Environmental Protection Agency Research Articles

Miniaturizing Nanotoxicity Assays in Daphnids.

The rapid progress of the modern world has resulted in new materials and products created at an accelerating pace. As such, nanoparticles have widespread applications and often find their way into the aquatic ecosystem. In the case of freshwater ecosystems, one of the commonly used bioindicators species used for pollution assessment is Daphnid magna. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and other organizations such as the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have set guidelines for acute toxicity testing in daphnids that are severely lacking in terms of information on the characteristics of the exposure vessel when studying the adverse effects of nanoparticles (NPs). Understanding the toxicity mechanisms of nanomaterials is imperative given the scarcity of information on their adverse effects. Furthermore, miniaturization of nanotoxicity assays can reduce the number of daphnids used, as well as the cost and nanomaterial waste, and provide results even at the individual animal level with enhanced reproducibility of testing. In this study, the impact of the exposure vessel on the observed physiological changes of daphnids was investigated for a silver nano ink. Exposures in eleven commercially available vessels; nine made of plastic and two made of glass were compared for 24 h. The effect of surface to volume ratio of the exposure vessel and the animal number or "crowding" during exposure was investigated in the context of miniaturizing biomarker assays as alternatives to traditional experimental setups in Daphnid magna. Toxicity curves showed differences depending on the vessel used, while a novel feeding rate assay and the activity of key enzymes were assessed as physiology endpoints.

Treatment of greywater using a non-aerated combined horizontal and vertical flow constructed wetland

ABSTRACT Human, animal, and plant health is universally paramount, yet the release of poorly treated wastewater into the environment poses a significant risk to all life forms. Hence the need to employ wastewater treatment technologies to curb these health risks. Due to the need to adopt sustainable wastewater treatment technologies, this study investigated the use of a non-aerated hybrid horizontal and vertical flow constructed wetland for the removal of heavy metals and microorganisms from greywater. This was done at six different hydraulic retention times. Results showed significant reductions (p < 0.05) in heavy metal (manganese, zinc, cadmium, magnesium, chromium, and iron) concentrations, with some showing compliance to Ghana's Environmental Protection Agency and the United Kingdom National Environment Regulation recommended discharge limits. Heavy metal concentrations in effluent samples ranged from as low as 0.00 ± 0.15–0.23 ± 0.06 mg/L. Furthermore, there were significant reductions in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi (p < 0.05), which also showed compliance to Ghana's Environmental Protection Agency effluent discharge standards. The effluents from the system at HRT 3 days showed high removal efficiency ranges of 82–90% of bacteria. It is recommended that hybrid constructed wetlands should be incorporated in the treatment of greywater.

A comprehensive scenario of heavy metals pollution in the rivers of Bangladesh during the last two decades.

For decades, rivers have been used for transporting pollutants loaded with heavy metals (HMs) causing severe pollution in downstream.The current study aimed to review the levels and sources of 10 HMs, viz. As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Cu, Co, Ni, and Zn in the surface water of the rivers in Bangladesh. The PRISMA criteria were used to conduct a systematic review of the available literature published between 2001 and 2020, and thus a total of 55 documents were finally selected for review. The mean concentration of each HM exceeding the threshold limits as per World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and Department of Environment (DoE), Bangladesh standards were higher in the last decade (2011-2020) than in the previous one (2001-2010). Most HM concentrations in water were found above the threshold limits in three divisions (Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Chattogram). The Buriganga River in Dhaka has been the top polluted river in Bangladesh. Among the 10 HMs, six metals (As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Fe, and Mn) exceeded the limit set by WHO, USEPA, and DoE in all three seasons, where mean values of most of the HMs were found to be the highest in the summer season. Statistical analyses identified possible sources of HMs such as natural weathering, electroplating, fertilizers and pesticides, mining and manufacturing, textiles, coal mining and burning, batteries, and paint industries. Strong legislations and regulations, awareness programs, continuous monitoring, and comprehensive research are urgently needed to control riverine HMs pollutionin Bangladesh.

