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Indoor environmental quality is of utmost importance since urban populations spend a large proportion of their life in confined spaces. Supermarkets offer a wide range of products and services that are prone to emitting several air pollutants. This study aimed to perform a comprehensive characterisation of the indoor and outdoor air quality in a multinational supermarket, encompassing not only criteria parameters but also unregulated pollutants of concern. Monitoring included measurements of comfort parameters, CO 2 , multiple gaseous pollutants, particulate matter (PM 10 ) and bioburden. PM 10 , volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbonyls were subject to chemical speciation. Globally, the supermarket presented CO 2 , VOCs, and PM 10 values below the limits imposed by international regulations. The PM 10 concentration in the supermarket was 33.5 ± 23.2 μg/m 3 , and the indoor-to-outdoor PM 10 ratio was 1.76. Carbonaceous constituents represented PM 10 mass fractions of 21.6% indoors and 15.3% outdoors. Due to the use of stainless-steel utensils, flour and fermentation processes, the bakery proved to be a pollution hotspot, presenting the highest concentrations of PM 10 (73.1 ± 9.16 μg/m 3 ), PM 10 -bound elements (S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, and Cr) and acetaldehyde (42.7 μg/m 3 ). The maximum tetrachloroethylene level (130 μg/m 3 ) was obtained in the cleaning products section. The highest values of colony-forming units of bacteria and fungi were recorded in the bakery, and fruit and vegetable section. The most prevalent fungal species was Penicillium sp., corresponding to 56.9% of the total colonies. In addition, other fungal species/sections with toxicological or pathogenic potential were detected (Aspergillus sections Aspergilli, Circumdati, Flavi, Mucor and Fusarium sp.)., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Atmospheric PM 10 and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) concentrations in Manlleu (NE Spain) have remained high from 2008 to 2023, frequently exceeding EU limit/target values, and reaching BaP levels up to six times higher than urban averages in Spain. Furthermore, PM speciation campaigns were carried out in 2013, 2014-2015, 2016-2017 and 2021-2022. Chemical mass closure for autumn-winter showed a consistent PM 10 composition for the different PM speciation campaigns, comprising 46-53% organic matter (OM), 18-26% secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA), 13-23% mineral matter (MM), and 5-9% elemental carbon (EC). Trend analysis revealed very light decrease and constant concentrations for PM 10 and BaP, respectively over the study period, emphasizing the need for compliance with current and forthcoming EU air quality directives, the last aiming to halve PM 10 limit values. Source apportionment of samples of the sporadic campaigns identified biomass burning (BB, 17.5 μg m -3 , 48%) and MM and industry (16.3 μg m -3 , 44%) as the main autumn-winter PM 10 contributors, with high SIA concentrations attributed to several factors, including high ammonia (NH 3 ) emissions. Local topography and meteorological conditions contribute to aggravate PM 10 pollution. While metal concentrations have decreased since 2013, suggesting reduced industrial emissions, persistently high OM and EC concentrations indicate ongoing issues with BB emissions from domestic, commercial, and agricultural sources. Online analysis of black carbon (BC) and non-refractory PM 1 components during winter 2016-2017 confirmed domestic and commercial BB as the primary sources of the BB contributions. These findings highlight the need of the implementation of more effective measures in reducing BB and agricultural/farming NH 3 emissions. This study highlights the relevance of these issues for similar towns, the probable unremitting problem over the last decade, and the necessity of enhanced monitoring in small cities and policy actions to meet air quality standards under the new EU directive., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Exposure to airborne particulate <10 μm (PM 10 ) adversely affects the ocular surface. This study tested PM 10 on epithelial barrier integrity in immortalized human corneal epithelial cells (HCE-2) and mouse cornea, and whether antioxidant SKQ1 is restorative. HCE-2 were exposed to 100 μg/ml PM 10  ± SKQ1 for 24 h. An Electric Cell-Substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) system monitored the impact of PM 10 . RT-PCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence measured levels of barrier and associated proteins, stanniocalcin 2 (STC2), and a kit measured total calcium. In vivo, female C57BL/6 mice were exposed to either control