Health and environmental impacts of drinking water choices in Barcelona, Spain: A modelling study

Polyelectrolytes for Environmental, Agricultural, and Medical Applications

In recent decades, polyelectrolytes (PELs) have attracted significant interest owing to a surge in research dedicated to the development of new technologies and applications at the biological level. Polyelectrolytes are macromolecules of which a substantial portion of the constituent units contains ionizable or ionic groups. These macromolecules demonstrate varied behaviors across different pH ranges, ionic strengths, and concentrations, making them fascinating subjects within the scientific community. The aim of this review is to present a comprehensive survey of the progress in the application studies of polyelectrolytes and their derivatives in various fields that are vital for the advancement, conservation, and technological progress of the planet, including agriculture, environmental science, and medicine. Through this bibliographic review, we seek to highlight the significance of these materials and their extensive range of applications in modern times.

Human health and the health of Planet Earth go together

The emergence of the planetary health approach was highlighted by the report of The Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission on Planetary Health in 2015 and changed how we comprehend human well-being. The report advocates integrating the health of other living beings and Earth's natural systems as intrinsic components of human health. Drawing on over three decades of experience in respiratory epidemiology and environmental health, this article outlines how my perspective on human health underwent a transformative shift upon reading the abovementioned report. The planetary health approach offers a lens through which human health issues and potential solutions can be understood within the context of the Anthropocene. It addresses the pressing existential challenges arising from humanity's transgression of planetary limits. Embracing the planetary health paradigm within the field of health sciences can catalyze transformative changes essential for cultivating a sustainable and equitable future.

A scoping review of human health co-benefits of forest-based climate change mitigation in Europe

Climate change is a pressing global challenge with profound implications for human health. Forest-based climate change mitigation strategies, such as afforestation, reforestation, and sustainable forest management, offer promising solutions to mitigate climate change and simultaneously yield substantial co-benefits for human health. The objective of this scoping review was to examine research trends related to the interdisciplinary nexus between forests as carbon sinks and human health co-benefits. We developed a conceptual framework model, supporting the inclusion of exposure pathways, such as recreational opportunities or aesthetic experiences, in the co-benefit context. We used a scoping review methodology to identify the proportion of European research on forest-based mitigation strategies that acknowledge the interconnection between mitigation strategies and human impacts. We also aimed to assess whether synergies and trade-offs between forest-based carbon sink capacity and human co-benefits has been analysed and quantified. From the initial 4,062 records retrieved, 349 reports analysed European forest management principles and factors related to climate change mitigation capacity. Of those, 97 studies acknowledged human co-benefits and 13 studies quantified the impacts on exposure pathways or health co-benefits and were included for full review. Our analysis demonstrates that there is potential for synergies related to optimising carbon sink capacity together with human co-benefits, but there is currently a lack of holistic research approaches assessing these interrelationships. We suggest enhanced interdisciplinary efforts, using for example multideterminant modelling approaches, to advance evidence and understanding of the forest and health nexus in the context of climate change mitigation.

Consumption of Tap Water and Sociodemographic-Associated Characteristics: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

Safe water is a global public health concern amid increasing scarcity and pollution. Bottled water production and consumption contribute to these problems. This study examines tap water consumption in Italy, assessing associated sociodemographic factors and related health outcomes such as obesity and self-perceived health status. Data from the Italian National Statistics Institute's "Aspects of daily life" survey (N = 45,597) were analyzed. Covariates included education, age, gender, economic status, region, concerns about waste and climate change, consumption of carbonated drinks excluding water, alcohol consumption, consumption of vegetables, consumption of snacks, body mass index, and self-perceived health status. Bivariate analyses and mixed-effect logistic regression models explored the associations. People who drink tap water made up 19,674, with a higher prevalence in people aged 45 to 59 old, people with a graduate/post-graduate degree diploma, with optimal economic resources, people concerned about waste production and climate change, and those coming from the north-east regions of Italy. Underweight people showed a higher prevalence of TW consumption as well as those who less than occasionally drank carbonated drinks, drank alcohol, consumed vegetables more than once a day and snacks less than once a week, dairy products more than once a day, sweet less than once a week, cured meat less than once a week, and chicken meat less than once a week, those with no consumption of sheep meat, consumption of beef meat less than once a week and consumption of pork meat less than once a week, and those with a satisfactory level of perceived health status. Regressions showed that all other age classes are less likely to drink tap water than people younger than 20 years old. The category with "inadequate" economic resources is more likely to consume tap water. Low educational classes show a low likelihood of consuming tap water as well as islands. A concern about waste production and climate change is associated with an increased likelihood of consuming tap water. Tap water consumption was negatively associated with obesity but not with a satisfactory self-perceived health status. Insights from this study can inform public health strategies.

