1. |
- Eriksson, Axel Christian, et al.
(författare)
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Influence of airborne particles' chemical composition on SVOC uptake from PVC flooring - time resolved analysis with aerosol mass spectrometry
- 2020
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Ingår i: Environmental Science & Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-5851 .- 0013-936X. ; , s. 85-91
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We sampled ammonium sulfate particles and indoor particles of outdoor origin through a small chamber covered with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring. We measured the uptake of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) by the airborne particles in real time. The particles acquired SVOC mass fractions up to 10%. The phthalate ester DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate), a known endocrine disruptor, contributed by approximately half of the sorbed SVOC mass. The indoor particles acquired higher DEHP fraction than laboratory generated ammonium sulfate aerosol. We attribute this increased uptake to absorption by organic matter present in the indoor particles. Using a thermodenuder to remove volatile components, predominantly organics, reduced SVOC uptake. Positive matrix factorization applied to the organic mass spectra suggests that hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (typically fresh traffic exhaust) sorbs DEHP more efficiently than aged organic aerosol. SVOC uptake is one of the processes that modifies outdoor pollution particles after they penetrate buildings, where the majority of exposure occurs. Particles from indoor sources, typically dominated by organic matter, will undergo such processes as well. Aerosol mass spectrometry improves the time resolution of experimental investigations into these processes, and enables experiments with lower, relevant particle concentrations. Additionally, particle size resolved results are readily obtained.
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2. |
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3. |
- Eriksson, Axel C., et al.
(författare)
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The role of organic fraction of aerosol particles in uptake of indoor SVOC investigated with real time aerosol mass spectrometry
- 2018
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Ingår i: 15th Conference of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate, INDOOR AIR 2018. - 9781713826514
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigate the uptake of the Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) by laboratory generated and ambient aerosol particles passing through a 1.2 liter chamber covered with vinyl flooring on its internal surfaces. We found approximately five times more efficient DEHP uptake on a mass basis by organic particles (ambient particles) compared to laboratory generated salt particles. The increased uptake is likely due to increased adsorption by pre-existing organic aerosol, which is abundant in the ambient aerosol particles. This implies that compounds with adverse health outcomes are added to particles in indoor air after infiltration into buildings via gas-to-particle conversion of indoor generated SVOCs. We show that aerosol mass spectrometry is a suitable tool for highly time-resolved investigations of this process.
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4. |
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5. |
- Zewinger, Stephen, et al.
(författare)
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Relations between lipoprotein(a) concentrations, LPA genetic variants, and the risk of mortality in patients with established coronary heart disease : a molecular and genetic association study
- 2017
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Ingår i: The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. - 2213-8587 .- 2213-8595. ; 5:7, s. 534-543
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Lipoprotein(a) concentrations in plasma are associated with cardiovascular risk in the general population. Whether lipoprotein(a) concentrations or LPA genetic variants predict long-term mortality in patients with established coronary heart disease remains less clear.Methods: We obtained data from 3313 patients with established coronary heart disease in the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study. We tested associations of tertiles of lipoprotein(a) concentration in plasma and two LPA single-nucleotide polymorphisms ([SNPs] rs10455872 and rs3798220) with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality by Cox regression analysis and with severity of disease by generalised linear modelling, with and without adjustment for age, sex, diabetes diagnosis, systolic blood pressure, BMI, smoking status, estimated glomerular filtration rate, LDL-cholesterol concentration, and use of lipid-lowering therapy. Results for plasma lipoprotein(a) concentrations were validated in five independent studies involving 10 195 patients with established coronary heart disease. Results for genetic associations were replicated through large-scale collaborative analysis in the GENIUS-CHD consortium, comprising 106 353 patients with established coronary heart disease and 19 332 deaths in 22 studies or cohorts.Findings: The median follow-up was 9.9 years. Increased severity of coronary heart disease was associated with lipoprotein(a) concentrations in plasma in the highest tertile (adjusted hazard radio [HR] 1.44, 95% CI 1.14-1.83) and the presence of either LPA SNP (1.88, 1.40-2.53). No associations were found in LURIC with all-cause mortality (highest tertile of lipoprotein(a) concentration in plasma 0.95, 0.81-1.11 and either LPA SNP 1.10, 0.92-1.31) or cardiovascular mortality (0.99, 0.81-1.2 and 1.13, 0.90-1.40, respectively) or in the validation studies.Interpretation: In patients with prevalent coronary heart disease, lipoprotein(a) concentrations and genetic variants showed no associations with mortality. We conclude that these variables are not useful risk factors to measure to predict progression to death after coronary heart disease is established.
