Environmental Health Impact Research Articles

Environmental and human health impact assessment of major interior wall decorative materials

Despite the growing interest in green products in the interior wall decorative material market, knowledge gaps exist because determining which product is more environmental and user friendly than the others is difficult. This work assesses the environmental and human health profiles of interior latex and wallpaper. Two interior latex products of different raw material ratios and one non-woven wallpaper product are considered. The environmental impact assessment follows life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology and applies Building Environmental Performance Analysis System (BEPAS). The human health impact is based on impact-pathway chain and is performed using Building Health Impact Analysis System (BHIAS). The assessment scope, associated emissions, and territorial scope of various emissions are defined to facilitate comparison study of interior wall decorative products. The impacts are classified into 15 categories belonging to three safeguard areas: ecological environment, natural resources, and human health. The impacts of categories are calculated and monetized using willingness to pay (WTP) and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) and summarized as an integrated external cost of environmental and human health impacts. Assessment results reveal that the integrated impact of interior latex is lower than that of non-woven wallpaper, and the interior latex of low quality causes low life cycle integrated impact. The most impacted categories are global warming, respiratory effects, and water consumption. Hotspots of product manufacturing are recognized to promote green product design.

Source specific exposure and risk assessment for indoor aerosols

Poor air quality is a leading contributor to the global disease burden and total number of deaths worldwide. Humans spend most of their time in built environments where the majority of the inhalation exposure occurs. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is challenged by outdoor air pollution entering indoors through ventilation and infiltration and by indoor emission sources. The aim of this study was to understand the current knowledge level and gaps regarding effective approaches to improve IAQ. Emission regulations currently focus on outdoor emissions, whereas quantitative understanding of emissions from indoor sources is generally lacking. Therefore, specific indoor sources need to be identified, characterized, and quantified according to their environmental and human health impact. The emission sources should be stored in terms of relevant metrics and statistics in an easily accessible format that is applicable for source specific exposure assessment by using mathematical mass balance modelings. This forms a foundation for comprehensive risk assessment and efficient interventions. For such a general exposure assessment model we need 1) systematic methods for indoor aerosol emission source assessment, 2) source emission documentation in terms of relevant a) aerosol metrics and b) biological metrics, 3) default model parameterization for predictive exposure modeling, 4) other needs related to aerosol characterization techniques and modeling methods. Such a general exposure assessment model can be applicable for private, public, and occupational indoor exposure assessment, making it a valuable tool for public health professionals, product safety designers, industrial hygienists, building scientists, and environmental consultants working in the field of IAQ and health.

Human biomonitoring as a tool for exposure assessment in industrially contaminated sites (ICSs). Lessons learned within the ICS and Health European Network.

the mixed and complex nature of industrially contaminated sites (ICSs) leads to heterogeneity in exposure and health risk of residents living nearby. Health, environment, and social aspects are strongly interconnected in ICSs, and local communities are often concerned about potential health impact and needs for remediation. The use of human biomonitoring (HBM) for impact assessment of environmental exposure is increasing in Europe. The COST Action IS1408 on Industrially Contaminated Sites and Health Network (ICSHNet) decided to reflect on the potential and limitations of HBM to assess exposure and early health effects associated with living near ICSs. to discuss challenges and lessons learned for addressing environmental health impact near ICSs with HBM in order to identify needs and priorities for HBM guidelines in European ICSs. based on the experience of the ICSHNet research team, six case studies from different European regions that applied HBM at ICSs were selected. The case studies were systematically compared distinguishing four phases: the preparatory phase; study design; study results; the impact of the results at scientific, societal, and political levels. all six case studies identified opportunities and challenges for applying HBM in ICS studies. A smart choice of (a combination of) sample matrices for biomarker analysis produced information about relevant time-windows of exposure which matched with the activities of the ICSs. Combining biomarkers of exposure with biomarkers of (early) biological effects, data from questionnaires or environmental data enabled fine-tuning of the results and allowed for more targeted remediating actions aimed to reduce exposure. Open and transparent communication of study results with contextual information and involvement of local stakeholders throughout the study helped to build confidence in the study results, gained support for remediating actions, and facilitated sharing of responsibilities. Using HBM in these ICS studies helped in setting priorities in policy actions and in further research. Limitations were the size of the study population, difficulties in recruiting vulnerable target populations, availability of validated biomarkers, and coping with exposure to mixtures of chemicals. based on the identified positive experiences and challenges, the paper concludes with formulating recommendations for a European protocol and guidance document for HBM in ICS. This could advance the use of HBM in local environmental health policy development and evaluation of exposure levels, and promote coordination and collaboration between researchers and risk managers.

