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Studies revealed airports as a prominent source of ultrafine particles (UFP), which can disperse downwind to residential areas, raising health concerns. To expand our understanding of how air traffic-related emissions influence total particle number concentration (PNC) in the airport’s surrounding areas, we conduct long-term assessment of airborne particulate exposure before and after relocation of air traffic from “Otto Lilienthal” Airport (TXL) to Berlin Brandenburg Airport “Willy Brandt” (BER) in Berlin, Germany. Here, we provide insights into the spatial–temporal variability of PNC measured in 16 schools recruited for Berlin-Brandenburg Air Study (BEAR).
The results show that the average PNC in Berlin was 7900 ± 7000 cm−3, consistent with other European cities. The highest median PNC was recorded in spring (6700 cm−3) and the lowest in winter (5100 cm−3). PNC showed a bi-modal increase during morning and evening hours at most measurement sites due to road-traffic emissions. A comparison between measurements at the schools and fixed monitoring sites revealed good agreement at distances up to 5 km. A noticeable decline in this agreement occurred as the distance between measurement sites increased. After TXL was closed, PNC in surrounding areas decreased by 30 %. The opposite trend was not seen after BER was re-opened after the COVID-lock-down, as the air traffic has not reached the full capacity yet. The analysis of particle number size distribution data showed that UFP number fraction exhibit seasonal variations, with higher values in spring and autumn. This can be explained by nucleation events, which notably affected PNC.
The presented findings will play a pivotal role in forthcoming source attribution and epidemiological investigations, offering a holistic understanding of airports’ impact on airborne pollutant levels and their health implications. The study calls for further investigations of air-traffic-related physical–chemical pollutant properties in areas found further away (> 10 km) from airports.
Real-life characteristics and management of patients with fibrosing interstitial lung disease
(2025)
This study aims to report real-life data on the characteristics and treatment patterns of patients with fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD; except idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) across multiple specialised centres in Germany. Eligibility criteria included ILD affecting >10% of lung parenchyma on high-resolution computed tomography, a single breath diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) ≤80% predicted and active treatment of lung disease.
Methods
As of the interim analysis cut-off, 655 patients (mean±sd age 65.9±11.7 years, 54.5% male) were included. The most common ILD subtypes were fibrosing hypersensitivity pneumonitis (31.2%), fibrosing ILD (22.0%), rheumatoid arthritis and connective tissue disease ILDs (13.0%) and unclassifiable fibrosing ILD (13.0%).
Results
Lung function metrics included total lung capacity at 68.3±17.6% predicted, forced vital capacity at 69.8±19.8% predicted, forced expiratory volume in 1 s at 73.7±19.5% predicted and DLCO at 33.8±15.6% predicted. Current treatments included oral steroids (62.6%), antifibrotic therapy (50.7%), azathioprine (14.4%), methotrexate (10.2%) and mycophenolate mofetil (11.1%). Patients on antifibrotic therapy were typically older at diagnosis and registry inclusion, more often male, had more comorbidities, a lower 6-min walk distance and reduced lung function metrics compared with those not on antifibrotic therapy. Notably, 27.3% of the patients on antifibrotic therapy did not meet progression criteria (INBUILD), whereas 40.1% of patients not receiving antifibrotic therapy did meet those criteria.
Conclusion
The patient characteristics observed align with those observed in randomised controlled trials and other noninterventional studies. Patients on antifibrotic therapy generally had more severe disease profiles.
