Community Exposure Research Articles

Ascertainment of community exposure sites to Ross River virus during the 2020 outbreak in Brisbane, Australia.

This study investigated potential Ross River virus (RRV) exposure sites in Greater Brisbane during the Queensland COVID-19 lockdown (January-July 2020). Using RRV notifications, cluster identification techniques, and mobile phone data for movement network analysis, the study examined 993 RRV cases and 9 million movement trajectories from residential RRV cluster areas (hot-spots). The findings revealed that population movement was a key risk factor to RRV incidence within hotspots whereby highly interconnected areas had more RRV cases during lockdown. While environmental conditions within RRV hot-spot were less significant compared to their connectivity, areas with higher vegetation density had fewer RRV cases. The study also noted that individuals from RRV hot-spots spent less time in green areas pre-lockdown than during and after lockdown. The results suggest that population movement significantly influenced the 2020 RRV outbreak. These insights can help adapt current vector control and surveillance protocols to target areas identified in this study.

Livelihood risks arising from urban river pollution in selected marginal communities in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria

Urban river pollution has become a critical sustainability challenge worldwide. In the studies of urban river pollution, very little research focus has gone into understanding pollution effects on main river-dependent livelihoods among marginal communities in urban centres. In this study, using a context-specific risk framework, we identify and analyze (i) urban river-dependent livelihoods (ii) pathways to community exposure to urban river pollution (iii) effects and consequences on urban river-dependent livelihoods (iv) potential intervention strategies. The study uses knowledge co-production workshops, and ethnographic methods involving participant observations, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and key informant interviews as a means of generating the needed data. Our findings indicate that degraded urban rivers have had profound negative effects on river-dependent livelihoods such as food processing, poultry, livestock farming and the small-scale brick industries for construction. Further, urban river pollution has also led to livelihood-related conflicts over access to limited, good-quality water resources. Intervention strategies to improve livelihood resilience are suggested at the institutional, communal and livelihood levels. Institutional interventions include strengthening environmental laws compliance and enforcement, inter-agency collaborations and extending sanitation and urban planning to marginal communities in cities. Communal interventions are sensitization campaigns, enforced sanitation practices and calls for behavioural and attitudinal change. Livelihoods-linked interventions aim to reduce livelihood strategies’ contributions to river pollution. Such interventions include proper disposal of waste generated through livelihood strategies, and instituting practices that minimize run-off from wet industries.

Global Exposure and Existential Recognition Of Academic Community and Institutional Accreditation via Academic Social Networking Sites

Global Exposure and Existential Recognition Of Academic Community and Institutional Accreditation via Academic Social Networking Sites

Geochemical markers in the detection and identification of fossil fuels in waste material from an illegal landfill fire

Organic compounds, including n-alkanes, steranes, pentacyclic triterpanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons, often originate from industrial activities, vehicle emissions, used transformer oils, biomass combustion, and also natural organic matter. The unprotected surroundings of former industrial sites, especially those affected by fire, pose significant risks to public health and the environment, particularly soil and water. These compounds are also excellent geochemical markers for determining the material that was used to ignite the fire, including petroleum products, oils, greases, and gasoline. This study presents research findings from an illegal landfill in Sosnowiec, Poland, which caught fire in 2020, leading to the combustion of petroleum substances, plastics, and other waste. The study found PAHsum concentrations ranging from 4.57 to 302.45 ppm in soil samples and from 3.04 to 27211.98 ppm in burnt solid waste samples, indicating significant contamination. The test results confirmed that the main sources of these pollutants in the analyzed research area were, among other things, greases, industrial oils, products from solid fuel processing, and coal waste. The use of pentacyclic triterpanes (hopanes and moretanes) seems to be the most effective diagnostic method to detect the presence of organic fossil fuels in waste samples. This research underscores the critical need to monitor and control illegal landfills to prevent fires and limit the exposure of communities and the environment to toxic pollutants. The methodologies applied here could be adopted globally to address soil and water pollution in similar contexts. By using these techniques, researchers could better interpret and manage environmental data, ultimately improving pollution control strategies worldwide.

