Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering最新文献

This is the first systematic investigation of occupational exposure to toxic metals among waste recyclers in municipal waste recycling facilities. Concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) in the blood and urine of exposed recyclers in different jobs were compared to control groups (administrative department), identifying possible work-related and socio-demographic exposure factors. The potential relationship between HMs levels in PM_2.5 and HM concentrations in the blood and urine of recyclers was studied for ten elements. Mean concentrations of HMs of recyclers were significantly higher than for the control group. Over 50% of the waste recyclers had HM levels higher than the recommended limits. The study revealed that most of the waste recyclers engaged in a minimum of three tasks, posing a challenge in establishing a correlation between specific tasks and the levels of elements monitored through biomonitoring. Co levels in blood and Fe levels in the urine of waste recyclers have a significant relationship with the increase in daily working hours. Among the variables related to the participant’s demographic information, the level of education and monthly income were significantly different compared to the control group. Also, a significant correlation was found between HM levels in PM_2.5 personal exposure and recyclers’ urine and blood. Management controls include workflow or, in other words, alternate relocation of workers exposed to severe risks. Engineering controls such as ventilation systems, applying appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), and risk management methods are the implementation cases to reduce exposure.

Graphical abstract

Purpose

China has experienced a heavy public health burden due to the increasing incidence of ischemic stroke (IS). Few studies have evaluated the relationship between particulate matter (PM) exposure and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in relatively less-polluted areas, and the results have been inconsistent. As a result, this study aimed to investigate and evaluate the association between PM exposure and hospitalizations for AIS in an area with less air pollution.

Methods

Through collecting daily AIS hospitalizations, air pollution data and meteorological data from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020 in Nanning, this paper explored the association between short-term exposure to PM (PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and PM_c) and daily hospital admissions for AIS using a distributed lag non-linear model based on time-series. To further identify the susceptible populations, stratified analyses were performed by age and gender.

Results

During the study period, a total of 2382 patients were admitted to hospital with AIS, with the ratio of male to female reached 2.03: 1. No statistical association was found between PM exposure and AIS admissions in the total population. Subgroup analysis showed that PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and PM_c exposures were significantly associated with AIS admissions in male at lag29-lag30, lag27-lag30 and lag25-lag27, respectively. In addition, PM_c exposure was also relevant to admissions for AIS with aged < 65 years at lag18-lag23.

Conclusions

Short-term exposure to ambient PM was not associated with hospital admissions for AIS in the general population, but males and young adults (aged < 65 years) were more susceptible to PM exposure. Even in areas with relatively low air pollution, appropriate measures should be adopted to intervene in the adverse effects of air pollution on vulnerable populations.

Cooking food at high temperatures can lead to the formation of harmful chemical compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the concentrations of 16 PAHs in cooked fish using roasting, barbecuing, or grilling techniques. The Monte Carlo simulation method was employed to accurately assess and quantify the uncertainties associated with risk estimation. This study compiled data on PAH levels in cooked fish using gas or charcoal from 57 original published articles in the PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases between January 1, 2010 to December 30, 2023. The investigation showed that 55.1% of cooked fish was made by grilling, 35.1% by barbecuing, and 9.8% by roasting. Based on the 95th percentile Hazard Quotient (HQ) from fish consumption, the ranking of 8 PAHs was as follows: Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP = 14.10) > Pyrene (Pyr = 0.29) > Fluorene (Flu = 0.23) > Naphthalene (Nap = 0.22) > Fluoranthene (Flrt = 0.12) > Acenaphthene (Ace = 0.11) > Acenaphthylene (Acy = 0.04) > Anthracene (Anth = 0.02). However, the non-carcinogenic risk ratio for other PAH compounds in fish consumption, excluding BaP, was found to be less than one (HQ < 1). The 95th percentile lifetime excess cancer risk (LTCR) values for 8 PAH compounds (BaP (4.35E^− 9) > Anth (6.10E^− 11) > Flrt (9.35E^− 12) > Pyr (7.04E^− 12) > Ace (6.56E^− 12) > Flu (4.97E^− 12) > Nap (4.39E^− 12) > Acy (2.57E^− 12)) from fish consumption were negligible and can be disregarded (LTCR < 10^− 6). Based on the analysis of the findings, it can be concluded that the consumption of cooked fish using various methods worldwide does not present a carcinogenic risk linked to PAHs.

