in their foraging areas. Differences in egg pollutant content among the three localities were significant for all the compounds. Overall, the eggs from Haleji Lake and Karachi showed, respectively, the lowest and highest percentages of detection and organochlorine concentrations. Biomagnification from sediments to prey and then to eggs has been documented in the three areas studied and is accompanied by higher percentages of detection of different compounds through the compartments. Differences in the biomagnification factor among the areas were small, even when differences in pollutant concentrations were high, suggesting that eggs are reliable indicators of POPs in the environment. The values found were generally lower than those reported for the eggs of large herons from North America or the Mediterranean basin, and are about the same order of magnitude that those of other medium-sized egrets from other parts of the world.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Pollution-tolerant allele in fingernail clams (Musculium transversum).

For nearly 50 years, the fingernail clam (Musculium transversum) was believed to be virtually eliminated from the Illinois River. In 1991, workers began finding substantial populations of M. transversum in the Illinois River including several beds in and around the highly polluted Chicago Sanitary District. In order to determine if populations of M. transversum from polluted sites exhibited any genetic response to the high levels of toxins and to examine the genetic structure of several populations of M. transversum for any changes due to the population crash, starch-gel electrophoresis was performed on M. transversum from three Illinois River localities and four Mississippi River basin locations. The sampled populations produced an inbreeding coefficient (FIS) of 0.929, indicating that the populations were highly inbred. The results of a suspected founder effect due to a bottleneck was suggested by an FST = 0.442. The isozyme Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase-2 (Gpi-2) produced allelic frequency patterns that were consistent with expected patterns of a pollution-tolerant allele. Polluted sites exhibited elevated frequencies of Gpi-2(100) whereas nonpolluted sites exhibited elevated frequencies of Gpi-2(74). This frequency pattern suggested that natural selection was occurring in populations under severe toxic pressures, leading to an increase in the frequency of the allele Gpi-2(100). Therefore, Gpi-2(100) is a possible pollution-tolerant mutation in M. transversum.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Communication strategy of transboundary air pollution findings in a US-Mexico Border XXI program project.

From 1996 to 1997, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) conducted an air quality study known as the Lower Rio Grande Valley Transboundary Air Pollution Project (TAPP). The study was a US-Mexico Border XXI program project and was developed in response to local community requests on a need for more air quality measurements and concerns about the health impact of local air pollutants; this included concerns about emissions from border-dependent industries in Mexico, known as maquiladoras. The TAPP was a follow-up study to environmental monitoring done by EPA in this area in 1993 and incorporated scientific and community participation in development, review of results, and public presentation of findings. In spite of this, critical remarks were leveled by community activists against the study's preliminary "good news" findings regarding local air quality and the influence of transboundary air pollution. To resolve these criticisms and to refine the findings to address these concerns, analyses included comparisons of daily and near real-time measurements to TNRCC effects screening levels and data from other studies along with wind sector analyses. Reassessment of the data suggested that although regional source emissions occurred and outliers of elevated pollutant levels were found, movement of air pollution across the border did not appear to cause noticeable deterioration of air quality. In spite of limitations stated to the community, the TAPP was presented as establishing a benchmark to assess current and future transboundary air quality in the Valley. The study has application in Border XXI Program or other air quality studies where transboundary transport is a concern since it involved interagency coordination, public involvement, and communication of scientifically sound results for local environmental protection efforts.

Air Movements↗
PubMed2005

A rapid decision-making method for the evaluation of pollution-sensitive coastal areas in the Mediterranean sea.

Places of natural beauty and/or cultural value in the Mediterranean Sea are presenting adverse effects due to pollution. These environmental threats caused by point and nonpoint sources are mainly the reason why these areas represent "pollution-sensitive areas," where the risk of deterioration is immediate. However, the risk will decrease and eventually disappear if protective measures are applied. In the present article, a multicriteria decision-making method is proposed for the prioritization of the Mediterranean sensitive coastal areas, taking into consideration criteria of pollution risk such as impact on human health, aquatic ecosystems, and socioeconomic value of the area. Weighting factors were then attributed to the different criteria according to their regional priorities, and a total pollution risk score was calculated for every sensitive area. However, some sensitive areas are more vulnerable than others because of their natural characteristics. Therefore, the total pollution risk score was then multiplied by a vulnerability weighting factor and a Total Sensitivity Score was calculated for every sensitive area. With this method, Mediterranean sensitive areas in coastal zones can be ranked on a priority list and then categorized according to their "sensitivity," in a way that decision-makers can select the most urgent cases to direct their attention for the effective protection of the Mediterranean marine environment. The method is rapid and practicable and has already been used with existing data and information in several Mediterranean countries.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed1997

Frequency of patients with acute asthma in relation to ozone, nitrogen dioxide, other pollutants of ambient air and meteorological observations.

