Pollution Scenarios Research Articles

The EU Interreg Project “GEREMIA” on waste management for the improvement of port waters: results on monitoring the health status of fish as bioindicator

Highly anthropized areas as ports represent complex scenarios that require accurate monitoring plans aimed to address the environmental status. In this context, the activities of the EU Interreg Project “GEstione dei REflui per il MIglioramento delle Acque portuali (GEREMIA)” were focused on comparing sites differently affected by human presence, as the Port of Genoa and the natural area of the S’Ena Arrubia fishpond: a panel of analyses was carried out on Mugilidae fish sampled in these two areas, aimed to address trace metal accumulation in the liver, gills, and muscle, as well as cytochrome P450 (CYP450) induction in liver and biliary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites, and histopathological alterations in the liver and gills. Chemical analyses in the liver, gills, and muscle of specimens collected in the port area showed an overall higher degree of trace metal contamination compared to the natural fishpond, and similar results were obtained in terms of CYP450 induction and biliary PAH metabolites, suggesting a higher exposure to organic compounds. In addition, histopathological analyses revealed a significant alteration and then a loss of functionality of liver and gill tissue in individuals from the port. Overall, this study describes the complex environmental pollution scenario in the Port of Genoa, confirming the importance of using multidisciplinary approaches and different types of analyses to address both the presence and the effects of contaminants in marine environments.

Evaluation and Analysis of Environmental Noise Levels in NCT of Delhi, India

The present study reports the analysis of hourly equivalent noise levels of 100 sites in the NCT (National Capital Territory) of Delhi and correlates with the community perception that has not been reported so far. The study presents the environmental noise scenario of 100 sites in the NCT of Delhi, India, including 19 commercial, 9 industrial, 16 residential, 43 silence zones, 3 highway sites, and 10 intersection sites. The hourly equivalent noise levels of 100 sites were monitored at various timings between 9 AM and 8 PM to analyze the environmental noise pollution scenario in the city. Along with the hourly equivalent continuous sound levels (LAeq, 1 h); 10-percentile exceeded sound levels (L10), Traffic Noise Index (TNI), Noise Climate (NC), and Noise Pollution Level (NPL) of these sites were also computed. The LAeq, 1 h levels varied from 66.5 to 84.7 dB(A), and majority of the sites (90.0% sites) exhibited LAeq, 1 h between 70 and 80 dB(A). A noise map was developed in addition to a socio-acoustic survey conducted to analyze the public perception toward noise pollution and associated health hazards. The study revealed that road traffic noise along with honking noise is the major dominant source of noise pollution. It shall be very helpful in recommending appropriate noise control strategies for abatement and control of environmental noise pollution in the city.

Industrial wastewater source tracing: The initiative of SERS spectral signature aided by a one-dimensional convolutional neural network

The spectral fingerprint is a significant concept in nontarget screening of environmental samples to direct identification efforts to relevant and important features. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has long been recognized as an optical method that can provide fingerprint-like chemical information at the single-molecule level. Here, the advanced one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) approach was applied to accurately identify the SERS spectral signature of industrial wastewaters for source tracing. A total of 66,000 SERS spectra were acquired from wastewaters of 22 factories across 10 industrial categories at three excitation wavelengths after data augmentation. The dataset was used to train a 1D-CNN model consisting of three convolutional layers to achieve adequate feature extraction of SERS spectra. As a proof-of-concept, multimixed wastewater samples were used to simulate practical pollution scenarios and evaluate the application potential of the model. The SERS-1D-CNN platform can identify the amount and factory information of wastewaters in multimixed samples, which achieves a recognition accuracy rate of 97.33%. The results suggest that even in a complex and unknown water environment, the 1D-CNN model can accurately identify industrial wastewaters in precollected datasets, exhibiting excellent potential in pollution source tracing.

