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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 27849

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Dr. Cheng Yan

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Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: quantitative microbial risk assessment; microbiological contamination in environments; assessment and methodology; public and human health; bioaerosol; bioaerosol sensor; airborne microorganisms and biological particles; bio-fluorophore particles; laser-induced fluorescence
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Dear Colleagues,

An estimated one quarter of death and disease globally is related to environmental hazards (WHO, 2021). From the quality of the air we breathe to the condition of the food we eat, environmental factors can have a significant effect on our health. The environmental factors will evolve due to activities of nature and human beings. Meanwhile, the environmental factors are also a root cause of a significant disease burden of human. Therefore, elaborate assessment of environmental/human health risks are imperative and urgent needed.

The environmental health risks are usually evaluated by the ecological risk assessment which is the process for evaluating how likely it is that the environment might be obstructed as a result of exposure to environmental stressors. Its quantitative assessment steps including: problem formulation, analysis, and risk characterization. The risk assessment of health of human beings is the process to estimate the probability of adverse health effects in humans who may be exposed to contaminated environmental condition. Its quantitative assessment steps including: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, risk characterization.

Manuscripts addressing these themes are invited for this Special Issue, especially those can deliver novel data on the quantitative assessment framework and provide a theoretical basis for follow-up research on the mitigation measures and control strategies for stakeholders. Findings in manuscripts should be of significant interest to the diverse readership of IJERPH.

Dr. Cheng Yan
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

quantitative assessment
environmental health risks
human health risks
problem formulation
analysis
hazard identification
dose-response assessment
exposure assessment
risk characterization

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Related Special Issue

Risk Characterization of Environmental/Human Health in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (8 articles)

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1711 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Green Space Exposure and Obesity in the Mexican Adult Population

by Nabetse Baruc Blas-Miranda, Ana Lilia Lozada-Tequeanes, Juan Antonio Miranda-Zuñiga and Marcia P. Jimenez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15072; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215072 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3055

Abstract

Green space or natural vegetation may reduce obesity risk by increasing opportunities for physical activity or reducing stress and exposure to other pollutants. Obesity prevalence in Mexico is ranked among the highest in the world. However, research on the association between green space and obesity in Mexico is lacking. We used data from the National Nutrition Survey in Mexico (2018–2019), a nationally representative sample of Mexican adults. The analytical sample included participants between 20–59 years of age (n = 12,631). We assessed exposure to green space using a 30 m resolution Landsat satellite Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from 2018. Linear regression models examined associations between NDVI and body mass index (BMI), adjusting for confounders. The mean age of the study sample was 38 (SD 0.19) years. Participants living in areas with the highest green space exposure had the lowest education level (53.51%) and socioeconomic status (28.38%) and were located in central (33.01%), south (30.37%), and rural areas (21.05%). Higher residential exposure to green space was associated with a mean decrease in BMI of −1.1 kg/m² (95% CI: −1.59, −0.68). This is one of the first studies in Latin America to suggest a protective association between green space and obesity among Mexican adults. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Assessment of Environmental/Human Health Risks)

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18 pages, 2976 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trace Elements in Soil and Urban Groundwater in an Area Impacted by Metallurgical Activity: Health Risk Assessment in the Historical Barga Municipality (Tuscany, Italy)

by Riccardo Petrini, Lisa Ghezzi, Simone Arrighi, Lisa Genovesi, Chiara Frassi and Luca Pandolfi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13419; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013419 - 17 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2071

Abstract

Trace elements were measured in soil and groundwater collected within the Fornaci di Barga urban area (Serchio River Valley, Tuscany, Italy), a territory that integrates natural assets with touristic vocation, impacted by long-lasting metallurgical activity. Epidemiological studies highlighted that the area surrounding the industrial plants is characterized by a persistent excess of diseases, attributed to heavy metal pollution. Soils were taken in school gardens, public parks, sport grounds and roadsides. The results indicate that Cu, Zn and Cd represent the main contaminants in surface soil, likely originated by deposition of airborne particulate matter from metallurgical activity. Risk assessment considering soil ingestion and dermal contact exposure routes revealed that the cadmium Hazard Quotient approaches unity for children, and the cadmium risk-based concentration obtained by combining exposure information with toxicity data is only slightly lower compared with the cadmium maximum concentration actually measured in soil. Groundwater does not show evidence of trace metal contamination, suggesting that the migration of contaminants from soil to subsurface is a slow process. However, assessment of the possible interconnections between shallow and deep-seated aquifers requires monitoring to be continued. The obtained results highlight the possible link between space clusters of diseases and metal concentration in soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Assessment of Environmental/Human Health Risks)

