International journal of hygiene and environmental health最新文献

{"title":"Biomonitoring for workplace exposure to copper and its compounds is currently not interpretable","authors":"Ruth Bevan ,&nbsp;Len Levy","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114358","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114358","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper sets out to explore the requirements needed to recommend a useable and reliable biomonitoring system for occupational exposure to copper and its inorganic compounds. Whilst workplace environmental monitoring of copper is used to measure ambient air concentrations for comparison against occupational exposure limits, biological monitoring could provide complementary information about the internal dose of workers, taking into account intra-individual variability and exposure from all routes. For biomonitoring to be of reliable use for copper, a biomarker and the analytical ability to measure it with sufficient sensitivity must be identified and this is discussed in a range of matrices. In addition, there needs to be a clear understanding of the dose-response relationship of the biomarker with any health-effect (clinical or sub-clinical) or, between the level of external exposure (by any route) and the level of the copper biomarker in the biological matrix being sampled, together with a knowledge of the half-life in the body to determine accurate sampling times. For many biologically non-essential metals the requirements for reliable biomarkers can be met, however, for ‘essential’ metals such as copper that are under homeostatic control, the relationship between exposure (short- or long-term) and the level of any copper biomarker in the blood or urine is complex, which may limit the use and interpretation of measured levels. There are a number of types of biomarker guidance values currently in use which are discussed in this paper, but no values have yet been determined for copper (or its inorganic compounds) due to the complexity of its essential nature; the US The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has however indicated that it is considering the development of a biological exposure index for copper and its compounds. In light of this, we present a review of the reliability of current copper biomarkers and their potential use in the occupational context to evaluate whether there is value in carrying out human biomonitoring for copper exposure. Based on the available evidence we have concluded that the reliable use of biomonitoring of occupational exposure to copper and its application in risk assessment is not possible at the present time.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 114358"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438463924000397/pdfft?md5=86645f5344e6e1ef1cfe11aeb3dd0750&pid=1-s2.0-S1438463924000397-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140290350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plasma per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance mixtures during pregnancy and duration of breastfeeding in the New Hampshire birth cohort study","authors":"Megan E. Romano ,&nbsp;Lisa G. Gallagher ,&nbsp;George Price ,&nbsp;Kathryn A. Crawford ,&nbsp;Rachel Criswell ,&nbsp;Emily Baker ,&nbsp;Julianne Cook Botelho ,&nbsp;Antonia M. Calafat ,&nbsp;Margaret R. Karagas","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114359","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114359","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Prior studies suggest that prenatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposures are associated with shorter breastfeeding duration. Studies assessing PFAS mixtures and populations in North America are sparse.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>We quantified PFAS concentrations in maternal plasma collected during pregnancy in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (2010–2017). Participants completed standardized breastfeeding surveys at regular intervals until weaning (n = 813). We estimated associations between mixtures of 5 PFAS and risk of stopping exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months or any breastfeeding before 12 months using probit Bayesian kernel machine regression. For individual PFAS, we calculated the relative risk and hazard ratio (HR) of stopping breastfeeding using modified Poisson regression and accelerated failure time models respectively.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>PFAS mixtures were associated with stopping exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months, primarily driven by perfluorooctanoate (PFOA). We observed statistically significant trends in the association of perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), PFOA, and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) (p-trends≤0.02) with stopping exclusive breastfeeding. Participants in the highest PFOA quartile had a 28% higher risk of stopping exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months compared to those in the lowest quartile (95% Confidence Interval: 1.04, 1.56). Similar trends were observed for PFHxS and PFNA with exclusive breastfeeding (p-trends≤0.05). PFAS were not associated with stopping any breastfeeding before 12 months.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>In this cohort, we observed that participants with greater overall plasma PFAS concentrations had greater risk of stopping exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months and associations were driven largely by PFOA. These findings further support the growing literature indicating that PFAS may be associated with shorter duration of breastfeeding.