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European Thyroid Journal Apr 2024Global warming is now universally acknowledged as being responsible for dramatic climate changes with rising sea levels, unprecedented temperatures, resulting fires and... (Review)
Review
Global warming is now universally acknowledged as being responsible for dramatic climate changes with rising sea levels, unprecedented temperatures, resulting fires and threatened widespread species loss. While these effects are extremely damaging, threatening the future of life on our planet, one unexpected and paradoxically beneficial consequence could be a significant contribution to global iodine supply. Climate change and associated global warming are not the primary causes of increased iodine supply, which results from the reaction of ozone (O3) arising from both natural and anthropogenic pollution sources with iodide (I-) present in the oceans and in seaweeds (macro- and microalgae) in coastal waters, producing gaseous iodine (I2). The reaction serves as negative feedback, serving a dual purpose, both diminishing ozone pollution in the lower atmosphere and thereby increasing I2. The potential of this I2 to significantly contribute to human iodine intake is examined in the context of I2 released in a seaweed-abundant coastal area. The bioavailability of the generated I2 offers a long-term possibility of increasing global iodine status and thereby promoting thyroidal health. It is hoped that highlighting possible changes in iodine bioavailability might encourage the health community to address this issue.
Topics: Humans; Iodine; Climate Change; Oceans and Seas; Ozone; Atmosphere; Seaweed
PubMed: 38471306
DOI: 10.1530/ETJ-23-0200 -
Nature Sep 2023Wildfires are thought to be increasing in severity and frequency as a result of climate change. Air pollution from landscape fires can negatively affect human health,...
Wildfires are thought to be increasing in severity and frequency as a result of climate change. Air pollution from landscape fires can negatively affect human health, but human exposure to landscape fire-sourced (LFS) air pollution has not been well characterized at the global scale. Here, we estimate global daily LFS outdoor fine particulate matter (PM) and surface ozone concentrations at 0.25° × 0.25° resolution during the period 2000-2019 with the help of machine learning and chemical transport models. We found that overall population-weighted average LFS PM and ozone concentrations were 2.5 µg m (6.1% of all-source PM) and 3.2 µg m (3.6% of all-source ozone), respectively, in 2010-2019, with a slight increase for PM, but not for ozone, compared with 2000-2009. Central Africa, Southeast Asia, South America and Siberia experienced the highest LFS PM and ozone concentrations. The concentrations of LFS PM and ozone were about four times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries. During the period 2010-2019, 2.18 billion people were exposed to at least 1 day of substantial LFS air pollution per year, with each person in the world having, on average, 9.9 days of exposure per year. These two metrics increased by 6.8% and 2.1%, respectively, compared with 2000-2009. Overall, we find that the global population is increasingly exposed to LFS air pollution, with socioeconomic disparities.
Topics: Humans; Air Pollution; Fires; Ozone; Particulate Matter; Wildfires; Socioeconomic Disparities in Health
PubMed: 37730866
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06398-6 -
Environment International Oct 2018Although it is recognized that ozone causes acute and chronic health effects and that even trace amounts of ozone are potentially deleterious to human health,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Although it is recognized that ozone causes acute and chronic health effects and that even trace amounts of ozone are potentially deleterious to human health, information about global and local exposures to ozone in different indoor environments is limited. To synthesize the existing knowledge, this review analyzes the magnitude of and the trends in global and local exposure to ozone in schools and offices and the factors controlling the exposures.
METHODS
In conducting the literature review, Web of Science, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and PubMed were searched using 38 search terms and their combinations to identify manuscripts, reports, and directives published between 1973 and 2018. The search was then extended to the reference lists of relevant articles.
RESULTS
The calculated median concentration of ozone both in school (8.50 μg/m) and office (9.04 μg/m) settings was well below the WHO guideline value of 100 μg/m as a maximum 8 h mean concentration. However, a large range of average concentrations of ozone was reported, from 0.8-114 μg/m and from 0 to 96.8 μg/m for school and office environments, respectively, indicating situations where the WHO values are exceeded. Outdoor ozone penetrating into the indoor environment is the main source of indoor ozone, with median I/O ratios of 0.21 and 0.29 in school and office environments, respectively. The absence of major indoor ozone sources and ozone sinks, including gas-phase reactions and deposition, are the reasons for lower indoor than outdoor ozone concentrations. However, there are indoor sources of ozone that are of significance in certain indoor environments, including printers, photocopiers, and many other devices and appliances designed for indoor use (e.g., air cleaners), that release ozone either intentionally or unintentionally. Due to significantly elevated outdoor ozone concentrations during summer, summer indoor concentrations are typically elevated. In addition, the age of a building and various housing aspects (carpeting, air conditioning, window fans, and window openings) have been significantly associated with indoor ozone levels.
CONCLUSIONS
The existing means for reducing ozone and ozone reaction products in school and office settings are as follows: 1) reduce penetration of outdoor ozone indoors by filtering ozone from the supply air; 2) limit the use of printers, photocopiers, and other devices and appliances that emit ozone indoors; 3) limit gas-phase reactions by limiting the use of materials and products (e.g. cleaning chemicals) the emissions of which react with ozone.
