scholarly journals Microplastics and Environmental Health: Assessing Environmental Hazards in Haiti

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daphenide St. Louis ◽  
Ammcise Apply ◽  
Daphnée Michel ◽  
Evens Emmanuel
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Environmental Hazards ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
The World ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Health Organization

Microplastics (MP) refer to all plastic particles that are less than 5 mm in size. Over the past decades, several studies have highlighted the impact of microplastics (MP) on living organisms. In addition to being pollutants themselves, these synthetic polymers also act as vectors for the transport of various types of chemicals in natural ecosystems. MP has been ubiquitously detected in a wide range of shapes, polymers, sizes and concentrations in marine water, freshwater, agroecosystems, atmospheric, food and water environments. Drinking water, biota, and other remote places. According to the World Bank, over 80% of the world’s marine litter is plastic and the concentration of litter on Caribbean beaches is often high, with a high presence of single-use plastics and food containers. In its work, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests an in-depth assessment of microplastics present in the environment and their potential consequences on human health, following the publication of an analysis of the state of research on microplastics in drinking water. It also calls for reducing plastic pollution to protect the environment and reduce human exposure. In Haiti, the bay of Port-au-Prince is the natural receptacle of all the urban effluents generated by human activities in the Metropolitan Zone. This urban wastewater carries household waste, sludge from pit latrines and sewage, industrial wastewater which largely contributes to the pollution of the bay. Furthermore, 1,673,750 tonnes per year of household waste, including 93,730 tonnes of plastic waste, are not collected. What are the environmental dangers represented by the MP contained in those wastes for living organisms in exposed tropical ecosystems? The purpose of this paper is: (i) to do a bibliographical review of the physical and chemical properties, as well as the toxicological profile of MP, (ii) to identify the environmental hazards associated with MP contained in urban waste in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince.

Environmental Hazards and Global Child Health: The Need for Evidence-Based Advocacy

2018 ◽  
pp. 255-276
Author(s):  
Philip J. Landrigan
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Environmental Hazards ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Children in today’s ever-smaller, more densely populated, tightly interconnected world are surrounded by a complex array of environmental threats to health.1 Because of their unique patterns of exposure and exquisite biological sensitivities, especially during windows of vulnerability in prenatal and early postnatal development, children are extremely vulnerable to environmental hazards.2,3 Even brief, low-level exposures during critical early periods can cause permanent alterations in organ function and result in acute and chronic disease and dysfunction in childhood and across the life span.4 The World Health Organization estimates that 24% of all deaths and 36% of deaths in children are attributable to environmental exposures,5 more deaths than are caused by HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.6–8 In the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization estimates that nearly 100,000 children younger than 5 years die annually from physical, chemical, and biological hazards in the environment.9 Children in all countries are exposed to environmental health threats, but the nature and severity of these hazards vary greatly across countries, depending on national income, income distribution, level of development, and national governance.10 More than 90% of the deaths caused by environmental exposures occur in the world’s poorest countries6–8—environmental injustice on a global scale.11 In low-income countries, the predominant environmental threats are household air pollution from burning biomass and contaminated drinking water. These hazards are strongly linked to pneumonia, diarrhea, and a wide range of parasitic infestations in children.9,10 In high-income countries that have switched to cleaner fuels and developed safe drinking water supplies, the major environmental threats are ambient air pollution from motor vehicles and factories, toxic chemicals, and pesticides.10,12,13 These exposures are linked to noncommunicable diseases—asthma, birth defects, cancer, and neurodevelopmental disorders.9,10 Toxic chemicals are increasingly important environmental health threats, especially in previously low-income countries now experiencing rapid economic growth and industrialization.10 A major driver is the relocation of chemical manufacturing, recycling, shipbreaking, and other heavy industries to so-called “pollution havens” in low-income countries that largely lack environmental controls and public health infrastructure. Environmental degradation and disease result. The 1984 Bhopal, India, disaster was an early example.14 Other examples include the export to low-income countries of 2 million tons per year of newly mined asbestos15; lead exposure from backyard battery recycling16; mercury contamination from artisanal gold mining17; the global trade in banned pesticides18; and shipment to the world’s lowest-income countries of vast quantities of hazardous and electronic waste (e-waste).19 Climate change is yet another global environmental threat.20 Its effects will magnify in the years ahead as the world becomes warmer, sea levels rise, insect vector ranges expand, and changing weather patterns cause increasingly severe storms, droughts, and malnutrition. Children are the most vulnerable. Diseases of environmental origin in children can be prevented. Pediatricians are trusted advisors, uniquely well qualified to address environmental threats to children’s health. Prevention requires a combination of research to discover the environmental causes of disease coupled with evidence-based advocacy that translates research findings to policies and programs of prevention. Past successful prevention efforts, many of them led by pediatricians, include the removal of lead from paint and gasoline, the banning of highly hazardous pesticides, and reductions in urban air pollution. Future, more effective prevention will require mandatory safety testing of all chemicals in children’s environments, continuing education of pediatricians and health professionals, and enhanced programs for chemical tracking and disease prevention.

