Green Health

Electrospun nanofibrous materials have attracted considerable interest in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications; however, their environmental performance is influenced by upstream material production, energy-intensive processing, solvent use, and packaging. In this study, a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted for a PVA/tetracycline (TTC)/deep eutectic solvent (DES) nanofiber patch intended for topical healthcare applications. The functional unit was one 5 × 5 cm patch containing approximately 500 mg of recovered dry nanofiber. The assessment included raw material production, PVA solution and ChCl:urea DES preparation, tetracycline incorporation, electrospinning, drying, and packaging. Thermal preparation of the PVA solution and DES accounted for approximately 84% of foreground electricity demand, whereas electrospinning represented approximately 15%. Electricity was a major contributor to PVA production impacts, while urea dominated most impact categories for DES production. In the modeled tetracycline production pathway, ethanol accounted for approximately 95–100% of Climate Change, Radiation, and Ecotoxicity contributions. Packaging, particularly aluminum production, also contributed substantially. These findings highlight opportunities to reduce thermal energy requirements, improve electricity sourcing, minimize upstream solvent use, optimize packaging, and integrate lower-energy fiber-forming technologies, renewable and waste-derived feedstocks, and circular processing strategies. Full article

Climate change is intensifying challenges to microbial water quality and household water security across Saharan and Sahelian Africa, where water scarcity, variable infrastructure, and reliance on decentralized and informal water sources can increase vulnerability to contamination. This structured narrative review synthesizes evidence on how climatic stressors, including extreme heat, ultraviolet radiation, drought, flooding, rainfall variability, and dust events, influence microbial contamination, persistence, transport, and exposure across groundwater, surface waters, drinking-water distribution systems, and household storage. Heavy rainfall and flooding can mobilize fecal contamination and microbial hazards into water sources, whereas drought and water scarcity can increase dependence on marginal supplies, prolong household storage, and create conditions favorable to post-collection contamination and microbial regrowth. Climatic effects vary across microbial groups and water matrices: temperature, sunlight, turbidity, sediments, biofilms, and hydrological conditions can differentially influence bacterial, viral, and protozoan persistence and transport. Saharan dust also represents a potential pathway for long-range microbial dispersal and deposition, although direct evidence linking individual dust events to pathogen concentrations in drinking-water sources remains limited. The review further shows that microbial water quality is insufficiently integrated with broader dimensions of household water security, including availability, reliability, accessibility, and perceived safety. Strengthening the evidence base will require greater integration of microbial, climatic, hydrological, infrastructure, and household water-security data to support climate-resilient water management and public-health protection in Saharan and Sahelian communities. Full article

Healthcare facilities represent some of the most operationally complex and critical built environments, in which building performance directly influences patient safety, clinical outcomes, staff wellbeing and management efficiency. The progressive digitisation of the construction and Facility Management (FM) sectors, driven by Building Information Modelling (BIM), Digital Twin (DT), the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), offers transformative potential for the management of hospital infrastructure, predictive maintenance and indoor environmental monitoring. Despite a growing body of scientific literature, existing systematic reviews focus predominantly on clinical or patient-facing Digital Twin applications, leaving the built environment perspective—encompassing architectural systems, technical infrastructure and post-construction lifecycle management—largely unexplored. This Systematic Scoping Review follows the PRISMA-ScR protocol. A structured database search on Scopus yielded 194 records; after title/abstract screening and full-text review, the final corpus, defined here as the final set of included studies, comprises 166 studies (2013–2026; 2026 partial through 21 April) coded through a multidimensional thematic matrix. Results reveal a marked acceleration in publications from 2023 onwards, with BIM (56.6%) and Digital Twin (46.4%) as the dominant technologies and Facility Management as the prevailing domain (69.3%). The principal finding concerns implementation maturity: 52.4% of studies remain at a conceptual level, 38.6% are Prototype/Proof-of-Concept and 9.0% are Pilot/Testbed; no study documents a fully operational hospital deployment. Identified gaps include limited system interoperability, the absence of explicit normative references and insufficient integration of environmental sustainability. Beyond technical and sustainability dimensions, the review highlights a critical gap in the explicit linkage between built environment management and direct health outcomes for occupants: real-time digital monitoring of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameters remains the least operationally implemented domain (9.6% of studies), despite its documented effects on patient recovery, infection control and healthcare staff performance. Full article

