Environmental Health Insights最新文献

This Study quantified heavy metal contamination in commonly consumed vegetables Eggplant, String Beans, Cucumber, Sweet Potato, Bitter Gourd, Lady Finger, Pumpkin, Indian Spinach, Wax Gourd and in the soils where they are grown, obtained from the 9 integrated farm in Noakhali, Bangladesh. It also assessed the potential human health risks linked to dietary exposure to these contaminated vegetables. Vegetable and soil samples were randomly collected, prepared using standard procedures, and analyzed for metal concentrations using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Among the analyzed vegetables, Bitter Gourd, Lady Finger and Pumpkin exhibited the greatest accumulation of heavy metals (As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Fe, and Cu) and the estimated average daily intake of lead and cadmium through vegetable consumption was found to be 2.4128, 0.3644 mg/person/day, surpassed the permissible limits established by the FAO/WHO. The cancer risk value of lead content in Bitter Gourd, Lady Finger & Pumpkin was 1.37 × 10^-3, 1.43 × 10^-3, 1.79 × 10^-3, chromium content in Bitter Gourd was 2.32 × 10^-3 and cadmium content in Bitter Gourd and Lady Finger was 4.80 × 10^-4, 5.47 × 10^-4 which exceeded the threshold value of 10-⁴, indicating a potential carcinogenic risk and suggesting that consumption of these particular vegetables could be unsafe for human health. The overall health risk index indicated that consuming certain vegetables from the integrated farm in the study area may pose potential health hazards. Consequently, continuous monitoring of heavy metal levels is highly recommended.

Background: Cholera remains endemic in Somalia with epidemic spikes linked to water insecurity, climate variability, and rapid urbanization. This narrative synthesis characterizes epidemiological patterns and structural determinants of cholera transmission.

Methods: Systematic narrative review following PRISMA guidelines retrieved literature from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and gray sources (WHO, UNICEF, UN-Habitat, Somali Ministry of Health, Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) Cluster) for English-language publications (2000-2025) on cholera epidemiology, water security, and urbanization in Somalia. Thematic synthesis used Thomas and Harden's inductive framework. Quality appraisal applied CASP checklist for mixed-methods research.

Findings: Three intersecting determinants drive endemic cholera: (1) chronic water insecurity from recurrent droughts and unsafe informal sources; (2) rapid urbanization and informal settlements without adequate Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure; and (3) fragile surveillance systems. Hotspots cluster in riverine districts (Shabelle, Juba) and urban peripheries (Mogadishu, Baidoa). Children under 5 and internally displaced persons experience disproportionate burden. Oral cholera vaccine reduced case fatality rates from 1.5% (2017) to 0.1% to 0.6% (2024-2025), yet endemic transmission persists.

Conclusions: Cholera control requires integrated multi-sectoral interventions. Priorities include: (1) linking climate and Water, sanitation, and hygiene Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) monitoring; (2) transitioning to climate-resilient piped water infrastructure; (3) formalizing internally displaced person settlements with planned Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure; (4) strengthening surveillance and laboratory capacity; and (5) establishing cross-sectoral coordination across health, urban planning, water resources, and climate adaptation.

Water pollution poses risks to health and livelihoods of communities that depend on river systems. The major rivers in Ghana have experienced significant pollution, but limited studies have examined water quality conditions and community perceptions of pollution sources. This study assessed water quality and community perceptions of major rivers in Ghana. Water samples from 6 major rivers were analysed for physical, chemical, and biological parameters based on APHA Standard Methods for Water Examination (22nd Edition). A survey was conducted on 400 residents using a stratified random sampling technique. ANOVA, Pearson correlation, PCA, and regression were employed to process the data. Analysis revealed arsenic (0.58-0.67 mg/L), lead (0.66-0.95 mg/L), mercury (0.10-0.14 mg/L), and E. coli (up to 1349.75 MPN/100 mL) concentrations. Nitrate increased from 15.12 mg/L upstream to 19.06 mg/L downstream, while E. coli was high midstream (1349.75 MPN/100 mL). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified arsenic, lead and mercury as major contributors to overall water pollution. Age, Education level, and gender influence pollution perceptions (R ² = .654-.69). Mining activities (59%) dominated water pollution compared to industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, and domestic sewage. Effective strategies identified included stricter regulations (97.14%), sustainable farming (97.14%), and community campaigns (95.71%). Findings revealed that river pollution contributes significantly to economic, health, and psychological issues. Public awareness and demographic characteristics shape pollution perception, behaviour and policy responses. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, and the Water Resources Commission (WRC) should prioritise stricter regulations, sustainable practices, and community engagement to protect rivers in Ghana.

