Abstract  A correction to the article "Increase of the Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Children Exposed to Low Levels of Ambient Ozone" that was published in the previous issue is presented.

Abstract  An analysis of surface ozone measurements at a west coast site in northern California (Trinidad Head) demonstrates that this location is well situated to sample air entering the west coast of the US from the Pacific Ocean. During the seasonal maximum in the spring, this location regularly observes hourly average ozone mixing ratios >= 50 ppbv in air that is uninfluenced by the North American continent. Mean daytime values in the spring exceed 40 ppbv. A location in southern California (Channel Islands National Park) demonstrates many of the characteristics during the Spring as Trinidad Head in terms of air flow patterns and ozone amounts suggesting that background levels of ozone entering southern California from the Pacific Ocean are similar to those in northern California. Two inland locations (Yreka and Lassen Volcanic National Park) in northern California with surface ozone data records of 20 years or more are More difficult to interpret because of possible influences of local or regional changes. They show differing results for the long-term trend during the Spring. The 10-year ozone vertical profile measurements obtained with weekly ozonesondes at Trinidad Head show no significant longer-term change in tropospheric ozone. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Abstract  Campus parking lot stormwater (CPLSW) runoff can mobilize a variety of constituents from vehicular and atmospheric deposition that may pose risks to receiving aquatic systems. The objective of this study was to characterize CPLSW and to discern potential constituents of concern that may affect aquatic biota in receiving systems. Characterization of CPLSW included analyses of metals, oil and grease, and general water chemistry. Toxicity tests were performed using two sentinel species, Ceriodaphnia dubia Richard and Pimephales promelas Rafinesque. Metals measured (at their maximum) in CPLSW included 4756 mu g Al L-1, 53 mu g Cu L-1, 130 mu g Pb L-1, and 908 mu g Zn L-1. Although CPLSW varied widely in composition and toxicity, constituents of concern included: pH, alkalinity, total suspended solids, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, metals, and oil and grease. Fish (P. promelas) were more sensitive to CPLSW than C dubia with decreased survival in 92% and 15% of the samples (n = 13), respectively. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract  Several studies have shown that SO4-reducing bacteria (SRB) are active in acidic sulfiderich mine tailings and sediments impacted by mining activities. SRB activity in acidic tailings has been shown to vary with seasons as a result of fluctuating in situ physico-chemical conditions. Iron-reducing bacteria (FeRB) also play an important role in Fe cycling in sediments impacted by mining activities, but their activity in mine tailings is poorly understood, despite the fact that geochemical evidence indicates that they might be active. The present study was undertaken to assess the seasonal changes in SRB and FeRB abundance and activity in alkaline Pb-Zn mine tailings (Calumet tailings) located near Ottawa, ON, Canada. Results showed that FeRB and SRB populations were present throughout the year at two different sampling sites at the Calumet tailings, but SO4 reduction rates (SRR) were lower in the spring than in the summer, indicating that SRB activity was affected by organic C availability and/or temperature. Surface agricultural runoff at one site provided ample nutrients and organic C to the tailings, but SRB activity remained lower than the site not impacted by nutrient runoff, suggesting that the type of organic C was different between the two sites and that less labile organic substrates were available to SRB in the organic-rich site. High SRB activity in the site containing low organic C inhibited the abundance of FeRB, and possibly their activity, as a result of abiotic reduction of Fe(III)-rich minerals by biogenic sulfides, which lowered the pool of final electron acceptors. The abiotic reduction pathway was consistent with the porewater data which showed that sulfide was consumed and SO4 produced, along with Fe(II). These results show a strong interdependence between SRB and FeRB activity, as observed in other environments, such as saltmarsh sediments. Low temperature did not appear to hinder FeRB abundance in alkaline tailings. Finally, despite evidence that SRB populations were active at both sites, the IS isotopic composition of the AVS and CRS fractions were not representative of biogenic sulfides, indicating that the overall S-isotope signature of mine tailings is more representative of abiotic sulfides originating from the ore body. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract  Climate change and extreme weather events affect plants and animals and the direct impact of anthropogenic climate change has been documented extensively over the past years. In this review, I address the main consequences of elevated CO2 and O3 concentrations, elevated temperature and changes in rainfall patterns on the interactions between insects and their host plants. Because of their tight relationship with host plants, insect herbivores are expected to suffer direct and indirect effects of climate change through the changes experienced by their host plants, with consequences to population dynamics, community structure and ecosystem functioning.