Microplastic pollution poses a significant threat to our environment, necessitating effective predictive modelling approaches for better management and mitigation. In this study, we introduce a pioneering methodology that fuses the power of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Hidden Markov Models (HMM) for microplastic predictive modelling. Leveraging a comprehensive dataset, our integrated model exhibits exceptional performance, with an Accuracy of 0.96, Precision of 0.96, Recall of 0.97, and an F1 Score of 0.96. The achieved Accuracy underscores the model’s proficiency in distinguishing microplastic and non-microplastic entities, promising robust and reliable predictions. Precision, as a measure of correct positive identifications, demonstrates our model's effectiveness in minimizing false positives, a crucial aspect for environmental monitoring. Moreover, the perfect Recall score signifies the model's ability to detect all relevant microplastic instances, addressing concerns about false negatives. The F1 Score encapsulates this dual proficiency, showcasing a harmonious trade-off between precision and recall. Our research not only advances the field of microplastic prediction but also highlights the potential of synergizing ANN and HMM methodologies for comprehensive environmental assessments. The reported performance metrics underscore the practical applicability of our approach, offering a valuable tool for tackling the pervasive issue of microplastic pollution and fostering proactive environmental stewardship.

Purpose

The presence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in aquatic ecosystems has raised serious environmental and health concerns. Polystyrene is one of the most abundant plastic polymers found in the environment. Polystyrene MPs/NPs have harmful implications for human health and their removal from the environment has become a serious challenge.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the adsorptive uptake of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs) from aqueous solutions using fly ash-loaded magnetic nanoparticles (FAMNPs) as the magnetic nano-adsorbent. During the factor screening study, the adsorption process was studied as a function of four variables namely pH (5–10), adsorption time (30–120 min), amount of FAMNPs (0.01–0.04 g), and stirring speed (50–200 rpm). Central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were employed to establish the relationship between the variables. Furthermore, toxicity assessments of PS NPs were checked on a zebrafish model, shedding light on its potential ecological effects.

Results

Two variables namely the pH and amount of FAMNPs significantly influenced the adsorption capacity of FAMNPs and were further optimized for subsequent analysis. The optimum operational readings proposed by the model were pH (8.5), and the amount of FAMNPs (0.03 g), resulting in a good adsorption capacity of 29.12 mg/g for PS NPs. The adequacy of the proposed model was evaluated by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Zebrafish embryos exposed to PS NPs revealed physical deformations such as pericardial edema and malformed notochord.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates the effectiveness of FAMNPs in the adsorption of PS NPs from aqueous solutions, with optimal conditions identified at pH 8.5 and 0.03 g of FAMNPs using RSM. The adequacy of the model was confirmed through ANOVA analysis. Toxicity assessments on zebrafish embryos exposed to PS NPs revealed significant mortality and physical deformations, highlighting the importance of PS NPs removal for environmental health.

Graphical Abstract

Here we comprehensively review the available knowledge on effects of different pretreatment technologies on microbial population and microbial dynamics in anaerobic digestion (AD) fed with different substrates and different operational parameters. To identify peer-reviewed studies published in English-language journals, a comprehensive search was performed across multiple electronic databases. The eligible studies were analyzed to extract data and information pertaining to the configuration of anaerobic reactors, operational parameters, and various pretreatment processes such as chemical, biological, enzymatic, thermal, microaerobic, and ultrasonic. The findings derived from this current review demonstrated that different chemical, biological, and physical pretreatment technologies improve the biomethane potential (BMP) and potentially affect the dominant bacteria and archaea. Moreover, although hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis are more observed due to resistance to extreme conditions, methane production follows both aceticlastic and hydrogenotrophic pathways in AD assisted with different pretreatment process. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla of bacteria were the dominant hydrolytic bacteria due to synergetic effects of different pretreatment process on solubilization and bioavailability of recalcitrant substrates. In summary, a holistic understanding on bacteria and archaea communities, along with the mechanisms of the dominant microorganisms leads to enhanced stability and overall performance of anaerobic digestion (AD) processes.

