Background Electrical and electronic waste or e-waste is emerging as a major public health threat worldwide because of rapid advances in technology leading to the generation of large amount of wastes and a lack of knowledge in handling of these wastes. Objective The current review discusses the current e-waste problem worldwide, as a public health concern, with a specific focus on India and recommendations to have effective e-waste management. Methods This is a traditional review study. The burden of e-waste, regulations and its impact on health and the environment at the global and country level were identified using various search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and ScienceDirect. Books, case studies, legislation documents, reports, original articles and other documents from international organizations and specific governmental agency websites were retrieved. In total, 33 original articles, reports, case studies and documents were used for this review. Results In 2016, 44.7 million tonnes of e-waste was generated with 2 million tonnes produced in India alone. Out of this, only 20% of the e-waste generated globally was handled properly. The situation is worse in India where more than 90% of the e-waste was handled by informal sector workers. An important problem with the process is that they do not take necessary precautionary measures before handling e-waste. Components which are not suitable for reuse are burnt openly or disposed of through open dumping. Most of the informal sector workers are illiterate making them unaware of the hazardous chemicals that can be released later into the water sources and the environment. Conclusion The current review shows that the e-waste poses a serious global public health threat leading to significant environmental and health risks. Most of the developing countries including India were found to be lagging behind in the implementation of environmentally sound formal recycling processes. Hence, a better life cycle assessment model which have been successfully implemented in other developing countries should be introduced in India.

Publicly Available August 15, 2018

Exposure to persistent organic pollutants: impact on women’s health

Banrida Wahlang

Page range: 331-348

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Abstract

This literature review focuses on the causal relationship between persistent organic pollutants (POPs) exposure and women’s health disorders, particularly cancer, cardio-metabolic events and reproductive health. Progressive industrialization has resulted in the production of a multitude of chemicals that are released into the environment on a daily basis. Environmental chemicals or pollutants are not only hazardous to our ecosystem but also lead to various health problems that affect the human population worldwide irrespective of gender, race or age. However, most environmental health studies that have been conducted, until recently, were exclusively biased with regard to sex and gender, beginning with exposure studies that were reported mostly in male, occupational workers and animal studies being carried out mostly in male rodent models. Health-related issues pertaining to women of all age groups have not been studied thoroughly and rather disregarded in most aspects of basic health science research and it is therefore pertinent that we address these limitations in environmental health. The review also addresses studies looking at the associations between health outcomes and exposures to POPs, particularly, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and pesticides, reported in cohort studies while accounting for gender differences. Considering that current levels of POPs in women can also impact future generations, informative guidelines related to dietary patterns and exposure history are needed for women of reproductive age. Additionally, occupational cohorts of highly exposed women worldwide, such as women working in manufacturing plants and female pesticide applicators are required to gather more information on population susceptibility and disease pathology.

September 6, 2018

Review of built and natural environment stressors impacting American-Indian/Alaska-Native children

Nirmalla Barros, Nicolle S. Tulve, Daniel T. Heggem, Ken Bailey

Page range: 349-381

Abstract

Children’s exposures to chemical and non-chemical stressors from their everyday environment affects their overall health and well-being. American-Indian/Alaska-Native (AI/AN) children may have a disproportionate burden of stressors from their built and natural environments when compared to children from other races/ethnicities. Our objectives were to identify chemical and non-chemical stressors from AI/AN children’s built and natural environments and evaluate their linkages with health and well-being outcomes from the peer reviewed literature. Library databases (e.g. PubMed) were searched to identify studies focused on these stressors. References were excluded if they: did not discuss AI/AN children or they were not the primary cohort; discussed tribes outside the United States (U.S.); were reviews or intervention studies; or did not discuss stressors from the built/natural environments. Out of 2539 references, 35 remained. Sample populations were predominantly (70%) in New York (NY) and Alaska (AK); 14 studies reported on the same cohort. Studies with matching stressors and outcomes were few, ruling out a quantitative review. Respiratory and developmental outcomes were the main outcomes evaluated. Primary non-chemical stressors were residential proximity to polluted landscapes, lack of indoor plumbing, and indoor use of wood for heating or cooking. The main chemical stressors were volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), p,p ′-DDE, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), lead, and mercury. Our qualitative review was suggestive of a potential increase in respiratory illness from indoor wood use or no plumbing, which can be used as a guide to promote healthy environments for AI/AN children. We identified limited studies (<40), demonstrating this population as understudied. Future studies need to consider: sample populations from other tribes in the U.S., stressors outside the household, other elements of the natural environment, and an evaluation of stressors from AI/AN children’s total environment (built, natural, and social).

Publicly Available September 6, 2018

Plastic waste as a significant threat to environment – a systematic literature review

Muhammad Ilyas, Waqas Ahmad, Hizbullah Khan, Saeeda Yousaf, Kifayatullah Khan, Shah Nazir

Page range: 383-406

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Abstract

Context Materials which exceed the balance of their production and destruction lead to the deterioration in the environment. Plastic is one such material which poses a big threat to the environment. A huge amount of plastic is produced and dumped into the environment which does not readily degrade naturally. In this paper, we address the organization of a large body of literature published on the management of waste plastics being the most challenging issue of the modern world. Objectives To address the issue of the management of waste plastics, there is a dire need to organize the literature published in this field. This paper presents a systematic literature review on plastic waste, its fate and biodegradation in the environment. The objective is to make conclusions on possible practical techniques to lessen the effects of plastic waste on the environment. Method A systematic literature review protocol was followed for conducting the present study [Kitchenham B, Brereton OP, Budgen D, Turner M, Bailey J, Linkman S. Systematic literature reviews in software engineering – A systematic literature review. Inf Softw Technol 2009;51(1):7–15.]. A predefined set of book sections, conference proceedings and high-quality journal publications during the years 1999 to September 2017 were used for data collection. Results One hundred and fifty-three primary studies are selected, based on predefined exclusion, inclusion and quality criteria. These studies will help to identify the fate of different waste plastics, their impact and management and the disposal techniques frequently used. The study also identifies a number of significant techniques and measures for the conversion of waste plastic materials into useful products. Conclusion Five fundamental strategies are used for the handling of plastic waste. These strategies include: recycling, depositing in landfill, incineration, microbial degradation and conversion into useful materials. All of these methods have their own limitations, due to which there is need to explore the studies for optimum solutions of the management of plastics waste.

October 16, 2018

Demographic, socio-economic and behavior as risk factors of tuberculosis in Malaysia: a systematic review of the literature

Nur Adibah Mohidem, Zailina Hashim, Malina Osman, Rafiza Shaharudin, Farrah Melissa Muharam, Punitha Makeswaran

Page range: 407-421

Abstract

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is making a comeback and has remained one of the main causes of mortality among the list of infectious diseases in Malaysia. Objective To evaluate the burden and demographic, socio-economic and behavior as risk factors of TB among communities in Malaysia. Method A comprehensive search of Scopus, Sciencedirect, PubMed, DOAJ, CINAHL Plus, MyJournal, BIREME, BMC Public Health, Medline, CAB, EMBASE (Excerpta Medica dataBASE), and Web of Science (WoS) was undertaken from the articles published from 1st January 2008 to 31st December 2017 using medical subject heading (MeSH) key terms. Results Of 717 papers screened, 31 eligible studies met our inclusion criteria. Gender, age, marriage status, ethnicity, area of living, being in prison and immigrant were evaluated as demographic factors, while educational level, occupation and household income were evaluated as socio-economic factors. For behavioral factors, smoking, drug abuse, alcohol consumption and other lifestyle practices were evaluated. However, not all the studies were statistically significantly associated with these risk factors. Studies on household income were few and too small to permit a conclusion. We also did not find any study that investigated TB infection among sex workers. Conclusion Immigrant in high density settings may increase the progression of disease infection in Malaysia. The risk factors for the development of TB, specifically in a high-risk population, should be targeted through the implementation of specialized interventions. Further research into the role of indoor and outdoor physical environments is required to better understand the association between the physical environment and the social environment with TB infection.

October 11, 2018

Application of lactic acid derived from food waste on pathogen inactivation in fecal sludge: a review on the alternative use of food waste

Emmanuel Alepu Odey, Bodjui Olivier Abo, Zifu Li, Xiaoqin Zhou

Page range: 423-431

Abstract

Food waste generation and disposal have led to several environmental problems, especially in developing countries. This phenomenon is partly because most cities rapidly urbanize, which results in population increase, urban settlement and waste generation. Improper management of waste has continued to create environmental problems. These problems have indeed interfered with the inadequate measures in managing other organic waste such as food waste. Food waste can be fermented and used for pathogen inactivation in fecal sludge (FS). The continual decrease in global crop production due to soil erosion, nutrient runoff and loss of organic matter has generated interest in using FS for soil amendment. However, due to the high number of pathogens in FS that are harmful to humans, FS must be treated before being used in agriculture. Thus, given the high amounts of food waste generated globally and the lactic acid potential of fermented food waste, several researchers have recently proposed the use of fermented food waste to suppress pathogens in FS. This review presents the various approaches in pathogen inactivation in FS using different types of food waste. On the basis of the literature review, the major problems associated with the generation, collection and application of food waste in pathogen inactivation in FS are discussed. Moreover, the trends and challenges that concern the applicability of each method are critically reviewed.

Mini Reviews

September 26, 2018

Impact of ambient air temperature on human health in India

Harshal R. Salve, Raghavan Parthasarathy, Anand Krishnan, D.R. Pattanaik

Page range: 433-439

Abstract

A systematic search was carried out in the databases of Pubmed, Indmed and Mausam for articles on the effect of ambient temperature on health. Relevant data were extracted using a standard data abstraction form by two authors independently. The overall effects of ambient air temperature are reported as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) on mortality. Of 812 records identified, only seven were included in the final review as per pre-defined criteria. An increase in the all-cause mortality rate of 41% are reported during a heat wave in India. Risk ratios for all-cause mortality was in the range of 1.7–2.1. The dose-response relationship of ambient temperature and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular diseases are been reported. Current evidence on the effect of ambient temperature and health is sufficient to initiate an integrated response from policy makers, climate scientists and public health practitioners in India. Continued advocacy and generation of more robust evidence is needed.

October 6, 2018

Influence of climate and environmental change in Nigeria: a review on vulnerability and adaptation to climate change

Emmanuel Alepu Odey, Bodjui Olivier Abo, Zifu Li, Xiaoqin Zhou, Abdulmoseen Segun Giwa

Page range: 441-447

Abstract

This paper reviews the current issues that involve environmental changes in Nigeria and environmental threats within the country. The fundamental aim of scientific knowledge in environmental studies is to reconcile climate change and environmental sustainability with developmental goals. Therefore, information on impact adaptation to climate change and vulnerability research is required to develop specific, action-oriented, interdisciplinary, successful, sociopolitical and democratic reform for the entire population of a country. This condition requires large inclusion of environmental researchers, institutions, re-inventing of research structures and ideas to dominate the global environmental change research and the critical analysis of present decision making, power, structure and related information structures. This review presents the effect of climate change in Nigeria and encourages adaptation research with challenging innovation, such as the use of energy-efficient renewable energy sources to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This paper also highlighted the need for researchers to become detailed, action oriented and multiscalar and to attend communications structure problems in enhancing the environmental activity.

Letter to the Editor

October 11, 2018

Letter to the Editor concerning the paper “A novel database of bio-effects from non-ionizing radiation”

Sarah Drießen, Dagmar Dechent, David Graefrath, Anne-Kathrin Petri, Lambert Bodewein, Tanja Emonds, Thomas Kraus

Page range: 449-450

About this journal

Objective
Reviews on Environmental Health is an international peer-reviewed journal that aims to fill the need for publication of review articles on hot topics in the field of environmental health. It is intended to be an inspiring forum for scientists, environmentalists, physicians, engineers, and students who are concerned with aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physiological and psychosociological interactions between humans and physical, chemical, biological, and social factors in the environment.
Reviews on Environmental Health is an important niche not served by any other journal, namely, a place to publish thoughtful reviews on a variety of topics related to both health and the environment. One challenge is to link the research on environmental causes of disease to the clinical practice of medicine. Reviews on Environmental Health is a source of integrated information on environmental health topics that will be of value to the broad scientific community, whether students, junior and senior professionals, or clinicians.

Topics

Environmental toxicology
Neurotoxicology
Immunology
Oncology
Dermatology
Epidemiology
Molecular biology
Pharmacogenetics
Child health
Medicine, occupational health and risk assessment
Water, air, and soil quality control
Methods for biomonitoring and remediation

Article formats
Reviews, Letters to the Editor, Editorials