Literature Review

Urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and BPs were determined in Korean children attending both conventional and eco-friendly kindergartens. The exposure levels and contaminant profiles were investigated according to kindergarten type and their association with oxidative stress was assessed. This article highlights the findings of the study and the need for targeted interventions, especially in settings were chemicals may pose health risks.

This article summarizes a study within the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, which was designed to investigate and understand the effects of environmental exposures on child health and development. This study looks specifically at whether urinary concentrations of a wide range of potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals varied before and during the pandemic. Data was collected from three racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse ECHO cohorts and urinary chemical concentrations were assessed for differences related to environmental exposures through food packaging, use of disinfectants, personal care products and air pollutants. The authors observed decreases in urinary concentrations of some PAHs, bisphenols, benzophenones, and triclosan, and increases in specific OPEs. This trend supports the observation that pandemic-related behavior changes lead to alterations in chemical exposures that have been linked to adverse health outcomes.

This article details a study that examined the presence of asbestos in the residential areas of villages surrounding an abandoned asbestos mine at Roro Hills in the Jharkhand state of India. The researchers used a scanning electron microscopy technique and compared satellite images taken 13 years apart to determine whether the mine waste containing asbestos had spread over time. Results of the soil sample testing indicated that, out of 16 soil samples from residential areas, 12 showed the presence of chrysotile asbestos. In addition, the map analysis showed that asbestos-containing areas had enlarged by around 20% in those years. The authors call for timely interventions to protect nearby residents.

Gold mining activities that occurred throughout the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California left behind persistent toxic contaminants in the soil, dust, and water that include arsenic and cadmium. This article recaps the results of a study to characterize the urinary levels of heavy metals among women in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. This biomonitoring data was collected from sixty women who provided urine samples and completed a questionnaire. Urinary metal levels were charted in relation to he length of residency in the area, age, dietary factors, recreational activities, and smoking, and compared to levels in the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The study found that participants had higher urinary levels of arsenic than women in the national sample. Cadmium levels were similar to the national average, but were elevated in women ≥35 years who had lived in the region for 10 years or more. Aside from collecting data, this study also facilitated community dialogue about possible human health consequences of living in a mining-impacted area.

This article explores the major environmental threats to young children in South Africa. Research shows that rates of children living, playing, and learning in environments that are hazardous to their health and safety are correlated with high rates of poverty and the provinces in which children life, with those living in rural provinces facing higher levels of risk. This disparity is also predicted to be amplified as climate change increases environmental health hazards. The authors advocate for centering children in policy making decisions and using children’s needs and vulnerabilities as the benchmark for environmental health protection.

This article reviews recent evidence of human exposure to and health effects from modern environmental health hazards (MEHHs). The authors reviewed published epidemiologic, exposure, and environmental studies of chemical agents such as heavy metals and pesticides. Their goal is to highlight the growing significance of these modern environmental health hazards as countries across Africa experience urbanization, industrial growth, and development.

Coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), this Global Burden of Disease study produces influential, data-driven estimates of the burden of disease and premature death due to major risk factors. This study expands on environmental health risk factors, including climate change, air pollution, and lead, that impact diseases in order to enhance the accuracy of GBD estimates. In turn, this will better guide prevention policies.

This article, published in both English and Spanish, takes a close look at threats, challenges, and cooperation opportunities in Paediatric Environmental Health (PEH) in the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The authors review a host of pollutants that are associated with paediatric diseases, like asthma, paediatric cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders, and more. They also provide actionable tasks that healthcare professionals can conduct to promote child and adolescent environmental health.

Environmental health indicators (EHIs) can be used in research to gauge the health consequences of environmental hazards, summarize complex information, and/or compare policy impacts across locations or time periods. This article reviews current frameworks for EHIs and discusses common advantages and limitations. A cast study EHI system was developed for air pollution and health for urban Latin American centers in order to explore how underlying assumptions affect indicator results. Sixteen cities were ranked according to five indicators: population exposed, children exposed, comparison to health-based guidelines, and overall PM10 levels.

This paper discusses the work being done in Latin America and the Caribbean toward the achievement of 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 3: Health and Well-Being. The authors highlight the leadership of the public health sector and the importance of its partnerships with other governmental and nongovernmental entities. They identify the most pressing global environmental public health threats—air pollution, contaminated water, inadequate sanitation, poor management of solid waste, risks related to certain hazardous chemicals, and the negative impacts of climate change.

This paper outlines the strategic initiative developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), to control Latin American children’s exposure to environmental risk factors for chronic disease. Growing rates of toxic chemicals in the environment could be traced back to industrial development and urbanization in Latin American cities and were recognized as major causes of disease and disability among youth. The WHO’s, and PAHO’s, plan to confront this crisis involved increasing research and data collection in specific illness areas.