Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health最新文献

Currently, nanoplastic (1–1000 nm) environmental prevalence is poorly understood, and only recently has their potential impact become apparent. Over the last fifteen years, research has identified, quantified, and analyzed the toxicity and interactions of these emerging contaminants, especially for polystyrene. This review focused on non-polystyrene nanoplastics behavior within wastewater plants, interactions within terrestrial and aquatic environments, in vitro and in vivo toxicity, and the future of human exposure. From the literature, polystyrene studies from 2012 to 2020 made up 97% of studies, while only accounting for 6.2% of global plastic production. Significant literature gaps identified included looking at the fate, transport, and effects of non-polystyrene plastics in terrestrial and microbial systems. Within the last five years more studies with relevant and environmentally prominent plastics of concern and their impacts have been conducted; this innovative research was discussed within this review and used to identify significant gaps in the literature.

Contamination of freshwater resources is a major challenge in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals proposed for the future wellbeing of the world. Climate change and anthropogenic inputs have severely impacted both the quantity and quality of accessible water resources. This review delves into the application of isotope techniques in identifying the pollution sources, elucidating the degradation pathways and assessing transport dynamics of widespread as well as emerging contaminants such as microplastics, pesticides, fugitive gases, greenhouse emissions and persistent organic compounds.

This abstract highlights the significant issue of groundwater contamination and its direct influence on human health, in the Indian subcontinent (ISC). Groundwater serves as a crucial source of drinking water for about half of the global population, with approximately 2.5 billion individuals depends on groundwater for their routine water needs. Studying groundwater contamination and health risks through a geospatial approach is crucial due to dense population reliance on groundwater, significant public health concerns, environmental impacts, economic implications, and the need for informed policy and planning. Geospatial techniques enable better visualization and analysis of contamination patterns, aiding in targeted interventions and sustainable management strategies amidst challenges like climate change. In arid regions with limited water resources, the degradation of water quality and the occurrence of metal contaminants in groundwater pose serious threats. The review focuses on groundwater contamination and health perils allied with specific elements like arsenic, nitrate, and fluoride. It sheds light on the pollution of groundwater in the ISC rendering it unsuitable for diverse purposes. It anticipated causing significant harm to human health, life, and vegetation. This comprehensive review aims to contribute to the understanding of the magnitude of groundwater contamination in the ISC and the potential consequences for both the environment and human well-being.

Rapidly deteriorating groundwater quality due to geogenic and anthropogenic causes has impacted the lives of millions of groundwater-dependent population globally. The situation necessitates the requirement for monitoring of groundwater resources. This brief review summarizes the use of machine learning (ML) to predict groundwater contaminants across the world. Proper functioning of these model relies heavily on the quality of the data and the selection of features. Among the various ML models reviewed, tree based model, specifically random forest (RF), have provided more accurate predictions and are extensively used. Comprehending the factors that dictate the concentration of these contaminants in groundwater is imperative in developing robust prediction models. Furthermore it is essential to evaluate the limitations and uncertainties of these ML models in harnessing their true potential. The present study provide valuable insights that can be utilized to strategize and implement mitigation approaches to protect groundwater reserves from pollutants.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, antimicrobial determinants, and human pathogens are of deeper concern since they can pose a serious threat on public health. Given the high population density and threats of untreated wastewater, South Asian countries might face a potential health risk due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Hence, in this review, we are providing insights into how wastewater serves as a crucial conduit for loading pathogenic microorganisms, antibiotics, and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in a given catchment. We recommend that countries lacking community-level data, particularly on AMR, use wastewater surveillance (WS) to predict the future waves of any epidemic/pandemic and understand the situation of AMR via environmental pathways. Moreover, WS can be used as a cost-effective technique to monitor health conditions even for marginal-income communities in developing countries lacking access to clean water, sanitation, and health facilities.

The contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) including harmful/toxic chemicals present in water bodies even at lower concentrations may affect eco-system and human health. Therefore, it is important to detect the presence of such water contaminants to improve the health of the environment and but very challenging. In this context, a rapid and ultra-sensitive technique must be implemented. This review highlights the importance of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique in ultrasensitive detection of CECs including other emerging water threats i.e. antibiotic resistance genes, microplastics, SARS-CoV-2/other viruses etc. Additionally, recent development in developing promising 3D flexible, floating SERS substrates along with emerging applications of hand-held/portable/in-situ SERS in water applications have been discussed in view of environmental and health monitoring. Eventually, various challenges and future prospects are discussed.

The Virtual Special Issue (VSI) entitled “COVID-19 in Environment: Treatment, Infectivity, Monitoring, Estimation (TIME)” mainly brings together the different themes and perspectives related to wastewater epidemiology related to COVID-19. The issue further concentrates on the idea of the very much required scientific studies of the wastewater containing the SARS-CoV RNA; its contagious attributes if any; and the very important possibility of estimation and monitoring of patients based on the wastewater epidemiology. We have brought global perspectives related to the most suitable estimations methods based on SARS-COV-RNA data and development of an approach combining wastewater epidemiology and clinical diagnostic test could facilitate surveillance of public health system for informed decision making for better and effective treatment methods on one platform, thereby facilitating the expansion of the reach of these ideas and their audience. This VSI is going to act as an interface for microbiologists, environmental engineers, data scientists, civil engineers, remote-sensing experts, and modelers to integrate their findings on the aforementioned topics to etch out the probability of relative environmental risks and human health challenges. It has undergone an open call for papers and a rigorous peer-review process, where each submission has been evaluated by a panel of experts. In total, twenty-two articles could pass the test of external referees that represent the ongoing research and development activities in the topical research area of COVID-19 wastewater surveillance.

Emerging pollutants such as medications and caffeine have been detected in diverse environmental settings, including public water supplies. This study evaluates the presence of primary medicines and caffeine in water and the effectiveness of conventional treatment methods for eliminating these compounds. Drugs from many diagnostic categories were examined, with a focus on psychotropic medications, which are prescribed and used more often globally. The water delivery system's various phases were also examined. Even if the examined pollutants are eliminated by conventional treatment, their presence can still be found in residues or by-products left over from the treatment process. This suggests that preventative measures are necessary to preserve the water sources.

The EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184) adds standards for new disinfection by-products (DBPs) such as haloacetic acids, chlorite, and chlorate, in addition to trihalomethanes and bromate. Therefore, the upgrade of water treatment plants (WTPs) to meet the new standards may be necessary. The objective of this study is to assess approaches for enhancing conventional WTPs to minimize the formation of these just regulated DBPs. Three key strategies are identified: (1) enhanced precursor removal; (2) alternative disinfection/preoxidation and (3) removal of already-formed DBP. The advantages and disadvantages of such strategies are discussed, considering the formation of other emerging, unregulated DBPs. Guidelines are presented to select the most appropriate treatment trains that are proposed to upgrade the conventional WTPs.