Stabilization of As and Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils by Two Mine Drainage-Treated Sludges

This study explored and analyzed the potential of the practical use of acid mine drainage-treated sludge (AMDS) as a new soil stabilizer for arsenic (As) and heavy metals. Various analyses, toxicity evaluations, and extraction batch experiments were performed to investigate the characteristics of the AMDS as a soil stabilizer and to identify the main mechanisms to fix As and heavy metals on the AMDS in soil. Two types of AMDS, copper metal mine drainage-treated sludge (MMDS) and coal mine drainage-treated sludge (CMDS) and four contaminated soils with different pollution scenarios were used in the experiments. ‘Soil A’ and ‘Soil D’ were mainly contaminated with Cd, Pb and Zn. ‘Soil B’ and ‘Soil C’ were contaminated with As. Results from XRD, XRF, SEM-EDS, TG-DTA, and BET analyses suggested that AMDS is mainly composed of Fe- and Ca- bearing minerals such as CaCO3, Ca(OH)2 and amorphous Fe-oxide (hydroxide), which have a large surface area and high adsorption capacity for As and heavy metals. From batch extraction experiments, the Pb stabilization efficiency of both of the AMDSs in soil A, which has a high Pb and Zn content, was higher than 90%. The high heavy metal stabilization efficiency comes directly from the electrostatic attraction between metal cations and the negatively charged AMDS surface and/or from the co-precipitation of metal oxide (hydroxide) and CaCO3, which occurs comprehensively on the AMDS surface. In the case of Zn, the stabilization efficiency in soil A was somewhat low due to the adsorption competition with Pb, but the Zn stabilization efficiency of the CMDS in soil A was higher than 80% (70% or higher for the MMDS). For soil D, the Zn stabilization efficiency of two AMDSs was higher than 85% because of the lower concentration of other heavy metals in soil D, compared to in soil A. The As stabilization efficiency of the AMDSs in soil contaminated with As (soil B and soil C) was higher than 85%, (mostly > 95%). The overall stabilization efficiency of two AMDSs for heavy metals and As were higher than 75% and 85% (mostly > 90%), respectively, regardless of soil type. We concluded that this high As stabilization efficiency was due to the formation of a new complex by ligand exchange between the Fe- (oxide) hydroxide and the arsenate and also to the cation bridge effect between the AMDS surface and the arsenate as well as the co-precipitation.

Water Footprint Calculation, Effluent Characteristics and Pollution Impact Assessment of Leather Industry in Bangladesh

Leather processing industries consume high volumes of water and chemicals and release effluents into the environment that pollute the surface water and may cause harm to human health. Leather processing involves different wet processing stages such as soaking, liming, chrome tanning, rechroming, neutralization, fatliqouring and dyeing. The pollution generated from the leather processing stages varies in volume, nature and concentrations. Qualitative and quantitative assessments of effluents generated from different stages of leather processing can be useful to understand the stagewise and overall water pollution of leather wet processing and to design and plan pollution abatement initiatives. Water footprints (WF) can help in understanding the total water consumption and water pollution caused by the leather sector. The objectives of this research are to assess the characteristics of effluents generated from different stages of leather processing, calculate the water footprint (WF) and analyze the pollution load of the Bangladesh leather sector. To perform experimental analyses, effluent samples were collected from the following leather processing stages: soaking, liming, deliming and bating, pickling and tanning, wet back, rechroming, neutralization, retanning, dyeing and fatliqouring from four leather processing factories. The key pollution indicating parameters, such as pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total dissolved solid (TDS) and total suspended solid (TSS) of the effluent samples were analyzed. The experimental study showed that almost 52% effluents generate from beam house and tan yard operations, and about 48% effluents generate from post tanning operations. Due to the presence of high amounts of salt, insecticides and bactericides, the effluent generated from the soaking stage contains high BOD and TDS. On the other hand, effluent generated from liming contains the highest amounts of BOD, COD, TDS, and TSS. The reduction or segregation of soaking and liming effluents will be effective in improving the environmental performance of the wet processing of leather. To assess the total water footprint of the leather sector, the water footprint of feed crops and raw hides were calculated, along with the water footprint of the leather processing stages. The water footprints of bovine and ovine crust leather were found to be 34,000 m3/ton and 17,300 m3/ton, respectively. The blue water footprint is higher in soaking, liming and finishing. The green water footprint of leather is mainly contributed by feed crops of farming animals. The grey water footprint was found higher in the soaking, liming, fatliqouring and dyeing stages. About 97% of the water footprints of tanneries are contributed by the wet processing stages. The grey water footprint is the most significant part of the total water footprint of the leather sector, which indicates the impact of high water pollution by the leather processing stages. This study can help to understand the overall scenario of water consumption and water pollution caused by the leather sector in Bangladesh. This study can also be useful in designing sustainable leather products by reducing the total water footprint per unit of leather goods. The systematic approach of this study could be useful for other countries in leather processing.

