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Fulltext Risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders among oil palm fruit harvesters during early harvesting stage

Ng YG, Mohd Tamrin SB, Mohd Yusoff IS, Hashim Z, Deros BM, Abu Bakar S, et al.

Ann Agric Environ Med, 2015;22(2):286-92.
PMID: 26094525 DOI: 10.5604/12321966.1152101

This cross-sectional study intends to investigate the associations of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among foreign labourers on a socio-economic background, occupational exposure, social lifestyle, and postures adopted during harvesting tasks. A total of 446 male respondents (263 FFB cutters; 183 FFB collectors) were studied using an interview-assisted questionnaire. OWAS was used to determine the severity of awkward posture based on videos of harvesting tasks recorded for each respondent. Analysis found that increasingly educated respondents had higher risk of developing MSDs. Shorter daily work duration and longer resting duration appear to increase the risk of neck and shoulder disorders among harvesters, which may be attributable to organizational work design. Awkward posture was a particularly significant risk factor of MSDs among FFB collectors. Among the results of the study, occupational exposure, postures and certain socio-demographic backgrounds explained some, but not all, the risk factor of MSDs among harvesters. An in-depth investigation, preferably a longitudinal study investigating the dynamic of work activities and other risk factors, such as psychosocial risk factors, are recommended.
Association between indoor microbiome exposure and sick building syndrome (SBS) in junior high schools of Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Fu X, Norbäck D, Yuan Q, Li Y, Zhu X, Hashim JH, et al.

Sci Total Environ, 2021 Jan 20;753:141904.
PMID: 32890872 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141904

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a collection of nonspecific syndromes linked with the built environment. The occurrence of SBS is associated with humidity, ventilation, moulds and microbial compounds exposure. However, no study has reported the association between indoor microbiome and SBS. In this study, 308 students were surveyed for SBS symptoms from 21 classrooms of 7 junior high schools from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and vacuum dust from floor, desks and chairs was collected. High throughput amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA gene and ITS region) and quantitative PCR were conducted to characterize the absolute concentration of bacteria and fungi taxa. In total, 326 bacterial and 255 fungal genera were detected in dust with large compositional variation among classrooms. Also, half of these samples showed low compositional similarity to microbiome data deposited in the public database. The number of observed OTUs in Gammaproteobacteria was positively associated with SBS (p = 0.004). Eight microbial genera were associated with SBS (p
Fulltext Effect of decomposing oil palm trunk fibers on plant growth and soil microbial community composition

Uke A, Nakazono-Nagaoka E, Chuah JA, Zain NA, Amir HG, Sudesh K, et al.

J Environ Manage, 2021 Oct 01;295:113050.
PMID: 34198177 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113050

Oil palm trunks (OPT) are logged for replantation and the fiber residues are disposed of into the palm plantation area. The fiber residues are expected to increase soil fertility through recycling of carbon and minerals via fiber decomposition. This study investigated the effects of OPT fiber disposal and other lignocellulosic biomass on plant growth and microbial diversity in the soil environment. Four treatment plots were tested: (A) soil+OPT fiber (1:20), (B) soil+sugarcane bagasse (1:20), (C) soil+cellulose powder (1:20), and (D) unamended soil as a negative control. Low plant height, decreased chlorophyll content, and low biomass was observed in corn grown on soil mixed with OPT fiber, cellulose, and sugarcane bagasse, when compared with those of the control. The plants grown with OPT fiber were deficient in total nitrogen and magnesium when compared with those without fiber amendment, which suggested that nitrogen and minerals in soil might be taken up by changing microflora because of the OPT fibers presence. To confirm differences in the soil microflora, metagenomics analysis was performed on untreated soil and soil from each lignocellulose treatment. The microflora of soils mixed with OPT fiber, cellulose and sugarcane bagasse revealed substantial increases in bacteria such as families Cytophagaceae and Oscillospiraceae, and two major fungal genera, Trichoderma and Trichocladium, that are involved in lignocellulose degradation. OPT fiber resulted in a drastic increase in the ratios and amounts of Trichocladium in the soil when compared with those of cellulose and sugarcane bagasse. These results indicate that unregulated disposal of OPT fiber into plantation areas could result in nutrient loss from soil by increasing the abundance of microorganisms involved in lignocellulose decomposition.
Fulltext Metagenomic characterization of indoor dust fungal associated with allergy and lung inflammation among school children

Isa KNM, Jalaludin J, Elias SM, Than LTL, Jabbar MA, Saudi ASM, et al.

