Environmental Risk Evaluation Research Articles

Naturally Occurring Asbestos: A Global Health Concern? State of the Art and Open Issues

ABSTRACT Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) is a global public health issue because minerals that may be classified as asbestos are a common constituent of certain types of rock and soil, found in many regions on every continent. Disturbance of these rocks and soils, especially through construction activities, can result in airborne particles, leading to inhalation and risk of disease from these known human carcinogens. The presence of NOA in the environment affects all the human activities aimed at its modification, and all engineering/geological actions in the natural environment should take it into account. In the presence of NOA, specific procedures for sampling, evaluation of environmental risk, and monitoring should be applied to minimize the risk of exposure for the workers and the general public. Unfortunately, detailed procedures have been lacking to date, and consensus is difficult to achieve because basic issues, such as the definition of asbestos itself, are still open and being debated by scientists and regulators. While the term “asbestos” has been used in older geological publications, it is not currently defined by geologists. For the past century, “asbestos” was a commercial term used to describe minerals mined for specific purposes, and the term then entered the legal lexicon for purposes of control and compensation. All these basic matters are critically illustrated in the article. Finding clear and universally accepted definitions is mandatory; otherwise, there will continue to be controversial positions that can cause regulatory and legal issues and the outcome of lawsuits to be very subjective.

Crystalline phase-dependent toxicity of aluminum oxide nanoparticles toward Daphnia magna and ecological risk assessment

Aluminum oxide nanoparticles (Al2O3 NPs) can be found in different crystalline phases, and with the emergence of nanotechnology there has been a rapid increase in the demand for Al2O3 NPs in different engineering areas and for consumer products. However, a careful evaluation of the potential environmental and human health risks is required to assess the implications of the release of Al2O3 NPs into the environment. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the toxicity of two crystalline phases of Al2O3 NPs, alpha (α-Al2O3 NPs) and eta (η-Al2O3 NPs), toward Daphnia magna and evaluate the risk to the aquatic ecology of Al2O3 NPs with different crystalline phases, based on a probabilistic approach. Different techniques were used for the characterization of the Al2O3 NPs. The toxicity toward Daphnia magna was assessed based on multiple toxicological endpoints, and the probabilistic species sensitivity distribution (PSSD) was used to estimate the risk of Al2O3 NPs to the aquatic ecology. The results obtained verify the toxic potential of the NPs toward D. magna even in sublethal concentrations, with a more pronounced effect being observed for η-Al2O3 NPs. The toxicity is associated with an increase in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and deregulation of antioxidant enzymatic/non-enzymatic enzymes (CAT, SOD and GSH). In addition, changes in MDA levels were observed, indicating that D. magna was under oxidative stress. The most prominent chronic toxic effects were observed in the organisms exposed to η-Al2O3 NPs, since the lowest LOEC was 3.12 mg/L for all parameters, while for α-Al2O3 NPs the lowest LOEC was 6.25 mg/L for longevity, growth and reproduction. However, the risk assessment results indicate that, based on a probabilistic approach, Al2O3 NPs (alpha, gamma, delta, eta and theta) only a very limited risk to organisms in surface waters.

Disharmonization in the Regulation of Transgenic Plants in Europe

Disharmonization in the Regulation of Transgenic Plants in Europe

An evaluation of genetic causes and environmental risks for bilateral optic atrophy.

To assess the clinical utility of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for the diagnosis of patients with optic atrophy (OA). Retrospective cohort study. 97 patients were referred to the McMaster University Medical Center (Hamilton, Ontario) for evaluation of bilateral OA. All patients were sent for NGS including a 22 nuclear gene panel and/or complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing. Positive genetic test results and abnormal vibration sensation were compared in patients +/- environmental exposures or a family history. 19/94 (20.2%) had a positive nuclear variant, of which 15/19 (78.9%) were in the OPA1 gene. No positive mtDNA variants were identified. The detection of a positive genetic variant was significantly different in patients who reported excessive ethanol use, but not in patients who smoke (0/19 (0%) vs. 19/78 (24.4%), P = 0.0164 and 4/22 (18.2%) vs. 15/74 (20.3%), P = 0.829, respectively). Patients with a positive family history were more likely to have a positive genetic variant compared to patients with a negative family history (P = 0.0112). There were significantly more excessive drinkers with an abnormal vibration sensation (P = 0.026), and with a similar trend in smokers (P = 0.074). All positive genetic variants were identified in nuclear genes. We identified a potential independent pathophysiological link between a history of excessive ethanol consumption and bilateral OA. Further investigations should evaluate and identify potential environmental risk factors for OA.