Abstract  Ozone concentrations were measured concurrently inside a simulated aircraft cabin and in the airstream providing ventilation air to the cabin. Ozone decay rates were also measured after cessation of ozone injection into the supply...

Abstract  The trend of tropospheric ozone from 1998 to 2006 was examined based on continuous measurements made at a site on Mt. Happo, Japan. We focused our study on springtime ozone, to coincide with the East Asian continental Outflow that dominates the lower tropospheric ozone over Japan during this season. The observed increase of similar to 1 ppbv yr(-1) in the mean ozone level was statistically significant. We also found that the probability distribution of the springtime ozone mixing ratios was substantially modified, with the ozone mixing ratios greatly increasing at the upper end of the probability distribution. This increase has been Particularly large since 2003, with larger increases occurring at the higher percentiles, The number of high-ozone days doubled during 2003-2006 compared to 1999-2002. One of the very likely explanations is the enhancement of regional ozone pollution due to rapidly increasing anthropogenic emissions from East Asia.

Abstract  [ 1] We apply the Goddard Institute for Space Studies composition-climate model to an assessment of tropospheric O-3, CH4, and sulfate at 2030. We compare four different anthropogenic emissions forecasts: A1B and B1 from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Emissions Scenarios and Current Legislation (CLE) and Maximum Feasible Reduction (MFR) from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. The projections encompass a wide range of possible man-made emissions changes. The A1B, B1, and CLE forecasts all suggest large increases in surface O3 and sulfate baseline pollution at tropical and subtropical latitudes, especially over the Indian subcontinent, where the pollution increases may be as large as 100%. The ranges of annual mean regional ground level O-3 and sulfate changes across all scenarios are - 10 to + 30 ppbv and - 1200 to + 3000 pptv, respectively. Physical climate changes reduce future surface O3, but tend to increase ground level sulfate locally over North Africa because of an enhancement of aqueous-phase SO2 oxidation. For all examined future scenarios the combined sum of the CH4, O-3, and sulfate radiative forcings is positive, even for the MFR scenario, because of the large reduction in sulfate. For A1B the forcings are as much as half of that of the preindustrial to present- day forcing for each species. For MFR the sign of the forcing for each species is reversed with respect to the other scenarios. At 2030, global changes in climate-sensitive natural emissions of CH4 from wetlands, NOx from lightning, and dimethyl sulfide from the ocean appear to be small (< 5%).

Abstract  Vtamin D is the sunshine vitamin for good reason. During exposure to sunlight, the utraviolet B photons enter the skin and photolyze 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3 which in turn is isomerized by the body's temperature to vitamin D3. Most humans have depended on sun for their vitamin D requirement. Skin pigment, sunscreen use, aging, time of day, season and latitude dramatically affect previtamin D3 synthesis. Vitamin D deficiency was thought to have been conquered, but it is now recognized that more than 50% of the world's population is at risk for vitamin D deficiency. This deficiency is in part due to the inadequate fortification of foods with vitamin D and the misconception that a healthy diet contains an adequate amount of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency causes growth retardation and rickets in children and will precipitate and exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis and increase risk of fracture in adults. The vitamin D deficiency has been associated pandemic with other serious consequences including increased risk of common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular disease. There needs to be a renewed appreciation of the beneficial effect of moderate sunlight for providing all humans with their vitamin D requirement for health.

