Exposure to airborne fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) carries substantial health risks, particularly for younger children (0–10 years). Epidemiological evidence indicates that children are more susceptible to PM health effects than adults. We conducted a literature review to obtain an overview of existing knowledge regarding the correlation of exposure to short- and long-term PM concentrations with respiratory symptoms and disease in children. A collection of scientific papers and topical reviews were selected in cooperation with two experienced paediatricians. The literature review was performed using the keywords “air pollution”, “particulate matter”, “children’s health” and “respiratory” from 1950 to 2016, searching the databases of Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PubMed. The search provided 45,191 studies for consideration. Following the application of eligibility criteria and experts’ best judgment to titles and abstracts, 28 independent studies were deemed relevant for further detailed review and knowledge extraction. The results showed that most studies focused mainly on the effect of short-term exposure in children, and the reported associations were relatively homogeneous amongst the studies. Most of the respiratory diseases observed in outdoor studies were related to changes in lung function and exacerbation of asthma symptoms. Allergic reactions were frequently reported in indoor studies. Asthma exacerbation, severe respiratory symptoms and moderate airway obstruction on spirometry were also observed in children due to various sources of indoor pollution in households and schools. Mixed indoor and outdoor studies indicate frequent occurrence of wheezing and deterioration of lung function. There is good evidence of the adverse effect of short-term exposure to PM on children’s respiratory health. In terms of long-term exposure, fine particles (PM_0.1–PM_2.5) represent a higher risk factor than coarse particles (PM_2.5–PM₁₀). Additional research is required to better understand the heterogeneous sources and the association of PM and adverse children’s health outcomes. We recommend long-term cooperation between air quality specialists, paediatricians, epidemiologists, and parents in order to improve the knowledge of PM effects on young children’s respiratory health.

The aim of this study was to link the concentrations of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter below 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) and associated heavy metals with occurrence of wheezing and hospitalizations due to wheezing in 111 children who live near metallurgical plants in Targoviste City, Romania. A group of 72 children with high levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and eosinophils, as well as frequent wheezing episodes, was geolocated on digital thematic maps. Monitoring campaigns and medical assessments were performed over two consecutive years (2013–2014). The multiannual average concentrations of PM_2.5 ranged from 4.6 to 22.5 μg m⁻³, up to a maximum value of 102 μg m⁻³. Significant correlations (p < 0.01) were observed between the locations of the children with respiratory issues and the PM_2.5 multiannual average (r = 0.985) and PM_2.5 maximum (r = 0.813). Fe, Ni, Cd, and Cr were the main marker elements of the emissions from steel production and metal-working facilities in the Targoviste area. The results support the hypothesis that increased PM_2.5 levels directly influence wheezing symptom and asthma attacks in the analyzed group. IgE, eosinophils, and wheezing episodes may be considered key indicators with which to evaluate the adverse effects of PM_2.5 air pollution on children’s health.

The overall objective of this research was to study children’s respiratory illness levels in Targoviste (Romania) in relationship to the outdoor concentrations of airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter below 2.5 µm (PM_2.5). We monitored and analysed the PM_2.5 concentrations according to a complex experimental protocol. The health trial was conducted over three months (October–December 2015) and required the active cooperation of the children’s parents to monitor carefully the respiratory symptoms of the child, i.e., coughing, rhinorrhoea, wheezing, and fever, as well as their outdoor program. We selected the most sensitive children (n = 25; age: 2–10 years) with perturbed respiratory health, i.e., wheezing, asthma, and associated symptoms. The estimated average PM_2.5 doses were 0.8–14.5 µg·day⁻¹ for weekdays, and 0.4–6.6 µg·day⁻¹ for the weekend. The frequency and duration of the symptoms decreased with increasing age. The 4- to 5-year old children recorded the longest duration of symptoms, except for rhinorrhoea, which suggested that this age interval is the most vulnerable to exogenous trigger agents (p < 0.01) compared to the other age groups. PM_2.5 air pollution was found to have a direct positive correlation with the number of wheezing episodes (r = 0.87; p < 0.01) in November 2015. Monitoring of wheezing occurrences in the absence of fever can provide a reliable assessment of the air pollution effect on the exacerbation of asthma and respiratory disorders in sensitive children.

