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Abstract For places where non-sterile drug production occurs, regulatory bodies recommend monitoring of the environmental bioburden. This procedure provides information regarding possible microbiological risks to which the products may be exposed, so that subsequent action measures may be implemented. The aim of the present work was to quantify and characterize the microorganisms present in Grade D (ISO 8) cleanrooms of a Brazilian pharmaceutical industry, identifying any possible seasonal climatic influences on these environments. Sampling was performed by surface and air monitoring, over 12 months during the year 2019, in rooms that were in operation. For both sampling methods, no statistically significant differences in bacteria and fungi counts were found between months or seasonal periods. Microorganisms that presented higher incidence included Staphylococcus epidermidis (15%) and Micrococcus spp. (13%), common to the human microbiota, and the fungi Cladosporium sp. (23%) and Penicillium sp. (21%), typical of the external environment. The results showed that microbial contamination in the Grade D cleanrooms was within the permissible maximum levels and remained similar throughout the year. Microbiological quality control in the clean areas of the pharmaceutical industry investigated was considered effective, with regular maintenance being necessary to keep bioburden levels controlled.
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With the development and utilization of nuclear energy, the safe operation of nuclear facilities has become a social issue of great concern. China attaches great importance to nuclear emergency plan and the construction of legal, institutional, and mechanism systems. Among them, the emergency preparedness and response of airborne monitoring for nuclear emergency is one of the important components of the national nuclear emergency system. The technology system of airborne monitoring for nuclear emergency is being developed and combines the advantages of manned aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) airborne monitoring. In recent years, UAVs with different loads and types have been developed, with diversified sizes and types of detectors carried by UAVs. The research on UAV airborne monitoring techniques for nuclear emergency has been continuously deepened and improved, and the technical system of airborne monitoring for nuclear emergency has been developed at the same time. The construction of UAV airborne monitoring technology system for nuclear emergency is discussed from the perspectives of monitoring equipment and technology, emergency response plan, emergency monitoring and evaluation, monitoring standards, emergency personnel, emergency support, and training and exercise. The UAV is a rapidly developing aircraft. With the continuous improvement in UAV performance and the continuous innovation and development of nuclear emergency airborne monitoring technology, the UAV airborne monitoring technology system for nuclear emergency will be constantly improved and developed towards networking, intelligence, and standardization.
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Objective:To explore the distribution of airborne pollen in summer and autumn in Taiyuan, analyze the correlation between pollen characteristics, meteorological factors and allergic sensitization, and provide for the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases in this. Methods:The gravity sedimentation method was used to investigate the types, quantities and dispersion patterns of airborne pollen in Taiyuan City from July 21, 2022 to October 20, 2022. he meteorological and patient information was collected during the same period SPSS 26.0 software. Results:①A total of 17 118 pollen grains were collected, and identified as 14 families, 10 genera, and 4 species. The peak period for pollen dispersal in summer and autumn in Taiyuan City from late August to early September. airborne pollen Artemisia（66.62%）, Cannabis/Humulus（17.79%）, Sophora japonica（8.18%）, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae（2.83%）, Gramineae（2.11%）. ②The concentration of airborne pollen in Taiyuan City positively correlated with the average temperature（5-20℃） and maximum temperature（11-30℃） within a certain range（r=0.547, 0.315, P<0.05）. ③The content of airborne pollen in Taiyuan City positively correlated with the number of visits and allergen positive rate of patients with allergic rhinitis（AR） in our hospital（r=0.702, 0.747, P<0.05）. Conclusion:The peak period for airborne pollen dispersal during the summer and autumn seasons in Taiyuan City from late August to early September. The dominant pollen is Artemisia, Cannabis/Humulus, Sophora japonica, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, Gramineae, and the absolute advantage pollen is Artemisia. Meteorological factors pollen content. Within a certain range, temperature the diffusion and transportation of pollen. The number of pollen grains the number of visits, which can serve as an environmental warning indicator for AR patients to take preventive, thereby reducing the risk of allergies.
Subject(s)
Male , Humans , Seasons , Pollen , Rhinitis, Allergic , Allergens , CitiesABSTRACT
Esta tese investiga a produção e circulação de evidências científicas sobre a transmissão do SARS-CoV-2, com ênfase no debate científico em torno da transmissão viral por aerossóis e a implicação de diferentes entendimentos nas práticas de prevenção adotadas ao redor do mundo. De cunho etnográfico, a pesquisa foi conduzida a partir da hashtag #covidisairborne, de importante repercussão entre cientistas e ativistas na rede social Twitter, e analisou diversos materiais digitais como artigos científicos, entrevistas, newsletters e tuítes publicados sobre o tema na rede conforme circulavam no campo, além de acompanhar o trabalho de um laboratório de pesquisa em aerossóis. A chegada da covid teria intensificado a disputa em torno das formas de transmissão viral, transformando-a em questão pública com repercussão nas práticas de proteção disseminadas durante a pandemia. Diante das evidências científicas relacionadas à transmissão, os fatos científicos se apresentam de forma contextual e implicada em distintos discursos e intenções para a condução da crise sanitária. A pandemia de covid teria acelerado o reconhecimento da qualidade do ar interno como um problema de saúde pública que chama a atenção para o ar que respiramos, e as estratégias para a mitigação dos riscos associados ao "novo normal" precisam ser informadas por princípios de justiça social e direito à saúde. (AU)
This work investigates the production and circulation of scientific evidence on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, with an emphasis on the scientific debate surrounding aerosol viral transmission and the implications of different understandings in prevention practices adopted around the world. Ethnographically driven, the research was conducted from the hashtag #covidisairborne, which had significant repercussion among scientists and activists on the social media platform Twitter, and analyzed various digital materials such as scientific articles, interviews, newsletters, and tweets published on the network as they circulated in the field, as well as following the work of an aerosol research laboratory. The advent of covid is said to have intensified the dispute over the modes of viral transmission, turning it into a public issue with repercussions on the disease prevention practices disseminated during the pandemic. In the face of scientific evidence related to transmission, scientific facts present themselves in a contextual manner and are implicated in different discourses and intentions for managing the health crisis. The covid pandemic is said to have accelerated the recognition of indoor air quality as a public health issue that draws attention to the air we breathe, and strategies for mitigating risks associated with the "new normal" need to be informed by principles of social justice and the right to health. (AU)
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Air Pollution, Indoor , Evidence-Based Medicine , COVID-19/prevention & control , Respiratory Aerosols and Droplets , Social Justice , Health Law , Personal Protective Equipment , Online Social NetworkingABSTRACT
Background: South Africa's overburdened healthcare systems have led to criticism of its unsustainable tuberculosis management interventions. In 2011, the National Department of Health implemented an outpatient, decentralised care model, but this increased costs and jeopardised the long-term viability of prevention measures. Home confinement is now recognised as a viable intervention option, when combined with safety precautions such as ventilation and medical support. However, little is known about the risk of infection in this context. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of wind-driven roof turbines in enhancing ventilation and their potential to lower the risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in a residential setting. Methods: Eight houses were selected and divided equally into intervention (wind turbines installed) and control groups, using a pairwise comparison method. The CO2 decay method was used as a proxy to determine ventilation in the houses. The wind-driven roof turbines' potential to lower the risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection was stochastically evaluated using the Wells-Riley mathematical model. Results: During two seasons, installation of a roof turbine resulted in twofold ventilation rates compared to the control houses. Consequently, the WellsRiley model predicted a twofold reduction in the probability of infection in the intervention compared to the control households. Conclusion: Low-cost, low-maintenance wind-driven roof turbines are effective in increasing ventilation in houses, and should be considered as an additional layer of protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other infections in residential settings.
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Accumulating studies suggest that, as the subway is one of the important means of transport in cities, airborne microorganisms in its system have potential effects on human health, but previous studies have mainly focused on some foreign cities. We reviewed the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of airborne microorganisms in subway stations in different cities, including diurnal, weekly, and seasonal variations, and the distribution of microorganisms in different regions of the world. The factors affecting airborne microorganisms, such as human activities, temperature and humidity, ventilation, and particulate matter, were presented. The potential health effects were described. Although there was no significant risk of infection from using subway, many pathogens do exist in the air. The influence of microorganisms in subway air on health has become a public health problem that cannot be ignored.
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Recent decades have witnessed the emergence of many airborne diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and COVID-19, which have highlighted the importance of effective ventilation in residential, work, or hospital premises. Ventilation which plays an essential role in reducing or diluting the airborne contaminants. However, it is not always easy to achieve by natural ventilation as it depends on many other factors such as temperature and climatic conditions. (wind velocity, wind direction, and housing pattern/design). Horizontal unidirectional airflow (HUAF) is one such method that can be achieved at low cost and can reduce cross-infection of COVID-19 to much extent. Hence, this narrative review aims to bring some insight into what is HUAF, how it can be achieved, and what are its possible implications in preventing COVID-19 transmission.
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Background: The reliability of patch testing with expired Indian standard patch test kits has been not evaluated before. Methods: Thirty adults (men:women 25:5) with allergic contact dermatitis were divided into three groups of ten patients each for patch testing by Finn chamber® method using Indian standard patch test kits having expiry in 2016, 2015 and 2014. The results were compared with those from a new kit with 2018 expiry. Results: Ten patients in group-1, eight patients in group-2 and seven patients in group-3 developed positive reactions of identical intensities and mostly from identical allergens from all four kits. The major contact allergens eliciting positive reactions of identical intensities were parthenium in nine, five and three patients, colophony in four, one and zero patients, fragrance mix in three, three and one patients, thiuram mix in three, one and one patients, and paraphenylene diamine in two, one and three patients from group-1,-2, and -3, respectively. Limitations: Small number of patients in each group remains the major limitation of the study. Whether or not these results can be extrapolated with patch test results from other similar patch test kits available across countries also needs confirmation. Conclusion: The patch test allergens can be used beyond labeled expiry dates but needs confirmation by a few large studies and using other available patch test kits. This is important as the relevance of patch test results for individual allergen in this scenario may remain debatable requiring careful interpretation
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COVID-19 is a novel respiratory infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants poses a serious threat to the public health. A bedside device with high specificity and sensitivity for real-time and rapid detection is of great value for the prevention and control of COVID-19. Moreover, understanding the transmission behavior of airborne pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 is also vital for scientific disease prevention. Biosensors are devices that can convert biomolecular reaction signals into detectable physical or chemical signals and have been increasingly used for the detection and analysis of pathogenic microorganisms. Biosensors bases on the conventional detection methods such as colony counting, immunoassays and molecular techniques are often time-consuming, labor-intensive and complicated. Nanomaterial-based biosensors are more portable and can be used for rapid on-site detection. This review summarized the progress in biosensors for pathogen detection and the application of nanomaterial based-biosensors in the surveillance of airborne pathogens.
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The complete picture regarding transmission modes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unknown. This review summarises the available evidence on its transmission modes, our preliminary research findings and implications for infection control policy, and outlines future research directions. Environmental contamination has been reported in hospital settings occupied by infected patients, and is higher in the first week of illness. Transmission via environmental surfaces or fomites is likely, but decontamination protocols are effective in minimising this risk. The extent of airborne transmission is also unclear. While several studies have detected SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid in air samples, none has isolated viable virus in culture. Transmission likely lies on a spectrum between droplet and airborne transmission, depending on the patient, disease and environmental factors. Singapore's current personal protective equipment and isolation protocols are sufficient to manage this risk.
Subject(s)
Humans , COVID-19 , Hospitals , Infection Control/methods , Personal Protective Equipment , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Being fast, efficient and widely-covered, airborne monitoring of radiation environment is an irreplaceable technical means in nuclear accident emergency monitoring. To introduce radiation monitoring actions in nuclear accidents at Chernobyl in the Soviet Union in 1986, Three Mile Island in America in 1979 and Fukushima in Japan in 2011. Airborne monitoring of radiation environment plays an important role in radiation contamination area confirmation, radiation environment survey and technical supply to related national department. Therefore, it is an important part of nuclear emergency response. It is suggested to carry out research on new equipment technology for airborne monitoring of nuclear emergency in an orderly manner; to study the analysis and decision of airborne monitoring for nuclear accident emergency; effectively respond to nuclear accidents, to carry out the detailed survey of radiation environment around nuclear facilities throughout the country.
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Abstract In the absence of vaccines and effective antiviral drugs, control of the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) relies mainly on the adequacy of public health resources and policies. Hence, failure to establish and implement scientifically reliable control measures may have a significant effect on the incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, severity of the disease, and death toll. The average number of secondary transmissions from an infected person, or reproduction numbers (R0 and R), and the points at which the collective immunity begins to reduce the transmission of the infection, or herd immunity thresholds, are important epidemiological tools used in strategies of Covid-19 control, suppression, and mitigation. However, SARS-CoV-2 transmission through asymptomatic carriers and, possibly, aerosols, has been ignored, and this may affect the effectiveness of Covid-19 control strategies. Therefore, consideration of the two possible ways of transmission would substantially increase the values of reproduction numbers, but if estimates of the contingent of the population naturally resistant to the virus, plus those with pre-existing cross-immunity to SARS-CoV-2 were considered, the evaluation of herd immunity thresholds should reach their real and achievable levels.
Subject(s)
Humans , Carrier State , Coronavirus Infections , Aerosols , Public Health , BetacoronavirusABSTRACT
Beta coronaviruses (β-CoVs) can infect human and a variety of animals, causing respiratory, intestinal, liver and nervous system diseases of the hosts.Since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by coronavirus in 32 countries and regions in 2002, there have been Middle East respiratory syndrome and human coronavirus HKU1 pneumonia caused by other viruses of this genus.β-CoVs pose a continuous threat to human health with its high transmission efficiency, serious infection consequences and uncertain epidemic outbreaks.Hereby, the epidemic history, virus sources and transmission modes of β-CoVs, as well as the detection and monitoring methods for the virus are reviewed in the paper to provide ideas and measures for better control of human diseases caused by β-CoVs.
ABSTRACT
Beta coronaviruses (β-CoVs) can infect human and a variety of animals, causing respiratory, intestinal, liver and nervous system diseases of the hosts.Since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by coronavirus in 32 countries and regions in 2002, there have been Middle East respiratory syndrome and human coronavirus HKU1 pneumonia caused by other viruses of this genus.β-CoVs pose a continuous threat to human health with its high transmission efficiency, serious infection consequences and uncertain epidemic outbreaks.Hereby, the epidemic history, virus sources and transmission modes of β-CoVs, as well as the detection and monitoring methods for the virus are reviewed in the paper to provide ideas and measures for better control of human diseases caused by β-CoVs.
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Parthenium dermatitis is an immuno-inflammatory disease caused by Partheniumhysterophorus and is the most common cause of plant dermatitis in India. Contact sensitivity to parthenium is everlasting, and hence the disease runs a chronic course with exacerbation during summers. Patch testing with acetone or aqueous plant extract is the simplest way of confirming parthenium contact allergy. We report a case of 40yr old female who presented with generalised erythematous and lichenified plaques and was managed effectively with topical corticosteroid and avoidance of allergens
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The Asian rust (Phakopsorapachyrhizi) is one of the most destructive diseases of soybean in Brazil. Despite its importance, little is known about the airborne inoculum production dynamics of pathogen throughout the soybean cycle in Brazil. The objective of this study was to assess the temporal variation of air collected P. pachyrhizi urediniospores using a Burkard 7-day-spore-trap during 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, from November to March of each soybean (MSoy-8001) growing season. The disease severity wasquantified on soybean planted in October 18, 2006 and in October 30, 2007. From November/06 through March/07 were collected over 175,000 urediniospores, and, over 131,000 from November/07 to March/08. In 06-07, most of the spores were collected from January 9, 2007 through February 1st, 2007 (±3,000 urediniospores day-1), and, in 07-08 most urediniospores was collected from February 8, 2008 throughout March 2, 2008 (±2,000 urediniospores day-1). The maximum amount of urediniospores collected in a single day in 06-07 (±15,000; 1/25/2007) was higher than in 07-08 (±12,000; 2/13/2008). In both soybean growing seasons most of the hourly urediniospores was collected from 10:00 am through 6:00 pm and the highest number from December to March, was at 3:00 pm (±16,000 in 06-07 and ±14,000 in 07-08). The disease started earlier in 2006-07 [38 days after planting (DAP)] than in 07-08 (58 DAP). The amount of collected airborne spores was positively correlated to disease severity, leaf wetness, and, precipitation along both soybean growing seasons. However, during a 24h-day evaluation, the major amount of hourly collected spores was negatively correlated to the leaf wetness and air relative humidity.
A ferrugem asiática (Phakopsorapachyrhizi) é uma das doenças mais destrutivas de soja no Brasil. Apesar de sua importância, pouco é conhecido sobre a dinâmica de distribuição de inóculo no ar do patógeno em todo o ciclo da soja no Brasil. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a variação temporal deurediniósporos de P. pachyrhizi coletados do ar com uma armadilha de esporos Burkard de 7 dias de captura em 2006-2007 e 2007-2008, durante o cultivo da soja (cv. MSoy-8001) entre novembro e março. A severidade da doença foi quantificada em soja plantada em 18 de outubro de 2006 e em 30 de outubro de 2007. De novembro/06 até março/07 foram coletados mais de 175.000 urediniósporos, e, mais de 131.000 de novembro/07 a março/08. Em 06 / 07, a maioria dos esporos foram coletada de 9 de janeiro de 2007 a 1º. de fevereiro de 2007 (± 3.000 urediniósporos dia-1), e, em 07-08 a maioria dos urediniósporos foi coletada entre 8 de fevereiro de 2008 e 2 de março de 2008 (±2,000 uredosporo dia-1). A quantidade máxima de urediniósporos coletados em um único dia em 06-07 (±15,000; 25/1/2007) foi superior a 07-08 (±12,000; 13/2/2008). Em ambas as safras de soja a maioria dos urediniósporos em cada hora foi coletado entre 10:00 e 18:00 de dezembro a março e o maior número foi às 15:00 (±16,000 em 06-07 e ±14,000 em 07-08). A doença inicioumais cedo em 2006-07 [38 dias após o plantio (DAP)] do que em 07-08 (58 DAP). A quantidade de esporos no ar coletados correlacionou-se positivamente a severidade da doença, umidade foliar, e precipitação ao longo de ambos os ciclos de soja. No entanto, durante a avaliação diária, a quantidade de esporos coletados por hora foi negativamente correlacionada com umidade foliar e a umidade relativa do ar.
Subject(s)
Soybeans , Colony Count, Microbial , Phakopsora pachyrhiziABSTRACT
Very few studies have been devoted to understanding the digital terrain model (DTM) creation for Amazon forests. DTM has a special and important role when airborne laser scanning is used to estimate vegetation biomass. We examined the influence of pulse density, spatial resolution, filter algorithms, vegetation density and slope on the DTM quality. Three Amazonian forested areas were surveyed with airborne laser scanning, and each original point cloud was reduced targeting to 20, 15, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 0.75, 0.5 and 0.25 pulses per square meter based on a random resampling process. The DTM from resampled clouds was compared with the reference DTM produced from the original LiDAR data by calculating the deviation pixel by pixel and summarizing it through the root mean square error (RMSE). The DTM from resampled clouds were also evaluated considering the level of agreement with the reference DTM. Our study showed a clear trade-off between the return density and the horizontal resolution. Higher forest canopy density demanded higher return density or lower DTM resolution.
São poucos os estudos dedicados a entender a criação de modelo digital de terreno (MDT) para florestas amazônicas. O MDT tem uma importante função quando o escaneamento laser aerotransportado é usado para estimar a biomassa da vegetação. Examinamos a relação da densidade de pulsos, resolução espacial, algoritmos de filtragem, densidade da vegetação e inclinação do terreno com a qualidade do MDT. Três áreas de floresta amazônica foram sobrevoadas usando LiDAR aerotransportado. Cada nuvem de dados original teve sua densidade reduzida objetivando 20; 15; 10; 8; 6; 4; 2; 1; 0,75; 0,5 e 0,25 pulsos por metro quadrado, utilizando um processo de reamostragem aleatória. Os MDTs das nuvens reamostradas foram comparados com o MDT de referência, produzido a partir da nuvem original, calculando o desvio pixel a pixel e resumindo-o por meio do erro padrão da estimativa (RMSE). Os MDTs das nuvens reamostradas também foram avaliados quanto ao nível de correspondência com o MDT de referência. Houve uma clara compensação entre densidade de pontos e resolução horizontal. Dosséis mais densos exigem uma maior densidade de retornos, ou MDT com menor resolução.
Subject(s)
Soil Analysis , Geographic Mapping , Geographic Information Systems , Brazil , Amazonian EcosystemABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: Bacteria can cause allergic asthma and seasonal allergies, diseases which are increasingly prevalent in developing nations. Allergic asthma is currently affecting millions of people in Nepal. Therefore, the objective of this study was designed to measure the bacterial load in outdoor air. Materials and Methods: Airborne outdoor bacteria were assessed during the spring season using conventional methods to investigate the enumeration of airborne microorganisms. This was determined by sampling air using the ‘settle plate technique’. The air samples were collected during the spring season (February-March) from 10 different areas of Janakpur. Counts of airborne bacteria were measured as CFUs collected by gravity onto Nutrients Agar plates. Samples were taken periodically over a period of 2 months of February and March 2017. Results: A total of 7,404 bacterial colonies were counted on 30 Petri plates that were exposed for 1 hour. The maximum number of colonies of bacteria was 412. Similarly, the least number of bacterial colonies was 32. Higher numbers of CFUs were found in the petri plates which were exposed for 1 hour in comparison to the petri plates which were exposed for 30 minutes. According to the measurement, 36.6% of total CFUs of bacteria were collected during morning hours, 28.4% during day time and 35% during evening hours. Also, the highest numbers of colonies of bacteria were found in the petri plates that were exposed in ward number 7 and the least number of bacterial colonies were obtained in ward number 9. Conclusion: The bacteriological quality of air in janakpur was very poor. Very high microbial load was found in the outdoor air in Janakpur. The microbial count was found higher in morning than the noon and evening.
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Respiratory infections, which are caused by airborne pathogens, are the most common disease of all ages worldwide. This study was conducted to characterize the airborne respiratory pathogens in the public facilities in Busan, South Korea. A total of 260 public facilities were investigated in 2017, 52 seasonal indoor air from 2 hospitals and 208 indoor air samples from 208 randomly selected daycare centers. Among respiratory pathogen, 8 viral pathogens including human adenovirus (HAdV), human bocavirus (HBoV), human rhinovirus (HRV), human parainfluenza virus (HPIV), human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), human coronavirus (HCoV) and influenza virus (IFV), and 3 bacterial pathogens including Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Bordetella pertussis, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae, were investigated by multiplex real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Pathogens were detected in 9 cases (3.4%). Among 9 positive samples, 6 (2.3%) cases were positive for HBoV and 3 (1.2%) cases were positive for IFV. All the positive cases were detected in daycare centers. Additionally, the concentration of HBoV was determined. In HBoV-positive samples, the cycle threshold (Ct) values of HBoV were 29.73~36.84, which are corresponding to the viral concentration of 4.91 × 10⁰ ~ 9.57 × 10² copies/ml. Serotype distribution of isolated HBoV was analyzed by sequencing of VP1/VP2 gene. All of the HBoV isolates were identified as HBoV type 1 with a high similarity among the isolates (>97%). No bacterial pathogen was identified in indoor air samples. Although virus concentration was not high in public facilities (daycare center), the presence of respiratory viral pathogens has been identified. Effective ventilation and air purification strategies are needed to reduce the indoor concentration of respiratory pathogens. A long-term and ongoing surveillance plan for respiratory pathogen management should be established.
Subject(s)
Humans , Adenoviruses, Human , Bordetella pertussis , Chlamydial Pneumonia , Chlamydophila pneumoniae , Coronavirus , Human bocavirus , Korea , Metapneumovirus , Mycoplasma pneumoniae , Orthomyxoviridae , Paramyxoviridae Infections , Pneumonia, Mycoplasma , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Public Facilities , Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human , Respiratory Tract Infections , Reverse Transcription , Rhinovirus , Seasons , Serogroup , VentilationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The present study aims to compare the pulmonary function of residents of Seoul special city (Seoul) and Jeju special self-governing province including Jeju city and Seogwipo city (Jeju), characterized by vastly different annual average airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less ≤10 μm (PM10) concentrations, with the annual average PM10 concentration in Seoul being significantly higher than that in Jeju. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed the pulmonary function test results and sociodemographic data of Korean adults ≥19 years of age derived from the 4th KNHANES, 2007–2009. A total of 830 individuals residing in Seoul or Jeju were included in this study. T-tests were used to analyze predicted values of forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1p), predicted values of forced vital capacity (FVCp) and FEV1/FVC ratio (FEV1/FVC), as dependent variables, to examine the differences in the subjects’ pulmonary function according to the city of residence. Stratified analysis was then performed to adjust for variables potentially affecting pulmonary function. The analysis was performed on subjects as a group and also following stratification according to sex and other variables. RESULTS: Seoul residents had a significantly lower FVCp than that of the Jeju residents (difference: 3.48%, p = 0.002). FEV1p, FVCp and FEV1/FVC of male Seoul residents were significantly lower than those of male Jeju residents (difference: 6.99, 5.11% and 0.03, respectively; p < 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.001). In male subjects, statistically significant results were obtained even after adjusting the influence of other variables through stratified analysis. CONCLUSION: The present analysis was based on cross-sectional data collected at one point in time. Therefore, unlike longitudinal studies, it does not establish a clear causal association between the variables. Nevertheless, this study found that pulmonary function among subjects residing in Seoul was significantly decreased compared to that of subjects residing in Jeju.