Altres ajuts: MAGRAMA/CGL2011-26574 ; Altres ajuts: MAGRAMA/UCA2009020083 ; The mass concentration, chemical composition and sources of quasi-ultrafine (quasi-UFP, PM0.25), accumulation (PM0.25−2.5) and coarse mode (PM2.5−10) particles were determined in indoor and outdoor air at 39 schools in Barcelona (Spain). Quasi-UFP mass concentrations measured (25.6 μgm−3 outdoors, 23.4 μgm−3 indoors) are significantly higher than those reported in other studies, and characterised by higher carbonaceous and mineral matter contents and a lower proportion of secondary inorganic ions. Results suggest that quasi-UFPs in Barcelona are affected by local sources in the schools, mainly human activity (e.g. organic material from textiles, etc., contributing 23-46% to total quasi-UFP mass) and playgrounds (in the form of mineral matter, contributing about 9% to the quasi-UFP mass). The particle size distribution patterns of toxicologically relevant metals and major aerosol components was characterised, displaying two modes for most elements and components, and one mode for inorganic salts (ammonium nitrate and sulfate)and elemental carbon (EC). Regarding metals, Ni and Cr were partitioned mainly in quasi-UFPs and could thus be of interest for epidemiological studies, given their high redox properties. Exposure of children to quasi-UFP mass and chemical species was assessed by comparing the concentrations measured at urban background and traffic areas schools. Finally, three main indoor sources across all size fractions were identified by assessing indoor / outdoor ratios (I / O) of PM species used as their tracers: human activity (organic material), cleaning products, paints and plastics (Cl− source), and a metallic mixed source (comprising combinations of Cu, Zn, Co, Cd, Pb, As, V and Cr). Our results support the need to enforce targeted legislation to determine a minimum "safe" distance between major roads and newly built schools to reduce exposure to traffic-derived metals in quasi-UFPs.
Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been proposed as environmental risk factors for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The effects of these pollutants on brain structures potentially involved in the pathophysiology of ADHD are unknown. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PAHs on basal ganglia volumes and ADHD symptoms in school children. Methods: We conducted an imaging study in 242 children aged 8–12 years, recruited through a set of representative schools of the city of Barcelona, Spain. Indoor and outdoor PAHs and benzo[a]pyrene (BPA) levels were assessed in the school environment, one year before the MRI assessment. Whole-brain volumes and basal ganglia volumes (caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen) were derived from structural MRI scans using automated tissue segmentation. ADHD symptoms (ADHD/DSM-IV Scales, American Psychiatric Association 2002) were reported by teachers, and inattentiveness was evaluated with standard error of hit reaction time in the attention network computer-based test. Results: Total PAHs and BPA were associated with caudate nucleus volume (CNV) (i.e., an interquartile range increase in BPA outdoor level (67 pg/m3) and indoor level (76 pg/m3) was significantly linked to a decrease in CNV (mm3) (β = −150.6, 95% CI [−259.1, −42.1], p = 0.007, and β = −122.4, 95% CI [−232.9, −11.8], p = 0.030 respectively) independently of intracranial volume, age, sex, maternal education and socioeconomic vulnerability index at home). ADHD symptoms and inattentiveness increased in children with higher exposure to BPA, but these associations were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Exposure to PAHs, and in particular to BPA, is associated with subclinical changes on the caudate nucleus, even below the legislated annual target levels established in the European Union. The behavioral consequences of this induced brain change were not identified in this study, but given the caudate nucleus involvement in many crucial cognitive and behavior processes, this volume reduction is concerning for the children's neurodevelopment.