scholarly journals Assessment of drinking water contamination in food stalls of Jashore Municipality, Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Molla Rahman Shaibur ◽  
Mohammed Sadid Hossain ◽  
Shirina Khatun ◽  
F. K. Sayema Tanzia
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Permissible Limit ◽  
World Health ◽  
Drinking Water Contamination ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

AbstractThis study aimed to determine the quality of drinking water supplied in different types of food stalls in Jashore Municipality, Bangladesh. A total of 35 water samples were collected from different tea stalls, street side fast food stalls, normal restaurants and well-furnished restaurants. The water quality was evaluated by determining the distinct physical, chemical and biological parameters. The results revealed that the water used in the food stalls and restaurants for drinking purpose was in desired quality in terms of turbidity, electrical conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids, nitrate (NO3−), sulfate (SO42−), phosphate (PO43−), chloride (Cl−), sodium (Na) and potassium (K) concentrations. The values were within the permissible limit proposed by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and the World Health Organization. Concentrations of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) found in several samples were higher than the World Health Organization standard. Iron (Fe) concentrations were higher than the permissible limit of the World Health Organization. Only 46% exceeded the permissible limit of Bangladesh Bureau Statistics. The threatening result was that the samples were contaminated by fecal coliform, indicating that the people of Jashore Municipality may have a greater chance of being affected by pathogenic bacteria. The drinking water provided in the street side fast food stalls was biologically contaminated. The findings demonstrate that the drinking water used in food stalls and restaurants of Jashore Municipality did not meet up the potable drinking water quality standards and therefore was detrimental to public health.

scholarly journals Assessment of Water Quality of Blue Nile River in Sudan

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Rasha Babiker Gurashi Abu Sabah ◽  
Abubaker Haroun Mohamed Adam ◽  
Dawoud Mohamed Ali
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Nile River ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Surrounding Environment ◽  
The World ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Health Organization

The objectives of this study were to quantify the fresh water quality of Blue Nile River before processing, identify the pollutants, and to determine the most polluted areas, and their impacts on living organisms as well as the surrounding environment. Thus, random water samples were collected and analyzed at the laboratory of the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources, Ground water and Wadis Directorates - Khartoum. The outcomes were compared with the World Health Organization standardization. The results revealed variations in the concentration of the studied elements taken from the different locations. But, the results indicated that the water quality is good, and it is within the permissible water use. However, further study is recommended to include seasonal variation as well as the biological analysis.

scholarly journals Spatial Distribution of Fluoride in Drinking Water in Dhamar City, Yemen

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-63
Author(s):  
Hefdhallah Al Aizari ◽  
Rachida Fegrouche ◽  
Ali Al Aizari ◽  
Saeed S. Albaseer
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
World Health ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Central Plateau ◽  
The World ◽  
Pca Method ◽  
Health Organization

The fact that groundwater is the only source of drinking water in Yemen mandates strict monitoring of its quality. The aim of this study was to measure the levels of fluoride in the groundwater resources of Dhamar city. Dhamar city is the capital of Dhamar governorate located in the central plateau of Yemen. For this purpose, fluoride content in the groundwater from 16 wells located around Dhamar city was measured. The results showed that 75% of the investigated wells contain fluoride at or below the permissible level set by the World Health Organization (0.5 – 1.5 mg/L), whereas 25% of the wells have relatively higher fluoride concentrations (1.59 – 184 mg/L). The high levels of fluoride have been attributed to the anthropogenic activities in the residential areas near the contaminated wells. Interestingly, some wells contain very low fluoride concentrations (0.30 – 0.50 mg/L).  Data were statistically treated using the principal component analysis (PCA) method to investigate any possible correlations between various factors. PCA shows a high correlation between well depth and its content of fluoride. On the other hand, health problems dominating in the study area necessitate further studies to investigate any correlation with imbalanced fluoride intake.

scholarly journals Study of the properties of drinking water for Kirkuk city and its pollution in some areas

2018 ◽  
Vol 162 ◽  
pp. 05008
Author(s):  
Iman Hussein Zainulabdeen
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
World Health ◽  
Total Hardness ◽  
Physical And Chemical Properties ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
Treatment Water ◽  
And Chemical Properties