air or PM 10 (±SKQ1) in a whole-body exposure chamber, and barrier associated proteins tested. Tight junction and mucins proteins in the cornea were tested. In HCE-2, PM 0 vs control significantly reduced mRNA and protein levels of tight junction and adherence proteins, and mucins. ECIS data demonstrated that PM 10 vs control cells exhibited a significant decrease in epithelial barrier strength at 4000 Hz indicated by reduced impedance and resistance. PM 10 also upregulated STC2 protein and total calcium levels. In vivo, PM 10 vs control reduced zonula occludens 1 and mucins. SKQ1 pre-treatment reversed PM 10 effects both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, PM 10 exposure reduced tight junction and mucin proteins, and compromised the seal between cells in the corneal epithelium leading to decreased epithelial barrier strength. This effect was reversed by SKQ1. Since the corneal epithelium forms the first line of defense against air pollutants, including PM 10 , preserving its integrity using antioxidants such as SKQ1 is crucial in reducing the occurrence of ocular surface disorders., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Linda D. Hazlett reports financial support was provided by National Institutes of Health. Linda D Hazlett reports a relationship with National Institutes of Health that includes: funding grants. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Accumulating observational studies have linked particulate air pollutants to neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). However, the causal links and the direction of their associations remain unclear. Therefore, we adopted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) design using the GWAS-based genetic instruments of particulate air pollutants (PM 2.5 and PM 10 ) from the UK Biobank to explore their causal influence on four common neurodegenerative diseases. Estimates of causative relationships were generated by the Inverse variance weighted (IVW) method with multiple sensitive analyses. The heterogeneity and pleiotropy tests were additionally performed to verify whether our findings were robust. Genetically predicted PM 2.5 and PM 10 could elevate the occurrence of AD (odds ratio [OR] = 2.22, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.53-3.22, P IVW = 2.85×10 -5 , P False discovery rate [FDR] = 2.85×10 -4 and OR = 2.41, 95 % CI: 1.26-4.60, P IVW = 0.008, P FDR =0.039, respectively). The results were robust in sensitive analysis. However, no evidence of causality was found for other NDDs. Our present study suggests that PM 2.5 and PM 10 have a detrimental effect on AD, which indicates that improving air quality to prevent AD may have pivotal public health implications., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Exposure to particulate matter (PM 10 ) can induce respiratory diseases that are closely related to bronchial hyperresponsiveness. However, the involved mechanism remains to be fully elucidated. This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of PM 10 on the acetylcholine muscarinic 3 receptor (CHRM3) expression and the role of the ERK1/2 pathway in rat bronchial smooth muscle. A whole-body PM 10 exposure system was used to stimulate bronchial hyperresponsiveness in rats for 2 and 4 months, accompanied by MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126 injection. The whole-body plethysmography system and myography were used to detect the pulmonary and bronchoconstrictor function, respectively. The mRNA and protein levels were determined by Western blotting, qPCR, and immunofluorescence. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the inflammatory cytokines. Compared with the filtered air group, 4 months of PM 10 exposure significantly increased CHRM3-mediated pulmonary function and bronchial constriction, elevated CHRM3 mRNA and protein expression levels on bronchial smooth muscle, then induced bronchial hyperreactivity. Additionally, 4 months of PM 10 exposure caused an increase in ERK1/2 phosphorylation and increased the secretion of inflammatory factors in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Treatment with the MEK1/2 inhibitor, U0126 inhibited the PM 10 exposure-induced phosphorylation of the ERK1/2 pathway, thereby reducing the PM 10 exposure-induced upregulation of CHRM3 in bronchial smooth muscle and CHRM3-mediated bronchoconstriction. U0126 could rescue PM 10 exposure-induced pathological changes in the bronchus. In conclusion, PM 10 exposure can induce bronchial hyperresponsiveness in rats by upregulating CHRM3, and the ERK1/2 pathway may be involved in this process. These findings could reveal a potential therapeutic target for air pollution induced respiratory diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mosaic