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Introduction. Human activity usually leads to a deterioration in air quality; therefore, searching for places that simulate an environment without pollution is important. Artificial salt caves play crucial role, as a kind of therapy, known as halotherapy, based on treatment in a controlled air medium that simulates a natural salt cave microclimate....
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... Breathing more salt particles in the air could clean the lungs, which is beneficial for respiratory health. However, further investigation is required into building surface and salt behavior [43,44]. ...
Disposing of excess salt from seawater desalination and the potash industry presents substantialecological risks worldwide. This underscores the pressing need to explore reuse possibilities tomitigate environmental damage. One potential solution involves incorporating salt waste intobuilding construction, especially in environments with low air humidity. However, this integra-tion affects composite materials’ mechanical and hydrothermal properties and results in efflo-rescence on the material surface. This study investigates how different surface inclinations andtwo types of salt waste affect efflorescence in salt cement mixtures. The primary goal of thisresearch is to design more resource-efficient building materials by reducing cement usage whileimproving understanding of optimized surface design in indoor construction applications.Experimental in-situ measurements employing Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) andMacro X-ray fluorescence scanning (MA-XRF) were conducted to examine salt crystallizationaccumulation on the salt cement surface. Our findings indicate higher efflorescence on concrete-salt surfaces with steeper inclinations (30–60 %). Furthermore, salt waste from the potash in-dustry exhibits greater efflorescence than desalination salts, attributed to its higher sodiumchloride content. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the interactions amongsalt waste, cement, and surface characteristics, providing valuable insights for future advance-ments in construction materials science.
... In asthma and COPD patients, HT has been demonstrated to enhance lung function, reduce respiratory symptoms, and lessen the need for conventional medications, according to clinical trials [1]. In addition, it has been reported that HT improves the quality of life and general health of individuals with respiratory conditions [24]. ...
Halotherapy (HT) is part of salt therapy derived from speleotherapy/speleoclimate, which comes from using a micro size of dry salt in aerosol form (such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and sodium chloride) with stable air temperature (18–24ºC) and moderate to high humidity (40–60%) for inhalation inside a cave/imitation cave since the nineteenth century. The benefits of HT as an adjuvant may help patients with many medical conditions, especially respiratory and dermatology diseases. This therapy is believed to alleviate inflammation and the immune response and improve respiratory function, etc. The clinical benefits of HT are advocated, but the mechanisms still need to be explicitly elucidated. This study’s main objective is to critically review and evaluate the evidence from existing literature of HT efficacy as an adjuvant therapy for respiratory disease in a narrative review. This review used a systematic approach and narrative synthesis. PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched. Based on preset selection criteria, two reviewers separately looked over abstracts and chose relevant papers. HT improves mucociliary elimination, diminishes airway inflammation, and improves pulmonary function. This adjuvant therapy is safe and does not cause serious adverse events. Therefore, this therapy should be considered an adjuvant therapy for respiratory diseases because of its potential effects. However, scientific evidence of the effectiveness of HT is limited. High-quality further research is required to ascertain the effectiveness of this treatment for respiratory conditions. Keywords: adjuvant, halotherapy, respiratory diseases, salt therapy, therapy
... Therefore, the effects of HT should not only be considered in terms of reducing flare-ups of the pathologies from which patients suffer and/or reducing the pharmacological therapy, but also in terms of improving quality of life (QoL), which could be evaluated, as in this survey, precisely in relation to the quality of sleep or the feeling of relaxation. Indeed, it should be underlined that the salt rooms become real places that help support a correct lifestyle, in a time when stress is inseparable from everyday life, so that people do not have free time to rest and carry out outdoor activities [12]. ...
