International journal of hygiene and environmental health最新文献

{"title":"Environmental surveillance for Salmonella Typhi to detect the typhoid burden in Yogyakarta, Indonesia","authors":"Vicka Oktaria ,&nbsp;Indah Kartika Murni ,&nbsp;Amanda Handley ,&nbsp;Celeste M. Donato ,&nbsp;Titik Nuryastuti ,&nbsp;Endah Supriyati ,&nbsp;David T. McCarthy ,&nbsp;Emma Watts ,&nbsp;Rizka Dinari ,&nbsp;Hendri Marinda Sari ,&nbsp;Jarir At Thobari ,&nbsp;Ida Safitri Laksono ,&nbsp;Julie E. Bines","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114572","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114572","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In low and middle-income countries (LMICs), understanding the burden of typhoid disease has been challenging as clinical surveillance based on blood culture data alone often poorly represents the community burden. Underreported cases, unclear case definitions, the presence of a chronic carrier state and emerging antimicrobial resistance necessitate alternative approaches to assess disease prevalence and target public health interventions, such as vaccine introduction. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) in measuring the prevalence of typhoid infection in Indonesia.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Between October 11, 2022, and August 31, 2023, WES was conducted in 18 locations across 3 districts in Yogyakarta province, Indonesia. Samples were collected fortnightly from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), manholes, a river, and public spaces, using grab and passive sampling methods. <em>Salmonella</em> Typhi (<em>S.</em> Typhi) detection was conducted using quantitative PCR for <em>S.</em> Typhi genes (<em>ttr, tviB,</em> and <em>staG</em> – all positive).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of the 406 samples collected, 13 % (51/406) tested positive for <em>S.</em> Typhi, with monthly positivity rates ranging from 2 % (1/51) in March 2023 to 47 % (16/34) in October 2022. Mean concentrations (in log10) in <em>ttr</em>, <em>tviB</em>, and <em>staG</em> in grab samples were 0.67 (SD ± 0.99), 0.23 (SD ± 1.14), and −0.11 (SD ± 1.05). The highest detection rates were observed in samples from the river compared to central WWTPs (OR 12.68; 95 % CI 2.03–79.20, <em>P</em> = 0.007). No correlation was observed between rainfall and <em>S.</em> Typhi gene detection (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05 for all genes).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>WES is feasible in Indonesia and can be used to monitor typhoid disease burden in an endemic region. High positivity rates from the river and septic tanks in traditional markets support a broad approach to sampling in LMICs where formal wastewater management systems may not accurately represent community disease prevalence due to its low population coverage. WES can be a valuable tool to inform public health responses, including vaccine introduction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 114572"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143735016","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 personal care product use during pregnancy and the postpartum period with markers of postpartum glycemic control – Results from the ERGO Study","authors":"Emma V. Preston ,&nbsp;Jennie Lytel-Sternberg ,&nbsp;Marlee R. Quinn ,&nbsp;Paige L. Williams ,&nbsp;Ellen W. Seely ,&nbsp;Florence M. Brown ,&nbsp;Michele R. Hacker ,&nbsp;Thomas F. McElrath ,&nbsp;David E. Cantonwine ,&nbsp;Blair J. Wylie ,&nbsp;Camille E. Powe ,&nbsp;Tamarra James-Todd ,&nbsp;the Environmental Reproductive and Glucose Outcomes (ERGO) Study","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114569","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114569","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Personal care products frequently contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) including parabens and phthalates, which can alter glucose metabolism. The postpartum period is a time of rapid metabolic change, but whether EDC-associated product use impacts postpartum glucose metabolism is unknown.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We included 270 participants from the Boston, MA-based Environmental Reproductive and Glucose Outcomes (ERGO) pregnancy cohort with data on self-reported personal care product use at ≤4 pregnancy visits (median: 11, 19, 26, 36 weeks of gestation) and 1 postpartum visit (median: 9 weeks). We quantified postpartum hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting insulin, fasting- and 2-h glucose post-75-g oral glucose tolerance test, and calculated homeostatic model assessment for insulin sensitivity (HOMA2-S) and beta-cell function (HOMA2-B). Using covariate-adjusted linear regression, we estimated visit-specific associations of product use with postpartum glycemic outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Associations of product use with postpartum glycemic measures were mixed. Users of certain hair products had lower postpartum insulin sensitivity compared to non-users (e.g., Visit1 hair gel/spray: 22.8% difference [95% CI: 39.2, −1.9] in mean HOMA2-S). Conversely, users of products like deodorant, liquid- and bar soap, had higher insulin sensitivity and lower glucose levels (e.g., postpartum deodorant: 32.1% difference [95% CI: 7.0, 63.1] in mean HOMA2-S; −3.1 mg/dL [95% CI: 6.3, −0.04] mean fasting glucose). Associations with other products were inconsistent across timepoints or null.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Use of certain personal care products during the perinatal period was associated with altered postpartum glucose metabolism. Larger studies are needed to understand the impacts of product use patterns on glycemic outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 114569"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143725056","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":"Maternal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls in indoor air and asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic eczema, and respiratory tract infections in childhood","authors":"Laura Deen ,&nbsp;Karin Sørig Hougaard ,&nbsp;Harald William Meyer ,&nbsp;Camilla Sandal Sejbæk ,&nbsp;Kajsa Ugelvig Petersen ,&nbsp;Marie Frederiksen ,&nbsp;Jens Peter Bonde ,&nbsp;Marie Standl ,&nbsp;Claudia Flexeder ,&nbsp;Sandra Søgaard Tøttenborg","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114567","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114567","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are industrial chemicals commonly found in food and building materials. PCBs are immunotoxic and may disturb the fetal programming of the immune and respiratory systems. We evaluated the association between maternal PCB exposure in indoor air and asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic eczema, and respiratory infections in the offspring in the Health Effects of PCBs in Indoor Air (HESPAIR) cohort. This register-based study examined 7982 children born to mothers residing in two partially PCB contaminated residential areas in Greater Copenhagen before and/or during pregnancy. Children were included if their mothers at any point had lived in a contaminated or uncontaminated apartment in the period from 3.6 years prior to conception until the date of birth. PCB exposure was defined as mothers’ number of years in an apartment prior to birth of the child multiplied with the PCB concentration in indoor air based on air measurements. Information on the outcomes was retrieved from the Danish health registers from 1977 to 2018. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios using Cox regression. Our main analyses revealed no association between maternal exposure to PCBs in indoor air and any of the studied allergic and respiratory outcomes. Findings of sensitivity analyses were consistent with main analyses. While these findings may appear reassuring for the considerable number of people living or working in PCB contaminated indoor environments, they should be interpreted with caution due to the indirect measure of exposure, incomplete registration of diagnoses, and lack of supporting evidence from comparable studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 114567"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143725057","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":"Assessing the impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on pregnancy loss: An environmental-wide association study in Northwest China","authors":"Ling Liu,&nbsp;Cai Liu,&nbsp;Wei Zhang,&nbsp;Fang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114568","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are emerging environmental contaminants with potential metabolic and endocrine-disrupting properties that may affect women's reproductive health. However, their specific role in pregnancy loss remains relatively understudied.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study aimed to assess the association between exposure to multiple PFAS and the association with pregnancy loss (PL) in a population from Northwest China using an environment-wide association study (EWAS) approach.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A case-control study was conducted at a university-affiliated reproductive center, enrolling 348 women with a history of PL and 320 controls with at least one live birth and no history of pregnancy loss. Serum concentrations of ten PFAS were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) following a standardized extraction and purification protocol. Demographic and clinical data were collected via a structured questionnaire. An elastic net regression model (ENRM) was employed for variable selection, identifying PFASs to be included in the subsequent EWAS analysis. Associations between individual PFAS and PL were then evaluated using logistic regression, and EWAS was utilized to explore the overall associations between PFAS mixture exposure and PL, accounting for potential interactions and multicollinearity.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The EWAS identified five PFASs—PFPeS, PFHxS, PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA—with significantly higher exposure odds in pregnancy loss cases versus live birth controls (adjusted ORs: 1.82 [1.31–2.62], 1.34 [1.19–1.51], 1.73 [1.46–2.07], 1.33 [1.14–1.56], and 1.73 [1.40–2.15], respectively). Subgroup analyses confirmed robust associations, with PFOA consistently linked to elevated exposure odds across demographic and clinical strata.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study demonstrates a significant association between exposure to multiple PFAS, notably PFPeS, PFHxS, PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA, and an increased risk of pregnancy loss in a Northwest Chinese population. The particularly robust association observed with PFOA across diverse subgroups underscores its potential as a significant environmental risk factor for PL. These findings highlight the need for further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and to develop strategies for reducing PFAS exposure among women of reproductive age.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 114568"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143715797","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":"How air pollution and extreme temperatures affect emergency hospital admissions due to various respiratory causes in Spain, by age group: A nationwide study","authors":"C. Linares ,&nbsp;J. Díaz ,&nbsp;M.A. Navas ,&nbsp;R. Ruiz-Páez ,&nbsp;M. Saez ,&nbsp;M.A. Barceló ,&nbsp;J.A. López-Bueno","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114570","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114570","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study set out to use specifically calculated dose-response functions to analyse how air pollution and extreme temperatures affected short-term daily emergency admissions due to respiratory diseases (asthma, upper respiratory tract infections and pneumonias) in the general population, children under 14 years of age and adults over 65 years of age, in all Spanish provinces across the period January 1, 2013─December 31, 2018. The following independent variables were used: mean daily NO₂, PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and O₃ concentrations recorded at all air pollution monitoring stations situated in the respective provinces; and maximum and minimum daily temperatures measured at reference observatories. Using generalised linear models (GLM) with a Poisson link, and controlling for trend, seasonalities and the autoregressive nature of the series, we calculated the relative risks for statistically significant associations. These were then used to calculate attributable risks and attributable cases, for the purpose of drawing up an economic estimate. Overall, chemical air pollution was linked to 33063 (95 %CI: 13536–55404) respiratory-cause admissions, which accounted for 7.8 % of total admissions in Spain. Respiratory-cause admissions attributable to heat- and cold-wave temperatures totalled 5754 (95 %CI: 2506, 8611), i.e., a lower order of magnitude. Nationwide, the impact of NO₂ and O₃ was greater than that of PM. The percentage of attributable admissions was higher in the under-14 than in the 65-year age group for all pollutants except ozone. This shows that the implementation of health-prevention plans that included temperature-pollution factors would be an effective way of mitigating the impacts which extreme temperatures and pollution have on population health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 114570"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683258","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":"Assessment of the fit and wearability of commercially available KN95 respirators for children in Indonesia and Nepal","authors":"Anne Sleeuwenhoek ,&nbsp;Claire J. Horwell ,&nbsp;Kusum Shahi ,&nbsp;Jihan Nur Azizah ,&nbsp;Rabindra Bhandari ,&nbsp;William Mueller ,&nbsp;Muhammad Iqbal ,&nbsp;Meghnath Dhimal ,&nbsp;Miranda Loh ,&nbsp;Karen S. Galea","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The purpose of this study was to determine how well KN95 respirators, marketed for children, fit the faces of children aged 6–13 years old in two urban sites with elevated levels of air pollution: Kathmandu, Nepal and Bandung, Indonesia. The wearability of the tested respirators and the children's style preferences were also assessed.</div><div>Sixty children, 30 in each country, were recruited and were fit tested with three different ear loop respirators in two combinations (with and without an additional adjustable ear loop clip worn around the head). The fit factor for each respirator was determined using a modified fit test protocol for filtering face piece respirators using a TSI PortaCount™ Respirator Fit Tester 8048. Facial dimensions were measured using callipers. The wearability of the respirators and children's style preferences were assessed through questionnaires administered after the fit tests.</div><div>Most fit factors were less than 10, i.e. less than 90 % reduction in exposure. In both countries, using an additional ear loop clip was associated with increases in fit factor of 42 and 50 % for Indonesian and Nepalese respirators, respectively. There were no significant differences among the respirators for any of the perceptions: comfort, feeling hot, breathability, fit, embarrassment or appearance for either country. The appearance of the respirator was important to the children. Although the use of an additional ear loop clip improved the fit, the respirators were generally too large for the children's faces to achieve a good fit. Respirators marketed for children should be better designed to suit their facial dimensions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 114561"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683257","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":"Mortality risk of short-term air pollution exposure in urban and rural Chinese populations: A nationwide time-stratified case-crossover study, 2008–2020","authors":"Yunning Liu ,&nbsp;Hongbing Xu ,&nbsp;Xuyang Shan ,&nbsp;Xinpeng Guan ,&nbsp;Lijun Wang ,&nbsp;Xinghou He ,&nbsp;Jiangmei Liu ,&nbsp;Jinling You ,&nbsp;Rongshan Wu ,&nbsp;Jianbin Wu ,&nbsp;Bin Zhang ,&nbsp;Jinlei Qi ,&nbsp;Peng Yin ,&nbsp;Mengyao Li ,&nbsp;Xinghua He ,&nbsp;Qian Zhao ,&nbsp;Xiaoming Song ,&nbsp;Xiaoqian Li ,&nbsp;Zifa Wang ,&nbsp;Qinghong Zhang ,&nbsp;Wei Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114564","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114564","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Background&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Epidemiologic evidence underpinning current World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines (WHO AQGs) is primarily derived from urban populations, which remains challenging for implementing the guidelines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where most people reside in rural or less developed areas. Here, we aimed to characterize the associations between ambient air pollution and mortality in Chinese populations living in both urban and rural areas, where rural populations have not been studied previously at national level.