The objective of this study is to utilize cost-effective renewable substrates derived from agro-food wastes for the production of biosurfactant by Bacillus megaterium, which was isolated from petroleum sludge. Various agro-food waste materials, namely potato peelings (PP), rice cooking water (RW), biscuit by products (BB), carob pods (CP), and eggshells, were evaluated as nutrient sources for bacterial growth compared to a synthetic medium (SM). The results indicate that the medium comprising carob pods, potato peels supplemented with eggshells promoted the growth of the bacteria and the production of Biosurfactants at a rate of 150 mg/l and 140 mg/l respectively. The biosurfactant exhibited an emulsification index (E24) of 55.23 ± 0.32%, 46.47 ± 3% 43.80 ± 0.4%, 18.33 ± 0.25% and 20 ± 0.11% for PP, CP, SM, BB and RW respectively. The biosurfactant produced from PP had the ability to decrease the surface tension of water from 74 to 39.38 mN/m, with a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 15 mg/L. The chemical characterization of purified biosurfactant was done using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermal gravity (TG), as well as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis (TG/DSC), revealing the functional groups and thermostability of the biosurfactant. The DSC spectrum for PP biosurfactant showed the highest thermostability with crystalline temperature (Tc) of 150 °C and melting point (Tm) of 295 °C. The extracted biosurfactant was mixed with petroleum sludge, composed of heavy oil, 40.64 ± 0.19% of extracted oil was obtained after 5 h of reaction while using PP based medium.

The Covid 19 pandemic has significantly affected the health, economy, and social impact of humanity. The continuous mutations of the virus variants have accelerated the demand for scientific research on disinfection techniques for a safer indoor environment. Among all the available surface disinfection techniques, ultraviolet germicidal irradiance at 254 nm wavelength has been proven for its disinfection efficacy; however, its usage is limited to unoccupied conditions due to the risk of ultraviolet exposure. This study investigated the efficacy of far-UVC-222 nm experimentally in both controlled environment and field setting. Staphylococcus epidermidis and Mycobacterium smegmatis were employed for surface disinfection in both the laboratory and a meeting room. Total plate count was used to determine the disinfection efficacy by a 20 W unfiltered far-UVC lamp. At 1.1 µW/cm² far-UVC irradiation, a 1-log₁₀ reduction of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Mycobacterium smegmatis contamination on tabletop can be achieved by 31.3 min and 101.8 min of far-UVC irradiation, respectively. Other pathogens of interest such as Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Legionella pneumophila, SARS-CoV-2, and the Measles virus were also referred and compared in this study. This study carefully examined how far-UVC irradiation performs effectively for surface disinfection in a real meeting room setting. The results offer useful recommendations for alternatives to upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiance for continuous disinfection within the ultraviolet threshold limit value, with the goal of preventing the spread of any diseases in the future.

In recent years, due to a decrement in water quality and scarcity, desalination systems have gained popularity for desalination purposes. Synchronously, with the development of this system, particularly, in concern with the littoral regions, seawater concentrate disposal consisting of various pollutants was taken into consideration. In this research, two desalination plants near each other were selected and four scenarios have been foreseen, for the discharge of seawater concentrate and the desalination intake, which are taken under study in the Ramin-Chabahar region, based on dual-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation, comprising of diffusion and release, by utilizing the MIKE 21 Software. Due to the proximity of the two desalination plants, to reduce the costs of piping in the sea, the location of discharge and intake were considered common. On the grounds pertaining to the modeling results, the discharge of seawater concentrates, at a distance of 300 m (5 m of depth) from the coast and the intake point, at a distance of 800 m, in elongation, has had the minimum environmental impact; as well as having no undesirable effect on the water quality of the intake, in addition to being cost-effective, from the economic viewpoint. To dilute seawater concentrate to a standardized level, it is appropriate to discharge through a diffuser with 10 nozzles, which are spaced out at 3.25 m from each other, being positioned linearly on one side, at an angle of 60 degrees. With the optimal selection of intake and discharge points of seawater concentrate in marine desalination plants, in addition to increasing the quality of treated water and reducing adverse environmental effects, construction and operation costs are also reduced.