Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology最新文献

{"title":"Does socioeconomic and environmental burden affect vulnerability to extreme air pollution and heat? A case-crossover study of mortality in California.","authors":"Mehjar Azzouz, Zainab Hasan, Md Mostafijur Rahman, W James Gauderman, Melissa Lorenzo, Frederick W Lurmann, Sandrah P Eckel, Lawrence Palinkas, Jill Johnston, Michael Hurlburt, Sam J Silva, Hannah Schlaerth, Joseph Ko, George Ban-Weiss, Rob McConnell, Leo Stockfelt, Erika Garcia","doi":"10.1038/s41370-024-00676-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-024-00676-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Extreme heat and air pollution is associated with increased mortality. Recent evidence suggests the combined effects of both is greater than the effects of each individual exposure. Low neighborhood socioeconomic status (\"socioeconomic burden\") has also been associated with increased exposure and vulnerability to both heat and air pollution. We investigated if neighborhood socioeconomic burden or the combination of socioeconomic and environmental exposures (\"socioenvironmental burden\") modified the effect of combined exposure to extreme heat and particulate air pollution on mortality in California.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used a time-stratified case-crossover design to assess the impact of daily exposure to extreme particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) and heat on cardiovascular, respiratory, and all-cause mortality in California 2014-2019. Daily average PM<sub>2.5</sub> and maximum temperatures based on decedent's residential census tract were dichotomized as extreme or not. Census tract-level socioenvironmental and socioeconomic burden was assessed with the CalEnviroScreen (CES) score and a social deprivation index (SDI), and individual educational attainment was derived from death certificates. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate associations of heat and PM<sub>2.5</sub> with mortality with a product term used to evaluate effect measure modification.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the study period 1,514,292 all-cause deaths could be assigned residential exposures. Extreme heat and air pollution alone and combined were associated with increased mortality, matching prior reports. Decedents in census tracts with higher socioenvironmental and socioeconomic burden experienced more days with extreme PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure. However, we found no consistent effect measure modification by CES or SDI on combined or separate extreme heat and PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure on odds of total, cardiovascular or respiratory mortality. No effect measure modification was observed for individual education attainment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We did not find evidence that neighborhood socioenvironmental- or socioeconomic burden significantly influenced the individual or combined impact of extreme exposures to heat and PM<sub>2.5</sub> on mortality in California.</p><p><strong>Impact: </strong>We investigated the effect measure modification by socioeconomic and socioenvironmental of the co-occurrence of heat and PM<sub>2.5</sub>, which adds support to the limited previous literature on effect measure modification by socioeconomic and socioenvironmental burden of heat alone and PM<sub>2.5</sub> alone. We found no consistent effect measure modification by neighborhood socioenvironmental and socioeconomic burden or individual level SES of the mortality association with extreme heat and PM<sub>2.5</sub> co-exposure. However, we did find increased number of days with extreme PM<sub>2.5</","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"294-302"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11540871/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140876618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leveraging low-cost sensors to predict nitrogen dioxide for epidemiologic exposure assessment.","authors":"Christopher Zuidema, Jianzhao Bi, Dustin Burnham, Nancy Carmona, Amanda J Gassett, David L Slager, Cooper Schumacher, Elena Austin, Edmund Seto, Adam A Szpiro, Lianne Sheppard","doi":"10.1038/s41370-024-00667-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-024-00667-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Statistical models of air pollution enable intra-urban characterization of pollutant concentrations, benefiting exposure assessment for environmental epidemiology. The new generation of low-cost sensors facilitate the deployment of dense monitoring networks and can potentially be used to improve intra-urban models of air pollution.