Search Results (320)

Compound hot–humid events are placing increasing pressure on urban health and land-use governance as climate warming and urban expansion continue. This study examined urban built-up areas in 21 prefecture-level cities and prefectures of Sichuan Province for 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2024. Using the IPCC hazard–exposure–vulnerability framework, ERA5-Land, MODIS land-cover, GHSL population, and socioeconomic data were combined to construct the Humid Heat Hazard Index (HI), Population-Density Exposure Index (EI), Socioeconomic Vulnerability Index (VI), and Comprehensive Urban Heat–Humidity Risk Index (HHRI). Contribution decomposition, LISA, and standard deviation ellipse analysis were then used to examine risk changes and spatial patterns. The mean HHRI decreased from 0.42 to 0.24, but rebounds appeared in 2010 and 2024. HI varied strongly among years and drove short-term risk changes, EI declined continuously, and VI dropped from 0.87 to 0.30, making it the main factor behind long-term risk reduction. Higher-risk areas were mainly located in southern Sichuan, southeastern Sichuan, and the central-eastern Sichuan Basin. LISA results showed high-risk clusters in basin cities and low-risk clusters on the western Sichuan Plateau. The standard deviation ellipse remained mostly within the basin and followed the basin urban belt. Future adaptation should combine public-service improvement with heat warnings, cooling services, and emergency preparedness. Full article

Traditional Romanian Pălincă is a protected fruit spirit obtained from fermented fruit matrices, whereas honey- and botanical-enriched Pălincă-based beverages require integrated compositional and technological characterization. This study investigated the physicochemical, chromatic, antioxidant, and ICP-MS elemental profiles of experimental beverages prepared from grape- and plum-based Pălincă distillates enriched with honey, blackthorn, rosehip, or wood-associated materials under controlled artisanal conditions. Chemometric tools were applied to evaluate ingredient- and process-related differentiation, while target hazard quotient and hazard index calculations were retained as a concise screening-level elemental safety assessment. Honey enrichment produced the strongest compositional changes, mainly reflected by increased soluble solids, conductivity, turbidity, chromatic intensity, and mineral content, together with lower final alcoholic strength. Fruit-macerated and mixed honey-botanical beverages were associated with higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity. ICP-MS profiling highlighted potassium as the dominant macroelement, while Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn were the main technological trace elements. Potentially toxic elements remained at low concentrations, and the screening-level THQ/HI assessment indicated low non-carcinogenic elemental risk under the applied exposure scenario. Overall, the results show that ICP-MS elemental profiling can support the technological and ingredient-related differentiation of experimental Pălincă-based beverages, while toxicological interpretation should remain limited to elemental exposure screening. Full article

Potentially toxic element (PTE) contamination of food systems has emerged as an important environmental and public health concern in many developing countries, including Uganda, owing to rapid urbanization, industrialization, mining activities, wastewater reuse, informal waste disposal, and expanding urban agriculture. This review synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed and selected grey literature on the occurrence of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) in cereals, vegetables, tubers, livestock products, fish, fruits, and processed foods consumed in Uganda. A structured literature synthesis and screening-level dietary risk assessment using estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), carcinogenic risk (CR), and total carcinogenic risk (TCR) were conducted to identify contamination hotspots, priority exposure pathways, and potential public health implications. The available evidence revealed substantial spatial variability, with contamination consistently concentrated in mining-influenced agricultural areas, wastewater-irrigated farms, municipal dumpsites, industrial corridors, and urban food markets. Vegetables, cereals, livestock products, fish, and street-vended foods exhibited the greatest contamination burdens, while Pb and Cd were the PTEs most frequently reported exceeding WHO/FAO, Codex Alimentarius, and Ugandan food safety limits. Screening-level risk estimates indicated that Pb, Cd, and Cr contributed most to cumulative dietary exposure, with children consistently exhibiting higher EDI, THQ, HI, and TCR values than adults because of greater food intake relative to body weight. Although cumulative HI and TCR values exceeded recommended screening thresholds in several hotspot regions, these estimates should be interpreted as conservative screening-level indicators derived from heterogeneous published datasets rather than nationally representative measures of dietary exposure. Overall, the evidence indicates that PTE contamination in Ugandan food systems is predominantly hotspot-driven and highlights the need for targeted surveillance, standardized monitoring and reporting, improved pollution control, and strengthened food safety management to reduce chronic dietary exposure and protect public health. Full article

