Environmental Protection Agency Research Articles

Plastic waste in major orthopaedic surgical procedures: descriptive and sources of improvement.

The healthcare industry is a significant contributor to single-use plastic waste, particularly in the operating room (OR). This study aims to assess the volume of plastic waste generated during total hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty in the OR and identify areas for improvement. A prospective transversal study at a tertiary hospital was conducted. All total knee arthroplasty (TKA), total hip arthroplasty (THA), and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) from April to July 2021 were included. The weight of plastic used during patient preparation, anaesthesia, and the surgical procedure was recorded. To calculate the environmental impact, a calculator generated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) was used. A total of 68 surgeries were included. The mean weight of plastic used in total was 7.3kg (SD 0.48), with the highest yielding procedure being TKA. It generated a mean of 7.63kg (SD 0.28), followed by THA at 7.28kg (SD 0.43), and RSA at 6.87kg (SD 0.47). Various scenarios were simulated to evaluate the potential impact of reducing plastic waste. Substituting plastic wrapping with recyclable materials could save 159.6kg of CO2 emissions per 100 prostheses. Eliminating non-essential equipment and adopting reusable fabric drapes also showed a significant potential. The findings highlight the need for environmentally sustainable practices in the OR. In this way, the healthcare sector can contribute to a cleaner and greener world without compromising patient safety.

Prevalence and concentration of pesticides in European waters: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

There is currently a growing interest in the so-called emerging pollutants, such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal hygiene care products, drugs, etc., whose presence in natural ecosystems is not necessarily recent, but the development in latest years of new and more sensitive methods of analysis has allowed their detection. They can be present in the natural environment, food, and many products of everyday origin, which suggests that human exposure to them is massive and universal. Therefore, the study of this type of substances is becoming one of the priority lines of research of the main agencies dedicated to the protection of public and environmental health, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) or European Union (EU). In this sense, it is of vital importance to know the nature and quantity of this type of contaminants, to establish preventive mechanisms that minimize its presence in aquatic systems, with special requirements for human consumption. This study aimed to describe a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the status of pesticides in European waters. We will search for original studies in the PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, ScienceDirect databases. Prevalence studies of emerging contaminants (pesticides) in water resources (watersheds, aquifers, rivers, marine and springs), wastewaters (influent and effluent), and drinking water should be included. Two reviewers will independently screen and assess the included studies, with any disagreements being resolved by a third reviewer. We will summarize the findings using a narrative approach and, if possible, conduct a quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis). We will conduct the protocol following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. The review will summarize the current evidence on the presence of pesticides in European waters such as glyphosate, chlorpyrifos, pyrethroid pesticides, neonicotinoid pesticides, and/or fungicides, in samples of different water resources like wastewaters and drinking water. We expect that this systematic review will establish preventive mechanisms that minimize the presence of pesticides in water in the environment.

Remediation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Nonwoven Production and Paper Sectors: A Brief Review

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a growing concern in the paper and nonwoven industry, as current research provides alarming results regarding the abundance and persistence of these substances from food packaging producers. It was reported that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have been detected in blood serum of thousands of individuals originating from food packaging that contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. In addition, 20–56% of all products tested had detectable levels that immensely contribute to dietary exposure. Paper mills are also a significant source of exposure due to environmental contamination surpassing emission regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency by over 100,000 parts per trillion. These studies exemplify the necessity for paper-based product producers to not only abide by regulations but also demonstrate the implementation of remediation efforts. With current research on novel remediation techniques and increased restrictions surrounding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance usage for water repellency, decreased contamination and exposure will be achieved throughout the world. This article serves as a brief review that focuses on the nonwoven manufacturing sector, which includes pulp, paper, and tissue related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination in the environment and drinking water sources. This review addresses the statistical evaluation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance levels throughout the world from paper and nonwoven product manufacturing, along with remediation methods and legislation to reduce contamination and exposure. To the best of our ability, this important and sensitive subject area has been researched extensively. However, many data gaps are present within the field, and limited studies have been conducted contributing to this brief review, which highlights the importance of further studies surrounding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the paper and nonwoven sectors. This article encompasses all available information in the paper and nonwoven sector regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that can be used for reference by the general public and by manufacturers in the nonwoven production industry.