The Integrated Environmental Health Impact of emissions from a steel plant in Taranto and from a power plant in Brindisi, (Apulia Region, Southern Italy)

to estimate the environmental and health impact attributable to PM2.5 emissions from the ex-ILVA steel plant in Taranto and the ENEL power plant in Brindisi (Apulia Region, Southern Italy). a SPRAY Lagrangian dispersion model was used to estimate PM2.5 concentrations and population weighted exposures following the requirements of the Integrated Environmental Authorization (IEA) of the two plants under study. Available concentration-response functions (OMS/HRAPIE and updates) were used to estimate the number of attributable premature deaths. residents in the 40 municipalities of the domains of the VDS (assessment of health damage, according to the Regional Law n. 21/2012) of Brindisi (source: Italian National Institute of Statistics 2011 Census) and residents in Taranto, Statte, and Massafra (source: cohort study). mortality from natural causes, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and lung cancer attributable to PM2.5. Incremental lifetime cumulative risks (ILCRs) for lung cancer associated to PM2.5 exposure. there was a reduction of the estimated impacts from the pre to the post IEA-scenarios in both Taranto and Brindisi. In Taranto, ILCRs greater than 1x10-4; were estimated in 2010 and 2012; the ILCR was greater than 1x10-4; in the district of Tamburi (near the plant) also for the 2015 scenario. ILCRs estimated for Brindisi were between 1x10-6; and 4x10-5;. the Integrated Environmental Health Impact Assessment confirmed the results of the VDS conducted according to the toxicological risk assessment approach. An unacceptable risk was estimated for Tamburi also for the 2015 scenario, characterized by a production of 4.7 million tons of steel, about half compared to one foreseen by the IEA (8 mt.).

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Process for Sustainable Industrial Automation, Electrical, Mechanical and Robotics Systems—Sustainabilty Excellence Achievements

This research has been focussed in to the design and development of sustainable ozone layer to restore back global warming potential into original conditions deliberating production and use of ozone friendly substances in process. The Sustainable ozone layer is a kind of new Ozone layer development that meets the needs of the present generation’s ultraviolet radiation protection requirements without compromising the ability and efficacy of the future generations to meet their own ultraviolet radiation protection requirements. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) process for industrial automation, electrical, mechanical and robotics systems has been discussed. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) process can be broadly defined as a study of the impacts of a proposed project, plan, project, policy or legislative action on the environment and sustainability. SEA process has been aimed to incorporate environmental and sustainability factors in to project planning and decision-making process such as project formulation and appraisal of Matsushita Carbon Company (MCC) plant in 1979 at Tada and cotton roller ginning plant as well as certain other projects that included policies, programs, plans and legislative actions. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process can be defined as the systematic identification and evaluation of the potential environmental impacts (effects) of proposed projects, plans, programs, policies or legislative actions with respect to the physical, chemical, physico-chemical, biological, biochemical, cultural, archaeological and socioeconomic environmental components relative to the total environment. The primary purpose of the EIA process is to encourage the consideration of the environment in Organizational’s planning and decision-making process (OPDM) and to arrive at actions that are environmentally compatible. OPDM process should include the integrated consideration of technical or engineering, economic, environmental, safety, and health, social and sustainability factors to achieve business excellence. Prior to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process in 1970 in the USA, technical and economic factors dominance the World’s projects. The objective of the study design conceptualization of SEA process based on fifteen number of sustainable detailed project reports (DPRs) submitted by the extension learners of Diploma in Entrepreneurship and Business Management (DEBM) course conducted by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (The EDI of India) during the research year (RY) 1999 to 2018 under the author’s counsellorship. The design of the study is cross sectional. Environmental Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) process has been conducted for projects to consider the safety and health impacts to mitigate psychological health loadings on workers and nearby residents. Social Impact Assessment (SIA) process can be defined as the systematic identification and evaluation of the potential social impacts (effects) of proposed projects, plans, programs, or legislative action such that social consideration is encouraged in OPDM process and to arrive at actions that are socially compatible. SEA process concerns to environment and sustainability effects in OPDM process and arrive at proposed projects, plans, programs, and legislative actions that are compatible with respect to environment and sustainability issues. International EIA process required multi-disciplinary approach that has been conducted very early stage of Japanese Matsushita carbon rod project in 1982 for

