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The seasonal variations of shallow groundwater arsenic have been widely documented. To gain insight into the monthly variations and mechanisms behind high groundwater arsenic and arsenic exposure risk in different climate scenarios, the monthly probability of high groundwater arsenic in Hetao Basin was simulated through random forest model. The model was based on arsenic concentrations obtained from 566 groundwater sample sites, and the variables considered included soil properties, climate, topography, and landform parameters. The results revealed that spatial patterns of high groundwater arsenic showed some fluctuations among months under different future climate scenarios. The probability of high total arsenic and trivalent arsenic was found to be elevated at the start of the rainy season, only to rapidly decrease with increasing precipitation and temperature. The probability then increased again after the rainy season. The areas with an increased probability of high total arsenic and trivalent arsenic and arsenic exposure risk under SSP126 were typically found in the high-arsenic areas of 2019, while those with decreased probabilities were observed in low-arsenic areas. Under SSP585, which involves a significant increase in precipitation and temperature, the probability of high total arsenic and trivalent arsenic and arsenic exposure risk was widely reduced. However, the probability of high total arsenic and trivalent arsenic and arsenic exposure risk was mainly observed in low-arsenic areas from SSP126 to SSP585. In conclusion, the consumption of groundwater for human and livestock drinking remains a threat to human health due to high arsenic exposure under future climate scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Effect of Compliance with Wearing Appropriate Protective Personal Equipment with Exposure Risk on the Incidence of Occupational Accidents" is a quantitative study that examines the relationship between workers' compliance with using personal protective equipment (PPE) and the occurrence of work accidents. The research found that workers who followed PPE guidelines based on their risk of exposure had a lower risk of accidents compared to those who did not comply. The article highlights the importance of wearing suitable PPE to reduce accidents and discusses the negative consequences of non-compliance, such as decreased productivity and increased medical costs. The study also assessed the reliability and validity of the research instrument used. The article suggests the need for providing appropriate PPE, increasing supervision, and enforcing compliance to improve workplace safety. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: A 6-month longitudinal surveillance study of asymptomatic healthcare providers (HCP) was carried out at a large urban academic medical center in the United States to assess whether their job occupation with higher exposure risks to SARS-CoV-2 would equate with higher risk of contracting COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic before COVID-19 vaccines were available. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study design was used to collect and analyze immunological and virological monitoring data and self-report survey assessments of personal protective equipment (PPE) availability, adherence to infection control guidelines, and time spent on COVID-19 wards. Results: Among 289 eligible participants, SARS-CoV-2 exposure risk was high with 48–69% participants working in COVID-19 units and more than 30% of them caring for COVID-19 patients. However, the seroconversion rate was low with only 2.1% of participants developing humoral or cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion: Our study findings suggest that, for this HCP cohort working at a large urban academic medical center, a low incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection could be maintained under conditions of strict infection prevention protocols and reliable PPE availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxic and hazardous metals such as cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) can cause cancer in humans; hence, reducing their bioavailability in the soil is crucial for human health and environmental safety. In this study, biochar modified with nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI-BC) was synthesized from low-cost adsorbent waste materials and iron (iii) oxide (Fe2O3) via carbothermal reduction process for stabilization of Pb and Cd in the soil. Furthermore, an evaluation of treatment efficiency on exposure health hazards for both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks was done. The results revealed that nZVI-modified eggshell biochar was able to reduce the concentration bioavailable of Pb and Cd in soil by (69–75%) and (62–65%), and reduce the toxicity leaching of Pb and Cd by (53–66%) and (68–75%), respectively. The treatments reduced carcinogenic risk (CR) and hazard index (HI) in children and adults by 35–47% for Pb and 25–36% for Cd, respectively. Hence, this study proposes a new way to reduce and modify environmental wastes to make nZVI-supported biochar that can remediate toxic metals from the soil, improve soil nutrients, reduce human exposure health risks, and enhance the environment's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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With rapid urbanization and industrialization, atmospheric pollution and health challenges induced by the escalation of aerosol optical depth (AOD) become severe. Therefore, health risk due to AOD has become a hot research topic these days. In this study, we use the AOD dataset of the MCD19A2 product of MODIS C6 and PM2.5 from 2000 to 2022. This study uses the MAIAC AOD of 13 selected cities to evaluate the spatial and temporal variation of AOD and PM2.5. AOD in Pakistan continuously increased from 2000 to 2022. The average value of AOD is 3.67. The average value of AOD is high in Bahawalpur (0.73). We observe significant differences in the seasonal variation of AOD across Pakistan. Therefore, the highest value of AOD occurred in summer. AOD had the highest value (0.76) in July. The dry areas of Pakistan have a high value of AOD. Dust and anthropogenic activities are the major sources of high AOD in Pakistan. Generally, the AOD is increasing from 2000 to 2022. The population exposure risk is increasing continuously. The regions that are at high risk are (>9) in Punjab (Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Sahiwal, and Rawalpindi) and Sindh (Karachi, Hyderabad). We also evaluate the slope of the population exposure risk. The slope of the population exposure risk keeps increasing from 2000 to 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Sandstorm events frequently perplex northern China, addressing the people’s concern due to subsequent increases in the toxicity and carcinogenicity of PM2.5-bound PAHs (PB-PAHs) in receptor area of sand dust. Here, we enacted a field campaign in a small city between Beijing and Baoding in spring of 2021 covering the sandstorm period (SSP) and non-sandstorm period (NSSP) to examine the sandstorm impacts on chemistries of PB-PAHs. SSP exhibited a slightly high average PAH concentrations of 10.3 ng m−3 than 9.16 ng m−3 in the NSSP. At the same time, the average PM2.5 concentrations obviously increased from 60.7 µg m−3 to 75.2 µg m−3. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis manifested that sandstorm largely enhanced the oil leakage and combustion (OLC) fractions from 18.0% in the NSSP to 34.4% in the SSP. Potential source contribution function (PSCF) indicated that OLC partly came from sandstorm origin area–Inner Mongolia. Low diagnostic ratios of FA/(FA + PY) in the SSP also indicated OLC was more important. Accordingly, the largest contributor of incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCRs) changed from vehicle exhaust (VE) (36.2%) in the NSSP to OLC (34.4%) in the SSP. VE and industrial emission (IE) contributions decreased obviously due to emission control and traffic limitation in the SSP. Coal burning (CB) still held a high contribution to PAHs regardless of the implementation of “coal to gas” law in the sampling area. In addition, sandstorms increased the levels of high molecular weight PAHs (HMW-PAHs) with high toxicity by 4.07%. ILCRs for adults and children increased from 3.90 × 10−7 to 4.74 × 10−7 and from 2.41 × 10−7 to 2.93 × 10−7, respectively, in the SSP, which should be more concerned.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the health risk of pesticide exposure from leek， the pesticide residue in leek from Henan market was investigated.MethodsThe residues of 16 pesticides in leek sold on Henan market in 2020 were detected and analyzed. According to health guidance values such as food consumption data of the World Health Organization， acute reference dose formulated by Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues and adaptable daily intake in “National food safety standard-Maximum residue limits for pesticides in food”， the acute and chronic exposure risks of pesticide residues in leek were evaluated by point assessment method， and the cumulative exposure was evaluated by hazard index method.ResultsThere were many types of pesticide residues in leek samples and 93.81% （424/452） of the samples were positive. 7 of the 14 pesticides exceeded their MRLs， and the violation rate of all samples was 16.15%. The detection of multiple pesticides was relatively serious， and 56.42% of the samples contained more than two pesticide residues. In the acute exposure assessment， the acute risks of carbofuran， procymidone and phorate exceeded the acceptable level. In the chronic exposure assessment， the chronic risk of omethoate exceeded the acceptable level. And insecticide pesticides had cumulative poisoning risk.ConclusionThe situation of pesticide residues in leek in Henan province was relatively prominent. To ensure the safety of agricultural products， it was recommended that the routine monitoring and use of pesticide， especially high-risk pesticides such as omethoate， carbofuran， procymidone and phorate should be strengthened.

