Availability of clean water and adequate sanitation facilities are the principal measures for limiting various waterborne diseases. These basic amenities are critical for health and sustainable socio-economic development. This study attempted to assess the status of water and sanitation facilities and practices of the people living in rural areas of Chandigarh including awareness about the waterborne diseases. The community-based cross-sectional study design was adopted having 300 households across 12 villages of city Chandigarh. A standardized interview schedule was used to collect information related to water uses, storage, water treatment options, water conservation practices, personal hygiene, knowledge about waterborne diseases, and government schemes. The interview schedule was administered with the head of the family as a study approach during the door-to-door survey. Households in rural Chandigarh have municipal water supply for drinking as well as other domestic purposes. The mean per capita water usage was 67 ± 13.4 l. Most (68.6%) of the study participants reported that they do not treat water before drinking and store it in plastic bottles or bucket (58%). The survey shows that 97% of the household had functional toilets in their premises, remaining reported lack of finances, and space for construction as major barriers. Regarding personal hygiene, 83% of respondents wash hands with soap and rest used only water or ash. Observations made under the study highlighted the need to create awareness regarding the role of water and sanitation practices on health including knowledge about various government schemes to improve water quality, sanitation, and hygiene practices for better health.

Emerging economies are experiencing considerable economic changes due to change in energy demand and CO₂ emissions. To explore the link between energy demand and CO₂ emissions, this study disaggregates energy consumption into renewable and nonrenewable, and investigates its impact on carbon (CO₂) emissions by incorporating the role of trade openness using the environment Kuznets curve (EKC) framework. Emerging economies from 1990 to 2015 are examined based on Morgan Stanley Capital International’s (MSCI’s) classification. This empirical study uses cross-sectional dependence (CD) test and second-generation panel unit root test for precise estimation. The Pedroni and Westerlund panel cointegration tests are used to examine the long-run equilibrium. Continuously updated fully modified (CUP-FM) and continuously updated bias-corrected (CUP-BC) approaches are applied to investigate long-run output elasticities while the vector error correction model (VECM) is used to examine the direction of causal relationships among the variables. The results show that renewable energy consumption affects the CO₂ emissions negatively while nonrenewable energy consumption positively impacts the CO₂ emissions. The study also supports the EKC hypothesis. Trade openness adversely affects the CO₂ emissions which are an imperative inclination of these economies towards globalization. Moreover, in the long run, energy consumption from renewable energy and economic growth Granger cause CO₂ emission, nonrenewable energy, and trade openness. In the short run, renewable energy Granger causes economic growth, while economic growth Granger causes nonrenewable energy. The study offers some vital policy suggestions for these emerging economies and some interesting lessons for the developing economies.

A novel porous coordination polymer adsorbent (BTCA-P-Cu-CP) based on a piperazine(P) as a ligand and 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) as a linker was synthesized and magnetized to form magnetic porous coordination polymer (BTCA-P-Cu-MCP). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), field emission scanning electron microscope(FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS), CHN, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller(BET) analysis were used to characterize the synthesized adsorbent. BTCA-P-Cu-MCP was used for removal and preconcentration of Pb(II) ions from environmental water samples prior to flame atomic absorption spectrometry(FAAS) analysis. The maximum adsorption capacity of BTCA-P-Cu-MCP was 582 mg g⁻¹. Adsorption isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic parameters were investigated for Pb(II) ions adsorption. Magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) method was used for preconcentration of Pb(II) ions and the parameters influencing the preconcentration process have been examined. The linearity range of proposed method was 0.1–100 μg L⁻¹ with a preconcentration factor of 100. The limits of detection and limits of quantification for lead were 0.03 μg L⁻¹ and 0.11 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The intra-day (n = 7) and inter-day (n = 3) relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 1.54 and 3.43% respectively. The recoveries from 94.75 ± 4 to 100.93 ± 1.9% were obtained for rapid extraction of trace levels of Pb(II) ions in different water samples. The results showed that the BTCA-P-Cu-MCP was steady and effective adsorbent for the decontamination and preconcentration of lead ions from the aqueous environment.

