Journal of Health and Pollution最新文献

Background: Ash and slag disposal areas of Ukrainian thermal power plants accumulate large amounts of waste annually.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to analyze the composition of ash and slag wastes generated during combustion of coal at Ukrainian thermal power plants and the potential affects of disposal areas on the environment.

Methods: A literature search was conducted using the Google search engine to access online academic publications indexed in Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Clarivate Analytics (Web of Science), ScienceDirect, ResearchGate and Springer Link from 2011 in English and Ukrainian.

Results: After analyzing the 25 academic articles included in the present review, the results indicated that hazardous constituents (oxides of silicon, aluminium, iron, calcium and magnesium) of ash can migrate from the ash dump surface by air and water to contaminate the atmosphere, soil, groundwater and surface water in areas located within a few kilometers from the waste site.

Conclusions: By-products of the fuel and energy complex of Ukraine are potentially dangerous sources of environmental pollution. They create risks to the health of the population living in the surrounding territories. Further studies should focus on the features of pollutant transfer from ash dumps, and development of appropriate mathematical models of the pollutant migration to assess pollution levels in soil, groundwater and air.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Background: Some heavy metals can be harmful to human health in elevated doses such as zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg), while others such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and copper (Cu) have harmful consequences to health even in small doses. Heavy metals and additives are incorporated into crude oil to enhance performance.3,4,5 Crude oil is well known to contain heavy metals like Cu, Cd, Ni and Pb.3,6,7.

Objective: The current study aimed to assess levels of heavy metals and the impact of these metals on antioxidant levels and physiological variables in the serum of oil refinery workers in Iraq.

Methods: Heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, Hg, Zn, Cu and Mg were assessed in the serum of a sample of refinery workers (N=40) and a control group (N=20) using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Additionally, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), δ-aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and physiological variables such as blood urea, serum creatinine, glutamate-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamate-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) were measured to assess impact of these heavy metals.

Results: Mercury, Cd, and Pb were significantly elevated in the refinery worker group in comparison with the control group, while the levels of Zn, Cu, and Mg were significantly lower in the refinery worker group compared to the control group. There was a significant difference between the control group and the worker group for most of the antioxidants and functional variables. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly lower in the worker group while blood urea, serum creatinine, glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) showed a significant elevation in the workers' group. Glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) showed no significant difference between the control group and the worker group.

Conclusions: Refinery workers are at increased risk of having higher serum levels of Pb, Cd, and Hg compared to controls which can lead to an increase in oxidative stress, decrease in TAC, and decrease in the essential trace elements Zn, Cu and Mg.

Participant consent: Obtained.

Ethics approval: This study was approved by the ethics committee within the Nineveh Health Department, Mosul, Iraq.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Background: Heavy metals are persistent in the environment and can cause bioaccumulation in the food chain. Drinking water contamination by heavy metals can pose a risk to poultry and to human health. The need for affordable, reliable and effective methods of water treatment has led to the use of plants materials, including coagulants such as Moringa oleifera seeds, to ensure poultry products are safe for consumers.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of drinking water treatment by Moringa oleifera seed on the concentration and distribution of metals such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) in different parts of broilers chickens and theirs effects on consumer health.

Methods: A total number of 264 one-day old chickens (Cobb-500) were assigned to three treatments, with 22 birds in each treatment and replicated four times: untreated well water (UW), well water treated with Moringa oleifera seeds and filtered (MOF) and well water treated with Moringa oleifera seeds but unfiltered (MOU). Thirty birds were randomly chosen from different treatments and slaughtered at day 45 of the experiment and samples of livers, kidneys, gizzards and breasts were obtained and analyzed for toxic metals concentrations using atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

Results: The results indicated that the bioaccumulation of heavy metals was lower in MOF than those in UW and MOU. The target hazard quotient (THQ) for individual metals was below acceptable limits except for As and Pb in UW and MOU. The carcinogenic risk (TR) was estimated for each metal due to consumption of different types of chicken.

