The purpose of this research was to evaluate the capability and performance of the University of South Florida’s (USF) Human Exposure Chamber (HEC) using aerosols in the thoracic range. The goals of this research were two-fold: to obtain an average particle size of 10 µm (thoracic-size range) inside the chamber during dust production and to test for evenness of dust concentration within the chamber. The USF HEC can be used for studies using gases and/or particulates. The chamber measurements are 4.16 ft x 2.67 ft x 6.75 ft, for a total volume of 75 ft3 or 2.13 m3. This research has public health significance since outdoor air pollution is found most commonly in the thoracic size range; future studies with the HEC could focus on the impact of outdoor air pollution on human subjects under various exposure conditions, and various particle size ranges. Soda lime glass beads were used in this study due to their uniformity in shape and size. A Wright Dust Feeder (WDF) was used to generate the glass beads aerosol in the chamber. Nitrogen gas and HEPA-filtered fresh air were used to transport the aerosol through the system and into the chamber. A total of nine different chamber configurations were made in order to increase the average particle size closer to the goal of 10 µm. Chamber reconfiguration provided statistically significant effect on increasing particle size with the exception of two intermediate settings. It was concluded that aerosol distribution within the chamber was even during operation of the chamber, and modification steps utilized in the study provided size distribution within +/- 6% of the target particle size.

It is a challenge to assess the toxicity of environmental air particulate matter (PM) because PM composition is complex and variable, due to source contribution and atmospheric transformation. The goal of this study is to establish an in vitro model that can fingerprint the cytotoxic effects of airborne PM and their associated toxicity mechanisms. For this purpose, the cytotoxic effects of different reference and environmental particles on A549 human lung epithelial cells were characterized using multiple endpoint assays (cytokine release, LDH release, BrdU incorporation, cellular ATP and resazurin reduction) and proteomic analyses (2D-GE and MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS/MS). The results of this study demonstrated that proteomic analyses can distinguish the influences of different (carbon black and titanium dioxide) and similar (cristobalite and α-quartz) particles on various pathways in A549 cells (e.g., cell death and cell proliferation); and the cytotoxicity assays were capable of differentiating the phenotypic outcomes of the particles, which were complementary and supportive to pathway analyses. The ability of in vitro toxicoproteomics to differentiate the toxicity of environmental particles was tested on Ottawa urban dust (EHC-93) and its water-insoluble and soluble fractions. Findings from both cytotoxicity assays and proteomic analyses consistently indicated that the insoluble materials explained most of the toxic effects of the total PM. Interestingly, the toxic potency of EHC-93 total was not equal to the sum of its insoluble and soluble fractions, implying inter-component interactions between insoluble and soluble materials that may be reflected through synergistic or antagonistic in vitro responses. The insoluble and soluble fractions uniquely altered the expression patterns of the proteins involved in pathways such as cell death, cell proliferation and inflammation. For example, the insoluble and soluble fractions oppositely altered the expression of the proteins (e.g., TREM1, PDIA3, PKM and ENO1) involved in an inflammatory response pathway in A549 cells, and the insoluble fraction was more potent than the soluble fraction in increasing secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines MCP-1 and IL-8 from A549 cells. In essence, in vitro toxicoproteomics is a valuable tool in relating the physicochemical characteristics of ambient air particles to their biological reactivity through understanding their mechanisms of toxicity.

