Potential Human Health Hazards Research Articles

Biological control effect of Trichoderma harzianum (Hypocreales: Hypocreaceae) against phytopathogens

AbstractChemical pesticides are synthetic substances created to manage plant pests. Frequent chemical usage causes extensive damage to crops and contributes to pest resistance, leading to environmental contamination, harm to non‐target organisms, the emergence of pesticide‐resistant species, and potential health hazards for humans. The aim of this study is to isolate, identify, and characterize biocontrol agents Trichoderma harzianum and evaluate their effects on various plant phytopathogens. T. harzianum biocontrol effects were tested against various fungal phytopathogens, including Sclerotium rolfsii, Alternaria sp., Pythium aphanidermatum, Macrophomina phaseolina, Fusarium oxysporum, Helminthosporium sativum, and Aspergillus niger. The results clearly showed that, compared to the other Trichoderma species, TVK1 demonstrated the highest ability to suppress phytopathogens, with a growth inhibition rate of 2.48 cm per day. TVK2 grows at a rate of 1.96 cm per day, whereas TVK5 grows at a rate of 1.98 cm per day. The level of antifungal volatile organic compounds produced by TVK1 spores was higher against plant pathogens compared to the other species examined. This compound inhibits the growth of plant pathogens. T. harzianum can eliminate 100% of S. rolfsii pathogens and 100% of Alternaria sp. Pathogens were reduced by 92.02% for A. niger, 94% for F. oxysporum, 100% for P. aphanidermatum, 94.07% for H. sativum, and 100% for M. phaseolina. In a detached leaf assay, TVK1 inhibited the growth of pathogens in various plant leaves, including tomato, mustard, and eggplant, when compared to both the commercially available fungicide and the control. The study confirms that the isolate TVK1 can combat various phytopathogens. Early application of T. harzianum can reduce the risk of phytopathogenic attacks on leaves and promote plant growth.

Improving a herbicide risk assessment model in paddy rice cultivation

Herbicides play a pivotal role in paddy rice cultivation by effectively controlling weeds, thus ensuring optimal resource utilisation and higher crop yields, making them indispensable for efficient rice production systems. However, herbicide applications could be related to potential environmental impacts such as water contamination and harm to non-target species, requiring special attention in their management to ensure the long-term sustainability of rice farming practices. The development and utilisation of robust risk assessment indicators for pesticides are essential tools in evaluating and mitigating potential environmental and human health hazards associated with pesticide use in agricultural practices. The Environmental Potential Risk Indicator for Pesticides (EPRIP) is not suitable for rice paddy cultivation due to its limitations in accurately assessing pesticide risk in this specific agricultural context. This is primarily attributed to the unique hydrological characteristics and ecosystem dynamics of paddy fields, which significantly differ from other agricultural systems. To address this issue and to enhance the accuracy of pesticide risk assessment in rice paddy fields, EPRIP has been improved and validated in two agricultural seasons. A synergistic approach involving field experiments and enhanced EPRIP model simulations was employed to assess the risk associated with the application of two herbicides in Italian paddy rice systems. The observed and model-predicted surface water (SW) concentrations exhibited a close alignment, though an overestimation was observed for groundwater (GW). In general, the estimated Risk Points (1 for SW and 4 for GW) were largely in accord with those derived from the field experiments (1 for SW and 3 for GW), suggesting that the refined EPRIP model holds promise for conducting reliable risk assessments following herbicide applications in such contexts.

AMMONIUM, NITRATE AND NITRITE CONCENTRATIONS IN DRINKING WATER OF THE SOUTH BAČKA DISTRICT OF VOJVODINA

Safe drinking water is one of the basic conditions for life on our planet, necessary for all vital processes in the biosphere. Pollution of water sources, largely from wide-scale agricultural fertilizer use, has resulted in nitrate and nitrite contamination of drinking water. Aim: To determine the concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite in drinking water as potential hazards in the settlements of the South Bačka administrative district of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (northern part of Serbia). A cross-sectional study was conducted during 2019. We analysed 8434 drinking water samples (7319 purified chlorinated, 386 untreated but chlorinated, and 729 untreated). For assessing the concentration of ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite in drinking water, samples were analyzed by a certified laboratory at the Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina using spectrophotometric method. After analyzing samples of purified chlorinated, untreated chlorinated, and untreated water, the exceedance of the prescribed values of ammonium were found in 0.45%, 64.77% and 68.45%, and for nitrites in 0.04%, 5.96% and 0.82% of the samples, respectively. The concentration of nitrate in drinking water concerning the degree of water purification (purified chlorinated and untreated water) exceeded the prescribed value in 0.01% and 5% of the samples, respectively. Determined exceedances of the prescribed limit values for nitrite concentrations recorded in purified chlorinated, untreated chlorinated, and untreated drinking water as well as for nitrate mainly in untreated drinking water, could be considered as potential hazards for human health, especially for the sensitive population group.

Impacts of cyanobacterial metabolites on fish: Socioeconomic and environmental considerations

AbstractThe increasing global population has led to rising demand for food, particularly protein. As an excellent source of protein, fish play a crucial role in meeting this demand, making aquaculture a highly impactful industry. Floating cages have been developed as a method of fish management and production to achieve high productivity and volume. However, these intensive fish farming practices can contribute to eutrophication, leading to changes in primary producers and promoting the excessive proliferation of cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria blooms pose significant consequences to aquatic ecosystems, including potential risks to fish exposed to harmful cyanobacterial metabolites. Cyanobacterial metabolites encompass various chemical classes, such as terpenoids, carotenoids, alkaloids, cyanopeptides, amino acids, organophosphates, macrolides, and lipopolysaccharides. Some of these compounds' toxicity and impact on fish farms still need to be better understood. Cyanotoxins and off‐flavour compounds in fish farms can pose risks to water and fish quality and potential health hazards for humans throughout the food chain. Therefore, cyanobacteria in fish farms can have significant economic, environmental, and public health implications. This review examines the concerns associated with cyanobacterial natural products in fish farming, including off‐flavours, known cyanotoxins, and other potentially toxic compounds, while exploring their socioeconomic and environmental risks.

