Showing papers in "Environmental Health Perspectives in 2019"
TL;DR: The hypothesis of an association between long-term PM2.5 exposure and depression is supported and the limited literature and methodological challenges in this field, including heterogeneous outcome definitions, exposure assessment, and residual confounding, suggest further high-quality studies are warranted to investigate potentially causal associations between air pollution and poor mental health.
Abstract: Background: Particulate air pollution’s physical health effects are well known, but associations between particulate matter (PM) exposure and mental illness have not yet been established. However, ...
273 citations
TL;DR: The implementation of the Action Plan of China has significantly reduced the PM2.5 concentration in regions of China where population density is high, dominating the decline in PM 2.5-mortality during 2013–2017.
Abstract: Background: In 2013, China released the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (Action Plan), which set the roadmap for national air pollution control actions for the period of 2013 to 20...
165 citations
TL;DR: PM2.5–mortality associations were consistently positive for all-cause and cardiopulmonary mortality across key modeling choices and across subgroups of sex, age, race-ethnicity, income, education levels, and geographic regions.
Abstract: Background: Evidence indicates that air pollution contributes to cardiopulmonary mortality. There is ongoing debate regarding the size and shape of the pollution–mortality exposure–response relatio...
150 citations
TL;DR: This analysis showed significant associations between short-term PM2.5–10 exposure and daily nonaccidental and cardiopulmonary mortality based on data from 272 cities located throughout China.
Abstract: Background: Coarse particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter between 2.5 and 10μm (PM2.5–10) air pollution is a severe environmental problem in developing countries, but its challenges to public...
139 citations
TL;DR: A comprehensive blood exposome database of endogenous and exogenous chemicals associated with the mammalian circulating system through text mining and database fusion is generated, which can be used for prioritizing chemicals for systematic reviews, developing target assays in exposomes research, identifying compounds in untargeted mass spectrometry, and biological interpretation in metabolomics data.
Abstract: Background: Blood chemicals are routinely measured in clinical or preclinical research studies to diagnose diseases, assess risks in epidemiological research, or use metabolomic phenotyping in resp...
128 citations
TL;DR: Compelling motivation exists for analyzing EDCs as mixtures, yet many studies make simplifying assumptions about EDC additivity, relative potency, and linearity, or overlook the potential for bias due to asymmetries in chemical persistence.
Abstract: Background: Prenatal exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during critical developmental windows have been implicated in the etiologies of a wide array of adverse perinatal and pediatr...
116 citations
Oregon State University1, Population Health Research Institute2, University of British Columbia3, University of Massachusetts Amherst4, University of Toronto5, Aga Khan University6, University of Zimbabwe7, University of the Philippines Manila8, North-West University9, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research10, University of La Frontera11, The Chinese University of Hong Kong12, Peking Union Medical College Hospital13, Chinese Academy of Sciences14, St. John's University15, University of the Western Cape16, Independent University, Bangladesh17, Queen's University18
TL;DR: Use of solid fuels for cooking is a risk factor for mortality and cardiorespiratory disease and Continued efforts to replace solid fuels with cleaner alternatives are needed to reduce premature mortality and morbidity in developing countries.
Abstract: Background: Household air pollution (HAP) from solid fuel use for cooking affects 2.5 billion individuals globally and may contribute substantially to disease burden. However, few prospective studi...
104 citations
Karolinska Institutet1, University of Groningen2, University of Bristol3, University of Southern California4, Johns Hopkins University5, University of Michigan6, Institute for Systems Biology7, University of Hasselt8, Imperial College London9, International Agency for Research on Cancer10, Catholic University of Leuven11, University of Turin12, Boston Children's Hospital13, Erasmus University Rotterdam14, Spanish National Research Council15, Norwegian Institute of Public Health16, University of Paris17, University of Grenoble18, Utrecht University19, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai20, Brigham and Women's Hospital21, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev22, United States Department of Health and Human Services23, Columbia University24
TL;DR: Several differentially methylated CpGs and DMRs associated with prenatal PM exposure were identified in newborns, with annotation to genes previously implicated in lung-related outcomes.
