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Objectives: Exposure to traffic-related air pollutants plays a role in several health outcomes. A large body of evidence tends to link asthma in children with traffic exposure. Increasing asthma prevalence and incidence in children in Canadian cities has been of concern for public health authorities. The following study focuses on estimating the risk of asthma prevalence attributable to residing in proximity to major roads on the Island of Montreal, Canada. Methods: Risk functions pertaining to asthma in children and residential proximity to major roads were selected from the literature and applied to Montreal. Asthma prevalence was taken from population-based studies. Population data were retrieved from Canadian census. Exposure was estimated using the proximity to major road and highway category of the Desktop Mapping Technologies Inc. database (DMTI Spatial Inc.). Results: Based on different studies, the percentage of prevalent asthma cases attributable to residing within 50 metres of a major road or highway for children aged 2, 4 and 6 years varied between 2.4% (0-4.3), 5.6% (0.1-8.6) and 5.9% (0.1-9.0). For the 5-7 year age group residing within 75 m of a major road or highway, the percent of cases was 6.4% (2.6-9.3). For children aged 8 to 10 residing within 75 m of a highway only, the percent of cases was 0.7% (0.2-0.9). Conclusion: These numbers represent the best crude estimates and are an indication of a possible range of cases linked to residential proximity to major roads. As there are uncertainties linked to the application of exposure-response functions, these estimates will be reassessed as new evidence is gathered through further research. Key words: Asthma; attributable risks; children; traffic; air pollutants La traduction du resume se trouve a la fin de l'article. Objectif : L'exposition aux polluants atmospheriques lies au trafic routier contribue a plusieurs resultats sanitaires. De nombreuses preuves tendent a lier l'asthme chez les enfants a l'exposition au trafic routier. La prevalence et l'incidence croissantes de l'asthme chez les enfants dans les villes du Canada preoccupent les autorites de sante publique. Nous avons estime le risque de prevalence de l'asthme imputable au fait de resider a proximite de grandes arteres sur l'ile de Montreal, au Canada. Methode : Nous avons selectionne dans la litterature scientifique et applique a Montreal les fonctions de risque afferentes a l'asthme chez les enfants et au fait d'habiter a proximite de grandes arteres. La prevalence de l'asthme vient d'une etude populationnelle. Les donnees demographiques sont extraites du Recensement du Canada. Nous avons estime l'exposition a l'aide d'une categorie de la base de donnees de Desktop Mapping Technologies Inc. (DMTI Spatial Inc.): << proximite de grandes routes et arteres >>. Resultats : D'apres differentes etudes, le pourcentage de prevalence des cas d'asthme imputable au fait de vivre a moins de 50 metres d'une grande route ou artere, pour les enfants de 2, 4 et 6 ans, variait entre 2,4% (0-4,3), 5,6% (0,1-8,6) et 5,9% (0,1-9,0). Dans le groupe des 5 a 7 ans vivant a moins de 75 m d'une grande route ou artere, le pourcentage de cas etait de 6,4% (2,6-9,3). Chez les enfants de 8 a 10 ans vivant a moins de 75 m d'une route seulement, le pourcentage de cas etait de 0,7% (0,2-0,9). Conclusion : Ces chiffres representent les meilleures estimations brutes et pourraient indiquer un eventail de cas lies au fait de resider a proximite d'une grande route. Il y a cependant des incertitudes liees a l'application des fonctions exposition-reaction; ces estimations seront donc reevaluees a mesure que les chercheurs reuniront de nouvelles preuves. Mots cles : asthme; risques attribuables; enfant; trafic routier; polluants atmospheriques, Vehicle traffic emissions result in a complex mixture of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (mainly ultra-fine particles) and air toxics (1,3-butadiene, benzene, formaldehyde, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-PAHs). For [...]

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the association between colorectal cancer and exposure to disinfection by-products in drinking water is inconsistent. OBJECTIVES: We assessed long-term exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs), the most prevalent group of chlorination by-products, to evaluate the association with colorectal cancer. METHODS: A multicenter case-control study was conducted in Spain and Italy in 2008-2013. Hospital-based incident cases and population-based (Spain) and hospital-based (Italy) controls were interviewed to ascertain residential histories, type of water consumed in each residence, frequency and duration of showering/bathing, and major recognized risk factors for colorectal cancer. We estimated adjusted odds ratios (OR) for colorectal cancer in association with quartiles of estimated average lifetime THM concentrations in each participant's residential tap water (micrograms/liter; from age 18 to 2 years before the interview) and estimated average lifetime THM ingestion from drinking residential tap water (micrograms/day). RESULTS: We analyzed 2,047 cases and 3,718 controls. Median values (ranges) for average lifetime residential tap water concentrations of total THMs, chloroform, and brominated THMs were 30 (0-174), 17 (0-63), and 9 (0-145) µg/L, respectively. Total THM concentration in residential tap water was not associated with colorectal cancer (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.66, 1.28 for highest vs. lowest quartile), but chloroform concentrations were inversely associated (OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.41 for highest vs. lowest quartile). Brominated THM concentrations showed a positive association among men in the highest versus the lowest quartile (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 0.83, 2.46). Patterns of association were similar for estimated average THM ingestion through residential water consumption. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find clear evidence of an association between detailed estimates of lifetime total THM exposure and colorectal cancer in our large case--control study population. Negative associations with chloroform concentrations and ingestion suggest differences among specific THMs, but these findings should be confirmed in other study populations. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1289/EHP155., Introduction Colorectal cancer represents nearly 10% of global cancer incidence, with increasing rates over the last decades (Bosman et al. 2014). Intake of total energy, red and processed meat, and [...]

BACKGROUND: Ingested nitrate leads to endogenous formation of V-nitroso compounds that are breast carcinogens in animals, but human evidence is limited. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated ingested nitrate as a risk factor for breast cancer (BC) in a multicase--control study. METHODS: Hospital-based incident BC cases and population-based controls were recruited in eight Spanish regions in 2008-2013; participants provided residential and water consumption from 18 years of age and information on known BC risk factors. Long-term nitrate levels (1940-2010) were estimated and linked with residential histories and water consumption to calculate waterborne ingested nitrate (milligrams/day). Dietary ingested nitrate (milligrams/day) was calculated using food frequency questionnaires and published dietary nitrate contents. Interactions with endogenous nitrosation factors and other variables were evaluated. A total of 1,245 cases and 1,520 controls were included in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Among the study regions, average [+ or -] SD waterborne ingested nitrate ranged from 2.9 [+ or -] 1.9 to 13.5 [+ or -] 7.5 mg/day, and dietary ingested nitrate ranged from 88.5 [+ or -] 48.7 to 154 [+ or -] 87.8 mg/day. Waterborne ingested nitrate was not associated with BC overall, but among postmenopausal women, those with both high nitrate (> 6 vs. < 2.6 mg/day) and high red meat intake (> 20 vs. < 20 g/day) were more likely to be cases than women with low nitrate and low red meat intake (adjusted odds ratio = 1.64; 95% confidence interval: 1.08, 2.49; overall interaction p-value = 0.17). No association was found with dietary nitrate. CONCLUSIONS: Waterborne ingested nitrate was associated with BC only among postmenopausal women with high red meat consumption. Dietary nitrate was not associated with BC regardless of the animal or vegetable source or of menopausal status. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510334, Introduction Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer mortality and is the most common cancer among women worldwide. In Spain, 25,215 new cases are diagnosed annually (Ferlay et [...]

