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Human biomonitoring of toxic and essential trace elements is critically important for public health protection. Amazonian riverine communities exhibit distinctive dietary patterns, heavily reliant on locally sourced fish, fruits, and vegetables. These habits may result in unique exposure profiles compared to urban populations. However, comprehensive assessments of their exposure to toxic and essential metals are lacking, representing a critical gap in understanding the health risks faced by these communities. This study aimed to establish baseline levels of 21 metals and metalloids in human blood and explore the influence of sociodemographic factors, dietary habits, and lifestyle choices as potential sources of exposure to these elements. A cross-sectional biomonitoring investigation was conducted with 1,024 individuals from 13 communities in the Tapajós and Amazon Basins (Pará, Brazil). Most of the elements in study was determined for the first time in the region. Blood samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The levels of all elements were summarized by quantiles and compared with cutoff values from other Brazilian populations. Multiple linear regression was used to assess possible associations between element concentrations and sociodemographic characteristics, dietary habits, and lifestyle choices. High detection rates (64%-100%) were observed, indicating the widespread presence of these elements. Elevated blood concentrations were found for mercury (median 21.1 µg.L-1, interquartile range: 12-34 µg.L-1), selenium (median 166 µg.L-1, interquartile range: 137-208 µg.L-1), and lead (median 34 µg.L-1, interquartile range: 20.8-64 µg.L-1). Regression analysis revealed a positive association between mercury levels and fish consumption, while manioc flour intake showed no relationship to lead levels. In conclusion, our findings emphasize the need for continued monitoring and public policy development for these vulnerable populations. Further studies should assess long-term trends and investigate the health implications of prolonged exposure to diverse chemicals in Amazonian riverside communities.

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Introduction: Hearing health is a public health concern that affects the quality of life and can be disturbed by noise exposure, generating auditory and extra-auditory symptoms. Objective. To identify the hearing health status in adults living in Bogotá and its association with environmental noise exposure and individual and otological factors. Objective: To identify the hearing health status in adults living in Bogotá and its association with environmental noise exposure and individual and otological factors. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using a database with 10,311 records from 2014 to 2018, consigned in a structured survey of noise perception and hearing screening. We performed a descriptive, bivariate, and binary logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the included participants, 35.4% presented hearing impairment. In the perception component, 13.0 % reported not hearing well; 28.8 % had extra-auditory symptoms, 53.3 % informed otological antecedents and 69.0 % presented discomfort due to extramural noise. In the logistic regression, the variables with the highest association for hearing impairment were living in noisy areas (OR = 1.50) (95% CI: 1.34-1.69), being male (OR = 1.85) (95% CI: 1.64-2.09), increasing age (for each year of life, the risk of hearing impairment increased 6%), and having history of extra-auditory symptoms (OR = 1.86) (95% CI: 1.66-2.08). Conclusions: Hearing impairment is multi-causal in the studied population. The factors that promote its prevalence are increasing age, being male, smoking, ototoxic medications, living in areas with high noise exposure, and extra-auditory symptoms.

Introducción. La salud auditiva es un tema de interés en salud pública que afecta la calidad de vida y que puede afectarse por la exposición continua al ruido, un factor de riesgo que genera síntomas auditivos y extraauditivos. Objetivo. Identificar el estado de salud auditiva de adultos que viven en Bogotá, y su asociación con factores de exposición a ruido ambiental, individuales y otológicos. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un estudio transversal mediante el análisis de una base de datos con 10.311 registros, obtenidos entre los años 2014 y 2018, producto de una encuesta estructurada de percepción de ruido y tamizaje auditivo. Se hizo un análisis descriptivo bivariado y una regresión logística binaria. Resultados. El 35,4 % de los participantes presentó disminución auditiva. En el componente de percepción: 13,0 % refirió no escuchar bien, 28,8 % informó síntomas extraauditivos, 53,3 % tenía antecedentes otológicos, y 69,0 % manifestó molestia por ruido extramural. En la regresión logística, las variables más asociadas con disminución auditiva fueron: de las ambientales, vivir en zonas de mayor ruido (OR = 1,50) (IC95%: 1,34-1,69); de las individuales, ser hombre (OR = 1,85) (IC95%: 1,64-2,09) y la edad (por cada año de vida, el riesgo de disminución auditiva aumentó 6 %); y de las otológicas, tener antecedente de síntomas otológicos (OR = 1,86) (IC95%: 1,66-2,08). Conclusiones. La disminución auditiva es multicausal en la población evaluada. Los factores que aumentan su prevalencia son incremento de la edad, ser hombre, tabaquismo, medicamentos ototóxicos, vivir en zonas de mayor exposición a ruido y presentar síntomas extraauditivos.