This study was conducted to demonstrate the difference between drinking water quality for seven different areas of Kirkuk city with the treatment water in the main and three sub storages tanks, affected with drinking water pipe lines, supplying system Alternate and continuous and also pipes across the construction work’s areas. The physical and chemical properties (turbidity, pH, conductivity, Alkalinity, Total hardness, calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, TDS (Total dissolve solids), TSS (Total suspended solids), sodium and potassium) for raw water and treated water in the Storages in addition to the supplying water from seven different areas in Kirkuk were analyzed, samples taken at a rate nine times during the month of March. Results showed that Drinking water of Dumez, Wasti, Shorja, Imam Qasim and Arubaa polluted with turbidity with an average levels of (8.68, 6.04, 7.41, 6.95, 7.64) NTU respectively, over the limit allowed by IBWA (International Bottled Water Association), 2012 and WHO (World Health Organization), 2006. The turbidity in the main and sub storages have reached (4.04, 4.09, 4.47, 4.16) NTU respectively, while other physical and chemical properties were within the allowed limits for human use. The pollution in those areas caused by the alternative supplying system of treatment water and it has negative impact on the pipelines, it includes constriction work in areas also where pipelines exist.

Protecting health from metal exposures in drinking water

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret-Ann Armour
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Environmental Determinant ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

AbstractDrinking water is essential to us as human beings. According to the World Health Organization “The quality of drinking-water is a powerful environmental determinant of health” (

Determination of Heavy Metals in Damascus Drinking Water Using Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence

1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.H. Bakraji ◽  
J. Karajo
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Total Reflection ◽  
World Health ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Quality Guidelines ◽  
The World ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and chemical preconcentration have been applied for multi-elemental analysis of Damascus drinking water. Water was taken directly from taps of several city sectors and analyzed for the following trace elements: Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se and Pb. The detection limits were found to be in the range of 0.1 to 0.4 µg/L. The mean levels of trace elements in the Damascus drinking water were below the World Health Organization drinking water quality guidelines.

Fighting the SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) Pandemic with Soap

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narendra Kumar Chaudhary ◽  
Nabina Chaudhary ◽  
Manis Dahal ◽  
Biswash Guragain ◽  
Sumie Rai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Public ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Hand Washing ◽  
World Health ◽  
Potential Effectiveness ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Unique Chemical

Today, the entire globe is struggling to deal with the greatest pandemic of the century, COVID-19. With no clinically approved treatments available, we are left with no options other than following the preventive measures issued by the World Health Organization (WHO). Among many others, hand washing with soap and water has been emphasized the most because it is cost-effective and easily accessible to the general public. Various studies have reported that soaps offer unique chemical properties that can disinfect the virus as a whole. However, there is still ambiguity in the general public about whether soaps can really shield us from this highly contagious disease. In an attempt to help eliminate the ambiguity, we analyzed the mechanisms underlying the efficacy of soap and its prospect for preventing the spread of COVID-19. In this paper, we have provided an overview of the history and characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), the detailed mechanisms of the deactivation of viruses by soaps, and the potential effectiveness of soap in eliminating coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals Arsenic Removal from Peruvian Drinking Water by Milk Protein Nanofibril-Carbon Filters: A Field Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sreenath Bolisetty ◽  
Akram Rahimi ◽  
Raffaele Mezzenga
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Arsenic Removal ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Local Population ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Tap Water Quality ◽  
Health Organization

Tap water quality in Peru fails to meet the world health organization (WHO) drinking water standards; consequently, the local population in Peru has been exposed over the last years to...

scholarly journals Arsenic contamination in India: Causes, effects and treatment methods

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-152
Author(s):  
Rishabh Tiwari ◽  
Satwik Satwik ◽  
Prateek Khare ◽  
Satyam Rai
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Arsenic Contamination ◽  
World Health ◽  
Arsenic Adsorption ◽  
Oxidation Treatment ◽  
Treatment Methods ◽  
Keywords Arsenic ◽  
The World ◽  
Contaminated Drinking Water ◽  
Health Organization

Herein the present study focuses on arsenic (As) contamination in groundwater, which plagues a vast section of the population of the world. Even the conservative estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate the number of people plagued by arsenic contaminated drinking water to be around 140-200 million. The Ganga- Brahmaputra fluvial plains in India and Padma-Meghna fluvial plains in Bangladesh are said to be one of the worst groundwater calamities to the humans. The Arsenic levels in drinking water in some of the most populated states in India are disproportionately higher than those defined by WHO guidelines. The paper, thus, delves into the anomaly in permissible limits defined by WHO and regional governments and its consequential effects. It briefly analyses the major sources of Arsenic contamination and its health effects in India. The study also looks closely into the states and districts plagued by the As contamination and explores the prominent treatment methods employed in as removal from the drinking water. Keywords: Arsenic, Adsorption, Geogenic, Arsenopyrite, Oxidation treatment

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