Conclusions: Moringa oleifera seeds are an environmentally friendly natural coagulant and able to treat water containing undesirable heavy metal concentrations and ensure that poultry meat is safe for consumers.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Ethics approval: This study was approved by the ethics Committee of the University of Lomé-Togo.

Background: There is fast-growing epidemiologic evidence of the effects of environmental chemicals on respiratory health. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been linked with airway obstruction common in asthma and/or asthma exacerbation, and chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Objectives: A systematic review of the association between exposure to PAHs and obstructive lung diseases is not yet available. The present systematic review aims to evaluate the evidence available in epidemiological studies that have associated PAHs with obstructive lung diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema.

Methods: We performed a systematic literature search on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases using relevant keywords and guided by predesigned eligibility criteria.

Results: From the total of 30 articles reviewed, 16 articles examined the link between PAHs and lung function in both adults and children. Twelve articles investigated the association between PAHs and asthma, asthma biomarkers, and/or asthma symptoms in children. Two articles studied the relationship between PAHs and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), a biomarker of airway inflammation and the relationship between PAHs and obstructive lung diseases and infections, respectively. One study assessed exposure to daily ambient PAHs and cough occurrence.

Discussion: Twenty-seven studies found an association between PAHs and asthma and reduced lung function. In children it is reinforced by studies on prenatal and postnatal exposure, whereas in adults, reductions in lung function tests marked by low forced expiratory volume in 1 second, (FEV₁), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory flow (FEF_25-75%) were the major health outcomes. Some studies recorded contrasting results: insignificant and/or no association between the two variables of interest. The studies reviewed had limitations ranging from small sample size, to the use of cross-sectional rather than longitudinal study design.

Conclusions: The literature reviewed in the present study largely suggest positive correlations between PAHs and obstructive lung diseases marked mainly by asthma and reduced respiratory function. This review was registered with PROSPERO (Registration no: CRD42020212894).

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Background: Although herbal medicines play an important role as a source of medicine, concerns have been raised about the risks posed by consumption of these plants, especially if consumed above permissible levels.

Objectives: This study was undertaken to assess the level of exposure, toxicity and health risk associated with the consumption of herbal plants in Ado Ekiti urban market, Nigeria.

Methods: Ten commonly consumed herbal plants sold in Ado Ekiti urban market were subjected to heavy metal analysis. Health risk assessment was carried out to determine the estimated daily intake (EDI) of heavy metals, health risk index (HRI), target hazard quotient for non-carcinogenic risk and estimation of cancer risk (ECR).

Results: The EDIs for lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu) and magnesium (Mn) were above the upper tolerable daily intake reference for all studied plant species in both children and adults, an indication that herbal use poses a short-term to long-term health risk to consumers of these herbal products. The EDI for children was significantly lower compared to that of adults, indicating higher risks for adult consumers of these herbal products. The HRI in children for Pb (Alstonia congensis, Terminalia avicennioides, Aframomum melegueta, Cymbopogon citratus and Napoleona vogelii) were greater than 1; HRI in Cu and Mn also showed an unusually high concentration, an indication that long term exposure to the consumption of these herbal plants poses a serious health risk. The HRI in children and adults follows the order Mn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr; cadmium (Cd) was not detected in any of the herbal plants. The ECR for Pb, Ni and Cr present in the herbal plants for children ranged between 10^-6 (low) to 10^-3 (high), while the ECR for Pb, Ni and Cr for herbal plants for adults ranged between 10^-5 (acceptable) to 10^-2 (unacceptable). For both children and adults, there is a call for concern due to ECRs above the acceptable range; the consumption of these herbal plants poses a long-term cancer risk.

Conclusions: In both children and adults, ECRs for some of the herbal plants in the present study above the acceptable range present a risk to human health. The consumption of such herbal plants poses a long-term cancer risk.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Background: Sawdust from Parkia biglobosa was prepared as an adsorbent for the adsorption of dye from aqueous solution.