Abstract  An optochemical ozone sensor is described that has been manufactured by immobilisation of novel soluble indigo derivatives in permeable transparent polymeric films of polydimethylsiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer. From a number of investigated indigo derivatives, 4,4',7,7'-tetraalkoxyindigo 9 has been selected for optimal sensitivity and specificity of ozone detection. A linear calibration for ozone can be obtained in the range between 0.01 and 0.5 ppm. The limit of quantitation is 0.03 ppm, and the accuracy exceeds 8%. It takes about 134 s to measure the relatively low occupational exposure concentration of 0.1 ppm. A reduction of the sensor response time could be achieved through application of double-sided coated sensors instead of single-sided variants. The stability of the sensors and the effect of external parameters like relative humidity (RH), temperature and gas flow on the sensor response have been investigated. The sensor response is affected by varying the gas flow or temperature; however, humidity in the range between 0 and 90% RH does not affect sensor response. The indigo derivative 9 remained stable inside the polymeric film and no chemical reaction, crystallisation or leaching occurred during 10 months of observation. Proper choice of indicator dye and polymeric material and successful application of kinetic evaluation method for the exposure experiments determine the desired features of the sensor.

Abstract  Environmental factors are considered key determinants of cardiovascular disease. Although lifestyle choices such as smoking, diet, and exercise are viewed as major environmental influences, the contribution of pollutants and environmental chemicals is less clear. Accumulating evidence suggests that exposure to pollutants and chemicals could elevate the risk of cardiovascular disease. Many epidemiological studies report that exposure to fine particles present in ambient air is associated with an increase in cardiovascular mortality. Statistically significant relationships between particulate air pollution and ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, and heart failure have been reported. Animal studies show that exposure to ambient air particles increases peripheral thrombosis and atherosclerotic lesion formation. Exposures to arsenic, lead, cadmium, pollutant gases, solvents, and pesticides have also been linked to increased incidence of cardiovascular disease. Mechanistically, these effects have been attributed to changes in the synthesis or reactivity of nitric oxide that may be caused by environmental oxidants or increased endogenous production of reactive oxygen species. Additional studies are urgently needed to: identify the contribution of individual pollutants to specific aspects of cardiovascular disease; establish causality; elucidate the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms; estimate the relative susceptibility of diseased and healthy individuals and that of specific population groups; and determine whether pollutant exposure are risk correlates, that is, whether they influence major risk factors, such as hypertension, cholesterol, or diabetes, or whether they contribute to the absolute risk of heart disease. Collectively, these investigations could contribute to the emergent field of environmental cardiology.

Abstract  To investigate the hypothesized relationship between various daily atmospheric pollutant concentrations and hospital epistaxis presentation. A retrospective analysis of all presentations of non-traumatic epistaxis to our institution was performed, and the results were cross-referenced with London air quality data supplied by the National Air Quality Data Archive at the National Environmental Technology Centre (NETCEN) at the multi-centre tertiary referral ENT Department. An analysis of epistaxis presentation to St George's Hospital during the 5-year period January 1997-2002 was made from the patient administration system and accident and emergency records. The study includes 1373 emergency patients after traumatic and iatrogenic epistaxis were excluded. Factors measured were atmospheric ozone (O-3), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter less than 10 mum in diameter (PM10). Hospital epistaxis presentation and atmospheric pollutant concentration were documented for each day of the 5-year period, weekly change in both parameters was recorded and statistical analysis was performed. The statistical methods used are linear correlation using Pearson's coefficient. Increased hospital epistaxis presentation was strongly associated with increased concentration of airborne particulate matter (r = 0.289, P < 0.001; significant if P < 0.05) and less strongly associated with increased concentrations of atmospheric O-3 (r = 0.150, P = 0.019; significant if P < 0.05). There was no association between epistaxis attendance and atmospheric concentrations of CO, NO2 and SO2 in this study. The concentrations of local airborne particulate matter and atmospheric O-3 in the days preceding hospital attendance for epistaxis are relevant when considering the associations of the episode. This further increases understanding of the pathophysiology of spontaneous epistaxis.

