Environmental Epidemiology

The impact of long-term PM_2.5 exposure on specific causes of death: exposure-response curves and effect modification among 53 million U.S. Medicare beneficiaries

The shape of the exposure-response curve for long-term ambient fine particulate (PM_2.5) exposure and cause-specific mortality is poorly understood, especially for rural populations and underrepresented minorities...

Authors: Bingyu Wang, Ki-Do Eum, Fatemeh Kazemiparkouhi, Cheng Li, Justin Manjourides, Virgil Pavlu and Helen Suh

Associations of noise kurtosis, genetic variations in NOX3 and lifestyle factors with noise-induced hearing loss

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a complex disease caused by environmental and genetic risk factors. This study was to explore the association of noise kurtosis, triphosphopyridine nucleotide oxidase 3 (NOX3)...

Authors: Tianyu Zhao, Yinan Wang, Zheng Li, Xiaojun Xu, Song Lei, Liu Huang, Liangwen Xu, Meibian Zhang and Lei Yang

Lung function and systemic inflammation associated with short-term air pollution exposure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in Beijing, China

Exposure to air pollution is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, findings on the effects of air pollution on lung function and systemic inflammation in Chinese COPD patients ...

Authors: Nannan Gao, Wenshuai Xu, Jiadong Ji, Yanli Yang, Shao-Ting Wang, Jun Wang, Xiang Chen, Shuzhen Meng, Xinlun Tian and Kai-Feng Xu

Predictors of Beta-Hexachlorocyclohexane blood levels among people living close to a chemical plant and an illegal dumping site

Hexachlorocyclohexane is a synthetic chemical with several isomers, including β-Hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH). In 2005, a large contamination of crude milk from some bovine farms along the Sacco River (Central...

Authors: S. Narduzzi, F. Fantini, F. Blasetti, P. Rantakokko, H. Kiviranta, F. Forastiere, P. Michelozzi and D. Porta

Road proximity, air pollution, noise, green space and neurologic disease incidence: a population-based cohort study

Emerging evidence links road proximity and air pollution with cognitive impairment. Joint effects of noise and greenness have not been evaluated. We investigated associations between road proximity and exposur...

Authors: Weiran Yuchi, Hind Sbihi, Hugh Davies, Lillian Tamburic and Michael Brauer

Association between exposure to traffic-related air pollution and pediatric allergic diseases based on modeled air pollution concentrations and traffic measures in Seoul, Korea: a comparative analysis

Pediatric allergic diseases are a major public health concern, and previous studies have suggested that exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure is a risk factor. These studies have typically ass...

Authors: Kyung-Duk Min, Seon-Ju Yi, Hwan-Cheol Kim, Jong-Han Leem, Ho-Jang Kwon, Soyoung Hong, Kyoo Sang Kim and Sun-Young Kim

Associations of Perfluoroalkyl substances with blood lipids and Apolipoproteins in lipoprotein subspecies: the POUNDS-lost study

The associations of perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure with blood lipids and lipoproteins are inconsistent, and existing studies did not account for metabolic heterogeneity of lipoprotein subspecies. Thi...

Authors: Gang Liu, Bo Zhang, Yang Hu, Jennifer Rood, Liming Liang, Lu Qi, George A. Bray, Lilian DeJonge, Brent Coull, Philippe Grandjean, Jeremy D. Furtado and Qi Sun

Mortality associated with wildfire smoke exposure in Washington state, 2006–2017: a case-crossover study

Wildfire events are increasing in prevalence in the western United States. Research has found mixed results on the degree to which exposure to wildfire smoke is associated with an increased risk of mortality.

Authors: Annie Doubleday, Jill Schulte, Lianne Sheppard, Matt Kadlec, Ranil Dhammapala, Julie Fox and Tania Busch Isaksen

Cumulative solar ultraviolet radiation exposure and basal cell carcinoma of the skin in a nationwide US cohort using satellite and ground-based measures

Basal cell carcinoma of the skin (BCC) is the most common cancer in populations of European ancestry. Although consistently linked with basal cell carcinoma of the skin in case-control studies, few prospective...

Authors: Mark P. Little, Martha S. Linet, Michael G. Kimlin, Terrence Lee, Zaria Tatalovich, Alice J. Sigurdson and Elizabeth K. Cahoon

Comments on Vimercati et al., 2019, “Asbestos exposure and malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis: a systematic review and the experience of the Apulia (southern Italy) mesothelioma register”

Authors: Gabor Mezei, Ellen T. Chang, Fionna S. Mowat and Suresh H. Moolgavkar

Short-term association between ambient temperature and homicide in South Africa: a case-crossover study

Criminology research has traditionally investigated sociodemographic predictors of crime, such as sex, race, age, and socioeconomic status. However, evidence suggests that short-term fluctuations in crime ofte...