Objectives: The ability of sawdust to adsorb Congo red in a single dye system and binary dye system was examined.

Methods: Effects of several variables (pH, contact time, initial dye concentration and adsorbent dose) were investigated and optimum conditions were established. The equilibrium data were subjected to kinetic and isotherm models.

Results: Equilibrium time was observed at 600 mins while the optimum dose was 0.2 g and there was an increase in adsorption at low pH. The equilibrium data fitted the Freundlich isotherm model in both systems (coefficient correlation (R²) > 0.9). Harkin-Jura was the worst-fitted (R² < 0.8). The q_m in the single system (21.65) was lower than in BDS (27.17; 34.01). The values of 1/n show the heterogeneity on the surface of sawdust which reduced in the BDS. The increase in q_m in the binary system showed that the presence of another dye (Reactive black 5) had a synergistic effect on the adsorption of Congo red. The kinetics of the process followed the pseudo-second-order model both in the single system and one of the binary systems. The dynamics of the process showed that the single system was non-spontaneous at low temperatures, endothermic and increased randomness on the surface of the adsorbent, while in the binary system, the process was exothermic and had little affinity for the adsorbent.

Conclusions: Sawdust from Parkia biglobosa is a potential adsorbent for removing Congo red dye from aqueous solution in single and binary systems.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Background: Exposure to household air pollution through the burning of biomass fuels is a global health concern and can lead to negative health outcomes such as asthma and lung disease.

Objectives: The goal of this four-year study was to determine whether an intervention to reduce household air pollution (HAP) which included health education and a new well-ventilated cooking location would reduce exposure to HAP, lower carbon monoxide (CO) levels and improve the health of women and children in Port Sudan, Sudan.

Methods: In 2016, 115 women of low socioeconomic status and their children were invited to participate in the study at two women's centers. One hundred and eleven women consented to participate and were divided into study and control groups on the basis of home ownership. Women who owned their homes learned about the adverse effects of HAP and a well-ventilated outside cooking location (rakoobah) was provided. Control women did not receive HAP education or a rakoobah. Questionnaires were used to assess the effect of education and a new well-ventilated cooking location for a group of Sudanese women who cook with biomass fuels. CO-oximetry was performed. Each year from 2017-2019, the questionnaires and CO-oximetry were repeated.

Results: Sixty-five women and 33 children were assigned to the study group and 46 women and 19 children were assigned to the control group in 2016. Women were enrolled in 2016 with CO levels of 17.8% and 17.4%, respectively. One year later some of the study group women had lower CO levels and others higher, while the CO levels of the controls were stable. An intensive HAP education program was started for the study group women. By 2019, the last study year, the CO levels of both the study and control group women had dropped to normal levels of 2.9% and 3.1%, respectively. Control group women may have benefited from the HAP education and modeled behavior of those in the study group.

Conclusions: The health impact of the change in cooking location was unclear, yet both groups reported fewer health care visits in 2019. Education and an outside cooking location resulted in lower CO levels of Sudanese women and children.

Participant consent: Obtained.

Ethics approval: The study was approved by the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Institutional Review Board and the Ethics Committee of the Red Sea University Faculty of Medicine located in Port Sudan, Sudan.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Background: Brick kiln workers are often not aware of the health effects of their working environment and health-related respiratory problems. There have been few studies on the relationship between brick kiln pollution and its health impact on brick kiln workers.

Objectives: The present study measured the association of brick kiln contamination with severe respiratory problems and lung function among brick kiln workers in the Kasur district, Pakistan.

Methods: Air quality variables (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) were monitored during operations in brick kiln modulation and kiln areas. Workers (n=60) were selected for participation if they were between the ages of 18 and 60 and had been working in brick kilns for at least one year and gave consent to participate. Their lung function was measured.

