Article
Engineering, Environmental
Miguel Alves Pereira, Rui Cunha Marques
Summary: This paper assesses the convergence of low- and middle-income UN Member States regarding SDG 6 between 2016 and 2017 using data envelopment analysis. The study finds that these countries not only converged in reducing performance spread, but also in narrowing the gap between best and worst practice. The Level of water stress was identified as a key issue, with most countries exhibiting poor performance in this indicator.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mabvuto Yesaya, Elizabeth Tilley
Summary: Blantyre has around one million residents using pit latrines as sanitation facilities, but there is a lack of services to empty the pit sludge, leading to a significant amount of sludge buried underground. Most safely discharged sludge comes from a small proportion of septic tanks in the city, and there does not seem to be a clear correlation between cost and volume of sludge discharged. In the coming years, there is a pressing need for the city and WWTPs to prepare for future challenges in faecal sludge management.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sourav Biswas, Biswajit Dandapat, Asraful Alam, Lakshminarayan Satpati
Summary: Clean water and sanitation are global public health issues. According to the survey data, Indian households have enough drinking water, but the usage of sanitation facilities is relatively low. Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the achievers of SDG 6.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Souphalak Inthaphatha, Viengsakhone Louangpradith, Leyla Isin Xiong, Valee Xiong, Ly Ly, Vue Xaitengcha, Alongkone Phengsavanh, Nobuyuki Hamajima, Eiko Yamamoto
Summary: This study in Lao PDR focused on school sanitation and menstrual health of secondary school girls, finding factors associated with school absence due to menstruation, such as age over 16, higher income, menstrual anxiety, using painkillers, improper disposal of sanitary pads, living with relatives, and location of schools. Recommendations include gender-separated school toilets with waste bins, starting menstrual education at elementary schools, and promoting teacher training on menstrual health.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Oscar Omondi Donde, Evans Atoni, Anastasia Wairimu Muia, Paul T. Yillia
Summary: While higher prevalence and mortality rates of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 have been reported in high-income countries like the United States, Europe, and Asia, many low-income countries have experienced lower rates despite socioeconomic burdens, highlighting the critical role of water, sanitation, and hygiene in preventing infectious disease transmission like COVID-19.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mustapha Immurana, Kwame Godsway Kisseih, Hadrat Mohammed Yusif, Ziblilla Mbanba Yakubu
Summary: This study examines the association between financial inclusion and open defecation and sharing of toilet facilities among households in Ghana. The results show that financial inclusion, particularly formal financial inclusion, is associated with reduced open defecation and sharing of toilet facilities.
Article
Immunology
David M. Berendes, Kirsten Fagerli, Sunkyung Kim, Dilruba Nasrin, Helen Powell, Irene N. Kasumba, Sharon M. Tennant, Anna Roose, M. Jahangir Hossain, Joquina Chiquita M. Jones, Syed M. A. Zaman, Richard Omore, John B. Ochieng, Jennifer R. Verani, Marc-Alain Widdowson, Samba O. Sow, Sanogo Doh, Ciara E. Sugerman, Eric D. Mintz, Karen L. Kotloff
Summary: In this case-control study, we found associations between unsafe water sources, unsafely managed sanitation, and animal contact with moderate-to-severe diarrhea in children. The results showed that children with drinking water sources below safety standards had a higher risk of diarrhea, while the relationship between sanitation and animals varied by site.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
James Harper, Angela Bielefeldt, Amy Javernick-Will, Katherine Dickinson, Toeur Veasna, Tyler Kozole, Chris Nicoletti
Summary: Our study suggests that rural Cambodian households prefer preventing contact with fecal sludge as a means to improve FSM services, with a secondary focus on reducing foul odor and producing fertilizer from the sludge. We recommend the development of an FSM-service model that emphasizes preventing human contact with fecal sludge, and consider the strong preference heterogeneity for different service attributes among households.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Iddrisu Amadu, Abdul-Aziz Seidu, Kwabena Koforobour Agyemang, Francis Arthur-Holmes, Eric Duku, Iddrisu Salifu, Obasanjo Afolabi Bolarinwa, John Elvis Hagan, Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
Summary: This study assessed the combined effect of household's source of drinking water and type of toilet facility on the incidence of childhood diarrhoea in 33 Sub-Saharan Africa countries. The results showed that improving water and sanitation practices significantly reduced the occurrence of childhood diarrhoea.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ali-Mohamed Nassur, Oussama Daanouni, Gwenaelle Luc, Alexandra Humphreys, Lenka Blanarova, Grace Heymsfield, Firmin Kouassi, Suvi T. Kangas, Dieynaba S. N'Diaye