In vitro bioassays for monitoring drinking water quality of tap water, domestic filtration and bottled water

BACKGROUND

Location-specific patterns of regulated and non-regulated disinfection byproducts (DBPs) were detected in tap water samples of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. However, it remains unclear if the detected DBPs together with undetected DPBs and organic micropollutants can lead to mixture effects in drinking water.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the neurotoxicity, oxidative stress response and cytotoxicity of 42 tap water samples, 6 treated with activated carbon filters, 5 with reverse osmosis and 9 bottled waters. To compare the measured effects of the extracts with the mixture effects predicted from the detected concentrations and the relative effect potencies of the detected DBPs using the mixture model of concentration addition.

METHODS

Mixtures of organic chemicals in water samples were enriched by solid phase extraction and tested for cytotoxicity and neurite outgrowth inhibition in the neuronal cell line SH-SY5Y and for cytotoxicity and oxidative stress response in the AREc32 assay.

RESULTS

Unenriched water did not trigger neurotoxicity or cytotoxicity. After up to 500-fold enrichment, few extracts showed cytotoxicity. Disinfected water showed low neurotoxicity at 20- to 300-fold enrichment and oxidative stress response at 8- to 140-fold enrichment. Non-regulated non-volatile DBPs, particularly (brominated) haloacetonitriles dominated the predicted mixture effects of the detected chemicals and predicted effects agreed with the measured effects. By hierarchical clustering we identified strong geographical patterns in the types of DPBs and their association with effects. Activated carbon filters did not show a consistent reduction of effects but domestic reverse osmosis filters decreased the effect to that of bottled water.

IMPACT STATEMENT

Bioassays are an important complement to chemical analysis of disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water. Comparison of the measured oxidative stress response and mixture effects predicted from the detected chemicals and their relative effect potencies allowed the identification of the forcing agents for the mixture effects, which differed by location but were mainly non-regulated DBPs. This study demonstrates the relevance of non-regulated DBPs from a toxicological perspective. In vitro bioassays, in particular reporter gene assays for oxidative stress response that integrate different reactive toxicity pathways including genotoxicity, may therefore serve as sum parameters for drinking water quality assessment.

Human exposure to organophosphate esters in water and packed beverages

Drinks are an essential part of human diet, which makes them a source of human exposure to plasticizers such as organophosphate esters (OPEs). The current study provides new information about sixteen OPE levels in 75 different samples (tap water, packed water, cola drinks, juice, wine and hot drinks). Tap water mean levels (40.9 ng/L) were statistically higher than packed water mean levels (4.82 ng/L), mainly due to the contribution of tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP) and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) that may come from PVC water pipes. Over 90% of samples presented at least one OPE, where regular cola drinks had the highest mean concentrations (2876 ng/L). There was a significantly higher presence of OPEs in added sugar beverages than sugar free drinks, especially for 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP), which might be related not only to packaging materials but to the added sugar content. Estimated daily intakes (EDIs) in normal and high-exposure scenarios were 2.52 ng/kg bw/day and 7.43 ng/kg bw/day, respectively. Human risk associated with beverages ingestion showed regular cola drinks, juice and tap water as the groups with the highest hazard quotients (HQs). Although OPE exposure was below to safety limits, it should be noted that EHDPP values for regular cola group must be cause of concern, and other routes of exposure such as food ingestion or air inhalation should be also considered.