High-resolution atmospheric emissions estimate from dredging activities during port expansion in Veracruz, Mexico

Maritime traffic has increased worldwide, generating the need to modernize and expand ports. The Port of Veracruz, a central hub on the Gulf of Mexico, is expanding to meet maritime demand. While the project has benefits, it can also have negative aspects, such as air pollution. One activity that can significantly impact air emissions during port expansion is dredging. Therefore, the objective of this study was to quantify the atmospheric emissions of criteria pollutants, toxics, and greenhouse gases generated by the dredging activity. For this purpose, emissions estimates resulting from the in-situ dredged volume was integrated considering two types of dredges, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency methodology with a bottom-up approach and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Automatic Identification System data with a 1 min resolution. The top emissions for criteria pollutants were 70 ± 4.7 Mg/yr of carbon monoxide, for toxics 13 ± 1 Mg/yr of volatile organic compounds, and for greenhouse gases 41,000 ± 4,034 Mg/yr of carbon dioxide, primarily in hotelling. These findings provide vital information for environmental management during port modernization, maintenance, and expansion.

Occurrence and potential ecological risks of PFAS in Pampulha Lake, Brazil, a UNESCO world heritage site

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) comprise >4000 synthetic substances used in industrial applications and consumer products. PFAS used daily in households and manufacturing plants end up in domestic sewage, and industrial effluents can be discharged to surface water. Urban watersheds located in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), which lack sanitation infrastructure, are potential recipients of waste containing PFAS. Yet, only a few studies report PFAS occurrence in urban reservoirs and lakes, especially those located in the Global South due to resource limitations. This is the first study aimed to assess PFAS occurrence and ecological risks in Pampulha Lake, Brazil, a site which represents the reality of many other urban watersheds in LMIC as it is surrounded by densely populated areas and manufacturing plants. Surface water samples were collected monthly for 1 year from four sampling points at Pampulha Lake. Sample analysis was based on US Environmental Protection Agency Method 1633, which employs solid phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Species sensitivity distribution (SSD) curves were built to identify potentially susceptible species based on detected water concentrations. Bioaccumulation was estimated for fish tissue. Short-chain (perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, PFBS and perfluorohexanoic acid, PFHxA) and long-chain PFAS (perfluorodecanoic acid, PFDA; perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOA; perfluorododecanoic acid, PFDoA; and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, PFOS) were detected at the μg L−1 range. Total PFAS concentrations in the wet season were generally higher than in the dry season, likely due to limited capacity of the treatment plant processing water from tributaries which receive raw sewage. More than 5 % of aquatic species are potentially susceptible to chronic effects of PFOS at detected concentrations (0.2–2.2 μg L−1). Predicted bioaccumulation of PFOS in fish was above advisory diet intake levels for humans. Results emphasize the need for studies related to PFAS occurrence in watersheds located in LMIC.

Infesting Seaweeds as a Novel Functional Food: Analysis of Nutrients, Antioxidants and ACE Inhibitory Effects.

Globalization and climate change are both contributing to an increase in the number of potentially invasive algae in coastal areas. In terms of biodiversity and financial losses, the invasiveness of algae has become a significant issue in Orbetello Lagoon. Indeed, studies from the Tuscany Regional Agency for Environmental Protection show that the reduction in dissolved oxygen caused by algal diffusion is detrimental to fisheries and biodiversity. Considering that wakame and numerous other potentially invasive seaweeds are consumed as food in Asia, we assess the nutritional and nutraceutical qualities of two potentially invasive seaweeds: Valonia aegagrophila and Chaetomorpha linum. We found that both algae are a valuable source of proteins and essential amino acids. Even if the fat content accounts for less than 2% of the dried weight, its quality is high, due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids. Both algae are rich in antioxidants pigments and polyphenols, which can be exploited as nutraceuticals. Most importantly, human gastrointestinal digestion increased the quantity of polyphenols and originated secondary metabolites with ACE inhibitory activity. Taken together, our data strongly promote the use of Valonia aegagrophila and Chaetomorpha linum as functional foods, with possible application in the treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