Abstract: Background: Health effects linked to exposure to high air pollutant levels have been described in depth, and many recent epidemiologic studies have also consistently reported positive associations between exposure to air pollutants at low concentrations (particularly PM2.5) and adverse health outcomes. Objective: To estimate the number of avoidable deaths associated with reducing PM2.5 levels in Spain. Materials and methods: For exposure assessment, we used the US Environmental Protection Agency''s Community Multiscale Air Quality model to simulate air pollution levels with a spatial resolution of 18×18km2. Two different scenarios were compared, namely, a baseline 2004 scenario based on Spain''s National Emissions Inventory and a projected 2011 scenario in which a reduction in PM2.5 was estimated on the basis of the benefits that might be attained if specific air quality policies were implemented. Using an 18×18km2 grid, air pollution data were estimated for the entire Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. For these strata, crude all-cause mortality rates (ICD-10: A00-Y98) were then calculated for the over-30 and 25–74 age groups, taking into account the 2004 population figures corresponding to these same age groups, selected in accordance with the concentration–response functions (Pope CA 3rd, Burnett RT, Thun MJ, Calle EE, Krewski D, Ito K et al. Lung cancer, cardiopulmonary mortality, and long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution. JAMA 2002; 287:1132–41; Laden F, Schwartz J, Speizer FE, Dockery DW. Reduction in fine particulate air pollution and mortality: extended follow-up of the Harvard Six Cities study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2006; 173:667–72.). Health impacts were assessed using the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program (BenMAP). Results: Air quality improvement was defined as an average annual reduction of 0.7μg/m3 in PM2.5 levels. Using long-term health impact assessment analysis, we estimated that 1720 (673–2760) all-cause deaths (6 per 100,000 population) in the over-30 age group and 1450 (780–2108) all-cause deaths (5 per 100,000 population) in the 25–74 age group could be prevented annually. Conclusions: The results showed the potential benefits in general mortality which could be expected if pollution control policies were successfully implemented by 2011. A specifically adapted BenMAP could be used as a tool for estimating health impacts associated with changes in air pollution in Spain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study concerning the health impact of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) which causes sudden death of infant and number of asthma cases in Europe. The study uses available information from European countries and health impact assessment (HIA) to asses the potential health impact of ETS. It founds that ETS is a significant factor of air pollution and is linked with adverse health effect in children which needs further health education to recognize the danger of smoking.

Background: The European Pollutant Emission Register in Spain (EPER-Spain) is a public inventory of pollutant industries created by decision of the European Union. The location of these industries is geocoded and the first published data correspond to 2001. Publication of these data will allow for quantification of the effect of proximity to one or more such plant on cancer and all-cause mortality observed in nearby towns. However, as errors have been detected in the geocoding of many of the pollutant foci shown in the EPER, it was decided that a validation study should be conducted into the accuracy of these co-ordinates. EPER-Spain geographic co-ordinates were drawn from the European Environment Agency (EEA) server and the Spanish Ministry of the Environment (MOE). The Farm Plot Geographic Information System (Sistema de Información Geográfica de Parcelas Agrícolas) (SIGPAC) enables orthophotos (digitalized aerial images) of any territorial point across Spain to be obtained. Through a search of co-ordinates in the SIGPAC, all the industrial foci (except farms) were located. The quality criteria used to ascertain possible errors in industrial location were high, medium and low quality, where industries were situated at a distance of less than 500 metres, more than 500 metres but less than 1 kilometre, and more than 1 kilometre from their real locations, respectively. Results: Insofar as initial registry quality was concerned, 84% of industrial complexes were inaccurately positioned (low quality) according to EEA data versus 60% for Spanish MOE data. The distribution of the distances between the original and corrected co-ordinates for each of the industries on the registry revealed that the median error was 2.55 kilometres for Spain overall (according to EEA data). The Autonomous Regions that displayed most errors in industrial geocoding were Murcia, Canary Islands, Andalusia and Madrid. Correct co-ordinates were successfully allocated to 100% of EPER-Spain industries. Conclusion: Knowing the exact location of pollutant foci is vital to obtain reliable and valid conclusions in any study where distance to the focus is a decisive factor, as in the case of the consequences of industrial pollution on the health of neighbouring populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]