Authors: Abigail Gates, Mitchel Klein, Fiorella Acquaotta, Rebecca M. Garland and Noah Scovronick

Longitudinal follow-up of health effects among workers handling engineered nanomaterials: a panel study

Although no human illness to date is confirmed to be attributed to engineered nanoparticles, occupational epidemiological studies are needed to verify the health effects of nanoparticles. This study used a rep...

Authors: Wei-Te Wu, Lih-Ann Li, Tsui-Chun Tsou, Shu-Li Wang, Hui-Ling Lee, Tung-Sheng Shih and Saou-Hsing Liou

Fluoride exposure and sleep patterns among older adolescents in the United States: a cross-sectional study of NHANES 2015–2016

Fluoride from environmental sources accumulates preferentially in the pineal gland which produces melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. However, the effects of fluoride on sleep regulatio...

Authors: Ashley J. Malin, Sonali Bose, Stefanie A. Busgang, Chris Gennings, Michael Thorpy, Robert O. Wright, Rosalind J. Wright and Manish Arora

Use of skincare products and risk of cancer of the breast and endometrium: a prospective cohort study

Concerns have been raised that extensive use of personal care products that contain endocrine disrupting compounds increase the risk of hormone sensitive cancers.

Authors: Charlotta Rylander, Marit B. Veierød, Elisabete Weiderpass, Eiliv Lund and Torkjel M. Sandanger

Low-moderate arsenic exposure and respiratory in American Indian communities in the Strong Heart Study

Arsenic exposure through drinking water is an established lung carcinogen. Evidence on non-malignant lung outcomes is less conclusive and suggests arsenic is associated with lower lung function. Studies examin...

Authors: Martha Powers, Tiffany R. Sanchez, Maria Grau-Perez, Fawn Yeh, Kevin A. Francesconi, Walter Goessler, Christine M. George, Christopher Heaney, Lyle G. Best, Jason G. Umans, Robert H. Brown and Ana Navas-Acien

The effects of daily meteorological perturbation on pregnancy outcome: follow-up of a cohort of young women undergoing IVF treatment

Human reproduction follows a seasonal pattern with respect to spontaneous conception, a phenomenon wherein the effect of meteorological fluctuations might not be unique. However, the effect of seasonal variati...

Authors: Mingpeng Zhao, Haoyang Zhang, Tarah H. B. Waters, Jacqueline Pui Wah Chung, Tin Chiu Li and David Yiu Leung Chan

Saliva cortisol in relation to aircraft noise exposure: pooled-analysis results from seven European countries

Many studies have demonstrated adverse effects of exposure to aircraft noise on health. Possible biological pathways for these effects include hormonal disturbances. Few studies deal with aircraft noise effect...

Authors: Clémence Baudin, Marie Lefèvre, Jenny Selander, Wolfgang Babisch, Ennio Cadum, Marie-Christine Carlier, Patricia Champelovier, Konstantina Dimakopoulou, Danny Huithuijs, Jacques Lambert, Bernard Laumon, Göran Pershagen, Töres Theorell, Venetia Velonaki, Anna Hansell and Anne-Sophie Evrard

Air pollution and mortality in a large, representative U.S. cohort: multiple-pollutant analyses, and spatial and temporal decompositions

Cohort studies have documented associations between fine particulate matter air pollution (PM_2.5) and mortality risk. However, there remains uncertainty regarding the contribution of co-pollutants and the stabili...

Authors: Jacob S. Lefler, Joshua D. Higbee, Richard T. Burnett, Majid Ezzati, Nathan C. Coleman, Dalton D. Mann, Julian D. Marshall, Matthew Bechle, Yuzhou Wang, Allen L. Robinson and C. Arden Pope III

Wrangling environmental exposure data: guidance for getting the best information from your laboratory measurements

Environmental health and exposure researchers can improve the quality and interpretation of their chemical measurement data, avoid spurious results, and improve analytical protocols for new chemicals by closel...

Authors: Julia O. Udesky, Robin E. Dodson, Laura J. Perovich and Ruthann A. Rudel

Effect of apparent temperature on daily emergency admissions for mental and behavioral disorders in Yancheng, China: a time-series study

Very few studies have focused on the relationship between ambient apparent temperature (AT) and admission of mental and behaviour disorders (MDs). Therefore, a time-series study was conducted in Yancheng, Chin...