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6. |
- Abera, Asmamaw, et al.
(författare)
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Air pollution measurements and land-use regression in urban sub-saharan Africa using low-cost sensors—possibilities and pitfalls
- 2020
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Ingår i: Atmosphere. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4433. ; 11:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Air pollution is recognized as the most important environmental factor that adversely affects human and societal wellbeing. Due to rapid urbanization, air pollution levels are increasing in the Sub-Saharan region, but there is a shortage of air pollution monitoring. Hence, exposure data to use as a base for exposure modelling and health effect assessments is also lacking. In this study, low-cost sensors were used to assess PM2.5 (particulate matter) levels in the city of Adama, Ethiopia. The measurements were conducted during two separate 1-week periods. The measurements were used to develop a land-use regression (LUR) model. The developed LUR model explained 33.4% of the variance in the concentrations of PM2.5. Two predictor variables were included in the final model, of which both were related to emissions from traffic sources. Some concern regarding influential observations remained in the final model. Long-term PM2.5 and wind direction data were obtained from the city’s meteorological station, which should be used to validate the representativeness of our sensor measurements. The PM2.5 long-term data were however not reliable. Means of obtaining good reference data combined with longer sensor measurements would be a good way forward to develop a stronger LUR model which, together with improved knowledge, can be applied towards improving the quality of health. A health impact assessment, based on the mean level of PM2.5 (23 µg/m3), presented the attributable burden of disease and showed the importance of addressing causes of these high ambient levels in the area.
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7. |
- Ahlberg, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of salt seed particle surface area, composition and phase on secondary organic aerosol mass yields in oxidation flow reactors
- 2019
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1680-7316 .- 1680-7324. ; 19:4, s. 2701-2712
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Atmospheric particulate water is ubiquitous, affecting particle transport and uptake of gases. Yet, research on the effect of water on secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass yields is not consistent. In this study, the SOA mass yields of an α-pinene and m-xylene mixture, at a concentration of 60 μgm-3, were examined using an oxidation flow reactor operated at a relative humidity (RH) of 60% and a residence time of 160 s. Wet or dried ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate seed particles were used. By varying the amount of seed particle surface area, the underestimation of SOA formation induced by the short residence time in flow reactors was confirmed. Starting at a SOA mass concentration of 5 μgm-3, the maximum yield increased by a factor of 2 with dry seed particles and on average a factor of 3.2 with wet seed particles. Hence, wet particles increased the SOA mass yield by 60% compared to the dry experiment. Maximum yield in the reactor was achieved using a surface area concentration of 1600 μm2 cm-3. This corresponded to a condensational lifetime of 20 s for low-volatility organics. The O V C ratio of SOA on wet ammonium sulfate was significantly higher than when using ammonium nitrate or dry ammonium sulfate seed particles, probably due to differences in heterogeneous chemistry.
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8. |
- Ahlberg, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Measurement report : Black carbon properties and concentrations in southern Sweden urban and rural air-the importance of long-range transport
- 2023
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1680-7316 .- 1680-7324. ; 23:5, s. 3051-3064
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Soot, or black carbon (BC), aerosol is a major climate forcer with severe health effects. The impacts depend strongly on particle number concentration, size and mixing state. This work reports on two field campaigns at nearby urban and rural sites, 65gkm apart, in southern Sweden during late summer 2018. BC was measured using a single-particle soot photometer (SP2) and Aethalometers (AE33). Differences in BC concentrations between the sites are driven primarily by local traffic emissions. Equivalent and refractory BC mass concentrations at the urban site were on average a factor 2.2 and 2.5, with peaks during rush hour up to a factor g1/44, higher than the rural background levels. The number fraction of particles containing a soot core was significantly higher in the city. BC particles at the urban site were on average smaller by mass and had less coating owing to fresh traffic emissions. The organic components of the fresh traffic plumes were similar in mass spectral signature to hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA), commonly associated with traffic. Despite the intense local traffic (g1/4g30g000 vehicles passing per day), PM1, including organic aerosol, was dominated by aged continental air masses even at the curbside site. The fraction of thickly coated particles at the urban site was highly correlated with the mass concentrations of all measured chemical species of PM1, consistent with aged, internally mixed aerosol. Trajectory analysis for the whole year showed that air masses arriving at the rural site from eastern Europe contained approximately double the amount of BC compared to air masses from western Europe. Furthermore, the largest regional emissions of BC transported to the rural site, from the Malmö-Copenhagen urban area, are discernible above background levels only when precipitation events are excluded. We show that continental Europe and not the Malmö-Copenhagen region is the major contributor to the background BC mass concentrations in southern Sweden.