Fitness of F1 hybrids between stacked transgenic rice T1c-19 with cry1C*/bar genes and weedy rice

Compared to single-trait transgenic crops, stacked transgenic plants may be more prone to become weedy, and transgene flow from stacked transgenic plants to weedy relatives may pose a potential environmental risk because these hybrids could be more advantageous under specific environmental conditions. Evaluation of the potential environmental risk caused by stacked transgenes is essential for assessing the environmental consequences caused by crop-weed transgene flow. The agronomic performance of fitness-related traits was assessed in F1+ (transgene positive) hybrids (using the transgenic line T1c-19 as the paternal parent) in monoculture and mixed planting under presence or absence glufosinate pressure in the presence or absence of natural insect pressure and then compared with the performance of F1– (transgene negative) hybrids (using the non-transgenic line Minghui 63 (MH63) as the paternal parent) and their weedy rice counterparts. The results demonstrated that compared with the F1– hybrids and weedy rice counterparts, the F1+ hybrid presented higher performance (P<0.05) or non-significant changes (P>0.05) under natural insect pressure, respectively, lower performance (P<0.05) or non-significant changes (P>0.05) in the absence of insect pressure in monoculture planting, respectively. And compared to weedy rice counterparts, the F1+ hybrid presented higher performance (P<0.05) or non-significant changes (P>0.05) in the presence or absence of insect pressure in mixed planting, respectively. The F1+ hybrids presented non-significant changes (P>0.05) under the presence or absence glufosinate pressure under insect or non-insect pressure in monoculture planting. The all F1+ hybrids and two of three F1– hybrids had significantly lower (P<0.05) seed shattering than the weedy rice counterparts. The potential risk of gene flow from T1c-19 to weedy rice should be prevented due to the greater fitness advantage of F1 hybrids in the majority of cases.

Evaluation of Open-Pit Mine Security Risk Based on FAHP-Extenics Matter-Element Model

In order to timely find out the safety problems in the production process, in this study, we focused on the present safety situation of ChangShaoHao open-pit gold mine in Inner Mongolia and established the overall safety environment risk evaluation matter-element model based on the Fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) and extenics theory. In addition, for the analysis, four criteria layer indexes, thirteen sub-criteria layer indexes, and thirty-one measure layer indexes were selected as the overall risk (target layer) evaluation object. The basic data were mainly acquired by the means of on-site investigation, data analysis of the engineering, expert questionnaire, etc., followed by calculating the correlation degree of the bottom indexes with respect to the four safety grades through the extenics theory, and combining with the index weight of other layers obtained by the FAHP method. Finally, the comprehensive evaluation result was worked out. The overall security level of the open-pit mine is II, indicating that the overall safety level of the open-pit mine is acceptable. Simultaneously, some serious risks on mine’s safety need to be observed. The evaluation result fitted under the practical situation of the engineering, providing a good decision-making basis for the safe production and management work of gold mine.

Investment Attractiveness Evaluation on International Markets for Shengli Oilfied

In recent years, Shengli Oilfield continues to expand its international market for the aim of comprehensive, sustainable and high-quality development. This paper established an investment attractiveness evaluation index system (including 3 categories, 12 indicators) for the international markets and made a quantified evaluation of environmental risk in the five target markets including Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, America and Southeast Asia. Based on the value of the investment attractiveness evaluation, this paper ranked the five target international markets and gives some further investment advices considering the current international strategy of Shengli Oilfield.

Cell Cycle-specific Measurement of γH2AX and Apoptosis After Genotoxic Stress by Flow Cytometry.