Constructed wetland-based wastewater treatment of a coffee-washing plant and its impacts: a case study of Kege processing plant, Ethiopia

Abstract Coffee washing units in Sidama Regional State, Southern Ethiopia pose a serious threat to surface water sources and coffee growing soils. A comparison field performance test was conducted on the capacity of natural and constructed wetland on wastewater treatment. The study indicates that treating the effluent from the processing plants using constructed wetland supported by sedimentation pond, filtration, and gravity aeration can reduce pollutant levels significantly. The treated waste water can be safely disposed-of to the natural river. It was observed that BOD5 was reduced by 90 and 96% in natural and constructed wetlands, respectively. TDS was reduced substantially whereas nitrate was reduced by 63%. Soil quality parameters from the wetland are within the permissible limits of Ethiopian Environmental Protection Agency. Heavy metals from coffee beans produced from the surrounding farms using water from Gidabo River discharged with treated effluent from the processing units are within the permissible limits. It is evidenced that wetlands in general and constructed wetlands in particular are promising technologies to treat the effluent water and recommended to be adopted by all the processing units in the region.

Abstract 1473: Exposure of arsenic promotes malignant stemness and induces bladder malignancy in preclinical models

Abstract Numerous epidemiological and scientific studies have consistently demonstrated that populations exposed to arsenic (As) concentrations ranging from >10 ppb to 2500 ppb in their drinking water face an elevated risk of urogenital cancers, with a particular emphasis on bladder cancer (BCa). Hence, the goal of the study is to investigate the underlying mechanisms that trigger malignant transformation in the bladder using physiologically relevant arsenic concentrations observed in BCa patients. In our results, we observed significantly elevated levels of arsenic in the urine of BCa patients, ranging from 20 to 50 mg/L, in stark contrast to the levels observed in healthy controls (>10 mg/L) and the recommended guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We used a median physiological concentration of arsenic (30 PPM) in drinking water-induced bladder hyperplasia in male and female mice over six months. Likewise, chronic exposure of healthy bladder epithelial cells (TRT-HU1) to similar arsenic concentrations (250nM:30 PPM) for 12 months resulted in malignant transformation, and arsenic-transformed cells (AsT) were capable of inducing tumors in xenografted and orthotopic models. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanism responsible for this malignancy remains to be elucidated. Our molecular analysis has pointed towards the activation of stem cells, notably ALDH1A1 (with a 50,000-fold increase), as a pivotal factor driving this transformation. Furthermore, our research has demonstrated that the activation of ALDH1A1 is contingent on the induction of Metal Response Element-Binding Transcription Factor-1 (MTF1). Consequently, silencing MTF1 inhibited the expression of ALDH1A1 and its associated malignant properties in As-transformed cells, strongly suggesting that MTF1 functions as the master regulator in As-induced bladder carcinogenesis. We have also observed similar molecular signatures (MTF1 and ALDH1A1 expression) in arsenic-exposed versus non-exposed mice and bladder cancer patients. In conclusion, our studies suggest that activation of stem cells is a critical step in arsenic-induced bladder carcinogenesis. Citation Format: Bhawna Tyagi, Mohit Vashishta, Neha Tyagi, Balaji Chandrasekaran, Vaibhav Shukla, Ashish Tyagi, Chendil Damodaran. Exposure of arsenic promotes malignant stemness and induces bladder malignancy in preclinical models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 1473.

Assessing the 2023 Canadian wildfire smoke impact in Northeastern US: Air quality, exposure and environmental justice

