Victoria Blanes-Vidal

Residential exposure to outdoor air pollution from livestock operations and perceived annoyance among citizens

Epidemiological studies have shown that residential exposure to livestock odors can affect the health and wellbeing of rural citizens. However, exposure-response models for this relationship have not been developed. One of the main challenges is to identify a compound that can be used as proxy for livestock odor exposure. In this paper we developed models that describe the relationship between long-term averaged outdoor residential ammonia (NH(3)) exposures and livestock odor annoyance experienced by rural residents, and investigated person-related variables associated with annoyance responses. We used emission-based atmospheric dispersion modeling data to estimate household-specific outdoor concentrations and survey data to characterize the study subjects. Binomial and multinomial logistic regressions were used for model development. Residential NH(3) exposure was positively associated with moderate, high and extreme odor annoyance (adjusted odds ratio=10.59; 95% confidence interval: 1.35-83.13, for each unit increase in Log(e)NH(3) exposure). Specific characteristics of the exposed subjects (i.e., age, time per week spent at home, presence of children at home and job) act as co-determinants of odor annoyance responses. Predictive models showed classification accuracies of 67-72%. The results suggest that NH(3) exposure in the residential outdoor environment can be used as a predictor of livestock odor annoyance in population studies.

Perceived annoyance from environmental odors and association with atmospheric ammonia levels in non-urban residential communities: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveOdor exposure is an environmental stressor that is responsible of many citizens complains about air pollution in non-urban areas. However, information about the exposure-response relation is scarce. One of the main challenges is to identify a measurable compound that can be related with odor annoyance responses. We investigated the association between regional and temporal variation of ammonia (NH3) concentrations in five Danish non-urban regions and environmental odor annoyance as perceived by the local residents.MethodsA cross-sectional study where NH3 concentration was obtained from the national air quality monitoring program and from emission-dispersion modelling, and odor pollution perception from questionnaires. The exposure-response model was a sigmoid model. Linear regression analyses were used to estimate the model constants after equation transformations. The model was validated using leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV) statistical method.ResultsAbout 45% of the respondents were annoyed by odor pollution at their residential areas. The perceived odor was characterized by all respondents as animal waste odor. The exposure-annoyance sigmoid model showed that the prevalence of odor annoyance was significantly associated with NH3 concentrations (measured and estimated) at the local air quality monitoring stations (p < 0.01,R2 = 0.99; and p < 0.05,R2 = 0.93; respectively). Prediction errors were below 5.1% and 20% respectively. The seasonal pattern of odor perception was associated with the seasonal variation in NH3 concentrations (p < 0.001, adjusted R2 = 0.68).ConclusionThe results suggest that atmospheric NH3 levels at local air quality stations could be used as indicators of prevalence of odor annoyance in non-urban residential communities.

Reduction of Odor and Odorant Emissions from Slurry Stores by Means of Straw Covers

Swine (Sus scrofa) slurry stored in open storages is a source of airborne contaminants. A customary practice for ammonia and odor control consists of covering the surface of the slurry with floating materials, such as straw. Although straw covers have been proven to generally reduce gaseous emissions, more knowledge is needed regarding how age, moisture content, and microbiological development of the straw cover affect the emissions of odor and odorants to develop recommendations for the practical use of straw covers. This study compiles data on odor concentration and odorants above swine slurry covered by straw of different ages and moisture contents, during a 9 wk laboratory scale study. The results showed that aged straw covers significantly reduced emissions of ammonia (by 99%), dimethyl sulfide (by 81%), phenol (82%), p-cresol (by 95%), skatole (by 98%), and benzylalcohol (by 97%), while no significant differences were found between uncovered and covered slurry for emission of odor, hydrogen sulfide, volatile fatty acids, dimethyl disulfide, and indole. The moisture content of the straw cover neither affected emissions of odor nor odorants. This study suggests that the main mechanism for odor and odorants emission reduction from straw covered slurry is as a physical barrier and not as a biofilter. However, the reduction in emissions of specific gases (such as ammonia, dimethyl sulfide, p-cresol, and benzyl alcohol) appears to be also caused by the straw cover acting as a biofilter.

