Assessment of diesel exhaust particulate exposure and surface characteristics in association with levels of oxidative stress biomarkers

Exposure to PM10 and PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 μm and 2.5 μm, respectively) is associated with a range of adverse health effects, including cancer, pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. Surface characteristics (chemical reactivity, surface area) are considered of prime importance to understand the mechanisms which lead to harmful effects. A hypothetical mechanism to explain these adverse effects is the ability of components (organics, metal ions) adsorbed on these particles to generate Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), and thereby to cause oxidative stress in biological systems (Donaldson et al., 2003). ROS can attack almost any cellular structure, like DNA or cellular membrane, leading to the formation of a wide variety of degradation products which can be used as a biomarker of oxidative stress. The aim of the present research project is to test whether there is a correlation between the exposure to Diesel Exhaust Particulate (DEP) and the oxidative stress status. For that purpose, a survey has been conducted in real occupational situations where workers were exposed to DEP (bus depots). Different exposure variables have been considered: - particulate number, size distribution and surface area (SMPS); - particulate mass - PM2.5 and PM4 (gravimetry); - elemental and organic carbon (coulometry); - total adsorbed heavy metals - iron, copper, manganese (atomic adsorption); - surface functional groups present on aerosols (Knudsen flow reactor). Several biomarkers of oxidative stress (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and several aldehydes) have been determined either in urine or serum of volunteers. Results obtained during the sampling campaign in several bus depots indicated that the occupational exposure to particulates in these places was rather low (40-50 μg/m3 for PM4). Bimodal size distributions were generally observed (5 μm and <1 μm). Surface characteristics of PM4 varied strongly, depending on the bus depot. They were usually characterized by high carbonyl and low acidic sites content. Among the different biomarkers which have been analyzed within the framework of this study, mean urinary levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine increased significantly (p<0.05) during two consecutive days of exposure for non-smoker workers. On the other hand, no statistically significant differences were observed for serum levels of hexanal, nonanal and 4- hydroxy-nonenal (p>0.05). Biomarkers levels will be compared to exposure variables to gain a better understanding of the relation between the particulate characteristics and the formation of ROS by-products. This project is financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education and Research. It is conducted within the framework of the COST Action 633 "Particulate Matter - Properties Related to Health Effects".

06018-010 Storm Lake Watershed Final Report

The purpose of this project is to develop a management plan to address the City of Alta’s stormwater runoff. Currently, there is no management plan and the city is growing, so there are increased runoff problems from both residential and industrial sources. A large assortment of pollutants flow from these areas, examples include various forms of sediment, paper, plastic, gravel and metal as well as less visible potentially toxic pollution from lawns, streets, gas stations and other commercial and industrial areas. The goal for this project is to construct two infiltration/detention basins to protect water quality and reduce the peak volume of the City of Alta’s urban runoff. Each basin is designed with two functions: Control gully erosion and surface erosion with detention, while incorporating water quality through infiltration. The downstream erosion control provided by detaining runoff will reduce sediment delivery to Powell Creek and protect downstream agricultural land from urban runoff. The infiltration features designed into the basins will capture pollutants commonly associated with urban stormwater runoff such as: sediment, sand, gravel hydrocarbons, particulate matter, heavy metals, and nutrients.