OBJECTIVE: To study the association of the daily frequency of registration of patients with acute asthma at the emergency department of a central hospital in the south-west of Sweden with levels of air pollution and meteorological observations. METHODS: A retrospective longitudinal study was made of asthma patients taken from a hospital registry. This information was correlated with measurements of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, toluene, temperature and relative humidity. Patients were from the catchment area of the Central Hospital of Halmstad containing around 120,000 inhabitants. A total of 4127 visits of patients with acute asthma to the emergency department at the Central Hospital of Halmstad were registered during a period of 1247 days from January 1990 to May 1993. The differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) technique was used to monitor levels of air pollutants over a distance of 1000 m in the central part of the town of Halmstad. Data on temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed and wind direction for the time period were supplied by the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI). RESULTS: There were many statistically significant correlations between the levels of air pollutants and the meteorological measurements and a strong negative correlation between ozone and nitrogen dioxide. There was a statistically significant effect on asthma visits in children of low temperature and high nitrogen dioxide levels, and on asthma visits in adults of high temperature and high levels of ozone. CONCLUSIONS: There was a different reaction pattern in children and adults with asthma regarding temperature and ozone/nitrogen dioxide. The strong correlations between temperature and air pollution and between the levels of ozone and nitrogen dioxide made the true relation between asthma, air pollution and temperature hard to evaluate statistically.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

An analogy on assessment of urban air pollution in Turkey over the turn of the millennium (1992-2001).

Rapid industrialization and urbanization in Turkey, especially over the last twenty five years, has provided better living standards to its residents, but it also caused a decrease in environmental quality. In late 1970's, air quality monitoring activities were started in some major cities by individual researchers in Turkey. It was just around the 1990's that a countrywide program on continuous air pollution monitoring in major province centers and selected large towns was launched. The impact of air pollution on people depend on various factors, such as existence and magnitude of coal powered energy generation plants, type of urban heating and their efficiency, and the numbers and specifications of vehicles. In this study, current Turkish urban air quality over the turn of the Millennium (1992-2001) is studied in the light of the country's worst cities in terms of outdoor air quality, the number of upper respiratory diseases, sinusitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia cases in these provinces reported by the state medical treatment facilities in 2001. The population that is under outdoor urban air pollution hazard was computed. A comparative analysis between the provinces that use natural gas and others that use fossil fuels was also completed in order to project monetary gains if the studied provinces will transform their indoor heating and industrial operations to be run by natural gas or other cleaner energy sources. If natural gas use in air polluted urban centers could be realized in the near future, approximately 212 to 350 million US dollars per annum could to be saved just by reducing health related problems caused by outdoor air pollution.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed2006

Real time remote monitoring of air pollutants and their online transmission to the web using internet protocol.

Recent advances in both information and sensor technologies have enabled the development of Real Time Remote Monitoring (RTRM) capabilities for environmental management. An online and real time remote monitoring system for air pollution has been designed and installed at a traffic police station at Punjagutta in Hyderabad, India. The system is optimized using electrochemical sensors and a real time particulate matter analyzer. The system also monitors meteorological parameters such as temperature, humidity, rainfall, barometric pressure, wind speed and wind direction. The system periodically monitors both pollution and meteorological parameters at pre- programmed intervals of [Formula: see text] hr during peak periods and 1 hr during non peak periods of the day and continuously uploads to a predestinated web site (www.appcb.org/home.htm) using File Transfer Protocol. The web site renders a quick, simple and graphical display of air pollution levels and meteorological parameters and their significance to humans. The present paper highlights design considerations of a pollution monitoring system, system hardware and software requirements and practical limitations and future directions for real time remote monitoring of air pollution.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1995

Polar organic pollutants in the Elbe river. Liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric and flow-injection analysis-mass spectrometric analyses demonstrating changes in quality and concentration during the unification process in Germany.