Remediation of Cd-polluted soil, improving Brassica napus L. growth and soil health with Hardystonite synthesized with zeolite, limestone, and green Zinc oxide nanoparticles

Acidic laterite may exhibit high cadmium (Cd) bioavailability and thus can cause potential environmental and human health hazards. We investigated the soil addition of zeolite (Ze), limestone (LS), and green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (G-ZNPs) as sole soil additives, their mixture (LZ-Zn) and synthesized hardystonite {(S-Hyd), produced by calcination of all three additives}, to reduce Cd uptake and mitigate oxidative stress in Brassica napus L. (B. napus). Synthesis of hardystonite (S-Hyd) was confirmed by SEM, EDS, FTIR, and XRD and showed superior results than other additives for improving various parameters of plants and soil. Porous structure, larger surface area, alkaline properties, different functional groups (-OH, CO32−, Zn–O), and mineral crystals (cristobalite, calcite, zincite, and hardystonite) in S-Hyd facilitated Cd adsorption, reducing DTPA-Cd by 50%, compared to sole Cd polluted soil. S-Hyd enhanced soil enzymes and notably reduced Cd concentrations in plant roots and shoots by 59% and 78%, respectively, thereby decreasing the expression of Cd transport-related genes in plants. Interestingly, S-Hyd enhanced antioxidative defense, bioactive compounds, and photosynthetic pigments while lowering oxidative stress at molecular and physiological levels of plants. Economic comparison revealed that using S-Hyd was 87.0% more cost-effective than naturally occurring hardystonite (Hyd) to remediate Cd-polluted soil.

Quantitative risk ranking of mycotoxins in milk under climate change scenarios

Mycotoxins are toxic fungal metabolites that may occur in crops. Mycotoxins may carry-over into bovine milk if bovines ingest mycotoxin-contaminated feed. Due to climate change, there may be a potential increase in the prevalence and concentration of mycotoxins in crops. However, the toxicity to humans and the carry-over rate of mycotoxins from feed to milk from bovines varies considerably. This research aimed to rank emerging and existing mycotoxins under different climate change scenarios based on their occurrence in milk and their toxicity to humans. The quantitative risk ranking took a probabilistic approach, using Monte-Carlo simulation to take account of input uncertainties and variabilities. Mycotoxins were ranked based on their hazard quotient, calculated using estimated daily intake and tolerable daily intake values. Four climate change scenarios were assessed, including an Irish baseline model in addition to best-case, worst-case, and most likely scenarios, corresponding to equivalent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios. This research prioritised aflatoxin B1, zearalenone, and T-2 and HT-2 toxin as potential human health hazards for adults and children compared to other mycotoxins under all scenarios. Relatively lower risks were found to be associated with mycophenolic acid, enniatins, and deoxynivalenol. Overall, the carry-over rate of mycotoxins, the milk consumption, and the concentration of mycotoxins in silage, maize, and wheat were found to be the most sensitive parameters (positively correlated) of this probabilistic model. Though climate change may impact mycotoxin prevalence and concentration in crops, the carry-over rate notably affects the final concentration of mycotoxin in milk to a greater extent. The results obtained in this study facilitate the identification of risk reduction measures to limit mycotoxin contamination of dairy products, considering potential climate change influences.

Environmental health risk assessment and source apportion of heavy metals using chemometrics and pollution indices in the upper Yamuna river basin, India

River Yamuna is the largest tributary of the Ganges with great economic importance, and provides water for about 57 million people and accounts for more than 70% of Delhi's water supply. Various pollution indices and chemometric methods were used to investigate heavy metal pollution, associated risks, and probable sources in the upper Yamuna river water. A total of 56 river water samples, 28 each in pre and post-monsoon season were collected and analysed for 15 heavy metals. The findings reveal that Al (38.66 ± 21.14 μg/L), As (16.52 ± 15.81 μg/L), and Mn (41.06 ± 89.25 μg/L) in pre-monsoon and Al (45.77 ± 29.46 μg/L), As (10.30 ± 12.15 μg/L), Fe (48.03 ± 81.11 μg/L), and Mn (31.02 ± 70.13 μg/L) in post-monsoon exceeded the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) acceptable limits. The pollution indices (HPI, NPI, HEI, and Cd) indicate that most locations are low to moderately polluted, except for the lower catchment. Health indices, i.e., hazard Index (HI) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR), suggest that the prolonged consumption of river water may cause potential human health hazards. In contrast, the water is suitable for domestic and other uses as the dermal risk is less prominent. The ecological risk index (ERI) of pre (0.22–58.75) and post-monsoon (0.12–44.21) were in the low-risk category (<110), indicating no ecological risk associated with heavy metals. In pre and post-monsoon, four principal components (PCs) described 73.97% and 76.18% of the total variance respectively, suggesting the mixed impact of numerous geogenic and anthropogenic sources in the region's water chemistry. Cluster analysis demonstrates that the lower catchment samples (National Capital Region, Delhi) significantly vary from each other due to wastewater discharge, industrialisation, and rapid urbanization, while the upper and mid-catchment samples are less distinct. Hence, more than 90% of the Yamuna water is extracted from the upper region; present findings may aid in developing an effective catchment scale management strategy.

