Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management最新文献

Under Section 304(a) of the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mandated to develop national recommended human health water quality criteria (HHWQC) which represent the concentration of specific chemicals, biologicals, and physical conditions in ambient water not expected to adversely affect human health. To date, EPA has set HHWQC using the deterministic approach for key exposure parameters for criteria development. However, these methods do not account for variability or uncertainty, and may substantially misestimate risk for the general population. Probabilistic approaches address these issues, but they have been hampered by several factors, including time and resource complexity, technical expertise requirements, lack of amenable open-source software, and lack of certainty regarding EPA approval. Here, we describe a new R Shiny tool, Surface Water Probabilistic Risk Online, developed for deriving HHWQC using either deterministic or probabilistic approaches to derive HHWQC for 105 chemicals for multiple risk management scenarios simultaneously. For the probabilistic approach, alternate distributions of body weight, fish consumption rate, and daily water intake can be parameterized using the tool's custom distribution module. The results of the tool can be aggregated and downloaded for record-keeping, reporting, and further analysis purposes. Given the flexibility and simplicity of the tool, development of probabilistic-based HHWQC may become more accessible for States' upcoming criteria reviews.

Antibiotics have reduced disease burdens in humans and animals, but the development of resistant microbes in agricultural products poses a risk. The long-term impacts of antibiotics in agri-foods remain poorly understood, making it difficult to assess their risks to human and animal health. Current research suggests that most antibiotic contamination in the agri-food chain poses negligible risks, based on assessments of measured environmental concentrations (MECs), predicted environmental concentration (PEC)/predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) ratios (MEC/PNEC < 0.1), toxic units (TU = MECs/half-maximal effect concentration [EC50] < 0.01), and summed risk quotients (STUs < 0.3), but hotspots and unknowns need attention. To verify existing findings, we reviewed literature from Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect (n = 281,865), excluded duplicates (n = 272,085) and irrelevant studies (n = 9,516) based on predefined criteria (relevance, impact factor, citations), retaining 264 articles for analysis through a One Health approach. Although antimicrobial resistance (AMR) critically disrupts gut microbiota and increases global health/economic burdens, long-term studies frequently overlook key foodborne pathogens: Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. This review provides new perspectives on the integration of AMR within a One Health concept by (1) summarizing current knowledge on the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in agri-food systems and their health and environmental human impacts and (2) identifying critical research gaps, particularly in understanding postingestion effects. A major finding of this review is that while there is documented transmission of antibiotic residues, ARBs, and ARGs to humans via the food chain, their actual impacts on gut-acquired infections remain largely unknown. Given the accelerating pace of AMR, delaying targeted research within the One Health framework is no longer an option. Immediate coordinated action across agriculture, policy, and science is critical to close these knowledge gaps, disrupt resistance pathways, and safeguard the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems before AMR escalates beyond control.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) uses a deterministic risk-based framework to derive national recommendations for ambient water quality criteria (AWQC) protective of human health through the ingestion of water and aquatic organisms. States are required to either adopt these recommendations or propose scientifically defensible alternatives. The deterministic approach has faced criticism for relying on multiple high-percentile input parameters, leading to criteria disconnected from actual risk. Consequently, although some states adopt USEPA's criteria recommendations in their entirety, while others utilize different input parameters or alternative approaches to derive criteria that better represent local exposure conditions. Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) represents a scientifically robust alternative that offers transparency and flexibility by using full data distributions rather than point estimates to define exposures. This enables a clear linkage between the acceptable risk targets and affected population subgroups. Although USEPA has provided guidance supporting the use of PRA in other regulatory programs, direct guidance on implementing a PRA approach for deriving state-specific AWQC is lacking. This work explores USEPA's risk-based framework and applies both deterministic and probabilistic approaches to quantify patterns in AWQC under different criteria derivation scenarios that alter assumptions of exposure and risk. We implement an open-source R Shiny tool designed to reduce technical barriers and facilitate practical adoption by state agencies, including those without specialized modeling expertise. Outcomes highlight how exposure assumptions, risk thresholds, and derivation approaches affect AWQC, offer a practical guidance for environmental agencies to derive locally relevant and scientifically defensible criteria, and may serve as a basis for a future USEPA technical support document on the use of PRA for AWQC derivation.