6.2

Airborne particles can come from a variety of sources and contain variable chemical constituents. Some particles are formed by natural processes, such as volcanoes, erosion, sea spray, and forest fires, while other are formed by anthropogenic processes, such as industrial- and motor vehicle-related combustion, road-related wear, and mining. In general, larger particles (those greater than 2.5 μm) are formed by mechanical processes, while those less than 2.5 μm are formed by combustion processes. The chemical composition of particles is highly influenced by the source: for combustion-related particles, factors such as temperature of combustion, fuel type, and presence of oxygen or other gases can also have a large impact on PM composition. These differences can often be observed at a regional level, such as the greater sulphate-composition of PM in regions that burn coal for electricity production (which contains sulphur) versus regions that do not. Most countries maintain air monitoring networks, and studies based on the resulting data are the most common basis for epidemiology studies on the health effects of PM. Data from these monitoring stations can be used to evaluate the relationship between community-level exposure to ambient particles and health outcomes (i.e., morbidity or mortality from various causes). Respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes are the most commonly assessed, although studies have also considered other related specific outcomes such as diabetes and congenital heart disease. The data on particle characteristics is usually not very detailed and most often includes some combination of PM2.5, PM10, sulphate, and NO2. Other descriptors that are less commonly found include particle number (ultrafine particles), metal components of PM, local traffic intensity, and EC/OC. Measures of association are usually reported per 10 μg/m3 or interquartile range increase in pollutant concentration. As the exposure data are taken from regional monitoring stations, the measurements are not representative of an individual's exposure. Particle size is an important descriptor for understanding where in the human respiratory system the particles will deposit: as a general rule, smaller particles penetrate to deeper regions of the lungs. Initial studies on the health effects of particulate matter focused on mass of the particles, including either all particles (often termed total suspended particulate or TSP) or PM10 (all particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm). More recently, studies have considered both PM10 and PM2.5, with the latter corresponding more directly to combustion-related processes. UFPs are a dominant source of particles in terms of PNC, yet are negligible in terms of mass. Very few epidemiology studies have measured the effect of UFPs on health; however, the numbers of studies on this topic are increasing. In addition to size, chemical composition is of importance when understanding the toxicity of particles. Some studies consider the composition of particles in addition to mass; however this is not common, in part due the cost and labour involved in such analyses.

Short-term effects of particulate matters on pulse pressure in two general population studies.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the association of short-term exposure to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 10 μm (PM10) with pulse pressure, SBP, and DBP taking outdoor temperature into account in two large population-based studies in Switzerland. METHODS: We used data from the Bus Santé study including 5605 adults in Geneva and the CoLaus study including 6183 adults in Lausanne. PM10 and meteorological data were measured from fixed monitoring stations. We analyzed the association of short-term exposure to PM10 (on the day of examination visit and up to 7 days before) with pulse pressure, SBP, and DBP by linear regression, controlling for potential confounders and effect modifiers. RESULTS: Average PM10 levels were 22.4 μg/m in Geneva and 31.7 μg/m in Lausanne. In adjusted models, for each 10 μg/m increase in 7-day PM10 average, pulse pressure and SBP increased by 0.583 (95% confidence interval, 0.296-0.870) mmHg and 0.490 (0.056-0.925) mmHg in Geneva, and 0.183 (0.017-0.348) mmHg and 0.036 (0.042-0.561) mmHg in Lausanne, respectively. Stronger associations of pulse pressure and SBP with PM10 were observed when outdoor temperature was above 5°C. CONCLUSION: Positive associations of pulse pressure and SBP with short-term exposure to PM10 were found and replicated in the Swiss adult population. Our results suggest that even low levels of air pollution may substantially impact cardiovascular risk in the general population.

Sellu- ja paperiteollisuuden haitallisimmat ilmapäästöt

Diplomityössä luotiin katsaus sellu- ja paperiteollisuuden haitallisimpiin ilmapäästöihin ja ilmapäästömäärien kehitykseen Suomessa 1990-luvun alusta nykypäivään. Työssä tutustuttiin sellu- ja paperiteollisuuden ilmapäästöjä rajoittavan lainsäädännön ajankohtaisiin asioihin Suomessa ja Euroopan Unionissa, sekä tarkasteltiin nykyisen lainsäädännön perustana olleita ilmastosopimuksia eli kansainvälisen ilmastopolitiikan syntyä ja kehittymistä. Työssä on myös selvitetty ilman osuutta paperinvalmistuksessa, tutustuttu ilmapäästöjen rajoittamismenetelmiin ja eri mittausmenetelmiin ilmapäästöjen toteamiseksi. Työn puitteissa suoritettiin mittalaitetestejä eri paperitehtailla. Haitallisimpia ja määrällisesti suurimpia ilmapäästöjä sellu- ja paperiteollisuudessa ovat typen ja rikin oksidit, pelkistyneet rikkiyhdisteet, hiukkaset, haihtuvat orgaaniset yhdisteet (VOC) ja hiilidioksidi. Ilmapäästömäärät Suomessa ovat typenoksideja lukuun ottamatta olleet laskussa 1990-luvun alusta nykypäivään. Tärkein kasvihuonekaasu on hiilidioksidi, jonka määrää rajoitetaan Kioton sopimuksessa. Vuoden 2002 aikana selvinneekin, mikä on Kioton sopimuksen vaikutus Suomen metsäteollisuuteen. Päästömittauksia tarvitaan lainsäädännön raja-arvojen toteamiseksi, mittauksia suorittavat sertifioidut päästömittauslaboratoriot. Suoritetuissa mittalaitetesteissä havaittiin mittalaitteiden soveltuvuudessa kosteiden paperiprosessin poistokaasujen määrittämiseen suuria eroja.