Background: Schistosoma mansoni remains a significant public health problem in Ethiopia despite over a decade of deworming targeting school-aged children (SACs), often neglecting adults. Prevalence surveys relying on the Kato-Katz (KK) technique may underestimate infection, highlighting the need for updated data using more sensitive diagnostics.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to June 2023 among 634 SACs and 558 adults in the Amhara Regional State. Data on risk factors were collected via structured questionnaires. S. mansoni infection was assessed using KK and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on stool, and point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) on urine. Egg counts from 2 KK readers were averaged to determine final eggs per gram (epg). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21; descriptive statistics and poisson regression model with cluster-robust standard errors were analyzed.

Results: A total of 452 SACs (71.3%) and 330 adults (59.1%) were tested positive for S. mansoni at least by one diagnostic method. Prevalence in low-, moderate-, and high-transmission settings was 56.9%, 81.5%, and 95.5% among SACs, while it was 50.5%, 55.5% and 96.5% among adults, respectively. KK detected light, moderate and heavy infections among 170 (26.8%), 62 (9.8%) and 29 (4.6%) SACs, respectively, while it was 96 (17.2%), 38 (6.8%) and 3 (0.5%) in adults, respectively. SACs had higher epg than adults (148.0 vs 96.6; P = .001). School-aged children who swam or bathed in surface water had a significantly higher prevalence of S. mansoni infection (prevalence ratio (PR) = 2.679, P = .002). Similarly, SACs who always participated in agricultural activities (PR = 1.266, P = .037) and those who were not aware of schistosomiasis (PR = 1.364, P = .038) had a higher prevalence of infection compared with their counterparts. Among adults, crossing surface water barefoot was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of S. mansoni infection (PR = 1.481, P = 0.018).

Conclusions: S. mansoni infection remains highly prevalent among both SACs and adults in the study area. In SACs, key risk factors included swimming or bathing in surface water, participation in agricultural activities and lack of awareness about the disease, while in adults, crossing water barefoot increased infection risk. These findings highlight the need to expand deworming programs to adults and implement targeted interventions, including health education and improved water access, to reduce transmission in endemic areas.

Individual and community wellness are shaped not only by clinical medicine but also by environmental and social drivers of health. Yet, preventive services addressing these factors often operate in isolation. To offer a useful integrated perspective, we describe a community health fair in New Haven, Connecticut, that combined health insurance coverage assistance, stroke prevention outreach, environmental exposure assessment, and consumer product safety education to address these intersecting drivers of health. The event was developed through community partnerships and provided free services including blood pressure screening, stroke awareness materials, soil lead testing, pocketbook audits for chemical hazards, and health and dental coverage enrollment support. Implementation required cross-specialty collaboration among neurology, primary care, and emergency medicine, as well as cross-sector collaboration with trusted local organizations. In this article, we elaborate on the event's structure, implementation process, and the practical considerations that shaped its delivery. Rather than evaluating outcomes, our goal was to document lessons learned from this pilot effort and highlight considerations for others interested in developing similar community-based preventive health programming. Future work, including formal assessment of acceptability, feasibility, and impact, will be essential to determine whether this model can be scaled or adapted to other settings.

Background: Global literature indicates that polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), types of brominated flame retardants (BFRs), are increasingly found in children's plastic products. These products are widely sold in South Africa. PBDEs and HBCDD are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) banned under the Stockholm Convention due to their severe health impacts, including endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and cancer. Information about chemicals present in these plastic products is necessary to inform risk reduction measures.

Methods: This study assessed the availability and accessibility of information on POP-BFRs in children's plastic products in South Africa to enhance stakeholders' capacity to implement risk reduction measures. The study was guided by the chemicals-in-products (CiP) information-sharing framework developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2015. Data collection involved in-depth interviews and an online survey. South African stakeholders participated, including those involved in manufacturing, regulation, and advocacy (n = 10) and consumers (n = 44). Data was analyzed thematically using NVivo.

Results: CiP information on POP-BFRs in children's plastic products was largely unavailable. Regulatory and advocacy stakeholders had limited general information on POP-BFRs and the associated risks. Additionally, they had limited access to POP-BFRs information, while consumers had none.

