Airborne microplastics and plastic additives in a school environment: identification, quantification, and associated inhalation risks.

Indoor and outdoor air pollution is related to adverse human health effects, especially in children due to their ongoing physical development. This study assesses airborne microplastics (MP) concentrations and associated inhalation risks in a school in Estarreja, Portugal, near a large industrial complex producing polyvinylchloride (PVC). PM samples were collected over two campaigns (winter and spring) in four classrooms (ages 3-11 years) and adjacent outdoor areas.

Coronally Advanced Tunnel with De-epithelialized Free Gingival Graft: advantages of the Inverted Graft: A Case Series.

Background: Various surgical options have been described for gingival recession management, namely the coronally advanced flap (CAF) or tunnel (TUN) surgical techniques, combined or not with connective tissue grafts (CTG) - CTGs can be obtained by de epithelializing a free gingival graft (dFGG). Nevertheless, none of them are exempt from postoperative complications, particularly when dFGG is combined with TUN techniques. Most common complications include the re-epithelialization of the marginal graft, resulting in undesirable esthetic outcomes.

High-resolution modelling of particulate matter chemical composition over Europe: brake wear pollution.

In today's rapidly evolving society, the sources of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) emissions are shifting significantly. Stringent regulations on vehicle tailpipe emissions, in combination with a lack of control of non-exhaust vehicular emissions, have led to an increase in the relative contribution of non-exhaust PM in Europe. This study analyzes the spatial distribution, temporal trends, and impacts of brake wear PM pollution across Europe by modeling copper (Cu) concentrations at a high spatial resolution of ∼250 m which is a key tracer of brake-wear emissions.

Cytotoxic and metabolic effects of organic extracts from airborne fine particulate matter (PM) in neuronal cells.

Airborne fine particulate matter (PM) has been linked to neurological diseases, but its cellular and metabolic effects remain incompletely understood. This study assessed the cytotoxic and metabolic impact of PM samples from São Paulo, Brazil, on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Even at low toxicity levels (IC-IC), PM organic extracts induced apoptosis, increased TNF-α secretion, and triggered moderate oxidative responses.

Source apportionment of PM particles in the urban atmosphere using PMF and LPO-XGBoost.

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM), as a leading part of air pollution, affects health in many ways. Thus, identifying and quantifying the contribution of atmospheric particulate matter sources of PM is vital for developing effective air quality management strategies. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) is one of the most common methods for source apportionment.

Indoor/outdoor air quality in primary schools in Luanda.

Despite the numerous studies on particulate matter and gaseous pollutants in school environments in developed countries, air quality in African schools has been largely neglected. In this work, the atmospheric concentrations of particulate matter (PM) were evaluated in various classrooms and outdoor courtyards of four primary schools in Luanda, Angola, using photometric monitors and gravimetric samplers. Comfort parameters, carbon oxides (CO and CO) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) were measured in real time.

PM exposure in beauty salons: impact on A549 cell viability, cell cycle, oxidative stress, and mutagenicity.

Beauty salons are unique indoor environments where elevated PM levels may arise from frequent use of personal care and cosmetic products, potentially exposing salon workers and clients to harmful chemicals. This study aimed to assess the biological effects of PM collected indoors and outdoors of a beauty salon, as well as the mutagenic potential of PM-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Using the MTT test, a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability was observed in human alveolar adenocarcinoma cells (A549) exposed to PM, with indoor samples causing more pronounced effects than outdoor and background air.

PM-bound elements in Luanda's urban atmosphere: Concentrations, sources, and their environmental and health impacts.

An unprecedented study was carried out in the megacity of Luanda, Angola, involving daily sampling of particulate matter (PM) from June to November 2023. The analysis was focused on the detection of 56 metal(loid)s and complemented by the application of several contamination and health risk indices. PM levels ranged from 23.

Comprehensive analysis of particulate matter, gaseous pollutants, and microbiological contamination in a clothing store from an international chain in Europe.

In this study, indoor air quality was assessed in a store belonging to one of Portugal's largest commercial retail groups. A variety of methodologies was used, including gravimetric analysis for particulate matter (PM), optical monitors for real-time PM measurements, gas sensors and analysers for CO and other gaseous pollutants, diffusion tubes for VOCs, and passive deposition for microorganisms. The average PM concentration indoors was 16.

Toxicological screening of PM from wildfires involving different biomass fuels.

Wildfires are becoming increasingly frequent and severe, particularly in Southern Europe. In addition to their immediate environmental and socioeconomic impacts, wildfires release significant amounts of particulate matter (PM), which poses serious health and ecological risks. Gaseous (CO and CO) and PM samples were collected directly from smoke plumes, and the modified combustion efficiency (MCE) was calculated to characterise combustion conditions.

Airborne particulate matter inhalation bioaccessibility: A review of methodological aspects.

Research has consistently linked exposure to particulate matter (PM) with adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular and pulmonary morbidity and mortality. Understanding the mechanisms by which PM leads to these effects on human health is crucial for developing effective mitigation strategies. One aspect of PM research that has gained increasing attention in the past few years is the bioaccessibility of inhaled PM-bound pollutants that have potential to cause adverse health effects.

Comprehensive analysis of particulate matter, gaseous pollutants, and microbiological contamination in an international chain supermarket.

Indoor environmental quality is of utmost importance since urban populations spend a large proportion of their life in confined spaces. Supermarkets offer a wide range of products and services that are prone to emitting several air pollutants. This study aimed to perform a comprehensive characterisation of the indoor and outdoor air quality in a multinational supermarket, encompassing not only criteria parameters but also unregulated pollutants of concern.

