1
|
Akūlova L, Paegle L, Mārtiņsone I, Vanadziņš I, Knudsen LE, Matisāne L. COVID-19 pandemic influence on perceived exposure to chemical substances in Latvia: data from a focus group discussion and the HBM4EU citizen survey. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1382368. [PMID: 38846609 PMCID: PMC11155454 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1382368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has globally influenced the exposure of populations to chemical substances through various channels. This study aims to evaluate the tendencies of the use of chemical products in Latvia amidst the pandemic. Answers from 597 respondents (26.6% male, 73.4% female, mean age 46.0 ± 12.2) which were gathered as part of the HBM4EU (Human Biomonitoring Initiative) citizen survey and 8 focus group participants were used. Methods The study utilized data from the HBM4EU citizen survey and conducted focus group discussions to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on chemical product usage in Latvia. Survey responses were analyzed to identify changes in exposure to chemicals, particularly in relation to disinfection agents and household products. Results More than two-thirds of survey participants reported increased exposure to chemicals during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly related to the use of disinfection agents and household products. About 2-in-5 (39.8%) of survey respondents considered that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased their interest in exposure to chemicals. The excessive use of disinfectant products is the main concern of citizens (mentioned by 66.7%, n = 389). Also, two focus group participants noted that the use of disinfectant products is too widespread and should be minimized. Discussion The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has not only increased the use of chemical products in Latvia but also promoted an interest in safe and healthy use of chemicals which could be useful to raise the awareness of the general public.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lāsma Akūlova
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health, Rīga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia
| | - Linda Paegle
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health, Rīga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia
| | - Inese Mārtiņsone
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health, Rīga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia
| | - Ivars Vanadziņš
- Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health, Rīga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia
| | - Lisbeth E. Knudsen
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Linda Matisāne
- Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health, Rīga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ghai A, Sabour E, Salonga R, Ho R, Apollonio DE. Exposures to Bleach, Peroxide, Disinfectants, Antimalarials, and Ivermectin Reported to the California Poison Control System Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2015-2021. Public Health Rep 2024; 139:112-119. [PMID: 37933467 PMCID: PMC10905766 DOI: 10.1177/00333549231201679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread fear of infection, with many people expanding their use of cleaning products and trying unproven prevention and treatment strategies. We described shifts in reported exposures related to COVID-19 home interventions. METHODS This study considered suspected toxicity exposures involving household cleaning products (bleach, peroxide, disinfectants), antimalarials (hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine), and ivermectin reported to the California Poison Control System from 2015 through 2021 and assessed trends in exposures by using interrupted time-series analyses. RESULTS We found a significant increase in exposures reported to the California Poison Control System related to household cleaning products and ivermectin during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of January 1, 2015, the baseline level of reported exposures to household cleaning products was 707.33 per month and was declining at a rate of 1.71 (95% CI, -2.87 to -0.56) per month through February 29, 2020. In March 2020, an increase of 466.57 (95% CI, 328.08-605.07) reported exposures above baseline occurred, after which exposures to cleaning products decreased at a rate of 23.40 (95% CI, -32.48 to -14.32) per month. The number of reported exposures to antimalarials did not change significantly before or during the pandemic. The number of reported ivermectin exposures before December 2020 was initially stable at 14.50 per month and then increased by 2.05 per month through December 2021. CONCLUSIONS Our observations suggest that while some dangerous home prevention and treatment efforts resolve over time, further interventions may be needed to reduce the public health effects related to attempts to self-treat COVID-19 with ivermectin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Ghai
- School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Emily Sabour
- School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Raeann Salonga
- School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Raymond Ho
- School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- California Poison Control System, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dorie E Apollonio
- School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Frantz AL. Chronic quaternary ammonium compound exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on human health. TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES 2023; 15:199-206. [PMCID: PMC10252167 DOI: 10.1007/s13530-023-00173-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Objective This review examines a relevant, and underacknowledged, emerging global public health concern—the widespread exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. QACs are a widely used class of cationic surfactants with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity that serve as the active ingredients in antimicrobial products. While these compounds have been used for decades, the production and consumer use of QAC-containing products have steeply risen during the COVID-19 pandemic to control and prevent the spread of the SARS-Cov-2 virus. As a result, human exposure to QACs has also drastically increased. Methods This critical review was conducted by searching the key terms “quaternary ammonium compounds,” “disinfectants,” “COVID-19,” “SARS-Cov-2,” “human health,” and “human exposure” in the major search engines, including Google Scholar, PubMed and Science Direct. Results QACs are generally considered safe and effective, yet the magnitude of QAC exposure and the subsequent health effects have not been adequately investigated. Recent studies have revealed the potential for bioaccumulation of QACs in blood and tissue. Inhalation and dermal absorption of QACs are identified as the most significant exposure routes for adults, while children and infants may be significantly more vulnerable to QAC exposure and potential adverse health effects. Conclusions QACs are an important tool to protect individual and public health, but understanding the impact of widespread QAC exposure is vital to guide best practices for QAC use and minimize the associated health risks. These pandemic era results warrant further investigation and raise additional questions about the short-term and long-term health effects of chronic QAC exposure. Clinical trial registration Not applicable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey L. Frantz
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of North Texas at Dallas, 7400 University Hills Blvd, Dallas, TX 75241 USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ekanayake A, Rajapaksha AU, Hewawasam C, Anand U, Bontempi E, Kurwadkar S, Biswas JK, Vithanage M. Environmental challenges of COVID-19 pandemic: resilience and sustainability - A review. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 216:114496. [PMID: 36257453 PMCID: PMC9576205 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of novel respiratory disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a public health emergency worldwide and perturbed the global economy and ecosystem services. Many studies have reported the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental compartments, its transmission via environmental routes, and potential environmental challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. None of these studies have comprehensively reviewed the bidirectional relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the environment. For the first time, we explored the relationship between the environment and the SARS-CoV-2 virus/COVID-19 and how they affect each other. Supporting evidence presented here clearly demonstrates the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in soil and water, denoting the role of the environment in the COVID-19 transmission process. However, most studies fail to determine if the viral genomes they have discovered are infectious, which could be affected by the environmental factors in which they are found.The potential environmental impact of the pandemic, including water pollution, chemical contamination, increased generation of non-biodegradable waste, and single-use plastics have received the most attention. For the most part, efficient measures have been used to address the current environmental challenges from COVID-19, including using environmentally friendly disinfection technologies and employing measures to reduce the production of plastic wastes, such as the reuse and recycling of plastics. Developing sustainable solutions to counter the environmental challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic should be included in national preparedness strategies. In conclusion, combating the pandemic and accomplishing public health goals should be balanced with environmentally sustainable measures, as the two are closely intertwined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anusha Ekanayake
- Ecosphere Resilience Research Center, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, 10250, Sri Lanka
| | - Anushka Upamali Rajapaksha
- Ecosphere Resilience Research Center, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, 10250, Sri Lanka; Instrument Center, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, 10250, Sri Lanka.