THE IMPACT OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS ON POLLUTION CONTROL: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are not only valued for their therapeutic properties and aromatic compounds but also exhibit significant potential in mitigating environmental pollution. Pollution is a global concern with detrimental effects on human health, ecosystems, and the environment. As the need for sustainable solutions to combat pollution grows, the potential of medicinal and aromatic plants in pollution control is gaining attention. This review aims to explore the impact of medicinal and aromatic plants in mitigating various forms of pollution and their potential as eco-friendly tools for environmental management. By examining the mechanisms by which these plants interact with pollutants and highlighting their efficacy in different pollution scenarios, this review provides insights into the multifaceted role of medicinal and aromatic plants in pollution control. With the increasing global concern over pollution and its detrimental effects on human health and ecosystems, exploring the role of MAPs in pollution control has gained significant attention. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of medicinal and aromatic plants on pollution control, highlighting their potential as sustainable and cost-effective solutions.

Performance of wetland applied to ecological remediation of abandoned fish ponds: A case study in Gonghu Bay, Tai lake

To restore the abandoned fish ponds to “near natural” state, the wetland restoration was carried out in Gonghu Bay lakeside, and its long-term performance of controlling external load was studied for 5 years. The findings showed that water quality and biodiversity had been improved dramatically after the preliminary transformation. The concentrations of permanganate index (CODMn), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) obviously decreased from 12.91 mg L−1 to 4.32 mg L−1, from 3.46 mg L−1 to 1.42 mg L−1, and from 0.27 mg L−1 to 0.04 mg L−1, respectively. The proportion of Cyanophyta was effectively reduced from 31.82% to 18.89%, and favored the growth of diatoms (31.82%–37.78%) to be the dominant algae species. Aquatic plant species and coverage gradually increased from 16 to 56 and from 5% to 60%, respectively. An in-deep monitoring done for 5 years (2013–2017) showed that the wetland achieved a satisfactory removal efficiency of 58.95% for TN, 64.60% for TP, and up to 77.83% for chlorophyll-a. Besides, three pollution scenarios, such as stormwater runoff, algal bloom, and continuous water transfer, were selected to explore the tolerance of the wetland to the suddenly increased pollution loads. The results dedicated that even if the inlet load was up to 1.0 × 105 m3 d−1, the removal rate coefficients of wetland for chlorophyll-a, TP, and TN were 0.135–0.239 d−1, 0.041–0.112 d−1, and 0.030–0.109 d−1, respectively, which were equivalent to the well-running wetlands. This study confirmed that the wetland was not only a promising ecological remediation technique to contaminated abandoned fish ponds, but also could withstand high pollution load, which had the prospect of sustainable utilization.

Statistical source analysis of recurring sulfur dioxide pollution events in a chemical industrial park

The whole process of a retrospective source analysis for a historical SO2 pollution scenario in a chemical industrial park occurred during 2016–2017 is introduced. The case was a recurring SO2 pollution event at one of the monitoring sites (M1) in the park. A total of 68 samples for the SO2 pollution scenario were identified from the measurements at M1. The pollution scenario was identified as a single-source event based on pollution characteristics analysis. The main challenge was that the first-hand support data was only the measurements at one monitor while having many more sources. Statistical source analysis based on Kalman filter algorithm and CALPUFF model together with emission rate constraints and tracer species for source verification were incorporated in the final analysis strategy. Results show that the source of SO2 pollution belonged to a catalytic cracking production unit. The cumulative matching rate of the real source was about 37%, and the average emission rate of SO2 was 47.94 ± 73.27 g/s. It is evident that the comprehensive source analysis strategy established in this study was effective for improving certainty of source localization. The effectiveness of this strategy and the feasibility of simplified source simulation in the absence of detailed source data are discussed in detail.

