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International Journal of Environmental... Feb 2019Obesity is a major public health issue, affecting both developed and developing societies. Obesity increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and type... (Review)
Review
Obesity is a major public health issue, affecting both developed and developing societies. Obesity increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and type II diabetes. While individual behaviours are important risk factors, impacts on obesity and overweight of the urban physical and social environment have figured large in the recent epidemiological literature, though evidence is incomplete and from a limited range of countries. Prominent among identified environmental influences are urban layout and sprawl, healthy food access, exercise access, and the neighbourhood social environment. This paper reviews the literature and highlights the special issue contributions within that literature.
Topics: Cities; Environment Design; Health Behavior; Healthy Lifestyle; Humans; Obesity; Residence Characteristics; Risk Factors; Social Environment; Urban Health
PubMed: 30764541
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16030464 -
Current Environmental Health Reports Jun 2021Biodiversity underpins urban ecosystem functions that are essential for human health and well-being. Understanding how biodiversity relates to human health is a... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Biodiversity underpins urban ecosystem functions that are essential for human health and well-being. Understanding how biodiversity relates to human health is a developing frontier for science, policy and practice. This article describes the beneficial, as well as harmful, aspects of biodiversity to human health in urban environments.
RECENT FINDINGS
Recent research shows that contact with biodiversity of natural environments within towns and cities can be both positive and negative to human physical, mental and social health and well-being. For example, while viruses or pollen can be seriously harmful to human health, biodiverse ecosystems can promote positive health and well-being. On balance, these influences are positive. As biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, research suggests that its loss could threaten the quality of life of all humans. A key research gap is to understand-and evidence-the specific causal pathways through which biodiversity affects human health. A mechanistic understanding of pathways linking biodiversity to human health can facilitate the application of nature-based solutions in public health and influence policy. Research integration as well as cross-sector urban policy and planning development should harness opportunities to better identify linkages between biodiversity, climate and human health. Given its importance for human health, urban biodiversity conservation should be considered as public health investment.
Topics: Biodiversity; Cities; Ecosystem; Humans; Public Health; Quality of Life
PubMed: 33982150
DOI: 10.1007/s40572-021-00313-9 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Oct 2019Plastics are widely used in the global economy, and each year, at least 350 to 400 million tons are being produced. Due to poor recycling and low circular use, millions... (Review)
Review
Plastics are widely used in the global economy, and each year, at least 350 to 400 million tons are being produced. Due to poor recycling and low circular use, millions of tons accumulate annually in terrestrial or marine environments. Today it has become clear that plastic causes adverse effects in all ecosystems and that microplastics are of particular concern to our health. Therefore, recent microbial research has addressed the question of if and to what extent microorganisms can degrade plastics in the environment. This review summarizes current knowledge on microbial plastic degradation. Enzymes available act mainly on the high-molecular-weight polymers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and ester-based polyurethane (PUR). Unfortunately, the best PUR- and PET-active enzymes and microorganisms known still have moderate turnover rates. While many reports describing microbial communities degrading chemical additives have been published, no enzymes acting on the high-molecular-weight polymers polystyrene, polyamide, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, ether-based polyurethane, and polyethylene are known. Together, these polymers comprise more than 80% of annual plastic production. Thus, further research is needed to significantly increase the diversity of enzymes and microorganisms acting on these polymers. This can be achieved by tapping into the global metagenomes of noncultivated microorganisms and dark matter proteins. Only then can novel biocatalysts and organisms be delivered that allow rapid degradation, recycling, or value-added use of the vast majority of most human-made polymers.
Topics: Biodegradation, Environmental; Biotechnology; Ecosystem; Environmental Monitoring; Enzymes; Metagenome; Microbiota; Plastics; Recycling
PubMed: 31324632
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01095-19 -
Current Biology : CB Mar 2019Fungi play a dominant role in terrestrial environments where they thrive in symbiotic associations with plants and animals and are integral to nutrient cycling in...
Fungi play a dominant role in terrestrial environments where they thrive in symbiotic associations with plants and animals and are integral to nutrient cycling in diverse ecosystems. Everywhere that moisture and a carbon source coexist in the terrestrial biosphere, fungi are expected to occur. We know that fungi can be devastating to agricultural crops, both in the field and during their storage, and cause mortality in immunocompromised patients in numbers that rival the deaths from malaria. Yet fungi can also be harnessed as sources of food, chemicals and biofuels when humans exploit fungal metabolism. Despite their central role in the health and disease of the terrestrial biosphere, much less is known about the function and potential of marine fungi. Are fungi ubiquitous in marine environments as they are on land? Do they play the same or similar roles in these ecosystems? Here we describe the state of knowledge about the abundance and functions of fungi in the marine environment with a goal to stimulate new inquiry in this very open area.