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Process for Green Materials and Environmental Engineering Systems towards Sustainable Development-Business Excellence Achievements

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Process for Green Materials and Environmental Engineering Systems towards Sustainable Development-Business Excellence Achievements

Risk analysis of sudden water pollution in a plain river network system based on fuzzy-stochastic methods

A comprehensive fuzzy-stochastic risk assessment method is adopted to systematically quantify the stochastic and fuzzy uncertainties related to discharge conditions, environmental standards and health assessment criteria. A sequential Monte Carlo simulation of pollutant behaviour in rivers after the accidental discharge from multiple risk sources is carried out using a risk probability analysis model of sudden water pollution. The fuzzy membership functions based on environmental water quality standards and health impact criteria are established by means of a questionnaire. Then, the simulation results and the membership functions are combined to quantify the stochastic uncertainty of the pollutant concentration and the fuzzy uncertainty of its consequences. Based on the fuzzy logic method, the general risk level is obtained by combining the risk based on the environmental water quality standard and the health risk, and the general risk scores (CS) are obtained via the interpolation method. The risk assessment method is applied to the Yixing area. The results show that (a) the ammonia nitrogen CS values are low in the upper reaches and high in the middle and lower reaches. The ammonia nitrogen CS values under sudden schemes are not less than the corresponding values under the stable scheme. (b) The dynamic concentration changes in the sub-reach affect the probability of exceeding the ammonia nitrogen standard and indirectly affect the changes in the CS values in different reaches. (c) The net variation in the ammonia nitrogen CS values exhibits a concentrated distribution of high and low scores in the upstream areas and a concentrated distribution of high scores in the downstream area. (d) For most of the sections, there is a positive linear correlation between the risk growth rate (GR) and the average duration of the accidental state, and the greater the GR value is, the more sensitive the section is to the accident risk.

Using time-lapse omics correlations to integrate toxicological pathways of a formulated fungicide in a soil invertebrate

The use of an integrative molecular approach can actively improve the evaluation of environmental health status and impact of chemicals, providing the knowledge to develop sentinel tools that can be integrated in risk assessment studies, since gene and protein expressions represent the first response barriers to anthropogenic stress.This work aimed to determine the mechanisms of toxic action of a widely applied fungicide formulation (chlorothalonil), following a time series approach and using a soil model arthropod, Folsomia candida. To link effects at different levels of biological organization, data were collected on reproduction, gene expression and protein levels, in a time series during exposure to a natural soil.Results showed a mechanistic mode of action for chlorothalonil, affecting pathways of detoxification and excretion, immune response, cellular respiration, protein metabolism and oxidative stress defense, causing irregular cell signaling (JNK and NOD ½ pathways), DNA damage and abnormal cell proliferation, leading to impairment in developmental features such as molting cycle and reproduction. The omics datasets presented highly significant positive correlations between the gene expression levels at a certain time-point and the corresponding protein products 2–3 days later. The integrated omics in this study has provided useful insights into pesticide mechanisms of toxicity, evidencing the relevance of such analyses in toxicological studies, and highlighting the importance of considering a time-series when integrating these datasets.

IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AMONGST RESIDENTS OF CALABAR METROPOLIS IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA. WEST AFRICA; A CASE STUDY OF CALABAR GARMENT FACTORY

This research paper was geared toward unraveling the impact of environmental health on sustainable development amongst residents of Calabar metropolis in Cross River State, Nigeria, West Africa. In pursuant of this objective, three research questions were raised to guide the study- To what extent does environmental induction course influence sustainable development among residents of Calabar metropolis? does environmental wastes recycling affect sustainable development among residence of Calabar metropolis? and to what extend does environmental conservation influence sustainable development among residents of Calabar metropolis. A sample size of 200 respondents was considered for the study. The instrument used for data collection was a 20 - items questionnaire which was validated by research experts on health discipline. Split half reliability estimate was implored to ascertain the reliability of the instrument while simple percentage was used to analyze the data collected. From the results of our findings, possible recommendations were made to ensure sustainability of our environmental resources to enhance sustainable development.

Assessment of groundwater pollution by landfills in India using leachate pollution index and estimation of error

Unsystematic dumping of municipal solid waste affects soil, water and air by generating leachate, which effects the environment and human health. Considering this, present study investigates the leachate pollution index (LPI) of Indian landfills using leachate characteristics already published and by calculating the physico-chemical characteristics of landfill leachate from Chandigarh, SAS Nagar and Panchkula cities. LPI is a grade system (ranging from 5 to 100), which represents the capacity of leachate to contaminate the ground water through subsoil. Calculation of LPI shows that most of the Indian landfills have higher LPI than the acceptable limit (7.378). The error involved in LPI calculation was also studied using tricity (Chandigarh, SAS Nagar and Panchkula) LPI data. Higher sub-index and lower sub-index parameters were considered for error analysis. According to the results, ignoring higher sub-index parameters increases the error 79.2%, 68.5% and 67.8% in Chandigarh, SAS Nagar and Panchkula respectively. Whereas, LPI of landfills decreases 5 in Chandigarh, 7 in SAS Nagar and 5 in Panchkula. Based on the current study, It was observed that LPI values of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula during pre- monsoon were 33.18, 26.17 21.94 and during post monsoon were 25.5, 20.32 and 19.49 respectively. it can be inferred that landfill leachate in India has significant potential to contaminate the groundwater resources. Considering this, the study also discusses some suitable remedial measures to reduce the ground water pollution by landfill leachate and demands more policy intervention to reduce the environmental and human health impact of MSW landfills.

Health Impact Assessment and the Relationship with the Environment: An Integrating Review

ObjectivesTo identify the approach of scientific literature on Health Impact Assessment related to the environmental theme.MethodIntegrative literature review with search for studies with the terms health impact assessment and environment in the Portal of Periodicals of the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Level Personnel following the steps of the protocol elaboration and external validation, data collection, selection and critical evaluation of the studies, analysis of data and results that were organized into thematic categories.Results38 studies were included, and the period with the highest number of publications was between 2012 and 2014, with studies developed mainly in Europe and North America. The categories that resulted were the practice of Health Impact Assessment, Health Impact Assessment and Urban Planning, Environmental Impact Assessment and Health Impact Assessment and Environment and Health.ConclusionsThe Health Impact Assessment is an important decision-making process, evidencing the need to expand its scientific production, discussions and results on the evaluation of health impacts of enterprises, public policies or programs resulting from the process of economic development. There is a movement for the inclusion of health in all policies, including in defense of the institutionalization of the integration between health impact assessment and environmental impact assessment, since it already has its consolidated legal base.

Health impact assessment of PM2.5-related mitigation scenarios using local risk coefficient estimates in 9 Japanese cities

