BACKGROUND: Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) has become a global epidemic, and air pollution has been identified as a potential risk factor. This study aims to investigate the non-linear relationship between ambient air pollution and MASLD prevalence. METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, participants undergoing health checkups were assessed for three-year average air pollution exposure. MASLD diagnosis required hepatic steatosis with at least 1 out of 5 cardiometabolic criteria. A stepwise approach combining data visualization and regression modeling was used to determine the most appropriate link function between each of the six air pollutants and MASLD. A covariate-adjusted six-pollutant model was constructed accordingly. RESULTS: A total of 131,592 participants were included, with 40.6% met the criteria of MASLD. "Threshold link function," "interaction link function," and "restricted cubic spline (RCS) link functions" best-fitted associations between MASLD and PM_2.5, PM₁₀/CO, and O₃ /SO₂/NO₂, respectively. In the six-pollutant model, significant positive associations were observed when pollutant concentrations were over: 34.64 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, 57.93 µg/m³ for PM₁₀, 56 µg/m³ for O₃, below 643.6 µg/m³ for CO, and within 33 and 48 µg/m³ for NO₂. The six-pollutant model using these best-fitted link functions demonstrated superior model fitting compared to exposure-categorized model or linear link function model assuming proportionality of odds. CONCLUSION Non-linear associations were found between air pollutants and MASLD prevalence. PM_2.5, PM₁₀, O₃, CO, and NO₂ exhibited positive associations with MASLD in specific concentration ranges, highlighting the need to consider non-linear relationships in assessing the impact of air pollution on MASLD.
Humans ; Nitrogen Dioxide ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Air Pollution/analysis* ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Liver Diseases ; Environmental Exposure/analysis*

Humans ; Air Pollutants/adverse effects* ; Genotype ; China/epidemiology* ; Hypertension/epidemiology*

Air Pollution/analysis* ; Environmental Exposure/analysis* ; China/epidemiology* ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Environmental Monitoring

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common pregnancy complications and has serious implications for the health of mothers and their offspring. In recent years, studies have confirmed that air pollution is one of the main risk factors for diabetes, and there is increasing evidence that air pollution exposure is closely related to the occurrence of gestational diabetes. However, current studies on the association between air pollutant exposure and the incidence of gestational diabetes are inconsistent, and the window period of pollutant exposure is still unclear. Limited mechanistic studies suggest that airborne particulate matter and gaseous pollutants may affect GDM through multiple mechanisms, including inflammation, oxidative stress, disruption of adipokine secretion, and imbalance of intestinal flora. This review summarizes the relationship between air pollutant exposure and the incidence of GDM in recent years, as well as the possible molecular mechanism of the occurrence and development of GDM caused by air pollutants, in order to provide scientific basis for preventing pollutant exposure, reducing the risk of GDM, improving maternal and fetal outcomes and improving the quality of the birth population.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Diabetes, Gestational/epidemiology* ; Air Pollution/analysis* ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Risk Factors ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects*

Climate change is the great health challenge for human beings in the 21^st century. Air pollution is also an important public health problem worldwide. China announced the climate commitment to achieve carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Achieving these goals would not only have far-reaching effects on air pollution control and climate change, but also improve the population health in China. Air pollution and climate change epidemiology are important aspects of environmental epidemiology. In this paper, we discuss the current status and future development of epidemiological research of air pollution and climate change in the context of achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals to provide ideas and suggestions for environmental and health studies in the future.
Humans ; Climate Change ; Goals ; Air Pollution/analysis* ; Environmental Health ; Public Health ; China/epidemiology* ; Carbon

In China, the level of ambient fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) pollution far exceeds the air quality standards recommended by the World Health Organization. Moreover, the health effects of PM 2.5 exposure have become a major public health issue. More than half of PM 2.5 -related excess deaths are caused by cardiopulmonary disease, which has become a major health risk associated with PM 2.5 pollution. In this review, we discussed the latest epidemiological advances relating to the health effects of PM 2.5 on cardiopulmonary diseases in China, including studies relating to the effects of PM 2.5 on mortality, morbidity, and risk factors for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. These data provided important evidence to highlight the cardiopulmonary risk associated with PM 2.5 across the world. In the future, further studies need to be carried out to investigate the specific relationship between the constituents and sources of PM 2.5 and cardiopulmonary disease. These studies provided scientific evidence for precise reduction measurement of pollution sources and public health risks. It is also necessary to identify effective biomarkers and elucidate the biological mechanisms and pathways involved; this may help us to take steps to reduce PM 2.5 pollution and reduce the incidence of cardiopulmonary disease.
Humans ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Air Pollution/adverse effects* ; Risk Factors ; Respiratory Tract Diseases ; China/epidemiology* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects*

