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The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-associated Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was an outbreak in December, 2019 and rapidly spread to the world. All variants of SARS-CoV-2, including the globally and currently dominant Delta variant (Delta-SARS-CoV-2), caused severe disease and mortality. Among all variants, Delta-SARS-CoV-2 had the highest transmissibility, growth rate, and secondary attack rate than other variants except for the new variant of Omicron that still exists with many unknown effects. In Taiwan, the pandemic Delta-SARS-CoV-2 began in Pingtung from 14 June 2021 and ceased at 11 July 2021. Seventeen patients were infected by Delta-SARS-CoV-2 and 1 person died during the Pingtung outbreak. The Public Health Bureau of Pingtung County Government stopped the Delta-SARS-CoV-2 outbreak within 1 month through measures such as epidemic investigation, rapid gene sequencing, rapidly expanding isolation, expanded screening of the Delta-SARS-CoV-2 antigen for people who lived in regional villages, and indirect intervention, including rapid vaccination, short lockdown period, and travel restrictions. Indirect environmental factors, such as low levels of air pollution, tropic weather in the summer season, and rural areas might have accelerated the ability to control the Delta-SARS-CoV-2 spread. This successful experience might be recommended as a successful formula for the unvaccinated or insufficiently vaccinated regions.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are widely utilized for industrial, biomedical, and environmental purposes. The toxicity of Carboxylated SWCNTs (SWCNTs−COOH) in in vivo models, particularly Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), and in vitro human cells is still unclear. In this study, C. elegans was used to study the effects of SWCNTs−COOH on lethality, lifespan, growth, reproduction, locomotion, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and the antioxidant system. Our data show that exposure to ≥1 μg·L−1 SWCNTs−COOH could induce toxicity in nematodes that affects lifespan, growth, reproduction, and locomotion behavior. Moreover, the exposure of nematodes to SWCNTs−COOH induced ROS generation and the alteration of antioxidant gene expression. SWCNTs−COOH induced nanotoxic effects at low dose of 0.100 or 1.00 μg·L−1, particularly for the expression of antioxidants (SOD-3, CTL-2 and CYP-35A2). Similar nanotoxic effects were found in human cells. A low dose of SWCNTs−COOH induced ROS generation and increased the expression of catalase, MnSOD, CuZnSOD, and SOD-2 mRNA but decreased the expression of GPX-2 and GPX-3 mRNA in human monocytes. These findings reveal that background-level SWCNTs−COOH exerts obvious adverse effects, and C. elegans is a sensitive in vivo model that can be used for the biological evaluation of the toxicity of nanomaterials.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are widely utilized for industrial, biomedical, and environmental purposes. The toxicity of Carboxylated SWCNTs (SWCNTs-COOH) in in vivo models, particularly

Type II diabetes (T2D) arises through insulin resistance and a progressive decrease in insulin secretion, which may be partly related to pancreatic beta-cell function decline, obesity, and eventual hyperglycemia [1]. The first line for managing hyperglycemia in patients with T2D includes lifestyle modifications and metformin monotherapy. However, many patients still showed poor glycemic control due to progressive deterioration during the course of T2D [2, 3]. On streptozotocin-induced T2D rats, tempeh fermentation has been shown to be a potentially beneficial dietary supplement for abnormal carbohydrate metabolism [4]. This study was a prospective open-label clinical trial. The data were collected from Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital Pingtung Branch, Taiwan from August 2018 to July 2019. 35 eligible T2D participants with a mean age of 57.91 ± 10.17 years were enrolled. After taking 2 g tempeh capsules daily for a period of 3 months, the levels of HbA1C and triglyceride were noticeably decreased in the participants. A regression analysis revealed that cholesterol concentration had a significant positive correlation with the concentrations of LDL, but triglyceride concentration had a significant negative correlation with the concentrations of HDL in the pre- and the post-tempeh treatment.

Breastfeeding is recommended over formula feeding, but human breast milk (HBM) composition varies and can be affected by food additives. Whether flame-retardant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) found in HBM interact with lipid components of HBM to impede infant neurodevelopment is a critical public health issue. Using lipidomic analysis, we examined the association of PBDEs in HBM and HBM lipid components with infant neurodevelopment. HBM samples (n = 100) were collected at the beginning stage of breastfeeding and analyzed for 30 PBDE congeners as well as a group of lipid components by using high-resolution gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Infants were examined at 8 to 12 months of age by using the Bayley-III to assess neurodevelopment. A total of seven PBDEs, 35 lipids, and 27 fatty acids in HBM showed significant associations with Bayley-III scores. Multivariate analysis confirmed that these candidate PBDEs and lipid components were significant predictors of infant neurodevelopment. Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid in HBM showed no association with infant neurodevelopment in the general Taiwanese population. While certain PBDEs may play a role, our findings indicate that the lipid components of HBM are directly important for infant neurodevelopment.

