| 1. |
- Brack, Werner, et al.
(författare)
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The SOLUTIONS project : Challenges and responses for present and future emerging pollutants in land and water resources management
- 2015
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 503, s. 22-31
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- SOLUTIONS (2013 to 2018) is a European Union Seventh Framework Programme Project (EU-FP7). The project aims to deliver a conceptual framework to support the evidence-based development of environmental policies with regard to water quality. SOLUTIONS will develop the tools for the identification, prioritisation and assessment of those water contaminants that may pose a risk to ecosystems and human health. To this end, a new generation of chemical and effect-based monitoring tools is developed and integrated with a full set of exposure, effect and risk assessment models. SOLUTIONS attempts to address legacy, present and future contamination by integrating monitoring and modelling based approaches with scenarios on future developments in society, economy and technology and thus in contamination. The project follows a solutions-oriented approach by addressing major problems of water and chemicals management and by assessing abatement options. SOLUTIONS takes advantage of the access to the infrastructure necessary to investigate the large basins of the Danube and Rhine as well as relevant Mediterranean basins as case studies, and puts major efforts on stakeholder dialogue and support. Particularly, the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) working groups, International River Commissions, and water works associations are directly supported. with consistent guidance for the early detection, identification, prioritisation, and abatement of chemicals in the water cycle. SOLUTIONS will give a specific emphasis on concepts and tools for the impact and risk assessment of complex mixtures of emerging pollutants, their metabolites and transformation products. Analytical and effect-based screening tools will be applied together with ecological assessment tools for the identification of toxicants and their impacts. The SOLUTIONS approach is expected to provide transparent and evidence-based candidates or River Basin Specific Pollutants in the case study basins and to assist future review of priority pollutants under the WFD as well as potential abatement options.
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| 2. |
- Corcoll, Natàlia, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Risk assessment of chemical pollution in Mediterranean rivers based on classical periphyton bioindicators and new biomarkers
- 2015
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Ingår i: Poster presentation at the SETAC Europe 25th Annual Meeting, Barcelona, Spain.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Environmental risk of chemical pollution in Mediterranean basins is of special concern due to high emissions faced with low dilution capacities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the risk of chemical pollution in Mediterranean rivers using periphyton responses as a model to assess chemical impact. The study also aims to compare classical periphyton indicators of water quality (e.g. diatoms diversity) with new biomarkers of toxic stress (e.g chl-a fluorescence parameters and antioxidant enzymatic activities). Nineteen sites in four Iberian rivers (Llobregat, Ebro, Júcar and Guadalquivir) were sampled in autumns 2010 and 2011. A total of 116 organic compounds were detected in surface waters (60 pharmaceuticals and hormones compounds, 11 personal care products and industrial compounds, 36 pesticides and 9 perfluorinated compounds), and 6 metals in periphyton matrix. The potential risk of this cocktail of pollutants was estimated based on the “Toxic Units (TUs)” approach for algae. Results of TUs indicate that the Llobregat and Júcar rivers were those with the highest environmental risk for algae. TUs based on metals bioaccumulation in biofilm were two orders of magnitude higher than those based on organic compounds, being Zn and Cu the metals with the highest risk. Results from diatoms community composition allowed to identify sites with high environmental risk. Communities in these sites presented an altered diatoms composition, where sensitive species to pollution were replaced by tolerant ones. Biomarkers, based on antioxidant enzymatic activities (catalase, glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase) and chl-a fluorescence parameters (photosynthetic activity and non-photochemical quenching), tended to show a less consistent pattern. Overall, results indicate that in all the Mediterranean basins studied there are many sites with an environmental risk from chemical pollution, and that the current use of periphyton biondicators and biomarkers allow to identify sites presenting high levels of pollution, however, new tools are required to evaluate “in situ” situations of moderate and low chemical pollution
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| 3. |
- Dulio, Valeria, et al.
