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Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution provides valuable information for quantifying NOx (NOx = NO + NO2) emissions and exposures. This study presents a comprehensive method to estimate average tropospheric NO2 emission strengths derived from 4-year (May 2018–June 2022) TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) observations by combining a wind-assigned anomaly approach and a machine learning (ML) method, the so-called gradient descent algorithm. This combined approach is firstly applied to the Saudi Arabian capital city of Riyadh, as a test site, and yields a total emission rate of 1.09×1026 molec. s−1. The ML-trained anomalies fit very well with the wind-assigned anomalies, with an R2 value of 1.0 and a slope of 0.99. Hotspots of NO2 emissions are apparent at several sites: over a cement plant and power plants as well as over areas along highways. Using the same approach, an emission rate of 1.99×1025 molec. s−1 is estimated in the Madrid metropolitan area, Spain. Both the estimate and spatial pattern are comparable with the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) inventory. Weekly variations in NO2 emission are highly related to anthropogenic activities, such as the transport sector. The NO2 emissions were reduced by 16 % at weekends in Riyadh, and high reductions were found near the city center and in areas along the highway. An average weekend reduction estimate of 28 % was found in Madrid. The regions with dominant sources are located in the east of Madrid, where residential areas and the Madrid-Barajas airport are located. Additionally, due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, the NO2 emissions decreased by 21 % in March–June 2020 in Riyadh compared with the same period in 2019. A much higher reduction (62 %) is estimated for Madrid, where a very strict lockdown policy was implemented. The high emission strengths during lockdown only persist in the residential areas, and they cover smaller areas on weekdays compared with weekends. The spatial patterns of NO2 emission strengths during lockdown are similar to those observed at weekends in both cities. Although our analysis is limited to two cities as test examples, the method has proven to provide reliable and consistent results. It is expected to be suitable for other trace gases and other target regions. However, it might become challenging in some areas with complicated emission sources and topography, and specific NO2 decay times in different regions and seasons should be taken into account. These impacting factors should be considered in the future model to further reduce the uncertainty budget.

The short-term impacts of urban air pollution on the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) remain obscure. In this study, we included 3487 urban adults from the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort. Individual inhalation exposure to air pollutants was estimated by combining participants' daily breath volume and ambient concentrations of six air pollutants (including fine particulate matter (PM

Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH) was suspended to contain the spread of COVID-19, while Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) saw a tremendous flight reduction. Closure of a major international airport is extremely rare and thus represents a unique opportunity to straightforwardly observe the impact of airport emissions on local air quality. In this study, a series of statistical tools were applied to analyze the variations in air pollutant levels in the vicinity of WUH and SHA. The results of bivariate polar plots show that airport SHA and WUH are a major source of nitrogen oxides. NO

The Arctic region is experiencing notable warming as well as more lightning. Lightning is the dominant source of upper tropospheric nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are precursors for ozone and hydroxyl radicals. In this study, we combine the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) observations from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) with Vaisala Global Lightning Dataset 360 to evaluate lightning NO2 (LNO2) production in the Arctic. By analyzing consecutive TROPOMI NO2 observations, we determine the lifetime and production efficiency of LNO2 during the summers of 2019-2021. Our results show that the LNO2 production efficiency over the ocean is ∼6 times higher than over continental regions. Additionally, we find that a higher LNO2 production efficiency is often correlated with lower lightning rates. The summertime lightning NOx emission in the Arctic (north of 70° N) is estimated to be 219 ± 116 Mg of N, which is equal to 5% of anthropogenic NOx emissions. However, for the span of a few hours, the Arctic LNO2 density can even be comparable to anthropogenic NO2 emissions in the region. These new findings suggest that LNO2 can play an important role in the upper-troposphere/lower-stratosphere atmospheric chemical processes in the Arctic, particularly during the summer.

Herein, we present, for the first time, a chemoresistive-type gas sensor composed of two-dimensional WSe2, fabricated by a simple selenization of tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanowires at atmospheric pressure. The morphological, structural, and chemical composition investigation shows the growth of vertically oriented three-dimensional (3D) assemblies of edge-enriched WSe2 nanoplatelets arrayed in a nanoflower shape. The gas sensing properties of flowered nanoplatelets (2H-WSe2) are investigated thoroughly toward specific gases (NH3 and NO2) at different operating temperatures. The integration of 3D WSe2 with unique structural arrangements resulted in exceptional gas sensing characteristics with dual selectivity toward NH3 and NO2 gases. Selectivity can be tuned by selecting its operating temperature (150 °C for NH3 and 100 °C for NO2). For instance, the sensor has shown stable and reproducible responses (24.5%) toward 40 ppm NH3 vapor detection with an experimental LoD < 2 ppm at moderate temperatures. The gas detecting capabilities for CO, H2, C6H6, and NO2 were also investigated to better comprehend the selectivity of the nanoflower sensor. Sensors showed repeatable responses with high sensitivity to NO2 molecules at a substantially lower operating temperature (100 °C) (even at room temperature) and LoD < 0.1 ppm. However, the gas sensing properties reveal high selectivity toward NH3 gas at moderate operating temperatures. Moreover, the sensor demonstrated high resilience against ambient humidity (Rh = 50%), demonstrating its remarkable stability toward NH3 gas detection. Considering the detection of NO2 in a humid ambient atmosphere, there was a modest increase in the sensor response (5.5%). Furthermore, four-month long-term stability assessments were also taken toward NH3 gas detection, and sensors showed excellent response stability. Therefore, this study highlights the practical application of the 2H variant of WSe2 nanoflower gas sensors for NH3 vapor detection.

