Hasil untuk "Environmental protection"

Yanfen Jiang, Jiajin Hu, Fengyan Chen et al.

Summary: Background: Childhood obesity is a critical public health concern in China. This study identified the key determinants of childhood obesity in China and provided recommendations for future intervention strategies. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to identify multiple-level determinants of childhood obesity in China and calculated the population-attributable risk percentage (PAR%) for each modifiable determinant. We also conducted expert consultations using the Socio-ecological Model to gain insights into the causes of obesity. Additionally, we reviewed current Chinese policies on childhood obesity intervention and compared them with the priorities identified in the meta-analysis and expert consultation to pinpoint policy gaps. Findings: Our meta-analysis, incorporating 419 studies, identified 33 risk factors for childhood obesity. At the individual-level, we identified 11 key contributors including early-life risk factors such as maternal pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity (PAR%: 16.7%), breastfeeding duration of less than six months (14.1%), cesarean section delivery (11.1%), excessive gestational weight gain (10.5%), high birth weight (4.2%), and gestational diabetes mellitus (3.6%), and 13 behavioral factors during childhood such as sugar sweetened beverage consumption (16.4%), insufficient sleep (15.0%), rapid eating speed (14.7%), less than 2 h of physical activity per day (6.3%), and over 2 h of daily screen time (5.6%). We also identified six prominent family-level factors such as maternal overweight/obesity (24.3%) and paternal overweight/obesity (23.5%). Expert consultation highlighted genetic factors, and prioritized actionable risk factors, particularly dietary, expanding on the meta-analysis findings. Finally, policy review revealed that existing Chinese policies inadequately addressed these determinants, especially at the macro and structural levels. Interpretation: This study highlights the importance of targeting high-risk populations and addressing detrimental behavioral factors, especially on early-life influences. However, real-world impacts require a comprehensive approach that goes beyond individual factors. More future effective intervention efforts are needed. Funding: This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 82073567; NSFC 82273641) and the National Science and Technology Innovation 2030, Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major Project (Grant No. 2023ZD0508500, 2023ZD0508504).

Erika Kašėtaitė, Eglė Marčiulaitienė

Food waste management is an important challenge for environmental protection, especially due to the unpleasant odors emitted. This study analyzes the effects of probiotics and baking soda on food waste odor reduction. The research was conducted using the dynamic olfactometry method, assessing odor concentration in different types of food waste: fish waste, dairy product waste, meat waste, and plant-based waste, i.e., fruit and vegetable waste. The experiment is carried out by placing 1 kilogram of food waste in 5-liter containers. The duration of the study is 7 days. The results showed that probiotics are more effective in reducing odors than baking soda, especially in fish and fruit and vegetable waste. Article in Lithuanian. Maisto atliekų išskiriamų kvapų mažinimas probiotikais ir valgomąja soda Santrauka Maisto atliekų tvarkymas yra svarbus aplinkos apsaugos iššūkis, o kartu ir iš atliekų skleidžiami nemalonūs kvapai. Šiame tyrime analizuojamas probiotikų ir valgomosios sodos poveikis maisto atliekų kvapų mažinimui. Tyrimas atliktas taikant dinaminės olfaktometrijos metodą, vertinant kvapo koncentraciją skirtingose maisto atliekų rūšyse: žuvies atliekose, pieno produktų atliekose, mėsos atliekose bei augalinės kilmės atliekose, t. y. vaisių ir daržovių atliekose. Eksperimentas atliktas maisto atliekas sudėjus po 1 kilogramą į 5 litrų talpyklas. Tyrimo trukmė 7 dienos. Gauti rezultatai parodė, kad probiotikai efektyviau sumažina kvapus nei valgomoji soda, ypač žuvies, vaisių ir daržovių atliekose. Reikšminiai žodžiai: maisto atliekos, kvapų mažinimas, dinaminės olfaktometrijos metodas, probiotikai, valgomoji soda (NaHCO₃).

Keerthana K, Pachiyappan Sathish, Joseph Augustine et al.

Kai Yang, Fan Wu, Hongxu Guo et al.

