Evaluation of cigarette butt pollution index and associated heavy metal leakage in urban and rural environments of Iran.

Estimation of the heavy metals released from cigarette butts to beaches and urban environments

More than 5 trillion cigarettes are produced in the world every year. This hazardous waste is one of the most important litter in the environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the density and dispersion of cigarette butts in the urban environment and to estimate the leakage of pollution from it to the environment. For this purpose, the cigarette butt pollution index was used in 14 locations. Observations were made during a year and once a month for each location. The study of the locations was done with the same conditions on weekend and working days. The amount of heavy metal leakage was estimated based on the average weight of cigarette butts and the ratio of metal leakage in different weather conditions. The results showed that the annual average of index for the studied locations was 1.36 (SD 0.11) to 10.6 (SD 1.23). Based on this, 28.5% of the locations were in the low pollution status and 42.8% were in the significant pollution status and worse. On average, the index on weekend decreased by 32.3 percent in all locations, and the average index of the studied locations in spring and summer was 26.2 percent higher than in autumn and winter. The average leakage of heavy metals including chromium, cadmium, zinc, lead, copper, and nickel from littered cigarette butts in commercial, residential, and recreational areas was estimated to be 0.27, 0.079, and 0.17 µg per square meter, respectively. Cigarette butt is one of the most abundant litter in the studied area, which is the source of many pollutants, including heavy metals. This hazardous waste is a serious threat to the urban environment.

Many studies have indicated numerous nutrition mistakes among school-aged children and adolescents in both urban and rural environments. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional habits of the Polish population, consisting of 7,974 individuals aged 12-17, from rural and urban environments, as well as to identify environmental variations of these habits and to verify the existing information on the incorrect nutrition of school-age children and adolescents. The research covered a group of 7,974 respondents - school-age adolescents with a similar age structure (12-17 years). The study on subjects from secondary school grades 1 - 3 was conducted in randomly selected schools from 2 random Polish provinces; 5 counties were randomly selected, followed by a choice of 2 communes: one rural and one urban. The research technique was a self-designed survey questionnaire. The obtained results were subjected to statistical analysis using the Pearson Chi 2 and V Cramer test. The research revealed environment-based differences in subjects' nutrition. Breakfast was consumed daily by a statistically significantly fewer subjects from the rural environment (36.31%) than from the urban areas (51.32%); second breakfast was consumed by an insignificantly smaller proportion of respondents from the urban environment (40.00%) than from the rural one (46.00%); dinner was eaten daily by 86.00% of urban subjects and 82.00% of rural respondents; afternoon tea and supper were eaten rarely by respondents from both environments. The diet of respondents was dominated by anti-health behaviours. Most of the respondents displayed incorrect nutritional behaviours. Nutritional mistakes occurred among respondents from both rural and urban environments, with the predominance of the rural areas.

Assessment of littered cigarette butt in urban environment, using of new cigarette butt pollution index (CBPI)

The high proportion of cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis reported amongst residents in the city of Bandeirantes, in the state of Paraná, Brazil, led the authors to investigate the phlebotomine fauna in both urban and rural environments. The sandflies were captured with automatic light traps from 07:00 pm-07:00 am fortnightly in 11 urban peridomiciles from April 2008-March 2009 and monthly in three ecotopes within four rural localities from April 2009-March 2010. In one of these latter localities, sandfly capture was conducted with white/black Shannon traps during each of three seasons: spring, summer and fall. A total of 5,729 sandflies of 17 species were captured. Nyssomyia neivai (46.7%) and Nyssomyia whitmani (35.3%) were the predominant species. In this study, 3,865 specimens were captured with automatic light traps: 22 (0.083 sandflies/trap) in the urban areas and 3,843 (26.69 sandflies/trap) in the rural areas. Ny. neivai was predominant in urban (68.2%) and rural (42.8%) areas. A total of 1,864 specimens were captured with the white/black Shannon traps and Ny. neivai (54.5%) and Ny. whitmani (31.4%) were the predominant species captured. The small numbers of sandflies captured in the urban areas suggest that the transmission of Leishmania has occurred in the rural area due to Ny. neivai and Ny. whitmani as the probable vectors.

