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

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of ozone (O₃) concentrations measured with different approaches across different seasons on the total number of childhood asthma-related clinical visits, as well as the differentiation of such effects across different groups of patients. METHODS: The outpatient data of three grade A tertiary hospitals in Lanzhou City spanning from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2017, as well as air pollution and meteorological data during the same period were collected. Considering the nonlinear relationship between O₃ concentrations and the total number of childhood asthma-related clinical visits and meteorological factors, a generalized additive temporal sequence model was employed to analyze the short-term association between changes in O₃ concentrations and the total number of childhood asthma-related clinical visits. Taking into account of the variations in O₃ concentrations within 1 day, this study adopted different measurement approaches to address the three types of O₃ exposures, namely, the maximum 1 h daily concentration (O₃max1h), the maximum 8 h daily concentration (O₃8h) and the mean 24 h daily concentration (O₃24h) as the short term exposure indicators to O₃, followed by a model-based analysis. RESULTS: The increase in short-term exposure levels to O₃ in summer had a significant effect on the increase in the total number of childhood asthma-related clinical visits. With lag0 for the current day, every 10 μg/m³ increase in atmospheric concentration of O₃max1h was associated with an increase in the total number of childhood asthma-related clinical visits by 3.351% (95%CI: 1.231%-5.516%); for every 10 μg/m³ increase in O₃8h concentration, the total number of childhood asthma-related clinical visits increased by 3.320% (95%CI: 0.197%-3.829%); for every 10 μg/m³increase in O₃24h concentration, the total number of childhood asthma-related clinical visits in summer increased by 6.600% (95%CI: 0.914%-12.607%); moreover, an increase in exposure to O₃max1h also led to a significant rise in the total number of childhood asthma-related clinical visits among the males. CONCLUSION The increase in short-term exposure levels to O₃ in summer in Lanzhou City has a significant effect on the increase in the total number of childhood asthma-related clinical visits; O₃max1h is more closely correlated with the increase in the total number of childhood asthma-related clinical visits.
Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Air Pollution/analysis* ; Asthma/etiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Male ; Outpatients ; Ozone/analysis* ; Particulate Matter ; Seasons ; Tertiary Care Centers

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the vascular damage effects and possible mechanism of acute exposure to ozone (O) in male Wistar rats. METHODS: One hundred and twenty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups, 20 in each group. The experimental animals were placed in a gas poisoning cabinet, the control group was exposed to filtered air, and the treatment group was exposed to ozone at concentrations of 0.12 ppm, 0.5 ppm, 1.0 ppm, 2.0 ppm, and 4.0 ppm, respectively, for 4 hours. Arterial blood pressure data were obtained by PC-lab medical physiological signal acquisition system. Blood rheology indicators and blood biochemical indicators were detected by Tianjin Dean Diagnostic Laboratory. Serum endothelin-1 (ET-1), homocysteine (HCY), von Willebrand factor (vWF), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OhdG), interleukin (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) microplate assay. Oxidative stress indicators superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined by xanthine oxidase method, thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method, reduced glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (NO) were tested by using microplate colorimetry. Paraffin sections were prepared from thoracic aorta tissue, and vascular structure was observed by HE staining. RESULTS: Acute exposure to 0.12 ppm ozone could cause a significant increase in arterial systolic blood pressure (SBP). Exposure to different concentrations of ozone could cause a significant increase in plasma viscosity, and the K value of the ESR equation was significantly increased in the 1.0 ppm ozone exposure group. Both the relative and reduced viscosities were significantly reduced at ozone concentrations of 0.5 ppm and 4.0 ppm, while the red blood cell deformation index was increased significantly at ozone concentrations of 0.12 ppm, 0.5 ppm, 1.0 ppm, and 2.0 ppm. Acute ozone exposure resulted in the decrease of total cholesterol content. The content of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was significantly reduced in the 0.12 ppm ozone exposure group. When the ozone concentration was higher than 1.0 ppm, the body may also had an inflammatory reaction (increased TNF-α) and oxidative stress (increased MDA, decreased GSH). Acute exposure to ozone could lead to elevated levels of ET-1 in the blood, with significant differences in the 4.0 ppm concentration group, while HCY levels were decreased firstly and then increased, reaching the highest in the 1.0 ppm concentration group. No obvious pathological changes were observed in the thoracic aorta. CONCLUSION Acute ozone exposure can affect arterial blood pressure, blood rheology and cholesterol metabolism in rats. The possible mechanism is that ozone exposure leads to inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress reaction, causing vascular endothelial function damage, and vascular endothelial cells increase with ozone exposure concentration.
Animals ; Blood Vessels ; injuries ; Deoxyguanosine ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; Endothelin-1 ; blood ; Homocysteine ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Oxidative Stress ; Ozone ; toxicity ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Superoxide Dismutase ; analysis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; von Willebrand Factor ; analysis