Abstract  In order to define efficient air quality plans, Regional Authorities need suitable tools to evaluate both the impact of emission reduction strategies on pollution indexes and the costs of such emission reductions. The air quality control can be formalized as a two-objective nonlinear mathematical problem, integrating source-receptor models and the estimate of emission reduction costs. Both aspects present several complex elements. In particular the source-receptor models cannot be implemented through deterministic modelling systems, that would bring to a computationally unfeasible mathematical problem. In this paper we suggest to identify source-receptor statistical models (neural network and neuro-fuzzy) processing the simulations of a deterministic multi-phase modelling system (GAMES). The methodology has been applied to ozone and PM10 concentrations in Northern Italy. The results show that, despite a large advantage in terms of computational costs, the selected source-receptor models are able to accurately reproduce the simulation of the 3D modelling system. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract  Ozone concentrations were measured at two (urban and a rural) sites near the city of Malaga (Spain). The aim of this study was to determine the daily, monthly and seasonal variation patterns of ozone concentrations at both sites and to study the possible regional influences. The daily variations mostly have the usual features with the afternoon maximum and the night minimum being more pronounced in the urban area. The average monthly concentrations throughout the year start to increase in March reaching their maximum values in July for the urban site. However, in the rural area; the monthly variations are smaller reaching their maximum value in June. The hourly evolution of the ozone concentrations in both sampling sites is well defined in spring and summer and not so well defined in autumn and winter. Taking into account the four seasons, the rural concentrations are higher than the urban ones. Summer is the season when there are similar concentrations at both sampling sites. Average hourly summer afternoon ozone for the hours 12:00-20:00 LST exceeded the 110 mug m(-3) European Union guidelines for human health for 8 h ozone exposure at the urban and rural sites. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract  Pediatric asthma has many causes and can manifest differently in different children and at different times. Understanding the many factors related to the development and exacerbation of asthma is complicated by the complexity of the many environmental exposures related to asthma development and morbidity. Furthermore, the same environmental exposures that may cause increased symptoms at 1 point in time may be protective when the exposure occurs earlier or at high enough levels. We know that environmental exposures such as allergens, irritants, and pollutants are quite complex in their composition; further examination of this complexity may improve our understanding of this complex and highly prevalent disease. Pediatrics 2009; 123:S160-S167

Abstract  Objectives. To measure eye blink frequency as a measure of trigeminal stimulation of the eye. Human subjects were exposed to oxidation mixtures representative of reactive indoor pollutants and clean air, from which relative changes in blink frequencies were measured. Method. Male subjects (n=8) were exposed for 20 min to limonene oxidation products (LOPs), isoprene oxidation products (IOPs), nitrate radicals (NO3), their residual reactants, and clean air at 20% relative humidity. A baseline blink frequency was measured prior to and following each exposure (2x8 min). The subjects were exposed locally in the non-dominant eye and single blind in random order. Blinking was video-recorded and evaluated for full sessions of 36 min while the subjects viewed an educational film. The initial terpene concentrations were one to two orders of magnitude higher than mean indoor concentrations. Results. The mean blink frequency increased significantly during subjects' exposure to gas-phase oxidation products at lower part-per-billion (ppb) levels of LOPs, 42% (P<0.0001) and NO3, 21% (P<0.022), compared with that at baseline. Neither the residual reactants nor clean air changed the blink frequency significantly. The findings coincided with qualitative reporting of weak eye irritation symptoms. Conclusions. Changes in blink frequency appear to be a promising measure of trigeminal stimulation from exposure to eye irritants in ppb levels. Gaseous products of limonene and ozone, and reactive radicals may cause eye irritation indoors.

Abstract  Indoor/outdoor measurements have been performed in the Oslo metropolitan area during summer and winter periods (2002-2003) at two different residential houses. The objective of the measurement study was to characterize, physically and chemically, the particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants associated with actual human exposure in the selected places, and their indoor/outdoor relationship. In this paper, we focus on the PM measurements and examine the relationship between the indoor and outdoor PM concentrations taking into account the ventilation rate, indoor sources and meteorological conditions. The indoor/outdoor measurements indicate the important contribution of the outdoor air to the indoor air quality and the influence of specific indoor sources such as smoking and cooking to the concentration of PM inside houses. However, no specific correlation was found between the indoor/outdoor concentration ratio and the meteorological parameters.

