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Toxicology Aug 2023The role of environmental contaminants and their association with stroke is still being determined. Association has been shown with air pollution, noise, and water... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The role of environmental contaminants and their association with stroke is still being determined. Association has been shown with air pollution, noise, and water pollution; however, the results are inconsistent across studies. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of persistent organic pollutants (POP) in ischemic stroke patients were conducted; a comprehensive literature search was carried out until 30th June 2021 from different databases. The quality of all the articles which met our inclusion criteria was assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa scaling; five eligible studies were included in our systematic review. The most studied POP in ischemic stroke was polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and they have shown a trend for association with ischemic stroke. The study also revealed that living near a source of POPs contamination constitutes a risk of exposure and an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Although our study provides a strong positive association of POPs with ischemic stroke, more extensive studies must be conducted to prove the association.
Topics: Humans; Persistent Organic Pollutants; Ischemic Stroke; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Stroke; Environmental Pollutants
PubMed: 37268249
DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2023.153567 -
Annali Di Igiene : Medicina Preventiva... 2023The aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate the correlation between the exposure to environmental and/or occupational pollutants and possible alteration of...
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate the correlation between the exposure to environmental and/or occupational pollutants and possible alteration of semen quality, focalizing the attention on the studies performed using a biomonitoring approach.
METHODS
The review was conducted from inception to May 11 2023, according to the PRISMA Statement 2020 and using the following databases: Scopus, Pubmed and Web of Science. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023405607). Studies were considered eligible if they reported data about the association between exposure to environmental pollutants and alteration of semen quality using human biomonitoring. The quality assessment was carried out by the use of the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale.
RESULTS
In total, 21 articles were included, conducted in several countries. The main matrices used for biomonitoring were urine and blood and the most sought-after contaminants were bisphenols, phthalates, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals and other inorganic trace elements. The results of the studies demonstrated a significant positive correlation between the increase of the pollutants' levels in the biological matrices examined and some alterations of the semen quality indicators, such as a decrease in motility, concentration and morphology of the spermatozoa.
CONCLUSIONS
Male fertility can be negatively affected by the exposure to environmental and/or occupational pollutants. Human biomonitoring programs may be considered a useful tool for specific surveillance programs devoted to early highlight subjects who are more exposed to environmental pollutants in order to reduce risk exposure.
Topics: Humans; Male; Environmental Pollutants; Semen Analysis; Occupational Exposure; Semen; Spermatozoa; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Monitoring
PubMed: 37796470
DOI: 10.7416/ai.2023.2581 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Jan 2019Telomere length (TL) has been suggested to be a surrogate for cellular ageing, and a record of cumulative inflammation and oxidative stress over life. An emerging body... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Telomere length (TL) has been suggested to be a surrogate for cellular ageing, and a record of cumulative inflammation and oxidative stress over life. An emerging body of evidence has associated exposure to air pollution to changes in TL. To date there is no available systematic review of literature on this association. We aimed to systematically review and conduct meta-analysis of published studies on the relationship between air pollution and TL in adults. Electronic databases were systematically searched for available English language studies on the association between air pollution and TL published up to 1 July 2018. Meta-analyses were conducted following MOOSE guidelines. The heterogeneity in the reported associations was assessed using Cochran's Q test and quantified as I index. Publication bias was assessed using Egger's regression. Our search identified 19 eligible studies including 11 retrospective and eight prospective studies of which, four had excellent quality, ten had good quality and five had fair quality. Meta-analysis result of two studies on long-term exposure to PM showed an inverse association between these exposures and TL (for 5 μg/m PM-0.03 95% CI; -0.05, -0.01). Meta-analysis of short-term exposure to PM with three studies and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) with two studies revealed a direct association between these exposures and TL (0.03 95% CI; 0.02, 0.04 and 0.10 95% CI; 0.06, 0.15 respectively). No statistically significant relationship between exposure to PM and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure and TL were observed. We observed suggestive evidence for associations between air pollution and TL with potentially different direction of associations for short- and long-term exposures.