Human breast milk lipids have major beneficial effects: they promote infant early brain development, growth and health. To identify the relationship between human breast milk lipids and infant neurodevelopment, multivariate analyses that combined lipidomics and psychological Bayley-III scales evaluation were utilized. We identified that 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid has a significantly positive correlation with infant adaptive behavioral development, which is a crucial neurodevelopment to manage risk from environmental stress. To further clarify the biological function of 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid in regulating neurodevelopment, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was used as a model to investigate the effect of 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid on neurobehavioral development. Supplementation with 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid from the L1 to L4 stage in larvae affected locomotive behaviors and foraging ability that were not socially interactive, implying that 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid is involved in regulating the serotonergic neuronal ability. We found that supplementary 0.1 μM 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid accelerated the locomotive ability and foraging ability via increasing the expression of serotonin transporter mod-1. Antioxidant defense genes, sod-1, sod-3 and cyp-35A2 are involved in 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid-induced motor neuronal activity. Nevertheless, supplementary 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid at concentrations above 1 μM significantly attenuated locomotive behaviors, foraging ability, serotonin synthesis, serotonin-related gene expressions and stress-related gene expression, resulting in the decreased longevity of worms in the experiment. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the biological function of 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid in governing adaptive behavioral development.

Due to the sparsity in knowledge, we investigated the presence of various estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EEDCs), including phthalates (PAEs), bisphenol-A (BPA), and nonylphenol (NP), as well as microplastics (MPs) in samples of the most widely consumed fish collected from different estuaries in northern Taiwan. We then proceeded to determine the likely contribution that this exposure has on the potential for health impacts in humans following consumption of the fish. Six hundred fish caught from five river estuaries (producing 130 pooled samples) were analyzed to determine how different factors (such as the river, benthic, pelagic, and migratory species) influence EEDCs’ contamination and the possible impacts on human health following typical consumption patterns. The predominant EEDCs was diethyl phthalates (DEP), bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalates (DEHP), and di-iso-nonylphthalate (DINP) in fish, present at 52.9 ± 77.3, 45.3 ± 79.8, and 42.5 ± 79.3 ng/g dry weight (d.w.), respectively. Residual levels of NP, BPA, and MPs in the fish were 17.4 ± 29.1 and 1.50 ± 2.20 ng/g d.w. and 0.185 ± 0.338 mg/g d.w., respectively. EEDCs and MPs levels varied widely among the five river estuaries sampled due, in part, to differences in habitat types and the associated diversity of fish species sampled. For DEP, the Lao-Jie River and pelagic environments produced the most severely contaminated fish species, respectively. DEP residues were also associated with the burden of MPs in the fish. Based on our analysis, we predict no substantial direct human health risk by EEDCs based on typical consumption rates of estuarine fish by the Taiwanese people. However, other sources of EEDC exposure cannot be ignored.

Several studies have stated the harmful effects of PM2.5 to population health, including disruption of neurological development. However, the mechanism behind the neurodevelopmental effects of ambient PM2.5 and postnatal PBDEs and OCPs exposure is still unknown. Our goal was to determine influence of breastmilk residues, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), to the infants’ neurodevelopment with respect to high and low PM2.5 exposure areas. The participants were recruited from high PM2.5 exposure areas (n = 32) and low PM2.5 exposure areas (n = 23) of southern Taiwan. The extracted 14 PBDEs and 20 OCPs compounds were analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer. The infants, aging from 8-12 months, were examined by Bayley Scales of Infants and Toddlers Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) for neurodevelopment. Results showed that high PM2.5 exposure caused reduced head circumference and had significant effects on the motor skill and social emotional development. For breastmilk PBDEs, a positive correlation between BDE-196 and social emotion, after multivariate analysis with adjustment of confounders, was observed while BDE-99, 196, 197, and 207 showed higher magnitudes in low PM2.5 areas than in high PM2.5 areas. For OCPs, only γ- hexachlorcyclohexanes (γ-HCH) presented the significant difference between high and low PM2.5 exposure areas. Most breastmilk OCPs residues, including 4,4’-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (4,4’-DDT), γ-HCH, endrin, and heptachlor epoxide showed negative impact on the Bayley-III scores after multivariate analysis. In conclusion, infants’ neurodevelopment was significantly correlated with the location of PM2.5 exposure and breastmilk intake of certain PBDEs and OCPs. Breastmilk OCPs might obviously affect infants’ neurodevelopment more compared to breastmilk PBDEs based on our finding. Moreover, this study further employs awareness about viable effects of PM2.5 in infants’ neurodevelopment.

Particulate matter (PM) pollution (including PM2.5 and PM10), which is reportedly caused primarily by industrial and vehicular emissions, has become a major global health concern. In this study, we aimed to reveal spatiotemporal characteristics and diurnal patterns of PM2.5 and PM10 data obtained from 50 air quality sensors situated in public bike sites in Kaohsiung City on June and November 2018 using principal component analysis (PCA). Results showed that PM concentrations in the study were above the standard World Health Organization criteria and were found to be associated, although complicated, with relative humidity. Specifically, the relationship between PM concentrations and relative humidity suggest a clear association at lower PM concentrations. Temporal analysis revealed that PM2.5 and PM10 occurred at higher concentrations in winter than in summer, which could be explained by the long-range transport of pollutants brought about by the northeast monsoon during the winter season. Both PM fractions displayed similar spatial distribution, wherein PM2.5 and PM10 were found to be concentrated in the heavily industrialized areas of the city, such as near petrochemical factories in Nanzih and Zuoying districts in north Kaohsiung and near the shipbuilding and steel manufacturing factories in Xiaogang district in south Kaohsiung. A pronounced diurnal variation was found for PM2.5, which generally displayed higher peaks during the daytime than in the nighttime. Peaks generally occurred at 7:00–9:00 a.m., noontime, and 5:00–7:00 p.m., while minima generally appeared at nighttime. The diurnal pattern of PM was greatly influenced by a greater number of industrial and human transportation activities during the day than at night. Overall, a number of factors such as relative humidity and type of season, transboundary pollution from neighboring countries, and human activities, such as industrial operations and vehicle use, affects the PM quality in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.

Cooking oil fumes (CF) coming from night market stalls exhaust contain substantial amounts of air pollutants such as carbonyl compounds that may contribute to outdoor air pollution and may have adverse health effects on the Taiwanese population. Carbonyl emission characteristics depend on several factors, which include but are not limited to, the cooking style and food material being used. The current study evaluated carbonyl compound emissions from two scenarios: a standard kitchen cooking classroom with a stack gas tunnel and night market food stalls. The different cooking styles and food types cooked using a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove, such as grilled chicken with (GCS) and without sauce (GC), mixed barbecue with sauce (MBS), grilled vegetables with sauce (GVS), stir-fried oyster omelet (OM), fried Taiwanese chicken nuggets (FN) in the kitchen cooking classroom, and grilled chicken with (GCS) and without sauce (GC), stir-fried oyster omelet (OM), grilled vegetables with sauce (GVS), and fried steak (FS) in the night market were evaluated for carbonyl carbon emissions. OM from the kitchen classroom and GCS from the night market showed the highest mean total carbonyl compound concentrations (1850 ± 682 ppb and 1840 ppb). Formaldehyde was found to be the most predominant carbonyl compound, with contribution percentages ranging from 70.9–99.58% of the total carbonyl emission factors in CFs. Grilled vegetables with sauce had the highest emission factor magnitude of 274 µg kg–1 wt. Factors such as the addition of sauce and grilling were also observed to increase carbonyl compound emissions. Corresponding health risks of carbonyl compounds in CFs for the night market vendors were also assessed. All values for cancer risk (R) were above the standard R value for workplace exposure, and HQ values were all greater than 1, suggesting a high risk for adverse health effects. Although our reported values were relatively high due to our sampling conditions, our study was first to be conducted in Taiwan and holds an important contribution to the global existing data of carbonyl compound emissions.

