Search results for "Particulate matter"
showing 10 items of 119 documents
Cardiovascular disease burden from ambient air pollution in Europe reassessed using novel hazard ratio functions
2019
Abstract Aims Ambient air pollution is a major health risk, leading to respiratory and cardiovascular mortality. A recent Global Exposure Mortality Model, based on an unmatched number of cohort studies in many countries, provides new hazard ratio functions, calling for re-evaluation of the disease burden. Accordingly, we estimated excess cardiovascular mortality attributed to air pollution in Europe. Methods and results The new hazard ratio functions have been combined with ambient air pollution exposure data to estimate the impacts in Europe and the 28 countries of the European Union (EU-28). The annual excess mortality rate from ambient air pollution in Europe is 790 000 [95% confidence i…
FTIR spectral analysis of PM10 and PM2.5 particulate matter over the urban area of Palermo (Italy) during normal days and Saharan events
2010
The principal sources of particulate matter in Palermo urban area are gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles, domestic heating, resuspension of soil dust and a geogenic source which includes soil erosion, marine aerosol and sporadic Saharan events. Annual average PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations result 27.8±9.8 and 21.3±5.1g/m3. The highest mass levels, 246 and 65 g/m3 respectively for PM10 and PM2.5, were observed during Saharan events. For the present study, which uses the ATR-FTIR spectroscopy to provide insights on the chemical composition of airborne particulate matter, a total of 89 filters were collected: 13 PM10 filters from a sub-urban background station, 36 PM10 and 40 PM2.5 filters …
Air pollution perception in ten countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
As largely documented in the literature, the stark restrictions enforced worldwide in 2020 to curb the COVID-19 pandemic also curtailed the production of air pollutants to some extent. This study investigates the perception of the air pollution as assessed by individuals located in ten countries: Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Norway, South Africa and the USA. The perceptions towards air quality were evaluated by employing an online survey administered in May 2020. Participants (N = 9394) in the ten countries expressed their opinions according to a Likert-scale response. A reduction in pollutant concentration was clearly perceived, albeit to a different extent, by all …
Biofuel blending reduces particle emissions from aircraft engines at cruise conditions.
2017
Aviation-related aerosol emissions contribute to the formation of contrail cirrus clouds that can alter upper tropospheric radiation and water budgets, and therefore climate1. The magnitude of air-traffic-related aerosol–cloud interactions and the ways in which these interactions might change in the future remain uncertain. Modelling studies of the present and future effects of aviation on climate require detailed information about the number of aerosol particles emitted per kilogram of fuel burned and the microphysical properties of those aerosols that are relevant for cloud formation. However, previous observational data at cruise altitudes are sparse for engines burning conventional fuel…
Luftverschmutzung als wichtiger Kofaktor bei COVID-19-Sterbefällen
2021
Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Die Sterblichkeit bei COVID-19 ist in Anwesenheit kardiopulmonaler Komorbiditäten erhöht. Luftverschmutzung ist ebenfalls mit einer erhöhten Sterblichkeit assoziiert, v. a. vermittelt durch kardiopulmonale Erkrankungen. Beobachtungen zu Beginn der COVID-19-Pandemie zeigten, dass die Sterblichkeit bei COVID-19 v. a. in Regionen mit stärkerer Luftverschmutzung erhöht ist. Ungeklärt ist der Einfluss von Luftverschmutzung für den Krankheitsverlauf bei COVID-19. Methode Es wurde eine selektive Literaturrecherche von Studien bis Anfang April 2021 in PubMed zum Zusammenhang von Luftverschmutzung und der COVID-19-Mortalität mit den Suchbegriffen „air pollution AND/OR COV…
Characterizing mortality effects of particulate matter size fractions in the two capital cities of the Canary Islands
2010
Most of the studies differentiating the effect of size-classified particulate matter (PM) exposure have been carried out in cities where the average levels of fine particles (PM2.5) were higher than those of coarse particles (PM10-2.5). These studies have suggested that PM2.5 is associated with daily mortality, but there is only limited evidence that PM10-2.5 is independently associated with mortality. The citizens of the Canary Islands are exposed to PM which is highly influenced by mineral dust because of the islands' proximity to the Western Coast of Morocco. This offers an excellent opportunity to analyze in detail the short-term association between PM size fractions and total, respirat…
Congenital anomalies among live births in a high environmental risk area—A case-control study in Brindisi (southern Italy)
2013
Maternal exposure to ambient pollution has been increasingly linked to the risk of congenital anomalies (CAs) in the fetus and newborns. Recently, a descriptive study in the high environmental risk city of Brindisi (Italy) revealed an increased prevalence of total CAs, especially congenital heart disease (CHD) and ventricular septal defects (VSDs), both at the local level and in comparison with the pool of EUROCAT registries. This paper concerns a population-based case control study to investigate the association between maternal exposure to air pollutants - sulfur dioxide (SO2) and total suspended particulate (TSP) matter - and the risk of CA. Cases were newborns up to 28 days of age, born…
Particle transport in recirculated liquid metal flows
2008
PurposeAims to present recent activities in numerical modeling of turbulent transport processes in induction crucible furnace.Design/methodology/approach3D large eddy simulation (LES) method was applied for fluid flow modeling in a cylindrical container and transport of 30,000 particles was investigated with Lagrangian approach.FindingsParticle accumulation near the side crucible boundary is determined mainly by the ρp/ρ ratio and according to the presented results. Particle settling velocity is of the same order as characteristic melt flow velocity. Particle concentration homogenization time depends on the internal flow regime. Separate particle tracks introduce very intensive mass exchang…
Can PBDEs affect the pathophysiologic complex of epithelium in lung diseases?
2020
Brominated flame-retardant (BFRs) exposure promotes multiple adverse health outcomes involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, and tissues damage. We investigated BFR effects, known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (47, 99 and 209) in an air-liquid-interface (ALI) airway tissue derived from A549 cell line, and compared with ALI culture of primary human bronchial epithelial cells (pHBEC). The cells, exposed to PBDEs (47, 99 and 209) (0.01-1 mu M) for 24 h, were studied for IL-8, Muc5AC and Muc5B (mRNAs and proteins) production, as well as NOX-4 (mRNA) expression. Furthermore, we evaluated tight junction (TJ) integrity by Trans-Epithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER) measurements, …
Loss of life expectancy from air pollution compared to other risk factors: a worldwide perspective
2020
Abstract Aims Long-term exposure of humans to air pollution enhances the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. A novel Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) has been derived from many cohort studies, providing much-improved coverage of the exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We applied the GEMM to assess excess mortality attributable to ambient air pollution on a global scale and compare to other risk factors. Methods and results We used a data-informed atmospheric model to calculate worldwide exposure to PM2.5 and ozone pollution, which was combined with the GEMM to estimate disease-specific excess mortality and loss of life expectancy (LLE) in 2015. Using this model, …