Association between pyrethroid exposure and risk of depressive symptoms in the general US adults

This study aimed to investigate the association between pyrethroid exposure and the risk of depressive symptoms in adults in the USA. Data of participants aged ≥20 years (n = 6455) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2007–2014) were included. 3-Phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), an adequately detected pyrethroid metabolite, was used as a biomarker to assess pyrethroid exposure. Depressive symptoms were defined as the Patient’s Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) total score ≥10 or use of antidepressant. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between urinary 3-PBA levels and the risk of depressive symptoms. In this study, 1150 participants (weighted frequency, 18.45%) developed depressive symptoms. Participants in the highest tertile have a higher risk of depressive symptoms than those in the lowest tertile of urinary 3-PBA and weighted OR of 1.28 (95% CI, 1.00–1.63, P=0.019). There was a nonlinear association between urinary 3-PBA and depressive symptoms (P for nonlinearity = 0.034). Mediation analysis showed the mediating effect of trouble sleeping on the association of urinary 3-PBA with depressive symptoms was 28.8% (P = 0.006). Our findings indicate that pyrethroid exposure is associated with the increased risk of depressive symptoms, and trouble sleeping may mediated this association. Further studies should be conducted to validate our findings and elucidate their underlying mechanisms.

     

Multivariate data evaluation of PCB and dioxin profiles in the general population in Sweden and Spain

Thirty-three polychlorinated biphenyls and 20 dioxin-like congeners were determined by GC-MS in blood and adipose tissue samples from two general population groups, one in Spain (n = 35) and one in Sweden (n = 28). The results were evaluated by multivariate projection (Simca), after normalisation to the most abundant and stable congener in each data set, in order to reveal differences in the "national" congener profiles. The mean values of each population group did not differ significantly. The sum of PCBs in the Spanish was 1450 ng/g and in the Swedish 1310 ng/g. The sum of the dioxin-like compounds in Spain was 1180 pg/g and in Sweden 804 pg/g. The congener profiles differed between the countries. Mainly the higher chlorinated congeners for both the dioxin-like compounds and the PCBs are more dominant in the Spanish group compared to the Swedish.     

Cobalt exposure in relation to cardiovascular disease in the United States general population

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Cobalt exposure has adverse health effects on the cardiovascular system in occupational and laboratory studies, but these effects have not been...     

Association between long-term occupational noise exposure and obesity

Noise exposure has been linked to several health outcomes including obesity. This cross-sectional study examined the association between occupational noise exposure and body mass index as a measure of general obesity in 913 textile workers (totally from nine factories) in Yazd city, Iran, from winter to summer of 2018. The sound pressure level (dBA) at each working station was measured by a calibrated sound level meter. The long-term noise exposure score of each worker (as dBA.year) was calculated by multiplying the working history in each unit to its corresponding noise level. Models were adjusted for personal, behavioral, environmental, and family history factors. In total, 81.05% (n?=?740) of the participants were exposed to noise levels higher than 85 dBA. The direct association was found for the fully adjusted model (β?=?0.002; 95% CI: 0.001: 0.004). For the model with past year noise exposure, a 10.6% increase in odds was observed for each 5 dBA increase in noise exposure (95% CI: 1.005: 1.216). We found a 0.1% increase in the odds of being overweight in mixed-gender analysis (95% CI: 1.001:1.002) for each 5 dBA.year in the fully adjusted model. Occupational noise exposure should be regarded as a risk factor for cardiometabolic outcomes in industrial workers.

     

Gas-phase exposure history derived from material-phase concentration profiles

Non-reactive gas-phase pollutants such as benzene diffuse into indoor furnishings and leave behind a unique material-phase concentration profile that serves as a record of the past gas-phase indoor concentrations. The inverse problem to be solved is the diffusion equation in a slab such as vinyl flooring. Using knowledge of the present material-phase concentration profile in the slab, we seek to determine the historical material-phase concentration at the surface exposed to indoor air, and hence the historical gas-phase concentration, which can be used directly to determine exposure. The problem as posed has a unique solution that may be solved using a variety of approaches. We use a trained artificial neural network (ANN) to derive solutions for hypothetical exposure scenarios. The ANN results show that it is possible to estimate the intensity and timing of past exposures from the material-phase concentration profile in a building material. The overall method is limited by (1) the resolution of techniques for measuring spatial material-phase concentration profiles, (2) how far back in time we seek to determine exposure and (3) the representational power of the ANN solution. For example, we estimate that this technique can estimate exposure to phenol up to 0.5 y in the past from analyses of vinyl flooring.     