Topics: Aquatic Organisms; Biodiversity; Ecosystem; Fungi; Life History Traits; Oceans and Seas
PubMed: 30889385
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.02.009 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Dec 2020Variability in the environment defines the structure and dynamics of all living systems, from organisms to ecosystems. Species have evolved traits and strategies that... (Review)
Review
Variability in the environment defines the structure and dynamics of all living systems, from organisms to ecosystems. Species have evolved traits and strategies that allow them to detect, exploit and predict the changing environment. These traits allow organisms to maintain steady internal conditions required for physiological functioning through feedback mechanisms that allow internal conditions to remain at or near a set-point despite a fluctuating environment. In addition to feedback, many organisms have evolved feedforward processes, which allow them to adjust in anticipation of an expected future state of the environment. Here we provide a framework describing how feedback and feedforward mechanisms operating within organisms can generate effects across scales of organization, and how they allow living systems to persist in fluctuating environments. Daily, seasonal and multi-year cycles provide cues that organisms use to anticipate changes in physiologically relevant environmental conditions. Using feedforward mechanisms, organisms can exploit correlations in environmental variables to prepare for anticipated future changes. Strategies to obtain, store and act on information about the conditional nature of future events are advantageous and are evidenced in widespread phenotypes such as circadian clocks, social behaviour, diapause and migrations. Humans are altering the ways in which the environment fluctuates, causing correlations between environmental variables to become decoupled, decreasing the reliability of cues. Human-induced environmental change is also altering sensory environments and the ability of organisms to detect cues. Recognizing that living systems combine feedback and feedforward processes is essential to understanding their responses to current and future regimes of environmental fluctuations. This article is part of the theme issue 'Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation'.
Topics: Adaptation, Biological; Animals; Climate Change; Ecosystem; Environment; Plants
PubMed: 33131443
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0454 -
Environmental Health Perspectives Jul 2021Since the dawn of cities, the built environment has both affected infectious disease transmission and evolved in response to infectious diseases. COVID-19 illustrates...
BACKGROUND
Since the dawn of cities, the built environment has both affected infectious disease transmission and evolved in response to infectious diseases. COVID-19 illustrates both dynamics. The pandemic presented an opportunity to implement health promotion and disease prevention strategies in numerous elements of the built environment.
OBJECTIVES
This commentary aims to identify features of the built environment that affect the risk of COVID-19 as well as to identify elements of the pandemic response with implications for the built environment (and, therefore, for long-term public health).
DISCUSSION
Built environment risk factors for COVID-19 transmission include crowding, poverty, and racism (as they manifest in housing and neighborhood features), poor indoor air circulation, and ambient air pollution. Potential long-term implications of COVID-19 for the built environment include changes in building design, increased teleworking, reconfigured streets, changing modes of travel, provision of parks and greenspace, and population shifts out of urban centers. Although it is too early to predict with confidence which of these responses may persist, identifying and monitoring them can help health professionals, architects, urban planners, and decision makers, as well as members of the public, optimize healthy built environments during and after recovery from the pandemic. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8888.
Topics: Built Environment; COVID-19; Cities; Environment Design; Humans; Pandemics; Public Health; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 34288733
DOI: 10.1289/EHP8888 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2022With the widespread recognition and in-depth implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), especially in the context of global climate change, the ecological... (Review)
Review
With the widespread recognition and in-depth implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), especially in the context of global climate change, the ecological environment of Belt and Road Initiative regions might be confronted with pressures and challenges with rapid socioeconomic development. In response to those potential environmental challenges, China has put forward Green BRI and enriched the new Silk Road with more environmental connotations, aiming to reduce the conflict between economic development and eco-environmental protection. Currently, there is a lack of systematic and holistic research on eco-environmental issues in BRI regions. In addition, feasible solutions to enhance BRI's contribution to the eco-environment remain insufficient. Having systematically reviewed the relevant literature on the eco-environment in BRI regions, we found that most regions along the BRI routes are in sensitive zones of climate and geological change, with fragile eco-environments and strong vulnerability to climate change, natural disasters and human activities. The main eco-environment status of the BRI regions is as follows: (1) The total water resources in BRI regions account for only 36% of the global total, with uneven distribution and complex spatial precipitation, posing higher pressure on water security. (2) Vegetation varies significantly from region to region. The vegetation in South Asia is the richest, with its mean annual NDVI exceeding 0.7. The NDVI in East Europe, Russia and South China are between 0.4 and 0.7, and that in Central Asia and West Asia are below 0.2. (3) The BRI regions are abundantly blessed with natural resources, with the total recoverable oil reserves, natural gas reserves and the total mining area reaching 66%, 65.5% and 42.31% of the world's total, respectively, but severe overexploitation and overconsumption of those resources degrade their eco-environment. Accordingly, future research directions, such as target on integrated, interdisciplinary and coordinated studies on eco-environmental issues in BRI regions, are proposed in this paper to achieve optimization of BRI's contribution to eco-environment protection in BRI regions.