FERREIRA, Tatiane Morais. Efeito da massa e dos constituintes químicos do material particulado inalável sobre admissões hospitalares por doenças respiratórias e circulatórias em cidade de porte médio, 2015. 112f. Dissertação (Mestrado) Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Ambiental (PROCAM) Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2015. Segundo a Organização Mundial da Saúde, a poluição atmosférica é atualmente o principal fator de risco ambiental para a saúde no mundo, principalmente aos grupos mais vulneráveis como crianças e idosos. Em relação ao material particulado inalável (MP10) ainda há incertezas quanto às características físico-químicas que são determinantes de sua toxicidade na saúde. Diversos estudos vêm correlacionando níveis de poluentes com o estado de saúde populacional. Entretanto, tais correlações têm sido feitas principalmente em cidades de grande porte. Assim, é de grande importância estender as avaliações para outras cidades, como as de médio porte, a fim de conhecer os níveis de concentração a qual a população está sendo exposta, para que medidas preventivas possam ser tomadas. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a associação entre as concentrações de MP<2, MP2-10 e MP10 e seus constituintes químicos (Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, Na+, NH4+, K+, Ca2+e Mg2+) com as admissões hospitalares por doenças respiratórias e circulatórias em crianças e idosos. Para isso, realizou-se um estudo ecológico de séries temporais a partir de dados de internação por doenças respiratórias em crianças (5 anos) e idosos (60 anos) e por doenças cardiovasculares em idosos, residentes em São José dos Campos, São Paulo, entre março/2010 e fevereiro/2011. Para a análise utilizou-se regressão de Poisson em Modelo Aditivo Generalizado, com ajuste para tendência temporal, variáveis meteorológicas (temperatura e umidade), dias da semana e feriados. Foi encontrada associação estatisticamente significativa entre MP10 e MP2-10 apenas com as doenças respiratórias em crianças e idosos. A cada 10 g/m3 de MP2-10 o aumento no risco de internações para crianças e idosos foi de 20% (IC95%: 11;30) e 23% (IC95%: 13;34), respectivamente, e para MP10 o risco foi cerca de 13% em ambos os grupos. Para o MP<2 observou-se associação estatisticamente significativa para as doenças respiratórias em crianças e circulatórias em idosos. A cada 10 g/m3 de MP<2 o aumento no risco de internação foi de 26% (IC95%: 9;45) para doenças respiratórias em crianças e 20% (IC95%: 6;35) para doenças circulatórias em idosos. Quanto às espécies químicas observaram-se riscos específicos para cada constituinte sobre cada causa analisada. De modo geral, o SO42- no MP2-10 e o K+ no MP<2 foram os constituintes associados ao aumento no risco de internação por todas as causas e em todos os grupos avaliados. Esses resultados estão em acordo com as evidências de que os riscos para diferentes causas variam em relação à fração do MP10 e sua composição química. Porém, para valer-se de estimativas de maior confiabilidade, há necessidade da disponibilização de dados para os demais constituintes químicos de ambas as frações do MP10 e por um período de tempo maior. / FERREIRA, Tatiane Morais. Mass and the chemical constituents effect of inhalable particulate matter on hospital admissions for respiratory and circulatory diseases in medium-sized city, 2015. 112f. Thesis Masters Dissertation - Graduate Program of Environmental Science, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2015. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is currently the main environmental risk factor for health in the world, especially to the most vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly. Regarding the inhalable particulate matter (PM10) there is still uncertainty about the physical and chemical characteristics that are determinants for toxicity in health. Several studies have correlated pollutant levels with the health status of the population. However, these correlations were performed mainly in large cities. Therefore, it is very important to extend the evaluation for other cities, such as medium-sized, in order to know the concentration levels to which the population is being exposed so that preventive measures can be taken. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between PM<2, PM2-10 and PM10 concentrations and its chemical constituents (Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, Na+, NH4+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) with hospital admissions for respiratory and circulatory diseases in children and the elderly. To do so, we carried out an ecological time-series study using hospitalization data for respiratory diseases in children (5 years) and elderly (60 years) and cardiovascular disease among elderly people living in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, between March 2010 and February 2011. For the analysis we used Poisson Regression in Generalized Additive Model, adjusted for temporal trends, meteorological variables (temperature and humidity), day of week and holidays. A statistically significant association between PM10 and PM2-10 was found only with respiratory diseases in children and elderly. The increase in hospitalization risk for children and the elderly was 20% (CI95%: 11;30) and 23% (CI95%: 13;34) for every 10 µg/m3 of PM2-10, respectively, and for the PM10 the risk was about 13% in both groups. For the PM<2 there was a statistically significant association for respiratory diseases in children and circulatory in the elderly. The increase in hospitalization risk was 26% (CI95%: 9;45) for respiratory diseases in children and 20% (CI95%: 6;35) for circulatory diseases in the elderly, for every 10 g/m3 of PM<2. For chemical species we observed risks specific to each constituent and for each cause of hospitalization analyzed. In general, the SO42- in the PM2-10 and the K+ in PM<2 were the constituents associated with an increase in the hospitalization risk for all causes and for all study groups. These results are in accordance with the evidence that the risks for different causes vary according to different fractions of PM10 and its chemical composition. However, to obtain more reliable estimates, one needs data on other chemical constituents of both PM10 fractions and over a longer period of time.