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AIM: to estimate the level of metallic chemical elements in the population living in the Steel company vicinity in Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and estimate the association between exposure to the Steel company and the blood metals concentrations patterns. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 463 individuals aged 18+ years old residing 1+ years in the Steel company vicinity. Mg, Be, Co, Ba, Ni, Cd, Al, and Pb were assessed in blood by DRC-ICP-MS. Metallic chemical element concentration patterns were obtained by exploratory factor analysis in the studied population. Exposure was set as the distance (Km) from each participant's residence to the Steel company in Santa Cruz, georeferenced by GPS. The outcome was set as the positive factor loadings in the factor analysis, including Mg and Be (Factor-1), Co, Ba, and Ni (Factor-2), Cd, Al, and Pb (Factor-4). Crude and adjusted OR, and their respective 95 %CI, were estimated to explore associations between independent variables and the exposures to metallic elements positively associated with the factors using polychotomous logistic regression. RESULTS: A reduction of 19 % was found between each km distance from the residence and the Steel company and P50 concentration of Cd, Al, and Pb (ORP50=0.81; 95 %CI:0.67-0.97), after adjusting by age, sex, and smoking. No statistically significant associations were observed for the distance from residences and the Steel company, after adjusting for age, gender, having a domestic vegetable garden and chewing gum for Mg and Be concentrations (Factor-1) (ORP50=0.84; 95 %CI:0.70-1.01; ORP75=1.10; 95 %CI:0.91-1.34); nor for Co, Ba and Ni (Factor-2) blood concentrations(ORP50=1.10; 95 %CI:0.91-1.33; ORP75=1.03; 95 %CI:0.84-1.26), in the adjusted analysis. CONCLUSIONS: For each Km distance from residences to the Steel company, a 19 % reduction in the risk of Cd, Al, and Pb blood concentration was observed in the population living in Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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Aquatic habitats provide a bridge for influenza transmission among wild and domestic species. However, water sources pose highly variable physicochemical and ecological characteristics that affect avian influenza virus (AIV) stability. Therefore, the risk of survival or transmissibility of AIV in the environment is quite variable and has been understudied. In this study, we determine the risk of waterborne transmission and environmental persistence of AIV in a wild/domestic bird interface in the Central Mexico plateau (North America) during the winter season using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). A total of 13 eco-epidemiological factors were selected from public-access databases to develop the risk assessment. The MCDA showed that the Atarasquillo wetland presents a higher persistence risk in January. Likewise, most of the backyard poultry farms at this wild-domestic interface present a high persistence risk (50%). Our results suggest that drinking water may represent a more enabling environment for AIV persistence in contrast with wastewater. Moreover, almost all backyard poultry farms evidence a moderate or high risk of waterborne transmission especially farms close to water bodies. The wildlife/domestic bird interface on the Atarasquillo wetland holds eco-epidemiological factors such as the presence of farms in flood-prone areas, the poultry access to outdoor water, and the use of drinking-water troughs among multiple animal species that may enhance waterborne transmission of AIV. These findings highlight the relevance of understanding the influence of multiple factors on AIV ecology for early intervention and long-term control strategies.

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ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to estimate the prevalence of environmental and occupational exposure to pesticides according to sociodemographic factors among cancer patients. It is a cross-sectional study with cancer patients in the state of Mato Grosso. The prevalence of environmental and occupational exposure to pesticides was calculated as to the variables gender, age, macro-region, and education. Pesticide use per agricultural crops in liters was estimated, and a thematic map was constructed following the macro-region of the agricultural economy. Of the 998 patients, most were female (54.9%), aged between 50 and 69 years old (50.1%), had less than eight years of schooling (60.7%), and resided in the South-Central macro-region (55.4%). Regarding environmental and occupational exposure, 53.1% of the patients live or have lived in a municipality with agricultural plantations; 17.4% lived near crops; 43.4% worked in agriculture, livestock, or extractivism; and 22.9% worked or work directly with pesticides. Environmental and occupational exposure was higher in males, in the older age groups, schooling from 0 to 4 years, and in the macro-regions with higher pesticide use. The study concluded that environmental and occupational exposure among cancer patients is associated to sociodemographic characteristics and macro-regions of the agricultural economy.

RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi estimar a prevalência de exposição ambiental e ocupacional aos agrotóxicos conforme fatores sociodemográficos entre pacientes com câncer. Trata-se de um estudo observacional de delineamento transversal com pacientes com câncer do estado de Mato Grosso. Foi calculada a prevalência de exposição ambiental e ocupacional aos agrotóxicos conforme as variáveis sexo, faixa etária, região e escolaridade. Foram estimados o uso de agrotóxicos por culturas agrícolas em litros e construído mapa temático segundo a macrorregião de economia agropecuária. Dos 998 pacientes, a maioria era do sexo feminino (54,9%), tinha entre 50 e 69 anos (50,1%), possuía menos de oito anos de escolaridade (60,7%) e residiam na macrorregião Centro-Sul (55,4%). Em relação à exposição ambiental e ocupacional, 53,1% dos pacientes moram ou moraram em município com plantação agrícola, 17,4% residiam próximo à lavoura, 43,4% trabalharam na agricultura, pecuária ou extrativismo e 22,9% trabalharam ou trabalham diretamente com agrotóxicos. A exposição ambiental e ocupacional foi maior no sexo masculino, nas faixas etárias mais elevadas, escolaridade de 0 a 4 anos e nas macrorregiões de maior uso de agrotóxicos. Conclui-se que a exposição ambiental e ocupacional entre pacientes com câncer se associou as características sociodemográficas e macrorregiões de economia agropecuária.

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Sugarcane production has been linked to the release of heavy metals and metalloids (HM/MTs) into the environment, raising concerns about potential health risks. This study aimed to assess the levels of 19 HM/MTs in children living near a sugarcane mill through a pilot biomonitoring investigation. We investigated sex-related differences in these element levels and their correlations. A cross-sectional study was conducted, analyzing data from 20 children in the latter part of 2023. Spearman correlation coefficients with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the relationships between urinary HM/MT levels. Detectable levels of 17 out of the 19 HM/MTs were found across the entire study sample, with arsenic and copper detectable in 95% of the children. Titanium exhibited higher levels in boys compared to girls (p = 0.017). We identified 56 statistically significant correlations, with 51 of them being positive, while the remaining coefficients indicated negative relationships. This study characterized HM/MT levels in school-aged children residing near a sugarcane mill through a pilot biomonitoring investigation. Further research employing larger sample sizes and longitudinal assessments would enhance our understanding of the dynamics and health impacts of HM/MT exposure in this vulnerable population.

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Objetivo: Identificar possíveis fatores sociodemográficos, econômicos, de saúde, ambientais e de hábitos de vida associados a efeitos adversos sobre a saúde de moradores em três cidades brasileiras. Método: Estudo transversal com abordagem quantitativa realizado nas cidades de Imperatriz (Maranhão), Palmas (Tocantins) e Salvador (Bahia). Participaram 975 pacientes (18 a 75 anos) atendidos em unidades básicas de saúde no período de junho de 2021 a junho de 2022. Esses indivíduos foram selecionados aleatoriamente (amostra de conveniência). Foi aplicado o questionário padronizado sobre fatores sociodemográficos e exposição a fatores ambientais, assim como o de hábitos de vida. Empregou-se a situação de saúde (excelente/boa x regular/ má/péssima) como desfecho, foi realizada análise multivariada seguida por regressão logística respeitando-se cada município individualmente e o seu coletivo. Os dados foram apresentados como odds ratio (OR) e intervalos de confiança de 95% (IC95%). Resultados: Em todas as cidades houve predomínio de pacientes do sexo feminino: 58,3% em Imperatriz, 67,5% em Tocantins e 65,4% em Salvador. A prevalência de tabagismo (presente e/ou passado) foi significantemente mais elevada em Salvador, assim como a de consumo de álcool. Houve maior referência de saúde regular/má/péssima entre os moradores de Imperatriz, apesar de em Salvador haver o maior relato de comorbidades. Os fatores ambientais associados à condição precária de saúde, em ambos os modelos de análise, foram: ter sido exposto durante a infância a fogão a lenha/carvão/querosene/outro; passar mais de duas horas na cozinha, com fogão em funcionamento; e residir próximo a uma fonte poluidora. Morar em Imperatriz revelou chance 1,8 vezes maior de ter saúde debilitada quando comparado aos moradores de Salvador, e de 1,7 vezes para os de Palmas. Conclusões: Profissionais de saúde deverão orientar a população quanto as questões socioambientais que interferem nos índices de saúde. Os dados demográficos, ambientais e econômicos podem interferir nas condições de saúde.

