Search Results (40)

China’s industrialization and urbanization processes have recently accelerated, leading to the rapid expansion of urban built-up areas. Fossil fuels, such as natural gas, oil, and coal, are consumed in large quantities, resulting in the accumulation of atmospheric pollutants. Severe PM2.5 and O₃ pollution poses significant human health risks, including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and lung cancer. This study utilized data from various observation stations in Jiangsu Province, the annual statistical yearbook data, and statistical data, such as baseline mortality and socioeconomic indicators, to quantitatively analyze the concentration characteristics of PM2.5 and O₃, premature deaths related to pollutant exposure, and negative health effects in Jiangsu Province from 2018 to 2023. The study examined the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of pollutant concentrations, related premature deaths, and negative health effects in various cities within Jiangsu Province under policy-driven conditions. The results show that (1) the annual average concentration of PM2.5 in Jiangsu Province decreased from 105.88 μg/m³ in 2018 to 55.04 μg/m³ in 2023, marking a reduction of 48.01%. (2) The total number of premature deaths due to long-term exposure to PM2.5 decreased by approximately 87%, whereas the total number of premature deaths due to long-term exposure to O₃ increased by approximately 216%. (3) City level (2.377**) and population structure (1.068**) play an important role in the health effects of air pollution. (4) Short-term exposure to high concentrations of pollutants has a significant negative impact on the health of individuals with underlying diseases. Full article

Environmental particulate pollution is a major global environmental health risk factor, which is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes, negatively impacting public health in many countries, including China. Despite the implementation of strict air quality management policies in China and a significant reduction in PM_2.5 concentrations in recent years, the health burden caused by PM_2.5 pollution has not decreased as expected. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of the health burden caused by PM_2.5 is necessary for more effective air quality management. This study makes an innovative contribution by integrating the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), providing a comprehensive framework to assess the health impacts of green space coverage, promoting healthy urban environments and sustainable development. Using Nanjing, China, as a case study, we constructed a health impact assessment system based on PM_2.5 concentrations and quantitatively analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution of premature deaths caused by PM_2.5 from 2000 to 2020. Using Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR), we explored the impact of greening improvement on premature deaths attributed to PM_2.5 and proposed relevant sustainable governance strategies. The results showed that (1) premature deaths caused by PM_2.5 in Nanjing could be divided into two stages: 2000–2015 and 2015–2020. During the second stage, deaths due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases decreased by 3105 and 1714, respectively. (2) The spatial variation process was slow, with the overall evolution direction predominantly from the southeast to northwest, and the spatial distribution center gradually shifted southward. On a global scale, the Moran’s I index increased from 0.247251 and 0.240792 in 2000 to 0.472201 and 0.468193 in 2020. The hotspot analysis revealed that high–high correlations slowly gathered toward central Nanjing, while the proportion of cold spots increased. (3) The MGWR results indicated a significant negative correlation between changes in green spaces and PM_2.5-related premature deaths, especially in densely vegetated areas. This study comprehensively considered the spatiotemporal changes in PM_2.5-related premature deaths and examined the health benefits of green space improvement, providing valuable references for promoting healthy and sustainable urban environmental governance and air quality management. Full article

Congenital heart disease (CHD) represents the major cause of infant mortality related to congenital anomalies globally. The etiology of CHD is mostly multifactorial, with environmental determinants, including maternal exposure to ambient air pollutants, assumed to contribute to CHD development. While particulate matter (PM) is responsible for millions of premature deaths every year, overall ambient air pollutants (PM, nitrogen and sulfur dioxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide) are known to increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this literature review, we provide an overview regarding the updated evidence related to the association between maternal exposure to outdoor air pollutants and CHD occurrence, also exploring the underlying biological mechanisms from human and experimental studies. With the exception of PM, for which there is currently moderate evidence of its positive association with overall CHD risk following exposure during the periconception and throughout pregnancy, and for ozone which shows a signal of association with increased risk of pooled CHD and certain CHD subtypes in the periconceptional period, for the other pollutants, the data are inconsistent, and no conclusion can be drawn about their role in CHD onset. Future epidemiological cohort studies in countries with different degree of air pollution and experimental research on animal models are warranted to gain a comprehensive picture of the possible involvement of ambient air pollutants in CHD etiopathogenesis. While on the one hand this information could also be useful for timely intervention to reduce the risk of CHD, on the other hand, it is mandatory to scale up the use of technologies for pollutant monitoring, as well as the use of Artificial Intelligence for data analysis to identify the non-linear relationships that will eventually exist between environmental and clinical variables. Full article