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>Develop and evaluate a spatiotemporal model for nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>) in the Puget Sound region of WA, USA for the Adult Changes in Thought Air Pollution (ACT-AP) study and assess the contribution of low-cost sensor data to the model's performance through cross-validation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed a spatiotemporal NO<sub>2</sub> model for the study region incorporating data from 11 agency locations, 364 supplementary monitoring locations, and 117 low-cost sensor (LCS) locations for the 1996-2020 time period. Model features included long-term time trends and dimension-reduced land use regression. We evaluated the contribution of LCS network data by comparing models fit with and without sensor data using cross-validated (CV) summary performance statistics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The best performing model had one time trend and geographic covariates summarized into three partial least squares components. The model, fit with LCS data, performed as well as other recent studies (agency cross-validation: CV- root mean square error (RMSE) = 2.5 ppb NO<sub>2</sub>; CV- coefficient of determination ( <math> <msup><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow> <mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow> </msup> </math> ) = 0.85). Predictions of NO<sub>2</sub> concentrations developed with LCS were higher at residential locations compared to a model without LCS, especially in recent years. While LCS did not provide a strong performance gain at agency sites (CV-RMSE = 2.8 ppb NO<sub>2</sub>; CV- <math> <msup><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow> <mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow> </msup> </math>  = 0.82 without LCS), at residential locations, the improvement was substantial, with RMSE = 3.8 ppb NO<sub>2</sub> and <math> <msup><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow> <mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow> </msup> </math>  = 0.08 (without LCS), compared to CV-RMSE = 2.8 ppb NO<sub>2</sub> and CV- <math> <msup><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow> <mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow> </msup> </math>  = 0.51 (with LCS).</p><p><strong>Impact: </strong>We developed a spatiotemporal model for nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>) pollution in Washington's Puget Sound region for epidemiologic exposure assessment for the Adult Changes in Thought Air Pollution study. We examined the impact of including low-cost sensor data in the NO<sub>2</sub> model and found the additional spatial information the sensors provided predicted NO<sub>2</sub> concentrations that were higher than without low-cost sensors, particularly in recent years. We did not observe a clear, substantial improvement in cross-validation performance over a similar model fit without low-cost sensor dat","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"169-179"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140861441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measured air quality impacts after teaching parents about cooking ventilation with a video: a pilot study.","authors":"Stephanie M Holm, Brett C Singer, Mi-Suk Kang Dufour, Woody Delp, James E S Nolan, P Jacob Bueno de Mesquita, Bailey Ward, Yahna Williamson, O'Philia Le, Marion L Russell, Kim G Harley, John R Balmes","doi":"10.1038/s41370-024-00730-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-024-00730-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cooking-related emissions contribute to air pollutants in the home and may influence children's health outcomes.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>In this pilot study, we investigate the effects of a cooking ventilation intervention in homes with gas stoves, including a video-based educational intervention and range hood replacement (when needed) in children's homes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a pilot (n = 14), before-after trial (clinicaltrials.gov #NCT04464720) in homes in the San Francisco Bay Area that had a school-aged child, a gas stove, and either a venting range hood or over-the-range microwave/hood. Cooking events, ventilation use, and indoor air pollution were measured in homes for 2-4 weeks, and children completed respiratory assessments. Midway, families received this intervention: (1) education about the hazards of cooking-related pollutants and benefits of both switching to back burners and using the range hood whenever cooking and (2) ensuring the range hood met airflow and sound performance standards. The educational intervention was delivered via a video developed in conjunction with local youth.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found substantially increased use of back burners and slight increases in range hood use during cooking after intervening. Even though there was no change in cooking frequency or duration, these behavior changes resulted in decreases in nitrogen dioxide (NO2), including significant decreases in the total integrated concentration of NO2 over all cooking events from 1230 ppb*min (IQR 336, 7861) to 756 (IQR 84.0, 4210; p < 0.05) and NO2 collected on samplers over the entire pre- and post-intervention intervals from 10.4 ppb (IQR 3.5, 47.5) to 9.4 (IQR 3.0, 36.1; p < 0.005). There were smaller changes in PM2.5, and no changes were seen in respiratory outcomes.</p><p><strong>Impact: </strong>This pilot before-after trial evaluated the use of a four-minute educational video to improve cooking ventilation in homes with gas stoves and one or more school-aged children. Participant behavior changed after watching the video, and there were decreases in indoor air pollutant concentrations in the home, some of which were significant. This brief video is now publicly available in English and Spanish (wspehsu.ucsf.edu/projects/indoor-air-quality), and this provides suggestive evidence of the utility of this simple intervention, which could be particularly beneficial for households that have children with asthma.</p>","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"223-232"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12009736/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142621840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Addressing the need for individual-level exposure monitoring for firefighters using silicone samplers.","authors":"Emily M Bonner, Carolyn M Poutasse, Christopher K Haddock, Walker S C Poston, Sara A Jahnke, Lane G Tidwell, Kim A Anderson","doi":"10.1038/s41370-024-00700-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-024-00700-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Firefighters are occupationally exposed to hazardous chemical mixtures. Silicone passive sampling devices capture unique exposures over time with minimal impact to the participant and allow for the analysis of a broad chemical space.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>Silicone dog tags were worn by firefighters while on- and off-duty to measure individual exposures, identify potential occupational exposures, and assess their relation to occupational variables including fire response frequency, rank, and years as a firefighter.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fifty-six firefighters were recruited from two fire departments with relatively high and low call volumes in the Kansas City metropolitan area to wear two different silicone dog tags as passive samplers while on- and off-duty. Each dog tag was worn for a cumulative 30-day exposure period. Extracts of the dog tags were analyzed with gas chromatography, mass spectrometry methods for 43 flame retardants (FRs), 21 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 42 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 63 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ninety-two total chemicals were detected, with eight chemicals not previously reported in firefighter exposure studies. Based on the magnitude and frequency of increased exposure in on-duty dog tags, relative to paired off-duty dog tags, five PBDEs and sec-butylbenzene were identified as potential occupational exposures; sec-butylbenzene and PBDE 49 have not previously been reported in firefighter exposure studies to the authors' knowledge. Multivariate analyses for these six compounds indicated that firefighter rank, fire response rates, and years in the fire service were poor indicators of increased occupational exposure. The greatest on-duty exposures to PBDEs were found in the low-call volume department among operational firefighters. Dog tags from firefighters at the high-call volume department accounted for 75% of PCB detections; one particular fire response may have contributed to this. Additionally, there was measurable similarity in total chemical exposure profiles between paired on- and off-duty tags for some firefighters.</p><p><strong>Impact: </strong>This study used personal silicone passive samplers in the configuration of dog tags worn around the neck to quantify firefighter occupational exposure in on-duty samples relative to paired off-duty samples for several chemical categories: flame retardants, VOCs, and PCBs. Five PBDEs and sec-butylbenzene were identified as potential occupational exposures, however their prevalence in on-duty tags was not associated with frequency of fire responses, firefighter rank, or years the firefighter has been in the fire service. Additionally, similarity between chemical exposures in on- and off-duty tags from the same firefighter invites further investigation into individual behaviors influencing occupational and para-occupational exposures.</p>","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"180-195"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11743823/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141734308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of air quality in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania subway.","authors":"Anjum Shahina Karim, Maeve Malone, Alex Bruno, Aimee L Eggler, Michael A Posner, Kabindra M Shakya","doi":"10.1038/s41370-024-00711-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-024-00711-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Subways are popular and efficient modes of transportation in cities. However, people are exposed to high levels of particulate matter (PM) in subways. Subway air quality in the United States has been investigated in a few cities, but data is lacking on simultaneous measurement of several pollutants, especially ultrafine particles (UFP) and black carbon (BC), in combination with different size fractions of PM.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The goals of this study are to assess air quality in a belowground subway and compare it with outdoor ambient levels, to examine temporal variability of PM in the subway, and to analyze the correlation between PM and BC.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Particulate matter of varying sizes (PM₁, PM_2.5, PM₁₀), UFP, and BC were measured using DustTrak, nanoparticle detector, and micro aethalometer, respectively. Measurements were made at the belowground subway platform and the aboveground street level at 15th Street subway station in Philadelphia during summer 2022.