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Sporchia F, Marchi M, Petraglia A, Marchettini N, Pulselli FM. The pandemic effect on GHG emission variation at the sub-national level and translation into policy opportunities. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 349:119539. [PMID: 37979383 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119539] [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: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories are commonly compiled at country level to monitor national progress towards nationally or internationally agreed targets. While they can support national climate change mitigation strategies, accounting for the intra-national heterogeneity of a country can draw different conclusions directly linked to the socio-economic and environmental sub-national context. This means that more refined and accurate policies and mitigation strategies can be designed when supported by GHG inventories at sub-national scale. The differences between sub-national territorial emissive behavior can be revealed by subjecting different territories to the same stress factors. A complete GHG emissions inventory, based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines, is compiled for three diverse administrative territories, in terms of scale, socio-economic contexts, and environmental conditions. By selecting three diverse sub-national contexts belonging to the same national territory - Italy - the analysis provides highly detailed information on the emissive status and behavior and delivers insights that national inventories fail to provide. The COVID-19 pandemic is considered as a stress factor; therefore, the reference years are 2019 and 2020 during which GHG emissions are detected. The study will test the capacity of sub-national GHG emission inventories, compiled by scaling the IPCC methodology to the sub-national level, to detect such differences through the lens of the pandemic. This allows obtaining detailed information and linking the pandemic effect to the GHG emissions of particular activities, which can inspire effective sub-national context-specific mitigation actions. Furthermore, we show that environmental and economic metrics are not as strictly coupled as they would appear at national level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Sporchia
- Department of Science, Technology and Society, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Italy
| | - Michela Marchi
- Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Petraglia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Nadia Marchettini
- Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Italy
| | - Federico Maria Pulselli
- Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Italy
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2
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Kalankesh LR, Rezaei Z, Mohammadpour A, Taghavi M. COVID-19 pandemic and socio-environmental inequality: A narrative review. Health Sci Rep 2023; 6:e1372. [PMID: 37388271 PMCID: PMC10300242 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims The COVID-19 pandemic has provided preliminary evidence of the existence of health, social, and environmental inequalities. This inequality encompasses inadequate access to safe water, clean air, and wastewater management, as well as limited socioeconomic and educational opportunities. These issues have not received sufficient attention during the pandemic. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide a comprehensive summary and analysis of the existing literature on a specific topic, ultimately leading to a conclusion based on the evidence presented. Methods The search methodology for this study involved conducting comprehensive searches of scientific databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, LILACS, and Google Scholar, from 2019 to 2023. The study focused on a specific theme and its relevant aspects related to global environmental health and society. Keywords such as COVID-19, inequities, and environmental health were used for searching. Additionally, the Boolean operator "AND" was used to combine these descriptors. Results Unequal exposure to air pollution has been reported in Africa, as well as in large parts of Asia and Latin America, according to the data that has been obtained. The pandemic has also resulted in a surge in healthcare waste generation, exacerbating the environmental impact of solid waste. Furthermore, there is evidence indicating significant disparities in the severe lack of access to sanitation services between developing nations and low-income regions. The issues related to water availability, accessibility, and quality are subject to debate. It has been reported that SARS-CoV-2 is present not only in untreated/raw water, but also in water bodies that act as reservoirs. Moreover, insufficient education, poverty, and low household income have been identified as the most significant risk factors for COVID-19 infection and mortality. Conclusion It is evident that addressing socio-environmental inequality and striving to narrow the gap by prioritizing vulnerable populations are imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laleh R. Kalankesh
- Social Determinants of Health Research CenterGonabad University of Medical SciencesGonabadIran
| | - Zahed Rezaei
- Social Determinants of Health Research CenterGonabad University of Medical SciencesGonabadIran
| | - Ali Mohammadpour
- Social Determinants of Health Research CenterGonabad University of Medical SciencesGonabadIran
| | - Mahmoud Taghavi
- Social Determinants of Health Research CenterGonabad University of Medical SciencesGonabadIran
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Kreutz J, Heitmann J, Schäfer AC, Aldudak S, Schieffer B, Schieffer E. Environmental factors and their impact on the COVID-19 pandemic. Herz 2023:10.1007/s00059-023-05178-2. [PMID: 37097475 PMCID: PMC10127158 DOI: 10.1007/s00059-023-05178-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in numerous cases of illness and death worldwide. Research has shown that there are associations between transmission, as well as the severity of SARS-CoV‑2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infections, and various environmental factors. For example, air pollution with particulate matter is thought to play a crucial role, and both climatic and geographical aspects must be considered. Furthermore, environmental conditions such as industry and urban lifestyle have a significant impact on air quality and thus on health aspects of the population. In this regard, other factors such as chemicals, microplastics, and diet also critically impact health, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how closely health and the environment are linked. This review discusses the impact of environmental factors on the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Kreutz
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology, and Intensive Care Medicine, Philipps University of Marburg, Baldinger Str., 35043, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Juliane Heitmann
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology, and Intensive Care Medicine, Philipps University of Marburg, Baldinger Str., 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ann-Christin Schäfer
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology, and Intensive Care Medicine, Philipps University of Marburg, Baldinger Str., 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sümeya Aldudak
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology, and Intensive Care Medicine, Philipps University of Marburg, Baldinger Str., 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schieffer
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology, and Intensive Care Medicine, Philipps University of Marburg, Baldinger Str., 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Schieffer
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology, and Intensive Care Medicine, Philipps University of Marburg, Baldinger Str., 35043, Marburg, Germany
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Zhang X, Chen Y, Pan Y, Ma X, Hu G, Li S, Deng Y, Chen Z, Chen H, Wu Y, Jiang Z, Li Z. Research progress of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 on aerosol collection and detection. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2023:108378. [PMID: 37362323 PMCID: PMC10039702 DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in late 2019 has negatively affected people's lives and productivity. Because the mode of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is of great concern, this review discusses the sources of virus aerosols and possible transmission routes. First, we discuss virus aerosol collection methods, including natural sedimentation, solid impact, liquid impact, centrifugal, cyclone and electrostatic adsorption methods. Then, we review common virus aerosol detection methods, including virus culture, metabolic detection, nucleic acid-based detection and immunology-based detection methods. Finally, possible solutions for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 aerosols are introduced. Point-of-care testing has long been a focus of attention. In the near future, the development of an instrument that integrates sampling and output results will enable the real-time, automatic monitoring of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Zhang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, 412007, China
| | - Yuting Chen
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, 412007, China
| | - Yueying Pan
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, 412007, China
| | - Xinye Ma
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, 412007, China
| | - Gui Hu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, 412007, China
| | - Song Li
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, 412007, China
| | - Yan Deng
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, 412007, China
| | - Zhu Chen
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, 412007, China
| | - Hui Chen
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, 412007, China
| | - Yanqi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, 999078, China
- Shenzhen Lemniscare Med Technol Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Zhihong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Zhiyang Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China
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5
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Rizki M, Joewono TB, Irawan MZ, Belgiawan PF, Bastarianto FF, Prasetyanto D. Investigating influencing factors for ICT adoption that changes travel behavior in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Indonesia. CASE STUDIES ON TRANSPORT POLICY 2023; 11:100947. [PMID: 36624834 PMCID: PMC9812828 DOI: 10.1016/j.cstp.2023.100947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Mobility and out-of-home activities restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic have forced people to maximize their in-home activities. Considering the increase in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) adoption during the outbreak, this paper tries to shed light on the factors that influence changing travel behavior. For these purposes, the study uses data collected through an online questionnaire during the outbreak in Indonesia, which was then analyzed using cluster and discriminant analyses. The study found that online adaptation during the outbreak was affected by income level, whereby high-income individuals are associated with high online adaptation. Residential location also influences ICT adaptation during the outbreak. Cities with higher access to the internet and ICT platforms as well as higher income per capita tend to have higher ICT adoption. People with more experience with online platforms or services also record higher online in-home activity adoption during the outbreak. Furthermore, while the lower-income group tends to reduce their travel, the higher-income group still continues to travel to fulfil their household needs during the outbreak, such as in-store shopping. Since the lower-income group and less accessible areas tend to have difficulty in accessing ICT as a substitute for travel, this study recommends that the government and ICT stakeholders ensure equal access to ICT to support physical distancing and to limit mobility in order to flatten the peak of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhamad Rizki
- Department of Civil Engineering, Institut Teknologi Nasional Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia
- Institute for Transport Studies, University of Natural Resources and Life Science Vienna, Austria
| | - Tri Basuki Joewono
- Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Parahyangan Catholic University, Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Muhammad Zudhy Irawan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | | | - Faza Fawzan Bastarianto
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Dwi Prasetyanto
- Department of Civil Engineering, Institut Teknologi Nasional Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia
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Du W, Jiang P, Li Q, Wen H, Zheng M, Zhang J, Guo Y, Yang J, Feng W, Ye S, Kamara S, Jiang P, Chen J, Li W, Zhu S, Zhang L. Novel Affibody Molecules Specifically Bind to SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and Efficiently Neutralize Delta and Omicron Variants. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0356222. [PMID: 36511681 PMCID: PMC9927262 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03562-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has been an unprecedented public health disaster in human history, and its spike (S) protein is the major target for vaccines and antiviral drug development. Although widespread vaccination has been well established, the viral gene is prone to rapid mutation, resulting in multiple global spread waves. Therefore, specific antivirals are needed urgently, especially those against variants. In this study, the domain of the receptor binding motif (RBM) and fusion peptide (FP) (amino acids [aa] 436 to 829; denoted RBMFP) of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein was expressed as a recombinant RBMFP protein in Escherichia coli and identified as being immunogenic and antigenically active. Then, the RBMFP proteins were used for phage display to screen the novel affibody. After prokaryotic expression and selection, four novel affibody molecules (Z14, Z149, Z171, and Z327) were obtained. Through surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and pseudovirus neutralization assay, we showed that affibody molecules specifically bind to the RBMFP protein with high affinity and neutralize against SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection. Especially, Z14 and Z171 displayed strong neutralizing activities against Delta and Omicron variants. Molecular docking predicted that affibody molecule interaction sites with RBM overlapped with ACE2. Thus, the novel affibody molecules could be further developed as specific neutralization agents against SARS-CoV-2 variants. IMPORTANCE SARS-CoV-2 and its variants are threatening the whole world. Although a full dose of vaccine injection showed great preventive effects and monoclonal antibody reagents have also been used for a specific treatment, the global pandemic persists. So, developing new vaccines and specific agents are needed urgently. In this work, we expressed the recombinant RBMFP protein as an antigen, identified its antigenicity, and used it as an antigen for affibody phage-display selection. After the prokaryotic expression, the specific affibody molecules were obtained and tested for pseudovirus neutralization. Results showed that the serum antibody induced by RBMFP neutralized Omicron variants. The screened affibody molecules specifically bound the RBMFP of SARS-CoV-2 with high affinity and neutralized the Delta and Omicron pseudovirus in vitro. So, the RBMFP induced serum provides neutralizing effects against pseudovirus in vitro, and the affibodies have the potential to be developed into specific prophylactic agents for SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangqi Du
