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Health Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 10112

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Health Effects Institute, Boston, MA 02108, USA
Interests: environmental epidemiology; air pollution exposure assessment and epidemiology; health effects of traffic-related air pollution; effectiveness of (traffic) policy measures on air quality and public health

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Guest Editor
Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, 1165 Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: environmental epidemiology; traffic-related air pollution; health effects of exposure during critical windows such as during early life and pregnancy; interactions with other environmental exposures such as air pollution from other sources; noise from road traffic and diet; biomarkers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Regulations and vehicular technology have advanced significantly; however, the health effects of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) continue to be an important public health concern. Interest in the contribution of non-tailpipe emissions to air quality and health is increasing as vehicle miles travelled increase and regulations continue to be targeted almost exclusively at tailpipe emissions. Moreover, there is a better appreciation that, beyond air pollution, traffic can be a source of other exposures with potential relevance to health, most notably noise. These exposures may either confound or modify the health effect of TRAP.

This Special Issue aims to publish new research and reviews to assess the adverse health effects of TRAP. The studies should preferably consider spatially correlated factors that may either confound or modify the health effects of TRAP (e.g., noise, air pollution from other sources, green space, socioeconomic status, lifestyle-related factors such as diet and physical activity).

Research that identifies potentially vulnerable subgroups and disparities in exposure and outcomes is of particular interest. We are also interested in accountability studies assessing the effects of regulatory actions, interventions, or ‘natural’ experiments on TRAP and health. We encourage contributions from middle- and low-income countries.

Dr. Hanna Boogaard
Dr. Marie Pedersen
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Traffic-related air pollution
  • Non-tailpipe
  • Traffic noise
  • Green space
  • Socioeconomic status
  • Diet
  • Physical activity
  • Vulnerable populations
  • Intervention studies
  • Environmental epidemiology

