Environmental Health Assessment Research Articles

Recognition of Plastic Film in Terrain-Fragmented Areas Based on Drone Visible Light Images

In order to meet the growing demand for food and achieve food security development goals, contemporary agriculture increasingly depends on plastic coverings such as agricultural plastic films. The remote sensing-based identification of these plastic films has gradually become a necessary tool for agricultural production management and soil pollution prevention. Addressing the challenges posed by the complex terrain and fragmented land parcels in karst mountainous regions, as well as the frequent presence of cloudy and foggy weather conditions, the extraction efficacy of mulching films is compromised. This study utilized a DJI Mavic 2 Pro UAV to capture visible light images in an area with complex terrain features such as peaks and valleys. A plastic film sample dataset was constructed, and the U-Net deep learning model parameters integrated into ArcGIS Pro were continuously modified and optimized to achieve precise plastic film identification. The results are as follows: (1) Sample quantity significantly affects recognition performance. When the sample size is 800, the accuracy of plastic film extraction notably improves, with area accuracy reaching 91%, a patch quantity accuracy of 96.38%, and an IOU and F1-score of 85.89% and 94.20%, respectively, compared to the precision achieved with a sample size of 300; (2) Different learning rates, batch sizes, and iteration numbers have a certain impact on the training effectiveness of the U-Net model. The most suitable model parameters improved the training effectiveness, with the highest training accuracy achieved at a learning rate of 0.001, a batch size of 10, and 25 iterations; (3) Comparative experiments with the Support Vector Machine (SVM) model validate the suitability of U-Net model parameters and sample datasets for precise identification in rugged terrains with fragmented spatial distribution, particularly in karst mountainous regions. This underscores the applicability of the U-Net model in recognizing plastic film coverings in karst mountainous regions, offering valuable insights for agricultural environmental health assessment and green planting management in farmlands.

Exposomics in practice: Multidisciplinary perspectives on environmental health and risk assessment.

Exposomics in practice: Multidisciplinary perspectives on environmental health and risk assessment.

Influence of Environmental Factors on Embryonic Development and Fetal Programming in South Africa

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of environmental factors on embryonic development and fetal programming Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study revealed compelling evidence linking various environmental exposures, including air pollution, maternal nutrition, smoking, stress, chemical contaminants, and heavy metals, to adverse pregnancy outcomes and long-term health consequences for offspring. The study also highlighted the critical role of epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA expression, in mediating the effects of environmental factors on gene expression and cellular function during embryogenesis. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) theory & Fetal Programming theory may be used to anchor future studies on the influence of environmental factors on embryonic development and fetal programming. Incorporate comprehensive assessments of environmental exposures into routine prenatal care. Healthcare providers should consider factors such as maternal diet, smoking status, stress levels, chemical exposures, and air quality when counseling pregnant individuals. Advocate for stricter environmental regulations aimed at reducing exposure to air pollutants, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, heavy metals, and other harmful substances during pregnancy. Tailor interventions based on individual risk profiles and environmental exposures. For example, provide targeted nutritional counseling, smoking cessation programs, stress management support, and referrals for environmental health assessments as part of prenatal care services.

Surface Water Quality: A Statistical Perspective on the Efficacy of Environmental and Human Health Assessment Tools

Surface Water Quality: A Statistical Perspective on the Efficacy of Environmental and Human Health Assessment Tools

A city-level dataset of heavy metal emissions into the atmosphere across China from 2015–2020

The absence of nationwide distribution data regarding heavy metal emissions into the atmosphere poses a significant constraint in environmental research and public health assessment. In response to the critical data deficiency, we have established a dataset covering Cr, Cd, As, and Pb emissions into the atmosphere (HMEAs, unit: ton) across 367 municipalities in China. Initially, we collected HMEAs data and covariates such as industrial emissions, vehicle emissions, meteorological variables, among other ten indicators. Following this, nine machine learning models, including Linear Regression (LR), Ridge, Bayesian Ridge (Bayesian), K-Neighbors Regressor (KNN), MLP Regressor (MLP), Random Forest Regressor (RF), LGBM Regressor (LGBM), Lasso, and ElasticNet, were assessed using coefficient of determination (R2), root-mean-square error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) on the testing dataset. RF and LGBM models were chosen, due to their favorable predictive performance (R2: 0.58–0.84, lower RMSE/MAE), confirming their robustness in modelling. This dataset serves as a valuable resource for informing environmental policies, monitoring air quality, conducting environmental assessments, and facilitating academic research.

