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Environmental Science and Pollution... Feb 2022
Topics: Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollution; Water; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Pollution
PubMed: 34783949
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17392-8 -
Indian Journal of Medical Ethics 2019Environmental problems are more urgent and serious than ever: climate change, air pollution, water pollution, shortages of freshwater, deforestation, over-fishing,...
Environmental problems are more urgent and serious than ever: climate change, air pollution, water pollution, shortages of freshwater, deforestation, over-fishing, antibiotic resistance, and more. Discussions in public health address these problems because they affect people's health and life prospects so profoundly. In this work, we add to the discussion by exploring the ethical aspects of a case scenario that involves pollution from a coal-fired power plant. After we note how the plant contributes to pollution, we discuss ethical issues of justice and responsibility. We show how the burdens of pollution and the benefits of the activities that generate pollution are unfairly distributed in this case. We also suggest that social justice demands certain forms of respect, consideration, and participation. Then we turn to issues of responsibility. We focus on responsibilities citizens have to try to change the social structures, background conditions, economic systems, and accepted practices that underlie the problem. We also consider responsibilities that physicians have, both collectively and individually. Taking responsibility for pollution is not a matter of following a medical protocol or legal requirement. It involves creativity, judgement, and a sense of what the situation calls for.
Topics: Air Pollution; Environmental Health; Humans; India; Physicians; Power Plants; Social Justice; Social Responsibility; Water Pollution
PubMed: 31727610
DOI: 10.20529/IJME.209.045 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Oct 2020
Topics: Technology; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Pollution
PubMed: 32691309
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09994-5 -
Lancet (London, England) May 2021
Topics: Health Inequities; Health Personnel; Humans; Indians, North American; Minnesota; Political Activism; Water Pollution
PubMed: 33992136
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00923-5 -
Acta Tropica May 2019The water-related exposome is a significant determinant of human health. The disease burden through water results from water-associated communicable and non-communicable... (Review)
Review
The water-related exposome is a significant determinant of human health. The disease burden through water results from water-associated communicable and non-communicable diseases and is influenced by water pollution with chemicals, solid waste (mainly plastics), pathogens, insects and other disease vectors. This paper analyses a range of water practitioner-driven health issues, including infectious diseases and chemical intoxication, using the conceptual framework of Drivers, Pressures, State, Impacts, and Responses (DPSIR), complemented with a selective literature review. Pressures in the environment result in changes in the State of the water body: chemical pollution, microbiological contamination and the presence of vectors. These and other health hazards affect the State of human health. The resulting Impacts in an exposed population or affected ecosystem, in turn incite Responses. Pathways from Drivers to Impacts are quite divergent for chemical pollution, microbiological contamination and the spread of antimicrobial resistance, in vectors of disease and for the combined effects of plastics. Potential Responses from the water sector, however, show remarkable similarities. Integrated water management interventions have the potential to address Drivers, Pressures, Impacts, and State of several health issues at the same time. Systematic and integrated planning and management of water resources, with an eye for human health, could contribute to reducing or preventing negative health impacts and enhancing the health benefits.
Topics: Animals; Communicable Disease Control; Communicable Diseases; Conservation of Water Resources; Disease Vectors; Ecosystem; Health Policy; Humans; Plastics; Water Microbiology; Water Pollution, Chemical
PubMed: 30857860
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.03.011 -
Environment International May 2019Thallium (Tl) is a typical toxic metal, which poses a great threat to human health through drinking water and the food chain (biomagnification). China has rich... (Review)
Review
Thallium (Tl) is a typical toxic metal, which poses a great threat to human health through drinking water and the food chain (biomagnification). China has rich Tl-bearing mineral resources, which have been extensively explored and utilized, leading to release of large amounts of Tl into the environment. However, research on Tl pollution and removal techniques is relatively limited, because Tl has not been listed within the scope of environmental monitoring in China for several decades. This paper reviewed Tl pollution in wastewater arising from various industries in China, as well as the latest available methods for treating Tl-containing industrial wastewater, in order to give an outlook on effective technologies for controlling Tl pollution. Conventional physical and chemical treatment technologies are efficient at removing trace amounts of Tl, but it proved to be difficult to achieve the stringent environmental standard (≤0.1-5 μg/L) cost-effectively. Adsorption by using newly developed nanomaterials, and metal oxide modified polymer materials and microbial fuel cells are highly promising and expected to become next-generation technologies for remediation of Tl pollution. With the potential for greater Tl contamination in the environment under accelerated growth of industrialization, researches based on lab-scale implementation of such promising treatment technologies should be further expanded to pilot and industrial scale, ensuring environmental protection and the safety of drinking water for sustainable development. Comprehensive insights into experiences of Tl pollution in China and in-depth perspectives on new frontier technologies of Tl removal from wastewaters will also benefit other nations/regions worldwide, which are susceptible to high exposure to Tl likewise.