Abstract: Background: Prenatal exposure to air pollution has been associated with childhood respiratory disease and other adverse outcomes. Epigenetics is a suggested link between exposures and health outcom...
98 citations
TL;DR: Overall, the epidemiologic literature appears to support an association between benzene and childhood leukemia risk, with no indication of any threshold effect.
Abstract: Background: A causal link between outdoor air pollution and childhood leukemia has been proposed, but some older studies suffer from methodological drawbacks. To the best of our knowledge, no syste...
98 citations
TL;DR: Exposure to PM2.5, on all days and locations, was associated with increased hospitalizations on smoke and non-smoke days using modeled exposure metrics, whereas risk for asthma-related hospitalizations was higher during smoke days.
Abstract: Background: The effects of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during wildland fires are not well understood in comparison with PM2.5 exposures from other sources. Objectives: We examined t...
94 citations
TL;DR: HFPO-DA exposure resulted in negligible in vitro receptor activity and did not impact testosterone production or expression of genes key to male reproductive development in the fetal testis; however, in vivo exposure during gestation resulted in higher maternal liver weights, lower maternal serum thyroid hormone and lipid profiles, and up-regulated gene expression related to PPAR signaling pathways in maternal and fetal livers.
Abstract: Background: Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid [(HFPO-DA), GenX] is a member of the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemical class, and elevated levels of HFPO-DA have been detected in...
TL;DR: An adverse outcome pathway (AOP) network is presented to link dataderived from in vitro assays that measure chemical interactions with thyroid molecular targets to downstream events and adverse outcomes traditionally derived from in vivo testing.
Abstract: Background: Extensive clinical and experimental research documents the potential for chemical disruption of thyroid hormone (TH) signaling through multiple molecular targets. Perturbation of TH sig...
TL;DR: Overall, few consistent associations were observed between the different air pollution measures and IHD or stroke incidence, however, long-term residential exposure to locally emitted BC from traffic exhaust was associated with stroke incidence.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) in ambient air has been associated with cardiovascular mortality, but few studies have considered incident disease in relation to PM from d ...
French Institute of Health and Medical Research1, University of Paris2, Université Paris-Saclay3, Centre national de la recherche scientifique4, University of Grenoble5, Institut national de la recherche agronomique6, Paris Diderot University7, Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University8, Monash University9, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute10
TL;DR: Positive associations between exposure to BPA and BPS and the incidence of type 2 diabetes, independent of traditional diabetes risk factors are shown, raising concerns about using BPS as a BPA substitute.
Abstract: Background: The question of whether exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes is still unresolved. Most epidemiological evidence on the association between BPA...
TL;DR: Living in greener areas was associated with better health outcomes in this study, which could be partly due to reduced exposure to environmental hazards, and further research is required to understand the underlying mechanisms.
Abstract: Background: Living in areas with higher levels of surrounding greenness and access to urban green areas have been associated with beneficial health outcomes. Some studies suggested a beneficial inf...
TL;DR: Fish consumption within the recommended 2–3 times/week resulted in lower PFAS, Hg, and As concentrations compared with higher consumption, and fruit consumption is a source of exposure to OPs.
Abstract: Background: Pregnant women and children are especially vulnerable to exposures to food contaminants, and a balanced diet during these periods is critical for optimal nutritional status. Objectives:...
University of Tokyo1, Seoul National University2, University of London3, University of Tsukuba4, KAIST5, Nagasaki University6, University of Valencia7, Health Canada8, University of Ottawa9, University of Basel10, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute11, Emory University12, University of Turin13, National Taiwan University14, National Institutes of Health15, Kyoto University16, Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University17, Duy Tan University18, University of São Paulo19, Harvard University20, Yale University21
TL;DR: The findings showed that the risk of suicide increased with increasing ambient temperature in many countries, but to varying extents and not necessarily linearly.