The paper reviews the state of water quality in Ialomita River Basin (IRB), Romania, between 2007 and 2018 using the land use/land cover and basin-specific conditions effects on sediments and nutrients load. On-site monitoring was performed in two control sections of the Ialomita River, one in the upper part of the basin (near Targoviste city) and the second near the discharge into the Danube (downstream of Tandarei town). The statistical averages of water parameters for 10 years’ monitoring in the control section that is close to the Ialomita River discharge in Danube were pH = 7.60 (range: 6.41–8.40), NH₄-N = 1.20 mg/L (0.02–14.87), alkalinity = 4.12 mmol/L (1.34–6.27), NO₃-N = 2.60 mg/L (0.08–17.30), PO₄-P = 0.09 mg/L (0–0,31), dissolved oxygen (DO) = 8.87 mg/L (2.72–15.96), BOD₅ = 5.50 mg/L (0.01–74.71), suspended solids (TSS) = 508.32 mg/L (15.2–4457), total dissolved salts (TDS) = 733.69 mg/L (455.2–1053), and river discharge = 38.60 m³/s (8.22–165). Expected mean concentration and soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) modeling have been employed in the GIS environment to extend the approach to large spatial patterns within the basin. The estimated average specific emission on the total area for nitrogen was 3.2 kg N/ha, and 0.3 kg P/ha for phosphorus highly influenced by the agricultural activities. The results are useful to raise awareness regarding water-quality degradation and the need to stop and even reverse such trends for local and national sustainable development.

Cristiana Radulescu, Claudia Stihi, Stefania Iordache, Daniel Dunea, Ioana Daniela Dulama - Characterization of Urban Atmospheric PM2.5 by ATR-FTIR, ICP-MS and SEM-EDS Techniques

This study examines the levels of benzene and the potential health impact during three years of continuous monitoring (2019–2021), including the COVID-lockdown period from 2020 in a city that is an important Romanian center for petroleum refining and associated product manufacturing. The dataset contains benzene, toluene, NOx, PM₁₀ concentrations, and meteorological factors monitored by six automatic stations from the national network of which four are in the city and two outside. Special attention was given to the benzene dynamics to establish patterns related to the health impact and leukemia. An assessment of the exposure was performed using EPA’s ExpoFIRST v. 2.0 for computing the inhalation Average Daily Dose (ADD) and Lifetime Average Daily Dose (LADD). The health impact was estimated based on several indicators such as lifetime cancer risk (LCR), Hazard Quotient (HQ), Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY), and Environmental burden of disease (EBD). Overall, the annual average of all stations was almost similar between years i.e., 3.46 in 2019, 3.41 in 2020, and 3.63 µg/m³ in 2021, respectively. The average of all stations during the lockdown period was 2.67 µg/m³, which was lower than the multiannual average of the 2019–2021 period, i.e., 3.5 µg/m³. Significant correlations were present between benzene and other pollutants such as NOx (r = 0.57), PM₁₀ fraction (r = 0.70), and toluene (r = 0.69), and benzene and temperature (r = −0.46), humidity (r = 0.28), and wind speed (r = −0.34). Regarding the ADD, in all scenarios, the most affected age categories are small children, despite a lower outdoor exposure time. From birth to <70 years, the ADD varied depending on the exposure scenario resulting in 3.27 × 10⁻⁴, 5.6 × 10⁻⁴, and 4.04 × 10⁴ mg/kg-day, and 3.95 × 10⁻⁴, 10.6 × 10⁻⁴, and 6.76 × 10⁻⁴ mg/kg-day for the LADD, respectively. The Integrated Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILTCR) values were 14.1 × 10⁻⁵ in winter, 9.04 × 10⁻⁵ in spring, 8.74 × 10⁻⁵ in summer, and 10.6 × 10⁻⁴ in autumn. The ILTCR annual averages were 1.08 × 10⁻⁴ (2019), 1.07 × 10⁻⁴ (2020), 1.04 × 10⁻⁴ (2021), and 1.06 × 10⁻⁴ for the entire period. The resulting ILTCR values point out very risky conditions, with the annual averages reaching the definite cancer risk category. The corresponding burden based on the DALY’s loss due to leukemia in Ploieşti was estimated at 0.291 (2 μg/m³ benzene), 0.509 (3.5 μg/m³ benzene), 0.582 (4 μg/m³ benzene), and 0.873 DALYs per 100,000 inhabitants (6 μg/m³ benzene), respectively. The current study provides useful insights for a better understanding of the exposure levels to benzene and associated health impact in Ploieşti despite the limitations determined by the data hiatus and incomplete or missing information regarding the health impact.