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Evidence regarding the combined effects of green space and air pollutants on hypertension remains limited and complex. This study aims to investigate the varying effects of greenness under different air pollution levels in China, using data from the wave 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) involving 17 468 adults (aged ≥ 45 years). As a result, the prevalence rate of hypertension was 42.04%. Logistic regression analyses revealed the positive associations between air pollution concentrations at the city level and prevalent hypertension and the negative associations between NDVI and prevalent hypertension, all of which were more prominent in the populations of the eastern and rural regions. Notably, the negative effect of green space was greater at the lowest quartiles of each air pollutant (OR for PM2.5 quartiles = 0.724, 0.792, 0.740, and 0.931). Improving air quality and greenness could potentially reduce hypertension risk, and minimizing air pollution might optimize the protective effects of greenness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhalable particulate matter (PM10) is a major air pollutant that has significant impacts on environmental climate and human health. Land-cover change is also a key factor influencing changes in atmospheric pollution. Changes in land-cover types can lead to changes in the sources and sinks of air pollutants, thus affecting the spatial distribution of PM10, which poses a threat to human health. Therefore, exploring the relationship between PM10 concentration change and land-cover change is of great significance. In this study, we constructed an extreme randomized trees model (ET) based on ground PM10 monitoring data, satellite-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) data, and auxiliary data including meteorological, vegetation, and population data to retrieve ground-level PM10 concentrations across China. The coefficient of determination (R2), the mean absolute error (MAE), and the root mean square error (RMSE) of the model were 0.878, 5.742 μg/m3, and 8.826 μg/m3, respectively. Based on this, we analyzed the spatio-temporal distribution of PM10 concentrations in China from 2015 to 2021. High PM10 values were mainly observed in the desert areas of northwestern China and the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration. The majority of China showed a significant decrease in PM10 concentrations. Additionally, we also analyzed the nonlinear response mechanism of the PM10 concentration change to land-cover change. The PM10 concentration is sensitive to forest and barren land change. Therefore, strengthening the protection of forests and desertification control can significantly reduce air pollution. Attention should also be paid to emission management in agricultural activities and urbanization processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution has been standing as one of the most pressing global challenges. The changing patterns of air pollutants at different spatial and temporal scales have been substantially studied all over the world, which, however, were intricately disturbed by COVID-19 and subsequent containment measures. Understanding fine-scale changing patterns of air pollutants at different stages over the epidemic's course is necessary for better identifying region-specific drivers of air pollution and preparing for environmental decision making during future epidemics. Taking China as an example, this study developed a multi-output LightGBM approach to estimate monthly concentrations of the six major air pollutants (i.e., PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, O3, and CO) in China and revealed distinct spatiotemporal patterns for each pollutant over the epidemic's course. The 5-year period of 2019–2023 was selected to observe changes in the concentrations of air pollutants from the pre-COVID-19 era to the lifting of all containment measures. The performance of our model, assessed by cross-validation R2, demonstrated high accuracy with values of 0.92 for PM2.5, 0.95 for PM10, 0.95 for O3, 0.90 for NO2, 0.79 for SO2, and 0.82 for CO. Notably, there was an improvement in the concentrations of particulate matter, particularly for PM2.5, although PM10 exhibited a rebound in northern regions. The concentrations of SO2 and CO consistently declined across the country over the epidemic's course (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively), while O3 concentrations in southern regions experienced a notable increase. Concentrations of air pollutants in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region were effectively controlled and mitigated. The findings of this study provide critical insights into changing trends of air quality during public health emergencies, help guide the development of targeted interventions, and inform policy making aimed at reducing disease burdens associated with air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. Case-control study. 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. 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. 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respirable particulate matter (PM10) is atmospheric particulate matter with a kinetic diameter of less than or equal to 10 μm in air. According to the definition of the World Health Organization, it is called thoracic-enterable particulate matter because it can enter the body through the respiratory tract and be deposited into the lungs or absorbed into the blood and lymphatic systems. The toxic substances in it can enter the bloodstream directly and cause serious harm to human health. In addition, PM10 has unique physiological and biological effects, making it an important area of atmospheric chemistry research. In this study, two urban neighborhoods and sports companies were selected for the purpose of investigating the effects of PM10 concentrations in the air of neighborhoods and workplaces on people living and working in these environments for a long period of time, as well as synergistic effects between PM10 concentrations and changes in temperature and the incidence of related diseases. By assessing the extent of PM10's impact on the respiratory system, this study provides basic data for assessing the health hazards of particulate matter in community environments. This study also analyzed the synergistic effects between air pollutant concentrations, temperature changes, and the incidence of related diseases in two cities to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of air pollution and the meteorological causes of pollution in China. On this basis, we established a prediction model for related sensitivity diseases to provide theoretical and technical support for the prediction of related sensitivity diseases on a nationwide scale. Meanwhile, our study also provides support to relevant government departments to formulate a scientific basis and preventive and control measures for dealing with air pollution and its effects on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of heavy metals in particulates plays an assignable role in human health—especially in the northwest region of China, which is affected by severe dust storms—and the bioaccessibility and health risks of heavy metals in particulate matter have not yet been quantified and evaluated. This study used Gamble's solution and PBET (physiologically based extraction test) experiments to simulate the human respiratory and digestive systems, and analyzed the concentrations and bioaccessibility of Pb, Mn, Ni, Cd and As in PM2.5 and PM10 samples in the urban area of Hotan City during summer (July) and winter (January). The result shows that Mn and Pb are the most abundant elements in five metals. The bioaccessibility of Mn in gastric fluid was the highest in both summer (PM2.5: 64.1%, PM10: 52.0%) and winter (PM2.5: 88.0%, PM10: 85.1%). Meanwhile, in the respiratory system, the highest bioaccessibility of PM2.5 and PM10 in summer was Ni (53.3%), and Pb (47.9%), respectively. Although the concentration of Cd is low in winter, its bioaccessibility in lung fluid was the highest (PM2.5: 74.7%, PM10: 62.3%). The USEPA standard model and Monte Carlo simulation results show that the heavy metals in PM2.5 and PM10 would give rise to non-carcinogenic risk for both adults and children through the respiratory system in summer but had little risk in winter. However, the metal may have non-carcinogenic risk to children through intake. In addition, there is a cancer risk to adults through the respiratory system in winter (PM2.5: CR = 1.80 × 10−6, PM10: CR = 2.82 × 10−6), while there is a carcinogenic risk through the digestive system regardless of season and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme meteorological events can influence air quality. In March 2021, northern China experienced a severe dust event, leading to widespread air quality deterioration. Using reanalysis datasets and station data, we investigate the synoptic weather patterns, dust transport characteristics, and associated impacts on air quality during this event. The results are as follows. (1) The dust event is closely linked to the Mongolian cyclone, providing favorable conditions for dust emission and long-distance transport. (2) The Gobi Desert in Mongolia is the primary source, with dust particles transported from Mongolia to northern China via the northwesterly flow. Dust transport exhibits a complex three-dimensional structure, with the most intense dust transport at approximately 2500 m altitude. (3) The impact of this dust event on air quality was characterized by its remarkable intensity, extensive spatial coverage, and prolonged duration. Additionally, 58.8% of the stations in northern China experienced pollution, 36.3% of them reached severe pollution levels or higher, and 35.9% of the sites experienced more than 12 h of pollution. (4) The visibility at the northern stations near the dust source rapidly decreases due to solid dust particles. In contrast, the southern stations, with higher moisture content, are primarily affected by liquid particles in terms of visibility. After the frontal passage, wet deposition from the precipitation process gradually improves visibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosols are a significant source of dissolved black carbon (DBC) in the ocean. However, how anthropogenic activities, including fossil fuel (FF) burning and human‐initiated biomass burning (BB), would affect the seasonal variations in the concentration and condensation degree of aerosol DBC was not well constrained. To fill this knowledge gap, we collected 33 aerosol samples from December 2018 to September 2019 at a southeast coastal site in China. Concentrations of DBC, water‐soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and elemental carbon (EC) were determined, and air quality data were collected. DBC concentration was 0.02–0.23 μgC m−3, with significantly higher values in spring and winter, and was affected by sources, rainfall frequency, and secondary processes. The source of DBC, as indicated by DBC/WSOC (range: 0.009–0.045) and DBC/EC (range: 0.007–0.065), was dominated by FF burning. Furthermore, the significantly higher DBC/WSOC value in late April to July indicated enhanced contribution from BB that was mainly associated with airmass transported from Southeast Asia (SEA). We further estimated that ∼30% of aerosol DBC was from BB from May to July. The condensation degree of DBC was variable, with significantly higher values in winter and spring, which might be associated with prolonged photo‐dissolution. Significant correlations were also observed between DBC and PM10 and PM2.5, which might be utilized to estimate DBC deposition flux, albeit requiring more studies. Our study emphasized the influence of human activities (including BB activities) on atmospheric DBC deposition, which might affect the regional and even global DBC pools. Plain Language Summary: As a significant source of dissolved black carbon (DBC) to the ocean, the sources and temporal variation in its concentration and condensation degree were not well constrained. In this study, we collected 33 aerosol samples at a coastal site in China. We determined concentrations of DBC, water‐soluble organic carbon, and elemental carbon (EC). Air quality and meteorological parameters were also collected. Our results showed that DBC at this coastal site was primarily derived from fossil fuel (FF) burning, with enhanced contribution from biomass burning that was brought by East Asian Monsoon. In addition, DBC concentration varied significantly among seasons, and was influenced by changes in sources, rainfall frequency as well as secondary processes. Moreover, we found that DBC concentration was significantly positively correlated with PM10 and PM2.5, which provided a potential way to predict DBC depositional flux in other regions that was mainly affected by FF burning. Our study indicated that human activities (FF burning and human‐initiated biomass burning) could have significant impact on atmospheric DBC deposition, which might also affect the oceanic DBC pool in the future. Key Points: The seasonal variation in the dissolved black carbon (DBC) concentration was affected by sources, rainfall frequency, and secondary processes in XiamenThe sources of DBC in the aerosols mainly originated from the burning of fossil fuelThe DBC concentration was highly significantly correlated with PM10 and PM2.5, which could be a simple way to estimate DBC deposition flux [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new-generation FengYun geostationary meteorological satellite has a high spatial and temporal resolution, which is advantageous in environmental assessments and air pollution monitoring. This study researched the ground-level particulate matter concentration estimation, based on satellite-observed radiations. The radiation of ground-level particulate matter is separate from the apparent radiation observed by satellites. The positive correlation between PM2.5 and PM10 is also considered to improve the accuracy of inversion results and the interpretability of the estimation model. Then, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were estimated synchronously every 5 min in mainland China based on FY-4A satellite directly observed radiations. The validation results showed that the improved model estimated results were close to the ground site measured results, with a high determination coefficient (R2) (0.89 for PM2.5, and 0.90 for PM10), and a small Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) (4.69 μg/m3 for PM2.5 concentrations, and 13.77 μg/m3 for PM10 concentrations). The estimation model presented a good performance in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations during typical haze and dust storm cases, indicating that it is applicable in different weather conditions and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution affects climate change, food production, traffic safety, and human health. In this paper, we analyze the changes in air quality index (AQI) and concentrations of six air pollutants in Jinan during 2014–2021. The results indicate that the annual average concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, and O3 and AQI values all declined year after year during 2014–2021. Compared with 2014, AQI in Jinan City fell by 27.3% in 2021. Air quality in the four seasons of 2021 was obviously better than that in 2014. PM2.5 concentration was the highest in winter and PM2.5 concentration was the lowest in summer, while it was the opposite for O3 concentration. AQI in Jinan during the COVID epoch in 2020 was remarkably lower compared with that during the same epoch in 2021. Nevertheless, air quality during the post-COVID epoch in 2020 conspicuously deteriorated compared with that in 2021. Socioeconomic elements were the main reasons for the changes in air quality. AQI in Jinan was majorly influenced by energy consumption per 10,000-yuan GDP (ECPGDP), SO2 emissions (SDE), NOx emissions (NOE), particulate emissions (PE), PM2.5, and PM10. Clean policies in Jinan City played a key role in improving air quality. Unfavorable meteorological conditions led to heavy pollution weather in the winter. These results could provide a scientific reference for the control of air pollution in Jinan City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to air pollution has become a serious environmental issue affecting children's health and health-related behavior in China. Previous studies have focused on the associations between air pollution and physical activity among adults; however, few have examined the relationship between air pollution and health-related behavior among children, which are particularly susceptible population subgroups. The present study aims to examine the impact of air pollution on daily physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) among children in China. Methods: PA and SB data were collected by actiGraph accelerometers for eight consecutive days. PA and SB data from 206 children were matched to daily air pollution obtained from the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China, including the average daily air quality index (AQI), PM2.5 (µg/m³), and PM10 (µg/m³). Associations were estimated using linear individual fixed-effect regressions. Results: A 10-unit increase in daily AQI was associated with a reduction in daily PA by 5.94 (95% confidence interval [CI] = -8.79, -3.08) minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and 229.82 (95% CI = -345.35, -114.28) walking steps and an increase in daily SB by 15.77 (95% CI = 9.01, 22.53) minutes. A 10 µg/m³ increase in air pollution concentration in daily PM2.5 was associated with a reduction in daily PA by 7.51 (95% CI = -11.04, -3.97) minutes of MVPA, 295.69 (95% CI = -438.46, -152.92) walking steps and an increase in daily SB by 21.12 (95% CI = 12.77, 29.47) minutes. A 10 µg/m³ increase in air pollution concentration in daily PM10 was associated with a reduction in daily PA by 13.18 (95% confidence interval [CI] = -15.98, -10.37) minutes of MVPA, 518.34 (95% CI = -631.77, -404.91) walking steps and an increase in daily SB by 19.87 (95% CI = 13.10, 26.64) minutes. Conclusion: Air pollution may discourage physical activity and increase sedentary behavior among children. Policy interventions are needed to reduce air pollution and develop strategies to decrease risks to children's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using GRIMM-1107 aerosol sampler, GOES-9 DCD satellite images, HYSPLIT model of backward trajectory and 3D-meteorological WRF-3.6 model, high particulate matter concentrations were investigated at Gangneung city in the Korean east coast which consists of Mt. Taeglyung in its west and the East Sea in its east on 00:00LST March 26~00:00 LST 4 April 2004. During a Yellow Dust period, the maximum PM10 (PM2.5 and PM1) concentration at the city was about 3.3 (1.1 and 1.01) times higher than one in the non-dust period. After the transported dust from the Gobi Desert and Nei-Mongo by strong northwesterly wind passed over Mt. Taegulyang and moved down toward the city. Then the dust was trapped inside a calm cavity generated by the confront of internal gravity waves (IGW) over the city and the eastward movement of the trapped dust is prohibited by the easterly onshore wind from the East Sea, and the trapped dust further combined with particulate and gaseous emitted from the road vehicles and heating boilers of the city at 09:00LST, March 30 (beginning time of office hours), causing high PM concentrations. On mid-day, as the combined dust due to daytime sufficient thermal convection rises up to the top of the thermal internal boundary layer (TIBL) of a 300 m depth from the coast to the top of the mountain, the ground-based PM concentrations in the city are much lower at 15:00LST due to the higher thickness of the TIBL than at 09:00LST. At night, particulates emitted from many road vehicles after the end of office hours and residential heating boilers could combine with both dust transported from the Nei-Mongo and falling dust uplifted from the ground surface of the city during the day, and they were trapped inside a calm cavity by the IGV under much shallower stable nocturnal surface inversion layer than the TIBL, causing more dust to be accumulated near the surface and showing the maximum PM concentrations at 20:00 LST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollutants in the atmosphere have been linked to poor pregnancy outcomes in women. However, such investigations are scarce in metropolitan northern China. The major exposure window of air pollution affecting pregnant women is also unknown. For the analysis, this retrospective cohort study enrolled 6960 pregnant women recorded at Tongchuan People's Hospital from January 