Isolation and characterization of a newly chrysene-degrading Achromobacter aegrifaciens.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered substances of potential human health hazards because of their resistance to biodegradation and carcinogenic index. Chrysene is a PAH with a high molecular weight (HMW) that poses challenges for its elimination from the environment. However, bacterial degradation is an effective, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective solution. In our study, we isolated a potential chrysene-degrading bacteria from crude oil-contaminated seawater (Bizerte, Tunisia). Based on 16SrRNA analysis, the isolate S5 was identified as Achromobacter aegrifaciens. Furthermore, the results revealed that A. aegrifaciens S5 produced a biofilm on polystyrene at 20 °C and 30 °C, as well as at the air-liquid (A-L) interface. Moreover, this isolate was able to swim and produce biosurfactants with an emulsification activity (E24%) over 53%. Chrysene biodegradation by isolate S5 was clearly assessed by an increase in the total viable count. Confirmation was obtained via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses. A. aegrifaciens S5 could use chrysene as its sole carbon and energy source, exhibiting an 86% degradation of chrysene on day 7. In addition, the bacterial counts reached their highest level, over 25 × 1020 CFU/mL, under the conditions of pH 7.0, a temperature of 30 °C, and a rotary speed of 120 rpm. Based on our findings, A. aegrifaciens S5 can be a potential candidate for bioremediation in HMW-PAH-contaminated environments.

Application of biosurfactant surfactin for the removal of heavy metals from contaminated water and soil via a micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration process

The presence of toxic metals in natural environments presents a potential health hazard for humans, and the removal of toxic metals remains a major challenge. In this study, biosurfactant surfactin was used to remove heavy metals from contaminated soil via a micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) process. Results demonstrate that anionic surfactin with two –COO− groups can bind heavy metals through electrostatic interactions at a pH above its pKa value and then be rejected by the ultrafiltration membranes, resulting in efficient removal of heavy metal ions. By optimizing the operation parameters, over 98% of metals can be removed by adding surfactin at a surfactin/metals ratio of 3:1. Moreover, membrane fouling was characterized and eliminated by an optimized cleaning strategy. Membrane flux recovery can be obtained at 94% without losing separation efficiency. Finally, the validity of the present process was confirmed on real contaminated water and soil, and over 99.2% of metals were removed. Hence, MEUF with surfactin is a reliable and efficient approach for removing heavy metals from contaminated water and soil.

Identification of potential hazard of consumption of novel products to public health (systematic review)

Introduction. Declining volumes of meat production are associated, among other things, with fight against global warming. This unavoidably stimulates the scientific community to look for alternative sources of protein. However, novel foods can pose a potential health threat for consumers.&#x0D; The aim was to search for data on a potential threat for human health posed by consuming the most widely spread novel foods.&#x0D; Materials and methods. To achieve that, we accomplished a systematic review of relevant information sources using PRISMA recommendations on how to perform a systemic review of research articles. Overall, we analyzed more than two thousand sources to identify their relevance to the aim of this study; ultimately 64 sources were selected for analysis. &#x0D; Results. Within this review, three groups of novel foods of animal origin were identified and considered. They were the most frequently mentioned in studies investigating potential health hazards for humans. We analyzed these potential hazards caused by consuming novel foods; it was established that attention should be paid to probable changes in biological values of protein in a novel food, undeclared or unintended chemicals in it, and hyper-reactivity of the human immune system. Besides, when insect or GM-animal proteins are used as food raw materials, a probability of pathogenic microorganisms in them should not be neglected. A distinctive feature of foods manufactured from GM-animals is estimation of a potential hazard associated with probable transfer of changed genes to the opportunistic gut microflora.&#x0D; Limitations. The study addressing potential health hazards posed by consumption of new foods considered only ‘new food products’ of animal origin.&#x0D; Conclusion. The systemic review of relevant information sources was aimed to identify potential health hazards posed by consumption of novel food of animal origin and allowed fulfilling hazard identification as the first stage in health risk assessment.

Radon on Mt. Etna (Italy): a useful tracer of geodynamic processes and a potential health hazard to populations

Radon gas and its radioactive daughters have been extensively studied on Mt. Etna, both in local volcanic rocks and in all types of fluid emissions from the volcano (crater gases, fumaroles, mofettes, soil gases, groundwaters). The first measurements date back to 1976 and were carried out both in local volcanic rocks and in the crater plume. Since then, fifty-four scientific articles have been published. The largest majority of them (more than 50%) correlated radon emissions with volcanic activity and/or magma dynamics inside Mt. Etna. Many others were focused on possible correlations between time variations of in-soil radon and tectonic activity. The concentration of radionuclides in Etna volcanic rocks was measured on several occasions in order to set background values of radon parents and to study the dynamics of Etna magmas. Some articles analyzed the concentrations of radon in Etna groundwaters and their temporal changes in relation to volcanic activity. Only a few studies focused on methodological aspects of radon measurements in the laboratory. Finally, in recent years, geoscientists began to analyze the possible negative effects on human health from high concentrations of indoor radon in houses near active faults. The overall results show that, in most cases, it is possible to understand the endogenous mechanisms that cause changes in soil radon release from rocks and its migration to the surface. Several physical models were produced to explain how those changes were correlated with Etna’s volcanic activity, making them potential precursors, especially in the cases of eruptive paroxysms. More complex is the analysis of radon changes in relation to tectonic activity. Indeed, if measurements of radon in soil is now considered a robust methodology for identifying buried faults, radon time variations are not always clearly correlated with seismic activity. This difficulty is likely due to the complex interplay between tectonic stress, magma migration/eruption and gas release through faults. In any case, the potential high hazard for human health due to high concentrations of indoor radon in houses close to faults seems to be a well-established fact, which requires particular attention both from the scientific community and the public health authorities.

