| 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. |
- 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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| 3. |
- Ingre-Khans, Ellen, et al.
(författare)
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Improving structure and transparency in reliability evaluations of data under REACH : suggestions for a systematic method
- 2020
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1080-7039 .- 1549-7860. ; 26:1, s. 212-241
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The goal of identifying hazardous chemicals registered under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of CHemicals (REACH) Regulation and taking appropriate risk management measures relies on robust data registrations. However, the current procedures for European chemical manufacturers and importers to evaluate data under REACH neither support systematic evaluations of data nor transparently communicate these assessments. The aim of this study was to explore how using a data evaluation method with predefined criteria for reliability and establishing principles for assigning reliability categories could contribute to more structured and transparent evaluations under REACH. In total, 20 peer-reviewed studies for 15 substances registered under REACH were selected for an in-depth evaluation of reliability with the SciRAP tool. The results show that using a method for study evaluation, with clear criteria for assessing reliability and assigning studies to reliability categories, contributes to more structured and transparent reliability evaluations. Consequently, it is recommended to implement a method for evaluating data under REACH with predefined criteria and fields for documenting and justifying the assessments to increase consistency of data evaluations and transparency.
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| 4. |
- Kättström, Diana, et al.
(författare)
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Out of REACH : environmental hazards of cosmetic preservatives
- 2024
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. - 1080-7039 .- 1549-7860.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The EU Cosmetic Products Regulation requires neither environmental data nor environmental risk assessment for individual ingredients or finished cosmetic products. Instead, it relies on REACH to address environmental risks linked to cosmetic ingredients, including preservatives. We investigated how the environmental risks of cosmetic preservatives are managed by REACH. We identified preservatives of environmental concern and examined if any of these had been selected for Substance Evaluation, proposed for or identified as an SVHC, required authorization or were proposed for, or subject to, restriction under REACH. More than half of the preservatives approved under the Cosmetic Product Regulation, 70 of 137, were identified as being of environmental concern according to the criteria set in this study. Some of the approved preservatives were no longer produced or used in the EU due to their hazardous properties. However, they remained approved and may still enter the EU via the imported products. Our results also indicate that the environmental aspects of cosmetic ingredients, including preservatives, are not efficiently managed by REACH. Besides the known issues in REACH, we identified additional areas in the interface between REACH, CLP and the Cosmetic Products Regulation that call for improvement. Here, we provide practical suggestions in line with the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. If implemented, these measures would strengthen the protection of the environment from hazardous cosmetic ingredients.
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| 5. |
- Shukla, S., et al.
(författare)
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Appraisal of groundwater chemistry, its suitability for crop productivity in Sonipat district and human health risk evaluation
- 2023
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1080-7039 .- 1549-7860. ; 29:2, s. 507-528
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The present study was taken with a primary objective to estimate the groundwater quality and its suitability toward sustainable crop productivity in an agriculturally dominant semi-urban area. Elevated levels of nitrate have severe health impacts and affect the human health. Hence, health risks associated with the consumption of nitrate contaminated water were estimated for adults and children in Sonipat district, Haryana. In general, the groundwater was found to be slightly alkaline and moderately hard. The anionic abundance was verified as F– < NO3– < HCO3– < SO42– < Cl–, whereas, the cationic abundance was verified as Ca2+ < Mg2+ < K+ < Na+. Concentration of nitrate varied from 1.34 mg/L to 565 mg/L, with an average value of 47.6 mg/L, and 46% of the groundwater samples had nitrate concentration of more than 45 mg/L. As per the results of Wilcox plot, only 34% of samples were suitable for crop productivity, whereas 23% of the samples fell in category-II of the permeability index. The non-carcinogenic health risk assessment further suggested that hazard quotient values for nitrate reached as high as 18.35 (children), and 13.57 (adult male), suggesting that health risk degree of children has greater health risk than adults in the study region. Overall results suggest an urgent need for intervention to adopt suitable health risk measures to reduce exposure toward nitrate contaminated drinking water. Moreover, agricultural practices must be improved to increase the crop productivity in the affected areas.
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| 6. |
- Zhang, Xin, et al.
(författare)
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Elemental composition of ambient air particles in Taiyuan, China : evaluation of lifetime cancer and non-cancer risks
- 2020
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Ingår i: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1080-7039 .- 1549-7860. ; 26:5, s. 1391-1406
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Shanxi is a heavily polluted area in China. Our aim was to analyze the elemental concentration (71 elements) in ambient air in Taiyuan and evaluate cancer and non-cancer risks. Air was sampled in four urban sites and one rural site in the heating season (winter/spring) and summer season (totally 118 days sampling time). Mean total suspended particles (TSP) across all sampling sites were 248 mu g/m(3) in summer and 478 mu g/m(3) in winter. The heating season had higher levels of S, Pb, Br, Mn, Se, As, Ni, Cd, and Hg (23.3 mu g/m(3), 821 ng/m(3), 725 ng/m(3), 460 ng/m(3), 79 ng/m(3), 65 ng/m(3), 34 ng/m(3), 17 ng/m(3), and 3.5 ng/m(3), respectively) than the summer season (9.6 mu g/m(3), 276 ng/m(3), 138 ng/m(3), 283 ng/m(3), 0 ng/m(3), 21 ng/m(3), 21 ng/m(3), 6.8 ng/m(3), and 0 ng/m(3), respectively), except for Cr and Co, of which the levels were higher in summer. Many elements had a high correlation with the TSP level (r = 0.70-0.96) and S (r = 0.61-0.95). A health risk assessment demonstrated that Mn and Cr could have a risk of non-cancer effects. Estimated lifetime cancer risks (R-i>10(-6)) were observed for As, Cd, Co, Cr, and Ni, indicating that cancer risks from air pollution were relatively high in Taiyuan.
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