Asbestos and Toxicological Concerns

The study was done to assess the regeneration status of lowland bamboo after gregarious flowering and death in BenishangulGumuz Region, Homosha District, Jimma and Sherkole Kebeles, North west of Ethiopia. A systematic sampling technique was used to survey lowland bamboo. Twenty and eleven sample plots were surveyed in Jima and Sherkole Kebeles respectively and each plots with 10 x 10 m size. Field observation, regeneration inventory, FGDs, and questionnaire survey on 80 households were used to collect data. Descriptive age class across different management. and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The seedlings and culms had a significant difference (One-Way ANOVA p <0.05) in density, size (DBH) and height between the two sites. However, the size difference was statistically insignificant. Height and diameter classes distribution indicated highest number of individuals in the lower classes

As the world strives to achieve universal health coverage, the sudden occurrence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the unpreparedness of countries to respond quickly and appropriately impose an additional burden on health systems and achieve the goals of sustainable health development Got into trouble. In such a situation, the only strategy against coronary heart disease seems to be to prevent infected people from coming into contact with others by finding infected cases or reducing contact. Public health surveillance or tracking systems are critical in preventing and control ling disease in population. Implementation of these systems is possible by using RTLS technology and database to analyze and monitor information.

This study investigated the processes responsible for perennial low pH in Nyaruzinga wetland water source in Western Uganda. Under anoxic conditions in wetlands, the redox potential and pH increase, thereby favouring dissolution of iron compounds, humic substances and release of copper, chromium, cobalt, nickel and lead. In situ temperature, pH, DO, EC and Eh were determined while the heavy metals, anions, cations, TOC, DOC and humic substances were analysed in the laboratory, for sediments, raw and treated water. The pH and DO increased from 70 cm deep in the wetland to the surface while the other parameters decreased. Copper (0.123-0.152 mg/L), chromium (0.002-0.299 mg/L), nickel (0.07-0.119 mg/L) and cobalt (0.006-0.081 mg/L) were determined at 70 cm deep, being trace (0.001-0.09 mg/L) at the wetland surface. High concentrations of TOC (14.7-28.3 mg/L) and DOC (0.03-0.71 mg/L) were measured in the wetland while traces of DOC (0.001-0.009 mg/L) and humic substances were determined in raw water but not in the treated water. The low pH in Nyaruzinga wetland is attributed to low molecular weight humic substances under perennial water logged conditions, and treatment processes should aim to remove them.

On July 19, 2023, an EF-3 tornado struck Rocky Mount, North Carolina, severely impacting the environment and damaging Pfizer’s pharmaceutical facility. This project uses the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to analyze environmental vulnerability before and after the tornado. Landsat 8 satellite imagery was used to compare NDVI data from two weeks before and four weeks after the event. Using ArcGIS, zonal statistics and raster analysis identified areas of significant vegetation loss across urban, forested, and agricultural zones along the 16-mile tornado path. Results revealed notable decreases in NDVI values, indicating widespread loss of vegetation and soil disruption. Damage to the Pfizer plant, which produces about 25% of U.S.hospital-injectable medicines, emphasized the tornado’s critical pharmaceutical impact. This study demonstrates how geospatial science tools like NDVI can assess environmental vulnerability and disaster impact, helping guide future planning, emergency response, and infrastructure resilience in a changing climate.

Keywords: EF-3 Tornado; Environmental Impact; Geospatial Analysis; Disaster Resilience; Vegetation change.

Contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) are known to affect aquatic organisms downstream of wastewater treatment plant effluent discharges. Studies in the Grand River watershed on the small-bodied, benthic rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) have shown altered gene expression, sex steroid levels, gonad size and expression of intersex (testis-ova) associated with wastewater outfalls. Due to these observed biological impacts, over $450M has been spent by the municipal government to upgrade the two major wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) within the Grand River watershed (Waterloo, Kitchener). In this study we monitored process upgrades at each of the WWTPs between 2010 to 2019 for a suite of chemicals including nutrients, CECs, hormones and total estrogenicity. Effluent samples for select CECs and total estrogenicity were analyzed by LC-MS/MS and yeast estrogen screen (YES) assay, respectively. Estrogenicity of the effluent declined rapidly after upgrades were completed. The removal of key CECs varied depending on their physiochemical properties. Although treatment process upgrades lead to greatly reduced environmental exposure to many CECs such as naproxen, some remain at relatively high concentrations (i. e. carbamazepine) that may continue to represent a risk to the environment.

Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry (Latitude 30.1N) in the Big Bend area of Florida with a central pressure of 939hPa. It moved northwards creating devastating damage and loss of life; however, the greatest damage and number of fatalities occurred well to the north around the City of Ashville (Latitude 35.6N) where extreme rainfall fell and some of the strongest wind gusts were reported [1-3]. This paper describes the change in the hurricane’s structure as it tracked northwards, how it gathered tropical moisture from the Atlantic and a turning wind profile between the 850hPa and 500hPa elevations which led to such extreme rainfall. This turning wind profile is shown to be associated with extreme rainfall and loss of life from drowning and landslides around the globe. The area around Ashville suffered 157 fatalities which is a significant proportion of the 250 fatalities so far recorded in the whole United Stares from Helene. This is of extreme concern and should be investigated in detail as the public generally expect the greatest impact from hurricanes to be confined to coastal areas near the landfall site. It is another example of increased death tolls from tropical cyclones moving inland and generating heavy rainfall. As the global population increases and inland centres become more urbanised, run off from such rainfall increases which causes greater devastation.

Introduction: Fluorosis, also known as fluorine poisoning is a disease caused by the disruption of various metabolic pathways, one of which includes calcium metabolism implicated in dental and bone formation due to the replacement of calcium by fluoride ions in bone matrix. The aim of study was to determine the presence of fluorine of the population consuming water contaminated at the Diamaré Division.

Method: A cross sectional analytic study design in 7 villages at the Diamaré division from 1st December 2021 to 30th May 2022 was carried out. Participants who gave consent and filled the selection criteria were included. The socio-demographic characteristics, medical history, eating habits and clinical characteristics of the participants were obtained using a questionnaire. Samples of urine, blood of participants and water were collected for analysis at the Centre for Study and Control of Communicable Diseases at the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaoundé. Fluoride concentration in water and urine. Data entry and analysis was done using Epi info; Associations were derived from bivariate analysis.

Results: We had bore holes, wells and river as water sources used of water for drinking, cooking and household activities. 152 participants were recruited and the most common water source used was bore holes (N=94; 61.84.7%). Some used water from one source only; others from two sources or more. Majority had Joint pains (78.7%). Dental fluorosis accounted for 26%., bowed legs 4.7%, skeletal deformities 6%, immobilization of joints 41.3% and knocked knees 1.3%. A mean water fluoride concentration of 1.30 ±1.68mg/l ranging from 0.04-5.75mg/l was obtained from 30 samples of water collected while that of 2.89 ±2.87mg/l ranging from 0.05-14.35 mg/l was obtained from urine.

Conclusion: The majority of water sources (wells and boreholes) used by our study population for consumption are contaminated with fluoride which is eliminated in urine by the entire population.

Chronic exposure to ambient Ozone (O3) air pollution induces respiratory inflammation and hyperreactivity, emphysema and interstitial lung fibrosis. O3-induced oxidative stress causes epithelial barrier injury and cell death activating Toll-like receptors, DNA sensing pathways and inflammasomes with production of a range of inflammatory chemokines with a mixed phenotype of COPD and asthma. O3 exposure is often associated with other pollutants causing exacerbation leading to severe respiratory disease. Here, we review mechanisms and therapeutic targets to control O3-induced COPD-like disease.

This study investigates heavy metal contamination in seawater and sediments in three coastal regions of Oman – Darsait, Azaibah and Seeb. In 2022, sample collections were made in subtidal ecosystems in these three areas, and the samples were analysed to assess the potential environmental impacts of treated wastewater. The study employed a comprehensive sampling strategy adhering to the Oman Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Guidelines to evaluate key parameters such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and heavy metal concentrations see Appendix 1. Results indicate that the levels of most heavy metals contamination had not changed significantly since the baseline surveys in 2009 and 2012, but that some levels were still above EIA guidelines. Recommendations are made to reduce these levels, ensuring the protection of marine environments and humans while supporting industrial growth. This research contributes to our understanding of anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems in Oman and highlights the importance of regular monitoring and adaptive management practices.

The paper introduces a machine learning method of detecting multiple sources of water contamination caused by wildfire. The method includes changing the water flow regime, monitoring the time series of the contaminant concentration caused by regime changes, and associating the signature of the contaminant changes over time with sources locations. The contaminant signature from multiple sources starting at the moment of changing water velocity are defined by extending the approach for one contamination source. The intensity, location of each source, and diffusion coefficient are defined to satisfy the minimum square between monitoring and theoretical concentrations. The equations derived from the criteria of the best fit between experimental and modeling data are solved using the theory of hypernumbers. The initial values for hypernumber solutions are computed using the transient process of contaminant transport curve analysis. The defined in this paper algorithm can by used for detecting location of the arbitrary impurity in water network system.