loss of chromosome Y (mLOY) is the most common somatic alteration as men aging and may reflect genome instability. PM exposure is a major health concern worldwide, but its effects with genetic factors on mLOY has never been investigated. Here we explored the associations of PM 2.5 and PM 10 exposure with mLOY of 10,158 males measured via signal intensity of 2186 probes in male-specific chromosome-Y region from Illumina array data. The interactive and joint effects of PM 2.5 and PM 10 with genetic factors and smoking on mLOY were further evaluated. Compared with the lowest tertiles of PM 2.5 levels in each exposure window, the highest tertiles in the same day, 7-, 14-, 21-, and 28-day showed a 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.007, and 0.006 decrease in mLRR-Y, respectively (all P < 0.05), with adjustment for age, BMI, smoking pack-years, alcohol drinking status, physical activity, education levels, season of blood draw, and experimental batch. Such adverse effects were also observed in PM 10 -mLOY associations. Moreover, the unweighted and weighted PRS presented significant negative associations with mLRR-Y (both P < 0.001). Participants with high PRS and high PM 2.5 or PM 10 exposure in the 28-day separately showed a 0.018 or 0.019 lower mLRR-Y level [β (95 %CI) = -0.018 (-0.023, -0.012) and - 0.019 (-0.025, -0.014), respectively, both P < 0.001], when compared to those with low PRS and low PM 2.5 or PM 10 exposure. We also observed joint effects of PM with smoking on exacerbated mLOY. This large study is the first to elucidate the impacts of PM 2.5 exposure on mLOY, and provides key evidence regarding the interactive and joint effects of PM with genetic factors on mLOY, which may promote understanding of mLOY development, further modifying and increasing healthy aging in males., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing financial interest. Environmental implication Generally, males had higher incidence and mortality in non-sex-specific diseases than females, while mosaic loss of Y chromosome (mLOY) is the most frequently detected structural mosaic event. It is critical to illustrate the effects of environment and genes on mLOY. Since PM2.5 and PM10 exposure have become a pervasive global health threat, we estimated the combined effects of individual PM levels and genetic variants on mLOY. Our findings shed light on the risk factors of mLOY, which may be delivering interventions to modify the susceptibility to diverse diseases among males., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Air pollution is a worldwide environmental problem with an impact on human health. Particulate matter of ten micrometers or less aerodynamic diameter (PM 10 ) as well as its fine fraction (PM 2.5 ) is related to multiple pulmonary diseases. The impact of air pollution in Mexico City, and importantly, particulate matter has been studied and considered as a risk factor for two decades ago. Previous studies have reported the composition of Mexico City particulate matter, as well as the biological effects induced by this material. However, material collected and used in previous studies is a limited resource, and sampling and particle recovery techniques have been improved. In this study, we describe the methods used in our laboratory for Mexico City airborne particulate matter PM 10 and PM 2.5 sampling, considering the years 2017, 2018 and 2019. We also analyzed the PM 10 and PM 2.5 samples obtained to determine their composition. Finally, we exposed lung cell line cultures to PM 10 and PM 2.5 to evaluate the biological effect of the material in terms of cell viability, cell death, inflammatory response, and cytogenetic alterations. Our results showed that PM 10 composition includes inorganic, organic and biological compounds, while PM 2.5 is a mixture of more enriched organic compounds. PM 10 and PM 2.5 treatment in lung cells does not significantly impact cell viability/cell death. However, PM 10 and PM 2.5 increase the secretion levels of IL-6. Moreover, PM 10 as well as PM 2.5 induce cytogenetic alterations, such as micronuclei, anaphase bridges, trinucleated cells and apoptotic cells in lung cells. Our results update the evidence of the composition and biological effects of Mexico City particulate matter and provide us a reliable basis for future approaches., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Air pollution is increasingly linked to impaired kidney function in adults. However, little is known about how early-life exposure to air pollutants affects kidney function in adolescents., Study Design: Cohort study., Methods: We leveraged data from the 'Children of 1997' Hong Kong population-representative birth cohort (N = 8327). Residential exposure to average ambient