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peipei Jiang
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qingfeng Li
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - He Wen
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Maolin Zheng
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yanru Guo
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jia Yang
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Weixu Feng
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Sisi Ye
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Saidu Kamara
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Pengfei Jiang
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenshu Li
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shanli Zhu
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lifang Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Jerrett M, Nau CL, Young DR, Butler RK, Batteate CM, Su J, Burnett RT, Kleeman MJ. Air pollution and meteorology as risk factors for COVID-19 death in a cohort from Southern California. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 171:107675. [PMID: 36565571 PMCID: PMC9715495 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent evidence links ambient air pollution to COVID-19 incidence, severity, and death, but few studies have analyzed individual-level mortality data with high quality exposure models. METHODS We sought to assess whether higher air pollution exposures led to greater risk of death during or after hospitalization in confirmed COVID-19 cases among patients who were members of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) healthcare system (N=21,415 between 06-01-2020 and 01-31-2022 of whom 99.85 % were unvaccinated during the study period). We used 1 km resolution chemical transport models to estimate ambient concentrations of several common air pollutants, including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particle matter (PM2.5). We also derived estimates of pollutant exposures from ultra-fine particulate matter (PM0.1), PM chemical species, and PM sources. We employed Cox proportional hazards models to assess associations between air pollution exposures and death from COVID-19 among hospitalized patients. FINDINGS We found significant associations between COVID-19 death and several air pollution exposures, including: PM2.5 mass, PM0.1 mass, PM2.5 nitrates, PM2.5 elemental carbon, PM2.5 on-road diesel, and PM2.5 on-road gasoline. Based on the interquartile (IQR) exposure increment, effect sizes ranged from hazard ratios (HR) = 1.12 for PM2.5 mass and PM2.5 nitrate to HR ∼ 1.06-1.07 for other species or source markers. Humidity and temperature in the month of diagnosis were also significant negative predictors of COVID-19 death and negative modifiers of the air pollution effects. INTERPRETATION Air pollution exposures and meteorology were associated the risk of COVID-19 death in a cohort of patients from Southern California. These findings have implications for prevention of death from COVID-19 and for future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Jerrett
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles 650 Charles Young Dr. S., 56-070 CHS Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States.
| | - Claudia L Nau
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California 100 S. Los Robles Ave., 5th Floor, Pasadena, CA 91101, United States
| | - Deborah R Young
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California 100 S. Los Robles Ave., 5th Floor, Pasadena, CA 91101, United States
| | - Rebecca K Butler
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California 100 S. Los Robles Ave., 5th Floor, Pasadena, CA 91101, United States
| | - Christina M Batteate
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles 650 Charles Young Dr. S., 56-070 CHS Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
| | - Jason Su
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley 2121 Berkeley Way, Room 5302, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Richard T Burnett
- Population Studies Division, Environmental Health Directorate, Health Canada 251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Michael J Kleeman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis 1 Sheilds Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, United States
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Abbasi S, Daneshmand-Mehr M, Ghane Kanafi A. Green Closed-Loop Supply Chain Network Design During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: a Case Study in the Iranian Automotive Industry. ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 28:69-103. [PMID: 36540109 PMCID: PMC9756749 DOI: 10.1007/s10666-022-09863-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a new mathematical model of the green closed-loop supply chain network (GCLSCN) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The suggested model can explain the trade-offs between environmental (minimizing CO2 emissions) and economic (minimizing total costs) aspects during the COVID-19 outbreak. Considering the guidelines for hygiene during the outbreak helps us design a new sustainable hygiene supply chain (SC). This model is sensitive to the cost structure. The cost includes two parts: the normal cost without considering the coronavirus pandemic and the cost with considering coronavirus. The economic novelty aspect of this paper is the hygiene costs. It includes disinfection and sanitizer costs, personal protective equipment (PPE) costs, COVID-19 tests, education, medicines, vaccines, and vaccination costs. This paper presents a multi-objective mixed-integer programming (MOMIP) problem for designing a GCLSCN during the pandemic. The optimization procedure uses the scalarization approach, namely the weighted sum method (WSM). The computational optimization process is conducted through Lingo software. Due to the recency of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still many research gaps. Our contributions to this research are as follows: (i) designed a model of the green supply chain (GSC) and showed the better trade-offs between economic and environmental aspects during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, (ii) designed the hygiene supply chain, (iii) proposed the new indicators of economic aspects during the COVID-19 outbreak, and (iv) have found the positive (reducing CO2 emissions) and negative (increase in costs) impacts of COVID-19 and lockdowns. Therefore, this study designed a new hygiene model to fill this gap for the COVID-19 condition disaster. The findings of the proposed network illustrate the SC has become greener during the COVID-19 pandemic. The total cost of the network was increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the lockdowns had direct positive effects on emissions and air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Abbasi
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Lahijan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, Iran
| | - Maryam Daneshmand-Mehr
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Lahijan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, Iran
| | - Armin Ghane Kanafi
- Department of Mathematics, Lahijan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, Iran
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9
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Yang Z, Roth K, Ding J, Kassotis CD, Mor G, Petriello MC. Exposure to a mixture of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances modulates pulmonary expression of ACE2 and circulating hormones and cytokines. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2022; 456:116284. [PMID: 36270329 PMCID: PMC10325118 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2022.116284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Genetic and environmental factors impact on the interindividual variability of susceptibility to communicable and non-communicable diseases. A class of ubiquitous chemicals, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been linked in epidemiological studies to immunosuppression and increased susceptibility to viral infections, but possible mechanisms are not well elucidated. To begin to gain insight into the role of PFAS in susceptibility to one such viral infection, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), male and female C57BL/6 J mice were exposed to control water or a mixture of 5 PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, Genx) for 12 weeks and lungs were isolated for examination of expression of SARS-CoV-2-related receptors Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) and others. Secondary analyses included circulating hormones and cytokines which have been shown to directly or indirectly impact on ACE2 expression and severity of viral infections. Changes in mRNA and protein expression were analyzed by RT-qPCR and western blotting and circulating hormones and cytokines were determined by ELISA and MESO QuickPlex. The PFAS mixture decreased Ace2 mRNA 2.5-fold in male mice (p < 0.0001), with no significant change observed in females. In addition, TMPRSS2, ANPEP, ENPEP and DPP4 (other genes implicated in COVID-19 infection) were modulated due to PFAS. Plasma testosterone, but not estrogen were strikingly decreased due to PFAS which corresponded to PFAS-mediated repression of 4 representative pulmonary AR target genes; hemoglobin, beta adult major chain (Hbb-b1), Ferrochelatase (Fech), Collagen Type XIV Alpha 1 Chain (Col14a1), 5'-Aminolevulinate Synthase 2 (Alas2). Finally, PFAS modulated circulating pro and anti-inflammatory mediators including IFN-γ (downregulated 3.0-fold in females; p = 0.0301, 2.1-fold in males; p = 0.0418) and IL-6 (upregulated 5.6-fold in males; p = 0.030, no change in females). In conclusion, our data indicate long term exposure to a PFAS mixture impacts mechanisms related to expression of ACE2 in the lung. This work provides a mechanistic rationale for important future studies of PFAS exposure and subsequent viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Yang
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Katherine Roth
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Jiahui Ding
- C.S Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Christopher D Kassotis
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Gil Mor
- C.S Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Michael C Petriello
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
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10
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Chaves MDJS, Kulzer J, Pujol de Lima PDR, Barbosa SC, Primel EG. Updated knowledge, partitioning and ecological risk of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in global aquatic environments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:1982-2008. [PMID: 36124562 DOI: 10.1039/d2em00132b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Over the last few decades, the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic environments has generated increasing public concern. In this review, data on the presence of PPCPs in environmental compartments from the past few years (2014-2022) are summarized by carrying out a critical survey of the partitioning among water, sediment, and aquatic organisms. From the available articles on PPCP occurrence in the environment, in Web of Science and Scopus databases, 185 articles were evaluated. Diclofenac, carbamazepine, caffeine, ibuprofen, ciprofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole were reported to occur in 85% of the studies in at least one of the mentioned matrices. Risk assessment showed a moderate to high environmental risk for these compounds worldwide. Moreover, bioconcentration factors showed that sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim can bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms, while ciprofloxacin and triclosan present bioaccumulation potential. Regarding spatial distribution, the Asian and European continents presented most studies on the occurrence and effects of PPCPs on the environment, while Africa and Asia are the most contaminated continents. In addition, the impact of COVID-19 on environmental contamination by PPCPs is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa de Jesus Silva Chaves
- Chemistry and Food School, Laboratório de Análise de Compostos Orgânicos e Metais (LACOM), Federal University of Rio Grande, Av Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, RS 96201-900, Brazil.
| | - Jonatas Kulzer
- Chemistry and Food School, Laboratório de Análise de Compostos Orgânicos e Metais (LACOM), Federal University of Rio Grande, Av Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, RS 96201-900, Brazil.
| | - Paula da Rosa Pujol de Lima
- Chemistry and Food School, Laboratório de Análise de Compostos Orgânicos e Metais (LACOM), Federal University of Rio Grande, Av Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, RS 96201-900, Brazil.
| | - Sergiane Caldas Barbosa
- Chemistry and Food School, Laboratório de Análise de Compostos Orgânicos e Metais (LACOM), Federal University of Rio Grande, Av Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, RS 96201-900, Brazil.
| | - Ednei Gilberto Primel
- Chemistry and Food School, Laboratório de Análise de Compostos Orgânicos e Metais (LACOM), Federal University of Rio Grande, Av Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, RS 96201-900, Brazil.
