Impact Risk Assessment Research Articles

Impacts of Marine Plastic Pollution on Seagrass Meadows and Ecosystem Services in Southeast Asia

Seagrass meadows provide ecosystem services (ES) that are critical for humanity. Southeast Asia (SEA) is a hotspot of seagrass diversity, and the region’s seagrass-derived ES have been valued at over $100 billion annually; however, the health and extent of seagrass meadows are in decline. Marine plastic pollution (MPP) is an escalating problem and a concern for vulnerable marine habitats such as seagrass meadows. To understand the impacts that MPP has on seagrass ecosystems and their provision of ES, we conducted a mixed methodology study that involved a systematic search of the literature and the synthesis of the results with a risk assessment. The results indicated that MPP negatively impacts seagrass through factors such as spatial competition, chemical leaching, and reduced rates of photosynthesis and rhizome growth. This can lead to a reduction in seagrass biomass, triggering the degradation of all seagrass-derived ES. A risk assessment of the microplastic impact results indicated that seagrass-derived ES are at high risk of decline from the current microplastic concentrations, which in turn indicates a potential threat to the well-being of those dependent on them.

From intent to impact: top management’s commitment influence on sustainable risk management under stakeholder pressure

PurposeThe present study adopted a system thinking methodology to investigate the influence of top management commitment (TMC) on sustainable risk management (SRM) influenced by stakeholder pressures.Design/methodology/approachThree variables and 23 measurement items were derived from existing literature sources. Moreover, the methodology employed for data collection in this study involved a questionnaire. The constructs previously documented in the literature were utilized as the foundation for developing the questionnaire. Of 220 sent questionnaires, 106 valid responses were used for further analysis. To enhance objectivity, a causal loop diagram and a stock and flow diagram were created using a system thinking approach. These visual representations aim to illustrate the impact of top management factors on SRM under stakeholder pressure-related factors.FindingsThe results of the descriptive test indicate that the safety and quality issues emerged as the most significant, with the highest mean impact of 4.08 on sustainable risk impact assessments. Employee influence on customer relationships also showed a high mean impact of 4.08, while understanding customer requirements closely followed with a mean of 3.98. Additionally, causal loop analysis uncovered complex interconnections among these factors, emphasizing the intricate nature of SRM. Further, a five-year simulation analysis highlighted that SRM effectiveness is significantly enhanced when top management fosters a robust organizational culture. These findings emphasize the critical roles of safety, quality and customer-focused factors in sustainability, underscoring the importance of leadership in fostering effective, holistic sustainability and risk management strategies.Originality/valueThis research highlights top management’s pivotal role in effective SRM by integrating sustainability into core strategies. It identifies critical factors and emphasizes the solid organizational culture fostered by senior management, which is essential for long-term SRM effectiveness. The study’s focus on safety, quality and customer relations underscores the need for comprehensive sustainability strategies.

Impact Risk Assessment of Gravity-Based Foundation of Offshore Wind Turbine Under Tsunamis

As an important renewable engineering structure, offshore wind turbine foundation is threatened by tsunami bore. A three-dimensional numerical model of dam-break wave tsunami is established and validated based on computational fluid dynamics to study the impacting effects of gravity-based foundation (GBF) of offshore wind turbines under tsunamis. The impacting process of the small, middle, and large tsunami on the GBF is numerically simulated, and the load effects characteristics of the GBF of the wind turbine at different stages of the tsunami impact process are analyzed. The research results show that the GBF is subjected to two peak impact forces under tsunami-impacting action. The tsunami bore has a frontal impact on the GBF, and the force peak of the flow direction is the largest, which has the greatest impact on the foundation of the wind turbine. Specifically, the middle tsunami exerts a maximum frontal impact force of 16.8[Formula: see text]N, with a peak dynamic pressure of 678.2 Pa, and a maximum base moment of 1.24[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text]⋅[Formula: see text]m. Besides, the variation on the base moment in the incident flow direction of the incoming is larger than that in the transverse direction. The research provides valuable insights into the tsunami-resistant GBF, offering recommendations and guidelines for ensuring the long-term stability of offshore wind turbines in tsunami-prone regions.