(författare)
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The NORMAN Association and the European Partnership for Chemicals Risk Assessment (PARC) : let’s cooperate!
- 2020
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Ingår i: Environmental Sciences Europe. - : Springer. - 2190-4707 .- 2190-4715. ; 32:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Partnership for Chemicals Risk Assessment (PARC) is currently under development as a joint research and innovation programme to strengthen the scientific basis for chemical risk assessment in the EU. The plan is to bring chemical risk assessors and managers together with scientists to accelerate method development and the production of necessary data and knowledge, and to facilitate the transition to next-generation evidence-based risk assessment, a non-toxic environment and the European Green Deal. The NORMAN Network is an independent, well-established and competent network of more than 80 organisations in the field of emerging substances and has enormous potential to contribute to the implementation of the PARC partnership. NORMAN stands ready to provide expert advice to PARC, drawing on its long experience in the development, harmonisation and testing of advanced tools in relation to chemicals of emerging concern and in support of a European Early Warning System to unravel the risks of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and close the gap between research and innovation and regulatory processes. In this commentary we highlight the tools developed by NORMAN that we consider most relevant to supporting the PARC initiative: (i) joint data space and cutting-edge research tools for risk assessment of contaminants of emerging concern; (ii) collaborative European framework to improve data quality and comparability; (iii) advanced data analysis tools for a European early warning system and (iv) support to national and European chemical risk assessment thanks to harnessing, combining and sharing evidence and expertise on CECs. By combining the extensive knowledge and experience of the NORMAN network with the financial and policy-related strengths of the PARC initiative, a large step towards the goal of a non-toxic environment can be taken.
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| 4. |
- Gascón, Jordi, et al.
(författare)
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Performance of two immunoassays for the determination of atrazine in sea water samples as compared with on-line solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography-diode array detection
- 1996
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Ingår i: Analytica Chimica Acta. - : Elsevier BV. - 0003-2670. ; 330:1, s. 41-51
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Two immunoassay formats, magnetic particles-based assay (Atrazine RaPID assay and Atrazine High-Sensitivity RaPID assay) and microtiter plate based assay (Department of Entomology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California in Davis) were evaluated for the determination of atrazine in sea water samples. The results obtained were compared and validated with those obtained by using on-line solid phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography-diode array detection (on-line SPE-LC-DAD). The correlation between both techniques was good when analyzing levels of atrazine ranging from 0.01 to 5 μg/l in samples showing salt concentration values varying from 0 to 35 g/l and pH values from 2 to 10. One of these immunoassays (Atrazine High-Sensitivity RaPID assay) was employed to directly analyze atrazine in real estuarine and coastal water samples. The same samples were analyzed after filtration and C18 Empore disks extraction.
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| 5. |
- Jakariya, Md, et al.
(författare)
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Changing water sources and extraction methods in Bangladesh: Challenges, consequences, and sustainable solutions
- 2024
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Ingår i: Groundwater for Sustainable Development. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 2352-801X. ; 25
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The quest for safe water in Bangladesh has resulted in the shift of water sources and extraction methods throughout history. The study aims to investigate the factors driving these changes, assess the consequences of current water consumption trends, and propose solutions for sustainable water management. The research highlights the historical shift from surface water to tube-wells for accessing groundwater, driven by their affordability and user-friendly nature. However, the discovery of arsenic contamination in tube-well water raised serious public health concerns, leading to the exploration of alternative water sources and extraction techniques. Various methods such as dug wells, pond sand filters, piped water supply, rainwater harvesting, and well-sharing have been adopted by communities and indigenous groups to ensure access to safe and clean water. The study reveals disparities in the installation of deep tube-wells by the government and NGOs, often overlooking safer water sources available at shallower depths. Furthermore, the study discusses the consequences of high-yielding technologies and increased water consumption in Sonargaon Upazila, leading to groundwater-related disasters and a decline in the groundwater table. Private irrigation facilities have become more popular among people, contributing to the declining groundwater table. This study provides insights into the changing water sources and extraction methods in Bangladesh, identifies the consequences of current water consumption trends, and proposes strategies for sustainable water management. The findings underline the importance of informed decision-making, government intervention, and community involvement to address the challenges of groundwater depletion and contamination in the region.