To investigate the associations between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and age at menopause and the risk of early menopause in two Asian cohorts.A total of 53,167 female adults were enrolled from two ongoing cohorts, one each in Taiwan and Hong Kong, between 2003 and 2018, yielding 200,000 person-years of follow-up. We performed a Cox regression model with time-dependent covariates to investigate associations between air pollution and menopause.The mean age at baseline and at natural menopause was 34.4 and 51.0 years, respectively. In the single-pollutant models, we found that increase in PMLong-term exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with the age at menopause and the risk of early menopause. More effective strategies to mitigate air pollution are required.

Tetrabromobisphenol S (TBBPS) is a brominated flame retardant and a contaminant of emerging concern. Several studies found that sulfate radical (SO

The aim of the study is to develop a method for early diagnosis of intrauterine infection (IUI). A study of markers of inflammation in the venous blood of 60 pregnant women was conducted. The study was followed by a retrospective assessment of the outcomes of pregnancies and childbirth. Of these, 33 patients with a gestation period of more than 37 weeks (full-term pregnancy) and, accordingly, 27 patients from whom the blood sample was taken at a period of less than 37 weeks - patients with the threat of premature birth (PB). PB is the main factor contributing to the development of IUI. 27 patients were diagnosed with premature rupture of the membranes (PROM). Of these, 15 are with the threat of PB. 8 of them had a diagnosed IUI. In all cases of diagnosed PROM, including those with IUI, the concentration of nitrite and nontiolate nitroso compounds (NO2-+RNO) in the mother’s blood plasma was 2.3±1.2 µM, while normally it does not exceed 0.1 µM (p0.1). Since the concentration index (NO2-+RNO) increased in almost all cases of PREM, unlike all other clinical and biochemical indicators used in modern medicine, there is an obvious sense of its use for the current monitoring of the health of pregnant women. But it is still impossible to say unequivocally about the possibility of monitoring the fetal health by concentration (NO2-+RNO) in the mother’s blood.

Nowadays, vascular stents are commonly used to treat cardiovascular diseases. This article focuses on the influence of nitrogen doping of titanium dioxide thin films, utilized for coating metallic stents to improve their biological properties and biocompatibility. The hereby-investigated titanium oxide thin films are fabricated by magnetron sputtering in a reactive gas atmosphere consisting of argon and oxygen in the first case and argon, nitrogen and oxygen in the second case. Control of the nitrogen and oxygen gas flow rates, and hence their mixing ratios, allows adjustment of the nitrogen-doping level within the titanium dioxide thin films. A correlation of the thin film internal structure on the in vitro behavior of human mesenchymal stem cells derived from adipose tissue is hereby demonstrated. Different nitrogen doping levels affect the surface energy, the wettability, the cell adhesion and thus the cellular proliferation on top of the thin films. The surface colonization of cells on titanium dioxide thin films decreases up to a nitrogen-doping level of ∼ 3.75 at.%, which is associated with a decreasing polar component of the surface energy. For non-doped titanium dioxide thin films, a weak chondrogenesis of adult human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells with lower chondrogenic differentiation compared to glass is observed. An increasing nitrogen-doping level leads to linear increase in the chondrogenic differentiation rate, which is comparable to the control value of uncoated glass. Other investigated differentiated cell types do not display this behavior.

Ambient air pollution aggravates the process of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Currently, the exact inflammatory mechanisms underlying these links from clinical research remain largely unclear.This study included 1,131 cognitively intact individuals from the Chinese Alzheimer's Biomarker and LifestylE database with data provided on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers (amyloid beta-peptide 42 [Aβ42], total tau [t-tau], and phosphorylated tau [p-tau]), neuroinflammatory (CSF sTREM2), and systemic inflammatory markers (high sensitivity C-reactive protein and peripheral immune cells). The 2-year averaged levels of ambient fine particulate matter with diameter 2.5 μm (PMAmbient 2-year averaged exposure of PMThese findings demonstrated a strong link between PM

