Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for IJERPH Edit a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Special Issue "Impact of Particulate Matter on the Environment and Health"

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers
Planned Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Air".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2023 | Viewed by 11260

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giulia Simonetti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: particulate matter; air pollution; environmental chemistry; organic pollutants; source tracer; size distribution analysis; bioaerosol; oxidative potential; risk assessments; indoor/outdoor monitoring; occupational exposure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Francesca Buiarelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: particulate matter; atmospheric aerosols; water pollution; metabolism study; bio-aerosol; sample pretreatment; GC–MS, HPLC–MS/MS, and CE-UV techniq

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is a heterogeneous mixture of particles with different shapes and sizes, including a variety of components of natural and anthropogenic origins. Despite European policies aimed at the reduction of annual mean concentrations, they still exceed EU limit values and WHO air quality guidelines. Fine and ultrafine particles enter the human respiratory system and cause adverse health problems, depending on the size. Therefore, the deposition pattern in the respiratory tract and the possible toxic effects according to shape and size deserve further investigation. Both short- and long-term exposure to PM can lead to a wide range of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Moreover, the IARC has classified fine and ultrafine particles as causes of cancer. Epidemiological studies of the longer-term effects of PM exposure include cohort studies for estimating the chronic effects; however, in this area there is a lack of data on ultrafine particles.Toxicity studies must include both acellular/cellular oxidative stress tests and the study of of exposure indices to assess carcinogenic risks in outdoor and indoor environments。

Papers addressing these topics are invited for this Special Issue, focused on chemical analysis with the identification of inorganic and organic tracers and on epidemiology and risk assessment studies to human health related to PM exposure.

Dr. Giulia Simonetti
Dr. Francesca Buiarelli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

particulate matter
air quality
chemical composition
size distribution
health exposition
oxidative stress
acellular/cellular test
exposition index
bio-aerosol

Published Papers (10 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review, Other

Open AccessArticle

A Time Series Study for Effects of PM₁₀ on Coronary Heart Disease in Ganzhou, China

Tingting Liu

Hui Huang

and

Gonghua Hu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010086 - 21 Dec 2022

Viewed by 467

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of PM₁₀ exposure in low concentration areas on the daily hospitalized patients with coronary heart disease. Methods: Daily air quality monitoring data, meteorological monitoring data and daily hospitalization data of coronary heart disease during 2019–2021 in Ganzhou, China were collected. Generalized additive model and distributed lag nonlinear model were used to evaluate the association between environmental PM₁₀ and daily hospital visits for coronary heart disease. Stratified by sex and age to see their potential impact on this association. Results: PM₁₀ exposure was correlated with an increased risk of hospitalization in coronary heart disease patients. Single-pollutant model analysis shows that at the day of lag1, for every 10 µg/m³ increase in PM₁₀, the risk of coronary heart disease hospitalization increased by 1.69% (95%CI 0.39~3.00%); Subgroup analysis showed that females and older adults (>65 years) were more sensitive to PM₁₀ exposure. In addition, in the dual-pollutant model, by adjusting other pollutants (including SO₂, CO and O₃), it was found that the relationship between PM₁₀ exposure and coronary heart disease hospitalization was robust. And with changing the model’s degree of freedom was still robust. Conclusion: Short-term exposure to low concentrations of PM₁₀ is associated with hospitalization for coronary heart disease. These results are important for local environmental public health policy development, so as to protect vulnerable populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Particulate Matter on the Environment and Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Atmospheric Deposition of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Coastal Urban Environment of Poland: Sources and Transport Patterns

Patrycja Siudek

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14183; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114183 - 30 Oct 2022