The Canadian wildfires in June 2023 significantly impacted the northeastern United States, particularly in terms of worsened air pollution and environmental justice concerns. While advancements have been made in low-cost sensor deployments and satellite observations of atmospheric composition, integrating dynamic human mobility with wildfire PM2.5 exposure to fully understand the environmental justice implications remains underinvestigated. This study aims to enhance the accuracy of estimating ground-level fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations by fusing chemical transport model outputs with empirical observations, estimating exposures using human mobility data, and evaluating the impact of environmental justice. Employing a novel data fusion technique, the study combines the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) outputs and surface PM2.5 measurements, providing a more accurate estimation of PM2.5 distribution. The study addresses the gap in traditional exposure assessments by incorporating human mobility data and further investigates the spatial correlation of PM2.5 levels with various environmental and demographic factors from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool (EJScreen). Results reveal that despite reduced mobility during high PM2.5 levels from wildfire smoke, exposure for both residents and individuals on the move remains high. Regions already burdened with high environmental pollution levels face amplified PM2.5 effects from wildfire smoke. Furthermore, we observed mixed correlations between PM2.5 concentrations and various demographic and socioeconomic factors, indicating complex exposure patterns across communities. Urban areas, in particular, experience persistent high exposure, while significant correlations in rural areas with EJScreen factors highlight the unique vulnerabilities of these populations to smoke exposure. These results advocate for a comprehensive approach to environmental health that leverages advanced models, integrates human mobility data, and addresses socio-demographic disparities, contributing to the development of equitable strategies against the growing threat of wildfires.

Abstract 3456: The role of particulate matter exposure in racial differences in colorectal cancer mortality in metropolitan Detroit

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most diagnosed cancer in the United States and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) individuals have the highest rates of CRC incidence and mortality in the United States. These disparities are highly influenced by social determinants of health (SDOH). Neighborhood quality, a well-established SDOH, has been shown to influence cancer outcomes, oftentimes more heavily in minorities. Additionally, neighborhood quality is known to influence an individual’s risk of exposure to harmful environmental contaminants including ambient air pollution as a result of systemic racism such as segregation and historic redlining, leading to environmental injustices. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure has been shown to increase the risk of CRC mortality, however, its effects by race have not yet been examined. We sought to understand whether higher rates of exposure to PM2.5 played a role in racial differences in CRC survival in metropolitan Detroit. Patient data including census tract at diagnosis, demographics, and clinical features were obtained from the metropolitan Detroit cancer surveillance system registry. Ambient PM2.5 concentration data at the census tract were obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Remote Sensing Information Gateway (RSIG) and converted to annual averages to use in an interval-censored Cox proportional hazards regression model. We found that PM2.5 exposure partly attenuated the effect of race on overall mortality in all patients (NHB vs NHW: Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1.24, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.20 - 1.27, p < 0.0001, NHB vs NHW after accounting for PM2.5: HR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.16 - 1.23 p < 0.0001) and the effect was stronger among patients under 50 than over 50, though still significant in both models. Additionally, the effect of PM2.5 on mortality was much stronger among NHB patients than NHW patients (NHB HR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.17 - 1.45, p < 0.0001; NHW HR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.02 - 1.11 p = 0.008) and especially strong among NHB patients under 50 (HR = 2.51, 95% CI = 2.38 - 3.38, p < 0.0001) compared to any other group. We conclude that ambient air pollution, particularly PM2.5, disproportionately affects mortality risk in NHB CRC patients. These results highlight the importance of environmental justice research in biomedical research, and the need for a better understanding of environmental impact on tumor biology to prevent tumor progression and mortality among all patients. Citation Format: Natalie Gail Snider, Theresa Hastert, Gregory Dyson, Carina Gronlund, Elena M. Stoffel, Ed Peters, Laura Rozek, Ann Schwartz, Kristen Purrington. The role of particulate matter exposure in racial differences in colorectal cancer mortality in metropolitan Detroit [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3456.

An In-Field Assessment of the P.ALP Device in Four Different Real Working Conditions: A Performance Evaluation in Particulate Matter Monitoring.

This study aimed to assess the performance, in terms of precision and accuracy, of a prototype (called "P.ALP"-Ph.D. Air Quality Low-cost Project) developed for monitoring PM2.5 concentration levels. Four prototypes were co-located with reference instrumentation in four different microenvironments simulating real-world and working conditions, namely (i) office, (ii) home, (iii) outdoor, and (iv) occupational environments. The devices were evaluated for a total of 20 monitoring days (approximately 168 h) under a wide range of PM2.5 concentrations. The performances of the prototypes (based on the light-scattering working principle) were tested through different statistical methods. After the data acquisition and data cleaning processes, a linear regression analysis was performed to assess the precision (by comparing all possible pairs of devices) and the accuracy (by comparing the prototypes against the reference instrumentation) of the P.ALP. Moreover, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) criteria were applied to assess the possible usage of this instrumentation, and to evaluate the eventual error trends of the P.ALP in the data storage process, Bland-Altman plots were also adopted. The outcomes of this study underlined that the P.ALP performed differently depending on the microenvironment in which it was tested and, consequently, on the PM2.5 concentrations. The device can monitor PM2.5 variations with acceptable results, but the performance cannot be considered satisfactory at extremely low and remarkably high PM2.5 concentrations. Thanks to modular components and open-source software, the tested device has the potential to be customized and adapted to better fit specific study design needs, but it must be implemented with ad hoc calibration factors depending on the application before being used in field.

Abstract 853: Assessment of racial and ethnic disparities in environmental exposure-related cancer burden

Abstract The United States Environmental Protection Agency designates superfund sites as regions contaminated with hazardous waste. These sites have previously been associated with adverse health outcomes, including an increased incidence of cancer. Historically, communities with racial and ethnic minorities and people of low socioeconomic status have served as prime locations for these sites, as these communities have lacked the ability to advocate against this land use. Here, we ask whether racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately exposed to these sites or other regions of hazardous waste in our catchment area at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, and in the state of Ohio. Further, we are examining whether areas of high exposure are associated with adverse health outcomes including higher cancer incidence and mortality. We utilized the Environmental Justice Index (EJI) database from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess, on a census tract level, the percent of racial and ethnic minorities in a region, defined as all persons except white, non-Hispanic individuals. We also queried hazardous and toxic waste sites including regions with a national priority list site, a toxic release inventory site, treatment, storage, and disposal sites, risk management plan sites, coal mines, and lead mines. We intersected these data and found that census tracts with a higher percentage of minority persons were more likely to be exposed to hazardous and toxic sites. Our current studies are assessing whether this high environmental burden is contributing to disproportionately worse cancer burden for these individuals. We will test this by comparing EJI data with data from the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System database to assess cancer incidence and mortality in Ohio. This will also provide an avenue for identifying specific exposures that may contribute to different cancer types. Further, we plan to assess if persons with low socioeconomic status or those living with disabilities are disproportionately affected by environmental burden. Overall, understanding environmental burden and health outcomes will facilitate the prioritization of communities at greatest need, contributing to greater health equity. Citation Format: Jessica R. Bobbitt, Fangzhou Liu, Jennifer Cullen, Ruth A. Keri. Assessment of racial and ethnic disparities in environmental exposure-related cancer burden [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 853.

School Bus Rebate Program and Student Educational Performance Test Scores

Students who ride older school buses are often exposed to high levels of exhaust during their commutes, which may adversely affect health and school attendance. As a result, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded millions of dollars to school districts to replace older, highly polluting school buses with newer, cleaner buses. To leverage the EPA's randomized allocation of funding under the 2012-2016 School Bus Rebate Programs to estimate the association between replacing old, highly polluting buses and changes in district-average standardized test scores. This study examined changes in reading and language arts (RLA) and math test scores among US school district applicants to the EPA's 2012-2016 national School Bus Rebate Programs 1 year before and after each lottery by selection status. Data analysis was conducted from January 15 to July 30, 2023. Selection to receive EPA funding to replace older school buses with newer, cleaner alternatives. School district changes in RLA and math test scores among students in grades 3 through 8 before and after the EPA funding lotteries by selection status were measured using an intention-to-treat approach. This study included 1941 school district applicants to the 2012-2106 EPA School Bus Rebate Programs. These districts had a mean (SD) of 14.6 (33.7) schools per district, 8755 (23 776) students per district, and 41.3% (20.2%) of students with free lunch eligibility. Among the applicants, 209 districts (11%) were selected for the clean bus funding. District-average student test scores did not improve among selected districts overall. In secondary analyses, however, districts replacing the oldest, highest polluting buses (ie, pre-1990) experienced significantly greater improvements in district-average test scores in the year after the lottery for RLA and math (SD improvement in test scores, 0.062 [95% CI, 0.050-0.074] and 0.025 [95% CI, 0.011-0.039], respectively) compared with districts without replacements. In this study, the EPA funding was not associated with student test scores overall, but in secondary analyses, the replacement of the oldest school buses was associated with improved educational performance. These findings support prioritizing clean bus replacement of the oldest buses as an actionable way for improving students' educational performance.