2018 to December 2019. Pollutant concentration values from the nearest monitoring station to the pregnant women were used to estimate exposure doses for each exposure window. Logistic regression models were created to investigate the connection between pollutants and spontaneous abortion while controlling for confounding factors. PM2.5 was a risk factor for spontaneous abortion in T3 (30–60 days before the first day of the last menstrual period [LMP]), (OR: 1.305, 95% CI: 1.143–1.490) and T4 (60–90 days before the first day of the LMP),(OR: 1.450, 95% CI: 1.239–1.696) after controlling for covariates. In the same window, PM10 was a risk factor (OR: 1.308, 95% CI: 1.140–1.500), (OR: 1.386, 95% CI: 1.184–1.621). In T2 (30 days before the first day of the LMP), T3, and T4, SO2 was a risk factor for spontaneous abortion (OR: 1.185, 95% CI: 1.025–1.371), (OR: 1.219, 95% CI: 1.071–1.396), (OR: 1.202, 95% CI: 1.040–1.389). In T3 and T4, NO2 was a risk factor (OR: 1.171, 95% CI: 1.019– 1.346), (OR: 1.443, 95% CI: 1.259–1.655). In T1 (from the first day of the LMP to the date of abortion), O3 was found to be a risk factor (OR: 1.366, 95% CI: 1.226–1.521). Exposure to high levels of air pollutants before and during pregnancy may be a risk factor for spontaneous abortion in pregnant women. This study further illustrates the importance of reducing air pollution emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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There is a positive association between air pollution and lung cancer burden. This study aims to identify and examine lung cancer risks and mortality burdens associated with air pollutants, including PM10, NO2 and SO2, in seven eastern metropolises of China. The study population comprised a population from seven eastern metropolises of China. The yearly average values (YAV, mg/m3) of the PM10, NO2 and SO2 levels were extracted from China Statistical Yearbook (CSYB) for each selected city from 2006 to 2014. Data collected in the China Cancer Registry Annual Report (CCRAR) provide lung cancer incidence and mortality information. A two-level normal random intercept regression model was adopted to analyze the association between the lung cancer rates and individual air pollutant concentration within a five-year moving window of past exposure. The yearly average values of PM10, SO2 and NO2 significantly decreased from 2006 to 2014. Consistently, the male age-adjusted incidence rate (MAIR) and male age-adjusted mortality rate (MAMR) decreased significantly from 2006 to 2014.Air pollutants have a lag effect on lung cancer incidence and mortality for 2-3 years. NO2 has the significant association with MAIR (RR=1.57, 95% CI: 1.19-2.05, p=0.002), MAMR (RR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.32-2.18, p=0.0002) and female age-adjusted mortality rate (FAMR) (RR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.08-1.49, p=0.003). Our findings suggested that air pollutants may be related to the occurrence and mortality of lung cancer. NO2 was significantly associated with the risk of lung cancer, followed by SO2. Air pollutants have the strongest lag effect on the incidence and mortality of lung cancer within 2-3 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the 15th of March 2021, the strongest sandstorm in a decade occurred in northern China, and had a great adverse impact on the natural environment and human health in northern China. Real-time monitoring of dust storms is becoming increasingly important. In order to effectively analyze the non-hydrostatic delay (ZNHD) anomaly during a sandstorm, the method based on GNSS-derived tropospheric ZNHD residual to monitor the sandstorm is proposed at the same time. We studied the relationship between ZNHD/PWV and PM10/PM2.5 in Beijing, Changchun, Pingliang and Zhongwei before and after sandstorms. The ZNHD time series was then decomposed by singular spectrum analysis (SSA) and the residuals were obtained. The relationship between the GNSS-derived ZNHD residual and PM10 was analyzed. The results show that the impact of the sandstorm on PM10 is greater than that on PM2.5. Before the sandstorm, the correlation between PM10 and ZNHD was low, less than 0.25. When the sandstorm occurred, the correlation between PM10 and ZNHD increased significantly, and the maximum was greater than 0.7. When the sandstorm ended, the correlation between PM10 and ZNHD decreased significantly. Through the relationship between the ZNHD residual and PM10, it can be found that when the peak-to-peak values of the ZNHD residual are all above 80 mm, sandstorms may occur. But Rainfall, snowfall, haze and other abnormal weather can also lead to ZNHD anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid social development in China has resulted in severe air pollution and adverse impacts on people's health. Although studies have been conducted on the relationship between exposure to air pollutants and asthma exacerbation, most studies were performed in relatively heavily polluted areas, while little is known about the effect of air pollutants in less polluted areas. We assessed the effects of air pollutants on the risk of asthma-related outpatient and emergency visits of infants and children aged from 0 to 13 years during 2018 to 2020 in Fuzhou city, southeast China. Data of six air pollutants: sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxides (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), daily maximum 8-h average ozone (O3-8 h), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10), and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), were obtained from the Environmental Protection Administration of Fuzhou. Data of temperature, humidity, and wind speed were provided by the Meteorological Bureau of Fuzhou. Results revealed that on lag day 6, NO2, SO2, and CO were positively associated with the number of outpatient and emergency visits. Among the pollutants, SO2 had the highest effects on both outpatient visits (RR = 1.672, 95%CI 1.545, 1.809) and emergency visits (RR = 1.495, 95%CI 1.241, 1.800), and its effect on outpatient visits was stronger in children aged 0–4 years than in those aged 5–13 years (RR = 2.331 vs. 1.439). In conclusion, SO2 contributes substantially to the adverse effects of air pollutants on pediatric respiratory health in Fuzhou. Younger children were more affected by air pollution than their older counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the primary causes of urban atmospheric particulate matter, which is harmful to human health in addition to affecting air quality and atmospheric visibility, is road dust. This study used online monitoring equipment to examine the characteristics of road dust emissions, the effects of temperature, humidity, and wind speed on road dust, as well as the correlation between road and high-space particulate matter concentrations. A section of a real road in Jinhua City, South China, was chosen for the study. The findings demonstrate that the concentration of road dust particles has a very clear bimodal single-valley distribution throughout the day, peaking between 8:00 and 11:00 and 19:00 and 21:00 and troughing between 14:00 and 16:00. Throughout the year, there is a noticeable seasonal change in the concentration of road dust particles, with the highest concentration in the winter and the lowest in the summer. Simultaneously, it has been discovered that temperature and wind speed have the most effects on particle concentration. The concentration of road dust particles reduces with increasing temperature and wind speed. The particle concentrations of road particles and those from urban environmental monitoring stations have a strong correlation, although the trend in the former is not entirely consistent, and the changes in the former occur approximately 1 h after the changes in the latter., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

In this study, the PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations from 367 cities in China were integrated with MODIS-retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Angstrom exponent (AE) data to explore the relationship between ground-measured surface particle concentrations and remote-sensing aerosol parameters. The impact of meteorological and topographical factors and seasonality were also taken into consideration and the partial least squares (PLS) regression model was adopted to evaluate the effects of surface particulate matter (PM) concentration and meteorological factors on the variation of aerosol parameters. PM concentrations and aerosol parameters all presented strong spatial disparity and seasonal patterns in China. After implementation of stringent clean air actions and policies, both the ground-measured and satellite-retrieved aerosol parameters revealed that the concentrations of suspended particles in China's cities declined dramatically from 2015 to 2018. The PM/AOD ratio showed conspicuous south–north and west–east differences. The ratio was strongly correlated to meteorological and topographic factors, and it tended to be higher in arid and less polluted regions. Moreover, the dominant factors affecting seasonal PM/AOD ratios varied among China's five regions. The correlations of daily PM-AOD were always strong in southwest China and in basin terrain (e.g., Sichuan Basin and Tarim Basin). In contrast, the PM-AOD correlation was found to be negative in some cities on the Tibetan Plateau because local relative humidity makes a greater contribution to AOD variation. Since the climate is arid and the ratio of coarse particles (e.g., PM10) is much higher, PM tended to have a significantly negative correlation with AE in northwestern cities. Whereas in many southern cities, PM was positively correlated with AE because of the area's high relative humidity and aerosol hygroscopic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient bioaerosols affect ecosystems and public health, but their seasonal variations and their contributions to aerosol particles are limitedly understood. Ambient bioaerosols in PM2.5 and PM10 samples were measured in Huangshi City, Hubei Province of China from April 2018 to December 2018. Bioaerosols were measured using a fluorescence microscope after staining with 4′, 6-diamino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI) following a direct staining technique. The bioaerosol number concentrations ranged from 0.12 to 15.69 # cm−3 for PM2.5 and 0.22 