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16 pages, 4120 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Potential Key Role of the NRF2/NQO1 Pathway in the Health Effects of Arsenic Pollution on SCC

by Qianlei Yang, Rui Yan, Yuemei Mo, Haixuan Xia, Hanyi Deng, Xiaojuan Wang, Chunchun Li, Koichi Kato, Hengdong Zhang, Tingxu Jin, Jie Zhang and Yan An

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 8118; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138118 - 1 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2323

Abstract

Arsenic is widely present in nature and is a common environmental poison that seriously damages human health. Chronic exposure to arsenic is a major environmental poisoning factor that promotes cell proliferation and leads to malignant transformation. However, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that arsenite can promote the transformation of immortalized human keratinocyte cells (HaCaT) from the G0/G1 phase to S phase and demonstrated malignant phenotypes. This phenomenon is accompanied by obviously elevated levels of NRF2, NQO1, Cyclin E, and Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2). Silencing the NRF2 expression with small interfering RNA (siRNA) in arsenite-transformed (T-HaCaT) cells was shown to reverse the malignant phenotype. Furthermore, the siRNA silencing of NQO1 significantly decreased the levels of the cyclin E-CDK2 complex, inhibiting the G0/G1 to S phase cell cycle progression and transformation to the T-HaCaT phenotypes. Thus, we hypothesized that the NRF2/NQO1 pathway played a key role in the arsenite-induced malignancy of HaCaT cells. By increasing the expression of Cyclin E-CDK2, the NRF2/NQO1 pathway can affect cell cycle progression and cell proliferation. A new common health effect mechanism of arsenic carcinogenesis has been identified; thus, it would contribute to the development of novel treatments to prevent and treat skin cancer caused by arsenic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Assessment of Environmental/Human Health Risks)

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16 pages, 6728 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying Algicides of Enterobacter hormaechei F2 for Control of the Harmful Alga Microcystis aeruginosa

by Bin Zhang, Ying Yang, Wenjia Xie, Wei He, Jia Xie and Wei Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7556; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137556 - 21 Jun 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2180

Abstract

Eutrophication has become an increasingly serious environmental issue and has contributed towards an explosion in harmful algal blooms (HABs) affecting local development. HABs can cause serious threats to ecosystems and human health. A newly isolated algicidal strain, Enterobacter hormaechei F2, showed high algicidal activity against the typical HAB species Microcystis aeruginosa. Potential algicides were detected through liquid chromatograph–mass spectrometer analysis, revealing that prodigiosin is an algicide and PQS is a quorum sensing molecule. RNA-seq was used to understand the algicidal mechanisms and the related pathways. We concluded that the metabolism of prodigiosin and PQS are active at the transcriptional level. The findings indicate that E. hormaechei F2 can be used as a potential biological agent to control harmful algal blooms to prevent the deterioration of the ecological and economic value of water bodies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Assessment of Environmental/Human Health Risks)

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13 pages, 1148 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimation of Children’s Soil and Dust Ingestion Rates and Health Risk at E-Waste Dismantling Area

by Yan Yang, Mengdi Zhang, Haojia Chen, Zenghua Qi, Chengcheng Liu, Qiang Chen and Tao Long

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7332; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127332 - 15 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2086

Abstract

Due to environmental health concerns, exposure to heavy metals and related adverse effects in electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling areas have attracted considerable interest in the recent years. However, little information is available about the Soil/Dust Ingestion Rates (SIR) of heavy metals for children living in such sites. This study estimated the soil ingestion of 66 children from e-waste disassembly areas by collecting and analyzing selected tracer elements in matched samples of their consumed food, feces, and urine, as well as soil samples from their play areas. The concentrations of tracer elements (including Al, Ba, Ce, Mn, Sc, Ti, Y, and V) in these samples were analyzed. The SIR was estimated to be 148.3 mg/day (median) and 383.3 mg/day (95th percentile) based on the Best Tracer Method (BTM). These values are somewhat higher than those observed in America, Canada, and other parts of China. Health risk assessments showed that Cr presented the greatest carcinogenic risk, at more than 10⁻⁶ in this typical polluted area, while As was second. These findings provide important insights into the exposure risks of heavy metals in e-waste dismantling sites and emphasize the health risk caused by Cr and As. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Assessment of Environmental/Human Health Risks)

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11 pages, 2377 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance and Mechanisms of Sulfidated Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron Materials for Toxic TCE Removal from the Groundwater

by Yue Lang, Yanan Yu, Hongtao Zou, Jiexu Ye and Shihan Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6299; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106299 - 22 May 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2271