Current-use pesticide exposures in remote Inuit communities

ABSTRACT The global use of pesticides is increasing; however, few studies have examined the exposure of current-use pesticide exposure in Inuit populations. Some current use pesticides are also capable of long-range transport, potentially increasing exposures to northern populations. The study aim was to analyse pesticide (chlorophenoxy, organophosphates, and pyrethroid pesticide) biomarker levels in pooled samples from an Inuit population in Nunavik, Quebec. Thirty pooled samples from the Qanuilirpitaa? 2017 survey (Q2017) from individuals aged 16–80 years were included. Creatinine-adjusted arithmetic (AM) were compared by sex, age, and region sub-groups, and geometric mean concentrations (GM) were compared to those in the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS). Most analysed pesticide biomarkers were detected, and PNP (a metabolite of methyl and ethyl parathion), trans-DCCA (a metabolite of pyrethroids), and 3,5,6-TCP (a metabolite of chlorpyrifos) had the highest concentrations. Concentrations in Q2017 were largely similar to or less than CHMS concentrations. Although not significant, there was a general increase in 2,4-D (a chlorophenoxy biomarker), 3,5,6-TCP, 3-PBA (a metabolite of pyrethroids), and trans-DCCA with increasing age. Concentrations were also somewhat higher in females versus males, but these were not significant. Environmental exposures to current use pesticides were detected in Nunavik and concentrations were similar to or less than those in the general Canadian population. Regular monitoring of current use pesticide exposures is recommended given the increasing global use of pesticides.

A geo-gender-based analysis of human health: The presence of cut flower farms can attenuate pesticide exposure in African communities, with women being the most vulnerable.

The rapid expansion of the cut flower industry in Africa has led to pervasive use and potential exposure of pesticides, raising concerns for local communities. Whether the risks associated with pesticide applications are localised or have broader implications remains unclear. We measured biomarkers of real and perceived pesticide exposure in two Kenyan communities: Naivasha, where the cut flower industry is present, and Mogotio, where the cut flower industry is absent. We measured real exposure by the percentage of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and perceived exposure by assessing hair cortisol levels, a biomarker of stress. Additionally, we conducted a demographic survey to evaluate the health and socioeconomic status of participants, as well as their perceptions of pesticide risks associated with the cut flower industry. Perceived pesticide exposure was more common in Naivasha (n = 36, 56%) compared to Mogotio (n = 0, 0%), according to community surveys. However, Mogotio residents had significantly higher mean hair cortisol levels (mean (x̄) = 790 ng/g, standard deviation (SD) = 233) and percentage of AChE inhibition (x̄ = 28.5%, SD = 7.3) compared to Naivasha residents, who had lower mean hair cortisol levels (x̄ = 548 ng/g, SD = 187) and percentage of AChE inhibition (x̄ = 14.5%, SD = 10.1). Location (proximity to cut flower farms) and gender were significant factors influencing pesticide exposure, with individuals living outside the cut flower industrial complexes being at higher risk. Women in both communities were the most vulnerable demographic, showing significantly higher mean hair cortisol levels (x̄ = 646 ng/g, SD = 267.4) and percentage of AChE inhibition (x̄ = 22.5%, SD = 12.4) compared to men hair cortisol levels (x̄ = 558.2 ng/g, SD = 208.2) and percentage of AChE inhibition (x̄ = 10.4%, SD = 13.1). A heightened awareness of the potential risks of pesticide exposure was widespread within cut flower industrial complexes. This may have led to a reduction in exposure of both workers and non-workers living within or close to these complexes. In contrast, communities living outside these complexes showed higher levels of exposure, possibly due to limited chemical awareness and a lack of precautionary measures. Despite this contrast between communities, women remained the most vulnerable members, likely due to their socioeconomic roles in African society. Monitoring women's pesticide exposure is crucial for providing an early warning system for community exposure.

Gun violence exposure and population health inequality: a conceptual framework

This essay establishes a conceptual framework to understand how direct, secondar and community exposures to gun violence converge to influence population health. Our framework asserts that persistent gun violence in...

Numerical simulation and application of nature based solutions to solve bank erosion in hydrosystems

Nature based solutions (NBS) have been successfully applied in developed nations. Its application in developing countries is however still incipient to some extent. Moreover, very few studies have addressed its implementation in the domain of large river systems, which have been exposed to ever increasing anthropogenic pressure in the last decades. The Magdalena River is the main waterway in Colombia, and it exhibits one of the largest sediment loads in South America. This contribution presents the successful operationalization (i.e., hydrological and hydraulic analysis, as well as numerical simulation) of sediment traps for sedimentation control and bank stabilization of the right bank of the Magdalena at Magangué Municipality (lower Magdalena) through wooden sustainable alternatives. The NBS simulation and intervention assessment indicates that the traps effectively restored the bank shore in the critical sector of the study area. To the best of our knowledge, the intervention in question is one of the first of its kind in the region. The numerical results indicate that these traps were able to reduce the exposure of vulnerable communities, not only to floods, but also to negative hydrodynamic changes associated to climate change. Thus, the contribution currently described can potentially provide for practitioners and decision makers a guide for the application of NBS in river engineering, and, for scientists, valuable insights into processes associated with NBS in different environments. We posit that the operationalization of NBS in developing countries needs to be institutionally encouraged through, for example, the construction of a database of successful interventions, and the establishment of methodological guidelines.