An Environmental Audit of Aracari Resort

Tourism impacts the economy, the natural and built environment, the immediate population, and even tourists – the very resource needed by the industry to remain viable. Regular assessment of the environmental performance of the industry is necessary to ascertain compliance with national standards and regulations. This is achieved with an environmental audit. To this end, an environmental audit was conducted at the Aracari Resort, almost a decade after it began operations. The Resort’s operations should have minimal impact on public health and the environment, as evidenced by good sanitation, safety measure implementation, and adherence to the Public Health Legislation and Occupation Health & Safety Act. The methodology used included monitoring of water quality and use, noise, and energy; and direct observation of waste and safety management. The results showed that water quality parameters such as pH, temperature, phosphorus and ammonium were in compliance with the national effluent discharge guidelines; however, chlorides, chemical oxygen demand, and total suspended solids were not. Water metre readings revealed an average daily water consumption of 22.5m3 and an average weekly water consumption of 135m3. Noise produced from the Resort was in compliance with the daytime limits of 75 dB based on the national standard, but exceeded residential nighttime limits (from Friday to Sunday) of 60 dB. The average (55.6 kW), maximum (83.85 kW), and minimum (51.9 kW) power demands across a 7-day period were obtained from Fluke Monitoring System readings. Solid waste management was observed to be inadequate on days of planned events, with overflowing bins evident on the premises. Safety measures were implemented for food, chemical handling and storage, swimming pool safety, and fire safety, which were observed to be consistent with the standards. The facility’s overall performance was satisfactory based on the evaluation criteria, and some environmental practices of Aracari Resort conformed to the Environmental Protection Agency requirements and other established guidelines. Areas identified for improved compliance and enhanced environmental management included the implementation of an environmental policy, regular monitoring of environmental parameters, and staff training on the terms and conditions of the Environmental Permit.

An Investigation of Water Resource Management in the Beverage Industry

According to studies, industrial water use comprises production processes, auxiliary processes, kitchen use, and outdoor use. Reducing industrial water use is dependent on the implementation of administrative, engineering, mechanical, and human controls. The objectives of this research were to assess the water use of a Soft Drink Plant; determine the water use ratio for a two-year period; and determine the plant’s compliance with local and international regulations for wastewater discharge. We also determined the level of success of implementing a water minimisation plan, whether there was an improvement in the Water Use Ratio, and compliance of the industry with local and international discharge regulations. The sequential transformative strategy was used to collect and analyse data so as to ascertain water usage and disposal, and a semi-structured interview was conducted to validate the non-existence of heavy metals in the wastewater discharged from the soft drink plant. The Soft Drink Plant’s Water Minimisation Plan 2013-2016 achieved a high level of success overall, with 74.42% of the activities implemented by the assigned completion dates. However, three of the five measures implemented recorded low levels of success. Paired sample t-tests revealed statistically significant differences in the water use ratio obtained for the periods 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2013-2015, although the differences were relatively small (t (df)=2.242, p=0.047; t (df)=2.592, p=0.025; and t (df)=6.250, p=0.000) for the respective periods. Six of the eleven tested parameters were statistically different when compared to the Coca-Cola Operating Requirements and Environmental Protection Agency standards, indicating a high variation in effluent discharge.

Identifying priority ecosystem services in tidal wetland restoration.

Classification systems can be an important tool for identifying and quantifying the importance of relationships, assessing spatial patterns in a standardized way, and forecasting alternative decision scenarios to characterize the potential benefits (e.g., ecosystem services) from ecosystem restoration that improve human health and well-being. We present a top-down approach that systematically leverages ecosystem services classification systems to identify potential services relevant for ecosystem restoration decisions. We demonstrate this approach using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Ecosystem Service Classification System Plus (NESCS Plus) to identify those ecosystem services that are relevant to restoration of tidal wetlands. We selected tidal wetland management documents from federal agencies, state agencies, wetland conservation organizations, and land stewards across three regions of the continental United States (northern Gulf of Mexico, Mid-Atlantic, and Pacific Northwest) to examine regional and organizational differences in identified potential benefits of tidal wetland restoration activities and the potential user groups who may benefit. We used an automated document analysis to quantify the frequencies at which different wetland types were mentioned in the management documents along with their associated beneficiary groups and the ecological end products (EEPs) those beneficiaries care about, as defined by NESCS Plus. Results showed that a top combination across all three regions, all four organizations, and all four tidal wetland types was the EEP naturalness paired with the beneficiary people who care (existence). Overall, the Mid-Atlantic region and the land steward organizations mentioned ecosystem services more than the others, and EEPs were mentioned in combination with tidal wetlands as a high-level, more general category than the other more specific tidal wetland types. Certain regional and organizations differences were statistically significant. Those results may be useful in identifying ecosystem services-related goals for tidal wetland restoration. This approach for identifying and comparing ecosystem service priorities is broadly transferrable to other ecosystems or decision-making contexts.