Current scenario and challenges of plastic pollution in Bangladesh: a focus on farmlands and terrestrial ecosystems.

Plastic is considered one of the most indispensable commodities in our daily life. At the end of life, the huge ever-growing pile of plastic waste (PW) causes serious concerns for our environment, including agricultural farmlands, groundwater quality, marine and land ecosystems, food toxicity and human health hazards. Lack of proper infrastructure, financial backup, and technological advancement turn this hazardous waste plastic management into a serious threat to developing countries, especially for Bangladesh. A comprehensive review of PW generation and its consequences on environment in both global and Bangladesh contexts is presented. The dispersion routes of PW from different sources in different forms (microplastic, macroplastic, nanoplastic) and its adverse effect on agriculture, marine life and terrestrial ecosystems are illustrated in this work. The key challenges to mitigate PW pollution and tackle down the climate change issue is discussed in this work. Moreover, way forward toward the design and implementation of proper PW management strategies are highlighted in this study.

Hatchery tanks induce intense reduction in microbiota diversity associated with gills and guts of two endemic species of the São Francisco River.

The São Francisco River (SFR), one of the main Brazilian rivers, has suffered cumulative anthropogenic impacts, leading to ever-decreasing fish stocks and environmental, economic, and social consequences. Rhinelepis aspera and Prochilodus argenteus are medium-sized, bottom-feeding, and rheophilic fishes from the SFR that suffer from these actions. Both species are targeted for spawning and restocking operations due to their relevance in artisanal fisheries, commercial activities, and conservation concerns. Using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we characterized the microbiome present in the gills and guts of these species recruited from an impacted SFR region and hatchery tanks (HT). Our results showed that bacterial diversity from the gill and gut at the genera level in both fish species from HT is 87% smaller than in species from the SFR. Furthermore, only 15 and 29% of bacterial genera are shared between gills and guts in R. aspera and P. argenteus from SFR, respectively, showing an intimate relationship between functional differences in organs. In both species from SFR, pathogenic, xenobiont-degrading, and cyanotoxin-producer bacterial genera were found, indicating the critical pollution scenario in which the river finds itself. This study allowed us to conclude that the conditions imposed on fish in the HT act as important modulators of microbial diversity in the analyzed tissues. It also raises questions regarding the effects of these conditions on hatchery spawn fish and their suitability for restocking activities, aggravated by the narrow genetic diversity associated with such freshwater systems.

Role Of Natural Environment As Stimulating Outdoor Play Space For Children – A Study Of Bhopal, India

Play is the origin of all learnings in children, it lets you explore, discover, take risks, fall, succeed, become spontaneous, creative and test many other capabilities. Furthermore, as playful activities are fun and purposeless, they significantly contribute to their physical, social, cognitive & emotional development. To be able to play freely is the right of every child. But in the present scenario of rapid urbanization, increased traffic, pollution, crammed spaces and other hazards have diminished their access to natural outdoor environs. This has led to ignorance of quality and dedicated play spaces. As a result, they are forced to play in poorly designed grounds often hammered with repetitive equipment which leads to a rigid and monotonous play pattern. It has been found that the children have affinity towards natural elements & it nurtures their overall growth. As nature unfolds its complex and unexpected experiences of rain, waterfall, wind, birds, mud splashing and leaves falling, it sparks curiosity while it provides an arena to play. Every child responds in multiple ways to these interactions with nature, and hence creates a plethora of opportunities to enjoy and learn innocently. This paper aims to study these natural relationships & the prospects it creates for a ‘quality’ play that can accommodate a child’s needs & behaviour. The methodology for this research includes qualitative analysis (behaviour mapping, photo projection) and quantitative survey (social questionnaire). This study shall become the basis for the landscape architects to design play spaces integrated with natural environment.