Organochlorine pesticides and risk of papillary thyroid cancer in U.S. military personnel: a nested case-control study

BackgroundThe effects of organochlorine pesticide (OCP) exposure on the development of human papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) are not well understood. A nested case-control study was conducted with data from the U.S. Department of Defense Serum Repository (DoDSR) cohort between 2000 and 2013 to assess associations of individual OCPs serum concentrations with PTC risk.MethodsThis study included 742 histologically confirmed PTC cases (341 females, 401 males) and 742 individually-matched controls with pre-diagnostic serum samples selected from the DoDSR. Associations between categories of lipid-corrected serum concentrations of seven OCPs and PTC risk were evaluated for classical PTC and follicular PTC using conditional logistic regression, adjusted for body mass index category and military branch to compute odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Effect modification by sex, birth cohort, and race was examined.ResultsThere was no evidence of associations between most of the OCPs and PTC, overall or stratified by histological subtype. Overall, there was no evidence of an association between hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and PTC, but stratified by histological subtype HCB was associated with significantly increased risk of classical PTC (third tertile above the limit of detection (LOD) vs. <LOD, OR = 1.61, 95% CI, 1.09, 2.38; p for trend = 0.05) and significantly decreased risk of follicular variant PTC (third tertile above the limit of detection (LOD) vs. <LOD, OR = 0.38, 95% CI, 0.16, 0.91; p for trend = 0.04). Further stratified by sex, risk of classical PTC was higher for females (third tertile above LOD vs. <LOD, OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.23, 4.06; p-trend = 0.02) than for males (OR = 1.22, 95%CI: 0.72–2.08; p-trend = 0.56), though the test for interaction by sex was not statistically significant (p-interaction = 0.30). Similarly, β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCCH) was associated with a higher risk for classical PTC for women with concentrations ≥LOD versus <LOD (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.07, 2.89), while the effects were null for men. There were no consistent trends when stratified by race or birth year. ConclusionsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified HCB and other OCPs we studied here as probable human carcinogens. Our findings of increased risks for classical PTC associated with increased concentrations of HCB and β-HCCH, which were stronger among females, should be replicated in future studies of other populations.

Abstract MP78: A Comprehensive Investigation of the Effect of Dietary Intervention on Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate

Introduction: The US Environment Protection Agency has proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). The health effects of the two chemicals need to be thoroughly evaluated. In addition, few studies have investigated interventions that can help clear the two chemicals from the human body. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the plasma metabolome reflects reactions of the human body to PFOA/PFOS exposures and dietary supplements can reduce PFOA/PFOS. Methods: In the Protein and Blood Pressure (ProBP) trial, 80 participants were randomly assigned to take 40 grams/day of soy protein, milk protein, or carbohydrate supplementation each for 8 weeks in a cross-over design. Plasma PFOA and PFOS levels were tracked from baseline to each of the three intervention phases. We analyzed the associations of serum PFOS and PFOA with a total of 964 known metabolites at baseline and each dietary intervention, respectively. Age, sex, and race were adjusted in all analyses. ProBP findings were evaluated for replication among 1261 participants of the Bogalusa Heart Study (BHS). Results: PFOA and PFOS were significantly reduced after phase I and were decreased further with intervention phases. Soy protein showed the strongest reduction on both PFOA (net change: -0.13, p=1.13х10 -5 ) and PFOS (net change: -0.18, p=4.32х10 -5 ) compared with carbohydrate and milk protein. After Bonferroni correction for 77 independent metabolite clusters (p&lt;6.49х10 -4 ), PFOS was positively associated with 54 metabolites (47 at baseline, 9 at soy protein, 8 at milk protein, and 6 at carbohydrate, respectively). Of which, 20 associations were replicated in BHS ( Table ). PFOA was positively associated with 3-methyladipate at soy protein and bilirubin (E,E) at milk protein. Conclusions: Dietary intervention reduced serum PFOA and PFOS. Several metabolites may play important roles in PFOA/PFOS related health effects.