Assessing the spatiotemporal patterns, exposure risks and sustainability of PM2.5 pollution from multi–scale spatial and temporal characteristics are relevant for achieving Goal 11.6.2 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (assessing the effects of urban fine particulate matter pollution on public health). According to this study, methodological models combining trend analysis, spatial statistics, and population exposure risk assess the spatiotemporal patterns, exposure risks, and sustainability characteristics of PM2.5 pollution at global, continental, and national scales, and ultimately achieve SDG 11.6.2 Assessment framework at different spatial scales. The results indicate that: (1) The annual decline in global PM2.5 concentrations exhibited a rate of –0.023 µg/m3/yr, with more than 30 % of regions experiencing a decrease in PM2.5 concentrations of more than 0.1 µg/m3/yr, and showed significant spatial distribution differences. (2) The global population exposed to 70 µg/m3 shows a U–shaped change. Spatially, more than 60 % of the world’s regions are exposed to low risk (Low risk and Lower risk) and less than 30 % are exposed to high risk (Higher, High and Extremely high risk). Asia has the highest exposure (2.95), while Oceania has the lowest (0.11). (3) Inequalities in sustainable PM2.5 exposure risks between developed and developing countries will continually increase. The results of the study not only shed light on the present state of sustainable global air quality progress but also offer valuable insights and a blueprint for conducting similar multi–scale assessments in the coming times.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) seriously affects environmental air quality and human health, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in PM2.5 posed a great challenge to clinical medicine. The year of 2013–2017 was an important 5-year period for the implementation of Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (APPCAP) in China. Here, we took Handan, a PM2.5 polluted city in northern China, as the research object and analyzed ARGs in PM2.5 in winter (January) from 2013 to 2017. The results showed that the abundance of ARGs was the highest in 2013 (3.7 × 10−2 copies/16S rRNA), and ARGs were positively correlated with air quality index (AQI) (r = 0.328, P < 0.05) and PM2.5 concentration (r = 0.377, P = 0.020 < 0.05) in the 5-year period. The ARGs carried by PM2.5 in four functional regions of sewage treatment plant, steel works, university, and park showed that sul1 and qepA had higher abundance in each functional region, and the total ARG abundance in sewage treatment plant (1.3 × 10−1 copies/16S rRNA) was the highest, while lowest in park (2.0 × 10−3 copies/16S rRNA). Potential source contribution function (PSCF) and concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) model were used to trace the pollutants at the sampling points, which indicated that the surrounding cities contributed more than quarter to the sampling points. Therefore, regional transportation reduces the spatial distribution difference of ARGs in PM2.5. The exposure dose of ARGs in different functional regions illustrated that the total inhaled dose of ARGs in sewage treatment plant (1.7 × 105 copies/d) was the highest, while lowest in park (3.2 × 104 copies/d). This study is of great significance for assessing the distribution and sources of ARGs under the clean air initiative in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies to the exposure effects of acetamiprid on honeybees were based on the analysis of bee pollen and honey sacs from field trials or of beebread and honey in the hive, which overestimate or underestimate the risk of exposure to pesticide residues. It was believed that the processing factor (PF) is an important variable to determine the final pesticide residue during royal jelly formation and the actual risk to honeybee larva. Hence, a QuEChERS method to determine acetamiprid contents in honeybee samples was established in this study. Then, the PFs for acetamiprid in beebread fermentation, honey brewing, and royal jelly formation were determined to be 0.85, 0.76, and 0.16, respectively. The PF for royal jelly formation was 0.04 when acetamiprid was detected in beebread alone, and it was 0.12 when acetamiprid was only detected in honey. Finally, the predicted exposure concentration of acetamiprid in royal jelly was calculated to be 2.05 µg/kg using the PF without significant difference with the 90th percentile value (3.64 µg/kg) in the actual sample. However, the value was 16.62 µg/kg without considering the PF. This study establishes a methodology for the correct evaluation of the risk to bee larva of acetamiprid residues in bee pollen and honey sac contents and the residual levels in royal jelly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "passive" sorption detectors based on the activated charcoal together with scintillation spectrometry were utilized to measure radon flux density from the soil surface as well as volumetric activity of indoor radon at the dwellings of rural areas of Uzbekistan. Additionally, gamma dose rates as well as concentrations of natural radionuclides in soil and building materials samples were determined. Based on the values of natural radionuclides, common radiological indices have been calculated. It was found that varying greatly, 94% radon flux density values did not exceed 80 mBq/(m2·s), while volumetric activities of radon were in the range of 35–564 Bq/m3. The radium equivalent activity for studied soil and building materials samples were below the allowed limit of 370 Bq/kg. Computed gamma dose rates were in the range of 55.50–73.89 ƞGyh−1 below the limit of 80 ƞGyh−1 and annual effective dose rate 0.068–0.091 mSvy−1, the average value of which was higher than the standard limit > 0.47 mSvy−1. The gamma representative index range was 0.89–1.19 with an average of 1.002 which was higher than the standard limit of 1.0. The range of activity utilization index was equal to 0.70–0.86 with an average value 0.77 which was lower than the recommended level ≤ 2.0. And lastly, excess lifetime cancer risk index values were from 1.9 × 10−4 to 2.5 × 10−4 and were lower than the recommended value 2.9 × 10−4 indicating low radiological risk. The results are consistent with the research conducted by other authors earlier, implying suitability of employing the method for the assessment of residential areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potentially toxic elements from geothermal springs can cause significant pollution of the surrounding environment and pose potential risk to the ecosystem. The fate of potentially toxic elements in the water–soil–plant system in the Yangbajain geothermal field on the Tibetan Plateau, China was investigated to assess their impact on the eco-environment. The concentrations of Be, F, As, and Tl were highly elevated in the headwaters of the Yangbajain geothermal springs, and their concentrations in the local surface water impacted by the geothermal springs reached 8.1 μg/L (Be), 23.9 mg/L (F), 3.83 mg/L (As), and 8.4 μg/L (Tl), respectively, far exceeding the corresponding thresholds for surface and drinking water. The absence of As–Fe co-precipitation, undersaturated F−, and weak adsorption on minerals at high geothermal spring pH may be responsible for the As- and F-rich drainage, which caused pollution of local river. As concentrations in the leaves of Orinus thoroldii (Stapf ex Hemsl.) Bor were up to 42.7 μg/g (dry weight basis), which is an order of magnitude higher than the allowable limit in animal feeds. The locally farmed yaks are exposed to the excessive amount of F and As with high exposure risk through water-drinking and grass-feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal contamination poses a significant environmental threat to wildlife on global scale, making accurate assessment of exposure risk crucial for conservation efforts, particularly for vulnerable species. Existing risk assessment models have been widely used, but their construction process lacks comprehensive considerations. In this study, we constructed an optimized health risk assessment model based on the well-established ''Liu's model'' and ''ADI model'', and applied the pollution allocation