Environmental Health Assessment by Local Environmental Justice Experts for Evidence-based Decision-making in an Agricultural Community of Northern California.

Environmental justice research driven by academics and policymakers often overlooks the valuable insights and leadership of the communities most impacted by environmental hazards. When institution-led research approaches are employed, inadequate community ownership and limited institutional accountability hinder the effectiveness of environmental public health interventions. In contrast, a community-owned and -managed approach to environmental justice research can guide community members in developing evidence-based interventions. This paper outlines a community-led environmental health assessment survey (sample= 100) and resulting community actions over six years (2017 to 2023) in a Northern California farmworker community with a perceived high prevalence of cancer and exposure to environmental hazards in households, neighborhoods, and job sites. Local resident experts in Knights Landing, CA, documented community risk factors and exposures in collaboration with interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate student-researchers. The survey instrument focused on environmental hazards identified by local resident experts including vehicular and agricultural pollution, occupational pesticide contact, and sun exposure. Survey findings highlighted the need for targeted interventions to reduce environmental health risks, such as academic outreach programs, county investments in public services, and community-led mutual aid initiatives. Despite academic reservations about our non-random sampling method and data collection by local resident experts, our project sparked substantial actions and investments with minimal personnel and financial resources. Local leaders working with student-researchers developed more effective environmental public health interventions through a community-owned and -managed approach that went beyond the efforts of local regulatory and research institutions.

Workplace Exposures Vary Across Neighborhoods in the US: Implications on Social Vulnerability and Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities.

Ignoring workplace exposures that occur beyond the local residential context in place-based risk indices like the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) likely misclassifies community exposure by under-counting risks and obscuring true drivers of racial/ethnic health disparities. To investigate this hypothesis, we developed several place-based indicators of occupational exposure and examined their relationships with race/ethnicity, SVI, and health inequities. We used publicly available job exposure matrices and employment estimates from the United States (US) Census to create and map six indicators of occupational hazards for every census tract in the US. We characterized census tracts with high workplace-low SVI scores. We used natural cubic splines to examine tract level associations between the percentage of racial/ethnic minorities (individuals who are not non-Hispanic White) and the occupational indicators. Lastly, we stratified each census tract into high/low occupational noise, chemical pollutant, and disease/infection exposure to examine racial/ethnic health disparities to diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure, respectively, as a consequence of occupational exposure inequities. Our results show that racial/ethnic minority communities, particularly those that are also low-income, experience a disproportionate burden of workplace exposures that may be contributing to racial/ethnic health disparities. When composite risk measures, such as SVI, are calculated using only information from the local residential neighborhood, they may systematically under-count occupational risks experienced by the most vulnerable communities. There is a need to consider the role of occupational justice on nationwide, racial/ethnic health disparities.

The Study of Environmental Exposure of Mothers and Infants Impacted by Large-Scale Agriculture (SEMILLA): Description of the Aims and Methods of a Community-Based Birth Cohort Study.

Women of childbearing age not only reside in agricultural communities but also form an integral part of the agricultural labor force. Limited research investigates the impact of prenatal fungicide exposure on infant health, specifically ethylenebisdithiocarbamates and their toxic by-product, ethylenethiourea (ETU), particularly in occupational settings. This paper describes the background, aims, protocol, and baseline sample characteristics for the SEMILLA study, which investigates prenatal ETU exposure, neonatal thyroid function, infant growth, and neurobehavioral development in an agricultural region of Ecuador. This cohort study follows pregnant women and their infants up to 18 months of age, incorporating urinary biomarkers and survey data on ETU exposure and infant growth and neurodevelopmental measures. Data collection includes detailed questionnaires, scales, and physical examinations on maternal and infant health and development, as well as environmental factors. Descriptive statistics on key characteristics of the study population at baseline are presented. SEMILLA enrolled 409 participants (72% enrollment rate): 111 agricultural workers (mostly floricultural), 149 non-agricultural workers, and 149 non-workers. Baseline characteristics show comparability between work sector groups, with some economic differences. SEMILLA will provide key evidence on prenatal fungicide exposure and infant development and encompass comprehensive multistage data collection procedures in pregnancy and infancy, focusing on structural and social determinants of health as well as individual-level chemical exposures. The community-based approach has proven essential, even amid challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. The medium-term objective is to inform sustainable interventions promoting maternal and child health, with a long-term goal to reduce community exposures and improve worker health policies, particularly for women and pregnant workers.

Heavy Metal Contamination in Birds from Protected Regions in the Amazon.

The extraction of crude oil and gold has substantially increased heavy metal contamination in the environment, yet the study of wildlife exposure and biological response to this pollution remains nascent even in the most biodiverse places in the world. We present a survey of heavy metal exposure in the feathers of wedge-billed woodcreepers (Glyphorynchus spirurus), a resident neotropical bird found within protected regions of the Amazon near oil and gold extraction sites. Our results show elevated heavy metal contamination in samples collected from protected areas proximate to known oil and gold extraction. Surprisingly, several samples from remote reference sites also displayed elevated levels of various heavy metals, suggesting a background of natural deposition or complex heavy metal contamination in the environment from anthropogenic sources. These results highlight the need to understand the ecological and biological impacts of increased heavy metal exposure on wildlife across space and time, including remote regions of the world purportedly untouched by these human-mediated stressors. Toward this goal, historical and contemporary data from native bird populations may provide crucial indicators for heavy metal contamination and exposure in wildlife and human communities. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1-7. © 2024 The Author(s). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Performance assessment of indicators of a multi-hazards early warning system in an urban mountain region

The urban basins in the mountainous Andean regions are exposed to rapid and poorly planned urbanization processes, causing drastic changes in the landscape, climate, and hydrology. These factors have led to an intensification in the frequency of floods, landslides, falling trees, and droughts, among many other disasters. Therefore, the city of Manizales has implemented an Early Warning System (EWS) to address emergencies and prevent deaths and damage from some of these disasters. However, these hazards can occur simultaneously, further complicating emergency response efforts and requiring the EWS to address multiple hazards; therefore, it has become the Multi-Hazards Early Warning System (MHEWS), which requires indicators and thresholds to generate alerts within sufficient time. The MHEWS implemented in Manizales addresses initially the hazards of floods and landslides, using indicators and thresholds related to recent rainfall and river levels. This article evaluates these proposed indicators by assessing their forecasting capability, effectiveness, and efficiency in increasing warning times, the alarm duration compared to the event duration, and their forecasting ability based on the location of rainfall triggering floods, landslides and other hazards identify. The analyzed indicators focus on hazards and do not consider exposure or vulnerability in communities. The results indicate that a single hazard indicator is not enough, and including multiple indicators based on complementary sources of information improves the performance of MHEWS in addressing emergencies caused by rain.

Effect of California's 2020 chlorpyrifos ban on urinary biomarkers of pesticide exposure in agricultural communities

Effect of California's 2020 chlorpyrifos ban on urinary biomarkers of pesticide exposure in agricultural communities

Quantitative risk assessment of mercury exposure in Madre de Dios and Puno Peruvian mining communities

Quantitative risk assessment of mercury exposure in Madre de Dios and Puno Peruvian mining communities

Identifying the Drivers Related to Animal Reservoirs, Environment, and Socio-Demography of Human Leptospirosis in Different Community Types of Southern Chile: An Application of Machine Learning Algorithm in One Health Perspective.

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis with global public health impact, particularly in poor socio-economic settings in tropical regions. Transmitted through urine-contaminated water or soil from rodents, dogs, and livestock, leptospirosis causes over a million clinical cases annually. Risk factors include outdoor activities, livestock production, and substandard housing that foster high densities of animal reservoirs. This One Health study in southern Chile examined Leptospira serological evidence of exposure in people from urban slums, semi-rural settings, and farm settings, using the Extreme Gradient Boosting algorithm to identify key influencing factors. In urban slums, age, shrub terrain, distance to Leptospira-positive households, and neighborhood housing density were contributing factors. Human exposure in semi-rural communities was linked to environmental factors (trees, shrubs, and lower vegetation terrain) and animal variables (Leptospira-positive dogs and rodents and proximity to Leptospira-positive households). On farms, dog counts, animal Leptospira prevalence, and proximity to Leptospira-contaminated water samples were significant drivers. The study underscores that disease dynamics vary across landscapes, with distinct drivers in each community setting. This case study demonstrates how the integration of machine learning with comprehensive cross-sectional epidemiological and geospatial data provides valuable insights into leptospirosis eco-epidemiology. These insights are crucial for informing targeted public health strategies and generating hypotheses for future research.

Examining air pollution exposure dynamics in disadvantaged communities through high-resolution mapping.