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9. |
- Ahlberg, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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No particle mass enhancement from induced atmospheric ageing at a rural site in northern Europe
- 2019
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Ingår i: Atmosphere. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4433. ; 10:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A large portion of atmospheric aerosol particles consists of secondary material produced by oxidation reactions. The relative importance of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) can increase with improved emission regulations. A relatively simple way to study potential particle formation in the atmosphere is by using oxidation flow reactors (OFRs) which simulate atmospheric ageing. Here we report on the first ambient OFR ageing experiment in Europe, coupled with scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and proton transfer reaction (PTR)-MS measurements. We found that the simulated ageing did not produce any measurable increases in particle mass or number concentrations during the two months of the campaign due to low concentrations of precursors. Losses in the reactor increased with hydroxyl radical (OH) exposure and with increasing difference between ambient and reactor temperatures, indicating fragmentation and evaporation of semivolatile material.
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10. |
- Ahlberg, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Secondary organic aerosol from VOC mixtures in an oxidation flow reactor
- 2017
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 1352-2310. ; 161, s. 210-220
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The atmospheric organic aerosol is a tremendously complex system in terms of chemical content. Models generally treat the mixtures as ideal, something which has been questioned owing to model-measurement discrepancies. We used an oxidation flow reactor to produce secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mixtures containing oxidation products of biogenic (α-pinene, myrcene and isoprene) and anthropogenic (m-xylene) volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The resulting volume concentration and chemical composition was measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS), respectively. The SOA mass yield of the mixtures was compared to a partitioning model constructed from single VOC experiments. The single VOC SOA mass yields with no wall-loss correction applied are comparable to previous experiments. In the mixtures containing myrcene a higher yield than expected was produced. We attribute this to an increased condensation sink, arising from myrcene producing a significantly higher number of nucleation particles compared to the other precursors. Isoprene did not produce much mass in single VOC experiments but contributed to the mass of the mixtures. The effect of high concentrations of isoprene on the OH exposure was found to be small, even at OH reactivities that previously have been reported to significantly suppress OH exposures in oxidation flow reactors. Furthermore, isoprene shifted the particle size distribution of mixtures towards larger sizes, which could be due to a change in oxidant dynamics inside the reactor.
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11. |
- Andersen, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Inhalation and dermal uptake of particle and gas phase phthalates - A human chamber exposure study
- 2018
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Ingår i: 15th Conference of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate, INDOOR AIR 2018. - 9781713826514
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have exposed sixteen test subjects to particle and gas phase phthalates in the controlled chamber exposure study. Deuterium labelled phthalates were used to generate particle D4-DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) and gas phase D4-DEP (diethyl phthalate) for exposures scenarios allowed studying the dermal only and combined inhalational and dermal uptake. Metabolites were measured in urine samples before and after three hours of exposure. The inhalation was the dominant route of uptake for both DEHP and DEP in this study design and exposure settings. Larger uptake of DEP compared to DEHP both via inhalation and dermal uptake was observed. Dermal uptake of DEHP was not observed in this study. Inhalational urinary excretion factors of the metabolites were found to be 0.73 for DEHP and 0.53 for DEP. This study also highlights the importance of taking into consideration the deposited dose of inhaled particles in studies of uptake of particles.
