Association between Exposure to Components of Pulp and Paper Industry Emissions and Diseases in Children

Introduction. To improve the efficiency of prevention and elimination of adverse health effects of airborne chem­icals in children and adults, the industrially developed regions of Russian Federation face an urgent task of establishing the relationship between exposure to industrial emissions and diseases observed in the local population. The objective of our study was to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between inhalation exposure to components of pulp and paper industry emissions and health disorders in children.

Materials and methods. We carried out ambient air quality testing in the residential area, established target organs and systems, assessed non-carcinogenic risk, conducted an in-depth child health examination, and modeled cause-effect relationships.

Results. We established that phenol, benzene, toluene, xylene, and ethylbenzene were constantly present in the air in the vicinity of the pulp and paper mill. Their concentrations were up to 4.83 and 9.55 times higher than the average daily and one-time maximum permissible concentrations, respectively. High concentrations of chem­icals posed unacceptable chronic non-carcinogenic risk of developing diseases of the respiratory, cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems, liver, and kidney, as well as acute non-carcinogenic risk of diseases of the immune system. Elevated (up to 1.5 times) blood levels of phenol and xylenes were associated with a 2.3 times higher incidence rate of allergic respiratory diseases and an almost 1.5 times higher incidence of digestive diseases. We established the relationship between blood phenol and xylene levels and a higher incidence of allergic respiratory diseases and diseases of the biliary tract, an increased eosin­ophil count, nasal mucus eosinophilia, higher direct and total bilirubin in serum.

Conclusion. Laboratory test results proved the relationship between inhalation exposure to phenol and xylene as components of pulp and paper industry emissions and higher incidence of diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems observed in the local child population.

1. Popova AYu, Zaitseva NV, May IV. Population health as a target function and criterion for assessing efficiency of activities performed within “pure air” federal project. Health Risk Analysis. 2019; (4):4–13. (In Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.21668/health.risk/2019.4.01.eng

2. Goryaev DV, Tikhonova IV, Novikova II, et al. [The relevance of the socio-hygienic assessment of regional features of atmospheric air pollution (on the example of the Krasnoyarsk Territory).] In: Actual Problems of Safety and Health Risk Analysis for the Population under the Influence of Environmental Factors: Proceedings of the VI All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with international participation, Perm, 13-15 May 2015. Popova AYu, Zaitseva NV, editors. Perm: Knizhnyy Format Publ., 2015. Pp. 142–143. (In Russian).

3. Pedenko AS, Savvateeva OA. Ecology of the woodworking industry. In: Proceedings of the 10th International Student Scientific Conference “Student Scientific Forum – 2018”. Available at: https://scienceforum.ru/2018/article/2018005341. Accessed: 8 Feb 2021. (In Russian).

4. Zaytseva NV, Zemlyanova MA, Tarantin AV. Human protein blood count disorders under impact of aromatic hydrocarbons. Ekologiya Cheloveka [Human Ecology]. 2013; (7):15–26. (In Russian).

5. Hu C, Hou J, Zhou Y, et al. Association of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk: A role of mean platelet volume or club cell secretory protein. Environ Pollut. 2018; 233:45–53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.10.042

6. Alshaarawy O, Zhu M, Ducatman A, et al. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biomarkers and serum markers of inflammation. A positive association that is more evident in men. Environ Res. 2013; 126:98–104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2013.07.006

7. Salmina AB, Petrova MM, Taranushenko TE, et al. Alteration of neuron-glia interactions in neurodegeneration: molecular biomarkers and therapeutic strategy. In: Neurodegenerative Diseases: Processes, Prevention, Protection and Monitoring. Chang RC-C, editor. InTech, 2011. Pp. 273–300. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5772/29157

8. Ricci G, Volpi L, Pasquali L, et al. Astrocyte-neuron interactions in neurological disorders. J Biol Phys. 2009; 35(4):317–336. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-009-9157-9

9. Niaz K, Bahadar H, Maqbool F, et al. A review of environmental and occupational exposure to xylene and its health concerns. EXCLI J. 2015; 14:1167–86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2015-623

10. Shirinsky VP. Molecular physiology of endothelium and mechanisms of vascular permeability. Uspekhi Fiziologicheskikh Nauk. 2011; 42(1):18–32. (In Russian).

