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Zhang C, Zhao X, Pan X, Zaya G, Lyu B, Li S, Li J, Zhao Y, Wu Y, Chen D. The mother-offspring transfer of chlorothalonil through human breast milk: A multi-city cross-sectional study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 941:173511. [PMID: 38825210 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173511] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
4-Hydroxychlorothalonil (4-OH CHT), the main metabolite of chlorothalonil and the most widely used fungicide, has been frequently detected in human samples during monitoring. 4-OH CHT may exhibit higher toxicity and persistence in the environment compared to its prototype. In this study, a total of 540 paired serum and breast milk samples from pregnant women in three provinces in China were monitored for contaminant residues. 4-OH CHT was analyzed in the samples using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography - high-resolution mass spectrometry with a detection limit of 20 ng/L. The study investigated the effects of demographic factors, such as BMI, region of residence, and education level, on the levels of 4-OH CHT residues in serum and breast milk. Among the three provinces, the highest median concentration of 4-OH CHT in serum samples was observed in Hebei (1.04 × 103 ng/L), while the highest median concentration of 4-OH CHT in breast milk samples was observed in Hubei and Guangdong (491 ng/L). Multiple linear regression was used to investigate the significant positive correlation between 4-OH CHT in serum and breast milk (p = 0.000) after adjusting for personal characteristics. Based on this, the study further explored the influencing factors of transfer efficiencies (TEs) in conjunction with the individual TEs and the personal characteristics of the participants. Our results demonstrated that the age of the volunteers and their exercise habits had an effect on TEs, but further studies are needed to determine whether exercise leads to an increase in TEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Zhang
- School of Food and Health, Beijing Technology and Business University, 11 Fucheng Road, Beijing 100048, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (No. 2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xuezhen Zhao
- School of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, China
| | - Xingqi Pan
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Gerili Zaya
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (No. 2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Bing Lyu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (No. 2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Shaohua Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (No. 2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Jingguang Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (No. 2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China.
| | - Yunfeng Zhao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (No. 2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Yongning Wu
- School of Food and Health, Beijing Technology and Business University, 11 Fucheng Road, Beijing 100048, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (No. 2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Dawei Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (No. 2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China; School of Public Health, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121001, China.
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Fernández Nion C, Díaz Isasa I. Spatial distribution of pesticide use based on crop rotation data in La Plata River basin: a case study from an agricultural region of Uruguay. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:633. [PMID: 38900342 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12759-z] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The intensive global use of pesticides presents an escalating threat to human health, ecosystems, and water quality. To develop national and local environmental management strategies for mitigating pollution caused by pesticides, it is essential to understand the quantities, timing, and location of their application. This study aims to estimate the spatial distribution of pesticide use in an agricultural region of La Plata River basin in Uruguay. Estimates of pesticide use were made by surveying doses applied to each crop. This information was spatialized through identifying agricultural rotations using remote sensing techniques. The study identified the 60 major agricultural rotations in the region and mapped the use and application amount of the nine most significant active ingredients (glyphosate, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, flumioxazin, S-metolachlor, clethodim, flumetsulam, triflumuron, chlorantraniliprole, and fipronil). The results reveal that glyphosate is the most extensively used pesticide (53.5% of the area) and highest amount of use (> 1.44 kg/ha). Moreover, in 19% of the area, at least seven active ingredients are applied in crop rotations. This study marks the initial step in identifying rotations and estimating pesticide applications with high spatial resolution at a regional scale in agricultural regions of La Plata River basin. The results improve the understanding of pesticide spatial distribution based on data obtained from agronomists, technicians, and producers and provide a replicable methodological approach for other geographic and productive contexts. Generating baseline information is key to environmental management and decision making, towards the design of more robust monitoring systems and human exposure assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Fernández Nion
- Geografía, Instituto de Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Ismael Díaz Isasa
- Geografía, Instituto de Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Freisthler M, Winchester PW, Young HA, Haas DM. Perinatal health effects of herbicides exposures in the United States: the Heartland Study, a Midwestern birth cohort study. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2308. [PMID: 37993831 PMCID: PMC10664386 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17171-9] [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: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The objective of the Heartland Study is to address major knowledge gaps concerning the health effects of herbicides on maternal and infant health. To achieve this goal, a two-phased, prospective longitudinal cohort study is being conducted. Phase 1 is designed to evaluate associations between biomarkers of herbicide concentration and pregnancy/childbirth outcomes. Phase 2 is designed to evaluate potential associations between herbicide biomarkers and early childhood neurological development. METHODS People (target enrollment of 2,000) who are seeking prenatal care, are ages 18 or older, and are ≤ 20 + 6 weeks gestation will be eligible for recruitment. The Heartland Study will utilize a combination of questionnaire data and biospecimen collections to meet the study objectives. One prenatal urine and buccal sample will be collected per trimester to assess the impact of herbicide concentration levels on pregnancy outcomes. Infant buccal specimens will be collected post-delivery. All questionnaires will be collected by trained study staff and clinic staff will remain blinded to all individual level research data. All data will be stored in a secure REDCap database. Hospitals in the agriculturally intensive states in the Midwestern region will be recruited as study sites. Currently participating clinical sites include Indiana University School of Medicine- affiliated Hospitals in Indianapolis, Indiana; Franciscan Health Center in Indianapolis, Indiana; Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. An anticipated 30% of the total enrollment will be recruited from rural areas to evaluate herbicide concentrations among those pregnant people residing in the rural Midwest. Perinatal outcomes (e.g. birth outcomes, preterm birth, preeclampsia, etc.) will be extracted by trained study teams and analyzed for their relationship to herbicide concentration levels using appropriate multivariable models. DISCUSSION Though decades of study have shown that environmental chemicals may have important impacts on the health of parents and infants, there is a paucity of prospective longitudinal data on reproductive impacts of herbicides. The recent, rapid increases in herbicide use across agricultural regions of the United States necessitate further research into the human health effects of these chemicals, particularly in pregnant people. The Heartland Study provides an invaluable opportunity to evaluate health impacts of herbicides during pregnancy and beyond. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05492708 with initial registration and release 05 August, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlaina Freisthler
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute of Public Health, George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW #2, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Paul W Winchester
- Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Riley Children's Hospital, Indiana University School of Medicine, 699 Riley Hospital Dr RR 208, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
- Franciscan Health, Indianapolis, 8111 South Emerson Avenue, Indianapolis, IN, 46237, USA
| | - Heather A Young
- Department of Epidemiology, Milken Institute for Public Health, George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW #2, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - David M Haas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 550 N. University Blvd, Indianapolis, IN, UH2440, USA.
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Andrade‐Rivas F, Paul N, Spiegel J, Henderson SB, Parrott L, Delgado‐Ron JA, Echeverri A, van den Bosch M. Mapping Potential Population-Level Pesticide Exposures in Ecuador Using a Modular and Scalable Geospatial Strategy. GEOHEALTH 2023; 7:e2022GH000775. [PMID: 37426690 PMCID: PMC10326482 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Human populations and ecosystems are extensively exposed to pesticides. Most nations lack the capacity to control pesticide contamination and have limited availability of pesticide use information. Ecuador is a country with intense pesticide use with high exposure risks to humans and the environment, although relative or combined risks are not well understood. Here, we analyzed the distribution of application rates in Ecuador and identified regions of concern because of high potential exposure. We used a geospatial analysis to identify grid cells (∼8 km × 8 km) where the highest pesticide application rates and density of human populations overlap. Furthermore, we identified other regions of concern based on the number of amphibian species as an indicator of ecosystem integrity and the location of natural protected areas. We found that 28% of Ecuador's population dwelled in areas with high pesticide application rate. We identified an area of ∼512 km2 in the Amazon region where high application rates, large human settlements, and a high number of amphibian species overlapped. Additionally, we distinguished clusters of pesticide application rates and human populations that intersected with natural protected areas. Ecuador exemplifies how pesticides are disproportionately applied in areas with the potential to affect human health and ecosystems' integrity. Global estimates of population dwelling, pesticide application rates, and environmental factors are key in prioritizing locations to conduct further exposure assessments. The modular and scalable nature of the geospatial tools we developed can be expanded and adapted to other regions of the world where data on pesticide use are limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Andrade‐Rivas
- School of Population and Public HealthThe University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
- Instituto de Salud y AmbienteUniversidad El BosqueBogotáColombia
| | - Naman Paul
- School of Population and Public HealthThe University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
- Environmental Health ServicesBritish Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)VancouverBCCanada
| | - Jerry Spiegel
- School of Population and Public HealthThe University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| | - Sarah B. Henderson
- School of Population and Public HealthThe University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
- Environmental Health ServicesBritish Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)VancouverBCCanada
| | - Lael Parrott
- Department of BiologyThe University of British ColumbiaKelownaBCCanada
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic SciencesThe University of British ColumbiaKelownaBCCanada
- Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem ServicesThe University of British ColumbiaKelownaBCCanada
| | - Jorge Andrés Delgado‐Ron
- School of Population and Public HealthThe University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
- Faculty of Health SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityVancouverBCCanada
| | - Alejandra Echeverri
- Centre for Conservation BiologyStanford UniversityStanfordCAUSA
- The Natural Capital ProjectStanford UniversityStanfordCAUSA
| | - Matilda van den Bosch
- School of Population and Public HealthThe University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
- ISGlobalParc de Recerca Biomèdica de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- Universitat Pompeu FabraBarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)MadridSpain
- Department of Forest and Conservation SciencesThe University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
