| 1. |
- Alfeus, A., et al.
(författare)
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Inhalation health risk assessment of ambient PM2.5 and associated trace elements in Cape Town, South Africa
- 2022
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1080-7039 .- 1549-7860. ; 28:8, s. 917-929
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Few human health risk assessment studies of air pollution exist in Africa. This study used the US EPA health risk framework to investigate the human health risks due to inhalation exposure to ambient PM2.5 and some of its trace element composition (Cl, Si, and Ti) in Cape Town, South Africa, for 12 months (April 2017 to April 2018). The safe average daily dose was determined using the yearly WHO guideline and South African ambient air quality standard for PM2.5 and the US EPA regional screening levels for trace elements. The average yearly PM2.5 concentration (13 mu g/m(3)) was above the yearly WHO guideline (5 mu g/m(3)), but below the yearly South African standard (20 mu g/m(3)). The average yearly PM2.5 concentration posed a low risk to adults (Hazard Quotient = 0.66) compared to infants (HQ = 2.13) and children (HQ =1.96). Cl posed health risks to all age groups (HQ > 1). The study concludes that PM2.5 and its trace element components pose adverse health effects to all population age groups. The toxicity of PM2.5 depends on its composition; hence this study recommends a source apportionment study to quantify the source contributions and inform the right abatement strategies.
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| 2. |
- Armah, Frederick Ato, et al.
(författare)
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Analyzing the Relationship between Objective-Subjective Health Status and Public Perception of Climate Change as a Human Health Risk in Coastal Tanzania
- 2015
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1080-7039 .- 1549-7860. ; 21:7, s. 1936-1959
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change is considered as the biggest threat to human health in the 21st century. Sub-Saharan Africa, which is the most-at-risk region of the world, is estimated to have a disproportionately large share of the burden of climate change-induced environmental and human health risks. To develop effective adaptations to protect public health, it is essential to consider how individuals perceive and understand the risks, and how they might be willing to change their behaviors in response to them. Using a cross-sectional survey of 1253 individuals in coastal Tanzania we analyzed the relationship between subjective health status (self-reported health) and objective health status on the one hand and perceived health risks of climate change. Generally, higher subjective health status was associated with lower scores on perceived health risks of climate change. Concerning objective health status, the results were varied. Individuals who affirmed that they had been previously diagnosed with hepatitis, skin conditions, or tuberculosis had lower scores on perceived health risks of climate change, unlike their counterparts who affirmed that they had been previously diagnosed with malaria in the past 12 months or had been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. These relationships persist even when biosocial and sociocultural attributes are taken into consideration. The results underscore the complex ways in which objective and subjective health interact with both biosocial and sociocultural factors to shape perceived health risks of climate change.
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| 3. |
- Arvidsson, Rickard, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing the Environmental Risks of Silver from Clothes in an Urban Area
- 2014
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment (HERA). - : Informa UK Limited. - 1549-7860 .- 1080-7039. ; 20:4, s. 1008-1022
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The environmental risks from the use of silver-containing clothes (“silver clothes”)were assessed for an urban area. First, we evaluated whether the use of silver clothesmay cause contamination of wastewater treatment sludge that exceeds certain risk thresholds. Second, we assessed the risk of silver exposure to earthworms from applyingthe sludge as fertilizer to agricultural land. The most critical parameter was the concentration of silver in silver clothes, for which estimates in the literaturevary by more than five orders of magnitude. For concentrations at the high end of that parameter range, there is considerably increased concentration of silver in the sludge, and toxic effects on earthworms even at modest use rates of silver clothes suggest high risk. At the low end, no risks can be expected. The main recommendationfrom this study is that if silver is used in clothes, the silver concentration must be kept at the lower end of the range applied in this study if risks are to be avoided.This can be done either by design choices of companies, or by regulation. If the function of the applied silver is not maintained at these lower levels, the use of silver clothes should be minimized.