A comprehensive model to estimate the simultaneous release of acidic and basic gaseous pollutants from swine slurry under different scenarios

Swine slurry is a source of atmospheric pollutants. Emissions of basic and acidic compounds from slurry are largely dependent on the surface pH. In a storage system, the pH at the surface layers changes over time due to the volatilisation of ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2) and acetic acid (HAc). In this article, a comprehensive gas emission–pH (GE–pH) coupled model is proposed to describe the simultaneous release of acidic and basic gaseous pollutants from swine slurry. The model was applied to describe the release of NH3, CO2, HAc and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) from standard slurries stored in animal houses, outside storage tanks and lagoons. The modelled results agreed well with values reported in the literature and could be reasonably interpreted. The key parameters affecting the release of gases were: initial pH, initial concentration of total ammonium nitrogen and inorganic carbon, slurry temperature and air velocity. This study suggests that future modelling studies on gas emissions from animal slurry should consider the concentration of inorganic carbon and the frequency in which the slurry surface is mixed or altered, because they affect the surface pH and the release of gaseous pollutants from slurry.

Respiratory and sensory irritation symptoms among residents exposed to low-to-moderate air pollution from biodegradable wastes.

Previous studies have reported increased occurrence of respiratory and sensory irritation symptoms among residents living close to biodegradable waste sites. However, few studies have been able to quantify direct and annoyance-mediated effects based on individual-specific assessments of chemical exposures. We examined associations between residential exposures to a proxy gas (ammonia, NH3) from biodegradable wastes (mainly from farming, animal and agricultural activities) and odor annoyance and six respiratory and sensory irritation symptoms (self-reported), using adjusted logistic regression models and mediation analyses. Individual-specific NH3 exposures (n=454) in residential environments during 2005–2010 were calculated by the Danish Eulerian long-range transport model and the local-scale transport deposition model. Residential NH3 exposure was associated with increased frequency of four symptoms, including “eyes itching, dryness or irritation” and “cough” (ORadj=1.69; 95% CI: 1.09–2.61 and ORadj=1.75; 95% CI: 1.12–2.74, for each unit increase in loge(NH3 exposure)). Odor annoyance mediated the effect of exposure on cough and three sensory irritation symptoms. Mediation was either full (indirect-only effects) or partial (direct and indirect effects). This study provides support for the existence of indirect associations between residential exposures to low-to-moderate air pollution from wastes and symptoms, as well as direct dose-response associations for some of the symptoms.

Characteristics of pollutant gas releases from swine, dairy, beef, and layer manure, and municipal wastewater.

Knowledge about characteristics of gas releases from various types of organic wastes can assist in developing gas pollution reduction technologies and establishing environmental regulations. Five different organic wastes, i.e., four types of animal manure (swine, beef, dairy, and layer hen) and municipal wastewater, were studied for their characteristics of ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) releases for 38 or 43 days in reactors under laboratory conditions. Weekly waste additions and continuous reactor headspace ventilation were supplied to simulate waste storage conditions. Results demonstrated that among the five waste types, layer hen manure and municipal wastewater had the highest and lowest NH3 release potentials, respectively. Layer manure had the highest and dairy manure had the lowest CO2 release potentials. Dairy manure and layer manure had the highest and lowest H2S release potentials, respectively. Beef manure and layer manure had the highest and lowest SO2 releases, respectively. The physicochemical characteristics of the different types of wastes, especially the total nitrogen, total ammoniacal nitrogen, dry matter, and pH, had strong influence on the releases of the four gases. Even for the same type of waste, the variation in physicochemical characteristics affected the gas releases remarkably.

An Adaptive Path Loss Channel Model for Wave Propagation in Multilayer Transmission Medium

Advances in micro robots in non-invasive medicine have enabled physicians to perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with higher resolution and lower risk than before. However, navigation and precise localisation of such micro robots inside human body still remains a challenge. This is mostly due to the 1) lack of precise communication channel models, 2) inhomogeneity of the propagation medium and 3) non-geometric boundaries of the tissues morphometric parameters. In this study, we derive novel intra-body path loss channel models for wave propagation in wireless capsule endoscopy, i.e., propagation through the gastrointestinal tract and the abdominal wall. We formulate an adaptive attenuation parameter as a function of permittivity, conductivity and the thickness of various layers between the transmitter and the receiver. The standard deviation of modelling error of the path loss using our adaptive channel model is smaller than 50% of that of existing channel models. We further analyse the sensitivity of the path loss model to the variations of thickness of different abdominal wall layers. We finally show that the thickness of the fat layer has the greatest influence on the total attenuation parameter of the path loss model and therefore, we modify our adaptive model accordingly.