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;In this nationwide time-stratified case-crossover study, we extracted non-accidental death cases of all ages in both urban and rural areas during 2008–2020 from National Mortality Surveillance System, which covered 40,300 representative township-level administration units from 29 provinces, representing nearly 24 % of Chinese population. The urban-rural classification of participants' addresses was defined based on the China's National Bureau of Statistics. Daily township-level exposures to ambient particulate matter in diameter less than 10 μm and 2.5 μm (PM&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; and PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt;), nitrogen dioxide (NO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;), and 8-h maximum ozone (O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;) were estimated using the Nested Air Quality Prediction Modeling System. We applied conditional logistic regression models to characterize province-specific associations of mortality risks with air pollutants, and then combined the estimates using random-effects meta-analysis.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;A total of 61,228,962 all-cause deaths were compiled in the analysis. During the study period, 87.3 % of the death cases had PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; exposure on the same day of death above current short-term guideline level of 15 μg/m&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;, and 35.6 % had O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; exposure above guideline level of 100 μg/m&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;. In this analysis, significant morality risks were observed in associations with short-term exposures to all six criteria pollutants. In specific, each 10 μg/m&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; increase in PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; exposure levels on the same day of death was associated with increased mortality risks of 0.22 % (95 % confidence interval [95CI %], 0.13 to 0.31). Further, when exposure levels below the guidelines of 15 μg/m&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;, PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; exposure attributed mortality risks increased to 1.59 % (95CI %, 0.84 to 2.35), which became largely comparable with the risks observed in high-income country studies. Notably, we derived the effects attributed to nationwide O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; exposure, with association estimate of 0.18 % (95CI %, 0.11 to 0.25), which is also comparable with global estimates. The mortality risks for major criteria pollutants PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt;, PM&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt;, NO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;, SO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;, and O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; were slightly greater among urban populations than those observed in rural populations.&lt;/div&gt;","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 114564"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683259","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 exposure to the UV filter DHHB in urine samples from the German Environmental Specimen Bank (2000–2021): Evaluating the impact of a potential impurity of di-n-hexyl phthalate in DHHB","authors":"Max Scherer ,&nbsp;Gerhard Scherer ,&nbsp;Kirsten Riedel ,&nbsp;Holger M. Koch ,&nbsp;Sonja A. Wrobel ,&nbsp;Aline Murawski ,&nbsp;Nora Lemke ,&nbsp;Till Weber ,&nbsp;Nikola Pluym ,&nbsp;Marike Kolossa-Gehring","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114565","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114565","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human biomonitoring (HBM) has become a crucial tool for assessing exposure to emerging chemicals. We analyzed 250 24-h urine samples from the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB), collected between 2000 and 2021, for exposure to diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (DHHB), a UV filter increasingly used in sunscreens. Three major metabolites were examined: 2-(4-diethylamino)-, 2-(4-ethylamino)-, and 2-(4-amino)-2-hydroxybenzoyl)benzoic acid (DHB, EHB, AHB), with detection rates of 18°%, 13°%, and 87°%, respectively. While EHB and DHB were specific to DHHB, AHB suggested other exposure sources, making it unreliable for assessing DHHB exposure. DHB and EHB were first detected in 2012, with increased detection rates thereafter. The median daily intake of 37 ng/kg bw/d was much lower than the derived no-effect level of 2900 mg/kg bw/d, indicating low risk from DHHB exposure. However, since the analyzed ESB samples were collected in winter, they likely reflect exposure from other products and the environment rather than sunscreen-related exposure. Recently, concerns have emerged regarding the DHHB impurity di-n-hexylphthalate (DnHexP), a reproductive toxicant not authorized in the EU. Retrospective analysis of oral DHHB dosing experiments indeed revealed impurity related dose-dependent excretion of DnHexP metabolites (MnHexP, oxidized 5-OH-MnHexP, and 5-oxo-MnHexP). Due to uncertainties in dose allocation, only a rough excretion fraction of 45°% for MnHexP was derived. Our findings suggest that the DHHB impurity DnHexP may contribute to DnHexP exposure in sunscreen users applying products with contaminated DHHB. Given DnHexP's toxicity, this warrants re-assessment of DHHB's safety in cosmetics and enhanced surveillance of both DHHB and DnHexP in HBM studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 114565"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143675026","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":"Fine particulate matter components and reproductive hormones in female adults: A 15-year longitudinal cohort study","authors":"Siyi Chen ,&nbsp;Cui Guo ,&nbsp;Chunquan Ou ,&nbsp;Yiling Zheng ,&nbsp;Yufei Liu ,&nbsp;Jun Ma ,&nbsp;Xingcheng Lu ,&nbsp;Bo Huang ,&nbsp;Ta-Chien Chan","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Few cohort studies have evaluated the long-term impacts of ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and its components on reproductive hormone levels in female adults.