Current Pollution Reports最新文献

Purpose of Review

Microplastics in the environment enter the human body through diet, drinking water, and air inhalation. The widespread detection of microplastics in several human tissues was conducted. However, limited knowledge exists on the number of microplastics that can be ingested by humans and the potential adverse effects on various organs. To address these issues, we reviewed the types and abundance of microplastics through different pathways and summarized the average annual intake in humans.

Recent Findings

An adult can ingest about (4.88–5.77) × 10⁵ microplastics/year through the dietary route [including salt (5.00–7.00) × 10³, fish (0.50–1.20)×10⁴, fruits (4.48–4.62) × 10⁵, and vegetables (2.96–9.55)×10⁴]. The amount of microplastics ingested via drinking water route was approximately (0.22–1.2)×10⁶ microplastics/year. Inhalation of microplastics via atmospheric environment was nearly (0.21–2.51) × 10⁶ microplastics/year [including indoor (0.16–2.30) × 10⁶ and outdoor (0.46–2.10)×10⁵].

Summary

In conclusion, we found that the human body ingests microplastics most through inhalation, followed by drinking water and diet. We also summarized the types and abundance of microplastics that were enriched in different organs after microplastics entered the human body. Microplastics entering the body would cross the barrier into the target effector organs and cause adverse health effects, mainly including induction of intracellular oxidative stress, genotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and inflammatory responses. In conclusion, exposure to microplastics can cause many adverse effects on the health of the organism. Thus, an increased awareness of the crisis, urgent discussion, and practical actions are needed to mitigate microplastics contaminants in the environment.

Graphical Abstract

Purpose of Review

The issue of improper wastewater treatment disposal from various sources is a global issue that needs immediate tackling. The increase in global population, sustainable agricultural practice, and heightened energy production demand has increased the need for clean water supply to multiple fold. It is therefore a continuous challenge to develop technique that could treat the wastewater as efficient but at a lower production cost with sustainable supply of raw materials.

Recent Findings

Apart from the extensively studied forest and forest industry residues, date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) offers an exciting future as a sustainable raw material to produce biochar and/or activated carbon that can be employed as a green adsorbent in wastewater treatment application. Various carbonization and activation techniques have been reported for date palm waste biomass as well as its potential applications. Nevertheless, there are very few literatures available on the benchmarking of each date palm biomass type for its characteristics, production methods, and pollutant removal capabilities.

Summary

This review highlights some of the carbonization and activation methods available to manufacture biochar and activated carbon from date palm followed by some examples of its applications. Even though date palm biomass can be found in huge volume in date palm-growing area such as the Arab region, few reports are available on its utilization in actual industrial processes, pollutant removal from water system, for example. This review offers new insight into the conversion techniques of date palm biomass, its characterization, and evaluation of its pollutant removal capacity, among others. This work is envisaged to shed insight into a comprehensive outlook on the promising applications of date palm biomass to produce potent green adsorbents as well as its potential applications in other economic sectors.

Purpose of Review

There is a growing interest in understanding the health effects of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through the study of the human metabolome. In this systematic review, we aimed to identify consistent findings between PFAS and metabolomic signatures. We conducted a search matching specific keywords that was independently reviewed by two authors on two databases (EMBASE and PubMed) from their inception through July 19, 2022 following PRISMA guidelines.

Recent Findings

We identified a total of 28 eligible observational studies that evaluated the associations between 31 different PFAS exposures and metabolomics in humans. The most common exposure evaluated was legacy long-chain PFAS. Population sample sizes ranged from 40 to 1,105 participants at different stages across the lifespan. A total of 19 studies used a non-targeted metabolomics approach, 7 used targeted approaches, and 2 included both. The majority of studies were cross-sectional (n = 25), including four with prospective analyses of PFAS measured prior to metabolomics.

Summary

Most frequently reported associations across studies were observed between PFAS and amino acids, fatty acids, glycerophospholipids, glycerolipids, phosphosphingolipids, bile acids, ceramides, purines, and acylcarnitines. Corresponding metabolic pathways were also altered, including lipid, amino acid, carbohydrate, nucleotide, energy metabolism, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins. We found consistent evidence across studies indicating PFAS-induced alterations in lipid and amino acid metabolites, which may be involved in energy and cell membrane disruption.

Purpose of Review

Triclosan (TCS), a widely used broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, enters to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and the environment ultimately after its usage. Notably, the use of TCS has surged during the outbreak of COVID-19, leading to the environment under increasing TCS pollution pressure. Even environmentally relevant concentrations of TCS can promote the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is a major public health concern. The purpose of this study is to provide a basis for the management and risk assessment of TCS by providing a holistic review of the impact of TCS on AMR in the environment.

Recent Findings

Bacterial resistance to TCS mainly takes place through modification or replacement of the FabI enzyme, which is the main target of TCS in bacteria. Currently, multiple FabI mutants and isoenzymes have been identified in the environment giving bacterial resistance to TCS. In addition, mechanisms by which TCS promotes bacterial development of resistance to other antimicrobials have been studied in laboratory experiments and environmental settings, such as anaerobic digester. TCS will promote the development of AMR in the environment with the possibility of adverse risks to public health.

Summary

This review systematically summarizes the mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antimicrobials driven by TCS and highlights the effects of TCS in promoting the horizontal transfer and enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Suggestions for overcoming the limitations of laboratory-scale studies and further improving the risk assessment of TCS in the environment are proposed.

Building ventilation rate is a crucial factor in the indoor air quality (IAQ). Furthermore, building-related parameters (window geometry, building orientation, height, and shape) have a substantial impact on the ventilation rates. However, most building designs reported in the literature from various income group countries failed to fulfill the recommended ventilation standards. A systematic and critical review was conducted on the collated literature from the past 20 years using various databases, yielding 145 related articles. Building-related factors influencing the ventilation rates were thoroughly studied in different income groups. In addition, the existing ventilation rates in various building environments were examined. The data analysis of critical literature suggests that the ventilation rates in 80% of the building environments were found lower than the prescribed standards irrespective of the income group countries. Thus, the current study highlights the need for redesign of the existing or new buildings for meeting the adequate ventilation rates.