Abstract

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is one of the most widely distributed pollutants in groundwater and poses serious risks to the environment and human health. In this study, sulfidated nanoscale zero-valent iron (S-nZVI) materials with different Fe/S molar ratios were synthesized by one-step methods. These materials degraded TCE in groundwater and followed a pathway that did not involve the production of toxic byproducts such as dichloroethenes (DCEs) and vinyl chloride (VC). The effects of sulfur content on TCE dechlorination by S-nZVI were thoroughly investigated in terms of TCE-removal efficiency, H₂ evolution, and reaction rate. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) characterizations confirmed Fe(0) levels in S-nZVI were larger than for zero-valent iron (nZVI). An Fe/S molar ratio of 10 provided the highest TCE-removal efficiencies. Compared with nZVI, the 24-h TCE removal efficiencies of S-nZVI (Fe/S = 10) increased from 30.2% to 92.6%, and the Fe(0) consumed during a side-reaction of H₂ evolution dropped from 77.0% to 12.8%. This indicated the incorporation of sulfur effectively inhibited H₂ evolution and allowed more Fe(0) to react with TCE. Moreover, the pseudo-first-order kinetic rate constants of S-nZVI materials increased by up to 485% compared to nZVI. In addition, a TCE degradation was proposed based on the variation of detected degradation products. Noting that acetylene, ethylene, and ethane were detected rather than DCEs and VC confirmed that TCE degradation followed β-elimination with acetylene as the intermediate. These results demonstrated that sulfide modification significantly enhanced nZVI performance for TCE degradation, minimized toxic-byproduct formation, and mitigated health risks. This work provides some insight into the remediation of chlorinated-organic-compound-contaminated groundwater and protection from secondary pollution during remediation by adjusting the degradation pathway. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Assessment of Environmental/Human Health Risks)

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16 pages, 3371 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aerosolization Behaviour of Fungi and Its Potential Health Effects during the Composting of Animal Manure

by Ruonan Wang, Aoyuan Yu, Tianlei Qiu, Yajie Guo, Haoze Gao, Xingbin Sun, Min Gao and Xuming Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5644; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095644 - 6 May 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1979

Abstract

Compost is an important source of airborne fungi that can adversely affect occupational health. However, the aerosol behavior of fungi and their underlying factors in composting facilities are poorly understood. We collected samples from compost piles and the surrounding air during the composting of animal manure and analyzed the aerosolization behavior of fungi and its potential health effects based on the fungal composition and abundance in two media using high-throughput sequencing and ddPCR. There were differences in fungal diversity and richness between the air and composting piles. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the two primary fungal phyla in both media. The dominant fungal genera in composting piles were Aspergillus, Thermomyces, and Alternaria, while the dominant airborne fungal genes were Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Sporobolomyces. Although the communities of total fungal genera and pathogenic/allergenic genera were different in the two media, fungal abundance in composting piles was significantly correlated with abundance in air. According to the analysis on fungal composition, a total of 69.10% of the fungal genera and 91.30% of pathogenic/allergenic genera might escape from composting pile into the air. A total of 77 (26.64%) of the fungal genera and six (20%) of pathogenic/allergenic genera were likely to aerosolize. The influence of physicochemical parameters and heavy metals on the aerosol behavior of fungal genera, including pathogenic/allergenic genera, varied among the fungal genera. These results increase our understanding of fungal escape during composting and highlight the importance of aerosolization behavior for predicting the airborne fungal composition and corresponding human health risks in compost facilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Assessment of Environmental/Human Health Risks)

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12 pages, 2875 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Driving Microbial Community Dynamics and Potential Health Effects of Bacterial Pathogen on Landscape Lakes with Reclaimed Water Replenishment in Beijing, PR China

by Junzhi Zhang, Xiao He, Huixin Zhang, Yu Liao, Qi Wang, Luwei Li and Jianwei Yu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5127; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095127 - 22 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2061

Abstract

Assessing the bacteria pathogens in the lakes with reclaimed water as major influents are important for public health. This study investigated microbial communities of five landscape lakes replenished by reclaimed water, then analyzed driven factors and identified health effects of bacterial pathogens. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis demonstrated that Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, and Verrucomicrobia were the most dominant phyla in five landscape lakes. The microbial community diversities were higher in June and July than that in other months. Temperature, total nitrogen and phosphorus were the main drivers of the dominant microbial from the Redundancy analysis (RDA) results. Various potential bacterial pathogens were identified, including Pseudomonas, GKS98_freshwater_group, Sporosarcina, Pseudochrobactrum, Streptomyces and Bacillus, etc, some of which are easily infectious to human. The microbial network analysis showed that some potential pathogens were nodes that had significant health effects. The work provides a basis for understanding the microbial community dynamics and safety issues for health effects in landscape lakes replenished by reclaimed water. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Assessment of Environmental/Human Health Risks)