Agroecosystems under conventional and organic management: hematological analysis of anuran for environmental health assessment

Conventional agriculture's high-intensity practices, involving agrochemicals and inorganic nutrients, pose a significant threat to biodiversity. On the other hand, organic farming offers a more environmentally friendly and low-intensity alternative. Amphibians, as sensitive indicators of environmental changes, are significantly affected by agricultural activities, making them vital for assessing ecosystem health. The objective of this study was to assess genotoxic and cytotoxic parameters in erythrocytes, and leukocyte profiles of Leptodactylus luctator and Rhinella arenarum populations inhabiting aquatic environments associated with different agricultural intensifications (conventional management and organic management). Water quality, and hematological biomarkers, like micronuclei (Mn), erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities (ENA), cytotoxic damage (CYT) and leukocyte profiles, were assessed in amphibian populations from agroecosystems with organic and conventional agricultural management practices. It was recorded that water bodies within organic agroecosystems exhibited lower Total Dissolved Solids and higher Dissolved Oxygen levels, indicating improved water quality. Populations of R. arenarum from conventional agroecosystems exhibited higher values of Mn, ENA, and CYT compared to those from organic agroecosystems, with the difference being statistically significant for the ENA parameter. In L. luctator populations, no significant differences were observed in the parameters related to geno/cytotoxic damage. Leukocyte profiles of both R. arenarum and L. luctator populations in organic agroecosystems showed lower percentages of lymphocytes and higher percentages of neutrophils and eosinophils compared to conventional agroecosystems, indicating healthier leukocyte profiles. The percentage of basophils and monocytes, as well as the N/L index, were higher in populations from organic agroecosystems, although statistical tests did not reveal a significant difference. The study demonstrates the potential benefits of organic farming in mitigating the negative effects of agricultural intensification on water quality and amphibian populations.

Optimization strategy of community planning for environmental health and public health in smart city under multi-objectives.

As population density increases, environmental hygiene and public health become increasingly severe. As the space where residents stay for the longest time and have the most profound impact on their physical and mental health, the quality of the environment in urban communities largely determines the degree to which residents engage in physical activity, bear the risk of pollution exposure, and obtain healthy food. Therefore, in order to ensure the physical and mental health of residents, this study proposes community planning guided by environmental hygiene and public health, and establishes an environmental health assessment system for this purpose. This system evaluates the community environment from four aspects: land use, service facilities, site convenience, and environmental quality. Established the diversity, density, road network connectivity and facilities accessibility nine criteria, as well as the land function of mix, plot ratio, food environment, network ring and connected index, pavement risk level, green configuration and neighborhood material environment disorder degree of 27 indicators of community built environmental evaluation index system. The data is collected through field survey, questionnaire distribution, resident interview and data mapping, and the established evaluation index system is used to evaluate the construction environment of the community. The experimental research data included population data, CAD plan, land use data, street data, POI point data, building data and bus station data, etc. 273 questionnaires were distributed, 264 were recovered, 8 invalid questionnaires were removed, and 256 valid questionnaires were obtained. These experiments confirm that land use, service facilities, site convenience, and environmental quality have a significant impact on the built environment of communities, with impact weights of 0.513, 0.227, 0.135, and 0.125, respectively. The above weights are calculated based on the index judgment matrix and the eigenvectors. The scores of land use, service facilities, site convenience, and environmental quality for the study subjects were 3.44, 1.46, 0.94, and 0.51, respectively, among them, the land use score is less than 3.85, the 1 service facility score is less than 1.71, the site convenience score is less than 1.01, and the environmental quality score is less than 0.94; indicating that the community has serious problems such as single land use types, pollution exposure, and difficulty in obtaining healthy food. Therefore, community planning and transformation based on land use, service facilities, venue convenience, and environmental quality can effectively improve the physical and mental health of residents. In the specific community transformation plan, artificial intelligence and data-driven methods can be used to optimize the land use plan, service facility configuration, site convenience transformation and environmental quality improvement, so as to formulate the optimal community transformation plan and improve the comfort and happiness of community residents. In the future, on the basis of the existing research, the selection of community types will be further enriched and the research cases will be expanded. And through the in-depth practical study of the case, the constructed evaluation index system is optimized and improved to make it more scientific. At the same time, as urban renewal and design have entered the era of stock planning, based on the more perfect evaluation index system, more specific and detailed system discussion of the built communities with public health problems, in order to provide more detailed services for the construction of a better and healthy living environment in the future.