Accumulation of potentially toxic elements in fourfinger threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) and black pomfret (Parastromateus niger) from Selangor, Malaysia.

The accumulation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has raised public awareness due to harmful contamination to both human and marine creatures. This study was designed to determine the concentration of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and nickel (Ni) in the intestine, kidney, muscle, gill, and liver tissues of local commercial edible fish, fourfinger threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum), and black pomfret (Parastromateus niger) collected from Morib (M) and Kuala Selangor (KS). Among the studied PTEs, Cu and Zn were essential elements to regulate body metabolism with certain dosages required while Cd and Ni were considered as non-essential elements that posed chronic and carcinogenic risk. The concentration of PTEs in fish tissue samples was analyzed using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F-AAS). By comparing the concentration of PTEs in fish tissues as a bioindicator, the environmental risk of Morib was more serious than Kuala Selangor because both fish species collected from Morib resulted in a higher PTEs concentration. For an average 62kg adult with a fish ingestion rate (FIR) of 0.16kg/person/day in Malaysia, the estimated weekly intake (EWI) of Cd from the consumption of E. tetradactylum (M: 0.0135mg/kg; KS: 0.0134mg/kg) and P. niger (M: 0.0140mg/kg; KS: 0.0132mg/kg) had exceeded the provisional tolerable weekly intake (Cd: 0.007mg/kg) established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and oral reference dose (ORD) values of Cd (0.001mg/kg/day) as provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) regional screening level, thus it posed chronic risks for daily basis consumption. Besides, the value of the carcinogenic risk of Cd (0.7-3 to 0.8-3) and Ni (0.5-3 to 0.6-3) were in between the acceptable range (10-6 to 10-4) of the health index that indicates a relatively low possibility cancer occurrence to the consumers in both Morib and Kuala Selangor. This study recommended FIR to be 0.80kg/person/day to reduce the possibility of posing chronic and carcinogenic risks while at the same time obtaining the essential nutrients from the fish.

Systematic Approaches for the Encoding of Chemical Groups: A Case Study.

Regulatory authorities aim to organize substances into groups to facilitate prioritization within hazard and risk assessment processes. Often, such chemical groupings are not explicitly defined by structural rules or physicochemical property information. This is largely due to how these groupings are developed, namely, a manual expert curation process, which in turn makes updating and refining groupings, as new substances are evaluated, a practical challenge. Herein, machine learning methods were leveraged to build models that could preliminarily assign substances to predefined groups. A set of 86 groupings containing 2,184 substances as published on the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) website were mapped to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Distributed Toxicity Structure Database (DSSTox) content to extract chemical and structural information. Substances were represented using Morgan fingerprints, and two machine learning approaches were used to classify test substances into 56 groups containing at least 10 substances with a structural representation in the data set: k-nearest neighbor (kNN) and random forest (RF), that led to mean 5-fold cross-validation test accuracies (average F1 scores) of 0.781 and 0.853, respectively. With a 9% improvement, the RF classifier was significantly more accurate than KNN (p-value = 0.001). The approach offers promise as a means of the initial profiling of new substances into predefined groups to facilitate prioritization efforts and streamline the assessment of new substances when earlier groupings are available. The algorithm to fit and use these models has been made available in the accompanying repository, thereby enabling both use of the produced models and refitting of these models, as new groupings become available by regulatory authorities or industry.