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12. |
- Andersen, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Inhalation and Dermal Uptake of Particle and Gas-phase Phthalates - A Human Exposure Study
- 2018
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Ingår i: Environmental Science & Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-5851 .- 0013-936X. ; 52:21, s. 12792-12800
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Phthalates are ubiquitous in indoor environments, which raises concern about their endocrine disrupting properties. However, studies of human uptake from airborne exposure are limited. We studied the inhalation uptake and dermal uptake by air-to-skin transfer with clean clothing as a barrier of two deuterium-labelled airborne phthalates: particle-phase D4-DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate) and gas-phase D4-DEP (diethyl phthalate). Sixteen participants, wearing trousers and long-sleeved shirts, were under controlled conditions exposed to airborne phthalates in four exposure scenarios: dermal uptake alone, and combined inhalation+dermal uptake of both phthalates. The results showed an average uptake of D4-DEHP by inhalation of 0.0014±0.00088 (µg kg-1 bw)/(µg m-3)/h. No dermal uptake of D4-DEHP was observed during the 3 hour exposure with clean clothing. The deposited dose of D4-DEHP accounted for 26% of the total inhaled D4-DEHP mass. For D4-DEP, the average uptake by inhalation+dermal was 0.0067±0.0045 and 0.00073±0.00051 (µg kg-1 bw)/(µg m-3)/h for dermal uptake. Urinary excretion factors of metabolites after inhalation were estimated to 0.69 for D4-DEHP and 0.50 for D4-DEP. Under the described settings, the main uptake of both phthalates was through inhalation. The results demonstrate the differences in uptake of gas and particles, and highlights the importance of considering the deposited dose in particle uptake studies.
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13. |
- Ausmeel, Stina, et al.
(författare)
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Methods for identifying aged ship plumes and estimating contribution to aerosol exposure downwind of shipping lanes
- 2019
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1867-1381 .- 1867-8548. ; 12:8, s. 4479-4493
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ship traffic is a major source of aerosol particles, particularly near shipping lanes and harbours. In order to estimate the contribution to exposure downwind of a shipping lane, it is important to be able to measure the ship emission contribution at various distances from the source. We report on measurements of atmospheric particles 7-20 km downwind of a shipping lane in the Baltic Sea Sulfur Emission Control Area (SECA) at a coastal location in southern Sweden during a winter and a summer campaign. Each ship plume was linked to individual ship passages using a novel method based on wind field data and automatic ship identification system data (AIS), where varying wind speeds and directions were applied to calculate a plume trajectory. In a situation where AIS data are not matching measured plumes well or if AIS data are missing, we provide an alternative method with particle number concentration data. The shipping lane contribution to the particle number concentration in Falsterbo was estimated by subtracting background concentrations from the ship plume concentrations, and more than 150 plumes were analysed. We have also extrapolated the contribution to seasonal averages and provide recommendations for future similar measurements. Averaged over a season, the contribution to particle number concentration was about 18 % during the winter and 10 % during the summer, including those periods with wind directions when the shipping lane was not affecting the station. The corresponding contribution to equivalent black carbon was 1.4 %..
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14. |
- Ausmeel, Stina, et al.
(författare)
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Ship plumes in the Baltic Sea Sulfur Emission Control Area: chemical characterization and contribution to coastal aerosol concentrations
- 2020
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1680-7324. ; 20:15, s. 9135-9151
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In coastal areas, there is increased concern aboutemissions from shipping activities and the associated impacton air quality. We have assessed the ship aerosol propertiesand the contribution to coastal particulate matter (PM) andnitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels by measuring ship plumes inambient conditions at a site in southern Sweden, within a SulfurEmission Control Area. Measurements took place duringa summer and a winter campaign, 10 km downwind ofa major shipping lane. Individual ships showed large variabilityin contribution to total particle mass, organics, sulfate,and NO2. The average emission contribution of theshipping lane was 2913 and 3720 ngm?3 to PM0:5,188 and 3419 ngm?3 to PM0:15, and 1:210:57 and1:110:61 μgm?3 to NO2, during winter and summer, respectively.Sulfate and organics dominated the particle massand most plumes contained undetectable amounts of equivalentblack carbon (eBC). The average eBC contribution was3:51:7 ngm?3 and the absorption Ångström exponent wasclose to 1. Simulated ageing of the ship aerosols using anoxidation flow reactor showed that on a few occasions, therewas an increase in sulfate and organic mass after photochemicalprocessing of the plumes. However, most plumes did notproduce measurable amounts of secondary PM upon simulatedageing.
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15. |
- Bergman, Fanny, et al.