Experimental data and modeling of sulfadiazine adsorption onto raw and modified clays from Tunisia

In recent years, the increasing detection of emerging pollutants (particularly antibiotics, such as sulfonamides) in agricultural soils and water bodies has raised growing concern about related environmental and health problems. In the current research, sulfadiazine (SDZ) adsorption was studied for three raw and chemically modified clays. The experiments were carried out for increasing doses of the antibiotic (0, 1, 5, 10, 20, and 40 μmol L−1) at ambient temperature and natural pH with a contact time of 24 h. The eventual fitting to Freundlich, Langmuir and Linear adsorption models, as well as residual concentrations of antibiotics after adsorption, was assessed. The results obtained showed that one of the clays (HJ1) adsorbed more SDZ (reaching 99.9 % when 40 μmol L−1 of SDZ were added) than the other clay materials, followed by the acid-activated AM clay (which reached 99.4 % for the same SDZ concentration added). The adsorption of SDZ followed a linear adsorption isotherm, suggesting that hydrophobic interactions, rather than cation exchange, played a significant role in SDZ retention. Concerning the adsorption data, the best adjustment corresponded to the Freundlich model. The highest Freundlich KF scores were obtained for the AM acid-treated and raw HJ1 clays (606.051 and 312.969 Ln μmol1−n kg−1, respectively). The Freundlich n parameter ranged between 0.047 and 1.506. Regarding desorption, the highest value corresponded to the AM clay, being generally <10 % for raw clays, <8 % for base-activated clays, and <6 % for acid-activated clays. Chemical modifications contributed to improve the adsorption capacity of the AM clay, especially when the highest concentrations of the antibiotic were added. The results of this research can be considered relevant as regard environmental and public health assessment since they estimate the feasibility of three Tunisian clays in SDZ removal from aqueous solutions.

Environmental Health Assessment of the Northwest Portuguese Coast—Biochemical Biomarker Responses in the Marine Gastropod Phorcus lineatus

Coastal areas are frequently impacted by anthropogenic pollution, due to intense human activity in these zones. Our study aimed to monitor the impacts of anthropogenic pollution in four Portuguese locations on the northwest coast, and to identify the most affected areas and/or seasons by applying a multi-biomarker approach. Water and specimens of Phorcus lineatus were collected on the rocky shore during low tide in four sites along the northwest Portuguese coast (1. Amorosa; 2. Cabo do Mundo; 3. Homem do Leme; 4. S. Félix da Marinha) with different anthropogenic pressures, including an industrial maritime shipyard; an oil refinery; an international airport; and an area with high human population density. The collection took place over two seasons: the summer of 2021 and the winter of 2022. Several biochemical biomarkers, including reactive oxygen species; protein carbonyl content; lipid peroxidation (LPO); carboxylesterase (CE); and antioxidant (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and neurotoxicity—acetylcholinesterase (AChE)) enzymes were measured. The results showed seasonal variation, with the ROS, LPO, CE, and GST activities depending particularly on the season, but the SOD and CAT activities being similar between summer and winter. CAT showed lower activity in Site 1 than in the other sites during both seasons (p &lt; 0.05). The Integrated Biomarker Response (IBR) index showed that biomarker responses were higher in winter. The multivariate analysis confirmed the higher contribution of the factor season to the P. lineatus’ response to pollutants, compared to the spatial variation in the northwest Portuguese coast. Overall, this study shows that P. lineatus can be a suitable bioindicator species for environmental biomonitoring, and that the IBR index allows the identification of temporal contamination patterns.

Method for the molecular and quantitative identification of oocytes and their developmental stage in teleost fish gonads.

