scholarly journals Microplastics - an emerging silent menace to public health

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Yin Pang ◽  
Shola Sonagara ◽  
Oreoluwatomide Oduwole ◽  
Christopher Gibbins ◽  
Ting Kang Nee
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Circulatory System ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Important Pathway ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Respiratory Conditions

Over the past few decades, microplastics have become increasingly ubiquitous in the environment and now contaminate the bodies of many living organisms, including humans. Microplastics, as defined here, are plastics within the size range 0.1 μm and 5 mm and are a worrying form of pollution due to public health concerns. This mini-review aims to summarise the route of entry of microplastics into humans and explore the potential detrimental health effects of microplastics. Trophic transfer is an important pathway for microplastic to be transferred across different groups of organisms, with ingestion is regarded as one of the major routes of exposure for humans. Other pathways include inhalation and dermal contact. The health consequences of microplastics manifest because these materials can translocate into the circulatory system and accumulate in the lungs, liver, kidney, and even brain, regardless of the route of entry. Health effects include gastrointestinal disturbances such as inflammation and gut microbiota disruption, respiratory conditions, neurotoxicity and potential cancers. Overall, while it is apparent that microplastics are causing adverse effects on different biological groups and ecosystems, current research is largely focused on marine organisms and aquaculture. Therefore, more studies are needed to investigate specific effects in mammalian cells and tissues, with more long-term epidemiological studies needed on human population considered to be at high-risk due to socioeconomic or other circumstance. Knowledge of the toxicity and long-term health impacts of microplastics is currently limited and requires urgent attention.

scholarly journals Microplastics - an emerging silent menace to public health

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Yin Pang ◽  
Shola Sonagara ◽  
Oreoluwatomide Oduwole ◽  
Christopher Gibbins ◽  
Ting Kang Nee
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Circulatory System ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Important Pathway ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Respiratory Conditions

Over the past few decades, microplastics have become increasingly ubiquitous in the environment and now contaminate the bodies of many living organisms, including humans. Microplastics, as defined here, are plastics within the size range 0.1 μm and 5 mm and are a worrying form of pollution due to public health concerns. This mini-review aims to summarise the route of entry of microplastics into humans and explore the potential detrimental health effects of microplastics. Trophic transfer is an important pathway for microplastic to be transferred across different groups of organisms, with ingestion is regarded as one of the major routes of exposure for humans. Other pathways include inhalation and dermal contact. The health consequences of microplastics manifest because these materials can translocate into the circulatory system and accumulate in the lungs, liver, kidney, and even brain, regardless of the route of entry. Health effects include gastrointestinal disturbances such as inflammation and gut microbiota disruption, respiratory conditions, neurotoxicity and potential cancers. Overall, while it is apparent that microplastics are causing adverse effects on different biological groups and ecosystems, current research is largely focused on marine organisms and aquaculture. Therefore, more studies are needed to investigate specific effects in mammalian cells and tissues, with more long-term epidemiological studies needed on human population considered to be at high-risk due to socioeconomic or other circumstance. Knowledge of the toxicity and long-term health impacts of microplastics is currently limited and requires urgent attention.

scholarly journals Acute Health Impacts of the Southeast Asian Transboundary Haze Problem—A Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (18) ◽  
pp. 3286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheong ◽  
Ngiam ◽  
Morgan ◽  
Pek ◽  
Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
International Strategy ◽  
Regional Air Quality ◽  
The Impact

Air pollution has emerged as one of the world’s largest environmental health threats, with various studies demonstrating associations between exposure to air pollution and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Regional air quality in Southeast Asia has been seasonally affected by the transboundary haze problem, which has often been the result of forest fires from “slash-and-burn” farming methods. In light of growing public health concerns, recent studies have begun to examine the health effects of this seasonal haze problem in Southeast Asia. This review paper aims to synthesize current research efforts on the impact of the Southeast Asian transboundary haze on acute aspects of public health. Existing studies conducted in countries affected by transboundary haze indicate consistent links between haze exposure and acute psychological, respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological morbidity and mortality. Future prospective and longitudinal studies are warranted to quantify the long-term health effects of recurrent, but intermittent, exposure to high levels of seasonal haze. The mechanism, toxicology and pathophysiology by which these toxic particles contribute to disease and mortality should be further investigated. Epidemiological studies on the disease burden and socioeconomic cost of haze exposure would also be useful to guide policy-making and international strategy in minimizing the impact of seasonal haze in Southeast Asia.