OBJECTIVES: The association between concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO), nitrogen dioxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O), and emergency ambulance dispatches (EADs) for asthma was explored in the central Sichuan Basin of southwestern China for the first time. METHODS: EADs for asthma were collected from the Chengdu First-Aid Command Center. Pollutant concentrations were collected from 24 municipal environmental monitoring centers and including SO, NO, CO, daily 8-h mean concentrations of O (O-8 h), and particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM). The climatic data were collected from the Chengdu Municipal Meteorological Bureau. All data were collected from years spanning 2013-2017. A time-stratified case-crossover design was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: After controlling for temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure, IQR increases in SO (13 μg/m), NO (17 μg/m), and CO (498 μg/m) were associated with 18.8%, 11.5%, and 3.1% increases in EADs for asthma, respectively. The associations were strongest for EADs and SO, NO, and CO levels with 3-, 5-, and 1-day lags, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This study provides additional data to the limited body of literature for potential health risks arising from ambient gaseous pollutants. The results of the study suggest that increased concentrations of SO, NO, and CO were positively associated with emergency ambulance dispatches for asthma in Chengdu, China. Further studies are needed to investigate the effects of individual air pollutants on asthma.
Air Pollutants ; analysis ; toxicity ; Asthma ; chemically induced ; epidemiology ; Carbon Monoxide ; analysis ; toxicity ; China ; epidemiology ; Cities ; Cross-Over Studies ; Emergency Medical Dispatch ; statistics & numerical data ; Environmental Monitoring ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Nitrogen Dioxide ; analysis ; toxicity ; Ozone ; analysis ; toxicity ; Particle Size ; Particulate Matter ; analysis ; toxicity ; Risk ; Sulfur Dioxide ; analysis ; toxicity

Previous studies suggest that air pollution has a negative effect on semen quality. However, most studies are cross-sectional and the results are controversial. This study investigated the associations between air pollutants (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, SO₂, NO₂, CO, and O₃) and semen quality among sperm donation candidates, especially when the air pollution was artificially controlled in Beijing, China. We analyzed 8945 semen samples in the human sperm bank of Peking University Third Hospital (Beijing, China) from October 2015 to May 2018. Air pollution data during the entire period (0-90 days prior) and key stages (0-9, 10-14, and 70-90 days prior) of sperm development were collected from the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre. The association between air pollutants and semen parameters (sperm concentration and progressive motility) was analyzed by a mixed model adjusted for age, abstinence duration, month, and average ambient temperature. Only O₃during key stages of 0-9 days and 10-14 days and the entire period was negatively associated with sperm concentration between 2015 and 2018 (P < 0.01). During the period of air pollution control from November 2017 to January 2018, except for the increase in O₃concentration, other five pollutants' concentrations decreased compared to those in previous years. In this period, the sperm concentration decreased (P < 0.001). During the pollution-control period, O₃exposure 10-14 days prior was negatively associated with sperm concentration (95% CI: -0.399--0.111; P < 0.001). No significant association was found between the other five pollutants and semen quality during that period. Our study suggested that only O₃exposure was harmful to semen quality. Therefore, O₃should not be neglected during pollution control operation.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Air Pollution/adverse effects* ; Beijing ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Longitudinal Studies ; Middle Aged ; Oxidants, Photochemical/adverse effects* ; Ozone/adverse effects* ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: The deleterious effects of air pollution on various health outcomes have been demonstrated. However, few studies have examined the effects of air pollution on liver enzyme levels. METHODS: Blood samples were drawn up to three times between 2008 and 2010 from 545 elderly individuals who regularly visited a community welfare center in Seoul, Korea. Data regarding ambient air pollutants (particulate matter < or =2.5 mum [PM2.5], nitrogen dioxide [NO2], ozone [O3], carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide) from monitoring stations were used to estimate air pollution exposure. The effects of the air pollutants on the concentrations of three liver enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase [gamma-GTP)]) were evaluated using generalized additive and linear mixed models. RESULTS: Interquartile range increases in the concentrations of the pollutants showed significant associations of PM2.5 with AST (3.0% increase, p=0.0052), ALT (3.2% increase, p=0.0313), and gamma-GTP (5.0% increase, p=0.0051) levels; NO2 with AST (3.5% increase, p=0.0060) and ALT (3.8% increase, p=0.0179) levels; and O3 with gamma-GTP (5.3% increase, p=0.0324) levels. Significant modification of these effects by exercise and alcohol consumption was found (p for interaction <0.05). The effects of air pollutants were greater in non-exercisers and heavy drinkers. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term exposure to air pollutants such as PM2.5, NO2, and O3 is associated with increased liver enzyme levels in the elderly. These adverse effects can be reduced by exercising regularly and abstinence from alcohol.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Air Pollutants/analysis/*toxicity ; Alanine Transaminase/blood ; *Alcohol Drinking ; Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood ; Environmental Exposure ; *Exercise ; Female ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Liver/*drug effects/enzymology ; Male ; Nitrogen Dioxide/chemistry/toxicity ; Ozone/chemistry/toxicity ; Particulate Matter/analysis/toxicity ; Sulfur Dioxide/chemistry/toxicity ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase/blood