Evaluation of environmental impact assessment and mitigation strategies for Gulpur hydropower project, Kotli, Pakistan

AbstractEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) became mandatory in Pakistan in 1983 with the passage of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Ordinance. The Sustainable Development Goals were incorporated into Pakistan's national development strategy, making it the first country in history to do so. The study is based on evaluating the mitigation strategies and environmental impact assessment at the Gulpur Hydropower Project (HPP), Kotli, AJK, which uses the Poonch River's water resources to generate power and has a design capacity of 100 MW using the EIA documentation of Gulpur HPP. In addition to making additional observations and reviewing the literature, the study looked at Mira Power Limited's EIA reports. The possible effects, as well as the Government's and MPL's mitigating actions, were examined by the authors. EIA procedures at the Gulpur HPP considered several laws, including the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, AJK Wildlife Ordinance of 2013, the Land Acquisition Act of 1894, and Laws Regulating Flow Releases for Hydropower Projects. Projects using hydropower in delicate areas carry a high risk. Given the thorough analysis of the hazards in this instance, it is evident that the EIA had a significant impact on the project's design. The authors concluded that there are no negative environmental effects of the construction of hydropower projects in the concerned area and that all potential effects and compensation were handled legally and efficiently. The study suggested that all hydropower projects in Pakistan undertake environmental impact assessments.

Towards transparent and durable copper-containing antimicrobial surfaces

Metallic copper is a potent antimicrobial agent with high efficacy against a range of microorganisms. Whilst it is commonplace for objects such as door handles and hospital bedrails to be made of or to be coated with copper, other high-touch surfaces such as those of screens and monitors would lose their optical transparency. Herein, we report the design of a transparent antimicrobial nanostructured copper surface obtained by dewetting ultrathin metal copper films on glass. Antimicrobial effectiveness of >99.9 % was obtained within 2 h against Staphylococcus aureus following the US Environmental Protection Agency Test method. Moreover, the proposed surfaces show an average transmittance between 70–80% with little color in the visible range. Additionally, they maintain optical and antimicrobial properties after abrasion and chemical exposure tests designed to replicate physical wear and repeated exposure to biocidal cleaning materials. With the demonstrated surfaces’ antimicrobial, colorless, and durability properties, they have potential in applications such as touch-enabled public or personal displays once higher transparency is achieved.

Pregnancy exposure to PM2.5 from wildland fire smoke and preterm birth in California

BackgroundWildfires in the Western United States are a growing and significant source of air pollution that is eroding decades of progress in air pollution reduction. The effects on preterm birth during critical periods of pregnancy are unknown. MethodsWe assessed associations between prenatal exposure to wildland fire smoke and risk of preterm birth (gestational age < 37 weeks). We assigned smoke exposure to geocoded residence at birth for all live singleton births in California conceived 2007–2018, using weekly average concentrations of particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) attributable to wildland fires from United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Community Multiscale Air Quality Model. Logistic regression yielded odds ratio (OR) for preterm birth in relation to increases in average exposure across the whole pregnancy, each trimester, and each week of pregnancy. Models adjusted for season, age, education, race/ethnicity, medical insurance, and smoking of the birthing parent. ResultsFor the 5,155,026 births, higher wildland fire PM2.5 exposure averaged across pregnancy, or any trimester, was associated with higher odds of preterm birth. The OR for an increase of 1 µg/m3 of average wildland fire PM2.5 during pregnancy was 1.013 (95 % CI:1.008,1.017). Wildland fire PM2.5 during most weeks of pregnancy was associated with higher odds. Strongest estimates were observed in weeks in the second and third trimesters. A 10 µg/m3 increase in average wildland fire PM2·5 in gestational week 23 was associated with OR = 1.034; 95 % CI: 1.019, 1.049 for preterm birth. ConclusionsPreterm birth is sensitive to wildland fire PM2.5; therefore, we must reduce exposure during pregnancy.

Health risk assessments of heavy metals and trace elements exposure in the breast milk of lactating mothers in the Northeastern Iran.

