Reviews on Environmental Health最新文献

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic pollutants containing several hydrocarbon rings affecting human health according to the published monitoring data. Most of these compounds can be absorbed by the soil and sediments due to the abundance of production resources of these compounds in the soil around the cities and sediments of the Iranian coast. Cancer risk assessment (CRA) is one of the most effective methods for quantifying the potentially harmful effects of PAHs on human health. In this study, the published papers that monitored PAHs in Iran's soil and sediments were reviewed. The extraction of different data and their equivalent factors were performed according to BaP equivalent, which is the main factor for calculating CRA of PAHs. The highest concentrations of PAHs were found in the sediments of Assaluyeh industrial zones (14,844 μg/kg), Khormousi region (1874.7 μg/kg), and Shadegan wetland (1749.5 μg/kg), respectively. Dermal exposure to sediments was 96% in adults, and 4% in children, and ingestion exposure to sediment was 99% in adults and 99.2% in children. Children dermal exposure to soil was 53%, and the accidental exposure to soil was 47%. In adults, dermal exposure to soil was 96% and the accidental exposure was 4%. The results of the present study indicated a significant, the carcinogenic risk of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in sediments of southern regions and soils of central regions of Iran is significant.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many positive shifts have been observed in the ecosystem, with a significant decrease in the greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. On the other hand, there were unavoidable negative shifts due to a surge in demand for plastic products such as food and groceries' delivery packaging, single-use plastics, medical and personal protective equipment to prevent transmission of COVID-19. Plastic pollution can be considered as a key environmental issue in world due to the huge footprints of plastics on natural ecosystems and public health. Herein, we presented an overview on the rise of plastic pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic. The potential sources of plastic waste during COVID-19 with its negative effects on the environment such as marine ecosystems and the global economics are highlighted. We also suggested some strategies and recommendations to tackle plastic leakages by applying feedstock recycling, sterilization, and with the use of biodegradable plastics that have become a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel plastics. Also, the importance of elevating public awareness and some recommendations to mitigate plastic generated during the pandemic has been addressed as well.

Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, widely used as plasticizers to impart flexibility in plastics, and as solvents in personal care products. Due to their nearly ubiquitous use in consumer products, most humans are exposed to phthalates daily. There has been extensive research on the reproductive health effects associated with phthalate exposure, but less attention has been paid to other actions. This review aims to summarize the known action of phthalates on different nuclear receptors. Some phthalates bind to and activate the estrogen receptor, making them weakly estrogenic. However, other phthalates antagonize androgen receptors. Some high molecular weight phthalates antagonize thyroid receptors, affecting metabolism. Several phthalates activate and interfere with the normal function of different peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), receptors that have critical roles in lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis. Some phthalates activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, which is critical for xenobiotic metabolism. Although phthalates have a short half-life in vivo, because people are continuously exposed, studies should examine the health effects of phthalates associated with long-term exposure. There is limited research on the effects of phthalates on health outcomes aside from reproductive function, particularly concerning are childhood adiposity, behavior, and learning. There is also limited information on actions of phthalates not mediated via nuclear receptors. Humans are exposed to multiple chemicals simultaneously, and how chemical mixtures act on nuclear receptor activity needs study. Although we know a great deal about phthalates, there is still much that remains uncertain. Future studies need to further examine their other potential health effects.

The belief that natural products are inherently safe is a primary reason for consumers to choose traditional medicines and herbal supplements for health maintenance and disease prevention. Unfortunately, some natural products on the market have been found to contain toxic compounds, such as heavy metals and microbes, as well as banned ingredients such as aristolochic acids. It shows that the existing regulatory system is inadequate and highlights the importance of thorough safety evaluations. In Malaysia, the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency is responsible for the regulatory control of medicinal products and cosmetics, including natural products. For registration purpose, the safety of natural products is primarily determined through the review of documents, including monographs, research articles and scientific reports. One of the main factors hampering safety evaluations of natural products is the lack of toxicological data from animal studies. However, international regulatory agencies such as the European Food Safety Authority and the United States Food and Drug Administration are beginning to accept data obtained using alternative strategies such as non-animal predictive toxicological tools. Our paper discusses the use of state-of-the-art techniques, including chemometrics, in silico modelling and omics technologies and their applications to the safety assessments of natural products.

