The antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) limit the susceptibility of bacteria to antimicrobials, representing a problem of high importance. Current research on the presence of ARGs in microorganisms focuses mainly on humans, livestock, hospitals, or wastewater. However, the spectrum of ARGs in the dust resistome in workplaces and households has gone relatively unexplored. This pilot study aimed to analyze resistome in indoor dust samples from participants' workplaces (a pediatric hospital, a maternity hospital, and a research center) and households and compare two different approaches to the ARGs analysis; high-throughput quantitative PCR (HT-qPCR) and whole metagenome shotgun sequencing (WMGS). In total, 143 ARGs were detected using HT-qPCR, with ARGs associated with the macrolides, lincosamides, and streptogramin B (MLSB) phenotype being the most abundant, followed by MDR (multi-drug resistance) genes, and genes conferring resistance to aminoglycosides. A higher overall relative quantity of ARGs was observed in indoor dust samples from workplaces than from households, with the pediatric hospital being associated with the highest relative quantity of ARGs. WMGS analysis revealed 36 ARGs, of which five were detected by both HT-qPCR and WMGS techniques. Accordingly, the efficacy of the WMGS approach to detect ARGs was lower than that of HT-qPCR. In summary, our pilot data revealed that indoor dust in buildings where people spend most of their time (workplaces, households) can be a significant source of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, which may potentially pose a health risk to both humans and animals.
- MeSH
- Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology MeSH
- Bacteria genetics isolation & purification drug effects classification MeSH
- Genes, Bacterial genetics MeSH
- Drug Resistance, Bacterial genetics MeSH
- Family Characteristics MeSH
- Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Metagenome MeSH
- Air Microbiology MeSH
- Pilot Projects MeSH
- Dust * analysis MeSH
- Workplace * MeSH
- High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing MeSH
- Air Pollution, Indoor MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Electronic waste (e-waste) poses significant environmental and health risks in Thailand due to both domestic production and international imports. A notable portion of this waste is processed in small-scale, community-based workshops, often located in poorer regions, where safety regulations are improperly enforced or entirely ignored. This study focuses on the Kalasin province in Northern Thailand, a region with numerous such workshops, where no comprehensive analysis of exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dechlorane plus (DP) has been conducted. The study's objective was to quantify these toxic substances in environmental and biological samples to assess its contamination and human health risks. Environmental samples, including soil, dust, sediment, ash, eggs, crabs, snails, fish, and rice, were collected from e-waste processing sites and compared with control areas. Blood samples from e-waste workers and a control group were also analysed. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry operated in negative ion chemical ionization (GC-NCI-MS) was used to quantify PBDEs and DP isomers. Results showed significantly higher concentrations of these toxic compounds in e-waste sites compared to control areas. E-waste workers also had elevated levels of these substances in their blood, suggesting exposure through contaminated dust and food. These findings underscore the severe environmental contamination and health risks associated with improper e-waste management, highlighting the urgent need for regulatory measures and improved recycling practices to safeguard both environmental and public health.
- MeSH
- Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated * analysis blood MeSH
- Electronic Waste * analysis MeSH
- Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers * analysis toxicity blood MeSH
- Risk Assessment MeSH
- Environmental Pollutants analysis blood MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Environmental Monitoring methods MeSH
- Polycyclic Compounds * analysis MeSH
- Dust analysis MeSH
- Occupational Exposure analysis MeSH
- Recycling * MeSH
- Environmental Exposure adverse effects analysis MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Thailand MeSH
Information on the indoor environment as a source of exposure with potential adverse health effects is mostly limited to a few pollutant groups and indoor types. This study provides a comprehensive toxicological profile of chemical mixtures associated with dust from various types of indoor environments, namely cars, houses, prefabricated apartments, kindergartens, offices, public spaces, and schools. Organic extracts of two different polarities and bioaccessible extracts mimicking the gastrointestinal conditions were prepared from two different particle size fractions of dust. These extracts were tested on a battery of human cell-based bioassays to assess endocrine disrupting potentials. Furthermore, 155 chemicals from different pollutant groups were measured and their relevance for the bioactivity was determined using concentration addition modelling. The exhaustive and bioaccessible extracts of dust from the different microenvironments interfered with aryl hydrocarbon receptor, estrogen, androgen, glucocorticoid, and thyroid hormone (TH) receptor signalling, and with TH transport. Noteably, bioaccessible extracts from offices and public spaces showed higher estrogenic effects than the organic solvent extracts. 114 of the 155 targeted chemicals were detectable, but the observed bioactivity could be only marginally explained by the detected chemicals. Diverse toxicity patterns across different microenvironments that people inhabit throughout their lifetime indicate potential health and developmental risks, especially for children. Limited data on the endocrine disrupting potency of relevant chemical classes, especially those deployed as replacements for legacy contaminants, requires further study.