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2021 Sep 15;221:112430.
PMID: 34147866 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112430

The exposure of school children to indoor air pollutants has increased allergy and respiratory diseases. The objective of this study were to determine the toxicodynamic interaction of indoor pollutants exposure, biological and chemical with expression of adhesion molecules on eosinophil and neutrophil. A self-administered questionnaire, allergy skin test, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) analyser were used to collect information on health status, sensitization to allergens and respiratory inflammation, respectively among school children at age of 14 years. The sputum induced were analysed to determine the expression of CD11b, CD35, CD63 and CD66b on eosinophil and neutrophil by using flow cytometry technique. The particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), NO2, CO2, and formaldehyde, temperature, and relative humidity were measured inside the classrooms. The fungal DNA were extracted from settled dust collected from classrooms and evaluated using metagenomic techniques. We applied chemometric and regression in statistical analysis. A total of 1869 unique of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of fungi were identified with dominated at genus level by Aspergillus (15.8%), Verrucoconiothyrium (5.5%), and Ganoderma (4.6%). Chemometric and regression results revealed that relative abundance of T. asahii were associated with down regulation of CD66b expressed on eosinophil, and elevation of FeNO levels in predicting asthmatic children with model accuracy of 63.6%. Meanwhile, upregulation of CD11b expressed on eosinophil were associated with relative abundance of A. clavatus and regulated by PM2.5. There were significant association of P. bandonii with upregulation of CD63 expressed on neutrophil and exposure to NO2. Our findings indicate that exposure to PM2.5, NO2, T. asahii, P.bandonii and A.clavatus are likely interrelated with upregulation of activation and degranulation markers on both eosinophil and neutrophil.
Fulltext Indoor microbiome, microbial and plant metabolites, chemical compounds, and asthma symptoms in junior high school students: a multicentre association study in Malaysia

Sun Y, Zhang M, Ou Z, Meng Y, Chen Y, Lin R, et al.

Eur Respir J, 2022 Nov;60(5).
PMID: 35618276 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00260-2022

BACKGROUND: Indoor microbial exposure is associated with asthma, but the health effects of indoor metabolites and chemicals have not been comprehensively assessed.
METHODS: We collected classroom dust from 24 junior high schools in three geographically distanced areas in Malaysia (Johor Bahru, Terengganu and Penang), and conducted culture-independent high-throughput microbiome and untargeted metabolomics/chemical profiling.
RESULTS: 1290 students were surveyed for asthma symptoms (wheeze). In each centre, we found significant variation in the prevalence of wheeze among schools, which could be explained by personal characteristics and air pollutants. Large-scale microbial variations were observed between the three centres; the potential protective bacteria were mainly from phyla Actinobacteria in Johor Bahru, Cyanobacteria in Terengganu and Proteobacteria in Penang. In total, 2633 metabolites and chemicals were characterised. Many metabolites were enriched in low-wheeze schools, including plant secondary metabolites flavonoids/isoflavonoids (isoliquiritigenin, formononetin, astragalin), indole and derivatives (indole, serotonin, 1H-indole-3-carboxaldehyde), and others (biotin, chavicol). A neural network analysis showed that the indole derivatives were co-occurring with the potential protective microbial taxa, including Actinomycetospora, Fischerella and Truepera, suggesting these microorganisms may pose health effects by releasing indole metabolites. A few synthetic chemicals were enriched in high-wheeze schools, including pesticides (2(3H)-benzothiazolethione), fragrances (2-aminobenzoic acid, isovaleric acid), detergents and plastics (phthalic acid), and industrial materials (4,4-sulfonyldiphenol).
CONCLUSIONS: This is the first association study between high-throughput indoor chemical profiling and asthma symptoms. The consistent results from the three centres indicate that indoor metabolites/chemicals could be a better indicator than the indoor microbiome for environmental and health assessments, providing new insights for asthma prediction, prevention and control.
A priority list of environmental health issues for Malaysia

Hashim JH, Hashim Z, Hod R, Jalaludin J, Mohamed N, Karuppannan S, et al.