A novel simple and functional colorimetric methodology for on-site environmental water analysis was proposed. This method combines coloration of the analyte and extraction of the colored species on dispersed particulates during their sedimentation in the same container. The whole analysis can be performed within 15 min by comprising the addition of 1 mL of sample solution into a 1.5-mL microtube containing the powders of coloring reagents and the sedimentable fine particulates as an adsorbent. The analyte is determined by comparing the sediment color with the standard color by visual inspection or the color information of the photo image. The potential of this methodology was demonstrated through developing colorimetry for Fe

Urban air pollution disproportionately harms communities of color and low-income communities in the U.S. Intraurban nitrogen dioxide (NO

Understanding the local-scale spatial and temporal variability of ozone formation is crucial for effective mitigation. We combine tropospheric vertical column densities (VCD

Exposure to air pollution is a known risk factor for asthma exacerbations and hospitalisations. This study aimed to identify if COVID-19 transport restrictions led to improvements in air quality in Dublin and if this had an impact on asthma-related hospital admissions.This was a population-based retrospective cohort study.Daily concentration levels of particulate matter (PMDuring the period of transport restrictions, there was a significant decrease in mean daily concentrations in both PMTransport restrictions introduced to mitigate against COVID-19 led to lower pollutant levels and improved air quality. Previously described associations between pollutants and asthma would indicate that these improvements in air quality contributed to the reduction in asthma-related admissions. The complex nature of PM is the likely explanation for the lack of correlation between its concentration and asthma admissions, unlike NO

As a passive remote sensing technique, MAX-DOAS method was widely used to investigate the vertical profiles of aerosol and trace gases in the lower troposphere. However, the measurements for midlatitude marine boundary layer are rarely reported, especially during the storm weather system. In this study, the MAX-DOAS was used to retrieve the aerosol, HCHO and NO

To investigate the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution with serum liver enzymes in older adults.In this longitudinal study, we investigated 318,911 adults aged 65 years or older and assessed their long-term residential exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PMEach interquartile range (IQR) increase of PMLong-term exposure to ambient air pollution was significantly associated with increased serum liver enzyme levels in older adults, suggesting that air pollution exposures may induce hepatocellular injury.

Background. The pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR) was affected by meteorological and environmental factors. This study investigated the association between clinical symptoms of AR patients with pollen dispersal and meteorological conditions. Methods. The clinical features of 10,838 AR patients who were treated in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, from March 2021 to October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. We collected pollen by a pollen collector, read and counted it under a microscope, identified the species of the pollen particles, and recorded meteorological data (average daily temperature, maximum and minimum temperature, average daily wind, average daily precipitation, average daily humidity, average pressure, air quality index, PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3), to analyze the correlation among meteorological conditions, pollen dispersal, and number of AR visits. Finally, pollen allergen-positive and symptoms were scored. Results. Among the AR visits, patients >41 years old accounted for the highest proportion (64.15%). 43.67% of the patients were complicated with bronchial asthma, and the disease incidence peaked in September. During the period of the study, a total of 27,512 pollen grains were collected, and 17 species were identified. The pollens of Compositae and Moraceae were the main allergenic sources leading to the increase in AR visits from August to September. The peak of pollen dispersal was in spring, summer, and autumn. The total amount of pollen was not only related to the average daily minimum temperature, average daily precipitation, and average daily humidity but also had a significant correlation with air quality index and air pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO). In addition, there was a significant correlation between the number of daily pollen allergen-positive patients and the pollen concentration of Compositae and Moraceae as well as air pollution components. The clinical symptoms of pollen allergen-positive patients were mainly nasal congestion, red/itchy eyes, and epiphora. Conclusion. The peak seasons of pollen dispersal in Shenyang were in spring, summer, and autumn, and the allergenic pollens were mainly Compositae and Moraceae. In addition, AR was substantially correlated with pollen concentration and meteorological factors. This study may help provide early warning information and prevention for AR patients.

A sensor device based on doped-carbon quantum dots is proposed herein for detection of nitrite in meat products by fluorescence quenching. For the sensing platform, carbon quantum dots doped with boron and functionalized with nitrogen (B,N-Cdot) were synthesized with an excellent 44.3% quantum yield via a one-step hydrothermal route using citric acid, boric acid, and branched polyethylenimine as carbon, boron, and nitrogen sources, respectively. After investigation of their chemical structure and fluorescent properties, the B,N-Cdot at aqueous suspensions showed high selectivity for NO

Background Multiple studies report reductions in air pollution associated with COVID-19 lockdowns. Methods We performed a systematic review of the changes observed in hazardous air pollutants known or suspected to be harmful to health, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM). We searched PubMed and Web of Science for studies reporting the associations of lockdowns with air pollutant changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and North America. Results One hundred nine studies were identified and analyzed. Several pollutants exhibited marked and sustained reductions. The strongest was NO2 (93% of 89 estimated changes were reductions) followed by CO (88% of 33 estimated pollutant changes). All NOx and benzene studies reported significant reductions although these were based on fewer than 10 estimates. About three-quarters of PM2.5 and PM10 estimates showed reductions and few studies reported increases when domestic fuel use rose during COVID-19 lockdowns. In contrast, O3 levels rose as NOx levels fell. SO2 and ammonia (NH3) had mixed results. In general, greater reductions appeared when lockdowns were more severe, as well as where baseline pollutant levels were higher, such as at low-elevation and in densely populated areas. Substantial and robust reductions in NO2, NO, CO, CO2, PM2.5, PM10, benzene and air quality index pollution occurred in association with COVID-19 lockdowns. O3 levels tended to increase, while SO2 and NH3 had mixed patterns. Conclusions Our study shows the profound impact of human activity levels on air pollution and its potential avoidability.

