EFFETTI BIOLOGICI PRECOCI DELL'INQUINAMENTO ATMOSFERICO NEI BAMBINI: LO STUDIO RESPIRA E IL PROGETTO MAPEC_LIFE
Tesi di Dottorato
Data di Pubblicazione:
2016
Citazione:
EFFETTI BIOLOGICI PRECOCI DELL'INQUINAMENTO ATMOSFERICO NEI BAMBINI: LO STUDIO RESPIRA E IL PROGETTO MAPEC_LIFE / E. Ceretti ; tutor: S. Castaldi ; coordinator: E. Tanzi. DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE BIOMEDICHE PER LA SALUTE, 2016 Jan 25. 28. ciclo, Anno Accademico 2015. [10.13130/ceretti-elisabetta_phd2016-01-25].
Abstract:
EARLY BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON CHILDREN: THE RESPIRA STUDY AND THE MAPEC_LIFE PROJECT
Elisabetta Ceretti
Abstract of the PhD Thesis
Background
Air pollution is a global problem: airborne or deposited pollutants can be found worldwide, from highly polluted to remote areas. Epidemiological studies attribute the most severe effects from air pollution to particulate matter, which has been associated with cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer and other chronic diseases. In 2013, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified air pollution and particulate matter as carcinogenic to human. Among the whole population, children are at higher risk of suffering the health consequences of airborne chemicals, for various reason. First, children have higher level of physical activity, spend more time outside and have a higher air intake than adults. Second, children are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of air pollution due to their small body size, fast growth rate and relatively immature organs (lungs, in particular), body function, immune system and cell repair mechanisms. Lastly, some data suggest that genetic damage, caused by environmental pollutants, viruses or lifestyle factors, occurring early in life can increase the risk of carcinogenesis in adulthood.
Various studies have analyzed the genotoxic effects of urban air pollution exposure in the general population and in highly exposed subjects. In particular, a significant association was found between high levels of urban pollution (PM10 and ozone) and DNA damage detected by the comet assay in human blood lymphocytes and leukocytes and nasal mucosa cells. As regard children, very few data are available on biomarkers of early effect of air pollution.
Methods
In this research work, some results of two molecular epidemiology cross-sectional projects are presented. Both of them had the objective of evaluating the associations between air pollution and early biological effects in children.
The first is the RESPIRA study (Italian acronym for “Rischio ESPosizione Inquinamento aRia Atmosferica”), a small pilot study performed on pre-school children living and attending pre-school in Brescia, a highly polluted town in Northern Italy. The children were recruited in 6 pre-schools located in different areas of the town and their buccal cells were collected to evaluate two biomarkers of early effects: primary DNA damage, detected by comet assay in salivary leukocytes, and micronucleus frequency, investigated in epithelial buccal cells. Child exposure to air pollution was assessed analyzing PM0.5 samples collected near each school in the same days of biological sampling, and retrieving air quality data from the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection. Furthermore, information about some confounding factors was collected by means of a questionnaire filled in by children’s parents.
The second study is the MAPEC_LIFE project (Monitoring Air Pollution Effects on Children for supporting public health policy), funded by EU Life+ Programme (LIFE12 ENV/IT/000614) which, in addition to the evaluation of the associations between air pollution and early biological effects in children, aims to propose a model for estimating the global risk of early biological effects due to air pollutants and other factors in children. The MAPEC_LIFE project was carried out on 6-8-year-old children living in five Italian towns in two different seasons. Two biomarkers of early biological effects, primary DNA damage detected with the comet assay and frequency of micronuclei, were investigated in buccal cells of children. Details of children diseases, socio-economic status, exposures to other pollutants and life-style were collected using a questionnaire administered
Tipologia IRIS:
Tesi di dottorato
Elenco autori:
E. Ceretti
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