Predicting binding between 55 cannabinoids and 4,799 biological targets by in silico methods.

Recently, there has been an increase in cannabis-derived products being marketed as foods, dietary supplements, and other consumer products. Cannabis contains over a hundred cannabinoids, many of which have unknown physiological effects. Since there are large numbers of cannabinoids, and many are not commercially available for in vitro testing, an in silico tool (Chemotargets Clarity software) was used to predict binding between 55 cannabinoids and 4,799 biological targets (enzymes, ion channels, receptors, and transporters). This tool relied on quantitative structure activity relationships (QSAR), structural similarity, and other approaches to predict binding. From this screening, 827 cannabinoid-target binding pairs were predicted, which included 143 unique targets. Many cannabinoids sharing core structures (cannabinoid "types") had similar binding profiles, whereas most cannabinoids containing carboxylic acid groups were similar without regards to their core structure. For some of the binding predictions (43), in vitro binding data were available, and they agreed well with in silico binding data (median fourfold difference in binding concentrations). Finally, clinical adverse effects associated with 22 predicted targets were identified from an online database (Clarivate Off-X), providing important insights on potential human health hazards. Overall, in silico biological target predictions are a rapid means to identify potential hazards due to cannabinoid-target interactions, and the data can be used to prioritize subsequent in vitro and in vivo testing.

Application of systematic evidence mapping to identify available data on the potential human health hazards of selected market-relevant azo dyes

BackgroundAzo dyes are used in textiles and leather clothing. Human exposure can occur from wearing textiles containing azo dyes. Since the body’s enzymes and microbiome can cleave azo dyes, potentially resulting in mutagenic or carcinogenic metabolites, there is also an indirect health concern on the parent compounds. While several hazardous azo dyes are banned, many more are still in use that have not been evaluated systematically for potential health concerns. This systematic evidence map (SEM) aims to compile and categorize the available toxicological evidence on the potential human health risks of a set of 30 market-relevant azo dyes. MethodsPeer-reviewed and gray literature was searched and over 20,000 studies were identified. These were filtered using Sciome Workbench for Interactive computer-Facilitated Text-mining (SWIFT) Review software with evidence stream tags (human, animal, in vitro) yielding 12,800 unique records. SWIFT Active (a machine-learning software) further facilitated title/abstract screening. DistillerSR software was used for additional title/abstract, full-text screening, and data extraction. Results187 studies were identified that met populations, exposures, comparators, and outcomes (PECO) criteria. From this pool, 54 human, 78 animal, and 61 genotoxicity studies were extracted into a literature inventory. Toxicological evidence was abundant for three azo dyes (also used as food additives) and sparse for five of the remaining 27 compounds. Complementary search in ECHA’s REACH database for summaries of unpublished study reports revealed evidence for all 30 dyes. The question arose of how this information can be fed into an SEM process. Proper identification of prioritized dyes from various databases (including U.S. EPA’s CompTox Chemicals Dashboard) turned out to be a challenge. Evidence compiled by this SEM project can be evaluated for subsequent use in problem formulation efforts to inform potential regulatory needs and prepare for a more efficient and targeted evaluation in the future for human health assessments.

Lead, tin, bismuth or organics: Assessment of potential environmental and human health hazards originating from mature perovskite PV technology

Lead, tin, bismuth or organics: Assessment of potential environmental and human health hazards originating from mature perovskite PV technology

Environmental and Health Risk Assessment of Soil Adjacent to a Self-Burning Waste Pile from an Abandoned Coal Mine in Northern Portugal

Abandoned mines and disposal of mining residues can be responsible for the release of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) into the environment causing soil and water contamination, with potential ecological damage and human health hazards. The quantification of the apportionment of PTEs in soils and the study of the associated ecological and human health risks are essential. This study aims to assess the environmental and human health risk of the soils surrounding an abandoned coal mine in São Pedro da Cova, whose waste pile has been affected by self-combustion for over 17 years. The soil environmental characterization of the study area regarding PTEs was accessed by different pollution indices, considering the elementary crustal abundance and the determined regional soil geochemical background. The soil contamination degree was evaluated using indices such as the contamination factor (Cf) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo), inferred for all soil samples, and the potential ecological risk index (PERI) was also accessed. The human health risk was evaluated for adults and children, considering the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks. The pollution indices calculated for the PTEs using distinct reference values showed significant differences, resulting in lower pollution indices when using the regional reference values. The regional background proved to be a much more reliable geochemical baseline for environmental assessment. Regarding Igeo, the soils were found to be unpolluted to moderately polluted for most of the studied PTEs. The determined PERI for the soils surrounding the abandoned mine classifies them as low ecological risk. The evaluation of the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, resulting from exposure to the studied soils, suggests that there is no potential human health risk for children or adults regarding the considered PTEs.

