Areas Of Environmental Pollution Research Articles

Modern Trends in Recycling Waste Thermoplastics and Their Prospective Applications: A Review

Thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics are two major classes of polymers in that have recently become materials that are indispensable for humankind. Regarding the three basic needs of human beings—food, shelter, and clothing—polymers and polymer-based materials have gained pre-eminence. Polymers are used in food production, beginning with farming applications, and in the health sector for the development of various biomaterials, as well as in shelter and clothing for a variety of applications. Polymers are the material of choice for all modern-day applications (transportation, sporting, military/defence, electronics, packaging, and many more). Their widespread applications have created many negative challenges, mainly in the area of environmental pollution. While thermoplastics can be easily reprocessed to obtain new products, thermosetting plastics cannot; thus, this review focuses more on the use of waste from thermoplastics with less emphasis on thermosetting plastics. Hence, the review presents a concise summary of the availability of waste thermoplastics as raw materials for product development and the anticipated benefits. The prospects for waste thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics, the possibility of cleaning the environment, and the uncovering of opportunities for further research and development are presented. The limitations of the current methods of waste polymer recycling are highlighted with possible future prospects from newly introduced methods. With zero tolerance for polymer waste in our environments, potential uses for recycled thermosetting plastics are described. Waste polymers should be seen as potential raw materials for research and development as well as major materials for new products. Recycled polymers are expected to be processed for use in advanced materials applications in the future due to their availability. This review shows that the major source of environmental pollution from polymers is the packaging, hence the need to modify products for these applications by ensuring that most of them are biodegradable.

Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of the flame retardants (PBDE-47, PBDE-99 and PBDE-209) in human bronchial epithelial cells.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widespread as flame-retardants in different types of consumer products. PBDEs present in the air or dust and their inhalation can damage human health by influencing the respiratory system. We evaluated the effects of environment relevant concentrations (0.01-1μM) of PBDE-47, PBDE-99 and PBDE-209 on the mechanism of oxidative stress, dysregulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and DNA damage and repair (in term of H2AX phosphorylation ser139) in an in-vitro/ex-vivo model of bronchial epithelial cells. PBDEs (-47,-99 and-209) at the environment relevant concentrations (0.01 and 1μM) induce oxidative stress (in term of NOX-4 expression as well as ROS and JC-1 production), activate the mechanism of DNA-damage and repair affecting Olive Tail length (comet assay) production and H2AX phosphorylation (ser139) in normal human bronchial epithelial cells. Furthermore PBDEs, although do not affect cell viability, induce cell apoptosis and single cell capacity to grow into a colony (like a cancer phenotype) in bronchial epithelial cells. Finally, PBDE-47 had a greater effect than-99 and-209. PBDE-47, -99 and-209 congeners exert cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, and play a critical role in the dysregulation of oxidative stress, damaging DNA and the related gene expression in bronchial epithelial cells. Our findings might suggest that PBDEs inhalation might have adverse effect on human health regarding pulmonary diseases in the areas of environmental pollution.

Soft power and global health: the sustainable development goals (SDGs) era health agendas of the G7, G20 and BRICS

BackgroundIn 2017, the G20 health ministers convened for the first time to discuss global health and issued a communiqué outlining their health priorities, as the BRICS and G7 have done for years. As these political clubs hold considerable political and economic influence, their respective global health agendas may influence both global health priorities and the priorities of other countries and actors.MethodsGiven the rising salience of global health in global summitry, we analyzed the health ministerial communiqués issued by the BRICS, G7 and G20 after the SDGs were adopted in 2015. We compared the stated health priorities of the BRICS, G7 and G20 against one another and against the targets of SDG 3 on health, using a traffic light system to assess the quality of their commitments.ResultsWith regard to the SDG 3 targets, the BRICS, G7 and G20 priorities overlapped in their focus on emergency preparedness and universal health coverage, but diverged in areas of environmental pollution, mental health, and maternal and child health. Health issues with considerable associated burdens of disease, including substance use, road traffic injuries and sexual health, were missing from the agendas of all three political clubs. In terms of SDG 3 principles and ways of working, the BRICS, G7 and G20 varied in their emphasis on human rights, equity and engagement with non-state actors, but all expressed their explicit commitment to Agenda 2030.ConclusionsThe leadership of BRICS, G7 and G20 on global health is welcome. However, their relatively narrow focus on the potential impact of ill-health primarily in relation to the economy and trade may not be sufficiently comprehensive to achieve the Agenda 2030 vision of promoting health equity and leaving no-one behind. Recommendations for the BRICS, G7 and G20 based on this analysis include: 1) expanding focus to the neglected SDG 3 health targets; 2) placing greater emphasis on upstream determinants of health; 3) greater commitment to equity and leaving no-one behind; 4) adopting explicit commitments to rights-based approaches; and 5) making commitments that are of higher quality and which include time-bound quantitative targets and clear accountability mechanisms.