Conclusion: National and international coordinated actions are necessary to close the POP-BFRs information gaps. The South African government should develop and enforce an overarching chemical legislation, establish a national chemical register, and require full disclosure of CiP. UNEP should establish a global standardized system for CiP information under the 2023 Global Framework on Chemicals.

Many children and pregnant women in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Georgia experience elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) due to considerable environmental exposure from both known and unknown sources. Anaemia during pregnancy is also common in Georgia; however, the association between lead exposure and anaemia during pregnancy has not yet been assessed. This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the association between BLLs and haemoglobin (Hb) levels and anaemia among pregnant women. We included 3594 pregnant women who underwent BLL testing between September 2020 and July 2023. Data on Hb levels were obtained from the Georgian Birth Registry. Pregnant women were included if they had BLL testing before Hb measurements across different trimesters. The prevalence of anaemia among the participants was 23.9%, with 4.6% experiencing moderate-to-severe anaemia. Forty-two percent of pregnant women had BLLs ≥5.0 µg/dl. Each BLL increment was associated with a 0.013 g/dl (95% CI: 0.005-0.022) increase in Hb after adjusting for confounders. However, there was no statistically significant association between BLLs and the odds of moderate-to-severe anaemia (AOR for BLL ≥10 µg/dl: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.51-1.67). The weak positive association between BLL and Hb levels may therefore reflect residual confounding from unmeasured lifestyle factors such as diet and dietary supplement use.

Background: High-resolution meteorological exposure assessment is essential for individual-level environmental epidemiology. However, clear methodological guidance on the optimal spatial interpolation technique for daily meteorological variables at the national scale remains limited.

Methods: Using daily observations from 2417 national meteorological stations across mainland China from 2010 to 2021, we systematically benchmarked 2 widely used spatial interpolation methods-Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) and Ordinary Kriging (OK). Twelve representative days capturing seasonal variability were selected, and 10-fold cross-validation was conducted. Interpolation performance was evaluated using root mean squared error (RMSE), standardized mean absolute percentage error (sMAPE), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), bias, and computation time.

Results: Across 12 representative days from 2010 to 2021, IDW consistently outperformed OK in national-scale 10-fold cross-validation. For daily mean temperature, IDW achieved lower prediction errors, with RMSE ranging from 1.52°C to 1.75°C, compared with 1.50°C to 1.81°C for OK, and consistently higher NSE values (0.83-0.97 vs 0.82-0.97). Similar performance advantages were observed for relative humidity. Bias estimates were close to zero for both methods, indicating minimal systematic error. In addition, IDW showed modest computational advantages, with average processing times of approximately 96 s/day, compared with approximately 99 s/day for OK, supporting its suitability for large-scale meteorological exposure reconstruction in epidemiological studies.

Conclusions: From an epidemiological exposure assessment perspective, IDW provides a favorable balance between accuracy, computational efficiency, and preservation of spatial variability. These findings offer practical methodological guidance for large-scale individual-level meteorological exposure modeling in climate-health research.

Background: Exposure to occupational risks constitutes one of the major public health concerns in the world. Nonetheless, very little attention has been paid towards improving safety in the workplace by employers, probably because, the direct losses associated with occupational risks (including reduction in labour productivity) are not widely known, especially across African countries. This study therefore sets out to investigate the association between occupational risks and labour productivity across African countries.

Methods: The study uses secondary data on 42 countries in Africa over the period 1992 to 2021. Labour productivity is measured as output per worker while 5 indicators are used to measure occupational risk - occupational exposure to (i) noise, (ii) asthmagens, (iii) particulate matter, gases, and fumes, (iv) carcinogens, and (v) ergonomic factors. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression using Driscoll and Kraay (DK) standard errors is used as the baseline estimation technique while the system Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) regression is employed for robustness purposes.

Results: Employing the baseline estimator, the study finds that a percentage increase in exposure to noise, asthmagens, particulate matter, gases and fumes, carcinogens and ergonomic factors at the workplace is associated with a decrease in labour productivity by 2.51%, 1.62%, 2.16%, 1.61%, and 1.24%, respectively at 1% level of significance. The estimates from the system GMM are not qualitatively different.

Conclusion: There is a need to invest in occupational health as well as enforce related regulations to decrease the significant labour productivity losses associated with occupational risks in Africa.