Article
Environmental Sciences
Christian Sonne, Bjorn M. Jenssen, Joerg Rinklebe, Su Shiung Lam, Martin Hansen, Rossana Bossi, Kim Gustavson, Rune Dietz
Summary: The EPAs of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and the Netherlands have proposed a ban on the use of toxic industrial chemicals PFAS due to their harmful effects on human health and biodiversity. Denmark, the first EU country to ban PFAS, plans to establish groundwater parks to protect drinking water. They also call on the EU to list more toxic substances on the Stockholm Convention.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Emiliano Panieri, Katarina Baralic, Danijela Djukic-Cosic, Aleksandra Buha Djordjevic, Luciano Saso
Summary: PFAS compounds, with their unique properties, have been widely used but also pose serious threats to wildlife and human health. Authorities, industries, and scientists are working together to regulate their use and develop remediation technologies.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Arianna Gentilini, Iva Parvanova
Summary: This study aimed to assess the relationship between funding from UK-based patient organisations and companies' commercial interests. The results show that almost all funds from pharmaceutical companies were directed to patient organisations that are aligned with companies' approved drug portfolios and research and development pipelines. Patient organisations focusing on rare diseases received more funding relative to the number of patients affected by these conditions and relied more heavily on payments from fewer companies compared to organisations targeting non-rare diseases.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lindsay Hedden, Sarah Spencer, Sara Allin, Damien Contandriopoulos, Frank Gavin, Agnes Grudniewicz, M. Ruth Lavergne, Chad Leaver, Joel Lexchin, Madeleine McKay, Maria Mathews, Rita K. McCracken, Kimberlyn McGrail, Karen S. Palmer, Marie-Eve Poitras, David Rudoler, Sheryl Spithoff, Meredith Vanstone
Summary: This research project aims to collect, classify, analyze, and interpret data on investor-owned privatization of healthcare financing and delivery systems in Canada. The findings will be used to develop a new conceptual framework that describes the public-private interfaces within Canada's healthcare system. The importance of this project lies in providing insights into the impacts of investor-owned privatization.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Vageesh Jain, Paula Lorgelly
Summary: This viewpoint proposes a new conceptual framework (COVID-NEEDS) for the global allocation of COVID-19 vaccines, aiming to identify countries most in need of vaccines. The framework takes into account the health, social, and economic impacts of COVID-19 and integrates with existing needs assessment methods.
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rebecca Bunnell, Juliet Ryan, Charlotte Kent
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the necessity for a new strategic science agenda in public health, addressing gaps such as health equity science, data science, communication science, policy analysis, scientific collaboration, and climate science. Public health leadership and scientists have a unique opportunity to use strategic science to guide an era of improved and equitable public health.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Beret Fitzgerald, Christopher Terndrup, Carl G. Streed Jr, Rita S. Lee, Viraj V. Patel, Ryan Nall, GIM LGBTQ Interest Grp
Summary: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ +) individuals face bias in healthcare, leading to poorer health status and avoidance of medical services. The Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) acknowledges the existing physical and mental health inequities among LGBTQ+ communities and aims to improve LGBTQ+ patient health through structural changes at the policy level and individual provider actions.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Stephanopoulos Kofi Junior Osei, Michael Barfi Owusu, Sandra Frimpong, Dorinda Dela Bosro, Christopher Fosu Asamoah, Daniel Owusu, Deborah Ntriwaa Amoako-Mensah, Sammy Kwantwi Barimah, Jerry Kofi Esinu Agbavor, Bertha Delanyo Awo Agbesi
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the reasons behind the migration of African nurses and midwives to high-income countries, as well as the characteristics and implementation of migration policies addressing this issue. By conducting a systematic review of existing literature, the researchers will use meta-synthesis to summarize the emerging themes.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Esther S. Cookson, Russell L. Detwiler
Summary: Despite regulatory efforts, concerns about the historical releases of PFAS remain due to continued human and ecological exposure. A meta-analysis of global data reveals patterns and trends in PFAS concentrations in wastewater, with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) having the lowest temporal trends. The study also finds a significant positive correlation between wastewater effluent concentrations of PFAS and the gross domestic product per capita of each country.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Eloi Laurent, Alessandro Galli, Fabio Battaglia, Giorgia Dalla Libera Marchiori, Lorenzo Fioramonti
Summary: The commentary highlights that although the Rome Declaration introduces a new health philosophy, it lacks criticism of current growth-driven economic systems. To enhance this vision, it is crucial to place human and natural well-being at the core of development models and shift towards recognizing the "co-benefits" between health, environment, and economy.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sarah E. Gollust, Kathleen T. Call, J. Robin Moon, Bonnie Cluxton, Zinzi Bailey
Summary: This paper describes the curriculum of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders (IRL) program, which aims to cultivate leaders, promote health equity in communities, and address health inequities through research and action.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kavitha Dasu, Xiaoyan Xia, Dinusha Siriwardena, Theodore P. Klupinski, Brannon Seay