Objective: To identify potential sociodemographic, socioeconomic, health, environmental, and lifestyle factors associated with adverse health effects in residents of 3 Brazilian cities. Methods: This cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach was conducted in the cities of Imperatriz (Maranhão), Palmas (Tocantins), and Salvador (Bahia). A total of 975 patients aged 18 to 75 years treated at primary health care units from June 2021 to June 2022 were selected via convenience sampling. A standardized questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, exposure to environmental factors, and lifestyle habits was administered. The outcome measured was health status (excellent/good vs fair/bad/very poor). Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression, respecting each municipality individually and collectively. Data were presented as odds ratios (OR) and 95%CIs. Results: Women predominated in all cities: 58.3% in Imperatriz, 67.5% in Tocantins, and 65.4% in Salvador. The prevalence of smoking (present and/or past) was significantly higher in Salvador, as was the prevalence of alcohol consumption. Despite Salvador having the highest rate of comorbidities, residents of Imperatriz reported more instances of fair/poor/very poor health. Environmental factors significantly associated with poor health conditions in both analysis models included exposure to wood/ coal/kerosene/other stoves during childhood, spending more than 2 hours in the kitchen with a working stove, and living close to a pollution source. Residents of Imperatriz were 1.8 times and 1.7 times more likely to have poor health compared with residents of Salvador (a more developed center with more health resources) and Palmas, respectively. Conclusions: Health professionals should guide the population regarding socio-environmental issues affecting health indices. Demographic, environmental, and economic data can impact health conditions.

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This study aimed to estimate the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk as well as the attributable cases due to exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs): hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dichlorophenyltrichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), heptachlor, and chlordane. From serum concentrations of pesticides of interest in a sample of 908 women from Northern Mexico, the risk for both cancer and non-cancer health effects was evaluated. The population attributable fraction (PAF) was also calculated based on summary association estimates between exposure to OCPs and different health events. Findings revealed that due to their OCP exposure slightly less than half of the women in the sample were at increased risk of developing non-cancerous diseases. Moreover, approximately 25% and 75% of participants were at risk of develop some type of cancer associated with their HCB and DDE concentrations, respectively. In addition, it was estimated that 40.5% of type 2 diabetes, 18.7% of endometriosis, and 23.1% of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases could have been prevented if women had not been exposed to these OCPs. Results suggest that the use of OCPs may have contributed to the disease burden in the study area and, based on the time required for these substances to be eliminated from the body, there are probably some women who are still at elevated risk of developing diseases associated to OCPs.

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Exposome studies are advancing in high-income countries to understand how multiple environmental exposures impact health. However, there is a significant research gap in low- and middle-income and tropical countries. We aimed to describe the spatiotemporal variation of the external exposome, its correlation structure between and within exposure groups, and its dimensionality. A one-year follow-up cohort study of 506 children under 5 in two cities in Colombia was conducted to evaluate asthma, acute respiratory infections, and DNA damage. We examined 48 environmental exposures during pregnancy and 168 during childhood in eight exposure groups, including atmospheric pollutants, natural spaces, meteorology, built environment, traffic, indoor exposure, and socioeconomic capital. The exposome was estimated using geographic information systems, remote sensing, spatiotemporal modeling, and questionnaires. The median age of children at study entry was 3.7 years (interquartile range: 2.9-4.3). Air pollution and natural spaces exposure decreased from pregnancy to childhood, while socioeconomic capital increased. The highest median correlations within exposure groups were observed in meteorology (r = 0.85), traffic (r = 0.83), and atmospheric pollutants (r = 0.64). Important correlations between variables from different exposure groups were found, such as atmospheric pollutants and meteorology (r = 0.76), natural spaces (r = -0.34), and the built environment (r = 0.53). Twenty principal components explained 70%, and 57 explained 95% of the total variance in the childhood exposome. Our findings show that there is an important spatiotemporal variation in the exposome of children under 5. This is the first characterization of the external exposome in urban areas of Latin America and highlights its complexity, but also the need to better characterize and understand the exposome in order to optimize its analysis and applications in local interventions aimed at improving the health conditions and well-being of the child population and contributing to environmental health decision-making.

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Background: A heterogeneous geographic distribution of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases has been described, possibly, related to the presence of different environmental factors. The aim of the present study was to explore the geographical distribution of childhood ALL cases in Greater Mexico City (GMC). Methods: A population-based case-control study was conducted. Children <18 years old, newly diagnosed with ALL and residents of GMC were included. Controls were patients without leukemia recruited from second-level public hospitals, frequency-matched by sex, age, and health institution with the cases. The residence address where the patients lived during the last year before diagnosis (cases) or the interview (controls) was used for geolocation. Kulldorff's spatial scan statistic was used to detect spatial clusters (SCs). Relative risks (RR), associated p-value and number of cases included for each cluster were obtained. Results: A total of 1054 cases with ALL were analyzed. Of these, 408 (38.7%) were distributed across eight SCs detected. A relative risk of 1.61 (p<0.0001) was observed for the main cluster. Similar results were noted for the remaining seven ones. Additionally, a proximity between SCs, electrical installations and petrochemical facilities was observed. Conclusions: The identification of SCs in certain regions of GMC suggest the possible role of environmental factors in the etiology of childhood ALL.