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Exposure levels and possible health effects of HAP on rural housewives in northwest China

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Abstract

Objective

It is crucial to study the possible health effects of household air pollution (HAP).

Methods

Eligible rural (n = 58) and county women (n = 10) were enrolled in this study as research and control groups to explore the relationship between the HAP and potential health effects on rural women in northwest China. Firstly, a questionnaire on general characteristics of subjects was conducted. Next, in the non-heating (September 2019) and heating seasons (March 2020), the average concentrations of respirable particulate matter 10 (PM10) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in living rooms of rural subjects were monitored and health indicators of all subjects were measured. The levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA), 1-Hydroxypyrene (1-OHP),and producing 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and the activity of Superoxide dismutase (SOD) of all subjects in urine samples in two seasons were detected.

Results

The questionnaire results revealed that economic level, house structure, local lifestyle, and seasonal fuel energy type were influence factors relatively high exposure to HAP during the heating season, and all subjects had a certain of self-management of blood pressure. However, there were deficiencies in rural subjects in terms of regular checkups and medication taking. The average PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations during the heating season were significantly higher than those in the non-heating season. Meanwhile, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of the rural subjects showed significant seasonal changes and SBP was significantly higher than those in the county subjects during the heating season. The 1-OHP, MDA, SOD, and 8-OHdG levels of rural subjects increased significantly in the heating season compared with the non-heating season and county subjects (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Rural women in northwest China were exposed to higher HAP due to lifestyle in heating season, which could cause changes in blood pressure as well as oxidative stress levels. Therefore, it is important to further explore the mechanism on oxidative stress involved in high blood pressure induced by HAP.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81828011). The authors thank the residents who volunteered to participate in this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No.199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Yamin Huang, Yushan Huang, Jinping Fan, Xiangli Li, Chengyun Li & Junling Wang

  2. Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Gynecology, Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-Care Hospital, LanzhouGansu, 730000, China

    Huiling Wang

  3. Second Provincial People’s Hospital of Gansu, LanzhouGansu, 730000, China

    Haojun Zhang

  4. Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No.199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Junling Wang

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  1. Yamin Huang
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Correspondence to Junling Wang.

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Conflict of interest

Yamin Huang, Yushan Huang, Huiling Wang, Jinping Fan, Xiangli Li, Chengyun Li, Haojun Zhang, and Junling Wang declare that they have no competing financial interest.

Ethical approval

This field study was approved by the Human Subject Protection Committee of Lanzhou University (Project ID: IRB2018003).

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Huang, Y., Huang, Y., Wang, H. et al. Exposure levels and possible health effects of HAP on rural housewives in northwest China. Toxicol. Environ. Health Sci. 15, 73–84 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13530-022-00162-5

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