RSM process optimization of biodiesel production from rapeseed oil and waste corn oil in the presence of green and novel catalyst

In the scenario of global warming and pollution, the green synthesis and use of biodiesel has acquired utmost priority. Due to several limitations of homogeneous catalysis, organobase immobilized heterogeneous catalyzed production of biodiesel has come out as a favored route. The present report demonstrates the design and synthesis of Peganum harmala spice seed extract modified GO-CuFe2O4 (SSE@GO-CuFe2O4) nanocomposite as an organobase functionalized high surface area magnetic nanocatalyst. Pistachio leaves were used in the green reduction of precursor salts to synthesize CuFe2O4 NPs. The as-synthesized nanomaterial was characterized physicochemically by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-Ray analysis (EDX), elemental mapping, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and vibrating sample magnetometer techniques (VSM). Subsequently, the catalyst was explored in the efficient synthesis of biodiesels by trans-esterification of two substrates, the rapeseed oil and waste corn oil. The optimum conditions for biodiesel production were determined through response surface methodology based on Box–Behnken design including the study of calibration curves and 3D contour plots. Easy separation and workup, use of green medium, excellent reused for several times and short reaction time are outstanding benefits of this study.

Do sediment-bound nickel and lead affect chironomids life-history? Toxicity assessment under environmentally relevant conditions

Metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems translates into increased concentrations of sediment-bound metals, representing a risk for benthic species. This risk might be enhanced in soft and moderately hard waters, world widely distributed, due to the protective role of hardness against metal toxicity. As lead (Pb) and nickel (Ni) are amongst the more abundant metals in aquatic systems, and since their combined effects to benthic species have been overlooked, in this study we aimed to investigate the life-cycle toxicity of Pb and Ni (using spiked sediment) to the benthic species Chironomus riparius, considering both single and mixture exposures, in moderately hard water. Environmentally relevant concentrations of each metal were used (25 and 75 mg kg−1, based on a scenario of pollution by runoff waters from burnt forests), following a full factorial design. Effects of the mixture with the highest metal concentrations (Pb 75 mg kg−1 dw + Ni 75 mg kg−1 dw) were also assessed in the second generation. In the first generation, exposure to Pb increased emergence and the weight of males, and decreased time to emergence of both males and females. Conversely, exposure to Ni delayed female emergence and decreased the weight of imagoes. Summarizing, Pb affected more endpoints but showed an apparent positive effect, whereas Ni affected less endpoints but exhibited adverse effects. Reproduction was not affected by these metals. In the second generation, the mixture Pb 75 mg kg−1 + Ni 75 mg kg−1 dw delayed emergence and reduced the emerged female fraction and their weight. These results highlight that Pb and Ni can alter the structure of C. riparius populations at environmentally relevant concentrations, which signals potential repercussions in the dynamics and functioning of freshwater ecosystems under these contamination scenarios. The findings of the present study are relevant not only for metal-polluted environments, in general, but also for fire-affected ecosystems.

A tool for air pollution scenarios (TAPS v1.0) to enable global, long-term, and flexible study of climate and air quality policies

