Grants and Fellowships | 2014

27 Soils as a Source for Atmospheric Particles: Spatio-Temporal Impact on Air Quality and Human Health in the Negev Soils in arid and semi-arid zones are source areas for air pollution through emissions of dust-sized particles into the atmosphere. Although the association between environmental dust exposure and morbidity exists, our rudimentary understanding of the relationships between soil-derived airborne particles (SDAP), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and thus, socio-economic consequences, dictates the need for innovative and interdisciplinary quantitative- research into these issues. The overall objective of this research was to explore the impact of chronic and acute exposure to SDAP on COPD in space and time in the northern Negev. The Negev is located within the largest global dust belt and experiences several intensive dust storms every year. The unique setting in which all patients are treated by one hospital (Soroka) and one pulmonology clinic allows us to perform a population based analysis with no subjects lost to follow-up. In the first phase of the project we established an epidemiological (population-based) association between dust storms and COPD exacerbations. The findings indicate that this arid urban environment experiences high PM 10 levels whose origin lies in both local and regional dust events. During the study period daily PM 10 concentrations reached over 2,000μg/m 3 . An average daily net contribution of dust to PM 10 of 122μg/m 3 was calculated for the entire study period which exceeds theWHO guideline (50μg/m 3 ). We found a positive association between dust storms and the rate of hospitalization for COPD exacerbation: (IRR=1.16, 95%CI, 1.08-1.24, p<0.001). The effect increased with age and was higher in women. In the second phase we prospectively investigated the association between individual SDAP exposure and COPD parameters in the population of COPD patients. Real-time PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels were measured simultaneously in outdoor and indoor environments over 14 dust events. The results demonstrate that during the climax of dust storms the spatial variations in PM can reach 400µg/m 3 between different locations in the city. Indoor PM 10 and PM 2.5 levels reached very high concentrations of 1,855µg/m 3 and 566µg/m 3 , respectively. More than 100 patients enrolled during the second phase. FEV1 values tend to be lower in dust storm days but the data are still being analyzed. The findings of the project allow linking specific health situations to source and emission types, implementing methods for exposure and risk assessment (individual and group levels), and assimilating natural resource management into development activities. We anticipate that the outcome of the research will be helpful in creating interventions and policies designed to reduce the phenomena while enhancing the quality of life in the Negev. Research publications (1) Katra, I., Arotsker, L., Krasnov, H., Zaritsky, A., Kushmaro, A., & Ben-Dov, E. (2014). Richness and diversity in dust stormborne biomes at the southeast Mediterranean. Scientific Reports, 4 , 5265. doi:10.1038/srep05265 (2) Krasnov, H., Katra, I., Koutrakis, P., & Friger, M. (2014). Contribution of dust storms to PM 10 levels in an urban arid environment. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 64 , 89-94. (3) Vodonos, A., Friger, M., Katra, I., Avnon, L., Krasnov, H., Koutrakis, P., Schwartz, J., Lior, O., & Novack, V. (2014). The impact of desert dust exposure on hospitalization due to the exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health . doi: 10.1007/s11869-014-0253-z Itzhak Katra 1 Victor Novack 1,2 | Lone Avnon 2 Dan Blumberg 1 Michael Friger 1 Petros Koutrakis 3 1. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev 2. Soroka University Medical Center 3. Harvard University, USA 2011-2014 Multi-Year Research Grants