The presented method or slightly modified versions have been devised to study specific treatment responses and side effects of various anti-cancer treatments as used in clinical oncology. It enables a quantitative and longitudinal analysis of the DNA damage response after genotoxic stress, as induced by radiotherapy and a multitude of anti-cancer drugs. The method covers all stages of the DNA damage response, providing endpoints for induction and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), cell cycle arrest and cell death by apoptosis in case of repair failure. Combining these measurements provides information about cell cycle-dependent treatment effects and thus allows an in-depth study of the interplay between cellular proliferation and coping mechanisms against DNA damage. As the effect of many cancer therapeutics including chemotherapeutic agents and ionizing radiation is limited to or strongly varies according to specific cell cycle phases, correlative analyses rely on a robust and feasible method to assess the treatment effects on the DNA in a cell cycle-specific manner. This is not possible with single-endpoint assays and an important advantage of the presented method. The method is not restricted to any particular cell line and has been thoroughly tested in a multitude of tumor and normal tissue cell lines. It can be widely applied as a comprehensive genotoxicity assay in many fields of oncology besides radio-oncology, including environmental risk factor assessment, drug screening and evaluation of genetic instability in tumor cells.

Distribution and Environmental Risk Evaluation of Metals in Sediment Cores from Marmara Ereğlisi Shelf, Marmara Sea, Turkey

This paper studies trace element contents in core sediments from Marmara Ereglisi on the northern shelf of the Marmara Sea. The main objective is to detect the concentrations of the selected elements (Al, As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) and historical evolution of sediment quality. The average concentrations of elements in mg/kg are 17,500 for Al, 5 for As, 70 for Cr, 12 for Cu, 10,742 for Fe, 137 for Mn, 44 for Ni, 20 for Pb, 43 for V and 44 for Zn. The average percentages of the sand, silt and clay fractions are 17%, 36% and 47%, respectively. Based on contamination factor, enrichment factor and pollution load index, computed from carbonate-free metal values, the core sediments are unpolluted for Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and V for the entire length of the cores and moderately polluted for As, Pb and Zn in the upper parts of the cores. The relative metal enrichment in cores starts at core depths of 13 to 39 cm depending on sedimentation rates, which commonly increase from the outer shelf toward the coast. Considering the sedimentation rates, the metal pollution on outer and inner shelf areas started about 400–500 years ago. Contamination of the northern shelf sediments is insignificant compared to those of the southern shelf, the semi-enclosed bays and gulf areas of the Marmara Sea with large catchment areas having a high population density and agricultural activities, as well as with similar marine shelf areas elsewhere in the world. This is mainly due to the small catchment area and the dynamic circulation system of the Marmara Ereglisi Shelf area.

Ecotoxicological and biochemical effects of environmental concentrations of the plastic-bond pollutant dibutyl phthalate on Scenedesmus sp.

Phthalate esters are highly present in aquatic plastic litter, which can interfere with the biological processes in the wildlife. In this work, the commonly found freshwater microalga Scenedesmus sp. was exposed to environmental concentrations (0.02, 1 and 100 μg L−1) and to a higher concentration (500 μg L−1) of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which is an environmental pollutant. The growth, pH variation, production of photosynthetic pigments, proteins and carbohydrates were evaluated. The main inhibition effect of DBP on the microalgal growth was observed in the first 48 h of the exposure (EC50: 41.88 μg L-1). A reduction in the photosynthetic pigment concentration was observed for the 0.02, 1 and 100 μg L-1 conditions indicating that the DBP downregulated the growth rate and affected the photosynthetic process. A significant increase in protein production was only observed under 500 μg L−1 DBP exposure. The extracellular carbohydrates production slightly decreased with the presence of DBP, with a stronger decrease occurring in the 500 μg L-1 condition. These results highlight the environmental risk evaluation and ecotoxicological effects of DBP on the production of biovaluable compounds by microalgae. The results also emphasize the importance of assessing the consequences of the environmental concentrations exposure as a result of the DBP dose-dependent correlation effects.

Behavioral effects in adult zebrafish after developmental exposure to carbaryl

Chemical exposure during the early life stages of development may have long lasting effects on organisms that are rarely studied. The present work intended to evaluate the effect of embryonic exposure to the pesticide carbaryl on adult fish behavior. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed, for 4 days, to sublethal concentrations of carbaryl (0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 mg/L) plus a control and then kept in standard cultivation conditions until adulthood. A battery of behavioral tests was then performed to assess anxiety-like behavior (locomotor activity, thigmotaxis and novel tank diving test), social behavior, and feeding. Developmental exposure of zebrafish to sublethal concentrations of carbaryl produced important behavioral alterations in the adulthood. Main effects included decreased locomotion/hypoactivity (increase in slow movements and decrease of medium and rapid movements), especially in the light periods. Moreover, spatial pattern also changed: while during dark periods control fish increased activity in the outer zone of the tank, this was not observed in exposed fish. Overall, this demonstrated the importance of life stage exposure, clearly demonstrating long lasting effects of a (chemical) stress event at embryonic stages. This data supports the need of considering this scenario in environmental risk evaluations. Further work should focus on the mechanistic effects of developmental disruption responsible for the effects observed.

Potential environmental risks of nanopesticides: Application of Cu(OH)2 nanopesticides to soil mitigates the degradation of neonicotinoid thiacloprid

Cu(OH)2 nanopesticides and organic insecticides are continuously applied to soil at a temporal interval, while knowledge about the impact of Cu(OH)2 nanopesticides on organic insecticides degradation is currently scarce, resulting in poorly comprehensive evaluation of the potential environmental risks of Cu(OH)2 nanopesticides. Herein, a commercial Cu(OH)2 nanopesticide formulation (NPF), the active ingredient of NPF (AI-NPF), the prepared Cu(OH)2 nanotubes (NT) with comparable morphology and size to AI-NPF, and CuSO4 were respectively applied to soil at normal doses (0.5, 5 and 50 mg/kg), followed by an application of neonicotinoid thiacloprid after an interval of 21 d, showing that NPF at doses of 5 and 50 mg/kg significantly (p < 0.05) mitigated thiacloprid degradation compared to control and CuSO4. Furthermore, AI-NPF was the primary component that contributed to the mitigation effect of NPF, which was also validated by the NT. Large differences in the degradation efficiency of thiacloprid in sterilized and unsterilized soils with Cu(OH)2 nanopesticides suggested that biodegradation was the primary process responsible for thiacloprid degradation, especially as chemical degradation was negligible. Besides a decrease of thiacloprid bioavailability due to adsorption by Cu(OH)2 nanopesticides, we demonstrated that Cu(OH)2 nanopesticides changed soil microbial communities, reduced nitrile hydratase activity and down-regulated thiacloprid-degradative nth gene abundance, which thus mitigated thiacloprid biodegradation. Clearly, this study shed light on the potential environmental risks of Cu(OH)2 nanopesticide.

QSPR modelling of the soil sorption coefficient from training sets of different sizes

ABSTRACTQuantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) modelling has been used in many scientific fields. This approach has been extensively applied in environmental research to predict physicochemical properties of compounds with potential environmental impact. The soil sorption coefficient is an important parameter for the evaluation of environmental risks, and it helps to determine the final fate of substances in the environment. In the last few years, different QSPR models have been developed for the determination of the sorption coefficient. In this study, several QSPR models were generated and evaluated for the prediction of log Koc from the relationship with log P. These models were obtained from an extensive and diverse training set (n = 639) and from subsets of this initial set (i.e. halves, fourths and eighths). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the size of the training set affects the statistical quality of the obtained models. Furthermore, statistical equivalence was verified between the models obtained from smaller sets and the model obtained from the total training set. The results confirmed the equivalence between the models, thus indicating the possibility of using smaller training sets without compromising the statistical quality and predictive capability, as long as most chemical classes in the test set are represented in the training set.