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11
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Alfaro T, Martinez-Folgar K, Vives A, Bilal U. Excess Mortality during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Cities of Chile: Magnitude, Inequalities, and Urban Determinants. J Urban Health 2022; 99:922-935. [PMID: 35688966 PMCID: PMC9187147 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-022-00658-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We estimated excess mortality in Chilean cities during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with city-level factors. We used mortality, and social and built environment data from the SALURBAL study for 21 Chilean cities, composed of 81 municipalities or "comunas", grouped in 4 macroregions. We estimated excess mortality by comparing deaths from January 2020 up to June 2021 vs 2016-2019, using a generalized additive model. We estimated a total of 21,699 (95%CI 21,693 to 21,704) excess deaths across the 21 cities. Overall relative excess mortality was highest in the Metropolitan (Santiago) and the North regions (28.9% and 22.2%, respectively), followed by the South and Center regions (17.6% and 14.1%). At the city-level, the highest relative excess mortality was found in the Northern cities of Calama and Iquique (around 40%). Cities with higher residential overcrowding had higher excess mortality. In Santiago, capital of Chile, municipalities with higher educational attainment had lower relative excess mortality. These results provide insight into the heterogeneous impact of COVID-19 in Chile, which has served as a magnifier of preexisting urban health inequalities, exhibiting different impacts between and within cities. Delving into these findings could help prioritize strategies addressed to prevent deaths in more vulnerable communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Alfaro
- Escuela de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia 939, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Kevin Martinez-Folgar
- Urban Health Collaborative; and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alejandra Vives
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, CEDEUS, Santiago, Chile
| | - Usama Bilal
- Urban Health Collaborative; and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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12
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Rai PK, Sonne C, Song H, Kim KH. The effects of COVID-19 transmission on environmental sustainability and human health: Paving the way to ensure its sustainable management. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156039. [PMID: 35595144 PMCID: PMC9113776 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The transmission dynamics and health risks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are inextricably linked to ineract with environment, climate, air pollution, and meteorological conditions. The spread of COVID-19 infection can thus perturb the 'planetary health' and livelihood by exerting impacts on the temporal and spatial variabilities of environmental pollution. Prioritization of COVID-19 by the health-care sector has been posing a serious threat to economic progress while undermining the efforts to meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for environmental sustainability. Here, we review the multifaceted effects of COVID-19 with respect to environmental quality, climatic variables, SDGs, energy resilience, and sustainability programs. It is well perceived that COVID-19 may have long-lasting and profound effects on socio-economic systems, food security, livelihoods, and the 'nexus' indicators. To seek for the solution of these problems, consensus can be drawn to establish and ensure a sound health-care system, a sustainable environment, and a circular bioeconomy. A holistic analysis of COVID-19's effects on multiple sectors should help develop nature-based solutions, cleaner technologies, and green economic recovery plans to help maintain environmental sustainability, ecosystem resilience, and planetary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabhat Kumar Rai
- Phyto-Technologies and Plant Invasion Lab, Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth Sciences and Natural Resources Management, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, India
| | - C Sonne
- Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - H Song
- Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Hyun Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
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13
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Naseri K, Aliashrafzadeh H, Otadi M, Ebrahimzadeh F, Badfar H, Alipourfard I. Human Responses in Public Health Emergencies for Infectious Disease Control: An Overview of Controlled Topologies for Biomedical Applications. CONTRAST MEDIA & MOLECULAR IMAGING 2022; 2022:6324462. [PMID: 36105443 PMCID: PMC9458400 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6324462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 originated in Wuhan city of Hubei Province in China in December three years ago. Since then, it has spread to more than 210 countries and territories. This disease is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2. The virus has a size of one to two nanometers and a single-stranded positive RNA. Droplets spread the virus from coughing and sneezing. This condition causes coughing, fever, acute respiratory problems, and even death. According to the WHO, the virus can survive outside the body for several hours. This research aimed to determine how environmental factors influenced the COVID-19 virus's survival and behavior, as well as its transmission, in a complex environment. Based on the results, virus transmissions are influenced by various human and environmental factors such as population distribution, travel, social behavior, and climate change. Environmental factors have not been adequately examined concerning the transmission of this epidemic. Thus, it is necessary to examine various aspects of prevention and control of this disease, including its effects on climate and other environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamal Naseri
- Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Maryam Otadi
- Chemical Engineering Department, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farnoosh Ebrahimzadeh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Homayoun Badfar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Urmia University of Technology (UUT), PO Box: 57166-419, Urmia, Iran
| | - Iraj Alipourfard
- Institute of Biology,Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
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14
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Darmarajan T, Paudel KR, Candasamy M, Chellian J, Madheswaran T, Sakthivel LP, Goh BH, Gupta PK, Jha NK, Devkota HP, Gupta G, Gulati M, Singh SK, Hansbro PM, Oliver BGG, Dua K, Chellappan DK. Autoantibodies and autoimmune disorders in SARS-CoV-2 infection: pathogenicity and immune regulation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:54072-54087. [PMID: 35657545 PMCID: PMC9163295 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20984-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease associated with the respiratory system caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The aim of this review article is to establish an understanding about the relationship between autoimmune conditions and COVID-19 infections. Although majority of the population have been protected with vaccines against this virus, there is yet a successful curative medication for this disease. The use of autoimmune medications has been widely considered to control the infection, thus postulating possible relationships between COVID-19 and autoimmune diseases. Several studies have suggested the correlation between autoantibodies detected in patients and the severity of the COVID-19 disease. Studies have indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can disrupt the self-tolerance mechanism of the immune system, thus triggering autoimmune conditions. This review discusses the current scenario and future prospects of promising therapeutic strategies that may be employed to regulate such autoimmune conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiviya Darmarajan
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Subang Jaya, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Keshav Raj Paudel
- Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Mayuren Candasamy
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Jestin Chellian
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Thiagarajan Madheswaran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Lakshmana Prabu Sakthivel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, University College of Engineering (BIT Campus), Anna University, Tiruchirappalli, 620024, India
| | - Bey Hing Goh
- Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, 47500, Malaysia
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Piyush Kumar Gupta
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Knowledge Park III, Greater Noida, 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering & Technology, Sharda University, Knowledge Park III, Greater Noida, 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering and Food Technology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413, India
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied & Life Sciences (SALS), Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, 248007, India
| | - Hari Prasad Devkota
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan
- Program for Leading Graduate Schools, Health Life Science: Interdisciplinary and Glocal Oriented (HIGO) Program, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- School of Pharmacy, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jagatpura, Jaipur, India
- Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
- Uttaranchal Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
| | - Monica Gulati
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T Road, Phagwara, Punjab, India
- Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Sachin Kumar Singh
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T Road, Phagwara, Punjab, India
- Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Philip Michael Hansbro
- Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Brian Gregory George Oliver
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
- Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kamal Dua
- Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
- Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Dinesh Kumar Chellappan
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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15
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Kabi AK, Pal M, Gujjarappa R, Malakar CC, Roy M. Overview of Hydroxychloroquine and Remdesivir on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). J Heterocycl Chem 2022; 60:JHET4541. [PMID: 35942205 PMCID: PMC9349740 DOI: 10.1002/jhet.4541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the ongoing pandemic named COVID-19 which causes a serious emergency on public health hazards of international concern. In the face of a critical medical emergency, repositioning of drugs is one of the most authentic options to design an adequate treatment for infected patients immediately. In this strategy, Remdesivir (Veklury), Hydroxychloroquine appears to be the drug of choice and garnered unprecedented attention as potential therapeutic agents against the pandemic realized worldwide due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. These are the breathtaking instances of possible repositioning of drugs, whose pharmacokinetics and optimal dosage are familiar. In this review, we provide an overview of these medications, their synthesis, and the possible mechanism of action against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arup K. Kabi
- Department of ChemistryNational Institute of Technology ManipurImphalManipurIndia
| | - Maynak Pal
- Department of ChemistryNational Institute of Technology ManipurImphalManipurIndia
| | - Raghuram Gujjarappa
- Department of ChemistryNational Institute of Technology ManipurImphalManipurIndia
| | - Chandi C. Malakar
- Department of ChemistryNational Institute of Technology ManipurImphalManipurIndia
| | - Mithun Roy
- Department of ChemistryNational Institute of Technology ManipurImphalManipurIndia
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16
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The Effects of Pandemic Restrictions on Public Health-Improvements in Urban Air Quality. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159022. [PMID: 35897393 PMCID: PMC9332269 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The present study aims to provide evidence on the effects of pandemic curtailment measures on public health, targeting the changes in breathable air quality, within urban areas. The analyzed period covers the full impact of lockdowns in Europe in 2020. We used everyday data for each analyzed pollutant, NO2, SO2, CO, PM2.5 and PM10, from urban monitoring stations that provided real-time concentrations (provided by Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, Environmental Protection Agency repository and European Environment Agency map services) and satellite data (provided by NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2). In the present study, the urban air quality was computed using a composite index that was further analyzed in comparison with pandemic restrictions. Descriptive statistics, charts and maps were used to visualize the data that covered the analyzed countries. Our results show that air pollution was reduced by 12% after lockdowns in European urban areas, with a 0.76 correlation between air pollution and pandemic restrictions. All air pollutants registered significant drops.
