| 1. |
- Bundschuh, Mirco
(author)
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Reducing pollution to levels not harming biodiversity and ecosystem functions: A perspective on the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
- 2023
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In: Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. - 2468-5844. ; 35
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Currently, there are more than 350,000 chemicals in use, while their ecological effects are not fully understood. In this review, we focus on pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products and discuss their potential impact on aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem functions. We critically reflect on strategies to reduce their environmental release and mitigate potential effects. Various mitigation strategies are available to reduce contaminant concentrations in surface waters, but their efficiency varies under the current procedures. Intervening at the start of chemicals' life cycles or reducing their diversity and production amounts holds promise for reducing surface water exposure. This approach could facilitate appropriate environmental risk assessments for each authorized chemical.
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| 2. |
- Chowdhury, Nilanjana Roy, et al.
(author)
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Current opinion on the role of post-harvesting and cooking on arsenic mobility in rice grain, its surmounting risk towards human and domestic livestock with sustained management
- 2024
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In: Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-5844. ; 38
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Arsenic (As) contamination in paddy and consequently the dietary system is an emerging global threat to human health. The harvesting, post-harvesting and cooking procedures of rice in Bengal delta further involves the use of As tainted groundwater which results in a concomitant increase of As levels in sunned, parboiled, and cooked grains, respectively. Inorganic arsenic (iAs) causing potential health risks is therefore high (appx. 90 %) due to the daily rice consumption. This study sheds light on higher As accumulation, distribution and assimilation during parboiling (24 %) and cooking processes (34 %) using As-tainted water, culminating additional As burden in cooked rice. Rice grain mediated health risk has displayed a concern level of 5 according to “Severity Adjusted Margin of Exposure” value. This study also takes heed of the domestic livestock exposed to As toxicity through contaminated fodder, resulting in contaminated animal by-products which initiates further longer lasting deleterious impacts on the society.
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| 3. |
- Davids, Peter R., et al.
(author)
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Multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary approaches to nature-based flood risk management
- 2024
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In: Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-5844. ; 38
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nature-based solutions (NBS) can act as a valuable complement to conventional ‘grey’ infrastructure for stormwater management (e.g. dams and dikes) in reducing flood risks as these ‘green’ solutions are perceived to be more flexible and multifunctional. However, to achieve effective NBS, a multi-actor approach in developing appropriate measures for specific sites is required as NBS occupy more space than ‘grey’ infrastructure and often overlap with private land. NBS also necessitate a multidisciplinary approach, to maximise environmental, social, and economic benefits. Thus, a transdisciplinary approach is needed for the effective implementation of NBS. Viewing NBS as a boundary concept, focusing on the common ground for different disciplines and actors, can facilitate communication and provide a first step towards effective flood risk mitigation.
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| 4. |
- Ferreira, Carla S. S., 1982-, et al.
(author)
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Wetlands as nature-based solutions for water management in different environments
- 2023
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In: Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-5844. ; 33
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wetlands are multifunctional systems performing as nature-based solutions (NBS) for water management. This paper provides an overview of natural and constructed wetlands and their potential to support the regulation of hydrological fluxes and water quality. Wetlands can modulate peak flows by storing runoff and slowly releasing it over time, with positive impacts on soil moisture. They can also change the overall water balance by influencing evapotranspiration, infiltration, and groundwater recharge. They can enhance resilience of a catchment to floods and torrents, especially with relative low return periods (<50 years), and safeguard water availability during droughts. Wetlands may remove or reduce a number of organic and inorganic pollutants (e.g., nutrients, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, pesticides) by different physical, chemical, and biological processes developed between vegetation, microorganisms, soil/growth substrate, and water. They have proven to be efficient and effective in improving the quality of water from different sources, such as runoff from agriculture and urban areas, and domestic and industrial wastewater. The overall performance of wetlands is determined by their characteristics (e.g., size, design, type of vegetation), within-catchment position, type and amount of water and pollutants, and local conditions (e.g., climate). A focus on wetlandscape, rather than individual wetlands, is required for optimal water management and maximization of other ecosystem services.
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| 5. |
- Haque, Rehnuma, et al.
(author)
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Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Bangladesh : Opportunities and challenges
- 2022
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In: CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-5844. ; 27, s. 100334-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ongoing pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health crisis of global concern. The progression of the COVID-19 pandemic has been monitored in the first place by testing symptomatic individuals for SARS-CoV-2 virus in the respiratory samples. Concurrently, wastewater carries feces, urine, and sputum that potentially contains SARS-CoV-2 intact virus or partially damaged viral genetic materials excreted by infected individuals. This brings significant opportunities for understanding the infection dynamics by environmental surveillance. It has advantages for the country, especially in densely populated areas where individual clinical testing is difficult. However, there are several challenges including: 1) establishing a sampling plan and schedule that is representative of the various catchment populations 2) development and validation of standardized protocols for the laboratory analysis 3) understanding hydraulic flows and virus transport in complex wastewater drainage systems and 4) collaborative efforts from government agencies, NGOs, public health units and academia.