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Sadler RC, Larsen K. Mapping the Way to Good Health: The Interdisciplinary Challenges of Geographers in Medical Research. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:12419. [PMID: 36231725 PMCID: PMC9564750 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Geography has an important role to play in shaping the direction of medical research. In particular, its tools and theory provide essential understanding to the impacts of place on health behaviors and outcomes. Understanding some of its evolution-particularly into the subfield of medical geography-is therefore useful both for geographers and medical researchers. In this paper, we present some of the debates that geographers have grappled with, the growth of GIS (particularly in the context of medical research), some important methodological considerations that geographers help center, and some recommendations for future work at this nexus. Throughout, we speak from the perspective of geographers who have worked nearly exclusively in the health sciences since obtaining our PhDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Casey Sadler
- Division of Public Health, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Flint, MI 48502, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Kristian Larsen
- CAREX Canada, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6, Canada
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
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Qiao W, Liu G, Li M, Su X, Lu L, Ye S, Wu J, Edwards EA, Jiang J. Complete Reductive Dechlorination of 4-Hydroxy-chlorothalonil by Dehalogenimonas Populations. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:12237-12246. [PMID: 35951369 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c02574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Chlorothalonil (2,4,5,6-tetrachloroisophthalonitrile, TePN) is one of the most widely used fungicides all over the world. Its major environmental transformation product 4-hydroxy-chlorothalonil (4-hydroxy-2,5,6-trichloroisophthalonitrile, 4-OH-TPN) is more persistent, mobile, and toxic and is frequently detected at a higher concentration in various habitats compared to its parent compound TePN. Further microbial transformation of 4-OH-TPN has never been reported. In this study, we demonstrated that 4-OH-TPN underwent complete microbial reductive dehalogenation to 4-hydroxy-isophthalonitrile via 4-hydroxy-dichloroisophthalonitrile and 4-hydroxy-monochloroisophthalonitrile. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing demonstrated that Dehalogenimonas species was enriched from 6% to 17-22% after reductive dechlorination of 77.24 μmol of 4-OH-TPN. Meanwhile, Dehalogenimonas copies increased by one order of magnitude and obtained a yield of 1.78 ± 1.47 × 108 cells per μmol Cl- released (N = 6), indicating that 4-OH-TPN served as the terminal electron acceptor for organohalide respiration of Dehalogenimonas species. A draft genome of Dehalogenimonas species was assembled through metagenomic sequencing, which harbors 30 putative reductive dehalogenase genes. Syntrophobacter, Acetobacterium, and Methanosarcina spp. were found to be the major non-dechlorinating populations in the microbial community, who might play important roles in the reductive dechlorination of 4-OH-TPN by the Dehalogenimonas species. This study first reports that Dehalogenimonas sp. can also respire on the seemingly dead-end product of TePN, paving the way to complete biotransformation of the widely present TePN and broadening the substrate spectrum of Dehalogenimonas sp. to polychlorinated hydroxy-benzonitrile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Qiao
- Department of Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Guiping Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Mengya Li
- Department of Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaojing Su
- Department of Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Lianghua Lu
- Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Environmental Science, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Nanjing 210036, China
| | - Shujun Ye
- Key Laboratory of Surficial Geochemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jichun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Surficial Geochemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Elizabeth A Edwards
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Jiandong Jiang
- Department of Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
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Habran S, Philippart C, Jacquemin P, Remy S. Mapping agricultural use of pesticides to enable research and environmental health actions in Belgium. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 301:119018. [PMID: 35182653 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Given the many public health and environmental impacts associated with the use of pesticides, comprehensive pesticide application data are a high priority for environmental and health professionals, government agencies, and community groups in Wallonia (Belgium). In that context, geographic information system (GIS) approaches for mapping estimates of agricultural pesticide use were developed in the present study. Data on pesticide application rates and high-resolution annual datasets of the geographic distribution of crops were used to complete this analysis in Wallonia over the period 2015-2017. The method was implemented in Python in order to allow easy update and improvements of maps, or to segment maps by individual pesticides, chemical groups of pesticides (e.g. insecticides, herbicides), etc. Linked databases were created to classify, select, and possibly weight AIs according to specific requests and criteria. The results provide a first map of agricultural pesticide use in Wallonia, which depicts the best picture up to now of their geographic distribution. Maps of fungicides, herbicides, and plant growth regulators showed quite similar spatial patterns as the map of the combination of all pesticides. In contrast, the insecticide map showed a specific pattern related almost exclusively to dwarf-tree orchards in some municipalities in northern Wallonia. This research work is a preliminary result on the spatial characterization of agricultural pesticide use in Wallonia and give a valuable basis for research and environmental health actions in Belgium. Forthcoming developments will focus on exposure characterization to agricultural pesticides using GIS models. Using this information, policymakers will able to detect potential priority zones and take action to check and reduce agricultural pesticide loads in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Habran
- Environmental Health Unit, Institut Scientifique de Service Public (ISSeP), Liege, Belgium.