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic inflammatory disease with bothersome symptoms. However, the effect of air pollution on the prevalence of AR in children is controversial. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between air pollution and the prevalence of AR in Chinese children. Methods: This study, in China, included 160,356 students ages 0‐18 years who completed a questionnaire about the accuracy of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The effect of different air pollutants on the prevalence rate were evaluated by meta-analysis. Also, it evaluated the effect of different air pollutants on the prevalence rate. Results: The differences in the effects of sulfur dioxide (SO2) exposure (combined odds ratio [ORcombined] 1.03 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.01‐1.05]; p = 0.010) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure (ORcombined 1.11 [95% CI, 1.05‐1.18]; p = 0.0006) on the risk of childhood AR was statistically significant. The effect of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of 10) exposure on the risk of childhood AR was statistically significant (ORcombined 1.02 [95% CI, 1.01‐1.03]; p < 0.001), the effect of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of 2.5) exposure on the risk of childhood AR was statistically significant (ORcombined 1.15 [95% CI, 1.03‐1.29]; p = 0.02), and the effect of ozone exposure on the risk of childhood AR was not statistically significant (ORcombined 0.98 [95% CI, 0.67‐1.41]; p = 0.13). Conclusion: NO2, SO2, PM2.5, and PM10 were associated with the prevalence of AR in Chinese children. PM2.5 had the highest correlation with AR prevalence.

Nitrous oxide (N

Air pollution is strongly associated with asthma, but has not been determined to induce new-onset asthma development in children with atopic dermatitis (AD).To assess whether prenatal/postnatal exposure to air pollutants triggers new-onset asthma development in children with AD.Retrospective cohort study.Data of patientsage 18 years diagnosed with eczema or AD between 2009 and 2019 were extracted from the multicenter Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital Research Database. Patients diagnosed with new-onset asthma were in the asthma group and patients without asthma history were in the non-asthma group.The monthly average concentration of air pollutants for 1, 3, and 5 years before the index date, and 3, 6, and 9 months prenatally were analyzed and further stratified by age, immunoglobulin (Ig) E, and the percentage of eosinophil and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP).Postnatal exposure to airborne particulate matter (PMPrenatal and postnatal exposure to air pollution have an association with asthma development in AD patients.

Growing evidence links traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) to adverse health effects. We designed an innovative and extensive mobile monitoring campaign to characterize TRAP exposure levels for the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study, a Seattle-based cohort. The campaign measured particle number concentration (PNC) to capture ultrafine particles (UFP), black carbon (BC), nitrogen dioxide (NO

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Exposure to outdoor air pollution (OAP) is associated with increased lung cancer incidence, however little is known about the association of OAP and survival after diagnosis.We investigated the effects of OAP and lung cancer survival in Pennsylvania using data from Pennsylvania Cancer Registry. The study population consisted of 252,123 patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2017. The Environmental Protection Agency's ambient air monitoring network provided information on OAP exposure of NOMedian survival time was 0.76 [CIs: 0.75, 0.77] years for the study population and for localized, regional, and distant site diagnosis were 2.2 [CIs: 2.17, 2.23], 1.13 [CIs: 1.12, 1.15], and 0.42 [CIs: 0.41, 0.43] years, respectively. NOThese findings supported the hypotheses that OAP can influence the carcinogenic process, impairing chemotherapy treatment, and provide important public health implications since environmental factors are not often considered in prognosis of survival after diagnosis.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) mediates pathogen destruction by generating the bactericidal oxidant hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Formation of this oxidant is however associated with host tissue damage and disease. MPO also utilizes H2O2 to oxidize other substrates, and we hypothesized that mixtures of other plasma anions, including bromide (Br−), iodide (I−), thiocyanate (SCN−) and nitrite (NO2−), at normal or supplemented concentrations, might modulate MPO-mediated HOCl damage. For the (pseudo)halide anions, only SCN− significantly modulated HOCl formation (IC50 ∼33 μM), which is within the normal physiological range, as judged by damage to human plasma fibronectin or extracellular matrix preparations detected by ELISA and LC-MS. NO2− modulated HOCl-mediated damage, in a dose-dependent manner, at physiologically-attainable anion concentrations. However, this was accompanied by increased tyrosine and tryptophan nitration (detected by ELISA and LC-MS), and the overall extent of damage remained approximately constant. Increasing NO2− concentrations (0.5–20 μM) diminished HOCl-mediated modification of tyrosine and methionine, whereas tryptophan loss was enhanced. At higher NO2− concentrations, enhanced tyrosine and methionine loss was detected. These analytical data were confirmed in studies of cell adhesion and metabolic activity. Together, these data indicate that endogenous plasma levels of SCN− (but not Br− or I−) can modulate protein modification induced by MPO, including the extent of chlorination. In contrast, NO2− alters the type of modification, but does not markedly decrease its extent, with chlorination replaced by nitration. These data also indicate that MPO could be a major source of nitration in vivo, and particularly at inflammatory sites where NO2− levels are often elevated.