factor (AF) to accurately assess the risk of heavy metal exposure to wildlife. Our model was applied to assess exposure risk of heavy metal for the black-necked crane(Grus nigricollis), a flagship species in the alpine wetland ecosystem of Caohai Wetland. Soil, plant and black-necked crane fecal samples were collected from the Caohai Wetland and surrounding areas in Guizhou, China. We revealed varying degrees of As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn contamination in soil and plants from different habitats, exceeding the background or plant limit values. This indicated that the black-necked crane and other waterbirds living in Caohai Wetland are suffering with the multi-elemental heavy metal contamination, especially in the gutterway and grassland. The exposure dose of As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn toward black-necked cranes differed significantly in soil and plant pathways (P 0.5). The risk assessment model identified Cr and Pb were the highest risk elements for black-necked cranes, with exposure risk simulated through feces exceeding those through food. These findings suggested that current Liu's model may underestimate the effects of other pathways and medium. Therefore, we proposed a more comprehensive and accurate model for evaluating the exposure risk of black-necked cranes, incorporating AF to quantify the contribution of risk sources to black-necked cranes and understand their overall health risk. This model can serve as a useful tool for the conservation and habitat quality improvement of the black-necked cranes and other waterbirds.

To study the spatiotemporal variability of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and assess their carcinogenic potential in six contrasting urban environments in Greece, a total of 305 filter samples were collected and analyzed. Sampling sites included a variety of urban background, traffic (Athens, Ioannina and Heraklion), rural (Xanthi) and near-port locations (Piraeus and Volos). When considering the sum of 16 U.S. EPA priority PAHs, as well as that of the six EU-proposed members, average concentrations observed across locations during summer varied moderately (0.4–2.2 ng m−3) and independently of the population of each site, with the highest values observed in the areas of Piraeus and Volos that are affected by port and industrial activities. Winter levels were significantly higher and more spatially variable compared to summer, with the seasonal enhancement ranging from 7 times in Piraeus to 98 times in Ioannina, indicating the large impact of PAH emissions from residential wood burning. Regarding benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), an IARC Group 1 carcinogen and the only EU-regulated PAH, the winter/summer ratios were 24–33 in Athens, Volos, Heraklion and Xanthi; 60 in Piraeus; and 480 in Ioannina, which is afflicted by severe wood-burning pollution events. An excellent correlation was observed between organic carbon (OC) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) during the cold period at all urban sites (r2 > 0.8) with stable BaP/OC slopes (0.09–0.14 × 10−3), highlighting the potential use of OC as a proxy for the estimation of BaP in winter conditions. The identified spatiotemporal contrasts, which were explored for the first time for PAHs at such a scale in the Eastern Mediterranean, provide important insights into sources and controlling atmospheric conditions and reveal large deviations in exposure risks among cities that raise the issue of environmental injustice on a national level.

Dispersants, a class of chemical spill-treating agents used to treat oil spills, are commonly used globally as an alternative response measure. Applying dispersants to an oil slick, shortly after the spill has occurred, can protect shoreline environments and sea surface-dwelling animals, such as some marine bird species, limiting individuals or local populations from the consequences of coming into contact with large quantities of oil. However, this benefit comes with the cost of increasing oil exposure risk to marine biota that spend time in the water column. It is generally believed that the benefits of dispersant use outweigh the costs under most circumstances. However, it is rarely acknowledged that the use of dispersants may have negative impacts on marine biota at the individual or local population level, including marine birds. In Canada, Corexit EC9500A, a regulated dispersant, is being proposed for expanded use beyond treating spills from an offshore oil and gas facility. To understand what the potential impacts from dispersant use are to marine birds, we conducted a literature review to identify the direct and indirect effects of their use. We also provide oil spill responders with a Pathway of Effects (POE) conceptual model, a tool for understanding the interactions between dispersants, marine birds, and their environment to support a holistic consideration as part of the oil spill response decision-making process. Fundamental uncertainties remain, however, and if left unaccounted for in the decision-making process, they may compromise the appropriateness of spill response approaches and outcomes. We recommend that oil spill responders incorporate the known benefits and costs of dispersant use on marine birds into a decision-making framework such as a Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) and with consideration of the POE concept models provided. These recommendations are particularly relevant where a decision-making framework such as NEBA is becoming a more standardized component of the response process. Additionally, greater investment in lab and field-based research, and field observations through monitoring, is required to address existing decision-making uncertainties and provide information gap closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentration of microbes settled in rooms at different humidification levels (none-humidification, relative humidity is 40%, 55% and 70%) and in the humidifier storage water were investigated through experimental simulations and community analysis using a real office room as a prototype, to clarify the concentration and spatial distribution of microbes settled in winter heating rooms after ultrasonic humidification. The results show that the concentration of microbes settled indoors increases markedly after ultrasonic humidification and is closely related to the humidification level. The concentration is the largest under the medium humidification level. After 10-day humidification at medium target relative humidity (55%), the concentration of the settled bacteria (8.8x104 CFU/g) and fungi (5.9x104 CFU/g) roares to 13 times and 5 times of their original concentrations, respectively, far exceeding the standard's limitation (5x104 CFU/g) for microbes concentrations. The distribution of settled microbes shows significant spatial distribution characteristics, mainly accumulated on the floor and followed by the humidifier sprayer's leeward side, windward side, and flank side. The pathogenic bacterial genera, such as Brevundomonas spp., Legionella spp., expand fast in the water of the humidifier reservoir and are significantly correlated with the concentration of the bacteria settled indoors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was to investigate blood lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) levels and time trend in rural Chinese children derived from the China Nutrition and Health Survey 2002 and 2012 (CNHS 2002, CNHS 2012). In total, 1698 and 1581 of rural Chinese children were selected from the CNHS 2002 and the CNHS 2012 databases, respectively. The blood Pb and Cd levels were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS), whilst the prevalence of blood Pb levels >5 µg/dL and blood Cd levels >0.5 µg/L and the corresponding reference values (RV95s: the upper limit of 95% confidence interval of 95th percentile) were together calculated. From the CNHS 2002 to the CNHS 2012, median concentrations in blood were severally decreased from 6.3 to 3.1 µg/dL for Pb and from 0.64 to 0.39 µg/L for Cd. The prevalence of blood Pb levels >5 µg/dL had decreased from 63.6 to 14.2%, together with blood Cd levels >0.5 µg/L prevalence from 62.7 to 33.5%, respectively. The RV95s of blood