Environmental chemistry is most relevant to study coronavirus pandemics

Sharma, Virender K.; Jinadatha, Chetan; Lichtfouse, Éric

doi:10.1007/s10311-020-01017-6

Cited by 69 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(36 reference statements)

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“…The fatality rate-all infected to death cases-by MERS was high (35.7%) as compared in June 2020 and 3.39% in last week of August 2020), and this is the less panicking message for us in relation to SARS-CoV-2 (WHO 2020e). On the other hand, no specific vaccine or medicine is available publicly against COVID-19, although many vaccines are declared to be in the pipe line (Saurabh et al 2020). As a result, countries such as the USA, Italy, Russia, Germany, Spain, France and Brazil who offer the most advanced clinical care to their citizens, top the list among the most affected countries (WHO a, b, c).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Air pollution by NO2 and PM2.5 explains COVID-19 infection severity by overexpression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in respiratory cells: a review

2020

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Many major cities that witnessed heavy air pollution by nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) and particulate matter (PM) have experienced a high rate of infection and severity of the coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19). This phenomenon could be explained by the overexpression of the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) on epithelial cell surfaces of the respiratory tract. Indeed, ACE-2 is a receptor for coronaviruses including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 and 2 (SARS-CoV), and ACE-2 is overexpressed under chronic exposure to air pollution such as NO 2 and PM 2.5. In this review, we explain that ACE-2 acts as the sole receptor for the attachment of the SARS-CoV-2 via its spike protein. The fact that respiratory and vascular epithelial cells express ACE-2 has been previously observed during the 2003 epidemic of the SARS-CoV-1 in China, and during the 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome in Saudi Arabia. High ACE-2 expression in respiratory epithelial cells under air pollution explains the positive correlation between the severity in COVID-19 patients and elevated air pollution, notably high NO 2 and PM 2.5 levels. Specific areas in India, China, Italy, Russia, Chile and Qatar that experience heavy air pollution also show high rates of COVID-19 infection and severity. Overall, we demonstrate a link between NO 2 emissions, PM 2.5 levels, ACE-2 expression and COVID-19 infection severity. Therefore, air pollution should be reduced in places where confirmed cases of COVID-19 are unexpectedly high.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Air pollution by NO2 and PM2.5 explains COVID-19 infection severity by overexpression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in respiratory cells: a review

2020

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“…A recent editorial underlines the importance and relevance of research in environmental chemistry to understand pandemics (Sharma et al 2020). Here we study the impacts of the city lockdowns due to the COVID-19 outbreak on air quality in Hangzhou from January 1 to February 28, 2020.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unexpected rise of ozone in urban and rural areas, and sulfur dioxide in rural areas during the coronavirus city lockdown in Hangzhou, China: implications for air quality

Wang

et al. 2020

Environ Chem Lett

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The outbreak of coronavirus named COVID-19, initially identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has spread rapidly at the global scale. Most countries have rapidly stopped almost all activities including industry, services and transportation of goods and people, thus decreasing air pollution in an unprecedented way, and providing a unique opportunity to study air pollutants. While satellite data have provided visual evidence for the global reduction in air pollution such as nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) worldwide, precise and quantitative information is missing at the local scale. Here we studied changes in particulate matter (PM 2.5 , PM 10), carbon monoxide (CO), NO 2 , sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and ozone (O 3) at 10 urban sites in Hangzhou, a city of 7.03 million inhabitants, and at 1 rural site, before city lockdown, January 1-23, during city lockdown, January 24-February 15, and during resumption, February 16-28, in 2020. Results show that city lockdown induced a sharp decrease in PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO, and NO 2 concentrations at both urban and rural sites. The NO 2 decrease is explained by reduction in traffic emissions in the urban areas, and by lower regional transport in rural areas during lockdown, as expected. SO 2 concentrations decreased from 6.3 to 5.3 μg m −3 in the city, but increased surprisingly from 4.7 to 5.8 μg m −3 at the rural site: this increase is attributed both to higher coal consumption for heating and emissions from traditional fireworks of the Spring Eve and Lantern Festivals during lockdown. Unexpectedly, O 3 concentrations increased by 145% from 24.6 to 60.6 μg m −3 in the urban area, and from 42.0 to 62.9 μg m −3 in the rural area during the lockdown. This finding is explained by the weakening of chemical titration of O 3 by NO due to reductions of NO x fresh emissions during the non-photochemical reaction period from 20:00 PM to 9:00 AM (local time). During the lockdown, compared to the same period in 2019, the daily average concentrations in the city decreased by 42.7% for PM 2.5 , 47.9% for PM 10 , 28.6% for SO 2 , 22.3% for CO and 58.4% for NO 2 , which is obviously explained by the absence of city activities. Overall, we observed not only the expected reduction in some atmospheric pollutants (PM, SO 2 , CO, NO 2), but also unexpected increases in SO 2 in the rural areas and of ozone (O 3) in both urban and rural areas, the latter being paradoxically due to the reduction in nitrogen oxide levels. In other words, the city lockdown has improved air quality by reducing PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO, and NO 2 , but has also decreased air quality by augmenting O 3 and SO 2 .