The concentrations of 18 metal(loid)s were measured in five marine invertebrate species (Oxystele tigrine and sinensis, Marthasterias glacialis, Cymbula oculus and granatina, Parechinus angulosus, and Mytilus galloprovincialis) and five macroalgae/seaweed species (Aeodes orbitosa, Gelidium pristoides, Caulerpa filiformis, Ulva sp., and Bifurcaria brassicac formis) collected from eight sites within the marine environment of False Bay, Cape Town, South Africa. To assess the potential human health hazards associated with consumption, samples were acid digestion and analysed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The analysed elements included trace metals (Fe, Mn, Zn) toxic metals (Pb, Cd, As), transition metals (Ta, Ti), alkali metals (Li), and metalloid (Se, As). Metal concentration varied widely among species and locations, with values ranging from Zn: not detected (nd)—3836.04 mg/kg dry weight (dw); As: nd—77.98 mg/kg dw; Pb: nd—301.15 mg/kg dw; Li: nd—97.28 mg/kg dw, indicating diverse metal accumulation patterns. Human health risk was evaluated using the target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI). Arsenic consistently exceeded the THQ threshold of one across all sites, and all the HI values were greater than one for all edible species, suggesting potential non-carcinogenic health risks associated with the consumption, except for M. glacialis, which is not commonly consumed. The HI metrics demonstrate the adverse impacts of metal concentration in marine biota. The observed spatial and biological variability in metal accumulation highlights the limitations of relying solely on metal concentrations for assessing health risks, food safety or anthropogenic contamination, and therefore more frequent and comprehensive monitoring is recommended. Full article

Background: Wild foods and geophagic material are important in the nutrition of communities along Zimbabwe’s Great Dyke, a serpentinic ultramafic (SUG) and surrounding granitic geological (GG) environment. However, the health risks associated with consumption of these in terms of toxic geogenic contaminants (TGC) is largely unknown. The study objective was to evaluate the health risks associated with consuming wild foods and geophagic materials from these environments. Methods: Health risk assessments were determined using the hazard quotient, hazard index (HI) and life cancer risk (LCR) for 10 TGCs in wild foods and geophagic material. Results: High human health risks (HI ≥ 1) were found in six wild foods and geophagic material under the SUG environment compared with five wild foods and geophagic material under the GG environment. Wild foods and geophagic materials exceeded the tolerable risk level of 1 × 10⁻⁴. Their LCR values ranged from 2.11 × 10⁻¹ to 6.83 × 10⁻⁷. All TGCs had high LCR values above the tolerable risk level, except for Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn. Conclusions: Infusion reduced the LCR values for TGCs, with only Pb in the GG environment decreasing to below tolerable risk level. Communities should apply selective consumption and avoid F. sycomorus and geophagic materials with cancer risks. Full article

Storm-cast macroalgae represent a vast, underutilized biomass in the Arctic. This study evaluates the mineral composition, safety, and nutritional potential of storm-cast versus attached macroalgae from the Barents and White Seas to determine their suitability for commercial application. Mineral profiles (K, Na, Ca, Mg, As, Zn, Fe, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Cd) were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), while iodine (I) was analysed via iodometric titration. All elemental data were subsequently evaluated using ANOVA, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). Human health risks were assessed via Hazard Index (HI) and Lifetime Cancer Risk (LTCR) models based on the inorganic arsenic fraction. Storm-cast macroalgae exhibited a senescent post-detachment profile characterized by significant potassium and iodine leaching (p < 0.05) and iron enrichment from sediment entrapment. Despite leaching, iodine levels (up to 3.8 mg/g d.w.) satisfied pharmacopoeial minimums, though autumn White Sea samples exceeded the upper limit, necessitating blending with lower-iodine material. Toxic heavy metals remained below quantification limits, and total arsenic was well within regulatory thresholds. PCA confirmed that biomass physiological state is the primary driver of elemental variance. Adult consumption of storm-cast macroalgae was safe, whereas the pediatric HI exceeded 1.0. Overall, Arctic storm-cast macroalgae exhibit a high level of elemental purity, representing a promising raw material with a low chemical health risk for potential functional food and pharmaceutical applications. Full article