Topics: Adult; Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; Environmental Exposure; Female; Humans; Male; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Telomere; Telomere Homeostasis
PubMed: 30384069
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.130 -
Environmental Research Aug 2020Except for known cardiovascular risk factors, long-term exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) - a class of exogenous chemicals, or a mixture of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Except for known cardiovascular risk factors, long-term exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) - a class of exogenous chemicals, or a mixture of chemicals, that can interfere with any aspect of hormone action - has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which are still controversial.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the association between EEDs, including nonylphenol (NP), bisphenol A (BPA), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), organo-chlorine pesticide (OCP) and phthalate (PAE) exposure and CVD risk.
METHODS
The heterogeneity between different studies was qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated using Q test and I statistical magnitude, respectively. Subgroup analysis was performed using chemical homologs - a previously unused grouping method - to extract data and perform meta-analysis to assess their exposure to CVD.
RESULTS
Twenty-nine literatures were enrolled with a total sample size of 88891. The results indicated that exposure to PCB138 and PCB153 were the risk factors for CVD morbidity (odds ratio (OR) = 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10-1.66; OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.13-1.62). Exposure to organo-chlorine pesticide (OCP) (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.00-1.24), as well as with phthalate (PAE) (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.06-1.17) and BPA (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.03-1.37) were positively associated with CVD risk, respectively. BPA exposure concentration had no correlation with total cholesterol (TC), or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), but exhibited a correlation with gender, waist circumference (WC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), age, and body mass index (BMI) (standardized mean difference (SMD)) = 1.51; 95% CI: =(1.01-2.25); SMD = 0.16; 95% CI: (0.08-0.23); SMD = -0.19; 95% CI: (-0.27-0.12); SMD = -0.78; 95% CI: (-1.42-0.14); SMD = 0.08; 95% CI: (0.00-0.16).
CONCLUSIONS
EED exposure is a risk factor for CVD. Long-term exposure to EEDs can influence cardiovascular health in humans. A possible synergistic effect may exist between the homologs. The mechanism of which needs to be further explored and demonstrated by additional prospective cohort studies, results of in vitro and in vivo analyses, as well as indices affecting CVD.
Topics: Body Mass Index; Cardiovascular Diseases; Endocrine Disruptors; Humans; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors
PubMed: 32438096
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109464 -
Environmental Research Jul 2024Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), extensively used in various products, prompt ongoing concern despite reduced exposure since the 1970s. This systematic review explores... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), extensively used in various products, prompt ongoing concern despite reduced exposure since the 1970s. This systematic review explores prenatal PCB and hydroxylated metabolites (OH-PCBs) exposure's association with child neurodevelopment. Encompassing cognitive, motor development, behavior, attention, ADHD, and ASD risks, it also evaluates diverse methodological approaches in studies.
METHODS
PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases were searched through August 23, 2023, by predefined search strings. Peer-reviewed studies published in English were included. The inclusion criteria were: (i) PCBs/OH-PCBs measured directly in maternal and cord blood, placenta or breast milk collected in the perinatal period; (ii) outcomes of cognitive development, motor development, attention, behavior, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children≤18 years old. Quality assessment followed the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's tool.
RESULTS
Overall, 87 studies were included in this review. We found evidence for the association between perinatal PCB exposure and adverse cognitive development and attention issues in middle childhood. There appeared to be no or negligible link between perinatal PCB exposure and early childhood motor development or the risk of ADHD/ASD. There was an indication of a sex-specific association with worse cognition and attention scores among boys. Some individual studies suggested a possible association between prenatal exposure to OH-PCBs and neurodevelopmental outcomes. There was significant heterogeneity between the studies in exposure markers, exposure assessment timing, outcome assessment, and statistical analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
Significant methodological, clinical and statistical heterogeneity existed in the included studies. Adverse effects on cognitive development and attention were observed in middle childhood. Little or no apparent link on both motor development and risk of ADHD/ASD was observed in early childhood. Inconclusive evidence prevailed regarding other neurodevelopmental aspects due to limited studies. Future research could further explore sex-specific associations and evaluate associations at lower exposure levels post-PCB ban in the US. It should also consider OH-PCB metabolites, co-pollutants, mixtures, and their potential interactions.
