National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge
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The Impact of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) on the Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis: A Multi-Biomarker Evaluation
No full textPerfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been widely studied due to its environmental persistence and bioaccumulation potential, raising concerns about its effects on aquatic life. This research evaluates the impact of PFOA on the antioxidant defenses and stress response systems of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Mussels were exposed to three concentrations of PFOA (1, 10, and 100 µg·L−1) over 28 days. Several biomarkers, including glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), lipid peroxidation (LPO), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), vitellogenin (VTG), ubiquitin (UBI), and caspase-3 (CASP) were analyzed. The results suggest stress responses, particularly in animals exposed to higher concentrations, as shown by GST and SOD activities which increased according to PFOA concentrations. Additionally, oxidative stress markers such as MDA and CAT showed variable responses depending on the exposure concentration tested. This study underscores the need for further investigation into the effects of PFOA on mollusks but also the need to unveil gender-specific responses in aquatic organisms exposed to this contaminant. The concentrations of PFOA used in our research are lower than those examined in previous studies, providing crucial insights into the impacts of even minimal exposure levels. It highlights the potential of M. galloprovincialis as a bioindicator in environmental monitoring programs, providing crucial insights for environmental management and policymaking regarding regulating and monitoring PFOA in marine settings. Consequently, in a country where seafood consumption is the second largest in Europe, implementing environmental policies and regulatory measures to manage and monitor PFOA levels in marine environments is crucial.This work was funded by national funds from FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., in the scope of the project UIDP/04378/2020 and UIDB/04378/2020 of the Research Unit on Applied Molecular Biosciences—UCIBIO and the project LA/P/0140/2020 of the Associate Laboratory In-stitute for Health and Bioeconomy—i4HB and by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry—LAQV which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UID/QUI/50006/2019). This work was also conducted under the Horizon Eurizon project “Prevent Groundwater Contamination Related to Global and Climate Change Through a Holistic approach based on Managed Aqiofer Recharge”, “MAR2PROTECT” (CL6-2022-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-01)
Exploring BPA alternatives - Environmental levels and toxicity review
No full textBisphenol A alternatives are manufactured as potentially less harmful substitutes of bisphenol A (BPA) that offer similar functionality. These alternatives are already in the market, entering the environment and thus raising ecological concerns. However, it can be expected that levels of BPA alternatives will dominate in the future, they are limited information on their environmental safety. The EU PARC project highlights BPA alternatives as priority chemicals and consolidates information on BPA alternatives, with a focus on environmental relevance and on the identification of the research gaps. The review highlighted aspects and future perspectives. In brief, an extension of environmental monitoring is crucial, extending it to cover BPA alternatives to track their levels and facilitate the timely implementation of mitigation measures. The biological activity has been studied for BPA alternatives, but in a non-systematic way and prioritized a limited number of chemicals. For several BPA alternatives, the data has already provided substantial evidence regarding their potential harm to the environment. We stress the importance of conducting more comprehensive assessments that go beyond the traditional reproductive studies and focus on overlooked relevant endpoints. Future research should also consider mixture effects, realistic environmental concentrations, and the long-term consequences on biota and ecosystems.This work was carried out in the framework of the European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) and has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 101057014. This work was also supported from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 857560. Ondrej Adamovsky and Ludek Blaha thank the RECETOX Research Infrastructure (No LM2023069) financed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, for supportive background. Dr. Adamovsky thanks also The Czech Science Foundation (GACR), project 23-13617L, for support in plastic and plastic additives research. Alja Štern, Bojana Žegura and Tina Eleršek thank the ARIS program P1-0245 for supportive background. Susana Loureiro, Isabel Lopes and Marta S Monteiro thank the Foundation for Science and Technology and Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (FCT/MCTES) for the financial support to CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/2020+LA/P/0094/2020). Knut Erik Tollefsen and Jonny Beyer acknowledge the contribution from the Research Council of Norway projects 223268, 315969 and 342628. Dries Knapen, Lucia Vergauwen, Evelyn Stinckens and Ellen Vandeputte thank the University of Antwerp Research Fund (project 44602 and GOA project FFB180348/36572) and FPS Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, DG Environment, in the framework of the National Action Plan on Endocrine Disruptors (NAPED, DGEM/DPPC/MJE/23079) for co-funding the work. Martina Fenske thanks the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) for financial support (Action programme "Water management" of BfG and BMUV, Action 111
Ozone-related acute excess mortality projected to increase in the absence of climate and air quality controls consistent with the Paris Agreement