Topics: China; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Restoration and Remediation; Thallium; Wastewater; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Pollution, Chemical
PubMed: 30884277
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.01.076 -
American Journal of Transplantation :... Dec 2015
Topics: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; Humans; Research Report; United States; United States Food and Drug Administration; Water Pollution; Water Quality; Water Supply
PubMed: 26587824
DOI: 10.1111/ajt.13601 -
PloS One 2022Administrative division adjustments, such as agglomerations, upgrading, and revocation, introduce a series of uncertain impacts on the social and economic development in...
Administrative division adjustments, such as agglomerations, upgrading, and revocation, introduce a series of uncertain impacts on the social and economic development in administrative regions. Previous studies have focused more on the economic effects of administrative division adjustments, but in this paper, we also consider the environmental effects of such adjustments. In 2011, with the approval of the State Council, the prefecture-level Chaohu city was officially revoked, resulting in a county-level Chaohu city. One district and four counties under the jurisdiction of the original Chaohu city were placed under the jurisdiction of Hefei, Wuhu, and Ma'anshan. This adjustment made Chaohu Lake an inner lake of Hefei city. The administrative division adjustment of Chaohu Lake, China, is used as a quasi-natural experiment to explore the influence of such an adjustment on pollution control. The synthetic control method (SCM) is used in this study to evaluate the effect of the administrative division adjustment on the water quality indicators of Chaohu Lake. The following conclusions are drawn. First, after the administrative division adjustment, some water quality indicators, such as ammonia nitrogen, improved; however, other major pollution indicators, such as chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved oxygen (DO), worsened to varying degrees. Second, the results reveal that improper development ideas, excessive industrial expansion, and the shift in economic growth and environmental goals were problems after the adjustment. Returning to the original intention of the administrative division adjustment, rationalizing the Chaohu Lake management system and designing a sound and feasible accountability mechanism are fundamental measures for reducing pollution.
Topics: China; Environmental Monitoring; Lakes; Nitrogen; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Pollution; Water Quality
PubMed: 35358184
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257067 -
Current Environmental Health Reports Sep 2020Fecal contamination of water is a major public health concern. This review summarizes recent developments and advancements in water quality indicators of fecal... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Fecal contamination of water is a major public health concern. This review summarizes recent developments and advancements in water quality indicators of fecal contamination.
RECENT FINDINGS
This review highlights a number of trends. First, fecal indicators continue to be a valuable tool to assess water quality and have expanded to include indicators able to detect sources of fecal contamination in water. Second, molecular methods, particularly PCR-based methods, have advanced considerably in their selected targets and rigor, but have added complexity that may prohibit adoption for routine monitoring activities at this time. Third, risk modeling is beginning to better connect indicators and human health risks, with the accuracy of assessments currently tied to the timing and conditions where risk is measured. Research has advanced although challenges remain for the effective use of both traditional and alternative fecal indicators for risk characterization, source attribution and apportionment, and impact evaluation.
Topics: Environmental Monitoring; Feces; Humans; Water Microbiology; Water Pollution; Water Quality
PubMed: 32542574
DOI: 10.1007/s40572-020-00278-1 -
Current Environmental Health Reports Mar 2015This paper reviews the latest evidence provided by epidemiological studies and quantitative microbial risk assessments (QMRAs) of infection risk from recreational water... (Review)
Review
This paper reviews the latest evidence provided by epidemiological studies and quantitative microbial risk assessments (QMRAs) of infection risk from recreational water use. Studies for review were selected following a PubMed search for articles published between January 2010 and April 2014. Epidemiological studies show a generally elevated risk of gastrointestinal illness in bathers compared to non-bathers but often no clear association with water quality as measured by faecal indicator bacteria; this is especially true where study sites are impacted by non-point source pollution. Evidence from QMRAs support the lack of a consistent water quality association for non-point source-impacted beaches. It is suggested that source attribution, through quantified microbial source apportionment, linked with appropriate use of microbial source tracking methods should be employed as an integral part of future epidemiological surveys.
Topics: Bathing Beaches; Enterococcus; Environmental Exposure; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Health Status; Humans; Infections; Recreation; Seawater; Sewage; Swimming; Water; Water Pollution; Water Quality
PubMed: 25821715
DOI: 10.1007/s40572-014-0036-6