levels of four air pollutants, including inhalable particle (PM 10 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), and nitrogen monoxide (NO), during in utero, infancy, and childhood periods was estimated using the inverse distance weighting. Kidney function was assessed using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) calculated from age-adjusted equations for adolescents. Generalized linear regression was used to examine the association of air pollutant exposure in each period with kidney function at 17.6 years. Two-pollutant models tested the robustness of the association., Results: Of the 3350 participants included, 51.4% were boys. Exposure to PM 10 was associated with poorer kidney function. Each interquartile range increment in PM 10 was inversely associated with eGFR (β: -2.933, 95% confidence interval -4.677 to -1.189) in utero, -2.362 (-3.992 to -0.732) infancy, -2.708 (-4.370 to -1.047) childhood, and -2.828 (-4.409 to -1.247) overall. Exposure to PM 10 and SO 2 in utero had a stronger inverse association with kidney function in males. The associations were robust to PM 10 exposure in two-pollutant models., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that early-life exposure to ambient PM 10 and SO 2 is associated with reduced kidney function in adolescents, especially exposure in utero., (Copyright © 2024 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Little is known about the impact of early-life exposure to air pollutants on CVD risk factors in late adolescence, which may track into adulthood. To clarify, we examined this question in a unique setting with high air pollution and a high level of economic development., Methods: This study leveraged the "Children of 1997" Hong Kong birth cohort (N = 8327), including here 3350 participants. We estimated ambient air pollutant exposure including inhalable particulate matter (PM 10 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and nitrogen monoxide (NO) by growth phase (in utero, infancy, childhood) and overall based on residential address. Generalized linear regression was used to assess the associations of air pollutants exposure by growth phase and sex with CVD risk factors (fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, lipid profile, blood pressure, and body mass index) at 17.6 years. We also assessed whether associations varied by sex., Results: Early life exposed had little association with glucose metabolism, blood pressure or body mass index, but after considering multiple comparisons early exposure to PM 10 was associated with low density lipoprotein (LDL) in boys, with β and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) of 0.184 (0.069 to 0.298) mmol/l, 0.151 (0.056 to 0.248) mmol/l, and 0.157 (0.063 to 0.252) mmol/l by per interquartile range (IQR) increment of PM 10 for in utero, infancy, and overall, respectively. No such associations were evident for girls, differences by sex were evident., Conclusions: Our study suggested sex-specific associations of early-life PM 10 exposure with elevated LDL in adolescence, especially exposure in utero and infancy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

As one of the most environmental concerns, inhaled particulate matter (PM 10 ) causes numerous health problems. However, the associations between anxiety behavior and toxicity caused by PM 10 have rarely been reported so far. To investigate the changes of behavior after PM 10 exposure and to identify the potential mechanisms of toxicity, PM 10 samples (with doses of 15 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg) were intratracheally instilled into rats to simulate inhalation of polluted air by the lungs. After instillation for eight weeks, anxiety-like behavior was evaluated, levels of oxidative stress and morphological changes of hippocampus were measured. The behavioral results indicated that PM 10 exposure induced obvious anxiety-like behavior in the open field and elevated plus maze tests. Both PM 10 concentrations tested could increase whole blood viscosity and trigger hippocampal neuronal damage and oxidative stress by increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and malondialdehyde levels, and decreasing the expressions of antioxidant-related proteins (e.g., nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), SOD1 and heme oxygenase 1). Furthermore, through collecting and analyzing questionnaires, the data showed that the participants experienced obvious anxiety-related emotions and negative somatic responses under heavily polluted environments, especially PM 10 being the main pollutant. These results show that PM 10 exposure induces anxiety-like behavior, which may be related to suppressing the Nrf2/Keap1-SOD1 pathway., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To