Despite significant progress in recent decades, air pollution remains the leading environmental cause of premature death in Europe. Urban populations are particularly exposed to high concentrations of air pollutants, such as particulate matter smaller than 10 µm (PM₁₀). Understanding the spatiotemporal variations of PM₁₀ is essential for developing effective control strategies. This study aimed to enhance PM₁₀ prediction models by integrating landscape metrics as ecological indicators into our previous models, assessing their significance in monthly average PM₁₀ concentrations, and analyzing their correlations with PM₁₀ air pollution across European urban landscapes during heating (cold) and non-heating (warm) seasons. In our previous research, we only calculated the proportion of land uses (PLANDs), but according to our current research hypothesis, landscape metrics have a significant impact on PM₁₀ air quality. Therefore, we expanded our independent variables by incorporating landscape metrics that capture compositional heterogeneity, including the Shannon diversity index (SHDI), as well as metrics that reflect configurational heterogeneity in urban landscapes, such as the Mean Patch Area (MPA) and Shape Index (SHI). Considering data from 1216 European air quality (AQ) stations, we applied the Random Forest model using cross-validation to discover patterns and complex relationships. Climatological factors, such as monthly average temperature, wind speed, precipitation, and mean sea level air pressure, emerged as key predictors, particularly during the heating season when the impact of temperature on PM₁₀ prediction increased from 5.80% to 22.46% at 3 km. Landscape metrics, including the SHDI, MPA, and SHI, were significantly related to the monthly average PM₁₀ concentration. The SHDI was negatively correlated with PM₁₀ levels, suggesting that heterogeneous landscapes could help mitigate pollution. Our enhanced model achieved an R² of 0.58 in the 1000 m buffer zone and 0.66 in the 3000 m buffer zone, underscoring the utility of these variables in improving PM₁₀ predictions. Our findings suggest that increased urban landscape complexity, smaller patch sizes, and more fragmented land uses associated with PM₁₀ sources such as built-up areas, along with larger and more evenly distributed green spaces, can contribute to the control and reduction of PM₁₀ pollution. Full article

There is a pressing need for tools that can rapidly predict ${\mathrm{PM}}_{2.5}$ concentrations and assess health impacts under various emission scenarios, aiding in the selection of optimal mitigation strategies. Traditional chemical transport models (CTMs) like CMAQ are accurate but computationally intensive, limiting practical scenario analysis. To address this, we propose a novel method integrating a conditional U-Net surrogate model with health impact assessments, enabling swift estimation of ${\mathrm{PM}}_{2.5}$ concentrations and related health effects. The U-Net model was trained with 2019 South Korean ${\mathrm{PM}}_{2.5}$ data, including precursor emissions and boundary conditions. Our model showed high accuracy and significant efficiency, reducing processing times while maintaining reliability. By combining this surrogate model with the EPA’s BenMAP-CE tool, we estimated potential premature deaths under various emission reduction scenarios in South Korea, extending projections to 2050 to account for demographic changes. Additionally, we assessed the required ${\mathrm{PM}}_{2.5}$ emission reductions needed to counteract the increase in premature deaths due to an aging population. This integrated framework offers an efficient, user-friendly tool that bridges complex air quality modeling with practical policy evaluation, supporting the development of effective strategies to reduce ${\mathrm{PM}}_{2.5}$-related health risks and estimate economic benefits. Full article

Long-term exposure to PM_2.5 pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, particularly ischemic heart disease (IHD). Current assessments of the health effects related to PM_2.5 exposure are limited by sparse ground monitoring stations and applicable disease research cohorts, making accurate health effect evaluations challenging. Using satellite-observed aerosol optical depth (AOD) data and the XGBoost-PM25 model, we obtained 1 km scale PM_2.5 exposure levels across China. We quantified the premature mortality caused by PM_2.5-exposure-induced IHD using the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) and baseline mortality data. Furthermore, we employed the Gini coefficient, a measure from economics to quantify inequality, to evaluate the distribution differences in health impacts due to PM_2.5 exposure under varying socioeconomic conditions. The results indicate that PM_2.5 concentrations in China are higher in the central and eastern regions. From 2007 to 2022, the national overall level showed a decreasing trend, dropping from 47.41 μg/m³ to 25.16 μg/m³. The number of premature deaths attributable to PM_2.5 exposure increased from 819 thousand in 2007 to 870 thousand in 2022, with fluctuations in certain regions. This increase is linked to population growth and aging because PM_2.5 levels have decreased. The results also indicate disparities in premature mortality from IHD among different economic groups in China from 2007 to 2022, with middle-income groups having a higher cumulative proportion of IHD-related premature deaths compared with high- and low-income groups. Despite narrowing GDP gaps across regions from 2007 to 2022, IHD consistently “favored” the middle-income groups. The highest Gini coefficient was observed in the Northwest (0.035), and the lowest was in the South (0.019). Targeted policy interventions are essential to establish a more equitable atmospheric environment. Full article