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17
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Naseer S, Wei Z, Aslam MS, Naseer S. A mini-review: positive impact of COVID-19 on Arial health and ecology. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:40520-40530. [PMID: 35349061 PMCID: PMC8961088 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19961-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 can cause global pandemics; however, no specific vaccine has been recommended for COVID-19. Nearly 216 countries are trying to stop the spread of the disease, recover from it, and improve its mobility. In a way that people have not experienced in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic affected humans through the year 2020. To stop the spread of the disease, many governments declared a complete lockdown.The nationwide lockdown had some positive effects on the environment even though it led to a decline in global economic growth. Air pollution levels reduced dramatically as a result of this lockdown on pollution. Most of Europe's populated cities saw a reduction in NO2 concentration of 45-54%. COVID-19 and air, water, and ecology are connected via two pathways, one occurring before the spread of the disease and the other following after. As a result of industrial activity, transportation, and high human density, pollutants were high in many areas before the disease spread. There was a reduction in population movements as well as a decline in human activities which resulted in a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, an improvement of the ozone layer, as well as improvements in the Earth's weather and environment. As a result of a COVID-19 pandemic, human activities are negatively impacted, and the environment is positively affected. Our objective is to provide an assessment of the impact of human activities on the environment and ecology. During times of lockdown, there is a correlation between atmospheric changes and the behavior of natural creatures. Several significant findings are presented, including air pollution reduction, air quality improvement, ozone healing, and ecological sustainability. COVID-19 is beneficial for aerial health, aquatic health, and ecology in this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sidra Naseer
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023 China
| | - Zhenggui Wei
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023 China
| | - Muhammad Shamrooz Aslam
- School of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Sciences, Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou, China
| | - Saira Naseer
- School of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box, Nanjing, 210094 China
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18
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Lou B, Barbieri DM, Passavanti M, Hui C, Gupta A, Hoff I, Lessa DA, Sikka G, Chang K, Fang K, Lam L, Maharaj B, Ghasemi N, Qiao Y, Adomako S, Foroutan Mirhosseini A, Naik B, Banerjee A, Wang F, Tucker A, Liu Z, Wijayaratna K, Naseri S, Yu L, Chen H, Shu B, Goswami S, Peprah P, Hessami A, Abbas M, Agarwal N. Air pollution perception in ten countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. AMBIO 2022; 51:531-545. [PMID: 34155609 PMCID: PMC8216327 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01574-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
As largely documented in the literature, the stark restrictions enforced worldwide in 2020 to curb the COVID-19 pandemic also curtailed the production of air pollutants to some extent. This study investigates the perception of the air pollution as assessed by individuals located in ten countries: Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Norway, South Africa and the USA. The perceptions towards air quality were evaluated by employing an online survey administered in May 2020. Participants (N = 9394) in the ten countries expressed their opinions according to a Likert-scale response. A reduction in pollutant concentration was clearly perceived, albeit to a different extent, by all populations. The survey participants located in India and Italy perceived the largest drop in the air pollution concentration; conversely, the smallest variation was perceived among Chinese and Norwegian respondents. Among all the demographic indicators considered, only gender proved to be statistically significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baowen Lou
- School of Highway, Chang’an University, Nan Er Huan Road (Mid-section), Xi’an, 710064 Shaanxi China
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 7A, 7491 Trondheim, Trøndelag Norway
| | - Diego Maria Barbieri
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 7A, 7491 Trondheim, Trøndelag Norway
| | - Marco Passavanti
- Italian Society of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT-Italy), Mannelli St. 139, 50132 Firenze, Toscana Italy
| | - Cang Hui
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, 7602 South Africa
- Biodiversity Informatics Unit, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cape Town, 7945 South Africa
| | - Akshay Gupta
- Department of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering Group, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, 321-A&B, Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667 India
| | - Inge Hoff
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 7A, 7491 Trondheim, Trøndelag Norway
| | - Daniela Antunes Lessa
- Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Rua Nove, Bauxita, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 35400-000 Brazil
| | - Gaurav Sikka
- Department of Geography, Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Darbhanga, Bihar 846004 India
| | - Kevin Chang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Mailstop 1022, Moscow, ID 83844 USA
| | - Kevin Fang
- Department of Geography, Sonoma State University, Environment, and Planning, 1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 USA
| | - Louisa Lam
- School of Health, Federation University Australia, 72-100 Clyde Rd, Berwick, VIC 3806 Australia
| | - Brij Maharaj
- Department of Geography, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College City, Durban, 4000 KwaZulu South Africa
| | - Navid Ghasemi
- Department of Civil Chemical Environmental and Materials Engineering, University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento, 2, 40136 Bologna, Emilia-Romagna Italy
| | - Yaning Qiao
- School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Daxue Road 1, Xuzhou, 22116 Jiangsu China
| | - Solomon Adomako
- Department of Engineering and Science, University of Agder, Jon Lilletuns vei 9, 4879 Grimstad, Agder Norway
| | - Ali Foroutan Mirhosseini
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 7A, 7491 Trondheim, Trøndelag Norway
| | - Bhaven Naik
- Department of Civil Engineering/Russ College of Engineering & Technology, Ohio University, 28 W. Green Drive, Athens, OH 45701 USA
| | - Arunabha Banerjee
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039 India
| | - Fusong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi road 122, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei China
| | - Andrew Tucker
- Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center, University of Connecticut, 270 Middle Turnpike, Unit 5202 Longley Building, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
| | - Zhuangzhuang Liu
- School of Highway, Chang’an University, Nan Er Huan Road (Mid-section), Xi’an, 710064 Shaanxi China
| | - Kasun Wijayaratna
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, 81, Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007 Australia
| | - Sahra Naseri
- School of Medicine, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, 76615-336 Kerman, Iran
| | - Lei Yu
- School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Xingang Xi Road 135, Guangzhou, 510275 Guangdong China
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 7A, 7491 Trondheim, Trøndelag Norway
| | - Benan Shu
- Foshan Transportation Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Kuiqi Second Road 18, Foshan, 528000 Guangdong China
| | - Shubham Goswami
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, C V Raman Avenue, Bangalore, Karnataka 560012 India
| | - Prince Peprah
- Department of Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, John Goodsell Building, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Amir Hessami
- Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Texas A&M University – , Kingsville, 917 W. Ave B, Kingsville, TX 78363 USA
| | - Montasir Abbas
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 301-D3 Patton Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA
| | - Nithin Agarwal
- Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering, University of Florida, 2100 NE Waldo Rd., Sta 106, Gainesville, FL 32609 USA
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19
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Shao L, Cao Y, Jones T, Santosh M, Silva LFO, Ge S, da Boit K, Feng X, Zhang M, BéruBé K. COVID-19 mortality and exposure to airborne PM 2.5: A lag time correlation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:151286. [PMID: 34743816 PMCID: PMC8553633 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has escalated into one of the most serious crises in the 21st Century. Given the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 and its high mortality rate, here we investigate the impact and relationship of airborne PM2.5 to COVID-19 mortality. Previous studies have indicated that PM2.5 has a positive relationship with the spread of COVID-19. To gain insights into the delayed effect of PM2.5 concentration (μgm-3) on mortality, we focused on the role of PM2.5 in Wuhan City in China and COVID-19 during the period December 27, 2019 to April 7, 2020. We also considered the possible impact of various meteorological factors such as temperature, precipitation, wind speed, atmospheric pressure and precipitation on pollutant levels. The results from the Pearson's correlation coefficient analyses reveal that the population exposed to higher levels of PM2.5 pollution are susceptible to COVID-19 mortality with a lag time of >18 days. By establishing a generalized additive model, the delayed effect of PM2.5 on the death toll of COVID-19 was verified. A negative correction was identified between temperature and number of COVID-19 deaths, whereas atmospheric pressure exhibits a positive correlation with deaths, both with a significant lag effect. The results from our study suggest that these epidemiological relationships may contribute to the understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and provide insights for public health strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longyi Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Yaxin Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Tim Jones
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
| | - M Santosh
- School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geoscience Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; Department of Earth Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Luis F O Silva
- Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de la Costa, Calle 58 #55-66, 080002 Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
| | - Shuoyi Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Kátia da Boit
- Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de la Costa, Calle 58 #55-66, 080002 Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
| | - Xiaolei Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Mengyuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Kelly BéruBé
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, Wales, UK
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20
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Patrício Silva AL, Tubić A, Vujić M, Soares AMVM, Duarte AC, Barcelò D, Rocha-Santos T. Implications of COVID-19 pandemic on environmental compartments: Is plastic pollution a major issue? JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ADVANCES 2022; 5:100041. [PMID: 36743854 PMCID: PMC8702633 DOI: 10.1016/j.hazadv.2021.100041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 anthropause has impacted human activities and behaviour, resulting in substantial environmental and ecological changes. It has assisted in restoring the ecological systems by improving, for instance, air and water quality and decreasing the anthropogenic pressure on wildlife and natural environments. Notwithstanding, such improvements recessed back, even to a greater extent, when considering increased medical waste, hazardous disinfectants and other chemical compounds, and plastic waste disposal or mismanagement. This work critically reviews the short- and long-term implications of measures against COVID-19 spreading, namely on human activities and different environmental compartments. Furthermore, this paper highlights strategies towards environmental restoration, as the recovery of the lost environment during COVID-19 lockdown suggests that the environmental degradation caused by humans can be reversible. Thus, we can no longer delay concerted international actions to address biodiversity, sustainable development, and health emergencies to ensure environmental resilience and equitable recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L Patrício Silva
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Aleksandra Tubić
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
| | - Maja Vujić
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
| | - Amadeu M V M Soares
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Armando C Duarte
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Damià Barcelò
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, H2O Building, Emili Grahit 101, Girona 17003, Spain
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Teresa Rocha-Santos
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal
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21
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Kumar A, Singh P, Raizada P, Hussain CM. Impact of COVID-19 on greenhouse gases emissions: A critical review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150349. [PMID: 34555610 PMCID: PMC8445775 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The global outburst of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has posed severe challenges to human health, environment, energy and economy all over the world. The stringent measures to control the spread of COVID-19 results a significant slowdown in economic activities which in turn affected the environment by reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, specifically lower atmospheric CO2 levels. Considering that, the present study intends to highlight the substantial impact of COVID-19 pandemic on GHG emissions, by systematically reviewing the available scientific literatures. The study further outlined the variation in GHG emissions by comparing the data focused on pre-pandemic, during pandemic, and post-pandemic (predictions) scenarios. Further, the assessment on elevating CO2 levels, global economic, and energy impacts of COVID-19 has also been reviewed. Also, the possible recovery plan for the framework of sustainable environmental and energy development is presented. Finally, the review concludes with an insightful summary involving the challenges and future outlook towards sustainable development goals in a hope that the present study can help the researchers to assess the global environmental and energy related consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinandan Kumar
- School of Advanced Chemical Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh 173229, India
| | - Pardeep Singh
- School of Advanced Chemical Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh 173229, India
| | - Pankaj Raizada
- School of Advanced Chemical Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh 173229, India.
| | - Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
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22
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Dzinamarira T, Murewanhema G, Iradukunda PG, Madziva R, Herrera H, Cuadros DF, Tungwarara N, Chitungo I, Musuka G. Utilization of SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance in Africa-A Rapid Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:969. [PMID: 35055789 PMCID: PMC8775514 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19020969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in wastewater is desirable for understanding COVID-19 in settings where financial resources and diagnostic facilities for mass individual testing are severely limited. We conducted a rapid review to map research evidence on the utilization of SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance in Africa. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and the World Health Organization library databases for relevant reports, reviews, and primary observational studies. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Narrative synthesis of the findings from included primary studies revealed the testing methodologies utilized and that detected amount of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA correlated with the number of new cases in the studied areas. The included reviews revealed the epidemiological significance and environmental risks of SARS-CoV-2 wastewater. Wastewater surveillance data at the community level can be leveraged for the rapid assessment of emerging threats and aid pandemic preparedness. Our rapid review revealed a glaring gap in the primary literature on SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance on the continent, and accelerated and adequate investment into research is urgently needed to address this gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tafadzwa Dzinamarira
- School of Health Systems & Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
- ICAP at Columbia University, Harare, Zimbabwe;
| | - Grant Murewanhema
- Unit of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe;
| | - Patrick Gad Iradukunda
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, London WC1E 7HU, UK;
| | - Roda Madziva
- School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK;
| | - Helena Herrera
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2UP, UK;
| | - Diego F. Cuadros
- Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA;
| | - Nigel Tungwarara
- Department of Health Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria 0002, South Africa;
| | - Itai Chitungo
- Chemical Pathology Unit, Department of Laboratory Diagnostic and Investigative Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe;
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23
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Ward MP, Liu Y, Xiao S, Zhang Z. Challenges in the control of COVID-19 outbreaks caused by the delta variant during periods of low humidity: an observational study in Sydney, Australia. Infect Dis Poverty 2021; 10:139. [PMID: 34937575 PMCID: PMC8694908 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-021-00926-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Since the appearance of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a growing body of evidence has suggested that weather factors, particularly temperature and humidity, influence transmission. This relationship might differ for the recently emerged B.1.617.2 (delta) variant of SARS-CoV-2. Here we use data from an outbreak in Sydney, Australia that commenced in winter and time-series analysis to investigate the association between reported cases and temperature and relative humidity. Methods Between 16 June and 10 September 2021, the peak of the outbreak, there were 31,662 locally-acquired cases reported in five local health districts of Sydney, Australia. The associations between daily 9:00 am and 3:00 pm temperature (°C), relative humidity (%) and their difference, and a time series of reported daily cases were assessed using univariable and multivariable generalized additive models and a 14-day exponential moving average. Akaike information criterion (AIC) and the likelihood ratio statistic were used to compare different models and determine the best fitting model. A sensitivity analysis was performed by modifying the exponential moving average. Results During the 87-day time-series, relative humidity ranged widely (< 30–98%) and temperatures were mild (approximately 11–17 °C). The best-fitting (AIC: 1,119.64) generalized additive model included 14-day exponential moving averages of 9:00 am temperature (P < 0.001) and 9:00 am relative humidity (P < 0.001), and the interaction between these two weather variables (P < 0.001). Humidity was negatively associated with cases no matter whether temperature was high or low. The effect of lower relative humidity on increased cases was more pronounced below relative humidity of about 70%; below this threshold, not only were the effects of humidity pronounced but also the relationship between temperature and cases of the delta variant becomes apparent. Conclusions We suggest that the control of COVID-19 outbreaks, specifically those due to the delta variant, is particularly challenging during periods of the year with lower relative humidity and warmer temperatures. In addition to vaccination, stronger implementation of other interventions such as mask-wearing and social distancing might need to be considered during these higher risk periods. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40249-021-00926-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Ward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW, Australia.
| | - Yuanhua Liu
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuang Xiao
- Department of HIV/STD Prevention and Control, Shanghai Municipal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhijie Zhang
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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24
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D. Atoufi H, Lampert DJ, Sillanpää M. COVID-19, a double-edged sword for the environment: a review on the impacts of COVID-19 on the environment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:61969-61978. [PMID: 34558046 PMCID: PMC8460194 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16551-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
This review paper discusses the most relevant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) originated in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease has infected 70 million people and caused the death of 1.58 million people since the US Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization to develop a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 on December 11, 2020. COVID-19 is a global crisis that has impacted everything directly connected with human beings, including the environment. This review discusses the impacts of COVID-19 on the environment during the pandemic and post-COVID-19 era. During the first months of the COVID pandemic, global coal, oil, gas, and electricity demands declined by 8%, 5%, 2%, and 20%, respectively, relative to 2019. Stay-at-home orders in countries increased the concentrations of particles in indoor environments while decreasing the concentrations of PM2.5 and NOX in outdoor environments. Remotely working in response to the COVID-19 pandemic increased the carbon, water, and land footprints of Internet usage. Microplastics are released into our environment from the mishandling and mismanagement of personal protective equipment that endanger our water, soils, and sediments. Since the COVID-19 vaccine cannot be stored for a long time and spoils rapidly, more awareness of the massive waste of unused doses is needed. So COVID-19 is a double-edged sword for the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein D. Atoufi
- Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL USA
| | - David J. Lampert
- Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Mika Sillanpää
- Environmental Engineering and Management Research Group, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Faculty of Environment and Labour Safety, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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25
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Facciolà A, Laganà P, Caruso G. The COVID-19 pandemic and its implications on the environment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 201:111648. [PMID: 34242676 PMCID: PMC8261195 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The emerging threat posed by COVID-19 pandemic has strongly modified our lifestyle, making urgent to re-consider the humans-environment relationships and stimulating towards more sustainable choices in our daily behavior. Scientific evidences showed that the onset of new viral pathogens with a high epidemic-pandemic potential is often the result of complex interactions between animals, humans and environment. In this context, the interest of the scientific community has also been attracted towards the potential interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with environmental compartments. Many issues, ranging from the epidemiology and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in water bodies to the potential implications of lockdown measures on environmental quality status are here reviewed, with a special reference to marine ecosystems. Due to current sanitary emergence, the relevance of pilot studies regarding the interactions between SARS-CoV-2 spread and the direct and indirect environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, that are still a matter of scientific debate, is underlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Facciolà
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Italy
| | - Pasqualina Laganà
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Italy.
| | - Gabriella Caruso
- Institute of Polar Sciences (ISP), National Research Council (CNR), Messina, Italy
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26
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Echevarría-Lucas L, Senciales-González JM, Medialdea-Hurtado ME, Rodrigo-Comino J. Impact of Climate Change on Eye Diseases and Associated Economical Costs. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18137197. [PMID: 34281132 PMCID: PMC8297364 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18137197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Climate change generates negative impacts on human health. However, little is known about specific impacts on eye diseases, especially in arid and semi-arid areas where increases in air temperatures are expected. Therefore, the main goals of this research are: (i) to highlight the association between common eye diseases and environmental factors; and (ii) to analyze, through the available literature, the health expenditure involved in combating these diseases and the savings from mitigating the environmental factors that aggravate them. Mixed methods were used to assess the cross-variables (environmental factors, eye diseases, health costs). Considering Southern Spain as an example, our results showed that areas with similar climatic conditions could increase eye diseases due to a sustained increase in temperatures and torrential rains, among other factors. We highlight that an increase in eye diseases in Southern Spain is conditioned by the effects of climate change by up to 36.5%; the economic burden of the main eye diseases, extrapolated to the rest of the country, would represent an annual burden of 0.7% of Spain’s Gross Domestic Product. In conclusion, the increase in eye diseases has a strong economic and social impact that could be reduced with proper management of the effects of climate change. We propose a new concept: disease sink, defined as any climate change mitigation action which reduces the incidence or morbidity of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Echevarría-Lucas
- Ophthalmology Service of Axarquía Hospital, 29700 Vélez-Málaga, Spain; (L.E.-L.); (M.E.M.-H.)
| | | | | | - Jesús Rodrigo-Comino
- Department of Regional Geographical Analysis and Physical Geography, University of Granada, 18010 Granada, Spain
- Department of Physical Geography, University of Trier, 54296 Trier, Germany
- Correspondence:
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27
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Anand U, Bianco F, Suresh S, Tripathi V, Núñez-Delgado A, Race M. SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses in soil: An environmental outlook. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 198:111297. [PMID: 33971130 PMCID: PMC8102436 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
In the present review, the authors shed light on the SARS-CoV-2 impact, persistence, and monitoring in the soil environment. With this purpose, several aspects have been deepened: i) viruses in soil ecosystems; ii) direct and indirect impact on the soil before and after the pandemic, and iii) methods for quantification of viruses and SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in soil. Viruses are present in soil (i.e. up to 417 × 107 viruses per g TS-1 in wetlands) and can affect the behavior and ecology of other life forms (e.g. bacteria), which are remarkably important for maintaining environmental equilibrium. Also, SARS-CoV-2 can be found in soil (i.e. up to 550 copies·g-1). Considering that the SARS-CoV-2 is very recent, poor knowledge is available in the literature on persistence in the soil and reference has been made to coronaviruses and other families of viruses. For instance, the survival of enveloped viruses (e.g. SARS-CoV) can reach 90 days in soils with 10% of moisture content at ambient. In such a context, the possible spread of the SARS-CoV-2 in the soil was evaluated by analyzing the possible contamination routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uttpal Anand
- Department of Life Sciences, National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Francesco Bianco
- Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Via Di Biasio 43, 03043, Cassino, Italy
| | - S Suresh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal, 462 003, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Vijay Tripathi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Engineering, Jacob Institute of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, 211007, India
| | - Avelino Núñez-Delgado
- Department Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Engineering Polytechnic School, Campus Univ. Lugo, Univ. Santiago de Compostela, 27002, Spain
| | - Marco Race
- Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Via Di Biasio 43, 03043, Cassino, Italy.
