Search

A Clear Zone (CZ), the unobstructed roadside area with highly compacted soil, naturally accumulates high concentrations of pollutants from traffic activities. These pollutants are washed off by road runoff and enter waterways. In situ, treatment of polluted runoff from the CZ could not only protect water resources but also provide an opportunity to recharge groundwater. However, the soil in the CZ requires compaction, which limits the natural infiltration and treatment of road runoff. In this study, we examine whether and how amending the soil in the CZ with sand, a common bulking agent used in road design, and Expanded Shale, Clay, and Slate (ESCS) aggregates, a novel light-weight engineered bulking agent, could help treat stormwater in situ. ESCS-amended soil media infiltrated 220% more water than sand-amended soil under compaction, indicating that the addition of ESCS would make the CZ better at treating road runoff generated during high-intensity rainfall. Compared to sand-amended soil in the CZ, ESCS-amended soil provided 58% more plant-available water during prolonged drying, indicating that ESCS addition would help maintain vegetation, thereby minimizing maintenance needs. Finally, replacing sand with ESCS improved the soil capacity in the CZ to remove pollutants, including heavy metals and E. coli, indicating the performance life of ESCS-amended soil would be longer than that of sand-amended soil in the CZ. Collectively, these results indicate that the addition of ESCS as an alternative bulking agent to sand in compacted soil in the CZ could potentially treat road runoff in situ and prevent pollution originating from road infrastructure.

An increase in microplastic weathering under UV lights decreases their surface hydrophilicity by the formation of polar groups and increases their mobility in the stormwater biofilter under freeze–thaw cycles.

Objective To assess missed opportunities for hypertension screening at health facilities in India and describe systematic differences in these missed opportunities across states and sociodemographic groups. Methods We used nationally representative survey data from the 2017-2018 Longitudinal Ageing Study in India to estimate the proportion of adults aged 45 years or older identified with hypertension and who had not been diagnosed with hypertension despite having visited a health facility during the previous 12 months. We estimated age-sex adjusted proportions of missed opportunities to diagnose hypertension, as well as actual and potential proportions of diagnosis, by sociodemographic characteristics and for each state. Findings Among those identified as having hypertension, 22.6% (95% confidence interval, CI: 21.3 to 23.8) had not been diagnosed despite having recently visited a health facility. If these opportunities had been realized, the prevalence of diagnosed hypertension would have increased from 54.8% (95% CI: 53.5 to 56.1) to 77.3% (95% CI: 76.2 to 78.5). Missed opportunities for diagnosis were more common among individuals who were poorer (P = 0.001), less educated (P < 0.001), male (P < 0.001), rural (P < 0.001), Hindu (P=0.001), living alone (P = 0.028) and working (P < 0.001). Missed opportunities for diagnosis were more common at private than at public health facilities (P < 0.001) and varied widely across states (P < 0.001). Conclusion Opportunistic screening for hypertension has the potential to significantly increase detection of the condition and reduce sociodemographic and geographic inequalities in its diagnosis. Such screening could be a first step towards more effective and equitable hypertension treatment and control. Objectif Evaluer les occasions manquees de depistage de l'hypertension dans les etablissements de sante en Inde et decrire les differences systematiques de ces occasions manquees entre les Etats indiens et les groupes sociodemographiques. Methodes Nous avons utilise les donnees d'enquete representatives au niveau national de l'etude longitudinale sur le vieillissement 2017-2018 en Inde pour estimer la proportion d'adultes ages de 45 ans et plus identifies comme souffrant d'hypertension et qui n'avaient pas ete diagnostiques comme tels malgre une visite dans un etablissement de sante au cours des 12 mois precedents. Nous avons estime les proportions ajustees selon l'age et le sexe des occasions manquees de diagnostic de l'hypertension, ainsi que les proportions reelles et potentielles de diagnostic, selon les caracteristiques sociodemographiques et pour chaque Etat. Resultats Parmi les personnes identifiees comme souffrant d'hypertension, 22,6% (intervalle de confiance (IC) a 95% : 21,3 a 23,8) n'avaient pas ete diagnostiques malgre une visite recente dans un etablissement de sante. Si ces occasions avaient ete concretisees, la prevalence de l'hypertension diagnostiquee serait passee de 54,8% (IC a 95% : 53,5 a 56,1) a 77,3% (IC a 95% : 76,2 a 78,5). Les occasions manquees de diagnostic etaient plus frequentes chez les personnes plus pauvres (P = 0,001), moins instruites (P < 0,001), de sexe masculin (P < 0,001), habitant en zone rurale (P < 0,001), hindoues (P = 0,001), vivant seules (P = 0,028) et travaillant (P < 0,001). Les occasions manquees de diagnostic etaient plus frequentes dans les etablissements de sante prives que dans les etablissements publics (P < 0,001) et variaient considerablement d'un Etat a l'autre (P < 0,001). Conclusion Le depistage opportuniste de l'hypertension a le potentiel d'augmenter significativement la detection de cette affection et de reduire les inegalites sociodemographiques et geographiques dans son diagnostic. Ce depistage pourrait etre une premiere etape vers un traitement et une prise en charge plus efficaces et equitables de l'hypertension. Objetivo Evaluar las oportunidades perdidas para el cribado de la hipertension en los centros sanitarios de la India y describir las diferencias sistematicas en estas oportunidades perdidas entre estados y grupos sociodemograficos. Metodos Se utilizaron datos de encuestas representativas a nivel nacional del Estudio Longitudinal del Envejecimiento 2017-2018 en la India para estimar el porcentaje de adultos de 45 anos o mas que fueron identificados con hipertension y que no habian sido diagnosticados con hipertension a pesar de haber visitado un centro sanitario durante los 12 meses anteriores. Se calcularon los porcentajes ajustados por edad y sexo de las oportunidades perdidas para diagnosticar la hipertension, asi como los porcentajes reales y potenciales de diagnostico, por caracteristicas sociodemograficas y para cada estado. Resultados Entre las personas identificadas como hipertensas, el 22,6 % (intervalo de confianza del 95 %, IC: 21,3 a 23,8) no habian sido diagnosticadas a pesar de haber acudido a un centro sanitario recientemente. Si se hubieran aprovechado estas oportunidades, la prevalencia de hipertension diagnosticada habria aumentado del 54,8 % (IC del 95 %: 53,5 a 56,1) al 77,3 % (IC del 95 %: 76,2 a 78,5). Las oportunidades perdidas para el diagnostico fueron mas comunes entre las personas mas pobres (P = 0,001), con menos educacion (P < 0,001), varones (P < 0,001), de zonas rurales (P < 0,001), hindues (P = 0,001), que viven solas (P = 0,028) y que trabajan (P < 0,001). Las oportunidades perdidas para el diagnostico fueron mas comunes en los centros sanitarios privados que en los publicos (P < 0,001) y variaron en gran medida entre los estados (P < 0,001). Conclusion El cribado oportuno de la hipertension tiene el potencial de aumentar de manera significativa la deteccion de la enfermedad y de disminuir las desigualdades sociodemograficas y geograficas en su diagnostico. Este cribado podria ser un primer paso hacia un tratamiento y control de la hipertension mas eficaz y equitativo. [phrase omitted], Introduction Hypertension that is undiagnosed, and so goes untreated and uncontrolled, raises the risks of cardiovascular diseases and premature death. (1-3) Failure to prevent ill-health and medical treatments arising from [...]