Fish display diverse reproductive strategies and their gametogenesis is influenced by numerous genetic, physiological and environmental factors. The analysis of 5S rRNA expression levels in gonads has been proposed as useful method for the molecular identification of the presence of oocytes in fish tissues. The present method provides an easy and unbiased approach to analyse the expression of tRNAs and 5S RNA in teleost gonads and stablish the presence and developmental stage of oocytes. Total RNA extracted from gonads is analysed through capillary electrophoresis in a Bioanalyzer 2100 (Agilent Technologies) using Small RNA Assays. Electropherograms allow quantifying the concentrations of tRNAs, 5S rRNA and 5.8S rRNA per sample and calculate their tRNA/5.8S rRNA and 5S/5.8S rRNA indices. Both indices clearly differentiate ovaries from testes and can be used to identify testes that present oocytes due to exposure to environmental xenoestrogens. The tRNA/5.8S and 5S/5.8S indices show the highest values in ovaries in previtellogenic stage, values decreasing as they advance towards maturity.• Detailed molecular method to sex fish and quantitatively identify the maturity stage of females• tRNA levels in gonads can help in the study of teleost reproduction (female fecundity assessment, molecular gonad sexing) and environmental health assessment

Contaminants of Concern and Spatiotemporal Metabolomic Changes in Quagga Mussels (Dreissena bugensis rostriformis) from the Milwaukee Estuary (Wisconsin, USA).

Environmental metabolomics has emerged as a promising technique in the field of biomonitoring and as an indicator of aquatic ecosystem health. In the Milwaukee Estuary (Wisconsin, USA), previous studies have used a nontargeted metabolomic approach to distinguish between zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) collected from sites of varying contamination. To further elucidate the potential effects of contaminants on bivalve health in the Milwaukee Estuary, the present study adopted a caging approach to study the metabolome of quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis rostriformis) deployed in six sites of varying contamination for 2, 5, or 55 days. Caged mussels were co-deployed with two types of passive sampler (polar organic chemical integrative samplers and semipermeable membrane devices) and data loggers. In conjunction, in situ quagga mussels were collected from the four sites studied previously and analyzed for residues of contaminants and metabolomics using a targeted approach. For the caging study, temporal differences in the metabolomic response were observed with few significant changes observed after 2 and 5 days, but larger differences (up to 97 significantly different metabolites) to the metabolome in all sites after 55 days. A suite of metabolic pathways were altered, including biosynthesis and metabolism of amino acids, and upmodulation of phospholipids at all sites, suggesting a potential biological influence such as gametogenesis. In the caging study, average temperatures appeared to have a greater effect on the metabolome than contaminants, despite a large concentration gradient in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons residues measured in passive samplers and mussel tissue. Conversely, significant differences between the metabolome of mussels collected in situ from all three contaminated sites and the offshore reference site were observed. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of contextualizing the effects of environmental conditions and reproductive processes on the metabolome of model organisms to facilitate the wider use of this technique for biomonitoring and environmental health assessments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:307-323. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Integrated environmental health assessment: Proposed approaches to exposure during chemical incidents.

An integrated environmental health exposure assessment (IEHA) refers to the integration of human biomonitoring data (HBM) and environmental measurements and aims to optimize the exposure assessment process. Due to lack of data, this approach remains an issue during chemical incidents. This study aims to explore integrated exposure approaches for assessing human health risks during chemical incidents. Based on the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, a literature analysis was performed. A level of confidence ranging from 1 to 4 was established to define the quality and strength of data used to undertake an IEHA approach. Twenty-seven articles (n = 18) and texts (n = 9) from Europe (41%) and the United States (37%) were analyzed. Among the 18 scientific articles, 61% (n = 11) presented a quantitative approach and 17% (n = 3) presented a qualitative approach. Quantitative approaches must be based on accurate data, coupled with predictive models. Of all the scientific papers, 40% (n = 7) responded to a confidence level greater than or equal to 2. Uncertainties detected through the integrated exposure approaches were related to input data, analytical methods, and HBM reference value interpretations. During chemical incidents, direct measurements were the most relevant data. Few scientific studies have developed an integrated approach during emergency situations. However, when this was used, they presented a high level of confidence by defining levels of exposure that support decision-making processes. Despite the multiple approaches, there was a lack of guidelines allowing an integrated risk assessment to be performed during an emergency chemical exposure. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:481-497. © 2023 SETAC.