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28
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Zhang Y, Chen N, Du W, Li Y, Zheng X. Multi-source sensor based urban habitat and resident health sensing: A case study of Wuhan, China. BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT 2021; 198:107883. [PMID: 36567753 PMCID: PMC9758511 DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.107883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly has a great impact on the world economy, especially the urban economy. It is urgent to study the environmental pathogenic factors and transmission route of it. We want to discuss the relationship between the urban living environment and the number of confirmed cases at the community scale, and examine the driving forces of community infection (e.g., environment, ecology, convenience, livability, and population density). Besides, we hope that our research will help make our cities more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. 650 communities with confirmed COVID-19 cases in Wuhan were selected as the research objects. We utilize deep learning semantic segmentation technology to calculate the Visible Green Index (VGI) and Sky View Factor (SVF) of street view and use Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to study the driving forces of pandemic situation. Temperature and humidity information recorded by sensors was also used for urban sensing. We find that the more SVF has a certain inhibitory effect on the virus transmission, but contrary to our intuitive perception, higher VGI has a certain promotion effect. Also, the structural equation model constructed in this paper can explain the variance of 28.9% of the number of confirmed cases, and results (path coef.) demonstrate that residential density of community (0.517) is a major influencing factor for pandemic cases, whereas convenience of community living (0.234) strongly influence it. Communities with good suitability of community human settlement (e.g., construction time, price) are safer in the face of pandemic events. Does the influence of SVF and VGI on the results of the pandemic situation mean that sunlight can effectively block the spread of the virus? This spatial heterogeneity in different communities is helpful for us to explore the environmental transmission route of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping, and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Nengcheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping, and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Geographic Information System,China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Wenying Du
- State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping, and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Geographic Information System,China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Yingbing Li
- School of Geodesy and Geomatics, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Xiang Zheng
- School of Information Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China
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29
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Marinello S, Butturi MA, Gamberini R. How changes in human activities during the lockdown impacted air quality parameters: A review. ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY 2021; 40:e13672. [PMID: 34221243 PMCID: PMC8237064 DOI: 10.1002/ep.13672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The health emergency linked to the spread of COVID-19 has led to important reduction in industrial and logistics activities, as well as to a drastic changes in citizens' behaviors and habits. The restrictions on working activities, journeys and relationships imposed by the lockdown have had important consequences, including for environmental quality. This review aims to provide a structured and critical evaluation of the recent scientific bibliography that analyzed and described the impact of lockdown on human activities and on air quality. The results indicate an important effect of the lockdown during the first few months of 2020 on air pollution levels, compared to previous periods. The concentrations of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide have decreased. Tropospheric ozone, on the other hand, has significantly increased. These results are important indicators that can become decision drivers for future policies and strategies in industrial and logistics activities (including the mobility sector) aimed at their environmental sustainability. The scenario imposed by COVID-19 has supported the understanding of the link between the reduction of polluting emissions and the state of air quality and will be able to support strategic choices for the future sustainable growth of the industrial and logistics sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuele Marinello
- En&Tech Interdipartimental Center of the University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaReggio EmiliaItaly
| | - Maria Angela Butturi
- Department of Sciences and Methods for EngineeringUniversity of Modena and Reggio EmiliaReggio EmiliaItaly
| | - Rita Gamberini
- En&Tech Interdipartimental Center of the University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaReggio EmiliaItaly
- Department of Sciences and Methods for EngineeringUniversity of Modena and Reggio EmiliaReggio EmiliaItaly
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30
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Ratnadass A, Deguine JP. Crop protection practices and viral zoonotic risks within a One Health framework. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 774:145172. [PMID: 33610983 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145172] [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: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Recent viral zoonotic epidemics have been attributed partially to the negative impact of human activities on ecosystem biodiversity. Agricultural activities, particularly conventional crop protection (CP) practices, are a major threat to global biodiversity, ecosystem health and human health. Here we review interactions between CP practices and viral zoonoses (VZs), the first time this has been done. It should be noted that a) VZs stand at the interface between human, animal and ecosystem health; b) some VZs involve arthropod vectors that are affected by CP practices; and c) some crop pests, or their natural enemies are vertebrate reservoirs/carriers of certain VZs, and their contact with humans or domestic animals is affected by CP practices. Our review encompasses examples highlighting interactions between VZs and CP practices, both efficiency improvement-based (i.e. conventional with agrochemical insecticides and rodenticides), substitution-based (i.e. mainly with physical/mechanical or biopesticidal pest control), and redesign-based (i.e. mainly with conservation biological pest control, including some forms of crop-livestock integration). These CP practices mainly target arthropod and vertebrate pests. They also target, to a lesser extent, weeds and plant pathogens. Conventional and some physical/mechanical control methods and some forms of biopesticidal and crop-livestock integration practices were found to have mixed outcomes in terms of VZ risk management. Conversely, practices based on biological control by habitat conservation of arthropod or vertebrate natural enemies, falling within the Agroecological Crop Protection (ACP) framework, result in VZ prevention at various scales (local to global, and short-term to long-term). ACP addresses major global challenges including climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and animal welfare, and helps integrate plant health within the extended "One Health" concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Ratnadass
- CIRAD, UPR HortSys, F-97455 Saint-Pierre, Réunion, France; HortSys, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France.
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Mehmood K, Bao Y, Petropoulos GP, Abbas R, Abrar MM, Saifullah, Mustafa A, Soban A, Saud S, Ahmad M, Hussain I, Fahad S. Investigating connections between COVID-19 pandemic, air pollution and community interventions for Pakistan employing geoinformation technologies. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 272:129809. [PMID: 33582510 PMCID: PMC7846247 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Several major cities that witnessed heavy air pollution by particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) have contributed to high rate of infection and severity of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Owing to the negative impact of COVID-19 on health and economy, it is imperative to predict the pandemic trend of the COVID-19 outbreak. Pakistan is one of the mostly affected countries by recent COVID-19 pandemic in terms of COVID-cases and economic crises. Like other several Asian countries to combat the virus impacts, Pakistan implemented non-pharmacological interventions (NPI), such as national lockdowns. The current study investigates the effect of major interventions across three out of four provinces of Pakistan for the period from the start of the COVID-19 in March 22, 2020 until June 30, 2020, when lockdowns were started to be eased. High-resolution data on NO2 was recorded from Sentinel-5's Precursor spacecraft with TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (Sentinel-5P TROPOMI). Similarly, PM2.5 data were collected from sampling sties to investigate possible correlation among these pollutants and COVID-19. In addition, growth and susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) models utilizing time-series data of COVID-19 from February 26 to December 31, 2020, with- and without NPI that encompass the predicted number of infected cases, peak time, impact on the healthcare system and mortality in Pakistan. Maximum mean PM2.5 concentration of 108 μgm-3 was recorded for Lahore with the range from 51 to 215 μgm-3, during strict lockdown (L), condition. This is three times higher than Pak-EPA and US-EPA and four times for WHO guidelines, followed by Peshawar (97.2 and 58 ± 130), Islamabad (83 and 158 ± 58), and Karachi (78 and 50 ± 140). The majority of sampling sites in Lahore showed NO2 levels higher than 8.75E-5 (mol/m2) in 2020 compared to 2019 during "L" period. The susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model depicted a strong correlation (r) between the predicted and reported cases for Punjab (r = 0.79), Sindh (r = 0.91), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) (r = 94) and Islamabad (r = 0.85). Findings showed that major NPI and lockdowns especially have had a large effect on minimizing transmission. Continued community intervention should be undertaken to keep transmission of SARS-CoV-2 under control in cities where higher incidence of COVID-19 cases until the vaccine is available. This study provides a methodological framework that if adopted can assist epidemiologist and policy makers to be well-prepared in advance in cities where PM2.5 concentration and NO2 levels are already high in order to minimize the potential risk of further spread of COVID-19 cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Mehmood
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Yansong Bao
- Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, CMA Key Laboratory for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China; School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China.