This article introduces some commonly used methods of ozone concentration detection, including chemical method, UV absorption method, and electrochemical method etc., introduces the latest four ozone concentration sensors, and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of each method. In addition, the article emphatically introduces the ozone's applications and development in the medical aspects. Prospects for the use of ozone concentration detection, ozone treatment and ozone therapy instrument are also demonstrated in it. The literature collected and reviewed on ozone concentration detection and ozone therapy includes 37 papers in English, and 50 papers in Chinese, but only 30 articles among them are included in this review (19 in Chinese and 11 in English), according to the principle of eliminating the old information and repetitive contents. The present paper selects only those on ozone, ozone concentration, ozone therapy and ozone therapy instrument.
Hepatitis ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Mouth Diseases ; drug therapy ; Ozone ; analysis ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo assess the relationship between diurnal temperature range (DTR) and sudden infant death (SID) between 2001 and 2004 in Shanghai, China.

METHODSWe conducted a time-stratified case-crossover analysis to estimate the percent increase of SID associated with changes in DTR after adjustment for daily weather conditions (temperature and relative humidity) and outdoor air pollution.

RESULTSDTR was significantly associated with daily SID. An increase of 1 °C in the current-day (L0) and in the 2-day moving average (L01) DTR corresponds to a 1.56% (95% CI: 0.97%, 2.15%) and a 1.89% (95% CI: 1.17%, 2.60%) increase in SID, respectively.

CONCLUSIONAn increased DTR was associated with an increased risk of SID in Shanghai. More studies are needed to understand the effect of DTR on infant deaths.

Air Pollutants ; analysis ; China ; epidemiology ; Death Certificates ; Humans ; Humidity ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Nitrogen Dioxide ; analysis ; Ozone ; analysis ; Particulate Matter ; analysis ; Risk Factors ; Sudden Infant Death ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Sulfur Dioxide ; analysis ; Temperature

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of Yigan Fuzheng Paidu Capsules (YC) combined with medical ozone against hepatic injury in dogs induced by hepatotoxic drug.

METHODSTwenty-four dogs were randomized equally into 4 groups (n=6), namely the model group, oleanolic acid tablet (OAT) group, YC group and YC+O(3) group, given either no particular treatment, oral OAT at 10 mg/day, oral YC at 0.2 g/day, or YC at 0.2 g/day plus 150 ml medical ozone transrectal insufflation every other day, respectively, for totally 30 consecutive days. Acute hepatic injury was induced after the treatment in the dogs with a sing-dose intraperitoneal injection of 0.9 ml/kg CCl(4) and peanut oil mixture (1:1, W/W). The general condition, survival time, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT), serum total bilirubin (TBIL), prothrombin time (PT), blood ammonia (AMMO), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were recorded or measured. The hepatic pathological changes were observed upon death or on day 15 following CCl(4) injection.

RESULTSCompared with the other 3 treatment protocols, YC plus O(3) showed favorable effects on the activity, mental state, diet, urination and defecation of the dogs, which had significantly higher survival rate and higher levels of ALT, TBIL, PT, and AMMO than the model and OAT groups (P<0.05). AST/ALT remained normal in YC+O(3) group, which had also milder hepatic injury than the other 3 groups.

CONCLUSIONSYC combined with medical ozone may decrease transaminase and blood ammonia levels, relieve jaundice, prolong the survival time of dogs with CCl(4)-induced hepatic injury.

Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Ammonia ; blood ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Bilirubin ; blood ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Capsules ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; toxicity ; Dogs ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Liver ; drug effects ; pathology ; Liver Diseases ; blood ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Oxidants, Photochemical ; therapeutic use ; Ozone ; therapeutic use ; Survival Analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of reducing THM precursors and controlling bromate taste and odor in drinking water taken from the Yellow River by an ozonation combined system.

METHODSThe appropriate ozone dosage was determined, and then the changes of TOC, UV254 and THM formation potential (THMFP) in the combined system were evaluated.

RESULTSOne mg/L ozone could effectively remove taste and odor and meet the maximum allowable bromate level in drinking water. The pre-ozonation increased THMFP, but the conventional treatment system could effectively reduce the odor. The bio-ceramic filter could partly reduce CHCl3FP, but sometimes might increase CHCl2BrFP and CHClBr2FP. The biological activated carbon (BAC) filter could effectively reduce CHCl3FP and CHCl2BrFP, but increase CHClBr2FP. Compared with other filters, the fresh activated carbon (FAC) filter performed better in reducing THMFP and even reduced CHClBr2FP.

CONCLUSIONThe combined system can effectively reduce taste, odor, CHCl3FP, and CHCl2BrFP and also bring bromate under control.

Bromates ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; China ; Chlorine ; Humans ; Odorants ; analysis ; prevention & control ; Ozone ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Rivers ; chemistry ; Taste ; Trihalomethanes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Water Supply ; analysis ; standards