Peculiarities of the course of benign uterine disease in women of childbearing age with metabolic syndrome

The aim of the research: to identify the peculiarities of the course of benign uterine disease in women of childbearing age with metabolic syndrome for further improvement in diagnostics, treatment and prevention of the medical condition mentioned above.Materials and methods. In the first stage a retrospective chart review was conducted for 382 patients with benign uterine disease. 130 women with benign uterine disease with metabolic syndrome and without metabolic syndrome were studied prospectively, 50 somatically healthy women with normal menstrual and reproductive function were included in the control group. Anamnesis, character of the past inflammatory diseases of the reproductive organs, abdominal surgeries, duration of the infertility period were studied, data of socioeconomic status, somatic, gynecologic, obstetric, infection history were studied thoroughly. All women underwent full clinical and laboratory check-up. Special attention was paid to past surgeries. All examined women underwent anthropometric measuring (body height, body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference), BMI (body mass index) was used to evaluate body weight, blood pressure. Metabolic syndrome (MS) was determined by the following “combined” criteria – criteria of WHO 1999 (impaired glucose tolerance) and criteria IDF (2009) taking into account the age-related levels of lipids and arterial blood pressure (AP) according to the results of the population study.Results and discussion. Analyzing the data of the clinical characteristics of the women examined it’s necessary to draw a conclusion, that the patients of the main group in whole didn’t differ from the women in the control group. Therefore, further we examined the women of both main and control groups using special laboratory and instrumental methods and taking into consideration the representativeness of these groups. The analysis of smoking habit (table 6) revealed the prevalence of the smoking women (40.3% and 39.7 % compared to 18.0 %). High figure of smoking women among those with impaired menstrual function and uterine leiomyoma can be indicative of negative influence of smoking on synthesis of hormones by ovaries. Analysis of incidence of unfavorable ecological conditions among the examined women showed that one third of the them lived in areas of environmental pollution. The collected data revealed clinical evidence of estrogen dominance prevailing in patients of the main group. Thus, for the great majority of the patients symptoms such as headache 29 (40.3%) and 43 (55.1%) compared to 3 (6.0%) in healthy women of the corresponding age, (p < 0.05), frequent mood swings (70.8%, 76.9% in the 1st and 2nd groups correspondingly compared to 4.0% in healthy women, p < 0.05), fatigue (73.6%, 70.5% and 8.0% in healthy women, p < 0.05).Conclusions. Having analyzed the anamnestic data, it was revealed that in women of the main group, inflammation of fallopian tubes and ovaries was observed more frequently, abortions in anamnesis was more prevalent, especially one abortion, the number of delivered pregnancies was far lower (3.2 times) in women of the main group compared to those of the control group, which is understandable as the main group consisted of women with infertility, for a part of whom this infertility was secondary. Despite the young age of the patients (median age 33), extragenital pathology was prevalent in more than half of the women in the control group, in 76.7% of women with metabolic syndrome and benign uterine disease. The nature of extragenital pathology did not differ significantly. The proportion of women who were satisfied with their self-realization was significantly lower in women with metabolic syndrome and benign uterine disease. Analysis of the incidence of adverse environmental conditions showed that a third of the women surveyed lived in areas of environmental pollution. Women with the metabolic syndrome and benign uterine disease the duration of menstrual cycle is longer, with normal volume of blood loss. All women with symptoms of benign uterine disease generally have relative estrogen dominance, which is commonly characterized with mammalgia and mastalgia.

Potential uses of Waste Sludge in Construction Industry: A Review

Waste generation and management is becoming a global challenge resulting into increased environmental concern. Waste management and recycle into a sustainable construction materials as proved to be an alternative for waste disposal helping out in the area of environmental pollution and economic. In recent years various type of waste has been used/reused in the development of sustainable construction materials. This study reviews various attempts that have been made to use sludge from different plants in construction industry. The mechanical and physical properties of the products, the environmental effect of the products and possible recommendations for future research was presented in the review.