Perceptions of Water Safety and Tap Water Taste and Their Associations With Beverage Intake Among U.S. Adults

OBJECTIVES

Examine differences in perceptions of tap water (TW) and bottled water (BW) safety and TW taste and their associations with plain water (PW) and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake.

DESIGN

Quantitative, cross-sectional study.

SETTING

United States.

SUBJECTS

4,041 U.S. adults (≥18 years) in the 2018 SummerStyles survey data.

MEASURES

Outcomes were intake of TW, BW, PW (tap and bottled water), and SSB. Exposures were perceptions of TW and BW safety and TW taste (disagree, neutral, or agree). Covariates included sociodemographics.

ANALYSIS

We used chi-square analysis to examine sociodemographic differences in perceptions and multivariable logistic regressions to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for consuming TW ≤ 1 cup/day, BW > 1 cup/day, PW ≤ 3 cups/day, and SSB ≥ 1 time/day by water perceptions.

RESULTS

One in 7 (15.1%) of adults did not think their home TW was safe to drink, 39.0% thought BW was safer than TW, and 25.9% did not think their local TW tasted good. Adults who did not think local TW was safe to drink had higher odds of drinking TW ≤ 1 cup/day (AOR = 3.12) and BW >1 cup/day (AOR = 2.69). Adults who thought BW was safer than TW had higher odds of drinking TW ≤1 cup/day (AOR = 2.38), BW > 1 cup/day (AOR = 5.80), and SSB ≥ 1 time/day (AOR = 1.39). Adults who did not think TW tasted good had higher odds of drinking TW ≤ 1 cup/day (AOR = 4.39) and BW > 1 cup/day (AOR = 2.91).

CONCLUSIONS

Negative perceptions of TW safety and taste and a belief BW is safer than TW were common and associated with low TW intake. Perceiving BW is safer than TW increased the likelihood of daily SSB intake. These findings can guide programs and services to support water quality to improve perceptions of TW safety and taste, which might increase TW intake and decrease SSB intake.

Development and Evaluation of Options for Action to Progress on the SDG 6 Targets in Austria

The Agenda 2030 of the United Nations stipulates an ambitious set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They were globally agreed upon and demand coherent, context-specific implementation at the national level. To address the complexity of challenges therein, the Agenda is designed to be integrated, indivisible, and universal. The numerous multifaceted interactions in-between the SDGs and with corresponding measures pose a complex challenge for decision-makers implementing them worldwide that requires support for a comprehensive discourse in the science-society-policy arena. Research on the interactions between the SDGs has been flourishing and can help to understand where policy options might be most successfully located. A catalytic effect on several other goals is, e.g., often attributed to SDG 6 on water and sanitation. However, beyond the where to locate policy options, it is similarly important to understand how potential policy options would affect the SDGs and their targets. We developed eleven options and 85 measures as context-specific pathways to advance the SDG 6 Targets in Austria. As a country in the Global North and with a generally far-established water and sanitation infrastructure and management, this responds to the Agenda's demand for universal applicability and can serve as an example to illustrate potential challenges beyond basic infrastructure provision and management. The proposed options cover resources-oriented sanitation, blue-green-brown infrastructure, efficient use and integrated management of water resources, maintenance and restoration of ecological functions of inland waters, reduction of diffuse discharge of nutrients and problematic substances as well as trace substances, water, sanitation and hygiene in public spaces, groundwater protection, development cooperation as well as co-design and co-creation. Their effects on the SDG 6 Targets are evaluated using a 7-point-scale. The evaluation method is simple and practicable, and fosters discourse on the entire water cycle amongst the expert group applying the method. The evaluated effects on the targets are found to be unanimously positive or neutral, but trade-offs might arise when including other SDGs in the assessment, making an expansion of the evaluation necessary for coherent implementation. The results can be used as a baseline to support follow-up discussions with stakeholders and decision-makers.