Association of exposure to benzene and smoking with oxidative damage to nucleic acids by means of biological monitoring of general population volunteers

In this study, the validation of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) isotopic dilution method for the determination of benzene and nicotine metabolites in urine was carried out. Limit of detection are 0.026 μg/L for S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA), 0.55 μg/L for t,t-muconic acid (t,t-MA), and 12.41 μg/L for the cotinine, and the relative combined uncertainty was also calculated. The study involves 446 healthy volunteer residents since at least 10 years in an area of central Italy. SPMA resulted to be strongly correlated with cotinine (p?=?0.75), its concentration in smokers (93) being about ten times than in non/ex-smokers (197/156), while the t,t-MA of smokers is about twice the non/ex-smokers value. A cutoff value for the definition of smoker is set at 100 μg/g creat. Oxidative stress was studied in smokers and non- and ex-smokers by means of the determination of the biomarkers 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo), 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoGuo), and 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoGua): no significant differences were found between smokers and non/ex-smokers, but when subjects are classified according to the cotinine cutoff value, a correlation in smokers’ urinary 8-oxodGuo is found with SPMA and cotinine (p?=?0.60 and p?=?0.57). Results were confirmed by chemometric analysis that also identified the experimental variables most contributing the discrimination as cotinine and t,t-MA.     

Passive environmental residential exposure to agricultural pesticides and hematological malignancies in the general population: a systematic review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Incidence rates of hematological malignancies have been constantly increasing over the past 40 years. In parallel, an expanding use of agricultural...     

Personal exposure to PM2.5-bound heavy metals associated with cardiopulmonary function in general population

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - To better understand the cardiopulmonary alterations associated with personal exposed PM2.5-bound heavy meals, we conducted a cross-sectional study in...     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in blood from Korean incinerator workers and general population

This study was conducted to examine PBDE exposure in Koreans, with a special focus on incinerator workers due to their potential for occupational exposure to PBDEs. A total of 92 blood samples from 30 incinerator workers, 51 nearby residents and 11 controls were analyzed. The mean total PBDE concentration calculated from the 13 most concentrated congeners for all samples was 16.84+/-7.48 ng/g lipid, which was somewhat higher concentration than in other countries except North America and Canada. The PBDE levels and congener profiles detected in incinerator workers were not distinctly different from those found in the general population. In all groups tested, BDE-47 was dominant (mean contribution=32.5%) followed by BDE-153 (23.6%) and relatively high portions of BDE-183 (16.5%) were found. No strong trend was observed between PBDE levels and a number of key biological factors examined in this study, however, weak correlations were observed in PBDE levels measured against dietary habits, particularly in fish consumption frequency and gender. Overall, our data suggest that the occupational exposure of incinerator workers to PBDEs can be considered minor, while other lifestyle factors can have a greater contribution to PBDE exposure.     

Environmental thiocyanate exposure was associated with oral health-related productivity loss among US adults: results from NHANES

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this study is to examine the environmental exposure to perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate and their associations with oral...     

Radon exposure and risk of cerebrovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis in occupational and general population studies

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Although it is biologically plausible, findings relating radon exposure to the risk of cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) are inconsistent and...     

Association between noise exposure and atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis of cohort studies

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Noise has become an important environmental risk factor. Some studies have shown that exposure to noise can cause coronary artery disease, high blood...     

Investigation of the association between pesticide exposure and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Shahedieh population in Yazd

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study aimed to investigate the effect of exposure to pesticides and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D). In a cross-sectional study with a...     

Association between postnatal second-hand smoke exposure and ADHD in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder which is caused by the interplay of genetic and environmental risk...     

Association between biomarkers of exposure to persistent organochlorine compounds (POCs)

Serum concentrations of CB-153 and p,p'-DDE were assessed for 354 men and women from the Swedish Fishermen's Families Cohort, and were found to correlate very well (Pearson's r=0.72). In this particular cohort the main source of exposure to persistent organochlorine compounds are consumption of contaminated fatty fish. High correlations between total PCB/CB-153 and p,p'-DDE have also been found in other population with similar exposure, but not in populations whose major source of exposure to persistent organochlorine compounds is not necessarily through the consumption of contaminated sea food. The authors suggest that when investigating a possible relation between exposure to persistent organochlorine compounds and different health outcomes in populations with exposure similar to the Swedish Fishermen's Families Cohort, there may be no need to analyze more than either CB-153 or p,p'-DDE.     