Heavy metal pollution in agricultural land poses significant threats to both the ecological environment and human health. Therefore, the rapid and accurate prediction of heavy metal content in agricultural soil is crucial for environmental protection and soil remediation. Acknowledging the limitations of traditional single linear or nonlinear machine learning models in terms of prediction accuracy, this study developed an ensemble learning model that integrates multiple linear or nonlinear learning models with a random forest (RF) model to improve both the prediction accuracy and reliability. In this study, we selected a typical copper (Cu) polluted area in the Pearl River Delta of Guangdong Province as the research site and collected Cu content data and indoor soil reflectance spectral data from 269 surface soil samples. First, the soil spectral data were preprocessed using Savitzky–Golay (SG) smoothing, multiplicative scattering correction (MSC), and continuous wavelet transform (CWT) to reduce noise interference. Next, principal components analysis (PCA) was employed to reduce the dimensionality of the preprocessed spectral data, eliminating redundant features and lowering the computational complexity. Finally, based on the dimensionality-reduced data and Cu content, we established a stacked ensemble learning model, where the base models included SVR, PLSR, BPNN, and XGBoost, with RF serving as the meta-model to estimate the soil heavy metal content. To evaluate the performance of the stacking model, we compared its prediction accuracy with that of individual models. The results indicate that, compared to the traditional machine learning models, the prediction accuracy of the stacking model was superior (R² = 0.77; RMSE = 7.65 mg/kg; RPD = 2.29). This suggests that the integrated algorithm demonstrates a greater robustness and generalization capability. This study presents a method to improve soil heavy metal content estimation using hyperspectral technology, ensuring a robust model that supports policymakers in making informed decisions about land use, agriculture, and environmental protection.

Adela Laura Ciorba, Alin Teusdea, George Roiu et al.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of ultrasounds used in phacoemulsification during cataract surgery on the corneal structure and morphology in patients over 65 years. We compared the outcomes of phacoemulsification techniques in terms of corneal cell morphology in 77 patients over 65 years old and 43 patients under 65 years old. Corneal cell density, central corneal thickness and hexagonality were measured preoperatively and post-surgery (at 1 and 4 weeks) by specular microscopy. The effect of gender, axial length and anterior chamber depth on the parameters of corneal endothelium were evaluated. In both groups, a progressive decrease in endothelial cells was observed, starting from the first week post-surgery until the fourth postoperative week. The central corneal thickness increased in both groups with maximum values at the first week postoperatively, while their initial values were restored in the fourth week post-surgery, with no statistical difference between groups. Statistically significant differences were noticed in terms of cell hexagonality in the group over 65, showing smaller hexagonality at all preoperative and postoperative time points compared to group under 65. Our result highlights the importance of routine specular microscopy performed before surgery, regardless the age of the patients, with caution and careful attention to the phaco power intensity, ultrasound energy consumption and intraoperative manipulation of instruments, as well as proper use of viscoelastic substances to reduce corneal endothelium damage, especially in elderly patients.

Xiaoteng Xiao, Xiaoteng Xiao, Yufeng Zhang et al.

Seawater salt is constantly supplied from the marine environment to coastal underground brine deposits, meaning that brine has the potential for continuous extraction. There is currently a lack of information about the processes that drive the fluxes of seawater salt to underground brine deposits in tidal-driven brine mining areas. We chose the Yangkou salt field on the southern coast of Laizhou Bay, a brine mining area, as our study site. We monitored the spatial and temporal distribution of the underground brine reserve and the changes in water level and salinity in the mining area and adjacent tidal flats using electrical resistivity tomography and hydrogeological measurements. We monitored cross-sections along two survey lines and observed that the underground brine reserve receives a stable supply of seawater salt, and calculated that the rate of influx into the brine body in the mining area near the boundary of the precipitation funnel was 0.226−0.232 t/h. We calculated that a total salt flux of approximately 5.50 t enters the underground brine body every day through a 150 m long shoreline and a 1322.3 m2 window, which is sufficient to sustain the daily extraction of one brine well. During tidal cycles, there are two peaks in the salinity of the water supplied to the underground brine reserve, which means that the brine supply is from at least two high-salinity salt sources in different tidal stages. The first salinity peak occurs during the initial stage of the rising tide after seawater inundates the tidal flat. At this time, seawater, which is a solution and carries a large amount of evaporated salt, is transported into the brine layer through highly permeable areas or biological channels and replenishes the brine in the mining area. The second salinity peak occurs during the early stage of the falling tide. Influenced by hysteresis-driven tidal pumping, high-salinity brine from the lower intertidal zone is rapidly transported into the mining area, thereby increasing the salinity of the underground brine.