The remoteness and low population in the Arctic allow us to study global environmental processes, where the analysis of indicators can provide useful information about local and distant pollution sources. Fresh snow represents a convenient indicator of regional and transboundary atmospheric contamination sources, entrapping aerosols, and particulates like a natural autosampler of the environment. Lead stable isotopes are widely used to trace and monitor local and distant pollution sources. However, the behavior of Pb within different snow components is still not thoroughly studied, and its significance could be underestimated if only larger particulates are accounted for. We collected snow and samples from potential sources (fuel, rocks, coal) in three Arctic localities: Nuuk (Greenland), Reykjavik (Iceland), and Longyearbyen (Svalbard). We separated the filtrate from the filter residue through 0.45 μm nitrocellulose membranes to isolate the low-diameter particles associated with long-range transport from larger particles of mostly local natural origin. Filtrates yielded higher EFs (enrichment factor as the Pb/Al ratio relative to the upper crust) than filtration residues (80 ± 104 and 2.1 ± 1.1, respectively), and Pb isotope signals similar to fuel and coal (206Pb/207Pb are 1.199 ± 0.028 in coal, 1.168 ± 0.029 in filtrates, 1.163 ± 0.013 in fuel, 1.137 ± 0.045 in residues, and 0.985 ± 0.020 in rocks). In contrast to filtrates, the filter residues present wider ranges of Pb isotope compositions and crustal contributions and lower EFs, so we suggest that filtrate contains Pb from fuel combustion more selectively, while the residue carries a more considerable contribution of local mineral dust that can mask the contribution of other anthropogenic or distant natural sources. These findings add weight to the notion that filtrates are a more selective measure of metal deposition from long-range anthropogenic emissions compared to analyzing bulk melted snow or only filter residues.
Many semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) accumulate in indoor dust, which serves as a repository for those compounds. The presence of SVOCs in indoor environments is of concern because many of them are suspected to have toxic effects. Total SVOC concentrations in the dust are generally used for exposure assessment to indoor contaminants, assuming that 100% of the SVOCs is accessible for human uptake. However, such an assumption may potentially lead to an overestimated risk related to dust exposure. We applied a multi-ratio equilibrium passive sampling (MR-EPS) for estimation of SVOC accessibility in indoor settled dust using silicone passive samplers and three particle size dust fractions, <0.25 mm, 0.25-0.5 mm, and 1-2 mm in dry and wet conditions. Equilibrations were performed at various sampler-dust mass ratios to achieve different degrees of SVOC depletion, allowing the construction of a desorption isotherm. The desorption isotherms provided accessible fractions (FAS), equivalent air concentrations (CAIR), dust-air partition coefficients (KDUST-AIR) and organic carbon-air partition coefficients (KOC-AIR). The highest FAS were observed in the <0.25 mm dust fraction in wet conditions which is relevant for exposure assessment via oral ingestion. The highest CAIR were estimated for several organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and synthetic musks. The logKOC-AIR did not differ between dust particle sizes in dry and wet conditions but within compound groups, different relationships with hydrophobicity were observed. Equivalent lipid-based concentrations (CL⇌DUST) calculated using available lipid-silicone partition coefficients (KLIP-SIL) were compared with lipid-based concentrations (CL) measured in human-related samples collected from Europeans. For hexachlorobenzene (HCB), CL⇌DUST, and CL were similar, indicating equilibrium attainment between environment and human samples. Lipid-based concentrations for persistent legacy contaminants were also similar but lower for PBDEs in human samples. Overall, accessibility estimation using MR-EPS in dust further contributes to human risk assessment.
- MeSH
- Risk Assessment MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Lipids MeSH
- Environmental Monitoring MeSH
- Dust analysis MeSH
- Flame Retardants * analysis MeSH
- Volatile Organic Compounds * analysis MeSH
- Air Pollution, Indoor * analysis MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- MeSH
- Asbestos adverse effects MeSH
- Air Pollutants, Occupational * MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Respiratory Tract Diseases etiology MeSH
- Occupational Diseases * etiology MeSH
- Silicon Dioxide adverse effects MeSH
- Dust MeSH
- Working Conditions MeSH
- Silicosis etiology MeSH
- Air Pollution MeSH
- Air Pollution, Indoor MeSH
- Check Tag
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Publication type
- Case Reports MeSH
BACKGROUND: Indoor dust particles are an everyday source of human exposure to microorganisms and their inhalation may directly affect the microbiota of the respiratory tract. We aimed to characterize the changes in human nasopharyngeal bacteriome after short-term exposure to indoor (workplace) environments. METHODS: In this pilot study, nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from 22 participants in the morning and after 8 h of their presence at the workplace. At the same time points, indoor dust samples were collected from the participants' households (16 from flats and 6 from houses) and workplaces (8 from a maternity hospital - NEO, 6 from a pediatric hospital - ENT, and 8 from a research center - RCX). 16S rRNA sequencing analysis was performed on these human and environmental matrices. RESULTS: Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium were the most abundant genera in both indoor dust and nasopharyngeal samples. The analysis indicated lower bacterial diversity in indoor dust samples from flats compared to houses, NEO, ENT, and RCX (p < 0.05). Participants working in the NEO had the highest nasopharyngeal bacterial diversity of all groups (p < 0.05). After 8 h of exposure to the workplace environment, enrichment of the nasopharynx with several new bacterial genera present in the indoor dust was observed in 76% of study participants; however, no significant changes were observed at the level of the nasopharyngeal bacterial diversity (p > 0.05, Shannon index). These "enriching" bacterial genera overlapped between the hospital workplaces - NEO and ENT but differed from those in the research center - RCX. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that although the composition of nasopharyngeal bacteriome is relatively stable during the day. Short-term exposure to the indoor environment can result in the enrichment of the nasopharynx with bacterial DNA from indoor dust; the bacterial composition, however, varies by the indoor workplace environment.