Energy policy has a significant impact on the state of the environment and, therefore, on residents’ health and life expectancy, especially in highly urbanized areas. Reducing emissions is currently one of the necessary actions that must be taken at the scale of individual countries to ensure sustainable development. The article aims to identify the best ways to shape energy policy by evaluating development scenarios for air protection and their environmental impact. The realization of the goal is based on the data included in three groups: (1) Economic factors, Health factors, and Demographic factors; (2) Clima-e related economic losses, Renewable Energy sources in electricity, heating, and cooling, Premature deaths due to exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), Health impacts of air pollution, Population change; (3) Demographic balance and crude rates at the national level, GDP per capita in purchasing power PPS, GDP, and principal components; covering 36 EU countries in 2019 and 2021. The study proposes an advanced methodology for assessing development strategies by integrating the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Bayesian networks (BN) and incorporating them into a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) support system. The TOPSIS model based on BN allowed for the illustration of the features of many criteria and the identification of relationships between scenarios, allowing for selecting the best way to develop energy policy. The results showed a 60.39% chance of achieving success in extending the life of residents by five years. At the same time, the most favorable development path was the scenario promoting activities aimed at reducing air pollution by introducing renewable energy sources to produce energy used for lighting and preparing domestic hot water urban areas. By presenting possible scenarios and the probability of success, it is possible to achieve the goal of practical energy policy at the level of the country and individual European cities and also by extending the life of city inhabitants, as presented by the authors in this study. Full article

(1) Background: The increase in cardiovascular risk related to air pollution has been a matter of interest in recent years. The role of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) has been postulated as a possible factor for premature death, including cardiovascular death. The role of long-term exposure to PM10 is less known. The aim of the study was to assess the individual relationship between air pollution in habitation and the development of coronary artery disease. (2) Methods: Out of 227 patients who underwent coronary angiography, 63 (38 men and 25 women) with a mean age of 69 (63–74) years, with nonsignificant atherosclerotic changes at the initial examination, were included in the study. The baseline and repeated coronary angiography were compared to reveal patients with atherosclerotic progression and its relation to demographic and clinical factors and exposure to air pollution in the habitation place. (3) Results: In the performed analysis, we found a significant correlation between Syntax score in de novo lesions and BMI (Spearman’s rho −0.334, p = 0.008). The significant and strong correlation between median annual PM10 values of 20 µg/m³ and at least 25 µg/m³ in air pollution and the risk of de novo coronary disease was noticed (Spearman’s rho = 0.319, p = 0.011 and Spearman’s rho = 0.809, p < 0.001, respectively). (4) Conclusions: There is a positive correlation between long-term exposure to PM10 air pollution and coronary artery disease progression, demonstrated by the increase in Syntax score. The presented analysis revealed increased morbidity at lower PM10 concentrations than generally recommended thresholds. Therefore, further investigations concerning air pollution’s influence on cardiovascular risk should be accompanied by promoting lifestyle changes in the population and revisiting the needs for environmental guidelines. Full article

The combustion of fossil fuels contributes to air pollution (AP), which was linked to about 8.79 million global deaths in 2018, mainly due to respiratory and cardiovascular-related effects. Among these, particulate air pollution (PM2.5) stands out as a major risk factor for heart health, especially during vulnerable phases. Our prior study showed that premature exposure to 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NQ), a chemical found in diesel exhaust particles (DEP), exacerbated asthma in adulthood. Moreover, increased concentration of 1,2-NQ contributed to airway inflammation triggered by PM2.5, employing neurogenic pathways related to the up-regulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1). However, the potential impact of early-life exposure to 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NQ) on atrial fibrillation (AF) has not yet been investigated. This study aims to investigate how inhaling 1,2-NQ in early life affects the autonomic adrenergic system and the role played by TRPV1 in these heart disturbances. C57Bl/6 neonate male mice were exposed to 1,2-NQ (100 nM) or its vehicle at 6, 8, and 10 days of life. Early exposure to 1,2-NQ impairs adrenergic responses in the right atria without markedly affecting cholinergic responses. ECG analysis revealed altered rhythmicity in young mice, suggesting increased sympathetic nervous system activity. Furthermore, 1,2-NQ affected β1-adrenergic receptor agonist-mediated positive chronotropism, which was prevented by metoprolol, a β1 receptor blocker. Capsazepine, a TRPV1 blocker but not a TRPC5 blocker, reversed 1,2-NQ-induced cardiac changes. In conclusion, neonate mice exposure to AP 1,2-NQ results in an elevated risk of developing cardiac adrenergic dysfunction, potentially leading to atrial arrhythmia at a young age. Full article

