BACKGROUND As there is a scarcity of evidence on potential hazards and preventive factors for infantile eczema operating in the prenatal period, the main goal of this study was to assess the role of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in the occurrence of infant eczema jointly with the possible modulating effect of maternal fish consumption. METH...

In recent years, several hypotheses have emerged to explain the toxicologic activity of particulate matter. Organic compounds, ultrafine particles, biologic components, and transition metals are some of the constituents that reportedly exert some type of adverse effect on human health. A considerable fraction of the urban particulate matter consists of carbon compounds, which originate mostly f...

Background: Air in broiler houses is contaminated with considerable amounts of microbial aerosols, which affects the health of humans and birds. Thorough cleaning and disinfecting should be carried out to reduce particulate concentrations and minimize airborne microorganisms. Aims: To evaluate the effects of cleaning and disinfecting measures on bacterial commu...

Abstract. Condensable particulate matter (CPM) emitted from stationary combustion and mobile sources exhibits high emissions a large proportion of organic components. However, CPM is not generally measured when conducting emission surveys PM in most countries, including China. Consequently, previous inventories have included rates for CPM. Here, we construct an inventory China with focus on aer...

The rate of consumption of dithiothreitol (DTT) is increasingly used to measure the oxidative potential of particulate matter (PM), which has been linked to the adverse health effects of PM. While several quinones are known to be very reactive in the DTT assay, it is unclear what other chemical species might contribute to the loss of DTT in PM extracts. To address this question, we quantify the...

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and to assess respiratory health risks associated with Particulate Matter (PM) exposure among the residents of Windhoek, Namibia. Objectives: To measure particulate pollution concentration in Windhoek through monitoring of particulate matter concentration and to identify any associations between particulate pollution, individua...

Received for publication May 23, 2001, and accepted for publication August 30, 2001. Abbreviations: CASAC, Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee; EPA, US Environmental Protection Agency; PM 10 , standard for coarse particulate matter; PM 2.5 , standard for fine particulate matter. 1 Health Effects Institute, Cambridge, MA. 2 Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, US Environmental Prote...

Outdoor and indoor (subway) samples were collected by passive sampling in urban Seoul (Korea) and analyzed with computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (CCSEM-EDX). Soil/road dust particles accounted for 42%-60% (by weight) of fine particulate matter larger than 1 µm (PM(2.5-1.0)) in outdoor samples and 18% of PM2.5-1.0 in subway sample...

Spatiotemporal variations in attributes of particulate matter (PM) in ambient air are important estimates of environmental pollution and public health risks. In particularly, the exposure to fine PM, with count mean diameters of less than 4μm, has been associated with undesirable health effects. Therefore, methodologies that analyze the size profiles of fine PM in ambient air segments at ground...

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...