Viewed by 682

Abstract

This study combines an interseasonal variation of deposition profiles of fine-particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PM_2.5-bound PAHs) with source apportionment analysis. Comprehensive measurements were conducted in four representative periods of 2019 in the coastal urban region of the Baltic Sea in Poland. The mean daily deposition flux of Σ₁₃PAHs was 229 ng m⁻² day⁻¹, which was lower than in other urban/industrial sites of Europe and Asia. The seasonal PAHs distribution exhibited a clear U-shaped pattern, reaching maximum values in January and December and the minimum in June. A strong influence of local/regional anthropogenic emissions and meteorological factors (precipitation, ambient temperature, wind regimes) was observed. The contribution of medium molecular weight PAHs (fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene) to the total sum of PAHs deposition fluxes increased from 24% in spring to 38% in summer, as a result of photochemistry, urban traffic, and shipping emissions. The highest contribution of 5- and 6-ring PAHs occurred primarily in autumn (55%), followed by winter (39%), spring (35%), and summer (26%). Benzo(a)pyrene (human carcinogenic compound) had a relatively high deposition flux in winter, which was almost 14 and 20 times higher than the values registered in spring and summer, respectively. The FLEXTRA dispersion model was used to study potential pollution regions for PM_2.5-bound PAHs and to investigate changes in the PAH deposition regime in different seasons. This study reveals that the winter contribution of PAHs was mostly impacted by local urban activities (i.e., residential heating and coal-fired power plants). Winter PAH deposition fluxes were particularly associated with atmospheric particles transported from surrounding areas and industrially impacted regions of SE–S–SW Poland and Europe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Particulate Matter on the Environment and Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Searching for New Human Behavior Model in the Climate Change Age: Analyzing the Impact of Risk Perception and Government Factors on Intention–Action Consistency in Particulate Matter Mitigation

Yeji Shin

Seoyong Kim

and

Sohee Kim

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 11068; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191711068 - 04 Sep 2022

Viewed by 695

Abstract

This study aims to analyze factors influencing citizens’ intentions to take protective action against particulate matter (PM) and their actual actions in response to PM. There were few research on the role of government factors and the issue of intention–action inconsistency in the context of PM mitigation action. Therefore, this study set not only variables in the risk perception paradigm but also ones in government factors as independent variables, while intention and action in response to PM were set as dependent variables. This study’s analysis was based on survey data collected from Korean people. For representativeness of the samples, this study adopted the quota sampling method, considering region, gender, and age. Five hundred respondents finished the survey. To verify the hypotheses, this study used regression and binomial logistic analysis. Analysis showed that (1) negative emotions, trust, knowledge, government competency, policy satisfaction, and policy awareness had significant effects on intention and action in response to PM, and (2) perceived benefits only affected intention, whereas government accountability only affected action. Logistic analysis showed that there were groups in which intentions and actions did not match. Negative emotions and government competence induce intention–action consistency, whereas the perceived benefits and trust in government tend to encourage inconsistency. Knowledge is a variable that induces both consistency and inconsistency in the intention–action relationship. The determinant structures of independent variables affecting the likelihood of belonging to the four groups differed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Particulate Matter on the Environment and Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Air Quality, Pollution and Sustainability Trends in South Asia: A Population-Based Study

and

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7534; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127534 - 20 Jun 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2101