Challenges of environmental impact assessment in addressing environmental risk: insights from Brazilian practice in mining dams

ABSTRACT Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Risk Assessment (RA) are critical tools for assessing and managing environmental impacts and risks of projects. However, their integration remains a challenge. This study examines how EIA practices account for risks in evaluating the environmental feasibility of mining dam projects in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We analyzed licensing processes for projects approved between 2004 and 2022, using data from the state’s environmental agency. Methods included documentary and content analysis of Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and review reports. Among the 25 cases analyzed, most focused solely on risk control without performing RA. Only two cases included RA, and two others lacked any risk-related information. Review reports revealed that only two went beyond considering risk control when assessing environmental feasibility. This suggests decision-making relies on a narrow focus on risk control. Furthermore, there is a misalignment between the EIS content and the criteria for project acceptability in review reports. Finally, we explore how politicization may undermine the EIA’s role in objective, and evidence-based decision-making. These findings underscore the superficial and fragmented approach to addressing environmental risk in mining dam assessments in Minas Gerais.

Optimizing power systems and microgrids: A novel multi-objective model for energy hubs with innovative algorithmic optimization

This article delves into the dynamics of power system and microgrid planning, emphasizing the emerging significance of energy hubs. The study introduces a pioneering multi-objective model that integrates economic considerations and microgrid pollution mitigation. The focus is on renewable sources such as wind and solar, coupled with advanced energy storage systems like E-fuel. Sophisticated probabilistic modeling techniques address uncertainties in renewable resources, complemented by a demand-side management program for cost reduction during peak hours. Transforming into an optimization problem, an innovative algorithm inspired by African vulture foraging behaviors provides a distinctive approach to energy landscape optimization. In a comparative analysis with established models, this approach demonstrates proficiency in simulating market behavior and providing optimal strategies for profit maximization. In a simulation analysis of four scenarios, the impact of risk assessment, a novel electronic fuel storage market, and an innovative energy storage solution on operational costs and pollution emissions is scrutinized. Notably, the proposed method excels in Case 4, showcasing a significant reduction in both operational costs and emissions. Case 4 demonstrates a substantial reduction in operational costs to $1745.732 and pollutant releases to 10753.621 kg, outperforming existing models with lower operational costs and pollutant releases.

Consequences of asteroid characterization on the state of knowledge about inferred physical parameters and impact risk

Planetary defense scenarios require an assessment of the possible effects of an impact and of the efficacy of different mitigation options in order to provide decision makers with actionable information. Essential inputs to these assessments are the orbital parameters, the likelihood of impact, the possible locations of impact, and the physical properties of the potential impactor. There is a robust framework in place to determine the orbital parameters, the likelihood of impact, and the possible locations of impact (e.g. Milani et al. [1], Sciarra et al. [2], Losacco et al. [3]). While there is a robust suite of potential methods to determine properties of a potential impactor, most of these methods depend critically on the details of the objects observability (e.g. brightness, distance from Earth, …). As a result, in practice it is rare that all the physical properties of interest are measurable. In order to fill this gap, we have developed a property inference network that can be used to generate a set of potential impactors whose properties in aggregate are consistent with the distributions from the available measurements, the distributions derived from population-wide statistics, and the combination of physical properties for each individual impactor is physically plausible. We will describe this Asteroid Property Inference Network (APIN), apply it to the PDC23 scenario, and demonstrate how even limited asteroid characterization can be leveraged to improve impact risk assessment.

Impact and Environmental Risk Assessment of Hazardous Metal Pollution in the Sediment at Shipbreaking Yard Chattogram

Impact and Environmental Risk Assessment of Hazardous Metal Pollution in the Sediment at Shipbreaking Yard Chattogram

Assessment of ecological and health risk impact of heavy metals contamination in stream sediments in Itapaji-Ekiti, SW Nigeria