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a 15-year retrospective cohort study in Taiwan between 2003 and 2017. The two-year average concentrations of PM_2.5 and its components, including sulfate (<span><math><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi>S</mi><mi>O</mi></mrow><mn>4</mn><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>−</mo></mrow></msubsup></mrow></math></span>), nitrate (<span><math><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>O</mi></mrow><mn>3</mn><mo>−</mo></msubsup></mrow></math></span>), ammonium (<span><math><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>H</mi></mrow><mn>4</mn><mo>+</mo></msubsup></mrow></math></span>), organic matter (OM), and black carbon (BC), were assessed at each participant's addresses. Linear mixed models were used to examine the associations of PM_2.5 and its components with reproductive hormones, including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), and prolactin (PRL). Stratified analyses were conducted to identify vulnerable populations.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>17,152 female adults were included. Each interquartile range (IQR: 3.545 μg/m³) increase in PM_2.5 was associated with a 0.585 mIU/mL [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.190–0.980] increase in FSH levels. Among the five components of PM_2.5, BC had the strongest positive association [each IQR (0.272 μg/m³) increase was associated with a 0.863 mIU/mL (95% CI: 0.476–1.250) increase in FSH levels], followed by OM, <span><math><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi>S</mi><mi>O</mi></mrow><mn>4</mn><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>−</mo></mrow></msubsup></mrow></math></span>, and <span><math><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>H</mi></mrow><mn>4</mn><mo>+</mo></msubsup></mrow></math></span>. Similar associations were found for LH, with a 0.483 mIU/mL (95% CI: 0.225–0.742) and 0.684 mIU/mL (95% CI: 0.431–0.938) increase in LH levels per IQR increase in PM_2.5 and BC, respectively. The pollutants were marginally associated with decreased E2 levels and increased PRL levels. Non-linear associations between PM_2.5 and its components and the levels of FSH, LH, E2, and PRL were observed. These pollutants were also positively associated with T levels among young adults. Post-menopausal women were more susceptible to the chronic impacts of PM_2.5 and its components.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our study highlighted the adverse impacts of long-term exposure to PM_2.5 components on hormonal homeostasis, revealing the biological mechanism of air pollution-reproductive health associations in females. Implementing stringent control of air pollution levels can benefit reproductive health in female adults, even in moderately polluted regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 114562"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143637182","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":"Defining alarm thresholds for the load of pathogenic viruses in wastewater for decision making: An application to three French cities","authors":"Olivier Schlosser ,&nbsp;Sophie Courtois ,&nbsp;Philippe Bryche ,&nbsp;Clotilde Fressinet ,&nbsp;Nicolas Revel ,&nbsp;Jean-François Loret","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114563","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114563","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wastewater monitoring has the potential to complement infectious disease surveillance systems. However, the absence of predefined viral signal thresholds in wastewater is often presented as a limiting factor in triggering public health action. To overcome this issue, the feasibility of defining alarm threshold for viral loads in wastewater samples was assessed by quantifying genome fragments of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A virus (IAV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), norovirus (NoV), and rotavirus (RoV) by RT-digital PCR (dPCR) in untreated wastewater samples from three treatment plants. Cut-point values were calculated for periods with a high rate of visits to emergency rooms or at-home visits by SOS Médecins for the related diseases. ROC curves were constructed, and the values of alarm threshold in wastewater were defined using the Youden index. For each targeted virus, alarm thresholds were close to each other across the three WWTPs. As indicated by likelihood ratios, evidence to rule in the diagnosis of high rate of visits when the alarm threshold was exceeded ranged from weak to strong and was highest for RSV and SARS-CoV-2. Evidence to rule out the diagnosis when the alarm threshold was not exceeded was strong or moderate for IAV, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. Diagnostic performance of the test was not as high for NoV and RoV. Positive predictive value was highest for SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.</div><div>For SARS-CoV-2 and RSV, the definition of an alarm threshold in wastewater could substantially inform the diagnosis of a period with a high rate of medical visits for COVID-19 and bronchiolitis, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13994,"journal":{"name":"International journal of hygiene and environmental health","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 114563"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143629063","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}