Previous studies have highlighted the negative effects of PM2.5 on mortality, expressed in terms of attributable deaths and life years lost. However, there are very few studies assessing the health impacts of air pollution in terms of economic burden/benefits. This study assessed the health impact of two hypothetical interventions among sex- and age-specific risk populations using a robust risk estimation and economic valuation process. We utilized the sex- and age-stratified daily all-cause mortality together with the daily PM2.5 of the 9 Japanese cities from 2002 to 2008 in estimating the relative risks. The estimated risks were then utilized for the economic valuation of co-benefits/burden with respect to the two hypothetical PM2.5-related mitigation scenarios, in comparison to status quo, namely: i) decrease to Japanese standards, and ii) decrease to WHO standards. Impact of these interventions on health were assessed using the following HIA metrics: attributable mortality, attributable years life lost, and environmental health impact. A 10-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 would increase the risk by 0.52% (95% CI: −0.91% to 1.99%) for all-cause mortality, with varying risk estimates per subgroup. High economic burdens were estimated at status quo, with particularly distinct burden difference for age-specific mortality; 0.40 trillion yen (0–64 y.o.) and 1.50 trillion yen (>64 y.o.). If stricter standards, relative to status quo, were to be enforced, i.e. WHO standard, there is a potential to yield economic benefits in the same risk population; 0.26 trillion yen (0–64 y.o.) and 0.98 trillion yen (>64 y.o.). We did not observe any substantial difference with the burden and benefit related to sex-specific mortality. Using the estimated local risk coefficients complemented with the valuation of the risks, policymaking entities will have the opportunity to operate their own HIA to assess the relevant air pollution-related health impacts.

A Review of Methods for Assessing the Environmental Health Impacts of an Agricultural System.

(1) Background: Global agricultural production is projected to increase substantially in the coming decades. Agricultural production provides food and materials crucial to human survival and well-being and is a critical source of livelihood, providing employment opportunities and economic benefits. However, industrialized or intensified agricultural systems, in particular, can have adverse effects on public health, place pressure on natural resources, and reduce environmental sustainability. This review attempts to identify and characterize key environmental health assessment methods for examining a broad array of potential impacts; (2) Methods: Electronic databases Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and GreenLINE were searched for published literature that presented methods for conducting an environmental health assessment of an agricultural system; (3) Results: Fifty-three sources were included in the review. Eight methods were selected to illustrate the wide range of approaches currently available: health risk assessment methods, health impact assessment, environmental impact assessment methods, environmental burden of disease, lifecycle methods, integrated assessment modeling, trade-off analysis, and economic assessment; (4) Conclusions: This review can provide guidance for selecting an existing method or for designing a new method for assessing the environmental health impacts of an agricultural system.

Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Spreading Oil and Gas Wastewater on Roads

Thirteen states in the United States allow the spreading of O&G wastewaters on roads for deicing or dust suppression. In this study, the potential environmental and human health impacts of this practice are evaluated. Analyses of O&G wastewaters spread on roads in the northeastern, U.S. show that these wastewaters have salt, radioactivity, and organic contaminant concentrations often many times above drinking water standards. Bioassays also indicated that these wastewaters contain organic micropollutants that affected signaling pathways consistent with xenobiotic metabolism and caused toxicity to aquatic organisms like Daphnia magna. The potential toxicity of these wastewaters is a concern as lab experiments demonstrated that nearly all of the metals from these wastewaters leach from roads after rain events, likely reaching ground and surface water. Release of a known carcinogen (e.g., radium) from roads treated with O&G wastewaters has been largely ignored. In Pennsylvania from 2008 to 2014, spreading O&G wastewater on roads released over 4 times more radium to the environment (320 millicuries) than O&G wastewater treatment facilities and 200 times more radium than spill events. Currently, state-by-state regulations do not require radium analyses prior to treating roads with O&G wastewaters. Methods for reducing the potential impacts of spreading O&G wastewaters on roads are discussed.

Ultrasensitive environmental assessment of xeno-estrogens in water samples using label-free graphene immunosensors

There is a growing interest in the possible environmental health impact posed by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). A challenge to the field of endocrine disruption is that these substances are diverse and may not appear to share any structural similarity other than usually being low molecular mass (<1000 Da) compounds. Here we demonstrate the effectiveness of sensor device for the detection of low molecular weight, poorly water soluble, estrogenic compounds E1, E2 and EE2, fabricated by electropolymerization over graphene screen printed electrode (SPE).The PANI/Gr-SPE-devices displayed linear responses to estrogenic substances, in EIS assays, from 0.0975 ng/L to 200 ng/L in water samples, with a detection limit of 0.043 pg/L for E1, 0.19 ng/L for E2 and 0.070 pg/L for EE2 which is lower than other current biosensing techniques. This portable, disposable immunosensor offers a solution for immediate measurement at sample collection sites, due to its excellent sensitivity and selectivity when testing water samples obtained directly from rivers and waste water treatment facilities. The simple screen printing production method will enable the low cost, high volume production required for this type of environmental analysis.