Pb and Cd levels were 15.2 µg/dL and 1.54 µg/L in the CNHS 2002, as well as 6.3 µg/dL and 1.12 µg/L in the CNHS 2012. In conclusion, blood Pb and Cd levels had been obviously improved in rural Chinese children during the past 10 years. However, the risks of Pb and Cd exposure are still serious and required to have continuous health monitoring and evaluation, even call for greater collaboration of the government and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a growing interest in the effect of radon gas on humans visiting caves. A radon survey was consequently done in the Sudwala tourist cave close to Nelspruit in the eastern part of South Africa to determine the radon exposure of tourists and guides. The Sudwala cave, which evolved in karst geology, is a popular tourist destination. Twenty-eight electret ion chambers were placed in various locations throughout the cave for a period of 24 h. Radon concentrations varied between a minimum of 255 Bq/m3 and a maximum of 1822 Bq/m3 with a geometric mean of 750 Bq/m3. The radon levels were found to be relatively stable up to 600 m from the entrance, after which they sharply increased. This suggests that different processes disperse radon in the initial and deeper parts of the cave. It was concluded that this is the result of natural cave ventilation which is caused by changes in ambient barometric pressure. Despite the measured level being higher than the World Health Organization (WHO)'s mitigation level of 200 Bq/m3, the occupational exposure is quite low due to the frequency and duration of a typical cave tour and therefore poses no risk to the tourists and tour guides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface ozone (O 3) has become a primary pollutant affecting urban air quality and public health in mainland China. To address this concern, we developed a nation-wide surface maximum daily average 8-h (MDA8) O 3 concentration dataset for mainland China (ChinaHighO 3) at a 10-km resolution with a start year of 2013, which has been widely employed in a wide range of studies. To meet the increasing demand for its usage, we have made important enhancements, including the development of a more advanced deep-learning model and the incorporation of major source updates, such as 1-km surface downward shortwave radiation and temperature directly from satellite retrievals, as well as a 1-km emission inventory. Additionally, we have extended the temporal coverage dating back to 2000, increased the spatial resolution to 1 km, and most importantly, notably improved the data quality (e.g., sample-based cross-validation coefficient of determination = 0.89, and root-mean-square error = 15.77 μg/m3). Using the substantially improved new product, we have found dynamic and diverse patterns in national surface O 3 levels over the past two decades. Peak-season levels have been relatively stable from 2000 to 2015, followed by a sharp increase, reaching peak values in 2019 and subsequently declining. Additionally, we observed a large relative difference of 12 % in peak-season surface O 3 concentrations between urban and rural regions in mainland China. This disparity has greatly increased since 2015, particularly in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Pearl River Delta regions. Notably, since 2000, nearly all of the population across mainland China (> 99.7 %) has resided in areas exposed to surface O 3 pollution exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended long-term air quality guideline (AQG) level (peak-season MDA8 O 3 = 60 μg/m3). Moreover, the short-term population-risk exposure to daily surface O 3 pollution has shown a significant increasing trend of 1.2 % (p < 0.001) of the days exceeding the WHO's recommended short-term AQG level (daily MDA8 O 3 = 100 μg/m3) per year during the 22-year period. The overall upward trend (0.73 μg/m3/yr, p < 0.001) in peak-season surface O 3 pollution has led to an exceptionally large rate of increase of 953 (95 % confidence interval: 486, 1288) premature deaths per year from 2000 to 2021 in mainland China. Urgent action is required to develop comprehensive strategies aimed at mitigating surface O 3 pollution to enhance air quality in the future. • A 1 km gapless daily surface MDA8 O 3 dataset for China since 2000 is reconstructed. • Dynamic and diverse variations in surface O 3 over the past two decades are detected. • An observed urban-rural difference of 12 % in peak-season surface O 3 stands out. • The upward trend in surface O 3 exposure risk has resulted in an annual loss of 953 lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Sand storm (SS) is highly concerned based on its adverse impacts on environment and health. A field observation was conducted in Dingxing County within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from 16 March to 9 April 2021 covering two SS episodes to evaluate the SS impacts on PM2.5 components, health risks, and sources. From the non-SS period (NSSP) to the SS period (SSP), more increase was found in PM10 (114–300 µg m−3) than PM2.5 (61.5–75.2 µg m−3), suggesting the obvious increment of coarse particles (PM2.5–10) in the SSP. PM2.5 reconstruction indicated that higher dust of 54.0 µg m−3 and trace element oxides (TEO) of 0.234 µg m−3 were found in the SSP, evidencing their immigration from the sand dust. In consequence, the elevated exposure risks via inhalation including carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic were found in the SSP. More attention should be paid to high non-carcinogenic risks of 2.49 for adults and children in the SSP. Again, the concentrations of organic carbon (OC) and secondary organic carbon (SOC) increased in the SSP, especially in the case of SOC. High usage of coal and biomass for heating purpose in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia might be an explanation. However, the mass contributions of nine water-soluble ions to PM2.5 decreased from 54.0% to 33.5% due to their low contents in sand dust. Seven sources including construction dust (CD), biomass burning (BB), secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA), industrial emissions (IN), vehicle emissions (VE), coal combustion (CC), and soil dust (SD) were recognized by positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. SD was the biggest contributor in the SSP and accounted for 68.8% of the PM2.5 mass. VE contributed highest to PM2.5 in NSSP, indicating the effective emission control on industries and coal combustion.

Since State Council launched the Action Plan for Air Pollution Prevention and Control in 2013, national concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has continued to decline in China, while surface ozone (O3) pollution shows an obvious rise. To identity hot regions and develop targeted policy, the spatiotemporal O3 variation and its population-weighted exposure features were analyzed in 337 cities across China, using autocorrelation analysis and grid exposure calculation. In the identified hot urban agglomerations, the correlation analysis and geographic weighted regression model (GWR) were used to study related meteorological factors and socioeconomic driving factors. O3 pollution and its human exposure were found to have significant spatial aggregation characteristics, showing a need for regional management policy. Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration (BTH-UA), Central Plains Urban Agglomeration (CP-UA), and Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRD-UA) were identified as hot regions where O3 concentration exceeded 160 μg·m−3, exceedance rate was over 20% and population-weighted exposure risk was relatively high. Correlation analysis in the hot regions indicated high surface temperature, low relative humidity, and low wind speed were positive to O3 increase. Further, GWR results revealed that O3 in the majority of cities was positively related with population density (PD), the per capita GDP (Per_GDP), industrial soot emissions (ISE), industrial SO2 emissions (ISO2), and average annual concentration of inhaled fine particulate matter (PM10), and negatively related with total land area of administrative region (Administration) and area of green land (Green). From the regional driving factor difference, the targeted UA management policy was provided.