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Belowground mean PM₁, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀ were 112.2 ± 61.3 µg/m³, 120 ± 65.5 µg/m³, and 182.1 ± 132 µg/m³, respectively, which were 5.4, 5.7, and 7.6 times higher than the respective aboveground street levels. The UFP lung deposited surface area (LDSA) (59.4 ± 36.2 µm²/cm³) and BC (9.5 ± 5.4 μg/m³) belowground were 1.7 times and 10.7 times higher than the aboveground. The pollutant concentration varied from day-to-day on both the locations. A higher positive correlation was found between the belowground BC and PM_2.5 (r = 0.51, p < 0.05) compared to the aboveground (r = 0.16, p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Impact: </strong>This study showed high levels of particulate matter exposure at a belowground subway station in Philadelphia. Particulate matter levels were about 5 to 8 times higher at belowground subway station than the corresponding aboveground street level. Higher levels were also observed for UFP lung deposited surface area (LDSA), while black carbon levels showed the highest concentration at the belowground level by a factor of ten compared to the aboveground level. The study shows the need for air quality management at belowground subways to reduce particulate matter exposure for the commuters.</p>","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"196-204"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12009735/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141982463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of the rate of healthcare encounters for influenza from source-specific PM_2.5 before and after tier 3 vehicle standards in New York state.","authors":"Daniel P Croft, Mark J Utell, Philip K Hopke, Han Liu, Shao Lin, Sally W Thurston, Sathvik Thandra, Yunle Chen, Md Rayhanul Islam, Kelly Thevenet-Morrison, Carl J Johnston, Tianming Zhao, Catherine Yount, David Q Rich","doi":"10.1038/s41370-024-00710-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-024-00710-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Influenza healthcare encounters in adults associated with specific sources of PM_2.5 is an area of active research.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>Following 2017 legislation requiring reductions in emissions from light-duty vehicles, we hypothesized a reduced rate of influenza healthcare encounters would be associated with concentrations of PM_2.5 from traffic sources in the early implementation period of this regulation (2017-2019).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) to study adult patients hospitalized (N = 5328) or treated in the emergency department (N = 18,247) for influenza in New York State. Using a modified case-crossover design, we estimated the excess rate (ER) of influenza hospitalizations and emergency department visits associated with interquartile range increases in source-specific PM_2.5 concentrations (e.g., spark-ignition emissions [GAS], biomass burning [BB], diesel [DIE]) in lag day(s) 0, 0-3 and 0-6. We then evaluated whether ERs differed after Tier 3 implementation (2017-2019) compared to the period prior to implementation (2014-2016).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Each interquartile range increase in DIE in lag days 0-6 was associated with a 21.3% increased rate of influenza hospitalization (95% CI: 6.9, 37.6) in the 2014-2016 period, and a 6.3% decreased rate (95% CI: -12.7, 0.5) in the 2017-2019 period. The GAS/influenza excess rates were larger in the 2017-2019 period than the 2014-2016 period for emergency department visits. We also observed a larger ER associated with increased BB in the 2017-2019 period compared to the 2014-2016 period.</p><p><strong>Impact statement: </strong>We present an accountability study on the impact of the early implementation period of the Tier 3 vehicle emission standards on the association between specific sources of PM_2.5 air pollution on influenza healthcare encounters in New York State. We found that the association between gasoline emissions and influenza healthcare encounters did not lessen in magnitude between periods, possibly because the emissions standards were not yet fully implemented. The reduction in the rates of influenza healthcare encounters associated with diesel emissions may be reflective of past policies to reduce the toxicity of diesel emissions. Accountability studies can help policy makers and environmental scientists better understand the timing of pollution changes and associated health effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"205-213"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12009738/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141912896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Joint effects of traffic-related air pollution and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy on maternal postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms.","authors":"Yuhong Hu, Thomas Chavez, Sandrah P Eckel, Tingyu Yang, Xinci Chen, Mario Vigil, Nathan Pavlovic, Fred Lurmann, Deborah Lerner, Nathana Lurvey, Brendan Grubbs, Laila Al-Marayati, Claudia Toledo-Corral, Jill Johnston, Genevieve F Dunton, Shohreh F Farzan, Rima Habre, Carrie Breton, Theresa M Bastain","doi":"10.1038/s41370-024-00692-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-024-00692-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ambient air pollution has been linked to postpartum depression. However, few studies have investigated the effects of traffic-related NO_x on postpartum depression and whether any pregnancy-related factors might increase susceptibility.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To evaluate the association between traffic-related NO_x and postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms, and effect modification by pregnancy-related hypertension.