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The main component of the environment that is essential for human existence on earth is availability of quality water. As human activity has evolved, particularly in the industrial, household, and agricultural sectors, groundwater systems are exposed to various contaminants. Groundwater is one of the main sources of water at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) in Ghana. However, no research has been carried out to assess the levels of microbial load and heavy metal toxicants in water transmission systems at UESD. In this current study, we investigated the levels of selected heavy metals and microbial load present in the water supply systems at UESD. Water samples were collected from four (4) different zones at the University. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used to analyse the levels of eleven heavy metals (Fe, Cd, Cu, Cr, Zn, Mn, Co, Hg, Pb, Ni and As), whereas correct growth media were used to estimate microbial loads. Observations for water samples were compared to the permissible limits, using one-sample t-tests. Similarly, paired t-tests and Tukey’s honestly significant difference were used to compare observations between water samples from the zones. Water quality indicators (hazard quotient (HQ) and health hazard index (HI)) were used to examine any potential health risks. In addition, water quality index (WQI) was used to predict the quality of the groundwater at UESD campus. The results showed that the levels of Fe, Cd, Cu, Cr, Zn, Mn, Co and Hg were within the permissible limits. However, the levels of Pb, Ni and As for all the sampling zones were significantly higher than the permissible limits. The results of HI and HQ for the oral ingestion pathways of the metals were within the accepted levels. The result of WQI showed that heavy metals would contaminate groundwater in wells and the natural pond on UESD campus. Total coliforms, faecal coliforms and Escherichia coli colony-forming units present in the water samples were significantly higher than the acceptable levels, indicating a possible health risk when ingested. Therefore, we recommend water recycling and regular water quality monitoring programs at the University.

Despite multiple studies focusing on environmental factors conducive to the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), knowledge about the involvement of long-term exposure to air pollution seems insufficient. The main focus of epidemiological studies is placed on the relationship between exposure to various concentrations of particulate matter (PM): PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (O3), versus the risk of T1DM development. Although the specific molecular mechanism(s) behind the link between increased air pollution exposure and a higher risk of diabetes and metabolic dysfunction is yet unknown, available data indicate air pollution-induced inflammation and oxidative stress as a significant pathway. The purpose of this paper is to assess recent research examining the association between inhalation exposure to PM and associated metals and the increasing rates of T1DM worldwide. The development of modern and more adequate methods for air quality monitoring is also introduced. A particular emphasis on microsensors, mobile and autonomous measuring platforms, satellites, and innovative approaches of IoT, 5G connections, and Block chain technologies are also presented. Reputable databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, were used to search for relevant literature. Eligibility criteria involved recent publication years, particularly publications within the last five years (except for papers presenting a certain novelty or mechanism for the first time). Population, toxicological and epidemiological studies that focused particularly on fine and ultra-fine PM and associated ambient metals, were preferred, as well as full-text publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite multiple studies focusing on environmental factors conducive to the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), knowledge about the involvement of long-term exposure to air pollution seems insufficient. The main focus of epidemiological studies is placed on the relationship between exposure to various concentrations of particulate matter (PM): PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (O3), versus the risk of T1DM development. Although the specific molecular mechanism(s) behind the link between increased air pollution exposure and a higher risk of diabetes and metabolic dysfunction is yet unknown, available data indicate air pollution-induced inflammation and oxidative stress as a significant pathway. The purpose of this paper is to assess recent research examining the association between inhalation exposure to PM and associated metals and the increasing rates of T1DM worldwide. The development of modern and more adequate methods for air quality monitoring is also introduced. A particular emphasis on microsensors, mobile and autonomous measuring platforms, satellites, and innovative approaches of IoT, 5G connections, and Block chain technologies are also presented. Reputable databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, were used to search for relevant literature. Eligibility criteria involved recent publication years, particularly publications within the last five years (except for papers presenting a certain novelty or mechanism for the first time). Population, toxicological and epidemiological studies that focused particularly on fine and ultra-fine PM and associated ambient metals, were preferred, as well as full-text publications.

