Search results for "Air Pollution"

Sperm DNA fragmentation: An early and reliable marker of air pollution.

2017

Environmental factors could have a key role in the continuous and remarkable decline of sperm quality observed in the last decades. This study compared the seminal parameters and sperm DFI in men living in areas with different levels of air pollution. Results demonstrate that both steel plants workers and patients living in a high polluted area show a mean percentage of sperm DNA fragmentation above 30%, highlighting a clear sperm damage. In this work, two different techniques were used to measure sperm DNA damage in patients’ groups, finding in both cases a high sperm DFI in patients living in polluted areas. We candidate sperm DNA fragmentation as a valuable early marker of the presence…

2017

Air pollution and climate change are potential drivers for the increasing burden of allergic diseases. The molecular mechanisms by which air pollutants and climate parameters may influence allergic diseases, however, are complex and elusive. This article provides an overview of physical, chemical and biological interactions between air pollution, climate change, allergens, adjuvants and the immune system, addressing how these interactions may promote the development of allergies. We reviewed and synthesized key findings from atmospheric, climate, and biomedical research. The current state of knowledge, open questions, and future research perspectives are outlined and discussed. The Anthropo…

Effects of gaseous and solid constituents of air pollution on endothelial function

2018

Abstract Ambient air pollution is a leading cause of non-communicable disease globally. The largest proportion of deaths and morbidity due to air pollution is now known to be due to cardiovascular disorders. Several particulate and gaseous air pollutants can trigger acute events (e.g. myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure). While the mechanisms by which air pollutants cause cardiovascular events is undergoing continual refinement, the preponderant evidence support rapid effects of a diversity of pollutants including all particulate pollutants (e.g. course, fine, ultrafine particles) and gaseous pollutants such as ozone, on vascular function. Indeed alterations in endothelial function…

Environmental Factors Such as Noise and Air Pollution and Vascular Disease

2020

Significance: According to the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases are the globally leading cause of mortality. Recent Advances: About 71% of 56 million deaths that occurred worldwide are due to noncommunicable cardiovascular risk factors, including tobacco smoking, unhealthy diets, lack of physical activity, overweight, arterial hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, which can be either avoided or substantially reduced. Critical Issues: Thus, it is estimated that 80% of premature heart disease, stroke, and diabetes can be prevented. More recent evidence indicates that environmental stressors such as noise and air pollution contribute significantly to the global b…

Prenatal Ambient Air Pollution, Placental Mitochondrial DNA Content, and Birth Weight in the INMA (Spain) and ENVIRONAGE (Belgium) Birth Cohorts

2016

The research leading to these results was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS-PI11/00610, FIS-PI041436, FIS-PI081151, FIS-PI042018, and FIS-PI09/02311), the European Union (EU) (FP7-ENV-2011 cod 282957 and HEALTH.2010.2.4.5-1), the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Red INMA G03/176, CB06/02/0041, FIS-FEDER 03/1615, 04/1509, 04/1112, 04/1931, 05/1079, 05/1052, 06/1213, 07/0314, 09/02647, 11/01007, 11/02591, CP11/00178, FIS-PI06/0867, and FIS-PS09/00090), the Conselleria de Sanitat Generalitat Valenciana, the Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT (1999SGR 00241), the Obre Social Cajastur, the Universidad de Oviedo, the Department of Health of the Basque Government (2005111093 and 2009111069),…

Prenatal Air Pollution and Reduced Birth Weight: Decline in Placental Mitochondria as a Potential Mechanism.

2016

Strong epidemiological evidence links prenatal exposure to ambient air pollution and outcomes including low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction, and preterm birth.1,2 A new study finds evidence that the association between prenatal air pollution exposure and reduced birth weight may be mediated in part by a decline in the mitochondrial content of the placenta.3 During pregnancy, the placenta supports the nourishment, growth, and development of the fetus, and mitochondria within the cells of the placenta are essential to these processes.4 Mitochondria, the cellular organelles that regulate energy production, are easily damaged by reactive oxygen species generated by oxidative stres…

Effects of air pollution particles (ultrafine and fine particulate matter) on mitochondrial function and oxidative stress – Implications for cardiova…

2020

Environmental pollution is a major cause of global mortality and burden of disease. All chemical pollution forms together may be responsible for up to 12 million annual excess deaths as estimated by the Lancet Commission on pollution and health as well as the World Health Organization. Ambient air pollution by particulate matter (PM) and ozone was found to be associated with an all-cause mortality rate of up to 9 million in the year 2015, with the majority being of cerebro- and cardiovascular nature (e.g. stroke and ischemic heart disease). Recent evidence suggests that exposure to airborne particles and gases contributes to and accelerates neurodegenerative diseases. Especially, airborne t…

Environmental Stressors and Their Impact on Health and Disease with Focus on Oxidative Stress

2017

Epidemiological, preclinical and interventional clinical studies have demonstrated that environmental stressors are associated with health problems, namely cardiovascular diseases. According to estimations of the World Health Organization (WHO), environmental risk factors account for an appreciable part of global deaths and life years spent with disability. This Forum addresses the impact of the environmental risk factors such as traffic noise exposure, air pollution by particulate matter (PM), mental stress/loneliness, and the life style risk factor (water-pipe) smoking on health and disease with focus on the cardiovascular system. We will critically discuss the use of observatory/modifiab…

Impact on Air Quality of the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Urban Area of Palermo (Italy).

2020

At the end of 2019, the first cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported in Wuhan, China. Thereafter, the number of infected people increased rapidly, and the outbreak turned into a national crisis, with infected individuals all over the country. The COVID-19 global pandemic produced extreme changes in human behavior that affected air quality. Human mobility and production activities decreased significantly, and many regions recorded significant reductions in air pollution. The goal of our investigation was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the concentrations of the main air pollutants in the urban area of Palermo (Italy). In this study, the trends in the average…

Socioeconomic status and exposure to multiple environmental pollutants during pregnancy: evidence for environmental inequity?

2012

Background Inequities in the distribution of environmental exposures may add an extra burden to socially disadvantaged populations, especially when acting during vulnerable periods such as pregnancy and early life, but such inequities may be more complex and uncertain than is generally assumed. We therefore examine whether socioeconomic inequities exist in pregnancy exposures to multiple common environmental contaminants in air, water and food. Methods A Spanish population-based birth cohort study enrolled over 2000 pregnant women between 2004 and 2008. Questionnaires assessed parental education, occupation, country of birth, diet and many other factors. Environmental pollutant assessments …