Summary: This study aimed to explore the prevalence and associated risk factors of acute malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months. The results showed that being male, suffering from diarrhea, and having unwashed face and hands were significantly associated with acute malnutrition.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Belay Desye, Amensisa Hailu Tesfaye, Gete Berihun, Tadesse Sisay, Chala Daba, Leykun Berhanu
Summary: The provision of potable water is of utmost importance for the health and dignity of individuals, but waterborne diseases pose a significant public health problem in many developing countries like Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with Household Water Treatment (HWT) practices in Ethiopia. A comprehensive search of published studies was conducted, and data were analyzed using statistical software. The findings revealed a low overall proportion of HWT practice in Ethiopia, with factors such as education, gender, income, water source, fetching frequency, and water treatment training being associated with HWT practice. The authors recommend strengthened health education and intensive training to improve HWT practices in households.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Nirmala Devi, Lim Su Yin, Siow Yung Ern, Fathiah Athirah Haris, Abdullah Sallehhuddin Abdullah Salim
Summary: This study examines the impact of water rationing during the COVID-19 pandemic on the WASH practices of residents in Melaka, a water-stressed state in Malaysia. The results show that despite negative perceptions, there was significant growth in WASH performance. External water collection activities were also seen as detrimental to social distancing practices.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Ting Wang, Donglei Sun, Qian Zhang, Zunzhen Zhang
Summary: The quality of drinking water in China has shown an upward trend from 2007 to 2018, with urban drinking water qualification rate (85.51%) much higher than rural (51.12%), dry season (56.93%) higher than wet season (50.54%), and tap water (59.88%) higher than waterworks outlet water (55.87%). The regions with low water quality qualification rates were mainly in southern provinces like Yunnan, Guizhou, and Hainan. The lowest qualification rates were for microbiological indicators, all below 85%. Overall, the sanitation status of drinking water in China is unsatisfactory, with microbial pollution posing the biggest risk.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Laura Eichelberger, Subhabrata Dev, Tricia Howe, David L. Barnes, Eric Bortz, Brandon R. Briggs, Patricia Cochran, Aaron D. Dotson, Devin M. Drown, Micah B. Hahn, Kaitlin Mattos, Srijan Aggarwal
Summary: The novel coronavirus emerged in December 2019 and quickly spread worldwide. Public health efforts have focused on individual and collective behaviors, but these are influenced by broader social and environmental contexts. Factors within local communities, such as regional policy, historical context, cultural beliefs, and environmental characteristics, affect population health and disease spread.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Immunology
David M. Berendes, Richard Omore, Graeme Prentice-Mott, Kirsten Fagerli, Sunkyung Kim, Dilruba Nasrin, Helen Powell, M. Jahangir Hossain, Samba O. Sow, Sanogo Doh, Joquina Chiquita M. Jones, John B. Ochieng, Jane Juma, Alex O. Awuor, Billy Ogwel, Jennifer R. Verani, Marc-Alain Widdowson, Irene N. Kasumba, Sharon M. Tennant, Anna Roose, Syed M. A. Zaman, Jie Liu, Ciara E. Sugerman, James A. Platts-Mills, Eric R. Houpt, Karen L. Kotloff, Eric D. Mintz
Summary: The study found that in low-income areas, water, sanitation, and animal factors were associated with enteric pathogens in cases of diarrhea. Animals, such as cows and sheep, were associated with bacterial carriage; surface water was associated with bacteria and protozoa. This study highlights the importance of animal exposure risks in children when it comes to enteric pathogen exposure.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Changjian Xie, Xiaowei Li, Zhiling Guo, Yuling Dong, Shujing Zhang, Ao Li, Shan Ma, Jianing Xu, Qiuxiang Pang, Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg, Iseult Lynch, Peng Zhang
Summary: The toxicity of graphene oxide (GO) in aquatic systems was evaluated using the freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica. GO not only impaired the growth of normal worms, but also inhibited the regeneration processes of regenerating worms. High concentration of GO killed all the worms. Mechanistic analysis suggests that GO disturbed the antioxidative system and energy metabolism, causing oxidative damage and retardance of neuron regeneration.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
T. Yasmin, S. Dhesi, I. Kuznetsova, R. Cooper, S. Krause, I. Lynch