Topics: Air Pollutants; Air Pollution, Indoor; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Ozone; Schools; Workplace
PubMed: 30053738
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.07.012 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Feb 2021Outdoor ozone transported indoors initiates oxidative chemistry, forming volatile organic products. The influence of ozone chemistry on indoor air composition has not...
Outdoor ozone transported indoors initiates oxidative chemistry, forming volatile organic products. The influence of ozone chemistry on indoor air composition has not been directly quantified in normally occupied residences. Here, we explore indoor ozone chemistry in a house in California with two adult inhabitants. We utilize space- and time-resolved measurements of ozone and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) acquired over an 8-wk summer campaign. Despite overall low indoor ozone concentrations (mean value of 4.3 ppb) and a relatively low indoor ozone decay constant (1.3 h), we identified multiple VOCs exhibiting clear contributions from ozone-initiated chemistry indoors. These chemicals include 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (6-MHO), 4-oxopentanal (4-OPA), nonenal, and C8-C12 saturated aldehydes, which are among the commonly reported products from laboratory studies of ozone interactions with indoor surfaces and with human skin lipids. These VOCs together accounted for ≥12% molecular yield with respect to house-wide consumed ozone, with the highest net product yield for nonanal (≥3.5%), followed by 6-MHO (2.7%) and 4-OPA (2.6%). Although 6-MHO and 4-OPA are prominent ozonolysis products of skin lipids (specifically squalene), ozone reaction with the body envelopes of the two occupants in this house are insufficient to explain the observed yields. Relatedly, we observed that ozone-driven chemistry continued to produce 6-MHO and 4-OPA even after the occupants had been away from the house for 5 d. These observations provide evidence that skin lipids transferred to indoor surfaces made substantial contributions to ozone reactivity in the studied house.
Topics: Air Pollutants; Air Pollution, Indoor; Aldehydes; California; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Ketones; Lipids; Oxidation-Reduction; Ozone; Squalene; Volatile Organic Compounds
PubMed: 33526680
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2018140118 -
Journal of the Formosan Medical... Jan 2015The purpose of this article was to assess the effectiveness of ozone therapy in the management and prevention of caries, reviewing clinical and in vitro studies. Ozone... (Review)
Review
The purpose of this article was to assess the effectiveness of ozone therapy in the management and prevention of caries, reviewing clinical and in vitro studies. Ozone has proven to be effective against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, viruses, and fungi. In dentistry, most of the published articles are based on ozone's antimicrobial effects and the treatment of caries. Most of the clinical studies reported ozone to be a promising alternative to conventional methods for caries management. However, a few studies have shown ozone to be insufficient for preventing caries and reducing microorganisms in open occlusal carious lesions. Ozone might be a useful tool to reduce and control oral infectious microorganisms in dental plaque and dental cavity. However, the results of in vitro studies are controversial; while some researchers reported that ozone therapy had a minimal or no effect on the viability of microorganisms, others suggested ozone to be highly effective in killing both gram-positive and gram-negative oral microorganisms. Therefore, more evidence is required before ozone can be accepted as an alternative to present methods for the management and prevention of caries.
Topics: Dental Caries; Dentistry; Humans; Oxidants, Photochemical; Ozone
PubMed: 23969041
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2013.06.020 -
Environmental Research Jul 2021Exposure to ozone has been linked to reproductive outcomes, including preterm birth. In this systematic review, we summarize published epidemiologic cohort and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Exposure to ozone has been linked to reproductive outcomes, including preterm birth. In this systematic review, we summarize published epidemiologic cohort and case-control studies examining ozone exposures (estimated on a continuous scale) in early pregnancy (1st and 2nd trimesters (T1, T2)) and preterm birth using ratio measures, and perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the potential relationship between them. Studies were identified by searching PubMed and Web of Science, screened according to predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria, and evaluated for study quality. We extracted study data including effect estimates, confidence limits, study location, study years, ozone exposure assessment method, and mean or median ozone concentrations. Nineteen studies were identified and included, of which 18 examined T1 exposure (17 reported effect estimates), and 15 examined T2 exposure. Random effects meta-analysis was performed in the metafor package, R 3.5.3. The pooled OR (95% CI) for a 10 ppb increase in ozone exposure in T1 was 1.06 (1.03, 1.10) with a 95% prediction interval of 0.95, 1.19; for T2 it was 1.05 (1.02, 1.08) with a 95% prediction interval of 0.95, 1.16. Effect estimates for both exposure periods showed high heterogeneity. In meta-regression analyses of study characteristics, study location (continent) explained some (~20%) heterogeneity for T1 exposure studies, but no characteristic explained a substantial amount of heterogeneity for T2 exposure studies. Increased ozone exposure during early pregnancy is associated with preterm birth across studies.
