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Background: Globally, household air pollution (HAP) is a major environmental hazard that affects respiratory health. However, few studies have examined associations between HAP and lung function decline and respiratory disease and mortality. Methods: We used data from the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology study and examined adults residing in 240 rural communities in 11 low- and middle-income countries where HAP from cooking with solid fuels is common. Spirometry was conducted for 28,574 individuals at baseline and 12,489 individuals during follow-up (mean of 8 y between spirometry measures). In cross-sectional analyses, we compared lung function measurements [forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FE[V.sub.1]), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FE[V.sub.1]/FVC ratio] in those who used solid fuels for cooking in comparison with clean fuels. Using repeated measurements of lung function, we examined the percent change in lung function measures per year, comparing individuals by baseline fuel type and individuals who used solid fuels at baseline but switched to clean fuels during follow-up. We also examined associations with prospective health events (any respiratory diseases, respiratory disease hospitalizations, and all-cause mortality). Results: In adjusted cross-sectional models, use of solid fuel in comparison with clean fuels was associated with lower FE[V.sub.1] of -17.5 mL (95% CI: -32.7, -2.3) and FVC of -14.4 mL (95% CI: -32.0, 3.2), but not FE[V.sub.1]/FVC. In longitudinal analyses, individuals who switched from solid fuels to clean cooking fuels during follow-up (n = 3,901, 46% of those using solid fuel at baseline), showed no differences in the annual rate of change in FE[V.sub.1] or FVC, but had small improvements in FE[V.sub.1]/FVC change (0.2% per year, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.3). Individuals who switched from solid to clean fuels had a decreased hazard ratio for respiratory events of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.57, 1.00) in comparison with persistent solid fuel users, which was not attenuated by lung function measures. Conclusion: We observed modest associations between HAP exposure and lung function, lung function change, and respiratory disease and mortality. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11179, Introduction Approximately 3 billion people worldwide are exposed to household air pollution (HAP) from cooking or heating with solid fuels, such as wood, coal, dung, and crop residues, with most [...]

BACKGROUND: Pesticides have been associated with reproductive disorders, but there is limited research on pesticide exposures and human fertility. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the effects of preconception exposure to pesticides on time to pregnancy (TTP) and on infertility in a general population of couples planning to become pregnant in Shanghai, China. METHODS: A total of 615 women who were planning a pregnancy were enrolled before conception and were prospectively followed for 1 y to observe their TTP. Preconception pesticide exposures were assessed by measuring urinary metabolites of organophosphates (OPs) and pyrethroids (PYRs). Fecundability odds ratios (FORs) and odds ratios (ORs) of infertility were estimated using Cox and logistic regression models, respectively. All analyses were repeated after restricting the sample to nulliparous women (n = 569). RESULTS: After adjusting for age, prepregnancy BMI, current smoking, education, annual household income, age at menarche, and two items from the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), women in the highest quartile of diethylthiophosphate (DETP; an OP metabolite) had significantly longer TTP [adjusted FOR = 0.68 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.92)] and increased infertility [adjusted OR = 2.17 (95% CI: 1.19, 3.93)] compared with women in the lowest quartile. The highest versus lowest quartile of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3PBA; a PYR metabolite) was associated with longer TTP and infertility, with significant associations in nulliparous women [adjusted FOR = 0.72 (95% CI: 0.53, 0.98); adjusted OR for infertility = 2.03 (95% CI: 1.10, 3.74)]. CONCLUSION: Our study provides some of the first evidence that preconception OP and PYR exposures are associated with decreased fertility in Chinese couples. Given that OPs and PYRs are rapidly metabolized in humans, more studies are needed to confirm our findings., Introduction Growing evidence suggests that human fertility rates are declining in both developed and developing countries (Clementi et al. 2008). This reduced fertility has been assumed to be associated with [...]

Background: Many epidemiological studies have linked daily counts of hospital admissions to particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 &mgr;m (PM10) and ≤ 2.5 &mgr;m (PM2.5), but relatively few have investigated the relationship of hospital admissions with coarse PM (PMc; 2.5-10 &mgr;m aerodynamic diameter). Objectives: We conducted this study to estimate the health effects of PMc on emergency hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in Hong Kong after controlling for PM2.5 and gaseous pollutants. Methods: We conducted a time-series analysis of associations between daily emergency hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in Hong Kong from January 2000 to December 2005 and daily PM2.5 and PMc concentrations. We estimated PMc concentrations by subtracting PM2.5 from PM10 measurements. We used generalized additive models to examine the relationship between PMc (single- and multiday lagged exposures) and hospital admissions adjusted for time trends, weather conditions, influenza outbreaks, PM2.5, and gaseous pollutants (nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone). Results: A 10.9-&mgr;g/m3 (interquartile range) increase in the 4-day moving average concentration of PMc was associated with a 1.94% (95% confidence interval: 1.24%, 2.64%) increase in emergency hospital admissions for respiratory diseases that was attenuated but still significant after controlling for PM2.5. Adjusting for gaseous pollutants and altering models assumptions had little influence on PMc effect estimates. Conclusion: PMc was associated with emergency hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in Hong Kong independent of PM2.5 and gaseous pollutants. Further research is needed to evaluate health effects of different components of PMc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]