Topics: Humans; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Female; Pregnancy; Environmental Pollutants; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Child; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Maternal Exposure; Male; Cognition; Infant
PubMed: 38615789
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118912 -
Environment International Mar 2015Over half of the people with diabetes in the world live in Asia. Emerging scientific evidence suggests that diabetes is associated with environmental pollutants,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Over half of the people with diabetes in the world live in Asia. Emerging scientific evidence suggests that diabetes is associated with environmental pollutants, exposures that are also abundant in Asia.
OBJECTIVE
To systematically review the literature concerning the association of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and non-persistent pesticides with diabetes and diabetes-related health outcomes in Asia.
METHODS
PubMed and Embase were searched to identify studies published up to November 2014. A secondary reference review of all extracted articles and the National Toxicology Program Workshop on the association of POPs with diabetes was also conducted. A total of 19 articles met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated in this review.
RESULTS
To date, the evidence relating POPs and non-persistent pesticides with diabetes in Asian populations is equivocal. Positive associations were reported between serum concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and several organochlorine pesticides (DDT, DDE, oxychlordane, trans-nonachlor, hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorocyclohexane) with diabetes. PCDD/Fs were also associated with blood glucose and insulin resistance, but not beta-cell function. There were substantial limitations of the literature including: most studies were cross-sectional, few studies addressed selection bias and confounding, and most effect estimates had exceptionally wide confidence intervals. Few studies evaluated the effects of organophosphates.
CONCLUSIONS
Well-conducted research is urgently needed on these pervasive exposures to inform policies to mitigate the diabetes epidemic in Asia.
Topics: Asia; Blood Glucose; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes Mellitus; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Pollutants; Humans; Hydrocarbons, Halogenated; Insulin Resistance; Pesticides
PubMed: 25545233
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2014.12.001 -
The Science of the Total Environment Nov 2021Reduced water quality degrades coral reefs, resulting in compromised ecosystem function and services to coastal communities. Increasing management capacity on reefs... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Reduced water quality degrades coral reefs, resulting in compromised ecosystem function and services to coastal communities. Increasing management capacity on reefs requires prioritization of the development of data-based water-quality thresholds and tipping points. To meet this urgent need of marine resource managers, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis that quantified the effects on scleractinian corals of chemical pollutants from land-based and atmospheric sources. We compiled a global dataset addressing the effects of these pollutants on coral growth, mortality, reproduction, physiology, and behavior. The resulting quantitative review of 55 articles includes information about industrial sources, modes of action, experimentally tested concentrations, and previously identified tolerance thresholds of corals to 13 metals, 18 pesticides, 5 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), and a pharmaceutical. For data-rich contaminants, we make more robust threshold estimates by adapting models for Bayesian hierarchical meta-analysis that were originally developed for biopharmaceutical application. These models use information from multiple studies to characterize the dose-response relationships (i.e., E curves) between a pollutant's concentration and various measures of coral health. Metals used in antifouling paints, especially copper, have received a great deal of attention to-date, thus enabling us to estimate the cumulative impact of copper across coral's early life-history. The effects of other land-based pollutants on corals are comparatively understudied, which precludes more quantitative analysis. We discuss opportunities to improve future research so that it can be better integrated into quantitative assessments of the effects of more pollutant types on sublethal coral stress-responses. We also recommend that managers use this information to establish more conservative water quality thresholds that account for the synergistic effects of multiple pollutants on coral reefs. Ultimately, active remediation of local stressors will improve the resistance, resilience, and recovery of individual reefs and reef ecosystems facing the global threat of climate change.