Rev Environ Health, 2023 Jun 27;38(2):349-359.
PMID: 35468665 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2022-0030

OBJECTIVES: Environmental risk factors contribute to 24% of the global burden of disease from all causes in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and to 23% of all global deaths. Malaysia being an advanced developing country, there is a need to prioritise environmental health issues to enable environmental health practitioners to focus on the most significant and urgent environmental health concerns.
CONTENT: This project was undertaken by a Thematic Working Group on Environmental Health Experts (TWG 10) under the Malaysian National Environmental Health Action Plan. Sixteen pre-selected environmental health issues were presented to a two focus group discussions among 20 environmental health and related professionals who then scored each issue on its magnitude and severity scale.
SUMMARY: The total of these scores generated a list of priority environmental health issues for Malaysia. Children environmental health came out as the environmental health issue of the highest priority.
OUTLOOK: We hope that this list of priority environmental health issues will be used for prioritising academic and professional manpower training, research funding allocation and planning for intervention programmes by various stakeholders.
Fulltext Indoor microbiome, environmental characteristics and asthma among junior high school students in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Fu X, Norbäck D, Yuan Q, Li Y, Zhu X, Hashim JH, et al.

Environ Int, 2020 05;138:105664.
PMID: 32200316 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105664

Indoor microbial diversity and composition are suggested to affect the prevalence and severity of asthma by previous home microbiome studies, but no microbiome-health association study has been conducted in a school environment, especially in tropical countries. In this study, we collected floor dust and environmental characteristics from 21 classrooms, and health data related to asthma symptoms from 309 students, in junior high schools in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The bacterial and fungal composition was characterized by sequencing 16s rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and the absolute microbial concentration was quantified by qPCR. In total, 326 bacterial and 255 fungal genera were characterized. Five bacterial (Sphingobium, Rhodomicrobium, Shimwellia, Solirubrobacter, Pleurocapsa) and two fungal (Torulaspora and Leptosphaeriaceae) taxa were protective for asthma severity. Two bacterial taxa, Izhakiella and Robinsoniella, were positively associated with asthma severity. Several protective bacterial taxa including Rhodomicrobium, Shimwellia and Sphingobium have been reported as protective microbes in previous studies, whereas other taxa were first time reported. Environmental characteristics, such as age of building, size of textile curtain per room volume, occurrence of cockroaches, concentration of house dust mite allergens transferred from homes by the occupants, were involved in shaping the overall microbial community but not asthma-associated taxa; whereas visible dampness and mold, which did not change the overall microbial community for floor dust, was negatively associated with the concentration of protective bacteria Rhodomicrobium (β = -2.86, p = 0.021) of asthma. The result indicates complex interactions between microbes, environmental characteristics and asthma symptoms. Overall, this is the first indoor microbiome study to characterize the asthma-associated microbes and their environmental determinant in the tropical area, promoting the understanding of microbial exposure and respiratory health in this region.
Fulltext Associations between the indoor microbiome, environmental characteristics and respiratory infections in junior high school students of Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Fu X, Yuan Q, Zhu X, Li Y, Meng Y, Hashim JH, et al.