Smartphone assisted paper strip-based colorimetric sensing of phosphate and copper ions utilizing bi-ligand intercalated cobalt-MOF as a dual functional nanozyme

Monitoring phosphate and copper ions is vital for environmental and food safety due to associated health risks. To address this need, a new cobalt and bi-organic ligand based metal organic framework (BDC-Co-BIm MOF) has been developed. This MOF acts as a dual-function nanozyme, displaying peroxidase-like activity and selective detection abilities for PO43- ion. The Co(II) nodes and sp2 carbon within the framework exhibit excellent Fenton-like reaction, efficiently catalyzing the conversion of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) into oxidised TMB (oxTMB). Also, steady-state kinetic analysis indicated that BDC-Co-BIm MOF exhibited high affinity toward both TMB and H2O2. The Co(II) nodes and positive charge of the BDC-Co-BIm MOF capture PO43- ion through Co-O-P bonding and electrostatic interaction, limiting the electron transfer between BDC-Co-BIm MOF and H2O2. This reduces TMB oxidation and changes the color from blue to colorless. When ionic Cu2+ ion are added to the system, they react with PO43- ion to form a stable Cu3(PO4)2 complex. This reactivates the electron transfer process, allowing the H2O2 to decompose into •OH. As a result, TMB oxidation is restored and producing the blue color product again. Based on these principles, a colorimetric assay has been developed for the rapid and selective detection of PO43- and Cu2+ ions. A strong linear correlation has been established between their concentrations and the UV absorbance at 652 nm, with limit of detection (LOD) of PO43- and Cu2+ was 0.05 and 0.13 µM, respectively. These limits are notably lower than the thresholds established by the Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization (EPA & WHO) at 0.18 µM for PO43- and 30 µM for Cu2+. A Paper-based smartphone-assisted sensing of PO43- and Cu2+ ions was successfully achieved using intelligent Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) analysis. The platform showed high selectivity and performance with environmental water samples. This research presents a novel method for visually detecting PO43- and Cu2+ ions using versatile nanozyme, advancing portable on-site environmental safety analysis.

Providing Fine Temporal and Spatial Resolution Analyses of Airborne Particulate Matter Utilizing Complimentary In Situ IoT Sensor Network and Remote Sensing Approaches

This study aims to provide analyses of the levels of airborne particulate matter (PM) using a two-pronged approach that combines data from in situ Internet of Things (IoT) sensor networks with remotely sensed aerosol optical depth (AOD). Our approach involved setting up a network of custom-designed PM sensors that could be powered by the electrical grid or solar panels. These sensors were strategically placed throughout the densely populated areas of North Texas to collect data on PM levels, weather conditions, and other gases from September 2021 to June 2023. The collected data were then used to create models that predict PM concentrations in different size categories, demonstrating high accuracy with correlation coefficients greater than 0.9. This highlights the importance of collecting hyperlocal data with precise geographic and temporal alignment for PM analysis. Furthermore, we expanded our analysis to a national scale by developing machine learning models that estimate hourly PM 2.5 levels throughout the continental United States. These models used high-resolution data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES-16) Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) dataset, along with meteorological data from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF), AOD reanalysis, and air pollutant information from the MERRA-2 database, covering the period from January 2020 to June 2023. Our models were refined using ground truth data from our IoT sensor network, the OpenAQ network, and the National Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) network, enhancing the accuracy of our remote sensing PM estimates. The findings demonstrate that the combination of AOD data with meteorological analyses and additional datasets can effectively model PM 2.5 concentrations, achieving a significant correlation coefficient of 0.849. The reconstructed PM 2.5 surfaces created in this study are invaluable for monitoring pollution events and performing detailed PM 2.5 analyses. These results were further validated through real-world observations from two in situ MINTS sensors located in Joppa (South Dallas) and Austin, confirming the effectiveness of our comprehensive approach to PM analysis. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently updated the national standard for PM 2.5 to 9 μg/m 3, a move aimed at significantly reducing air pollution and protecting public health by lowering the allowable concentration of harmful fine particles in the air. Using our analysis approach to reconstruct the fine-time resolution PM 2.5 distribution across the entire United States for our study period, we found that the entire nation encountered PM 2.5 levels that exceeded 9 μg/m 3 for more than 20% of the time of our analysis period, with the eastern United States and California experiencing concentrations exceeding 9 μg/m 3 for over 50% of the time, highlighting the importance of regulatory efforts to maintain annual PM 2.5 concentrations below 9 μg/m 3.

Evaluation of Watershed Carrying Capacity on Flood Management in Greater Malang East Java Indonesia

Purpose: The over-depletion of natural resources in the Ambang watershed is the recent cause of the flooding in the region. The Ambang watershed, located in the larger Malang region of Indonesia's East Java Province, is the subject of this article because of the importance of this resource to local residents.This study follows the rules set out by Regulation No. P.61/2014 of the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, which governs the assessment and monitoring of watershed management, in order to determine the Ambang watershed's effectiveness. Finding out how much water the Ambang watershed can hold and how well the regulation works to control floods were the two main goals of this research Method: This study primarily uses data on floods, conservation initiatives, land use, and water value in the Ambang river basin. Data and information on floods, conservation regulations, and the worth of water infrastructure comes from government sources and community discussions. The data on land usage was derived from the analysis of satellite images. Literature reviews and reports from key government agencies (such as the regional agricultural agency, the regional environmental protection agency, and the district government) were used to gather secondary data for the Ambang watershed management study Results and Conclusion: Land cover, as a percentage, can reduce run-off rates and enhance infiltration capacity in a watershed, hence monitoring it is crucial for assessing the state of land carrying capacity. With an area of 86,783.77 ha, the Ambang sub-watershed has 27,311.79 ha of vegetative land cover (PPV), which is classed as poor, falling between 20 and 40%. The result is expressed as a percentage. One way to measure the difference between allowed and actual erosion is via the Erosion Index. Based on the analysis, the Ambang sub-watershed, which covers an area of 86,783.77 ha, experiences heavy erosion on average with 190.8 tons/ha/year. The erosion index is 14.2, and the IE classification is > 2, which is very bad. This is due to factors such as steep to very steep slopes in some areas, poor to moderate soil conservation, and the presence of annual plants on the land, with some exceeding 25%. Research Implications: In order to better educate the public about the conservation and restoration efforts of different stakeholders and to improve the recommendations for potential conservation and restoration actions in each of the Ambang watershed regions, a series of investigations and experimental projects are planned. Laws enacted by the Indonesian government (number 37/2012) and the Ministry of Forestry (number 6061/2014) control the administration of water-related regions in the country. Before receiving any funds from the National State Budget, regional (provincial) governments must develop a management plan that takes into account the watershed's ability to sustain initiatives. Our investigation showed that Regulation 61/2014, issued by the Federal Forestry Minister, does not adequately evaluate the Ambang watershed's harbor capacity. Especially in arid regions, further studies should help Indonesian watersheds better gauge the potential of their water supplies.

Evaluation of the relationship between occupational noise exposure and stress levels in a healthcare facility

Objectives. This study aimed to assess noise levels in various units in hospitals and explore the correlation between healthcare employees’ daily noise exposure level (L ex,8h) and their stress and symptoms. Methods. A healthcare facility was selected to study noise pollution. Personal noise dosimeters were used during 8-h working shifts. Data were collected from 126 employees using the 36-item ‘A stress scale’ and a socio-demographic information form. Results. The results of noise measurements exceeded World Health Organization and US Environmental Protection Agency recommended limits at all sites. The lowest L ex,8h (52 dB) was detected in the endocrinology clinic, while the highest (91 dB) was recorded in the podology unit. According to the stress scale scores, the lowest mean psychological symptom score (PsSS), physiological symptom score (PhSS) and total scale score (TSS) were observed in diagnostic units with 35 ± 14, 41 ± 14 and 76 ± 27, respectively, while the highest mean PsSS, PhSS and TSS were observed in the polyclinics with 44 ± 6, 64 ± 10 and 107 ± 10, respectively. The PsSS of employees exposed to noise (L ex,8h) above 75 dB was found to be higher than for other employees. Conclusion. L ex,8h above 75 dB can increase psychological symptoms in healthcare employees.

Photoelectrode materials for photo-assisted electrochemical water treatment

Mohamed Ateia Ibrahim (environmental engineer and group leader at the US Environmental Protection Agency and adjunct assistant professor at Rice University) and Ashley Hesterberg Butzlaff (environmental engineer at the US Environmental Protection Agency) discuss material-based guidelines for optimizing photoelectrode design with a focus on utilizing advanced nanostructure fabrication techniques to enhance charge separation and transport, as well as identifying and integrating the most effective co-catalysts to improve efficiency and stability. These insights are critical for the development of practical and efficient photo-assisted electrochemical systems, essential for future water-treatment technologies.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Due to Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescriptions for Respiratory Diagnoses

Background: Healthcare accounts for 8.5% of total US greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), with US healthcare the main contributor. Yet little effort has been made to measure healthcare related GHGE. Specifically, GHGE related to unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions is unclear, and to our knowledge, no one has used estimates of GHGE of unnecessary antibiotics as an antibiotic stewardship tool. We aimed to measure GHGE from solid waste associated with unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory conditions. Methods: We calculated emissions for an outpatient prescription including the plastic bottle, paper leaflet, and paper bag (photos) based on the weight of each item multiplied by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) GHGE factors. Emission factors depend on waste type and treatment method which we assumed to be landfilled. To estimate unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory infections, visits from nine University of Utah Health Urgent Care Centers from 2019-2022 were electronically identified and included if they had an ICD-10-CM code for a respiratory diagnosis where antibiotics are not indicated. Waste emissions of the paper and plastic in an individual prescription were then multiplied by the number of unnecessary respiratory antibiotic prescriptions for designated time periods to arrive at total landfilled waste emissions. We used similar methods applied to published 2014 data from CDC to estimate national waste emissions due to unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory infections. Finally, we used the EPA’s GHG Equivalencies Calculator to convert emissions into tangible GHGE for providers and patients. Results: A prescription has 32g of paper and 15g of plastic waste. Among 124,461 urgent care visits (Table 1) in 2019-2022, 18,531 (14.9%) received an antibiotic. This equates to 593 kg of paper waste and 278 kg of plastic waste leading to a total landfilled waste emissions of 0.479 MT CO2e/ton. Using the EPA GHG Equivalencies Calculator, this equates to driving an average gasoline-powered car 1,228 miles. There were 14,482,976 unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions (Table 2) in the US for respiratory infections in 2014. Our estimates suggest these prescriptions led to 375.109 CO2e/ton of GHGE, the same as driving 961,610 miles by an average gasoline-powered vehicle. Conclusion: Unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions are associated with substantial GHGE. This estimate demands further evaluation across diagnoses and care delivery sites, and most importantly action. Additionally, the large GHG contribution of unnecessary antibiotics should be used as a stewardship tool to highlight low-value care that is likely contributing to global climate change.

Assessing environmental injustice in Kansas City by linking paediatric asthma to local sources of pollution: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveA grassroots environmental-justice organisation in Kansas City has been examining the disproportionate exposure to air pollution experienced by residents living fenceline to the largest classification railyard in the USA. Prior...

Linguistic isolation correlates with length of stay and mortality for pediatric oncology patients in California.