The aim of this systematic review study was to investigate the causal relationship between environmental factors and gastric cancer (GC) in Iran. In a narrow definition, the environment includes water, soil, air, and food. This definition was the main criterion for the inclusion of articles in this study. In addition, exposure to radiation and geographical conditions were considered as less investigated environmental factors in the literatures. International (PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Cochran) and national (Scientific Information Database) databases were searched for articles on GC and environmental risk factors in Iran. Twenty-six articles were found to meet the inclusion criteria after title, abstract, and full text review. Risk factors identified for GC include consumption of red meat; high fat, fried, and salted meat; smoked, salted, and fried foods; some dairy products; roasted and fried seeds; strong and hot tea; and un-piped and unchlorinated drinking water, as well as exposure to radiation, loess sediment, soft and grassy soil, soil containing low concentration of molybdenum, and proximity to volcanos. Fresh fruits and vegetable, fresh fish, and honey consumption were recognized as protective agents. Given the risk factors identified, strategies to prevent GC would be educating people to choose a healthy diet and to cook and store food properly, providing access to safe drinking water, taking into account topographical and geographical conditions in choosing a right location to build residential areas, and regulating the use of radiation-emitting devices.

Mercury is a metal which is potentially toxic for the environment. Many factors control its retention in the soil, such as cation exchange capacity, pH, clay content, organic matter, and redox potential. It is important to know the phytotoxic effects of soil Hg to prevent environmental contamination and its entry into the food chain. Several analytical methods are used to measure metal phytoavailability in soils, but none has been reported for Hg in Oxisols, the most common soil class in Brazil and a very important soil class throughout the tropics. The aim of this study was to select the chemical extractor that best correlated the Hg levels in plants and the Oxisols. The soils used were classified as Dystrophic Red-Yellow Oxisol (LVAd) and Dystroferric Red Oxisol (LVdf), which were collected in the 0–0.2-m soil layer. The species selected for cultivation were a monocotyledon, oat (Avena sativa L. cv. São Carlos) and a eudicotyledon, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Madrepérola). Each test plot was composed of a 500 cm³ pot filled with soil samples contaminated with HgCl₂. Treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design, with four replications. The experiment was conducted for 30 days. Mercury contents were separately extracted with the following extractors: USEPA 3051A, Mehlich-1, Mehlich-3, DTPA, and water. Mercury was determined by hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy. The extracted contents were correlated with the contents in the tissues of the plants’ aerial part by the Pearson correlation. Although it is not considered a standard procedure to evaluate metal phytoavailable contents, the method that presented the best correlations between soil Hg and plant Hg was USEPA 3051A (r = 0.75*). As expected, the worst correlation was with water (r = 0.57* for common bean and r = 0,05ⁿˢ for oat).

The need to maximize agricultural productivity has made pesticides an indispensable part of current times. Farmers are unaware of the lurking consequences of the pesticide exposure, which endanger their health. It also puts the unsuspecting consumers in peril. The pesticides (from organophosphates, organochlorine, and carbamate class) disrupt the immune and hormonal signaling, causing recurrent inflammation, which leads to a wide array pathologies, including teratogenicity. Numerous farmers have fallen victim to neural disorders–driven suicides and lungs, prostate/breast cancer–caused untimely deaths. Green revolution which significantly escalated agricultural productivity is backfiring now. It is high time that environmental and agricultural authorities act to restrain the excessive usage of the detrimental chemicals and educate farmers regarding the crisis. This review discusses the biological mechanisms of pesticide-driven pathogenesis (such as the activation or inhibition of caspase, serine protease, acetylcholinesterase) and presents the pesticide-exposure-caused health deterioration in USA, India, and Africa. This holistic and critical review should be an eye-opener for general public, and a guide for researchers.