Authors: Min Min, Tingting Shi, Pengpeng Ye, Yuan Wang, Zhenhai Yao, Shun Tian, Yun Zhang, Mingming Liang, Guangbo Qu, Peng Bi, Leilei Duan and Yehuan Sun

Association between prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and asthma in 5-year-old children in the Odense Child Cohort

Asthma is the most common non-communicable disease in children. Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), a group of persistent environmental chemicals with endocrine disrupting abilities, has be...

Authors: Iben Have Beck, Clara Amalie Gade Timmermann, Flemming Nielsen, Greet Schoeters, Camilla Jøhnk, Henriette Boye Kyhl, Arne Høst and Tina Kold Jensen

Maternal exposure to ambient fine particulate matter and risk of premature rupture of membranes in Wuhan, Central China: a cohort study

The associations between maternal exposure to ambient PM_2.5 during pregnancy and the risk of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) are controversial. And no rele...

Authors: Kun Wang, Yu Tian, Huabo Zheng, Shengshuai Shan, Xiaofang Zhao and Chengyun Liu

Serum dioxin and DNA methylation in the sperm of operation ranch hand veterans exposed to Agent Orange

Exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange during the Vietnam War was widespread and is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes. A continuing concern of veterans is the possibility that exposure to the di...

Authors: Karl T. Kelsey, Matthew Rytel, Edward Dere, Rondi Butler, Melissa Eliot, Susan M. Huse, E. Andres Houseman, Devin C. Koestler and Kim Boekelheide

Does the oxidative stress play a role in the associations between outdoor air pollution and persistent asthma in adults? Findings from the EGEA study

Evidences that oxidative stress plays a role in the associations between outdoor air pollution and asthma are growing. We aimed to study the role of plasma fluorescent oxidation products levels (FlOPs; an oxid...

Authors: Anaïs Havet, Zhen Li, Farid Zerimech, Margaux Sanchez, Valérie Siroux, Nicole Le Moual, Bert Brunekreef, Nino Künzli, Bénédicte Jacquemin, Raphaëlle Varraso, Régis Matran and Rachel Nadif

Morbidity burden of respiratory diseases attributable to ambient temperature: a case study in a subtropical city in China

There are significant associations between ambient temperature and respiratory disease mortality. However, few studies have assessed the morbidity burdens of various respiratory diseases that are attributable ...

Authors: Yiju Zhao, Zhao Huang, Shengyong Wang, Jianxiong Hu, Jianpeng Xiao, Xing Li, Tao Liu, Weilin Zeng, Lingchuan Guo, Qingfeng Du and Wenjun Ma

Low concentrations of fine particle air pollution and mortality in the Canadian Community Health Survey cohort

Approximately 2.9 million deaths are attributed to ambient fine particle air pollution around the world each year (PM_2.5). In general, cohort studies of mortality and outdoor PM_2.5 concentrations have limited inf...

Authors: Tanya Christidis, Anders C. Erickson, Amanda J. Pappin, Daniel L. Crouse, Lauren L. Pinault, Scott A. Weichenthal, Jeffrey R. Brook, Aaron van Donkelaar, Perry Hystad, Randall V. Martin, Michael Tjepkema, Richard T. Burnett and Michael Brauer

Geomagnetic disturbances driven by solar activity enhance total and cardiovascular mortality risk in 263 U.S. cities

Short-term geomagnetic disturbances (GMD) driven by the quasi-periodic 11-year cycle of solar activity have been linked to a broad range of adverse health effects, including cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and t...

Authors: Carolina Leticia Zilli Vieira, Danilo Alvares, Annelise Blomberg, Joel Schwartz, Brent Coull, Shaodan Huang and Petros Koutrakis

Changes in triggering of ST-elevation myocardial infarction by particulate air pollution in Monroe County, New York over time: a case-crossover study

Previous studies have reported that fine particle (PM_2.5) concentrations triggered ST elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMI). In Rochester, NY, multiple air quality policies and economic changes/influences from...

Authors: Meng Wang, Philip K. Hopke, Mauro Masiol, Sally W. Thurston, Scott Cameron, Frederick Ling, Edwin van Wijngaarden, Daniel Croft, Stefania Squizzato, Kelly Thevenet-Morrison, David Chalupa and David Q. Rich

Association of urinary concentrations of early pregnancy phthalate metabolites and bisphenol A with length of gestation

Environmental exposure to phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) may have endocrine disrupting effects that alter length of gestation. We assessed the association between the urinary concentrations of 11 phthalate m...