Dioxin and dibenzofuran concentrations in blood of a general population from Tarragona, Spain

The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were determined in plasma samples of 20 nonoccupationally exposed subjects living in the vicinity of a new hazardous waste incinerator (HWI), now under construction in Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain). The mean PCDD/F value was 27.0 pg I-TEQ/g lipid with a range from 14.8 to 48.9 pg I-TEQ/g lipid. All samples showed higher PCDD than PCDF levels. Although PCDD/F concentrations were higher in women (27.7 pg I-TEQ/g lipid) than in men (25.2 pg I-TEQ/g lipid), the difference was not statistically significant. While a significant correlation (r = 0.565, p < 0.01) between the age of the subjects and the levels of PCDD/F in plasma could be observed, no significant differences were found in relation to the specific residential area. The plasma concentrations of PCDD/F obtained in the current study are discussed and compared with the results of similar investigations reported in the last two years.     

Mercury induced time-dependent alterations in lipid profiles and lipid peroxidation in different body organs of cat-fish Heteropneustes fossilis

The effects of mercuric chloride (HgCl2) on lipid profiles and lipid peroxidation in different body organs of fresh water cat-fish Heteropneustes fossilis were studied. The daily exposure of HgCl2 0.2 mg/L for 10, 20 and 30 days depleted the total lipids in brain. But the content of phospholipids enhanced significantly at 30 days. Significant diminution in C/P ratio was discernible with 30 days of exposure following mercury toxicosis. Liver exhibited elevated levels of total lipids, phospholipids, cholesterol and C/P ratio. Interestingly kidney showed marked decrease in the concentration of total lipids, cholesterol and C/P ratio at higher exposure. However, the phospholipid values increased during the longer exposure. The content of total lipids and phospholipids was high in muscle but the level of cholesterol and C/P ratio were depleted. Significant increment in lipid peroxidation was discernible in brain, liver and muscle. In kidney the rate of lipid peroxidation was significantly reduced. The results suggest that exposure of HgCl2 enhances the peroxidation of endogenous lipids in brain, liver and muscle. Interestingly the lipid contents are affected differently in different body organs.     

Dioxin and dibenzofuran concentrations in adipose tissue of a general population from Tarragona, Spain

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) levels were determined in adipose tissue of 15 autopsied subjects who at the time of death had lived in the city of Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain) and surroundings during at least the last 10 years. PCDD/F concentrations ranged between 13.37 and 69.37 ng I-TEQ/kg fat, with mean and median values of 30.98 and 26.30 ng I-TEQ/kg fat, respectively. PCDD/F concentrations were higher (p < 0.01) in women (mean value: 44.95 ng I-TEQ/kg fat) than in men (mean value: 24.00 ng I-TEQ/kg fat). Although individuals living in industrial areas showed higher PCDD/F levels than those living Tarragona downtown the difference was not statistically significant. When Principal Component Analysis was applied to the concentrations of PCDD/Fs found in the 15 adipose tissue samples together with those found in 20 blood samples collected in a previous study, a single two-dimensional model was obtained, which would explain 62.9% of the variance in the data. The PCDD/F concentrations in adipose tissue found in the current study are of the same order of magnitude than those reported for most industrialized countries.     

Association between occupational exposure to domestic solid waste and dental caries: a cross-sectional study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Studies have shown that domestic waste collectors are exposed to toxicants including infectious pathogens, which may be linked to their oral health...     

Association between air pollution exposure and gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women: a retrospective cohort study

The global prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing annually, and previous research reports on the relationship between exposure to air pollutants and GDM are not completely consistent. We investigated the association between air pollutant exposure and GDM in pregnant women in a retrospective cohort study in Guangzhou. We found that in the first trimester, exposure to PM_2.5 and CO showed a significant association with GDM. In the second trimester, exposure to PM₁₀ was significantly associated with GDM. In the third trimester, exposure to PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, and CO at IQR4 (odds ratio [OR]?=?1.271, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.179–1.370; OR?=?1.283, 95% CI: 1.191–1.383; OR?=?1.230, 95% CI: 1.145–1.322; OR?=?1.408, 95% CI: 1.303–1.522; OR?=?1.150, 95% CI: 1.067–1.240, respectively) compared with IQR1 was positively associated with GDM. However, exposure to NO₂ was negatively associated with GDM in the first and second trimesters, and O₃ was negatively associated with GDM in the second and third trimesters. We found that the correlation between air pollutants and GDM in different trimesters of pregnancy was not completely consistent in this retrospective cohort study. During pregnancy, there may be an interaction between air pollutant exposure and other factors, such as pregnant women’s age, occupation, anemia status, pregnancy-induced hypertension status, and pregnancy season.