BackgroundHeavy metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems is a major environmental and health concern globally. This study assessed the ecological and health risks associated with heavy metal pollution in stream sediments in Itapaji-Ekiti, Southwest Nigeria. The study contributes collectively to a comprehensive understanding of the geochemical dynamics and contamination factors affecting the studied stream sediments. MethodsHeavy metals study was conducted on stream sediments within the geographical confines of sheet 244, Ado map. Seventeen stream sediment samples were obtained from various sites and subjected to analysis to determine the concentrations of heavy metals such as lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), barium (Ba), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni) and vanadium (V) using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). The results showed that the concentrations of these metals exceeded permissible levels at most sampling sites, indicating significant contamination of the stream sediments. The concentrations and pollution levels of the heavy metals from selected sampling sites were documented for ecological and health risk evaluations. ResultThe findings revealed that the concentrations of these metals surpassed acceptable thresholds at the majority of sampling locations, indicating significant contamination of the stream sediments. The concentrations of heavy metals, specifically Cr and Cd, exhibit moderate contamination, while Pb and Ba demonstrates a significant contamination factor with moderate to extreme degree of contamination. Several ecological risk indices were calculated to evaluate the potential ecological risks. The results revealed that the stream sediments posed considerable to very high ecological risks at most sites based on the risk quotient, contamination factor and pollution load index. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk assessments for heavy metals in stream sediments exposed potential health risks, especially for children, indicating the need for protective measures. The cumulative cancer risk, particularly for adults, raised concerns about the overall health implications of prolonged exposure to the heavy metal concentrations in the streams. ConclusionThe study also evaluated ecological and health risks, revealing potential risks from heavy metals. Hazard and cancer risk assessments suggested the increasing potential of heavy metals to pose health risks, particularly for inhabitants of the area.

Former smoking, but not active smoking, is associated with delirium in postoperative ICU patients: a matched case-control study.

To examine the relationship between current and former smoking and the occurrence of delirium in surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients. We conducted a single center, case-control study involving 244 delirious and 251 non-delirious patients that were admitted to our ICU between 2018 and 2022. Using propensity score analysis, we obtained 115 pairs of delirious and non-delirious patients matched for age and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II). Both groups of patients were further stratified into non-smokers, active smokers and former smokers, and logistic regression was performed to further investigate potential confounders. Our study revealed a significant association between former smoking and the incidence of delirium in ICU patients, both in unmatched (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17-2.83) and matched cohorts (OR: 3.0, CI: 1.53-5.89). Active smoking did not demonstrate a significant difference in delirium incidence compared to non-smokers (unmatched OR = 0.98, CI: 0.62-1.53, matched OR = 1.05, CI: 0.55-2.0). Logistic regression analysis of the matched group confirmed former smoking as an independent risk factor for delirium, irrespective of other variables like surgical history (p = 0.010). Notably, also respiratory and vascular surgeries were associated with increased odds of delirium (respiratory: OR: 4.13, CI: 1.73-9.83; vascular: OR: 2.18, CI: 1.03-4.59). Medication analysis showed that while Ketamine and Midazolam usage did not significantly correlate with delirium, Morphine use was linked to a decreased likelihood (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.13-0.55). Nicotine's complex neuropharmacological impact on the brain is still not fully understood, especially its short-term and long-term implications for critically ill patients. Although our retrospective study cannot establish causality, our findings suggest that smoking may induce structural changes in the brain, potentially heightening the risk of postoperative delirium. Intriguingly, this effect seems to be obscured in active smokers, potentially due to the recognized neuroprotective properties of nicotine. Our results motivate future prospective studies, the results of which hold the potential to substantially impact risk assessment procedures for surgeries.

Pressure injury risk assessment and prescription of preventative interventions using a structured tool versus clinical judgement: An interrater agreement study.