Abstract: Background: Previous literature suggests that higher ambient temperature may play a role in increasing the risk of suicide. However, no multi-country study has explored the shape of the association...
TL;DR: Air pollution and surrounding green, but not road traffic noise, were associated with hypertension in single-exposure models, while air pollutants (NO2, OPDTT) and road traffic Noise were positively associated with diabetes.
Abstract: Background: Surrounding green, air pollution, and noise have been associated with cardiometabolic diseases, but most studies have assessed only one of these correlated exposures. Objectives: We aim...
China Agricultural University1, Hunan Agricultural University2, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention3, Murdoch University4, Free University of Berlin5, Shandong University6, Karolinska Institutet7, Public Health Agency of Sweden8, Linköping University9, Cardiff University10, National Veterinary Institute11
TL;DR: Evidence of direct transmission of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamases–type carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli between humans and animals is reported, to be the first to report evidence of direct Transmission of NDM-EC between human and animals.
Abstract: Background: The rapidly increasing dissemination of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in both humans and animals poses a global threat to public health. However, the transmission of CRE between humans and animals has not yet been well studied. Objectives: We investigated the prevalence, risk factors, and drivers of CRE transmission between humans and their backyard animals in rural China. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive sampling strategy in 12 villages in Shandong, China. Using the household [residents and their backyard animals (farm and companion animals)] as a single surveillance unit, we assessed the prevalence of CRE at the household level and examined the factors associated with CRE carriage through a detailed questionnaire. Genetic relationships among human- and animal-derived CRE were assessed using whole-genome sequencing–based molecular methods. Results: A total of 88 New Delhi metallo-β-lactamases metallo-β-lactamases –type carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (NDM-EC), including 17 from humans, 44 from pigs, 12 from chickens, 1 from cattle, and 2 from dogs, were isolated from 65 of the 746 households examined. The remaining 12 NDM-EC were from flies in the immediate backyard environment. The NDM-EC colonization in households was significantly associated with a) the number of species of backyard animals raised/kept in the same household, and b) the use of human and/or animal feces as fertilizer. Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) revealed that a large proportion of the core genomes of the NDM-EC belonged to strains from hosts other than their own, and several human isolates shared closely related core single-nucleotide polymorphisms and bl a NDM blaNDM genetic contexts with isolates from backyard animals. Conclusions: To our knowledge, we are the first to report evidence of direct transmission of NDM-EC between humans and animals. Given the rise of NDM-EC in community and hospital infections, combating NDM-EC transmission in backyard farm systems is needed. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5251
University of London1, University of Buenos Aires2, Umeå University3, Yale University4, National Institutes of Health5, University of São Paulo6, University of Los Andes7, Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University8, Duy Tan University9, National Taiwan University10, Monash University11, Nagasaki University12, University of Tsukuba13, University of Tartu14, University of Valencia15, Fudan University16, Seoul National University17, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague18, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic19, Health Canada20, University of Ottawa21, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute22, University of Basel23, Harvard University24, Kyoto University25, Spanish National Research Council26, Queensland University of Technology27, Shanghai Jiao Tong University28, Anhui Medical University29, Brunel University London30
TL;DR: The absence of a positive association of humidity with mortality in summer in this large multinational study is counter to expectations from physiologic studies, though consistent with previous epidemiologic studies finding little evidence for improved prediction by heat indices.
Abstract: Background: There is strong experimental evidence that physiologic stress from high temperatures is greater if humidity is higher. However, heat indices developed to allow for this have not consist ...
TL;DR: Rural residents are more sensitive to both cold and hot temperatures than urban residents in Zhejiang Province, China, particularly the elderly, suggesting past studies using exposure–response functions derived from urban areas may underestimate the mortality burden for the population as a whole.
Abstract: Background: Temperature-related mortality risks have mostly been studied in urban areas, with limited evidence for urban–rural differences in the temperature impacts on health outcomes. Objectives:...
TL;DR: In this article, per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are common industrial and consumer product chemicals with widespread human exposures that have been linked to adverse health effects.