to 18.20 # cm−3 for PM10, with averages of 2.79 # cm−3 and 4.66 # cm−3, respectively. The bioaerosol concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 varied significantly by seasons and were arranged in the following descending order: spring > fall > winter > summer. Bioaerosol numbers were dominated by fine particles of 0.37–2.5 μm diameter, while the spring bioaerosol particles were detected at the peak concentration of 0.56–1 μm diameter. Bioaerosol fractions accounted for 18.3 ± 10.6% PM10 mass and 13.7 ± 12.5% PM2.5 mass. Bioaerosol concentrations were increased during the haze event, but the increased amounts were not as large as those of the dust event, and higher bioaerosol contributions to PM were observed in the dust event than in the haze event. As enhanced emission controls have reduced PM concentrations in China, bioaerosols can be important contributors to PM mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid urbanization in China and the long‐range transport dust (LRTD) from arid and semi‐arid areas has resulted in an increase of PM10 concentration. In this study, an interpretable deep learning model [deep forest (DF)] with FY‐4A top‐of‐the‐atmosphere reflectance (TOAR) data were used to obtain the hourly PM10 in China. The optimal hourly average R2 of 10‐fold cross validation can achieve 0.85 (13:00 Beijing time); The R2 (RMSE, μg/m³) of the daily, monthly, and annual averages were 0.82 (24.16), 0.97 (6.53), and 0.99 (2.30), respectively. Using TOAR data, the DF model performed better than other machine learning models. The feature importance of the TOAR‐PM10 model showed that TOAR and meteorological elements both contributed significantly to the model. In spring, the PM10 in northern China was greater than that in southern China, which may be related to the LRTD. Excluding the dust weather periods, the areas with high PM10 values in China were mainly in cities and their suburbs, where were correlated with human activities. During a dust weather process, LRTD increased PM10 in northern China by 80.4%. During a mixture haze and dust weather process, the PM10 increased by 130.2% in northern China, of which LRTD led to an increase of 73.7%. The sources (from the Taklimakan Desert in China) and transmission paths of these two LRTD processes were similar. The contribution of LRTD to PM10 was related to dust intensity and meteorological conditions. The results showed that LRTD and local pollution to PM10 was both important in haze periods. Key Points: Hourly PM10 in China was estimated using interpretable deep forest and FY‐4A top‐of‐the‐atmosphere reflectance, and the daily and monthly mean R2 were 0.82 and 0.97Excluding dust weather periods, the areas with high PM10 values in China were mainly in cities and suburbs related to human activitiesThe contribution of long‐range transport dust and local pollution in China to PM10 was both important during haze periods [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological evidence has shown a significant association between short-term exposure to air pollution and mortality risk for circulatory system diseases (CSD). However, informative insights on the significance and magnitude of its relationship in the process of government interventions on abating air pollution are still lacking, particularly in a burgeoning Chinese city. In this study, we conducted a time series study in Lishui District, Nanjing, to examine the effect of ambient particulate matter (PM), e.g., PM2.5 and PM10, on daily death counts of CSD which included cardiovascular disease (CVD), cerebrovascular disease (CEVD), and arteriosclerotic heart disease (ASHD) mortality from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019. The results revealed that each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and PM10 concentration at lag0 day was associated with an increase of 1.33% (95% confidence interval, 0.08%, 2.60%) and 1.12% (0.43%, 1.82%) in CSD mortality; 2.42% (0.44%, 4.43%) and 1.43% (0.32%, 2.55%) in CVD mortality; 1.20% (− 0.31%, 2.73%) and 1.21% (0.38%, 2.05%) in CEVD mortality; and 2.78% (0.00%, 5.62%) and 1.66% (0.14%, 3.21%) in ASHD mortality, respectively. For cumulative risk, the corresponding increase in daily mortality for the same change in PM2.5 concentration at lag03 day was significantly associated with 1.94% (0.23%, 3.68%), 3.17% (0.58%, 5.84%), 2.38% (0.17%, 4.63%), and 4.92% (1.18%, 8.81%) for CSD, CVD, CEVD, and ASHD, respectively. The exposure–response curves were approximately nonlinear over the entire exposure range of the PM concentrations. We also analyzed the effect modifications by season (warm or cold), age group (0–64 years, 65–74 years, or ≥ 75 years), and sex (male or female). Although not statistically significant, stratified analysis showed greater vulnerability to PM exposure for cold season, population over 65 years of age, and female group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated concentrations of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 , NO 2 , CO and O 3 , and air quality index (AQI) values across 368 cities in mainland China during 2015–2018. The study further examined relationships of air pollution status with local industrial capacities and vehicle possessions. Strong correlations were found between industrial capacities (coal, pig iron, crude steel and rolled steel) and air pollution levels. Although statistical and significant reductions of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 , NO 2 , CO and AQI values were observed in response to various laws and regulations in industrial sectors, both particle and gaseous pollutants still had annual average concentrations above recommended limits. In order to further reduce air pollution, more efforts can be done to control traffic emissions caused by minicars and heavy trucks, which was revealed after investigating 16 vehicle types. This was also consistent with the apparent air quality improvement during the COVID-19 lockdown period in China in 2020, despite industrial operations being still active at full capacities. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, with air pollution posing significant risks to cardiovascular health. The effect of air quality on heart failure (HF) readmission in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients is unclear.The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of a single measure of air pollution exposure collected on the day of first hospitalization., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 12,857 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients (January 2015-March 2023). After multiple screenings, 4023 AMI patients were included. The air pollution data is updated by the automatic monitoring data of the national urban air quality monitoring stations in real time and synchronized to the China Environmental Monitoring Station. Cox proportional hazards regression assessed the impact of air quality indicators on admission and outcomes in 4013 AMI patients. A decision tree model identified the most susceptible groups., Results: After adjusting for confounders, NO2 (HR 1.009, 95% CI 1.004-1.015, P = 0.00066) and PM10 (HR 1.006, 95% CI 1.002-1.011, P = 0.00751) increased the risk of HF readmission in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. No significant effect was observed in non-STEMI (NSTEMI) patients (P > 0.05). STEMI patients had a 2.8-fold higher risk of HF readmission with NO2 > 13 μg/m3 (HR 2.857, 95% CI 1.439-5.670, P = 0.00269) and a 1.65-fold higher risk with PM10 > 55 μg/m3 (HR 1.654, 95% CI 1.124-2.434, P = 0.01064)., Conclusion: NO2 and PM10 are linked to increased HF readmission risk in STEMI patients, particularly when NO2 exceeds 13 μg/m3 and PM10 exceeds 55 μg/m3. Younger, less symptomatic male STEMI patients with fewer underlying conditions are more vulnerable to these pollutants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Lingling Zhang reports financial support was provided by Xiangtan Central Hospital. Lingling Zhang reports a relationship with Xiangtan Central Hospital that includes: employment and non-financial support. 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Thyroid nodules has become a significant public health issue worldwide with a rapidly increasing prevalence. However, its association with outdoor air pollution remains poorly understood. We aim to investigate the relationship between six outdoor air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, and O3) and the risk of thyroid nodules. Methods: We utilized a database including 4,920,536 participants who attended the annual physical examinations in the Meinian HealthCare Screening Center in 157 Chinese cities in 2017. City-specific concentrations of six pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, and O3) from 2015 to 2017 were estimated based on the China's National Urban Air Quality Real Time Publishing Platform. Thyroid nodule was measured with ultrasound. Multivariable Logistic regression was used to examine the associations between air pollutants and thyroid nodules with adjustment for age, sex, education, smoking, body mass index, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, urine iodine, gross domestic product, and thyroid stimulating hormone. We conducted stratified analyses to investigate potential effect modification by sex, age, and urine iodine groups. Results: Approximately 38% of the participants (1,869,742) were diagnosed with thyroid nodules. Each of the six air pollutants was significantly and linearly associated with the risk for thyroid nodules. The adjusted odds ratios [95% CI] for every increase of 10 μg/m3 for PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, and O3 were 1.062 [1.061, 1.064], 1.04 [1.03, 1.04], 1.10 [1.09, 1.10], 1.11 [1.11, 1.12], and 1.151 [1.149, 1.154], respectively; The odds ratio for each increase of 1 mg/m3 for CO was 1.50 [1.49 to 1.52]. Furthermore, these associations were significantly higher in the participants who were men, younger, or having lower urine iodine level (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The six air pollutants may contribute to the high prevalence of thyroid nodules in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter in the air seriously affects human health and has been a hot topic of discussion. Because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) lockdown in cities in China, sources of particulate matter, including