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Background: The relationship between air pollution and atrial fibrillation (AF) recorded by electrocardiograph (ECG) has not yet been illustrated which worsens AF precaution and treatment. This research evaluated the association between air pollution and daily hospital visits for AF with ECG records., Methods: The study enrolled 4933 male and 5392 female patients whose ECG reports indicated AF from 2015 to 2018 in our hospital. Such data were then matched with meteorological data, including air pollutant concentrations, collected by local weather stations. A case-crossover study was performed to assess the relationship between air pollutants and daily hospital visits for AF recorded by ECG and to investigate its lag effect., Results: Our analysis revealed statistically significant associations between AF occurrence and demographic data, including age and gender. This effect was stronger in female (k = 0.02635, p < 0.01) and in patients over 65 y (k = 0.04732, p < 0.01). We also observed a hysteretic effect that when exposed to higher nitrogen dioxide(NO 2 ), counting AF cases recorded by ECG may elevate at lag 0 with a maximum odds ratio(OR) of 1.038 (95% CI 1.014-1.063), on the contrary, O 3 reduced the risk of daily visits for AF and its maximum OR was at lag 2, and the OR value was 0.9869 (95% CI 0.9791-0.9948). Other air pollutants such as PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and SO 2 showed no clear relationship with the recorded AF., Conclusion: The associations between air pollution and AF recorded with ECG were preliminarily discovered. Short-term exposure to NO 2 was significantly associated with daily hospital visits for AF management., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Severe air pollution events still occur frequently in Shanghai. In order to predict when Shanghai air quality satisfies the National Ambient Air Quality Standards of China (NAAQSC) and identify potential source areas of criteria air pollutants for the regional joint prevention and control of air pollution, concentration data of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 , NO 2 and O 3 were collected in 2014-2022 at fourteen monitoring sites across Shanghai and surrounding areas. A first - order rate equation with harmonic regression analysis was employed for time series analysis and concentration prediction. Decreasing concentrations were observed widely over all sites except O 3 and NO 2 . It is very likely that the secondary NAAQSC standards for PM x , and SO 2 would be met by 2025 and O 3 and NO 2 would likely become the critical pollutants that determine air quality level after 2025. Regional transport was predominant for PM x and SO 2 pollution. A 3D - CWT multisite joint location method was developed to identify their potential source areas at different spatial resolutions. Weighting function correction was assigned via information entropy of endpoint numbers in each cell. A probabilistic parameter WI PSA was proposed to quantify and normalize the probability that grid cells are source areas in order to achieve fourteen - site joint location, and it was comparable and compatible at different spatial resolutions. Potential source areas of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were similar, including Henan, Shandong, Hebei and Anhui, while origin domains of SO 2 mainly covered Henan and Hebei. In all seasons, air pollution that was transported to Shanghai (i.e., PM x and SO 2 ) originated mainly from the North China Plain; the contribution of marine sources was neglectable., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Atmospheric deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) onto soil threatens terrestrial ecosystem. To locate potential source areas geographically, a total of 139 atmospheric bulk deposition samples were collected during 2012-2019 at eight sites in Shanghai and its surrounding areas. A multisite joint location method was developed for the first time to locate potential source areas of atmospheric PAHs based on an enhanced three dimensional concentration weighted trajectory model. The method considered spatial and temporal variations of atmospheric boundary layer height and homogenized all results over the eight sites via geometric mean. Regional transport was an important contributor of PAH atmospheric deposition while massive local emissions may disturb the identification of potential source areas. Northwesterly winds were associated with elevated deposition fluxes. Potential source areas were identified by the multisite joint location method and included Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong and Jiangsu to the north, and Anhui to the west of Shanghai. PM and SO 2 data from the national ground monitoring stations confirmed the identified source areas of deposited PAHs in Shanghai., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Childhood atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease which sometimes predisposes to allergies. Environmental factors (low humidity, irritants, etc.) are prominent causative triggers of AD., Objectives: This study aims to explore the effects of both meteorological factors and air pollutants on childhood AD, and the modification effects by season in Shanghai, China., Methods: Quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model, combined with a distributed lag nonlinear model was used to examine the nonlinear and lagged effects of environmental factors on childhood AD from 2009 to 2017 in Shanghai. We also performed a season-stratified analysis to determine the modification effects of environmental exposure by season on childhood AD., Results: There were 1,043,240 outpatient visits for childhood AD in total, at 3 major pediatric hospitals. Low temperature and relative humidity (RH), and high daily temperature difference (DTD) and air pollutants (i.e., NO2) increased the relative risks (RRs) of outpatient visits for childhood AD in the whole year. In the cold season, an increased risk of outpatient visits for childhood AD was associated with low RH (RR 2.26, 95% CI 1.69-3.02) and high NO2 (1.11, 95% CI 1.06-1.17). In the warm season, outpatient visits for childhood AD were associated with low temperature (3.49, 95% CI 3.22-3.77), low RH (1.89, 95% CI 1.74-2.06), high DTD (1.41, 95% CI 1.31-1.53), and high NO2 (1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.06)., Conclusions: This study suggests that environmental exposure may be a key trigger for outpatient visits for childhood AD with apparent seasonal effects. Tailored preventive strategies to avoid environmental triggers of childhood AD should be developed., (© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objectives: There has been increasing interest in identifying the adverse effects of ambient environmental factors on asthma exacerbations (AE), but season-stratified effects of meteorological factors on childhood asthma remain unclear. We explored the season-stratified effects of meteorological factors on childhood AE in Shanghai, China., Methods: Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with a distributed lag nonlinear model was used to examine the lagged and nonlinear effects of meteorological factors on childhood AE after adjustment for putative confounders. We also performed a season-stratified analysis to determine whether the season modified the relationship between meteorological factors and childhood AE., Results: There were 23,103 emergency department visits (EDVs) for childhood AE, including 15,466 boys and 7637 girls during 2008-2017. Most meteorological factors (e.g., temperature, diurnal temperature range (DTR), relative humidity (RH) and wind speed (WS)) were significantly associated with EDVs for childhood AE, even after adjustment for the confounding effects of air pollutants. In the whole year, extreme cold, moderate heat, higher DTR, lower RH and WS increased the relative risk (RR) for childhood AE. In the cold season, lower RH and wind speed increased the risks of childhood AE (RR lag0-28 for the 5th percentile (p5) of RH: 9.744, 95% CI: 3.567, 26.616; RR lag0-28 for the p5 of wind speed: 10.671, 95% CI: 1.096, 103.879). In the warm season, higher temperature and DTR, lower RH and WS increased the RR for childhood AE (RR lag0-5 for the p95 of temperature: 1.871, 95% CI: 1.246, 2.810; RR lag0-2 for the p95 of DTR: 1.146, 95% CI: 1.010, 1.300; RR lag0-5 for the p5 of RH: 1.931, 95% CI: 1.191, 3.128; RR lag0-2 for the p5 of WS: 1.311, 95% CI: 1.005, 1.709)., Conclusions: Extreme meteorological factors appeared to be triggers of EDVs for childhood AE in Shanghai and the effects modified by season. These findings provide evidence for developing season-specific and tailored strategies to prevent and control childhood AE., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to perform an exposure assessment of PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5μm in aerodynamic diameter) among children and to explore the potential sources of exposure from both indoor and outdoor environments., Methods: In terms of real-time exposure measurements of PM2.5, we collected data from 57 children aged 8-12 years (9.64 ± 0.93 years) in two schools in Shanghai, China. Simultaneously, questionnaire surveys and time-activity diaries were used to estimate the environment at home and daily time-activity patterns in order to estimate the exposure dose of PM2.5 in these children. Principle component regression analysis was used to explore the influence of potential sources of PM2.5 exposure., Results: All the median personal exposure and microenvironment PM2.5 concentrations greatly exceeded the daily 24-h PM2.5 Ambient Air Quality Standards of China, the USA, and the World Health Organization (WHO). The median Etotal (the sum of the PM2.5 exposure levels in different microenvironment and fractional time) of all students was 3014.13 (μg.h)/m3. The concentration of time-weighted average (TWA) exposure of all students was 137.01 μg/m3. The median TWA exposure level during the on-campus period (135.81 μg/m3) was significantly higher than the off-campus period (115.50 μg/m3, P = 0.013 < 0.05). Besides ambient air pollution and meteorological conditions, storey height of the classroom and mode of transportation to school were significantly correlated with children's daily PM2.5 exposure., Conclusions: Children in the two selected schools were exposed to high concentrations of PM2.5 in winter of 2013 in Shanghai. Their personal PM2.5 exposure was mainly associated with ambient air conditions, storey height of the classroom, and children's transportation mode to school.

