Mismanagement of plastic waste through open burning in the Global South: A systematic review of risks to occupational and public health

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Costas A Velis ◽  
Ed Cook
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Flame Retardants ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Open Burning ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

Large quantities of mismanaged plastic waste threaten the health and wellbeing of billions worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where waste management capacity is being outstripped by increasing levels of consumption and plastic waste generation. One of the main self-management strategies adopted by 2 billion people who have no waste collection service, is to burn their discarded plastic in open, uncontrolled fires. While this strategy provides many benefits, including mass and volume reduction, it also results in the release of chemical substances and particles that may pose serious risks to public health and the environment. We followed PRISMA guidelines to select and review 20 publications that provide evidence on potential harm to human health from open burning plastic waste, arranging evidence into eight groups of substance emissions: brominated flame retardants; phthalates; potentially toxic elements; dioxins and related compounds; bisphenol A; particulate matter; and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We semi-quantitatively assessed 18 hazard-pathway-receptor combination scenarios to provide an indication of the relative harm of these emissions so that they could be ranked, compared and considered in future research agenda. This assessment overwhelmingly indicated high risk of harm to waste pickers, a large group of 11 million informal entrepreneurs who work closely with waste, delivering a circular economy but often without protective equipment or many structured, safe system of work. Though the risk to human health from open burning emissions is high, this remains a substantially under-researched topic.

scholarly journals Chemical and Biological Components of Urban Aerosols in Africa: Current Status and Knowledge Gaps

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Egide Kalisa ◽  
Stephen Archer ◽  
Edward Nagato ◽  
Elias Bizuru ◽  
Kevin Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
World Health ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Nitro Derivatives ◽  
Health Organization

Aerosolized particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture that has been recognized as the greatest cause of premature human mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Its toxicity arises largely from its chemical and biological components. These include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their nitro-derivatives (NPAHs) as well as microorganisms. In Africa, fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning in urban settings are the major sources of human exposure to PM, yet data on the role of aerosols in disease association in Africa remains scarce. This review is the first to examine studies conducted in Africa on both PAHs/NPAHs and airborne microorganisms associated with PM. These studies demonstrate that PM exposure in Africa exceeds World Health Organization (WHO) safety limits and carcinogenic PAHs/NPAHs and pathogenic microorganisms are the major components of PM aerosols. The health impacts of PAHs/NPAHs and airborne microbial loadings in PM are reviewed. This will be important for future epidemiological evaluations and may contribute to the development of effective management strategies to improve ambient air quality in the African continent.

scholarly journals Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 4371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen L. Wolf ◽  
Sharon T. Lam ◽  
Jennifer K. McKeen ◽  
Gregory R.A. Richardson ◽  
Matilda van den Bosch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Urban Forestry ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Future Research

The urban forest is a green infrastructure system that delivers multiple environmental, economic, social and health services, and functions in cities. Environmental benefits of urban trees are well understood, but no review to date has examined how urban trees affect human health. This review provides a comprehensive summary of existing literature on the health impacts of urban trees that can inform future research, policy, and nature-based public health interventions. A systematic search used keywords representing human health, environmental health, and urban forestry. Following screening and appraisal of several thousand articles, 201 studies were conceptually sorted into a three-part framework. Reducing Harm, representing 41% of studies, includes topics such as air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, heat exposure, and pollen. Restoring Capacities, at 31%, includes attention restoration, mental health, stress reduction, and clinical outcomes. Building Capacities, at 28%, includes topics such as birth outcomes, active living, and weight status. The studies that were reviewed show substantial heterogeneity in purpose and method yet indicate important health outcomes associated with people’s exposure to trees. This review will help inform future research and practice, and demonstrates why urban forest planning and management should strategically promote trees as a social determinant of public health.

E-waste: the growing global problem and next steps

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Heacock ◽  
Carol Bain Kelly ◽  
William A. Suk
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Flame Retardants ◽  
Waste Processing ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
Public Health Practitioners

AbstractIn many low- and middle-income countries, handling and disposal of discarded electrical or electronic equipment (EEE) is frequently unregulated. e-Waste contains hazardous constituents such as lead, mercury, and chromium, certain chemicals in plastics, and flame retardants. There is increasing concern about health effects related to contamination in air, soil, and water for people working and living at or near informal e-waste processing sites, especially to the most vulnerable populations, pregnant women and children. The observed adverse health effects and increasing number of e-waste sites make protecting human health and the environment from e-waste contamination an expanding challenge. Through international cooperation, awareness can be elevated about the harm that e-waste processing poses to human health. Here we discuss how international researchers, public health practitioners, and policymakers can employ solutions to reduce e-waste exposures.