Over the years, halotherapy (HT) has shown promise in the treatment of respiratory and dermatological diseases. However, its widespread acceptance remains limited due to the absence of official guidelines and awareness among doctors and patients. Among the patented systems of administration of HT, Aerosal® is the only one consisting of 3 certified elements, all classified as Medical Devices Class 2A: a dry saline dispenser called Aerosalmed®, a 30 g salt dose named AeroNaCL®, and a confined environment in marine multilayered construction with walls coated in salt called Aerosal®. We conducted an online survey of subjects undergoing Aerosal® HT across 80 Italian centers. Participants provided demographic data, reasons for choosing HT, and perceptions of its effectiveness. Following 10 treatment sessions, they rated improvements in various aspects, such as skin condition, sleep quality, relaxation, and respiratory benefits. Most participants learned about HT through word of mouth rather than medical advice, suggesting a discrepancy between patient satisfaction and medical endorsement. Over 92% reported resolution of their health issues post-treatment, with significant improvements in sleep quality and relaxation, particularly in adults. The therapy showed promise in various conditions, including respiratory and skin disorders, possibly attributed to stress reduction and intrinsic therapeutic effects. Despite skepticism, HT administered through the Aerosal® system has shown therapeutic potential. The psycho-physical benefits observed in patients advocate for greater consideration of this therapy by clinicians, emphasizing its safety, tolerability, and absence of notable side effects. In this context, standardized systems like Aerosal® are crucial for ensuring treatment safety and efficacy.
... Breathing more salt particles in the air could clean the lungs, which is beneficial for respiratory health. However, further investigation is required into building surface and salt behavior [43,44]. ...
... During the past decades, salt rooms have been developed and used for drug free treatment of respiratory illness, skin diseases [38] and lung cancer cells [39]. The treatment consists of sitting in salt rooms, salt caves or at the seaside and breathing air saturated with salt particles (aerosols) [40,41]. Several studies focus on the positive effect of treatment with a saline environment [39,[41][42][43], but unfortunately no research has been conducted about how salt as construction material impacts the quantity of aerosols in indoor environments and health. ...
Sustainable materials and additive manufacturing have the potential to increase material efficiency and minimize waste in the building process. One of the most promising materials is salt (sodium chloride). It is highly available as a residue of desalination and potash production processes and attracts attention due to its material properties (storage of humidity and heat). This research presents an investigation and evaluation of using salt as an alternative material in additive manufacturing. Thus, the focus of the study was on small-scale 3D printing with paste extrusion. Experimental studies of different salt mixtures with different binders, printing properties and other parameters were analyzed in three stages. In the first phase (P1) the mixing ratio of salt and potential binders (clay, gypsum, cement and starch) was defined; in the phase two (P2) the most promising mixture was selected, modified by additives and investigated by 3D image scan measurements; and in the last third phase (P3) the potential applications of salt in additive manufacturing were presented. As the research shows, the salt in material extrusion processes can substitute the main material by up to 70%, is successfully manipulated with different additives (to improve the workability of the printing mortar) and is highly dependent on the printer`s settings. For future full-scale 3D printing with salt many steps still have to be taken. However, incorporating salt in additive manufacturing showed a potential of saving material resources, addressing environmental issues and initiating new construction processes.
... Apart from the therapeutic influence, sessions in the salt caves have relaxing impact on patients and support in maintaining healthy lifestyle (9). What is innovative, a patient can participate in other activities during session in the salt chamber. ...
Introduction: The salt therapy is a form of the aerosol therapy using sodium chloride in different forms. The beginnings of the halotherapy date back to the nineteenth century when it has been practised as a medical treatment in the old salt mines of Central and Eastern Europe. The salt therapy as an adjuvant method seems to have positive impact on treatment of respiratory system diseases and dermatological conditions. We distinguish two types of the dry salt therapy: halotherapy and speleotherapy.
Purpose of the article: We aimed to evaluate efficacy of the salt therapy in treatment of pulmonary and dermatological disorders.
Material and methods: We searched three electronic databases: Pubmed, Web of Science and Google Scholar from inception to the August 2022 and conducted a review. The following descriptors were used: „halotherapy”, „speleotherapy” and „salt therapy”.