gasoline‐burning vehicles, dust‐producing building sites, and coal‐fired factories, almost all ceased at the end of January 2020. It was not until early April that outdoor activities recovered. Ten cities were selected as observation sites during the period from 19 December 2019 to 30 April 2020, covering the periods of preclosure, closure, and gradual resumption. A total of 11 720 groups of data were obtained, and 4 indicators were used to assess the characteristics of the particle pollution in the period. The quality of the atmospheric environment was visibly influenced by human activities in those 5 mo. The concentrations of particulate matter with particle sizes below 10 µm (PM10) decreased slightly in February and March and then began to increase slowly after April with the gradual recovery of production. The concentrations of particulate matter with particle sizes below 2.5 µm (PM2.5) decreased greatly in most regions, especially in northern cities, during closure and maintained a relatively stable level in the following 3 mo. The trends of PM10 and PM2.5 indicated that the reduced human activities during the COVID‐19 lockdown decreased the concentrations of particulate matter in the air, and the difference between the PM10 and PM2.5 trends might be due to the different sources of the 2 particles and their different aerodynamics. However, during closure, the particulate matter pollution in the cities remained at a high level, which indicated that some ignored factors other than outdoor production activities, automobile exhaust, and construction site dust might have contributed greatly to the PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations, and the tracing of the particulate matter should be given further attention in environmental management. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:1014–1024. © 2021 SETAC KEY POINTS: To assess the changes of the particle pollution in the coronavirus 2019 (COVID‐19) closure of China, 11 720 groups of data were obtained and 4 indicators were applied.The concentrations of particulate matter with particle sizes below 2.5 µm (PM2.5) began falling from the beginning of the COVID‐19 closure in February 2000 and maintained a relatively stable level in the following 3 mo.The difference between the particulate matter with particle sizes below 10 µm (PM10) and PM2.5 trends might be due to the different sources of the 2 particles and their different aerodynamics.The PM2.5 concentrations, especially in northern cities, reduced greatly in most regions during the closure period, compared with the uncontrolled months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter (PM) is the primary air pollutant in northern China. The PM2.5/PM10 ratio has been used increasingly as an indicator to reflect anthropogenic PM pollution, but its advantages compared with individual PM2.5 or PM10 concentrations have not been proven sufficiently by experimental data. By dividing Hebei Province (China) into seven natural ecological regions, this study investigated the spatial characteristics of the PM2.5/PM10 ratio and its relationships with PM2.5, PM10, economic density, and wind speed. Results showed that the PM2.5/PM10 ratio decreased from east to west and from south to north, with an annual average value in 2019 of 0.439–0.559. The characteristics of the spatial variation of the PM2.5/PM10 ratio were different to those of either PM2.5 or PM10 concentration, indicating that PM pollution reflected by the PM2.5/PM10 ratio is not entirely consistent with that by PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations. In comparison with PM2.5 or PM10 concentration, the PM2.5/PM10 ratio had higher (lower) correlation with economic density (wind speed), indicating that the PM2.5/PM10 ratio is a better indicator used to reflect the intensity of anthropogenic emissions of PM pollutants. According to the characteristics of the spatial variations of the PM2.5/PM10 ratio and the PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations, the seven ecological regions of Hebei Province were categorized into four different types of atmospheric PM pollution: "three low regions," "three high regions," "one high and two low regions," and "one low and two high regions." This reflects the comprehensive effect of the intensity of anthropogenic PM emissions and the atmospheric diffusion conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the spring of 2021, rapid surface cooling in the Arctic area expanded to most of the East Asian region, featuring surface-temperature dipole patterns of the colder west (Mongolia and northern-central China) and the warmer east (eastern-northeastern China, the Yellow Sea, and Korea). Despite the decreasing trend of dusty days within Korea, a notable rise in the occurrence of transboundary mineral dust-induced dusty days was observed in contributing to an increase in PM 10 levels in the spring of 2021. This study investigated the PM 10 source apportionment of anthropogenic dust, mineral dust, and biomass burning in the East Asian region and its transboundary impact on Korea, within the context of the surface-temperature dipole pattern observed in April of 2021. Source apportionment of PM 10 was determined through a comparative analysis between baseline and sensitivity experiments conducted by means of a WRF-Chem simulation. In these sensitivity simulations, emissions from each source were systematically excluded to assess their individual contributions. PM 10 Base refers to baseline simulations, PM 10 Anthro to anthropogenic emissions, PM 10 Dust to mineral dust, and PM 10 Biomass to biomass burning. The colder west pattern was linked to increased synoptic-scale cyclonic activity, marked by higher positive potential vorticity, causing a sudden surge in severe dust storms over Mongolia and northern China. PM 10 Base levels were most elevated in the higher terrain of Mongolia, comprising predominantly PM 10 Dust (95%). However, the dominance of atmospheric-warming-induced anticyclones, represented by enhanced negative potential vorticity, prevailed over the lower terrain in the warmer east regions, obstructing the transboundary dispersion of PM 10 Base to Korea. Nevertheless, Korea experienced a transboundary contribution of PM 10 Dust , reaching 35%. In addition, the source apportionments indicated a PM 10 Anthro ratio of 55% in eastern China and a PM 10 Biomass ratio of 35% in northeastern China, contributing 25% and 5% respectively to Korea. During April 14–30, 2021, the dipole pattern evolved further to the significantly colder west (Mongolia and China) and the moderately warmer east (the Yellow Sea and Korea). The transboundary contributions of PM 10 Anthro , PM 10 Dust , and PM 10 Biomass were intensified as a composite mixture within Korea, an outcome attributed to the intermittent cyclones and subsequent anticyclones. • Dusty days fell in Korea, but mineral dust surged, raising PM 10 in spring 2021. • Arctic spring cooling led to an East Asian cold-west, warm-east dipole pattern. • The colder west amplified cyclones, sparking dust storms in Mongolia and China. • Warming-induced anticyclones obstructed the transboundary dispersion of mineral dust. • Dust from eastern-northern China impacted Korea's PM 10 in a warm anticyclone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to examine the associations between ambient air pollutants and daily mortality in Northeast China from 2014 to 2018. Methods: A two-stage approach was used to estimate particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 µm (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO10), and sulfur dioxide (SP10) exposure and daily mortality. Results: An increase of 10 µg/m³ of PM10 exposure and NO2 at lag of 0 to 16 days was associated with the cumulative relative risk of 1.011 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.004, 1.019) and 1.026 (95% CI: 1.004, 1.049), respectively, in non-accident mortality. Meanwhile, significant association was observed in people aged under 60 years between SO2 exposure and respiratory mortality at lag of 0 to 9 days. Conclusions: Our findings strengthen the evidence of PM10 and [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dust storms pose a serious threat to air quality and public health through large‐scale, long‐distance transport. In early April 2018, two severe dust storm events occurred in the Taklimakan and Gobi Deserts in northwestern China. The advected air‐masses containing dust traveled eastward over long distances reaching the western Yangtze River Delta region (WYRDR) with local PM10 peak concentrations of 190 and 410 μg/m3 on April 6 and April 11, 2018, respectively. Satellite remote sensing and ground‐based lidar observations showed that the first dust event was transported to WYRDR at an altitude of <5 km, while the second transport height was at an altitude of <3 km. The first one was accompanied with the dry‐cold air mass in the northwest moving eastward and southward. By comparison, in the second event, the dust aerosols were mixed with anthropogenic aerosols from southwestern China. Meanwhile, as southerly warm‐humid air flows prevailed at near‐surface layer over the WYRDR in the second event, the associated higher relative humidity potentially induced hygroscopic growth of polluted dust aerosols, resulting in explosive growth of PM10. In addition, the average depolarization ratio of aerosols over WYRDR on April 6 was 0.3, while on April 11 it was 0.2, indicating that the previous pollution event featured more obvious nonspherical characteristics of aerosols. Our findings provide scientific evidence that transboundary dust events and resultant local PM10 pollution are closely related to various transport trajectories of dust aerosols as well as the local vertical wind profiles and surface humidity conditions. Key Points: The magnitudes of local PM10 pollutions depend on various transport trajectories of dust aerosols as well as local meteorological conditionsDifferent dust transported heights are revealed by integrated observations of satellite remote sensing and ground‐based lidarThe spherical characteristics of dust‐related aerosols are identified by depolarization ratio of aerosols from lidar observation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pneumonia is one of the principal reasons for incidence and death in the world. The former research mainly concentrated on specific sources of patients. Besides, due to the