investigate the acidity and the water-soluble oxidative potential of PM 10 , during the continental biomass-burning plume transport, a three-year (2018-2020) winter-time campaign was conducted over a pristine island (21.35°N, 88.32°E) of Sundarban mangrove ecosystem situated at the shore of Bay of Bengal. The average PM 10 concentration over Sundarban was found to be 98.3 ± 22.2 μg m -3 for the entire study period with a high fraction of non-sea-salt- SO 4 2- and water-soluble organic carbons (WSOC) that originated from the regional solid fuel burning. The thermodynamic E-AIM(IV) model had estimated that the winter-time aerosols over Sundarban were acidic (pH:2.4 ± 0.6) and mainly governed by non-sea-salt-SO 4 2- . The volume and mass normalized oxidative potential of PM 10 was found to be 1.81 ± 0.40 nmol DTT min -1 m -3 and 18.4 ± 6.1 pmol DTT min -1 μg -1 respectively which are surprisingly higher than several urban atmospheres across the world including IGP. The acid-digested water-soluble transition metals (Cu, Mn) show higher influences in the oxidative potential (under high aerosol acidity) compared to the WSOC. The study revealed that the advection of regional solid fuel burning plume and associated non-sea-salt-SO 4 2- is enhancing aerosol acidity and oxidative stress that in turn alters the intrinsic properties of aerosols over such marine ecosystems rich in ecology and bio-geochemistry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest I, the corresponding author of the study entitled “Acidity and oxidative potential of atmospheric aerosols over a pristine mangrove ecosystem during the advection of biomass burning plume” hereby declare on behalf of all the co-authors that the authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

One of the largest petrochemical complexes of southern Europe is located in Tarragona County (Catalonia, Spain). Despite environmental monitoring is routinely conducted in the area, the long-term occurrence of airborne trace elements has been poorly investigated. In the present study, the concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and vanadium (V) were analysed in air samples collected in El Morell, a town potentially impacted by the petrochemical. Air samples were simultaneously collected in the town of Cambrils, as a background site. Meteorological data and retro trajectories analysis were used to evaluate the impact of the petrochemical industry on the levels of trace elements in air. Subsequently, human health risks due to inhalation exposure to the trace elements were also assessed. Except for V, air concentrations were significantly higher near the oil refinery than the background levels. Human health risks were also estimated to be higher in the vicinity of the petrochemical complex. In turn, air inhalation of Pb and V was higher than their dietary intakes. The present data should be considered only as preliminary, since the sampling was taken during only three weeks, which is an insufficient period to extract reliable conclusions. Further long-term studies should be focused on assessing the influence of temporary variables, such as meteorological conditions and fugitive or sporadic emissions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Studies related to air pollutants and spontaneous abortion in urban northwestern China are scarce, and the main exposure windows of pollutants acting on pregnant women are unclear., Study Design: Case-control study., Methods: Data were collected from pregnant women in Tongchuan City from 2018 to 2019. A total of 289 cases of spontaneous abortion and 1156 cases of full-term labor were included and analyzed using a case-control study. Logistic regression models were developed to explore the relationship between air pollutants and spontaneous abortion after Chi square analysis and Air pollutant description., Results: O 3 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.028) is a risk factor for spontaneous abortion throughout pregnancy. PM 2.5 (OR = 1.015), PM 10 (OR = 1.010), SO 2 (OR = 1.026), and NO 2 (OR = 1.028) are risk factors for spontaneous abortion in the 30 days before the last menstrual period. PM 2.5 (OR = 1.015), PM 10 (OR = 1.013), SO 2 (OR = 1.036), and NO 2 (OR = 1.033) are risk factors for spontaneous abortion in the 30-60 days before the last menstrual period. PM 2.5 (OR = 1.028), PM 10 (OR = 1.013), SO 2 (OR = 1.035), and NO 2 (OR = 1.059) are risk factors for spontaneous abortion in the 60-90 days before the last menstrual period., Conclusion: Exposure to high levels of air pollutants may be a cause of increased risk of spontaneous abortion, especially in the first trimester of the last menstrual period., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)