No full textShort-term exposure to ground-level ozone in cities is associated with increased mortality and is expected to worsen with climate and emission changes. However, no study has yet comprehensively assessed future ozone-related acute mortality across diverse geographic areas, various climate scenarios, and using CMIP6 multi-model ensembles, limiting our knowledge on future changes in global ozone-related acute mortality and our ability to design targeted health policies. Here, we combine CMIP6 simulations and epidemiological data from 406 cities in 20 countries or regions. We find that ozone-related deaths in 406 cities will increase by 45 to 6,200 deaths/year between 2010 and 2014 and between 2050 and 2054, with attributable fractions increasing in all climate scenarios (from 0.17% to 0.22% total deaths), except the single scenario consistent with the Paris Climate Agreement (declines from 0.17% to 0.15% total deaths). These findings stress the need for more stringent air quality regulations, as current standards in many countries are inadequate.In brief: In brief Climate change and changes in emissions of ozone precursors will elevate future ground-level ozone in many parts of the world—the short-term exposure to which is linked to increased mortality. We explored future ozone-related acute excess mortality trends in 406 cities across 4 climate scenarios. Ozone-related mortality fractions increase in all scenarios except the one aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement. This underscores the urgent need for stricter air quality regulations globally.Science for Society: Ground-level ozone—a product of reactions between other pollutants in the atmosphere—can trigger coughing and shortness of breath, worsen asthma, and cause damage to airways. Short-term exposure to ground-level ozone can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular disease and has been linked to higher rates of premature death. Climate change and changes in the atmospheric concentrations of ozone precursor pollutant are projected to increase ground-level ozone in many parts of the world. However, in the absence of a firm understanding of how ozone-related mortality will change in different regions, and under different climate, and air quality scenarios, our ability to create effective public health policies is limited. Our research indicates that the total deaths related to short-term ozone exposure will increase in 406 cities around the world under all studied scenarios, but the scenario aligned with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. These findings highlight the urgent need for stricter air quality regulations, as the current standards in many countries are not sufficient to address this growing threat.Highlights: - Total ozone-related deaths increase across all studied scenarios; - Ozone-related mortality fractions rise in all but the Paris Agreement-aligned scenario; - Inadequate standards across countries necessitate tougher air quality controls.A.G. and A.S. acknowledge funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Project Exhaustion (grant ID: 820655). J.M. acknowledges support from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (reference: PTDC/CTA-AMB/3040/2021; https://doi.org/10.54499/PTDC/CTA-AMB/3040/2021).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Portuguese Lipid Study (e_LIPID)
No full textBackground/Objectives: Incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasing in low- and middle-income countries because of changing lifestyles. Since dyslipidaemia is a major independent cardiovascular risk factor, its correct identification is critical to implement specific interventions for CVD prevention. This study aimed to characterise the lipid profile of the Portuguese population. Methods: Overall, 1688 individuals from the general population (e_COR study, 2012-2014) were included. Population-specific percentiles for ten lipid biomarkers were estimated by bootstrapping methods to ensure national representativity. Statistical analyses were performed using RStudio. Results: The 50th percentile estimated for total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, and non-HDL-C are similar to scientific societies recommended values for the general (low or moderate risk) population. National prevalence of having lipid parameters above recommended values was 64.6%, 66.9%, 51.3%, 68.9%, 17.8%, and 21.1% for TC, LDL-C, apoB, non-HDL-C, triglycerides, and Lp(a), respectively; these values are generally higher in men and increasing with age, except for Lp(a). A high prevalence of severe dyslipidaemia (>90th percentile) was identified, highest for small dense LDL-C (31.3%), apoB (30.4%), and LDL-C (30.3%). The national prevalence of CVD events was 5%. Three individuals were genetically identified with familial hypercholesterolemia, a high CVD risk condition. Conclusions: We provide for the first-time lipid biomarker percentiles for the general Portuguese population. Our results highlight that hypercholesterolemia is a neglected cardiovascular risk factor with over half of the population with TC, LDL-C, and apoB above recommended values. Since hypercholesterolemia is a modifiable risk factor, strategies to increase adherence to changes in lifestyle habits and medication need to be urgently discussed.E_LIPID is a sub-study of the e_COR study, which was funded by the FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (PIC/IC/83020/2007). The authors also acknowledge a support for publication grant from Novartis Farma—Produtos Farmacêuticos, S.A, which enabled/supported the work developed by J. Chora. This grant was managed by FCiências.ID—Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências and its associated Research Unit CEAUL. The work by M. Antunes is partially financed by national funds through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia under the project UIDB/00006/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/00006/2020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The PROPHET project paves the way for personalized prevention in the future healthcare
No full textEditorialNo abstract availableÂmbito do projeto PROPHET, financiado por European Union’s Horizon Europe research and
innovation program under Grant agreement No.