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1866 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Traffic-Related Air Pollution (TRAP) in Primary Schools and Residential Proximity to Traffic Sources on Histone H3 Level in Selected Malaysian Children
by Nur Faseeha Suhaimi, Juliana Jalaludin and Suhaili Abu Bakar
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 7995; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157995 - 28 Jul 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3080
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the association between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure and histone H3 modification among school children in high-traffic (HT) and low-traffic (LT) areas in Malaysia. Respondents’ background information and personal exposure to traffic sources were obtained from questionnaires distributed [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the association between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure and histone H3 modification among school children in high-traffic (HT) and low-traffic (LT) areas in Malaysia. Respondents’ background information and personal exposure to traffic sources were obtained from questionnaires distributed to randomly selected school children. Real-time monitoring instruments were used for 6-h measurements of PM10, PM2.5, PM1, NO2, SO2, O3, CO, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC). Meanwhile, 24-h measurements of PM2.5-bound black carbon (BC) were performed using air sampling pumps. The salivary histone H3 level was captured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). HT schools had significantly higher PM10, PM2.5, PM1, BC, NO2, SO2, O3, CO, and TVOC than LT schools, all at p < 0.001. Children in the HT area were more likely to get higher histone H3 levels (z = −5.13). There were positive weak correlations between histone H3 level and concentrations of NO2 (r = 0.37), CO (r = 0.36), PM1 (r = 0.35), PM2.5 (r = 0.34), SO2 (r = 0.34), PM10 (r = 0.33), O3 (r = 0.33), TVOC (r = 0.25), and BC (r = 0.19). Overall, this study proposes the possible role of histone H3 modification in interpreting the effects of TRAP exposure via non-genotoxic mechanisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution)
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10 pages, 329 KiB  
Article
Residential Exposure to PM2.5 Components and Risk of Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Denmark: A Nationwide Register-Based Case-Control Study
by Ulla Arthur Hvidtfeldt, Friederike Erdmann, Stine Kjaer Urhoj, Jørgen Brandt, Camilla Geels, Matthias Ketzel, Lise M. Frohn, Jesper Heile Christensen, Mette Sørensen and Ole Raaschou-Nielsen
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(23), 8949; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17238949 - 1 Dec 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2768
Abstract
In a recent study, we observed an increased risk of childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) associated with exposure to fine atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC). In this nationwide register-based case-control study, we focus on specific components of PM2.5 [...] Read more.
In a recent study, we observed an increased risk of childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) associated with exposure to fine atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC). In this nationwide register-based case-control study, we focus on specific components of PM2.5 in relation to childhood NHL in Denmark (1981–2013) by identifying all incidents of childhood NHL cases in the Danish Cancer Registry (n = 170) and four (cancer-free) randomly selected controls matched by date of birth and sex. We applied PM2.5 concentrations and the following sub-components: secondary organic aerosols (SOA), secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA; i.e., NO3, NH4+ and SO42−), BC, organic carbon (OC) and sea salt. We calculated a time-weighted exposure average from birth to index-date at all addresses. Odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for register-based socio-demographic variables. We observed adjusted ORs and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of 2.05 (1.10, 3.83) per interquartile range (IQR, 4.83 µg/m3) PM2.5 and 1.73 (0.68, 4.41) per IQR (3.71 µg/m3) SIA, 0.95 (0.71, 1.29) per IQR (0.05 µg/m3) SOA, 1.22 (1.02, 1.46) per IQR (0.39 µg/m3) BC, 1.02 (0.83, 1.26) per IQR (0.56 µg/m3) OC and 1.01 (0.79, 1.30) per IQR (0.87 µg/m3) sea salt, respectively. The estimates were attenuated after adjustment for PM2.5, whereas the OR for PM2.5 remained increased regardless of adjustment for specific components. The findings indicate that the previously observed relation between PM2.5 and childhood NHL may be related to BC (as reported in our previous study) but also partly to SIA, but the role of specific chemical components of PM2.5 remains ambiguous. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution)
16 pages, 2001 KiB  
Article
Organic Air Quality Markers of Indoor and Outdoor PM2.5 Aerosols in Primary Schools from Barcelona
by Barend L. van Drooge, Ioar Rivas, Xavier Querol, Jordi Sunyer and Joan O. Grimalt
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(10), 3685; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103685 - 23 May 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3546
Abstract
Airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 µg, PM2.5 was regularly sampled in classrooms (indoor) and playgrounds (outdoor) of primary schools from Barcelona. Three of these schools were located downtown and three in the periphery, representing areas with high [...] Read more.
Airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 µg, PM2.5 was regularly sampled in classrooms (indoor) and playgrounds (outdoor) of primary schools from Barcelona. Three of these schools were located downtown and three in the periphery, representing areas with high and low traffic intensities. These aerosols were analyzed for organic molecular tracers and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to identify the main sources of these airborne particles and evaluate the air quality in the urban location of the schools. Traffic emissions were the main contributors of PAHs to the atmospheres in all schools, with higher average concentrations in those located downtown (1800–2700 pg/m3) than in the periphery (760–1000 pg/m3). The similarity of the indoor and outdoor concentrations of the PAH is consistent with a transfer of outdoor traffic emissions to the indoor classrooms. This observation was supported by the hopane and elemental carbon concentrations in PM2.5, markers of motorized vehicles, that were correlated with PAHs. The concentrations of food-related markers, such as glucoses, sucrose, malic, azelaic and fatty acids, were correlated and were higher in the indoor atmospheres. These compounds were also correlated with plastic additives, such as phthalic acid and diisobutyl, dibutyl and dicyclohexyl phthalates. Clothing constituents, e.g., adipic acid, and fragrances, galaxolide and methyl dihydrojasmonate were also correlated with these indoor air compounds. All these organic tracers were correlated with the organic carbon of PM2.5, which was present in higher concentrations in the indoor than in the outdoor atmospheres. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution)
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