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association of ambient PM_2.5 exposure with blood pressure (BP) at the population level in China. METHODS: A total of 14,080 participants who had at least two valid blood pressure records were selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey during 2011-2015. Their long-term PM_2.5 exposure was assessed at the geographical level, on the basis of a regular 0.1° × 0.1° grid over China. A mixed-effects regression model was used to assess associations. RESULTS: Each decrease of 10 μg/m³ in the 1 year-mean PM_2.5 concentration (FPM_1Y) was associated with a decrease of 1.24 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.84-1.64] mmHg systolic BP (SBP) and 0.50 (95% CI: 0.25-0.75) mmHg diastolic BP (DBP), respectively. A robust association was observed between the long-term decrease in PM_2.5 and decreased BP in the middle-aged and older population. Using a generalized additive mixed model, we further found that SBP increased nonlinearly overall with FPM_1Y but in an approximately linear range when the FPM_1Y concentration was < 70 µg/m³; In contrast, DBP increased approximately linearly without a clear threshold. CONCLUSION Efficient control of PM_2.5 air pollution may promote vascular health in China. Our study provides robust scientific support for making the related air pollution control policies.
Middle Aged ; Humans ; Aged ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Blood Pressure ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hypertension/etiology* ; East Asian People ; Environmental Exposure/analysis* ; Air Pollution/analysis* ; China/epidemiology*

Ozone/toxicity* ; Air Pollution/analysis* ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; China/epidemiology* ; Environmental Exposure/analysis* ; Mortality ; Particulate Matter/analysis*

Welding operations are widely present in the manufacturing production process, involving a large number of occupational groups, and are the key occupations where work injuries and occupational diseases occur in China. For different welding processes and welding materials, the content and focus of occupational health monitoring are different. At present, the item of occupational health examination in welding operation is in poor consistency with the on-site exposure of occupational hazard factors, and it is mainly concentrated in the stage of disease development, which can not reflect the early health damage caused by welding dust exposure in time. The emergence of biomarkers of welding dust can make up for this defect. Therefore, it is of great significance to describe the current situation of occupational health monitoring of welding dust and summarize the research progress of related biomarkers for the early prevention of diseases caused by welding dust and the practice of occupational health monitoring.
Occupational Health ; Welding ; Occupational Exposure/analysis* ; Dust/analysis* ; Biomarkers ; Air Pollutants, Occupational/analysis*

Objective: To evaluate the thermal environment of different types of public places and the thermal comfort of employees, so as to provide scientific basis for the establishment of microclimate standards and health supervision requirements. Methods: From June 2019 to December 2021, 50 public places (178 times) of 8 categories in Wuxi were selected, including hotels, swimming pools (gymnasiums), bathing places, shopping malls (supermarkets), barber shops, beauty shops, waiting rooms (bus station) and gyms. In summer and winter, microclimate indicators such as temperature and wind speed were measured in all kinds of places, combined with the work attire and physical activity of employees in the places. Fanger thermal comfort equation and center for the built environment (CBE) thermal comfort calculation tool were used to evaluate the predicted mean vote (PMV), predicted percent dissatisfied (PPD) and standard effective temperature (SET) according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 55-2020. The modification effects of seasonal and temperature control conditions on thermal comfort were analyzed. The consistency of GB 37488-2019 "Hygienic Indicators and Limits in Public Places" and ASHRAE 55-2020 evaluation results on thermal environment was compared. Results: The thermal sensation of hotel, barber shop staff and the gym front-desk staff were moderate, while the thermal sensation of swimming place lifeguard, bathing place cleaning staff and gym trainer were slightly warm in summer and winter. Waiting room (bus station) cleaning and working staff, shopping mall staff felt slightly warm in summer and moderate in winter. Service staff in bathing places felt slightly warm in winter, while staff in beauty salons felt slightly cool in winter. The thermal comfort compliance of hotel cleaning staff and shopping mall staff in summer was lower than that in winter (χ(2)=7.01, 7.22, P=0.008, 0.007). The thermal comfort compliance of shopping mall staff in the condition of air conditioning off was higher than that in the condition of air conditioning on (χ(2)=7.01, P=0.008). The SET values of front-desk staff in hotels with different health supervision levels were significantly different (F=3.30, P=0.024). The PPD value and SET value of the front-desk staff, and the PPD value of cleaning staff of hotels above three stars were lower than those of hotels below three stars (P<0.05). The thermal comfort compliance of front-desk staff and cleaning staff in hotels above three stars was higher than that in hotels below three stars (χ(2)=8.33, 8.09, P=0.016, 0.018). The consistency of the two criteria was highest among waiting room (bus station) staff (100.0%, 1/1) and lowest among gym front-desk staff (0%, 0/2) and waiting room (bus station) cleaning staff (0%, 0/1) . Conclusion: There are different degrees of thermal discomfort in different seasons, under the condition of air conditioning and health supervision, and the microclimate indicators can not fully reflect the thermal comfort of human body. The health supervision of microclimate should be strengthened, the applicability of health standard limit value should be evaluated in many aspects, and the thermal comfort of occupational group should be improved.
Humans ; Temperature ; Cold Temperature ; Air Conditioning ; Wind ; Seasons