Topics: Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Ozone; Particulate Matter; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Premature Birth
PubMed: 33989623
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111317 -
European Review For Medical and... Sep 2020The therapeutic application of ozone and its derivatives in the dental field has been used for many purposes. However, there has yet to be a consistent evaluation of the... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The therapeutic application of ozone and its derivatives in the dental field has been used for many purposes. However, there has yet to be a consistent evaluation of the outcomes, due to the lack of standardization of the treatment operating procedures.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The keywords "ozone", "ozonated", "ozonation" "ozonized", "ozonization", "dentistry", "periodontology", "oral surgery", "oxygen-ozone therapy" were used to perform a literature review using PubMed, Cochrane, Google Scholar, Zotero databases with the temporal restriction for manuscripts published between 2010 and 2020. Clinical trials and case reports of good, neutral, as well as negative results related to ozone treatment specifications were evaluated.
DISCUSSION
A better understanding of the mechanisms of action of this bio-oxidative therapy could open new horizons related to the personalization of treatments and the quality of dental care. The critical condition to achieve these goals is an improved knowledge of the qualitative/quantitative characteristics of ozone and its derivatives.
Topics: Clinical Trials as Topic; Dentistry; Humans; Ozone
PubMed: 32964998
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202009_22854 -
Journal of Microbiological Methods Mar 2022Ozone treatment is an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach to achieve material disinfection, and this disinfection method is of utmost importance in the present...
Ozone treatment is an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach to achieve material disinfection, and this disinfection method is of utmost importance in the present global pandemic. The efficacy of ozone's oxidative potential on common microorganisms has been extensively studied, particularly in the food and water treatment industries. However, little is still understood regarding its antimicrobial capabilities for the treatment of textile substrates in air. In this study, fabric swatches inoculated with bacterial and fungal suspensions are exposed to ozone for different durations and at different ozone concentrations. Pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus), and fungi (Aspergillus fumigatus, and Candida albicans), are the microbes utilised in this study. The efficacy of ozone is demonstrated by the complete removal of microbiota on the tested swatches when a concentration and exposure duration of 20 ppm and 4 mins are respectively maintained in a test ozone chamber. We expect the insights from this work to guide the development of new ozonation techniques capable of rapid sterilisation in industrial & public settings.
Topics: Bacteria; Disinfection; Escherichia coli; Ozone; Water Purification
PubMed: 35131364
DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2022.106431 -
PloS One 2022Managing indoor ozone levels is important because ozone is a hazardous pollutant that has adverse effects on human health. Coffee is a popular daily beverage, and thus,...
Managing indoor ozone levels is important because ozone is a hazardous pollutant that has adverse effects on human health. Coffee is a popular daily beverage, and thus, coffee beans and spent coffee grounds are common in many places such as offices, homes, aircraft, cafeterias, and such. The most common material used to remove ozone is activated carbon which can be made from coffee beans or spent coffee grounds with proper activation processes. This paper presents a novel idea: to remove ozone at the level of an indoor environment using unactivated coffee products. This paper examines the ozone removal efficiency and the ozone deposition velocity at 130 ppb ozone for two types of coffee: solid coffee (powder) and liquid coffee (beverage). The activated carbon, the deionized water, and the seawater are also included for comparison and validation purposes. The tests show that the fine coffee powder has a removal efficiency of 58.5% and a deposition velocity of 0.62 cm/s. The liquid coffee has a removal efficiency of 34.4% and a deposition velocity of 0.23 cm/s. The chemical inspections indicate that the oxidation reactions with the carbohydrates in solid coffee and the metal/mineral elements in liquid coffee are responsible for ozone removal. These results have confirmed that ozone removal via coffee is effective, controlling indoor air quality by coffee products is thus becoming possible.
Topics: Air Pollution, Indoor; Aircraft; Charcoal; Humans; Ozone; Powders
PubMed: 35972972
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273188 -
Frontiers in Bioscience (Elite Edition) Apr 2023Dermal wound infections are a rising source of morbidity and mortality in patients worldwide as new and worsening complications reduce the efficacy of traditional... (Review)
Review
Dermal wound infections are a rising source of morbidity and mortality in patients worldwide as new and worsening complications reduce the efficacy of traditional treatments. These challenges in wound care are increasingly caused by comorbidities such as obesity and diabetes as well as surging rates of antibiotic resistance. As a result, there is an urgent need for alternative treatment options. Gaseous ozone has shown great promise as a potential new treatment for infected dermal wounds. In this brief review of current wound therapy techniques found in the literature, an in-depth discussion of the mechanisms, benefits, and results of topical ozone gas as a therapy for infected dermal wounds is presented. This includes studies of ozone applied to wounds performed , , and clinical settings, as well as the use of ozone as an adjunct therapy for increasing the efficacy of traditional treatments. The overwhelming evidence suggests that ozone exhibits significant antimicrobial properties and has been shown to promote wound healing factors, especially when applied between 5-60 ppm. As such, this promising alternative therapy warrants a significant investment of time and resources to fully utilize ozone as an effective treatment against antibiotic resistant bacteria and other rising challenges in wound treatment.
Topics: Humans; Ozone; Anti-Infective Agents; Wound Infection; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Administration, Topical
PubMed: 37369568
DOI: 10.31083/j.fbe1502009