Environ Sci Process Impacts, 2021 Aug 01;23(8):1171-1181.
PMID: 34278392 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00115a

Pathogens are commonly present in the human respiratory tract, but symptoms are varied among individuals. The interactions between pathogens, commensal microorganisms and host immune systems are important in shaping the susceptibility, development and severity of respiratory diseases. Compared to the extensive studies on the human microbiota, few studies reported the association between indoor microbiome exposure and respiratory infections. In this study, 308 students from 21 classrooms were randomly selected to survey the occurrence of respiratory infections in junior high schools of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Vacuum dust was collected from the floor, chairs and desks of these classrooms, and high-throughput amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA and ITS) and quantitative PCR were conducted to characterize the absolute concentration of the indoor microorganisms. Fifteen bacterial genera in the classes Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Cyanobacteria were protectively associated with respiratory infections (p < 0.01), and these bacteria were mainly derived from the outdoor environment. Previous studies also reported that outdoor environmental bacteria were protectively associated with chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma, but the genera identified were different between acute and chronic respiratory diseases. Four fungal genera from Ascomycota, including Devriesia, Endocarpon, Sarcinomyces and an unclassified genus from Herpotrichillaceae, were protectively associated with respiratory infections (p < 0.01). House dust mite (HDM) allergens and outdoor NO2 concentration were associated with respiratory infections and infection-related microorganisms. A causal mediation analysis revealed that the health effects of HDM and NO2 were partially or fully mediated by the indoor microorganisms. This is the first study to explore the association between environmental characteristics, microbiome exposure and respiratory infections in a public indoor environment, expanding our understanding of the complex interactions among these factors.
Associations between environmental characteristics, high-resolution indoor microbiome, metabolome and allergic and non-allergic rhinitis symptoms for junior high school students

Fu X, Du B, Meng Y, Li Y, Zhu X, Ou Z, et al.

Environ Sci Process Impacts, 2023 Mar 08.
PMID: 36883483 DOI: 10.1039/d2em00480a

Rhinitis is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases globally. Microbiome exposure affects the occurrence of rhinitis. However, previous studies did not differentiate allergic rhinitis (AR) and non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) in the microbial association analysis. In this study, we investigate 347 students in 8 junior high schools, Terengganu, Malaysia, who were categorized as healthy (70.9%), AR (13.8%) and NAR (15.3%) based on a self-administered questionnaire and skin prick tests of pollen, pet, mould and house dust mite allergens. Classroom microbial and metabolite exposure in vacuumed dust was characterized by PacBio long-read amplicon sequencing, quantitative PCR and LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics. Our findings indicate a similar microbial association pattern between AR and NAR. The richness in Gammaproteobacteria was negatively associated with AR and NAR symptoms, whereas total fungal richness was positively associated with AR and NAR symptoms (p < 0.05). Brasilonema bromeliae and Aeromonas enteropelogenes were negatively associated with AR and NAR, and Deinococcus was positively associated with AR and NAR (p < 0.01). Pipecolic acid was protectively associated with AR and NAR symptoms (OR = 0.06 and 0.13, p = 0.009 and 0.045). A neural network analysis showed that B. bromeliae was co-occurring with pipecolic acid, suggesting that the protective role of this species may be mediated by releasing pipecolic acid. Indoor relative humidity and the weight of vacuum dust were associated with AR and NAR, respectively (p < 0.05), but the health effects were mediated by two protective bacterial species, Aliinostoc morphoplasticum and Ilumatobacter fluminis. Overall, our study reported a similar microbial association pattern between AR and NAR and also revealed the complex interactions between microbial species, environmental characteristics, and rhinitis symptoms.
Fulltext Indoor metabolites and chemicals outperform microbiome in classifying childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis

Sun Y, Tang H, Du S, Chen Y, Ou Z, Zhang M, et al.

Eco Environ Health, 2023 Dec;2(4):208-218.
PMID: 38435359 DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2023.08.001

Indoor microorganisms impact asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR), but the associated microbial taxa often vary extensively due to climate and geographical variations. To provide more consistent environmental assessments, new perspectives on microbial exposure for asthma and AR are needed. Home dust from 97 cases (32 asthma alone, 37 AR alone, 28 comorbidity) and 52 age- and gender-matched controls in Shanghai, China, were analyzed using high-throughput shotgun metagenomic sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Homes of healthy children were enriched with environmental microbes, including Paracoccus, Pseudomonas, and Psychrobacter, and metabolites like keto acids, indoles, pyridines, and flavonoids (astragalin, hesperidin) (False Discovery Rate

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