Impact Of Environmental Exposure Research Articles

Environment and Human Health: Beyond Disciplinary Confinement

The human health results from the interplay of lifestyle, genetic, psychological, and other factors. In addition, humans are exposed to numerous environmental factors that affect their physical and mental health. In the present piece of work, the impact of environmental exposure on mental and physical health is understood in the broadest sense. The environment has direct and indirect effects on mental and physical health. High-rise housing and other constructions are detrimental to the psychological wellbeing of people. Residential overcrowding, these high-density areas, and noisy exterior noise sources increase psychological distress and may contribute to the development of mental and physical disorders. Air pollutants with a pungent odor amplify negative effects, and environmental pollutants have also been linked to behavioral disturbances. Lack of adequate daylight is reliably associated with melancholic dispositions and increased depressive symptoms. Consequently, environmental factors continue to negatively impact both mental and physical health. The environment has the potential to encourage or inhibit human interaction. Along with this, individuals’ personal control, social support, relationships, and restoration from tension and fatigue may all be affected by various aspects and properties of the built environment. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when work from home had become commonplace, environmental factors had a significant impact on the health outcomes of individuals. Hence, this article is trying to shed light on the environmental factors that affect the physical and mental health of its users in more than one way and what can be done to make it less stressful, safer, and better by improving the tangible environment.

Impact of Environmental Exposure on Chronic Diseases in China and Assessment of Population Health Vulnerability

Although numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated a relationship between environmental factors and chronic diseases, there is a lack of comprehensive population health vulnerability assessment studies from the perspective of environmental exposure, population sensitivity and adaptation on a regional scale. To address this gap, this study focused on six high-mortality chronic diseases in China and constructed an exposure–sensitivity–adaptability framework-based index system using multivariate data. The constructed system effectively estimated health vulnerability for the chronic diseases. The R-square between vulnerability and mortality rates for respiratory diseases and malignant tumors exceeded 0.7 and was around 0.6 for the other four chronic diseases. In 2020, Chongqing exhibited the highest vulnerability to respiratory diseases. For heart diseases, vulnerability values exceeding 0.5 were observed mainly in northern and northeastern provinces. Vulnerability values above 0.5 were observed in Jiangsu, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shandong and Liaoning for cerebrovascular diseases and malignant tumors. Shanghai had the highest vulnerability to endogenous metabolic diseases, and Tibet exhibited the highest vulnerability to digestive system diseases. The main related factor analysis results show that high temperature and humidity, severe temperature fluctuations, serious air pollution, high proportion of middle-aged and elderly population, as well as high consumption of aquatic products, red meat and eggs increased health vulnerability, while increasing per capita educational resources helped reduce vulnerability.

Environmental Health Information Partnership (EnHIP): Strengthening the capacity of minority serving institutions.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) Environmental Health Information Partnership (EnHIP) collaborates with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving academic institutions to enhance their capacity to reduce health disparities through the access, use, and delivery of environmental health information on their campuses and in their communities. The partnership began in 1991 as the Toxicology Information Outreach Panel (TIOP) pilot project, and through successive iterations it is NLM’s longest running outreach activity. EnHIP’s continued relevance today as an information outreach and training program testifies to the prescience of NLM director, Donald A.B. Lindberg M.D’s initial support for the program. Dr. Lindberg’s seeing to its continued success to benefit participating institutions and help achieve the societal goals of environmental justice serve as well to benefit NLM by increasing its visibility, and use of its resources in the classroom, for research, and in community outreach. NLM envisions an expanding role for EnHIP in advancing health equity as the impact of environmental exposure, climate change, and increasing zoonotic diseases disproportionately impact their communities.

Environmental Health Information Partnership (EnHIP): Strengthening the Capacity of Minority Serving Institutions.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine's (NLM) Environmental Health Information Partnership (EnHIP) collaborates with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving academic institutions to enhance their capacity to reduce health disparities through the access, use, and delivery of environmental health information on their campuses and in their communities. The partnership began in 1991 as the Toxicology Information Outreach Panel (TIOP) pilot project, and through successive iterations it is NLM's longest running outreach activity. EnHIP's continued relevance today as an information outreach and training program testifies to the prescience of NLM director, Donald A.B. Lindberg M.D's initial support for the program. Dr. Lindberg's seeing to its continued success to benefit participating institutions and help achieve the societal goals of environmental justice serve as well to benefit NLM by increasing its visibility, and use of its resources in the classroom, for research, and in community outreach. NLM envisions an expanding role for EnHIP in advancing health equity as the impact of environmental exposure, climate change, and increasing zoonotic diseases disproportionately impact their communities.

