Benzene and Toluene concentration at different Traffic intersection during pre-mid-post winter season, in ambient air of Aligarh and its impact on human health

In current scenario, pollution in environment, is a big problem for all living species at around the world. We know that, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in presence of sunlight and oxides of nitrogen in atmosphere are considered as precursors for ozone production at the layer of Troposphere. Concentration of Benzene and Toluene (BT) in ambient air was measured near three major traffic sites in the city of Aligarh, India. All air samples were collected using for two times (in a month) during eight hours of normal working period time for in October – December 2020, and January - March 2021. The three selected sites used in this study represent traffic sites ( at Etah Chungi Chauraha, Quarsi Chauraha and Sootmil Chauraha, Aligarh ). In this study, real-time measurements of Benzene and Toluene concentration were performed the programmable compound specific PID detector designed to provide instantaneous exposure monitoring of a specific organic gas. It monitors a specific gas by utilizing a gas separation tube and the photo-ionization detector (PID) with a 9.8 eV gas discharge lamp (range- 50 ppb to 200 ppb) and whole data analyzed by SPSS software. The study the higher concentration 25.32 ?g/m3 of Benzene in the evening shows at site 3 and lower concentration 10.22 ?g/m3 of Benzene shows at site 2 in the morning. The higher concentration 22.22 ?g/m3 in the evening of Toluene shows at site 1 and lower concentration 07.10 ?g/m3 in the evening of Toluene shows at site 2, were observed respectively. Benzene and Toluene were widely used as a solvent in different products and petroleum. Exposure to a mixture of toluene and benzene in air led to an increase in the cytotoxic effect and DNA damage without any further repair and also its chronic effect on human health. The higher concentration of benzene and toluene co-exposure of benzene or toluene in this study. The relevance of these data on interactions for humans exposed at low benzene concentrations can be best assessed only when the mechanism of interaction is understood at a quantitative level and incorporated within a biologically based modelling framework for human health.

Volatile Organic Compounds in Human Breath

A comprehensive analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the exhaled breath sample is termed as breathomics. Breath samples are a complex mixture composed of a multitude of VOCs and other molecules. The analysis of total VOCs in exhaled breath provides a promising tool for the diagnosis of many diseases because it enables the observation of biochemical processes in the body in a non?invasive way. VOCs are produced in various physiological and pathophysiological conditions thus making it a potential biomarker for several diseases.

Assessment Of Lung Function Status Of Workers At A Transformer Manufacturing Plant In Selangor, Malaysia

@#Transformer manufacturing industry uses volatile organic compounds (VOCs) containing materials such as varnish which can cause adverse health effects to human. Exposure to a high level of VOCs could disrupt the normal functions of a human lung.Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the status of lung functions of the workers exposed to VOCs at a transformer manufacturing plant in Selangor. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentration in the office and production area was measured using direct-reading method and 60 subjects were selected to undergo the lung function test. The FVC and FEV1 values showed significant difference (p<0.05) between the exposed group and the non-exposed group. The mean readings of FVC (69.07±12.58) and FEV₁ (72.90±10.46) of the exposed groups were lower than the non-exposed group, which were 81.47±9.78 and 84.23±9.07, respectively. In contrast to the FEV1/FVC parameters, the non-exposed group (102.93 ± 7.17) showed lower mean values than the exposed group (105.90±8.98). Besides that, the nasal symptoms showed significant differences (p<0.05) between the exposed and non-exposed group. The demographic data of the exposed group showed no association with the lung function status of the exposed group workers. However, the lung functions of the exposed group were influenced by the concentration of VOCs in the production area. High concentration of VOCs may cause detrimental effects on the lung functions. Therefore, management or employers in the industry should always be aware of the effects of VOCs, and take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and welfare of the employees.

Volatile organic compounds profiles emitted by Cochliobolus miyabeanus, a causal agent of brown spot disease of rice

Aims@#Brown spot disease is among the important crop diseases of rice caused by the infection of a pathogenic fungus, Cochliobolus miyabeanus that results in yield losses. Nowadays, limited studies on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been carried out using pathogenic fungal isolate. Hence, this study was conducted to identify VOCs produced by C. miyabeanus wild-type isolate, WK1C, a causal agent of brown spot disease using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). @*Methodology and results@#Fungal isolate WK1C was cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and in potato dextrose broth (PDB) for extraction. The extracts were analysed using GC-MS and the profiles of VOCs were obtained. Cochliobolus miyabeanus WK1C isolate showed a significant presence of various types of organic compound including ester, alcohol, phenol, alkane, alkene, ketone, carboxylic acid, amide and aldehyde. @*Conclusion, significance and impact of study@#This study important for a preliminary assessment of VOCs profiles of C. miyabeanus, a causal agent of brown spot disease. In order to identify the compounds contribute to pathogenicity, further study can be conducted to identify the virulence factor of brown spot disease using different approaches

Gender differences in the psychophysiological effects induced by VOCs emitted from Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)

BACKGROUND@#Wood is a valuable material for interiors, and the psychophysiological relaxation effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from wood chips and essential oils have been reported. However, few studies have identified the odors in full-scale wooden environment, and also, differences in gender have not been clarified. In this study, we aimed to confirm the effects of VOCs emitted from interior wood walls in both human male and female participants.@*METHODS@#We used Japanese cedar timber and analyzed VOCs in the experimental rooms with and without Japanese cedar timber by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The physiological effects were measured using neuroendocrinological and immunological parameters in saliva. A questionnaire was used to evaluate the subjective responses to each odor in the experimental rooms.@*RESULTS@#The main compound emitted from Japanese cedar timber was δ-cadinene, and the total volume of VOCs in the wood condition (presence of VOCs emitted from Japanese cedar) was 282.4 (μg/m). Significant differences between genders in salivary parameters were shown that there were decreases of α-amylase in wood condition and increases of cortisol in the control (absence of VOCs) condition in female participants compared to male participants. The results demonstrated that VOCs in the experimental room with Japanese cedar timber tend to suppress the activation of the sympathetic nervous activity and non-VOCs of Japanese cedar in the control room increase cortisol in female participants.@*CONCLUSIONS@#These results suggest that an indoor environment with wood interior materials has the potential to be useful for health management, especially women's health.

Evaluación de la actividad fungicida e identificación de compuestos orgánicos volátiles liberados por Trichoderma viride / Evaluation of fungicidal activity and identification of volatile organic compounds released by Trichoderma viride

Resumen Los metabolitos secundarios producidos por hongos son ampliamente diversos en estructura y función, lo que provee una fuente de compuestos con actividad biológica para aplicaciones en agricultura, farmacia y procesamiento de alimentos. Entre los metabolitos secundarios se encuentran compuestos orgánicos volátiles (COVs) a los cuales se atribuye un papel determinante en la comunicación entre microorganismos. En este trabajo empleamos una cámara de ensayos comunicada por el espacio de cabeza para evaluar la actividad debida únicamente a COVs. Los resultados indican que los COVs liberados por T. viride afectan el crecimiento de los hongos fitopatógenos evaluados. En el caso de Fusarium sp. se afectaron los halos de crecimiento y para Colletotrichum gloeosporioides se observaron cambios morfológicos en su color. Para identificar los COVs responsables de esta actividad, se usaron 3 técnicas de extracción: Headspace dinámico (HSD), headspace estático (HSE) y extracción líquido-líquido (ELL) y el análisis por cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas (GCMS). Mediante el muestreo del HSD y HSE se encontraron alcoholes y lactonas, mientras que en ELL los compuestos mayoritarios fueron alcoholes y varios ácidos orgánicos. Entre los compuestos determinados por las tres técnicas se encuentran alcohol bencílico, alcohol 2-feniletílico, 6-pentil-2H-piran-2-ona y gama-butirolactona. Esta última identificada por primera vez en T. viride. La comparación de las tres técnicas de extracción permitió establecer que HSD es el método de extracción de COVs que mejor simula la situación presentada en la cámara de evaluación de actividad biológica, permitiendo así identificar los COVs responsables de la actividad antifúngica detectada.

Abstract The secondary metabolites produced by fungi widely vary in structure and function, providing a rich source of biologically active compounds with applications in farming, pharmacology and food processing. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a biologically relevant class of secondary metabolites, since they are suspected of playing a crucial role in the communication between microorganisms. In this work, we use a test headspace chamber to evaluate the VOCs mediated antifungal activity of T. viride against Fusarium sp. and Colletotricum gloeosporiodes. We observed that VOCs produced by T. viride interact with both fungi affecting the growth halos of Fusarium sp. and modifying the colour of Colletotricum gloeosporiodes. The VOCs responsible for this activity were identified using three extraction techniques: Dynamical Headspace (DHS), Static Headspace (SHS) and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), all of them analyzed via gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GCMS). DHS and SHS identified alcohols and lactones as VOCs, while with LLE we found a large number of alcohol components and several organic acids. All three techniques identified benzyl alcohol, 2-phenylethyl alcohol, 6-pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one and, for the first time associated to T. viride, gama-butirolactone. After comparison between these extraction techniques, we established that DHS provides the most accurate simulation of biological activity in the test chamber, which reflects in a reliable identification of the VCOs with antifungal activity.

Analysis of VOCs in the headspace of JEOK non-Hodgkin lymphoma cells / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective To find lymphoma cell markers characteristic of gas for breath monitoring application and provide experimental evidence for the early diagnosis of lymphoma patients,assessing solid phase micro extraction-gas chromatography / mass spectrometry( SPME-GC / MS)is applied to the lymphatic the feasibility of detecting tumor cells in the headspace. To investigate the value of VOCs in the diagnosis of hematologic malignancies. Meth-ods The air samples from the headspace of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cell JEOK,the human lymphoidcell lines and culture medium were collected by syringes,and then determined by means of SPME-GC / MS in order to have a bet-ter understanding of the concentration distributions and changes of VOCs in JEOK cells headspace. Using Mann-Whitney U test,we found the characteristic volatile markers of non-Hodgkin′s lymphoma cells. Results SPME-GC /MS for JEOK cell lines,human lymphocytecell line and a blank incubation were detected headspace analysis,found JEOK cell culture headspace can be detected dimethyl,sulfide,toluene,o-xylene,1,3-Di-tert-butylbenzene,aceto-pheno-ne,dodecane,representing human lymphocytes increased;and alcohol,benzaldehyde,hexanal is signifi-cantly reduced. Conclusion Non-Hodgkin′s lymphoma cell lines can cause flasks JEOK headspace change in the composition of VOCs,increased alkanes and aromatic compounds,aldehydes and reducing alcohol content,these substances may be used as acharacteristic of lymphoma cells markers;SPME-GC / MS as a trace substance detection method can be used to JEOK cell lines VOCs bottle headspace detection training.

Analysis of VOCs in the headspace of SHI-1 acute mononuclear leukemia cell / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective To find out the impact of SHI-1 cells on VOCs in the headspace, and to assess the feasibili-ty of VOCs analysis in leukemia patients or with other tumors in the differential diagnosis by determing VOCs in the headspace of acute mononuclear leukemia cells(SHI-1). Methods The air samples from the headspace of SHI-1, Human macrophages cells and medium control were collected by syringes, and then determined by means of solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry ( SPME-GC/MS ) in order to have a better under-standing of the concentration distributions and changes of VOCs in SHI-1 cells' headspace. Results Using Mann-Whitney U test, we found that eight kinds of VOCs were different among them. They were 2,4-dimethyl heptanes, 4-methyl octane, chloroform, benzene, 3,7-dimethyl dodecanese, hexanol, cyclohexanol, cetane. And alkane, benzene were significantly higher than the control group ( P<0.05 ) , alcohol decreased significantly ( P<0.05 ) . Conclusion SHI-1 cells have an impact on the concentration distributions of VOCs in their headspace. The most outstanding VOCs are alkanes, alcohol and benzene compared with the blank control group. They may be potential markers characteristic of leukemia cells.

Exhaled Breath Analysis System based on Electronic Nose Techniques Applicable to Lung Diseases / 한양의대학술지

Smell used to be a common diagnostic tool in medicine, and physicians were trained to use their sense of smell during their medical training. Latterly, odor disgnostics have been relegated to secondary status as a diagnostic method. Array-based gas sensors ("Electronic Nose") now offer the potential of a robust analytical approach to exhaled breath analysis for medical use. Many diseases are accompanied by characteristic odor, and their recognition can provide diagonostic clues, guide the laboratory evaluation, and affect the choice of immediate therapy. We are developing an intelligent sensor system for non-invasive health care monitoring combined laboratory based sensor module, pattern recognition subsystem and non-invasive sampling of volatile emitted from a patient into a highly intelligent sensor system that allows the rapid processing of these samples. It is capable to assist early and rapid disgnosis of changes in state of patient, and aid decision making by medical personnel in the treatment of such patients. In this paper, we introduce exhaled breath analysis for potential primary lung disease screening using electronic nose system incorporating an automated solid-phase microextraction (SPME) desorption to enable the system to be used. Aiming to increase the sensitivity, SPME preconcentration is used for sampling of headspace air and the response of sensor module to variable concentration of volatile emitted from SPME fiber is evaluated. The initial result shows the distinguished difference between the lung cancer patients and healthy normal individuals according to the analysis of the respective expiratory gases.

Oxidación catalítica de tolueno y 2-propanol sobre óxidos mixtos de Mn y Co obtenidos por coprecipitación / Catalytic oxidation of toluene and 2-propanol over Mn and Co mixed oxides obtained by coprecipitation method / A oxidação catalítica de tolueno e 2-propanol em óxidos mistos de Mn e de Co, obtidos por coprecipitação

Óxidos mixtos de manganeso y cobalto, con relaciones molares M²++Mg2+ /M3+=3 y M2+/ Mg2+=1, fueron preparados por el método de coprecipitación. Los sólidos fueron caracterizados mediante las técnicas de difracción de rayos X (XRD), temperatura programada de reducción (TPR-H2) y adsorción de N2 en área superficial; éstos fueron empleados para la oxidación catalítica de una mezcla de dos compuestos orgánicos representativos de COVs: el tolueno y el 2-propanol. El óxido mixto de manganeso logró el 100% de oxidación de la mezcla de COVs, mientras que el óxido mixto de cobalto no alcanzó una oxidación total. El catalizador Mn-Mg-Al presentó las menores temperaturas de oxidación de tolueno y 2-propanol en la mezcla, haciéndolo el catalizador más eficiente. El desempeño catalítico superior de dicho óxido se asocia principalmente con su mejor comportamiento redox, comparado con el del óxido de cobalto. Con el fin de evaluar el efecto de la composición del reactivo, se estudió la oxidación catalítica individual de tolueno y 2-propanol sobre el óxido mixto de manganeso. El catalizador fue activo en la oxidación de los dos COVs individuales, pero el tolueno fue el compuesto más difícil de oxidar. Dicho catalizador mostró 100% de conversión del tolueno hacia CO2, mientras que el 2-propanol produjo primero acetona, la cual posteriormente fue oxidada hasta CO2. Las temperaturas de oxidación de los componentes en la mezcla de COVs fueron superiores que en la conversión individual de tolueno y 2-propanol. Este resultado sugiere un posible efecto inhibitorio en la oxidación de 2-propanol cuando se tienen mezclas de los COVs.

Manganese and cobalt mixed oxides with M2++Mg2+/M3+=3 y M2+/Mg2+=1 ratios were obtained by the coprecipitation method. The solids were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), N2 adsorption and in the catalytic oxidation of two VOCs: toluene and 2-propanol. Manganese mixed oxide reached 100% conversion of the mixture of VOCs while cobalt mixed oxide did not achieve a complete oxidation. The catalyst Mn-Mg-Al showed the lowest temperature oxidation of toluene and 2-propanol in the mixture. The highest performance of the oxide catalyst Mn-Mg-Al is associated with the better redox potential in the manganese catalyst. Manganese mixed oxide was active in the oxidation of the single VOCs, where the scale of difficulty to oxidize the different organic compounds evaluated was: 2-propanol < toluene. The mixed oxide showed 100% conversion to CO2 in the oxidation of toluene, while the 2-propanol was first oxidized to acetone. It suggests that there is an inhibitory effect on the oxidation of 2-propanol in the mixture of VOCs.

Óxidos mistos de cobalto e manganês com relações M2++Mg2+/M3+=3 y M2+/ Mg2+=1 foram preparados pelo método de coprecipitação. Os sólidos foram caracterizados pelas técnicas de difração de raios-X (XRD), temperatura programada de redução (TPR-H2), área superficial adsorção do N2 e na oxidação catalítica de dois compostos orgânicos representativos (COVs): tolueno e 2-propanol. O catalisador Mn-Mg- Al apresentou as menores temperaturas de oxidação da mistura, fazendo-lo o catalisador mais eficiente. O desempenho catalítico superior do óxido Mn-Mg-Al está associado principalmente a seu melhor desempenho redox em comparação com o óxido de cobalto. Mn-Mg-Al catalisador foi ativo na oxidação dos dois individuais COVs, sendo o tolueno o composto mais difícil de oxidar seguido do 2-propanol. Óxidos mistos de manganês mostro 100% de conversão até CO2 para tolueno, enquanto que o 2-propanol produz em primeiro lugar acetona, que posteriormente é oxidada a CO2. Temperaturas de oxidação dos componentes da mistura de compostos orgânicos voláteis é maior do que a única conversão de tolueno e 2-propanol. Este resultado sugeriu um possível efeito inibitório sobre a oxidação de 2-propanol ao ter misturas de COV.

Hebei Spirit Oil Spill Exposure and Subjective Symptoms in Residents Participating in Clean-Up Activities

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between crude oil exposure and physical symptoms among residents participating in clean-up work associated with the Hebei Spirit oil spill, 2007 in Korea. METHODS: A total of 288 residents responded to a questionnaire regarding subjective physical symptoms, sociodemographic characteristics and clean-up activities that occurred between two and eight weeks after the accident. Additionally, the urine of 154 of the respondents was analyzed for metabolites of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. To compare the urinary levels of exposure biomarkers, the urine of 39 inland residents who were not directly exposed to the oil spill were analyzed. RESULTS: Residents exposed to oil remnants through clean-up work showed associations between physical symptoms and the exposure levels defined in various ways, including days of work, degree of skin contamination, and levels of some urinary exposure biomarkers of VOCs, metabolites and metals, although no major abnormalities in urinary exposure biomarkers were observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of a relationship between crude oil exposure and acute human health effects and suggests the need for follow-up to evaluate the exposure status and long-term health effects of clean-up participants.

Health Effects of Air Pollution on Fetus

In many previous studies for the relationship between air pollution and birth outcome, the exposure was based on the data for environmental monitoring site. We reviewed the epidemiologic studies that evaluated the health effects of air pollution on birth outcome such as low birth weight and preterm births. We identified the air pollution exposure during pregnancy was related with low birth weight and preterm birth, although there are differences between studies for the critical period of vulnerability. also suggests that the indoor and personal exposure to VOCs during pregnancy may contribute the adverse pregnancy outcomes. The biological mechanisms whereby air pollution might influence health of fetus are not clearly established. Controlling for potential confounders and valid assessment of exposure are the problem remained in these epidemiologic studies. In the future, more studies are need to investigate the effect of air pollution on preterm birth or stillbirths, considering the various exposure period, and the biological mechanism. also results should be taken into account for future advisories and evaluation of environmental policy .

Effects of Air Pollutants on Childhood Asthma

Epidemiologic studies have suggested the association between environmental exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the increased risk of incurring asthma. Yet there is little data regarding the relationship between personal exposure to air pollution and the incidence of asthma in children. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of exposure to air pollution on children with asthma by using exposure biomarkers. We assessed the exposure level to VOCs by measuring urinary concentrations of hippuric acid and muconic acid, and PAHs by 1-OH pyrene and 2-naphthol in 30 children with asthma and 30 children without asthma (control). The mean level of hippuric acid was 0.158+/-0.169micromol/mol creatinine in the asthma group and 0.148+/-0.249micromol/mol creatinine in the control group, with no statistical significance noted (p=0.30). The mean concentration of muconic acid was higher in the asthma group than in the control group (7.630+/-8.915micromol/mol creatinine vs. 3.390+/-4.526micromol/mol creatinine p=0.01). The mean level of urinary 1-OHP was higher in the asthma group (0.430+/-0.343micromol/mol creatinine) than the control group (0.239+/-0.175micromol/mol creatinine), which was statistically significant (p=0.03). There was no difference in the mean concentration of 2-NAP between the two groups (9.864+/-10.037micromol/mol in the asthma group vs. 9.157+/-9.640micromol/mol in the control group, p=0.96). In conclusion, this study suggests that VOCs and PAHs have some role in asthma.