| | - George P Petropoulos
- Department of Geography, Harokopio University of Athens, El. Venizelou 70, Kallithea, 17671, Athens, Greece
| | - Roman Abbas
- Multan Medical and Dental College, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Mohsin Abrar
- National Engineering Laboratory for Improving Quality of Arable Land, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Saifullah
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adnan Mustafa
- National Engineering Laboratory for Improving Quality of Arable Land, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Ahmad Soban
- Software Engineering Department Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Pakistan
| | - Shah Saud
- Department of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Manzoor Ahmad
- Department of Agriculture, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, 24461, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Izhar Hussain
- Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, University of Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Shah Fahad
- Department of Agronomy, University of Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
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Hao Z, Li R, Hao C, Zhao H, Wan X, Guo D. Global Evidence of Temperature Acclimation of COVID-19 D614G Linage. GLOBAL CHALLENGES (HOBOKEN, NJ) 2021; 5:2000132. [PMID: 33786200 PMCID: PMC7995217 DOI: 10.1002/gch2.202000132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The novel D614G linage is becoming the dominating species of SARS-CoV-2. The impact of meteorological and geographical factors on SARS-CoV-2 pandemic are presently not well understood. This research article presents a retrospective case series. Pandemic and meteorological data from 30 countries and 49 states from USA are collected as of June 10th, 2020. The primary outcome are the coefficients of correlations between meteorological factors and pandemic data. Hierarchical clustering analysis are used on SARS-CoV-2 genome, meteorological factors, and pandemic. Disseminating velocity of SARS-CoV-2 is negatively correlated with average temperature in majority of included countries and states from USA. Proportion of the GR clade is positively associated with temperature, but is negatively correlated with altitude in countries-set. Virus disseminating velocities in states from cluster A (Overwhelming proportion of G + GR + GH clades, GH > 60%) and C (Overwhelming proportion of G + GR + GH clades, G 20-30%) both has negative correlations with temperature, while cluster C has more significant negative correlation than cluster A. Climate and geographical environment are revealed to affect virus spreading. GH and GR clades of SARS-CoV-2 are probably acquiring higher temperature tolerance, while G clade may retain high temperature intolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaonian Hao
- Department of NeurosurgeryTongji HospitalTongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
- The Second Clinical School Affiliated Tongji HospitalTongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanHubei430074China
| | - Ruyuan Li
- The Second Clinical School Affiliated Tongji HospitalTongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanHubei430074China
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education)Tongji HospitalTongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanHubei430074China
| | - Chengyi Hao
- School of Continuing EducationRenmin University of ChinaBeijing100872China
| | - Haoyuan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering ScienceWuhan UniversityWuhan430072China
| | - Xueyan Wan
- Department of NeurosurgeryTongji HospitalTongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
| | - Dongsheng Guo
- Department of NeurosurgeryTongji HospitalTongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
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Albert S, Amarilla AA, Trollope B, Sng JDJ, Setoh YX, Deering N, Modhiran N, Weng SH, Melo MC, Hutley N, Nandy A, Furlong MJ, Young PR, Watterson D, Grinham AR, Khromykh AA. Assessing the potential of unmanned aerial vehicle spraying of aqueous ozone as an outdoor disinfectant for SARS-CoV-2. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 196:110944. [PMID: 33647300 PMCID: PMC7908847 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed gaps in our understanding of safe, effective and efficient means of disinfecting high use public spaces. Whilst this creates an opportunity for development and application of innovative approaches such as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based disinfection, unregulated outdoor disinfection using chlorine has led to environmental and public health risks. This study has quantified the efficiency, safety and efficacy of UAV-based spraying of aqueous ozone. Optimised UAV flight characteristics of 4.7 km/h at 1.7 m elevation spraying 2.4 L/min were able to provide >97% and >92% coverage of a 1 m and 2 m wide swath respectively. During spraying operations using 1 mg/L aqueous ozone, atmospheric concentrations of ozone remained within background levels (<0.04 ppm). Highly efficient inactivation of two different isolates of SARS-CoV-2 virus was achieved at aqueous ozone concentrations of 0.75 mg/L after an incubation period of only 5 min, with 0.375 mg/L achieving 82-91.5% inactivation in this time. Exposure of diamondback moth larvae and parasitic wasps to 1 mg/L aqueous ozone did not significantly affect their survivorship. These results indicate for the first time that aqueous ozone may provide the required balance between human and environmental safety and viral inactivation efficacy for targeted application in high risk outdoor settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Albert
- School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Alberto A Amarilla
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Ben Trollope
- The Ripper Group Pty Ltd, Level 5/50 York Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - Julian D J Sng
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Yin Xiang Setoh
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Nathaniel Deering
- School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Naphak Modhiran
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Sung-Hsia Weng
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Maria C Melo
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Nicholas Hutley
- School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Avik Nandy
- Remote Sensing Research Centre, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Michael J Furlong
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Paul R Young
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Daniel Watterson
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Alistair R Grinham
- School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Alexander A Khromykh
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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Giovannini G, Haick H, Garoli D. Detecting COVID-19 from Breath: A Game Changer for a Big Challenge. ACS Sens 2021; 6:1408-1417. [PMID: 33825440 PMCID: PMC8043202 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.1c00312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is probably the most commonly heard word of the last 12 months. The outbreak of this virus (SARS-CoV-2) is strongly compromising worldwide healthcare systems, social behavior, and everyone's lives. The early diagnosis of COVID-19 and isolation of positive cases has proven to be fundamental in containing the spread of the infection. Even though the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods remain the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 detection, the urgent demand for rapid and wide-scale diagnosis precipitated the development of alternative diagnostic approaches. The millions of tests performed every day worldwide are still insufficient to achieve the desired goal, that of screening the population during daily life. Probably the most appealing approach to consistently monitor COVID-19 spread is the direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 from exhaled breath. For instance, the challenging incorporation of reliable, highly sensitive, and cost-efficient detection methods in masks could represent a breakthrough in the development of portable and noninvasive point-of-care diagnosis for COVID-19. In this perspective paper, we discuss the critical technical aspects related to the application of breath analysis in the diagnosis of viral infection. We believe that, if achieved, it could represent a game-changer in containing the pandemic spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Giovannini
- Empa,
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, CH-9014, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Hossam Haick
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering
& The Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI) Technion
− Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000003, Israel
| | - Denis Garoli
- Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, I-16163, Genova, Italy
- Faculty
of Science and Technology, Free University
of Bozen, Piazza Università
5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
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Sarfraz M, Mohsin M, Naseem S, Kumar A. Modeling the relationship between carbon emissions and environmental sustainability during COVID-19: a new evidence from asymmetric ARDL cointegration approach. ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY 2021; 23:16208-16226. [PMID: 33782633 PMCID: PMC7989717 DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01324-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The study aims to examine the CO2 emissions by considering the implication of COVID-19 under strict lockdown in India. The nonlinear (asymmetric) relationship is investigated between CO2 emission and COVID-19 with its specific determinants. The positive and negative asymmetries of COVID-19 determinants are also captured by using econometric techniques. The daily data series of CO2 emission, new confirmed cases, confirmed deaths, and lockdown as dummy variables from January 30, 2020, to December 1, 2020, for India is analyzed by employing the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model. This research revealed a significant nonlinear relationship between CO2 emission and COVID-19. The bound test and asymmetric coefficients are confirmed by the variables' long- and short-run relationships. The dynamic multiplier graphs present that India's strict lockdown due to the rapid increase in COVID-19 patients significantly reduces toxic gas emissions, especially CO2 emissions. This asymmetric relationship has been proficiently declared that unhealthy public routine, extra traffic, and unhygienic gases released in the air become the reason for environmental destruction. The lockdown is practically imposed for specific periods and reasons, contributing to reducing toxic emissions, but it is not a permanent solution for environmental sustainability. The government of India, policymakers, and environmentalists should make people aware of unhealthy and environmentally envying activities and policies and long-term applicable strategies should be designed to upgrade the environment's quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muddassar Sarfraz
- College of International Students, Wuxi University, Wuxi, 214105 Jiangsu China
| | - Muhammad Mohsin
- School of Business, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Loudi, Hunan China
| | - Sobia Naseem
- School of Economics and Management, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, Shijiazhuang, Heibei China
| | - Amit Kumar
- School of Hydrology and Water Resources, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044 Jiangsu PR China
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Asamoah BO, Salmi P, Räty J, Ryymin K, Talvitie J, Karjalainen AK, Kukkonen JVK, Roussey M, Peiponen KE. Optical Monitoring of Microplastics Filtrated from Wastewater Sludge and Suspended in Ethanol. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:871. [PMID: 33799897 PMCID: PMC8000454 DOI: 10.3390/polym13060871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The abundance of microplastics (MPs) in the atmosphere, on land, and especially in water bodies is well acknowledged. In this study, we establish an optical method based on three different techniques, namely, specular reflection to probe the medium, transmission spectroscopy measurements for the detection and identification, and a speckle pattern for monitoring the sedimentation of MPs filtrated from wastewater sludge and suspended in ethanol. We used first Raman measurements to estimate the presence and types of different MPs in wastewater sludge samples. We also used microscopy to identify the shapes of the main MPs. This allowed us to create a teaching set of samples to be characterized with our optical method. With the developed method, we clearly show that MPs from common plastics, such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene (PE), are present in wastewater sludge and can be identified. Additionally, the results also indicate that the density of the plastics, which influences the sedimentation, is an essential parameter to consider in optical detection of microplastics in complex natural environments. All of the methods are in good agreement, thus validating the optics-based solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin O. Asamoah
- Department of Physics and Mathematics, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland;
| | - Pauliina Salmi
- Faculty of Information Technology, University of Jyväskylä, Mattilanniemi 2 (Agora building), P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland;
| | - Jukka Räty
- Unit of Measurement Technology, MITY, University of Oulu, Technology Park, P.O.BOX 127, FI-87400 Kajaani, Finland;
| | - Kalle Ryymin
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Survontie 9C (YAC Building), P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland; (K.R.); (A.K.K.)
| | - Julia Talvitie
- Marine Management, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Latokartanonkaari 11, FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Anna K. Karjalainen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Survontie 9C (YAC Building), P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland; (K.R.); (A.K.K.)
| | - Jussi V. K. Kukkonen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Science, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, P.O. Box 1627, FI-79211 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - Matthieu Roussey
- Department of Physics and Mathematics, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland;
| | - Kai-Erik Peiponen
- Department of Physics and Mathematics, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland;
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Ursachi CȘ, Munteanu FD, Cioca G. The Safety of Slaughterhouse Workers during the Pandemic Crisis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:2633. [PMID: 33807936 PMCID: PMC7967316 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The working conditions in a slaughterhouse are difficult because of the low temperatures, high humidity, and little natural light. Therefore, in these facilities, there is a high demand in the maintenance of strict hygiene rules. Lately, the new SARS-CoV-2 pandemic situation has brought new challenges in the meat industry, as this sector has to maintain its operability to supply the meat and meat products demanded by the consumers. In this challenging period, the safety of the workers is as important as keeping the high demands for the safety of the meat and meat products along with consumer confidence. This paper aims to give an overview of the risks associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus transmission between the workers in slaughterhouses and to evaluate the stability and infectivity in the working environment of these facilities. Considering the persistence of this virus on different surfaces and the environmental conditions affecting its stability (temperature, relative humidity, and natural light), in the study we proposed several short-, medium-, and long-term preventive measures for minimizing the potential threats of the actual pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudiu Ștefan Ursachi
- Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection, “Aurel Vlaicu” University of Arad, 2-4 E. Drăgoi Str., 310330 Arad, Romania;
| | - Florentina-Daniela Munteanu
- Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection, “Aurel Vlaicu” University of Arad, 2-4 E. Drăgoi Str., 310330 Arad, Romania;
| | - Gabriela Cioca
- Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550024 Sibiu, Romania;
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Tortella GR, Rubilar O, Diez MC, Padrão J, Zille A, Pieretti JC, Seabra AB. Advanced Material Against Human (Including Covid-19) and Plant Viruses: Nanoparticles As a Feasible Strategy. GLOBAL CHALLENGES (HOBOKEN, NJ) 2021; 5:2000049. [PMID: 33614127 PMCID: PMC7883180 DOI: 10.1002/gch2.202000049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 virus outbreak revealed that these nano-pathogens have the ability to rapidly change lives. Undoubtedly, SARS-CoV-2 as well as other viruses can cause important global impacts, affecting public health, as well as, socioeconomic development. But viruses are not only a public health concern, they are also a problem in agriculture. The current treatments are often ineffective, are prone to develop resistance, or cause considerable adverse side effects. The use of nanotechnology has played an important role to combat viral diseases. In this review three main aspects are in focus: first, the potential use of nanoparticles as carriers for drug delivery. Second, its use for treatments of some human viral diseases, and third, its application as antivirals in plants. With these three themes, the aim is to give to readers an overview of the progress in this promising area of biotechnology during the 2017-2020 period, and to provide a glance at how tangible is the effectiveness of nanotechnology against viruses. Future prospects are also discussed. It is hoped that this review can be a contribution to general knowledge for both specialized and non-specialized readers, allowing a better knowledge of this interesting topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo R. Tortella
- Centro de Excelencia en Investigación Biotecnológica Aplicada al Medio AmbienteCIBAMA‐BIORENUniversidad de La FronteraTemuco4811230Chile
| | - Olga Rubilar
- Centro de Excelencia en Investigación Biotecnológica Aplicada al Medio AmbienteCIBAMA‐BIORENUniversidad de La FronteraTemuco4811230Chile
- Chemical Engineering DepartmentUniversidad de La FronteraTemuco4811230Chile
| | - María Cristina Diez
- Centro de Excelencia en Investigación Biotecnológica Aplicada al Medio AmbienteCIBAMA‐BIORENUniversidad de La FronteraTemuco4811230Chile
- Chemical Engineering DepartmentUniversidad de La FronteraTemuco4811230Chile
| | - Jorge Padrão
- Centre for Textile Science and Technology (2C2T)University of MinhoGuimarães4800‐058Portugal
| | - Andrea Zille
- Centre for Textile Science and Technology (2C2T)University of MinhoGuimarães4800‐058Portugal
| | - Joana C. Pieretti
- Center for Natural and Human SciencesUniversidade Federal d ABC (UFABC)Santo André09210‐580Brazil
| | - Amedea B. Seabra
- Center for Natural and Human SciencesUniversidade Federal d ABC (UFABC)Santo André09210‐580Brazil
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Komiyama M. Molecular-level Anatomy of SARS-CoV-2 for the Battle against COVID-19 Pandemic. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2021. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20210030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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40
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Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in Aerosolized Wastewater: Toilet Flushing, Wastewater Treatment, and Sprinkler Irrigation. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13040436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The existence of SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in wastewater raises the opportunity of tracking wastewater for epidemiological monitoring of this disease. However, the existence of this virus in wastewater has raised health concerns regarding the fecal–oral transmission of COVID-19. This short review is intended to highlight the potential implications of aerosolized wastewater in transmitting this virus. As aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 could offer a more direct respiratory pathway for human exposure, the transmission of this virus remains a significant possibility in the prominent wastewater-associated bioaerosols formed during toilet flushing, wastewater treatment, and sprinkler irrigation. Implementing wastewater disinfection, exercising precautions, and raising public awareness would be essential. Additional research is needed to evaluate the survival, fate, and dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and the environment and rapid characterization of aerosols and their risk assessment.
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Ihsanullah I, Bilal M, Naushad M. Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in water environments: Current status, challenges and research opportunities. JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING 2021; 39:101735. [PMID: 38620601 PMCID: PMC7566827 DOI: 10.1016/j.jwpe.2020.101735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 has posed enormous health, social, environmental and economic challenges to the entire human population. Nevertheless, it provides an opportunity for extensive research in various fields to evaluate the fate of the crisis and combat it. The apparent need for imperative research in the biological and medical field is the focus of researchers and scientists worldwide. However, there are some new challenges and research opportunities in the field of water and wastewater treatment concerning the novel coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This article briefly summarizes the latest literature reporting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in water and wastewater/sewage. Furthermore, it highlights the challenges, potential opportunities and research directions in the water and wastewater treatment field. Some of the significant challenges and research opportunities are the development of standard techniques for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in the water phase, assessment of favorable environments for its survival and decay in water; and development of effective strategies for elimination of the novel virus from water. Advancement in research in this domain will help to protect the environment, human health, and managing this type of pandemic in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihsanullah Ihsanullah
- Center for Environment and Water, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Bilal
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, 223003, China
| | - Mu Naushad
- Advanced Materials Research Chair, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
- Yonsei Frontier Lab, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Sharara N, Endo N, Duvallet C, Ghaeli N, Matus M, Heussner J, Olesen SW, Alm EJ, Chai PR, Erickson TB. Wastewater network infrastructure in public health: Applications and learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 1:e0000061. [PMID: 34927170 PMCID: PMC8682811 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Accurate estimates of COVID-19 burden of infections in communities can inform public health strategy for the current pandemic. Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) leverages sewer infrastructure to provide insights on rates of infection by measuring viral concentrations in wastewater. By accessing the sewer network at various junctures, important insights regarding COVID-19 disease activity can be gained. The analysis of sewage at the wastewater treatment plant level enables population-level surveillance of disease trends and virus mutations. At the neighborhood level, WBE can be used to describe trends in infection rates in the community thereby facilitating local efforts at targeted disease mitigation. Finally, at the building level, WBE can suggest the presence of infections and prompt individual testing. In this critical review, we describe the types of data that can be obtained through varying levels of WBE analysis, concrete plans for implementation, and public health actions that can be taken based on WBE surveillance data of infectious diseases, using recent and successful applications of WBE during the COVID-19 pandemic for illustration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour Sharara
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (TBE); (NS)
| | - Noriko Endo
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Claire Duvallet
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Newsha Ghaeli
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mariana Matus
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jennings Heussner
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Scott W. Olesen
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Eric J. Alm
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore, Singapore
- Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter R. Chai
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Fenway Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Koch Institute for Integrated Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Timothy B. Erickson
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (TBE); (NS)
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Baj A, Azzi L, Dalla Gasperina D, Genoni A, Tamborini A, Gambarini C, Carcano G, Grossi P, Sessa F. Pilot Study: Long-Term Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in Urine: A Threat for Dispersal in Wastewater. Front Public Health 2020; 8:569209. [PMID: 33330316 PMCID: PMC7719751 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.569209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Only 4 months after the beginning of SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, the world is facing a global pandemic due to a complex and insidious virus that today constantly poses new challenges. In this study, we highlight a persistent shedding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA into the urine, even in patients with a negative nasopharyngeal swab and in patients considered recovered. What does it mean? Besides the fact that the kidney is a probable site of viral replication, the prolonged viral excretion is a matter of great concern for our drainage system contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreina Baj
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Sette Laghi, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Azzi
- Unit of Oral Medicine and Pathology, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Sette Laghi, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Daniela Dalla Gasperina
- Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Sette Laghi, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Angelo Genoni
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Sette Laghi, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Antonio Tamborini
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Sette Laghi, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Cinzia Gambarini
- S.C. Pneumology, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Sette Laghi, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Varese, Italy
| | - Giulio Carcano
- Unit of General Emergency and Transplant Surgery, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) dei Sette Laghi, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Paolo Grossi
- Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Sette Laghi, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Fausto Sessa
- Pathology Unit, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Sette Laghi, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
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Abstract
The increasing energy demand and the subsequent climate change consequences are supporting the search for sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. In this scenario, the link between hydrogen and renewable energy is playing a key role and unitized hydrogen-chlorine (H2-Cl2) regenerative cells (RFCs) have become promising candidates for renewable energy storage. Described herein are the recent advances in cell configurations and catalysts for the different reactions that may take place in these systems, that work in both modes: electrolysis and fuel cell. It has been found that platinum (Pt)-based catalysts are the best choice for the electrode where hydrogen is involved, whereas for the case of chlorine, ruthenium (Ru)-based catalysts are the best candidates. Only a few studies were found where the catalysts had been tested in both modes and recent advances are focused on decreasing the amount of precious metals contained in the catalysts. Moreover, the durability of the catalysts tested under realistic conditions has not been thoroughly assessed, becoming a key and mandatory step to evaluate the commercial viability of the H2-Cl2 RFC technology.
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