Climate Change, Human Health and Some Economic Issues

2016 ◽  
pp. 26-41
Author(s):  
Tonmoy Chatterjee ◽  
Soumyananda Dinda
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
International Trade ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Economic Issues ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Short Survey

This chapter attempts to correlate different economic issues like inequality, poverty, green infrastructure and international trade with human health in the context of climate change. In this short survey not only we have tried to capture most of the relevant articles in the corresponding category, but also we have shouted for some of the major research gaps in the form of future research agenda. Interestingly from our short survey we have found that importance of developing as well as less developed economies have been neglected in the context of climate change.

scholarly journals Mapping Trends in Drowning Research: A Bibliometric Analysis 1995–2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4234
Author(s):  
Justin-Paul Scarr ◽  
Jagnoor Jagnoor
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
The United States ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Biometric Analysis ◽  
Drowning Prevention ◽  
Low Middle Income Countries

Drowning is public health issue requiring global, national and community responses. The multisectoral nature of drowning prevention reinforces the need for multidisciplinary research, which can play a key role in identifying patterns, factors and interventions and contributes to evidence-informed prevention. This study presents a biometric analysis of drowning research published in 1995–2020 and identifies temporal trends in research themes, journals, countries and authorship to assist in the planning of future research. This study identified 935 studies, representing authors from 80 countries. Publications grew 103-fold, and 41.2% (n = 385) were published since 2014. The top 20 journals are all injury prevention, public health, or medical journals. The top 5 accounted for 24.5% (n = 229) of total publications (TP). Research from the United States (TP = 313, 25.0%) and Australia (TP = 192, 15.3%) dominates the field. Growth is highest in low–middle-income countries (LMICs) including China (TP = 54, 4.3%, 32-fold), India (TP = 30, 2.4%, 17-fold) and Bangladesh (TP = 47, 3.7%, 7-fold). The study identifies significant growth in epidemiologic studies reporting burden and risk factors. Research in LMICs is increasing but lags relative to the burden. The role of multilateral and nongovernment organisations in evidence generation is evident and needs investigation, as do gaps in evidence for interventions and partnerships to progress the drowning prevention field.

scholarly journals Public Health Burden of E-waste in Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Orish Ebere Orisakwe ◽  
Chiara Frazzoli ◽  
Cajetan Elochukwu Ilo ◽  
Benjamin Oritsemuelebi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Polychlorinated Biphenyls ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Flame Retardants ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Waste Recycling ◽  
Gonadal Hormone ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Public Health Burden ◽  
Financial Interests

Background. Environmental impacts from informal e-waste recycling are increasing in Africa. E-waste handling and disposal exposes people to highly toxic cocktails of heavy metals, brominated flame retardants, non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PBDF) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCB). Most of these compounds are endocrine disrupters, and most are neuro- and immune-toxic as well. Objectives. Informal e-waste recycling in African countries is a serious public health threat. The present paper reviews the extent of e-waste exposure in Africa and related impacts on people, animals and the environment. Methods. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar) were searched for publications related to e-waste and human health in Africa. Search terms included ‘e-waste in Africa’, ‘e-waste in developing nations’, ‘public health and e-waste’, ‘environment and e-waste’, and ‘e-waste and health’. Discussion. Elevated levels of e-waste pollutants in water, air, soil, dust, fish, vegetable, and human matrices (blood, urine, breast milk) indicate that not only are e-waste workers at risk from exposure to e-waste, but the general population and future generations as well. Headache, cough and chest pain, stomach discomfort, miscarriage, abnormal thyroid and reproductive function, reduction of gonadal hormone, and cancer are common complaints of those involved with the processing of e-waste. Conclusions. The evidence presented from the reviewed studies illustrates the extent of the human health and environmental risks posed by e-waste in Africa. There is a need for a regulatory framework including specific legislation, infrastructure and protocols to safely recycle and dispose of e-waste in sub-Saharan African countries. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Climate Change, Human Health and Some Economic Issues