Public health emergency due to arsenic in drinking water: long-term health effects among exposed populations in Central Italy

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 (1) ◽  
pp. 5249
Author(s):  
Daniela D’Ippoliti ◽  
Enrica Santelli ◽  
Marina Davoli ◽  
Paola Michelozzi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Public Health Emergency

Fertility Drugs and Ovarian Cancer

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 567-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aus Tariq Ali
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Fertility Treatment ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Risk ◽  
Fertility Drugs ◽  
Increased Risk

The aetiology of ovarian cancer is multifactorial with both endogenous and exogenous risk factors playing an important role. The exact pathogenesis of ovarian cancer is still not well understood, despite the number of hypotheses published. Due to an increase in the number of women using fertility drugs, much attention has been focused on the long-term health effects of such drugs. Although fertility drugs facilitate the ovulation process, it is however associated with a significant increase in hormone concentrations, placing exposed women at increased risk of gynaecological cancer. Many clinical and epidemiological studies have examined the association between fertility drugs and ovarian cancer risk. Results from these studies have been contradictory, as some studies have reported an increased risk of ovarian cancer while others reported no increased risk. Nevertheless, recent studies have shown that women who used fertility drugs and did not conceive had a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, compared to women who used fertility drugs and conceived and delivered successfully. This review discusses the effect of fertility drugs on the risk of developing ovarian cancer, providing details on four possible scenarios associated with fertility treatment. In addition, the limitations of previous studies and their impact on our understanding of the association between fertility drugs and ovarian cancer have also been highlighted.

scholarly journals Editorial for “Long-Term Health Effects of the 9/11 Disaster” in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (18) ◽  
pp. 3289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. Brackbill ◽  
Judith M. Graber ◽  
William A. (Allen) Robison
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
World Trade ◽  
World Trade Center ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Terrorist Attacks ◽  
The World ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Trade Center

The call for articles on the long term health effects of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks (9/11) has resulted in twenty-three papers that add a significant amount of information to the growing body of research on the effects of the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster almost two decades later [...]

P1084 Long-term public health effects of vaccination against cervical cancer in Germany: results from a Markov model

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. S292 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Schwarz ◽  
A. Schneider ◽  
R. Rogoza ◽  
N. Ferko ◽  
T. Hammerschmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Markov Model ◽  
Health Effects

scholarly journals Rocks, Dandelions or Steel Springs: Understanding Resilience from a Public Health Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 8189
Author(s):  
Karl Gauffin ◽  
Josephine Jackisch ◽  
Ylva B. Almquist
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Health Development ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Complex Concept ◽  
External Pressures ◽  
Age Cohort ◽  
Temporal Dimensions

The multifaceted concept of resilience is widely used to describe individual or societal abilities to withstand and adjust to external pressures. In relation to health, resilience can help us to understand a positive health development despite adverse circumstances. The authors of this article aimed to disentangle this complex concept by elaborating on three metaphors commonly used to describe resilience. Similarities and differences between resilience as a rock, a dandelion, and a steel spring are discussed. The metaphors partly overlap but still provide slightly different perspectives on the development and manifestation of resilience. With reference to longitudinal studies of long-term health development, the article also elaborates on how resilience relates to temporal dimensions commonly used in epidemiological studies: age, cohort, and period. Moreover, the interaction between resilience at individual, organizational, and societal levels is discussed. In conclusion, it is argued that public health sciences have great potential to further a theoretical discussion that improves our understanding of resilience and promotes the integration of individual- and community-level perspectives on resilience.

After the Storm: Short-term and Long-term Health Effects Following Superstorm Sandy among the Elderly

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne R. Lawrence ◽  
Ziqiang Lin ◽  
Emily A. Lipton ◽  
Guthrie Birkhead ◽  
Michael Primeau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Respiratory Disease ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Time Window ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Superstorm Sandy ◽  
Short And Long Term

ABSTRACTObjectiveInvestigate short- and long-term effects of Superstorm Sandy on multiple morbidities among the elderly.MethodsWe examined emergency department visits; outpatient visits; and hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease (CVD), respiratory disease, and injury among residents residing in 8 affected counties immediately, 4 months, and 12 months following Superstorm Sandy. Control groups were defined as visits/admissions during the identical time window in the 5 years before (2007-2011) and 1 year after (2013-2014) the storm in affected and nonaffected counties in New York. We performed Poisson regression to test whether there was an association of increased visits/admissions for periods following Superstorm Sandy while controlling for covariates.ResultsWe found that the risk for CVD, respiratory disease, and injury visits/admissions was more than twice as high immediately, 4 months, and 12 months after the storm than it was in the control periods. Women were at greater risk at all time periods for CVD (risk ratio [RR], 2.04) and respiratory disease (RRs: 1.89 to 1.92). Whites had higher risk for CVD, respiratory disease, and injury than other racial groups during each period.ConclusionWe observed increases in CVD, respiratory disease, and injury up to a year following Superstorm Sandy. Findings demonstrate the need to incorporate short- and long-term health effects into public health recovery. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:28-32)

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