Acute Effects of Individual Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter on Pulmonary Function in Schoolchildren

Objective This panel study aimed to determine the acute effects of exposure to fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5)) on schoolchildren's pulmonary function.Methods We selected 51 schoolchildren aged 9–12 years attending a full-time boarding school in Beijing, China, measured the indoor and outdoor PM_(2.5) concentrations for five consecutive days,calculated the PM_(2.5) time-weighted individual exposure levels based on the school micro-environmental concentrations and the time activity pattern recorded by schoolchildren, measured schoolchildren's pulmonary function on the fifth day. The survey was performed three times from December 2018 to April 2019. We used a linear mixed-effects model to evaluate the associations between PM_(2.5) and pulmonary function.Results During the three surveys, the median PM_(2.5) time-weighted individual exposure concentrations were 15.30 μg/m3, 48.92 μg/m3, and 42.89 μg/m3, respectively. There was a significant difference between the three surveys in vital capacity(VC), forced vital capacity(FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV_1) and forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity(FEV1/FVC)(P 0.05). The relevance analysis found that PM_(2.5) had lag effect on schoolchildren's pulmonary function,each 10 μg/m~3 increase in PM_(2.5) could cause largest decreases in FEF25%–75%, FEV_1/FVC, FEF75%, and FEV1 on lag 0–1 d(80.44 m L/s, 35.85%, 78.58 m L/s, and 61.34 m L, respectively), and largest decreases in FEF25% on lag 1 d(83.68 m L/s), in VC on lag 4 d(32.34 m L), and in FVC on lag 0–4 d(37.76 m L). Gender subgroup analysis revealed that the increase in PM_(2.5) caused a decrease in FEV_1/FVC and VC on the day of physical examination only in boys, and on lag days it caused changes in different pulmonary function indicators, both for boys and girls, but most of the pulmonary function indicators decreased more in boys than in girls.Conclusion Our findings show that acute PM_(2.5) exposure has significant effects on pulmonary function within 0–4 d, on both small airway indicators and large airway indicators. Boys' pulmonary function is more sensitive to PM_(2.5) than girls.     

Verification on the Developmental Toxicity of Short-term Exposure to Phenol in Rats

Objective To verify the health advisory for short-term exposure to phenol.Methods The method of this validation experiment was the same as the US Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) methodology for toxicology experiments used to determine phenol drinking water equivalent level(DWEL). Pregnant female Sprague-Dawley rats were administered phenol in distilled water by gavage at daily doses of 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 mg/kg body weight(b.w.)from implantation(the 6 th day post-mating) to the day prior to the scheduled caesarean section(the20 th day of pregnancy). The following information was recorded: general behavior; body weight;number of corpus luteum, live birth, fetus, stillbirth, and implantation; fetal gender; body weight; body length; tail length; and abnormalities and pathomorphological changes in the dams.Results In the 60 mg/kg b.w. dose group, the mortality of pregnant rats increased with increasing doses, suggesting maternal toxicity. Fetal and placental weights decreased as phenol dose increased from30 mg/kg b.w., and were significantly different compared those in the vehicle control group, which suggested developmental toxicity in the fetuses. However, the phenol-exposed groups showed no significant change in other parameters compared with the vehicle control group(P 0.05).Conclusion Despite using the same method as the US EPA, a different NOEAL of 15 mg/(kg·d) was obtained in this study.     

北京市2016—2018年夏季高温对儿童急诊入院的影响

  目的  分析北京市夏季高温对儿童急诊入院的不良影响,为儿童高温健康防护政策的制定提供科学依据。  方法  收集2016—2018年夏季(6—9月)北京市30家医院儿童急诊入院数据及同期逐日气象因素和空气污染物数据。基于Quasi-Possion回归广义线性模型分析北京市夏季日平均温度对儿童因非意外总疾病、心脑血管系统疾病、呼吸系统疾病急诊入院的影响。  结果  2016—2018年夏季,北京市日均温度为(24.06±3.59)℃,日相对湿度为(65.08±17.45)%。暴露当日日平均温度每升高1 ℃,北京市0~14岁儿童因非意外总疾病、呼吸系统疾病急诊入院风险分别增加0.21,0.64倍,尚未观察到高温对于儿童因心脑血管系统疾病急诊入院的影响。高温对于不同年龄组儿童急诊入院影响不一致,其中5~9岁儿童因非意外总疾病急诊入院风险增幅最大,0~4岁儿童易受呼吸系统疾病急诊入院的影响,10~14岁儿童受心脑血管系统疾病急诊入院影响最大。  结论  北京市夏季高温对儿童急诊入院具有显著影响,儿童呼吸系统疾病是夏季高温相关敏感性疾病,相关部门应该给予充分关注。     

加强老年流行病研究 科学指导老年健康防控

我国目前面临着严峻的人口老龄化和高龄化形势,老年人特别是高龄老人作为我国人口中寿命最长和最脆弱的特殊群体,亟需针对此人群开展深入的科学研究。老年流行病学是研究流行病学理论与方法在老年人研究中的应用科学,整合多种方法开展老年人特殊健康特征分析,获取老年人健康流行病学规律。本期“老年流行病学”重点号文章围绕老年人群慢性病、...     

