scholarly journals Microbial Air Quality in Neighborhoods near Landfill Sites: Implications for Public Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Stephen T. Odonkor ◽  
Tahiru Mahami
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Public Health Importance ◽  
Landfill Sites ◽  
The Government ◽  
Bacteria And Fungi

Air pollution has been a major challenge worldwide particularly in the developing world. Improper waste disposal and management may result in microbial air pollution. In advanced countries, landfill sites are far from neighborhoods; however, the opposite is observed for landfill sites in the developing world. In Accra, some landfill sites are 100 meters from neighborhoods. The aim of this study was to assess the microbial air quality and associated environmental health hazards of landfill sites in selected districts in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. A random sampling method was employed to select sampling sites across the dry and wet seasons from landfills and their corresponding neighborhoods. Results obtained showed a higher total count (CFU/m3) of bacteria and fungi in the air at the landfill sites than neighborhoods. Statistically significant variation p<0.05 in bacterial and fungal concentrations over two seasons was found for both landfills and neighborhoods. However, bacterial concentrations were significantly higher than fungal concentrations p<0.05 across seasons for all locations. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the highest (15.6 %) occurring microbe at both landfill sites and neighborhoods. This was followed by Staphylococcus aureus (12.7%). Other bacteria and fungi of public health importance such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus niger were also isolated from the study sites, above the WHO recommended levels. In conclusion, the landfill waste disposal and its close proximity to neighborhoods as observed in this study pose a potential environmental health risk, with dire implications for public health and safety. The government must enact and implement policies to regulate waste management and to ensure public safety.

scholarly journals Fisherfolk’s Perception of and Attitude to Solid Waste Disposal: Implications for Health, Aquatic Resources, and Sustainable Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Justice Mensah
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Solid Waste Disposal ◽  
Aquatic Resources ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
The Government ◽  
Aquatic Sciences

The study explored fisherfolk’s perception and attitude in regard to solid waste disposal and the implications of these for public health, aquatic resources, and sustainable development (SD) in a Ghanaian fishing community. Qualitative data were obtained from 37 purposively targeted participants comprising 34 fisherfolk, an environmental health expert, a water and sanitation expert, and a fisheries and aquatic sciences expert through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Data were analysed thematically guided by the most significant stories. While the fisherfolk perceived waste as useless and a nuisance, the experts saw it as a nuisance and/or resource. The fisherfolk did not sort their waste in line with best practices, nor were they willing to pay for waste collection services, citing poverty as the main reason. While most fisherfolk disposed of their waste into bins as approved, others did so onto the street, into the drains, lagoon, and sea. While the fisherfolk were aware that indiscriminate waste disposal led to diseases such as malaria and cholera, their perceptions of the effect of the same on aquatic resources were mixed. The fisherfolk’s conception and perception of waste led to attitudes, behaviours, and practices that polluted the environment (air, land, and water resources), resulting in public health challenges, a threat to navigation, fish population, and other biodiversity, which were inimical to livelihoods and sustainable development. The government and municipal authority should collaborate with the experts in environmental health, water and sanitation, fisheries and aquatic sciences, and traditional authorities to sensitise the fisherfolk on the sustainability implications of unapproved solid waste disposal practices to change their attitude for the better. They should also provide more waste disposal infrastructure and enforce the laws to ensure compliance with best practice for sustainable development. The study supports the compatibility and mutuality between Sustainable Development (SDG) 6 on water, sanitation, and hygiene and SDG 14 regarding sustainable use of the oceans, seas, and marine resources.

scholarly journals Morpho-Physio-Biochemical Attributes of Roadside Trees as Potential Tools for Biomonitoring of Air Quality and Environmental Health in Urban Areas

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 236
Author(s):  
Ha Na You ◽  
Myeong Ja Kwak ◽  
Sun Mi Je ◽  
Jong Kyu Lee ◽  
Yea Ji Lim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Biochemical Parameters ◽  
Lipid Peroxide ◽  
Platanus Occidentalis ◽  
Physiological Variables ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Species Specific