We hypothesized that air pollution could cause oxidative damage and inflammation in the human body, which was linked to bone loss. Our result showed that long-term exposure to air pollution might decrease bone mineral density (BMD) T-score and increase the prevalence of osteoporosis in Hubei province.Osteoporosis is becoming an increasingly serious public health problem with the advent of global aging. Long-term exposure to air pollution has been linked to multitudinous adverse health outcomes, but evidence is still relatively limited and inconsistent for BMD T-score and osteoporosis. This study aimed at exploring the associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and BMD T-score and osteoporosis.The Hubei part of the China Osteoporosis Prevalence Study was extracted. Data on air pollutants were collected by the national air quality real-time release platform of China Environmental Monitoring Station. Linear mixed models and multilevel logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between air pollution and BMD T-score and osteoporosis, respectively. Subgroup analyses were conducted to identify vulnerable populations.A total of 1845 participants were included in this cross-section study. Per 10 ug/mOur study provided evidence that long-term exposure to PM

Accurate timely estimation of emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO

Benzoic acid (BA) represents vital roles in plant activity and response to diverse unfavorable conditions. However, its participation in mitigating excess boron (EB) stress in plants is elusive. Herein, we have examined the impacts of BA (1 μM) in controlling boron (B) uptake in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) calli exposed to various EB levels (0, 1, 2, and 3 mM). The free, semi-bound, and bound B forms were stimulated by EB, while these forms were reduced in B-stressed calli by BA supplementation (40.37%, 36.08%, and 66.91%, respectively, less than 3 mM B-stressed calli alone). EB caused a reduction in the uptake of potassium (K

application/pdf, Asian Journal pf Atmospheric Environment. 2022, 16 (2)

The independent associations of extreme temperature and ambient air pollutant with the admission to hospital and mortality of ischemic stroke have been widely investigated. However, knowledge about the modification effects of variation in season and temperature on the association between exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO

Every year the concern from environmental pollution increases as it affects human health. In the current paper, it is analyzed the evolution of the air quality in different cities on international level related to the reduction in mobility trend due to the emergence of the pandemic. The air pollution is studied in order to achieve healthier cities in the future and create an awareness for the citizens. The COVID-19 pandemic situation was declared during the first months of 2020 and has shown (indirectly) the effects that restrictions on human activity and road traffic have on atmospheric pollutant values. This pandemic condition derived, in most cases, in mobility restrictions in order to decrease the spread of the virus through the density of population in different places and, as a result of these restrictions, pollutant presence decreased equally. This article analyzes some of the largest cities around the world, such as Tsuen Wan district in Hong Kong (China), Los Angeles (USA), London (UK), São Paulo (Brazil), Bangalore (India), Johannesburg (South Africa), and Sydney (Australia) in order to check the different mobility restriction policies established in each location, and how those restrictions led to decrease the levels of some pollutant particles such as NO

The short-term association between ambient air pollution and hospital admissions for ischemic stroke is not fully understood. We examined the association between four regularly measured major ambient air pollutants, i.e., sulfur dioxide (SO

Background: Short-term exposure to ambient air pollution has been linked with daily hospitalization and mortality from acute coronary syndrome (ACS); however, the associations of subdaily (hourly) levels of criteria air pollutants with the onset of ACS and its subtypes have rarely been evaluated. Methods: We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study among 1 292 880 patients with ACS from 2239 hospitals in 318 Chinese cities between January 1, 2015, and September 30, 2020. Hourly concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), coarse particulate matter (PM 2.5–10 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O 3 ) were collected. Hourly onset data of ACS and its subtypes, including ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction, non–ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction, and unstable angina, were also obtained. Conditional logistic regressions combined with polynomial distributed lag models were applied. Results: Acute exposures to PM 2.5 , NO 2 , SO 2 , and CO were each associated with the onset of ACS and its subtypes. These associations were strongest in the concurrent hour of exposure and were attenuated thereafter, with the weakest effects observed after 15 to 29 hours. There were no apparent thresholds in the concentration–response curves. An interquartile range increase in concentrations of PM 2.5 (36.0 μg/m 3 ), NO 2 (29.0 µg/m 3 ), SO 2 (9.0 µg/m 3 ), and CO (0.6 mg/m 3 ) over the 0 to 24 hours before onset was significantly associated with 1.32%, 3.89%, 0.67%, and 1.55% higher risks of ACS onset, respectively. For a given pollutant, the associations were comparable in magnitude across different subtypes of ACS. NO 2 showed the strongest associations with all 3 subtypes, followed by PM 2.5 , CO, and SO 2 . Greater magnitude of associations was observed among patients older than 65 years and in the cold season. Null associations of exposure to either PM 2.5–10 or O 3 with ACS onset were observed. Conclusions: The results suggest that transient exposure to the air pollutants PM 2.5 , NO 2 , SO 2 , or CO, but not PM 2.5–10 or O 3 , may trigger the onset of ACS, even at concentrations below the World Health Organization air quality guidelines.