To evaluate social drivers of health and how they impact pediatric oncology patients' clinical outcomes during pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission via correlation with patient ZIP codes. Demographic, clinical, and outcome variables from Virtual Pediatric Systems®, LLC for oncology patients (2009-2021) in California PICUs (excluding postoperative) using 3-digit ZIP Codes with social drivers of health variables linguistic isolation, poverty, race/ethnicity, and education abstracted from American Community Survey data for 3-digit ZIP Codes using the Environmental Protection Agency's EJScreen tool. Outcomes of length of stay (LOS), mortality, acuity scores, were compared with social variables. Positive correlation between mortality and minority racial groups (Hispanic/Latino) across ZIP Codes (correlation coefficients of 0.45 (95% CI: 0.22-0.64, p < 0.001) in 2017, 0.50 (95% CI: 0.27-0.68, p < 0.001) in 2018, 0.33 (95% CI: 0.07-0.54, p = 0.013) in 2020, and 0.32 (95% CI: 0.06-0.53, p = 0.018) in 2021). Median PICU length of stay significantly correlated with linguistic isolation (coefficient of 0.42 (95% CI: 0.18-0.61, p = 0.001) in 2021 versus -0.41 (95% CI: -0.61 to -0.16, p = 0.002) in 2019), which included PRISMIII (n = 7417). Mixed effects logistic regression model for other constant variables (PRISMIII, cancer type, race/ethnicity, year), random effect of patient, linguistic isolation (percentage as a continuous value) was significantly associated (95% CI: 1.01-1.06; p = 0.02) with mortality; (OR = 1.03). Linguistic isolation was correlated with LOS and mortality, however variable year to year.

Resilience Governance and Acceptance of Climate Change Policy in Taiwan Special Municipalities

Resilience is a city’s continual ability to resist, adapt, change, and prepare for shocks and pressures, whether of environmental, social, institutional, or economic origin, in order to preserve city operations and improve responsiveness to future shocks. The goal of this research was to see how well each aspect of resilience governance (economic, social, environmental, and institutional) predicted acceptance of climate change policy (ACCP) in a Taiwan sample. A total of 1,089 employees from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from six special municipalities were included in the study (Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung). The analysis discovered that for all six cities, the economic dimension of resilience governance was significantly negatively correlated with the ACCP, while the social and institutional dimensions of resilience governance were significantly positively correlated with the ACCP. Furthermore, the institutional dimension of resilience governance was the only characteristic of resilience governance that consistently predicted EPA staffers’ ACCP across six Taiwanese special municipalities.

Assessment of Noise Exposure and Risk of Hearing Loss for Young People in Amusement Arcades.

Amusement arcades are one of the most popular entertainment venues for young people, but excessive noise levels inside them could harm young people's hearing. The aim of this study is to assess the characteristics and risk of noise exposure for young people in amusement arcades and understand their knowledge of and attitudes towards safe listening. In this study, noise measurement was conducted in five large amusement arcades to collect 40 noise samples. At the same time, questionnaires were used in each amusement arcade to investigate young players' social information, subjective perception, and cognition of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The level of the noise samples ranged from 83.05 to 89.4 dBA. There are significant differences in noise levels between amusement arcades (P < 0.05), but there is no significant difference in noise levels between different games (P > 0.05). The subjective questionnaire survey shows that 61.9% of young people feel that the sound of video games is noisy or very noisy, but it is worth noting that 63.5% of them do not know or think that noise will not cause hearing loss, and 39.7% of people will choose to do nothing to help them endure the noise in such an environment. For safe listening, young people are more inclined to choose measures to stay in quiet areas and reduce the volume of game devices. The noise levels in most amusement arcades have exceeded the exposure limits recommended by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA); subjective questionnaires also indicate that internal noise levels may cause hearing loss, and young customers did not know enough about safe listening. For young people's hearing safety, these issues need more attention.

Fate and Transport of Chloroform in VI Evaluations

ABSTRACTChloroform is frequently detected in indoor air in vapor intrusion (VI) studies. At many sites, initial screening shows potential indoor air impacts for chloroform at unacceptable levels. During follow‐up site characterization, however, the VI pathway for chloroform is rarely found to be the primary source of chloroform in indoor air. This paper sets forth a conceptual model for understanding these results and summarizes data from 10 field sites from various US Environmental Protection Agency regions to illustrate the concepts. Chloroform is a volatile organic compound (VOC) that is categorized as being a trihalomethane. It is well documented that it can be formed when chlorine is used to disinfect water. Chloroform also may be emitted directly into indoor air from treated water and may be formed and/or emitted from various cleaning products. The typical indoor air background concentration in residential buildings is approximately 0.5–1 µg/m3, but results will vary, and values of 10 µg/m3 or higher have been measured. The indoor air background concentrations presented in the literature are well above typical screening level concentrations for residential buildings. Field data are presented that demonstrate that the attenuation factor for chloroform often differs widely from attenuation factors of other VOCs that may pose a potential risk via the VI pathway.