Results and conclusions: The salt therapy improves mucociliary elimination, pulmonary functions and reduces airway’s irritation. It also reduces intensity of the dryness, redness and stimulates regenerative processes in the skin. This method is safe and do not cause the serious adverse effects. Therefore, due to its potential benefits, it should be considered as an additional therapy beside standard treatment procedures inter alia in the asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis. Moreover, halotherapy has positive impact on children’s general development as it enhances the growth and weight gain. However, scientific evidences for effectiveness of the salt therapy are limitted. There is a need of further studies assessing effectiveness of the long-therm salt therapy on the larger group of patients.
... Halotherapy may have a beneficial effect on the quality of life of asthmatics (5). Polish salt-mines, where halotherapy is performed, are health resorts in Bochnia and Wieliczka (6). However, in addition to salt-saturated air, the air of these mines also contain various micro-organisms, including halophilic Archaea (7)(8)(9), such as Halorhabdus rudnickae, isolated from the Wieliczka salt-mine (9). ...
... The frozen CD4 + T lymphocytes were thawed and co-cultured with the autologous antigen-stimulated DCs at a ratio of 1x10 6 DCs to 1x10 7 T cells for 96h at 37°C with 5% CO 2 . Collected supernatants were tested for IFN-g, IL-17A, and IL-13, production by ELISA using commercially available Diaclone's kit (Immuniq, Zory, Poland). ...
... The frozen naïve CD45RA + CD4 + T cells and memory CD45RO + CD4 + T lymphocytes were thawed and co-cultured with the autologous halophile-stimulated DCs at a ratio of 1x10 6 DCs to 1x10 7 T cells for 96h at 37°C with 5% CO 2 . Collected supernatants were tested for IFN-g, and IL-13 production by ELISA using commercially available Diaclone's kit (Immuniq, Zory, Poland). ...
Halophilic archaea are procaryotic organisms distinct from bacteria, known to thrive in hypersaline environments, including salt lakes, salterns, brines and salty food. They have also been identified in the human microbiome. The biological significance of halophiles for human health has rarely been examined. The interactions between halophilic archaea and human dendritic cells (DCs) and T cells have not been identified so far. Here, we show for the first time that the halophilic archaea Halorhabdus rudnickae and Natrinema salaciae activate human monocyte-derived DCs, induce DC maturation, cytokine production and autologous T cell activation. In vitro both strains induced DC up-regulation of the cell-surface receptors CD86, CD80 and CD83, and cytokine production, including IL-12p40, IL-10 and TNF-α, but not IL-23 and IL-12p70. Furthermore, autologous CD4⁺ T cells produced significantly higher amounts of IFN-γ and IL-13, but not IL-17A when co-cultured with halophile-stimulated DCs in comparison to T cells co-cultured with unstimulated DCs. IFN-γ was almost exclusively produced by naïve T cells, while IL-13 was produced by both naïve and memory CD4⁺ T cells. Our findings thus show that halophilic archaea are recognized by human DCs and are able to induce a balanced cytokine response. The immunomodulatory functions of halophilic archaea and their potential ability to re-establish the immune balance may perhaps participate in the beneficial effects of halotherapies.
... However, salt can have advantages as a building material in increasing resource efficiency; it is also antibacterial [19] and inflammable [19], has no odour [20], and can store humidity and heat [19,21,22]. In terms of health, salt caves and salt rooms across Europe have been shown to positively affect human lung cancer cells, depression, respiratory, and skin-related diseases [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Salt has already been used as a building material in the past [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44]. ...