11. Hsieh HJ, Liu CA, Huang B, et al. Shear-induced endothelial mechanotransduction: the interplay between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) and the pathophysiological implications. J Biomed Sci. 2014; 21(1):3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1423-0127-21-3

12. Toxicological profile for phenol. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; September, 2008. 269 p.

13. Toxicological profile for benzene. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; August 2007. 438 p.

14. Arslan E, Samanci B, Samanci BS, et al. Effects of xylene on respiratory mucosa in rats. Int J Morphol. 2016; 34(3):934–938. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0717-95022016000300019

15. Karatepe HO, Kilincaslan H, Berber M, et al. The effect of vascular endothelial growth factor overexpression in experimental necrotizing enterocolitis. Pediatr Surg Int. 2014; 30(3):327–332. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-013-3460-z

16. Nawijn MC, Hackett TL, Postma DS, et al. E-cadherin: gatekeeper of airway mucosa and allergic sensitization. Trends Immunol. 2011; 32(6):248–255. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2011.03.004

17. Zemans RL, Colgan SP, Downey GP. Transepithelial migration of neutrophils: mechanisms and implications for acute lung injury. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2009; 40(5):519–535. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1165/rcmb.2008-0348TR

18. Wills-Karp M, Nathan A, Page K, et al. New insights into innate immune mechanisms underlying allergenicity. Mucosal Immunol. 2010; 3(2):104–110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/mi.2009.138

19. Ishiyama N, Lee S-H, Liu S, et al. Dynamic and static interactions between p120 catenin and E-cadherin regulate the stability of cell–cell adhesion. Cell. 2010; 141(1):117–128. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2010.01.017

20. McCall IC, Betanzos A, Weber DA, et al. Effects of phenol on barrier function of a human intestinal epithelial cell line correlate with altered tight junction protein localization. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2009; 241(1):61–70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2009.08.002

21. Mandell KJ, Babbin BA, Nusrat A, et al. Junctional adhesion molecule 1 regulates epithelial cell morphology through effects on beta1 integrins and Rap1 activity. J Biol Chem. 2005; 280(12):11665–74. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M412650200

22. Steinbacher T, Kummer D, Ebnet K. Junctional adhesion molecule–A: functional diversity through molecular promiscuity. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2018; 75(8):1393–1409. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-017-2729-0

23. Khounlotham M, Kim W, Peatman E, et al. Compromised intestinal epithelial barrier induces adaptive immune compensation that protects from colitis. Immunity. 2012; 37(3):563–573. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2012.06.017

24. Tolmacheva OG, Golovanova ES, Aminova AI, et al. Hepatobiliary damage in children residing in conditions of anthropogenic impact of chemical matter. Fundamental’nye Issledovaniya. 2012; (8-1):162-168. Available at: http://fundamental-research.ru/ru/article/view?id=30289. Accessed: 15 Feb 2021. (In Russian).

25. Reyes-Soffer G, Moon B, Hernandez-Ono A, et al. Complex effects of inhibiting hepatic apolipoprotein B100 synthesis in humans. Sci Transl Med. 2016; 8(323):323ra12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aad2195

26. Chapman MJ, Ginsberg HN, Amarenco P, et al. Triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease: evidence and guidance for management. Eur Heart J. 2011; 32(11):1345–1361. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehr112

27. Patri M. Synaptic transmission and amino acid neurotransmitters. In: Neurochemical Basis of Brain Function and Dysfunction. Heinbockel T, editor. IntechOpen, 2019. Pt 2. Pp. 539-981. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82121

28. Jansen M, Dannhardt G. Antagonists and agonists at the glycine site of the NMDA receptor for therapeutic interventions. Eur J Med Chem. 2003; 38(7–8):661–670. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0223-5234(03)00113-2

29. Köhr G. NMDA receptor function: subunit composition versus spatial distribution. Cell Tissue Res. 2006; 326(2):439–446. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-006-0273-6

30. Zinchenko VP, Turovskaya MV, Turovsky EA, et al. Calcium-binding proteins protect gabaergic neurons of the hippocampus from hypoxia and ischemia in vitro. Biologicheskie Membrany. 2017; 34(5):68-80. (In Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.7868/S0233475517050085