This study investigated the atmospheric PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3 in Urumqi and Turfan cities from 2015 to 2017. In addition, six AQI categories and AQI values and seasonal changes in the major pollutants in Urumqi and Turpan were studied. In the three-year (2015–2017) study, in Urumqi, the average proportion of grades I, II, III, IV, V, and VI in spring were 16.3%, 59.7%, 16.0%, 5.33%, 2.67%, and 0%, respectively, were 12.0%, 82.7%, 5.33%, 0%, 0%, and 0% in summer; were 13.3%, 65.7%, 16.3%, 3.33%, 1.33%, and 0% in fall, and were 0.667%, 14.3%, 22.3%, 15.3%, 33.7%, and 13.7% in winter. In the Turpan region, the mean proportion of Grade I, II, III, IV, V, and VI pollutants were 0%, 61%, 21.3%, 8.00%, 2.33%, and 7.33% in spring, respectively; were 0.67%, 74.7%, 20.0%, 2.00%, 0.67%, and 2.00% in summer, were 1.33%, 59.7%, 42.3%, 7.67%, 0.33%, and 2.00% in fall, and were 0%, 11.0%, 35.3%, 29.3%, 20.3%, and 4.00% in winter. In the three-year (2015–2017) study, based on the results of the survey, it was determined that two cities have the best air quality in summer and the worst air quality in winter. In Urumqi, when the AQI was between 101–150, the main air pollutants in 2015 were PM2.5 and PM10. In 2016, the main air pollutant was PM2.5, and in 2017, the main air pollutants were PM2.5 and PM10. In Turpan, the main air pollutants in 2015 were PM2.5 and PM10, were PM2.5, PM10, and O3 in 2016, and was PM10 in 2017. When the AQI was between 151 and 200, in Urumqi, the main atmospheric pollutant in the three-year period was PM2.5. In Turpan, the main atmospheric pollutants in the three-year period were PM2.5 and PM10. When the AQI was between 201 and 300 in Urumqi, PM2.5 was the main atmospheric pollutant from 2015–2017. In Turpan, the main atmospheric pollutants in the three-year period were PM2.5 and PM10. To summarize, in both Urumqi and Turpan, PM2.5 and PM10 were the most predominant air pollutants causing high AQI values. More attention should thus be paid to the sources and reduction of these pollutants.

Plastics’ broad application in a wide range of industries has resulted in an increase in global plastic production rates over time. The continued need for plastic, which can take up a lot of space in landfills due to the accumulation of plastic trash, has contributed to environmental problems. To address the problem of plastic waste, many options, such as recycling and energy recovery technologies, have been created. One possible technique to address landfill issues is to convert plastic waste into diesel fuel. In this review, the potential use of plastic-derived diesel fuel in internal combustion engines as a renewable and sustainable energy source is discussed. It’s been found that due to similar properties in plastic-derived diesel fuel, it inherits similar performance in internal combustion engines.

Electrochemical advanced oxidation process (EAOP) is known for its efficient and fast degradation of organic pollutants in polluted water treatment. In this study, the EAOP using a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode was applied to treat two-season groundwater samples collected from four sampling wells (GS1 to GS4) with petrochemical contaminants including methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), benzene, toluene, chlorobenzene, total organic compounds (TOC), and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) at a gas station in southern Taiwan. Moreover, toxicity tests (ATP, p53, and NF-κB bioassays) were performed to evaluate the biological responses of raw and EAOP-treated groundwater. Results show that the concentrations of chlorobenzene before and after EAOP treatment were all below its method detection limit. High degradation efficiencies were observed for MTBE (100%), benzene (100%), toluene (100%, except that of GS2 in the first season), TPH (94–97%, except that of GS4 in the first season), and TOC (85–99%). Cell viability for both the raw groundwater (81.2 ± 13.5%) and EAOP-treated samples (84.7 ± 11.7%) as detected using the ATP bioassay showed no significant difference (p = 0.715). A mean reduction in the DNA damage (739 to 165 ng DOX-equivalency L−1 (ng DOX-EQ. L−1)) and inflammatory response levels (460 to 157 ng TNFα-equivalency L−1 (ng TNFα-EQ. L−1)) were observed for EAOP-treated samples subjected to p53 and NF-κB bioassays. Overall, the significances of the average degradation efficiency, DNA damage, and inflammatory response before and after groundwater with EAOP treatment was observed to be significant (p

Energy has a significant influence on Malaysia's industry. It is used in electricity generation, refineries, gas processing plants and end-user applications such as transportation, residential, agriculture and fishing. These burning fossil fuel activities produce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. This article presents the emissions data of fuel used in power plants in Malaysia during the year of 1990 until 2017. The fuel used in power plants is coal and coke, natural gas, diesel oil and residual fuel oil. The energy data used in power plants were gathered from the Malaysia Energy Information Hub, published by the Malaysian Energy Commission. The GHG emissions data were calculated using the emission factors method. The climate impact of different GHGs in terms of CO2-equivalent (CO2-e) was also calculated using global warming potentials. The article also presents population data in Malaysia during the year. A correlation between the fuels, GHG emission and the population is also investigated using statistical analysis. The data presented here may facilitate the Malaysian government to identify the source of the pollutants and undertake a climate change mitigation plan.