Photovoltaics literature survey (no. 182)

In order to help readers stay up-to-date in the field, each issue of Progress in Photovoltaics will contain a list of recently published journal articles that are most relevant to its aims and scope. This list is drawn from an extremely wide range of journals, including IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Renewable Energy, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Journal of Applied Physics, and Applied Physics Letters. To assist readers, the list is separated into broad categories, but please note that these classifications are by no means strict. Also note that inclusion in the list is not an endorsement of a paper's quality. If you have any suggestions please email Ziv Hameiri ([email protected]). Chetyrkina MR, Kameneva L, Mishchenko DV, et al. Lead, tin, bismuth or organics: Assessment of potential environmental and human health hazards originating from mature perovskite PV technology. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 2023; 252: 112177. Buratti Y, Dick J, Le Gia Q, et al. Deep learning extraction of the temperature-dependent parameters of bulk defects. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces 2022; 14(43): 48647–48657. Zhang F, Wang X, Wang W, et al. Uncertainty analysis of photovoltaic cells to determine probability of functional failure. Applied Energy 2023; 332: 120495. Liu Y, Gao ST, Zhang XY, et al. Probing the nature of charge carriers in one-dimensional conjugated polymers: A review of the theoretical models, experimental trends, and thermoelectric applications. Journal of Materials Chemistry C 2022; 11(1): 12–47. Xie X, Lai G, You M, et al. Effective transfer learning of defect detection for photovoltaic module cells in electroluminescence images. Solar Energy 2023; 250: 312–323. Yolcan OO, Kose R. Photovoltaic module cell temperature estimation: Developing a novel expression. Solar Energy 2023; 249: 1–11. Gao Q, Yan J, Li H, et al. Commercial carbon nanotube as rear contacts for industrial p-type silicon solar cells with an efficiency exceeding 23%. Carbon 2023; 202: 432–437. Hara Y, Ide K, Nishihara T, et al. Effect of sawing damage on flexibility of crystalline silicon wafers for thin flexible silicon solar cells. Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 2023; 62(1): 017001. Yu XG, Fu Z, Morisako I, et al. Improvement in the reliability of crystalline silicon solar cell interconnection by using nickel micro-plating bonding (NMPB) technology. Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 2023; 62(1): 012001. Chen W, Liu X, Liu W, et al. Optimization of activated phosphorus concentration in recrystallized polysilicon layers for the n-TOPCon solar cell application. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 2023; 252: 112206. Hartenstein MB, Nemeth W, Chen K, et al. Mitigation of shunt in poly-Si/SiOx passivated interdigitated back contact monocrystalline Si solar cells by self-aligned etching between doped fingers. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 2023; 252: 112195. Ochoa J, LaSalvia V, Stradins P, et al. Understanding the origin of Tabula Rasa-induced defects in n-type Cz c-Si: The case of nitrogen atmosphere. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 2023; 252: 112159. Yang G, Gram R, Procel P, et al. Will SiOx-pinholes for SiOx/poly-Si passivating contact enhance the passivation quality? Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 2023; 252: 112200. Subha TD, Arunachalaperumal C, Subash TD, et al. A hybrid technique employed for efficiency improvement of tandem perovskite solar cell. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications 2023; 31(2): 93–112. Härtel M, Li B, Mariotti S, et al. Reducing sputter damage-induced recombination losses during deposition of the transparent front-electrode for monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 2023; 252: 112180. Malhotra P, Verduzco JC, Biswas S, et al. Active discovery of donor: acceptor combinations for efficient organic solar cells. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces 2022; 14(49): 54895–54906. Chen ZY, Ge JF, Guo YT, et al. Modification on the quinoxaline unit to achieve high open-circuit voltage and morphology optimization for organic solar cells. ACS Energy Letters 2022; 7(10): 3432–3438. Kamel MSA, Stoppiello CT, Jacob MV. Single-step, catalyst-free, and green synthesis of graphene transparent electrode for organic photovoltaics. Carbon 2023; 202: 150–158. Li ZY, Liang YF, Chen L, et al. Guest electron-accepting polymer doping enables green solvent-processed all-polymer solar cells with 16.37% efficiency. Chemical Engineering Journal 2023; 452: 139228. Bhat V, Sornberger P, Pokuri BSS, et al. Electronic, redox, and optical property prediction of organic pi-conjugated molecules through a hierarchy of machine learning approaches. Chemical Science 2022; 14(1): 203–213. Cao JM, Yi LF, Zhang LX, et al. Wide-bandgap polymer donors for non-fullerene organic solar cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2022; 11(1): 17–30. Zhu YF, Zhang ZZ, Si WQ, et al. Organic photovoltaic catalyst with extended exciton diffusion for high-performance solar hydrogen evolution. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2022; 144(28): 12747–12755. Suthar R, Abhijith T, Sharma P, et al. Machine learning framework for the analysis and prediction of energy loss for non-fullerene organic solar cells. Solar Energy 2023; 250: 119–127. Du Y, Shen Z, Yue G, et al. [email protected]2P microcrystals in situ grown on carbon fiber as counter electrode catalysts for high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells. Materials Today Sustainability 2022; 20: 100262. Capitão J, Martins J, Emami S, et al. Fully glass frit encapsulated dye-sensitized solar cells: Challenges for hermetical sealing of electrolyte injection holes. Solar Energy 2023; 249: 476–484. Kumar S, Kumar S, Rai RN, et al. Recent development in two-dimensional material-based advanced photoanodes for high-performance dye-sensitized solar cells. Solar Energy 2023; 249: 606–623. Papadopoulos I, Schol PR, Garcés-Garcés J, et al. Harnessing multiple generated excitons from intermolecular singlet fission of perylene–monoimides in a p-type dye-sensitized solar cell. Solar Energy 2023; 250: 1–9. Cao JP, Liu CK, Piradi V, et al. Ultrathin self-assembly two-dimensional metal–organic framework films as hole transport layers in ideal-bandgap perovskite solar cells. ACS Energy Letters 2022; 7(10): 3362–3369. Ma CQ, Gratzel M, Park NG. Facet engineering for stable, efficient perovskite solar cells. ACS Energy Letters 2022; 7(9): 3120–3128. Niu YJ, Peng YL, Zhang XX, et al. Resonant molecular modification for energy level alignment in perovskite solar cells. ACS Energy Letters 2022; 7(9): 3104–3111. Kosasih FU, Erdenebileg E, Mathews N, et al. Thermal evaporation and hybrid deposition of perovskite solar cells and mini-modules. Joule 2022; 6(12): 2692–2734. Bian HY, You JY, Xu CY, et al. Chemically suppressing redox reaction at the NiOx/perovskite interface in narrow bandgap perovskite solar cells to exceed a power conversion efficiency of 20%. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2022; 11(1): 205–212. Guo RX, Xia JM, Gu H, et al. Effective defect passivation with a designer ionic molecule for high-efficiency vapour-deposited inorganic phase-pure CsPbBr3 perovskite solar cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2022; 11(1): 408–418. Kaiser W, Hussain K, Singh A, et al. Defect formation and healing at grain boundaries in lead-halide perovskites. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2022; 10(46): 24854–24865. Yin HY, Lv P, Gao B, et al. Slot-die coated scalable hole transporting layers for efficient perovskite solar modules. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2022; 10(48): 25652–25660. Zhao BH, Zhang T, Liu CB, et al. Hydroxyl substituted Spiro-OMeTAD as multi-site defect healing and carrier extraction enhanced surface passivator toward efficient perovskite solar cells. Materials Today Energy 2022; 30: 101191. Teo SH, Ng CH, Ng YH, et al. Resolve deep-rooted challenges of halide perovskite for sustainable energy development and environmental remediation. Nano Energy 2022; 99: 107401. Xiao H, Zuo C, Zhang L, et al. Efficient inorganic perovskite solar cells made by drop-coating in ambient air. Nano Energy 2023; 106: 108061. Zhang Z, Wang H, Jacobsson TJ, et al. Big data driven perovskite solar cell stability analysis. Nature Communications 2022; 13(1): 7639. Zheng DM, Raffin F, Volovitch P, et al. Control of perovskite film crystallization and growth direction to target homogeneous monolithic structures. Nature Communications 2022; 13(1): 6655. Basher H, Zulkifli MN, Jalar A, et al. Temperature cycling test on ultrasonic aluminum bonds and conductive adhesive of copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic solar panel. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics 2022; 12(6): 1418–1427. Cui XP, Ma Q, Zhou WH, et al. Suppressing interface recombination in CZTSSe solar cells by simple selenization with synchronous interface gradient doping. Nanoscale 2022; 15(1): 185–194. Li DB, Bista SS, Awni RA, et al. 20%-efficient polycrystalline Cd(Se,Te) thin-film solar cells with compositional gradient near the front junction. Nature Communications 2022; 13(1): 7849. Chantana J, Kawano Y, Mavlonov A, et al. Total band alignment in theoretical and experimental aspects for enhanced performance of flexible and Cd-free Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 solar cell fabricated by all-dry process. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications 2023; 31(2): 161–172. Meissner D, Ernits K, Gahr S, et al. Kesterite based monograin photovoltaics: The ideal solution for sustainable power supply. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 2023; 252: 112160. Muska K, Timmo K, Pilvet M, et al. Impact of Li and K co-doping on the optoelectronic properties of CZTS monograin powder. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 2023; 252: 112182. Teknetzi I, Holgersson S, Ebin B. Valuable metal recycling from thin film CIGS solar cells by leaching under mild conditions. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 2023; 252: 112178. Verma M, Prasad Mishra G. TOPcon route with quantum wells in GaInP/Si dual junction cell for efficiency enhancement. Solar Energy 2023; 250: 409–417. Zhang Q, He S, Song T, et al. Modeling of a PV system by a back-mounted spray cooling section for performance improvement. Applied Energy 2023; 332: 120532. Gao F, Hu R, Yin L. Variable boundary reinforcement learning for maximum power point tracking of photovoltaic grid-connected systems. Energy 2023; 264: 126278. Kishore DJK, Mohamed MR, Sudhakar K, et al. Swarm intelligence-based MPPT design for PV systems under diverse partial shading conditions. Energy 2023; 265: 126366. Navarro MA, Oliva D, Ramos-Michel A, et al. An analysis on the performance of metaheuristic algorithms for the estimation of parameters in solar cell models. Energy Conversion and Management 2023; 276: 116523. Guo B, Zhang X, Su M, et al. A single-phase common-ground five-level transformerless inverter with low component count for PV applications. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics 2023; 70(3): 2662–2674. Rodriguez-Pastor DA, Ildefonso-Sanchez AF, Soltero VM, et al. A new predictive model for the design and evaluation of bifacial photovoltaic plants under the influence of vegetation soils. Journal of Cleaner Production 2023; 385: 135701. Andres C, Ruben C, David G, et al. Time-varying, ray tracing irradiance simulation approach for photovoltaic systems in complex scenarios with decoupled geometry, optical properties and illumination conditions. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications 2023; 31(2): 134–148. Nivelle P, Maes L, Poortmans J, et al. In situ quantification of temperature and strain within photovoltaic modules through optical sensing. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications 2023; 31(2): 173–179. Theristis M, Stein JS, Deline C, et al. Onymous early-life performance degradation analysis of recent photovoltaic module technologies. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications 2023; 31(2): 149–160. Wang M, Xu X, Yan Z. Online fault diagnosis of PV array considering label errors based on distributionally robust logistic regression. Renewable Energy 2023; 203: 68–80. Abdallah AA, Ali K, Kivambe M. Performance and reliability of crystalline-silicon photovoltaics in desert climate. Solar Energy 2023; 249: 268–277. Afridi M, Kumar A, ibne Mahmood F, et al. Hotspot testing of glass/backsheet and glass/glass PV modules pre-stressed in extended thermal cycling. Solar Energy 2023; 249: 467–475. Al-Ghussain L, Taylan O, Abujubbeh M, et al. Optimizing the orientation of solar photovoltaic systems considering the effects of irradiation and cell temperature models with dust accumulation. Solar Energy 2023; 249: 67–80. Badr MM, Abdel-Khalik AS, Hamad MS, et al. Intelligent fault identification strategy of photovoltaic array based on ensemble self-training learning. Solar Energy 2023; 249: 122–138. Bhore CV, Andhare AB, Padole PM, et al. Experimental investigation on minimizing degradation of solar energy generation for photovoltaic module by modified damping systems. Solar Energy 2023; 250: 194–208. Figgis B, Bermudez V, Lopez Garcia J. PV module vibration by robotic cleaning. Solar Energy 2023; 250: 168–172. Utama C, Meske C, Schneider J, et al. Explainable artificial intelligence for photovoltaic fault detection: A comparison of instruments. Solar Energy 2023; 249: 139–151. Ghasemi-Marzbali A, Shafiei M, Ahmadiahangar R. Day-ahead economical planning of multi-vector energy district considering demand response program. Applied Energy 2023; 332: 120351. Yin L, Cao X, Liu D. Weighted fully-connected regression networks for one-day-ahead hourly photovoltaic power forecasting. Applied Energy 2023; 332: 120527. Haas R, Duic N, Auer H, et al. The photovoltaic revolution is on: How it will change the electricity system in a lasting way. Energy 2023; 265: 126351. Crago CL, Grazier E, Breger D. Income and racial disparities in financial returns from solar PV deployment. Energy Economics 2023; 117: 106409. Zhang F. Does not having an NDB disadvantage a country in finance mobilization for the energy transition? A comparative analysis of the solar PV deployment in the United States, Germany and China. Energy Policy 2023; 172: 113306. Alcañiz A, Grzebyk D, Ziar H, et al. Trends and gaps in photovoltaic power forecasting with machine learning. Energy Reports 2023; 9: 447–471. Kumar GVB, Palanisamy K, Sanjeevikumar P, et al. Analysis of control strategies for smoothing of solar PV fluctuations with storage devices. Energy Reports 2023; 9: 163–177. Wang G, Chao Y, Jiang T, et al. Analyzing the effects of government policy and solar photovoltaic hydrogen production on promoting CO2 capture and utilization by using evolutionary game analysis. Energy Strategy Reviews 2023; 45: 101044. Zafar B, Ben Slama SA. PV-EV integrated home energy management using vehicle-to-home (V2H) technology and household occupant behaviors. Energy Strategy Reviews 2022; 44: 101001. Zhang Y, Rao X, Liu C, et al. A cooperative EV charging scheduling strategy based on double deep Q-network and prioritized experience replay. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence 2023; 118: 105642. Pierce BG, Stein JS, Braid JL, et al. Cloud segmentation and motion tracking in sky images. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics 2022; 12(6): 1354–1360. Chai S, Liu Q, Yang J. Renewable power generation policies in China: Policy instrument choices and influencing factors from the central and local government perspectives. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2023; 174: 113126. Li C, Umair M. Does green finance development goals affects renewable energy in China. Renewable Energy 2023; 203: 898–905. Pan W, Cao H, Liu Y. “Green” innovation, privacy regulation and environmental policy. Renewable Energy 2023; 203: 245–254.

