Current Environmental Health Reports最新文献

{"title":"Policies and Interventions in Middle Eastern and North African Countries to Mitigate Heat Stress Experienced by Outdoor Workers: A Scoping Literature Review.","authors":"Mariam Buqammaz, Jenan Almatrouk, Molly L Kile, Laurel Kincl","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00525-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00525-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Despite the significant public health challenges posed by heat stress and rising temperatures for outdoor workers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, there has been insufficient focus on enforcing adequate policies, identifying effective heat stress prevention interventions, and providing evidence-based recommendations. METHODS: This scoping review synthesizes literature on policies and interventions that protect outdoor workers from heat stress in the MENA region. Studies from 1996 to 2024 were identified in PubMed, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. RESULTS: Thirty-nine articles and governmental documents met our criteria and were included in this review. Studies have been conducted in only 9 of the 18 MENA countries. Among the 39 included studies, 19 described formal policies, while all had descriptions of tested interventions or informal practices, and 9 tested the effectiveness of interventions and provided evidence-based recommendations. The most commonly practiced protective intervention was hydration. CONCLUSION: Occupational heat stress policies in the MENA region predominantly rely on administrative controls, such as limiting work hours. However, a more comprehensive approach is emerging in some countries, incorporating measures such as heat exposure monitoring, mandatory worker training, provision of shaded or cooled rest areas, structured acclimatization protocols, and environmental alert systems. These layered interventions offer a more effective framework for protecting outdoor workers, particularly in high-risk sectors such as construction and agriculture. The literature highlights significant gaps, underscoring the need for further research to assess the effectiveness of current policies and to explore innovative interventions for combating heat stress as temperatures in the MENA region become increasingly extreme. </p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12957072/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147343897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Food Security Outlook for Eastern Africa by 2050: Climate Change Impacts and Population-Driven Demand Gaps.","authors":"Belay Simane, Kiros Berhane, Jonathan Samet, Otienoh Oguge, Lynn Atuyambe, Mansi Shah, Abera Kumie, Darby Jack","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00528-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00528-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: This review examines the future of food availability in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda in the context of rapid population growth and accelerating climate change. It aims to assess the implications of projected climate-induced yield declines and demographic trends for food security by 2050, with a focus on cereal demand and supply under IPCC RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. RECENT FINDINGS: Projections indicate that regional temperatures will rise by 1.8–3.0 °C by mid-century, leading to cereal yield reductions ranging from 13% to 22%. Uganda is projected to face the largest yield losses, while Ethiopia is expected to warm most rapidly. Concurrently, population growth will dramatically increase food demand, with Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda reaching populations of 230, 93, and 109 million, respectively, by 2050. Cereal requirements will grow to 50.6 million tons for Ethiopia, and 23 million tons each for Kenya and Uganda. Despite modest assumptions of 1.5% annual productivity gains, projected cereal deficits remain high—21% in Ethiopia, 71% in Kenya, and 60% in Uganda. Without urgent and transformative action, the region is likely to face deepening food insecurity, rising malnutrition, and increased dependence on food imports. Strategic investments in climate-resilient agriculture—including drought-tolerant crop varieties, improved water management, early warning systems, and diversified livelihoods—are essential. Coupling these with nutrition-sensitive interventions and regional cooperation can enhance food system resilience and safeguard vulnerable populations against mounting climate and demographic pressures. </p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12923499/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146257239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental Chemicals and Maternal Depression During and After Pregnancy: a Scoping Review.","authors":"Pengfei Guo, Yunyue Shi, Cindy Nguyen, Haoran Zhuo, Tormod Rogne, Zeyan Liew","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00529-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00529-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>There is increasing evidence that several environmental exposures may pose a risk for depression, including maternal depression. We conducted a scoping review of epidemiological evidence regarding maternal exposure to environmental chemicals and perinatal depression.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Dimensions, and Scopus, and summarized the findings from 27 articles that examined environmental chemical exposures and maternal depression. Studies of ambient air pollutants (N = 11) showed exposure to NO₂ and PM₁₀ to be most consistently associated with antenatal or postnatal depression. Studies of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including phthalates (n = 6), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, n = 6), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE, n = 3), organophosphate esters flame retardants (OPE, n = 2), and pesticides (n = 1), reported positive links with maternal depression, particularly from exposures to phthalates and PBDE. Studies of the individual and mixture of metals (n = 3) have reported mixed results. Maternal exposures to certain airborne pollutants, and chemicals from contaminated household products and food sources, are associated with maternal depression. If these findings are confirmed, reducing environmental risks may represent a promising strategy for the primary prevention of maternal depression.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":"7"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12920714/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146225718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanisms of Phthalate-Induced Accelerated Ovarian Aging in Experimental Models.","authors":"Adira M Safar, Jodi A Flaws","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00521-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00521-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Accelerated ovarian aging is associated with early infertility as well as other adverse health outcomes. Little is known about the factors that accelerate ovarian aging, but several studies indicate that exposure to phthalates accelerates ovarian aging. This is a significant human health concern because humans are ubiquitously and unavoidably exposed to phthalates. Thus, it is imperative to study the mechanisms of phthalate-induced accelerated ovarian aging so that strategies can be developed to prevent phthalate-induced ovarian aging. This review focuses on the mechanisms by which phthalates cause ovarian aging in non-human experimental models and highlights gaps in the literature. RECENT FINDINGS: Phthalate exposure may accelerate ovarian aging and in turn, accelerate female reproductive aging through several mechanisms. Specifically, phthalates can alter steroidogenesis and folliculogenesis, ultimately dysregulating estrous cyclicity and decreasing fertility. Phthalate-induced disruptions in the brain and gut contribute to these changes. Additionally, phthalate exposures increase ovarian inflammation and oxidative stress, which contribute to accelerated ovarian aging. Phthalate exposure also increases ovarian autophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis, which ultimately increase follicular atresia and accelerate depletion of the follicle reserve. Phthalates accelerate ovarian aging through numerous interlinked mechanisms that may be used as targets for prevention, inhibition, or reversal of phthalate-induced ovarian aging in patients experiencing infertility. Further studies should investigate the effects of environmentally relevant phthalate exposures on these mechanisms and explore therapies that target these mechanisms. </p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":"6"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12901145/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146178159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Vulnerability and Resilience of Drinking Water Systems to Extreme Weather Events and Future Climate Change.","authors":"Guy Howard, Lindsay Beevers, Katrina Charles, Anisha Nijhawan","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00524-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00524-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We reviewed the evidence on climate resilience of the drinking water sector, focusing on: How are climate hazards affecting drinking water supplies changing? How is resilience measured? What interventions are being used to build resilience? RECENT FINDINGS: The frequency and intensity of flooding and drought are increasing, water quality is deteriorating, and wildfire and sea-level rise pose increasing threats. Frameworks to measure resilience are emerging, but none is applied universally. a wide range of actions are required to build resilience but there is limited evidence of uptake and performance. Non-utility water supplies are at particular risk but investment in resilience is limited. Climate change poses a major threat to drinking water supplies, but current actions to improve resilience are insufficient. More evaluations of the performance of resilience measures are needed. Floods and drought remain the most studied threats, but risks from wildfire, water quality and sea-level need more attention and research. More work is needed to consolidate how resilience is measured. A summary of the detailed findings in provided in Table 1 at the end of the review. </p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12876451/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146124157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to: Social Equity in True Cost Accounting of Food.","authors":"Nadia El-Hage Scialabba, Kathleen Merrigan, Carl Obst, Olivia Riemer, Laurence Jeangros, Alexander Mueller","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00527-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00527-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12876064/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146124125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ethical Challenges in Scientific Studies Within One Health.","authors":"Henrik Lerner","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00522-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00522-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>The purpose of this short literature review is to present the state of art in One Health ethics, a new field working with ethics in One Health approaches. These approaches have focused on promoting health for humans, animals, plants, and ecosystems mainly in a scientific way. Ethics has often been left out. The goal is to summarize the main findings of the limited ethics discussion in the field and propose the future way forward for the field.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>There have been several calls for ethics, and the main discussion has mainly focused on (1) the ethical imperative in One Health, (2) the ethical value of ecosystems, (3) normative aspects of health, (4) core ethical concepts, and (5) ethical decision models. For the next decade this field needs to be fully developed and included as a core science within the One Health approaches. To be able to solve the complex problems these approaches are facing, such as the triple crisis (climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss), more scholars need to work with One Health ethics, which still is a rather underdeveloped field of ethics. Three future trends for the field of One Health ethics were proposed; 1) to find ethical decision models, 2) to bridge the gap between anthropocentrism, zoocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism, and 3) how to balance valuation between different species, organisms or levels, or ethics and economy.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12832580/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146046289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses on Occupational Heat Exposure, Health Risks, and Productivity Losses Globally.","authors":"Aditya Nath, Subhashis Sahu, Jason Kai Wei Lee","doi":"10.1007/s40572-025-00520-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-025-00520-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Workplace heat exposure, intensified by climate change, increasingly threatens workers' health, safety, and productivity, especially in the agriculture, construction, and manufacturing sectors. However, current evidence is fragmented due to varied study designs, and the absence of an integrated, multidisciplinary synthesis.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This umbrella review synthesizes findings from current systematic reviews and meta-analyses to appraise the health and productivity outcomes of workplace heat exposure, assess evidence quality, and identify critical research and policy gaps.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fourteen systematic reviews and meta-analyses (published up to 31st March 2025) were included following predefined (PECOS) criteria. Methodological fidelity was analyzed using the AMSTAR checklist, and the strength of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The fidelity of the included reviews was rated from moderate to high, while the robustness of evidence spanned from low to moderate due to study heterogeneity and observational designs. Consistent evidence links workplace heat exposure to higher risks of heat-related illness, reduced eGFR (AOR = 3.50, 95% CI: 1.30-9.40) resulting renal impairment, cognitive decline, and injuries (1% increase in risk per 1℃ rises in temperature). Emerging findings suggests heat-induced sub-cellular and molecular damage (i.e., increased 8-OHdG, HSP70), reduced sperm quality, indicating cellular dysfunction. Women and relocated workers face greater physiological strain. Productivity losses affect 30-60% of exposed workers, with prior estimates suggesting annual global economic losses of approximately $2.1 trillion.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Workplace heat hazards significantly threaten global workforce health and economic resilience. Urgent, coordinated interventions, robust policy measures, and high-quality longitudinal research are required to alleviate these risks.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12779733/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145910809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ambient PM_2.5 Exposure Modeling in LMICs: An Example from Peru.","authors":"Luciana Blanco-Villafuerte, Qiang Pu, Stella Hartinger, Camila Llerena-Cayo, Solange Aznaran, Laura Nicolaou, William Checkley, Elvis Medina, Alan Llacza, Yang Liu, Kyle Steenland","doi":"10.1007/s40572-025-00508-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-025-00508-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) poses a public health risk, disproportionately impacting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Peru, where ambient concentrations in urban areas significantly exceed the World Health Organization's annual guideline of 5 µg/m³, lack of air pollution monitoring hinders exposure assessment, health effect research, and policy development. Here, we review efforts to create a national database of estimated ambient PM_2.5 in other LMICs, and then discuss our efforts in Peru.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>We highlight the Peru-based NIH-funded GeoHealth Hub's efforts to establish a nationwide low-cost sensor (LCS) network of 176 PurpleAir monitors. We then describe a hybrid approach for modeling ambient PM_2.5 exposure across Peru, leveraging data from LCS, satellite remote sensing, chemical transport models, and advanced machine learning methods. The ground-monitoring network includes sensors in both urban (62.5%) and rural (37.5%) areas, in the 24 Regions of the country, set up in collaboration with national environmental agencies. Initial application of our hybrid approach in Lima demonstrated good prediction for the years 2010-2023, with an R² of 0.88 with existing regulatory ground monitors. We are working to extend the model across Peru at a daily level and at a 5-km² resolution for 2024-2026. The sustainability of these efforts will depend on building local capacity, securing long-term funding, and integrating the LCS network within the current regulatory environmental monitoring network. The hybrid approach offers a scalable solution to address data scarcity and enable high-resolution exposure modeling in Peru and other LMICs.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12765748/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145899490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exposure to Fine Particulate Air Pollution and Risk of Adverse Health Outcomes in Women and Children in Bangladesh.","authors":"Evana Akhtar, Mohammad Hassan Shahriar, Md Ahsanul Haq, Shyfuddin Ahmed, Mohammed Yunus, Habibul Ahsan, Saira Tasmin, Rubhana Raqib","doi":"10.1007/s40572-025-00518-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-025-00518-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Bangladesh frequently appears among the top five countries with the most polluted air. Research is essential to understand the various health impacts of air pollution in vulnerable populations. This review compiles evidence from January 2000 to May 2025 on the adverse health effects of air pollution among Bangladeshi women and children.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Long-term exposure mainly from biomass fuel burning leads to various health consequences in women, especially during pregnancy. Early life exposure also results in harmful health outcomes in children. Research on the effects of air pollution exposure in Bangladesh has primarily focused on adverse pregnancy or birth outcomes, chronic respiratory diseases and hypertension. There is limited information on childhood mortality, malnutrition, developmental disorders, and noncommunicable diseases such as cancer and mental illness, and occupational exposure-related outcomes. Further research is needed to establish a causal link between air pollution exposure and health impacts and inform interventions. Policies for air pollution mitigation require strict monitoring and enforcement by the government.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"12 1","pages":"53"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145833198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}