This study focuses on the comparison between gas- and water-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emitted from a single hydrogen–oxygen proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell (FC) at different flowrates and temperatures. The results show that among 21 PAHs, the most and least dominant species were Nap and BeP, respectively. At 65°C, the concentrations of individual gas- and water-phase PAHs decreased with increasing flowrate, and the PAH concentrations were lower at the anode than those at the cathode. The concentrations of gas-phase Total-PAHs and Total-BaPeq were slightly lower at 65°C than those at 90°C, but an opposite trend was observed for water-phase ones. The temperature influenced water-phase PAH concentration profiles more than gas-phase ones, and the gas- and water-phase PAHs had different concentration profiles. The performance of membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) decreased with increasing flowrate or temperature. The emission factor (EF) sum (anode + cathode) for gas- or water-phase Total-PAHs increased with increasing flowrate. This tendency was also true for gas-phase Total-PAHs EFs but not for water-phase ones when raising the temperature from 65°C to 90°C. At 65°C and 52/35 sccm, the EF sums of water-phase Total-PAHs and Total-BaPeq were 2.18 ± 0.04 and 0.09 ± 0.00 µg g-MEA–1, respectively—smaller than those of gas-phase ones (3.02 ± 0.09 and 0.12 ± 0.00 µg g-MEA–1, respectively). More environmental concern should be directed at emitted gas-phase PAHs than at water-phase ones because the anode and cathode water effluents are usually recycled during PEMFC operations.

The atmospheric PM2.5, total PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ concentrations, PM2.5-bound total PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ content, gas-particle partitioning and wet deposition of PCDD/Fs in Jinan and Weihai, from 2015 to 2017, were investigated, respectively. Furthermore, a regression analysis of the air quality index (AQI) and total PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ concentrations was studied as well. From 2015–2017, the three-year average PM2.5 concentrations in Jinan and Weihai were 76.1 and 32.9 µg m–3, respectively. The three-year average total PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ concentrations in Jinan and Weihai were 0.0866 and 0.0396 pg-WHO2005-TEQ m–3, respectively, indicating that maritime climate regulation contributes to the spread of pollutants. The three-year average fraction of gas phase total PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ concentrations in spring, summer, autumn, and winter in Jinan were 26.1%, 63.8%, 30.5% and 4.62%, respectively; while, those in Weihai were 30.7%, 74.5%, 44.4%, and 8.41%, respectively. In 2016, the annual wet deposition fluxes in Jinan and Weihai were 1288 and 483 pg WHO2005-TEQ m–2 year–1, respectively. The annual scavenging ratios of total PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ were 33080 and 30870 in Jinan and Weihai, respectively. The total concentration of PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ increased with an increase of AQI and showed a positive correlation; the R2 values of three years (2015, 2016, and 2017) were 0.873, 0.847, and 0.744, respectively. Therefore, knowing the AQI value, the total concentration of PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ in the ambient air can be roughly estimated using a regression equation.

In this study, the atmospheric PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3 concentration from 2015-2017, in Handan and Kaifeng were investigated. Besides, the seasonal variations of AQI values and their corresponding primary pollutants of six AQI grades were also discussed. In Handan, the daily AQI values ranged from 22 to 500 in 2015, from 19 to 500 in 2016, and from 27 to 500 in 2017, for which the corresponding average values were 143, 132 and 151, respectively. In Kaifeng, the daily AQI ranged from 25 to 496 in 2015, from 20 to 420 in 2016, and from 21 to 434 in 2017, for which the corresponding average values were 129, 124 and 131, respectively. During the three-year study, in Handan, the average proportion of grades I, II, III, IV, V and VI were 4.0%, 35.0%, 25.6%, 31.7%, 2.5% and 1.2% in spring; were 4.0%, 35.1%, 22.6%, 35.8%, 2.5% and 0% in summer; were 14.2%, 31.0%, 15.3%, 35.8%, 3.7% and 0% in fall, and were 3.3%, 26.1%, 20.0%, 37.8%, 8.1% and 4.7% in winter. In Kaifeng, the average proportion of grades I, II, III, IV, V and VI were 2.6%, 34.0%, 24.4%, 36.1%, 2.6% and 0.3% in spring; were 18.2%, 41.9%, 21.8%, 17.0%, 1.1% and and 0% in summer; were 8.6%, 34.3%, 17.4%, 34.8%, 4.9% and 0% in fall, and were 2.1%, 15.1%, 7.8%, 44.5%, 26.2% and 4.3% in winter. Overall, the air quality in the two cities were the worst in winter. The AQI values were between 101 and 150, where in Handan, PM2.5, PM10, and O3 were the primary air pollutants over the three years. In Kaifeng, the primary air pollutants were PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and O3 in 2015; were PM2.5, PM10, and O3 in 2016, and were PM2.5, PM10, and O3 in 2017. When AQIs ranged between 151 and 200, in Handan, the primary air pollutants were PM2.5, PM10, and O3 in both 2015 and 2016, and were PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and O3 in 2017. In Kaifeng, PM2.5, PM10, and O3 were the primary air pollutants from 2015-2017. When AQIs were between 201 and 300, in Handan, the primary air pollutants were PM2.5 and PM10 in 2015 and were PM2.5 and O3 in 2017. In Kaifeng, the primary air pollutants comprised PM10 in 2015, PM2.5 and PM10 in 2016, and PM2.5 and O3 at the same time. When the AQI values were between 301 and 500, which did not occur in Handan in 2015, the primary air pollutants comprised PM10 in 2016, PM2.5 and PM10 in 2017, and in Kaifeng from 2015-2017, PM2.5, and PM10 were the primary air pollutants. This study investigated the AQI values and corresponding primary pollutants in each season in more detail, the control strategies for these air pollutants will be more precisely.

