Search

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.

Although a growing body of evidence suggests that chronic exposure to outdoor air pollution is linked to a decline in lung function, data on flow at low lung volumes that may be more specific of small airway obstruction are still scarce. We aimed to study the associations between residential exposure to air pollution and lung function, with specific focus on small airways obstruction. We assessed 2995 French participants (aged between 40 and 65) in the ELISABET cross-sectional survey. Residential exposures to nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), particulate matter with a diameter <10 μm (PM 10 ) and sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) were assessed. The spirometric parameters were forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of FVC (FEF25-75) and at 75% of FVC (FEF75). Coefficients in linear regression models were expressed as the z-score [95% confidence interval] for an increment of 5 μg/m 3 in NO 2 and 2 μg/m 3 in PM 10 and SO 2 . NO 2 was associated with significantly lower values of FEV1 (-0.10 [-0.15;-0.05]), FVC (-0.06 [-0.11;-0.02]), FEV1/FVC (-0.07 [-0.11;-0.03]), FEF25-75 (-0.09 [-0.14;-0.05]) and FEF75 (-0.08 [-0.12;-0.04]). PM 10 was associated with significantly lower values of FEV1 (-0.10 [-0.15;-0.04]), FVC (-0.06 [-0.11;-0.01]), FEV1/FVC (-0.06 [‒0.11;-0.01]), FEF25-75 (-0.08 [-0.13;-0.03]) and FEF75 (-0.08 [-0.12;-0.04]). SO 2 was associated with significantly lower values of FEV1 (-0.09 [-0.16;-0.02]), FEV1/FVC (-0.07 [-0.13;-0.01]), FEF25-75 (-0.09 [-0.15;-0.02]) and FEF75 (-0.08 [-0.14;-0.03]) but not FVC (-0.05 [-0.11; 0.009]). Even though spatial variations in pollutant levels were low, residential exposure to outdoor air pollution was associated with lower lung function, including lower FEF25-75 and FEF75 suggesting small airway obstruction., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest AH, SH, DC, MR, FO, NCK, JG, RM, JLE and LD declare that they have no conflicts of interest. PA reports personal fees from Servier, personal fees from Total, personal fees from Genoscreen, personal fees from Fondation Alzheimer, outside the submitted work. LD, RM and SH have contributed to an expert report ordered by the Lille European metropole « Rapport d'expertise à propos de la localisation de la piscine du projet d'aménagement de la gare Saint Sauveur à Lille » [Expert report on the location of the swimming pool of the development project of the Saint Sauveur station in Lille] with no personal fees, (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Introduction: The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between sources of household air pollution, respiratory symptoms and lung function., Methods: 3039 adults aged from 40 to 65 participated in the 2011-2013 ELISABET cross-sectional survey in northern France. Lung function was measured using spirometry. During a structured interview, respiratory symptoms, household fuels, exposure to moulds, and use of ventilation were recorded on a questionnaire., Results: The self-reported presence of mould in at least two rooms (not including the bathroom and the kitchen) was associated with a 2.5% lower predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (95% confidence interval, -4.7 to -0.29; p-trend <0.05) and a higher risk of wheezing (p-trend < 0.001). Visible condensation was associated with wheezing (p < .05) and chronic cough (p < .05). There were no significant associations with the type of household fuel or inadequate ventilation/aeration. Similar results were found when the analyses were restricted to participants without known respiratory disease., Conclusion: Our results suggest that the presence of mould (known to be associated with more severe asthma symptoms) could also have an impact on respiratory symptoms and lung function in the general population and in populations without known respiratory disease., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Résumé: Véritable enjeu de santé publique, les particules atmosphériques véhiculent un « cocktail » de polluants adsorbés à leur surface et jouent un rôle déterminant dans la toxicité de la pollution. L'objectif de cet article sont d'étudier la pertinence des outils d'évaluation et de gestion de l'impact des particules atmosphériques sur la santé humaine. Pour explorer les pratiques actuelles et définir les besoins futurs, nous avons mené des entretiens avec des chercheurs, des ingénieurs de bureaux d'études et des acteurs institutionnels reconnus dans différents domaines d'expertises liées aux particules. Une analyse qualitative de leurs réponses a permis d'obtenir une carte heuristique