Environmental pollution is an important issue in metropolitan areas, and roadside trees are directly affected by various sources of pollution to which they exhibit numerous responses. The aim of the present study was to identify morpho-physio-biochemical attributes of maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba L.) and American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) growing under two different air quality conditions (roadside with high air pollution, RH and roadside with low air pollution, RL) and to assess the possibility of using their physiological and biochemical parameters as biomonitoring tools in urban areas. The results showed that the photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiencies, and photochromic contents were generally low in RH in both G. biloba and P. occidentalis. However, water-use efficiency and leaf temperature showed high values in RH trees. Among biochemical parameters, in G. biloba, the lipid peroxide content was higher in RH than in RL trees, but in P. occidentalis, this content was lower in RH than in RL trees. In both species, physiological activities were low in trees planted in areas with high levels of air pollution, whereas their biochemical and morphological variables showed different responses to air pollution. Thus, we concluded that it is possible to determine species-specific physiological variables affected by regional differences of air pollution in urban areas, and these findings may be helpful for monitoring air quality and environmental health using trees.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Association between Air Pollution and Daily Mortality in the Capital of the Green Lungs of Poland–Population-Based Study with 2,953,000 Person-Years of Follow-Up

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2351
Author(s):  
Łukasz Kuźma ◽  
Krzysztof Struniawski ◽  
Szymon Pogorzelski ◽  
Hanna Bachórzewska-Gajewska ◽  
Sławomir Dobrzycki
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
World Health ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Daily Mortality ◽  
Male Population ◽  
The Impact

(1) Introduction: air pollution is considered to be one of the main risk factors for public health. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of approximately 500,000 citizens of the European Union (EU), including almost 5000 inhabitants of Poland every year. (2) Purpose: to assess the gender differences in the impact of air pollution on the mortality in the population of the city of Bialystok—the capital of the Green Lungs of Poland. (3) Materials and Methods: based on the data from the Central Statistical Office, the number—and causes of death—of Białystok residents in the period 2008–2017 were analyzed. The study utilized the data recorded by the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection station and the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management during the analysis period. Time series regression with Poisson distribution was used in statistical analysis. (4) Results: A total of 34,005 deaths had been recorded, in which women accounted for 47.5%. The proportion of cardiovascular-related deaths was 48% (n = 16,370). An increase of SO2 concentration by 1-µg/m3 (relative risk (RR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.12; p = 0.005) and a 10 °C decrease of temperature (RR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05; p = 0.005) were related to an increase in the number of daily deaths. No gender differences in the impact of air pollution on mortality were observed. In the analysis of the subgroup of cardiovascular deaths, the main pollutant that was found to have an effect on daily mortality was particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5); the RR for 10-µg/m3 increase of PM2.5 was 1.07 (95% CI 1.02–1.12; p = 0.01), and this effect was noted only in the male population. (5) Conclusions: air quality and atmospheric conditions had an impact on the mortality of Bialystok residents. The main air pollutant that influenced the mortality rate was SO2, and there were no gender differences in the impact of this pollutant. In the male population, an increased exposure to PM2.5 concentration was associated with significantly higher cardiovascular mortality. These findings suggest that improving air quality, in particular, even with lower SO2 levels than currently allowed by the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, may benefit public health. Further studies on this topic are needed, but our results bring questions whether the recommendations concerning acceptable concentrations of air pollutants should be stricter, or is there a safe concentration of SO2 in the air at all.

scholarly journals A Study on the Problems of the Usage of Incinerators in Malaysia

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhamad Rosli Sulaiman ◽  
Sharifah Aishah Syed Abdul Kadir ◽  
Ruhani Ibrahim ◽  
Maryam Husin
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Solid Wastes ◽  
Air Pollution Control ◽  
Municipal Solid Wastes ◽  
The Government