| | - Christelle Philippart
- Environmental Health Unit, Institut Scientifique de Service Public (ISSeP), Liege, Belgium
| | - Pierre Jacquemin
- Environmental Health Unit, Institut Scientifique de Service Public (ISSeP), Liege, Belgium
| | - Suzanne Remy
- Environmental Health Unit, Institut Scientifique de Service Public (ISSeP), Liege, Belgium
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8
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A Vector Field Approach to Estimating Environmental Exposure Using Human Activity Data. ISPRS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEO-INFORMATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/ijgi11020135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Environmental exposure of people plays an important role in assessing the quality of human life. The most existing methods that estimate the environmental exposure either focus on the individual level or do not consider human mobility. This paper adopts a vector field generated from the observed locations of human activities to model the environmental exposure at the population level. An improved vector-field-generation method was developed by considering people’s decision-making factors, and we proposed two indicators, i.e., the total exposure indicator (TEI) and the average exposure indicator (AEI), to assess various social groups’ environmental exposure. A case study about the risky environmental exposure of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was conducted in Guangzhou, China. Over 900 participants with various socioeconomic backgrounds were involved in the questionnaire, and the survey-based activity locations were extracted to generate the vector field using the improved method. COVID-19 pandemic exposure (or risk) was estimated for different social groups. The findings show that people in the low-income group have an 8% to 10% higher risk than those in the high-income group. This new method of vector field may benefit geographers and urban researchers, as it provides opportunities to integrate human activities into the metrics of pandemic risk, spatial justice, and other environmental exposures.
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Ueda RMR, de Souza VM, Magalhães LR, Chagas PHN, Veras ASC, Teixeira GR, Nai GA. Neurotoxicity associated with chronic exposure to dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) - a simulation of environmental exposure in adult rats. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART. B, PESTICIDES, FOOD CONTAMINANTS, AND AGRICULTURAL WASTES 2021; 56:695-705. [PMID: 34125002 DOI: 10.1080/03601234.2021.1939622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is the second most widely used herbicide in the world. The objective of this study was to evaluate the neurotoxic effects and the possible role of the dysregulation of apoptosis in the genesis of brain damage in chronic exposure to 2,4-D in rats. Eighty adult male rats were distributed into eight groups (n = 10) and exposed orally (contaminated feed) and via inhalation, with two groups exposed to distilled water (control) and six to 2,4-D in three distinct concentrations. They were exposed for 6 months. A neurobehavioral assessment was performed, and the brain was collected for histopathology and immunohistochemistry. The animals in the control groups showed greater motility in the open-field test and a greater number of entries in the elevated-plus-maze test than those exposed to 2,4-D (p < 0.05). Neuronal necrosis was more incident in animals exposed to 2,4-D (p < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between the expression of BAX and the measurement of the cerebral cortex thickness (r = -0.713; p = 0.047). Regardless of the route of exposure, 2,4-D led to a deficit in neurobehavioral tests and decreased thickness of the cerebral cortex associated with increased expression of the pro-apoptotic protein BAX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Meire R Ueda
- Faculty of Psychology, Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Verena M de Souza
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Letícia R Magalhães
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique N Chagas
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Allice S C Veras
- Department of Physical Education, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - UNESP, Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovana R Teixeira
- Department of Physical Education, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - UNESP, Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gisele A Nai
- Department of Pathology and Graduate Program in Animal Science, Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil
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