Roccellinastrum, Cenozosia and Heterodermia: Ecology and phylogeny of fog lichens and their photobionts from the coastal Atacama Desert.

Some deserts on Earth such as the Namib or the Atacama are influenced by fog which can lead to the formation of local fog oases - unique environments hosting a great diversity of specialized plants and lichens. Lichens of the genera Ramalina, Niebla or Heterodermia have taxonomically been investigated from fog oases around the globe but not from the Atacama Desert, one of the oldest and driest deserts. Conditioned by its topography and the presence of orographic fog, the National Park Pan de Azúcar in the Atacama Desert is considered to be such a lichen hotspot. Applying multi-gen loci involving phylogenetic analyses combined with intense morphological and chemical characterization, we determined the taxonomic position of five of the most abundant epiphytic lichens of this area. We evaluated Roccellinastrumspongoideum and Heterodermiafollmannii which were both described from the area but also finally showed that the genus Cenozosia is the endemic sister genus to Ramalina, Vermilacinia, Namibialina and Niebla. As a result, we have described the species Heterodermiaadunca, C.cava and C.excorticata as new lichen species. This work provides a comprehensive dataset for common fog lichen genera of the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert that can be used as a baseline for monitoring programs and environmental health assessments.

Full-coverage estimation of PM2.5 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region by using a two-stage model

The accurate estimation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is significant for both environmental protection and health assessment. However, the sparsity of monitoring stations poses a challenge to provide continuous and large-scale PM2.5 monitoring data. The extensive coverage and continuous spatial distribution of satellite remote sensing products make them popular for estimating ground-level PM2.5 concentrations through inversion modeling. Although aerosol optical thickness (AOD) is commonly utilized for modeling PM2.5 concentrations, achieving accurate and comprehensive PM2.5 estimation remains a significant challenge. One of the main limitations is the random missing data in AOD. In this study, we propose a two-stage model that combines satellite remote sensing and ground monitoring data to achieve AOD filling and PM2.5 estimations in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. In the first stage, the daily full-coverage AOD was filled by the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (Light-GBM), and achieved a superior performance (R2: 0.93, RMSE: 0.043). In the second stage, a spatio-temporal feature extraction model for PM2.5 concentration estimation was designed based on graph neural network (GNN), namely the spatio-temporal estimation model (ST-GAT). Finally, the ST-GAT obtained the performance of R2 = 0.88, RMSE = 12.66 μg/m3, and MAE = 8.66 μg/m3 on five-fold cross-validation, and the results showed that the method could provide reliable full-coverage PM2.5 estimation.

Global development and future trends of artificial sweetener research based on bibliometrics

Artificial sweeteners have sparked a heated debate worldwide due to their ambiguous impacts on public and environmental health and food safety and quality. Many studies on artificial sweeteners have been conducted; however, none scientometric studies exist in the field. This study aimed to elaborate on the knowledge creation and development of the field of artificial sweeteners and predict the frontiers of knowledge based on bibliometrics. In particular, this study combined VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometrix to visualize the mapping of knowledge production, covered 2389 relevant scientific publications (1945–2022), and systematically analyzed articles and reviews (n = 2101). Scientific publications on artificial sweeteners have been growing at an annual rate of 6.28% and globally attracting 7979 contributors. Susan J. Brown with total publications (TP) of 17, average citation per article (AC) of 36.59, and Hirsch (h)-index of 12 and Robert F. Margolskee (TP = 12; AC = 2046; h-index = 11) were the most influential scholars. This field was clustered into four groups: eco-environment and toxicology, physicochemical mechanisms, public health and risks, and nutrition metabolism. The publications about environmental issues, in particular, “surface water,” were most intensive during the last five years (2018–2022). Artificial sweeteners are gaining importance in the monitoring and assessment of environmental and public health. Results of the dual-map overlay showed that the future research frontiers tilt toward molecular biology, immunology, veterinary and animal sciences, and medicine. Findings of this study are conducive to identifying knowledge gaps and future research directions for scholars.