Non-polybrominated diphenyl ether (non-PBDE) halogenated fire retardants (HFRs) such as new or novel brominated fire retardants (NBFRs) and dechlorane plus (DP) have been widely spread in the environment and recognized as emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the recent years, mainly due to the continuous increase in their global demand, especially after the worldwide restrictions on PBDE use. Polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PBDD/Fs) are the unintentional byproducts of PBDE commercial formulations in the indoor environment. Although HFRs, including NBFRs, DP, and PBDD/Fs, are ubiquitous in the indoor environment due to the large-volume release from the surfaces of consumer products, only a few in vitro and in vivo studies have addressed their toxic effects. In this review article, global data on NBFRs, including decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), bis(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate (BEH-TEBP), and 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EH-TBB), DP, including syn-DP and anti-DP, and PBDD/Fs in indoor aerosol and dust are summarized from recent literature. Based on the gathered data, indoor dust is a major sink for indoor contamination and is of great concern due to the fact that dust ingestion is one of the primary routes for human exposure to these chemicals. Lastly, the toxic effects of NBFRs, DP, and PBDD/Fs identified in in vitro and in vivo studies are summarized and discussed based on the current published reports. However, there is still a lack of sufficient toxicity data for assessing their risks. Future works are encouraged to focus on indoor PM2.5-bound HFR levels to further evaluate their toxic effects on human health.

This study investigated atmospheric PM2.5 concentration, PM2.5/PM10 ratio, total PCDD/Fs concentration, PCDD/F phase distribution, PM2.5-bound total PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ content, and dry deposition of PCDD/Fs for Xiamen and Zhangzhou Cities during 2015–2017, and sensitivity analysis of both atmospheric PM2.5-bound total PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ content and dry deposition of PCDD/Fs in these two cities. During 2015–2017, the three-year average concentration of PM2.5 in Xiamen was 27.6 µg m–3, while that of Zhangzhou was 33.9 µg m–3; this level is still higher than the WHO annual PM2.5 standard (10.0 µg m–3). In addition, the summer PM2.5-bound total PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ content in Xiamen and Zhangzhou Cities was 0.131 ng-WHO2005-TEQ g–1 and 0.161 ng-WHO2005-TEQ g–1. And it is lower than the average of the other three seasons. In Xiamen, the average monthly dry deposition flux in these three years was 322 pg WHO2005-TEQ m–2 month–1, while that of Zhangzhou was 378 pg WHO2005-TEQ m–2 month–1, respectively. Sensitivity analysis of atmospheric PM2.5-bound total PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ content showed that the most sensitive parameters are total PCDD/F mass concentration and PM10 concentration, followed by atmospheric temperature and PM2.5 concentration; in addition, the sensitivity analysis of atmospheric dry deposition is similar to those of atmospheric PM2.5-bound total PCDD/Fs-WHO2005-TEQ content. The results of this study provide useful information for better understanding PM2.5, particle-bound PCDD/Fs content and PCDD/Fs dry deposition in the ambient air of urban cities.

Human exposure to airborne PM2.5 has been linked to an increased risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, possibly via the activation of systemic inflammation. However, the associations between airborne PM2.5 and systemic inflammation in humans remain inconclusive. Traffic-related air pollutants (TRAPs) are the major source of PM2.5 in urban areas; the adverse health effect of PM2.5 from TRAPs is currently a critical issue of public concern. The present cross-sectional study examines the relationship between PM2.5 exposure and systemic inflammation in order to consider the health impacts of TRAP PM2.5 on urban traffic conductors. All study participants, viz., office-based police officers (the reference) and traffic conductors (the exposure), were requested to carry a personal sampler to determine individual PM2.5 exposure. An adenovirus-based NF-κB luciferase reporter assay was used to determine the proinflammatory activity in serum samples collected from the study participants. The blood proinflammatory activity was presented as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) equivalence (TNFα-EQ), which was extrapolated from the sigmoidal semi-logarithmic dose-response curve of the NF-κB reporter assay by TNFα. The levels of both personal PM2.5 exposure and blood proinflammatory activity (TNFα-EQ) in the exposure group (traffic conductors) were significantly higher than in the reference group (office-based police officers) (p < 0.05). The present study reveals a positive and significant association between personal PM2.5 exposure levels and blood TNFα-EQ levels in a linear regression model of y = 0.511x – 3.062 (y = log TNFα-EQ and x = log PM2.5; R = 0.231 and p = 0.047); the results suggest that exposure to TRAP PM2.5 significantly contributes to increased systemic inflammation in humans. This research provides clear evidence that long-term occupational exposure to TRAPs causes adverse health impacts, i.e., inflammation, on traffic conductors.