To assess agreement of pressure injury risk level and differences in preventative intervention prescription between nurses using a structured risk assessment tool compared with clinical judgement. Interrater agreement study. Data were collected from November 2019 to December 2022. Paired nurse-assessors were allocated randomly to independently assess pressure injury risk using a structured tool (incorporating the Waterlow Score), or clinical judgement; then prescribe preventative interventions. Assessments were conducted on 150 acute patient participants in a general tertiary hospital. Agreement of risk level was analysed using absolute agreement proportions, weighted kappa and prevalence-adjusted and bias-adjusted kappa. Ninety-four nurse assessors participated. Absolute agreement of not-at-risk versus at-risk-any-level was substantial, but absolute agreement of risk-level was only fair. Clinical judgement assessors tended to underestimate risk. Where risk level was agreed, prescribed intervention frequencies were similar, although structured tool assessors prescribed more interventions mandated by standard care, while clinical judgement assessors prescribed more additional/optional interventions. Structured tool assessors prescribed more interventions targeted at lower-risk patients, whereas assessors using clinical judgement prescribed more interventions targeted at higher-risk patients. There were clear differences in pressure injury risk-level assessment between nurses using the two methods, with important differences in intervention prescription frequencies found. Further research is required into the use of both structured tools and clinical judgement to assess pressure injury risk, with emphasis on the impact of risk assessments on subsequent preventative intervention implementation. The results of this study are important for clinical practice as they demonstrate the influence of using a structured pressure injury risk assessment tool compared to clinical judgement. Whilst further research is required into the use of both structured tools and clinical judgement to assess pressure injury risk and prescribe interventions, our findings do not support a change in practice that would exclude the use of a structured pressure injury risk assessment tool. This study adhered to the GRRAS reporting guideline. No patient or public involvement in this study. Educators and researchers can use the findings to guide teaching about pressure injury risk assessment and preventative intervention and to direct future studies. For clinical nurses and patients, a change in clinical practice that would exclude the use of a structured risk assessment tool is not recommended and further work is needed to validate the role of clinical judgement to assess risk and its impact on preventative intervention.

Research on Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of the Impact of Earthquakes on Global Copper Ore Supply Based on Geographically Weighted Regression

The large and super large copper deposits worldwide are mainly distributed in the Pacific Rim and Gondwana metallogenic domains, and they are highly coupled with the spatial location of seismically active zones. Major copper-producing countries such as Chile are located in areas with high seismic activity. Earthquakes often cause copper mines to shut down, copper prices to soar, and even mining disasters, affecting the stable supply of global copper. In order to study the impact of earthquakes on the global copper ore supply, information on resource endowments, production, and earthquake data from the past 30 years are collected. This article mainly analyzes (1) the spatial correlation between earthquakes and copper mine projects, and the spatial characteristics of earthquakes’ impact on copper mine production, using correlation analysis and geographically weighted regression (GWR); (2) the impact of sudden earthquake events on the export volume and price of copper mines from the perspective of time, using the earthquake index constructed based on the magnitude of the earthquake, the depth of the epicenter, and the distance from the copper mine. The results indicate that the regions with high spatial correlation between copper mine projects and earthquakes are mainly located along the Pacific coast of South and North Americas. Earthquakes can lead to an increase in copper prices, but they will fall significantly in the short term. The impact of earthquakes on export volume generally has a delay period of 1–2 months, resulting in a short-term decrease in export volume. This article quantitatively evaluates the impact of earthquake risk on the supply chain from both spatial and temporal dimensions, providing reference for supply chain risk monitoring, risk impact assessment, and prediction. On the basis of the research results of this article, mineral resource management departments can quantitatively evaluate the spatiotemporal impact of natural risks such as earthquakes on the supply chain, adjust management policies in a timely manner, and improve the level of refined management of supply chain risks.

PRELIMINARY MODEL OF POTENTIAL AREAS FOR RESTORATION FOR THE INTER-ANDEAN VALLEY OF CAUCA RIVER (COLOMBIA, SOUTH AMERICA) BASED ON HABITAT SUITABILITY MODELS