The partial denitrification and anammox (PDA) process has received attention for its ability to optimize treatment of wastewater containing a low -N concentration. This study investigated the suitable operational conditions for -N accumulation by hydrogenotrophic denitrification (HD) in operation of a laboratory-scale moving bed biofilm reactor, for future application in the PDA process. -N accumulation was achieved by minimizing the H2 flow rate under optimized conditions (i.e., 15 mL/min H2 flow rate, 40 mg-N/L influent -N, 7.0 h hydraulic retention time, and 2 L working volume). Hydrogenophaga comprised 39.2% of the bacterial abundance after -N accumulated, indicating its contribution to the -N accumulation. In addition, an intermittent H2 supply maintained the -N accumulation rate (NAR) and maximized the nitrite accumulation efficiency (NAE). A H2 supply ratio of 0.7 (i.e., ON: 7 min, OFF: 3 min) was optimal, which induced increases in NAR, NAE, and the -N removal efficiency that reached 0.07±0.01 kg-N/m3/d, 64.4±14.5%, and 89.2±8.9%, respectively. The ratio of H2 supply rate to the -N loading rate was calculated as 4.3 in this experiment, which may represent the optimal balance for maximization of -N accumulation by HD.

The unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak impacted the world in many aspects. Air pollutants were largely reduced in cities worldwide in 2020. Using samples from two snow pits dug separately in 2019 and 2020 in Urumqi Glacier No. 1 (UG1) in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang), China, we measured water-stable isotopes, soluble ions, and black and organic carbon (BC and OC). Both carbon types show no significant variations in the snow-pit profiles dated from 2018 through 2020. The deposition of anthropogenically induced soluble ions (K

EPS (extracellular polymeric substance) production is a self-protection mechanism by which microorganisms slow or eliminate adverse effects in unfavorable environments. In this study, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Alcaligenes faecalis were selected to explore changes in EPS components, especially protein components, under stress caused by different concentrations of Cd(II). The results showed that the protein content in EPS was the highest. The two strains achieved maximum EPS production levels of 109.17 and 214.96 mg/g VSS at Cd(II) stress concentrations of 20 and 50 mg/L, which were increased by 52.07% and 409.69% compared with the levels exhibited before stress, respectively. The protein content correlated very well with data from adsorption experiments. Furthermore, FTIR, 3D-EEM, and XPS results illustrated that after Cd(II) stress, C-N, C=O/-COOH, and R-NO

Recently, the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has attracted global attention. Meanwhile, CVD has become the leading cause of death in China. Some epidemiological studies have indicated that ambient air pollution may contribute to increased mortality from CVD diseases. Many studies have found a strong association between air pollutants and the risk of CVD deaths in some big cities, but few have focused on the effects of six pollutants in rural areas. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of six air pollutants (CO, NO