Secondhand tobacco smoke exposure in open and semi-open settings: a systematic review

Background: Some countries have recently extended smoke-free policies to particular outdoor settings; however, there is controversy regarding whether this is scientifically and ethically justifiable. Objectives: The objective of the present study was to review research on secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in outdoor settings. Data sources: We conducted different searches in PubMed for the period prior to September 2012. We checked the references of the identified papers, and conducted a similar search in Google Scholar. Study selection: Our search terms included combinations of"secondhand smoke,""environmental tobacco smoke,""passive smoking" OR"tobacco smoke pollution" AND"outdoors" AND"PM" (particulate matter),"PM2.5" (PM with diameter ≤ 2.5 µm),"respirable suspended particles,""particulate matter,""nicotine,""CO" (carbon monoxide),"cotinine,""marker,""biomarker" OR"airborne marker." In total, 18 articles and reports met the inclusion criteria. Results: Almost all studies used PM2.5 concentration as an SHS marker. Mean PM2.5 concentrations reported for outdoor smoking areas when smokers were present ranged from 8.32 to 124 µg/m3 at hospitality venues, and 4.60 to 17.80 µg/m3 at other locations. Mean PM2.5 concentrations in smoke-free indoor settings near outdoor smoking areas ranged from 4 to 120.51 µg/m3. SHS levels increased when smokers were present, and outdoor and indoor SHS levels were related. Most studies reported a positive association between SHS measures and smoker density, enclosure of outdoor locations, wind conditions, and proximity to smokers. Conclusions: The available evidence indicates high SHS levels at some outdoor smoking areas and at adjacent smoke-free indoor areas. Further research and standardization of methodology is needed to determine whether smoke-free legislation should be extended to outdoor settings.

Determinação dos hidrocarbonetos saturados e policíclicos aromáticos presentes no material particulado da atmosfera amazônica

It was identified and quantified several organic compounds in the atmosphere of a site into Amazon Basin with high impact of biomass burning emission. It was important to know the particulate matter composition with respect to n-alkanes and PAH associated with the particulate matter because they provided indication on the main sources contributing to airborne particles, the contribution of natural vs. man-made emission and the aging of the particles. The main classes of compounds observed were n-alkanes, PAH and nitro-PAH. It was observed the formation of nitro-PAH from photochemical reactions. The aerosol mass concentration is mainly associated with fluoranthene, pyrene and benzo(ghi)perylene. Environmental and direct emissions samples (flaming and smoldering) were collected and analysed.

Aerossóis atmosféricos: perspectiva histórica, fontes, processos químicos de formação e composição orgânica

This work starts with a historical perspective of the social and scientific progress related to the understanding of the atmospheric aerosol. Its origin, physical, chemical and optical characteristics, as well as its environmental behaviour are described, retracing the evolution of the concepts related to this subject over the last centuries. The main sources that contribute to atmospheric particulate matter and the modern understanding of its formation processes and constitution, focusing on the chemical pathways leading to it and on its organic components are presented. This discussion is complemented with recent evaluations of the quantities emitted by primary, secondary, biogenic and anthropogenic sources and the effects due to accumulation or dispersion of aerosols, justifying the chemical and environmental interest they engender.