High concentration of surface ozone (O3) will cause health risks to people. In order to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of O3 and assess O3 exposure and health risks for different age groups in China, we applied multiple methods including standard deviation ellipse, spatial autocorrelation, and exposure–response functions. Results show that O3 concentrations increased in 64.5% of areas in China from 2013 to 2018. The central plain urban agglomeration (CPU), Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), and Yangtze River Delta (YRD) witnessed the greatest incremental rates of O3 by 16.7%, 14.3%, and 13.1%. Spatially, the trend of O3 shows a significant positive autocorrelation, and high trend values primarily in central and east China. The proportion of the total population exposed to high O3 (above 160 μg/m3) increased annually. Compared to 2013, the proportion of the young, adult, and old populations exposed to high O3 increased to different extents in 2018 by 26.8%, 29.6%, and 27.2%, respectively. The extent of population exposure risk areas in China expanded in size, particularly in north and east China. The total premature respiratory mortalities attributable to long-term O3 exposure in six urban agglomerations were about 177,000 in 2018 which has increased by 16.4% compared to that in 2013. Among different age groups, old people are more vulnerable to O3 pollution, so we need to strengthen their relevant health protection of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hepatitis B, a widespread and potentially life-threatening viral infection, affects millions globally. Transmission occurs through exposure to the bodily fluids of infected individuals, placing healthcare workers (HCWs) at heightened risk due to frequent contact with patients. This study evaluated hepatitis B vaccination rates, causes of incomplete immunization, and incidents of needlestick injuries among HCWs at Khartoum Teaching Hospital, Sudan. Methods Seventy-three HCWs from the different departments of Khartoum teaching hospital departments were recruited. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire following informed verbal consent. The collected data focused on hepatitis B vaccine adherence and barriers to full vaccination. Results Of the 73 HCWs (primarily aged 20-30 years), 30 (41.1%) had completed the three-dose vaccination regimen as per guidelines. In contrast, 14 (19.2%) received partial doses, and 29 (39.7%) were unvaccinated. The predominant reason cited for incomplete or absent vaccination was vaccine unavailability. Additionally, 25 (34.2%) reported prior needlestick injuries or exposure to contaminated materials, with fully vaccinated HCWs showing a statistically significant association with reduced exposure risk (p<0.05). Conclusion Inadequate vaccine coverage and supply shortages resulted in incomplete immunization among HCWs. Contributing factors include insufficient awareness and underestimation of hepatitis B's severe outcomes by medical professionals., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Ethical Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum issued approval Not applicable. The committee confirms that the study adheres to the necessary ethical standards and guidelines. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2025, Abdelrahim et al.)

The investigation of the magnitude of residues after application of a pesticide is important to ensure consumer safety and is also a regulatory requirement to grant authorization. To address those issues, the behavior of trifloxystrobin residues was investigated in outdoor strawberry and cucumber cultivations, following the recommended and more critical agricultural practices under Egyptian dry climatic conditions. Fruits were collected at several pre-harvest intervals and analyzed with the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) extraction protocol followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The limit of quantitation of the method was 0.001 mg kg−1. When trifloxystrobin was applied on the field, the half-lives were 2.4 days in cucumbers and 6.2 days in strawberries. Risk assessment showed that chronic and acute dietary exposure to residues following the investigated agricultural patterns are of no concern to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous short-term exposure events in public spaces were reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the spread of Delta and Omicron. However, the currently used exposure risk assessment models and mitigation measures are mostly based on the assumption of steady-state and complete-mixing conditions. The present study investigates the dynamics of airborne transmission in short-term events when a steady state is not reached before the end of the events. Large-eddy simulation (LES) is performed to predict the airborne transmission in short-term events, and three representative physical distances between two occupants are examined. Both time-averaged and phase-averaged exposure indices are used to evaluate the exposure risk. The results present that the exposure index in the short-term events constantly varies over time, especially within the first 1/ACH (air changes per hour) hour of exposure between occupants in close proximity, posing high uncertainty to the spatial and temporal evolutions of the risk of cross-infection. The decoupling analysis of the direct and indirect airborne transmission routes indicates that the direct airborne transmission is the predominated route in short-term events. It suggests also that the general dilution ventilation has a relatively limited efficiency in mitigating the risk of direct airborne transmission, but determines largely the occurrence time of the indirect one. Given the randomness, discreteness, localization, and high-risk characteristics of direct airborne transmission, a localized method that has a direct interference on the respiratory flows would be better than dilution ventilation for short-term events, in terms of both efficiency and cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental aerosols in animal houses are closely related to the productive performance and health level of animals living in the houses. Preferable housing environments can improve animal welfare and production efficiency, so it is necessary to monitor and study these environments. In recent years, there have been many large-scale outbreaks of respiratory diseases related to biological aerosols, especially the novel coronavirus that has been sweeping the world. This has attracted much attention to the mode of aerosol transmission. With the rapid development of large-scale and intensive breeding, microbial aerosols have gradually become the main factor of environmental pollution in animal houses. They not only lead to a large-scale outbreak of infectious diseases, but they also have a certain impact on the health of animals and employees in the houses and increase the difficulty of prevention and control of animal-borne diseases. This paper reviews the distribution, harm, and control measures of microbial aerosols in animal house environments in order to improve people's understanding of them.

In the past two decades, global manufacturing of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has shifted from long-chain compounds to short-chain alternatives in response to evidence of the health hazards of long-chain formulations. However, accumulating data indicate that short-chain PFAS also pose health risks and are highly mobile and persistent in the environment. Because short-chain PFAS are relatively new chemicals, comprehensive knowledge needed to predict their environmental fate is lacking. This study evaluated the capacity of machine-learned Bayesian networks (BNs) to predict risks of exposure to short-chain PFAS in a Minnesota region affected by PFAS releases from the 3M Cottage Grove facility. Models were trained using long-term monitoring data provided by the Minnesota Department of Health (n = 12,406), which we coupled to a comprehensive dataset created by curating 88 other variables that describe potential PFAS sources, soil and hydrogeologic characteristics, and land use. Model performance was assessed using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), a common measure of the accuracy of machine-learned classification algorithms. In addition, exposure risks were visualized spatially by coupling model predictions to a geographic information system. We found that machine-learned BN models had robust predictive performance, with AUCs above 0.96 in cross-validation. Significant risk factors identified by the BNs include distance to the 3M factory, distance to a former landfill, and areal extent of wetlands and developed land. We also found that risks of exposure to and the areal extent of perfluorosulfonic acids were greater than for perfluorocarboxylic acids with the same carbon number. The results suggest that machine-learned BNs could provide a promising screening tool for assessing short-chain PFAS exposure risks in groundwater.