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| 6. |
- Jakariya, Md., et al.
(författare)
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ICT-based solution for efficient fecal sludge management : An experience from Bangladesh
- 2023
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Ingår i: Heliyon. - : Elsevier BV. - 2405-8440. ; 9:4, s. e15200-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In Bangladesh, people primarily depend on on-site sanitation facilities (OSSF) with an immense challenge in achieving safe sanitation due to unplanned infrastructure development, improper management of fecal sludge, and inadequate monitoring. The commitment of attaining Sustain-able Development Goals (SDG) 6.2 (ensuring safe sanitation for all) by 2030 requires immediate attention in the management of fecal sludge for low-middle income countries. This paper pre-sented the findings, challenges, and possible ways forward from a study conducted to provide data for Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based fecal sludge management (FSM) at a municipality in the northwest of Bangladesh. A total of 18,808 households and 407 institutions in Saidpur municipality, a non-sewered town in Nilphamari district, were studied to understand the type of containment structures and on-ground desludging practices. The study showed around 10% of containments were connected to the drains illegally, 95% of the people in Saidpur practiced unsafe disposal, and 7% still practiced open defecation. To identify these malpractices, the study also implemented an ICT-based sustainable solution through a web application that enabled the local administrator to have a global look at the sanitation scenario of the municipality. The dashboard was developed to create a total sanitation monitoring system, identify defaulters, allow target-based safe managed sanitation service strategies, and ensure sustainability in FSM. The study highlighted the accessibility of vacuum truck services projecting through a spatial map and identified methods to empty the septic tanks where Vacutag services are unavailable by engaging local pit emptiers. The innovative approach of fecal sludge man-agement will help not only to improve the existing sanitation practices but also raise community awareness to ensure sustainable sanitation system. Altogether, the web system will work as a medium to manage the faecal sludge for the existing co-compost plant where the faeces is con-verted into organic soil conditioner, creating prospects for a green business mechanism.
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| 7. |
- Jakariya, Md, et al.
(författare)
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Wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance to monitor the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in developing countries with onsite sanitation facilities
- 2022
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Ingår i: Environmental Pollution. - : Elsevier BV. - 0269-7491 .- 1873-6424. ; 311
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a valuable approach for forecasting disease outbreaks in developed countries with a centralized sewage infrastructure. On the other hand, due to the absence of well-defined and systematic sewage networks, WBE is challenging to implement in developing countries like Bangladesh where most people live in rural areas. Identification of appropriate locations for rural Hotspot Based Sampling (HBS) and urban Drain Based Sampling (DBS) are critical to enable WBE based monitoring system. We investigated the best sampling locations from both urban and rural areas in Bangladesh after evaluating the sanitation infrastructure for forecasting COVID-19 prevalence. A total of 168 wastewater samples were collected from 14 districts of Bangladesh during each of the two peak pandemic seasons. RT-qPCR commercial kits were used to target ORF1ab and N genes. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 genetic materials was found in 98% (165/168) and 95% (160/168) wastewater samples in the first and second round sampling, respectively. Although waste-water effluents from both the marketplace and isolation center drains were found with the highest amount of genetic materials according to the mixed model, quantifiable SARS-CoV-2 RNAs were also identified in the other four sampling sites. Hence, wastewater samples of the marketplace in rural areas and isolation centers in urban areas can be considered the appropriate sampling sites to detect contagion hotspots. This is the first complete study to detect SARS-CoV-2 genetic components in wastewater samples collected from rural and urban areas for monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic. The results based on the study revealed a correlation between viral copy numbers in wastewater samples and SARS-CoV-2 positive cases reported by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) as part of the national surveillance program for COVID-19 prevention. The findings of this study will help in setting strategies and guidelines for the selection of appropriate sampling sites, which will facilitate in development of comprehensive wastewater-based epidemiological systems for surveillance of rural and urban areas of low-income countries with inadequate sewage infrastructure.