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 114359"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140187088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the risk of exposure to antimicrobial resistance at public beaches: Genome-based insights into the resistomes, mobilomes and virulomes of beta-lactams resistant Enterobacteriaceae from recreational beaches in Lagos, Nigeria","authors":"Abolade A. Oyelade ,&nbsp;Odion O. Ikhimiukor ,&nbsp;Blessing I. Nwadike ,&nbsp;Obasola E. Fagade ,&nbsp;Olawale O. Adelowo","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114347","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The role of recreational water use in the acquisition and transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is under-explored in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We used whole genome sequence analysis to provide insights into the resistomes, mobilomes and virulomes of 14 beta-lactams resistant Enterobacterales isolated from water and wet-sand at four recreational beaches in Lagos, Nigeria. Carriage of multiple beta-lactamase genes was detected in all isolates except two, including six isolates carrying <em>bla</em>_NDM-1. Most detected antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were located within a diverse landscape of plasmids, insertion sequences and transposons including the presence of ISKpn14 upstream of <em>bla</em>_NDM-1 in a first report in Africa. Virulence genes involved in adhesion and motility as well as secretion systems are particularly abundant in the genomes of the isolates. Our results confirmed the four beaches are contaminated with bacteria carrying clinically relevant ARGs associated with mobile genetic elements (MGE) which could promote the transmission of ARGs at the recreational water-human interface.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 114347"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140134678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longitudinal assessment of oxidative stress markers and their relationship with exposure to PM2.5 and its bound metals in healthy participants","authors":"Yuan-Ting Hsu ,&nbsp;Ting-Yao Su ,&nbsp;Trong-Neng Wu ,&nbsp;Wei-Te Wu ,&nbsp;Saou-Hsing Liou ,&nbsp;Ching-Huang Lai ,&nbsp;Shau-Ku Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114348","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114348","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p>Exposure to ambient PM_2.5 and its bound metals poses a risk to health and disease, via, in part, oxidative stress response. A variety of oxidative stress markers have been used as markers of response, but their relevance to environmental exposure remains to be established. We evaluated, longitudinally, a battery of oxidative stress markers and their relationship with the exposure of PM_2.5 and its bound metals in a panel of healthy participants.</p></div><div><h3>Material and methods</h3><p>Levels of residence- and personal-based ambient air PM_2.5 and its bound metals, as well as of lung function parameters, were assessed in a total of 58 questionnaire-administered healthy never smoker participants (male, 39.7%). Levels of urinary oxidative stress markers, including Nε-(hexanoyl)-lysine (HEL; an early lipid peroxidation product), 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), N7-methylguanine (N7-meG), and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), plasma antioxidants [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and urinary metals were measured by ELISA, LC-MS, and ICP-MS, respectively. The results of three repeated measurements at two-month intervals were analyzed using the Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE).</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>After adjusting for confounders, residence- and personal-based PM_2.5 levels were positively associated with HEL (β = 0.22 and 0.18) and N7-meG (β = 0.39 and 0.13). Significant correlations were observed between personal air PM_2.5-Pb and urinary Pb with HEL (β = 0.08 and 0.26). While FVC, FEV₁, FEV₁/FVC, MMF, and PEFR predicted% were normal, a negative interaction (pollutant*time, P &lt; 0.05) was noted for PM_2.5-V, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, As, and Pb. Additionally, a negative interaction was found for N7-meG (β = −21.35, −18.77, −23.86) and SOD (β = −26.56, −26.18, −16.48) with FEV₁, FVC, and PEFR predicted%, respectively.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>These findings emphasize potential links between environmental exposure, internal dose, and health effects, thereby offering valuable markers for future research on metal exposure, oxidative stress, and health outcomes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 114348"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140113784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metagenomics insights into microbiome and antibiotic resistance genes from free living amoeba in chlorinated wastewater effluents","authors":"Thobela Conco-Biyela ,&nbsp;Muneer Ahmad Malla ,&nbsp;Oluyemi Olatunji Awolusi ,&nbsp;Mushal Allam ,&nbsp;Arshad Ismail ,&nbsp;Thor A. Stenström ,&nbsp;Faizal Bux ,&nbsp;Sheena Kumari","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114345","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Free living amoeba (FLA) are among the organisms commonly found in wastewater and are well-established hosts for diverse microbial communities. Despite its clinical significance, there is little knowledge on the FLA microbiome and resistome, with previous studies relying mostly on conventional approaches. In this study we comprehensively analyzed the microbiome, antibiotic resistome and virulence factors (VFs) within FLA