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study included 453 predominantly low-income Hispanic/Latina women in the MADRES cohort. Daily traffic-related NO_x concentrations by road class were estimated using the California LINE-source dispersion model (CALINE4) at participants' residential locations and averaged across pregnancy. Postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms were evaluated by a validated questionnaire (Postpartum Distress Measure, PDM) at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postpartum. Multivariate linear regressions were performed to estimate the associations at each timepoint. Interaction terms were added to the linear models to assess effect modification by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs). Repeated measurement analyses were conducted by using mixed effect models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found prenatal traffic-related NO_x was associated with increased PDM scores. Specifically, mothers exposed to an IQR (0.22 ppb) increase in NO_x from major roads had 3.78% (95% CI: 0.53-7.14%) and 5.27% (95% CI: 0.33-10.45%) significantly higher 3-month and 12-month PDM scores, respectively. Similarly, in repeated measurement analyses, higher NO_x from major roads was associated with 3.06% (95% CI: 0.43-5.76%) significantly higher PDM scores across the first year postpartum. Effect modification by HDPs was observed: higher freeway/highway and total NO_x among mothers with HDPs were associated with significantly higher PDM scores at 12 months postpartum compared to those without HDPs.</p><p><strong>Impact: </strong>This study shows that prenatal traffic-related air pollution was associated with postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms. The study also found novel evidence of greater susceptibility among women with HDPs, which advances the understanding of the relationships between air pollution, maternal cardiometabolic health during pregnancy and postpartum mental health. Our study has potential implications for clinical intervention to mitigate the effects of traffic-related pollution on postpartum mental health disorders. The findings can also offer valuable insights into urban planning strategies concerning the implementation of emission control measures and the creation of green spaces.</p>","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"278-287"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11607174/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141183834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Practical considerations for using low-cost sensors to assess wildfire smoke exposure in school and childcare settings.","authors":"Orly Stampfer, Christopher Zuidema, Ryan W Allen, Julie Fox, Paul Sampson, Edmund Seto, Catherine J Karr","doi":"10.1038/s41370-024-00677-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-024-00677-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>More frequent and intense wildfires will increase concentrations of smoke in schools and childcare settings. Low-cost sensors can assess fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations with high spatial and temporal resolution.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>We sought to optimize the use of sensors for decision-making in schools and childcare settings during wildfire smoke to reduce children's exposure to PM_2.5.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We measured PM_2.5 concentrations indoors and outdoors at four schools in Washington State during wildfire smoke in 2020-2021 using low-cost sensors and gravimetric samplers. We randomly sampled 5-min segments of low-cost sensor data to create simulations of brief portable handheld measurements.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During wildfire smoke episodes (lasting 4-19 days), median hourly PM_2.5 concentrations at different locations inside a single facility varied by up to 49.6 µg/m³ (maximum difference) during school hours. Median hourly indoor/outdoor ratios across schools ranged from 0.22 to 0.91. Within-school differences in concentrations indicated that it is important to collect measurements throughout a facility. Simulation results suggested that making handheld measurements more often and over multiple days better approximates indoor/outdoor ratios for wildfire smoke. During a period of unstable air quality, PM_2.5 over the next hour indoors was more highly correlated with the last 10-min of data (mean R² = 0.94) compared with the last 3-h (mean R² = 0.60), indicating that higher temporal resolution data is most informative for decisions about near-term activities indoors.</p><p><strong>Impact statement: </strong>As wildfires continue to increase in frequency and severity, staff at schools and childcare facilities are increasingly faced with decisions around youth activities, building use, and air filtration needs during wildfire smoke episodes. Staff are increasingly using low-cost sensors for localized outdoor and indoor PM_2.5 measurements, but guidance in using and interpreting low-cost sensor data is lacking. This paper provides relevant information applicable for guidance in using low-cost sensors for wildfire smoke response.