Characterization of indoor air contaminants in a randomly selected set of commercial nail salons in Salt Lake County,Utah, USA

Air samples were collected in 12 randomly selected commercial nail salons in Salt Lake County, Utah. Measurements of salon physical/chemical parameters (room volume, CO₂ levels) were obtained. Volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations were collected using summa air canisters and sorbent media tubes for an 8-h period. Multivariate analyses were used to identify relationships between salon physical/chemical characteristics and the VOCs found in the air samples. The ACGIH^® additive mixing formula was also applied to determine if there were potential overexposures to the combined airborne concentrations of chemicals monitored. Methyl methacrylate was detected in 58% of the establishments despite having been banned for use in nail products by the state of Utah. Formaldehyde was found above the NIOSH REL^® (0.016?ppm) in 58% of the establishments. Given the assortment of VOCs to which nail salon workers are potentially exposed, a combination of engineering as well as personal protective equipment is recommended.     

Epigenetic alterations induced by ambient particulate matter in mouse macrophages

Respiratory mortality and morbidity has been associated with exposure to particulate matter (PM). Experimental evidence suggests involvement of cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation in the development of PM‐associated pathological states; however, the exact mechanisms remain unclear. In the current study, we analyzed short‐term epigenetic response to PM₁₀ (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm) exposure in mouse ascitic RAW264.7 macrophages (BALB/C Abelson murine leukemia virus‐induced tumor). Ambient PM₁₀ was collected using a high volume sampler in Little Rock, AR. Analysis revealed that PM₁₀ was composed mainly of Al and Fe, and the water soluble organic fraction was dominated by aliphatic and carbohydrate fragments and minor quantities of aromatic components. Exposure to PM₁₀ compromised the cellular epigenome at concentrations 10–200 µg/ml. Specifically, epigenetic alterations were evident as changes in the methylation and expression of repetitive element‐associated DNA and associated DNA methylation machinery. These results suggest that epigenetic alterations, in concert with cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation, might contribute to the pathogenesis of PM‐associated respiratory diseases. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 55:428–435, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Climate change and cancer: converging policies

Intervening on risk factors for noncommunicable diseases (including cancer) in industrialized countries could achieve a reduction of between 30% and 40% of premature deaths. In the meantime, the need to intervene against the threat of climate change has become obvious. CO₂ emissions must be reduced by 45% by the year 2030 and to zero by 2050 according to recent agreements. We propose an approach in which interventions are designed to prevent diseases and jointly mitigate climate change, the so‐called cobenefits. The present article describes some examples of how climate change mitigation and cancer prevention could go hand in hand: tobacco control, food production, and transportation (air pollution). Many others can be identified. The advantage of the proposed approach is that both long‐term (climate) and short‐term (health) benefits can be accrued with appropriate intersectoral policies.

Abbreviations

GHG

greenhouse gases

IARC

International Agency for Research on Cancer

LMICs

low‐ and middle‐income countries

NCD

noncommunicable disease

PMI

Philip Morris International

SDGs

Sustainable Development Goals

UPF

ultraprocessed food

     

Consequences of household air pollution on child survival: evidence from demographic and health surveys in 47 countries

Background: Over one-third of the world’s population is exposed to household air pollution (HAP) but the separate effects of cooking with solid fuel and kerosene on childhood mortality are unclear.Objectives: To evaluate the effects of both solid fuels and kerosene on neonatal (0-28 days) and child (29 days-59 months) mortality.Methods: We used Demographic and Health Surveys from 47 countries and calculated adjusted relative risks (aRR) using Poisson regression models.Results: The aRR of neonatal and child mortality in households exposed to solid fuels were 1.24 (95% CI: 1.14, 1.34) and 1.21 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.30), respectively, and the aRR for neonatal and child mortality in households exposed to kerosene were 1.34 (95% CI: 1.18, 1.52) and 1.12 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.27), controlling for individual, household, and country-level predictors of mortality.Conclusions: Kerosene should not be classified as a clean fuel. Neonates are at risk for mortality from exposure to solid fuels and kerosene.     

Weight-of-evidence evaluation of long-term ozone exposure and cardiovascular effects

We conducted a weight-of-evidence (WoE) analysis to assess whether the current body of research supports a causal relationship between long-term ozone exposure (defined by EPA as at least 30 days in duration) at ambient levels and cardiovascular (CV) effects. We used a novel WoE framework based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency's National Ambient Air Quality Standards causal framework for this analysis. Specifically, we critically evaluated and integrated the relevant epidemiology and experimental animal data and classified a causal determination based on categories proposed by the Institute of Medicine's 2008 report, Improving the Presumptive Disability Decision-making Process for Veterans. We found that the risks of CV effects are largely null across human and experimental animal studies. The few positive associations reported in studies of CV morbidity and mortality are very small in magnitude, mainly reported in single-pollutant models, and likely attributable to bias, chance, or confounding. The few positive effects in experimental animal studies were observed mainly in ex vivo studies at high exposures, and even the in vivo findings are not likely relevant to humans. The available data also do not support a biologically plausible mechanism for the effects of ozone on the CV system. Overall, the current WoE provides no convincing case for a causal relationship between long-term exposure to ambient ozone and adverse effects on the CV system in humans, but the limitations of the available studies preclude definitive conclusions regarding a lack of causation; thus, we categorize the strength of evidence for a causal relationship between long-term exposure to ozone and CV effects as “below equipoise.”     

天人相应-整体观与老年病

老年病体质特点包括脏腑失养、精血亏虚;心肝血虚、神气不足;肺脾气弱、正气内虚等。"天人相应,整体相关;因人施治,因地制宜;内外相顾,动静结合;重视情志,强调气机"中医疗法与现代医学对老年病的多学科治疗。