isolated from final treated effluents of two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) using shotgun metagenomics. <em>Acanthamoeba</em> has been identified as the most common FLA, followed by <em>Entamoeba</em>. The bacterial diversity showed no significant difference (p &gt; 0.05) in FLA microbiomes obtained from the two WWTPs. At phylum level, the most dominant taxa were <em>Proteobacteria,</em> followed by Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. The most abundant genera identified were <em>Enterobacter</em> followed by <em>Citrobacter</em>, <em>Paenibacillus</em>, and <em>Cupriavidus</em>. The latter three genera are reported here for the first time in <em>Acanthamoeba</em>. In total, we identified 43 types of ARG conferring resistance to cephalosporins, phenicol, streptomycin, trimethoprim, quinolones, cephalosporins, tigecycline, rifamycin, and kanamycin. Similarly, a variety of VFs in FLA metagenomes were detected which included flagellar proteins, Type IV pili twitching motility proteins (pilH and rpoN), alginate biosynthesis genes <em>AlgI</em>, <em>AlgG</em>, <em>AlgD</em> and <em>AlgW</em> and Type VI secretion system proteins and general secretion pathway proteins (tssM, tssA, tssL, tssK, tssJ, fha, tssG, tssF, tssC and tssB, gspC, gspE, gspD, gspF, gspG, gspH, gspI, gspJ, gspK, and gspM). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to examine both the microbiomes and resistome in FLA, as well as their potential pathogenicity in treated effluents. Additionally, this study showed that FLA can host a variety of potentially pathogenic bacteria including <em>Paenibacillus</em>, and <em>Cupriavidus</em> that had not previously been reported, indicating that their relationship may play a role in the spread and persistence of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARBs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) as well as the evolution of novel pathogens.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 114345"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438463924000269/pdfft?md5=013c3de4ccfde0c105c3396311163551&pid=1-s2.0-S1438463924000269-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140096351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Elevated aluminum excretion in patients by long-term subcutaneous immunotherapy – A cross-sectional case-control study","authors":"Julia Hiller ,&nbsp;Thomas Göen ,&nbsp;Hans Drexler ,&nbsp;Carola Berking ,&nbsp;Nicola Wagner","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114337","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114337","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Aluminum (Al) adjuvants have been used in vaccines and subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) for decades. Despite indisputable neurotoxic properties of Al, there is no clear evidence of a causal relationship between their use and any neurotoxic side effects. However, recent rat studies have shown an accumulation of Al from adjuvants in tissues, especially in bones.</p></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><p>Since the human toxicokinetics of Al-adjuvants are poorly understood, this study aimed to evaluate whether up-dosed or long-term SCIT with Al-coupled extracts leads to increased Al load in humans.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>This observational cross-sectional case-control study explored Al excretion in hymenoptera venom allergy patients recruited in 2020 before initiation (n = 10) and during ongoing (n = 12) SCIT with Al-based preparations. Urine samples were collected before and 24 h after the SCIT injections and analyzed for aluminum content by using atomic absorption spectrometry. The cumulative administered Al dose was extracted from patient records. Patients receiving long-term immunotherapy were treated between 2.8 and 13.6 years (mean 7.1). Other potential sources of Al exposure were surveyed.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Patients who had received Al-coupled immunotherapy for several years showed significantly (p &lt; 0.001) higher Al excretion than the controls at initiation of immunotherapy (mean 18.2 μg/gC vs. 7.9 μg/gC) and predominantly (73%) were above the 95th percentile of the general populations' exposure (&gt;15 μg/gC), however, without reaching levels of toxicological concern (&gt;50 μg/gC). Taking both groups together excreted Al levels correlated with the cumulative administered Al dose from SCIT (linear regression: Al_urine = 8.258 + 0.133*Al_cum; p = 0.001).</p></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><p>These results suggest a relevant iatrogenic contribution of long-term SCIT to human internal Al burden and potential accumulation. Considering the medical benefits of Al-adjuvants and SCIT a differentiated risk-benefit analysis is needed. For certain scenarios of potential toxicological concern in clinical practice biomonitoring might be advisable.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 114337"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S143846392400018X/pdfft?md5=55cfc4471042238f0e417584adc7a59c&pid=1-s2.0-S143846392400018X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140069141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prenatal exposure to a mixture of organophosphate flame retardants and infant neurodevelopment: A prospective cohort study in Shandong, China","authors":"Xiaomeng Cheng ,&nbsp;Qi Lu ,&nbsp;Nan Lin ,&nbsp;Dandan Mao ,&nbsp;Shengju Yin ,&nbsp;Yu Gao ,&nbsp;Ying Tian","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114336","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114336","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Previous studies have suggested that prenatal exposure to organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) may have adverse effect on early neurodevelopment, but limited data are available in China, and the overall effects of OPFRs mixture are still unclear.</p></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><p>This study aimed to investigate the association between prenatal exposure to OPFR metabolites mixture and the neurodevelopment of 1-year-old infants.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>A total of 270 mother-infant pairs were recruited from the Laizhou Wan (Bay) Birth Cohort in China. Ten OPFR metabolites were measured in maternal urine. Neurodevelopment of 1-year-old infants was assessed using the Gesell Developmental Schedules (GDS) and presented by the developmental quotient (DQ) score. Multivariate linear regression and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models were conducted to estimate the association of prenatal exposure to seven individual OPFR metabolites and their mixture with infant neurodevelopment.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>The positive rates of seven OPFR metabolites in the urine of pregnant women were greater than 70% with the median concentration ranged within 0.13–3.53 μg/g creatinine. The multivariate linear regression model showed significant negative associations between bis (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCIPP), din-butyl phosphate (DnBP), and total OPFR metabolites exposure and neurodevelopment in all infants. Results from the WQS model consistently revealed that the OPFR metabolites mixture was inversely associated with infant neurodevelopment. Each quartile increased in the seven OPFR metabolites mixture was associated with a 1.59 decrease (95% CI: 2.96, −0.21) in gross motor DQ scores, a 1.41 decrease (95% CI: 2.38, −0.43) in adaptive DQ scores, and a 1.08 decrease (95% CI: 2.15, −0.02) in social DQ scores, among which BCIPP, bis (1, 3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP) and DnBP were the main contributors.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Prenatal exposure to a mixture of OPFRs was negatively associated with early infant neurodevelopment, particularly in gross motor, adaptive, and social domains.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 114336"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140066949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations of prenatal ambient air pollution exposures with asthma in middle childhood","authors":"Marnie F. Hazlehurst ,&nbsp;Kecia N. Carroll ,&nbsp;Paul E. Moore ,&nbsp;Adam A. Szpiro ,&nbsp;Margaret A. Adgent ,&nbsp;Logan C. Dearborn ,&nbsp;Allison R. Sherris ,&nbsp;Christine T. Loftus ,&nbsp;Yu Ni ,&nbsp;Qi Zhao ,&nbsp;Emily S. Barrett ,&nbsp;Ruby H.N. Nguyen ,&nbsp;Shanna H. Swan ,&nbsp;Rosalind J. Wright ,&nbsp;Nicole R. Bush ,&nbsp;Sheela Sathyanarayana ,&nbsp;Kaja Z. LeWinn ,&nbsp;Catherine J. Karr","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114333","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114333","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>We examined associations between prenatal fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and ozone (O₃) exposures and child respiratory outcomes through age 8–9 years in 1279 ECHO-PATHWAYS Consortium mother-child dyads. We averaged spatiotemporally modeled air pollutant exposures during four fetal lung development phases: pseudoglandular (5–16 weeks), canalicular (16–24 weeks), saccular (24–36 weeks), and alveolar (36+ weeks). We estimated adjusted relative risks (RR) for current asthma at age 8–9 and asthma with recent exacerbation or atopic disease, and odds ratios (OR) for wheezing trajectories using modified Poisson and multinomial logistic regression, respectively. Effect modification by child sex, maternal asthma, and prenatal environmental tobacco smoke was explored. Across all outcomes, 95% confidence intervals (CI) included the null for all estimates of associations between prenatal air pollution exposures and respiratory outcomes. Pseudoglandular PM_2.5 exposure modestly increased risk of current asthma (RR_adj = 1.15, 95% CI: 0.88–1.51); canalicular PM_2.5 exposure modestly increased risk of asthma with recent exacerbation (RR_adj = 1.26, 95% CI: 0.86–1.86) and persistent wheezing (OR_adj = 1.28, 95% CI: 0.86–1.89). Similar findings were observed for O₃, but not NO₂, and associations were strengthened among mothers without asthma. While not statistically distinguishable from the null, trends in effect estimates suggest some adverse associations of early pregnancy air pollution exposures with child respiratory conditions, warranting confirmation in larger samples.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 114333"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438463924000142/pdfft?md5=6ca3b7695ec142ce1b8452f0ab4f3d30&pid=1-s2.0-S1438463924000142-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140066953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prenatal exposure to mixtures of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and organochlorines affects cognition in adolescence independent of postnatal exposure","authors":"Brigitte Reimann ,&nbsp;Sylvie Remy ,&nbsp;Gudrun Koppen ,&nbsp;Greet Schoeters ,&nbsp;Elly Den Hond ,&nbsp;Vera Nelen ,&nbsp;Carmen Franken ,&nbsp;Adrian Covaci ,&nbsp;Liesbeth Bruckers ,&nbsp;Willy Baeyens ,&nbsp;Ilse Loots ,&nbsp;Nicolas van Larebeke ,&nbsp;Stefan Voorspoels ,&nbsp;Stefaan De Henauw ,&nbsp;Tim S. Nawrot ,&nbsp;Michelle Plusquin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114346","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Studies on cognitive and neurodevelopmental outcomes have shown inconsistent results regarding the association with prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) and organochlorines. Assessment of mixture effects of correlated chemical exposures that persist in later life may contribute to the unbiased evaluation and understanding of dose-response associations in real-life exposures.