ObjectiveEnsuring fair financial contribution is one of the main goals of the Health Transformation Plan (HTP) of Iran. This study aims to estimate socioeconomic inequality differences in catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) between urban and rural areas of Iran after the implementation of the HTP during 2017.Materials and MethodsData from a representative survey of households’ income and xpenditure from the Iran Statistical Center (ISC) were used for the analysis. We applied the World Health Organization (WHO) cut-off of 40% payment for CHE, and Wagstaff’s normalized concentration index (C) to measure and decompose the inequality. Also, Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition analysis was used to decompose contributors of inequality differences between rural and urban areas.ResultsThe overall incidence of CHE among Iranian households during the year 2017 was 3.32% with a standard deviation (SD) of 17.91%, and the mean (SD) levels of CHE in rural and urban areas of Iran were 4.37% (20.45%) and 2.97% (16.99%), respectively. The aggregate socioeconomic status (SES)-related inequality in CHE was significantly (p<0.001) different from zero (C=−0.238) and there was a significant (p<0.05) difference between rural (C=-0.150) and urban (C=0.218) areas. SES was the highest contributor to inequality in both rural (130.09) and urban (144.17) areas. The Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition revealed that SES (175.01%) followed by outpatient services (120.29%) were the main contributors to differences in inequality in rural and urban areas. Sex (−101.42%) and health insurance coverage were among negative contributors to this inequality difference.ConclusionOur findings revealed a significant pro-rich inequality in CHE. Also, some variables, such as sex and region, made different contributions in rural and urban areas. However, SES, itself, made the highest contribution in both areas and explained the greatest share of difference in inequality between the two areas. This issue calls for revision of the HTP to further address the risk of CHE and socioeconomic disparity among Iranian households, especially those with lowSES.

Towards a systematic understanding of the dynamic fate of polychlorinated biphenyls in indoor, urban and rural environments

IntroductionPerthes’ disease is a puzzling childhood hip disorder for which the aetiology is unknown. It is known to be associated with socioeconomic deprivation. Urban environments have also been implicated as...

To compare home care nursing services use by community-dwelling older people from urban and rural environments in Poland. In the current literature, there is a lack of data based on multidimensional geriatric assessment concerning the provision of care delivered by nurses for older people from urban and rural environments. Cross-sectional random survey. Between 2006-2010, a random sample of 935 older people (over 65years of age) from an urban environment and 812 from a neighbouring rural environment were interviewed in a cross-sectional survey. The rural dwellers (82·8%) nominated their family members as care providers more often than the city inhabitants (51·2%). Home nursing care was provided to 4·1% of people in the city and 6·5% in the county. Poststroke condition, poor nutritional status, and low physical activity level, as well as low scores for activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, and Mini-Mental State Examination values, were all determinants of nursing care, both in urban and rural areas. In the urban environment, additional predictors of nursing care use were age, presence of ischaemic heart disease, diabetes and respiratory disorders, number of medications taken, and a high depression score. Poor functional status is the most important determinant of nursing care use in both environments. In the urban environment, a considerable proportion of community-dwelling elders live alone. In the rural environment, older people usually have someone available for potential care services. The main problem seems to be seeking nursing care only in advanced deterioration of functional status.

The use of tobacco will lead to the littering of a large number of filters, and the leakage of pollutants from them into the urban environment is a serious concern. The aim of this study was to analyze the leakage of heavy metals from filter and estimate the annual concentration of pollution leakage in different waste routes and different climatic conditions. The results showed that the highest and lowest density of filter in the studied urban environment were 0.51 and 0.01 number/m2, respectively. According to the estimated annual production of 306 million cigarette butts in the studied area, the leakage of the studied metals was estimated to be 401 g. The share of copper, chromium, and cadmium from the total leakage was 67%, 8.3%, and 1.88%, respectively. The leakage of studied metals in rainy conditions was 2.86 times more than sunny conditions. In different scenarios, the minimum and maximum annual leakage of metals were estimated 23,043 and 350,419 mg/year, respectively. Filters are a little but important source of heavy metal emission into the urban environment, the amount of pollution from which is affected by the consumers’ behavior and the efficiency of the urban cleaning system. Education on the correct disposal of filters and increasing the efficiency of the urban cleaning system will lead to a reduction in pollution caused by tobacco consumption.

Temporal Trends in Rural vs Urban Sepsis-Related Mortality in the United States, 2010-2019

