A review of the health effects and exposure-responsible relationship of diesel particulate matter for underground mines

The increasing use of diesel-powered equipment in confined spaces(underground mines) has the potential to over expose underground miners under the threat of diesel particulate matter(DPM). Miners in underground mines can be exposed to DPM concentrations far more than works in other industries. A great number of animal and epidemiological studies have shown that both short-term and long-term DPM exposure have adverse health effect. Based on reviews of related studies, especially some recent evidence, this paper investigated the long and short-term health effects based on animal studies and epidemiological studies. The exposure-response relationship studies were also explored and compared to the current DPM regulation or standards in some countries. This paper found that the DPM health effect studies specifically for miners are not sufficient to draw solid conclusions, and a recommendation limit of DPM concentration can be put in place for better protection of miners from DPM health risk. Current animal studies lack the use of species that have similar lung functions as human for understanding the cancer mode of action in human. And finally, the DPM health hazard will continue to be a challenging topic before the mode of action and reliable exposure-response relationship are established.

Study on the correlation between ambient environment-meteorological factors and the number of visits of acute otitis media,Lanzhou,China

To investigate the correlation between environmental-meteorological factors and daily visits for acute otitis media(AOM)in Lanzhou,China.Methods:Data were collected in 2014e2016 by the Departments of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at two hospitals in Lanzhou.Relevant information,including age,sex and visiting time,was collected.Environmental data included air quality index,PM10,PM2.5,O3,CO,NO2 and SO2,and meteorological data included daily average temperature(T,C),daily mean atmospheric pressure(AP,hPa),daily average relative humidity(RH,%)and daily mean wind speed(W,m/s).The SPSS22.0 software was used to generate Spearman correlation coefficients in descriptive statistical analysis,and the R3.5.0 software was used to calculate relative risk(RR)and to obtain exposure-response curves.The relationship between meteorological-environmental parameters and daily AOM visits was summarized.Results:Correlations were identified between daily AOM visits and CO,O3,SO2,CO,NO2,PM2.5 and PM10 levels.NO2,SO2,CO,AP,RH and T levels significantly correlated with daily AOM visits with a lag exposure-response pattern.The effects of CO,NO2,SO2 and AP on daily AOM visits were significantly stronger compared to other factors(P<0.01).O3,W,T and RH were negatively correlated with daily AOM visits.The highest RR lagged by 3e4 days.Conclusions:The number of daily AOM visits appeared to be correlated with short-term exposure to mixed air pollutants and meteorological factors from 2014 through 2016 in Lanzhou.

Disease Burden Attributable to PM_(2.5) Exposure in China from 2000 to 2016

Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5))has slowly increased both the morbidity and mortality among Chinese people;becoming a leading problem for public health efforts.In this study,the exposure-response function was used to derive the spatial-temporal dynamics of disease burden attributable to PM_(2.5) pollution in China.It was found that the economic loss attributable to PM(2.5) increased by 93% from 35 billion Chinese yuan to 536 billion Chinese yuan within the period of 16 years.Digging further,a substantiate level of regional difierences was discovered with the disease burden being the most severe in East China and the least severe in Northwest China.This article can provide more insights for future air pollution control in China.

Personal PM_(2.5)-bound PAH exposure and lung function in healthy office workers:A pilot study in Beijing and Baoding,China

The effect of short-term exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)on the respiratory system among healthy residents is unclear.Beijing and Baoding are typical polluted cities in China,and there is little research on PAH exposure and its health effects at the individual level.Fourteen healthy female office workers were recruited in urban Beijing and Baoding,China,in 2019.The personal exposure to fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5))-bound PAHs and lung function were seasonally monitored.The relationships between PAH exposure and lung function were determined by a generalized mixed linear model.Subjects were exposed to high levels of PAH,in which the benzo[a]pyrene(BaP)level(1.26 ng/m^(3))was over than Chinese national indoor standard(1 ng/m^(3)).All PAHs concentration was higher in winter than that in summer and autumn.Only benz[a]anthracene(BaA)and chrysene(Chr)exposure showed weak relations with decreased lung function,i.e.,a 0.58% and 0.73% decrease in peak expiratory flow at lag 2 day,respectively(p<0.05).PAHs may not be suitable exposure indicators for short-term change in lung function.Our findings highlight the importance of reducing PAH pollution for public respiratory health protection in heavy-polluted cities of China.This pilot study also provides experience on personal PAH assessment such as estimation of the number of repeated measurements required,which is helpful to determine the relationship between PAH exposure and health effect.

Temporal variation of PM_(2.5)-associated health effects in Shijiazhuang,Hebei

Shijiazhuang is one of the cities in the North China Plain.In recent decades,this city has experienced high levels of fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5)),which have potentially significant effects on human health.In this study,the health effects of PM_(2.5)exposure in Shijiazhuang were estimated by applying an integrated exposure-response model.Premature mortality,years of life lost(YLL),and the mortality benefits linked to reduced levels of PM_(2.5)were quantified for the period 2015–2017.In 2015,2016,and 2017,cerebrovascular diseases caused the highest premature mortality(2432,2449,and 2483,respectively),followed by ischemic heart diseases(1391,1479,and 1493,respectively),lung cancer(639,660,and 639,respectively),and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases(533,519,and 473,respectively).Notably,the total number of premature deaths caused by PM_(2.5)exposure in Shijiazhuang in 2015,2016,and 2017 were 4994,5107,and 5088,respectively.Moreover,the YLL in the same years were 47001,47880 and 47381,respectively.Interestingly,the YLL per 1000 females was lower than that per 1000 males.Finally,we noted that premature mortality and YLL decreased by 84.2%and 84.6%when the PM_(2.5)levels diminished to 10µg/m^(3).Overall,the results of this study improve our understanding of how high PM_(2.5)concentrations affect human health and suggest the application of more stringent measures in Shijiazhuang to alleviate the associated health risks.

Coordinated Optimization of Multi-energy Generation Systems Considering the Health Damages of Coal-fired Pollutant Dispersion

Pollutants emitted from coal-fired power plants lead to the deterioration of air quality in developing countries,and contribute to both mortality and morbidity.To improve air quality from power generation,new dispatch strategies incorporated with air pollution dispersion models should be considered.This paper takes into account the impact of meteorological variations on spatio-temporal dispersion of pollutants.Depending on the coal-fired pollutant concentration estimated by the Gaussian plume dispersion model,exposure-response functions are used to quantify the resulting health effects.Furthermore,the corresponding economic costs of health damages are incorporated to penalize the power dispatch.Considering generation costs and economic costs of health damages,this paper formulates a twostage stochastic optimization model of a multi-energy generation system including coal units,gas units,and photovoltaic stations.Finally,numerical studies based on a modified IEEE 14-node system are performed for illustration and validation.