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) has been widely applied in the food and agricultural industries. It is still unknown whether natural bioactive compounds in seeds are affected by NTP treatment. Our goal was to examine whether the bioactive compounds in djulis (Chenopodium formosanum Koidz.) seed are changed after NTP treatment. The betacyanin, anthocyanin, total phenolic content (TPCs), total flavonoids (TFs), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging effects (DPPH), gallic acid, and rutin were compared in NTP-treated seed and an untreated control. Levels of betacyanin, anthocyanin, and TPCs in the seed were found to be significantly increased after the nitrogen (N2)-NTP treatment compared with the control (p &lt, 0.001). Inversely, the air-NTP treatment significantly weakened the performance of these bioactive compounds in the seed as compared to the control. Levels of TFs in both the air- and N2-NTP treated seed were significantly lower than those in the control (p &lt, 0.001). After the NTP treatment, DPPH was still at high levels, similar to those in the control. The djulis seed extract had antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on THP-1 (human-monocyte-cell line) cells. N2-NTP generated nitrogen reactive species that activated the bioactive compounds in the seed. In contrast, air-NTP produced oxygen and nitrogen reactive species inhibited the expression of these bioactive compounds.

Carbon-based engineered nanomaterials, such as graphene oxide nanoparticles (GO NPs), are widely available for application, but their potentially adverse health effects on humans still require investigation. In this study, the environmental levels of GO NPs are addressed to examine whether GO leads to adverse effects on an in-vivo model of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Nematodes with prolonged exposure (L1 larvae to young adult) to GO NPs at 0.00100, 0.0100, 0.100, and 1.00 mg L–1 were used to evaluate the potential toxic effects, including lethality (acute toxicity), reproductive (brood size) and neurological (locomotion including head thrash and body bend) responses, longevity (lifespan), and oxidative stress (gene expression of sod-1, sod-3, and clt-2). Prolonged exposure to GO NPs was not found to induce lethality at the selective levels. In the brood-size and head-thrash tests, the biological responses in nematodes were significantly reduced at 0.0100-1.00 ng L–1 GO NP exposure as compared with the untreated control. The nematodes exposure to GO NPs at 0.00100–1.00 ng L–1 exhibited significant delays in body bending behavior compared with the control. In the examination of the longevity of nematodes, it was found that the lifespan of all GO NP-exposed worms was significantly shortened as compared to the untreated worms. Gene expression of sod-1, sod-3, and ctl-2 presented significantly higher induction folds in the exposed worms compared with the controls. Consequently, prolonged exposure to the low-dose GO NPs might be associated with disruption of reproduction and locomotion, attenuation of longevity, and induction of oxidative stress in nematodes.

COVID-19, which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first broke out at the end of 2019. Despite rapidly spreading around the world during the first half of 2020, it remained well controlled in Taiwan without the implementation of a nationwide lockdown. This study aimed to evaluate the PM2.5 concentrations in this country during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and compare them with those during the corresponding period from 2019. We obtained measurements (taken every minute or every 3 minutes) from approximately 1,500 PM2.5 sensors deployed in industrial areas of northern and southern Taiwan for the first quarters (January–March) of both years. Our big data analysis revealed that the median hourly PM2.5 levels decreased by 3.70% (from 16.3 to 15.7 µg m–3) and 10.6% (from 32.4 to 29.3 µg m–3) in the north and south, respectively, between these periods owing to lower domestic emissions of PM2.5 precursors (viz., nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide) and, to a lesser degree, smaller transported emissions of PM2.5, e.g., from China. Additionally, the spatial patterns of the PM2.5 in both northern and southern Taiwan during 2020 resembled those from the previous year. Finally, controlling local PM2.5 emission sources critically contributes to reducing the number of COVID-19 cases.

