TY  - JOUR
AB  - There is only limited scientific evidence with varying results on the association between hospital admissions and low ambient temperatures. Furthermore, there has been no research in Northern Europe on cold-associated morbidity. Therefore, this study investigated the associations of daily wintertime temperature and cold spells with cardiorespiratory hospital admissions in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland. Daily number of non-elective hospital admissions for 2001–2017 was obtained from the national hospital discharge register and meteorological data from the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Quasi-Poisson regression models were fitted, controlling for potential confounders such as time trend, weekday, holidays, air pollution, barometric pressure, and influenza. The associations of cold season daily mean ambient temperature and cold spells with hospital admissions were estimated using a penalized distributed lag linear models with 21 lag days. Decreased wintertime ambient temperature was associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for myocardial infarction in the whole population (relative risk [RR] per 1 °C decrease in temperature: 1.017, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.002–1.032). An increased risk of hospital admission for respiratory diseases (RR: 1.012, 95% CI: 1.002, 1.022) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (RR: 1.031, 95% CI: 1.006, 1.056) was observed only in the ≥ 75 years age group. There was an independent effect of cold spell days only for asthma admissions (RR: 2.348, 95% CI: 1.026, 5.372) in the all-ages group. Cold temperature increases the need for acute hospital care due to myocardial infarction and respiratory causes during winter in a northern climate.
AU  - Sohail, H.*
AU  - Kollanus, V.*
AU  - Tiittanen, P.*
AU  - Mikkonen, S.*
AU  - Lipponen, A.H.*
AU  - Zhang, S.
AU  - Breitner-Busch, S.
AU  - Schneider, A.E.
AU  - Lanki, T.*
C1  - 66692
C2  - 53065
SP  - 213–220
TI  - Low temperature, cold spells, and cardiorespiratory hospital admissions in Helsinki, Finland.
JO  - Air qual. atoms. health
VL  - 16
PY  - 2023
SN  - 1873-9318
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The combustion of petroleum-based fossil fuels is associated with a high environmental burden. Several alternative fuels, including synthetic fuels (e.g., gas-to-liquid, GTL) and biofuels (e.g., rapeseed methyl ester, RME) have been studied in the last few years. While the advantages for the environment (sustainability of biofuels) are well known, research on the resulting health effects from combustion aerosols of these alternative fuels is still scarce. Consequently, we investigated the chemical combustion profile from three distinct fuel types, including a petroleum-based fossil fuel (B0) and two alternative fuels (GTL, RME) under real exposure conditions. We sampled particulate matter (PM2.5, PM0.25) and the gas phase from heavy-duty machinery and evaluated the general pattern of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, elemental and organic carbon as well as a range of transition metals in the size segregated PM and/or gas phase. The use of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry enabled us to classify distinct methylated PAHs in the PM samples and its high abundance, especially in the fine fraction of PM. We found that (methylated) PAHs were highly abundant in the PM of B0 compared to GTL and RME. Highest concentrations of targeted aromatic species in the gas phase were released from B0. In summary, we demonstrated that GTL and RME combustion released lower amounts of chemical compounds related to adverse health effects, thus, the substitution of petroleum-based fuels could improve air quality for human and the environment.
AU  - Gawlitta, N.
AU  - Orasche, J.
AU  - Geldenhuys, G.L.*
AU  - Jakobi, G.
AU  - Wattrus, M.*
AU  - Jennerwein, M.*
AU  - Michalke, B.
AU  - Gröger, T.M.
AU  - Forbes, P.*
AU  - Zimmermann, R.
C1  - 67077
C2  - 53449
CY  - Van Godewijckstraat 30, 3311 Gz Dordrecht, Netherlands
SP  - 535-551
TI  - A study on the chemical profile and the derived health effects of heavy-duty machinery aerosol with a focus on the impact of alternative fuels.
JO  - Air qual. atoms. health
VL  - 16
IS  - 3
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2022
SN  - 1873-9318
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Whether exposure to outdoor air pollution increases the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis in children is unclear. Using data from Phase Three of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in childhood (ISAAC), we investigated associations of rhinoconjunctivitis prevalence in adolescents with model-based estimates of ozone, and satellite-based estimates of fine (diameter < 2.5 μm) particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO). Information on rhinoconjunctivitis (defined as self-reported nose symptoms without a cold or flu accompanied by itchy watery eyes in the past 12 months) was available on 505,400 children aged 13-14 years, in 183 centres in 83 countries. Centre-level prevalence estimates were calculated and linked geographically with estimates of long-term average concentrations of NO, ozone and PM. Multi-level models were fitted adjusting for population density, climate, sex and gross national income. Information on parental smoking, truck traffic and cooking fuel was available for a restricted set of centres (77 in 36 countries). Between centres within countries, the estimated change in rhinoconjunctivitis prevalence per 100 children was 0.171 (95% confidence interval: - 0.013, 0.354) per 10% increase in PM, 0.096 (- 0.003, 0.195) per 10% increase in NO and - 0.186 (- 0.390, 0.018) per 1 ppbV increase in ozone. Between countries, rhinoconjunctivitis prevalence was significantly negatively associated with both ozone and PM. In the restricted dataset, the latter association became less negative following adjustment for parental smoking and open fires for cooking. In conclusion, there were no significant within-country associations of rhinoconjunctivitis prevalence with study pollutants. Negative between-country associations with PM and ozone require further investigation.
AU  - Butland, B.K.*
AU  - Anderson, H.R.*
AU  - van Donkelaar, A.*
AU  - Fuertes, E.
AU  - Brauer, M.*
AU  - Brunekreef, B.*
AU  - Martin, R.V.*
C1  - 53739
C2  - 44979
CY  - Gewerbestrasse 11, Cham, Ch-6330, Switzerland
SP  - 755-764
TI  - Ambient air pollution and the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis in adolescents: A worldwide ecological analysis.
JO  - Air qual. atoms. health
VL  - 11
IS  - 7
PB  - Springer International Publishing Ag
PY  - 2018
SN  - 1873-9318
ER  -