A highly resourceful, eco-friendly, and recyclable magnetic adsorbent based on montmorillonite (CoFe₂O₄/MMT) was fabricated via a facile hydrothermal method to harvest tetracycline (TC) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) from pollutant water. The prepared adsorbent was characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and VSM methods to comprehend its structure, morphology, and magnetism. Effects of experimental parameters including solution pH, adsorption time, initial concentration, and ion strength were studied in details. The experimental adsorption data of TC and CIP fitted into pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm, respectively. The maximum adsorptions of TC and CIP could reach up to 240.91 and 224.00 mg/g. The thermodynamic study indicates that the adsorption process is spontaneous. In addition, the antibiotics can be further degraded under visible light environment and the magnetic sorbent can also be thermally regenerated. Graphical abstract ᅟ

Graphene oxide (GO) has been reported to possess antibacterial activity; therefore, its accumulation in the environment could affect microbial communities such as biofilms. The susceptibility of biofilms to antimicrobials is known to depend on the stage of biofilm maturity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of GO nano-particles on Pseudomonas putida KT2440 biofilm of variable age. FT-IR, UV-vis, and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the oxidation of graphene while XPS confirmed the high purity of the synthesised GO over 6 months. Biofilms varying in maturity (24, 48, and 72 h) were formed using a CDC reactor and were treated with GO (85 μg/mL or 8.5 μg/mL). The viability of P. putida was monitored by culture on media and the bacterial membrane integrity was assessed using flow cytometry. P. putida cells were observed using confocal microscopy and SEM. The results showed that GO significantly reduced the viability of 48-h biofilm and detached biofilm cells associated with membrane damage while the viability was not affected in 24- and 72-h biofilms and detached biofilm cells. The results showed that susceptibility of P. putida biofilm to GO varied according to age which may be due to changes in the physiological state of cells during maturation. Graphical abstract

In this paper, a crosslinked carboxymethyl starch (CCMS) was prepared with corn starch as the raw material, epichlorohydrin as the crosslinking agent, and chloroacetic acid as the etherifying agent through a series of crosslinking, alkalization, and etherification reactions, respectively. Nano-TiO₂ was loaded onto the surface of the CCMS by the sol-gel method to obtain a TiO₂/CCMS composite. The TiO₂/CCMS composite was characterized by XPS, XRD, SEM, and BET. XPS showed that the surface chemical composition of the TiO₂/CCMS composite material contained titanium; XRD diffraction patterns indicated that the crystal form of the TiO₂/CCMS composite was a combination of the CCMS and anatase TiO₂. The surface morphology obtained by SEM showed that there were nano-TiO₂ particles on the surface of the CCMS. The specific surface area of the TiO₂/CCMS composite was larger than that of CCMS. The adsorption-photodegradation performance of the TiO₂/CCMS composite was also studied under UV irradiation, and the results showed that significant adsorption-photodegradation synergies occurred.

In the present study, an underfloor air distribution (UFAD) system with a circular swirl diffuser was simulated in an office room using a three-dimensional model when thermal sources were present in the room. An Eulerian-Lagrangian model was used to predict the characteristics of air and particle phases. In the Lagrangian particle model, the effects of drag, lift, Brownian, and thermophoresis forces were considered. The results showed that the circular swirl diffuser has better airflow and thermal conditions compared with the circular direct diffusers. It was also shown that the studied UFAD system provides good thermal comfort condition. The local and mean normalized particle concentrations in different heights of the room were found reasonable, and the particle removal efficiency was between 55 and 65% for all the particle sizes. The results also showed that the large particles due to their large weight stayed in lower heights of the room and deposited on the floor. The particle concentration in the breathing zone of manikins was also investigated, and it showed that though the manikins seated close to inlet registers have appropriate thermal comfort, they encounter the highest particle concentration in their breathing zone.