Abstract. Air pollution is a major sustainability challenge – and future anthropogenic precursor and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will greatly affect human well-being. While mitigating climate change can reduce air pollution both directly and indirectly, distinct policy levers can affect these two interconnected sustainability issues across a wide range of scenarios. We help to assess such issues by presenting a public Tool for Air Pollution Scenarios (TAPS) that can flexibly assess pollutant emissions from a variety of climate and air quality actions, through the tool's coupling with socioeconomic modeling of climate change mitigation. In this study, we develop and implement TAPS with three components: recent global and fuel-specific anthropogenic emissions inventories, scenarios of emitting activities to 2100 from the MIT Economic Projection and Policy Analysis (EPPA) model, and emissions intensity trends based on recent scenario data from the Greenhouse Gas–Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model. An initial application shows that in scenarios with less climate and pollution policy ambition, near-term air quality improvements from existing policies are eclipsed by long-term emissions increases – particularly from industrial processes that combine sharp production growth with less stringent pollution controls in developing regions. Additional climate actions would substantially reduce air pollutant emissions related to fossil fuel (such as sulfur and nitrogen oxides), while further pollution controls would lead to larger reductions for ammonia and organic carbon (OC). Future applications of TAPS could explore diverse regional and global policies that affect these emissions, using pollutant emissions results to drive global atmospheric chemical transport models to study the scenarios' health impacts.

Productive versus environmental objectives of agricultural policies dealing with climate change: a French case study

The study aims at reconciling contrasting productive and environmental goals of agricultural policies at a given budget in the context of climate change. Based on a quantitative bioeconomic model integrating interdependencies between agricultural systems and agroecosystems, we compare the impacts of 4 contrasted public policy scenarios based either on productive (food or energy) or environmental goals (pollution reduction or ecosystem state) on a set of 18 bioeconomic indicators. We run the policy scenarios under two contrasted climate change scenarios to investigate their robustness. We confirm that it is possible to achieve productive and environmental goals with the on-going budget of European agricultural policy. Synergies between productive and environmental performances exist even if they are not trivial nor systematic. More precisely, an agricultural public policy which focuses on energy production might offer a good compromise regarding the different facets of agricultural landscapes. The Pollution scenario constitutes a credible environmentally oriented alternative even if it remains slightly less competitive regarding both ecological and economic sides than an energy-oriented policy. Eventually, our analysis shows that our conclusions are robust to climate change, suggesting that adequate agricultural public policies might attenuate climate change effects when considering intermediary climate change scenarios.

A gap-filling hybrid approach for hourly PM2.5 prediction at high spatial resolution from multi-sourced AOD data

Despite a growing interest in the satellite derived estimation of ground-level PM2.5 concentrations, modeling hourly PM2.5 levels at high spatial resolution with complete coverage for a large study domain remains a challenge. The primary modeling challenges lie in the presence of missing data in aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the limited data resolution for a single-platformed satellite AOD product. To address these issues, we developed a gap-filling hybrid approach to estimate full coverage hourly ground-level PM2.5 concentrations at a high spatial resolution of 1 km using multi-platformed and multi-scale satellite derived AOD products. Specifically, we filled the gaps and downscaled the multi-sourced AOD from Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC), and Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications - version 2 (MERRA-2), using a hybrid data fusion approach. The fused hourly AOD with full coverage was then used for hourly PM2.5 predictions at a high spatial resolution of 1 km. We demonstrated the application of the proposed approach and assessed its performance using the data collected from northeastern Asia from 2015 to 2019. Our fused hourly AOD data showed high accuracy with the mean absolute error of 0.14 and correlation coefficient of 0.94, in validation against Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) AOD. Our AOD-based PM2.5 prediction model showed a good prediction accuracy with cross-validated R2 of 0.85 and root mean squared error of 12.40 μg/m3, respectively. Given that the highly resolved PM2.5 predictions captured both the temporal trend and the peak of PM2.5 pollution scenarios, we concluded that the proposed hybrid approach can effectively combine multi-sourced satellite AOD and derive subsequent PM2.5 distributions at high spatial and temporal resolutions.

Coupling Hydrological and Hydrodynamic Models for Assessing the Impact of Water Pollution on Lake Evaporation

The present study evaluated the impact of hydrological variability on the hydrodynamics of an urban lake in Brazil, considering water quality dynamics and its effects on evaporation. The Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was applied to the lake basin, and the two-dimensional model CE-QUAL-W2 was used to simulate the hydrodynamics and lake evaporation. The two models were coupled to carry out the integrated basin-lake modeling. Then, two water quality models were applied: a transient complete mixing model and an empirical model based on wind speed. Time series of total phosphorus (TP) were generated, and empirical correlations between TP and hydrological variables were proposed. Modeled TP and measured biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) were correlated with monthly Class A pan coefficients (K) adjusted for the lake. The K-values were negatively correlated with TP modeled by the complete mixing model (R2 = 0.76) and the empirical model (R2 = 0.52), as well as by BOD measurements (R2 = 0.85). This indicates that water pollution attenuates evaporation rates. Scenarios of lake pollution and level reduction due to evaporation were also analyzed. The results from this study are important to improve the management of lakes and reservoirs by including the impact of pollution on the water balance.