Environmental irritants are important risk factors for skin diseases, but little is known about the influence of environmental factors on eczema incidence. In this time-series study, our objective was to examine the associations of environmental factors with outpatient visits for eczema. Daily outpatient visits between 2007 and 2011 (1826 days) were collected from Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, China. We used an overdispersed generalized additive model to investigate the short-term association between environmental factors and outpatient visits for eczema. Daily outpatient visits for eczema were significantly associated with air pollution and meteorological factors. For example, a 10 μg/m³ increase of 7-day (lag 06) average concentrations of PM 10 (particulate matter no greater than 10 microns), SO₂, NO₂ was associated with 0.81% (95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.39%, 1.22%), 2.22% (95% CI: 1.27%, 3.16%) and 2.31% (95% CI: 1.17%, 3.45%) increase in outpatient visits for eczema, respectively. A 10 °C elevation of temperature on lag 0 day were associated with 8.44% (95% CI: 4.66%, 12.22%) increase in eczema visits, whereas 10 unit decrease of 7-day average relative humidity were associated with 10.86% (95% CI: 8.83%, 12.89%) increase in eczema visits. This study provided clear evidence of ambient air pollution, high temperature and low relative humidity on increasing the incidence of eczema in Shanghai, China., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Few case-crossover studies were conducted in China to investigate the acute health effects of air pollution. We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover analysis to examine the association between air pollution and daily mortality in Anshan, a heavily-polluted industrial city in northeastern China. Daily mortality, air pollution, and weather data in 2004-2006 in Anshan were collected. Time-stratified case-crossover approach was used to estimate the effect of air pollutants (PM(10), SO(2), NO(2) and CO) on total and cardiopulmonary mortality. Controls were selected as matched days of the week in the same month. Potential effect modifiers, such as gender and age, were also examined. We found significant associations between air pollution and daily mortality from cardiovascular diseases in Anshan. A 10μg/m(3) elevation of 2-day moving average (lag 01) concentration in PM(10), SO(2), NO(2) and CO corresponded to 0.67% (95% CI: 0.29%, 1.04%), 0.38% (95% CI: -0.06%, 0.83%), 2.11% (95% CI: 0.22%, 4.00%) and 0.04% (95% CI: 0.01%, 0.07%) increase of cardiovascular mortality. The associations for total and respiratory mortality were generally positive but statistically insignificant. The air pollution health effects were significantly modified by age, but not by gender. Conclusively, our study showed that short-term exposure to air pollution was associated with increased cardiovascular mortality in Anshan. These findings may have implications for local environmental and social policies., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is highly prevalent in the population, yet the factors contributing to AF events in susceptible individuals remain partially understood. The potential relationship between meteorological factors and AF, particularly with abnormal electrocardiograph (ECG) repolarization, has not been adequately studied. This case-crossover study aims to investigate the association between meteorological factors and daily hospital visits for AF with abnormal ECG repolarization in Shanghai, China. Methods: The study cohort comprised 10,325 patients with ECG-confirmed AF who sought treatment at Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital between 2015 and 2018. Meteorological and air pollutant concentration data were matched with the patient records. Using a case-crossover design, we analyzed the association between meteorological factors and the daily count of hospital visitors for AF with abnormal ECG repolarization at our AF center. Lag analysis models were applied to examine the temporal relationship between meteorological factors and AF events. Results: The analysis revealed statistically significant associations between AF occurrence and specific meteorological factors. AF events were significantly associated with average atmospheric pressure (lag 0 day, OR 0.9901, 95% CI 0.9825–0.9977, P < 0.05), average temperature (lag 1 day, OR 0.9890, 95% CI 0.9789–0.9992, P < 0.05), daily pressure range (lag 7 days, OR 1.0195, 95% CI 1.0079–1.0312, P < 0.01), and daily temperature range (lag 5 days, OR 1.0208, 95% CI 1.0087–1.0331, P < 0.01). Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between daily pressure range and daily temperature range with AF patients, particularly those with abnormal ECG repolarization, as evident in the case-crossover analysis. Conclusion: This study highlights a significant correlation between meteorological factors and daily hospital visits for AF accompanied by abnormal ECG repolarization in Shanghai, China. In addition, AF patients with abnormal ECG repolarization were found to be more vulnerable to rapid daily changes in pressure and temperature compared to AF patients without such repolarization abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]