représentant les catégories d'idées/de concepts. Les experts se sont principalement exprimés sur deux méthodologies actuellement utilisées mais optimisables : (i) l'évaluation des risques sanitaires qui ne peut pas être appliquée pour les particules atmosphériques, par manque de valeur toxicologique de référence, rendant incontournable l'approche « substance par substance » ; et (ii) l'évaluation qualitative d'impact sanitaire pour laquelle les efforts doivent se focaliser sur le développement de nouveaux indicateurs sanitaires et sur l'homogénéisation de la méthodologie appliquée. De nouveaux points de réflexion ont ainsi été mis en avant comme celui d'ouvrir la voie à de nouveaux projets transdisciplinaires. Atmospheric particles pose a real public health problem: they carry a "cocktail" of pollutants adsorbed on their surface and play a major role in the toxicity of pollution. The objective of this article is to study the relevance of tools for assessing and managing the health impact of these particles. To explore current practices and define future needs, we conducted interviews with researchers, engineers, and institutional players recognized in various fields of expertise related to particles. A qualitative analysis of their responses yielded a mind map representing categories of the main ideas and concepts. The experts mainly expressed their opinions on two currently used but perfectible methodologies: (i) health risk assessments, which cannot currently be applied directly to atmospheric particles (the approach can be applied separately for components of particles for which toxicological reference values exist), and (ii) qualitative health impact assessments, which need to focus more on developing new health indicators and standardizing the methodology used. Among the new points for consideration put forward was the introduction of new cross-disciplinary projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction A growing body of evidence suggests that long-term exposure to air pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NO x) and particulate matter (PM) is associated with the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels are biomarkers of glucose homeostasis. Data on the association between glucose homeostasis biomarkers and air pollution are scarce. HbA1c and fasting blood glucose (FBG) concentrations have been linked to PM and NO 2 exposure in Taiwan, where mean pollution levels are 3 to 7 times higher than the guideline maximum annual mean values of 40 μg/m3 (for NO 2) and 20 μg/m3 (for PM10) set by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, this association is not consistently reported at lower levels of pollution. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationships between long-term exposure to air pollution at the place of residence, diabetes biomarkers, and prevalent diabetes in two cities with relatively low level of pollution. Methods Data were recorded for 2895 adults (aged 40 to 65) having participated in the 2011–2013 ELISABET cross-sectional survey of the Lille and Dunkirk urban areas in northern France. Using multiple logistic and generalized linear regression models, we analyzed the associations between individual exposure to pollution on one hand and HbA1c, FBG and prevalent diabetes mellitus (DM) on the other. An atmospheric dispersion modelling system was used to assess annual exposure at the place of residence to coarse particulate matter (PM10), NO 2 , and sulfur dioxide (SO 2). Results The median pollutant levels were 21.96 μg/m3 for NO 2 , 26.75 μg/m3 for PM10, and 3.07 μg/m3 for SO 2. A 2 μg/m3 increment in PM10 was associated with an HbA1c increment [95% confidence interval] of 0.044% [0.021; 0.067]. This association was still statistically significant after adjustment for the neighborhood's characteristics. A 5 μg/m3 increment in NO 2 was associated with an HbA1c increment of 0.031% [0.010; 0.053]. Associations between DM or FBG and air pollution did not achieve statistical significance. Conclusion Our study of a middle-aged, urban population evidenced an association between elevated HbA1c levels and long-term exposure to PM10 and NO 2 pollution levels that were relatively low but close to the WHO's guideline maximum values. Highlights • There is debate as to whether air pollution is a risk factor for diabetes mellitus. • Few studies have focused on diabetes biomarkers. • Annual exposure to PM10 and NO 2 at the place of residence was associated with HbA1c. • Associations were observed for relatively low levels of exposure. • Effect sizes were consistent with those observed in areas with more contrasting pollutant levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]