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| 4. |
- Arvidsson, Rickard, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Challenges in Exposure Modeling of Nanoparticles in Aquatic Environments
- 2011
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1080-7039 .- 1549-7860. ; 17:1, s. 245-262
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Managing the potential environmental risks of nanoparticles requires methods to link nanoparticle properties with macro-scale risks. This study outlines challenges in exposure modeling of nanoparticles in aquatic environments, such as the role of natural organic matter, natural colloids, fractal dimensions of agglomerates, coatings and doping of particles, and uncertainties regarding nanoparticle emissions to aquatic environments. The pros and cons of the exposure indicators mass concentration, particle number concentration, and surface area are discussed. By applying colloid chemistry kinetic equations describing particle agglomeration and sedimentation for the case of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, a limited exposure assessment including some of the factors mentioned is conducted with particle number concentration as the exposure indicator. The results of the modeling indicate that sedimentation, shear flows, and settling are of less importance with regard to particle number based predicted environmental concentrations. The inflow of nanoparticles to the water compartment had a significant impact in the model, and the collision efficiency (which is affected by natural organic matter) was shown to greatly affect model output. Implications for exposure modeling, regulation and science are discussed. A broad spectrum of scientific disciplines must be engaged in the development of exposure models where nano-level properties are linked to macro-scale risk.
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| 5. |
- Arvidsson, Rickard, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Review of Potential Environmental and Health Risks of the Nanomaterial Graphene
- 2013
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment (HERA). - : Informa UK Limited. - 1549-7860 .- 1080-7039. ; 19:4, s. 873-887
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several future applications have been suggested for the nanomaterial graphene, and its production is increasing dramatically. This study is a review of risk-related information on graphene with the purpose of outlining potential environmental and health risks and guide future risk-related research. Available information is presented regarding emissions, environmental fate, and toxicity of graphene. The results from this study indicate that graphene could exert a considerable toxicity and that considerable emission of graphene from electronic devices and composites are possible in the future. It is also suggested that graphene is both persistent and hydrophobic. Although these results indicate that graphene may cause adverse environmental and health effects, the results foremost show that there are many risk-related knowledge gaps to be filled and that the emissions of graphene, the fate of graphene in the environment, and the toxicity of graphene should be further studied.
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| 6. |
- Breitholtz, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
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Testing and risk assessment of persistent and bioaccumulating chemical substances - Improvements within REACH?
- 2006
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1080-7039 .- 1549-7860. ; 12:4, s. 782-805
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the proposed new European chemicals regulations - the REACH system - the improved control of persistent and bioaccumulating substances is stated as one of the tasks being of particular importance. In this article, the reliability and validity of the scientific basis for identification of persistent ( P), bioaccumulating ( B), and toxic ( T) substances, and for assessing the risks that these substances may pose, are discussed. We have used the European Union risk assessment of pentabromodiphenyl ether, PentaBDE ( CAS 32534-81-9) as a study case in the analysis. It is concluded that for PBT substances there is room for development both with regard to test methodology and with regard to risk assessment procedures.
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| 7. |
- Bruce, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Risk assessments of contaminated sediments from the perspective of weight of evidence strategies – a Swedish case study
- 2021
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1080-7039 .- 1549-7860. ; 27:5, s. 1366-1387
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several countries currently lack common recommendations specific to Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) of contaminated sediments and stakeholders report inconsistencies between currently used approaches. The objective of this study was to provide an increased understanding of how ERAs of contaminated sediments are conducted in comparison to established guidelines. For this, we use Sweden as a case study and compare seven ERAs with four internationally established strategies. Our results indicate that contaminant concentrations receive a comparatively high weight, despite a lack of appropriate benchmarks; toxicity measurements are uncommon, while routine in established strategies; and the integration and interpretation of results lack transparency. We identify three areas that may help improve the practice of ERAs: a common approach to benchmarks, recommendations for how to assess toxic effects, and a common approach for integrating and interpreting results.