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Rapid damage mapping following a disaster event is critical to ensure that the emergency response in the affected area is prompt and efficient. Amongst major disasters, earthquakes are characterized as unpredictable and of high frequency of occurrence. Previous and current studies focus mainly on the mapping of damaged structures in urban areas after an event such as an earthquake disaster. Yet, research focusing on the damage level or its distribution in rural areas is absent. According to the UN, nearly half of the world's population lives in rural areas and is expected to rise. Furthermore, their resources and capabilities for disaster relief operations are limited. Therefore, there is a great importance to assess the damage following a disaster in these areas.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The primary aim of this study is to characterize and assess the damage (level and extent), temporally and spatially, following an earthquake event, in rural settlements. This will allow producing an algorithm suitable for rural area rapid mapping, which will contribute to our understanding and will provide insights of the damage extent and will allow a better response and access to the affected regions and remote population.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;For this purpose, a damage assessment algorithm that will map the damage in both urban and rural environments is proposed. This algorithm makes use of combining SAR and optical data for rapid damage mapping.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;As a case study we will demonstrate this algorithm using the areas affected by the Sulawesi earthquake and subsequent tsunami event in Indonesia that occurred on 28 September 2018. High-resolution COSMO-SkyMed images pre and post the event, alongside a Sentinel-2 image pre- event are used as inputs.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The affected areas were analyzed with the SAR data using interferometric SAR (InSAR) coherence map. To overcome the loss of coherence caused by changes in vegetation cover, a vegetation mask was applied by using the NDVI to identify (and remove) vegetated areas from the coherence map. Then, thresholds were determined for the co-event coherence map (&amp;amp;#8804; 0.5) and the NDVI (&amp;amp;#8805; 0.4) and the two layers were combined into one. Based on the combined map, a damage assessment map was generated by using GIS spatial statistic tools (Fishnet and Zonal statistics). This map provides a quantitative assessment of the nature and distribution of the damage in rural and urban environments, as well the differences of damage features between them. The preliminary results show that while in urban area many structures were damaged, still in the rural areas the damage is larger, since most of the structures were damaged or even destroyed.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Which are the factors that may explain the differences in water and energy consumptions in urban and rural environments?

The Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus L.) known as both pest and predators; in the urban area, it is considered a pest because of its droppings, feathers, and nests around the house. Meanwhile, in rural areas, it is considered both pests and predators because their diets are small insects and small grains like a grain in the rice field. This study aimed to determine the daily consumption rate of sparrows on grain; their preferred food; identify the adaptability; and the role of sparrows in urban and rural areas. Feeding ability test using the no-choice baiting method. Food preference test using the choice baiting method. The adaptability and role of sparrow data are obtained through location determination and direct observation in the field. The results show that the consumption rate of individual sparrow is ten percent of body weight. The most preferred food for sparrow is yellow mealworm, followed by millet, cricket, foxtail millet, rice grain, and corn. The Eurasian tree sparrow is not considered a pest on rice fields. The presence of the sparrow in urban areas is less than in rural areas. Both in urban and rural areas, more sparrows were seen or found in the morning than in the afternoon. Sparrows can adapt well in rural and urban areas because the environment provides open area and house building. In urban areas, sparrow is considered urban pests; meanwhile in rural areas they potentially considered a pest on barley and millet, and predators on small insects.

Diabetes is a major health concern and is influenced by lifestyle, which can be affected by the neighbourhood environment. Specifically, a fast-food environment can influence eating behaviours and thus diabetes prevalence. Therefore, our aim was to assess the relationship between fast-food environment and diabetes prevalence for urban and rural environments in the Netherlands, using multiple indicators and buffer sizes. In this cross-sectional study, data on a nationwide sample of adults older than 19 years in the Netherlands were taken from the 2012 Dutch national health survey (from Public Health Monitor), in which participants were surveyed on topics related to health and lifestyle behaviour. Fast-food outlet exposures were determined within street-network buffers of 100 m, 400 m, 1000 m, and 1500 m around residential addresses. For each of these buffers, three indicators were calculated: presence (yes or no) of fast-food outlets, fast-food outlet density, and ratio. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to assess associations of these indicators with diabetes, adjusting for potential confounders and stratifying into urban and rural areas. 387 195 adults were surveyed, 284 793 of whom were included in the study. 22 951 (8%) reported having diabetes. Fast-food outlet exposures were positively associated with diabetes prevalence. We did not observe large differences between urban and rural areas. The effect estimates were small for all indicators. For example, in the 400 m buffer in the urban environment, the odds ratio (OR) for having diabetes among people with a fast-food outlet present compared with those without, was 1·006 (95% CI 1·003-1·009) using the presence indicator. The presence indicator showed higher effect estimates and the most consistent results across buffer sizes (ranging from OR 1·005 [95% CI 1·000-1·010] with the 1000 m buffer to 1·016 [1·005-1·028] with the 1500 m buffer in urban areas and from 1·002 [0·998-1·005] with the 1500 m buffer to 1·009 [1·006-1·018] with the 100 m buffer in rural areas) compared with the density and ratio indicators. The results confirm the evidence that the fast-food outlet environment is a diabetes risk factor. All data included were at the individual level and the variability was ensured by the spatial distribution and number of participants. In this study, we only accounted for residential exposure because we were unable to account for exposure outside the residential environment. The findings of this study encourage local governments to consider the potential adverse effects of fast-food exposures and aim at minimising unhealthy food access. Global Geo Health Data Centre, Utrecht University, Netherlands.