Tropical dry forests (TDF) are highly susceptible to land degradation. The inter-Andean Valley of the Cauca River (IVCR) has the most fragmented Colombian dry forests, and their restoration is essential. Here, potential areas for restoration were identified using a habitat suitability modeling (HSM) approach. TDF vascular plants and bioclimatic predictors were used. Species were selected based on threatened status, endemism, and priority level for conservation. Two sets of predictors were chosen using Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Then, with a maximum entropy algorithm, PCA and VIF models were projected for the selected species. These models were evaluated via true skill statistics (TSS) and area under the curve (AUC) statistical metrics. Models with good performance (TSS, AUC, standard deviation, variance) were ensembled, and a preliminary model where areas with suitable bioclimatic conditions for the selected species were generated. Results show that nearly 45 % of the IVCR has suitable conditions for the selected species. Although potential conflicts may arise in areas under permanent or semipermanent crops which represent more than 80 % of the IVCR, cropland mosaics, and natural and seminatural land covers might provide alternative solutions to reduce the land-use conflict. The potential areas for restoration identified in this study may provide a comprehensive framework for environmental impact and regional risk assessments related to the current land use and land cover change dynamics. Also, they may provide relevant information for designing landscape restoration programs as an adaptive strategy toward climate change.

Exposure Level and Risk Impact Assessment of Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs in Aquaculture Environment

To explore the exposure level of pesticides and veterinary drugs in an aquaculture environment and its impact on the ecological environment, this study took the aquaculture environment in Shanghai as an example, and samples of water, sediment, and inputs from 40 major aquaculture farms were collected from July to September 2022. The types and contents of pesticides and veterinary drugs were screened using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrostatic field orbital ion trap mass spectrometry, and the risk quotient (RQ) method was used to assess the ecological risk of pesticide contamination in water and sediment. The results showed that 13 drugs were screened out from 204 samples (72 samples of water, 72 samples of mud, and 60 samples of input), namely, chlorpromazine, carbendazim, thiophanate, diazepam, florfenicol, simazine, amantidine, diazepam, trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, mebendazole, and enrofloxacin. Among them, 12 species were found in water samples with concentrations ranging from 0.016 μg·L-1 to 2.084 μg·L-1. The concentrations of seven species in the mud samples ranged from 0.018 μg·kg-1 to 23.101 μg·kg-1. The results showed that there were four types of inputs, ranging from 1.979 μg·kg-1 to 101.940 μg·kg-1. Seven drugs were found in both water and sediment. The risk quotient (RQ) results showed that there were some high and middle risks in both water and sediment samples of aquaculture farms, and the ecological risks of carbendazim were the highest in both water and sediment samples of aquaculture farms; the RQ values were 3.848 and 1.580, respectively, indicating high risk. It is suggested to strengthen the control and management of exogenous pesticides and veterinary drugs in aquaculture environments to protect the ecosystem health of the aquaculture environment.

AI security and cyber risk in IoT systems.

Internet-of-Things (IoT) refers to low-memory connected devices used in various new technologies, including drones, autonomous machines, and robotics. The article aims to understand better cyber risks in low-memory devices and the challenges in IoT risk management. The article includes a critical reflection on current risk methods and their level of appropriateness for IoT. We present a dependency model tailored in context toward current challenges in data strategies and make recommendations for the cybersecurity community. The model can be used for cyber risk estimation and assessment and generic risk impact assessment. The model is developed for cyber risk insurance for new technologies (e.g., drones, robots). Still, practitioners can apply it to estimate and assess cyber risks in organizations and enterprises. Furthermore, this paper critically discusses why risk assessment and management are crucial in this domain and what open questions on IoT risk assessment and risk management remain areas for further research. The paper then presents a more holistic understanding of cyber risks in the IoT. We explain how the industry can use new risk assessment, and management approaches to deal with the challenges posed by emerging IoT cyber risks. We explain how these approaches influence policy on cyber risk and data strategy. We also present a new approach for cyber risk assessment that incorporates IoT risks through dependency modeling. The paper describes why this approach is well suited to estimate IoT risks.