Uganda is among low-income countries where Salmonella induced diarrhoea still contributes significantly to children under five years (CUF) mortality. Karamoja, a sub-region characterised by three agroecologies (pastoral: PE; agro-pastoral: APE; agricultural: AE), is a geographical location that has consistently experienced a high prevalence of diarrhoea among CUF over the last decade nationally. This study examined whether agroecology influences Salmonella food contamination and exposure risk to CUF. A total of 240 food samples (PE: 78; APE: 73; AE: 89) were examined for Salmonella load using Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate Agar and confirmed using polymerase chain reaction targeting invA gene. Analysis of variance for nested design was used to compare Salmonella counts among food types within and across agroecologies and means were separated using Tukey Honestly Significant Difference test at 5% (p < 0.05). Proportion of foods with Salmonella load exceeding World Health Organisation (WHO) set-limit was expressed in percentage. Exposure risk of CUF was computed by multiplying quantity of food intake by Salmonella load and compared to minimum infectious dose (MID) of the pathogen (3 log CFU) whereas chi-square was used to compare proportions of CUF with exposure above or below MID among agroecologies. Salmonella load ranged from 0.00 ± 0.00 to 8.23 ± 1.12 log CFU but varied by food type and agroecology. Salmonella aggregated load in foods from PE was significantly higher than from APE or AE (p < 0.05). The proportion of Salmonella contaminated foods from PE, APE, and AE was 33–90%, 40–67%, and 17–88%, respectively. Salmonella exposure risks to CUF were similar (p > 0.05) at 96%, 92%, and 91% in PE, APE, and AE, respectively. Sorghum-based foods and leafy vegetables were the predominant high-risk foods. This study has revealed that Salmonella contamination of foods with high exposure risk among CUF in Karamoja sub-region varies with agroecology. Efforts to address food contamination in the sub-region should take into account agroecology.

Coking enterprises in China are recognized as significant sources of SO 2 emissions, making them a key industry with high levels of SO 2 intensity. Assessing the health risks for different populations around these coking enterprises nationwide is challenging due to the lack of clarity regarding SO 2 concentrations at varying distances from these facilities. To address this issue, we developed a buffer Latin hypercube XGBoost particle swarm optimization (BLH-XGB-PSO) algorithm that combines efficient global search capabilities and accurate prediction performance. This algorithm enables effective traversal of monitoring points located at varying distances and directions around the enterprise while automatically seeking optimal model parameters. Using this model, we accurately predicted the concentration of SO 2 every 0.5 km within a 10 km radius around China's coking enterprises in 2017, achieving a high prediction accuracy with an R2 value of 0.97. The prediction results indicate that the highest concentration of SO 2 in the vicinity of Chinese coking enterprises is observed in the central region of Shanxi province (65.88 μg/m3). The average annual concentration of SO 2 around all production enterprises amounts to 27.9 μg/m3. Furthermore, we conducted an assessment on the impact of coking enterprises on different age groups, genders, and regions regarding the number of affected individuals, health exposure risks, and control effectiveness. Our findings reveal that in 2017, around 5.5 thousand newborns (14.5% male, 85.5% female) had a hazard quotient (HQ) exceeding threshold value which poses potential human health risks. The implementation of the control policy successfully prevented 64,375 thousand people from being affected by higher concentrations of SO 2. Greater attention should be devoted to the health risks faced by newborns residing in proximity to coking enterprises, with a particular emphasis on female infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospital wastewater is known to contain various pathogenic microorganisms and harmful substances. During the hospital wastewater treatment process, the bioaerosols released may encapsulate these pathogens, leading to human infection. This study undertook an investigation to compare the dispersion characteristics and seasonal variations of bioaerosols from hospital and municipal sewage. The results indicated that the airborne bacterial concentration from hospital sewage (119 ± 118 CFU/m3) was higher than municipal sewage (46 ± 19 CFU/m3), with the highest concentration observed in summer. The dominant bacterial genera present in bioaerosols from both sewages were alike, with the proportions varied by sewage types and the structure mainly influenced by seasonal factors. Bacteroides, Escherichia-Shigella and Streptococcus were identified as the most prevalent pathogenic genera in spring, summer and winter bioaerosols, respectively, while Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter were abundant in autumn. Although the non-carcinogenic risk associated with bioaerosols was low (<1), the presence of pathogenic species and their potential synergistic interactions elevated the overall exposure risk. The diffusion modeling results demonstrated that bioaerosol emissions from the surface of hospital sewage can reach up to 10570 CFU/m3 in summer and can spread more than 300 m downwind. The potential pathogenicity of bioaerosols was also highest in summer, which may pose a health hazard to populations located downwind. Therefore, the management and control of bioaerosols from sewage should be strengthened, especially in summer. [Display omitted] • The Gaussian plume diffusion model was used to simulate the emission of bioaerosols. • Dominant bacteria in air from both sewage sources were more affected by seasons. • The risk of bioaerosols from hospital sewage was higher than municipal sewage. • The presence of airborne Escherichia-Shigella can be associated with Streptococcus. • Bioaerosols from hospital sewage in summer had the highest potential pathogenic risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to pesticides has been proposed as a potential contributor to adverse pregnancy outcomes, possibly through the induction of inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of endocrine functions. Nevertheless, the definitive link between prenatal pesticide exposure and the risk of Spontaneous Abortion (SAB) remains uncertain. The objective of this systematic review is to explore and analyze the existing evidence regarding the link between pesticide exposure and the risk of SAB. A comprehensive systematic literature search was carried out on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from their inception until February 2024 to identify relevant studies exploring the potential link between pesticide exposure and SAB. The frequency of SAB events and the total number of patients in each group were used to calculate the Relative Risk (RR) using the Mantel-Haenszel random-effects model. Heterogeneity among the studies was evaluated by visually inspecting the forest plot and performing the Chi-square test and I2 tests. We also used RevMan version 5.4 for Windows for the analysis. We also used the NIH tool to assess the quality of the included studies. The initial