ABSTRACT
In this study, we conducted an analysis of health risks faced by residents of Salamanca, Mexico, who were exposed to fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 µm (PM2.5) through inhalation. The characterization and analysis of these particulate matter samples were undertaken. A total of 131 samples were collected from two different sites: 65 from the Red Cross site (RC) and 66 from the Integral Family Development site (DIF) in 2014-2015. These samples were analyzed for a set of chemical components, including metals and ions. Non-cancerous health risk levels associated with PM2.5 exposure through the human respiratory system, as per the WHO benchmark (assigned a value of 1), revealed notable risk values for two elements: Manganese (Mn) with a range of 1.19-2.12 in the adult population and 1.59-2.84 in the child population, and Nickel (Ni) with a uniform risk value of 1.39 for both evaluated population groups. However, concerns arose regarding potential non-cancerous effects as the cumulative risk levels for various assessed elements showed elevated indices. These ranged from 3.81 to 4.4 in adults and 4.48-5.24 in children. This study provided comprehensive data on composition and its potential impact on human health, offering valuable insights for the implementation of mitigation measures aimed at reducing inhalation-related exposure.
Subject(s)
Air Pollutants , Inhalation Exposure , Particulate Matter , Particulate Matter/analysis , Humans , Mexico , Risk Assessment , Air Pollutants/analysis , Inhalation Exposure/statistics & numerical data , Environmental Monitoring , Public Health , Adult , Child , CitiesABSTRACT
AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a correlation between telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) in children. METHODS: Leukocyte TL and mtDNAcn were measured by real-time PCR in 98 Mexican children 6-12 years of age from Salamanca, México. RESULTS: A positive association was found between TL and mtDNAcn after a natural log transformation (Pearson correlation r = 0.72; p < 0.0001). No correlation between age and body mass index (BMI) biomarkers was found, and no differences according to sex were observed. After adjustment for these variables, a linear regression model showed an association between TL and mtDNAcn (ß = 0.739, 95% confidence interval 0.594; 0.885, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: A strong positive correlation between TL and mtDNAcn was found in the study population; age, sex, and BMI seemed to have no effect on this correlation.