Based on DPSIR Model Environmental Planning and Risk Evaluation in the Early Stage of State-Level New Areas Development: In China

The development of state-level new areas is a requirement for China’s in-depth reform and sustainable development. The strategic objectives of sustainable development put forward higher requirements for the accuracy and scientificity of environmental planning in state-level new areas. Therefore, identifying potential risks through pre-environmental evaluation is the basis for achieving sustainable green development in state-level new areas. According to the characteristics of the the early stage of development period of the state-level new Area, this paper applies the DPSIR conceptual model to summarize and extract, constructs the state-level new Area risk evaluation index system, and uses the adaptability and reliability and validity to test the reliability of the index system, and introduces the random forest algorithm. The general process and feasibility of state-level new Area development risk evaluation based on random forest algorithm. This paper identifies 23 risk indicators such as “growth of GDP”, “unbalanced proportion of three-product structure” and “greening coverage”, and judges the risk level and risk evaluation value of the development of 11 state-level-level new Areas. The relevant conclusions provide strong support for the environmental planning and evaluation of the state-level new Area, and also promote the improvement of the environmental evaluation system with sustainable development as the goal.

Closing gaps for environmental risk screening of engineered nanomaterials

Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) have a widespread presence in human life and are components of many products and applications. This warrants an easy and fast evaluation of potential environmental risks. However, so far this is hampered by the multitude of different nanomaterials on the markets in addition to the many variations in form, size and surface modifications. Testing of each variation of ENM is not manageable, and hence the development and application of fast risk screening tools for ENMs is discussed.Here, we present the development of a scoring scheme with regard to ENM environmental risks under consideration of the two compartments water and soil. It allows for the ranking of ENM according to their environmental fate and hazard by taking into account criteria that are meaningful and relevant for ENM. The selection of the criteria is based on conceptual considerations, existing knowledge, and experimental work including transport and transformation studies as well as aquatic and terrestrial toxicity tests.The allocation of the ENM to the scores informs on the potential for transport and transformation and the hazard potential. Fate and hazard scores are subsequently combined into one risk score (1–10 for aquatic compartment, 1–7 for terrestrial compartment). The risk score has the intention to indicate which ENM may need prioritization for further action, i.e. with regard to the degree of detail for further testing or modelling.The applicability and consistency of the scoring schemes were assessed by taking different chemical species (e.g. of Ag, TiO2, SiO2, Cu, Fe) of ENM in various modifications (e.g. different shapes and coatings) into account. In conclusion, the established scoring schemes were found to be applicable to rank ENM according to their environmental fate and hazard potential, and thus to their environmental risk potential.

Impacts of Silver Nanoparticles on Plants: A Focus on the Phytotoxicity and Underlying Mechanism.

Nanotechnology was well developed during past decades and implemented in a broad range of industrial applications, which led to an inevitable release of nanomaterials into the environment and ecosystem. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are one of the most commonly used nanomaterials in various fields, especially in the agricultural sector. Plants are the basic component of the ecosystem and the most important source of food for mankind; therefore, understanding the impacts of AgNPs on plant growth and development is crucial for the evaluation of potential environmental risks on food safety and human health imposed by AgNPs. The present review summarizes uptake, translocation, and accumulation of AgNPs in plants, and exemplifies the phytotoxicity of AgNPs on plants at morphological, physiological, cellular, and molecular levels. It also focuses on the current understanding of phytotoxicity mechanisms via which AgNPs exert their toxicity on plants. In addition, the tolerance mechanisms underlying survival strategy that plants adopt to cope with adverse effects of AgNPs are discussed.

Occurrence of human pathogenic bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes revealed by metagenomic approach: A case study from an aquatic environment

