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Risk Assessment of Pollutants in the Environment and Their Impact...
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Risk Assessment of Pollutants in the Environment and Their Impact on Human Health

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Pollution Prevention, Mitigation and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 3775

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Emanuele Cannizzaro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90129 Palermo, Italy
Interests: environmental pollution; occupational medicine; ergonomics; risk factors; environmental toxicology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of the great challenges for us and for future generations is to predict the impact of environmental pollutants on human health. Continuous industrial and technological innovation, with the concomitant increase in pollutant levels, has, directly or indirectly, made the monitoring of environmental pollutants essential in many work activities, both in terms of air and, especially, water treatment where, in addition to pathogens, toxic substances are often found.

Health issues related to exposure to environmental pollutants are as varied as the pollutants themselves.

This Special Issue seeks to open a wide window enabling the publication of new research on pollutant prevention, workplace management, and worker health monitoring.

This Special Issue encourages the submission of articles by researchers and faculty members from multiple disciplines that integrate industrial and medical health expertise.

This is an international and interdisciplinary Special Issue covering all aspects of risk assessment pertaining to pollutants in the environment and their impact on human health and aims to bring about discussion, not only of current global issues but also the means and proposals aiming to improve its management.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Emanuele Cannizzaro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pollutants
  • human health
  • pollutant risk assessment
  • levels and toxicity of organic, inorganic, and biological pollutants in water
  • analysis and treatment of water pollutants by carbon materials

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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25 pages, 16278 KiB  
Article
Spatial Distribution Patterns, Eco-Environmental Risk Assessment, and Human Health Impacts of Uranium and Thorium in Beach Sediments in the Central Gulf of Gabes (Southern Mediterranean Sea)
by Radhouan Belgacem El Zrelli, Jessica K. Klar, Sylvie Castet, Michel Grégoire, Pierre Courjault-Radé and Sébastien Fabre
Sustainability 2025, 17(3), 1283; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17031283 - 5 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1264
Abstract
This study investigates uranium (U) and thorium (Th) levels in surface beach sediments from the Central Gulf of Gabes (SE Tunisia), aiming to identify concentration zones, geochemical behaviors, and enrichment factors. U concentrations ranged from 0.71 to 38.00 mg/kg, exceeding Th levels, which [...] Read more.
This study investigates uranium (U) and thorium (Th) levels in surface beach sediments from the Central Gulf of Gabes (SE Tunisia), aiming to identify concentration zones, geochemical behaviors, and enrichment factors. U concentrations ranged from 0.71 to 38.00 mg/kg, exceeding Th levels, which ranged from 1.00 to 10.60 mg/kg. A positive correlation between U and Th indicates a common source, which is most likely phosphogypsum wastes, and similar geochemical behaviors. The central sector near Gabes’ fertilizer factories showed the highest U and Th concentrations, with factors such as proximity to industrial discharge, port structures’ influence, organic matter enrichment, low seawater pH, and high phosphorus levels affecting the spatial distribution of these elements. Thermochemical analysis suggests that U and Th exhibit parallel chemical behaviors in low-pH, phosphate-rich conditions. This is the first study to document U and Th presence in phosphogypsum-contaminated beach sediments in Gabes, underlining potential risks to the environment and human health. The findings of this work contribute to the international database of U and Th contamination in coastal sediments, providing essential data to support sustainable strategies aimed at safeguarding human health and preserving local environments affected by phosphate fertilizer industry pollution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Risk Assessment of Pollutants in the Environment and Their Impact on Human Health)
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30 pages, 802 KiB  
Systematic Review
Environmental and Human Health Risks of Estrogenic Compounds: A Critical Review of Sustainable Management Practices
by Nisha Lerdsuwanrut, Reza Zamani and Mohammad Akrami
Sustainability 2025, 17(2), 491; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020491 - 10 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1995
Abstract
The concentrations of estrogens and xenoestrogens in the environment are rising rapidly, posing significant and multifaceted risks to human health and ecosystems. It is imperative for governments to develop policies that leverage sustainable technologies to mitigate the presence of pharmaceutical estrogenic compounds in [...] Read more.
The concentrations of estrogens and xenoestrogens in the environment are rising rapidly, posing significant and multifaceted risks to human health and ecosystems. It is imperative for governments to develop policies that leverage sustainable technologies to mitigate the presence of pharmaceutical estrogenic compounds in the environment. This review examines the global environmental and human health risks associated with indigenous estrogens and synthetic pharmaceutical xenoestrogens, while critically evaluating sustainable approaches to their management. A total of 28 studies, published between December 2013 and 18 January 2024, and sourced from PubMed and Scopus, were systematically reviewed. Most of these studies focused on estrogenic compounds in aquatic environments where they contribute to reproductive and developmental abnormalities in fish and may enter the human food chain, primarily through fish consumption. Sustainable methods for removing or neutralizing estrogenic compounds include adsorption, filtration, and enzymatic degradation. Additionally, technologies such as activated sludge processes and high-rate algal ponds demonstrate promise for large-scale applications; however, further research and standardized operational guidelines are needed to optimize their efficiency and sustainability. This review has concluded that ECs can have severe consequences on the environment, most notably, impairment of reproductive functions in fish and humans, underscoring the urgent need for governments to implement drug take-back programs, establish evidence-based guidelines for wastewater and pharmaceutical waste treatment, and set enforceable thresholds for estrogenic compounds in surface and drinking water. Existing regulations such as the UK’s Regulation on the registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemicals and the United States’ National Primary Drinking Water Regulations can be modified to include ECs as dangerous chemicals to aid in maintaining safe EC levels”. Such measures are critical for reducing the environmental concentrations of pharmaceutical estrogenic compounds and safeguarding both public health and ecological integrity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Risk Assessment of Pollutants in the Environment and Their Impact on Human Health)
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