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| 8. |
- Kudlak, Blazej, et al.
(författare)
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Enhanced Toxicity of Bisphenols Together with UV Filters in Water : Identification of Synergy and Antagonism in Three-Component Mixtures
- 2022
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Ingår i: Molecules. - : MDPI AG. - 1431-5157 .- 1420-3049. ; 27:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) localize in the biome in variable combinations of complex mixtures that are often environmentally persistent, bioaccumulate and biomagnify, prompting a need for extensive monitoring. Many cosmetics include UV filters that are listed as CECs, such as benzophenone derivatives (oxybenzone, OXYB), cinnamates (2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate, EMC) and camphor derivatives (4-methylbenzylidene-camphor, 4MBC). Furthermore, in numerous water sources, these UV filters have been detected together with Bisphenols (BPs), which are commonly used in plastics and can be physiologically detrimental. We utilized bioluminescent bacteria (Microtox assay) to monitor these CEC mixtures at environmentally relevant doses, and performed the first systematic study involving three sunscreen components (OXYB, 4MBC and EMC) and three BPs (BPA, BPS or BPF). Moreover, a breast cell line and cell viability assay were employed to determine the possible effect of these mixtures on human cells. Toxicity modeling, with concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) approaches, was performed, followed by data interpretation using Model Deviation Ratio (MDR) evaluation. The results show that UV filter sunscreen constituents and BPs interact at environmentally relevant concentrations. Of notable interest, mixtures containing any pair of three BPs (e.g., BPA + BPS, BPA + BPF and BPS + BPF), together with one sunscreen component (OXYB, 4MBC or EMC), showed strong synergy or overadditive effects. On the other hand, mixtures containing two UV filters (any pair of OXYB, 4MBC and EMC) and one BP (BPA, BPS or BPF) had a strong propensity towards concentration dependent underestimation. The three-component mixtures of UV filters (4MBC, EMC and OXYB) acted in an antagonistic manner toward each other, which was confirmed using a human cell line model. This study is one of the most comprehensive involving sunscreen constituents and BPs in complex mixtures, and provides new insights into potentially important interactions between these compounds.
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| 9. |
- Kumar, Manish, et al.
(författare)
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First comparison of conventional activated sludge versus root-zone treatment for SARS-CoV-2 RNA removal from wastewaters : Statistical and temporal significance
- 2021
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Ingår i: Chemical Engineering Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 1385-8947 .- 1873-3212. ; 425
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the initial pandemic phase, effluents from wastewater treatment facilities were reported mostly free from Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA, and thus conventional wastewater treatments were generally considered effective. However, there is a lack of first-hand data on i) comparative efficacy of various treatment processes for SARS-CoV-2 RNA removal; and ii) temporal variations in the removal efficacy of a given treatment process in the backdrop of active COVID-19 cases. This work provides a comparative account of the removal efficacy of conventional activated sludge (CAS) and root zone treatments (RZT) based on weekly wastewater surveillance data, consisting of forty-four samples, during a two-month period. The average genome concentration was higher in the inlets of CAS-based wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the Sargasan ward (1.25 x 10(3) copies/L), than that of RZT-based WWTP (7.07 x 10(2) copies/L) in an academic institution campus of Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. ORF 1ab and S genes appeared to be more sensitive to treatment i.e., significantly reduced (p < 0.05) than N genes (p > 0.05). CAS treatment exhibited better RNA removal efficacy (p = 0.014) than RZT (p = 0.032). Multivariate analyses suggested that the effective genome concentration should be calculated based on the presence/absence of multiple genes. The present study stresses that treated effluents are not always free from SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and the removal efficacy of a given WWTP is prone to exhibit temporal variability owing to variations in active COVID-19 cases in the vicinity and genetic material accumulation over the time. Disinfection seems less effective than the adsorption and coagulation processes for SARS-CoV-2 removal. Results stress the need for further research on mechanistic insight on SARS-CoV-2 removal through various treatment processes taking solid-liquid partitioning into account.