High levels of fine particulate (PM2.5) in indoor and outdoor air have globally threatened human health and environment. There are still few studies which concern on the emerging persistent organic pollutants like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) bound on PM2.5. The aim of this study was to investigate PBDEs in PM2.5 in various outdoor (metropolis, industrial, and rural areas) and indoor (library, rail station, hospital, supermarket, department store, and office) environments. PM2.5-bound PBDEs was analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry after PM2.5 was collected. Mean levels of PM2.5-bound Σ14PBDEs were 79.0 and 116 pg m–3 in outdoor and indoor air, respectively. Compared to other outdoor locations, the industrial sites, Taixi (169 pg m–3) in particular, has the highest PM2.5-bound PBDEs levels which might be attributed to nearby industrial activities and indoor to outdoor migration behaviors. For indoor air, PM2.5-bound PBDEs mean concentrations (libraries, rail stations, department stores, offices, hospitals, and supermarkets) were found to be 357, 35.3, 50.2, 73.2, 59.2, and 124 pg m–3, respectively. The high indoor PM2.5-bound PBDEs levels found in libraries are heavily affected by the presence of indoor electronic equipment or other consumer products. Similarly, this is also true for supermarkets which merchandise electronic consumer products. Although the abundant congener of deca-BDE consisted of 74.7% and 48.03% of Σ14PBDEs in the indoor and outdoor air, respectively, nona-BDEs predominantly contributed 11.6% in the indoors while tri- and tert-BDES contributed 11.3% and 16% in the outdoors. Higher brominated PBDEs are more likely due to their emission from electronic surfaces while lower brominated PBDEs are products of photochemical degradation. Other factors affecting both the indoor and outdoor air PM2.5-bound PBDE homologue levels such as migration behaviors might also be considered.

Because consumer products release them, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are frequently present in a variety of indoor environments including homes and workplaces. Our goal was to investigate PBDEs contamination of workplace air-conditioner filter dust to assess the health effects of contaminated dust on workers with occupational exposure. Nine medical clinics, four dental clinics, eight factory offices, and six factory clean rooms were selected in southern Taiwan between April 2013 and September 2014. Air-conditioner-filter dust was collected by a high-efficiency vacuum cleaner and then PBDEs were analyzed by a high-resolution gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry. The Σ14PBDEs (the sum of BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183, 196, 197, 203, 206, 207, 208, and 209) in independent-air-conditioner filter (IAF) dust was not significantly lower in dental clinics (736 ng g–1) than in medical clinics (1600 ng g^(–1)) and electronic plant offices (2570 ng g^(–1)). PBDEs level was distinctly higher by an order of magnitude in central-air-conditioner system filter (CASF) dust in clean rooms (32,600 ng g^(–1)), than in IAF dust. In clinic and the office workers, PBDEs daily intake via indoor dust ingestion varied from 2.96 × 10^(–8) to 1.25 × 10^(–7) mg kg b.w.^(–1) day^(–1) (29.6–125 ng kg b.w.^(–1) day^(–1)), which was obviously below the lowest observed adverse effect of level (LOAEL) of 1 mg kg b.w.^(–1) day^(–1). Assessment of the risk of non-cancer diseases with neurobehavioral effects and of cancer with neurobehavioral effects in clinic and office workers was notably below threshold values (non-cancer: 1.00 and cancer: 1.00 × 10^(–6)). In conclusion, clinic and office workers had no harmful effects in the currently existing levels of indoor dust PBDEs in workplaces. IAF or CSAF dust can possibly reflect spatial and temporal dust distribution in the microenvironment. It is also suggested that collection of air-conditioner filter dust may be an alternative method to conventional dust sampling for assessment of indoor contamination by PBDEs.

Human spend a lot of time indoors and indoor air quality (IAQ) has a great effect on quality of life in humans. Traditionally, bioaerosol in IAQs is focused on bacteria and fungus. Airborne viruses, particularly for the nanoparticletype virus, on the bioaerosol particulates are associated with the quality of human health in indoor environment. We establish the human like animal model, like pig, for testing the efficacy of the nano virus like particle (VLP) vaccine for aerosol relative disease. The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), which is an airborne and a droplet infection virus coated on the small size of bioaerosol, carries a major infectious disease in the pig raising industry worldwide. There are commercial vaccines including attenuated and inactivated vaccines available, but their efficacy remains to be improved. VLP represents safe and effective vaccine platforms based on nano-technology. The fusion protein of capsid protein (Cap) from the porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) and the glycoprotein 5 (GP5) from PRRSV were expressed by E. coli system. The fusion protein self-assembled with the GP5 to become a VLP nanoparticle. For testing, BALB/c mice were immunized with 10 μg of chimeric VLP nanoparticle once, which induced neutralization by antibody responses to PRRSV. The VLP nanoparticle vaccine induced high T cell proliferation, not evident in commercial vaccines tested on mice. Our results suggest that the cheaper VLP-based nanoparticle is a possibly viable approach model for specific airborne-relative-diseases human vaccine in the future.