3D-skrivare baserade på FDM-teknik sprider sig snabbt på marknaden på grund av kommersiell tillgänglighet, låga ingångspris och allt mer  användarvänliga enheter. I takt med att additiv tillverkning kommer allt närmare hemmet är det viktigt att veta hur vår hälsa påverkas när vi sitter intill. Partikelbaserade ämnen är en av huvudkomponenterna av luftföroreningar som idag är världens största enskilda miljöhälsorisk. Framtiden för FDM som tillverkningsmetod ser ljus ut, men är tekniken hälsomässigt ljusare än luftföroreningarna dagens masstillverkande fabriker bolmar ut? Denna studie syftar att svara på den föregående frågan med en mängd kvantitativa tester. Partikelkoncentrationer i mikrostorlek jämförs mellan olika inställningar och miljöer med hjälp av två 3D-skrivare i syfte att öka förståelsen och förebygga dessa hälsorisker. Detta projekt bygger på en förstudie (se Bilaga 1) Denna förstudie talar mer detaljerat om vad luftföroreningar är, dess negativa hälsoeffekter samt går igenom konstruktionen av partikelmätaren, vilken i denna används för att mäta partikelkoncentrationer i klassificeringarna PM10 och PM2.5. Totalt genomfördes 19 tester, varav två tester var identiska med syftet att avgöra variansen. Från testerna som jämfört två skrivare kunde medelvärden av partikelkoncentrationer i PM10 eller PM2.5 för skrivaren Stratasys Uprint SE Plus  inte urskiljas från rummens grundvärden. Skrivaren Makerbot Replicator+ visade en snittökning av partikelkoncentrationer i både PM10 och PM2.5 med 60-70% jämfört med grundvärdet. Skillnaden mellan skrivare beror främst på att Stratasys Uprint har en innesluten byggplatta, vilket Makerbot Replicator+ saknar. Partikelkoncentrationen i luften steg markant efter dörren på Stratasys Uprint öppnats och nådde då i de flesta fall värden för PM10, vilka var större än ett hos Makerbot-skrivaren identiskt test. Filamentfärg, rumsstorlek samt ventilation har också en påverkan på rummets koncentration av mikropartiklar, där ett större välventilerat rum når lägre koncentrationer än ett litet rum utan ventilation. Tyvärr har denna typ av studie har ingen standardiserad mätmetod, vilket gör att resultaten blir situationsanpassade och kan ha en varierande precision vid jämförelser mellan studier. Slutligen rekommenderar jag, utifrån studiens resultat att det kan vara värt att satsa på en innesluten skrivare ifall man under längre perioder kommer vistas i närheten av en sådan. Alternativt bör skrivaren placeras i ett ventilerat rum där man inte vistas så ofta. / <p>Betyg 2020-08-21</p>

In recent years, respiratory diseases have emerged as a leading cause of mortality across the globe. In the United States alone respiratory diseases are the fourth leading cause of deaths annually. Moreover, with the rapid increase of industrialization and urbanization, the occurrences of respiratory diseases are expected to remain high with strong chances of increasing in the future. To ameliorate the epidemic of respiratory disease, it is first important to understand its underlying mechanisms. Respiratory research studies in animals have elucidated the chronological order of the pathological events and systemic responses inside the lung, but understanding the response of individual cell types inside the lung is necessary to outline the initiators and mediators of the pathological events. Many research studies have aimed to understand the behavior of individual cell types, from the lung, under different pathological conditions specific to the respiratory system. However, the cell culture systems used in most of these studies were limited by the absence of the dynamic cell growth environment present in actual lung tissues. The lung exists in a mechanically active environment, where different amounts of circumferential and longitudinal expansion and contraction occur during breathing movements. Thus, simulating the biomechanical environment in in vitro cell culture models may improve the cellular functionality and the outcome of the research studies. Moreover, the stimulation of biomechanical forces in in vitro cell cultures provides the advantage of mimicking the mechanical environment, related to different pathological conditions. In our study we used a dynamic in vitro cell culture system capable of implementing cyclic equibiaxial deformation in cell monolayers to stimulate different biomechanical environments similar to conditions inside the lung. The dynamic cell growth condition was used to determine the effects of ventilator-induced lung injury and nano-material/pollutant exposure in A549 cell cultures. Examples of such pollutants are diesel particulate matter, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and single-walled carbon nanotubes. Our results indicated that the dynamic cell growth condition specific to ventilator induced lung injury facilitated an increase in inflammatory and tissue remodeling activities in A549 cells. Under the nano-material/pollutant exposure assessment studies, the dynamic cell growth condition induced changes in inflammation and oxidative stress level which closely resembled those in in vivo studies.

No description available.