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Mosses were proved as an ideal and reliable biomonitor as well as an indicator of atmospheric trace metal pollution. They are used as model indicator species of air pollution since long back due to their simple structure, genetic diversity, totipotency, rapid colony-forming ability, and high metal resistance behavior. Bryomonitoring technique is gradually being popularized as an economically viable procedure for estimating the degrees of environmental health and evaluating the toxic pollutants in biosphere. Thus, in the present scenario, many parts of the world use these organisms for monitoring the air pollution. This article describes an overview of the relationship of terrestrial mosses with trace metals with respect to their uptake, accumulation, and toxification as well as detoxification and tolerance mechanisms. The review article explicitly expresses the caliber of the cryptogamic mosses in establishing the pristine environment around the world. It also highlights the underpinning mechanisms and potential for future research directions. We have referred more than 250 articles, which deals with the assessment and impact of different heavy metals on 52 numbers of different moss species belongs to different climatic zones. The present review covers the research work in this area carried out worldwide since 1965. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with cobalt and arsenic accumulation in above-ground parts of herbs growing in intermittent field ponds with no outlets in Poland. Those ponds were located in different surroundings. In the experiment described here the following herbs were analysed: Potentilla anserina L., Mentha arvensis, Achillea millefolium L., Comarum palustre L., Lysimachia vulgaris L. and Lycopus europaeus L. Both plant and soil samples were collected from three moisture sections: wet, periodically wet and dry. Cobalt and arsenic content in plants and soil was determined with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry, or the ICP-AES method, after dry mineralization of the material. Cobalt and arsenic content was significantly dependent on the herb species. The highest content of cobalt was found in Mentha arvensis, and arsenic in Lysimachia vulgaris L. and Comarum palustre L., with Achillea millefolium having the lowest content of arsenic. The highest content of those metals was in the bottom sediment and in the soil from the depression with arable land around. Arsenic had a higher accumulation coefficient in herbs than cobalt. Cobalt content in herb biomass did not exceed the limits, but in the case of arsenic it was too high in all herbs apart from Achillea millefolium L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011 a study was carried out analyzing the effects of road traffic on bioaccumulation of zinc and copper in selected species of dicotyledonous plants growing on adjacent grasslands. To do the research the plants were sampled from the 9-km-long Siedlce bypass, a part of the international route E-30. They were collected during the flowering stage, at following distances from the road: 1, 5, 10, 15 m. The content of zinc and copper was determined with the AAS method, with dry mineralisation done before. The highest concentration of the elements, regardless of the distance from the road, was found in Taraxacum spec. Among the tested plants, the lowest zinc content was in Vicia cracca, and the lowest copper content in Rumex acetosa. The limit for copper content was exceeded in Taraxacum spec. and, slightly, in Achillea millefolium growing at the roadside, closest to the roadway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spring wheat was grown in soils near a non-ferrous metals mining and smelting base in Baiyin city, Gansu province, P.R. China. The area studied is 501 km2. Some of the croplands had been contaminated by heavy metals mainly through wastewater irrigation or aerial deposition. The soil samples were analyzed for pH, organic matter and available phosphorous (P); also for total cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) contents. Spring wheat grains were also analyzed for heavy metals. The results were interpreted using multiple linear correlation and stepwise regression analyses. The increment of total soil contents of selected heavy metals could enhance grain Cd accumulation, and the increment of total Zn content of soil could lower the grain Pb accumulation. The correlations were markedly increased by including other soil properties for grain Cd and Pb. Stepwise regression analyses indicated that the effect of soil pH and available P on the uptake of grain Cd were greater than that of the other total soil contents of heavy metals. Grain Cd and Pb could be reliably predicted by the total soil contents of Cd and Pb while the uptake of grain Zn and Cu were not satisfactorily predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]