BIOlogical air pollution MOdelling and associations with Lung Disease (BIOMOLD)

生物空气污染模型及其与肺部疾病的关联 (BIOMOLD)

• 批准号: NE/P010806/1
• 负责人: Anna Hansell
• 金额: $ 12.34万
• 依托单位: Imperial College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2016 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FP010806%2F1
• 关键词: BIOlogical; air; pollution; MOdelling; associations

Keywords: Bioaerosol, Compost, Respiratory health, Hospitalisation, Asthma, Chronic Obstructive pulmonary Disease (COPD)The air we breathe contains a mixture of naturally occurring biological particles, including bacteria, fungi and pollen. These are collectively called bioaerosols. As bioaerosols are very small in size, they can potentially travel deep into the lungs and trigger problems such as asthma and respiratory infections. Composting is an increasingly popular way to manage biodegradable waste on an industrial scale. There are currently around 270 large scale composting sites with outdoor processing of waste in England and this number is increasing. The composting process uses fungi and bacteria to breakdown food and garden waste and results in production of compost that can be used in agriculture. However, the process can results in high levels of emissions of bioaerosols including fungal spores into the atmosphere. While sites are closely regulated and managed to minimise exposure to bioaerosols to neighbouring communities, there are few scientific studies available on health risks from such sites.In this study, we will predict daily bioaerosol emissions from all composting sites in England from 2005 to 2014 using specialised air pollution modelling software and information from detailed measurements around selected sites. The output of the model will be used to predict ambient concentrations of bioaerosols at a postcode level. Previous studies of workers at composting sites have suggested potential health impacts on lung health, including asthma. A small number of health studies have been conducted near composting sites and these have found higher rates of reported respiratory symptoms. This study will look at associations between ambient bioaerosol concentrations and respiratory hospital admissions including asthma, to examine potential for serious impacts on lung health. Analyses will also examine whether there are seasonal effects as bioaerosol emissions are higher and their composition may vary at different times of the year. The proposed study involves researchers specialising in environmental health studies from a national Centre for Environment and Health funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and by Public Health England (PHE) and with expertise in exposure assessment from the University of the West of England, Bristol, working on a NERC-funded project called "Detection and characterisation of inflammatory agents associated with bioaerosol emitted from biowaste and intensive agriculture (EndotoxII (NE/M011658/1))". All researchers are at the forefront of research into bioaerosols from composting in the UK.An important part of this study will be a close collaboration between health and the environmental researchers, and, through EndotoxII, establishing links with another NERC project "RApid Monitoring of Bioaerosols in urban, agricultural and Industrial Environments (RAMBIE)" projects. Both NERC projects are due to be completed in 2018. This will help in development of further health studies into bioerosols research, both from composting and from other activities such as intensive agricultural facilities.The results of this study may impact how regulatory bodies monitor composting facilities and the measures put in place to protect public health. At present the Environment Agency have put in place precautionary measures, such that bioaerosols must be below pre-defined low levels by 250m downwind of the composting facility, or by the nearest house, school or office (if closer than 250m). The results of this study will explore the suitability of this approach and may provide recommendations for future regulatory policy.

保留字：生物气溶胶、堆肥、呼吸系统健康、住院治疗、哮喘、慢性阻塞性肺病（COPD）我们呼吸的空气中含有自然产生的生物颗粒的混合物，包括细菌、真菌和花粉。这些统称为生物气溶胶。由于生物气溶胶的体积非常小，它们可能会深入肺部并引发哮喘和呼吸道感染等问题。堆肥是一种越来越受欢迎的方式来管理可生物降解的废物在工业规模。目前，英国约有270个大型堆肥场在户外处理废物，而且这个数字还在增加。堆肥过程使用真菌和细菌分解食物和花园废物，并产生可用于农业的堆肥。然而，这一过程会导致大量的生物气溶胶排放到大气中，包括真菌孢子。虽然网站的严格监管和管理，以尽量减少暴露于生物气溶胶到邻近社区，有一些科学研究，从这样的sites.In这项研究中，我们将预测每日的生物气溶胶排放量从2005年至2014年在英格兰所有堆肥网站使用专门的空气污染建模软件和信息，从周围选定的网站详细测量。该模型的输出将被用来预测在邮政编码水平的生物气溶胶的环境浓度。之前对堆肥场工人的研究表明，堆肥对肺部健康可能产生影响，包括哮喘。在堆肥场附近进行了少量健康研究，发现报告的呼吸道症状发生率较高。这项研究将着眼于环境生物气溶胶浓度和呼吸系统住院（包括哮喘）之间的关系，以研究对肺部健康的严重影响。分析还将审查是否存在季节性影响，因为生物气溶胶排放量较高，其组成在一年中的不同时间可能有所不同。这项拟议的研究涉及由医学研究理事会（MRC）和英格兰公共卫生（PHE）资助的国家环境与健康中心专门从事环境健康研究的研究人员，以及来自布里斯托西英格兰大学的暴露评估专业知识，致力于一个名为“与生物废物和集约化农业排放的生物气溶胶有关的炎性因子的检测和表征（内毒素II（NE/M011658/1））"。所有研究人员都处于英国堆肥生物气溶胶研究的最前沿。这项研究的一个重要组成部分将是健康和环境研究人员之间的密切合作，并通过EndotoxII与NERC的另一个项目“城市，农业和工业环境中生物气溶胶的快速监测（RAMBIE）”项目建立联系。这两个NERC项目都将于2018年完成。这将有助于进一步开展生物侵蚀土研究的健康研究，包括堆肥和其他活动，如集约化农业设施。这项研究的结果可能会影响监管机构如何监测堆肥设施和保护公众健康的措施。目前，环境局已采取预防措施，例如生物气溶胶必须在堆肥设施顺风250米处或最近的房屋，学校或办公室（如果接近250米）低于预定义的低水平。本研究的结果将探讨这种方法的适用性，并可能为未来的监管政策提供建议。

项目成果

Assessing the health risk of living near composting facilities on lung health, fungal and bacterial disease in cystic fibrosis: a UK CF Registry study.

• DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00932-1
• 发表时间: 2022-12-15
• 期刊: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
• 影响因子: 6
• 作者: Khan, Muhammad Saleem;Douglas, Philippa;Hansell, Anna L.;Simmonds, Nicholas J.;Piel, Frederic B.
• 通讯作者: Piel, Frederic B.

Estimating Aspergillus fumigatus exposure from outdoor composting activities in England between 2005 and 14.

估算 2005 年至 14 年间英国户外堆肥活动中烟曲霉的暴露量。

• DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2018.11.044
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: Waste management (New York, N.Y.)
• 作者: Williams B

Risk of respiratory hospital admission associated with modelled concentrations of Aspergillus fumigatus from composting facilities in England.

呼吸道入院风险与英格兰堆肥设施中烟曲霉的模拟浓度相关。

• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108949
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Environmental research
• 影响因子: 8.3
• 作者: Roca-Barcelo A