101057721.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
CLIMAEXTREMO: A New Risk Indicator for the Health Risk to Building Occupants during Extreme Weather Events in Portugal
No full text(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability, Strategic Management, Smart Governance and Smart Cities)Portugal is the country in Europe where the death rate in winter and summer has the highest correlation with outdoor temperatures. The Portuguese National Institute of Public Health Ricardo Jorge has developed a national warning system for heat waves called ICARO, which has been in place since 1999 (and is the oldest in Europe). However, it presents some limitations, namely, the low spatial resolution (five regions in Portugal’s mainland), the low temporal forecasting period (one day), and the fact that it was only accessible to health authorities until very recently. This work describes the development of a new public dashboard that uses a new early warning index for extreme weather events, the CLIMAEXTREMO index, which extends the current warning system by improving the current forecasting models for risk by integrating new sources of public data and increasing the spatial and time resolution of the warnings to the municipality or the parish level. The new index is a combination of a new model to estimate the relative mortality increase (updating the model used in ICARO) together with a model of the indoor temperature of building archetypes for all municipalities and a vulnerability index that considers socio-demographic economic indicators. This work discusses the results of the new risk indicator for the heat waves that occurred in Portugal at the end of June and mid-August 2023, and it shows that the index was able to indicate a high risk for the municipalities that had an increase in the number of deaths during that period.This research was supported by the National Foundation for Science and Technology of Portugal (FCT) under the RELIABLE—REaL tIme dAshboard on BuiLdings occupants’ risk during extreme weather Events—research project, grant numbers DSAIPA/DS/0111/2019 and LA/P/0083/2020 (LA LARSyS–IN+)
Interim 2023/24 influenza A vaccine effectiveness: VEBIS European primary care and hospital multicentre studies, September 2023 to January 2024
No full textInfluenza A viruses circulated in Europe from September 2023 to January 2024, with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 predominance. We provide interim 2023/24 influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) estimates from two European studies, covering 10 countries across primary care (EU-PC) and hospital (EU-H) settings. Interim IVE was higher against A(H1N1)pdm09 than A(H3N2): EU-PC influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 IVE was 53% (95% CI: 41 to 63) and 30% (95% CI: −3 to 54) against influenza A(H3N2). For EU-H, these were 44% (95% CI: 30 to 55) and 14% (95% CI: −32 to 43), respectively.The ‘Vaccine Effectiveness, Burden and Impact Studies’ (VEBIS) is a project of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) run under the framework contract No. ECDC/2021/019 (EU-PC) and ECDC/2021/016 (EU-H).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Production and characterization of protein-rich extracts from the red macroalga Gelidium corneum and its industrial agar extraction residues
No full textThe red macroalga Gelidium corneum is a species commercially exploited for agar extraction, though with
enormous potential for other industrial applications. This work aimed to produce protein-rich extracts from the crude alga and from residues of the industrial agar extraction process by applying different extraction and recovery procedures, and to characterize the obtained protein extracts.
The sequential implementation of two water extractions followed by two alkaline extractions resulted in the recovery of 12.0 ± 1.2 % and 15.4 ± 0.9 % of the total protein contents of the crude alga and industrial residues, respectively. Two sequential water extractions assisted by Celluclast® and Alcalase® enzymes followed by two alkaline extractions recovered 52.1 ± 1.7 % and 36.5 ± 1.3 % of the protein contents of the crude alga and industrial residues, respectively. Extracts produced by these processes were characterized focusing on proximal composition, protein accessibility, nutrition and antioxidant potential, showing value as aquaculture feed ingredients.
As all protein products revealed high carbohydrate contents and, aiming at enriching protein content, different protein precipitation methods were assessed, namely through ammonium sulfate precipitation and pH-shift protocols. The pH-shift method in sequential mode proved to be simple and fast with low reagent consumption.
The purification of extracts by this precipitation mode allowed precipitating up to 72 % of the extracted protein. The results obtained suggest that protein concentrates extracted from Gelidium corneum appear to be promising sustainable sources for fish feed production, owing to their essential amino acid content, protein bioaccessibility and antioxidant properties.The research leading to these results has received funding from Fundo Azul - DGPM, project FA-05-2017-033. Financial support was also
received by national funds from FCT - Fundaçao ˜ para a Ciˆencia e a Tecnologia, I.P., in the scope of the project UIDB/04565/2020 and
UIDP/04565/2020 and of the project LA/P/0140/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy - i4HB. IM also acknowledges FCT I.P. for PhD grant (2020.04413.BD)
COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2 BA.1/BA.2 lineages among adults and adolescents in a multicentre primary care study, Europe, December 2021 to June 2022
No full textBackground:
Scarce European data in early 2021 suggested lower vaccine effectiveness (VE) against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron lineages than previous variants.