This review examines the environmental transition of contemporary diets, the effects of plant-based diets on human health, and vegetarianism as a phenomenon extending beyond a dietary choice, offering insights into its relationship with quality of life, physiological mechanisms, psychosocial determinants, and structural implications. In the current landscape, growing interest in vegetarianism is driven by three main factors: its contribution to multiple domains of health, its substantial potential to reduce resource use and environmental impacts, and its association with ethical and animal-related considerations. However, further research is needed to consolidate its role as a key component of future development, requiring integrated educational, cultural, technological, and policy approaches that ensure equitable access to plant-based foods, foster critical reflection on animal welfare and moral responsibility, as well as support coordinated transformations of food systems toward healthier and more environmentally sustainable societies. Ultimately, the global implementation of dietary shifts toward plant-based patterns remains anticipated but constrained, as ingrained economic and cultural interests continue to delay this pivotal systemic change. Therefore, until policy authorities enact substantial structural reforms and individuals actively promote this transition within their immediate social environments, the issue is likely to persist as a subject of ongoing debate and resistance against its operationalization. Full article

Spice contamination and adulteration are longstanding global concerns across multiple points of the food supply chain, from production to distribution. Dietary supplements intended for pregnant and lactating individuals have also been found to contain heavy metals at levels exceeding regulatory recommendations. This review examines spices and dietary supplements as underrecognized, non-traditional sources of heavy metal exposure, with an emphasis on maternal and infant health. Published studies on lead contamination in spices and supplements were evaluated alongside evidence related to pregnancy, lactation, infancy, and early childhood. Relevant U.S. and international regulatory frameworks were also reviewed to identify policy and practice gaps that may limit prevention efforts. Findings highlight an important connection between food safety, regulatory oversight, and maternal and infant health. Lead contamination in spices and dietary supplements represents a preventable yet underrecognized public health risk that underscores the need to address regulatory gaps. International, federal, and state-level actions across the supply chain may help reduce heavy metal contamination in food sources. Further exploration of exposure pathways and policy responses is needed to strengthen standards, improve supply-chain transparency, and enhance product reliability while protecting maternal and infant health. Full article

Objective: While operating room waste has been extensively studied through waste audits, the environmental impact of waste in pain procedure suites remains largely unexplored. This study aims to quantify the waste mass of the three pain procedure suites at the University of California, San Diego. Design: We conducted a comprehensive waste audit of procedures performed for chronic pain by measuring the amount and type of nonbiohazardous waste, sharp waste, and pharmaceutical waste generated. Methods: Solid, nonbiohazardous waste was measured by weighing and sorting waste collected from three pain procedure rooms in a standardized fashion over two five-day periods. Sharp and pharmaceutical waste was weighed by environmental service staff over a three-month period and extrapolated to two five-day periods to match nonbiohazardous waste measurements. Results: A total of 136.0 kg of nonbiohazardous waste was measured over the two five-day time periods. Packaging comprised the largest portion of nonbiohazardous waste, accounting for 21.9% of the total waste. Other significant contributors included personal protective equipment (17.7%, 24.0 kg) and kit blue wrap (7.8%, 10.7 kg). The average weight of pharmaceutical and sharp waste was 0.48 kg and 0.49 kg per day per room, respectively. Full article

Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids offer a cost-effective solution for adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, whereas their market penetration remains low despite regulatory support and technological advancements. In this paper, we analyze OTC hearing aid patients’ behavior and experiences of integrating them into sustainable healthcare logistics across China. As an econometric toolkit, we use multiple linear regression models for the purpose of predictive modeling and hearing aid policy formulation. The focus is on patient awareness and attitudes towards the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in shaping sustainable purchase decisions. This study also examines the challenges related to insufficient Chinese hearing-impaired patients’ understanding of some trusted sales channels (TSCs) like digitization-driven platforms. The outcomes show that CSR initiatives increase purchase intention. In contrast, we observe that reliance on non-traditional TSCs may be associated with failure to build patient confidence in comparison with hospital-recommended brands of OTC hearing aids. From a strategic healthcare economic perspective, we highlight the potential of the healthcare market with a growing aging population and rising demand for equitable hearing solutions. The transferable framework provides insights for policymakers regarding healthcare accessibility and affordability in China to bridge the gap between market offerings and patient needs. Full article