(författare)
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Physicochemical metamorphosis of re-aerosolized urban PM2.5
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Aerosol Science. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0021-8502 .- 1879-1964. ; 181
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The toxicity of particulate matter (PM) is dependent on particle physical and chemical properties and is commonly studied using in vivo and in vitro approaches. PM to be used for in vivo and in vitro studies is often collected on filters and then extracted from the filter surface using a solvent. During extraction and further PM sample handling, particle properties change, but this is often neglected in toxicology studies, with possible implications for health effect assessment. To address the current lack of knowledge and investigate changes in particle properties further, ambient PM with diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) was collected on filters at an urban site and extracted using a standard methanol protocol. After extraction, the PM was dried, dispersed in water and subsequently nebulized. The resulting aerosol properties were then compared to those of the ambient PM2.5. The number size distribution for the nebulized aerosol resembled the ambient in terms of the main mode diameter, and >90 % of particle mass in the nebulized size distribution was still in the PM2.5 range. Black carbon made up a similar fraction of PM mass in nebulized as in ambient aerosol. The sulfate content in the nebulized aerosol seemed depleted and the chemical composition of the organic fraction was altered, but it remains unclear to what extent other non-refractory components were affected by the extraction process. Trace elements were not distributed equally across size fractions, neither in ambient nor nebulized PM. Change in chemical form was studied for zinc, copper and iron. The form did not appear to be different between the ambient and nebulized PM for iron and copper, but seemed altered for zinc. Although many of the studied properties were reasonably well preserved, it is clear that the PM2.5 collection and re-aerosolization process affects particles, and thus potentially also their health effects. Because of this, the effect of the particle collection and extraction process must be considered when evaluating cellular and physiological outcomes upon PM2.5 exposure. © 2024 The Authors
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16. |
- Bergman, Fanny, et al.
(författare)
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Physicochemical metamorphosis of re-aerosolized urban PM2.5
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Aerosol Science. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0021-8502 .- 1879-1964. ; 181
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The toxicity of particulate matter (PM) is dependent on particle physical and chemical properties and is commonly studied using in vivo and in vitro approaches. PM to be used for in vivo and in vitro studies is often collected on filters and then extracted from the filter surface using a solvent. During extraction and further PM sample handling, particle properties change, but this is often neglected in toxicology studies, with possible implications for health effect assessment. To address the current lack of knowledge and investigate changes in particle properties further, ambient PM with diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) was collected on filters at an urban site and extracted using a standard methanol protocol. After extraction, the PM was dried, dispersed in water and subsequently nebulized. The resulting aerosol properties were then compared to those of the ambient PM2.5. The number size distribution for the nebulized aerosol resembled the ambient in terms of the main mode diameter, and >90 % of particle mass in the nebulized size distribution was still in the PM2.5 range. Black carbon made up a similar fraction of PM mass in nebulized as in ambient aerosol. The sulfate content in the nebulized aerosol seemed depleted and the chemical composition of the organic fraction was altered, but it remains unclear to what extent other non-refractory components were affected by the extraction process. Trace elements were not distributed equally across size fractions, neither in ambient nor nebulized PM. Change in chemical form was studied for zinc, copper and iron. The form did not appear to be different between the ambient and nebulized PM for iron and copper, but seemed altered for zinc. Although many of the studied properties were reasonably well preserved, it is clear that the PM2.5 collection and re-aerosolization process affects particles, and thus potentially also their health effects. Because of this, the effect of the particle collection and extraction process must be considered when evaluating cellular and physiological outcomes upon PM2.5 exposure.
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17. |
- Bernspång, Birgitta, 1951-, et al.
(författare)
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Motor and perceptual impairments in acute stroke patients : effects on self-care ability
- 1987
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Ingår i: Stroke. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0039-2499 .- 1524-4628. ; 18:6, s. 1081-1086
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The relative importance of motor, perceptual, and some cognitive functions for self-care ability was analyzed in a representative sample of 109 subjects within 2 weeks of acute stroke. Forty-nine patients (45%) were dependent or partly dependent in self-care. Profound motor dysfunction was present in 39%, low-order perceptual deficits in 10%, high-order perceptual deficits in 60%, and disorientation in time and space in 13% of the patients. There was a significant covariation between motor function and self-care ability and between low-order perception and orientation function. Low-order and high-order perception covaried only weakly. Discriminant analyses showed that the actual level of self-care proficiency could be correctly predicted in 70% of the cases by the 4 indexes of motor function, low-order perception, high-order perception, and orientation. The dominating predictor was motor function, and the next highest was high-order perception. When a program for early training is designed with the aim to alleviate long-term self-care disability after stroke, correct assessment of motor and perceptual functions in the individual stroke patient is essential.