PM-bound trace elements in pan-European urban atmosphere.

Although many studies have discussed the impact of Europe's air quality, very limited research focused on the detailed phenomenology of ambient trace elements (TEs) in PM in urban atmosphere. This study compiled long-term (2013-2022) measurements of speciation of ambient urban PM from 55 sites of 7 countries (Switzerland, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, UK), aiming to elucidate the phenomenology of 20 TEs in PM in urban Europe. The monitoring sites comprised urban background (UB, n = 26), traffic (TR, n = 10), industrial (IN, n = 5), suburban background (SUB, n = 7), and rural background (RB, n = 7) types.

Indoor PM from residential coal combustion: Levels, chemical composition, and toxicity.

Indoor air quality is crucial for human health due to the significant time people spend at home, and it is mainly affected by internal sources such as solid fuel combustion for heating. This study investigated the indoor air quality and health implications associated with residential coal burning covering gaseous pollutants (CO, CO and total volatile organic compounds), particulate matter, and toxicity. The PM chemical composition was obtained by ICP-MS/OES (elements), ion chromatography (water-soluble ions) and thermal-optical analysis (organic and elemental carbon).

Biological Impact of Organic Extracts from Urban-Air Particulate Matter: An In Vitro Study of Cytotoxic and Metabolic Effects in Lung Cells.

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) with diameters below 10 µm (PM) may enter the lungs through inhalation and are linked to various negative health consequences. Emergent evidence emphasizes the significance of cell metabolism as a sensitive target of PM exposure. However, the current understanding of the relationship between PM composition, conventional toxicity measures, and the rewiring of intracellular metabolic processes remains limited.

GET-UP Trial 1-year results: long-term impact of an early mobilization protocol on functional performance after surgery for chronic subdural hematoma.

Objective: Evidence on timing for mobilization after chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) surgery is heterogeneous, and practices differ considerably among neurosurgical centers. The Impact of an Early Out-of-Bed Paradigm in Postoperative Outcomes of Chronic Subdural Hematomas: GET-UP Randomized Prospective Trial (GET-UP Trial) is a randomized clinical trial comparing a postoperative early mobilization protocol to bed rest. Previously reported results at clinical discharge and 1 month after surgery indicated a decreased risk of medical complications in the early mobilization group.

Insights on the combination of off-line and on-line measurement approaches for source apportionment studies.

This paper presents a source apportionment study performed on a dataset collected at a trafficked site in Coimbra (Portugal) during the period December 2018-June 2019. The novelty of this work consists in the methodological approach used and the sensitivity study carried out to give hints to potential future applications. Indeed, a multi-time resolution and multi-parameter study was performed joining together aerosol data from 24-h chemically characterized samples and high-time resolution multi-wavelength absorption coefficients retrieved by an Aethalometer.

Toxicological and Mutagenic Effects of Particulate Matter from Domestic Activities.

People spend most of their time indoors, particularly in their houses where daily activities are carried out, enhancing particulate matter (PM) emissions with consequent adverse health impacts. This study intended to appraise the toxicological and mutagenic responses of particulate matter with a diameter less than 10 μm (PM) released from cooking and ironing activities under different conditions. The cytotoxicity of the PM total organic extracts was tested in A549 cells using the WST-8 and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays, while the interference in cell cycle dynamics and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was analysed by flow cytometry.

Assessing the chemical composition, potential toxicity and cancer risk of airborne fine particulate matter (PM) near a petrochemical industrial area.

In the vicinity of a petrochemical industrial region in São Paulo, Brazil, PM-bound organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitro-PAHs, oxy-PAHs, hopanes, and inorganic species were evaluated. Oxidative potential (OP), burden (OB), and Alivibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition (AFBIA) assays were conducted to determine the potential health effects of exposure to these compounds. The PM mean concentration was 32.

Emission factors for a biofuel impacted fleet in South America's largest metropolitan area.

The Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP) is among the largest urban areas in the Southern Hemisphere. Vehicular emissions are of great concern in metropolitan areas and MASP is unique due to the use of biofuels on a large scale (sugarcane ethanol and biodiesel). In this work, tunnel measurements were employed to assess vehicle emissions and to calculate emission factors (EFs) for heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles (HDVs and LDVs).

Exhaust emissions of gaseous and particle size-segregated water-soluble organic compounds from diesel-biodiesel blends.

This study assessed the emissions of gaseous pollutants and particle size distributed water-soluble organics (WSO) from a diesel vehicle fuelled with ultralow sulphur diesel (B0) and 10 (B10), 20 (B20), and 30% (B30) biodiesel blends in a chassis dynamometer tested under transient mode. Particulate emission sampling was carried out in an ultraviolet (UV) test chamber using a 10-stage impactor. Samples were grouped into three size fractions and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Impact of an early mobilization protocol on the reduction of medical complications after surgery for chronic subdural hematoma: the GET-UP Trial.

Objective: Timing of mobilization after chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) surgery is highly heterogeneous among neurosurgical centers. Past studies have suggested that early mobilization may reduce medical complications without increasing recurrence, but evidence remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to compare an early mobilization protocol with a 48-hour bed rest practice, with a focus on the occurrence of medical complications.

Source apportionment of PM before and after COVID-19 lockdown in an urban-industrial area of the Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal.

The lockdowns held due to the COVID-19 pandemic conducted to changes in air quality. This study aimed to understand the variability of PM levels and composition in an urban-industrial area of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and to identify the contribution of the different sources. The composition of PM was assessed for 24 elements (by PIXE), secondary inorganic ions and black carbon.