Household Disposal of Pharmaceuticals in Low-Income Settings: Practices, Health Hazards, and Research Needs

Pharmaceuticals are widely used in Africa due to the high burden of human and animal diseases. However, a review of the current practices and pollution risks arising from the disposal of pharmaceuticals in low-income settings in Africa is still lacking. Therefore, the present review examined the literature to address the following questions: (1) what are the key factors driving the accumulation of unused and expired pharmaceuticals?, (2) what are the current disposal practices for unused and expired pharmaceuticals, and wastewater (feces and urine) containing excreted pharmaceuticals?, (3) what are the potential environmental and human health hazards posed by current disposal practices?, and (4) what are the key research needs on the disposal of pharmaceuticals in low-income settings? Evidence shows that, in low-income settings, wastewater comprising predominantly of feces and urine containing excreted pharmaceuticals often end up in on-site sanitation systems such as pit latrines, septic tanks, and the environment in the case of open defecation. Unused and expired pharmaceuticals are disposed of in pit latrines, household solid waste, and/or burned. The pollution risks of current disposal practices are poorly understood, but pharmaceutical pollution of groundwater sources, including those used for drinking water supply, may occur via strong hydrological connectivity between pit latrines and groundwater systems. Potential high-risk pollution and human exposure hotspots are discussed. However, compared to other environmental compartments, the occurrence, dissemination, fate, and human health risks of pharmaceuticals in the pit latrine-groundwater continuum are still understudied. Future research directions are discussed to address these gaps using the Source-Pathway-Receptor-Impact-Mitigation (SPRIM) continuum as an organizing framework.