Environmental pollution by microplastics and its consequences on human health

Introduction: In recent years there has been a considerable increase in the use of plastic products for different purposes. Many of the plastics generated are dumped into the environment inappropriately. Therefore, it is possible to find plastic waste in different ecosystems, with the marine environment being one of the most impacted. The objective of this review is to identify the impacts of microplastics on the environment and their impact on human health. Methodology: This work corresponds to a narrative literature review, using articles published from 2017 to 2022. The search for articles was carried out in the following databases: Sciencedirect, Scholar Google and Springer-Verlag, using the descriptors: microplastics, plastic pollution and environmental impact. Result: Plastics discarded in the environment go through different processes, such as environmental and biological stresses synergistically which allow these plastics to be broken down into particles smaller than 5 mm called microplastics. The current scenario of microplastic pollution is in evidence and has been causing concern to researchers around the world, since these pollutants are complex contaminants and have significant toxic effects. Current research proves that prolonged exposure to these particles jeopardizes the survival of marine life and induces serious damage to human health, since they can cause damage to the cell and its genetic material, in addition to providing a surface for the transport of microorganisms. And other chemical compounds. Conclusion: Studies show that microplastics pose potential risks to the marine environment and threaten human health, requiring urgent action to recover and avoid environmental impacts.

Human Health Risk Assessment of Harmful Heavy Metals and Uranium Exposure in Shallow Aquifer of Nagaon, the Highest Populated District of Assam, India

Abstract The present investigation attempts to assess the harmful heavy metals and uranium exposure in shallow aquifers of the highest populated district Nagaon in the central Brahmaputra floodplain of Assam, India. Spatial distribution using the inverse distanced weighted interpolation method in Arc GIS, various pollution indices and health risk assessment indices pooled with statistical studies were employed to appraise the pollution scenario and potential health risk. The contamination degree index for the three locations was 14.09, 21.43 and 25.95, signifying a considerable degree of contamination. The excess cancer risk due to the radioactivity of uranium in adults and children of Nagaon district is negligible compared to the prescribed limit of 1.67×10-4 set by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. The average concentration of the analyzed heavy metal follows the order Mn > Fe > Zn > Cu > Ni > U > Pb > Cr > Cd. The notch box plot study reveals that the risk associated with the ingestion of water contaminated with heavy metals is higher than the dermal absorption. The HQIngestion of manganese in children shows a higher range (0.003-6.85) than in adults (0.002-4.12), with a median value of 0.14 compared to 0.08 in adults. Both adults and children are vulnerable to non- carcinogenic risks, and the risk is higher in children than in adults.

Spatio-temporal analysis of air quality and its relationship with COVID-19 lockdown over Dublin

Air pollution has become one of the biggest challenges for human and environmental health. Major pollutants such as Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Ozone (O3), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) are being ejected in a large quantity every day. Initially, authorities did not implement the strictest mitigation policies due to pressures of balancing the economic needs of people and public safety. Still, after realizing the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the world imposed a complete lockdown to contain the outbreak, which had the unexpected benefit of causing a drastic improvement in air quality. The present study investigates the air pollution scenarios over the Dublin city through satellites (Sentinel-5P and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and ground-based observations. An average of 28% reduction in average NO2 level and a 27.7% improvement in AQI (Air Quality Index) was experienced in 2020 compared to 2019 during the lockdown period (27 March–05 June). We found that PM10 and PM2.5 are the most dominating factor in the AQI over Dublin.