Multi-dimensional approach for an environmental health assessment of a deltaic mangrove ecosystem, Sundarbans

The largest contiguous tract of tidal halophytic mangroves in Bangladesh is about 10,000 km2. It has a wide range of physiochemical and nutritional qualities, as well as ecological health. To understand the hazardous and heavy metal concentrations, ten heavy metals concentrations were examined in both water and sediment. Indices for pollution and contamination, such as Modified Hazard Quotient (mHQ), Degree of Contamination (Cd), Geo-Accumulation Index (Igeo), Mean Effect Range Median Quotient (M-ERM-Q), Nemerow's Pollution Index (NPI), Heavy Metal Evaluation Index (HEI) give a more accurate diagnostic result for water and sediment in the Sundarbans mangroves. The Water Quality Index (WQI) and Mangrove Quality Index (MQI) are also evaluated for a final statement. The nutrient concentrations average of NO3, PO4, NH3, and SiO2 are found 0.59 ± 0.05, 0.09 ± 0.01, 0.23 ± 0.02 and 1.72 ± 0.17 (mg/L), respectively in water. Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn have average concentrations of 19.1 ± 1.62, 1.1 ± 0.11, 0.48 ± 0.04, 1.19 ± 0.11, 83.27 ± 8.3, 35.45 ± 2.95, 282.73 ± 30.82, 33.85 ± 2.95, 6.09 ± 0.54, and 172.18 ± 17.15 (µg/L) in surface water and 19.57 ± 1.25, 0.16 ± 0.005, 0.026 ± 0.0009, 1.48 ± 0.08, 36.38 ± 4.31, 456.66 ± 76.76, 42.36 ± 2.57, 53.81 ± 1.93, 20.67 ± 1.24, and 43.60 ± 6.09 (mg/kg) for sediments. According to the heavy metals analysis indices, we discovered very little contamination. The WQI indicates that the water quality in the Sundarbans Mangroves is generally protected but occasionally deteriorates. The MQI categorizes the Sundarbans as a moderate mangrove, falling into category 3. Despite being controlled the heavy metal pollution is getting worse as the Mongla port's economy grows. A more seasonal and in-depth approach to this topic can be achieved by collecting more samples over a year. The deltaic Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem is currently in moderate to an acceptable condition, with low or non-significant pollution levels and fair water quality, according to this study, except for certain constraints.

DNA Adductomics for the Biological Effect Assessment of Contaminant Exposure in Marine Sediments.

Exposure to chemical pollution can induce genetic and epigenetic alterations, developmental changes, and reproductive disorders, leading to population declines in polluted environments. These effects are triggered by chemical modifications of DNA nucleobases (DNA adducts) and epigenetic dysregulation. However, linking DNA adducts to the pollution load in situ remains challenging, and the lack of evidence-based DNA adductome response to pollution hampers the development and application of DNA adducts as biomarkers for environmental health assessment. Here, we provide the first evidence for pollution effects on the DNA modifications in wild populations of Baltic sentinel species, the amphipod Monoporeia affinis. A workflow based on high-resolution mass spectrometry to screen and characterize genomic DNA modifications was developed, and its applicability was demonstrated by profiling DNA modifications in the amphipods collected in areas with varying pollution loads. Then, the correlations between adducts and the contaminants level (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), trace metals, and pollution indices) in the sediments at the collection sites were evaluated. A total of 119 putative adducts were detected, and some (5-me-dC, N6-me-dA, 8-oxo-dG, and dI) were structurally characterized. The DNA adductome profiles, including epigenetic modifications, differed between the animals collected in areas with high and low contaminant levels. Furthermore, the correlations between the adducts and PAHs were similar across the congeners, indicating possible additive effects. Also, high-mass adducts had significantly more positive correlations with PAHs than low-mass adducts. By contrast, correlations between the DNA adducts and trace metals were stronger and more variable than for PAHs, indicating metal-specific effects. These associations between DNA adducts and environmental contaminants provide a new venue for characterizing genome-wide exposure effects in wild populations and apply DNA modifications in the effect-based assessment of chemical pollution.