Groundwater is a vital resource for drinking water supply, agriculture, and industrial activities. However, contamination by organic pollutants may pose significant threats to both ecosystem integrity and human health. This study assessed the environmental and human health risks associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in groundwater collected from 27 localities in the central–northeastern Romanian Plain. The concentrations of naphthalene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, and indeno [1,2,3-cd]pyrene were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection. Benzo[a]pyrene concentrations ranged from <LOD to 0.08 ng/L, while total concentrations varied between 2.56 to 11.2 ng/L. The environmental risk associated with groundwater contamination was classified as low to moderate, with total risk coefficients ranged from 0.2 to 2.3. Potential contamination sources were identified using the diagnostic ratio method, complemented by multivariate statistical analysis, indicating predominantly pyrogenic and mixed pyrogenic–petrogenic sources. Human health risk assessment indicated that groundwater ingestion posed neither non-carcinogenic risks (Hazard Index, HI < 1) nor unacceptable carcinogenic risks. The Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) values ranged from 5.7 × 10⁻⁹ to 2.2 × 10⁻⁸ for infants, 2.7 × 10⁻⁹ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁸ for children, and 1.5 × 10⁻⁹ to 6.1 × 10⁻⁹ for adults. Full article

Workers are exposed to pollutants generated by hair salon activities, which may pose potential health risks. This study measured volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations in five hair salons using a high-sensitivity photoionization detector (PID) during daily work shifts. The highest VOC concentration was observed in Hair Salon III (0.87 ± 0.57 ppm), likely due to its high customer volume and the use of organic solvents during cleaning procedures. VOC concentrations were higher on weekends than on weekdays. Workers’ exposure to VOCs was elevated during the morning and evening periods, possibly due to inadequate ventilation and cleaning activities conducted at the beginning and end of business hours. The variance structure indicated that indoor VOC concentrations were primarily influenced by emission sources within the salons. Therefore, representative monitoring should prioritize a range of salon types to adequately characterize the variability in VOC exposure. Hair Salon III exhibited the highest exposure concentration (EC), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI), with values of 0.055, 0.018, and 0.047, respectively. The health risk assessment indicated that workers in all five hair salons were not at significant risk of non-carcinogenic health effects, as all HQ values were below the acceptable threshold of 1.0. Full article

Natural metal enrichment, combined with centuries of mining activity in the Rudnik Mountain region of Serbia, has led to the long-term accumulation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soil. Although the investigated area lies outside the current zone of active exploitation, the persistence and mobility of accumulated PTEs, historical contamination can still affect the local population. This study integrated assessments of soil characterization, enrichment, sequential extraction-based fractionation, mobility, and bioavailability of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn, as well as the associated ecological and human health risks. Geochemical and environmental pollution indices further identified As, Pb, and Cd as the main contributors to environmental risk. Sequential extraction results based on the BCR protocol indicated significant bioavailability of Cd (32% in the exchangeable fraction) and Pb (74% in the reducible fraction). In contrast, over 80% of As was present in the residual fraction, indicating limited mobility and low bioavailability. Health risk assessment for the local rural population revealed significant potential health concerns at the investigated sites, with exceedances of the hazard index (HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR) values, primarily associated with As as the main contributing pollutant. Full article

Surface dust samples were collected from bus stops and parking lots in different functional areas of Binzhou City, Shandong Province, China. This study investigated the contamination characteristics, source apportionment, and potential ecological and health risks of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in these dust samples. Eight target PTEs, including As, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Mn, were quantitatively analyzed. The results revealed distinct concentration differences in these elements between bus stop dust and parking lot dust. Several PTEs exceeded the corresponding local soil background values, predominantly Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd and Cr. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Mn in bus stop dust were mainly sourced from traffic emissions, whereas As and Cd primarily originated from atmospheric deposition. For parking lot dust, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, and Mn were predominantly attributed to traffic sources, while As and Ni were mainly derived from natural background sources. The geo-accumulation index (I_geo) demonstrated that As, Cr, Ni, and Mn had negligible environmental impact, Pb, Cu, and Cd induced slight pollution, and Zn resulted in moderate pollution. Except for Cd, the average individual potential ecological risk index ($E_r^i$) values for all elements were below 40, suggesting a low ecological risk. Cd posed a moderate ecological hazard, whereas the comprehensive ecological risk index ($E_r^i$) values of all analyzed elements were at an extremely low level. The hazard index (HI) values via different exposure pathways and for all PTEs in both bus stops and parking lots were lower than 1, indicating no significant non-carcinogenic health risk. The carcinogenic risk ranking of elements was Cr > Cd > Ni > As, and their carcinogenic risk values (CR) via inhalation exposure were below 1 × 10⁻⁶, indicating no carcinogenic risk. This study provides a scientific basis for the environmental quality control and risk management of surface dust in urban bus stops and parking lots. Full article