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“…This is mainly because the situation is rapidly evolving on COVID-19, particularly on viral contamination of foods and associated risks of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, which have only started attracting public and regulatory concerns after the recent events. Most of the evidence on SARS-CoV-2 detection on frozen foods appeared between July-August 2020, weeks or months later after the recent discussions on food-associated transmission of COVID-19 (Ceylan et al 2020;Eslami and Jalili 2020;Rizou et al 2020;Sharma et al 2020;Zuber and Brüssow 2020). Further, studies on the stability of SARS-CoV-2 in food environments only began to appear in early July 2020 (Fisher et al 2020;Harbourt et al 2020).…”

Section: Environmental Chemistry Lettersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can the coronavirus disease be transmitted from food? A review of evidence, risks, policies and knowledge gaps

et al. 2020

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought speculations on possible transmission routes of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of the pandemic. Air pollution has been linked to increased risks of COVID-19 infection and mortality rates in regions with poor air quality, yet no retrospective study has been reported on foodborne transmission of COVID-19. While studies have shown that low temperature could dramatically prolong the persistence on SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, frozen and refrigerated foods have been widely overlooked as potential vectors in policy frameworks and risk mitigation strategies. Food transmission evidence has been disclosed in China early July 2020 by the detection of SARS-CoV-2 on frozen foods, including their packaging materials and storage environments, with two re-emergent outbreaks linked to contaminated food sources. The contamination risk is augmented by a complex farm-to-table process, which favors exposure to food workers and ambient environments. Moreover, the food cold-chain also promotes contamination because laboratory studies showed that SARS-CoV-2 remained highly stable under refrigerated, at 4 °C, and freezing conditions, from − 10 to − 80 °C, on fish, meat, poultry, and swine skin, during 14-21 days. While data are lacking on long-term survival and infectivity under these conditions, ample evidence has been shown on other coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-1. We therefore hypothesize that contaminated cold-storage foods may present a systematic risk for SARS-CoV-2 transmission between countries and regions. Here, we review the evidence, risk factors, current policy and knowledge gaps, on food contamination and foodborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Keywords Refrigerated • Frozen • Food • Coronavirus • Cold chain • Logistics Abbreviations ATP Agreement concerning the international carriage of perishable footstuffs and on the special equipment to be used for such carriage BCoV-88 Bovine coronavirus strain 88 CDC

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Environmental chemistry is most relevant to study coronavirus pandemics

Cited by 69 publications

References 37 publications

Air pollution by NO2 and PM2.5 explains COVID-19 infection severity by overexpression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in respiratory cells: a review

Air pollution by NO2 and PM2.5 explains COVID-19 infection severity by overexpression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in respiratory cells: a review

Unexpected rise of ozone in urban and rural areas, and sulfur dioxide in rural areas during the coronavirus city lockdown in Hangzhou, China: implications for air quality

Can the coronavirus disease be transmitted from food? A review of evidence, risks, policies and knowledge gaps

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