Air pollution from biodegradable wastes and non-specific health symptoms among residents: Direct or annoyance-mediated associations?

Adverse health effects of exposure to high levels of air pollutants from biodegradable wastes have been well-studied. However, few investigations have examined the potential effects of chronic exposure to low-to-moderate levels on non-specific health symptoms among residents. Besides, most studies have relied on distances to waste sites to assign exposure status, and have not investigated whether the exposure-symptoms associations are direct or mediated by odor annoyance. In this study, individual-level exposures to a proxy indicator of biodegradable waste pollution (ammonia, NH3) in non-urban residences (n=454) during 2005-2010 were characterized by data from emission-dispersion validated models. Logistic regression and mediating analyses were used to examine associations between exposures and questionnaire-based data on annoyance and non-specific symptoms, after adjusting by person-specific covariates. Strong dose-response associations were found between exposures and annoyance, and between annoyance and symptoms. Associations between exposures and symptoms (nausea, headache, dizziness, difficulty concentrating and unnatural fatigue) were indirect (annoyance-mediated). This study indicates that environmental exposures play an important role in the genesis of non-specific symptoms among residents exposed to low-to-moderate air pollution from biodegradable wastes, although the effects seem to be indirect, relayed through stress-related mechanisms.

Characterization of exposure in epidemiological studies on air pollution from biodegradable wastes: Misclassification and comparison of exposure assessment strategies

The assignment of exposure is one of the main challenges faced by environmental epidemiologists. However, misclassification of exposures has not been explored in population epidemiological studies on air pollution from biodegradable wastes. The objective of this study was to investigate the use of different approaches for assessing exposure to air pollution from biodegradable wastes by analyzing (1) the misclassification of exposure that is committed by using these surrogates, (2) the existence of differential misclassification (3) the effects that misclassification may have on health effect estimates and the interpretation of epidemiological results, and (4) the ability of the exposure measures to predict health outcomes using 10-fold cross validation. Four different exposure assessment approaches were studied: ammonia concentrations at the residence (Metric I), distance to the closest source (Metric II), number of sources within certain distances from the residence (Metric IIIa,b) and location in a specific region (Metric IV). Exposure-response models based on Metric I provided the highest predictive ability (72.3%) and goodness-of-fit, followed by IV, III and II. When compared to Metric I, Metric IV yielded the best results for exposure misclassification analysis and interpretation of health effect estimates, followed by Metric IIIb, IIIa and II. The study showed that modelled NH3 concentrations provide more accurate estimations of true exposure than distances-based surrogates, and that distance-based surrogates (especially those based on distance to the closest point source) are imprecise methods to identify exposed populations, although they may be useful for initial studies.

Bayesian-based localization of wireless capsule endoscope using received signal strength.

In wireless body area sensor networking (WBASN) applications such as gastrointestinal (GI) tract monitoring using wireless video capsule endoscopy (WCE), the performance of out-of-body wireless link propagating through different body media (i.e. blood, fat, muscle and bone) is still under investigation. Most of the localization algorithms are vulnerable to the variations of path-loss coefficient resulting in unreliable location estimation. In this paper, we propose a novel robust probabilistic Bayesian-based approach using received-signal-strength (RSS) measurements that accounts for Rayleigh fading, variable path-loss exponent and uncertainty in location information received from the neighboring nodes and anchors. The results of this study showed that the localization root mean square error of our Bayesian-based method was 1.6 mm which was very close to the optimum Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) and significantly smaller than that of other existing localization approaches (i.e. classical MDS (64.2mm), dwMDS (32.2mm), MLE (36.3mm) and POCS (2.3mm)).