Background: This study aimed to evaluate exposure to various hazardous substances emitted by incineration facilities and their likely effect on the health for residents of Bugi-myeon, Cheongju, Korea, which has three incineration facilities. Methods: Heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and dioxin concentrations in the air and soil of exposed and control areas were measured. Moreover, the exposure levels to harmful substances and its effects on health were investigated in 1,124 exposed and 232 control adults. Results: PAHs and dioxin concentrations in the air in the exposed area were significantly higher than in the control area. Urinary cadmium and PAHs metabolite concentrations were significantly higher in the exposed group than in the control group. The exposure group also had a higher prevalence of depression and self-reported allergic symptoms than the control group. Conclusion The possibility of residents in Bugi-myeon being exposed to hazardous substances at incineration facilities cannot be ruled out. To prevent them from further exposure to hazardous substances, it is necessary to prohibit the expansion of additional incineration facilities in this area and to implement continuous monitoring projects for residents

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of allergic disease in offsprings delivered via the delivery modes of vaginal delivery vs. planned Cesarean section vs. Cesarean section with labor. METHODS: This study included 175 mother-neonate pairs from Severance Hospital who were enrolled in the Cohort for Childhood Origin of Asthma and allergic diseases study. Information regarding prenatal environmental factors, delivery, and diagnosis of allergic diseases was obtained from a questionnaire and medical record review. Patients with at least 3 years of follow-up data were included in this study. Results were adjusted for sex, birth weight, gestational age at birth, season of birth, neonatal intensive care unit admission, parity, breastfeeding, and maternal factors. RESULTS: A total of 175 offsprings were eligible for analysis. Among the subjects, 52.0% were delivered by vaginal delivery, 34.3% by planned Cesarean section, and 16.6% by Cesarean section with labor. Fifty-nine offsprings (33.7%) were diagnosed with allergic disease at a median age of 1 year (range 0.5–3 years). The prevalence of allergic disease was not associated with delivery mode after adjusting for confounding variables. Time period from membrane rupture to delivery, duration of the active phase, and the beginning of the pelvic division prior to Cesarean section were not associated with allergic disease development in offsprings. CONCLUSION: Cesarean section, irrespective of the occurrence of labor before surgery, did not increase the prevalence of allergic disease in infants up to 3 years of age.
Asthma ; Birth Weight ; Breast Feeding ; Cesarean Section* ; Cohort Studies ; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Medical Records ; Membranes ; Parity ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence* ; Rupture ; Seasons