This study bridges gaps in air pollution research by examining exposure dynamics in disadvantaged communities. Using cutting-edge machine learning and massive data processing, we produced high-resolution (100 meters) daily air pollution maps for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and ozone (O3) across California for 2012-2019. Our findings revealed opposite spatial patterns of NO2 and PM2.5 to that of O3. We also identified consistent, higher pollutant exposure for disadvantaged communities from 2012 to 2019, although the most disadvantaged communities saw the largest NO2 and PM2.5 reductions and the advantaged neighborhoods experienced greatest rising O3 concentrations. Further, day-to-day exposure variations decreased for NO2 and O3. The disparity in NO2 exposure decreased, while it persisted for O3. In addition, PM2.5 showed increased day-to-day variations across all communities due to the increase in wildfire frequency and intensity, particularly affecting advantaged suburban and rural communities.

Evaluation of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and its degradation products in human exhaled breath and indoor air in a community setting

Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) is a widely utilized volatile chemical in industrial applications, including dry cleaning and metal degreasing. Exposure to PCE potentially presents a significant health risk to workers as well as communities near contamination sites. Adverse health effects arise not only from PCE, but also from PCE degradation products, such as trichloroethylene (TCE) and vinyl chloride (VC). PCE, TCE, and VC can contaminate water, soil, and air, leading to exposure through multiple pathways, including inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact. This study focused on a community setting in Martinsville, Indiana, a working-class Midwestern community in the United States, where extensive PCE contamination has occurred due to multiple contamination sites (referring to 'plumes'), including a Superfund site. Utilizing proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS), PCE, TCE, and VC concentrations were measured in the exhaled breath of 73 residents from both within and outside the plume areas. PCE was detected in 66 samples, TCE in 26 samples, and VC in 68 samples. Our results revealed a significant positive correlation between the concentrations of these compounds in exhaled breath and indoor air (Pearson correlation coefficients: PCE = 0.75, TCE = 0.71, and VC = 0.89). This study confirms the presence of PCE and its degradation products in exhaled breath in a community exposure investigation, demonstrating the potential of using exhaled breath analysis in monitoring exposure to environmental contaminants. This study showed the feasibility of utilizing PTR-TOF-MS in community investigations to assess exposure to PCE and its degradation products by measuring these compounds in exhaled breath and indoor air.

Fauna – Microplastics interactions: Empirical insights from benthos community exposure to marine plastic waste

Microplastic deposition in soft marine sediments raises concerns on their role in sediment habitats and unknown effects on resident macrobenthic communities. To assess the reciprocal influence that MPs and macrobenthos might have on each other, we performed a mesocosm experiment with ambient concentrations of environmental Polyethylene (PE) and a non-manipulated, natural macrobenthic community from the Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS). Our results show that PE fragments increase mortality of abundant bivalves (specifically Abra alba) after 30 days of exposure but not for the most abundant polychaete Owenia fusiformis, possibly due to its predominant suspension feeding behavior. Fast burial of surface MPs exposes deep-dwelling burrowers to the pollutant, however reducing the amount of MPs interacting with (sub) surface living fauna. We conclude that macrobenthos promotes the sequestration of deposited MPs, counteracting resuspension, and can have cascading effects on biodiversity due to their effect on abundant and functionally important species.

Evaluating Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Is the Indoor Environment a Haven during High Pollution Episodes?

Pollution data were collected at five schools in Hong Kong using low-cost, sensor-based monitors both indoors and outdoors during two consecutive high pollution episodes. The pollutants monitored included NO2, O3, PM2.5, and PM10, which were also used as input to a health risk communication protocol known as Air Quality Health Index (AQHI). CO2 was also measured simultaneously. The study aimed to assess the relationship between indoor pollutant concentrations and AQHI levels with those outdoors and to evaluate the efficacy of building operating practices in protecting students from pollution exposure. The results indicate that the regular air quality monitoring stations and outdoor pollutant levels at schools exhibit similar patterns. School AQHI levels indoors were generally lower than those outdoors, with PM10 levels showing a larger proportional contribution to the calculated values indoors. NO2 levels in one school were in excess of outdoor values. CO2 monitored in classrooms commonly exceeded indoor guidelines, suggesting poor ventilation. One school that employed air filtration had lower indoor PM concentrations compared to other schools; however, they were still similar to those outdoors. O3 levels indoors were consistently lower than those outdoors. This study underscores the utility of on-site, sensor-based monitoring for assessing the health impacts of indoor and community exposure to urban air pollutants. The findings suggest a need for improved ventilation and more strategic air intake placement to enhance indoor air quality.