Evolving concepts in how viruses impact asthma: A Work Group Report of the Microbes in Allergy Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Over the past decade, there have been substantial advances in our understanding about how viral infections regulate asthma. Important lessons have been learned from birth cohort studies examining viral infections and subsequent asthma and from understanding the relationships between host genetics and viral infections, the contributions of respiratory viral infections to patterns of immune development, the impact of environmental exposure on the severity of viral infections, and how the viral genome influences host immune responses to viral infections. Further, there has been major progress in our knowledge about how bacteria regulate host immune responses in asthma pathogenesis. In this article, we also examine the dynamics of bacterial colonization of the respiratory tract during viral upper respiratory tract infection, in addition to the relationship of the gut and respiratory microbiomes with respiratory viral infections. Finally, we focus on potential interventions that could decrease virus-induced wheezing and asthma. There are emerging therapeutic options to decrease the severity of wheezing exacerbations caused by respiratory viral infections. Primary prevention is a major goal, and a strategy toward this end is considered.

Impact of Environmental Exposure on Historical Building Materials in the Archaeological Cellar of Our Lady’s Basilica in Tongeren (B)

Abstract An archaeological cellar has been excavated under the Basilica of Our Lady in Tongeren, as part of an extensive restoration and revitalization campaign that started in 1999, Figure 1. The cellar will enable to descend to the early Roman history of the site under and surrounding the basilica. The excavation and construction of the archaeological cellar were finished in 2007. After that the air-conditioning system and the accessibility of the cellar were installed In successive phases. At present, the integration of the archaeological cellar under the basilica with the archaeological field around the basilica is under construction. Building in the large cellar under the complete church without endangering the stability of the building was a complex construction work, as explained further in the paper. The project was realized in successive phases, to enable continuous use of the church for services as well as its accessibility as pilgrimage site. After the construction of the cellar, the focus shifted to the conservation of the archaeological remains in view of the future (touristic) exploitation of the cellar. In view of that, climate control in the cellar is crucial. The foundation footings and walls have been covered underground during centuries, and are now suddenly exposed to an inside environment with higher temperatures and lower humidity. The climate control measures during the construction works are presented, as well as the performance of the final permanent climate control installation. The specific consolidation and conservation works on the foundation masonries are profoundly discussed.

Environmental exposure to pesticides: biomarkers in non-invasively collected matrices in prenatal development and childhood

The collection of invasive samples from susceptible populations may suffer from ethical and practical limitations that restrict the routine application of human biomonitoring. Moreover, the accumulation of exposure data will be unsuccessful in risk assessment if not integrated through the appropriate sets of biomarkers for early biological responses. This paper reviews the usefulness and limitations of non–invasively collected matrices as well as common and novel biomarkers of effect for evaluating the impact of environmental exposure to pesticides in periods of high susceptibility to toxicants. We conclude that in the prenatal period, placenta and umbilical cord blood are matrices with vast potential, as saliva is for childhood biomonitoring. Thus, the development of better technology and the use of novel approaches may be useful strategies. Prospective studies that integrate the information from different matrices obtained throughout pregnancy and childhood, and their association with childhood diseases, are advantageous.

Biomarkers in Newborns—The Impact of Environmental Exposure to Carcinogenic PAHs

Biomarkers in Newborns—The Impact of Environmental Exposure to Carcinogenic PAHs

Accelerated cure of thermoset fiber composites utilizing latent cure agents

Cure agents including micro-pulverized dicyandiamide, aliphatic amine, imidazole, dyhydrazide, and ureas have been formulated with DGEBA (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A) epoxides to provide preimpregnated fiberglass prepregs suitable for the rapid production of structural composites under an aggressive elevated temperature cure schedule (10 min at 110°C). Formulations have been developed utilizing in part Taguchi orthogonal experimental arrays and compared to existing chemistries. Chemical formulation properties including heat of reaction, viscosity, glass transition, process parameter determination, and impact of environmental exposure have been investigated. Formulations developed within this body of work appear to outperform current commercial systems for the production of structural composites rapidly processed at a relatively low temperature.