Topics: Animals; Anthozoa; Bayes Theorem; Coral Reefs; Ecosystem; Water Quality
PubMed: 34323749
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148632 -
Environmental Research Jul 2023The effects of environmental pollution are associated with higher rates of mortality, morbidity, and years of life lost. It is known that these produce alterations in... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The effects of environmental pollution are associated with higher rates of mortality, morbidity, and years of life lost. It is known that these produce alterations in the human body, including changes in body composition. Research has focused on the association between contaminants and BMI through cross-sectional studies. The objective of this study was to synthesize the evidence for the association of pollutants on different measures of body composition. The PECOS strategy was defined, in which "P": participants of any age, sex, or ethnicity, "E": a higher level of environmental pollution, "C": a lower level of environmental pollution, "O": body composition measurements and "S": longitudinal studies. Studies from the following databases were included: MEDLINE, EMBASE, SciELO, LILACS, Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and gray literature from inception to January 2023.3069 studies were identified, 18 were included in the systematic review, and 13 in the meta-analysis. These studies included 8.563 people, 47 environmental contaminants, and 16 measures of body composition. The meta-analysis by subgroup found that the association between dioxins, furans, PCBs, and waist circumference was β = 1.0 (95% CI: 0.85 to 1.16; I: 95%), and the sum of four skinfolds β = 1.02 (95% CI: 0.88 to 1.16; I: 24%). The association between pesticides and waist circumference was β = 1.00 (95% CI: 0.68 to 1.32; I: 98%), and the fat mass was β = 0.99 (95% CI: 0.17 to 1.81; I: 94%). Pollutants, especially endocrine-disrupting chemicals, among which dioxins, furans, PCBs, and pesticides, are associated with changes in body composition, mainly with waist circumference and the sum of four skinfolds.
Topics: Humans; Environmental Pollutants; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Dioxins; Cross-Sectional Studies; Body Composition; Pesticides
PubMed: 37024033
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115840 -
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment May 2024Dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls are a group of lipophilic compounds classified under persistent environmental pollutants (POPs). Significant sources of... (Review)
Review
Dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls are a group of lipophilic compounds classified under persistent environmental pollutants (POPs). Significant sources of dioxin emissions include industrial effluents, open burning practices, and biomedical and municipal waste incinerators. These emissions will enter the food chain and accumulate in animal-origin foods (AOFs). A systematic review was conducted to analyze the global levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in AOFs using PRISMA guidelines 2020. The data on the dioxin contamination in AOFs were extracted from 53 publications based on their presence in eggs, meat and meat products, milk and dairy products, marine fish and fish products, and freshwater fish and crabs. A gap analysis was conducted based on the systematic review to understand the grey areas to be focused on the future. No trend of dioxin contamination in AOFs was observed. A significant gap area was found in the need for nationwide data generation in countries without periodic monitoring of AOFs for dioxin contamination. Source apportionment studies need to be explored for the dioxin contamination of AOFs. Large-scale screening tests of AOFs using DR-CALUX based on market surveys are required for data generation. The outcomes of the study will be helpful for stakeholders and policyholders in framing new policies and guidelines for food safety in AOFs.
Topics: Dioxins; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Animals; Food Contamination; Environmental Monitoring; Meat; Environmental Pollutants; Persistent Organic Pollutants
PubMed: 38724861
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12690-3 -
Obesity Reviews : An Official Journal... Jan 2022We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the associations between prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and childhood obesity. We... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the associations between prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and childhood obesity. We focused on organochlorines (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane [DDT], dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene [DDE], hexachlorobenzene [HCB], and polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs]), perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) that are the POPs more widely studied in environmental birth cohorts so far. We search two databases (PubMed and Embase) through July/09/2021 and identified 33 studies reporting associations with prenatal organochlorine exposure, 21 studies reporting associations with prenatal PFAS, and five studies reporting associations with prenatal PBDEs. We conducted a qualitative review. Additionally, we performed random-effects meta-analyses of POP exposures, with data estimates from at least three prospective studies, and BMI-z. Prenatal DDE and HCB levels were associated with higher BMI z-score in childhood (beta: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.21; I : 28.1% per study-specific log increase of DDE and beta: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.53; I : 31.9% per study-specific log increase of HCB). No significant associations between PCB-153, PFOA, PFOS, or pentaPBDEs with childhood BMI were found in meta-analyses. In individual studies, there was inconclusive evidence that POP levels were positively associated with other obesity indicators (e.g., waist circumference).
Topics: Child; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Humans; Pediatric Obesity; Persistent Organic Pollutants; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 34766696
DOI: 10.1111/obr.13383