Michal Pšurný, Michal Pšurný, Irena Baláková et al.

The paper deals with consumer behavior in the context of sustainable development of society. A questionnaire survey of 732 respondents was used to understand the determinants of food purchasing behavior toward sustainable consumption. The paper identifies the factors that the consumer determines in food purchasing as critical in terms of sustainable consumption and requiring behavioral change toward sustainability in terms of healthy lifestyle, reduction of food wastage, and conscious consumption. Respondents commented on 22 factors and the quantification of their impact on food waste and expressed the strength of opinion on sustainability issues. To evaluate the collected data, PCA factor analysis was used, which defines the importance of each factor by identifying artificial hypothetical variables, which are “Sustainability” and targeted education as appropriate tools for it, “Food usability,” which is a recommendation to producers by food quality, offering new types of food with longer shelf life, as well as “Pricing,” “Quality” and “Convenience.” The authors also sought to understand what measures they take in relation to waste and how they behave toward sustainable consumption and environmental protection. They created 14 content questions on this topic and by using factor analysis, 3 hypothetical variables were created, namely “Sustainable behavior” which expresses a healthy lifestyle, “Thoughtful purchase” which expresses a relationship with environmental protection before purchasing and “Zero waste” which means that the household tries to make additional use of food. Thus, it seeks a use for the food it cannot consume at a given time and creates a supply for other consumers. This behavior is a good prerequisite for achieving a change in consumption behavior. The influence of selected sociodemographic indicators on the frequency of wastage was also investigated using the χ-squared test. The influence of generation and number of children in the household on the frequency of wastage was demonstrated. The results of the analyses on the importance of individual factors and consumer behavior, especially of the young generation, argue for education on sustainable consumption.

WU Shukun, MU Minmin, YANG Lei

Traditional Baijiu brewing produces a large amount of distiller's grains (a by-product) which contains rich nutrients such as crude starch, crude protein, and crude fiber etc.. Distiller's grains are highly prone to spoilage, causes serious environmental burden and waste of resources if not handled properly. Therefore, the resource utilization of Baijiu distiller's grains has important economic value and environment protection significance. In this article, the research and application of resource utilization of distiller's grains in the production of distiller's grains Baijiu, organic fertilizer, forage, edible fungi, daily necessities etc. were summarized in recent years, to provide a reference for the comprehensive utilization of Baijiu distiller's grains.

Zhengyi Xu, Pengyuan Zhang, Bo Zhang et al.

The inhibitory effect of La3+ on the hydrogen permeation of X70 pipeline steel was investigated via steady-state hydrogen permeation current (i∞) through electrochemical hydrogen permeation tests. The experimental permeation data were fitted with a constant concentration model and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) tests were conducted to characterize the activity of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) after the optimization of electrochemically active surface area. Additionally, the kinetics of HER and the adsorption/desorption process is calculated by Iyer-Pickering-Zamanzadeh (IPZ) and surface effect models, of which the results demonstrate that the La3+ in the corrosion products could effectively reduce the rate of Volmer reaction and hydrogen adsorption process, and accelerate the process of hydrogen atom desorption, thus leading to the remarkable decrease in C0.

Agnieszka Jamiołkowska, Barbara Skwaryło-Bednarz, Elżbieta Mielniczuk et al.

Climate change has an impact on agricultural production, including the greater persistence of plant pathogens in the environment. Therefore, the question arises as to how to effectively and safely protect plants by using chemicals, the number of which is decreasing each year. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fungistatic effect of 2 acetylthiophenethiosemicarbazone (2actpTS) and Cis-jasmonethiosemicarbazone (JTS) against <i>Fusarium culmorum</i> (Fc) on winter wheat seedlings. The influence of thiosemicarbazones (TSs) on the health status and phytotoxicity of seedlings and soil biological activity was investigated. Before TSs application (watering or spraying), soil was infected with <i>F. culmorum</i> (strain No. 37). The substance type and method of its application significantly influenced only the fresh weight of the seedlings. The varying phytotoxicity of the molecules depended primarily on their application method to the plants. The highest seedling phytotoxicity was recorded when compounds were applied during watering and the lowest when they were sprayed. The results showed that the application of substances 2actpTS and JTS, both in the form of watering and spraying, had a positive effect on plant health status, as expressed by the disease index (DI) value. The presence of the infectious agent and the type of chemical compound increased soil enzyme activity. The highest total number of bacteria was found in the soil that was infected with Fc and in soil samples where JTS was applied by watering and spraying. The highest utilization of amines, amides and amino acids by microorganisms was found in the samples where JTS was applied. The obtained results will be used to create intermediate products for the protection of cereals against Fusarium diseases, not only at the stage of germination and tillage of plants, but also at subsequent developmental stages.