Urban natural spaces are increasingly promoted as a strategy to strengthen resilience against chronic lifestyle-related diseases associated with urbanization. Among these, urban blue spaces have gained attention for their mitigative, restorative, and instorative health benefits, making their design for health promotion a growing priority in public health and urban planning. This study investigates outdoor gyms (OGs) and their role in promoting physical activity in coastal San Diego, USA. Users’ behavior was examined by employing the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities and the Blue Health Behavioral Assessment Tool. Supplementary, an online survey was used to further examine visitors’ perceptions towards the OGs of our study area and which design characteristics might affect their use. Systematic observation showed that OGs accounted for 28% of vigorous physical activity onsite, suggesting they function as a co-equal component of the physical activity affordance mix. Community members viewed the gyms as cost-effective and valuable additions to the blue space, while noting that design characteristics influence their use. Ocean views, proximity to amenities, and the availability of accessible equipment emerged as key enabling factors. These findings offer actionable insights for local stakeholders and underscore the importance of community co-design in realizing the health potential of urban blue spaces. Full article

Climate change is a threat affecting public health and healthcare systems, and the health sector accounts for nearly 10% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) in the United States, including through food services. Reducing meat consumption in healthcare institutions presents solutions to reduce food-related GHGEs and provide health benefits to patients. However, challenges in quantifying these benefits present barriers for implementation. We aimed to use publicly available tools to quantify the magnitude of climate, economic, and health benefits associated with integrating a plant-based protein “swap” of current menu options at one hospital institution. On average, modeled plant-based protein swaps cost $0.159/ounce less, reduce trans fats (0.102 g/ounce) and cholesterol (19.0 mg/ounce), and decrease 721 g of CO₂/ounce compared to meat-based counterparts. However, the swap analysis yielded variable results on meal protein content and caloric intake that require additional consideration. If plant-based alternatives were implemented across half of the inpatient dining service at this institution, equivalent to 206,000 meals annually, there could be a potential annual value of $920,240 in food cost savings and $973,028 in avoided GHGEs. Healthcare decision-makers can leverage publicly available tools to implement evidence-based climate change mitigation solutions, helping hospitals battle climate change and reduce the burden of chronic disease. Full article

Biogenically synthesized metal-based nanoparticles have emerged as an attractive alternative to traditional physicochemical methods. The conventional way to prepare metal nanoparticles involves using toxic chemicals as reducing agents and stabilizers, which is tedious to handle and highly detrimental to the environment. Hence, biological synthetic routes for the biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles have been widely explored in recent research. It involves using biological molecules present in organisms, such as bacteria, plants, and fungi, as well as vitamins and enzymes, to reduce, stabilize, and regulate nanoparticle growth. These green-synthesized nanoparticles have demonstrated promising biomedical applications, especially as antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective agents, owing to their superior biocompatibility and surface chemistry. In addition, there is potential to develop therapeutic formulations that leverage the interactions between nanoparticles’ properties and biological systems. This review discusses the mechanisms of biogenic synthetic routes, with a detailed discussion of plant, bacterial, enzymatic, fungal, and vitamin-mediated green synthetic metal-based nanoparticles and their applications in biomedical and drug delivery fields. Full article

The iron and steel industry is one of the most energy- and emission-intensive industrial sectors, accounting for approximately 95% of global metal production and 7–9% of global CO₂ emissions. Its decarbonization is therefore central to climate change mitigation and has potential co-benefits for environmental quality and human health through reductions in air pollutants associated with conventional coal-based steelmaking. This review addresses the following question: which technological and systemic pathways can reduce emissions from iron and steel production, and what constraints limit their deployment across regions? The article synthesizes current knowledge on the dominant blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace and electric arc furnace routes, their emission intensities, and their role in global steel production. It then evaluates two complementary groups of decarbonization pathways: optimization of existing carbon-intensive processes and the transition to low- and near-zero-carbon technologies, including hydrogen-based direct reduction, electrification, carbon capture, utilization and storage. Particular attention is given to the dependence of these pathways on low-carbon electricity, hydrogen availability, scrap supply, infrastructure, policy frameworks, and regional economic conditions. The review highlights that technological readiness alone is insufficient to ensure deep decarbonization; implementation depends on the alignment of energy systems, industrial investment cycles, and climate policy. From a public health perspective, steel decarbonization should be understood as a climate mitigation measure with potential health co-benefits, particularly where it reduces both greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution. Full article

Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus, 1758) is considered one of the major pests affecting global pome fruit production due to its wide distribution, cryptic feeding habit, high economic impact, and continuous evolution of insecticide resistance. Historically, management of this species has relied on repeated pesticide applications, which have been associated with environmental impacts, occupational exposure, pesticide residues in food, and compromised sustainability of pesticide-dependent agricultural systems, reinforcing the relevance of integrated One Health approaches. This narrative review analyzed global management strategies for C. pomonella published between 2014 and 2024 and indexed in the Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO databases. The reviewed studies demonstrate a gradual transition from predominantly chemical-based programs toward integrated strategies involving pheromone-based monitoring, mating disruption, biological control, and preventive plant biosecurity measures. Behavioral and biological approaches showed potential to reduce dependence on recurrent insecticide applications, particularly when associated with phytosanitary surveillance and integrated pest management programs. However, the effectiveness of these approaches remains influenced by insecticide resistance, climatic variability, and local ecological conditions. The evidence also suggests that the impacts of C. pomonella management are not limited to phytosanitary protection, involving interactions related to environmental sustainability, food safety, and human exposure to pesticides. Despite the relevance of the One Health approach, its operational incorporation into agricultural pest management remains limited, especially regarding the integration of research conducted under the One Health perspective. In this context, the sustainable management of Cydia pomonella requires integrated strategies capable of connecting phytosanitary surveillance, preventive plant biosecurity, and agricultural and ecological sustainability in order to ensure food security and population health. Full article

The increasing resistance of mosquito vectors to synthetic insecticides poses a major challenge to vector control and global public health, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable, environmentally safe alternatives. This study evaluated the larvicidal activity of aqueous, ethanolic, methanolic, and hydroethanolic extracts of Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton leaves against Aedes aegypti larvae. Significant variations in activity were observed across extraction solvent, ecological zone, and harvest season, with hydroethanolic extracts—particularly those collected in Kombissiri during the dry season—exhibiting the lowest LC₅₀ values among the tested extracts (LC₅₀ < 1600 ppm), indicating moderate larvicidal activity. Phytochemical profiling by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) revealed the presence of several classes of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, sterols/triterpenes, saponins, coumarins, alkaloids, and cardenolides. Correlation analysis revealed strong negative correlations between larvicidal activity and the concentrations of flavonoids and phenolic compounds, suggesting that higher levels of these metabolites are associated with increased larvicidal effectiveness and may contribute to the observed bioactivity, although these associations remain correlative and do not establish direct causality. These findings highlight the potential of C. procera as a source of plant-based larvicides and demonstrate the influence of environmental factors on their efficacy. From an environmental health perspective, such plant-derived solutions could provide preliminary data for the future optimization of sustainable vector control strategies, while reducing ecological impact and reliance on synthetic insecticides. Full article

(1) Background: Highway toll plazas are environments impacted by atmospheric pollutants that may affect workers’ health. However, there are still few studies on these environments. This study evaluated particulate matter (PM) concentrations by size fraction (PM_10–9.0 to PM_0.43) and associated arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and vanadium (V) at two toll plazas in Brazil. (2) Methods: PM and trace element concentrations were compared between dry and rainy seasons, and a health risk assessment was conducted for toll collectors based on inhalation exposure. (3) Results: PM_10–2.5 concentrations ranged from 31.8 to 360 µg m⁻³ in the dry season and from non-detectable to 287 µg m⁻³ in the rainy season. PM_2.5 levels varied between 14.9 and 150 µg m⁻³ (dry) and 3.46–174 µg m⁻³ (rainy). Although trace element concentrations were within Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) limits, the hazard quotient (HQ) for manganese and arsenic exceeded unity (HQ > 1), indicating potential health risks. (4) Conclusions: These findings suggest that toll plaza workers may experience increased inhalation-related risk under the exposure assumptions used. Improved ventilation and protective measures, including the use of protective screens, are recommended to reduce occupational exposure. Full article

The presence of vegetation in urban green areas is a factor that helps minimize urban environmental and human health problems. This study aimed to analyze the effect of different vegetation types and tree densities in green areas on thermal comfort and outdoor wind speed in a city with a tropical savanna climate. Computer simulations were used with the ENVI-Met software (version 5.1.1envi), with hypothetical scenarios where central green areas present different tree species defined by the Leaf Area Index (LAI), forming compositions calculated by different Vegetation Cover Indices (VCI). The results showed that scenarios with dense canopy tree vegetation (combined or not with sparse canopy species) and scenarios with the highest vegetation cover densities showed the greatest reductions in Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) values, while wind speed did not show a simple direct correlation with PET, although a diurnal relationship with the analyzed densities was observed. In light of the above, it was found that promoting thermal comfort outdoors requires prioritizing the maximization of vegetation cover so as not to create physical barriers to wind flow, especially in the afternoon. Full article

