Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in contaminated coastal marine waters of the Saudi Arabian Red Sea: a baseline study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are today considered important constituents of the continuously growing substance group of persistent...     

Effect of pesticide residues on health and different enzyme levels in the blood of farm workers from Gadap (rural area) Karachi-Pakistan

Persons from 14 different fruit and vegetable farm stations from Gadap (rural area), Karachi-Pakistan were examined for the presence of pesticide (cypermethrin, deltamethrin, polytrin-C, diazinon, monocrotophos, DDT and DDE) residues in their blood samples. The present study is concerned with effects of residue on the enzyme levels (GPT, GOT and ALP) as well as the health hazards of pesticide exposed persons. There is a significant increased in the enzyme levels at different stations. Exposed persons complained about liver and kidney dysfunctions and RTI. It may be concluded that exposure of multiple pesticides for prolonged period has affected the normal functioning of different organ systems and possibly produced characteristics clinical effects such as hepatitis, dyspnea and burning sensation in urine.     

Screening of human health risk to infants associated with the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in human milk from Punjab Province,Pakistan

This study assessed the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in human milk and its associated health risk to infants from rural and urban settings of five districts of Punjab Province, Pakistan. The ∑₃₄PCB concentrations ranged from 30.9 to 68.3 ng g^?1 on lipid weight (l.w.) basis. The ∑₈DL-PCB concentrations were ranged from 0.29 to 1.35 ng g^?1 l.w., (mean 6.2 ± 8.7 ng g^?1 l.w.), with toxicity equivalent to polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) ranging from 8.58 × 10^?6 to 0.05 ng TEQ g^?1 l.w. The spatial trend of PCB levels in human milk revealed higher bioaccumulative levels for urban mothers as compared with rural counterparts. The estimated daily intake (EDI) values of DL-PCBs to infants through trans-mammary transfer were considerably higher than tolerable daily intake limits established by WHO (i.e., 1–4 pg TEQ kg^?1 bw) and other globally recognized organizations. Similarly, the hazard quotient values for TEQ ∑₈DL-PCBs (range 1.21 to 79.87) were far above the benchmark value of 1 at all the sampling sites, indicating the high levels of adverse health risks to infants in the region through breast milk consumption. The ∑₃₄PCB levels were found to be negatively correlated with mother’ age (r = ?0.31; p = 0.02), parity (r = ? 0.85; p = 0.001), and infant’ birth weight (r = ? 0.73; p = 0.01). The present study suggests undertaking comprehensive public health risk assessment studies and firm regulatory measures to safeguard human health risks.

     

Photolysis of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the marine environment under simulated sunlight conditions: irradiation and identification

The photochemical fate of 16 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) found in the environment has been studied under controlled laboratory conditions applying a sunlight simulator. Aqueous samples containing PPCPs at environmentally relevant concentrations were extracted by solid-phase extraction (SPE) after irradiation. The exposed extracts were subsequently analysed by liquid chromatography combined with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) for studying the kinetics of photolytic transformations. Almost all exposed PPCPs appeared to react with a half-life time (τ _1/2) of less than 30 min. For ranitidine, sulfamethoxazole, diclofenac, warfarin, sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin, τ_1/2 was found to be even less than 5 min. The structures of major photolysis products were determined using quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QToF) and spectroscopic data reported in the literature. For diclofenac, the transformation products carbazol-1-yl-acidic acid and 8-chloro-9H-carbazol-1-yl-acetic acid were identified based on the mass/charge ratio of protonated ions and their fragmentation pattern in negative electrospray ionization (ESI^?-QTOF). Irradiation of carbamazepine resulted in three known products: acridine, carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide, and 10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxy-carbamazepine, whereas acetaminophen was photolytically transformed to 1-(2-amino-5 hydroxyphenyl) ethenone. These photochemical products were subsequently identified in seawater or fish samples collected at sites exposed to wastewater effluents on the Saudi Arabian coast of the Red Sea.     

Economic and financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Asia

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The world is facing a COVID-19 pandemic outbreak with an unprecedented and enormous impact on the lives of humankind. The economic engine has suffered...