Yuan-Pin Hung, Ching-Chi Lee, Jen-Chieh Lee et al.

Probiotic supplements have been used to decrease the gut carriage of antimicrobial-resistant <i>Enterobacterales</i> through changes in the microbiota and metabolomes, nutrition competition, and the secretion of antimicrobial proteins. Many probiotics have shown <i>Enterobacterales</i>-inhibiting effects ex vivo and in vivo. In livestock, probiotics have been widely used to eradicate colon or environmental antimicrobial-resistant <i>Enterobacterales</i> colonization with promising efficacy for many years by oral supplementation, in ovo use, or as environmental disinfectants. In humans, probiotics have been used as oral supplements for infants to decease potential gut pathogenic <i>Enterobacterales</i>, and probiotic mixtures, especially, have exhibited positive results. In contrast to the beneficial effects in infants, for adults, probiotic supplements might decrease potentially pathogenic <i>Enterobacterales</i>, but they fail to completely eradicate them in the gut. However, there are several ways to improve the effects of probiotics, including the discovery of probiotics with gut-protection ability and antimicrobial effects, the modification of delivery methods, and the discovery of engineered probiotics. The search for multifunctional probiotics and synbiotics could render the eradication of “bad” <i>Enterobacterales</i> in the human gut via probiotic administration achievable in the future.

Michał Abendrot, Lilianna Chęcińska, Joachim Kusz et al.

The multifunctional profile of Zn²⁺has influenced its great popularity in various pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic products. Despite the use of different inorganic and organic zinc derivatives, the search for new zinc-containing compounds with a safer skin profile still remains an open issue. The present paper describes the synthesis, structural characterization, and antibacterial activity of zinc(II) complexes with proteinogenic amino acids as potential candidates for dermatological treatments. The obtained complexes are of the general formula [Zn(AA)₂], where AA represents an amino acid (L-Glu, Gly, L-His, L-Pro, L-Met, and L-Trp). Their synthesis was designed in such a way that the final bis(aminoacidate) zinc(II) complexes did not contain any counter-ions such as Cl^&#8722;, NO₃^&#8722;, or SO₄^2&#8722; that can cause some skin irritations. The chemical structure and composition of the compounds were identified by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis, and four were also characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The Hirshfeld surface analysis for the Zn²⁺ metallic center helped to determine its coordination number and geometry for each complex. Finally, the antibacterial properties of the complexes were determined with respect to three Gram-positive strains, viz. <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> ATCC 6538, <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> ATCC 12228, and <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i> ATCC 19615, and two Gram-negative bacteria, viz. <i>Escherichia coli </i>ATCC 25992 and<i> Pseudomonas aeruginosa </i>ATCC 27853, and were compared with the activity of zinc 2-pirrolidone 5-carboxylate (ZnPCA), commonly applied in dermatology. It was found that the Zn(II) complexes with methionine and glycine exhibited a higher antibacterial activity than the tested standard, and the antimicrobial properties of complex with Trp were satisfactory. The results of the antimicrobial activity examination allow us to postulate that the obtained zinc complexes might become new active substances for use in dermatological products.

James E. Neumann, Susan C. Anenberg, Kate R. Weinberger et al.

Abstract Pollen is an important environmental cause of allergic asthma episodes. Prior work has established a proof of concept for assessing projected climate change impacts on future oak pollen exposure and associated health impacts. This paper uses additional monitor data and epidemiologic functions to extend prior analyses, reporting new estimates of the current and projected future health burden of oak, birch, and grass pollen across the contiguous United States. Our results suggest that tree pollen in the spring currently accounts for between 25,000 and 50,000 pollen‐related asthma emergency department (ED) visits annually (95% confidence interval: 14,000 to 100,000), roughly two thirds of which occur among people under age 18. Grass pollen in the summer season currently accounts for less than 10,000 cases annually (95% confidence interval: 4,000 to 16,000). Compared to a baseline with 21st century population growth but constant pollen, future temperature and precipitation show an increase in ED visits of 14% in 2090 for a higher greenhouse gas emissions scenario, but only 8% for a moderate emissions scenario, reflecting projected increases in pollen season length. Grass pollen, which is more sensitive to changes in climatic conditions, is a primary contributor to future ED visits, with the largest effects in the Northeast, Midwest, and Southern Great Plains regions. More complete assessment of the current and future health burden of pollen is limited by the availability of data on pollen types (e.g., ragweed), other health effects (e.g., other respiratory disease), and economic consequences (e.g., medication costs).