Access to clean water is an imperative for modern societies. Water facilities play crucial roles in ensuring this access through sanitation, source protection, and proper reuse management. Historically, facilities such as wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been responsible for removing waterborne contaminants and safeguarding drinking water resources. To ensure effective and timely water management, WWTPs employ a combination of physicochemical and biological processes to treat domestic and industrial influents and to comply with environmental regulations. However, the implementation of these processes varies widely across the globe due to economic, political, and geographic constraints. One way to address some of these limitations is through the use of nature-based solutions (NbS), particularly in regions with limited access to infrastructure and investment, such as rural and remote areas. Nature-based solutions provide viable, sustainable, and cost-effective alternatives to conventional wastewater treatment processes, making them particularly well-suited for application in rural and developing communities where traditional infrastructure is often financially or logistically unfeasible.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and herbicides are important persistent contaminants that require specific management. A variety of herbicides is stored in fluorinated containers in the form of aquatic solutions. In such environments, the simultaneous release of PFAS and herbicides takes place. Nature-based solutions, such as the use of clay materials as possible sorbents, are attractive for the immobilization of such contaminants and environmental protection. Nanotubular clay minerals, such as halloysite and imogolite, are sufficient sorbents for herbicides. Due to their structural morphology, such materials could be efficient sorbents for the simultaneous immobilization of PFAS and herbicides. In this study, the potential sorption of a short chain PFAS, perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), sorbent of PFBA, and herbicides (atrazine and diuron) were investigated. Forcefield calculations were used for the classical molecular simulation study. Different distributions, arrangements, and ratios of the investigated molecules were investigated for the complete structural and energy characterization of the systems. Both clay minerals created stable complexes with PFBA as well as with both PFBA and herbicide molecules. Halloysite mineral led to similar total energies of the system with sorbed PFBA molecules alone, herbicides alone, or both of the pollutants. In contrast, imogolite led to lower energies with sorbed herbicides and showed relatively higher energies when interacting with PFBA. The complexes with both of the pollutants presented moderate energies. Electrostatic interactions were dominant in all the investigated complexes.

Pollinating bee dietary risk assessment for pesticide registration requires knowledge of nectar and pollen pesticide residue concentrations following different pesticide application methods to crops. The magnitude and duration of bee dietary pesticide exposures vary according to crop attractiveness to bees, physiochemical properties, plant characteristics, application rate, method, timing, and soil characteristics. Regulatory authorities rely on model-generated default estimates of pollinator exposure when measured food item pesticide residue data are unavailable for pesticide active ingredients. In North America, default pesticide residue estimates for pollen and nectar are imbedded in the USEPA's BeeREX model and, depending on the application method, are derived from various model approaches and data sources. Pursuing comprehensive bee-relevant data, we compiled and analyzed pesticide residue data from nectar and pollen samples collected during numerous field studies previously submitted to the USEPA, California Department of Pesticide Regulation, Canada Pesticide Regulatory Agency, and the European Food Safety Authority by pesticide product registrants. The information was compiled into a database that is accessible through an interactive Excel user interface termed NPRUDv1. The interactive file that makes up NPRUDv1 allows the user to generate statistical estimates of pesticide residue per unit dose values in nectar and pollen matrices for different application methods. The values can be used to calculate nectar and pollen estimated environmental concentrations in models to assess dietary pollinator risk. The use of this database and the NPRUDv1 tool will strengthen the dietary exposure component of pollinator pesticide risk assessments by utilizing a database of field-measured pollen and nectar residue concentrations that represent pesticide use patterns in different crops. This publication describes the procedures followed to establish a globally comprehensive nectar and pollen residue database, demonstrates the use of NPRUDv1, and demonstrates its applicability to lower tier pollinator pesticide risk assessment.

The concept of integrated management emerged in the 1980s and was adopted by the United Nations Program within Agenda 21, with a strong connection to the ecosystem-based approach. Both integrated coastal management and integrated agriculture management derive from this model and are adapted to different contexts and uses, including planning, decision-making, and efficient production. The blue economy model leverages integrated management in aquaculture and fishing. In Costa Rica's Gulf of Nicoya, this model is promoted for application to aquaculture. This article gives an overview of integrated aquaculture management practices around the world. For this, we applied a meta-analysis using a bibliometric methodology. The review reveals that most of the experiences are from East and South Asia and Europe, with China being the primary proponent. The practices found are related to production management practices and integrated coastal management. A large number of documents are associated with the ecosystem-based approach. The research is related not only to the principal commercial species but also to alternative species like octopus, sponges, and algae. The practices found in the documents reviewed can be classified as either ecosystem management, production maximization, technology, or integrated multisector or spatial planning. Turning an eye to Costa Rica, the conditions explored reveal a lack of information about aquaculture management in addition to a complex administrative and legal framework. Therefore, it is necessary to study aquaculture management to make an integrated aquaculture management proposal. Global practices establish a base platform for the theoretical underpinning of an eventual proposal for the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica.