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Lin HHH, Wang YH, Liu JIWW, Hsieh MC, Huang SJ, Lien E, Huang LW, Lin AYC. Evaluation of spatial and temporal changes in illicit drug use in the Taipei metropolitan area via wastewater-based epidemiology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 934:173313. [PMID: 38761952 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Taiwan, identified as pivotal in the Asian drug trafficking chain, has been experiencing a surge in illicit drug-related issues. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a promising approach for comprehensive evaluation of actual illicit drug usage. This study presents the first WBE investigation of illicit drug consumption in Taiwan based on the analysis of wastewater from four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Taipei metropolitan area. Additionally, it demonstrates a high correlation between the amounts of illicit drugs seized and influent concentrations over an extended period of time. The reliability of solid-phase extraction and analysis via high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was validated for 16 illicit drugs (methamphetamine, ketamine, cocaine, codeine, methadone, morphine, meperidine, fentanyl, sufentanil, para-methoxyamphetamine (PMA), para-methoxymethamphetamine (PMMA), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cathinone, methcathinone, mephedrone (MEPH), and 4-methylethcathinone (4-MEC)). Methamphetamine, ketamine, and 4-MEC were consistently detected in all wastewater samples, underscoring their prevalence in the Taipei metropolitan area. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and ammonia nitrogen (ammonia N) were employed to reduce uncertainty in estimations of population size during back-calculation of illicit drug consumption. The results indicate that methamphetamine was the most consumed drug (175-740 mg day-1 1000 people-1), followed by ketamine (22-280 mg day-1 1000 people-1). In addition, urban-related WWTPs exhibited higher consumption of methamphetamine and ketamine than did the suburban-related WWTP, indicating distinct illicit drug usage patterns between suburban and urban regions. Moreover, an examination of temporal trends in wastewater from the Dihua WWTP revealed a persistent predominance of ketamine and methamphetamine, consistent with statistical data pertaining to seizure quantities and urine test results. The study provides encouraging insight into spatial and temporal variations in illicit drug usage in the Taipei metropolitan area, emphasizing the complementary role of WBE in understanding trends in illicit drug abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hank Hui-Hsiang Lin
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71, Chou-Shan Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsiang Wang
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71, Chou-Shan Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Jennifer Ia Wen Wen Liu
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71, Chou-Shan Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chi Hsieh
- Department of Occupational Safety and Health, China Medical University, Taichung 406040, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Jie Huang
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71, Chou-Shan Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - En Lien
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71, Chou-Shan Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Li-Wei Huang
- New Taipei Branch, Administrative Enforcement Agency, Ministry of Justice, New Taipei City 242030, Taiwan
| | - Angela Yu-Chen Lin
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71, Chou-Shan Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan.
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Chu Y, Xu M, Li X, Lu J, Yang Z, Lv R, Liu J, Lv L, Zhang W. Oxidation of emerging contaminants by S(IV) activated ferrate: Identification of reactive species. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 251:121100. [PMID: 38198974 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Studies on the Fe(VI)/S(IV) process have focused on improving the efficiency of emerging contaminants (ECs) degradation under alkaline conditions. However, the performance and mechanisms under varying pH levels remain insufficiently investigated. This tudy delved into the efficiency and mechanism of Fe(VI)/S(IV) process using sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and ibuprofen (IBU) as model contaminants. We found that pH was crucial in governing the generation of reactive species, and both Fe(V/IV) and SO4•- were identified in the reaction system. Specifically, an increase in pH favored the formation of SO4•-, while the formation of Fe(VI) to Fe(V/IV) became more significant at lower pH. At pH 3.2, Fe(III) resulting from the Fe(VI) self-decay reactedwith HSO3-to produce SO4•-and •OH. Under near-neutral conditions, the coexistance of Fe(V/IV) and SO4•- in abundance contributed to the optimal oxidation of both pollutants in the Fe(VI)/S(IV) process, with the removal exceeding 74% in 5 min. Competitive quenching experiments showed that the contributions of Fe(V/IV) to SMX and IBU destruction dimished, while the contributions of radicals increased with an increase in pH. However, this evolution was slower during SMX degradation compared to IBU degradation. A comprehensive understnding of pH as the key factor is essential for the optimization of the sulfite-activated Fe(VI) oxidation process in water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Mujian Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Junhe Lu
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
| | - Zhichao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Ruolin Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jiahang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Lu Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Weiming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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Du Z, Zang Z, Luo J, Liu T, Yang L, Cai Y, Wang L, Zhang D, Zhao J, Gao J, Lv K, Wang L, Li H, Gong H, Fan X. Chronic exposure to (2 R,6 R)-hydroxynorketamine induces developmental neurotoxicity in hESC-derived cerebral organoids. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 453:131379. [PMID: 37054645 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
(R,S)-ketamine (ketamine) has been increasingly used recreationally and medicinally worldwide; however, it cannot be removed by conventional wastewater treatment plants. Both ketamine and its metabolite norketamine have been frequently detected to a significant degree in effluents, aquatic, and even atmospheric environments, which may pose risks to organisms and humans via drinking water and aerosols. Ketamine has been shown to affect the brain development of unborn babies, while it is still elusive whether (2 R,6 R)-hydroxynorketamine (HNK) induces similar neurotoxicity. Here, we investigated the neurotoxic effect of (2 R,6 R)-HNK exposure at the early stages of gestation by applying human cerebral organoids derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Short-term (2 R,6 R)-HNK exposure did not significantly affect the development of cerebral organoids, but chronic high-concentration (2 R,6 R)-HNK exposure at day 16 inhibited the expansion of organoids by suppressing the proliferation and augmentation of neural precursor cells (NPCs). Notably, the division mode of apical radial glia was unexpectedly switched from vertical to horizontal division planes following chronic (2 R,6 R)-HNK exposure in cerebral organoids. Chronic (2 R,6 R)-HNK exposure at day 44 mainly inhibited the differentiation but not the proliferation of NPCs. Overall, our findings indicate that (2 R,6 R)-HNK administration leads to the abnormal development of cortical organoids, which may be mediated by inhibiting HDAC2. Future clinical studies are needed to explore the neurotoxic effects of (2 R,6 R)-HNK on the early development of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhulin Du
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China, Chongqing 401331, China; Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China
| | - Zhenle Zang
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China
| | - Jing Luo
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China
| | - Tianyao Liu
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China
| | - Ling Yang
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China
| | - Yun Cai
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China
| | - Liuyongwei Wang
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China
| | - Dandan Zhang
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China
| | - Jinghui Zhao
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China
| | - Junwei Gao
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China
| | - Keyi Lv
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China
| | - Lian Wang
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40037, China
| | - Hong Gong
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China.
| | - Xiaotang Fan
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 40038, China.
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Domingo-Echaburu S, Lopez de Torre-Querejazu A, Valcárcel Y, Orive G, Lertxundi U. Hazardous drugs (NIOSH's list-group 1) in healthcare settings: Also a hazard for the environment? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 817:152954. [PMID: 35007598 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.152954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Healthcare workers can be exposed to dangerous drugs during their daily practice. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) considers "hazardous drugs" as those that had shown one or more of the following characteristic in studies with animals, humans or in vitro systems: carcinogenicity, teratogenicity or other toxicity for development, reproductive toxicity, organ toxicity at low doses, or genotoxicity. In the actual list (draft list 2020), drugs classified in group 1 are those with carcinogenic effects. Moreover, the global human and veterinary cancer is expected to grow, so antineoplastic drug consumption may consequently grow, leading to an increase of anticancer pharmaceuticals in the environment. Not all drugs pertaining to group 1 can be classified as "antineoplastic" or "cytostatic". Since most of the research on environment presence and ecotoxicological effects of pharmaceuticals has been focused on this therapeutic class, other carcinogenic drugs belonging to different therapeutic groups may have been omitted in previous studies. In this study we aim to review the presence in the environment of the hazardous drugs (NIOSH group 1) and their possible environmental impact. Of the 90 drugs considered, there is evidence of presence in the environment for 19. Drugs with more studies reporting positive detections are: the antibiotic chloramphenicol (55), the alkylating agents cyclophosphamide (39) and ifosfamide (30), and the estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen (18). Although the original purpose of the NIOSH list and related documents is to provide guidance to healthcare professionals in order to adequately protect them from the hazards posed by these drugs in healthcare settings, we believe they can be useful for environmentalists too. Absence of data regarding the potential of environmental risk of certain hazardous drugs might tell us which drugs ought to be prioritized in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Domingo-Echaburu
- Osakidetza Basque Health Service, Debagoiena Integrated Health Organisation, Pharmacy Service, Nafarroa Hiribidea 16, 20500 Arrasate, Gipuzkoa, Spain
| | - A Lopez de Torre-Querejazu
- Pharmacy Service, Araba Integrated Health Care Organization, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alava, Spain; Bioaraba, Clinical Pharmacy Research Group, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Y Valcárcel
- Health and Environment Risk Assessment Group, (RiSAMA), University Rey Juan Carlos, Avda Tulipán sn, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Specialties and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avda. Atenas s/n, 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - G Orive
- NanoBioCel Group, Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo de la Universidad 7, Vitoria-Gasteiz 01006, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; University Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Oral Implantology - UIRMI (UPV/EHU-Fundación Eduardo Anitua), Vitoria, Spain; Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower, Singapore; Bioaraba, NanoBioCel Research Group, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
| | - U Lertxundi
- Bioaraba Health Research Institute, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, Araba Mental Health Network, Araba Psychiatric Hospital, Pharmacy Service, c/Alava 43, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alava, Spain.
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Vannoy KJ, Tarolla NE, Kauffmann PJ, Clark RB, Dick JE. Detecting Methamphetamine in Aerosols by Electroanalysis in a Soap Bubble Wall. Anal Chem 2022; 94:6311-6317. [PMID: 35416032 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c00462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We present a facile method to detect methamphetamine in aerosols by trapping aerosols in a soap bubble wall for electroanalysis. A microwire was placed through a soap bubble wall as a sensing electrode along with a 1 mm diameter platinum wire as the counter/reference electrode. The resulting electrochemical cell and electrode geometry are unique and allow for reproducible electrochemistry between bubble walls. We first provide a thorough investigation of the cell and electrode geometry and an electrochemical characterization of ferrocene methanol in a soap bubble wall composed of 0.1 M KCl and 0.1% Triton X-100 (v/v). To visualize the boundary where the bubble wets the microwire (the effective electrode area) with tens of nanometer resolution, we electrodeposited platinum on carbon microwire. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed the bubble contact (i.e., cylindrical electrode height) is 157 ± 30 μm. Correlated digital microscopy suggests that the wetting reaches r ∼ 125 μm along the bubble wall laterally from the microwire. Beyond the wetting region, the bubble thickness is 18 ± 1 μm, as indicated by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy experiments probing dissolved bis(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride. We illustrate that the voltammetric character in this system is highly dependent on the bubble wetting parameters, which are tuned by changing the microwire material. We then applied this system to the collection and electrochemical detection of methamphetamine in liquid aerosols, where the bubble wall acts as a low volume collector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn J Vannoy
- Department of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Nicole E Tarolla
- Department of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Philip J Kauffmann
- Department of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Rebecca B Clark
- Department of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Jeffrey E Dick
- Department of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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Huang W, Wu T, Wu K. Zebrafish (Danio rerio): A potential model to assess developmental toxicity of ketamine. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 291:133033. [PMID: 34822872 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Ketamine is a non-competitive antagonist of NMDA glutamate receptor. It is used as an anesthetic, analgesic, sedative, and anti-depressive agent in clinical practice and also an illegal recreational drug. The increasing use has contributed to the measurable levels of ketamine in both wastewaters and hospital effluents, thereby classified as an emergent contaminant. Lately, the potential toxicity of ketamine has raised serious concerns about its iatrogenic or illicit use during pregnancy, neonatal and childhood stages. However, to assess its long-term toxicity potentially by the use of early life stages in human and rodents is limited. In this regard, the zebrafish has been considered as excellent model organism for biosafety assessments of ketamine due to it boasts an in vivo model with the advantages of an in vitro assay. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the reported toxicity studies with ketamine in early life stage of zebrafish. The adverse effects of ketamine are known to cause overall developmental and multi-organ toxicity, including cardio-, neuro-, and skeletal toxicity. Furthermore, multiple mechanisms are found to be responsible for perpetrating toxicity of ketamine. The current findings confluence to emphasize the zebrafish embryo as an appealing model system for developmental toxicity testing in higher vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlong Huang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Tianjie Wu
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Kusheng Wu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, PR China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, PR China
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Liu YJ, Hu CY, Lo SL. Comparison of the degradation of multiple amine-containing pharmaceuticals during electroindirect oxidation and electrochlorination processes in continuous system. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 203:117517. [PMID: 34391021 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The degradation of pharmaceuticals by electrochemical oxidation (EO) in simulated wastewater containing multiple pharmaceuticals was compared between batch and continuous reactors. Despite the excellent efficiencies achieved in batch experiments, the practical/large-scale applications of EO-degrading amine-containing pharmaceuticals has not yet been accomplished. This paper presents the results of continuous experiments with one of the most promising electrochemical configurations of Pt/Ti electrodes before proceeding to application. In the continuous electrooxidation system (without chloride), direct oxidation on the electrode surface and oxidation by hydroxyl radicals were the main pathways. Due to their short lifespans, the radicals could not be transferred to the bulk solution, and the removal of pharmaceuticals followed the order of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) > paracetamol (PAR) > diclofenac (DIC). In the electrochlorination system (with chloride), oxidation by residual chlorine was the main pathway. The removal of pharmaceuticals followed the order of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) > diclofenac (DIC) > paracetamol (PAR). High SMX removal was realized because of the high reaction rate of SMX with free chlorine. Among the pharmaceuticals, PAR had the lowest removal because it is a neutral species with a low mass transfer rate without the attraction of electrostatic force. These results are consistent with the predictions from our previous batch-scale study, which showed that the reaction rate of dissociated compounds could be increased by the addition of electrostatic force. Furthermore, multiple coexisting pharmaceuticals, such as SMX and PAR or DIC, may form dimers that can be transferred to complex structures and cause higher toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Jung Liu
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71, Chou-Shan Rd., Taipei 10673, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Yao Hu
- School of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, 250, Wu-Xing Street, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Lien Lo
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71, Chou-Shan Rd., Taipei 10673, Taiwan; Water Innovation, Low Carbon and Environmental Sustainability Research Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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