Mother's breast milk is a natural and complete food for infants but can be a main source of exposure to toxic pollutants. These pollutants can negatively affect the health of the infant. Therefore, conducting biomonitoring surveys is essential to evaluate such health effects in toxicological research. This study aimed to estimate the probable health risks for infants exposed to essential and non-essential trace elements through breast milk ingestion. This descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study was performed on 90 breastfeeding mothers referred to the health centers in Mashhad, Iran in January 2021. The health risk assessments (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk) were estimated using chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and lifetime carcinogenic risk (CR), which were recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The results of the HQ values of trace elements through ingestion exposure for arsenic (90%), copper (90%), zinc (40%), and iron (10%) exceeded the threshold of HQ, and arsenic (66.59%), copper (16.91%), and zinc (9.68%) and iron (4.57%) had the highest contribution to increasing the HI index. The average value of CR was 5. 08 × 10-3. Chromium and iron showed significant relationships (P<0.05) with education level and disease background in this study, and the concentration of chromium, iron, and zinc in the breast milk samples significantly changed during lactation stages (P<0.05). Overall, the risk of carcinogenicity through exposure to breast milk for infants was higher than the safety level of US EPA risk. Therefore, there could be a potential health risk of trace elements, particularly arsenic, copper, and zinc for infants in Mashhad, Iran through the consumption of mothers' breast milk. More efforts are required to control and reduce routes of receiving trace elements in breastfeeding mothers by the competent authorities.

Hollow sphere CuCo2O4 as highly efficient catalyst of microwave-assisted Fenton-like reaction for water treatment

In industries with high-value addition, the demand for rapid pollutant breakdown through advanced water treatment techniques is growing. The microwave (MW)-assisted Fenton-like reaction is notable for its exceptionally fast reaction rate, providing enhanced economic benefits, especially in the context of limited factory space. In this research, hollow sphere-shaped CuCo2O4 was synthesized at the various temperature (200 °C, 250 °C, 300 °C, 350 °C, 400 °C, 450 °C, and 500 °C) and used in a MW-assisted Fenton-like reaction to break down the organic model compound, methyl orange (MO). Unlike typical Fenton reactions that are most effective in acidic conditions (around pH 3), the synthesized CuCo2O4 in this study demonstrated its highest efficiency at a circumneutral pH level (pH 6). It was observed that the majority of MO was oxidized by ∙OH within just 3.5 min under the optical condition (10 mg/L MO, 300 mg/L H2O2, 200 mg/L catalyst, pH 6, 20 °C, 200 W, and total volume of 50 mL). Ex-situ analysis confirmed the gradual generation of oxygen vacancies (OV) with each repeated cycle. The formation of OV enhances the catalyst's MW absorption and oxidation potential, resulting in the superior MO decomposition performance even after the 5th cycle. Although there were minor changes in the shell thickness and smoothness, along with some leaching (1.17 mg Cu/L and 0.01 mg Co/L per cycle), the catalyst continued to comply with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for drinking and discharge water.

Risk of dementia due to Co-exposure to air pollution and neighborhood disadvantage

BackgroundCo-exposure to air pollution and neighborhood disadvantage may influence cognition decline. We tested these associations in the context of dementia risk. MethodsWe leveraged a cohort of adults ≥65 years (n = 5397) enrolled from 2011 to 2018 in the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). Particulate matter (PM) ≤ 10 μm in diameter, PM ≤ 2.5 μm in diameter, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and nitrogen dioxide - and neighborhood disadvantage were tested for joint associations with dementia risk. Pollutant concentrations at the 2010 census tract level were assigned using the US Environmental Protection Agency's Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System. Neighborhood disadvantage was defined using the tract Social Deprivation Index (SDI). Dementia was determined through self- or proxy-report or scores indicative of “probable dementia” according to NHATS screening tools. Joint effects of air pollutants and SDI were tested using quantile g-computation Cox proportional hazards models. We also stratified joint air pollution effects across SDI tertiles. Analyses adjusted for age at enrollment, sex, education, partner status, urbanicity, income, race and ethnicity, years at residence, census segregation, and census region. ResultsSDI score (aHR = 1.08; 95% CI 0.96, 1.22), joint air pollution (aHR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.92, 1.16) and joint SDI with air pollution (aHR = 1.04, 95% CI 0.89, 1.22) were not associated with dementia risk. After accounting for competing risk of death, joint SDI with air pollution was not associated with dementia risk (aHR = 1.06; 95% CI 0.87, 1.29). In stratified models, joint air pollution was associated with greater risk of dementia at high (aHR = 1.19; 95% CI 0.87, 1.63), but not at medium or low SDI. ConclusionAir pollution was associated with greater dementia risk in disadvantaged areas after accounting for competing risks. Air pollution associations with dementia incidence may be attenuated when other risk factors are more prominent in disadvantaged neighborhoods.