Luminescent metal-organic frameworks are an emerging class of optical sensors, able to capture and detect toxic gases. Herein, we report the incorporation of synergistic binding sites in MOF-808 through post-synthetic modification with copper for optical sensing of NO2 at remarkably low concentrations. Computational modelling and advanced synchrotron characterization tools are applied to elucidate the atomic structure of the copper sites. The excellent performance of Cu-MOF-808 is explained by the synergistic effect between the hydroxo/aquo-terminated Zr6O8 clusters and the copper-hydroxo single sites, where NO2 is adsorbed through combined dispersive- and metal-bonding interactions, We thank the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (grants No. PID2021-123839OB-I00, RYC2018-024328-I and CEX2018-000805-M for A.E.P.-P., grant No. RTI2018-101049-B-I00 for A.M., grants No. RTI2018-097508−BI00, CEX2020-001039-S and PID2021-128313OB-I00 for J.C.-G., grant No. PID2019-106315RB-I00 for V.A.d.I.P.O.), the “European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR” (grant No. EUR2020-112294 for A.E.P.-P., grants No. PLEC2021-007906 and TED2021-130173B-C43 for V.A.d.I.P.O.), and the Regional Government of Madrid (TALENTO grants No. 2017-T1/AMB-5264 and 2021-5 A/AMB-20946 for A.M., grant No. S2018/NMT-4511 NMAT2D-CM for J.C.-G., Proyectos Sinérgicos de I + D grant No. Y2018/NMT-5028 FULMATEN-CM for J.C.-G., grant No. S2018/NMT-4367 FotoArt-CM for V.A.d.I.P.O.). V.A.d.I.P.O. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (ERC), through the HYMAP project (grant agreement No. 648319), under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. I.d.C.–V. and I.R.–M. acknowledge FPI-UAM fellowships from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. C.C.-B. acknowledges the European Social Funds and the Regional Government of Madrid for a postdoctoral contract (PEJD-2018-POST/IND-7909). A.S. acknowledges financial support from the Margarita Salas programme (grant No. CA1/ RSUE/2021-00622). Part of this research was carried out at P02.1 beamline at DESY, a member of the Helmholtz Association (HGF), and utilising the computing facilities of CSUC. We acknowledge DESY (Hamburg, Germany), a member of the Helmholtz Association HGF, for the provision of experimental facilities. Parts of this research were carried out at PETRA III, and we would like to thank Dr. Welter for his assistance in using the P65 beamline. Beamtime was allocated for proposal I-20210304 EC

Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental health problems in the world; accumulative studies have shown that air pollution was closely related to metabolism disorders. HbA1c is a stable indicator for blood glucose level monitoring. However, studies on the impact of ambient air pollution on HbA1c have inconsistent conclusions. The objective of the study is to explore the influence of ambient air pollution on HbA1c. By searching keywords, a systematic literature retrieval was carried out on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase databases up to April 2022. Pooled percentage change (%-change) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using random effect models for particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO

Evidence on the effects of exposure to ambient gaseous pollutants on children's vision was consistently scarce. We aimed to explore the effect of ambient gaseous pollutant exposure on the incidence of visual impairment (VI) in children. From 2005 to 2018, a total of 340,313 children without VI participated in a longitudinal and two-center dynamic cohort. The logMAR acuity was used to assess visual function. The space-time extremely randomized trees model was used to estimate SO

In the current research, the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown period on groundwater quality of Lower Meriç Plain (Thrace Region of Türkiye) was evaluated. Some significant nutrient characteristics (NO

BackgroundThe tremendous global health burden related to COVID-19 means that identifying determinants of COVID-19 severity is important for prevention and intervention. We aimed to explore long-term exposure to ambient air pollution as a potential contributor to COVID-19 severity, given its known impact on the respiratory system.MethodsWe used a cohort of all people with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, aged 20 years and older and not residing in a long-term care facility in Ontario, Canada, during 2020. We evaluated the association between long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ground-level ozone (O3), and risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death. We ascertained individuals' long-term exposures to each air pollutant based on their residence from 2015 to 2019. We used logistic regression and adjusted for confounders and selection bias using various individual and contextual covariates obtained through data linkage.ResultsAmong the 151 105 people with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in Ontario in 2020, we observed 8630 hospital admissions, 1912 ICU admissions and 2137 deaths related to COVID-19. For each interquartile range increase in exposure to PM2.5 (1.70 μg/m3), we estimated odds ratios of 1.06 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.12), 1.09 (95% CI 0.98-1.21) and 1.00 (95% CI 0.90-1.11) for hospital admission, ICU admission and death, respectively. Estimates were smaller for NO2. We also estimated odds ratios of 1.15 (95% CI 1.06-1.23), 1.30 (95% CI 1.12-1.50) and 1.18 (95% CI 1.02-1.36) per interquartile range increase of 5.14 ppb in O3 for hospital admission, ICU admission and death, respectively.InterpretationChronic exposure to air pollution may contribute to severe outcomes after SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly exposure to O3.

Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic diseases, including eczema, atopic dermatitis (AD) and allergic rhinitis (AR), have increased prevalence in recent decades. Recent studies have proved that environmental pollution might have correlations with IgE-mediated allergic diseases, but existing research findings were controversial. Thus, we performed a comprehensive meta-analysis from published observational studies to evaluate the risk of long-term and short-term exposed to air pollutants on the eczema, AD and AR in the population (per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and PM10; per 1 ppb increase in SO2, NO2, CO and O3). PubMed, Embase and Web of Science were searched to identify qualified literatures. Cochran Q test was used to assess heterogeneity and quantified with I2 statistic. Pooled effects and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate outcome effects. A total of 55 articles were included in the study. The results showed that long-term and short-term exposed to PM10 increased the risk of eczema (PM10, RRlong=1.583, 95% CI: 1.328, 1.888; RRshort=1.006, 95% CI: 1.003-1.008) and short-term exposed to NO2 (RRshort=1.009, 95% CI: 1.008-1.011) was associated with eczema. Short-term exposed to SO2 (RRshort: 1.008, 95% CI: 1.001-1.015) was associated with the risk of AD. For AR, PM2.5 (RRlong=1.058, 95% CI: 1.014-1.222) was harmful in long-term, and short-term exposed to PM10 (RRshort: 1.028, 95% CI: 1.008-1.049;) and NO2 (RRshort: 1.018, 95% CI: 1.007-1.029) were risk factors. The findings indicated that exposed to air pollutants might increase the risk of IgE-mediated allergic diseases. Further studies are warranted to illustrate potential mechanism for air pollutants and allergic diseases.