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34 pages, 36900 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Investigations of Urban Pollutant Dispersion and Building Intake Fraction with Various 3D Building Configurations and Tree Plantings

by Qingman Li, Jie Liang, Qun Wang, Yuntong Chen, Hongyu Yang, Hong Ling, Zhiwen Luo and Jian Hang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3524; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063524 - 16 Mar 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3052

Abstract

Rapid urbanisation and rising vehicular emissions aggravate urban air pollution. Outdoor pollutants could diffuse indoors through infiltration or ventilation, leading to residents’ exposure. This study performed CFD simulations with a standard k-ε model to investigate the impacts of building configurations and tree planting on airflows, pollutant (CO) dispersion, and personal exposure in 3D urban micro-environments (aspect ratio = H/W = 30 m, building packing density λ_p = λ_f = 0.25) under neutral atmospheric conditions. The numerical models are well validated by wind tunnel data. The impacts of open space, central high-rise building and tree planting (leaf area density LAD= 1 m²/m³) with four approaching wind directions (parallel 0° and non-parallel 15°, 30°, 45°) are explored. Building intake fraction <P_IF> is adopted for exposure assessment. The change rates of <P_IF> demonstrate the impacts of different urban layouts on the traffic exhaust exposure on residents. The results show that open space increases the spatially-averaged velocity ratio (VR) for the whole area by 0.40–2.27%. Central high-rise building (2H) can increase wind speed by 4.73–23.36% and decrease the CO concentration by 4.39–23.00%. Central open space and high-rise building decrease <P_IF> under all four wind directions, by 6.56–16.08% and 9.59–24.70%, respectively. Tree planting reduces wind speed in all cases, raising <P_IF> by 14.89–50.19%. This work could provide helpful scientific references for public health and sustainable urban planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Assessment of Environmental/Human Health Risks)

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14 pages, 2354 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Long-Term Exposure to Phenanthrene Induced Gene Expressions and Enzyme Activities of Cyprinus carpio below the Safe Concentration

by Xin Kang, Dongpeng Li, Xiaoxiang Zhao, Yanfeng Lv, Xi Chen, Xinshan Song, Xiangyu Liu, Chengrong Chen and Xin Cao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2129; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042129 - 14 Feb 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2060

Abstract

Phenanthrene (PHE) is a typical compound biomagnified in the food chain which endangers human health and generally accumulates from marine life. It has been listed as one of the 16 priority PAHs evaluated in toxicology. In order to evaluate the changes of CYP1A GST mRNA expression and EROD GST enzyme activity in carp exposed to lower than safe concentrations of PHE. Long-term exposure of carp to PHE at lower than safe concentrations for up to 25 days. The mRNA expression level and cytochrome P450 (CYP1A/EROD (7-Ethoxylesorufin O-deethylase)) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity were measured in carp liver and brain tissue. The results showed that PHE stress induced low-concentration induction and high-concentration inhibition of CYP1A expression and EROD enzyme activity in the liver and brain of carp. In both two organs, GST enzyme activity was also induced. However, the expression of GST mRNA was first induced and then inhibited, after the 15th day. These results indicate that long-term exposure to PHE at lower than safe concentrations still poses a potential threat to carp’s oxidase system and gene expression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Assessment of Environmental/Human Health Risks)

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15 pages, 2522 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mitigating the Health Effects of Aqueous Cr(VI) with Iron-Modified Biochar

by Zhihong Zheng and Xiaohan Duan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1481; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031481 - 28 Jan 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2783

Abstract

A large amount of chromium (Cr) has entered the natural environment from the wastewater and waste residues, and the hexavalent (Cr(VI)) is highly poisonous, threatening the ecological environment and human health directly. In this study, iron-modified biochar was prepared using honeysuckle residue as raw material and the ferric chloride impregnation method. Batch Cr(VI) adsorption experiments were carried out using the modified honeysuckle-derived biochar (MHDB) as an adsorbent. The results indicate that a pH of 2 was best for the adsorption removal of Cr(VI) in the initial pH range of 2–10. The adsorption kinetic data fitted the pseudo-second-order model best out of the two models, and the Langmuir model was better than the Freundlich model to describe the adsorption process. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption process of Cr(VI) on MHDB had an endothermic and spontaneous nature, and the increasing temperature was conducive to the adsorption. The main mechanisms of Cr(VI) adsorption might be the physical adsorption (electrostatic interactions) and chemical adsorption (ion exchange, the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III)). The efficient adsorption of Cr(VI) makes MHDB a potential material for Cr(VI)-containing wastewater treatment. This study provides a feasible adsorption material for mitigating the environmental hazards of chromium, which has a certain reference value for protecting environmental health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Assessment of Environmental/Human Health Risks)

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