{"title":"Clarifying the misuse of EC50, IC50, and LC50 in cytotoxicity study of water disinfection byproducts: A critical analysis and perspective","authors":"Zhuorong Du, Jiafu Li","doi":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100124","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100124","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cytotoxicity serves as a crucial standard for assessing the potential health risks posed by water disinfection by-products (DBPs). The precise use of toxicological metrics, such as EC<sub>50</sub>, IC<sub>50</sub>, and LC<sub>50</sub>, is essential for reliable safety evaluations and effective prioritization of DBPs for regulatory control. However, recent studies have increasingly applied these metrics interchangeably, undermining the accuracy of research findings and hindering meaningful cross-study comparisons, which may even impact public health decision-making and the development of DBP regulatory policies. This paper seeks to clarify the distinctions between these metrics, emphasize their correct application, and propose strategies to promote consistency and accuracy in future research on DBP cytoxicity, ultimately contributing to improved public health protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73269,"journal":{"name":"Hygiene and environmental health advances","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100124"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143844641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Li-Zi Lin , Nanxiang Jin , Wan-Ting He , Yun-Ting Zhang , Jing-Wen Huang , Li-Xia Liang , Jia-Xin Zhou , Zhe-Qing Zhang , Xin Wang , Zhao-Huan Gui , Ru-Qing Liu , Jing-Jing Liang , Guang-Hui Dong
{"title":"Associations of childhood per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances with autistic traits and symptom severities among children with and without autism spectrum disorder","authors":"Li-Zi Lin , Nanxiang Jin , Wan-Ting He , Yun-Ting Zhang , Jing-Wen Huang , Li-Xia Liang , Jia-Xin Zhou , Zhe-Qing Zhang , Xin Wang , Zhao-Huan Gui , Ru-Qing Liu , Jing-Jing Liang , Guang-Hui Dong","doi":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100131","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100131","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The associations of childhood legacy and alternatives per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) -related outcomes were seldom discussed. In this case-control study conducted in Guangzhou, China, 6- to 9-year-old children who were clinically confirmed for ASD (case, n = 60) or typical development (TD, n = 180) underwent psychometric tests (autistic traits via Autism Spectrum Quotient-Children and symptom severities via Social Responsiveness Scale), and we tested their plasma concentrations of 16 legacy and alternative PFASs. We used conditional logistic regression models and generalized linear models to test the associations of PFASs exposure with ASD-related outcomes. Higher concentrations of total and linear PFHxS were associated with higher risk of ASD [OR = 2.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05-5.67; 2.73, 95%CI: 1.17-6.38] and higher autistic traits among TD children (β = 0.45, 95%CI: 0.03-0.87; 0.44, 95%CI: 0.01- 0.86). In addition, we observed a positive association between symptom severity and 8:2 Cl-PFESA, an alternative PFAS compound, among children with ASD (β =4.90, 95%CI: 0.07-9.72). We did not find joint associations between PFASs mixtures and the outcomes when using multiple-pollutant models. More studies are needed to confirm the PFASs-ASD associations, and the potential hazards of emerging PFASs should not be ignored.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73269,"journal":{"name":"Hygiene and environmental health advances","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100131"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144263934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Caradee Y Wright , Mary Norval , Natasha Naidoo , Muthise Bulani , Ashraf Coovadia , Linda Theron
{"title":"The impact of rising ambient temperatures on the mental and physical health of children","authors":"Caradee Y Wright , Mary Norval , Natasha Naidoo , Muthise Bulani , Ashraf Coovadia , Linda Theron","doi":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100137","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100137","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Globally, mean ambient temperatures have increased by 1.6 °C between preindustrial level and 2024, alongside a rise in extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts. This rapid review synthesizes the existing literature on the risks to children’s physical and mental health due to heat exposure. Comprehensive literature searches were conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. This review highlights the increased risks to children’s physical and mental health from extreme temperatures in several populations. Major health concerns include heat-related illnesses, dehydration, increasing incidence of infectious diseases, reduced cognitive performance, depression and anxiety and the exacerbation of pre-existing conditions. Potential strategies to mitigate these negative health outcomes are proposed, including improved access to cooling solutions, public health interventions, and educational campaigns to improve thermal comfort.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73269,"journal":{"name":"Hygiene and environmental health advances","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100137"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144633278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mirza Mienur Meher , Marya Afrin , Abdullah Al Bayazid , Md Sayedul Islam , Md Zulfekar Ali
{"title":"Deciphering the impact of heat wave in the global surge of infectious diseases","authors":"Mirza Mienur Meher , Marya Afrin , Abdullah Al Bayazid , Md Sayedul Islam , Md Zulfekar Ali","doi":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100135","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100135","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The heat wave is the extreme episodes of climate change which is characterized as prolong period of abnormally elevated environmental temperatures other than the usual weather trends. In recent, the record-breaking environmental temperatures were observed all over the world, especially in the South Asia, Africa, and also in American countries. In Europe, over 70,000 additional deaths have been attributed to heat waves alone in 2022. This extreme climatic event has the implication to health risks and the potential rise in infectious diseases. This review establishes the multifaceted relationship between heat waves and infectious disease dynamics by the integration of existing literature and the emerging evidence from epidemiological, environmental, and laboratory studies. Heat waves create environments that favour the survival and propagation of various pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and fungi, thereby accelerate the speed of microbial biodiversity and evolutionary processes of microbes by progressively altering the ecosystem structures. Heat waves enhance the activity and distribution of insect vectors, leading to higher transmission rates of vector-borne sicknesses like dengue fever, chikungunya, malaria, Zika virus, Lyme disease and West Nile fever etc. Heatwave also could have the correlation to emerging antimicrobial resistance and pathogenic infections. Moreover, human behavioural changes during heat waves, may elevate the risk of food, air and waterborne diseases. However, the review provides a comprehensive understanding of how heat waves influence infectious disease dynamics. This review also emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary research, improved disease surveillance, and globally coordinated climate-health strategies to mitigate the risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73269,"journal":{"name":"Hygiene and environmental health advances","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100135"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144595588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Metagenomic profiling of microbial community, antibiotic resistance genes and co-occurrence pattern in megacity rail transit system","authors":"Xiaojing Li , Lijun Zhang , Jian Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100142","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100142","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Megacity rail transit systems harbor a pivotal microbial ecosystem that serves as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which is intricately linked to the urban dissemination of infectious diseases. Here, we conducted metagenomic sequencing to elucidate the composition of microbial communities, ARGs, and examine the co-occurrence patterns between microbes and ARGs across various surfaces in the Shanghai rail transit system. Our findings revealed that bacterial genera such as <em>Rhodococcus, Cutibacterium</em>, and <em>Brevundimonas</em> dominated, originating either from human skin or environmental sources. Notably, the bacterial diversity varied according to the type of surface and specific stations. The principal co-ordinates analysis revealed substantial beta-diversity disparities among the examined surfaces. We identified a total of 1930 ARGs conferring resistance to 20 distinct antibiotic classes, including clinically significant ones such as Aminoglycoside, Streptogramin, Multidrug, and Tetracycline, which are associated with either single or multidrug resistance. Network analysis further revealed the co-occurrence relationships between microbial genera and ARGs. This study highlights that the microbial communities and ARGs in the rail transit system are sustained by a metapopulation of human and environmental generalists. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying the risks associated with microbial exposure and suggest strategies to mitigate the spread of pathogenic microorganisms in megacity rail transit systems, thereby enhancing public health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73269,"journal":{"name":"Hygiene and environmental health advances","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100142"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144842272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yichun Liu , Eric J. Rose , Karen Wilson , Wanhsiang Hsu , Ming Liu , Monica Nordstrom , Elizabeth J. Mullin , Steven P. Forand
{"title":"Biomonitoring result of PFAS exposure from Gabreski Air National Firefighting foam among residents in Westhampton, NY","authors":"Yichun Liu , Eric J. Rose , Karen Wilson , Wanhsiang Hsu , Ming Liu , Monica Nordstrom , Elizabeth J. Mullin , Steven P. Forand","doi":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100127","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100127","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Perfluorooctanoic sulfonic acid (PFOS) and other per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are considered emerging contaminants. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) conducted a PFAS biomonitoring program for a sample of the population served by the public water supply in the Westhampton, NY area (<em>n</em> = 161). The objective of this study was to assess PFAS exposure levels in the study area and identify potential risk factors associated with PFAS concentrations.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Descriptive analyses were conducted to present both demographic and exposure characteristics. Mann-Whitney U Tests were conducted to compare the differences of four PFAS concentrations, PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS and PFNA, respectively, between the study group and the general population age 12 years and above (NHANES 2017–2018). Multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine PFAS concentration levels in relation to demographic and exposure characteristics. A sub-analysis was conducted for the female only study group to examine the associations between PFAS, risk factors and reproductive factors.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The concentrations of PFAS levels in the Westhampton study group were in general higher than the 2017–2018 U.S population. A positive association was found between age, sex, length of residency (LOR) in the study area and local fish consumption and PFAS serum levels. The final model for PFOS concentrations among females in this study shows that the number of pregnancies was inversely associated with PFOS serum levels. These findings are consistent with other biomonitoring studies.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The PFAS serum levels among study population were slightly elevated compared to the general U.S. population, suggesting a possible relation to public drinking water exposure but not indicative of long-term, high-level exposure to PFAS in the area. For a more thorough biomonitoring surveillance, systematic monitoring with more comprehensive questionnaire should be developed for emerging contaminants such as PFAS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73269,"journal":{"name":"Hygiene and environmental health advances","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100127"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144070079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The association between temperature variability, morbidity and mortality for specific categories of disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Maxwell D. Weidmann","doi":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100123","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100123","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While research into temperature-related health outcomes has focused on absolute temperature exposure, an increasing number of studies have explored the distinct effect of temperature variability (TV). However, systematic reviews in this area have focused on a limited number of health outcomes and intra-day TV. A systematic review was therefore conducted for studies of intra- and/or inter-day TV and cardiovascular, respiratory, renal or mental illnesses through April 2023 (<em>n</em> = 38). There was a consistent relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) or respiratory disease (RD) morbidity, mortality and both diurnal temperature range (DTR) or short-term inter-day TV, particularly for the elderly. The effect of DTR and short-term inter-day TV were stronger on hot days and the warm season for CVD, but on cold days and cold season for RD. Meta-analysis for CVD or RD and DTR showed a significant 0.7 %/C° increase in CVD mortality, but not morbidity, while RD showed a significant 1.0 %/C° and 0.7 %/C° increase in morbidity and mortality, respectively. Most studies focused on CVD, RD, DTR or short-term inter-day TV, while few studies explored renal, GU, or mental health outcomes aside from schizophrenia. Future studies are needed to assess non-linear relationships between TV and disease, and the modifying effect of socioeconomic status.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73269,"journal":{"name":"Hygiene and environmental health advances","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100123"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143916754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bahati J. Manegabe , Titus A.M. Msagati , Adeeyo Adeyemi Ojutalayo , Marie-Médiatrice Kikongo Ntabugi , John B. Dewar , Karin De Bryun
{"title":"Assessment of heavy metals pollution in vegetables grown on irrigated soil and their potential threat to human health and global food security","authors":"Bahati J. Manegabe , Titus A.M. Msagati , Adeeyo Adeyemi Ojutalayo , Marie-Médiatrice Kikongo Ntabugi , John B. Dewar , Karin De Bryun","doi":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100129","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100129","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heavy metals accumulation in vegetables grown on irrigated soils are affected by human-and natural activities. They represent a serious global concern due to the presence of harmful elements in the water used for irrigation that later accumulate in the soil at high level, affecting soil quality, crops and human health. Within the rhizosphere, metals severely affect microbiome and vegetables physiological function, which can compromise vegetable qualities and through their accumulation present a serious threat to consumers. Factors that influence heavy metal availability include the pH, organic matter, crop- and microbial deposits. Plant and associated symbiotic bacteria have evolved strategies to mitigate metal bacterial secretion into rhizosphere, including the siderophores, phytohormones, antibiotics, mucilage, organic acids, phenols, polypeptides, exopolysaccharides (EPS), as well as inorganic ligands such as NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>, PO<sub>4</sub><sup>3-</sup>, and more may chelate heavy metal ions, desirable to decrease the availability and the uptake of heavy metals in plant and bacteria, potentially beneficial to plants and humans. This review focuses on the source of heavy metals in irrigated soils where vegetables are grown, mobility/availability of metals in such soil, uptake/accumulation by the plant, toxicity of these heavy metals to vegetables and human, and the mitigation strategies used by plants and bacteria to reduce the impact of metals on humans via the food chain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73269,"journal":{"name":"Hygiene and environmental health advances","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100129"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144241833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hilbert Mendoza , Solomon T. Wafula , Katrien De Troeyer , Hayat Bentouhami , Busisiwe Shezi , Grace Biyinzika Lubega , Rawlance Ndejjo , John Bosco Isunju , Richard Mugambe , David Musoke , Lidia Casas
{"title":"Urban green spaces and mental health: Findings from Uganda","authors":"Hilbert Mendoza , Solomon T. Wafula , Katrien De Troeyer , Hayat Bentouhami , Busisiwe Shezi , Grace Biyinzika Lubega , Rawlance Ndejjo , John Bosco Isunju , Richard Mugambe , David Musoke , Lidia Casas","doi":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100126","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100126","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Urban green spaces (UGS) may improve mental health in high-income countries. However, evidence from low-income African countries is scarce. Here, we assessed the associations of UGS with depressive and anxiety symptoms among adult residents of Kampala District (Uganda), the potential effect modification by sociodemographic factors, and the mediation roles of social interaction, outdoor physical activity, and residential distance to major roads as a proxy of traffic-related air pollution.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 641 adults. We objectively measured UGS using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within buffers of 100 m and 1,000 m around the residences. We assessed the utilization of UGS as a self-reported frequency (never, occasionally, and frequently) by which individuals visited UGS in the past 6 months. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale were used to examine the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms respectively. We used modified Poisson regression models to obtain prevalence ratios (PR) with their 95 % confidence intervals (CI), stratified our models, and conducted mediation analyses.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We observed an inverse association between UGS and both outcomes. For example, an inter-quartile range increase in UGS within a 100 m buffer was associated with a 6 % and 8 % decrease in depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively (PR=0.94; 95 % CI=0.89–0.99, and PR=0.92; 95 % CI=0.85–0.95, respectively). Consistently, frequent visits to UGS relative to no visits were associated with a 33 % and 35 % lower prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms (PR=0.67; 95 %CI=0.53–0.84, and PR=0.65; 95 %CI=0.47–0.91, respectively). Depending on the UGS metric, we observed varying potential effect modification findings by sex, age, and educational level. Finally, residential distance to major roads emerged as a mediator in the association between residential surrounding greenness and depressive symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our study suggests that UGS may also improve the mental health among residents of rapidly urbanizing African low-income cities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73269,"journal":{"name":"Hygiene and environmental health advances","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100126"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143921913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emmanuel Elochukwu Okenwa-Vincent , Nathan Riel , Linda S. Pagani
{"title":"A systematic review of risks associated with environmental change on refractive and non-refractive ocular health: Special focus on Africa","authors":"Emmanuel Elochukwu Okenwa-Vincent , Nathan Riel , Linda S. Pagani","doi":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100128","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.heha.2025.100128","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Over the past two decades, the African continent has faced numerous environmental shifts that affect population health. Climate change, rapid urbanization, and air pollution contribute significant risks to human health. The impact of these shifts on refractive and non-refractive ocular health in Africa remains largely empirically undocumented.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>A systematic review of the risks associated with environmental factors on refractive and non-refractive ocular health, with a specific emphasis on the African context.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This systematic review over the recent decade, conforming to PRISMA guidelines, spanned two primary databases, PubMed, and Google Scholar. It included a combination of keywords related to ocular health, environmental change, air pollution, climate change, water quality, and other related concepts. In total, it captured 77 articles from 2013 to July 2023 that met review quality guidelines.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The review comprised varied study designs with a notable inclusion of cross-sectional (25·9%), cohort (14·3%), and review articles (36·4%). Findings indicated a significant correlation between air pollutants like PM<sub>2·5</sub> and NO<sub>x</sub> with ocular diseases such as dry eye and ocular surface disorders (16·8%), conjunctival disorders (7·8%), and myopia (5·2%). Climate change exacerbated by rising temperatures and UV radiation was implicated in 39% of studies, with a specific focus on its relation to cataracts (5·2%) and retinal-related disorders (10·4%). Additionally, indoor air pollution disproportionately affected women and children in rural settings of Africa.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The data indicate the need for urgent continental and regional policies against air pollution and climate change to safeguard ocular health, especially among vulnerable African populations. The review underscores the need for interdisciplinary policy to address challenges. The documentation of the relationship between environmental factors and ocular health intersects with Sustainable Development Goals that emphasize the need for improved preventive eye care and intervention, particularly among vulnerable populations and rural inhabitants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73269,"journal":{"name":"Hygiene and environmental health advances","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100128"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144070080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}