The Science of the total environment
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Sci. Total Environ. · Feb 2020
Indoor ozone and particulate matter modify the association between airborne endotoxin and schoolchildren's lung function.
To date, the effect of household airborne pollutants on the association between airborne endotoxin and lung function of schoolchildren is unknown. ⋯ The indoor air pollutant concentration of O3 and PM10 modifies the association between airborne endotoxin and school children's lung function.
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Sci. Total Environ. · Dec 2019
Planned sheltering as an adaptation strategy to climate change: Lessons learned from the severe flooding in Anhui Province of China in 2016.
Evacuation and sheltering is both a disaster response measure and a strategy to adapt to climate change, and consequently address the Sustainable Development Goals. Research has found that displacement does cause negative health impacts to evacuees, but few studies have observed how planned sheltering might reduce adverse health impacts. This article identifies the good practice and lessons learned from China's response to severe flooding in Anhui province in 2016. ⋯ The unintended negative effects caused by sheltering during extreme weather can be reduced. This requires close cooperation among government entities to establish planned mass shelters with appropriate levels of personal, environmental and healthcare support and to ensure long-term physical and mental health support. Additionally, if disaster mitigation strategies are integrated with climate adaptation plans, we can design more health-oriented and sustainable cities.
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Sci. Total Environ. · Nov 2019
Water diplomacy and nexus governance in a transboundary context: In the search for complementarities.
Growing evidence within nexus research has highlighted the importance for sustainable governance of considering the interdependencies between water, energy, food and the environment, whereas water diplomacy has provided the necessary tools to address water conflicts of a transboundary nature. This paper therefore identifies and evaluates unrealised complementarities between nexus governance and water diplomacy, and discusses the benefits of integrating both for improved transboundary basin management. Two case studies - a wastewater treatment plant within the Jordan's nexus vision and a research project into management of the transboundary Zambezi River Basin - illustrate the identified complementarities and their contribution towards collaborative transboundary natural resources management. ⋯ On the other hand, water diplomacy provides tools to address complexity and capture political contexts that overcome the traditional technical and 'most-rational-solution' methods. With the application of joint fact finding, value creation and collaborative adaptive management, the added value includes the generation of a shared understanding that embeds politics in decision-making and promotes mutual gains. Further collaboration and on-the-ground experiences between researchers, policy makers and the private sector are needed, to acknowledge and act upon the complementarities of nexus governance and water diplomacy, with the final outcome of promoting cooperation in the management of transboundary resources.
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Sci. Total Environ. · Nov 2019
Impact of structural features on dynamic breathing resistance of healthcare face mask.
In order to provide an overall evaluation and characterization of the comfort sensation and performance of face mask related to breathing resistance for healthcare in fog and haze weather, and address the influence of structural features on breathing resistance properties, an experimental set-up was developed, which was able to continuously change the direction and rate of air flow and the breathing frequency to simulate the dynamic breathing process during the actual wearing of face mask. The dynamic changes of airflow rate and the breathing resistance were acquired by a virtual instrument (VI) system and a microelectronics system. Six evaluation indices were defined for the dynamic performance and comfort sensation of face mask, derived from the source data of dynamic breathing resistance. ⋯ The face masks with respiratory valve had lower change rate of breathing resistance. Moreover, the cup type mask had lower change rate of breathing resistance than the folding mask. Furthermore, the cotton mask had lower change rate of breathing resistance than the nonwoven fabric mask.
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Sci. Total Environ. · Sep 2019
Seasonal profiles of atmospheric PAHs in an e-waste dismantling area and their associated health risk considering bioaccessible PAHs in the human lung.
Due to the development of the economy, electronic waste (e-waste) has become a new global problem and e-waste dismantling processes are an important source of air pollution. Among the pollutants emitted, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a severe concern because of their carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. However, few studies have investigated the atmospheric PAHs generated by e-waste dismantling in a specific region, especially the PAH levels throughout the year. ⋯ Among the sites sampled, the pollutant levels and cancer risk were highest at the EP site, and they could pose a cancer risk for humans, although only the bioaccessible PAHs in human lungs were considered. In particular, infants had a higher health risk than adults, thereby suggesting that air pollution with PAHs is a concern in this area. This study provides clear evidence of the requirement for control measurements of e-waste dismantling processes.