Aim:
We aimed to estimate primary series (PS) and first booster VE against symptomatic BA.1/BA.2 infection and investigate potential biases.
Methods:
This European test-negative multicentre study tested primary care patients with acute respiratory symptoms for SARS-CoV-2 in the BA.1/BA.2-dominant period. We estimated PS and booster VE among adults and adolescents (PS only) for all products combined and for Comirnaty alone, by time since vaccination, age and chronic condition. We investigated potential bias due to correlation between COVID-19 and influenza vaccination and explored effect modification and confounding by prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Results:
Among adults, PS VE was 37% (95% CI: 24–47%) overall and 60% (95% CI: 44–72%), 43% (95% CI: 26–55%) and 29% (95% CI: 13–43%) < 90, 90–179 and ≥ 180 days post vaccination, respectively. Booster VE was 42% (95% CI: 32–51%) overall and 56% (95% CI: 47–64%), 22% (95% CI: 2–38%) and 3% (95% CI: −78% to 48%), respectively. Primary series VE was similar among adolescents. Restricting analyses to Comirnaty had little impact. Vaccine effectiveness was higher among older adults. There was no signal of bias due to correlation between COVID-19 and influenza vaccination. Confounding by previous infection was low, but sample size precluded definite assessment of effect modification.
Conclusion:
Primary series and booster VE against symptomatic infection with BA.1/BA.2 ranged from 37% to 42%, with similar waning post vaccination. Comprehensive data on previous SARS-CoV-2 infection would help disentangle vaccine- and infection-induced immunity.Key public health message:
- What did you want to address in this study and why?
COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness can vary across populations and periods depending on multiple factors including the SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating, the time since last vaccination and the proportion of people who have been recently infected. We estimated the effectiveness of primary series and first booster vaccination against symptomatic infection with Omicron lineages BA.1 and BA.2 in a European study in 10 countries, up to June 2022.
- What have we learnt from this study?
The overall effectiveness of primary series vaccination and booster vaccination was around 40%, meaning that the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 was 40% lower among vaccinated people than among unvaccinated people. Vaccines provided lower protection against symptomatic infection with BA.1 and BA.2 than with previously circulating variants (e.g. Delta), and this protection decreased with time.
- What are the implications of your findings for public health?
Our results suggest that the timing of COVID-19 vaccination is key: vaccines should be administered in the weeks preceding periods of high SARS-CoV-2 circulation, and adapted vaccines could be considered. Primary series and booster vaccination had similar effectiveness, therefore if may be sufficient to estimate VE by time since last dose among those who received at least primary series vaccination, rather than by number of doses.This project has received funding from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control within the framework contract ECDC/2021/019. This project has also received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101003673.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Mosquito management strategies in European rice fields: Environmental and public health perspectives
No full textRice is a crucial food source and an important economic activity globally. Rice fields provide habitats for birds and other organisms but also serve as ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes, including potential vectors such as Culex, Aedes, and Anopheles. There is an urgent need to manage mosquitoes associated with rice crops, as they are important pests and vectors of diverse pathogens. Effective management should rely on cost-effective, legislative, and environmentally sustainable approaches. We gathered information from various sources on surveillance, phenology, mosquito nuisance, vector-borne diseases and control measures in the main rice paddies of the five major rice-producing regions in Europe: Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, and France. Mosquito problems in rice paddies are prevalent across most analyzed regions, with entomological and virological surveillance efforts varying in intensity and timing. Aedes caspius mosquitoes significantly contribute to nuisance levels, while recent West Nile virus (WNV) circulation poses the most serious threat, as these habitats support high densities of mosquito vectors such as Culex pipiens, Culex modestus, and Culex perexiguus. Different mosquito control strategies are applied, ranging from centralized programs to localized interventions funded by public entities and implemented by public or private companies. Biological larviciding with Bacillus thuringiensis serovar. israelensis is the primary method used, supplemented by adulticiding during epidemic outbreaks in nearby urban areas. These management approaches reflect diverse regional contexts and highlight the importance of adaptive strategies in addressing mosquito-related challenges across rice paddies in Europe.Highlights: - We compiled information from the five major rice-producing regions in Europe; - Mosquito problems in rice paddies are prevalent across most analyzed regions; - Rice fields support high density of mosquito vectors such as Cx. pipiens, Cx. modestus and Cx. perexiguus; - Biological larviciding is by far the primary adopted method to control mosquitoes; - We identified several operational challenges in managing mosquitoes in rice paddies.This study has been supported by Fundación “La Caixa” through the project ARBOPREVENT (HR22-00123).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio