Reviews on Environmental Health最新文献

{"title":"Effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields on flora and fauna, Part 3. Exposure standards, public policy, laws, and future directions.","authors":"B Blake Levitt,&nbsp;Henry C Lai,&nbsp;Albert M Manville","doi":"10.1515/reveh-2021-0083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Due to the continuous rising ambient levels of nonionizing electromagnetic fields (EMFs) used in modern societies-primarily from wireless technologies-that have now become a ubiquitous biologically active environmental pollutant, a new vision on how to regulate such exposures for non-human species at the ecosystem level is needed. Government standards adopted for human exposures are examined for applicability to wildlife. Existing environmental laws, such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the U.S. and others used in Canada and throughout Europe, should be strengthened and enforced. New laws should be written to accommodate the ever-increasing EMF exposures. Radiofrequency radiation exposure standards that have been adopted by worldwide agencies and governments warrant more stringent controls given the new and unusual signaling characteristics used in 5G technology. No such standards take wildlife into consideration. Many species of flora and fauna, because of distinctive physiologies, have been found sensitive to exogenous EMF in ways that surpass human reactivity. Such exposures may now be capable of affecting endogenous bioelectric states in some species. Numerous studies across all frequencies and taxa indicate that low-level EMF exposures have numerous adverse effects, including on orientation, migration, food finding, reproduction, mating, nest and den building, territorial maintenance, defense, vitality, longevity, and survivorship. Cyto- and geno-toxic effects have long been observed. It is time to recognize ambient EMF as a novel form of pollution and develop rules at regulatory agencies that designate air as 'habitat' so EMF can be regulated like other pollutants. Wildlife loss is often unseen and undocumented until tipping points are reached. A robust dialog regarding technology's high-impact role in the nascent field of electroecology needs to commence. Long-term chronic low-level EMF exposure standards should be set accordingly for wildlife, including, but not limited to, the redesign of wireless devices, as well as infrastructure, in order to reduce the rising ambient levels (explored in Part 1). Possible environmental approaches are discussed. This is Part 3 of a three-part series.</p>","PeriodicalId":21165,"journal":{"name":"Reviews on Environmental Health","volume":"37 4","pages":"531-558"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39448453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comments on the article by Dariusz Leszczynski: Review of the scientific evidence on the individual sensitivity to electromagnetic fields (EHS). Rev Environ Health 2021.","authors":"Gunnhild Oftedal,&nbsp;Sarah Driessen,&nbsp;Kristina Schmiedchen","doi":"10.1515/reveh-2021-0113","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0113","url":null,"abstract":"In the article “Review of the scientific evidence on the individual sensitivity to electromagnetic fields (EHS)” [1], Dariusz Leszczynski criticizes previous research for not being able to reveal factors causing non-specific symptoms that some people experience when being exposed to electromagnetic fields (EMF). He therefore proposes types of studies and methods to overcome previous limitations. While a critical review and suggestions for further research are useful, there are several inconsistencies and misinterpretations in this article. We will comment on two main issues: 1) research of relevance to explore a potential relation between EMF exposure and the condition of EHS and 2) some misunderstandings regarding the methodological conduct of our systematic review [2]. In the following, instead of EHS, we will use the more neutral term “Idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields” (IEI-EMF).","PeriodicalId":21165,"journal":{"name":"Reviews on Environmental Health","volume":"37 2","pages":"307-309"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39442007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neurological susceptibility to environmental exposures: pathophysiological mechanisms in neurodegeneration and multiple chemical sensitivity.","authors":"John Molot,&nbsp;Margaret Sears,&nbsp;Lynn Margaret Marshall,&nbsp;Riina I Bray","doi":"10.1515/reveh-2021-0043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0043","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The World Health Organization lists air pollution as one of the top five risks for developing chronic non-communicable disease, joining tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. This review focuses on how host defense mechanisms against adverse airborne exposures relate to the probable interacting and overlapping pathophysiological features of neurodegeneration and multiple chemical sensitivity. Significant long-term airborne exposures can contribute to oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, transient receptor subfamily vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and subfamily ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) upregulation and sensitization, with impacts on olfactory and trigeminal nerve function, and eventual loss of brain mass. The potential for neurologic dysfunction, including decreased cognition, chronic pain and central sensitization related to airborne contaminants, can be magnified by genetic polymorphisms that result in less effective detoxification. Onset of neurodegenerative disorders is subtle, with early loss of brain mass and loss of sense of smell. Onset of MCS may be gradual following long-term low dose airborne exposures, or acute following a recognizable exposure. Upregulation of chemosensitive TRPV1 and TRPA1 polymodal receptors has been observed in patients with neurodegeneration, and chemically sensitive individuals with asthma, migraine and MCS. In people with chemical sensitivity, these receptors are also sensitized, which is defined as a reduction in the threshold and an increase in the magnitude of a response to noxious stimulation. There is likely damage to the olfactory system in neurodegeneration and trigeminal nerve hypersensitivity in MCS, with different effects on olfactory processing. The associations of low vitamin D levels and protein kinase activity seen in neurodegeneration have not been studied in MCS. Table 2 presents a summary of neurodegeneration and MCS, comparing 16 distinctive genetic, pathophysiological and clinical features associated with air pollution exposures. There is significant overlap, suggesting potential comorbidity. Canadian Health Measures Survey data indicates an overlap between neurodegeneration and MCS (p < 0.05) that suggests comorbidity, but the extent of increased susceptibility to the other condition is not established. Nevertheless, the pathways to the development of these conditions likely involve TRPV1 and TRPA1 receptors, and so it is hypothesized that manifestation of neurodegeneration and/or MCS and possibly why there is divergence may be influenced by polymorphisms of these receptors, among other factors.</p>","PeriodicalId":21165,"journal":{"name":"Reviews on Environmental Health","volume":"37 4","pages":"509-530"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39422622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study of solid waste (municipal and medical) management during the COVID-19 pandemic: a review study.","authors":"Abdolmajid Fadaei","doi":"10.1515/reveh-2021-0092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0092","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a global emergency crisis and created waste management challenges worldwide. Such a critical point has changed solid waste (municipal and medical) management prospects and posed fact challenges to the health decision-makers and policy-makers to make decisions to ensure sustainable management of the environment. One of the most negative prospects of COVID-19 pandemic is the increased waste generation, especially plastic waste in developing and developed countries. This study systematically reviews the potential influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical and municipal waste, and discusses the corresponding measures and policies of solid waste management in several countries. The results show that the highest and lowest quality of final disposal is observed in Finland with 75% recycling and in India with 90% open dumping, respectively. In many countries, the medical waste showed an increase by 350-500%.The pandemic has brought particular problems to the disposal capacity of municipal waste and medical waste across the world. We think that this point of view study provides valuable data for scientists, policy makers, health decision-makers, consultants, medical staff, medical supplies, those working in public health sector, and field engineers responsible for solid waste management.</p>","PeriodicalId":21165,"journal":{"name":"Reviews on Environmental Health","volume":"37 4","pages":"559-566"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39424766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Why scientifically unfounded and misleading claim should be dismissed to make true research progress in the acknowledgment of electrohypersensibility as a new worldwide emerging pathology.","authors":"Dominique Belpomme,&nbsp;Philippe Irigaray","doi":"10.1515/reveh-2021-0104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0104","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":21165,"journal":{"name":"Reviews on Environmental Health","volume":"37 2","pages":"303-305"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39311475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unani medicinal herbs as potential air disinfectants: an evidence-based review.","authors":"Shaista Mahfooz,&nbsp;Malik Itrat,&nbsp;Hamid Uddin,&nbsp;Tariq Nadeem Khan","doi":"10.1515/reveh-2021-0087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0087","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Indoor air quality has a significant impact on our health and quality of life, as people spends 80-90% of their time indoors. Fumigation of several medicinal herbs has been recommended by Unani scholars to improve air quality, but their efficacy in air purification is still unknown. Hence, this article aims to discuss the applicability of proposed medicinal herbs in the light of current researches.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A manual literature survey of classical Unani texts was conducted to collect information about the herbs recommended for air purification. In addition, research databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect were extensively searched for evidence on the efficacy and mechanism of action of the suggested herbs in air purification.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In classical Unani texts, authors have found descriptions of 26 herbs that have been recommended for improving air quality. <i>In-vitro</i> studies have confirmed the antimicrobial activity of 19 of these herbs. Moreover, the efficacy of <i>Styrax benzoin, Commiphora myrrha</i> and <i>Acorus calamus</i> fumigation on aerial microbes have also been validated by studies.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings of the literature review clearly demonstrated that the herbs recommended by Unani scholars for air purification have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, indicating that these herbs could be a potential candidate for air disinfectant. Therefore, authors recommend the further researches on proposed herbs to validate their efficiency against airborne pathogens in the vapour phase.</p>","PeriodicalId":21165,"journal":{"name":"Reviews on Environmental Health","volume":"37 2","pages":"155-168"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39304242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"'Proof of EHS beyond all reasonable doubt'. Comment on: Leszczynski D. Review of the scientific evidence on the individual sensitivity to electromagnetic fields (EHS). Rev Environ Health 2021; https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0038. Online ahead of print.","authors":"Michael Bevington","doi":"10.1515/reveh-2021-0101","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0101","url":null,"abstract":"Leszczynski’s review [1] included two important conclusions. Firstly, the need for the WHO, ICNIRP, ICES and governmental organisations to revise their denial of the link between EHS and electromagnetic fields (EMFs) because the data is of insufficient quality for proof of the lack of causality. Secondly, instead of studying a nocebo effect, research should focus on finding “suitable biochemical and biophysical markers” for symptoms in each EHS individual. However, the review also stated that “So far, scientists were unable to find causality link between symptoms experienced by sensitive persons and the exposures to EMF”. This comprehensive assertion does not seem to reflect all the scientific evidence. The criteria for proof, here onwards defined as beyond all reasonable doubt, differ between causality for an environmental intolerance (EI), such as EHS, and causality for a bacterial or viral disease. For the latter, there is usually a cellular organism or virion. For an EI, there can be several triggers and pathways affecting many organs, tissues and cells. EI can also be caused by genetics and viruses. Proof of causality for an EI necessarily depends, as for any cause, on sequential temporality. This temporal sequence is usually evident in a repeatable physiological symptom(s) or change(s) often measurable by an objective marker(s). However, each individual may react differently to a given environmental stimulus. Scientific proof of health causality usually also requires a known mechanism. In the case of an electromagnetic EI such as sunburn or skin cancer from sunshine, individual differences have long been known, while a mechanism in the form of a genetic defect in DNA repair was discovered in 1968. For EHS, another electromagnetic EI, differences in individuals’ symptoms from man-made EMFs have been known since 1733. In 2008 the first genetic variant associated with EMF sensitivity was discovered, the XRCC1 Ex9+16A allele, a DNA repair polymorphism, linked with childhood leukaemia near substations and powerlines [2]. In 2014 it was reported that people with EHS were 9.7 times more likely to have GSTM1 + GSTT1 null genotypes [3], indicating a susceptibility to oxidative stress. This genetic variation can also increase the risk of multiple sclerosis, some cancers, Alzheimer’s and asthma, each sometimes associated with EHS. Such genetic variants seem more common at higher than lower latitudes and in women than men, with others associated with higher levels of mercury. EHS symptoms are also associated with some demyelinating neurodegenerative conditions. A causal link between electrosensitive symptoms and EMF exposures has also been proved for other mechanistic pathways in addition to genetic. Calcium flux through membrane depolarisation was discovered in *Corresponding author: Michael Bevington, Chair of Trustees, Electrosensitivity UK, London, UK, http://www.es-uk.info/, E-mail: michael@es-uk.info Rev Environ Health 2021; aop","PeriodicalId":21165,"journal":{"name":"Reviews on Environmental Health","volume":"37 2","pages":"299-301"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1515/reveh-2021-0101","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39270983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The aflatoxin B1 content of peanut-based foods in Iran: a systematic review.","authors":"Parisa Sadighara,&nbsp;Kiandokht Ghanati","doi":"10.1515/reveh-2021-0065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Backgrounds: </strong>One of the common consumed snacks among Iranian is nuts. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the rate of peanut contamination with aflatoxin B1 (AfB1) in different provinces of the Iran.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>The research studies with keywords \"aflatoxin B1\", \"peanut\", \"peanut butter\", \"peanut oil\", \"coated peanut\", \"roasted peanut\", \"snack peanut\" were searched in PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar and scientific information databases (SID), regardless of publication time. A total of 43 studies were obtained and only six articles were finally selected according to exclusion and inclusion criteria. Margin of Exposure (MOE) and Hazard Quotient (HQ) were also calculated to evaluate the oral exposure of AfB1 through peanuts and peanut-based products.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The contamination of AFB1 in peanut was high in Mashhad and Tehran compared with the other cities. The value of MOE was calculated less than 10,000. The results of MOE indicate that there are chances of the risk of developing cancer and these products may not be safe. Therefore, AFB1 levels should be measured regularly in peanut products in large cities.</p>","PeriodicalId":21165,"journal":{"name":"Reviews on Environmental Health","volume":"37 1","pages":"29-33"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39262821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between mobile phone use and hearing impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Mohammad Hosein Taziki Balajelini,&nbsp;Masoud Mohammadi,&nbsp;Abdolhalim Rajabi","doi":"10.1515/reveh-2021-0062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To investigate whether a possible association of mobile phone use with hearing impairment was conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis.</p><p><strong>Content: </strong>This is a systematic review and meta-analysis. A comprehensive literature search was carried out based on the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) methodology using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, OVID, and Cochrane. The Robins-I tool was used for quality assessment and risk of bias. Two investigators independently reviewed all articles. Pooled effect size was calculated and meta-analysis was performed to compute an overall effect size.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Overall, five relevant studies (two cross-sectional and three cohort studies) with 92,978 participants were included in the analysis. The studies were stratified by design, there was no significant association between mobile phone use and hearing impairment in cross-sectional studies (OR=0.94, 95% CI=0.57-1.31) and cohort studies (OR=1.09, 95% CI=0.93-1.25). In addition, the effect estimates did not differ significantly between cross-sectional and cohort studies (Q=0.50, p=0.48). Overall, the pooled odds ratio (OR) of hearing impairment was 1.07 (95% CI: 0.94-1.20), which indicates no significant association between mobile phone use and hearing impairment.</p><p><strong>Outlook: </strong>Our findings indicate no association between mobile phone use and hearing impairment. However, these findings must be interpreted with caution.</p>","PeriodicalId":21165,"journal":{"name":"Reviews on Environmental Health","volume":"37 4","pages":"501-508"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39209826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comments on Martin Pall, \"Millimeter (MM) wave and microwave frequency radiation produce deeply penetrating effects: the biology and the physics\", Rev Environ Health 2021;37:247-58.","authors":"Kenneth R Foster,&nbsp;Quirino Balzano","doi":"10.1515/reveh-2021-0086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0086","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":21165,"journal":{"name":"Reviews on Environmental Health","volume":"37 2","pages":"291-293"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39194502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}