heterogeneity among regions, there are inconsistencies in the outcome of these surveys. To explore the relationship between atmospheric pollution and hospital visits for pneumonia under the climate and pollution conditions in Qingdao, we carried out this study.Methods: The medical records of pneumonia patients were gathered from the affiliated hospital of Qingdao University during Jan 1st, 2014, and Dec 31st,2018. Daily concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, as well as CO, were collected from the national air quality monitoring stations in Qingdao. Case-crossover study design and conditional logistic regression model were used to estimate the associations. Daily temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure were adjusted as the covariates in all models. A principal component analysis was used to solve the multicollinearity between atmospheric pollutants and investigate the relationship between various air pollutants and pneumonia occurs.Results: In the single pollutant model, with interquartile range increment of the density of PM2.5, PM10, NO2 and SO2 at the lag2 days, the odds ratio of hospital visits for pneumonia patients increased by 6.4% (95%CI, 2.3-10.7%), 7.7% (95%CI, 3.2-12.4%), 6.7% (95%CI, 1.0-12.7%), and 7.2% (95%CI, 1.1-13.5%). Stratified analysis showed that pollutants were more significant in the cold period. Besides, the impact of atmospheric particulates on different ages mainly occurs in the young child (0 to 3-year-old). The odds ratio was 1.042 (95%CI, 1.012-1.072) when the principal components of atmospheric pollutants were included in the conditional logistic model.Conclusions: Our study found a significant relationship between short-term uncovering to PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, and hospital visits for pneumonia in Qingdao. The effect of atmospheric pollutants mainly arose in a cold period. The particulate matter might be the principal reason in inducing hospital visits for pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric aerosols affect surface ozone concentrations by influencing radiation, but the mechanism and dominant factors are unclear. Therefore, this paper analyses the changes in aerosol-radiative-surface ozone in China's arid and semi-arid regions with the help of the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (SBDART) model. The results suggest that Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and coarse Particulate Matter (PM 10 ) have the same trend, with high values in spring and winter and low values in summer and autumn. Surface ozone is high in spring and summer and low in autumn and winter. Surface ozone is higher in spring and summer and lower in autumn and winter. In winter, mainly secondary pollutants are dominated by high pollution levels. In the rest of the seasons, a mixture of dust, motor vehicle exhaust, and soot is dominated by low pollution levels. Surface ozone is positively correlated with fine particles and negatively correlated with coarse particles. Temperature is positively correlated with surface ozone in all seasons and negatively correlated with PM 10 in summer, autumn, and winter. Precipitation negatively correlates with PM 10 each season and surface ozone in winter and spring. Analysis of surface ozone and PM 10 sources in the more polluted city of Hohhot based on the back-line trajectory model showed that airflow trajectories mainly transported surface ozone and PM 10 pollution from northwestern Inner Mongolia and western Mongolia. During dusty solid weather, the decrease in radiation reaching the Earth's surface and the cooling effect of aerosols lead to lower temperatures, which slows down the rate of chemical reactions of precursors of surface ozone, resulting in lower ozone concentrations at the surface. This study can provide a theoretical reference for aerosol and surface ozone control in arid and semi-arid areas of China., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Recent studies have linked ambient air pollution to depression. Anhedonia is a core symptom of depression which severely impacts on prognosis. The present study aims to investigate the association of PM2.5 and PM10 exposure with anhedonia in depressed patients. A total of 538 patients with depression who were hospitalized at the Fourth People's Hospital of Hefei between June 2017 and December 2021 were included. We estimated ambient particulate matters exposure, including PM2.5 and PM10, using a satellite-based spatiotemporal model at a resolution of 1 km 2 . The revised Physical Anhedonia Scale (RPAS) and the revised Social Anhedonia Scale (RSAS) were evaluated. The association of ambient particulate matters and anhedonia was examined using multiple linear regression models, adjusted for potential confounders. We observed that exposure to PM2.5 were significantly associated with increased RSAS score and RPAS score, with the major effect in the 12-month exposure window (β = 1.238; 95%CI, 0.353, 2.123) and 18-month exposure window (β = 1.888; 95%CI, 0.699, 3.078), respectively. Meanwhile, PM10 levels were also significantly associated with increased RSAS score and RPAS score, with the major effect in the 18-month exposure window (β = 1.220; 95%CI, 0.439, 2) and 3-month exposure window (β = 1.602; 95%CI, 0.062, 3.143), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that both PM2.5 and PM10 were significantly associated with anhedonia in females, patients < 40 years old, low family income group, and those who had a higher educational level. Our study suggests that long-term PM2.5 and PM10 exposure are associated with more severe anhedonia in patients with depression. These associations were different in subgroup by age, gender, family income, and educational level., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Ambient air pollution is becoming a serious environmental problem in China. The results were inconsistent on that air pollution was a risk factor of preeclampsia in pregnancy.Methods: Total 116,042 pregnant women were enrolled from 22 hospitals in 10 cities of Hebei Province, China from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017. The parturients were divided into preeclampsia group (PE group) and non-preeclampsia group (non-PE group). The data of air pollutants, namely, particulate matter (PM)2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, O3 were collected from China Environmental Inspection Station.Results: Among the 116,042 pregnant women, 2988 (2.57%) pregnant women were diagnosed with preeclampsia. The concentrations of exposed PM2.5, PM10, NO2 and O3 in the PE group were significantly higher than those in the non-PE group, and they were risk factors of the PE group in the first and second trimester of pregnancy respectively. The concentrations of exposed SO2 and CO in PE patients and non-PE women were not different, but high concentration of these air pollutants were risk factors to PE in the second trimester.Conclusion: The exposure to PM2.5, PM10, NO2, O3 were risk factors for preeclampsia in the first and second trimester of pregnancy, while only at high level, SO2 and CO were risk factors for preeclampsia in the second trimester of pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Contents of REEs in the coal-burning PM 10 are lower than those in soil-mixed coal briquette-burning PM 10. • REEs in the PM 10 emitted by burning the coals and briquettes are dominated by LREEs. • Higher total REEs contents in coal-burning PM 10 are associated with higher ash yields in raw coals. • La/Sm ratios in coal-burning PM 10 are lower than those in the gasoline-powered vehicle emissions. Emission from burning coals is one of the major sources of the airborne particles in China. We carried out a study on the rare earth elements (REEs) in the inhalable particulate matter (PM 10) emitted from burning coals and soil-coal honeycomb briquettes with different volatile contents and ash yields in a combustion-dilution system. Gravimetric analysis indicates that the equivalent mass concentration of the PM 10 emitted from burning the coals is higher than that emitted from burning the briquettes. The ICP-MS analysis indicates that the contents of total REEs in the coal-burning PM 10 are lower than those in the briquette-burning PM 10. In addition, the contents of the light rare earth elements (LREEs) are higher than those of the heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) in the PM 10 emitted from burning the coals and briquettes, demonstrating that the REEs in both the coal-burning and briquette-burning PM 10 are dominated by LREEs. The higher contents of total REEs and LREEs in the coal-burning PM 10 are associated with the higher ash yields and lower volatile contents in the raw coals. A comparative analysis indicates that the La/Sm ratios in the PM 10 emitted from burning the coals and briquettes, being lower than 2, are lower than those in the particles from gasoline-powered vehicle emission. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agro-Environment Science is the property of Journal of Agro-Environment Science Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Agro-Environment Science is the property of Journal of Agro-Environment Science Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Indoor fungal is of great significance for human health. The kernel-based extreme learning machine is employed to determine the most important parameters for predicting the concentration of indoor culturable fungi (ICF). For model training and statistical analysis, parameters that contained indoor or outdoor PM10 and PM2.5, RH, Temperature, CO2 and ICF were measured in 85 residential buildings of Baoding, China, from November 2016 to March 2017. The variable selection process contains four different cases to identify the optimal input combination. The results indicate that root mean square error of the optimal input combinations can be improved 5.6% from 1 to 2 input variables, while that could be only improved 1.9% from 2 to 3 input variables. However, considering both precision and simplicity, the combination of indoor PM10 and RH provides a more suitable selection for predicting the ICF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated whether long-term ambient air pollutants (AAP) exposure was associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) among hospitalized patients living in urban areas of Shanghai, China. This was a cross-sectional observational study. A total of 3622 newly hospitalized inpatients were investigated from October 2014 to May 2015. The prior year's average exposure to particulate matter (PM) of each participant was estimated using the Kriging interpolation method of ArcGIS. The estimated eGFR was calculated according to the chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation. Both generalized linear and logistic regression models were applied to assess the associations between AAP and renal function. One-year PM 10 exposure was associated with lower eGFR; each standard deviation (SD) increase in PM 10 was significantly associated with the increased prevalence of CKD [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.11; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02, 1.21], and lower eGFR by −0.40 (95%CI: −0.80, −0.01) ml/min/1.73 m2. Moreover, the effect of PM 10 was significantly greater in people over 65 years old. Our results supported that exposure to ambient PM 10 increased the risk of CKD and negatively affected renal function among Chinese adults. • We aim to evaluate the effect of long exposure to air pollutants on renal function among hospitalized patients in China. • One-year PM10 exposure was associated with lower eGFRs and increased prevalence of CKD (chronic kidney disease). • Patients over 65 years, males, patients with a BMI＜24 kg/m2 and without hypertension might be vulnerable to the effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter (PM) air pollution is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in China. In this study, we estimated the short-term effects of PM on cause-specific hospitalization in Yichang, China. Daily data for PM level, meteorological factors, and hospital admissions (total hospitalization counts = 391,960) in Yichang between 2015 and 2017 were collected. We conducted a time-series study and applied a generalized additive model to evaluate the association between every 10 μg/m3 increment of PM and percent increase of hospitalization. We found positive and statistically significant associations between PM and hospital admissions for multiple outcomes, including all-cause, total respiratory, total cardiovascular diseases, and disease subcategories (hypertensive disease, coronary heart disease, stroke and the stroke subtype, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infection). Each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 at Lag01 (a moving average of Lag0 to Lag1), was significantly associated with an increase of 1.31% (95% CI: 0.79%, 1.83%), 1.12% (95% CI: 0.40%, 1.84%), and 1.14% (95% CI: 0.53%, 1.75%) in hospitalizations for all-cause, CVD, and respiratory, respectively. The association for PM10 with all-cause, CVD, and respiratory admissions was similar but weaker than PM2.5. The effect on admissions persisted for up to 7 days, and peaked at Lag01. The associations between PM and all-cause hospitalizations were stronger among older individuals and in cold seasons. It is therefore important to continue implementation of emission abatement and other effective measures in Yichang and other cities in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Representation of dust sources remains a key challenge in quantifying the dust cycle and its environmental and climatic impacts. Direct measurements of dust fluxes from different landform types are useful in understanding the nature of dust emission and characterizing the dynamics of soil erodibility. In this study we used the PI‐SWERL® instrument over a seasonal cycle to quantify the potential for PM10 (particles with diameter ≤10 μm) emission from several typical landform types across the Tengger Desert and Mu Us Sandy Land, northern China. Our results indicate that sparse grasslands and coppice dunes showed relatively high emission potentials, with emitted fluxes ranging from 10−1 to 101 mg m−2 s−1. These values were up to five times those emitted from sand dunes, and one to two orders of magnitude greater than the emissions from dry lake beds, stone pavements and dense grasslands. Generally, PM10 emission fluxes were seen to peak in the spring months, with significant reductions in summer and autumn (by up to 95%), and in winter (by up to 98%). Variations in soil moisture were likely a primary controlling factor responsible for this seasonality in PM10 emission. Our data provide a relative quantification of differences in dust emission potential from several key landform types. Such data allow for the evaluation of current dust source schemes proposed by prior researchers. Moreover, our data will allow improvements in properly characterizing the erodibility of dust source regions and hence refine the parameterization of dust emission in climate models. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poultry-emitted air pollutants, including microbial aerosols and particulate matter, have raised concerns due to their potential negative effects on human health and the environment. High concentrations of microbial aerosols can also significantly affect duck production performance, leading to immunosuppression and increased disease susceptibility. We determined the concentrations, distributions, and biological components of the microbial aerosols and particulate matter in a duck house environment. The concentration ranges of the bacteria, fungi, Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli , and endotoxin in the duck houses were 3.3 to 5.2 × 104 CFU/m3, 3.8 to 11.9 × 103 CFU/m3, 2.1 to 3.6 × 103 CFU/m3, 1.3 to 2.7 × 102 CFU/m3, and 0.65 to 2.2 × 103 EU/m3, respectively. We also found the endotoxin levels were higher than the standard that can cause pneumonia (2,000 EU/m3). The concentration ranges of the PM2.5 and PM10 samples were 1.1 to 1.6 × 102 μg/m3 and 1.2 to 1.9 × 102 μg/m3, respectively. At the phylum level, the top 5 bacteria identified in the PM2.5 fraction were Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacteria, with Actinobacteria (50.55%) as the most abundant. At the genus level, 293 bacterial groups were identified. Actinobacteria (39.01%) was the most abundant phylum, followed by Firmicute s (5.44%) and Proteobacteria (4.56%). The bacterial distributions that differed between the PM2.5 and PM10 samples were Lactobacillales, Bacilli, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes; the fungi that differed were Microbotryomycetes, Sporidiobolales, Agaricomycetes, and Polyporates. Microbial allergens and pathogens were also identified. Corynebacterium had a relative abundance of more than 30% in the PM2.5 and PM10 distributions. Aspergillus was the main fungal allergen and opportunistic pathogen, with a relative abundance of 10%. In conclusion, our research supports that the microbial composition in the duck house environment poses a potential threat to the health of both the ducks and the duck house workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal solid waste treatment (MSWT) system emits a cocktail of microorganisms that jeopardize environmental and public health. However, the dynamics and risks of airborne microbiota associated with MSWT are poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the bacterial community of inhalable air particulates (PM 10 , n = 71) and the potentially exposed on-site workers' throat swabs (n = 30) along with waste treatment chain in Shanghai, the largest city of China. Overall, the airborne bacteria varied largely in composition and abundance during the treatment (P < 0.05), especially in winter. Compared to the air conditions, MSWT-sources that contributed to 15 ∼ 70% of airborne bacteria more heavily influenced the PM 10 -laden bacterial communities (PLS-SEM, β = 0.40, P < 0.05). Moreover, our year-span analysis found PM 10 as an important media spreading pathogens (104 ∼ 108 copies/day) into on-site workers. The machine-learning identified Lactobacillus and Streptococcus as pharynx-niched featured biomarker in summer and Rhodococcus and Capnocytophaga in winter (RandomForest , ntree = 500, mtry = 10, cross = 10, OOB = 0%), which closely related to their airborne counterparts (Procrustes test, P < 0.05), suggesting that MSWT a dynamic hotspot of airborne bacteria with the pronounced inhalable risks to the neighboring communities. [Display omitted] • Airborne bacteria varied largely in composition and abundance during the treatment. • Waste-sources more influenced PM 10 -laden bacterial communities than air conditions. • PM 10 exposure explained 31.10% airway potential pathogens' structural variation. • Pharynx-niched human pathogens closely related to their airborne counterparts. • Inhalable risk of airborne pathogens is significantly higher in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have demonstrated that short-term exposure to particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM 10 ) is positively associated with the COVID-19 incidence. However, no study has investigated the spatiotemporal pattern in this association, which plays important roles in identifying high-susceptibility regions and stages of epidemic. In this work, taking the 49 native states in America as an example, we used an advanced strategy to investigate this issue. First, time-series generalized additive model (GAM) were independently constructed to obtain the state-specific associations between short-term exposure to PM 10 and the daily COVID-19 cases from 1 April 2020 to 31 December 2021. Then, a Leroux-prior-based conditional autoregression (LCAR) was used to spatially smoothen the associations. Third, the temporal variation of association and the reasons underlying the spatiotemporal heterogeneity were investigated by incorporating the time-varying GAM into LCAR. Results showed that PM 10 was adversely associated with COVID-19 incidence in all the states. On average, a 10 μg/m 3 increase of PM 10 was associated with a 7.38% (95% CI 5.20-9.64%) increase in COVID-19 cases. A substantial spatial heterogeneity was observed, with strong associations in the middle and northeastern regions and weak associations in the western regions. The temporal trend of association presented a U shape, with the strongest association in the end of 2021. The vaccination rate was examined as a significant effect modifier. Our study provided the first evidence about the spatiotemporal pattern in PM 10 -COVID-19 associations and suggested that air pollution deserves more attention in the post-pandemic era and in the middle and northeastern regions in