Risk assessment for asteroid impact threat scenarios

Asteroid impacts can cause a wide range of damage through multiple potential hazards, from localized blast waves or thermal radiation, to tsunami inundation, to global climatic effects. The level of risk posed by these hazards depends not only upon their extent and severity, but also upon the likelihood of the various damage ranges. Some consequences may be more moderate but very likely, while others may be unlikely but catastrophic. Evaluating the risk from these hazards involves substantial uncertainties across all aspects of the problem, including the properties of the asteroid, the specifics of its entry, and the complex high-energy damage physics involved. NASA's Asteroid Threat Assessment Project (ATAP) performs Probabilistic Asteroid Impact Risk (PAIR) assessments that use fast-running entry and hazard models to evaluate millions of impact cases representing the distributions of these many uncertain parameters. This paper presents the current PAIR modeling tools and approaches used for evaluating specific asteroid impact threat cases. We give an overview of the current PAIR model used to support hypothetical impact threat scenarios and discuss some of the key applications of these assessment in supporting planetary defense response and preparedness. We then present the results and key findings from the recent 2023 PDC hypothetical impact exercise as an example of the primary types of risk results and metrics being developed to inform potential mitigation and response decisions. The 2023 PDC scenario represents an impact threat from a large 800-m asteroid with an initial uncertain size range from ∼150 m to 2 km in diameter, spanning sizes that would cause only local damage to sizes that could potentially cause tsunamis or global effects. Results demonstrate key assessment and response challenges for such large impact scenarios, and motivate the need for further modeling and simulation studies to better understand the potential onset and severity of regional and global-scale hazards.

Process-specific volatile organic compounds emission characteristics, environmental impact and health risk assessments of the petrochemical industry in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentration, source profiles, O3 and SOA formation, and health risks were investigated in the petrochemical industry in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. The results showed that total VOCs concentrations were 547.1-1956.5μg·m-3, and alkanes were the most abundant group in all processes (31.4%-54.6%), followed by alkenes (20.6%-29.2%) and aromatics (10.1%-25.1%). Moreover, ethylene (11.3%), iso-pentane (7.1%), n-hexane (5.1%), benzene (4.9%) and 2,2-dimethylbutae (4.8%) were identified as the top five species released for the whole petrochemical industry. The coefficient of divergence between the source profiles from different processes was 0.49-0.73, indicating that most source profiles must not be similar. Moreover, because of the different raw materials and technologies used, the source profiles in this study are significantly different from those of other regions. The ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation potentials (OFPs and SOAPs) were evaluated, suggesting that ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, m,p-xylene, and 1,3-butadiene should be preferentially controlled to reduce OFPs. That benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene, isopropylbenzene, o-ethyltoluene, and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene should be priority control compounds for SOAPs. Additionally, the total hazard ratio for non-cancer risk ranged from 0.9 to 7.7, and only living area was unlikely to be related to adverse health effects. Cancer risks associated with organic chemicals, rubber synthesis, oil refining, and wastewater collection and treatment have definite risks, whereas other processes have probable risks. This study provides a scientific basis for VOCs emission control and management and guides human health in the petrochemical industry.

Characterization, source identification and hazard index assessment of ingested microplastics in farmed tilapia Oreochromis niloticus

Plastic pollution is ubiquitous in marine and freshwater environments. Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus is one of the most important cultured fish species in South Asia. However, limited research has been conducted on the impact and hazard risk assessment of microplastic (MP) pollution on tilapia. This study characterized ingested MPs and identified potential sources of MPs in the gastrointestinal tracts (GTs) of farmed tilapia and their health risk assessment. GTs of 36 fish samples were collected from 12 tilapia fish farms in the Noakhali District, Bangladesh. A total of 199 MPs particles were extracted from all fish samples. Mean MPs abundance in tilapia GTs did not significantly vary among fish farms (F = 1.464, p = 0.209). The highest MPs numbers were 8 to 10 MPs/GT in tilapia collected from Farm 2, while the lowest MPs numbers were 3 to 5 MPs/GT from Farm 9. This study revealed that fibres were the dominant MPs shape in tilapia GTs (90.95 %). In the GT of tilapia, black (25.13 %), blue (24.12 %), and red (23.12 %) were the dominant colour of MPs. Most MPs found in tilapia GTs were within 300–1500 µm in size and accounted for 80.90 % of the total extracted MP particles. Identified polymers in GT samples were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which were consistent with reported results in the literature. Observed polymer hazard index (PHI) value of this study demonstrated that PP (PHI = 14.79) and PET (PHI = 33.12) were “High” risk category (hazard level III), while PE (PHI = 507.65) and PVC (PHI = 307,730.77) fell under “Danger” (hazard level IV) and “Extreme danger” (hazard level V) risk category, respectively. When ingested, these polymers could enter the human body directly and have adverse health effects that require additional research. Hopefully, this study will increase our understanding of the hazard index assessment of ingested microplastics through the farmed Tilapia O. niloticus and guide future research.