Particulate matter (PM) is a widespread air pollutant of microscopic particles that are suspended in the atmosphere. There is high concentration of PM in underground train stations and tunnels. The concentration of particulate matter (PM10) measured in Stockholm’s metro varies significantly between day and nighttime traffic of trains. Emission factors are a representative value of a pollutant released into the atmosphere. These factors can be expressed as the weight of pollutant divided by a unit distance, volume, or weight. In this document it is expressed as the amount of energy used to produce a unit weight. Such factor expresses estimation of emissions from train wheel-rail contact and brake. Simulation of particulate matter using IDA tunnel was conducted to evaluate and predict particulate matter (PM10) concentration levels. Previous measured data of PM10 from Mariatorget’s platform (performed by SLB analysis) was used for the validation of the simulation model. These data were collected during winter and summer periods. It was then used as fundamental reference to simulate and calibrate emission factors. Important parameters of the tunnel, platform and trains that were used in traffic were imported. There are ventilation shafts on each end of the platform. These ventilation shafts are open fully during summer and closed during winter periods. Thus, two case scenarios, winter and summer were investigated. The results obtained were later evaluated and analysed. Sensitivity analysis was made to test the effect of ventilation shaft’s openings on emission factors. The results from winter case study showed that emission factors are 0.57 g/kWh from wheel-rail contact and 0.031 g/kWh from brakes. Emission factors from wheel-rail contact give 70% of the measured PM10 concentration whereas brakes give 30% of PM10 concentrations. Results obtained from summer case study showed that emission factors are 0.61 g/kWh and 0.05 g/kWh from wheel-rail contact as well as from brakes, respectively. / Partiklar är en utbredd luftföroreningar av mikroskopiska partiklar som finns i luften. Det finns höga halter av PM (particulate matter) i underjordiska tågstationer och tunnlar. Partikelhalten (PM10) som är uppmätt i Stockholms tunnelbana varierar betydligt mellan dag- och natttågtrafik. Emissionsfaktorn är ett representativt värde för mängden partiklar som släpps ut i atmosfären. Dessa faktorer kan uttryckas som massan av partikel per enhetsavstånd, volym eller vikt. I detta dokument uttrycks detta som den mängd energi som går åt för att producera enhetsviktspartiklar. Faktorn uttrycker en uppskattning av partikelemissioner från hjul-rälskontakt och broms. Simulering har genomfördes i IDA tunnel för att utvärdera och förutsäga partikelhalten på tågplattformar. Tidigare uppmätta data under vinter och sommar från Mariatorgets plattform (utförd av SLB-analys) användes för validering av simuleringsmodellen. Detta användes sedan som grundläggande referens för att simulera och kalibrera emissionsfaktorer. Viktiga parametrar för tunneln, plattformen och tågen som användes i trafiken är inhämtade och evaluerade. Ventilationsschakt finns i varje ände av plattformen. Dessa ventilationsschakt är öppna under sommaren och stängda under vinterperioden. Således undersöktes två scenarier, vinter- och sommarfall. De erhållna resultaten utvärderades och analyserades senare. Känslighetsanalys gjordes för att testa effekten på emissionsfaktorerna av ventilationsschaktens öppningsgrad. Resultaten från vinterfallstudien visade att emissionsfaktorerna är 0,57 g/kWh från hjul-rälkontaktoch 0,03 g/kWh från bromsarna. Emissionsfaktorn från hjul-rälkontakten ger 70 % av den uppmätta PM10 koncentrationen, medan bromsarna ger 30 %. Resultaten från sommarfallstudien visade att emissionsfaktorerna är 0,61 g/kWh och 0,05 g/kWh från hjul-rälkontakten och bromsarna, respektive.