Tchieno Francis Merlin Melataguia, Tonle Ignas Kenfack

An almost exhaustive overview of the determination and remediation of p-nitrophenol (p-NP)-contaminated media is herein presented. p-NP is one of the priority pollutants on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency list. This is because p-NP is either a precursor or a derivative of a good number of pollutants. It is itself very carcinogenic and tends to persist in water and soil. This has prompted the development of a wide range of analytical tools by researchers for its determination and eventual removal from contaminated sites. These include electrochemical methods with many electrode modifiers and electroanalytical procedures developed for the detection/quantification of p-NP in contaminated environments. Also, chromatographic and p-NP uptake techniques, particularly adsorption onto various adsorbents (ranging from natural to synthetic), are reviewed. The use of microorganisms for the bioremediation of p-NP-contaminated samples and sites has equally been largely studied and is herein overviewed, not forgetting advanced oxidative processes.

Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, Anne-Simone Parent, Jos C. S. Kleinjans et al.

Abstract Background The regulatory management of chemicals and toxicants in the EU addresses hundreds of different chemicals and health hazards individually, one by one. An issue is that, so far, the possible interactions among chemicals or hazards are not considered as such. Another issue is the anticipated delay of several decades before effective protection of public health by regulatory decisions due to a time consuming process. Prenatal and early postnatal life is highly vulnerable to environmental health hazards with lifelong consequences, and a priority period for reduction of exposure. There are some initiatives regarding recommendations for pregnant women aiming at protection against one or another category of health hazard, however not validated by intervention studies. Hypothesis Here, we aim at strengthening the management of exposure to individual health hazards during pregnancy and lactation, with protective measures in a global strategy of Environmental Hygiene. We hypothesize that such a strategy could reduce both the individual effects of harmful agents in complex mixtures and the possible interactions among them. A panel of experts should develop and endorse implementable measures towards a protective behavior. Their application is meant to be preferably as a package of measures in order to maximize protection and minimize interactions in causing adverse effects. Testing our hypothesis requires biomonitoring studies and longitudinal evaluation of health endpoints in the offspring. Favorable effects would legitimate further action towards equal opportunity access to improved environmental health. Conclusion Environmental Hygiene is proposed as a global strategy aiming at effective protection of pregnant women, unborn children and infants against lifelong consequences of exposure to combinations of adverse lifestyle factors.

Christoph Hoffmann, Janine Köckerling, Sandra Biancu et al.

Greencover crops are widely recommended to provide predators and parasitoids with floral resources for improved pest control. We studied parasitism and predation of European grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) eggs and pupae as well as predatory mite abundances in an experimental vineyard with either one or two sowings of greencover crops compared to spontaneous vegetation. The co-occurrence between greencover flowering time and parasitoid activity differed greatly between the two study years. Parasitism was much higher when flowering and parasitoid activity coincided. While egg predation was enhanced by greencover crops, there were no significant benefits of greencover crops on parasitism of L. botrana eggs or pupae. Predatory mites did not show an as strong increase on grapevines in greencover crop plots as egg predation. Overall, our study demonstrates only limited pest control benefits of greencover crops. Given the strong within- and between year variation in natural enemy activity, studies across multiple years will be necessary to adequately describe the role of greencover crops for pest management and to identify the main predators of L. botrana eggs.

Frederick M. Fishel

In 1992, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a comprehensive regulation called the Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides (WPS). The WPS covers pesticides used in the outdoor and enclosed space production of plants on farms, forests, and nurseries, as well as greenhouses. The EPA has made several changes to the WPS since it was fully implemented in 1995. On November 2, 2015, the EPA revised the WPS, making significant changes to the rule’s requirements. This 5-page fact sheet explains those changes. Written by Frederick M. Fishel, and published by the Agronomy Department, December 2015.

P. Stern, Thomas Dietz, J. Black

D. Barceló

Tongwen Xu