Environmental Pollution

Our medical research library holds 11 studies published in Environmental Pollution (1987–2024). Each entry links to the study's record on PubMed and, where there is one, to the publisher's page and a free full text. 11 have an abstract, the authors' own summary as PubMed records it: open "Abstract" to read it.

About the journal

• Publisher: Elsevier Applied Science Publishers
• Published: 1987 to the present, England
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0269-7491 (print), 1873-6424 (electronic)
• Merged from: Environmental Pollution. Series A, Ecological and Biological
• Merged from: Environmental Pollution. Series B, Chemical and Physical
• Its record in the NLM Catalog

2020s

• An umbrella review of the evidence associating occupational carcinogens and cancer risk at 19 anatomical sites. X. Xiong, S. Zhang, X. Liao, et al. 2024;345:123531. Meta-analysis · Systematic review PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Occupational exposure to carcinogens of increasing cancer risk have been extensively suggested. A robust assessment of these evidence is needed to guide public policy and health care. We aimed to classify the strength of evidence for associations of 13 occupational carcinogens (OCs) and risk of cancers. We searched PubMed and Web of Science up to November 2022 to identify potentially relevant studies. We graded the evidence into convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, weak, or not significant according to a standardized classification based on: random-effects p value, number of cancer cases, 95% confidence interval of largest study, heterogeneity between studies, 95% prediction interval, small study effect, excess significance bias and sensitivity analyses with credibility ceilings. The quality of meta-analysis was evaluated by AMSTAR 2. Forty-eight articles yielded 79 meta-analyses were included in current umbrella review. Evidence of associations were convincing (class I) or highly suggeastive (class II) for asbestos exposure and increasing risk of lung cancer among smokers (RR = 8.79, 95%CI: 5.81-13.25 for cohort studies and OR = 8.68, 95%CI: 5.68-13.24 for case-control studies), asbestos exposure and increasing risk of mesothelioma (RR = 4.61, 95%CI: 2.57-8.26), and formaldehyde exposure and increasing risk of sinonasal cancer (RR = 1.68, 95%CI: 1.38-2.05). Fifteen associations were supported by suggestive evidence (class III). In summary, the current umbrella review found strong associations between: asbestos exposure and increasing risk of lung cancer among smokers; asbestos exposure and increasing risk of mesothelioma; and formaldehyde exposure and higher risk of sinonasal cancer. Other associations might be genuine, but substantial uncertainty remains.

  Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

• Integrated DNA methylation analysis of peripheral blood from asbestos exposed populations and patients with malignant mesothelioma reveals novel methylation driver genes of diagnostic and prognostic relevance. L. Feng, T. Li, B. Xu, et al. 2024;362:124928. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Effective biomarkers are paramount importance for the early detection and prognosis prediction of malignant mesothelioma (MM) which mainly caused by asbestos exposure, and DNA methylation has been demonstrated to be a potentially powerful diagnostic tool. To elucidate the relationship between asbestos exposure and alterations in DNA methylation patterns, as well as the potential diagnostic and prognostic value of differentially methylated regions and CpG sites (DMRs/DMCs) in the progression of MM. The current study employed reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) to examine the genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in the peripheral blood of individuals exposed to asbestos and those diagnosed with MM, in comparison to the controls, and DMRs/DMCs were subsequently validated by targeted bisulfite sequencing (TBS). Our results suggested that there were 12 DMRs/DMCs exhibiting a consistent change trend of DNA methylation in both RRBS and TBS results. Significant correlations were observed between DNA methylation levels of DMRs/DMCs and the duration of occupational asbestos exposure. The evaluation of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve suggested that the DNA methylation status of FHIT, CCR12P and CDH15 may serve as diagnosis indicator in distinguishing MM patients from healthy controls and those exposed to asbestos. Our findings offer a foundation for the role of DNA methylation in the development of MM induced by asbestos exposure. The potential significance of FHIT, CCR12P and CDH15 DNA methylation alterations in the pathogenesis and advancement of MM disease suggests their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

  Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

• Mineralogical investigation of asbestos contamination of soil near old vermiculite processing plant in Honolulu, Hawai'i. S. Chornkrathok, M. Carbone, H. Yang, et al. 2024;356:124350. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  From 1954 to 1983, a vermiculite processing facility operated near the Honolulu airport and processed raw material from the Libby, Montana mine, which is now well known for the high asbestos content of its clay deposits. The factory was closed in 1983 due to health hazard concerns, and remediation was performed in 2001 as part of the Libby mine superfund project. However, because of close proximity of the closed-down facility to residential areas of metropolitan Honolulu, some concerns remain regarding the possible environmental persistence of the harmful contaminant. To assess the dispersion of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite and explore the impact of trade winds on its distribution, air samples, and soil samples were collected from multiple locations near the former vermiculite plant. Polarized light microscopy was employed to identify elongated minerals, including potential asbestos. Quantitative mineralogical analysis utilizing X-ray powder diffraction and Rietveld refinement revealed an average content of approximately 7% vermiculite and 4% tremolite at the site. The asbestiform nature of tremolite was confirmed through X-ray micro-diffraction. Detailed analysis of airborne samples using transmission electron microscopy revealed no detectable levels of asbestos fibers in the vicinity of the former processing facilities, but the possibility of asbestos fibers becoming airborne due to mechanical disturbance during dry weather cannot be ruled out.

  Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

• Synergistic impact of bioavailable PHEs and alkalinity on microbial diversity and traits in agricultural soil adjacent to chromium-asbestos mines. S. Banerjee, S. Ghosh, S. Chakraborty, et al. 2024;350:124021. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Soil microbial communities undergo constant fluctuations, particularly in response to environmental factors. Although the deposition of toxic mine waste is recognized for introducing potentially hazardous elements (PHEs) into the soil, its specific impacts on microbial communities remain unclear. This study aims to explore the combined effects of soil alkalinity and bioavailable PHEs on microbial diversity and traits in agricultural soil adjacent to a chromium-asbestos mining area. By employing a comprehensive analysis, this study indicated that microbiological attributes were reduced in contaminated areas (zone 1), whereas both the levels of bioavailable PHEs (CrWs: 31.08 mg/kg, NiWs: 13.90 mg/kg) and alkalinity indices (CROSS, MCAR, MH) were significantly higher. The spatial distribution of soil alkalinity and bioavailable PHEs, primarily originating from chromium-asbestos mines, has been determined. This study also elucidates the negative relationship between soil stressors (Alkalinity and PHEs) and microbial activities (soil enzymatic activity, microbial respiration, and biomass carbon). The vector's length exhibited a notable difference between zone 1 (0.51) and zone 2 (0.32), indicating a substantial limitation on carbon (C). Also, the investigation of soil bacterial diversity unveiled notable disparities in the prevalence of microbial populations inside zone 1. Proteobacteria constituted 57.18% of the total population indicating a noteworthy prevalence in the contaminated soils. Finally, the random forest (RF) algorithm from machine learning was selected and proven to be a robust choice in Taylor diagrams for predicting the causative stressors responsible for the deterioration of soil microbial health. Therefore, this research offers insights into the health and resilience of soil microbial communities under synergistic stress conditions, which will aid environmentalists in planning future interventions and improving sustainable farming techniques.

  Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

• Respirable inorganic fibers dispersed in air and settled in human lung samples: Assessment of their nature, source, and concentration in a NW Italy large city. S. Capella, D. Bellis, E. Fioretti, et al. 2020;263(Pt B):114384. Review PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  The present investigation represents a new approach useful to evaluate the general population risk correlated with environmental exposure to air dispersed inorganic fibers. The used method is based on the evaluation of the respirable inorganic fibers both air dispersed in a big city and contained in lungs of the general population following their respiration. Moreover, these data allow to identify the sources of dispersion (anthropogenic or natural) in air of the inorganic fibers and therefore to apply strategies to improve air quality. To describe this approach, we investigated air samples from a big city in NW Italy and lung inorganic burden of people here lived. This paper reports the data of the airborne inorganic fibers detected in two sampling campaign (2014 and 2016), in 24 districts of Torino (Piemonte - NW Italy), and in some autoptic lungs of general population lived here. The airborne fibers (collected on mixed-cellulose esters membrane) were characterized by SEMEDS. The identified inorganic fiber species were assigned to 5 classes, one of these including 2 types of asbestos. These last are grouped as tremolite/actinolite asbestos. They are dispersed from natural sources (i.e. certain kinds of rocks outcropping in the city surrounding areas). In no-one of the 24 districts of Torino their concentration highlighted a situation of asbestos pollution in place. A correlation with inorganic fibers (collected on mixed-cellulose esters membrane and characterized by SEM-EDS) detected in lung tissue samples of 10 subjects lived in Torino all their life and without professional exposure to asbestos were attempted. The only types of fibers identified as asbestos are tremolite/actinolite asbestos, and they match those detected in air sampling. The number of fibers per 1 g of tissue dry weight is lower than the quantities reported as indicative of significant asbestos exposure. We observed interesting gender differences.

  Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2010s

• Traffic-related distribution of antimony in roadside soils. C. Földi, S. Sauermann, R. Dohrmann, et al. 2018;237:704-712. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Vehicular emissions have become one of the main source of pollution of urban soils; this highlights the need for more detailed research on various traffic-related emissions and related distribution patterns. Since the banning of asbestos in the European Union, its substitution with antimony (Sb) in brake linings has led to increased inputs of this toxic metalloid to environmental compartments. The objective of this study was to provide detailed information about the spatial distribution patterns of Sb and to assess its mobility and bioavailability. Roadside soils along an arterial road (approx. 9000 vehicles per day) in Cologne (Germany) were studied along five transects, at four soil depths and at seven sampling points set at varying distances from the road (n = 140). For all samples, comprehensive soil characterization was performed and inverse aqua regia-extractable trace metal content was determined being pseudo-total contents. Furthermore, for one transect, also total Sb and a chemical sequential extraction procedure was applied (n = 28). Pseudo-total Sb for all transects decreased significantly with soil depth and distance from the road, reflecting a distribution pattern similar to that of other trace metals associated with brake lining emissions. Conversely, metals associated with exhaust emissions showed a convex distribution. The geochemical fractionation of Sb revealed the following trends: i) non-specifically sorbed Sb was <5%; ii) specifically sorbed Sb was only detected within 1 m distance from the road and decreased with depth; iii) Sb associated with poorly-crystalline Fe oxides decreased with distance from the road; and iv) content of Sb bounded to well-crystalline Fe oxides, and Sb present in the residual fraction remained relatively constant at each depth. Consequently, roadside soils appear to inhibit brake lining-related Sb contamination, with significant but rather low ecotoxicological potential for input into surface and groundwater.

  Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

• Trace elements in hazardous mineral fibres. A. Bloise, D. Barca, A.F. Gualtieri, et al. 2016;216:314-323. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Both occupational and environmental exposure to asbestos-mineral fibres can be associated with lung diseases. The pathogenic effects are related to the dimension, biopersistence and chemical composition of the fibres. In addition to the major mineral elements, mineral fibres contain trace elements and their content may play a role in fibre toxicity. To shed light on the role of trace elements in asbestos carcinogenesis, knowledge on their concentration in asbestos-mineral fibres is mandatory. It is possible that trace elements play a synergetic factor in the pathogenesis of diseases caused by the inhalation of mineral fibres. In this paper, the concentration levels of trace elements from three chrysotile samples, four amphibole asbestos samples (UICC amosite, UICC anthophyllite, UICC crocidolite and tremolite) and fibrous erionite from Jersey, Nevada (USA) were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). For all samples, the following trace elements were measured: Li, Be, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Pb, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Th, U. Their distribution in the various mineral species is thoroughly discussed. The obtained results indicate that the amount of trace metals such as Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn is higher in anthophyllite and chrysotile samples, whereas the amount of rare earth elements (REE) is higher in erionite and tremolite samples. The results of this work can be useful to the pathologists and biochemists who use asbestos minerals and fibrous erionite in-vitro studies as positive cyto- and geno-toxic standard references.

  Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2000s

• Metal contamination of Posidonia oceanica meadows along the Corsican coastline (Mediterranean). C. Lafabrie, C. Pergent-Martini, G. Pergent. 2008;151(1):262-8. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  The aim of this study is to determine metal (Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb) concentrations in Posidonia oceanica tissues along the Corsican coastline. The results show that except for Cr, all the metals are preferentially accumulated in the blades; this is particularly interesting as it means that future metal analyses may be carried out only on the blades avoiding thus the removal of the shoots. Moreover, they show that metal concentrations may reflect the "background noise" of the Mediterranean Sea. Station 15 (Canari) can however be distinguished from the others due to its high Co, Cr and Ni concentrations. This result may be related to the presence of a previous asbestos mine, located near this station. Therefore, this study reinforces the usefulness and the relevance of Posidonia oceanica as a tracer of spatial metal contamination and as an interesting tool for water quality evaluation.

• Changes in elemental composition and mass of atmospheric aerosol pollution between 1996 and 2002 in a Central European city. I. Salma, W. Maenhaut. 2006;143(3):479-88. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Median atmospheric concentrations of Pb, Br, S, As, Se, and particulate matter (PM) decreased, and median concentrations of Sb, Cu, Zn, Fe, Ca, Cr and Ba increased in urban aerosol in downtown Budapest between 1996 and 2002. The changes in Pb and Br concentrations were unambiguously attributed to the phasing out of leaded gasoline. The increments were mainly related to and explained by non-exhaust vehicular emissions. The mechanical wear of asbestos-free brake linings of road vehicles contributed to the concentration of Cu and Sb on average by 69% and 66%, respectively in the PM10 size fraction. Tire rubber abrasion was a major source for atmospheric Zn; on average, non-crustal sources accounted for 67% of Zn in the PM10 size fraction. Contribution of the tire wear component to the PM10 mass was estimated to be 6% at most, while its contribution to organic aerosol was of the order of 15%.

1990s

• Monitoring the presence of asbestos in a residential apartment building. F. Curtis. 1991;71(1):69-81. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Asbestos was once frequently used in building materials, but airborne fibres are now associated with serious health risks. This paper discusses the properties of asbestos and the ways in which certain forms can cause disease. Risks to the health of residents of asbestos-containing building are also explored. The detection, measurement and control of airborne asbestos demands careful monitoring. A case study is presented which describes the various procedures used to investigate the potential risks to residents of an asbestos-containing apartment building. Based on this investigation, recommendations are outlined for precautionary measures, mitigation techniques and further monitoring.

1980s

• Asbestos fibres introduce trace metals into streamwater and sediments. H. Schreier. 1987;43(3):229-42. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Based on a case study in the Sumas River, it is demonstrated that asbestos fibres, which were introduced by a massive landslide, have altered the water quality and sediment conditions in the downstream section of the river. Asbestos fibres, because of their small size, are readily transported and resuspended i in stream systems. Associated with the fibres are high quantities of Ni, Cr, Co and Mn which occur as contaminations and isomorphic substitutions in most asbestos materials. A direct link between discharge, asbestos fibre and Ni concentrations was demonstrated in the water. Trace metal values in the sediments decrease with distance from the point source but the concentrations 20 km downstream of the slide are still significantly higher than levels at a control station unaffected by the slide. Asbestos fibres leach in acid media, and Mg and trace metals are removed. The process and rates were illustrated on the basis of laboratory experiments using organic acids. Since the pH in the streamwater is decreasing from 8.4 to 7.1 in the downstream direction, trace metals release is of concern.

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