- MeSH
- Bacteria genetics MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Nasopharynx MeSH
- Pilot Projects MeSH
- Dust * analysis MeSH
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S genetics analysis MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Air Pollution, Indoor * analysis MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
Characterization of PCB exposure sources for vulnerable population groups is essential to minimize the health effects of PCB exposure. At the same time, it is important to consolidate the knowledge on threshold intakes of PCBs for infants and toddlers to prevent health effects. We estimated total PCB concentrations from birth to 2 years of age in children from Slovak and Czech populations, which continue to have high PCB concentrations in breast milk. Using a pharmacokinetic (PK) model, we characterized dominant PCB exposure sources and estimated new threshold estimated daily intakes (TEDI) (above which adverse effects cannot be excluded) for postnatal PCB exposure in infants and toddlers. In the PK model, concentrations of seven indicator PCBs in breast milk and cord blood samples from 291 mother-child pairs from the Slovak birth cohort, and 396 breast milk samples from Czech mothers we used, together with their physiological characteristics and PCB concentrations from other exposure sources (food, dust, air). The estimated total PCB concentrations in children's blood at different ages were compared with threshold PCB concentrations of 500, 700 and 1000 ng·glipid-1 in serum proposed by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) and the German Environment Agency (UBA), above which possible adverse health effects may be expected. We estimated that up to 20.6% of Slovak children and up to 45.7% of Czech children at two years of age exceeded the threshold value of 700 ng·glipid-1 in blood. Mean TEDIs leading to values of 500 ng·glipid-1 in blood for children up to two years ranged between 110 and 220 ng·kg-1·bw·day-1, varying according to breastfeeding duration. Breast milk and prenatal exposure contributed to 71%-85% of PCBs exposure at two years of age. In contrast, the contributions of PCBs from dust and indoor air were negligible.
- MeSH
- Infant MeSH
- Breast Feeding MeSH
- Environmental Pollutants * analysis MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Lipids MeSH
- Milk, Human chemistry MeSH
- Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions * MeSH
- Polychlorinated Biphenyls * analysis MeSH
- Dust MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Check Tag
- Infant MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
The aim of this work was to estimate the share of selected significant risk factors for respiratory cancer in the overall incidence of this disease and their comparison in two environmentally different burdened regions. A combination of a longitudinal cross-sectional population study with a US EPA health risk assessment methodology was used. The result of this procedure is the expression of lifelong carcinogenic risks and their contribution in the overall incidence of the disease. Compared to exposures to benzo[a]pyrene in the air and fibrogenic dust in the working air, several orders of magnitude higher share of the total incidence of respiratory cancer was found in radon exposures, for women 60% in the industrial area, respectively 100% in the non-industrial area, for men 24%, respectively 15%. The share of risks in workers exposed to fibrogenic dust was found to be 0.35% in the industrial area. For benzo[a]pyrene, the share of risks was below 1% and the share of other risk factors was in the monitored areas was up to 85%. The most significant share in the development of respiratory cancer in both monitored areas is represented by radon for women and other risk factors for men.
- MeSH
- Risk Assessment MeSH
- Inhalation Exposure * statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Carcinogens MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Dust MeSH
- Occupational Exposure * statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Industry MeSH
- Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- MeSH
- Allergy and Immunology * MeSH
- Anaphylaxis MeSH
- Medical History Taking MeSH
- Autoimmune Diseases MeSH
- Diet Therapy MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Environmental Health MeSH
- Immune System Phenomena MeSH
- Immune System MeSH
- Immunization MeSH
- Arthropod Venoms MeSH
- Infant MeSH
- Breast Feeding MeSH
- Drug Hypersensitivity MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Milk MeSH
- Infant, Newborn MeSH
- Food Hypersensitivity immunology physiopathology prevention & control therapy MeSH
- Dust MeSH
- Prebiotics MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Preventive Medicine MeSH
- Primary Prevention MeSH
- Signs and Symptoms MeSH
- Probiotics MeSH
- Proctitis MeSH
- Mites MeSH
- Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal MeSH
- Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes diagnosis prevention & control MeSH
- Cross Reactions MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Infant MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Infant, Newborn MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Review MeSH