Incineration is one of the options available to dispose municipal solid wastes (MSW) as it is capable of breaking down hazardous non-metallic wastes besides destroying bacteria and viruses. In terms of volume of wastes, incineration can reduce almost instantaneously by 90 %. In 1998, the government of Malaysia embarked on a pilot project to use incinerators to dispose MSW in four popular resort islands to see the effectiveness of this technique of waste disposal. Seven units of mini incinerators were installed on the islands and the local municipals were made responsible to manage and maintain.This project looked into the problems arises when incineration is used for MSW disposal on these islands. Data collected revealed that the plants were not properly managed and maintained. This was due to the lack of funds available for effective and smooth operation and the absence of highly expert personnel required to maintain the plant. Other factors that contribute to the inefficiency are inadequate air pollution control facilities and the infrastructure which do not condon the foul odour. Further research work need to be done to monitor the operation of these incinerators in order to explore its potential to dispose waste safely, effectively and cleanly.

scholarly journals Healthier breath for all and everywhere – Urban air quality monitoring experience

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Gajic ◽  
D Dimovski ◽  
B Vukajlovic ◽  
M Jevtic
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Urban Health ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Danube River ◽  
Quality Monitoring ◽  
Air Quality Monitoring ◽  
Residential Areas

Abstract Issue/problem Increasing attention is being paid to air pollution as one of the greatest threats to public and urban health. The WHO’s Urban Health Initiative points out the importance of collecting data and mapping the present state of air quality in urban areas. For citizens, such engagement is enabled by the appearance of personal air quality measurement devices that use crowd-sourcing to make measurement results publicly accessible in real time. Description of the problem As a way of contributing to air pollution monitoring in their town, three PhD Public health students conducted over 40 measurements between the start of June and end of August 2018 on various locations in the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. Measurements were performed using AirBeam personal air quality monitoring devices and their results presented as μg/m3 of Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and automatically uploaded to the internet using the Air-casting app. Results Measurements conducted in public transportation vehicles returned the rather high average value of 40 μg/m3, where coffee shops and restaurants scored an even higher value of 48,67 μg/m3. The lowest average air pollution levels were registered near the Danube river bank (5.67) and in the parks (6), while the sites near crossroads or in the street showed average air pollution of 8.33 μg/m3. Residential areas where smoking is present during the day reported 2.5 times higher PM2.5 values than those without smokers (33.8 and 12.78 μg/m3). Lessons Bearing in mind that the air quality is considered as a serious health risk in urban areas, results of this pilot investigation suggest potential health risk for citizens living in urban areas. The negative effects of combustion and smoking on air quality are strongly highlighted, as well as the positive impact of green areas and parks near residential areas. Key messages Air pollution exposure as a serious health risk in urban areas. Crowdsourcing as a way of air quality monitoring has great potential for contributing to public health.

scholarly journals The Impact of “Coal to Gas” Policy on Air Quality: Evidence from Beijing, China

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe Liu ◽  
Xueli Chen ◽  
Jinyang Cai ◽  
Tomas Baležentis ◽  
Yue Li
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Beijing China

Air pollution has become an increasingly serious environmental problem in China. Especially in winter, the air pollution in northern China becomes even worse due to winter heating. The “coal to gas” policy, which uses natural gas to replace coal in the heating system in winter, was implemented in Beijing in the year 2013. However, the effects of this policy reform have not been examined. Using a panel dataset of 16 districts in Beijing, this paper employs a first difference model to examine the impact of the “coal to gas” policy on air quality. Strong evidence shows that the “coal to gas” policy has significantly improved the air quality in Beijing. On average, the “coal to gas” policy reduced sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter smaller than 10 µm (PM10), particulate matter smaller than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) by 12.08%, 4.89%, 13.07%, 11.94% and 11.10% per year, respectively. We find that the “coal to gas” policy is more effective in areas with less energy use efficiency. The finding of this paper suggests that the government should continue to implement the “coal to gas” policy, so as to alleviate the air pollution in Beijing, China.

scholarly journals Dietary antioxidants and environmental stress

2004 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 579-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank J. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
Antioxidant Defences ◽  
The 1960S

