Livestock housing is an important source of emissions of particulate matter (PM). High concentrations of PM can threaten the environment, as well as the health and welfare of humans and animals. Particulate matter in livestock houses is mainly coarse, primary in origin, and organic; it can adsorb and contain gases, odorous compounds, and micro-organisms, which can enhance its biological effect. Levels of PM in livestock houses are high, influenced by kind of housing and feeding, animal type, and environmental factors. Improved knowledge on particle morphology, primarily size, composition, levels, and the factors influencing these can be useful to identify and quantify sources of PM more accurately, to evaluate their effects, and to propose adequate abatement strategies in livestock houses. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art of PM in and from livestock production systems. Future research to characterize and control PM in livestock houses is discussed. Control of particulate matter emissions, a major challenge to modern livestock production.

The gamma spectrometric analysis of soil and essential foodstuffs, e.g., wheat, millet, potato, lentils and cauliflower, which form the main component of the daily diet of the local public, was carried out using high purity germanium (HpGe) detector coupled with a computer based high-resolution multi-channel analyzer. The activity concentration in soil samples for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K ranged from 30.0 Bq kg⁻¹ to 81.2 Bq kg⁻¹, 31.4 Bq kg⁻¹ to 78.25 Bq kg⁻¹ and 308.8 Bq kg⁻¹ to 2177.6 Bq kg⁻¹, with mean values of 56.2, 58.5 and 851.9 Bq kg⁻¹, respectively. The average activity measured for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in soil samples was found higher than the world average. The major radionuclide found in the food items studied was ⁴⁰K, while ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ¹³⁷Cs were detected in very nominal amounts. The results clearly indicate that these radionuclides have no health hazard to human beings, as they are well below the annual limit of intake (ALI) for these radionuclides. The transfer factors of these radionuclides from soil to food were also studied. The mean transfer factors of ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ¹³⁷Cs from soil to food were estimated to be about 0.17, 0.07, 0.16 and 0.23, respectively. An artificial radionuclide, ¹³⁷Cs, was also present in detectable amount in all samples. The internal and external hazard indices were measured and had mean values of 0.70 and 0.55, respectively. Absorbed dose rates and effective dose have been determined in the present study. Concentration of trace metals, such as Cr, Pb, Ni and Zn, was also determined in the soil samples. The concentrations of radionuclides and trace metals found in these samples during the present study were nominal and do not pose any potential health hazard to the general public.

Bitumen is a black, thermoplastic, hydrocarbon material derived from the processing of crude oil. At ambient temperature, bitumen is solid and does not present any health/environmental risks. This is one of the main reasons that bitumen is widely used for road construction all over the world. But during manufacturing/modification according to its application, storage, transportation, and use of bitumen is heated giving off various hydrocarbons emissions. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in investigating the potential of bitumen emissions to cause health effects. This is mainly because of the reason that bitumen has small amount of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons, along with some other volatiles like benzene, toluene, etc., which are known to be carcinogenic in nature. Thus, assessment of the emission characteristics and health hazards of bitumen fumes may have far reaching industrial economic and public health implications. In this review, we will discuss about the emission characteristics from bitumen, asphalts, or road construction, which is mainly contributed by bitumen fumes. Sampling strategies and analytical methods employed are also described briefly.

Background and purpose In Pakistan, almost 70% of the population lives in rural areas. Ninety-four percent of households in rural areas and 58% in urban areas depend on biomass fuels (wood, dung, and agricultural waste). These solid fuels have poor combustion efficiency. Due to incomplete combustion of the biomass fuels, the resulting smoke contains a range of health-deteriorating substances that, at varying concentrations, can pose a serious threat to human health. Indoor air pollution accounts for 28,000 deaths a year and 40 million cases of acute respiratory illness. It places a significant economic burden on Pakistan with an annual cost of 1% of GDP. Despite the mounting evidence of an association between indoor air pollution and ill health, policy makers have paid little attention to it. This review analyzes the existing information on levels of indoor air pollution in Pakistan and suggests suitable intervention methods. Methods This review is focused on studies of indoor air pollution, due to biomass fuels, in Pakistan published in both scientific journals and by the Government and international organizations. In addition, the importance of environmental tobacco smoke as an indoor pollutant is highlighted. Results Unlike many other developing countries, there are no long-term studies on the levels of indoor air pollution. The limited studies that have been undertaken indicate that indoor air pollution should be a public health concern. High levels of particulate matter and carbon monoxide have been reported, and generally, women and children are subject to the maximum exposure. There have been a few interventions, with improved stoves, in some areas since 1990. However, the effectiveness of these interventions has not been fully evaluated. Conclusion Indoor air pollution has a significant impact on the health of the population in Pakistan. The use of biomass fuel as an energy source is the biggest contributor to poor indoor air quality followed by smoking. In order to arrest the increasing levels of indoor pollution, there is a dire need to recognize it as a major health hazard and formulate a national policy to combat it. An integrated effort, with involvement of all stakeholders, could yield promising results. A countrywide public awareness campaign, on the association of indoor air pollution with ill health, followed by practical intervention would be an appropriate approach. Due to the current socioeconomic conditions in the country, development and adoption of improved cooking stoves for the population at large would be the most suitable choice. However, the potential of biogas as a fuel should be explored further, and modern fuels (natural gas and LPG) need to be accessible and economical. Smoking in closed public spaces should be banned, and knowledge of the effect of smoking on indoor air quality needs to be quantified.