Topics: Humans; China; Conservation of Natural Resources; Economic Development; Russia; Natural Disasters
PubMed: 36554970
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192417091 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2022Health is created within the urban settings of people's everyday lives. In this paper we define Urban Public Health and compile existing evidence regarding the spatial... (Review)
Review
Health is created within the urban settings of people's everyday lives. In this paper we define Urban Public Health and compile existing evidence regarding the spatial component of health and disease in urban environments. Although there is already a substantial body of single evidence on the links between urban environments and human health, focus is mostly on individual health behaviors. We look at Urban Public Health through a structural lens that addresses health conditions beyond individual health behaviors and identify not only health risks but also health resources associated with urban structures. Based on existing conceptual frameworks, we structured evidence in the following categories: (i) build and natural environment, (ii) social environment, (iii) governance and urban development. We focused our search to review articles and reviews of reviews for each of the keywords via database PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar in order to cover the range of issues in urban environments. Our results show that linking findings from different disciplines and developing spatial thinking can overcome existing single evidence and make other correlations visible. Further research should use interdisciplinary approaches and focus on health resources and the transformation of urban structures rather than merely on health risks and behavior.
Topics: Environment; Humans; Public Health; Social Environment; Urban Health; Urban Renewal
PubMed: 35564947
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095553 -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2020Ionic liquids (ILs) are solvents with salt structures. Typically, they contain organic cations (ammonium, imidazolium, pyridinium, piperidinium or pyrrolidinium), and... (Review)
Review
Ionic liquids (ILs) are solvents with salt structures. Typically, they contain organic cations (ammonium, imidazolium, pyridinium, piperidinium or pyrrolidinium), and halogen, fluorinated or organic anions. While ILs are considered to be environmentally-friendly compounds, only a few reasons support this claim. This is because of high thermal stability, and negligible pressure at room temperature which makes them non-volatile, therefore preventing the release of ILs into the atmosphere. The expansion of the range of applications of ILs in many chemical industry fields has led to a growing threat of contamination of the aquatic and terrestrial environments by these compounds. As the possibility of the release of ILs into the environment s grow systematically, there is an increasing and urgent obligation to determine their toxic and antimicrobial influence on the environment. Many bioassays were carried out to evaluate the (eco)toxicity and biodegradability of ILs. Most of them have questioned their "green" features as ILs turned out to be toxic towards organisms from varied trophic levels. Therefore, there is a need for a new biodegradable, less toxic "greener" ILs. This review presents the potential risks to the environment linked to the application of ILs. These are the following: cytotoxicity evaluated by the use of human cells, toxicity manifesting in aqueous and terrestrial environments. The studies proving the relation between structures versus toxicity for ILs with special emphasis on directions suitable for designing safer ILs synthesized from renewable sources are also presented. The representants of a new generation of easily biodegradable ILs derivatives of amino acids, sugars, choline, and bicyclic monoterpene moiety are collected. Some benefits of using ILs in medicine, agriculture, and the bio-processing industry are also presented.
Topics: Biodegradation, Environmental; Environmental Pollutants; Ionic Liquids; Molecular Structure; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 32872533
DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176267 -
International Journal of Environmental... Sep 2022Multiple Long Term conditions (MLTC) are a major health care challenge associated with high service utilisation and expenditure. Once established, the trajectory to an... (Review)
Review
Multiple Long Term conditions (MLTC) are a major health care challenge associated with high service utilisation and expenditure. Once established, the trajectory to an increased number and severity of conditions, hospital admission, increased social care need and mortality is multifactorial. The role of wider environmental determinants in the MLTC sequelae is unclear. the aim of this review was to summarise and collate existing evidence on environmental determinants on established MLTC. comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL and Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE), from inception to 4th June 2022 in addition to grey literature. Two authors independently screened and extracted papers. Disagreements were resolved with a third author. searches yielded 9079 articles, 12 of which met the review's inclusion criteria. Evidence of correlations between some environmental determinants and increased or decreased risks of MLTC were found, including the quality of internal housing/living environments, exposure to airborne environmental hazards and a beneficial association with socially cohesive, accessible and greener neighbourhood environments. The majority of the 12 included papers focused on the built and social environments. The review uncovered very limited evidence, indicating a need for further research to understand the role of environmental determinants in MLTC.
Topics: Housing; Social Environment
PubMed: 36141763
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811492