Air is one of our most important natural resources; however, it is also in the front line for receiving environmental pollution. Air quality decreased markedly following the industrial revolution, but it was not until the great London Smog in 1952 that air quality made it onto the political agenda. The introduction of the Clean Air Act in 1956 led to dramatic decreases in black smoke and SO2 concentrations over the next two decades, as domestic and industrial coal-burning activities ceased. However, as these improvements progressed, a new threat to public health was being released into the air in ever-increasing quantities. Rapid motorisation of society from the 1960s onwards has led to the increased release of atmospheric pollutants such as tiny particles (particulate matter of &10 μm in aerodynamic diameter) and oxides of N, and the generation of the secondary pollutant O3. These primary and secondary traffic-related pollutants have all proved to be major risks factors to public health. Recently, oxidative stress has been identified as a unifying feature underlying the toxic actions of these pollutants. Fortunately, the surface of the lung is covered with a thin layer of fluid containing a range of antioxidants that appear to provide the first line of defence against oxidant pollutants. As diet is the only source of antioxidant micronutrients, a plausible link now exists between the sensitivity to air pollution and the quality of the food eaten. However, many questions remain unanswered in relation to inter-individual sensitivity to ambient air pollution, and extent to which this sensitivity is modified by airway antioxidant defences.

scholarly journals Praying for Blue Skies: Artistic Representations of Air Pollution in China

Modern China ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 009770042096728
Author(s):  
Thomas Johnson ◽  
Kathinka Fürst
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Public Sphere ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
The Public ◽  
Artistic Representations ◽  
Restrictive Environment

This article examines how artists have engaged with the issue of air pollution in Beijing, where poor air quality has become a serious public health matter. Artists have utilized various mediums including performance art, photography, and painting to represent smog. Through generating media and online attention this work has contributed to a relatively vibrant “green public sphere” (Yang and Calhoun, 2007) of air pollution discourse. In contrast to much resistance in China that relies upon making specific claims to government officials, artistic expression bypasses the authorities and appeals instead to public opinion. Artists utilize ambiguity to portray air pollution in novel ways that subtly question the structures that produce and sustain it. In this way, artists can challenge popular perceptions of smog and raise public awareness, thus intensifying support for policies that tackle smog. Yet art can also embody deep frustration at the powerlessness that artists, and the public more widely, experience when confronted by severe air pollution. Art therefore serves both as a form of activism and as an expression of curtailed agency in a politically restrictive environment.

scholarly journals Analysis of Urban Air Pollution and The Effectiveness of Air Pollution Control Policy in Malaysia: Case Study in Klang Valley, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siti Haslina Mohd Shafie ◽  
Suzani Mohamad ◽  
Nor Lita Fadilah Rameli ◽  
Sahala Benny Pasaribu
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Information System ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Geographic Information System ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Geographic Information ◽  
Klang Valley ◽  
The Government

AbstractAir pollution in Malaysia is largely attributed to motor vehicles and land transportation, industrial activities and open burning. It has a hazardous effect on the public’s health and the environment. This study focuses on the spatial analysis of carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3) concentrations trend in Klang Valley stations, specifically in Klang, Petaling Jaya, Kajang, Shah Alam and Cheras from 2000 to 2009. The study used the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation technique under the Geographic Information System (GIS). This study found that the distribution pattern of CO spatial concentrations in the Klang Valley is the highest concentration and reached 2.5 ppm, especially in Klang and Petaling Jaya stations in 2002 and 2003. However, the annual concentration of O3 recorded in Klang, Petaling Jaya, Kajang, Shah Alam, and Cheras stations from 2004 to 2009 is between 0.01 to 0.025 ppm. While air quality legislations have been introduced in Malaysia, policies and regulations being established by the government, their enforcement is still weak. Subsequently, air pollution is still a significant issue in Malaysia. Strong cooperation between the government, stakeholders and the local community is important to promote environmental sustainability and improve the community’s well-being. Keywords: Air pollution; Geographic Information System (GIS); Air Quality Policy; Malaysia

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