| | - Choolaka Hewawasam
- Faculty of Technology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, 10250, Sri Lanka
| | - Uttpal Anand
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, 8499000, Israel
| | - Elza Bontempi
- INSTM and Chemistry for Technologies Laboratory, University of Brescia, via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Sudarshan Kurwadkar
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, California State University, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Jayanta Kumar Biswas
- Department of Ecological Studies & International Centre for Ecological Engineering, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia, 741235, West Bengal, India
| | - Meththika Vithanage
- Ecosphere Resilience Research Center, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, 10250, Sri Lanka; Sustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248007, India
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Giordano F, Petrolini VM, Spagnolo D, Fidente RM, Lanciotti L, Baldassarri L, Moretti FL, Brambilla E, Lonati D, Schicchi A, Locatelli CA, Draisci R. Significant variations of dangerous exposures during COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: a possible association with the containment measures implemented to reduce the virus transmission. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:441. [PMID: 35246098 PMCID: PMC8896978 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12860-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In response to the COVID-19 health emergency, mass media widely spread guidelines to stop the virus transmission, leading to an excessive and unaware use of detergents and disinfectants. In Italy and in other countries this tendency caused a significant increase of exposures to these products in 2020. Evaluating data collected by the Italian Pavia Poison Centre (PPC), this study intends to examine the relationship between the COVID-19 lockdown and the variations of exposures to specific product categories possibly associated to the containment measures implemented. Simultaneously, this work shows the effectiveness of the European Product Categorisation System (EuPCS) in surveillance activities of dangerous chemicals. METHODS Exposure cases managed by the PPC during March-May 2020 (lockdown) and during the same months of 2017-2018-2019 were compared. Differences in categorical variables were tested with the Chi-square test. The level of significance was set at Alpha = .05. The study included all EuPCS groups but specifically focused on cleaners, detergents, biocides and cosmetics. RESULTS During the lockdown, calls from private citizens showed a highly significant increase (+ 11.5%, p < .001) and occupational exposures decreased (- 11.7%, p = .011). Among Cleaners, exposures to Bleaches slightly increased while Drain cleaning products went through a significant reduction (- 13.9%, p = .035). A highly significant increase of exposures to Disinfectants was observed (+ 7.7%, p = .007), particularly to those for surfaces (+ 6.8%, p = .039). Regarding Cosmetics, both handwashing soaps and gel products significantly increased (respectively: + 25.0, p = .016 and + 9.7%, p = .028). Among children 1-5 years, the statistical significance is reached with exposures to Dishwashing detergents (+ 13.1%, p = .032), handwashing soaps (+ 28.6%, p = .014) and handwashing gel products (+ 16.8%, p = .010). Contrarily, Liquid Laundry Detergent Capsules decreased in a highly significant manner (- 25%; p = .001). The general severity of exposures showed a highly significant decrease (Moderate: - 10.1%, p = .0002). CONCLUSIONS This study investigated the relationship between the COVID-19 lockdown and the variations of exposures to some product categories related to the containment measures. The results obtained support any action to be taken by Competent Authorities to implement measures for a safer use of cleaners/disinfectants. This paper shows the benefit in applying the EuPCS to categorize products according to their intended use, though an extension of this system to products not covered by CLP Regulation may be a further advantage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felice Giordano
- National Center for Chemicals, Cosmetics and Consumer Protection, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00100, Rome, Italy.
| | - Valeria Margherita Petrolini
- Toxicology Unit, Poison Centre and National Toxicology Information Centre, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Domenico Spagnolo
- National Center for Chemicals, Cosmetics and Consumer Protection, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00100, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosanna Maria Fidente
- National Center for Chemicals, Cosmetics and Consumer Protection, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00100, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Lanciotti
- National Center for Chemicals, Cosmetics and Consumer Protection, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00100, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucilla Baldassarri
- National Center for Chemicals, Cosmetics and Consumer Protection, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00100, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Luca Moretti
- National Center for Chemicals, Cosmetics and Consumer Protection, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00100, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Brambilla
- Toxicology Unit, Poison Centre and National Toxicology Information Centre, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Davide Lonati
- Toxicology Unit, Poison Centre and National Toxicology Information Centre, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Azzurra Schicchi
- Toxicology Unit, Poison Centre and National Toxicology Information Centre, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Carlo Alessandro Locatelli
- Toxicology Unit, Poison Centre and National Toxicology Information Centre, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Rosa Draisci
- National Center for Chemicals, Cosmetics and Consumer Protection, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00100, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|