Abstract

Introduction: Worsening air quality and pollution lead to numerous environmental health and sustainability issues in the South Asia region. This study analyzes India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal for air quality data trends and sustainability indicators. Methodology: By using a population-based study design, six South Asian countries were analyzed using a step-wise approach. Data were obtained from government websites and publicly available repositories for region dynamics and key variables. Results: Between 1990 and 2020, air quality data indicated the highest rise in CO₂ emissions in India (578.5 to 2441.8 million tons) (MT), Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. Greenhouse gas emissions, from 1990 to 2018, nearly tripled in India (1990.4 to 3346.6 MT of CO₂-equivalents), Nepal (20.6 to 54.6 MT of CO₂-equivalents), and Pakistan, and doubled in Bangladesh. Methane emissions rose the highest in Pakistan (70.4 to 151 MT of CO₂-equivalents), followed by Nepal (17 to 31 MT of CO₂-equivalents) and India (524.8 to 669.3 MT of CO₂-equivalents). Nitrous oxide nearly doubled in Bangladesh (16.5 to 29.3 MT of CO₂-equivalents), India (141.6 to 256.9 MT of CO₂-equivalents), Nepal (17 to 31 MT of CO₂-equivalents), and more than doubled in Pakistan (27 to 61 MT of CO₂-equivalents). On noting particulate matter 2,5 annual exposure, India saw the highest rise from 81.3 µg/m³ (in 1990) to 90.9 µg/m³ (2017), whereas trends were steady in Pakistan (60.34 to 58.3 µg/m³). The highest rise was noted in Nepal (87.6 to 99.7 µg/m³) until 2017. During the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic, the pre-and post-pandemic changes between 2018 and 2021 indicated the highest PM_2.5 concentration in Bangladesh (76.9 µg/m³), followed by Pakistan (66.8 µg/m³), India (58.1 µg/m³), Nepal (46 µg/m³) and Sri Lanka (17.4 µg/m³). Overall, South Asian countries contribute to the worst air quality and sustainability trends regions worldwide. Conclusions: Air pollution is prevalent across a majority of South Asia countries. Owing to unsustainable industrial practices, pollution trends have risen to hazardous levels. Economic, environmental, and human health impacts have manifested and require urgent, concerted efforts by governing bodies in the region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Particulate Matter on the Environment and Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Dust Storms Increase the Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Chin-Shyan Chen

Conmin Chen

and

Tsai-Ching Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7403; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127403 - 16 Jun 2022

Viewed by 744

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine the association between dust storms (DSs) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using a 5 year representative national dataset with one million participants, according to information on DS, meteorology, and air pollution in Taiwan. There were 18,855 AMD outpatient cases and 1080 AMD inpatient cases during 2008–2012. A Poisson time-series model was used for the analysis. The results show that AMD cases are significantly associated with exposure to dust storm events. Average daily numbers of wet and dry AMD outpatient cases increased from 6.03 and 4.26 on no-event days to 8.25 and 6.67, 2 days after DSs. Average daily numbers of wet and dry AMD inpatient cases increased from 0.26 and 0.33 on no-event days to 0.58 and 0.75, 1 day after DSs. Both genders and different age groups are all affected by the occurrence of DSs, especially 1 and 2 days after DS events. Women are at a higher risk of outpatient visits and hospitalizations for relatively severe wet AMD. Although AMD highly correlated with age, this study also found that dry AMD outpatient visits in people under the age of 50 were also found to be significantly associated with DS events. In order to protect the health of eyes and avoid AMD, one should reduce or avoid outdoor activities when DS events occur. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Particulate Matter on the Environment and Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Parameters Influencing the Emission of Ultrafine Particles during 3D Printing

and

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11670; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111670 - 06 Nov 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1975

Abstract

This paper presents a complex and extensive experimental evaluation of fine particle emissions released by an FDM 3D printer for four of the most common printing materials (ABS, PLA, PET-G, and TPU). These thermoplastic filaments were examined at three printing temperatures within their recommended range. In addition, these measurements were extended using various types of printing nozzles, which influenced the emissions considerably. This research is based on more than a hundred individual measurements for which a standardized printing method was developed. The study presents information about differences between particular printing conditions in terms of the amount of fine particles emitted as well as the particle size distributions during printing periods. This expands existing knowledge about the emission of ultrafine particles during 3D printing, and it can help reduce the emissions of these devices to achieve cleaner and safer 3D printer operations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Particulate Matter on the Environment and Health)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Open AccessArticle

Occurrence, Distribution, and Ecological Risk Assessment of Antibiotics in Different Environmental Media in Anqing, Anhui Province, China

and

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 8112; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18158112 - 30 Jul 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1362