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18. |
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19. |
- Boffetta, Paolo, et al.
(författare)
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The Consortium on Health and Ageing : Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES) project-design, population and data harmonization of a large-scale, international study
- 2014
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Ingår i: European Journal of Epidemiology. - : SPRINGER. - 0393-2990 .- 1573-7284. ; 29:12, s. 929-936
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is a public health demand to prevent health conditions which lead to increased morbidity and mortality among the rapidly-increasing elderly population. Data for the incidence of such conditions exist in cohort studies worldwide, which, however, differ in various aspects. The Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES) project aims at harmonizing data from existing major longitudinal studies for the elderly whilst focussing on cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, cancer, fractures and cognitive impairment in order to estimate their prevalence, incidence and cause-specific mortality, and identify lifestyle, socioeconomic, and genetic determinants and biomarkers for the incidence of and mortality from these conditions. A survey instrument assessing ageing-related conditions of the elderly will be also developed. Fourteen cohort studies participate in CHANCES with 683,228 elderly (and 150,210 deaths), from 23 European and three non-European countries. So far, 287 variables on health conditions and a variety of exposures, including biomarkers and genetic data have been harmonized. Different research hypotheses are investigated with meta-analyses. The results which will be produced can help international organizations, governments and policy-makers to better understand the broader implications and consequences of ageing and thus make informed decisions.
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20. |
- Boks, Marije, et al.
(författare)
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Increased incidence of late-onset inflammatory bowel disease and microscopic colitis after a Cryptosporidium hominis outbreak
- 2022
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 57:12, s. 1443-1449
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: In 2010, 27,000 inhabitants (45% of the population) of Östersund, Sweden, contracted clinical cryptosporidiosis after drinking water contaminated with Cryptosporidium hominis. After the outbreak, local physicians perceived that the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), and IBD-unclassified, and microscopic colitis (MC) increased. This study assessed whether this perception was correct.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational study included adult patients (≥18 years old) from the local health care region who were diagnosed with pathology-confirmed IBD or MC during 2006-2019. We collected and validated the diagnosis, date of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, and sex from the Swedish quality register SWIBREG and electronic patient records. Population data were collected from Statistics Sweden. The incidences for 2006-2010 (pre-outbreak) and 2011-2019 (post-outbreak) were evaluated by negative binomial regression analysis and presented as incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Data were analyzed for IBD, for UC and CD separately, and MC.RESULTS: During the study period, we identified 410 patients with new onset IBD and 155 new cases of MC. Overall, we found a trend toward an increased incidence of IBD post-outbreak (IRR 1.39, confidence interval (CI) 0.99-1.94). In individuals ≥40 years old, the post-outbreak incidence significantly increased for IBD (IRR 1.69, CI 1.13-2.51) and CD (IRR 2.23, CI 1.08-4.62). Post-outbreak incidence of MC increased 6-fold in all age groups (IRR 6.43, CI 2.78-14.87).CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of late-onset IBD and MC increased after the Cryptosporidium outbreak. Cryptosporidiosis may be an environmental risk factor for IBD and MC.