De ökande luftföroreningarna i Europa är ett allvarligt miljöproblem, och vägtransporterna är en av de största orsakerna till detta. För att ta itu med detta problem och uppfylla nya utsläppskrav måste efterbehandlingssystemen för avgaser förbättras. Det är viktigt att förstå sammansättningen, egenskaperna och mängden partiklar (PM) som produceras av dieselmotorer för att kunna minska partikelutsläppen med dieselpartikelfiltret (DPF). Denna studie ger en djupgående analys av partikelutsläpp från tunga dieselmotorer, med fokus på att förstå källorna till partikelutsläpp, deras inverkan på partikelns struktur och reaktivitet. Olika filter för att samla in partiklarna användes och analyserades. Dessutom utvecklades och diskuterades en extraktionsmetod för att avlägsna partiklarna från filtren. Förhållandet mellan aska och sot samt kinetiska oxidationsparametrar har undersökts för flera prover från sex- och åttacylindriga motorer under olika driftscykler. Morfologiska egenskaper hos aska och sot undersöktes med SEM. Askfraktionen uppskattades ligga mellan 3 och 23 procent av den totala PM-sammansättningen. Askans elementära sammansättning undersöktes med hjälp av EDS och ICP. Viktförlustkurvor erhölls med TGA och de kinetiska parametrarna för sotoxidation beräknades med den icke-isotermiska metoden. Aktiveringsenergierna, som befanns ligga i intervallet 145-162 kJ/mol, visade att alla de testade sotproverna hade en liknande reaktivitet. Ytterligare studier behövs för att förbättra insamlings- och analysmetoderna för att uppnå tillförlitliga resultat. / The rise in air pollution in Europe is a pressing environmental health concern, and road transport is a major contributor. To address this issue and meet new emission standards, exhaust aftertreatment systems must be improved. Understanding the composition, properties, and amount of particulate matter (PM) produced by diesel engines is critical for reducing PM emissions with the diesel particulate filter (DPF). This research provides an in-depth analysis of PM emissions produced by heavy-duty diesel engines, with focus on understanding the sources of PM emissions, their impact on the structure and on the reactivity of the PM. Various filters to collect the particulate were employed and critically analysed. Furthermore, an extraction procedure to remove the PM from the filters was developed and discussed. Ash to soot ratio and kinetic oxidation parameters have been investigated for several samples deriving from 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder engines during different operational cycles. Morphological features of ash and soot were investigated with SEM. The ash fraction was estimated to lie between 3 and 23 percent in the total PM composition. Ash elemental composition was carried out through EDS and ICP. Weight loss curves were obtained with TGA and the soot oxidation kinetic parameters were calculated with the non-isothermal multiple-ramp rates method. The activation energies, which were found to be in the range of 145-162 kJ/mol, demonstrated that all of the soot samples tested had a similar reactivity. Further studies are needed to improve the collection and analysis methods in order to achieve reliable results.

During the latter part of the 20th century, a transition away from coal as a major energy source in developed countries was accompanied by a notable decrease in air pollution-related deaths in those countries. Currently the same phenomenon is being observed in developing nations like China and India. However, many areas that do still rely on coal for their energy production or industrial needs also reflect a gap in research on the effects of those specific processes on local populations. Located in Nepal at the foot of the Himalayan Plateau, Kathmandu represents one such location. The local economy of Kathmandu and the surrounding area relies heavily on the production of bricks using coal-fired kilns, which produce large amounts of particulate matter. This particulate matter contains a characteristic mix of metals. This unique fingerprint can be used to identify and track kiln emissions in ambient samples. We collected hourly samples of ambient metal concentrations over a period of three months at the start of 2019. We then used these data to perform positive matrix factorization (PMF) to identify several factors contributing to the ambient air pollution of the sampled area, each representing a source type. The PMF output included the chemical ‘fingerprint’ of each factor as well as hourly variation of each factor. We were able to isolate the fraction of PM2.5 contributed by coal and estimate the health effects attributable to this fraction using a modified risk ratio of 1.05 to reflect the higher toxicity of coal emissions. We found that the current estimates of health impacts in Nepal underestimate the true impact of coal by 416 deaths per year.

[pt] A poluição do ar é um assunto de preocupação mundial que se relaciona com poluentes múltiplos e suas relações complexas com muitos fatores, tais como meteorologia local e uso da terra. Numerosos estudos afirmam que a exposição à poluição do ar aumenta o risco de mortalidade, sintomas respiratórios, inflamação pulmonar e estresse oxidativo. No entanto, alguns estudos que examinam os efeitos adversos para a saúde pública e ambiental associados à poluição atmosférica consideram apenas os níveis de poluentes legislados (por exemplo, material particulado, MP). Este trabalho baseiase principalmente nos poluentes ainda não legislados usando as seguintes abordagens: 1) monitoramento de longo período; 2) ensaios toxicológicos e de bioacumulação; 3) aplicação de modelos estatísticos de complexos; e 4) um olhar mais atento à exposição aumentada a que os residentes rurais têm sido expostos. / [en] Air pollution is a worldwide concern that relates to multiple pollutants and its complex relationships with many factors such as local meteorology and land use. Numerous studies state that exposure to air pollution increases the risk of mortality, respiratory symptoms, lung inflammation, and oxidative stress. However, some studies examining public and environmental health adverse effects associated with air pollution consider only criteria pollutant levels (e.g., particulate matter, PM). This work builds mostly on the non-criteria pollutants using the following approaches: 1) long-term monitoring; 2) toxicological and bioaccumulation essays; 3) application of state-of-the-art statistical models; and 4) a closer look at the increased exposure to which rural residents have been exposed.