Salt (NaCl), as a by-product from the potash and desalination industry, can be the solution to the scarcity of building materials and might replace more energy-consuming materials. However, salt carries the risk of deliquescence in humid environments. This study conducted fundamental research on the hygrothermal performance of salt for internal surface applications in the building envelope in six different climate conditions. In addition, salt’s performance was also compared with that of gypsum in similar applications. The simulation models (using WUFI®Pro, WUFI®Plus) and in situ measurements were applied to investigate the hygrothermal consequences of the incorporation of salt on the thermal envelope, indoor environment, and energy consumption. Our studies revealed that salt provided the best hygrothermal responses without Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) in very hot-dry and the worst in very hot-humid climates. With an energy-efficient thermal envelope and HVAC, salt can also find an indoor application in temperate, continental, and subpolar climates. In comparison to gypsum, salt has a slightly higher energy demand (heating, cooling, and dehumidification) due to its higher thermal conductivity and moisture resistance. This study fills the knowledge gap on salt’s hygrothermal performance and shows the potential in its utilization.
... Saline aerosols are inhaled in natural and manmade chambers in salt mines, and in the proximity of graduation towers and other structures Zając et al. 2014). Such inhalations support the treatment of respiratory diseases, sinusitis, arterial hypertension, hypothyroidism and vegetative neurotic disorders (Ponikowska & Ferson, 2009). ...
The paper provides an analysis of the influence of brine graduation towers on biometeorological conditions, on the basis of the example of Ciechocinek – a spa town in Poland. Using the records of air temperature and relative air humidity in the years 2018-2020 at two locations near Graduation Tower 1 and at the reference site near Spa Hospital No. 1 it was demonstrated that the graduation towers caused a mean drop in air temperature of 0.5–0.7°C with maximum diff erences 7.5°C. The average humidity due to brine evaporation was 3.6–4.6% higher, but maximum differences exceeded 30%. Based on mobile measurements the effects of the graduation tower were found to be limited to its vicinity, where air temperature was lower and humidity higher. The distribution of air temperature and humidity changed depending on wind direction. Cooler and more humid air was carried downwind of the graduation tower. The calculated biometeorological indices showed that neutral, comfortable or refreshing conditions prevailed at the graduation tower and the sensation of heat or thermal stress leading to body overheating was less frequent.
... Furthermore, by penetrating the skin, the FIR energy could break down the clusters of water molecules, which could reduce the edema and facilitate the release of metabolic wastes (Lin et al., 2007), all the while providing a feeling of already proven well-being (Hausswirth et al., 2011). Moreover, negative air ionisationsuch as in the case of Polish salt cavescould have complementary effects with far infrared energy to increase immune function (Zajac et al., 2014). In addition, with the growing industrialisation, various chemicals and heavy metals have polluted the air and water, contaminating food and affecting health. ...
... After halotherapy, the occurrence of coughing attacks were less frequent, patients experienced less respiratory discomfort, they slept well and their nervous system was stabilised. Salt cave sessions may alleviate the inflammatory processes in the airways, thereby reinstating normal mucus flow and increasing the strength of the immune system (Zajac et al., 2014). These results are in accordance with the present study. ...
Using a parallel randomised control trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of 10 sessions of a Triple Combined Intervention(TCI, far-infrared, negative air ions and light therapy) in reducing stress-related symptoms in workers and detoxify the body.Twenty-one participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (Gexp, N = 11) or the control group (Gcon, N= 10). The Gexp completed 10 × 20 min sessions using the MLXi3Dome over a 4-week period. Subjective questionnaires were assessed for sleep and psychological disturbances. Trace elements, toxic metals, cortisol, white blood count, muscular and joint soreness level (SL), body weight, resting blood pressure and well-being were also measured. Systolic blood pressure was lower after the 4-week period for Gexp participants only. Sleep improved for Gexp participants and insomnia index decrease significantly. The increase in zinc and copper concentrations were associated with a decrease in the level of lead, mercury and cortisol in the blood following the 10-session programme. An increase in lymphocyte count was reported in the Gexp only. Initial evidence suggests that a triple combined intervention (i.e.MLX i3Dome) reduces excessive stress, improves perceived sleep quality, increases general well-being, enhances body detoxification.