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is of primary importance to the food industry, state inspection authorities and consumers alike due to the carcinogenic nature of this toxin and the respective health risk associated with its presence in dairy products. In the present work, 1197 raw cow milk samples were collected and analyzed for AFM1 in the Republic of Cyprus during a five-year period (2021–2025) using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Health exposure assessment and risk characterization were also performed for the Cypriot population (men, women and children) regarding milk consumption through the calculation of Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Hazard Index (HI) and Margin of Exposure (MoE). Results showed that AFM1 in cow milk varied with season: 7.34 ± 8.59 ng/kg for winter, 6.86 ± 10.00 ng/kg for spring, 6.43 ± 7.44 ng/kg for summer and 5.36 ± 7.11 ng/kg for autumn. Among the analyzed years, 2022 and 2025 showed wider concentration ranges, with several samples presenting elevated AFM1 levels compared to the other years. Of the 1197 milk samples analyzed for AFM1 content, 633 were <LOD, 284 < LOQ, 278 at concentrations of 10–50 ng/kg, and only two samples exceeded the limit set by the EU (50 ng/kg). The average amount of AFM1 exposure EDI ranged between 0.026 ng/kg b.w./day for men and 0.061 ng/kg b.w./day for children. HI was <1, recording values of 0.130 for men, 0.155 for women and 0.305 for children. Finally, MoE recorded values > 10,000 (15,385 for men and 12,903 for women) and 6557 for children, indicating that the amount of AFM1 consumed through milk by children may comprise a considerable risk for this population group and consequently AFM1 contamination of milk demands its regular monitoring and evaluation of the respective risk involved. Full article

Pesticide residues in vegetables constitute a potential source of exposure to endocrine- and reproductive-disrupting chemicals (EDCs/RDs), particularly in vulnerable populations such as children. This study assessed pesticide occurrence in vegetables from 12 countries worldwide and evaluated associated health risks for children and adults within the framework of European legislation. Of the 390 analyzed samples, 84.7% contained 40 pesticides, including nine non-approved compounds (26% of samples). Fungicides were among the detected groups (81.7%), with boscalid (0.005–0.36 mg kg⁻¹) and propamocarb (0.005–0.87 mg kg⁻¹) being the most commonly occurring compounds. Multiresidue contamination was observed in 75.7% of samples. Tomatoes and leeks exhibited the highest concentrations, and the European Union maximum residue level (MRL) was exceeded by up to 240% for flonicamid in Chinese cabbage. Propamocarb was the most commonly identified EDC, while tomatoes showed the greatest diversity of these compounds. RDs occurred less frequently, with pyraclostrobin being the most common. Risk assessment resulting from the presence of multiple pesticides in an individual sample expressed as the hazard index (HI) exceeded acceptable levels for BE toddlers consuming tomatoes (1.345 for EDCs and 1.264 for RDs) and leeks (1.010) containing propamocarb. These findings highlight an in-depth toxicological evaluation of the combined effects of multiple hazardous pesticides occurring simultaneously, which may support future legislative measures aimed at improving food safety. Full article