The application of anammox technology in low-strength wastewater treatment is still challenging due to unstable nitrite (NO

Prenatal exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with adverse perinatal outcomes in previous studies. However, few studies have examined the interaction between air pollution and the season of conception on term low birth weight (TLBW) or macrosomia. Birth registry data of singleton live births in Wenzhou, China, between January 2015 and December 2016 were accessed from the Wenzhou Maternal and Child Health Information Management platform, and data on the ambient air pollutants in Wenzhou were obtained from the Chinese Air Quality Online Monitoring and Analysis Platform. Single-/two-pollutant binary logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between ambient air pollutants (PM

A number of studies investigating the possibility that air pollutant exposures increases the risk of adverse effects on mental health including frequency of suicide and depression, is a major growing public health concern. Human data demonstrated that exposure to various ambient air contaminants including ozone (O

Traffic pollution has been recognized as directly worsening respiratory symptoms of allergic subjects, although whether urban air pollutants can also directly increase the allergenic potential of pollen has not yet been definitely proven. Therefore, the hypothesis that intra-urban air NO2 variation influences allergens expression in Cupressus sempervirens (Cs) L. pollen was tested.Mature microsporophylls were cut from Cs trees of similar age and height (14-17 m) present in three different sites of Florence (Italy) and processed in the laboratory. Cs pollen allergens amount was determined by a semi-quantitative analysis of electrophoretically separated pollen extracts fractions. NO2 air concentrations were recorded by air monitoring stations located at a distance not exceeding 50 m from each pollen collection site, and the relative annual mean values were acquired by a publicly available database (Tuscan Regional Agency for Environment Protection).Expression of three major Cs pollen allergens was non-linearly correlated with mean annual NO2 concentrations. Expression peak of all major allergens considered was reached at NO2 air concentration (67μg/m3), far below the value at risk for direct effect on the respiratory health (European Union Directive 2008/50/EC).The findings suggest that intra-urban NO2 variations do affect the expression of Cs pollen major allergens, and an apparent low risk NO2 concentration should be regarded as indirectly harmful for increasing the allergenic potential of pollen.

Nitrate aerosol plays an increasingly important role in wintertime haze pollution in China. Despite intensive research on wintertime nitrate chemistry in recent years, quantitative constraints on the formation mechanisms of nitrate aerosol in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), one of the most developed and densely populated regions in eastern China, remain inadequate. In this study, we identify the major nitrate formation pathways and their key controlling factors during the winter haze pollution period in the eastern YRD using 2-year (2018–2019) field observations and detailed observation-constrained model simulations. We find that the high atmospheric oxidation capacity, coupled with high aerosol liquid water content (ALWC), made both the heterogeneous hydrolysis of dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) and the gas-phase OH oxidation of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) important pathways for wintertime nitrate formation in this region, with contribution percentages of 69 % and 29 % in urban areas and 63 % and 35 % in suburban areas during the haze pollution episodes, respectively. We further find that the gas-to-particle partitioning of nitric acid (HNO3) was very efficient so that the rate-determining step in the overall formation process of nitrate aerosol was the oxidation of NOx to HNO3 through both heterogeneous and gas-phase processes. The atmospheric oxidation capacity (i.e., the availability of O3 and OH radicals) was the key factor controlling the production rate of HNO3 from both processes. During the COVID-19 lockdown (January–February 2020), the enhanced atmospheric oxidation capacity greatly promoted the oxidation of NOx to nitrate and hence weakened the response of nitrate aerosol to the emission reductions in urban areas. Our study sheds light on the detailed formation mechanisms of wintertime nitrate aerosol in the eastern YRD and highlights the demand for the synergetic regulation of atmospheric oxidation capacity and NOx emissions to mitigate wintertime nitrate and haze pollution in eastern China.

As an important precursor of hydroxyl radical (OH), nitrous acid (HONO) plays a significant role in atmospheric chemistry. Here, an observation of HONO and relevant air pollutants in an urban site of Beijing from 14 to 28 April, 2017 was performed. Two distinct peaks of HONO concentrations occurred during the observation. In contrast, the concentration of particulate matter in the first period (period Ⅰ) was significantly higher than that in the second period (period Ⅱ). Comparing to HONO sources in the two periods, we found that the direct vehicle emission was an essential source of the ambient HONO during both periods at night, especially in period Ⅱ. The heterogeneous reaction of NO