Summary: This study conducted an in-depth systematic review of literature to explore the context of water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) sustainability and resilience in refugee communities. The results indicate concerns about the lengthy waiting period for refugees to achieve repatriation/integration into host communities, which is often in the Global South. It emphasizes the need to understand the specific factors and interdependencies in each refugee camp, as 'one-size-fits-all' solutions may not be suitable for different camps.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dendievel Andre-Marie, Wazne Mohammad, Vallier Manon, Mermillod-Blondin Florian, Mourier Brice, Piegay Herve, Winiarski Thierry, Krause Stefan, Simon Laurent
Summary: Understanding the accumulation and transport of microplastic particles (MPs) in rivers is challenging, especially in rivers with variable particle sizes and complex interactions with dams and plastic production centers. This research focused on the Ain River in France, where plastic factories and dams are present. By using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to locate plastic factories and characterize land use, as well as analyzing sediment samples and measuring hydro-sedimentary settings, the study found high concentrations of MPs near plastic production centers. The results provide important insights for managing MPs in coarse-bed rivers.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna Kukkola, Stefan Krause, Yasmin Yonan, Liam Kelleher, Uwe Schneidewind, Gregory H. Sambrook Smith, Holly Nel, Iseult Lynch
Summary: This article presents a technique for setting up detection limits on any fluorescent microscope using the fluorophore Nile Red for microplastic identification. It also introduces a morphology-specific identification key to reduce subjectivity among researchers. The method establishes detection limits for nine common polymer types and five natural substrates that could result in false-positive signals when using Nile Red. It is applied to real freshwater samples and validated by micro-FTIR or Raman spectroscopy, reducing subjectivity in microplastic identification and enhancing transparency, repeatability, and harmonization in the research community.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhiling Guo, Peng Zhang, Changjian Xie, Evangelos Voyiatzis, Klaus Faserl, Andrew J. Chetwynd, Fazel Abdolahpur Monikh, Georgia Melagraki, Zhiyong Zhang, Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg, Antreas Afantitis, Chunying Chen, Iseult Lynch
Summary: As antimicrobials, graphene materials (GMs) have potential advantages over traditional antibiotics. The antibacterial mechanism of GMs, whether it originates from parallel or perpendicular interactions or a combination of both, remains unclear. This study demonstrates that GMs with high surface oxygen content (SOC) predominantly attach in parallel to bacterial cell surfaces in suspension. The interaction mode shifts to perpendicular when the SOC reaches a threshold of around 0.3. These findings help to understand the different physical mechanisms leading to the antibacterial activity of GMs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Patricia V. Silva, Catia S. A. Santos, Anastasios G. Papadiamantis, Sandra F. Goncalves, Marija Prodana, Rudo A. Verweij, Iseult Lynch, Cornelis A. M. van Gestel, Susana Loureiro
Summary: This study investigated the toxicokinetics of engineered nanoparticles in Chironomus riparius, showing that absorption of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) was higher in the simulating aged form (Ag2S NPs) compared to pristine Ag NPs and AgNO3. Water uptake was the main route of Ag accumulation, and chironomid larvae exhibited a strong ability to accumulate Ag. This is the first study on the toxicokinetics of nanoparticles in Chironomus, providing important insights into their exposure and interactions in the environment.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Patricia V. Silva, Ana Rita R. Silva, Nathaniel J. Clark, Joanne Vassallo, Marta Baccaro, Neja Medve Scek, Magdalena Grgi, Abel Ferreira, Marti Busquets-Fite, Kerstin Jurkschat, Anastasios G. Papadiamantis, Victor Puntes, Iseult Lynch, Claus Svendsen, Nico W. van den Brink, Richard D. Handy, Cornelis A. M. van Gestel, Susana Loureiro
Summary: Mesocosms are useful for simulating realistic scenarios of organism exposure to nanoparticles. An indoor mesocosm experiment was conducted to assess the toxicokinetics and bioaccumulation of silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag2S NPs) and AgNO3 in freshwater invertebrates. The study found that single-species tests could not reliably predict bioaccumulation in the more complex mesocosm scenario.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Kieran Khamis, Valerie Ouellet, Danny Croghan, Liliana M. Hernandez M. Gonzalez, Aaron I. Packman, David M. Hannah, Stefan Krause
Summary: Urbanization and the increase in urban land cover have negative impacts on surface water quality. Current measurement methods for emerging contaminants are limited, and autosamplers are expensive and bulky. We present a small and low-cost autosampler that is suitable for urban environments. It shows comparable results to commercial autosamplers and can capture temporal dynamics in water quality parameters. The autosampler has the potential to improve understanding of urban design and infrastructure impacts on water quality and lead to more effective mitigation solutions.