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21. |
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22. |
- Brändström, Helge, 1953-
(författare)
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Accidental hypothermia and local cold injury : physiological and epidemiological studies on risk
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: (Papers I and II) The objectives were to first determine incidence and contributing factors to cold-related injuries in northern Sweden, both those that led to hospitalization and those that led to fatality. (Papers III and IV) A further aim was to assess post-cooling hand-rewarming responses and effects of training in a cold environment, both on fingertip rewarming and on function of the autonomic nervous system, to evaluate if there was adaptation related to prolonged occupational cold exposure.Methods: In a retrospective analysis, cases of accidental cold-related injury with hospital admission in northern Sweden during 2000-2007 were analyzed (Paper I). Cases of fatal hypothermia in the same region during 1992-2008 were analyzed (Paper II). A cohort of volunteers was studied before and after many months of occupational cold exposure. Subject hand rewarming response was measured after a cold hand immersion provocation and categorized as slow, moderate or normal in rewarming speed. This cold provocation and rewarming assessment was performed before and after their winter training. (Paper III). Heart rate variability (HRV) was analyzed from the same cold provocation/recovery sequences (Paper IV).Results: (Paper I) For the 379 cases of hospitalization for cold-related injury, annual incidences for hypothermia, frostbite, and drowning were 3.4/100,000, 1.5/100,000, and 1.0/100,000 inhabitants, respectively. Male gender was more frequent for all categories. Annual frequencies for hypothermia hospitalizations increased during the study period. Hypothermia degree and distribution of cases were 20 % mild (between 32 and 35ºC), 40% moderate (31.9 to 28ºC), and 24% severe (< 28ºC), while 12% had temperatures over 35.0ºC. (Paper II) The 207 cases of fatal hypothermia showed an annual incidence of 1.35 per 100,000 inhabitants, 72% in rural areas, 93% outdoors, 40% found within 100 meters of a building. Paradoxical undressing was documented in 30%. Ethanol was detected in femoral vein blood in 43%. Contributing co-morbidity was common including heart disease, previous stroke, dementia, psychiatric disease, alcoholism, and recent trauma. (Paper III) Post-training, baseline fingertip temperatures and cold recovery variables in terms of final rewarming fingertip temperature and vasodilation time increased significantly in moderate and slow rewarmers. Cold-related injury (frostbite) during winter training occured disproportionately more often in slow rewarmers (4 of the 5 injuries). (Paper IV) At ‘pre- winter-training’, normal rewarmers had higher power for low frequency and high frequency heart rate variability. After cold acclimatization (post-training), normal rewarmers showed lower resting power values for the low frequency and high frequency heart rate variability components. Conclusions: Hypothermia and cold injury continues to cause injury and hospitalization in the northern region of Sweden. Assessment and management is not standardized across hospitals. With the identification of groups at high risk for fatal hypothermia, it should be possible to reduce the incidence, particularly for highest risk subjects; rural, living alone, alcohol-imbibing, and psychiatric diagnosis-carrying citizens. Long-term cold-weather training may affect hand rewarming patters after a cold provocation, and a warmer baseline hand temperature with faster rewarming after a cold provocation may be associated with less general risk for frostbite. Heart rate variability results support the conclusion that cold adaptation in the autonomic nervous system occurred in both groups, though the biological significance of this is not yet clear.
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23. |
- Brändström, Helge, et al.
(författare)
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Fatal hypothermia : an analysis from a sub-arctic region
- 2012
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Ingår i: International Journal of Circumpolar Health. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1239-9736 .- 2242-3982. ; 71:0, s. 1-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives. To determine the incidence as well as contributing factors to fatal hypothermia.Study design. Retrospective, registry-based analysis.Methods. Cases of fatal hypothermia were identified in the database of the National Board of Forensic Medicine for the 4 northernmost counties of Sweden and for the study period 1992-2008. Police reports, medical records and autopsy protocols were studied.Results. A total of 207 cases of fatal hypothermia were noted during the study period, giving an annual incidence of 1.35 per 100,000 inhabitants. Seventy-two percent occurred in rural areas, and 93% outdoors. Many (40%) were found within approximately 100 meters of a building. The majority (75%) occurred during the colder season (October to March). Some degree of paradoxical undressing was documented in 30%. Ethanol was detected in femoral vein blood in 43% of the victims. Contributing co-morbidity was common and included heart disease, earlier stroke, dementia, psychiatric disease, alcoholism, and recent trauma.Conclusions. With the identification of groups at high risk for fatal hypothermia, it should be possible to reduce risk through thoughtful interventions, particularly related to the highest risk subjects (rural, living alone, alcohol-imbibing, and psychiatric diagnosis-carrying) citizens.
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24. |
- Buehler, Stefan A., et al.
(författare)
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ARTS, the atmospheric radiative transfer simulator
- 2005
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Ingår i: Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-4073 .- 1879-1352. ; 91:1, s. 65-93
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- RTS is a modular program that simulates atmospheric radiative transfer. The paper describes ARTS version 1.0, which is applicable in the absence of scattering. An overview over all major parts of the model is given: calculation of absorption coefficients, the radiative transfer itself, and the calculation of Jacobians. ARTS can be freely used under a GNU general public license. Unique features of the program are its scalability and modularity, the ability to work with different sources of spectroscopic parameters, the availability of several self-consistent water continuum and line absorption models, and the analytical calculation of Jacobians.
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