With few exceptions, studies of short-term health effects of air pollution use pollutant concentrations that are averaged citywide as exposure indicators. They are thus prone to exposure misclassification and consequently to bias. Measurement of the relations between air pollution and health, generally and in specific populations, could be improved by employing more geographically precise expos...

Airborne fine particulates (PM(2.5); particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 μm) are receiving increasing attention for their potential toxicities and roles in visibility and health. In this study, we interpreted the behavior of PM(2.5) and its correlation with meteorological parameters in Hong Kong, during 2007-2008. Significant diurnal variations of PM(2.5) concentrations were observed...

OBJECTIVE The association between exposure to ambient particles with a median aerodynamic diameter less than 10/2.5 µm (particulate matter, PM10/2.5) and COPD remains unclear. Our study objective was to examine the association between ambient PM10/2.5 concentrations and lung functions in adults. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in southern China. Seven clusters were randomly sele...

The current authors evaluated whether a system of co-cultures of relevant cells (pneumocytes (A549), macrophages (THP-1), mast cells (HMC-1) and endothelial cells (EAHY926)) would mimic the responses to particles with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 10 microm (PM(10)) previously reported in vivo. The role of mast cells was considered of special interest. Single cultures, bicultures (A549 ...

Introduction: The present study aimed to compare the performance of two widely-used models for spatial assessment of particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10) in ambient air of Yazd city. Finally, effective factors on concentrations of pollutants and corresponding standards were investigated. Materials and Methods: A number of 13 sampling stations were employed in different areas of Yazd ...

In order to investigate axolemmal development in a glial cell deficient environment, normal and irradiated dorsal funiculus in rat lumbosacral spinal cord was examined by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. At 3 days of age, normal fibres are all unmyelinated and of small (less than 0.5 micron) diameter. The unmyelinated axons have a moderate density (approximately 850 microns-2) of intramembr...

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies indirectly suggest that the inhalation of carbonaceous particulate matter impairs lung function in children. Using the carbon content of airway macrophages as a marker of individual exposure to particulate matter derived from fossil fuel, we sought direct evidence of this association. METHODS Airway macrophages were obtained from healthy children through sputu...

a study of the atmospheric particulate size distribution of total suspended particulate matter(tspm) and associated heavy metals concentrations has been carried out for the urban part of sarajevo city,bosnia and herzegovina. urban particles (n=150) were collected using a high volume air sampler equippedwith a 6-stage impactor. apart from fe which has been determined by flame atomic absorption s...

Recent studies have suggested a link between inhaled particulate matter (PM) exposure and increased mortality and morbidity associated with pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. However, a precise understanding of the biological mechanism underlying PM-associated toxicity and pathogenesis remains elusive. Here, we investigated the impact of PM exposure in intracellular stress signaling pathway...