Abstract

The widespread usage of antibiotics in human and animal medication has brought global concerns over environmental contamination of antibiotic residues. In this study, 16 kinds of antibiotics in different environmental media of water, sediments, and soils in Anqing city, Anhui province were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. A total of fourteen kinds of antibiotics were detected in surface water, with a total concentration up to 479 ng·L⁻¹, while six kinds of antibiotics were detected in sediment and soil with concentrations ranging from 15.1 to 108 μg·kg⁻¹. Ciprofloxacin (12.8–99.5 ng·L⁻¹) and tetracycline (17.2–225 μg·kg⁻¹) antibiotics exhibited the highest concentration in water and soil, respectively. In spatial distribution, the total concentration of antibiotics in surface water from the highest to the lowest followed the order of urban area, mainstream of Wan River, suburbs, tributaries of Wan River, indicating that the level of antibiotic concentration in surface water is positively associated with the frequency of human activities. In addition, the antibiotic mass fraction in agriculture land and fishpond were found higher than that in other sampling sites. Moreover, the environmental risk assessment results showed that ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, ofloxacin, enrofloxacin and tetracycline might pose medium to high risks to algae and bacteria in aquatic ecosystem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Particulate Matter on the Environment and Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

Open AccessReview

Air Pollution: Possible Interaction between the Immune and Nervous System?

Melania Maria Serafini

Ambra Maddalon

Martina Iulini

and

Valentina Galbiati

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16037; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316037 - 30 Nov 2022

Viewed by 793

Abstract

Exposure to environmental pollutants is a serious and common public health concern associated with growing morbidity and mortality worldwide, as well as economic burden. In recent years, the toxic effects associated with air pollution have been intensively studied, with a particular focus on the lung and cardiovascular system, mainly associated with particulate matter exposure. However, epidemiological and mechanistic studies suggest that air pollution can also influence skin integrity and may have a significant adverse impact on the immune and nervous system. Air pollution exposure already starts in utero before birth, potentially causing delayed chronic diseases arising later in life. There are, indeed, time windows during the life of individuals who are more susceptible to air pollution exposure, which may result in more severe outcomes. In this review paper, we provide an overview of findings that have established the effects of air pollutants on the immune and nervous system, and speculate on the possible interaction between them, based on mechanistic data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Particulate Matter on the Environment and Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessReview

Importance of Punctual Monitoring to Evaluate the Health Effects of Airborne Particulate Matter

and

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10587; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710587 - 25 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1010

Abstract

Particulate matter (PM) pollution is one of the major public health problems worldwide, given the high mortality attributable to exposure to PM pollution and the high pathogenicity that is found above all in the respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological systems. The main sources of PM pollution are the daily use of fuels (wood, coal, organic residues) in appliances without emissions abatement systems, industrial emissions, and vehicular traffic. This review aims to investigate the causes of PM pollution and classify the different types of dust based on their size. The health effects of exposure to PM will also be discussed. Particular attention is paid to the measurement method, which is unsuitable in the risk assessment process, as the evaluation of the average PM compared to the evaluation of PM with punctual monitoring significantly underestimates the health risk induced by the achievement of high PM values, even for limited periods of time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Particulate Matter on the Environment and Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

Open AccessComment

Comment on Abdul Jabbar et al. Air Quality, Pollution and Sustainability Trends in South Asia: A Population-Based Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 7534

and

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 5075; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20065075 - 14 Mar 2023

Viewed by 252

Abstract

This comment discusses the use of PM_2.5 (mass concentration of fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microns) data in the recently published article entitled “Air Quality, Pollution and Sustainability Trends in South Asia: A Population-Based Study” by Abdul [...] Read more.

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Particulate Matter on the Environment and Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Health risk assessment and source apportionment of heavy metals on atmospheric particulate matter in a nearby children’s area
Authors: Yumara Beatriz Martín Cruz
Affiliation: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Special Issue "Impact of Particulate Matter on the Environment and Health"

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (10 papers)

Research

Review

Other

Planned Papers

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI