Nitrogen dioxide and asthma emergency department visits in California, USA during cold season (November to February) of 2005 to 2015: A time-stratified case-crossover analysis.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is responsible for aggravating respiratory diseases, particularly asthma. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between NO2 exposure and asthma emergency department (ED) visits during the cold season (November-February) in five populated locations (Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Diego) of California from 2005 to 2015 (1320 Days). Conditional logistic regression models were used to obtain the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) associated with a 5 ppb increase in NO2 concentration for the 19,735 ED visits identified. An increase in NO2 exposure increased the odds of having asthma ED visits for the studied population. The potential effect modification by sex (female and male), race (White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian), and age (2-5, 6-18, 19-40, 41-64, and ≥65) was explored. A 5 ppb increase in the concentration of NO2 during lag 0-30 was associated with a 56% increase in the odds of having an asthma ED visit (OR = 1.560, CI: 1.428-1.703). Sex was not found to be a modifier. Asthma ED visits among all the races/ethnicities (except Asians) were associated with NO2 exposure. Whites had the highest OR 75% (OR = 1.750, CI: 1.417-2.160) at lag 0-30 in response to NO2 exposure. The association between NO2 exposure and asthma ED visits was positive among all age groups except for 19 to 40 years old; the OR was higher among 2 to 18 year old (at lag 0-30: age group 2-5 (OR = 1.699, CI: 1.399-2.062), and age group 6-18 (OR = 1.568, CI 1.348-1.825)). For stratification by location, San Diego and Fresno were found to have the highest OR, compared to the other studied locations.

Methyl-bromide and asthma emergency department visits in California, USA from 2005 to 2011.

Objective: Urban monitors of Methyl bromide (MBr), not typically near application sites, are used to investigate the impact of ambient concentrations on asthma Emergency Department (ED) visits.Methods: 4262 ED visits from August to February of 2005 to 2011 in Central and Southern California were selected from California's Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). A bidirectional-symmetric case-crossover study design using conditional logistic regression model was used to obtain the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval associated with a 0.01 ppb (interquartile range) increase in MBr.Results: The population sample was comprised of 46.0% male and 53.9% females. Ethnic groups included 32.0% Non-Hispanic White, 23.5% Non-Hispanic Black, and 44.4% Hispanic. Age distribution was between 2 and 5 years old (11.6%), 6 and 18 years old (23.5%), 19 and 40 years old (29.3%), 41 and 64 years old (24.1%), and 65 or older (6.9%). There was a positive association between MBr and asthma ED visits among Non-Hispanic Blacks [OR: 1.065 (95% confidence intervals: 1.019, 1.108)] and Hispanics [OR: 1.107 (95% confidence intervals: 1.043, 1.173)], while Non-Hispanic Whites did not have an association with asthma ED visits. Positive association between MBr and asthma ED visits was found only among 6 to 18 [OR: 1.071 (95% confidence intervals: 1.016, 1.125)] years old.Conclusion: An increase in MBr concentration was found to be associated with an increase of the odds of having asthma ED visits in California among 6 to 18 years old and disproportionately affects Non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics over Non-Hispanic Whites.

The association between 1,3-dichloropropene and asthma emergency department visits in California, USA from 2005 to 2011: a bidirectional-symmetric case crossover study.

Objective: The ever-increasing rate of pesticide use in California farmlands is of great concern due to its potential toxicity on human health. In this study, the association between short term exposure to 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and asthma emergency department (ED) visits in central and southern California from 2005 to 2011 is investigated.Methods: 3878 ED visits were identified from 2005 to 2011 (1064 days). Conditional logistic regression models were used to obtain the odds ratio (OR) associated with 0.01 ppb increase in 1,3-D. Potential effect modification by sex, race/ethnicity (Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black, or Hispanic), and age (2-5, 6-18, 19-40, 41-64 or ≥ 65) are investigated.Results: It was found that a 0.01 ppb increase in 1,3-D at the event day is associated with 13.5% [OR = 1.135, 95% CI: 1.123, 1.149] increase in the odds of having asthma ED visits in central and southern California during October to February of 2005 to 2011. Race had a positive association between 1,3-D and asthma ED visits among Non-Hispanic Black [OR= 1.095 95% CI: 1.035, 1.155] and Hispanic [OR= 1.121 95% CI: 1.064, 1.179]; while Non-Hispanic Whites had no association. Positive association for age was found between 1,3-D and asthma ED visits among patients 2 to 5 [OR= 1.065 95% CI: 1.020, 1.133], 6 to 18 [OR= 1.142 95% CI: 1.086, 1.196], and 19 to 40 [OR= 1.023 95% CI: 1.015, 1.073] years old.Conclusion: These findings suggest a 0.01 ppb increase in 1,3-D concentration increases the odds of having asthma ED visits.