Case-Crossover Analysis of Air Pollution Health Effects: A Systematic Review of Methodology and Application

Case-crossover is one of the most used designs for analyzing the health-related effects of air pollution. Nevertheless, no one has reviewed its application and methodology in this context. Objective: We conducted a systematic review of case-crossover (CCO) designs used to study the relationship between air pollution and morbidity and mortality, from the standpoint of methodology and application.Data sources and extraction: A search was made of the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases.Reports were classified as methodologic or applied. From the latter, the following information was extracted: author, study location, year, type of population (general or patients), dependent variable(s), independent variable(s), type of CCO design, and whether effect modification was analyzed for variables at the individual level. Data synthesis: The review covered 105 reports that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these, 24 addressed methodological aspects, and the remainder involved the design’s application. In the methodological reports, the designs that yielded the best results in simulation were symmetric bidirectional CCO and time-stratified CCO. Furthermore, we observed an increase across time in the use of certain CCO designs, mainly symmetric bidirectional and time-stratified CCO. The dependent variables most frequently analyzed were those relating to hospital morbidity; the pollutants most often studied were those linked to particulate matter. Among the CCO-application reports, 13.6% studied effect modification for variables at the individual level.Conclusions: The use of CCO designs has undergone considerable growth; the most widely used designs were those that yielded better results in simulation studies: symmetric bidirectional and time-stratified CCO. However, the advantages of CCO as a method of analysis of variables at the individual level are put to little use

Composição elementar do material particulado presente no aerossol atmosférico do município de Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais

The main objective of this study was the identification of sources generating particulate matter in the atmospheric aerosols of Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais. The measurement of the mineral composition was accomplished by X-ray diffractometry and the elemental concentration by neutron activation analysis. The results showed that Al, Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Mg and Na are the predominant chemical elements in the total suspended particles (TPS). The presence of Na, Ba, Cl, Cu, Eu, Fe and Sm in those particles with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 µm (PM10), indicates that soil dust and ceramic and pig iron industries are the main sources of air quality degradation in the region.

Aerosol particle size distributions at a traffic exposed site and an urban background location in Oporto, Portugal

Aerosol size distributions from 6 to 700 nm were measured simultaneously at an urban background site and a roadside station in Oporto. The particle number concentration was higher at the traffic exposed site, where up to 90% of the size spectrum was dominated by the nucleation mode. Larger aerosol mode diameters were observed in the urban background site possibly due to the coagulation processes or uptake of gases during transport. Factor analysis has shown that road traffic and the neighbour stationary sources localised upwind affect the urban area thought intra-regional pollutant transport.

Uma análise do coeficiente de remoção de poluentes em função do espectro de gotas de chuva em diferentes localidades no Brasil e Alemanha

The pollutant transference among reservoirs atmosphere-hydrosphere, relevant to the atmospheric chemistry, depends upon scavenging coefficient (Λ) calculus, which depends on the raindrop size distribution as well as on the rainfall systems, both different to each locality. In this work, the Λ calculus will be evaluated to gas SO2 and particulate matter fine and coarse among five sites in Germany and two in Brazil. The results show three possible classifications in function of Λ, comparable to literature, however with a greater range due to the differences of rainfall system sites. This preliminary study supports future researches

Caracterização do material particulado fino e grosso e composição da fração inorgânica solúvel em água em São José dos Campos (SP)

Air samples of fine (PM2,5) and coarse (PM2,5-10) particulate matter were collected in São José dos Campos from February 2004 to February 2005. Average PM10 mass concentrations was 31.2 ± 14.0 μg m-3, half of which belonging to the PM2.5 fraction. Ammonium and SO4(2-) were predominantly found in the fine fraction. Average (NH4)2SO4 concentration was estimated to be about 2.9 μg m-3. Chloride, Na+ and NO3- were mostly associated with PM2,5-10. Chloride deficits with respect to sea-salt Cl/Na ratio were found in both size fractions.