Oxidative stress physiology in Scylla serrata for environmental health assessment

The oxidative stress (OS) condition and antioxidant level as a function of pH, few major elements, temperature, turbidity, organic carbon, sediment, and water salinity are vital to understanding the redox homeostasis of inhabiting animals. These parameters are also used to monitor environmental health. A spatiotemporal redox antioxidant system, followed by discriminant function analysis about the aforementioned abiotic factors, was investigated in the muscle, gill, and hepatopancreas of the mud crab, Scylla serrata, sampled from the Indian coastal belt along the Bay of Bengal (Tamil Nadu and Odisha) and the Arabian Sea (Gujarat) as a measure of environmental health assessment. Results revealed that the redox homeostasis of mud crabs significantly varied with seasonal fluctuations of abiotic factors and sediment chemistry. The level of superoxide dismutase and the non-protein-SH group were negatively correlated, whereas other antioxidant molecules with lipid peroxidation levels were positively correlated with abiotic factors. Only the activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase were strongly correlated with all the abiotic factors. The hepatopancreas was found to be the most susceptible organ to OS. The lipid peroxidation level was 20–25 times higher in hepatopancreatic tissue than that in other tissues. The antioxidant level was elevated to 200% during the summer compared to the rainy season. Thus, the results of redox homeostasis in S. serrata may be useful for monitoring the ecotoxic effects of estuarine and marine environments and managing the inhabiting species.

Incorporating functional metrics into the development of a diatom-based index of biotic integrity (D-IBI) in Thousand Islands Lake (TIL) catchment, China

Incorporating functional metrics into the development of a diatom-based index of biotic integrity (D-IBI) is conducive to a more comprehensive assessment of water quality and the degree of external impact on ecosystem function. A D-IBI was developed by incorporating functional metrics to candidate metrics. Four metrics were selected and divided into five levels to evaluate 147 sampling sites. By comparing the D-IBI scores in Thousand Islands Lake (TIL) catchment, we found that the total D-IBI score ranged from 20 to 100 (median was 45). Compared with reference sites, the resource competition of impaired sites was weaker, and the community was more stable. In response to basin damage, we recommend source protection, long-term monitoring, increased hydrological connectivity, and ecological management of small watersheds. For the assessment of water environmental health, we suggest that the functional metrics should be included in the biological assessment, and the candidate metrics that are greatly affected by the dispersal process should be excluded. Moreover, the assessment should be conducted at the multi-dimension level and watershed scale.

Influence of COVID-19 lockdown on river water quality and assessment of environmental health in an industrialized belt of southern Western Ghats, India.

The COVID-19 pandemic and sudden lockdown have severely hampered the country's economic growth and socio-cultural activities while imparting a positive effect on the overall fitness of the environment especially air and water resources. Increased urbanization and rapid industrialization have led to rising pollution and deterioration of rivers and associated sectors such as agriculture, domestic and commercial needs. However, various available studies in different parts of the country indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the entire ecosystem. But it is noted that studies are lacking in the southern Western Ghats region of India. Therefore, the present study attempts to investigate how the continuous lockdowns affect the River Water Quality (RWQ) during lockdown (October 2020) and post-lockdown (January 2021) periods in the lower catchments (Eloor-Edayar industrialized belt) of Periyar river, Kerala state, South India. A total of thirty samples (15 samples each) were analyzed based on drinking water quality, irrigational suitability, and multivariate statistical methods to evaluate the physical and chemical status of RWQ. The results of theWater Quality Index (WQI) for assessing the drinking water suitability showed a total of 93% of samples in the excellent and good category during the lockdown, while only 47% of samples were found fit for drinking during the post-lockdown period. Irrigational suitability indices like Mg hazard, KR, PI, SAR, and Wilcox diagram revealed lockdown period samples as more suitable for irrigational activities compared to post-lockdown samples with site-specific changes. Spearman rank correlation analysis indicated EC and TDS with a strong positive correlation to Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, TH, SO42-, and Cl- during both periods as well as strong positive correlations within the alkaline earth elements (Ca2+ and Mg 2+) and alkalis (Na+ and K+). Three significant components were extracted from principal component analysis (PCA), explaining 88.89% and 96.03% of the total variance for lockdown and post-lockdown periods, respectively. Variables like DO, BOD, Ca2+, NO3-, and Cl- remained in the same component loading during both periods elucidating their natural origin in the basin. The results of health risk assessment based on US EPA represented hazard quotient and hazard index values below the acceptable limit signifying no potential noncarcinogenic risk via oral exposure except As, suggesting children as more vulnerable to the negative effects than adults. Furthermore, this study also shows rejuvenation of river health during lockdown offers ample scope to policymakers, administrators and environmentalists for deriving appropriate plans for the restoration of river health from anthropogenic stress.