database search yielded 2121 results, with 1525 articles remaining after removing duplicates. After screening, 29 articles were eligible for full-text review, and 18 studies (Four case-control, eleven cohorts, three cross-sectional) were included in the meta-analysis, comprising 439,097 participants. All included studies evaluated the primary outcome, SAB. Most of the included studies were cross-sectional in design, and pesticide exposure was primarily assessed through questionnaires administered to patients. We found that most of our observational studies, precisely 12 out of the total, were deemed fair quality. Four studies were rated poor quality, while only two received a good quality rating. The analysis demonstrated a significant 41 % increase in SAB risk among pregnant women exposed to pesticides compared to pregnant women without exposure to pesticides (RR= 1.41, 95 % CI; [1.10, 1.80], P= 0.006). Our systematic review and meta-analysis revealed a significant 41 % increase in the risk of SAB among pregnant women exposed to pesticides. However, it is essential to acknowledge the limitations of the current evidence: potential publication bias and the inability to establish causality. Moving forward, future research should focus on longitudinal studies, mechanistic insights, and risk reduction strategies. In summary, our findings underscore the urgency of public health measures to protect maternal and fetal health in pesticide-exposed areas. Rigorous research and preventive strategies are crucial to mitigate adverse outcomes. • Links pesticide exposure to spontaneous abortion risk from 18 studies involving 439,097 participants. • Identified a significant increase in risk, with a 41 % higher chance of spontaneous abortion in women exposed to pesticides. • Stresses strict protective measures and improved antenatal care to reduce pesticide exposure risks and protect maternal health. • Highlights the need to identify pesticide impacts, causative agents, and dose-response relationships for preventive actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fallout is the most common sample type in atmospheric microplastic investigation. • Microplastics are widely distributed in the atmospheric environments. • The potential health risks come from physical irritations and chemical toxicity. • Comprehensive sampling methods and uniform units are recommended. Microplastics have attracted global attention as an emerging and ubiquitous contaminant in the environment. There are several pathways of human microplastic exposure, however, atmospheric microplastic pollution has yet rarely been elucidated systematically, especially the impact of atmospheric microplastics on human health. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about microplastic pollution in atmosphere based on sample types, and the factors affecting microplastic transport or deposition as well as human exposure and potential risks on humans are discussed. Microplastics have been reported in suspended particular particles, atmospheric fallout, road dust and wet precipitation around the world, but the abundance of atmospheric microplastics varies in different regions. The abundance of microplastics in the atmosphere is greatly affected by human activities and meteorological factors, but the influence mechanisms on the transport and deposition processes remain to be clarified. Furthermore, atmospheric microplastics can pose potential health threats once inhaled, and the intake is age-related, with probably less intake for adults than children. Knowledge gaps and perspectives for further studies of atmospheric microplastic pollution status and human risk assessments are also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

BACKGROUND: Balancing the safety and efficiency of chiral pesticides can help protect pollinators. We evaluated the stereoselective behavior, bioactivity, toxicity and exposure risk of the chiral insecticide pyriproxyfen in a citrus nectar system. RESULTS: Density functional theory (DFT) and ultra‐performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy (UPLC–MS/MS) were applied for absolute configuration appraisal and chiral analysis validation, respectively. The recoveries ranged from 72.3% to 100.5% with an relative standard deviation (RSD) ranging from 1.2% to 9.7%. In a field trial, we determined insecticide half‐lives in citrus leaves and flowers, which were 7.0 and 8.6 days for R‐(+)‐pyriproxyfen, and 11.7 and 14.7 days for S‐(−)‐pyriproxyfen, respectively. We found that the bioactivity of R‐(+)‐pyriproxyfen was 3.39 and 2.37 times higher than S‐(−)‐pyriproxyfen against Unaspis yanonensis and Diaphorina citri nymphs, respectively. S‐(−)‐pyriproxyfen had 3.8 times higher acute toxicity than R‐(+)‐pyriproxyfen on Apis mellifera L., and its exposure risk was moderate based on the hazard quotient. CONCLUSION: The phenomenon of stereoselective degradation and biological effect demonstrated that the high‐risk stereoisomer of S‐(−)‐pyriproxyfen degraded more slowly than R‐(+)‐pyriproxyfen, but R‐(+)‐pyriproxyfen with better efficiency for target. Therefore, an increased duration of R‐(+)‐pyriproxyfen activity on citrus was beneficial for efficacy. Our results could guide the scientific application and evaluation of chiral pesticides on nectar plants. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioaerosols can be generated in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), they may contain pathogenic bacteria, cause disease transmission, and attract the public’s attention. In this study, bioaerosols were collected from seven different stages of an A²O process WWTP. The component characteristics were analyzed by bacterial culture and high-throughput sequencing. The correlations in different processes were analyzed, and the health risks of bioaerosols produced were evaluated. The results showed that the concentration range of bacteria aerosol in the WWTP was 75 CFU/m³−706 CFU/m³. The concentration range of total suspended particles was 111.13 µg/m³−211.67 µg/m³, the primary water-soluble ions were Ca²⁺ and Cl⁻. In the air of each stage, the main bacteria were Cetobacterium, Bacteroides, Romboutsia, and the fungi were Fusarium, Alternaria, and Aspergillus. The dominant bacteria in the wastewater were Cetobacterium, Romboutsia, Stenotrophobacter, and the fungi were Fusarium, Aspergillus, and Mortierella. The total bacterial concentration and ion concentration in the aerobic section of the biochemical tank were the highest. The results of species composition and principal component analysis showed that the bacterial composition in the air at different processes was similar, while the bacteria in wastewater differed significantly. Among them, the wastewater bacteria in the aerobic section of the biochemical tank were closer to that in the air. Fungal results were similar to bacteria but not prominent. The bioaerosol exposure risk results show that the risk in each stage was acceptable (5.15 ×10⁻⁴−6.47 ×10⁻³). However, the exposure risk of bioaerosol was calculated by the total bacterial concentration. In fact, some pathogenic microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and Aspergillus flavus were detected in bioaerosols, which may cause hemorrhagic colitis, cancer and other diseases by swallowing and inhalation. Therefore, the risk might be underestimated and should be a cause of concern.