High concentrations of particulate matter (PM) could significantly reduce the quality of useful life and human life expectancy. The origin, control, and management of the problem has made great steps in recent decades. However, the problem is still prominent in developing countries. In fact, often the number and spatial distribution of the air quality monitoring stations does not have an appropriate design, misleading decision makers. In the present research, an innovative assessment is proposed of the environmental, health and economic benefits corresponding to a 20% reduction in the PM_2.5 concentration in the urban area of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. Cases of mortality and morbidity attributable to fine particles (PM_2.5) were estimated, with particular emphasis on mortality, emergency room visits and hospitalizations from respiratory diseases, in addition to their economic assessment using BenMAP-CE^®. The novelty of using BenMAP-CE^® in studying respiratory diseases and PM_2.5 exposure in developing countries lies in its ability to provide a comprehensive assessment of the health impacts of air pollution in these regions. This approach can aid in the development of evidence-based policy and intervention strategies to mitigate the impact of air pollution on respiratory health. Several concentration-response (C-R) functions were implemented to find PM_2.5 attributable mortality cases of ischemic heart and cardiopulmonary disease, lung cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular disease, as well as cases of morbidity episodes related to asthma exacerbation and emergency room/hospitalization care for respiratory disease. A 20% reduction would have avoided 104 cases of premature death among the population older than 30 in Cartagena, and around 65 cases of premature mortality without external causes. Full article

In order to mitigate global warming and improve air quality, the transformation of regional energy structures is the most important development pathway. China, as a major global consumer of fossil fuels, will face great pressure in this regard. Aiming toward achieving the global 2 °C warming target in China, this study takes one of the most developed regions of China, Guangdong Province, as the research area in order to explore a future development pathway and potential air quality attainment until 2050, by developing two energy structure scenarios (BAU_Energy and 2Deg_Energy) and three end-of-pipe scenarios (NFC, CLE, and MTFR), and simulating future air quality and related health impacts for the different scenarios using the WRF-Chem model. The results show that under the energy transformation scenario, total energy consumption in Guangdong rises from 296 Mtce (million tons of coal equivalent) in 2015 to 329 Mtce in 2050, with electricity and clean energy accounting for 45% and 35%. In 2050, the transformation of the energy structure leads to 64%, 75%, and 46% reductions in the emissions of CO₂, NOx, and SO₂ compared with those in 2015. Together with the most stringent end-of-pipe control measures, the emissions of VOCs and primary PM_2.5 are effectively reduced by 66% and 78%. The annual average PM_2.5 and MDA8 (daily maximum 8 h O₃) concentrations in Guangdong are 33.8 and 85.9 μg/m³ in 2015, with 63.4 thousand premature deaths (95% CI: 57.1–70.8) due to environmental exposure. Under the baseline scenario, no improvement is gained in air quality or public health by 2050. In contrast, the PM_2.5 and MDA8 concentrations decline to 21.7 and 75.5 μg/m³ under the scenario with energy structure transformation, and total premature deaths are reduced to 35.5 thousand (31.9–39.5). When further combined with the most stringent end-of-pipe control measures, the PM_2.5 concentrations decrease to 16.5 μg/m³, but there is no significant improvement for ozone, with premature deaths declining to 20.6 thousand (18.5–23.0). This study demonstrates that the transformation of energy structure toward climate goals could be effective in mitigating air pollution in Guangdong and would bring significant health benefits. Compared with the end-of-pipe control policies, transformation of the energy structure is a more effective way to improve regional air quality in the long term, and synergistic promotion of both is crucial for regional development. Full article

