IJERPH, Vol. 18, Pages 2539: Estimating the Characteristics and Emission Factor of Ammonia from Sewage Sludge Incinerator
Jeon
In the case of sewage sludge, as direct landfilling was recently prohibited, it is treated through incineration. Among the air pollutants discharged through the incineration of sewage sludge, NOx and SOx are considered secondary substances of PM2.5 and are being managed accordingly. However, NH3, another of the secondary substances of PM2.5, is not well managed, and the amount of NH3 discharged from sewage sludge incineration facilities has not been calculated. Therefore, in this study, we sought to determine whether NH3 is discharged in the exhaust gas of a sewage sludge incineration facility, and, when dischar...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - March 4, 2021 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Kang Roh Jeon Tags: Article Source Type: research
Study of Radiological Assessment Models for Contaminated Soil, Buildings, and Outdoor Surfaces: Overview, Comparison, Similarity with Chemical Models, Challenges, and Lessons Learned
A research project was conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Superfund remedial program to study radiological assessment models used for contaminated sites. Several models developed by regulatory agencies in different countries are studied to present overview and comparisons. These models are recommended by governmental agencies for radiological assessment of contaminated soil, inside buildings, and outdoor surfaces. The project also addressed the methodological consistency between the EPA and the United Kingdom Environment Agency (UK EA) for radiological and chemical assessment models. T...
Source: Health Physics - March 2, 2021 Category: Radiology Tags: REVIEW PAPERS Source Type: research
Human Biomonitoring (HBM)-II values for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) - description, derivation and discussion.
Abstract
For evaluation of internal exposure to harmful substances, the Human Biomonitoring Commission of the German Environment Agency (HBM Commission) develops toxicologically justified assessment values (HBM-I and HBM-II). The HBM-I value corresponds to the concentration of a compound in human biological material below which no adverse health effects are expected to occur. Consequently, no action is required when the HBM-I value is not exceeded [HBM-Kommission 1996]. In 2016, the HBM Commission developed HBM-I values of 2 ng PFOA/mL and 5 ng PFOS/mL in blood serum or plasma, respectively. A detailed del...
Source: Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology : RTP - January 20, 2021 Category: Toxicology Authors: Schümann M, Lilienthal H, Hölzer J Tags: Regul Toxicol Pharmacol Source Type: research
IJERPH, Vol. 18, Pages 153: Ecological Study on Thyroid Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Association with European Union Member States ’ Air Pollution
In this study, air pollution data from 27 EU member states is used in order to analyze its association with thyroid cancer incidence, and mortality and socioeconomic factors are examined as confounders. This ecological study used age standardized thyroid cancer incidence and mortality rates per 100,000 people for the year 2012 from 27 EU member states, collected from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization and European Cancer. Data regarding mean air pollutant mass concentrations for 1992, 2002 and 2012 was collected from the European Environment Agency. Data analysis was carried out usin...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - December 28, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Evanthia Giannoula Christos Melidis Savvas Frangos Nikitas Papadopoulos Georgia Koutsouki Ioannis Iakovou Tags: Article Source Type: research
Biden’s pick to head US environment agency heartens scientists
Nature, Published online: 18 December 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-03621-6Veteran environmental regulator Michael Regan will lead the Environmental Protection Agency, joining an experienced team of climate appointees. (Source: Nature AOP)
Source: Nature AOP - December 18, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Jeff Tollefson Source Type: research
On the association between high outdoor thermo-hygrometric comfort index and severe ground-level ozone: a first investigation.
Abstract
According to the European Environment Agency, the year 2015 was the warmest on record to that point, with a series of heat waves from May to September resulted in high levels of tropospheric ozone. The implications of such a year on the human well-being and health are therefore of multiple nature and can be quantified referring to the exceedances of the corresponding thresholds. This work focused on the analysis of the May-September period of 2015 in the city of Milan (Italy) in terms of Mediterranean Outdoor Comfort Index (MOCI) and ozone concentrations, recorded by monitoring stations and modele...
Source: Environmental Research - October 20, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Falasca S, Curci G, Salata F Tags: Environ Res Source Type: research
Human biomonitoring initiative (HBM4EU) - Strategy to derive human biomonitoring guidance values (HBM-GVs) for health risk assessment.
Abstract
The European Joint Program "HBM4EU" is a joint effort of 30 countries and the European Environment Agency, co-funded under the European Commission's Horizon 2020 program, for advancing and implementing human biomonitoring (HBM) on a European scale and for providing scientific evidence for chemical policy making. One important outcome will be a Europe-wide improvement and harmonization of health risk assessment following the coordinated derivation or update of health-related guidance values referring to the internal body burden. These guidance values - named HBM guidance values or HBM-GVs - can dir...