Burden of Disease (BoD) Assessment to Estimate Risk Factors Impact in a Real Nanomanufacturing Scenario

An industrial nanocoating process air emissions impact on public health was quantified by using the burden of disease (BoD) concept. The health loss was calculated in Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), which is an absolute metric that enables comparisons of the health impacts of different causes. Here, the health loss was compared with generally accepted risk levels for air pollution. Exposure response functions were not available for Ag nanoform. The health loss for TiO₂ nanoform emissions were 0.0006 DALYs per 100,000 persons per year. Moreover, the exposure risk characterization was performed by comparing the ground level air concentrations with framework values. The exposure levels were ca. 3 and 18 times lower than the derived limit values of 0.1 μg-TiO₂/m³ and 0.01 μg-Ag/m³ for the general population. The accumulations of TiO₂ and Ag nanoforms on the soil top layer were estimated to be up to 85 μg-TiO₂/kg and 1.4 μg-Ag/kg which was considered low as compared to measured elemental TiO₂ and Ag concentrations. This assessment reveals that the spray coating process air emissions are adequately controlled. This study demonstrated how the BoD concept can be applied to quantify health impacts of nanoform outdoor air emissions from an industrial site.

Environmental health and risk assessment metrics with special mention to biotransfer, bioaccumulation and biomagnification of environmental pollutants

The environment pollutants, which are landed up in environment because of human activities like urbanization, mining and industrializations, affects human health, plants and animals. The living organisms present in environment are constantly affected by the toxic pollutants through direct contact or bioaccumulation of chemicals from the environment. The toxic and hazardous pollutants are easily transferred to different environmental matrices like land, air and water bodies such as surface and ground waters. This comprehensive review deeply discusses the routes and causes of different environmental pollutants along with their toxicity, impact, occurrences and fate in the environment. Environment health and risk assessment tools that are used to evaluate the harmfulness, exposure of living organisms to pollutants and the amount of pollutant accumulated are explained with help of bio-kinetic models. Biotransfer, toxicity factor, biomagnification and bioaccumulation of different pollutants in the air, water and marine ecosystems are critically addressed. Thus, the presented survey would be collection of correlations those addresses the factors involved in assessing the environmental health and risk impacts of distinct environmental pollutants.

Diversifying Water Sources with Atmospheric Water Harvesting to Enhance Water Supply Resilience

The unequivocal global warming has an explicit impact on the natural water cycle and resultantly leads to an increasing occurrence of extreme weather events which in turn bring challenges and unavoidable destruction to the urban water supply system. As such, diversifying water sources is a key solution to building the resilience of the water supply system. An atmospheric water harvesting can capture water out of the air and provide a point-of-use water source directly. Currently, a series of atmospheric water harvesting have been proposed and developed to provide water sources under various moisture content ranging from 30–80% with a maximum water collection rate of 200,000 L/day. In comparison to conventional water source alternatives, atmospheric water harvesting avoids the construction of storage and distribution grey infrastructure. However, the high price and low water generation rate make this technology unfavorable as a viable alternative to general potable water sources whereas it has advantages compared with bottled water in both cost and environmental impacts. Moreover, atmospheric water harvesting can also provide a particular solution in the agricultural sector in countries with poor irrigation infrastructure but moderate humidity. Overall, atmospheric water harvesting could provide communities and/or cities with an indiscriminate solution to enhance water supply resilience. Further research and efforts are needed to increase the water generation rate and reduce the cost, particularly via leveraging solar energy.

The past, present, and future of plastic pollution

Plastic production is an essential part of the world economy that has mushroomed exponentially with c.9.2 billion tonnes estimated to have been made between 1950 and 2017. Now, each year c.8-11 million tonnes of plastic waste escapes into the oceans. Plastic usage is varied but the packaging industry accounts for 47%. Recycling and the circular economy are seen as keys to unlocking the plastic problem, for example, via the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme; a Deposit Return Scheme. The circular economy is a fine idea and has been around a long time, but has it made any real difference? The amount of plastic in circulation keeps getting bigger and bigger. More thought must be given to creating technologies and designs that can deal with waste management, integrate international collaboration and cut waste to a bare minimum at its source point upstream. No single solution exists, but there is a need for a legally binding global governance arrangement that would effectively and measurably limit and control plastic pollution. Many governments are in favour of this.