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Rivers are increasingly being subjected to increased anthropogenic pollution stresses that are undermining their designated-uses and negatively affecting sensitive coastal areas. In this study, the water quality of the Beirut River, a poorly monitored seasonal Mediterranean River, is quantified. Water quality samples were collected on a regular basis over two consecutive years (2016 and 2017) from four sampling sites that represent a gradient of increased urbanization. The spatio-temporal variability of the physio-chemical (pH, Total Suspended Sediment (TSS), Nitrates-nitrites (NOx), sulfates (SO4-2), Total Phosphorus (TP), Total Nitrogen (TN), temperature, conductivity, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and bio-chemical oxygen demand (BOD)) and biological (fecal coliform and total coliform) pollution levels were statistically analysed in an effort to better understand the contribution of point and non-point pollution sources. The results showed significant yearly as well as seasonal variability and a high correlation between the measured pollution levels and river flow levels. Spatially, pollution levels appeared to correlate well with the urbanization levels in the basin. Future work will focus on modeling and further characterizing the pollutant loads reaching the Beirut River Basin. It is hoped that this study will give decision makers a better understanding of the water quality in the Beirut River and thus facilitate the development of an integrated comprehensive and transparent river basin management plan.

There are multiple factors that affect human health and well-being, and the environment is among the major determinants. Nevertheless, health research and interventions are generally isolated from environmental research. The main objective of this research work is to assess the challenges of developing a national surveillance system that can bridge the knowledge gaps among environmental hazards/stressors, human exposure, health outcomes, and interventions. Various environmental health frameworks and approaches to developing environmental health indicators (EHIs) were examined. Semistructured interviews with key stakeholders were conducted to assess the feasibility of collecting EHIs and the challenges of developing an environmental health surveillance system (EHSS). Thematic analysis was employed to examine and evaluate the transcripts comprehensively. Based on the outcomes of the interviews, we were able to identify various indicators in Lebanon that were scrutinized with regards to availability, quality, and usefulness--as well as applicability to the context of Lebanon. Stakeholders reported that the most significant solutions consist of institutionalizing the system within the government, raising awareness of the private and public sector on EHSS, centralizing one entity responsible for leading implementation of the system, establishing a national council for environmental health surveillance, and developing a comprehensive database., Introduction Environmental degradation is among the factors influencing human health, therefore contributing to an increase in diseases due to exposure to various biological, physical, and chemical agents (Irigaray et al., [...]

Regular and proper hand washing is a low-cost and effective intervention to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The authors' study aimed to assess the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics associated with attitudes and practices of hand washing before eating in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It also assessed parents' participation in the personal hygiene of their children. Results revealed that almost all participants believed that it is always necessary to wash one's hands before eating. Females had higher rates than males for washing hands before eating as well as for helping with child hygiene. Not surprisingly, a positive relationship existed between educational level and attitudes and practice of washing hands before eating. The authors recommend that governments, ministries, and different nongovernmental organizations have an active role in developing and implementing programs in order to improve the health of their communities. Such programs should be conducted in all localities and at all levels including homes, schools, and public domains., Introduction Our health is greatly affected by environmental risk factors such as sanitation and hygiene, which includes hands washing (Pruss, Kay, Fewtrell, & Bartram, 2002). Hands need to be washed [...]

The uncontrolled dumping of solid waste is widespread in many developing countries with most of all generated wastes being indiscriminately disposed of in an unsanitary manner that entails significant environmental and public health risks. It is imperative to prioritize dumpsites based on their relative risks so that the necessary control and remedial measures can be undertaken. This research aimed to formulate a pragmatic prioritization and rehabilitation decision tool that can be utilized in low‐ and middle‐income countries to guide decision makers in prioritizing dumpsites for remediation and in identifying the most suitable rehabilitation option for municipal as well as construction and demolition waste. The established prioritization model presents an integrated, risk‐based approach to developing a decision‐making tool for dumpsite prioritization and rehabilitation. The rehabilitation tool drew on a decision tree module to develop the appropriate remedial measures required for each site. The model proved to be effective in prioritizing uncontrolled solid waste disposal sites in Lebanon and for adopting control and remedial measures that can considerably improve decision‐making. The improper disposal of solid waste adversely affects public health and the environment in, to a greater or lesser extent, almost all low‐ and middle‐income countries. Considering that it is unfeasible to remediate all uncontrolled solid waste disposal sites at once, the proposed model facilitates the evaluation process by prioritizing sites for closure and remediation based on their relative risks. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:436–445. © 2022 SETAC Key Points: This study presents a pragmatic prioritization model to prioritize dumpsites based on a risk sensitivity index (RSI) with two different tools to address municipal solid waste (MSW) and construction and demolition waste (CDW) dumpsites.The prioritization model serves to categorically stratify uncontrolled municipal waste disposal sites into different classifications based on the RSI, which indicates the risk to the environment and the need for intervention.The rehabilitation decision tool (RDT) provides a methodological framework that describes and compares different remediation scenarios depending on the RSI.The easy‐to‐use model can be used to facilitate the decisions that many municipal authorities have to make when it comes to prioritizing dumpsites for remediation and adopting an appropriate remediation plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adequate and safe water is important for human health and well-being, economic production, and sustainable development. Failure to ensure the safety of drinking water may expose the community to the risk of outbreaks of waterborne and infectious diseases. Although drinking water is a basic human right, many people do not have access to safe and adequate drinking water or proper sanitation facilities. The authors conducted a study to assess the quantity, cost, continuity, coverage, and quality of drinking water in the village of Zawtar El-Charkieh, Lebanon. Their aim was to identify the challenges of sustainable access to safe drinking water in order to determine the short-term management actions and long-term strategies to improve water quality. Results revealed that contamination of the source, absence of any disinfection method or insufficient dose, poor maintenance operations, and aging of the networks are significant factors contributing to water contamination during the storage and distribution process. Establishing a comprehensive drinking water system that integrates water supply, quality, and management as well as associated educational programs in order to ensure the safety and sustainability of drinking water supplies is essential., Introduction Water is a vital limited resource for human existence and the availability of adequate and safe water connects strongly with the sustainable development concept. Water plays a major role [...]