Asbestos fibers are highly toxic (Group 1 carcinogen) due to their high aspect ratio, durability, and the presence of iron. In nature, plants, fungi, and microorganisms release exudates, which can alter the physical and chemical properties of soil minerals including asbestos minerals. We examined whether exudates from bacteria and fungi at environmentally relevant concentrations can alter chrysotile, the most widely used asbestos mineral, and lower its toxicity. We monitored the release of iron from chrysotile in the presence of organic acid ligands and iron-specific siderophores derived from bacteria and fungi and measured any change in fiber toxicity toward peritoneal macrophages harvested from mice. Both fungal and bacterial siderophores increased the removal of iron from asbestos fibers. In contrast, organic acid ligands at environmentally relevant concentrations neither released iron from fibers nor helped in siderophore-mediated iron removal. Removal of plant-available or exchangeable iron did not diminish iron dissolution by both types of siderophores, which indicates that siderophores can effectively remove structural iron from chrysotile fibers. Removal of iron by siderophore lowered the fiber toxicity; fungal siderophore appears to be more effective than bacterial siderophore in lowering the toxicity. These results indicate that prolonged exposure to siderophores, not organic acids, in the soil environment decreases asbestos fiber toxicity and possibly lowers the health risks. Thus, bioremediation should be explored as a viable strategy to manage asbestos-contaminated sites such as Brownfield sites, which are currently left untreated despite dangers to surrounding communities.

We examine the feasibility of phytoremediation as an alternative strategy to limit the exposure of asbestos in site with asbestos-containing materials. We collected soils from four locations from two sites-one with naturally occurring asbestos, and another, a superfund site, where asbestos-containing materials were disposed over decades-and performed ecotoxicology tests. We also performed two experiments with crop cultivar and two grasses from serpentine ecotype and cultivar to determined best choice for phytoremediation. Asbestos concentrations in different size fractions of soils varied by orders of magnitude. However, different asbestos concentrations had little effect on germination and root growth. Presence of co-contaminants such as heavy metals and lack of nutrients affected plant growth to different extents, indicating that several of these limiting factors should be considered instead of the primary contaminant of concern. Crop cultivar survived on asbestos-contaminated soil. Grasses from serpentine ecotype did not show higher biomass than the cultivar. Overall, these results showed that soil conditions play a critical role in screening different crop species for phytoremediation and that asbestos concentration has limited to no effect on plant growth. Our study provided a framework for phytoremediation of asbestos-contaminated sites to limit long-term asbestos exposure.