Química Sem Fronteiras: o desafio da energia

Coal, natural gas and petroleum-based liquid fuels are still the most widely used energy sources in modern society. The current scenario contrasts with the foreseen shortage of petroleum that was spread out in the beginning of the XXI century, when the concept of "energy security" emerged as an urgent agenda to ensure a good balance between energy supply and demand. Much beyond protecting refineries and oil ducts from terrorist attacks, these issues soon developed to a portfolio of measures related to process sustainability, involving at least three fundamental dimensions: (a) the need for technological breakthroughs to improve energy production worldwide; (b) the improvement of energy efficiency in all sectors of modern society; and (c) the increase of the social perception that education is a key-word towards a better use of our energy resources. Together with these technological, economic or social issues, "energy security" is also strongly influenced by environmental issues involving greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodiversity in environmentally sensitive areas, pollution and poor solid waste management. For these and other reasons, the implementation of more sustainable practices in our currently available industrial facilities and the search for alternative energy sources that could partly replace the fossil fuels became a major priority throughout the world. Regarding fossil fuels, the main technological bottlenecks are related to the exploitation of less accessible petroleum resources such as those in the pre-salt layer, ranging from the proper characterization of these deep-water oil reservoirs, the development of lighter and more efficient equipment for both exploration and exploitation, the optimization of the drilling techniques, the achievement of further improvements in production yields and the establishment of specialized training programs for the technical staff. The production of natural gas from shale is also emerging in several countries but its production in large scale has several problems ranging from the unavoidable environmental impact of shale mining as well as to the bad consequences of its large scale exploitation in the past. The large scale use of coal has similar environmental problems, which are aggravated by difficulties in its proper characterization. Also, the mitigation of harmful gases and particulate matter that are released as a result of combustion is still depending on the development of new gas cleaning technologies including more efficient catalysts to improve its emission profile. On the other hand, biofuels are still struggling to fulfill their role in reducing our high dependence on fossil fuels. Fatty acid alkyl esters (biodiesel) from vegetable oils and ethanol from cane sucrose and corn starch are mature technologies whose market share is partially limited by the availability of their raw materials. For this reason, there has been a great effort to develop "second-generation" technologies to produce methanol, ethanol, butanol, biodiesel, biogas (methane), bio-oils, syngas and synthetic fuels from lower grade renewable feedstocks such as lignocellulosic materials whose consumption would not interfere with the rather sensitive issues of food security. Advanced fermentation processes are envisaged as "third generation" technologies and these are primarily linked to the use of algae feedstocks as well as other organisms that could produce biofuels or simply provide microbial biomass for the processes listed above. Due to the complexity and cost of their production chain, "third generation" technologies usually aim at high value added biofuels such as biojet fuel, biohydrogen and hydrocarbons with a fuel performance similar to diesel or gasoline, situations in which the use of genetically modified organisms is usually required. In general, the main challenges in this field could be summarized as follows: (a) the need for prospecting alternative sources of biomass that are not linked to the food chain; (b) the intensive use of green chemistry principles in our current industrial activities; (c) the development of mature technologies for the production of second and third generation biofuels; (d) the development of safe bioprocesses that are based on environmentally benign microorganisms; (e) the scale-up of potential technologies to a suitable demonstration scale; and (f) the full understanding of the technological and environmental implications of the food vs. fuel debate. On the basis of these, the main objective of this article is to stimulate the discussion and help the decision making regarding "energy security" issues and their challenges for modern society, in such a way to encourage the participation of the Brazilian Chemistry community in the design of a road map for a safer, sustainable and prosper future for our nation.

Assessment of Coals from Russia and Countries of Former Soviet Union for Utility Fluidized Bed Boilers

With the occurrence of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal we found new sources of energy that have played a critical role in the progress of our modern society. Coal is very ample compared to the other two fossil fuels. Global coal reserves at the end of 2005 were estimated at 847,5 billion tones. Along with the major energy sources, coal is the most fast growing fuel on a global basis, it provides 26% of primary energy needs and remains essential to the economies of many developed and developing countries. Coal-fired power generation accounts for 41% of the world‘s total electricity production and in some countries, such as South Africa, Poland, China, Australia, Kazakhstan and India is on very high level. Still, coal utilization represents challenges related to high emissions of air pollutants such as sulphur and nitrogen dioxides, particulate matter, mercury and carbon dioxide. In relation to these a number of technologies have been developed and are in marketable use, with further potential developments towards ―Near Zero Emission‖ coal plants. In present work, coals mined in Russia and countries of Former Soviet Union were reviewed. Distribution of coal reserves on the territory of Russia and the potential for power generation from coal-fired plants across Russia was shown. Physical and chemical properties of coals produced were listed and examined, as main factor influencing on design of the combustion facility and incineration process performance. The ash-related problems in coal-fired boilers were described. The analysis of coal ash of Russia and countries of Former Soviet Union were prepared. Feasible combustion technologies also were reviewed.