Integrating business impact analysis and risk assessment for physical asset criticality analysis: A framework for sustainable operations in process industries

The paper tackles the issue of managing physical assets in asset-intensive industries, where continuity plans are crucial for business operations during disruptions. However, resource constraints often hinder companies from implementing these plans for all their assets. Moreover, efforts to maximize resource utilization efficiency and minimize environmental impacts are limited to isolated disciplines, necessitating an integrated approach across natural, social, and technological systems. To address these challenges, this study proposes a framework based on a hybrid fuzzy BWM-TOPSIS methodology for identifying critical physical assets. The framework incorporates Business Impact Analysis (BIA) to determine essential products, a physical asset risk assessment matrix (PARAM) to assess critical assets based on likelihood and impact, and a mathematical model to estimate asset continuity parameters. The framework is applied to a petrochemical company in a case study, offering a guide for estimating the probability and impact of physical asset failure while accounting for inherent uncertainties. By adopting this framework, companies can efficiently manage their physical assets, prioritize continuity plans, and address resource constraints and uncertainties. This research contributes to practical tools and approaches that assist industries in sustaining operations and ensuring business continuity during disruptions.

Concentrations of PAHs from urban and rural areas in southern nigeria using polyurethane foams (PUF) passive samplers: Health impact and cancer risk assessment

Nigeria loses thousands of its populace annually to cancer. Probable upsurge in the atmospheric concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been suggested as a contributor to this menace. This baseline study has evaluated the concentrations of the 16 priority PAHs in urban and rural communities, Southern Nigeria to establish a nexus. Air samples were collected monthly for a period of 12 months from 10 sampling locations using passive samplers (polyurethane foams (PUF) disk). Results obtained revealed an average ambient air concentrations (∑16PAH) of 0.817 ± 0.33 µg/m3for the urban, 0.087 ± 0.05 µg/m3 for the rural and 0.011 ± 0.01 µg/m3 for the control site. Remarkably, the obtained urban and rural benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) mean concentrations, mainly from incessant combustion of unsorted municipal solid wastes and bush burning were outrageous (63 ng/m3 and 9 ng/m3 respectively), indicative of a significant cancer health hazard and a possible overlooked source of the global BaP burden. The Total Toxicity Equivalent Concentration (TTEC) were found to vary from 0.000063 – 0.417 µg/m3 with BaP once more reporting the highest toxicity value of 0.314 µg/m3. However, the Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) values obtained, ranged from 7.8 × 10−8 to 5 × 10−5 which were within the acceptable limits. The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) reported symptoms suggestive of exposure to PAHs, with neurological and respiratory symptoms being the most prevalent by 31.4 - 61.4 % of the respondents. Spatial and temporal variations in the obtained PAH data were found to be significant (p<0.05) with higher values reported in the densely populated urban locations and during the dry season months.. Source identication studies by principal component analysis (PCA) revealed petrol, diesel and solid wastes combustion as the dominant anthropogenic source of the recorded PAHs, while the diagnostic ratio analysis revealed pyrogenic sources as the predominant PAHs emission source.

The neglect of nonnative orthopterans as potential invaders: A call for awareness.

Despite the potential ecological and economic impacts of invasive species, there is a dearth of data on the presence, impacts, and management implications of potentially invasive Orthoptera species. This lack of research and inconsistent data, including risk screenings and impact assessments, is especially evident in Europe. Consequently, assessing the status, distribution, and potential threats of nonnative Orthoptera in Europe remains challenging, impeding the development of effective management strategies. To address this gap, we call for increased efforts to collect and curate data on non-native and possibly invasive Orthoptera in Europe. Such efforts will improve our understanding of this order's invasion dynamics, facilitate the identification of priority areas for conservation, and support the development of effective management policies and preventive measures.