During the unification process of the two German states from 1989 to 1994, water extracts from the Elbe river were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with ultraviolet (UV) and/or mass spectrometric detection (MS) in order to monitor the pollutants in one of the most contaminated European rivers. After column chromatography (LC) or flow-injection analysis (FIA) bypassing the analytical column, ionization was performed by a thermospray interface (TSP). Semiquantitative estimations of the pollution of the Elbe were made from the total-ion current traces (TIC) of the extracts. Determination of the total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) indicated a reduction of more than 55% of pollutants in the water phase. The pollutants were identified by tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS), generating daughter-ion spectra by collision-induced dissociation (CID) using either column chromatography or direct mixture analysis. Compound-specific analyses indicated a reduction in the amount of pollutants as well as a change in their composition. This could be explained by reduced industrial production and by intensified construction of biological sewage treatment plants.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1982

Study of atmospheric pollution in an urban zone deprived of measurement systems, for purposes of legislation application to the city of Tunis.

In order to legislate on and provide against the atmospheric pollution specific to a country in a region deprived of measurement systems, it is first necessary to examine the following points: - location of chief pollution sources, - emission characteristics of the main source, - effects of the source on the environment, - predictable effects of applied legislation. In the city of Tunis for example the road traffic was identified as the major source of pollution. Ways to cut down the pollution level are proposed on the basis of different short-term measurements. Calculation shows that if rules similar to those laid down in France were applied and the traffic flow organised the levels of certain pollutants (CO, NoX) would be substantially reduced.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1988

Heavy metal concentrations in urban snow as an indicator of air pollution.

Manganese, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr and Cd concentrations in snow collected in and around urban areas and from snow dumping stations in Hokkaido were determined by Zeeman-type atomic absorption spectrophotometry. We compared the heavy metal concentrations in the snow with background levels to see whether they could be used as an effective indicator of urban air pollution. The heavy metal concentrations in the snow clearly increased towards the center of the city of Sapporo; they were influenced by local pollution in the industrial area of the city and by the effect of the seasonal wind from the northwest. In the cities, we found the greatest influence on heavy metal concentrations was air pollution caused by industrial activities. The elemental concentrations in urban snow were from several to tens of times higher than background levels. The mean concentrations of the elements studied were in the order Mn greater than Zn greater than Pb greater than Cu greater than Cr greater than Cd, the same as in water except for Pb. We propose that data on trace metal concentrations in snow are a reliable guide to the degree of air pollution, and can be used as a simple and effective indicator of urban air pollution.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1990

Pathogenesis of skin and liver neoplasms in white suckers from industrially polluted areas in Lake Ontario.

Increased prevalences of epidermal and hepatobiliary neoplasms in white suckers (Catostomu commersoni) and brown bullheads (Ictalurus nebulosus) in the Western region of Lake Ontario have been associated with industrial pollution, but the identity and causative role of environmental carcinogens have not yet been established. Most epidermal tumors of lip and body skin are benign focal proliferations that occur in fish from the polluted Hamilton region, and also in fish from less polluted sites in the Great Lakes. These skin tumors in white suckers do not have consistent alterations in cellular glutathione S-transferases (GST), suggesting that growth of skin tumors is not promoted by chemicals normally detoxified by GST. However, elevated levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPO) and glutathione reductase (GR) in skin papillomas are indicative of promotional peroxidative tissue injury, either caused directly by xenobiotics or indirectly by chemical-induced inflammation. Liver tumors in white suckers from Lake Ontario include preneoplastic, benign, and malignant populations of hepatocellular and biliary cells, all of which are more prevalent in fish from polluted sites. These liver tumors are consistently associated with chronic cholangiohepatitis and segmental cholangiofibrosis, but these conditions also occur in white suckers in non-industrial locations. Thus, the natural occurrence of biliary disease, not attributable to industrial pollution, may have some influence on the development of liver tumors. Some preneoplastic lesions and the majority of neoplastic hepatocellular and biliary lesions in white suckers have low levels of total GST, indicating that these liver neoplasms are not promoted by xenobiotics normally detoxified by hepatic GSTs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Environmental pollution around nickel smelters in the Kola Peninsula (Russia).

Air pollution along the border between Norway and Russia has been recorded since 1974 in Sør-Varanger county (Norway) and since 1985 in Murmansk county (Russia). A more extensive collaboration on the environmental pollution problems in the border region was started in 1988 with the establishment of a joint pollution commission. Sulphur dioxide seems to be the most important pollutant causing both environmental damage and adverse health effects. The recommended highest 6-month mean acceptable value for Norway of 40-60 micrograms/m3 was exceeded for two Russian and one Norwegian station during the winter of 1990/91. About 5% of hourly means exceeded 350 micrograms/m3 at the most polluted Norwegian station. The highest value recorded at the nearest populated area in Norway was 2500 micrograms/m3 (The Norwegian Institute for Air Research). Standardized mortality data suggest an increase in deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease in two cities with nickel refineries, compared to a control city. Further analysis is required to confirm this.

Air Pollutants↗