</p>","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"157-168"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11550266/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140904326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inhalable microplastics and plastic additives in the indoor air of chemical laboratories.","authors":"Joel D Rindelaub, Gordon M Miskelly","doi":"10.1038/s41370-025-00768-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-025-00768-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>While recognition of airborne microplastics is increasing, there are still limited data on the microplastics within the aerosol size fractions most relevant to human inhalation (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5). Additionally, there are concerns that many of the additives used in plastic formulations have endocrine-disrupting properties, which could increase the hazards associated with microplastic exposure.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To better understand the toxicological risks associated with airborne microplastics, more data are urgently needed on the mass concentrations of both microplastics and the related chemical additives in the air we breathe. Inhalation exposure to plastic-related species is currently uncertain in chemical laboratory workplaces.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using a Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS) based method, the airborne mass concentrations of both polymeric material and small molecule plastic additives were determined in inhalable air from two indoor locations. This method represents a fast, direct technique that can be used to better standardize airborne microplastic measurements.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations of seven different polymers were determined, with average plastic concentrations of 0.51 μg m^-3 for the PM_2.5 samples and 1.14 µg m^-3 for the PM₁₀ samples. Polycarbonate, polyvinylchloride, and polyethylene had the highest airborne concentrations in the inhalable fraction of air. Simultaneously, the airborne concentrations of plastic additives were determined, with phthalate-based plasticizers having an average concentration of 334 ng m^-3 across all air samples.</p><p><strong>Impact: </strong>Both microplastics and their chemical additives were quantified within the inhalable fraction of indoor air (PM₁₀), using a straight forward mass spectrometry technique with minimal sample preparation. This information furthers knowledge on the hazards associated with indoor air exposure, and it presents a useful methodology for the mass quantification of plastic-related airborne pollutants.</p>","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143743012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the relationship between space-time behaviours and personal noise exposure using isotemporal substitution models in the Grand Paris area.","authors":"Giovanna Fancello, Arnaud Can, Pierre Aumond, Sanjeev Bista, Basile Chaix","doi":"10.1038/s41370-025-00765-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-025-00765-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The individual exposure to environmental noise in cities is usually assessed at the residential neighbourhood level with static, year-averaged strategic maps. This representation may underestimate noise exposure, given the mobility of individuals within the city and proximate sources of exposure.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>Our study employs high-resolution sensor analysis to observe how personal noise exposure differs from modelled noise map metrics, identify socioeconomical and behavioural determinants of exposure, and explore the impact of reallocating certain behaviours to others on daily personal noise exposure (L_Aeq,24h).</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Data on daily activities of 259 participants of the MobiliSense cohort living in the metropolitan area of Paris were collected between 2018 and 2020. Participants were equipped of a personal monitor for sound pressure, and of a GPS receiver and an accelerometer. Modes of transport were collected during a mobility survey.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results showed that noise exposure based on personal monitoring during space-time behaviours differed from modelled noise levels at residence. Participants were exposed to values below the recommended critical value for health of 55 dB(A) in urban areas in only 36% of the days. Individual socioeconomic characteristics and residential factors explained very little variance in personal noise exposure. Noise exposure varied among performed activities and transport modes, with public transport associated with the highest sound levels. While time spent in the underground public transport was on average 1.4% of the total daily time-budget, it contributes on average to 9.5% of the daily noise dose.</p><p><strong>Impact: </strong>This research reveals that individual mobility behaviours significantly influence daily noise exposure in urban environments. By analysing how people move throughout their day, we found that traditional static assessments, limited to residential noise, underestimate actual exposure. Notably, despite limited time spent in it (1,4%), underground transport contributed substantially to daily noise (9.5%). Furthermore, participants experienced noise levels below recommended health thresholds in only 36% of days. These findings underscore the need for policy changes that prioritize walkable cities and minimize commuting time, alongside the design of \"quiet areas\" within urban spaces for recovering from the city noise stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143677085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}