2016 ◽  
pp. 1971-1986
Author(s):  
Tonmoy Chatterjee ◽  
Soumyananda Dinda
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
International Trade ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Economic Issues ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Short Survey

This chapter attempts to correlate different economic issues like inequality, poverty, green infrastructure and international trade with human health in the context of climate change. In this short survey not only we have tried to capture most of the relevant articles in the corresponding category, but also we have shouted for some of the major research gaps in the form of future research agenda. Interestingly from our short survey we have found that importance of developing as well as less developed economies have been neglected in the context of climate change.

scholarly journals Biomarkers of Environmental Enteric Dysfuction and Associations with Child Linear Growth in Rural Odisha, India (OR10-06-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheela Sinharoy ◽  
Heather Reese ◽  
Thomas Clasen
Keyword(s):  
Linear Growth ◽  
Intestinal Inflammation ◽  
Mucosal Inflammation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Inverse Association ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Stool Samples

Abstract Objectives Intestinal dysfunction due to mucosal inflammation, known as environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), has been hypothesized to contribute to stunting in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Given that consensus is lacking on gold standard biomarkers for EED and on relationships with child linear growth, we examined three biomarkers of EED and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) among children under age five years in rural Odisha, India. Methods We conducted a sub-study within Gram Vikas MANTRA, a matched cohort study of a household-level water and sanitation intervention in Odisha, India. We collected stool samples and anthropometry data for children under age 5 (N = 209) in two rounds (October 2016 – January 2017 and July – October 2017). We analyzed stool samples for three biomarkers of EED: myeloperoxidase (MPO), neopterin (NEO), and α1-anti-trypsin (AAT). We assessed correlations between values and used linear regression to analyze associations between each biomarker and HAZ. All analyses were adjusted for relevant covariates and village-level clustering. Results Mean HAZ for children under 5 in our sample population was -1.52 (SD: 1.34). Median biomarker values (25th, 75th percentiles) were 1052.71 ng/ml (682.76, 3208.22) for MPO, 2104.21 nmol/L (1193.64, 3490.10) for NEO, and 0.406 mg/g (229.44, 743.78) for AAT. Correlations between the biomarkers were relatively low, with the highest correlation (ρ = 0.45) between MPO and AAT. We observed an inverse association between MPO and HAZ (β = -0.000027, P < 0.001) but no association between NEO and HAZ (β = 0.000031, P = 0.46) or AAT and HAZ (β = -0.000072, P = 0.52). Conclusions In our sample population, median values for NEO and AAT were similar to those from other studies of children in LMICs. MPO had substantially lower values than in other reports but was still strongly associated with HAZ. Previous studies have produced conflicting evidence on relationships between each biomarker of EED and HAZ. Our results contribute evidence that intestinal inflammation may play an important role in growth faltering in young children, possibly through mucosal dysfunction. MPO is a major component of the primary granules in neutrophils and hence reflects luminal neutrophillic infiltration. Priorities for a future research agenda on EED and growth will be discussed. Funding Sources Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

scholarly journals Food Waste and Nutrition Quality in the Context of Public Health: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5379
Author(s):  
Aoife Brennan ◽  
Sarah Browne
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Dietary Guidelines ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Nutrition Quality ◽  
Health And Nutrition

Food waste and nutrition are intrinsically linked in terms of environmental health and public health. Despite this, it is unknown whether these topics have been previously synthesized into a review. The aim was to identify the interdisciplinary parameters that exist in public health and nutrition literature in terms of food waste and plastic waste associated with food, and to identify how these parameters currently contribute to food sustainability messaging and interventions. A rapid scoping review was conducted. Data were mapped into concepts and synthesized in a narrative review. Four main concepts were identified: (1) food waste and diet quality, nutrient losses, and environmental health, (2) food waste reduction interventions and diet quality, (3) food banks/pantries and diet/nutritional quality, and (4) food and plastic waste messaging in nutrition or dietary guidelines. Food waste is associated with nutrient wastage, and interventions to reduce food waste can successfully address food sustainability and nutrition quality. Food redistribution systems do not currently address access to sustainably sourced foods that are also nutrient-dense for lower-income communities. Opportunities for future research and practice include aligning food waste, plastic waste, and nutrition priorities together and developing better food redistribution systems to limit wastage of high-quality foods.

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