Very low air quality in the Warsaw conurbation, Poland, similarly to the case in many large European cities, poses a serious threat to the residents’ health, being a significant source of premature mortality. Many results presented in earlier publications indicated local heating installations and car traffic as the main emission categories responsible for this adverse population exposure, where the dominant polluting compounds are NOx, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and BaP. The last two mainly originate from individual household heating installations, both in the city of Warsaw and in its vicinity. To reduce the health risk of air pollution, the city authorities have recently made fundamental decisions, related to the individual housing sector, aimed at the radical decarbonization of all heating installations in Warsaw and its surroundings. On the other hand, the ongoing modernization of the city’s car fleet (including individual and public transport), taking into account the restrictive EU emission standards, as well as the quickly growing share of electric and hybrid cars (BEVs and PHEVs), gives a good prospect of a fundamental improvement in air quality in Warsaw conurbation. The main subject of the paper is a quantitative assessment of the air quality improvement in the current decade (by 2030), resulting from the above modernization activities. The final results are expressed as the attributed reduction in population exposure, which was found to be 28–30% with respect to NOx and PM, and the associated health risk, i.e., 204 fewer avoidable deaths with respect to NOx and 607 fewer with respect to PM_2.5. Full article

This study aims to determine the factors influencing HIV-related mortality in settings experiencing continuous armed conflict atrocities. In such settings, people living with HIV (PLHIV), and the partners of those affected may encounter specific difficulties regarding adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), and retention in HIV prevention, treatment, and care programs. Between July 2019 and July 2021, we conducted an observational prospective cohort study of 468 PLHIV patients treated with Dolutegravir at all the ART facilities in Bunia. The probability of death being the primary outcome, as a function of time of inclusion in the cohort, was determined using Kaplan–Meier plots. We used the log-rank test to compare survival curves and Cox proportional hazard modeling to determine mortality predictors from the baseline to 31 July 2021 (endpoint). The total number of person-months (p-m) was 3435, with a death rate of 6.70 per 1000 p-m. Compared with the 35-year-old reference group, older patients had a higher mortality risk. ART-naïve participants at the time of enrollment had a higher mortality risk than those already using ART. Patients with a high baseline viral load (≥1000 copies/mL) had a higher mortality risk compared with the reference group (adjusted hazard ratio = 6.04; 95% CI: 1.78–20.43). One-fourth of deaths in the cohort were direct victims of armed conflict, with an estimated excess death of 35.6%. Improving baseline viral load monitoring, starting ART early in individuals with high baseline viral loads, the proper tailoring of ART regimens and optimizing long-term ART, and care to manage non-AIDS-related chronic complications are recommended actions to reduce mortality. Not least, fostering women’s inclusion, justice, peace, and security in conflict zones is critical in preventing premature deaths in the general population as well as among PLHIV. Full article

Air pollution exerts several deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounting for 80% of all premature deaths caused by air pollution. Short-term exposure to particulate matter 2.5 (PM_2.5) leads to acute CVD-associated deaths and nonfatal events, whereas long-term exposure increases CVD-associated risk of death and reduces longevity. Here, we summarize published data illustrating how PM_2.5 may impact the cardiovascular system to provide information on the mechanisms by which it may contribute to CVDs. We provide an overview of PM_2.5, its associated health risks, global statistics, mechanistic underpinnings related to mitochondria, and hazardous biological effects. We elaborate on the association between PM_2.5 exposure and CVD development and examine preventive PM_2.5 exposure measures and future strategies for combating PM_2.5-related adverse health effects. The insights gained can provide critical guidelines for preventing pollution-related CVDs through governmental, societal, and personal measures, thereby benefitting humanity and slowing climate change. Full article

PM_2.5 pollution-related diseases lead to additional medical expenses and the loss of working hours, thus affecting the macro-economy. To evaluate the health-related economic impacts of PM_2.5, the Integrated Assessment Model of Climate, Economic, and Environment (ICEEH), combined with the Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model, the Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model, and a health impact assessment module was constructed. The impact of different air pollution control strategies was analyzed in Guangdong Province by establishing a Without Control (WOC) scenario, an Air Control (AIC) scenario, and a Blue Sky (BLK) scenario. The results show that in the WOC scenario for 2035, the death rate for Guangdong Province is 71,690 persons/year and the loss of working hours is 0.67 h/person/year. In the AIC and BLK scenarios compared with WOC for 2035, the loss of working hours is reduced by 29.8% and 34.3%, and premature deaths are reduced by 33.0% and 37.5%, respectively; GDP would increase by 0.05% and 0.11%, respectively, through strict pollution control policies. Furthermore, improved labor force quality induced by better air conditions would promote the added value in labor-intensive industries, such as agriculture (0.233%), other manufacturing (0.172%), textiles (0.181%), food (0.176%), railways transport (0.137%), and services (0.129%). The added value in the waste (−0.073%), nature gas (−0.076%), and crude oil sectors (−0.072%) would decrease because of the increased investment installment in PM_2.5 treatment equipment. Full article