Authors: Helen B. Chin, Anne Marie Jukic, Allen J. Wilcox, Clarice R. Weinberg, Kelly K. Ferguson, Antonia M. Calafat, D. Robert McConnaughey and Donna D. Baird

Making the invisible visible: results of a community-led health survey following PFAS contamination of drinking water in Merrimack, New Hampshire

In March 2016, citizens of Merrimack, New Hampshire, learned that their public water supply was contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). A subsequent state-led investigation revealed widespread contami...

Authors: Bindu Panikkar, Benjamin Lemmond, Laurene Allen, Carol DiPirro and Shaina Kasper

Asbestos exposure and malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis: a systematic review and the experience of the Apulia (southern Italy) mesothelioma register

Malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis (MMTVT) is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. The diagnosis and management of these lesions are often difficult for pathologists, surgeons, oncologists ...

Authors: Luigi Vimercati, Domenica Cavone, Maria Celeste Delfino, Luigi De Maria, Antonio Caputi, Giovanni Maria Ferri and Gabriella Serio

An overview of methods to address distinct research questions on environmental mixtures: an application to persistent organic pollutants and leukocyte telomere length

Numerous methods exist to analyze complex environmental mixtures in health studies. As an illustration of the different uses of mixture methods, we employed methods geared toward distinct research questions co...

Authors: Elizabeth A. Gibson, Yanelli Nunez, Ahlam Abuawad, Ami R. Zota, Stefano Renzetti, Katrina L. Devick, Chris Gennings, Jeff Goldsmith, Brent A. Coull and Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou

Thyroid hormone levels associate with exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated biphenyls in adults exposed as children

Michigan residents were directly exposed to endocrine-disrupting compounds, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). A growing body of evidence suggests that exposure to certain endocr...

Authors: Sarah W. Curtis, Metrecia L. Terrell, Melanie H. Jacobson, Dawayland O. Cobb, Victoria S. Jiang, Michael F. Neblett, Sabrina A. Gerkowicz, Jessica B. Spencer, M. Elizabeth Marder, Dana Boyd Barr, Karen N. Conneely, Alicia K. Smith and Michele Marcus

Potential role of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as mediators of cardiovascular effects from combustion particles

Air pollution is the most important environmental risk factor for disease and premature death, and exposure to combustion particles from vehicles is a major contributor. Human epidemiological studies combined ...

Authors: Jørn A. Holme, Bendik C. Brinchmann, Magne Refsnes, Marit Låg and Johan Øvrevik

Impact of the warm summer 2015 on emergency hospital admissions in Switzerland

Only a few studies have examined the impact of a particular heat event on morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the warm summer 2015 on emergency hospital admissions (EHA) in Switzerla...

Authors: Martina S. Ragettli, Ana M. Vicedo-Cabrera, Benjamin Flückiger and Martin Röösli

Long-term exposure to air pollution and hospitalization for dementia in the Rome longitudinal study

Few studies have explored the role of air pollution in neurodegenerative processes, especially various types of dementia. Our aim was to evaluate the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and...

Authors: Francesco Cerza, Matteo Renzi, Claudio Gariazzo, Marina Davoli, Paola Michelozzi, Francesco Forastiere and Giulia Cesaroni

Cumulative asbestos exposure and mortality from asbestos related diseases in a pooled analysis of 21 asbestos cement cohorts in Italy

Despite the available information on cancer risk, asbestos is used in large areas in the world, mostly in the production of asbestos cement. Moreover, questions are raised regarding the shape of the dose respo...

Authors: Ferdinando Luberto, Daniela Ferrante, Stefano Silvestri, Alessia Angelini, Francesco Cuccaro, Anna Maria Nannavecchia, Enrico Oddone, Massimo Vicentini, Francesco Barone-Adesi, Tiziana Cena, Dario Mirabelli, Lucia Mangone, Francesca Roncaglia, Orietta Sala, Simona Menegozzo, Roberta Pirastu…

Acute effects of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) on hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease in Beijing, China: a time-series study

Air pollution and cardiovascular disease are increasing problems in China. However, the short-term association between fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not well documented. The ...

Authors: Endawoke Amsalu, Tianqi Wang, Haibin Li, Yue Liu, Anxin Wang, Xiangtong Liu, Lixin Tao, Yanxia Luo, Feng Zhang, Xinghua Yang, Xia Li, Wei Wang and Xiuhua Guo

CYP1A1 methylation mediates the effect of smoking and occupational polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons co-exposure on oxidative DNA damage among Chinese coke-oven workers

Multiple factors, including co-exposure between lifestyle and environmental risks, are important in susceptibility to oxidative DNA damage. However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. This study...