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| 10. |
- Serra-Compte, Albert, et al.
(författare)
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Fluvial biofilms exposed to desiccation and pharmaceutical pollution: New insights using metabolomics
- 2018
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697. ; 618, s. 1382-1388
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In many arid and semi-arid systems, biological communities in river ecosystems are submitted to flow interruption and desiccation, as well as to the impact of urban wastewaters. In this work, we studied (using a LC-LTQ-Orbitrap) the metabolomic response of biofilm communities exposed to both hydrological and chemical stressors. Fluvial biofilms were exposed to a mixture of 9 pharmaceuticals at a total concentration of 5000 ng/L (mimicking concentrations and compounds found in polluted aquatic environments) and/or to seven days of desiccation, under laboratory conditions. The biosynthesis of fatty acids was the main metabolic pathway disrupted in biofilms. Endogenous biofilm's metabolites (metabolome) altered due to these stressors were identified. The metabolites that significantly changed only due to one of the stressors could be proposed as potential specific biomarkers. A biomarker of pharmaceutical exposure was the lysophosphatidic acid, which decreased a 160%, while for desiccation stearidonic acid (increased 160%), 16-Oxohexadecanoic acid (increased 340%) and palmitoleic acid (decreased 290%) were the biomarkers proposed. Besides, other metabolites showed different responses depending on the treatment, such as palmitic acid, linolenic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid and azelaic acid. The Carbon:Phosphorus (C:P) molar ratio increased due to all stress factors, whereas the algal community composition changed mainly due to desiccation. A possible relationship between those changes observed in structural parameters and the metabolome of biofilms was explored. Overall, our findings support the use of metabolomics to unravel at molecular level the effects from chemical and physical stressors on complex microbial communities, such as biofilms, and pinpoint biomarkers of exposure.
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| 11. |
- Wang, Bin, et al.
(författare)
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Insight of chemical environmental risk and its management from the vinyl chloride accident
- 2023
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Ingår i: Frontiers of Environmental Science and Engineering. - : Springer. - 2095-2201 .- 2095-221X. ; 17:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The combustion of vinyl chloride (VC) after the train derailment accident in Ohio, USA in February, 2023 has caused widespread concern around the world. This paper tried to analyze several issues concerning the accident, including the appropriateness of the VC combustion in the emergency response in this accident, the meanings of so-called "controlled combustion", the potential environmental risks caused by VC and combustion by-products, and follow-up work. In our view, this accident had surely caused environmental and health risks to some extent. Hence, a comprehensive environmental risk assessment is necessary, and then the site with risk should be comprehensively remediated, hazardous waste should be harmlessly treated as soon as possible. Finally, this accident suggests that further efforts should be taken to bridge the gap between chemical safety management and their environmental risk management.
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| 12. |
- Wang, Fang, et al.
(författare)
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Emerging contaminants: A One Health perspective
- 2024
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Ingår i: Innovation. - 2666-6758. ; 5
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Environmental pollution is escalating due to rapid global development that often prioritizes human needs over planetary health. Despite global efforts to mitigate legacy pollutants, the continuous introduction of new substances remains a major threat to both people and the planet. In response, global initiatives are focusing on risk assessment and regulation of emerging contaminants, as demonstrated by the ongoing efforts to establish the UN's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution Prevention. This review identifies the sources and impacts of emerging contaminants on planetary health, emphasizing the importance of adopting a One Health approach. Strategies for monitoring and addressing these pollutants are discussed, underscoring the need for robust and socially equitable environmental policies at both regional and international levels. Urgent actions are needed to transition toward sustainable pollution management practices to safeguard our planet for future generations.
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