Determination of oral uptake and biodistribution of platinum and chromium by the garden snail (Helix aspersa) employing nano-secondary ion mass-spectrometry

Environmental heavy metal contamination is a case of concern for both animal and human health. Studying the fate of metals in plant or animal tissues may provide information on pollution. In the present study, we investigated the possibility to follow the biological fate of chromium and platinum uptake in common garden snails (Helix aspersa), typically accumulating high concentrations of metals from their environment. Chromium and platinum were administered orally to snails in 5 groups (n=25/group): control, food contaminated by ca. 2.5μgg−1 and 19μgg−1 chromium and 2.5μgg−1 and 25μgg−1 platinum, for 8weeks. Following exposure, surviving snails were sacrificed, shell and remaining tissue investigated by ICP-MS, and shell, midgut gland and mantle by nano-secondary ion mass-spectrometry (Nano-SIMS). 12C14N-normalized platinum and 40Ca-normalized chromium measurements indicated highest enrichments in cellular vesicles of the midgut gland, and lower concentrations in mantle and shell, with significantly higher platinum and chromium concentrations in the 2 exposure groups vs. control (P<0.05), with somewhat differing distribution patterns for chromium and platinum. Comparable results were obtained by ICP-MS, with both chromium and platinum fed snails showing drastically elevated concentrations of metals in shell (up to 78 and 122μgg−1 dw platinum and chromium, respectively) and in other tissues (up to 200 and 1125μgg−1 dw platinum and chromium, respectively). Nano-SIMS allowed for semi-quantitative comparison of metal fate in snail tissues, making this an interesting technique for future studies in the area of environmental pollution.

Assessment of human exposure to indoor organic contaminants via dust ingestion in Pakistan

Ingestion of indoor dust has been acknowledged as an important route of exposure to organic contaminants (OCs). We investigated the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in indoor floor dust from rural homes (N=31) and mosques (N=12) in Gujrat, Pakistan. Low concentrations were observed for most contaminants. OPFRs were the principle contaminants, with tri-(2-butoxyethyl)-phosphate (TBEP) and tri-phenyl-phosphate (TPP) having medians of 66 and 109 ng/g, respectively. PBDEs were only minor constituents in the investigated samples, with BDE 209 (median 40 ng/g) being the most important congener. Levels and profile of ∑PBDEs, ∑NBFRs, ∑HCHs, ∑DDTs, and ∑PCBs revealed no difference (P<0.05) between samples of dust from homes and mosques, indicating similar emission sources. Exposure scenarios using 5th percentile, median, mean, and 95th percentile levels were estimated for both adult and toddlers. Typical high-end, using median levels and high dust ingestion, exposure for adults were 0.02, 0.02, 0.03, <0.01, and 0.65 ng/kg bw/day and for toddlers 0.39, 0.45, 0.69, 0.01, and 15.2 ng/kg bw/day for ∑PBDEs, ∑NBFRs, ∑OCPs, ∑PCBs, and ∑OPFRs, respectively. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to document the presence of indoor OCs in Pakistani dust. This is the first report on the analysis of various contaminants in indoor dust from Pakistan. Some of these chemicals are currently being used in different consumer products. The study will help to further an understanding of the levels of different organic contaminants (OCs) in Pakistani indoor environments and will enlighten the generally ignored area of environmental pollution in Pakistan. Furthermore, studies based on animal models have shown that some of the analyzed chemicals can cause different types of chronic toxicities. However, our results showed that the levels of estimated exposure via dust ingestion for all chemicals were several orders of magnitude lower than their reference dose (RfD) values or than those reported in studies from Belgium, China, Singapore, and the UK (Ali et al., 2011a; Harrad et al., 2008; Tan et al., 2007a,b; Van den Eede et al., 2011a; Wang et al., 2010).

Environmental and Economic Aspects of Recycling Livestock Wastes-Algae Production Using Waste Products

Attention is now focused upon problems confronting our Nation in the area of environmental pollution. There is a close correlation between industrial and agricultural expansion and increases in population over the last few decades. There is also a pronounced association between increases in population and the magnitude of pollution problems. As an example, there is some concern about environmental pollution associated with power production which is rapidly expanding to meet the demands for electricity of an increasing population and industrial complex. Power production expansion is occurring largely in areas which already have high population densities.