This study investigates the geochemical distribution, integrated contamination status, and human health risks of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in 31 agricultural topsoil samples collected from Najran, southwestern Saudi Arabia. As, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were measured and interpreted using spatial distribution maps, the pollution load index (PLI), Nemerow integrated pollution index (PN), chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), cancer risk (CR), and lifetime cancer risk (LCR) for both children and adults. The measured concentrations (mg/kg) varied from 2–8 for As, 2–14 for Co, 11–50 for Cr, 5–50 for Cu, 9–50 for Ni, 2–28 for Pb, and 10–249 for Zn. Based on mean values (mg/kg), the PTEs followed the descending sequence Zn (52.94) > Cr (26.68) > Ni (24.55) > Cu (16.68) > Co (6.81) > Pb (6.65) > As (4.45). PLI values ranged between 0.117 and 0.642, with an average of 0.355, suggesting generally low combined pollution by multiple elements across all sampling locations. However, PN values extended from 0.137 to 1.930, classifying 27 locations as safe, 2 as warning-level sites, and 2 as slightly polluted, mainly due to elevated Zn and Pb levels. The assessment of non-carcinogenic risk indicated no exceedance of the level of concern, as total HI values ranged from 0.156 to 0.678 for children and from 0.017 to 0.075 for adults. On average, children had HI values about 9.1 times higher than adults, with soil ingestion representing the principal exposure route. The element-specific mean HI results indicated that As and Cr were the dominant contributors to non-carcinogenic risk. Carcinogenic risk was assessed for As, Cr, and Pb. Total LCR values ranged from 1.005 × 10⁻⁵ to 4.387 × 10⁻⁵ for children and from 4.460 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.950 × 10⁻⁵ for adults, remaining within the widely accepted or tolerable risk range. Among the carcinogenic elements, Cr accounted for the highest proportion of total LCR, contributing 68.67%–69.66%, followed by As with 30.09%–31.07%, while Pb made a very small contribution of only 0.25%–0.26%. In spatial terms, the greatest HI and LCR values were concentrated mainly in the western to central-western agricultural areas, where several elements relevant to health risk were present together. Full article

Groundwater quality remains insufficiently characterized in the rural agriculture–residential interface of the Huaibei Plain, particularly with respect to nitrate (NO₃⁻) occurrence, hydrochemical controls, source contributions, and population-specific health risks. In this study, multivariate statistical analysis, source apportionment models, and health risk assessment models were applied to investigate the hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater and related non-carcinogenic risks to different populations. NO₃⁻ content exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water in 60.0% and 62.5% of wet- and dry-season groundwater, respectively. Groundwater NO₃⁻ was mainly influenced by agricultural non-point inputs and domestic sewage, whereas major-ion composition was primarily governed by water–rock interactions. Our deterministic health risk assessment model reveals that the hazard index (HI) exceeded the acceptable threshold of 1.0 in 76.25%, 65.00%, 66.25%, and 56.25% of groundwater samples for infants, children, adult females, and adult males, respectively. These results indicate that continuous monitoring, improved sewage collection, and more controlled nitrogen management are required in the rural agricultural–residential interface of the Huaibei Plain with regard to shallow domestic groundwater. Full article

The Wadi Al-Ahsaba watershed is an arid to semi-arid catchment situated in southwestern Saudi Arabia, characterized by intermittent surface flow, high evaporation and low rainfall, and a dam reservoir built for flood control. The work aims to assess hydrological and anthropogenic controls on surface and groundwater quality, pollution status, and human health risks using an integrated approach of hydrogeochemical analysis, multivariable statistics, and water quality and contamination indices. A total of 21 water samples (15 surface water, 6 groundwater) were analyzed for general chemistry, major ions, and trace elements. Hydrogeochemical analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were implemented to differentiate the geogenic from anthropogenic control on water quality. The pollution status and associated risk were evaluated using water quality index (WQI), contamination degree (Cd), Hazard Quotient (HQ), and Hazard Index (HI). Results suggest limited surface–groundwater interaction, with surface water dominated by Ca–Mg–HCO₃ facies, indicating recent recharge and limited water–rock interaction, whereas groundwater exhibits mixed Ca–Mg–Cl and Ca–Na–Cl–SO₄ types, revealing longer residence time and water–rock interaction. Nitrate (9.5–109 mg/L) and TDS (522–1003 mg/L) exceeded drinking water standards in 90% and 95% of tested samples, respectively, and WQI ranged from 43 to 134, reflecting excellent to poor water. High non-carcinogenic risk from nitrate was observed, especially for infants. The study concluded that the geogenic processes (water–rock interaction, evaporation, and mineral dissolution) control the general chemistry of tested water, while anthropogenic input from wastewater and agriculture input are likely contributors to nitrate contamination. The study contributes to the understanding of arid wadi-dam systems by revealing how limited recharge, hydrological connectivity, and episodic flow control contaminant transport and persistence, underscoring the critical role of integrated hydrological analysis and land use management in safeguarding freshwater resources in arid environments. Full article