Source: International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health - October 9, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Apel P, Rousselle C, Lange R, Sissoko F, Kolossa-Gehring M, Ougier E Tags: Int J Hyg Environ Health Source Type: research
Causal inference and evidence-based recommendations in occupational health and safety research
In this issue of the Journal, a group of distinguished Nordic researchers, led by Anne Helene Garde and including four of our Associated Editors, present a discussion paper that originated from a workshop and provides detailed recommendations on night shift work (1). The recommendations are very clear: to protect workers ’ health, night shift schedules should have: (i) ≤3 consecutive night shifts; (ii) shift intervals of ≥11 hours; and (iii) ≤9 hours shift duration. For pregnant women, night work should be limited to one shift per week. The authors acknowledge that under circumstances allowing better possibi lities...
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health - October 2, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
IJERPH, Vol. 17, Pages 6946: Inadequate Regulation of the Geological Aspects of Shale Exploitation in the UK
he
Unconventional oil and gas exploitation, which has developed in the UK since 2009, is regulated by four main agencies: The Oil and Gas Authority, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and local Mineral Planning Authorities (usually county councils). The British Geological Survey only has an advisory role, as have ad hoc expert committees. I firstly define terms, and summarise the remits of the regulators and background history. Fourteen case histories are then discussed, comprising most of the unconventional exploitation to date; these cases demonstrate the failure of regulation of the geological a...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - September 22, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Smythe Tags: Review Source Type: research
Health effects of air pollution: a Southern European perspective.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on abundant evidence, the World Health Organization, which hosts the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) the scientific respiratory societies, and the patients' associations, as well as others in the health sector, must increase their engagement in advocacy for clean air policies.
PMID: 32590459 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Chinese Medical Journal)
Source: Chinese Medical Journal - June 23, 2020 Category: General Medicine Authors: Viegi G, Baldacci S, Maio S, Fasola S, Annesi-Maesano I, Pistelli F, Carrozzi L, La Grutta S, Forastiere F Tags: Chin Med J (Engl) Source Type: research
IJERPH, Vol. 17, Pages 3630: Evolution of SO2 and NOx Emissions from Several Large Combustion Plants in Europe during 2005 –2015
IJERPH, Vol. 17, Pages 3630: Evolution of SO2 and NOx Emissions from Several Large Combustion Plants in Europe during 2005–2015
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph17103630
Authors:
Constantin
Bocăneala
Voiculescu
Roşu
Merlaud
Roozendael
Georgescu
The aim of this paper is to investigate the evolution of SO2 and NOx emissions of ten very large combustion plants (LCPs >500 MW) located in the European Union (EU) during 2005–2015. The evolution of NOx and SO2 emissions were analyzed against the EU Directives in force during...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - May 20, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Constantin Boc ăneala Voiculescu Ro şu Merlaud Roozendael Georgescu Tags: Article Source Type: research
Retrospective analysis of the global antibiotic residues that exceed the predicted no effect concentration for antimicrobial resistance in various environmental matrices.
CONCLUSION: While most environmental monitoring studies have focused on municipal wastewater treatment plants, the limited number of studies on hospital wastewater and industrial wastewater revealed that a large number of antibiotic residues coming from these sources exceeded their PNEC values. Our study highlights the importance of implementing on-site treatment systems that aim to destroy antibiotics prior to discharging wastewater to surface waters. Attention needs to be focused on the role that environmental matrices, particularly our wastewater sites, play in promoting antibiotic resistance. Novel treatment technologi...
Source: Environment International - May 13, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Booth A, Aga DS, Wester AL Tags: Environ Int Source Type: research
IJERPH, Vol. 17, Pages 2174: Air Pollution and Health: The Need for a Medical Reading of Environmental Monitoring Data
o Miani
Air pollution is a recent public health issue. In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) published updated air quality guidelines for a number of air pollutants (including PM10 and PM2.5), which recommended for particulate matter annual average concentration levels at half or less the limit values set by European legislation. In the European Union, around 80% of the European urban population is exposed to air pollution above the levels recommended by the WHO guidelines. Only in 2015 the WHO addressed for the first time the topic of the health impacts of air pollution in its general assembly, which adopted a ...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - March 24, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Marcello Iriti Prisco Piscitelli Eduardo Missoni Alessandro Miani Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
How Trump’s embattled environment agency prepared me for a PhD
Nature, Published online: 04 March 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-00642-zRachel Ragnhild Carlson put the skills she acquired as a US government scientist to good use when she started graduate school. (Source: Nature AOP)
Source: Nature AOP - March 3, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Rachel Ragnhild Carlson Source Type: research
Regional inequalities in benzene exposures across the European petrochemical industry: A Bayesian multilevel modelling approach.
CONCLUSIONS: While petrochemical facilities in all European Union regions are regulated to be compliant with the annual average benzene limit of 5 μg/m3, uneven exposures still present regional health inequalities. We recommend extending benzene regulations to an hourly or daily limit, alongside the strengthening of regulation for other toxic petrochemical releases.
PMID: 31421386 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Environment International)
Source: Environment International - August 13, 2019 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Jephcote C, Mah A Tags: Environ Int Source Type: research