Ozone pollution and asthma emergency department visits in the Central Valley, California, USA, during June to September of 2015: a time-stratified case-crossover analysis.

Objective: The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) exceeds the state and national standards for ozone (O3). This study investigates whether short-term exposure to O3 is associated with asthma emergency department (ED) visits. Methods: We identified 1,101 ED visits in June-September of 2015 in SJV, California, who lived within 15 km of active air monitors. Conditional logistic regression models were used to obtain the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) associated with an interquartile (IQR) increase in ozone. We explored the potential effect modification by sex (female and male), race (White, Black and Hispanic), age (2-5, 6-18, 19-40, 41-64 and > = 65) and county (Merced, Madera, Kings, Fresno and Kern). Results: An IQR range (18.1 ppb) increase in O3 exposure three days before an asthma attack (lag 3) was associated with a 6.6% [OR: 1.066 (95% CI: 1.032, 1.082)] increase in the odds of having an asthma ED visit. The overall ORs differed across age groups and races/ethnicities, with strongest for children aged 6-18 years [OR: 1.219 (95% CI: 1.159, 1.280)], adults 19-40 years [OR: 1.102 (95% CI: 1.053, 1.154)] and Blacks [OR: 1.159 (95% CI: 1.088, 1.236)], respectively. O3 exposure was not positively associated with asthma ED visits for Whites, while it was for other underrepresented groups. Fresno had the highest number of asthma ED visits and positive association among all five counties. Conclusion: We found that O3 exposure is associated with asthma ED visits in the SJV.

Biomonitoring of tobacco smoke exposure and self-reported smoking status among general population of Tehran, Iran.

The present study aimed to find a correlation between the self-reported smoking status of the residents of Tehran, Iran, and the urine cotinine as a biomarker of exposure to tobacco smoke. The self-reported data was collected from 222 participants who were living in the urban area of Tehran. The urine samples of participants were collected for cotinine analysis. Urine cotinine was measured by an enzymatic immunoassay technique. Tobacco smoking was reported by 76 (34.23 %) participants as the self-reported data, and the number of males in this report was higher than of females (p < 0.001). By adding the number of the self-reported non-smokers with cotinine levels above the cutoff value of >100 ng/ml to self-reported smokers, the smoking prevalence increased from 34.23 % (95 % CI 28.01-40.88 %) to 36.48 % (95 % CI 30.14-43.19 %). Using the cutoff value, sensitivity and specificity of the self-reported smoking status were respectively 90.12 % (95 % CI 81.46-95.64 %) and 98 % (95 % CI 93.91-99.55 %). The levels of agreement between self-reported tobacco smoking and urinary cotinine concentrations was 95.1 % (k = 0.89, p < 0.001, 95 % CI = 0.81-0.95). Based on the results, self-reported smoking can be a valid marker for assessing the tobacco exposure, and it can be of use in large epidemiological studies.

Towards the Application of Fuzzy Logic for Developing a Novel Indoor Air Quality Index (FIAQI).

BACKGROUND: In the past few decades, Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) has become a primary concern to the point. It is increasingly believed to be of equal or greater importance to human health compared to ambient air. However, due to the lack of comprehensive indices for the integrated assessment of indoor air quality (IAQ), we aimed to develop a novel, Fuzzy-Based Indoor Air Quality Index (FIAQI) to bridge the existing gap in this area. METHODS: We based our index on fuzzy logic, which enables us to overcome the limitations of traditional methods applied to develop environmental quality indices. Fifteen parameters, including the criteria air pollutants, volatile organic compounds, and bioaerosols were included in the FIAQI due mainly to their significant health effects. Weighting factors were assigned to the parameters based on the medical evidence available in the literature on their health effects. The final FIAQI consisted of 108 rules. In order to demonstrate the performance of the index, data were intentionally generated to cover a variety of quality levels. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the validity of the index. RESULTS: The FIAQI tends to be a comprehensive tool to classify IAQ and produce accurate results. CONCLUSION: It seems useful and reliable to be considered by authorities to assess IAQ environments.