The potential human health hazard of nitrates in drinking water: a media discourse analysis in a high-income country

BackgroundRecent studies linking low levels of nitrate in drinking water to colorectal cancer have raised public concerns over nitrate contamination. The aim of this study was to analyze the media discourse on the potential human health hazard of nitrates in drinking water in a high-income country with a large livestock industry: New Zealand (NZ).MethodsSearches of media sources (“major newspapers”) held by the Factiva database for the NZ setting in the five-year period 17 December 2016 to 20 December 2021.ResultsThe largest number of media items was observed for 2017 (n = 108), the year of a NZ general election, with a notable decrease in 2020 (n = 20) that was likely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which dominated health media. However, the percentage of these media items with a health focus steadily increased over time, from 11.1% of all articles in 2017 to 51.2% in 2021. The most commonly mentioned health hazard was colorectal cancer, followed by methemoglobinemia. The temporal pattern of media items suggests that the release of scientific studies and scholarly blogs was associated with the publication of subsequent media items. Major stakeholders involved in the discourse included representatives of local and central government, environmental and recreational interest groups, researchers, local residents, agricultural interest groups, and health organizations. Māori (Indigenous New Zealanders) values or perspectives were rarely mentioned.ConclusionsAnalysis of major newspapers for a five-year period indicated that a wide range of expert comment and opinions were made available to the public and policy makers on the issue of nitrates in water. While many different stakeholder views were captured in the media discourse, there is scope for the media to better report the views of Māori on this topic. There is also a need for articles detailing the health issues to also refer to the environmental, recreational, and cultural aspects of protecting water quality to ensure that the public, policy makers, and regulators are aware of co-benefits.

Bupivacaine as a euthanasia agent for African Clawed Frogs (Xenopus laevis).

Immersion in tricaine methanesulfonate (i.e. TMS) has been used for euthanasia of Xenopus laevis (African Clawed frogs). However, the time for preparation and potential human health hazards may pose as a barrier for large group culls. Here, we aimed to investigate whether immersion in bupivacaine is an effective means to euthanize this species. In experiment one, frogs (n = 10/group) were randomly assigned to 1-h immersion in 1 of 3 treatment groups: 1) TMS-5 (MS-222, 5g/L); 2) TMS-10 (MS-222, 10 g/L); or 3) Bupi-1.5 (0.5% Bupivacaine, 1.5 g/L). Frogs were then removed from solutions, rinsed with system water, and placed into a recovery cage. Heart rate was evaluated audibly via doppler ultrasound flow over 1 min at immediate removal (T1h), at 2 (T2h), and 3 (T3h) h in the recovery cage. In experiment two, frogs (n = 7/group) underwent 5-h & 19-h immersion in either TMS-5 or Bupi-1.5, with heart rate assessment at 5 and 19 hrs. Righting reflex and withdrawal reflex of the hindlimb were tested during the experiments. Experiment one-after the 1-h immersion, Bupi-1.5 treated animals had decreased heart rates compared to TMS-5 and TMS-10 treated animals by T2h. Neither TMS-5, TMS-10, nor Bupi-1.5 ceased heart rate after the 1-h immersion. Experiment two-after the 5-h immersion, Bupi-1.5 and TMS-5 treated animals were comparable in heart rates. 43% of TMS-5 animals and 14% of the Bupi-1.5 animals had completely ceased heart rates at T5h. At 19 h all remaining animals exhibited rigor mortis and had ceased heart rate. We recommend 19-h of immersion using either TMS-5 or Bupi-1.5 for cessation of heart rate in African Clawed frogs. These data are strong support for the use of secondary physical methods for euthanasia in African Clawed frogs when euthanasia by immersion is performed.

Characteristics, sources and health risk assessment of atmospheric carbonyls during multiple ozone pollution episodes in urban Beijing: Insights into control strategies

Carbonyls have attracted continuous attention due to their critical roles in atmospheric chemistry and their potential hazards to the ecological environment and human health. In this study, atmospheric carbonyls were measured during several ground-level-ozone (O3) pollution episodes at three urban sites (CRAES, IEP and BJUT) in Beijing in 2019 and 2020. Comparative analysis revealed that the carbonyl concentrations were 20.25 ± 6.91 ppb and 13.43 ± 5.13 ppb in 2019 and 2020 in Beijing, respectively, with a significant spatial trend from north to south, and carbonyl levels in urban Beijing were in an upper-intermediate range in China, and higher than those in other countries reported in the literature. A particularly noteworthy phenomenon is the consistency of carbonyl concentrations with variations in O3 concentrations. On O3 polluted days, the carbonyl concentrations were 1.3–1.5 times higher than those on non-O3 polluted days. Secondary formation contributed more to formaldehyde (FA) and acetaldehyde (AA) on O3 polluted days, while the anthropogenic emissions were more significant for acetone (AC) on non-O3 polluted days. Vehicle exhaust and solvent utilization were the main primary contributors to carbonyls. Due to reduced anthropogenic emissions caused by the COVID-19 lockdown and the “Program for Controlling Volatile Organic Compounds in 2020” in China, the contributions of primary emissions to carbonyls decreased in 2020 in Beijing. Human cancer risks to exposed populations from FA and AA increased with elevated O3 levels, and the risks still remained on non-O3 polluted days. The residents around the BJUT site might experience relatively higher human cancer risks than those around the other two sites. The findings in this study confirmed that atmospheric carbonyl pollution and its potential human health hazards cannot be ignored in urban Beijing; therefore, more strict control strategies for atmospheric carbonyls are urgently needed to better protect human health in Beijing in the future.