Medication disposal practices: Increasing patient and clinician education on safe methods.

Recent research suggests that the nation’s water supply is contaminated with trace pharmaceuticals that exert a negative environmental and public health impact. Incorrect medication disposal methods (e.g. flushing medications down the toilet or drain) are a significant factor contributing to the presence of medication compounds in the aquatic environment. In this commentary, we provide a summary of the existing data on pharmaceuticals in the nation’s water as well as the role of improper medication disposal methods on water contamination. We discuss statistics on improper medication disposal practices among patients and clinicians as well as recent advances in proper medication disposal methods as a solution to this problem. Currently, many patients and clinicians are not aware of proper medication disposal practices. We summarize the importance of patient and clinician education in advancing environmental-safe medication disposal methods.

Praćenje kvaliteta industrijskih otpadnih voda u institucijama javnog zdravlja u Srbiji

Wastewater disposal is recognized by the public health sector for its potential negative environmental health impact. This paper is a cross-sectional study, for an observational period from 2015-2017, with an aim to present the scope of involvement of public health institutions in monitoring of industrial wastewaters. Wastewaters were sampled from industrial facilities of chemical, food-processing, mining-smelting and energy, transport, service, wood-processinga and textile production origin. As a study tool we used a data-base of the Institute of Public Health of Serbia, being filled-in with data from the local IPHs, analyzing wastewater quality on contract basis. In total, summing results from three consecutive years, 13392 wastewater samples were collected and analyzed, of which 44.79% (5999) did not comply to the adopted national standards. By observing wastewater treatment dynamics, generating from the legal entities whose samples were analyzed, it appears that it is insufficiently implemented. In all three monitoring years treatment persisted in less than 50% of facilities, which can be linked to the fact that parameters burdening samples at its most are: suspended and sediment matter, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, ammonia, fats and oils, etc. The fact that most of the effluents are disposed of directly into natural watercourses indicates the constantly present risk for both environment and health.

Environmental and Public Health Impact of Poorsolid Waste Disposal in Kano Metropolis Nigeria

Environmental and Public Health Impact of Poorsolid Waste Disposal in Kano Metropolis Nigeria

Environmental and Occupational Health Impact of Bauxite Mining in Malaysia: A Review

In the perspective of recent bauxite mining in Malaysia, this review aims to identify the potential environmental and health impacts on miners and surrounding communities. The environmental issues of bauxite mining include, air, water and soil pollution due to bauxite dust; leaching of bauxite into water sources resulting in reduced soil fertility as well as affecting agricultural food products and aquatic life. Bauxite occupational exposure affects the health of miners, and has negative consequences on the health of surrounding communities, such as increased respiratory symptoms, contamination of drinking water, other potential health risks from ingestion of bauxite and heavy metals, including noise-induced hearing loss and mental stress. This review discusses the processes of bauxite mining, its constituents and residual trace elements, and their impact on the environment and health of exposed workers and communities. It also explores the Malaysian legal requirements and standards of occupational exposure to bauxite.

Evaluation of the environmental and human health impact of road construction activities

This work presents the results of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of two different types of road cross-sections (i.e. embankment and trench sections) with the objective of calculating and analysing the environmental and human health impact related to their construction processes. The geometrical and technical characteristics of the examined sections comply with current Italian standards for minor highways. After analysing a base case scenario, the study evaluated the influence of several transportation conditions on the LCA of both cross-sections, including varying distances between quarries, landfills, mix plants and construction sites, and two European motorization types of road vehicles and earthmoving machines. In all cases, the LCAs included eight impact categories that were evaluated according to the European standard EN 15804. The results support the fact that several impact categories should be included as part of LCA studies if there is an interest for effectively mitigating the deleterious effects related to road construction. Indeed, the analyses show that the use of low impact procedures in the mix plants (e.g. reduction in mixing temperatures, increase of energy recycling), the renewing of the vehicle fleet, and the use of secondary raw materials provide better overall environmental results, not only in terms of greenhouse gas emissions but in all the impact categories considered.