Abstract  Exposure to carbonyls (aldehydes and ketones) can produce adverse health effects. It is known that various sources of carbonyls are often present inside residences but little is known about their indoor source strengths. In the present paper, we used a database established in the relationships of indoor, outdoor, and personal air (RIOPA) study to estimate indoor source strengths of 10 carbonyls and outdoor contributions to measured indoor concentrations of these carbonyls. We applied a mass balance model to analyze paired indoor and outdoor carbonyl concentrations simultaneously measured in 234 RIOPA homes. Among all the measured carbonyls, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde had the strongest indoor source strengths with the estimated median values of 3.9 and 2.6 mg h(-1), respectively. Hexaldehyde also had large indoor source strengths with a median of 0.56 mg h(-1). Acetone had the largest variations in indoor source strengths ranging from undetected to 14 mg h(-1). The medians of the estimated indoor source strengths were 0.15 mg h(-1) for propionaldehyde, 0.18 mg h(-1) for glyoxal, 0.17 mg h(-1) for methylglyoxal, and 0.23 mg h(-1) for benzaldehyde. Acrolein and crotonaldehyde had the weakest indoor source strengths with no indoor sources detected in the majority of the RIOPA homes that were selected to have only nonsmoker residents. Consistent with the indoor source strength results, our estimated outdoor contributions to indoor concentrations were low for formaldehyde. In contrast, more than 90% of the indoor concentrations for acrolein and crotonaldehyde were from outdoor sources. The outdoor contributions to indoor concentrations for acetone, propionaldehyde, benzaldehyde, glyoxal, and methylglyoxal ranged from 10 to 90% across the RIOPA homes, suggesting that both indoor and outdoor sources had contributions to indoor concentrations of these compounds. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract  The aim of this work was to investigate ultrafine particles (<0.1 mu m) in primary school classrooms, in relation to the classroom activities. The investigations were conducted in three classrooms during two measuring campaigns, which together encompassed a period of 60 days. Initial investigations showed that under the normal operating conditions of the school there were many occasions in all three classrooms where indoor particle concentrations increased significantly compared to outdoor levels. By far the highest increases in the classroom resulted from art activities (painting, gluing, and drawing), at times reaching over 1.4 x 10(5) particle cm(-3). The indoor particle concentrations exceeded outdoor concentrations by approximately 1 order of magnitude, with a count median diameter ranging from 20 to 50 nm. Significant increases also occurred during cleaning activities, when detergents were used. GC-MS analysis conducted on 4 samples randomly selected from about 30 different paints and glues, as well as the detergent used in the school, showed that d-limonene was one of the main organic compounds of the detergent, however, it was not detected in the samples of the paints and the glue. Controlled experiments showed that this monoterpene, emitted from the detergent, reacted with O-3 (at outdoor ambient concentrations ranging from 0.06 to 0.08 ppm) and formed secondary organic aerosols. Further investigations to identify other liquids that may be potential sources of the precursors of secondary organic aerosols were outside the scope of this project, however, it is expected that the problem identified by this study could be more widely spread, since most primary schools use liquid materials for art classes, and all schools use detergents for cleaning. Further studies are therefore recommended to better understand this phenomenon and also to minimize exposure of school children to ultrafine particles from these indoor sources.