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), human pathogenic bacteria (HPB), and HPB carrying ARGs are public issues that pose a high risk to aquatic environments and public health. Their diversity and abundance in water, intestine, and sediments of shrimp culture pond were investigated using metagenomic approach. A total of 19 classes of ARGs, 52 HPB species, and 7 species of HPB carrying ARGs were found. Additionally, 157, 104, and 86 subtypes of ARGs were detected in shrimp intestine, pond water, and sediment samples, respectively. In all the samples, multidrug resistance genes were the highest abundant class of ARGs. The dominant HPB was Enterococcus faecalis in shrimp intestine, Vibrio parahaemolyticus in sediments, and Mycobacterium yongonense in water, respectively. Moreover, E. faecalis (contig Intestine_364647) and Enterococcus faecium (contig Intestine_80272) carrying efrA, efrB and ANT(6)-Ia were found in shrimp intestine, Desulfosaricina cetonica (contig Sediment_825143) and Escherichia coli (contig Sediment_188430) carrying mexB and APH(3′)-IIa were found in sediments, and Laribacter hongkongensis (contig Water_478168 and Water_369477), Shigella sonnei (contig Water_880246), and Acinetobacter baumannii (contig Water_525520) carrying sul1, sul2, ereA, qacH, OXA-21, and mphD were found in pond water. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) analysis indicated that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of integrons, insertion sequences, and plasmids existed in shrimp intestine, sediment, and water samples, and the abundance of integrons was higher than that of other two MGEs. The results suggested that HPB carrying ARGs potentially existed in aquatic environments, and that these contributed to the environment and public health risk evaluation.

Аnalysis of methods of evaluation of environmental risks of effects of dangerous substances

Аnalysis of methods of evaluation of environmental risks of effects of dangerous substances

Assessing environmental footprints induced by geo-energy exploitation: the shale gas case

This Special Issue describes the main outcomes from the SHEER (SHale gas Exploration and Exploitation induced Risks) project, a 3 year EC Horizon 2020 funded investigation into environmental risk associated with shale oil and gas development within the European Union. A key feature of the programme of work has been the independent monitoring of a shale gas well at Wysin, Poland, through a network of seismic, groundwater and air quality measurement arrays and shallow borehole sensors both in advance of and subsequent to hydraulic fracturing operations. In conjunction with the environmental monitoring programme, a multi-hazard risk assessment technique has been applied to shale gas operations to identify and assess the likelihood of occurrence of incidents and their potential impacts on the surrounding environment. Given the limited development of shale oil and gas in Europe experience out-with the European Union, particularly in the USA and Canada, has been integrated into the project. A further element of the research has been the dissemination of results through academic publications, a large number of presentations to conferences and at SHEER events in Italy, Poland and the UK. This introductory paper provides a brief synopsis of the research and development that has been carried out, with a primary focus on the best practice recommendations, policy guidelines and key learning that have been developed during the course of the project. Policy guidelines include issues of relevance to regulators and government in providing effective regulatory oversight of shale gas operations within the European Union. Recommendations for best practice are primarily related to the monitoring and evaluation of environmental risk in the development of shale gas within the European Union.

Spatiotemporal Changes of Hazard Intensity-Adjusted Population Exposure to Multiple Hazards in Tibet During 1982\u20132015

The dynamic changes of population exposure to hazards in high-altitude areas are an important factor in the scientific evaluation of environmental risks. In this study, the hazards of hypoxia, earthquakes, and snowstorms in Tibet were respectively described by the percentage of oxygen at sea level, earthquake intensity, and mean annual maximum snow depth. The rates of population affected by hypoxia, earthquakes, and snowstorms were calculated by chronic mountain sickness and historical disaster data. Based on these, the study examined the change in population exposure to the three hazards and their combinations by hazard intensity level at the 1 km × 1 km grid scale in 1982–2015. The results show that population exposures to hypoxia, earthquakes, and snowstorms were about 745 thousand, 97 thousand, and 168 thousand in 2015, respectively, among a total population in Tibet of 3.24 million. These exposures were mainly concentrated in the 3400–5000 m above sea level zone. The population exposed to hypoxia and earthquakes showed a rising trend from 1982 to 2015, while the population exposed to snowstorms decreased after 2000 due to reduced snowstorm intensity. Hypoxia-earthquake and hypoxia-snowstorm are the main multiple hazard combinations that people in Tibet suffered from and their person·time exposures were estimated at around 842 thousand and 913 thousand in 2015, respectively, with an average annual increase of 1.7% and 1.3%. Hypoxia is the most important health risk in Tibet. The areas of high person·time exposure to multiple hazards of hypoxia-earthquake-snowstorm are the key areas for strengthening integrated risk governance.