Exposome of Refinery and Coal-Fired Power Plant Emissions
Journal
ISEE Conference Abstracts
Journal Volume
2016
Journal Issue
1
Date Issued
2016
Author(s)
Chi-Hsin Sally Chen
Yuan, Tzu-Hsuen
Chung, Ming-Kei
Shie, Ruei-Hao
Wu, Kuen-Yuh
Chan, Chang-Chuan
Abstract
Introduction: No study have comprehensively evaluated the complex pollutants emitted from coal-fired power plants and oil refineries in petrochemical industries and the health impact on nearby communities. Coal-fired power plants and oil refineries are main emission sources for SO2, NOx, PAHs and heavy metals. Environmental epidemiology studies showed increased risks of acute and chronic diseases in nearby residents. However, the association between multiple pollutants exposures and health effects is still unclear. Methods: Here we propose a possible implementation of the “public health exposome” to give an overview of the exposures, biological changes, and early health effects of young (age 9-15 years, n=111) and elderly residents (age >55 years, n=142) near a petrochemical complex with coal-fired power plants and oil refineries. Study subjects were further divided into high and low exposure groups according to the distance between their residential addresses and emission source. Results: High exposure groups showed elevated levels of PAHs and heavy metals exposures, with significant changes in urine metabolite profiles and increased oxidative stress levels when compared to low exposure groups. Urine metabolomics identified age-specific biological mechanisms and potential intermediate biomarkers that could associate exposures with oxidative stress. Increased exposures may induce oxidative stress through deregulations in phenylalanine metabolism in children, and fatty acid biosynthesis in elderly residents. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that by establishing a “public health exposome” in a petrochemical community, we could associate multiple exposures from a known, dominant emission source with early health effect oxidative stress, which is symptomatic for chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, by identifying intermediate biological mechanisms using omics techniques. These results may provide information for future studies.
Type
journal article