Results: The average concentrations of measured air quality variables for all working sites were found to exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) and National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) guidelines. These high values of brick kiln pollutants were associated with a significant decrease in spirometric values (forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and average flow between 25% and 75% of the FVC (FEF2575)) among workers and revealed that 78.33% of workers had abnormal lung function with 5% obstructive and 95% restrictive impairments. Occurrences of pulmonary problems like frequent cough (50%), chronic cough (11.67%), frequent phlegm (21.67%), chronic phlegm (11.67%), frequent wheezing (20%), chronic wheezing (15%), shortness of breath grade-I & grade-II (38.33%) and self-reported asthma (3.33%) were also found among the workers.

Conclusions: Pollution from brick kiln operations was significantly high and associated with respiratory problems as well as a decrease in lung function. There was a clear correlation between pulmonary function in workers with brick kiln contamination.

Participant consent: Obtained.

Ethics approval: This study was approved by the Bioethics Committee of the Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan (Ref.1443-UZ).

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Background: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is used in different industrial and commercial products. Research shows the presence of PFOA in home dusts, tap and surface water, and in biological samples. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified PFOA as a possible carcinogen for humans. The liver is thought to be a target organ of PFOA accumulation and toxicity.

Objective: Some studies have found toxic effects on the liver and related mechanisms; however, more studies are needed to better understand PFOA - induced hepatotoxicity.

Methods: In the present study, a human hepatocarcinoma cell line was exposed to PFOA for 24 hours and cell viability, apoptosis, the oxidative system and immune response were evaluated.

Results: While apoptosis was the main cell death pathway at low concentration (86.5%), the necrotic cell fraction increased with higher concentrations (46.7%). Significant changes in the reactive oxygen species (5.3-folds) glutathione (GSH) (1.7-folds) and catalase (CAT) (1.4-folds) levels were observed, as well as changes to interleukin-6 (≤1.8-fold) and interleukin-8 levels (35-40%).

Conclusions: In light of the data, PFOA is potentially hepatotoxic through the investigated pathways. The results represent a background for future in vivo mechanistic studies.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Background: Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is known to affect human health, causing heart and cardiovascular diseases, and it has been shown that locations with long term NO₂ pollution recorded a high number of fatalities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are no ground stations monitoring emissions of NO₂ over West Africa. The present study aimed to use satellite observations to examine pollutant trends over this region.

Objective: To examine the trend of NO₂ over the entire West Africa sub region in relationship to contributions to environmental emissions using satellite-derived data. This enables the assessment of West Africa regional air pollution hot spots in relationship to enhancing atmospheric factors. The results from this study will also be useful guidance for setting air quality standards for air pollution controls to minimize health hazards.

Methods: The present study examined thirteen years of average monthly values of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) to determine the spatio-temporal variation of this pollutant over West Africa. Satellite data for NO₂ between 2005 and 2017 were used to determine the variation in pollution levels over West Africa. Correlations between NO₂ and meteorological variables (wind speed, rainfall and air temperature) were obtained to explain the influence of West African weather on the region's pollution accumulation.

Results: The present study observed that NO₂ concentrations varied from place to place and from season to season. Nitrogen dioxide concentrations during the dry season were higher (sometimes 200% higher) than values observed in the wet season which ranged between 0.5 and 6×10¹⁵ molec/cm². Nitrogen dioxide north-south oscillation during the course of a year is largely controlled by the inter-tropical discontinuity (ITD) zone as high concentrations of NO₂ are found in the vicinity of the ITD where wind speeds and horizontal vorticity approaches zero. Correlation analysis between NO₂ and some atmospheric variables indicated NO₂ concentrations are well influenced by atmospheric variables showing bipolar signals depending on the season. An increasing trend of NO₂ was also found over selected cities of the region. This indicated that regional air quality is gradually deteriorating.

Conclusions: The implications of worsening regional air quality were examined in the light of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. The dominant atmospheric factor determining pollution episodes in the region is the inter-tropical discontinuity line which marks the meeting point between the two wind regimes over the region. Densely populated areas are characteristically prone to elevated pollution and have experienced high fatalities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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