中国9个长寿地区65岁及以上人群氧化应激水平与高甘油三酯血症的关联研究

目的探讨我国长寿地区65岁及以上老年人氧化应激水平与高甘油三酯血症的关系。方法研究对象来源于2017-2018年“老年健康生物标志物队列研究”,最终将我国9个长寿地区2393名65岁及以上老年人群纳入研究。通过问卷调查和体格检测,收集调查对象的人口学特征、生活方式及健康状况等信息,同时采集调查对象的静脉血以检测丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)及甘油三酯水平。采用限制性立方样条拟合多重线性回归模型分析MDA、SOD与甘油三酯的关联,采用广义线性混合效应模型分析氧化应激与高甘油三酯血症的关联。结果2393例调查对象年龄为(84.6±11.3)岁,最小65岁,最大112岁;男性1145名(47.9%);甘油三酯水平为(1.4±0.8)mmol/L,高甘油三酯血症检出率为9.99%(239名)。限制性立方样条拟合多重线性回归模型分析结果显示,MDA水平与甘油三酯水平呈线性关联;SOD水平与与甘油三酯水平呈非线性关联。广义线性混合效应模型分析结果显示,调整相关混杂因素后,MDA每升高1 nmol/ml,高甘油三酯血症检出风险增加[OR(95%CI)值为1.063(1.046,1.081)];SOD每升高1 U/ml,高甘油三酯血症检出风险降低[OR(95%CI)值分别为0.986(0.983,0.989)]。结论我国9个长寿地区65岁及以上老年人MDA和SOD水平与高甘油三酯血症发生风险有关联。     

中国9个长寿地区65岁及以上人群血铅浓度与认知功能受损的关联研究

目的探讨65岁及以上人群血铅水平与认知功能受损的关联。方法研究对象来自2017-2018年在我国9个长寿地区开展的“老年健康生物标志物队列研究”,最终将1684名血铅和认知功能数据完整的65岁及以上人群纳入本研究。通过问卷调查和体格检测,收集调查对象的人口学特征、生活方式、健康状况及认知功能评分等信息;同时采集调查对象的静脉血以检测血铅水平。根据血铅水平的四分位数将调查对象分为4组(Q₁-Q₄组),采用多因素logistic回归模型分析血铅浓度与认知功能受损的关系,采用限制性三次样条检验血铅浓度与认知受损之间是否存在非线性关联。结果1684名研究对象年龄为(83.1±11.1)岁,其中女性843名(50.1%);认知功能受损者191名(11.3%)。调整相关混杂因素后,老年人血铅浓度每升高10μg/L,认知功能受损患病风险OR(95%CI)值为1.05(1.01~1.10);与血铅浓度Q1组老年人相比,血铅浓度较高者认知功能受损的患病风险较高,Q₂,Q₃,Q₄组的OR(95%CI)值分别为1.19(0.69~2.05)、1.45(0.84~2.51)和1.92(1.13~3.27)。结论我国9个长寿地区65岁及以上老年人血铅水平与认知功能受损患病风险存在关联。     

大气臭氧长期暴露与中老年人群抑郁的关联

  目的  探究大气臭氧(ozone, O₃)长期暴露与我国中老年人群抑郁的关联,为预防和干预抑郁提供科学指导。  方法  在我国大气污染防治重点区域中选择16个省、自治区、直辖市的45个县、区作为研究现场,按照严格的调查社区选择原则和调查对象纳入标准进行随机抽样,选择8 584名40~＜90岁中老年人作为研究对象。采用统一编制的调查问卷收集调查对象的人口学特征、社会经济状况、疾病和症状信息,使用9条目患者健康问卷(Patient Health Questionnaire 9, PHQ-9)评估调查对象的抑郁患病情况。通过距离社区最近的空气质量监测国控站点数据估算调查前1年大气污染物平均浓度和调查前2年大气污染物滑动平均浓度,采用多因素Logistic回归分析模型探讨O₃暴露与罹患抑郁的关联。  结果  纳入研究的8 584名调查对象中,抑郁患病率为6.79%(583/8 584)。Logistic回归分析模型显示,未发现O₃长期暴露与抑郁患病风险有关,总体上看,调查前2年的O₃滑动平均年均浓度对应的效应值最大(OR=1.04, 95% CI: 0.96~1.13, P=0.326),但无统计学意义;分层分析显示,与女性和不吸烟的调查对象相比,男性和现在吸烟的调查对象抑郁患病与O₃暴露的关联更强,且组间差异具有统计学意义(均有P＜0.05);空气动力学直径＜2.5 μm的颗粒物(particulate matter smaller than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter, PM_2.5)浓度和气温对抑郁患病与O₃暴露的关联存在修饰作用,低PM_2.5浓度、较高气温地区抑郁患病与O₃暴露关联更强。  结论  本研究发现男性人群、吸烟人群以及生活在PM_2.5浓度较低和年均气温较高地区的人群中,O₃暴露与抑郁患病风险存在关联。     

温度相关的疾病负担研究进展

气温作为全球性环境危险因素之一,能增加人群发病和死亡风险,造成健康经济损失。评估温度相关疾病负担对于制定及实施适应性政策具有重要意义。论文聚焦近年来全球各国温度相关疾病负担研究,梳理和评价相关研究指标、评估方法与现状,为温度相关疾病负担的评估及预估研究提出建议。     

中国9个长寿地区65岁及以上人群血硒水平与虚弱的关联研究

目的 探讨中国长寿地区65岁及以上老年人血硒水平与虚弱患病风险的关系.方法 数据来源于"老年健康生物标志物队列研究"项目,以2017-2018年调查的中国9个长寿地区2 464名65岁及以上老年人为研究对象,通过问卷调查获得调查对象的人口学特征、生活方式、饮食习惯及健康状况等信息,同时使用虚弱指数量表评定调查对象的虚弱...