Comparison Process of Blood Heavy Metals Absorption Linked to Measured Air Quality Data in Areas with High and Low Environmental Impact

Abstract

Air pollution is a problem shared by the entire world population, and researchers have highlighted its adverse effects on human health in recent years. The object of this paper was the relationship between the pollutants’ concentrations measured in the air and the quantity of pollutant itself inhaled by the human body. The area chosen for the study has a high environmental impact given the significant presence on the territory of polluting activities. The Acerra area (HI) has a waste-to-energy plant and numerous industries to which polluting emissions are attributed. This area has always been the subject of study as the numbers of cancer patients are high. A survey on male patients to evaluate the heavy metals concentrations in the blood was conducted in the two areas and then linked to its values aero-dispersed. Using the air quality data measured by the monitoring networks in two zones, one with high environmental impact (HI) and one with low environmental impact (LI), the chronicle daily intake (CDI) of pollutants inhaled by a single person was calculated. The pollutants considered in this study are PM10 and four heavy metals (As, Cd, Ni, Pb) constituting the typical particulates of the areas concerned. The CDI values calculated for the two zones are significantly higher in the HI zone following the seasonal pollution trend.

Evaluation of the concentration of harmful air pollutants in a cultural heritage site by passive sampling

“…As reported in literature, the indoor concentrations of certain pollutants can be higher than outdoor ones, posing a risk for human health [35,39]. In fact, exposure to high concentrations of air pollutants is linked to the onset of disease in humans [40]. These results can be considered serious problems for the health of visitors and workers, and for the preservation of works of art, so further studies need to be conducted to evaluate its sources to prevent these high concentrations.…”

El biólogo y su rol investigativo en biondicadores de la salud ambiental

“…En ese sentido, el estudio de tejidos y fluidos corporales han resultado confliables como bioindicadores enfocados a la caracterización y gestión de riesgo a la población humana (Lotrecchiano et al, 2022). Torres Ordoñez et al, (2021) usaron la medición de la saturación de Carboxihemoglobina en sangre (COHb) como bioindicador de exposición ocupacional al monóxido de carbono, un reconocido contaminante del aire en interiores producto de la combustión ineficiente de elementos como la madera o el carbón.…”

“…Dentro del grupo de actores interdisciplinares que han abordado estos retos medioambientales, los biólogos se destacan por sus competencias en el estudio científico de los seres vivos y los procesos naturales que los engloban, integrando ramas interdisciplinarias como la química y la física; pero además, por su rol investigativo en bioindicadores de la salud ambiental, es decir, aquellas medidas a nivel celular, bioquímico o molecular de un organimo que se relacionan a cambios medioambientales y/o exposición a contaminantes (Domínguez, 2020;Lotrecchiano et al, 2022).…”

Country-Wide Ecological Health Assessment Methodology for Air Toxics: Bridging Gaps in Ecosystem Impact Understanding and Policy Foundations

“…The fate and transport of air toxics within ecological settings exhibit characteristics similar to those impacts observed in human health assessments, as extensively detailed in [ 4 ]. This similarity highlights the interconnectedness of human and ecological health, thereby broadening our comprehension of the extensive implications of air pollution.…”