Attention has been drawn internationally to the carbon footprint of the healthcare sector, its impact upon climate change and promises that have been made to reduce carbon emissions. Even so, there are, as yet, not many reports about steps that have been taken in the practical setting to bring about the promised reductions. This review is intended to provide some guidance on actions that could prove beneficial. It includes examples of steps that have been undertaken and shown to be viable options in the practical setting and that now need to be implemented more widely. Certain types of medical textiles contribute more substantially to the carbon footprint of healthcare than others. To achieve significant reductions, attention needs to be focused on reducing the environmental impact of hospital and care centre linen, textile filter components of HVAC systems and PPE, such as gowns, drapes and facemasks, rather than on implantable items and specialist medical devices. Policy makers, those officials responsible for procurement and healthcare practitioners all need to become more involved in ensuring that the correct guidance and resulting actions are implemented in a coordinated fashion. Full article

Background: Metal elements have been reported to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The available epidemiological evidence for these associations is often inconsistent and prone to confounding and reverse causation. We aimed to explore the causal effects of varying metal element levels on AD and investigate potential underlying mechanisms. Methods: To investigate the causal link between multiple metals and AD risk, we employed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) approach and used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as instrumental variables. And the participants were extracted from large GWAS databases in the European Cohort. Our analysis primarily utilized methods including inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, and MR-Egger, and used sensitivity analyses to assess pleiotropy and heterogeneity. To verify the mechanism, we further used the metal element-related genes and disease-related genes to construct a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. Results: The IVW method results from Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis showed that blood zinc was negatively associated with AD risk (OR = 0.96, 95%CI: 0.93–0.99, p = 0.016) in the forward MR analysis, whereas AD was negatively associated with serum transferrin levels (OR = 0.89, 95%CI: 0.81–0.98, p = 0.015) in the reverse MR analysis in Europeans, which was adjusted for BMI, smoking, education, and coffee intake. However, no causal links were found between blood Cu, Mg, Se, and other iron states in serum and AD risk in Europeans. The PPI network suggested that SLC39A1 played a key role in the zinc–AD relationship, and transferrin might interact with ALB, LTF, HFE, TFRC, TF, and SLC40A1 in the context of AD. Conclusions: Our TSMR study suggested that in European populations, higher blood zinc levels might exert a protective effect against AD, whereas pathology of might lead to decreased serum transferrin levels. These findings provided evidence for metal dysregulation in AD, though further validation through randomized controlled trials is required. Full article

The increasing detection of micro-nanoplastics (MNPs) in environmental settings and in human biological samples has raised growing concern about their potential implications for human health. Exposure to plastic particles may cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic reactions, according to previous studies. It is unidentified, consequently, to what extent these basic processes result in identifiable clinical illness patterns. This narrative review investigated whether a structured symptom-mapping approach might be used to identify recurrent multisystem symptom patterns that might be consistent with environmental exposure. The Chicago Cluster System (CCS) is a conceptual framework that includes four environmental exposure indicators in addition to 26 clinical signs and symptoms. The CCS framework was used for filtering clinical descriptions of 375 disorders in 21 disease groups using conventional medical references. Using exploratory thresholds of at least eight compatible symptoms, the aim of this study was to identify scenarios exhibiting convergence with the CCS symptom pattern. Forty disorders (11%) exhibited eight or more CCS-compatible symptoms out of the 375 diseases that were evaluated. Neurodegenerative, metabolic, inflammatory, and gastrointestinal illnesses were among the various clinical categories in which these symptoms emerged. Fatigue (65%), upper gastrointestinal problems (58%), and increased inflammatory markers (55%) were the most commonly reported symptoms. These results imply that certain types of chronic disorders may exhibit recurrent multisystem symptom patterns. The observed overlap should be regarded cautiously because many CCS signs are non-specific and widely spread across medical conditions. The CCS framework may organize multisystem symptom patterns in environmental health research. Full article

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has evolved into a strategic corporate function; however, most reviews continue to frame it primarily through competitiveness and core-business alignment, offering limited analytical differentiation regarding its integration with environmental governance and public health. This study provides a conceptual synthesis of CSR evolution between 2015 and 2024, emphasizing environmental–health integration and emerging hybrid models, particularly in Latin America. A Narrative Systematic Review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, resulting in the analysis of 96 publications. Findings are structured into three ideal-typical configurations: Instrumental Competitive CSR, Adaptive Hybrid CSR, and Transformative Health-Centric CSR. The study proposes a complementary environmental health prevention framework in which companies, stakeholders, and governance actors interact to address structural determinants of health. By conceptualizing CSR as a preventive co-governance mechanism rather than a solely competitive strategy, this study advances a more theoretically grounded understanding of corporate responsibility in sustainable and healthy communities. Full article