Assessment of tetracycline contamination in surface and groundwater resources proximal to animal farming houses in Tehran, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics have been increasingly used for veterinary and medical purposes. The overuse of these compounds for these purposes can pollute the environment, water resources in particular. Tetracycline, among other forms of antibiotics, is one of the most applied antibiotic in aquaculture and veterinary medicine. The present study aimed to tack the traces of tetracycline in the effluents of municipal and hospital wastewater treatment plants, surface and groundwater resources and finally the drinking water provided from these water resources. METHODS: The samples were taken from Fasha-Foyeh Dam, wells located at Varamin Plain, and Yaftabad; and also, wastewater samples were collected from the wastewater treatment plant effluents of Emam Khomeini Hospital and a municipal wastewater treatment plant which its effluent is being released to the surface water of the area covered in this work. 24 samples were collected in total during July 2012 to December 2012. The prepared samples were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Based on the results, mean tetracycline levels in surface and ground water at nearby of animal farms was found to vary from 5.4 to 8.1 ng L(-1). Furthermore, the maximum TC concentration of 9.3 ng L(-1) was found to be at Yaft-Abad sampling station. Although tetracycline traces could not be detected in any investigated Hospital WWTP effluents, it was tracked in MWWTP effluent samples, in the concentration range of 280 to 540 ng l(-1). CONCLUSION: The results showed that the concentration of TC in water resource near the animal farms is higher than the other sampling stations. This is related to the usage of antibiotic for animals. In fact, it caused the contamination of water resources and could contribute to radical changes in the ecology of these regions.

A case study of a patient with diabetic retinopathy.

The patient, in this report, is a 52 years old male driver who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) five years ago without diabetic retinopathy at the baseline. The patient was being monitored for two intervals. It was at the second interval which he was diagnosed with proliferative retinopathy; in fact, the progression rate of retinopathy from its first sign, which occurred at the middle of the first and second interval, to the point at which the patient lost his vision from the left eye occurred within a year. In this work, we introduce a new factor ignored through all the previously conducted studies, namely, type of profession. This factor which contributes to occupational stress plays an important role in the progression of proliferative retinopathy. We speculate that this factor can accelerate the progression of this disease dramatically, even when the other risk factors are not present.

Removal of vapor-phase elemental mercury from stack emissions with sulfur-impregnated activated carbon.

This systematic review of high-quality, relevant original research articles existing in the literature was conducted to comprehensively explore the efficiency of Hg11 capture from stack emissions by sulfur-impregnated vs. virgin ACs. Our systematic overview suggested that significantly higher amounts of Hg0 are absorbed by sulfurimpregnated ACs than by virgin ones ( 1.5-32 times higher, based on the applied operational conditions). The main reason for this is because Hg11 capture by virgin ACs follows a physisorption mechanism, whereas that by sulfur-impregnated ACs occurs from a combination of physisorption of Hg11 on carbon texture and chemical reaction between Hg0 and impregnated sulfur, with subsequent formation of HgS. Temperature increased the Hg0 adsorption capacity of virgin ACs, especially when temperatures exceeded 100 oc. For sulfur-impregnated ACs, increasing the temperature up to I 00 oc increased the Hg0 adsorption capacity by enhancing the chemisorption of Hg0 capture. A further increase in temperature enhanced the efficiency of ACs that were impregnated with Sat higher temperatures (600 °C, for instance). This mainly resulted from production of stronger bonding of sulfur to carbon at higher impregnation temperatures and also from a more even distribution of sulfur in the carbon matrix. The authors of different papers reported different results with respect to whether there is an effect of initial Hg11 concentration on AC adsorption capacity. The authors of two studies could find no such etl'ect. The predominant evidence, however, favors the view that increased Hg0 adsorption capacities exist at higher inlet Hg0 concentrations. Such behavior is attributed to faster kinetics of Hg0 capture and an enhanced higher driving force at higher initial Hg0 inlet concentrations. Results from reviewed studies also indicated that the optimum SIC ratio and sulfur content are 2/1 and I 0-20%, respectively. Surface area has a less significant impact on Hg11 adsorption capacity than does sulfur content. However, at equivalent sulfur content, AC surface area also becomes an important factor, in that Hg0 adsorption capacity is accentuated at higher surface areas. We conclude from having prepared this review that sulfur-impregnated ACs have significantly greater efficiencies than virgin ACs for capturing Hg0 from stack emissions. Therefore, using them is more cost effective than using raw ACs; using them can also partly resolve the problem of high costs posed by applying carbon sorbents. In addition, the sulfur deposited in the ACs impregnated at higher temperatures is more evenly distributed in the carbon micropores and binds more strongly to the carbon matrix. Hence, sulfur-impregnated ACs can retain higher Hg0 adsorption capacities under actual stack conditions, if the temperature is at least 140 oc. Finally, since the major mechanism for Hg'l removal by sulfur-impregnated ACs is through the chemical reaction between Hg0 and S. and subsequent formation via strong bonds of HgS, the Hg'i adsorbed on ACs is quite stable and is not easily released when discharged as waste to the environment.

Performance evaluation of a bipolar electrolysis/electrocoagulation (EL/EC) reactor to enhance the sludge dewaterability.

The present study aimed to evaluate the performance of a bipolar electrolysis/electrocoagulation reactor designed to enhance the sludge dewaterability. The reactor was 15 L in volume, with two series of plates used in it; Ti/RuO(2) plates for the electrolysis of the sludge, and also aluminum and iron plates for electrocoagulation process. The dewaterability of the sludge was determined in terms of its capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF), while the degree of sludge disintegration was determined based on the value of degree of sludge disintegration (DD(SCOD)). The maximum reduction in CST and SRF was observed at a detention time of 20 min and a voltage of 30 V. However, increasing of both detention time and voltage significantly increased the values of CST and SRF even to an extent that they both exceeded those of the untreated sludge. The optimal degree of sludge disintegration achieved by the present study was 2.5%, which was also achieved at a detention time of 20 min and a voltage of 30V. As reported previously, increased DD(SCOD) values led to increasing CST and SRF values, due primarily to the disruption of the sludge flocs. According to the results from the present study, it can be concluded that simultaneous application of electrocoagulation and electrolysis is effective in enhancing the sludge dewaterability, because electrocoagulation helps to achieve a higher degree of sludge disintegration while maintaining the desired sludge dewaterability.

A novel approach in water quality assessment based on fuzzy logic.

The present work aimed at developing a novel water quality index based on fuzzy logic, that is, a comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) approach to the development of environmental indices for routine assessment of surface water quality, particularly for human drinking purposes. Twenty parameters were included based on their critical importance for the overall water quality and their potential impact on human health. To assess the performance of the proposed index under actual conditions, a case study was conducted at Mamloo dam, Iran, employing water quality data of four sampling stations in the water basin of the dam from 2006 to 2009. Results of this study indicated that the general quality of water in all the sampling stations over all the years of the study period is fairly low (yearly averages are usually in the range of 45-55). According to the results of ANOVA test, water quality did not significantly change over time in any of the sampling stations (P > 0.05). In addition, comparison of the outputs of the fuzzy-based proposed index proposed with those of the NSF water quality index (the WQI) and Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI) showed similar results and were sensitive to changes in the level of water quality parameters. However, the index proposed by the present study produced a more stringent outputs compared to the WQI and CWQI. Results of the sensitivity analysis suggested that the index is robust against the changes in the rules. In conclusion, the proposed index seems to produce accurate and reliable results and can therefore be used as a comprehensive tool for water quality assessment, especially for the analysis of human drinking water.

Performance evaluation of a continuous bipolar electrocoagulation/electrooxidation-electroflotation (ECEO-EF) reactor designed for simultaneous removal of ammonia and phosphate from wastewater effluent.

The present study aimed to evaluate the performance of a continuous bipolar ECEO-EF reactor designed for simultaneous removal of ammonia and phosphate from wastewater effluent. The reactor was comprised of two distinct units: electrochemical and separation. In the electrochemical unit, Al, stainless steel, and RuO(2)/Ti plates were used. All the measurements were performed according to the standard methods. Maximum efficiency of the reactor for phosphate removal was 99% at pH of 6, current density of 3A, detention time of 60 min, and influent phosphate concentration of 50mg/l. The corresponding value for ammonia removal was 99% at a pH of 7 under the same operational conditions as for phosphate removal. For both phosphate and ammonia, the removal efficiency was highest at neutral pH, with higher current densities, and with lower influent concentrations. In addition to removal of phosphate and ammonia, application of the Al(3+) plates enabled the removal of nitrite and nitrate, which may be present in wastewater effluent and are also products of the electrochemical process. The reactor was also able to decrease the concentrations of phosphate, ammonia, and COD under actual wastewater conditions by 98%, 98%, and 72%, respectively. According to the results of the present study, the reactor can be used for efficient removal of ammonia and phosphate from wastewater.