FRONTIERS IN BUILT ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Anna Kukkola, Robert L. Runkel, Uwe Schneidewind, Sheila F. Murphy, Liam Kelleher, Gregory H. Sambrook Smith, Holly Astrid Nel, Iseult Lynch, Stefan Krause
Summary: This study compares microplastic abundance in Boulder Creek (BC) and its less urbanized tributary South Boulder Creek (SBC) in Colorado, USA. The results show that microplastic concentrations and loads are higher in BC than in SBC, which is consistent with the differences in urbanization between the two catchments. The study also quantifies the removal of microplastics through flow diversions, which should be considered in large-scale models of plastic fate and transport to the oceans.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jennifer D. Drummond, Jose Goncalves, Tomas Aquino, Susana Bernal, Esperanca Gacia, Ion Gutierrez-Aguirre, Valentina Turk, Maja Ravnikar, Stefan Krause, Eugenia Marti
Summary: The presence of bacteria and viruses in freshwater poses a global health risk. This study examines the abundance of microbes in benthic sediment and demonstrates the dynamic role of sediment as both a store and source of microbes in an intermittent stream. The findings highlight the spatial and temporal variability of microbial presence in freshwater.
Article
Ecology
Tahmina Yasmin, Megan A. Farrelly, Briony C. Rogers, Stefan Krause, Iseult Lynch
Summary: The paper discusses the growing call for adaptive governance approaches in urban water management systems and highlights the focus on evidence-based research in the Global North, while evidence from the Global South remains limited. The research conducted in two cities in Bangladesh examines how adaptive governance operates in different local contexts, and reveals that the larger urban system of Dhaka is currently experiencing lock-in due to various factors, while the smaller urban system of Mymensingh showcases enabling factors for sustainable growth. The study sheds light on the role of adaptive governance in relation to system scales, capacity, and key enabling attributes.
ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Tahmina Yasmin, Kieran Khamis, Anthony Ross, Subir Sen, Anita Sharma, Debashish Sen, Sumit Sen, Wouter Buytaert, David M. Hannah
Summary: Floods in mountainous river catchments are causing increasing harm and require inclusive approaches to designing flood early warning systems. Rather than focusing solely on technology, the use of a SMART approach encourages engagement with local social and governance contexts to benefit the at-risk community. This approach integrates diverse backgrounds and identifies missing links to ensure inclusivity and good practice throughout the decision-making process.
NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhiling Guo, Peng Zhang, Changjian Xie, Evangelos Voyiatzis, Klaus Faserl, Andrew J. Chetwynd, Fazel Abdolahpur Monikh, Georgia Melagraki, Zhiyong Zhang, Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg, Antreas Afantitis, Chunying Chen, Iseult Lynch
Summary: As antimicrobials, graphene materials (GMs) have potential advantages over traditional antibiotics due to their physical mechanisms of action, which reduce the chance of microbial resistance. This study shows that GMs with high surface oxygen content (SOC) primarily attach in parallel to the bacterial cell surface, while the interaction mode shifts to perpendicular when the SOC reaches a certain threshold. The rigidity of GMs is closely related to these distinct interaction modes. By understanding the interaction mode of GMs with bacteria, the antibacterial activity of GMs can be better understood.
Article
Environmental Sciences
George J. L. Wilson, Chuanhe Lu, Dan J. Lapworth, Arun Kumar, Ashok Ghosh, Vahid J. Niasar, Stefan Krause, David A. Polya, Daren C. Gooddy, Laura A. Richards
Summary: This study investigates the distribution of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in groundwater under the rapidly developing city of Patna, Bihar (India) and identifies the spatial and seasonal controls on its distribution. The composition of DOM in groundwater is found to be influenced by land use and monsoonal events, with evidence of ingress of wastewater-derived organic matter. The study highlights the importance of understanding groundwater DOM composition in various hydrogeochemical settings.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