America for COVID-19 control and prevention., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In this study, the relationships between meteorological parameters (relative humidity, wind speed, temperature, planetary boundary layer, and rainfall) and air pollutants (particulate matter and gaseous pollutants) have been evaluated during a 3-year period from 2019 to 2021. Diffusion and dispersion of air contaminants were significantly influenced by meteorology over the capital city. The results of correlation matrix and principal component analysis (PCA) suggest a season's specific influence of meteorological parameters on atmospheric pollutants' concentration. Temperature has the strongest negative impact on pollutants' concentration, and all the other studied meteorological parameters negatively (reduced) as well as positively (increased) impacted the air pollutants' concentration. A two-way process was involved during the interaction of pollutants with relative humidity and wind speed. Due to enhanced moisture-holding capacity during non-monsoon summers, particles get larger and settle down on the ground via dry deposition processes. Winter's decreased moisture-holding capacity causes water vapour coupled with air contaminants to remain suspended and further deteriorate the quality of the air. High wind speed helps in the dispersion and dilution but a high wind speed associated with dust particles may increase the pollutants' level downwind side. The PM 2.5 /PM 10 variation revealed that the accumulation effect of relative humidity on PM 2.5 was more intense than PM 10 . Daily average location-specific rainfall data revealed that moderate to high rainfall has a potential wet scavenging impact on both particulate matters and gaseous pollutants., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

In order to study the sources and concentrations of heavy metals in atmospheric PM10, a total of 144 samples were collected in two areas of Handan, China. The metal contents of Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Cd, and Pb in the sample were analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Contamination characteristics and sources were analysed by the geo-accumulation index and the enrichment factor method. Results indicated that heavy metal elements Mn, Cu, and Pb accounted for 96.9% of the total concentration. In addition, the seasonal levels of concentrations of the six elements from high to low were in the order of winter > fall > spring > summer. In both areas, the metal contents of Cd, Pb, and Cu were at levels 6, 4 and 2, respectively. Co and Ni were not considered polluting elements. The element Cd was mainly from anthropogenic sources, while the element Mn was mainly from natural sources. The enrichment factor values of Cu and Pb were between 10 and 100. The study revealed that pollution by heavy metals in industrialised cities is astounding, and leads to serious consequences for human health. Urgent measures are required to reinforce prevention and control of this pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The aim of this study was to investigate an association between birth defects and exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particles ≤10 μm in an aerodynamic diameter (PM10) during early pregnancy in Xi'an, China. Methods Birth defect data were from the Birth Defects Monitoring System of Xi'an, and data on ambient air pollutants during 2010–15 were from the Xi'an Environmental Protection Bureau. A generalized additive model (GAM) was used to investigate the relationship between birth defects and ambient air pollutants. Results Among the 8865 cases with birth defects analyzed, the overall incidence of birth defects was 117.33 per 10 000 infants. Ambient air pollutant exposure during the first trimester increased the risk of birth defects by 10.3% per 10 μg/m3 increment of NO2 and 3.4% per 10 μg/m3 increment of PM10. No significant association was found between birth defects and SO2. Moreover, NO2 increased risk of neural tube defects, congenital heart disease, congenital polydactyly, cleft palate, digestive system abnormalities and gastroschisis, and PM10 was associated with congenital heart disease and cleft lip with or without cleft palate. Conclusions Chinese women should avoid exposure to high levels of NO2 and PM10 during the first 3 months of pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter is the main air pollutant in China, especially in Xi'an in recent years. Since 2013, the WRF-SMOKE-CMAQ model system has been used to build an air quality model system for daily air quality forecasting in Xi'an. The emission inventory was built based on several anthropogenic emission inventories and open access emission datasets, and the model evaluation is presented to verify the emission inventory for particulate matter in Xi'an. Comparing the daily observed and simulated fine particulate (PM 2.5) concentrations for four winters in different years (from 2014 to 2017), the model performs well in all studied time periods. The correlation coefficient of the simulated daily PM 2.5 concentration data are all larger than 0.58, reaches 0.80 in 2016, and the fraction of predictions within a factor of two of observations (FAC2) are all above 66%. The differences of simulated results based on emission-unchanged system between 2014 and 2015 indicate that the slightly deteriorating air quality of 2015 is affected by the unfavorable air diffusion condition. The PM 10 concentration increases from 95.9 μg/m3 to 110.3 μg/m3, and the PM 2.5 from 82.4 μg/m3 to 95.4 μg/m3. According to the error analysis in model performance, the serious polluted situation of 2016 is mostly because of the sharp increased dust emissions. The emission-unchanged simulated particulate matter concentrations have little variation from 2015 to 2016, but the observation data increase obviously, that results in dramatically change of Mean Bias (MB). The absolute MB of PM 10 increase from 70.3 μg/m3 to 135.2 μg/m3, and PM 2.5 from 0.46 μg/m3 to 69.9 μg/m3. While the improved air quality in 2017 is attributed to both the better weather condition and the emission-reductions. The emission-unchanged simulated results decrease, and the absolute MB even have bigger decrease, that of the PM 10 concentration reduce by 47μg/m3, and PM 2.5 by 37μg/m3. • The WRF-SMOKE-CMAQ is used to build an air quality model system, and plays well model performance, that FAC2>66% and R>0.58. • Multi-year simulation, verification and error analysis may provide a new method for evaluating winter air quality. • The impact of weather condition and emission varying on air quality could be divided by taking advantage of model tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Most cities in China have suffered severe atmospheric particulate matter (PM) pollution, with reduced visibility and worsened air quality. Fugitive dust that primarily originates from soils through the action of wind and anthropogenic activities is recognized to be a major source of urban PM. However, it remains challenging to quantify and parameterize fugitive dust emission from various sources due to a lack of observation data. In this study, a portable wind erosion system, PI-SWERL, was applied to characterize the dynamics and magnitude of PM 10 and PM 2.5 (particles smaller than 10 μm and 2.5 μm respectively) emissions from several possible sources in Nanjing, a typical large city in the Yangtze River Delta economic regions, East China. Results indicate that aerodynamic suspension and abrasion were two major physical mechanisms responsible for fugitive dust emissions, with varying characteristics by location. Changes of emission characteristics and quantities were primarily associated with differences in the supply of fine particles available for wind erosion, controlled by source-specific surface characteristics and anthropogenic disturbances. Construction sites and unpaved roads were identified as two significant sources, with total emission rates of 95.85 (56.97) and 57.22 (32.62) kg s−1 respectively for PM 10 (PM 2.5) at a friction velocity of 0.82 m s−1. These values were up to five times the amounts of PM emitted from arable lands and woodlands, and 1–2 orders of magnitude greater than those from paved roads, grasslands and bare lands. These data demonstrate the importance of construction sites and unpaved roads as local PM sources which might be significant in policy making for air quality management strategies and prioritization of emission control targets in an urban area. Highlights • The physical processes of fugitive dust emission from different surfaces are illustrated. • Supply availability of erodible particles greatly influences the dynamics and magnitude of dust emission. • The propensity of different sources for fugitive dust emission is characterized. • Construction sites and unpaved roads are potentially major contributors to fugitive dust in Nanjing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The loss of nutrients induced by wind erosion causes serious land degradation. Northern China suffers from severe wind erosion that causes massive amounts of soil nutrients to be lost and results in land degradation. To thoroughly comprehend the mechanisms of land degradation in Northern China, the spatiotemporal distribution of nutrients losses induced by wind erosion must be considered. Therefore, in this study, a wind erosion model was employed to obtain the PM10 emissions in Northern China from 2001 to 2014, and the quantities of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) entrained by PM10 were obtained using the integrated soil database of China. The results showed that the losses of SOC, TN, and TP induced by wind erosion were 0.894, 0.184, and 0.123 Tg/a, respectively, and the spatial distributions of these three nutrients differed from one another. According to the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer land‐cover data, the nutrients lost from desert ecosystems contributed the largest fractions of the total nutrients lost in Northern China, and the fractions of SOC, TN, and TP losses from the desert ecosystems all exceeded 50%. Following the desert ecosystems, the grassland ecosystems also had higher fractions of nutrients losses. The farmland ecosystems, which were the most severely impacted by human activities, contributed to less than 10% of the total nutrients losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]