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>For a subset of the 4th Flemish Environment and Health Study (FLEHS), concentrations of four PFAS and six organochlorines were measured in respectively 99 and 153–160 cord plasma samples and 15 years later in adolescents' peripheral serum by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Sustained and selective attention were measured at 14–15 years with the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and Stroop Test as indicators of potential neurodevelopmental deficits. Quantile g-computation was applied to assess the joint associations between prenatal exposure to separate and combined groups of PFAS and organochlorines and performance in the CPT and Stroop Test at adolescence. Subsequently, individual effects of each chemical compound were analyzed in mixed effects models with two sets of covariates. Analytical data at birth and at the time of cognitive assessment allowed for off-setting postnatal exposure.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>In mixtures analysis, a simultaneous one-quantile increase in the natural log-transformed values of PFAS and organochlorines combined was associated with a decrease in the mean reaction time (RT) and the reaction time variability (RTV) in the CPT (β = -15.54, 95% CI:-29.64, -1.45, and β = -7.82, 95% CI: -14.97, −0.67 respectively) and for the mixture of PFAS alone with RT (β = -11.94, 95% CI: -23.29, -0.60). In the single pollutant models, these results were confirmed for the association between perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS) with RT (β = -17.95, 95% CI = -33.35, -2.69) and hexachlorobenzene with RTV in the CPT (β = -5.78, 95% CI: -10.39, -0.76). Furthermore, the participants with prenatal exposure above the limit of quantification for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) had a significantly shorter RT and RTV in the CPT (β = -23.38, 95% CI: -41.55, -5.94, and β = -9.54, 95% CI: -19.75, -0.43, respectively).</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Higher prenatal exposure to a PFAS mixture and a mixture of PFAS and organochlorines combined was associated with better sustained and selective attention during adolescence. The associations seemed to be driven by PFHxS and were not linked to exposure levels at the time of assessment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"257 ","pages":"Article 114346"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140041514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multiple pathogen contamination of water, hands, and fomites in rural Nepal and the effect of WaSH interventions","authors":"Sital Uprety ,&nbsp;Isaac Ngo ,&nbsp;Marika Maggos ,&nbsp;Bipin Dangol ,&nbsp;Samendra P. Sherchan ,&nbsp;Joanna L. Shisler ,&nbsp;Mohan Amarasiri ,&nbsp;Daisuke Sano ,&nbsp;Thanh H. Nguyen","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114341","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114341","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) interventions are the most effective in reducing diarrheal disease severity and prevalence. However, very few studies have investigated the effectiveness of WaSH intervention in reducing pathogen presence and concentration. In this study, we employed a microfluidic PCR approach to quantify twenty bacterial pathogens in water (n = 360), hands (n = 180), and fomite (n = 540) samples collected in rural households of Nepal to assess the pathogen exposures and the effect of WaSH intervention on contamination and exposure rates. The pathogen load and the exposure pathways for each pathogen in intervention and control villages were compared to understand the effects of WaSH intervention. Pathogens were detected in higher frequency and concentration from fomites samples, toilet handle (21.42%; 5.4,0 95%CI: mean log₁₀ of 4.69, 5.96), utensils (23.5%; 5.47, 95%CI: mean log₁₀ of 4.77, 6.77), and water vessels (22.42%; 5.53, 95%CI: mean log₁₀ of 4.79, 6.60) as compared to cleaning water (14.36%; 5.05, 95%CI: mean log₁₀ of 4.36, 5.89), drinking water (14.26%; 4.37, 85%CI: mean log₁₀ of 4.37, 5.87), and hand rinse samples (16.92%; 5.49, 95%CI: mean log₁₀ of 4.77, 6.39). There was no clear evidence that WaSH intervention reduced overall pathogen contamination in any tested pathway. However, we observed a significant reduction (p &lt; 0.05) in the prevalence, but not concentration, of some target pathogens, including Enterococcus spp. in the intervention village compared to the control village for water and hands rinse samples. Conversely, no significant reduction in target pathogen concentration was observed for water and hand rinse samples. In swab samples, there was a reduction mostly in pathogen concentration rather than pathogen prevalence, highlighting that a reduction in pathogen prevalence was not always accompanied by a reduction in pathogen concentration. This study provides an understanding of WaSH intervention on microbe concentrations. Such data could help with better planning of intervention activities in the future.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"257 ","pages":"Article 114341"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438463924000221/pdfft?md5=04a88e51f8fda9625dc1cdfc2fb917ca&pid=1-s2.0-S1438463924000221-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140024063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}