Abstract: Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are common industrial and consumer product chemicals with widespread human exposures that have been linked to adverse health effects. PFASs a...
TL;DR: The results provide preliminary evidence of possible associations between other compounds such as triclosan, benzophenone-3, MCNP, and MCOP and both placental weight and PFR and should be seen as hypothesis generating.
Abstract: Background: The placenta performs crucial physiological functions to ensure normal fetal development. Few epidemiological studies investigated placental weight sensitivity to phthalates and phenols...
TL;DR: Early life exposure to PM2.5 was associated with a reduction in fundamental cognitive abilities, including working memory and conflict attentional network, and attention functions, though there was no association with attentiveness.
Abstract: Background: Although previous studies have reported negative associations between exposure to air pollution and cognition, studies of the effects of prenatal and postnatal exposures in early childh...
TL;DR: The construction of a PFAS screening library and the process by which a targeted subset of 75 PFASs were selected are described, including interest to the U.S. EPA, compounds within targeted categories, structural diversity, exposure considerations, procurability and testability, and availability of existing toxicity data.
Abstract: Summary: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a group of fluorinated substances of interest to researchers, regulators, and the public due to their widespread presence in the environment...
TL;DR: Air pollution was associated with stroke and AF onset, even at very low concentrations, and a near-linear association for stroke with PM2.5, whereas Ox-stroke, PM 2.5-, and Ox-AF relationships exhibited sublinear shapes.
Abstract: Background: Although growing evidence links air pollution to stroke incidence, less is known about the effect of air pollution on atrial fibrillation (AF), an important risk factor for stroke. Obje...
University of Twente1, Beijing Normal University2, Arizona State University3, Ohio State University4, Aarhus University5, Utrecht University6, University of California, Berkeley7, Yale University8, Washington University in St. Louis9, University of Iowa10, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention11, Centre for Health Protection12, Chinese Academy of Sciences13, Harvard University14
TL;DR: The results published here are a synthesis of the top 10 list that emerged out of the discussion by a panel of leading experts, reflecting a set of grand challenges for spatial lifecourse epidemiology in the coming years.
Abstract: The International Initiative on Spatial Lifecourse Epidemiology (ISLE) convened its first International Symposium on Lifecourse Epidemiology and Spatial Science at the Lorentz Center in Leiden, Netherlands, 16–20 July 2018. Its aim was to further an emerging transdisciplinary field: Spatial Lifecourse Epidemiology. This field draws from a broad perspective of scientific disciplines including lifecourse epidemiology, environmental epidemiology, community health, spatial science, health geography, biostatistics, spatial statistics, environmental science, climate change, exposure science, health economics, evidence-based public health, and landscape ecology. The participants, spanning 30 institutions in 10 countries, sought to identify the key issues and research priorities in spatial lifecourse epidemiology. The results published here are a synthesis of the top 10 list that emerged out of the discussion by a panel of leading experts, reflecting a set of grand challenges for spatial lifecourse epidemiology in the coming years. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP4868.
TL;DR: An inverse association between the highest level of surrounding summer greenness and the risk of self-reported depression is estimated in this population of mostly white women in the Nurses' Health Study.
Abstract: Background: Recent evidence suggests that higher levels of residential greenness may contribute to better mental health. Despite this, few studies have considered its impact on depression, and most...
TL;DR: Comparisons of PFASs in community tap water collected in the period 2013–2016 with samples from 1989–1990 indicated increases in quantifiable PFAS and extractable organic fluorine (a proxy for unquantified PFAS).
Abstract: Background: Between 2013 and 2015, concentrations of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in public drinking water supplies serving at least six million individuals exceeded the level set for...
TL;DR: Compared with serumPFAS levels, the much clearer association of seminal PFAS levels with semen parameters suggests its advantage in hazard assessment on semen quality, although the potential for confounding might be higher.
Abstract: Background: Epidemiological evidence remains equivocal on the associations between environmentally relevant levels of per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and human semen quality. Objectives: We...