Due to the continuous rising ambient levels of nonionizing electromagnetic fields (EMFs) used in modern societies-primarily from wireless technologies-that have now become a ubiquitous biologically active environmental pollutant, a new vision on how to regulate such exposures for non-human species at the ecosystem level is needed. Government standards adopted for human exposures are examined for applicability to wildlife. Existing environmental laws, such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the U.S. and others used in Canada and throughout Europe, should be strengthened and enforced. New laws should be written to accommodate the ever-increasing EMF exposures. Radiofrequency radiation exposure standards that have been adopted by worldwide agencies and governments warrant more stringent controls given the new and unusual signaling characteristics used in 5G technology. No such standards take wildlife into consideration. Many species of flora and fauna, because of distinctive physiologies, have been found sensitive to exogenous EMF in ways that surpass human reactivity. Such exposures may now be capable of affecting endogenous bioelectric states in some species. Numerous studies across all frequencies and taxa indicate that low-level EMF exposures have numerous adverse effects, including on orientation, migration, food finding, reproduction, mating, nest and den building, territorial maintenance, defense, vitality, longevity, and survivorship. Cyto- and geno-toxic effects have long been observed. It is time to recognize ambient EMF as a novel form of pollution and develop rules at regulatory agencies that designate air as 'habitat' so EMF can be regulated like other pollutants. Wildlife loss is often unseen and undocumented until tipping points are reached. A robust dialog regarding technology's high-impact role in the nascent field of electroecology needs to commence. Long-term chronic low-level EMF exposure standards should be set accordingly for wildlife, including, but not limited to, the redesign of wireless devices, as well as infrastructure, in order to reduce the rising ambient levels (explored in Part 1). Possible environmental approaches are discussed. This is Part 3 of a three-part series.

The World Health Organization lists air pollution as one of the top five risks for developing chronic non-communicable disease, joining tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. This review focuses on how host defense mechanisms against adverse airborne exposures relate to the probable interacting and overlapping pathophysiological features of neurodegeneration and multiple chemical sensitivity. Significant long-term airborne exposures can contribute to oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, transient receptor subfamily vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and subfamily ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) upregulation and sensitization, with impacts on olfactory and trigeminal nerve function, and eventual loss of brain mass. The potential for neurologic dysfunction, including decreased cognition, chronic pain and central sensitization related to airborne contaminants, can be magnified by genetic polymorphisms that result in less effective detoxification. Onset of neurodegenerative disorders is subtle, with early loss of brain mass and loss of sense of smell. Onset of MCS may be gradual following long-term low dose airborne exposures, or acute following a recognizable exposure. Upregulation of chemosensitive TRPV1 and TRPA1 polymodal receptors has been observed in patients with neurodegeneration, and chemically sensitive individuals with asthma, migraine and MCS. In people with chemical sensitivity, these receptors are also sensitized, which is defined as a reduction in the threshold and an increase in the magnitude of a response to noxious stimulation. There is likely damage to the olfactory system in neurodegeneration and trigeminal nerve hypersensitivity in MCS, with different effects on olfactory processing. The associations of low vitamin D levels and protein kinase activity seen in neurodegeneration have not been studied in MCS. Table 2 presents a summary of neurodegeneration and MCS, comparing 16 distinctive genetic, pathophysiological and clinical features associated with air pollution exposures. There is significant overlap, suggesting potential comorbidity. Canadian Health Measures Survey data indicates an overlap between neurodegeneration and MCS (p < 0.05) that suggests comorbidity, but the extent of increased susceptibility to the other condition is not established. Nevertheless, the pathways to the development of these conditions likely involve TRPV1 and TRPA1 receptors, and so it is hypothesized that manifestation of neurodegeneration and/or MCS and possibly why there is divergence may be influenced by polymorphisms of these receptors, among other factors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a global emergency crisis and created waste management challenges worldwide. Such a critical point has changed solid waste (municipal and medical) management prospects and posed fact challenges to the health decision-makers and policy-makers to make decisions to ensure sustainable management of the environment. One of the most negative prospects of COVID-19 pandemic is the increased waste generation, especially plastic waste in developing and developed countries. This study systematically reviews the potential influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical and municipal waste, and discusses the corresponding measures and policies of solid waste management in several countries. The results show that the highest and lowest quality of final disposal is observed in Finland with 75% recycling and in India with 90% open dumping, respectively. In many countries, the medical waste showed an increase by 350-500%.The pandemic has brought particular problems to the disposal capacity of municipal waste and medical waste across the world. We think that this point of view study provides valuable data for scientists, policy makers, health decision-makers, consultants, medical staff, medical supplies, those working in public health sector, and field engineers responsible for solid waste management.

Objectives: Indoor air quality has a significant impact on our health and quality of life, as people spends 80-90% of their time indoors. Fumigation of several medicinal herbs has been recommended by Unani scholars to improve air quality, but their efficacy in air purification is still unknown. Hence, this article aims to discuss the applicability of proposed medicinal herbs in the light of current researches.

Methods: A manual literature survey of classical Unani texts was conducted to collect information about the herbs recommended for air purification. In addition, research databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect were extensively searched for evidence on the efficacy and mechanism of action of the suggested herbs in air purification.

Results: In classical Unani texts, authors have found descriptions of 26 herbs that have been recommended for improving air quality. In-vitro studies have confirmed the antimicrobial activity of 19 of these herbs. Moreover, the efficacy of Styrax benzoin, Commiphora myrrha and Acorus calamus fumigation on aerial microbes have also been validated by studies.

Conclusions: The findings of the literature review clearly demonstrated that the herbs recommended by Unani scholars for air purification have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, indicating that these herbs could be a potential candidate for air disinfectant. Therefore, authors recommend the further researches on proposed herbs to validate their efficiency against airborne pathogens in the vapour phase.