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| 6. |
- Hu, Kelsey, et al.
(author)
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Chronic exposure of arsenic among children in Asia: A current opinion based on epidemiological evidence
- 2024
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In: Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-5844. ; 39
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The health effects of arsenic (As) exposure are a major global environmental issue affecting millions of people around the globe. Although adult epidemiological studies on As-induced health consequences have been extensively reviewed, but not much comprehensive review has been done targeting children. In this epidemiological review, 64 human subject studies on children were identified after applying exclusion criteria, which addressed an array of health effects of As exposure in early life stages in South and Southeast (S–SE) Asian countries, where a great variability in As exposures has been reported. The present review identified neurocognitive impairment linked to As exposure in early life stages. In utero and childhood As exposures were also associated with genetic and metabolic alteration, elevated pneumonia risk, and skin lesions in several populations in S–SE Asia. Significant associations of As with epigenetic changes, DNA damages, abnormal birth outcomes, and elevated mortality were also reported in epidemiological studies. The findings of this review article may help public health policymakers and clinicians develop early-life intervention strategies to reduce the burden of diseases in As-exposed populations.
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| 7. |
- Islam, Md. Aminul, et al.
(author)
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An opinion on Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring (WBEM) with Clinical Diagnostic Test (CDT) for detecting high-prevalence areas of community COVID-19 infections
- 2023
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In: CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-5844. ; 31
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring (WBEM) is an efficient surveillance tool during the COVID-19 pandemic as it meets all requirements of a complete monitoring system including early warning, tracking the current trend, prevalence of the disease, detection of genetic diversity as well as the upsurging SARS-CoV-2 new variants with mutations from the wastewater samples. Subsequently, Clinical Diagnostic Test (CDT) is widely acknowledged as the global gold standard method for disease monitoring, despite several drawbacks such as high diagnosis cost, reporting bias, and the difficulty of tracking asymptomatic patients (silent spreaders of the COVID-19 infection who manifest no symptoms of the disease). In this current review and opinion-based study, we first propose a combined approach for detecting COVID-19 infection in communities using wastewater and clinical sample testing, which may be feasible and effective as an emerging public health tool for the long-term nationwide surveillance system. The viral concentrations in wastewater samples can be used as indicators to monitor ongoing SARS-CoV-2 trends, predict asymptomatic carriers, and detect COVID-19 hotspot areas, while clinical samples help in detecting mostly symptomatic individuals for isolating positive cases in communities and validate WBEM protocol for mass vaccination including booster doses for COVID-19.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Kumar, Manish, et al.
(author)
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COVID-19 in environment : Treatment, Infectivity, Monitoring, Estimation (TIME)
- 2024
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In: Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-5844. ; 39
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Virtual Special Issue (VSI) entitled "COVID-19 in Environment: Treatment, Infectivity, Monitoring, Estimation (TIME)" mainly brings together the different themes and perspectives related to wastewater epidemiology related to COVID-19. The issue further concentrates on the idea of the very much required scientific studies of the wastewater containing the SARS-CoV RNA; its contagious attributes if any; and the very important possibility of estimation and monitoring of patients based on the wastewater epidemiology. We have brought global perspectives related to the most suitable estimations methods based on SARS-COV-RNA data and development of an approach combining wastewater epidemiology and clinical diagnostic test could facilitate surveillance of public health system for informed decision making for better and effective treatment methods on one platform, thereby facilitating the expansion of the reach of these ideas and their audience. This VSI is going to act as an interface for microbiologists, environmental engineers, data scientists, civil engineers, remote-sensing experts, and modelers to integrate their findings on the aforementioned topics to etch out the probability of relative environmental risks and human health challenges. It has undergone an open call for papers and a rigorous peer-review process, where each submission has been evaluated by a panel of experts. In total, twenty-two articles could pass the test of external referees that represent the ongoing research and development activities in the topical research area of COVID-19 wastewater surveillance.
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| 10. |
- Kumar, Manish, et al.
(author)
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Global co-occurrences of multi-(emerging)-contaminants in the hotspots of arsenic polluted groundwater : A pattern of menace
- 2023
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In: Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-5844. ; 34
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Advancements in analytical techniques have resulted in much progress in understanding co-occurrence of environmental con-taminants. We focused on investigating the global pattern of arsenic (As) co-occurrence with inorganic and emerging con-taminants and then explained the governing factors driving the situation. Major co-occurring inorganic contaminants were found in three sets: i) U, F, Fe, Mn, Pb, & Zn; ii) Al, Mo, Cd, Sb, Br, I, and Se; and iii) Ag, Au, Cr, Cu, Hg, Th, V, Ga, and Ba. Co-occurrences were majorly governed by weathering, redox conditions, recharge/pumping, and surface leaching. Several places around the world started to exhibit As presence with contaminants of emerging concerns like pesticides, per-and polyfluoroalkyl sub-stances (PFAS), endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and others, that needs to be explored further at fundamentally deeper levels. This is probably one of the first attempts to correlate As co -occurrences with contaminants of emerging concern.
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