Abstract  Biomonitoring by means of the supersensitive cultivar Nicotiana tabacum Bel-W3 is frequently used to obtain information on ozone effects on plants and estimates of ozone exposure. However, most of biomonitoring surveys do not account for other environmental variables (predictors in a statistical model) and their inherent multicollinearity with ozone. We tested the relative role of different predictors (fixed: time and site; random: ozone, temperature and humidity) on height growth and on the development of visible foliar symptoms of N. tabacurn Bel-W3 plants. To do this, we investigated a relatively small area (256 km(2)), used a random design at every stage of the survey, controlled watering and protected plants from direct solar radiation and wind. QA/QC procedures were adopted at every stage of the investigation. Linear correlation shows that Leaf Injury Index (LII) and height increment (HI.) positively related to ozone concentration, elevation and temperature, and negatively to relative humidity. All the predictors correlate to each other. However, relationships between response and ozone vary with the site and the monitoring week. The effect of the random factor ""ozone"" in combination with fixed factors ""site"" and ""time"" on the response variables was therefore formally investigated using the ANCOVA model. Besides ozone, the interactions ""ozone x site"" and ""ozone x time"" resulted always significant (0.001 < P < 0.05). While the factor ""time"" emphasize the inherent development of injury and growth through time, the interaction ""ozone x site"" pointed out the importance of local conditions. When watering, solar radiation, wind and plant characteristics were controlled, the remaining site-specific covariates of interest were temperature (T) and humidity (RH). When T and RH were accounted for by means of partial correlation analysis, no significant relationship was found between ozone and LII. On the other side, 03 and RH resulted significant for both absolute and relative height increment. In short, LII seemed to be not solely dependent on ozone, T and RH, but showed to integrate their combined effect. On the other side, H.I. seemed to be favoured by high RH and T, and depressed by high ozone. Based on the above results, we recommend caution when handling bioindicator data: if the purpose is to infer ozone concentrations by leaf injury data, results may be affected by a serious bias, as the frequently reported correlations may be partly an artefact due to co- variation between predictors. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract  High surface ozone concentrations are recognized as an emerging threat to food security in Asia. This study aimed at determining the effects of ozone on the nutritive quality of rice straw, a by-product of rice grain production and a major feed resource for ruminant livestock. Further, the question was addressed whether negative effects of ozone can be mitigated through molecular breeding. Rice plants from three different genotypes were exposed to four different ozone treatments in fumigation chambers from transplanting to maturity. These genotypes were (i) IR64, one of the most wide spread indica varieties in the world, (ii) Nipponbare, a typical japonica variety, and (iii) SL41, an ozone tolerant breeding line that carried chromosomal inserts at the ozone tolerance QTL OzT9 in the genetic background of Nipponbare. The treatments consisted of (i) charcoal filtered air, (ii) simulated ambient ozone concentration, (iii) 2 × ambient ozone concentration, and (iv) 2.5 × ambient ozone concentration. The effects of ozone on the chemical composition of straw were clearly dependent of the ozone level, and were significant even at ambient ozone concentration. Increases in crude ash, lignin and phenolics concentration adversely affected the digestibility as demonstrated in incubation experiments simulating rumen digestion in vitro. Negative ozone effects included reductions in the rate and extent of gas production due to inhibition of microbial fermentation, reduced formation of short chain fatty acids (SCFA), and a decrease in the true organic matter digestibility. The ozone tolerant genotype SL41 was less responsive to ozone than its more susceptible recurrent parent Nipponbare in terms of lignin and phenolics formation, organic matter digestibility and SCFA production. These data demonstrate that the feed quality of rice straw is affected by ozone even at ambient concentration, and that these negative effects are mitigated by the ozone tolerance QTL OzT9.

Abstract  A comparison of the maps of stomatal ozone uptake (AFst0) and concentrations exceeding 40 ppb (AOT40) for dominant temperate deciduous tree species (Quercus serrata, Fagus crenata, Betula ermanii) was conducted in Japan. Estimations of stomatal ozone uptake were accomplished using estimated ozone concentration, climate data, and vegetation data. Key parameters such as stomatal conductance parameters for each species were collected from scientific literature in Japan. Stomatal closure induced by vapour pressure deficit affected the AFst0 values in warmer part of Japan. For this reason, the areas with high AOT40 did not always correspond to the areas with high AFst0. The result showed that ozone risk assessment using AOT40 is VPD-constrained in central Japan, which implies an overestimation of risk compared to AFst0. While in Europe AOT40 is higher where water stress is recurrent, AOT40 peaked in the cool and humid climate region of central-eastern Japan where also stomatal ozone uptake reached maximum values.