Authors: Yanli Liu, Xuejing Li, Bin Zhang, Ye Fu, Aimin Yang, Hongjie Zhang, Huitao Zhang, Yingying Niu, Jisheng Nie and Jin Yang

Susceptibility of prediabetes to the health effect of air pollution: a community-based panel study with a nested case-control design

Recent studies suggest that people with diabetes or who are at risk of developing diabetes, i.e. prediabetic (preDM), are potentially susceptible to air pollution, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear ...

Authors: Yiqun Han, Yanwen Wang, Weiju Li, Xi Chen, Tao Xue, Wu Chen, Yunfei Fan, Xinghua Qiu and Tong Zhu

Associations between short-term exposure to gaseous pollutants and pulmonary heart disease-related mortality among elderly people in Chengdu, China

Pulmonary heart disease (PHD) has become a global burden, especially in low- and middle-income countries. However, very few studies have assessed the influence of air pollution on PHD. This is the first study ...

Authors: Jianyu Chen, Jie Zeng, Chunli Shi, Ruicong Liu, Rong Lu, Suling Mao and Li Zhang

Urinary trace metals, maternal circulating angiogenic biomarkers, and preeclampsia: a single-contaminant and mixture-based approach

Exposures to toxic metals and deficiencies in essential metals disrupt placentation and may contribute to preeclampsia. However, effects of exposure to combinations of metals remain unknown.

Authors: Paige A. Bommarito, Stephani S. Kim, John D. Meeker, Rebecca C. Fry, David E. Cantonwine, Thomas F. McElrath and Kelly K. Ferguson

Using web data to improve surveillance for heat sensitive health outcomes

Elevated and prolonged exposure to extreme heat is an important cause of excess summertime mortality and morbidity. To protect people from health threats, some governments are currently operating syndromic sur...

Authors: Jihoon Jung, Christopher K. Uejio, Chris Duclos and Melissa Jordan

Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides and risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline in an older population: a prospective analysis from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging

Little attention has been paid to neurotoxicants on the risk of dementia. Exposure to known neurotoxicants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine (OC) pesticides is suspected to have adver...

Authors: Thierry Comlan Marc Medehouenou, Pierre Ayotte, Pierre-Hugues Carmichael, Edeltraut Kröger, René Verreault, Joan Lindsay, Éric Dewailly, Suzanne L. Tyas, Alexandre Bureau and Danielle Laurin

Smoking-induced risk of future cardiovascular disease is partly mediated by cadmium in tobacco: Malmö Diet and Cancer Cohort Study

Smoking is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and causes exposure to cadmium, which is a pro-atherosclerotic metal. Cadmium exposure has also been shown to increase the risk of CVD, even aft...

Authors: Huiqi Li, Björn Fagerberg, Gerd Sallsten, Yan Borné, Bo Hedblad, Gunnar Engström, Lars Barregard and Eva M. Andersson

Temperature as a risk factor of emergency department visits for acute kidney injury: a case-crossover study in Seoul, South Korea

Previous studies show that escalations in ambient temperature are among the risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI). However, it has not been adequately studied in our location, Seoul, South Korea. In this ...

Authors: Satbyul Estella Kim, Hyewon Lee, Jayeun Kim, Young Kyu Lee, Minjin Kang, Yasuaki Hijioka and Ho Kim

Issues with incorrect computing of population attributable fraction (PAF) in a global perspective on coal-fired power plants and burden of lung cancer

All observational studies are liable to confounding and Levin’s formula becomes useless in practice for unbiasedly estimating PAF. With respect to causal interpretation of PAF in public health setting, unbiase...

Authors: Ahmad Khosravi and Mohammad Ali Mansournia

Hospital, health, and community burden after oil refinery fires, Richmond, California 2007 and 2012

Emergency Departments experience a significant census burst after disasters. The aim of this study is to describe patient presentations at Emergency Departments in Contra Costa County, California following che...

Authors: Linda L. Remy, Ted Clay, Vera Byers and Paul E. Rosenfeld

Two-step approach for assessing the health effects of environmental chemical mixtures: application to simulated datasets and real data from the Navajo Birth Cohort Study

There is increasing interest in examining the consequences of simultaneous exposures to chemical mixtures. However, a consensus or recommendations on how to appropriately select the statistical approach analyz...

Authors: Li Luo, Laurie G. Hudson, Johnnye Lewis and Ji-Hyun Lee

Fetal growth in environmental epidemiology: mechanisms, limitations, and a review of associations with biomarkers of non-persistent chemical exposures during pregnancy

Non-persistent chemicals, such as phthalates, environmental phenols, organophosphate pesticides, and others, are challenging to study because of their ubiquity in the environment, diverse exposure routes, and ...

Authors: Elizabeth M. Kamai, Thomas F. McElrath and Kelly K. Ferguson