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| 8. |
- de Sá Salomão, André Luís, et al.
(författare)
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Estrogenicity and Genotoxicity Detection in Different Contaminated Waters
- 2015
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1080-7039 .- 1549-7860. ; 21:7, s. 1793-1809
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: Owing that Oreochromis niloticus is resistant to different aquatic environments,four contaminated sites were selected: decentralized engineered ecosystem(DEE) and conventional wastewater treatment plants(WWTP); urban lagoon; and gasoline-contaminated marshland. Endocrine disruption was assessed by alkali-labile phosphate(ALP) quantification,genotoxicity by micronuclei frequency,and morphological changes by hepatosomatic and gonadosomatic indexes. The ALP baseline of non-exposed O. niloticus males was low,compared with other fish species in the literature. Endocrine disruption was observed in fish exposed to raw wastewater of WWTP and DEE,discharge point of channeled river in the urban lagoon,and water from gasoline-contaminated marshland. After treatment in the DEE,the endocrine disruption effect was removed. The micronuclei frequency corroborated with the ALP results in most cases and proved to be a useful tool to assess genotoxicity in fish. The exposure time of 15 days was not enough to provoke morphological effects in most samples. However,in all gasoline-contaminated samples,the fishes showed an increase in the hepatosomatic index followed by a decrease in the gonadosomatic index. The tested biomarkers showed feasibility,sensibility,reproducibility,and were complementary in the assessment of chronic ecotoxicity; therefore,we recommend them to compose a suitable protocol for aquatic monitoring programs.
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| 9. |
- Ding, Qian, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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Setting Risk-Based Occupational Exposure Limits for Non-Threshold Carcinogens
- 2014
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1080-7039 .- 1549-7860. ; 20:5, s. 1329-1344
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several regulators have recently issued so-called risk-based occupational exposure limits for carcinogenic substances, and also reported estimates of the risk of fatality that exposure to the limit value would give rise to. This practice provides an opportunity to study how differences in the exposure limits set by different regulators are influenced by differences in the scientific judgment (what is the risk at different levels?) and in the policy judgment (how should large risks be accepted?). Based on a broad search, a list was compiled of exposure limits for carcinogens that the respective regulator associates with a numerical risk estimate. For benzene, such data was available from six regulators. The differences in estimates of the risk/exposure relationship and in risk tolerance were about equal in size for benzene, while the range for acceptability was somewhat wider. A similar pattern was observed, although less clearly, for substances with data from only two or three regulators. It is concluded that the science factor and the policy factor both contribute to differences in exposure limits for carcinogens. It was not possible to judge which of these two factors has the larger influence.
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| 10. |
- Ekane, Nelson, et al.
(författare)
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Risk and benefit judgment of excreta as fertilizer in agriculture: An exploratory investigation in Rwanda and Uganda
- 2016
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1080-7039 .- 1549-7860. ; 22:3, s. 639-666
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This research explores the use of psychometric techniques to improve understanding of psychological mechanisms underlying judgment of excreta as fertilizer in agriculture including other excreta related activities. Participants consisted of environmental health students, smallholder farmers and traders in rural and urban Rwanda and Uganda. The finding reveals an inverse relationship between risk and benefit judgments. This relationship holds for the three groups of participants with significant risk-benefit correlations of p<.0001. This finding is consistent with other studies showing that affect plays a key role in risk perception, judgment and decision making.Building on this finding, we conclude that individuals with high risk and low benefit judgment for excreta related practices would eschew them or emphasize strict standards. Individuals with a high benefit and low risk judgment would engage in excreta management practices regardless of the actual risks involved. This finding is relevant for risk communication and risk management as it indicates that individuals do not rely only on risk management information they receive concerning excreta and related risks but also depend to an extent on their feelings about these substances when making judgments and decisions regarding the purpose for using excreta as fertilizer and the level of exposure they can tolerate and manage.
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