Particle dispersions have been widely studied inside rooms, but few databases have examined the transmission risk of respiratory droplets outdoors. This study investigated the wind effect on the dispersion of coughed droplets and the influence of social distancing on the infection risk in different susceptible persons using computational fluid dynamics simulations. Infection risk was evaluated based on direct depositions and exposure fractions. The results indicated that a reverse and upward flow formed in front of an infected man, and it enhanced as the wind strengthened, which transported more medium particles higher and increased the deposition on both infected and susceptible persons. Small particles moved above the neck, and they rarely deposited on the body. Medium particles larger than 60 μm were more likely to deposit and could reach the head of a healthy person under stronger winds. The exposure fraction achieved peak values when numerous particles passed the breathing zone. Although longer social distancing could alleviate the particle deposition on the face and delay the most dangerous time, its effect on infection risk was ambiguous. The infection risk was larger for a shorter susceptible person because more particles were deposited on the face, and the exposure fraction contributed by particles above the neck was larger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor wind environment in residential areas leads to the accumulation of odor from domestic waste, affecting pedestrian health. A reasonable arrangement of waste collection points can reduce pedestrian exposure risks. This study aims to investigate the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) dispersion and residents' exposure risk at the pedestrian level for five different locations of waste collection points in a residential building array. Simulation results are consistent with the benchmark wind tunnel experiment, validating that the used turbulence model and numerical methods show good agreement with the predictions of the aforementioned problem. Results indicate that the dimensionless concentration of H2S and personal intake fraction in a residential area are lower when the collection point is at the corner of the building array periphery. When the collection point is located in the middle of the periphery of the building array or between two adjacent buildings in the center of the array, the local dimensionless concentration of H2S is 50 at the pedestrian level, and the personal intake fraction is three orders of magnitude higher than that at the corner of the building array periphery. The findings provide a reference for the layout of waste collection points in high-density residential areas and reduction in outdoor exposure risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on droplet transmission are needed to understand the infection mechanism of SARS-CoV-2. This research investigated the effects of coughing intensity and wind direction on respiratory droplets transportation using the Euler–Lagrange method. The results revealed that both coughing intensity and wind conditions considerably influence the transmission of small and medium droplets but had little effect on large droplets. A stronger coughing intensity resulted in small and medium droplets traveling farther in a calm wind and spreading widely and rapidly in a windy environment. The droplets do not travel far in the absence of ambient wind, even with stronger coughing. Medium droplets spread in clusters, and small droplets drifted out of the domain in the band area in different wind conditions except for 60° and 90° wind directions, in which cases, the droplets were blown directly downstream. In 0° wind direction, many droplets were deposited on the human body. The fast and upward movement of particles in 60° and 90° directions could cause infection risk with short exposure. In 180° wind direction, droplets spread widely and traveled slowly because of the reverse flow downstream, prolonged exposure can result in a high risk of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental Science & Technology (10036504) is the property of Editorial Board of Environmental Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Musculoskeletal Diseases (MSDs) are among the most prevalent health problems encountered in the workforce in Europe. Multiple risk factors contribute to their onset. In the present study, different individual risk factors for chronic tendinous pathology affecting the shoulder were analysed in a sample of workers from the automotive manufacturing sector. Methods An observational retrospective study was conducted with 73 cases of officially recognised and compensated occupational diseases and 94 aleatory cases of healthy workers from the same car assembly company. The experimental group comprised individuals with tendinous chronic pathology of the rotator cuff. Multiple variables that identified the risks present in the job were assessed along with participants clinical evaluation. Furthermore, two standardised guidelines for risk factors assessment were also used: the Spanish National Institute of Social Security (INSS) and the American Occupational Information Network (O*Net). Both descriptive statistical analysis and Odds ratios calculations considering the occupational disease as a dependent variable were performed. Results The use of hand tools, exposure to mechanical pressure in the upper limbs and awkward postures were the most prevalent risk factors. Pressure on the palm of the hand and the hand tool impacting the hand were also important risk factors. Some psychosocial factors such as lack of autonomy and mental workload were also associated shoulder tendinous diseases. The association of age, load handling, and awkward postures were the core risk factors responsible for most of the tendinous chronic injuries of the shoulder in this sample of car assembly workers. Conclusions Both ergonomic and psychosocial factors were present and increased the risk of developing occupational chronic tendinopathies at the shoulder in this sample of workers. Aging, load handling, and awkward postures showed the strongest predictive values. Greater knowledge of how risk factors interact would facilitate the design of better preventive workplace strategies.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the Department of Labor of the United States, the exposure risk for anaesthesiologists working with COVID-19 patients can be classified as high or very high. This is mostly due to fact that the anaesthesiologists work in close contact with patients’ airways, and the aerosol-generating nature of some procedures they perform. Fortunately, despite the occupational hazard, the incidence of COVID-19 among anaesthesiologists and intensivists remains relatively low. Current evidence suggests that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 infections in this group were either contracted outside of the work environment or can be attributed to personal protective equipment (PPE) malfunction. This article focuses on different aspects of anaesthesiologists’ safety, risks connected with different clinical scenarios and procedures, issues related to testing and screening, as well as modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for severe illness or from COVID-19. This analysis is accompanied by a review of guidelines dedicated to mitigating said risks. Educating the personnel, introducing appropriate procedures, and proper utilisation of PPE are essential to the safety of all parties involved in hospital care, particularly those with significant exposure risk.

BACKGROUND Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are classic persistent organic pollutants in the hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere and atmosphere, which have a harmful effect on human health by exchanging and migrating among various environmental media. Breast milk is an ideal biometric to monitor the exposure risk of mothers and infants to PAHs. Earlier research indicated that the residue levels of PAHs in breast milk from Beijing were higher in the world. OBJECTIVES To understand the changes in the residue levels of PAHs in breast milk in the region, the exposure of infants, and the trends and characteristics of the exposure risk of breastfeeding mothers and infants. METHODS For 30 first-delivery women in Beijing, a breast milk sample per month within 180 days postpartum period was collected. The PAHs and fat content of breast milk were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and monitored to study the time tendency of PAHs and estimate the exposure risk of infants to PAHs. RESULTS The dominant pollutants were acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, and fluoranthene. The average concentration of Σ15PAHs in 180 samples was 348μg/kg lipid, which was lower than the value reported in 2005. Compared to the early reported residue level, the BaP-equivalent (BaPeq) concentrations decreased, which were 7.89μg/kg lipid for seven carcinogenic compounds, and 8.53μg/kg lipid for 15 PAHs. For breastfeeding infants in Beijing, the mean acceptable daily intakes (EDIs) of Σ15PAHs and Σ7PAHs through breast milk were 1.51μg/day/kg b.w. and 0.19μg/day/kg b.w., respectively, which was lower than those in 2005. However, it was higher than the exposure of infants in some countries such as Czech, America, Turkey during breastfeeding, and lower than the latest research results of Lanzhou and other heavy industrial cities in China. Throughout the lactation period, the total concentration of PAHs in breast milk did not decrease significantly, but winter heating may increase the emission of PAHs in the atmosphere, making the total concentration of 15 PAHs in breast milk samples significantly higher than that in summer, autumn, and spring. CONCLUSIONS Bivariate correlations analytical results show that the concentration of Σ15PAHs is not associated with age, BMI and lipid content. Limited by sample size, those results should be confirmed with perfect experiment design and sufficient samples in future studies.

The vegetation burning caused by wildfires can release significant quantities of aerosols and toxic chemicals into the atmosphere and result in health risk. Among these emitted pollutants, Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), the most toxic congener of 16 parent PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), has received widespread concerns because of its carcinogenicity to human health. Efforts have been made to investigate the environmental and health consequences of wildfire-induced BaP emissions in Africa. Still, uncertainties remain due to knowledge and data gaps in wildfire incidences and biomass burning emissions. Based on a newly-developed BaP emission inventory, the present study assesses quantitatively the BaP environment cycling in Africa and its effects on other continents from 2001 to 2014. The new inventory reveals the increasing contribution of BaP emission from African wildfires to the global total primarily from anthropogenic sources, accounting for 48% since the 2000 s. We identify significantly higher BaP emissions and concentrations across sub-Saharan Africa, where the annual averaged BaP concentrations were as high as 5–8 ng/m3. The modeled BaP concentrations were implemented to estimate the lifetime cancer risk (LCR) from the inhalation exposure to BaP concentrations. The results reveal that the LCR values in many African countries exceeded the acceptable risk level at 1 × 10−6, some of which suffer from very high exposure risk with the LCR>1 × 10−4. We show that the African BaP emission from wildfires contributed, to some extent, BaP contamination to Europe as well as other regions, depending on source proximity and atmospheric pathways under favorable atmospheric circulation patterns.