We offer an overview of the COVID-19 -driven air quality changes across 11 metropolises in Spain with the focus on lessons learned on how continuing abating pollution. Traffic flow decreased by up to 80% during the lockdown and remained relatively low during the full relaxation (June and July). After the lockdown a significant shift from public transport to private vehicles (+21% in Barcelona) persisted due to the pervasive fear that using public transport might increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which need to be reverted as soon as possible. NO2 levels fell below 50% of the WHO annual air quality guidelines (WHOAQGs), but those of PM2.5 were reduced less than expected due to the lower contributions from traffic, increased contributions from agricultural and domestic biomass burning, or meteorological conditions favoring high secondary aerosol formation yields. Even during the lockdown, the annual PM2.5 WHOAQG was exceeded in cities within the NE and E regions with high NH3 emissions from farming and agriculture. Decreases in PM10 levels were greater than in PM2.5 due to reduced emissions from road dust, vehicle wear, and construction/demolition. Averaged O3 daily maximum 8-h (8hDM) experienced a generalized decrease in the rural receptor sites in the relaxation (June–July) with -20% reduced mobility. For urban areas O3 8hDM responses were heterogeneous, with increases or decreases depending on the period and location. Thus, after canceling out the effect of meteorology, 5 out of 11 cities experienced O3 decreases during the lockdown, while the remaining 6 either did not experience relevant reductions or increased. During the relaxation period and coinciding with the growing O3 season (June–July), most cities experienced decreases. However, the O3 WHOAQG was still exceeded during the lockdown and full relaxation periods in several cities. For secondary pollutants, such as O3 and PM2.5, further chemical and dispersion modeling along with source apportionment techniques to identify major precursor reduction targets are required to evaluate their abatement potential. ; The present work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y Reto Demográfico (17CAES010), the "Agencia Estatal de Investigación" from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (IDAEA-CSIC is a Centre of Excellence Severo Ochoa CEX2018-000794-S), FEDER funds under the project CAIAC (PID2019- 108990RB-I00), and by the Generalitat de Catalunya (AGAUR 2017 SGR41). We would like to thank the Spanish Meteorological Office (AEMET) for providing meteorological data as well as NASA for providing OMI-NO2 data. BSC co-authors acknowledge the support of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), which is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Commission, the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICINN) (RTI2018-099894-BI00, CGL2017-88911-R), the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (PID2019-108086RA-I00/AEI/0.13039/501100011033), the AXA Research Fund, and PRACE and RES for awarding access to Marenostrum4 based in Spain at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. H. Petetin also acknowledges the European Union's Horizon 2020 - Research and Innovation Framework Programme under the H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions grant agreement H2020-MSCACOFUND-2016-754433. ; Peer Reviewed ; Article signat per 20 autors/es: Xavier Querol (a), Jordi Massagué (a, b), Andrés Alastuey (a), Teresa Moreno (a), Gotzon Gangoiti (c), Enrique Mantilla (d), José Jaime Duéguez (d), Miguel Escudero (e), Eliseo Monfort (f), Carlos Pérez García-Pandog (h), Hervé Petetin (g), Oriol Jorba (g), Víctor Vázquez (i, j), Jesús de la Rosa (k), Alberto Campos (l), Marta Muñóz (l), Silvia Monge (l), María Hervás (l), Rebeca Javato (l), María J. Cornide (l) a- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona 08034, Spain b- Department of Mining, Industrial and ICT Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), Manresa 08242, Spain c- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Basque Country, Leioa 48940, Spain d- Centro de Estudios Ambientales del Mediterráneo, CEAM, València 46980, Spain e- Centro Universitario de la Defensa, Academia General Militar, Zaragoza 50090, Spain f- Instituto de Tecnología Cerámica ITC-UJI, Castelló 12006, Spain g- Barcelona Supercomputing Center, BSC-CNS, Barcelona 08034, Spain h- ICREA, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona 08010, Spain i- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain j- Department of Research and Development, Coccosphere Environmental Analysis, 29120 Málaga, Spain k- Department of Geology, University of Huelva, Unidad de Investigación Associada a IDAEA-CSIC, Huelva 21819, Spain l- D.G. Calidad y Evaluación Ambiental del Ministerio de Transición Ecológica y Reto Demográfico, Madrid 28071, Spain ; Postprint (published version)
