Environmental/Occupational News

Exposure to mold/musty odors, various metals and farm animals raised the odds for sarcoidosis in African Americans, according to results published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

A high risk for asthma in children was linked to increased levels of fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide exposure in the first 3 years of life, according to results published in JAMA Network Open.

Among school-aged children born preterm, heightened current exposure to fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide each negatively impacted lung function, according to results published in Thorax.

Use of gaseous household fuels vs. polluting fuels for cooking and heating lowered an individual’s odds for COPD, wheeze and severe respiratory illness/death, according to study results published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

WASHINGTON — Among patients with asthma, various nasal key driver genes are linked to ozone and fine particulate matter exposure, according to data presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting.

Transportation pollution puts children’s health at risk on a daily basis, but a switch to zero-emission vehicles and clean power would prevent several poor respiratory outcomes in this population, according to a press release.

Chronic exposure to fine particulate matter increased the risk of hospitalization for several cardiovascular conditions in older adults, according to a study published in BMJ.

Over time, reductions in lung function following exposure to World Trade Center dust heighten the risk for all-cause and cancer-cause mortality, according to results published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Elevated exposure to fine particulate matter during pregnancy raised the likelihood for assisted ventilation and systemic antibiotics among term newborns, according to results published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a change to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for fine particulate pollution from 12 µg/m3 to 9 µg/m3, according to a press release from the agency.