Summary: The review of literature on PFAS concentrations and composition from different sources showed that direct and indirect sources have varying levels of PFAS contamination. Groundwater, landfill leachates, and aqueous film-forming foam were identified as major sources of high concentrations of PFAS.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Dara D. Mendez, Jewel Scott, Linda Adodoadji, Christina Toval, Monica McNeil, Mahima Sindhu
Summary: Racism in the United States is considered a key driver of racial health inequities, with many policies naming racism as critical in addressing racial inequities in health, but with limited details on specific actions, funding, or resources.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Lynaea Filbey, Jie Wei Zhu, Francesca D'Angelo, Lehana Thabane, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, Eldrin Lewis, Manesh R. Patel, Tiffany Powell-Wiley, J. Jaime Miranda, Liesl Zuhlke, Javed Butler, Faiez Zannad, Harriette G. C. Van Spall
Summary: Participants in cardiovascular disease randomized controlled trials often do not represent the diverse population living with the disease. This review discusses the barriers and facilitators of trial enrollment, temporal trends, and the need for representativeness. It proposes strategies to increase representativeness, such as inclusive recruitment practices, diverse trial leadership, and research capacity-building in under-represented regions. Implementing these strategies can generate better and more generalizable evidence to address healthcare inequalities.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Delivette Castor, Luisa N. Borrell
Summary: The paper discusses the evolution of terminology from colonial medicine to global health, focusing on the definition and language of global health. By studying the websites of various organizations involved in global health, the researchers reveal the disconnection between the rhetoric of equity and the organizational structure and processes. This dissonance perpetuates inequity and hinders decolonization efforts within the global health system.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
(2022)
Correction
Engineering, Environmental
Monika A. Roy, Ian Cousins, Elizabeth Harriman, Martin Scheringer, Joel A. Tickner, Zhanyun Wang
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Romain Figuiere, Flora Borchert, Ian T. Cousins, Marlene agerstrand
Summary: The purpose of the study is to investigate whether changes in the legal text and information required in an application for authorisation are needed to implement the essential-use concept. The results suggest that no fundamental changes are needed and applicants already provide sufficient information. If the risk related to the use is adequately controlled, it is not legally justified for the European Commission to refuse authorisation by arguing non-essential use.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Rainer Lohmann, Branislav Vrana, Derek Muir, Foppe Smedes, Jaromir Sobotka, Eddy Y. Zeng, Lian-Jun Bao, Ian J. Allan, Peleg Astrahan, Ricardo O. Barra, Terry Bidleman, Evgen Dykyi, Nicolas Estoppey, Gilberto Fillmann, Naomi Greenwood, Paul A. Helm, Liisa Jantunen, Sarit Kaserzon, J. Vinicio Macias, Keith A. Maruya, Francisco Molina, Brent Newman, Raimon M. Prats, Manolis Tsapakis, Mats Tysklind, Barend L. van Drooge, Cameron J. Veal, Charles S. Wong
Summary: Passive samplers are effective in monitoring the distribution and trends of organic pollutants in aquatic systems. The results show that certain pollutants are more concentrated in northern latitudes/Arctic Ocean, while others tend to reach equilibrium across sampling sites. Additionally, the concentrations of some pollutants are closely related to their production and use, indicating limited global transport.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Felix Tulatz, Geir Wing Gabrielsen, Sophie Bourgeon, Dorte Herzke, Rupert Krapp, Magdalene Langset, Svenja Neumann, Anna Lippold, France Collard
Summary: Procellariiform seabirds, such as northern fulmars, are prone to ingesting and accumulating floating plastic. A study conducted in the North Sea region found that adult fulmars had lower plastic burdens compared to younger age classes, possibly due to parental transfer of plastic to chicks. In order to investigate this mechanism, researchers examined plastic ingestion in fulmars from Kongsfjorden and found that fledglings had significantly more plastic than older fulmars. The study supported the hypothesis that fulmar chicks from Svalbard are fed high quantities of plastic by their parents. However, adverse effects of plastic on fulmars were indicated by the presence of perforations in the stomach and intestine.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Larry B. Barber, Heidi M. Pickard, David A. Alvarez, Jitka Becanova, Steffanie H. Keefe, Denis R. LeBlanc, Rainer Lohmann, Jeffery A. Steevens, Alan M. Vajda
Summary: Aqueous film-forming foams used during fire training at Joint Base Cape Cod caused significant PFAS groundwater contamination. The potential for PFAS bioconcentration from contaminated groundwater exposure was assessed through laboratory experiments using fish, mussels, POCIS, and PETS. The study found species- and compound-specific differences in bioconcentration factors and linear and bilinear uptake patterns for PFAS.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Isabel Gomann, Dorte Herzke, Andreas Held, Janina Schulz, Vladimir Nikiforov, Christoph Georgi, Nikolaos Evangeliou, Sabine Eckhardt, Gunnar Gerdts, Oliver Wurl, Barbara M. Scholz-Boettcher
Summary: This study evaluated the occurrence of microplastics in the marine atmosphere using active air sampling devices, showing their ubiquity even in remote Arctic areas. The study detected tire wear particles and clusters of polyethylene terephthalate, as well as other plastic particles in the marine atmosphere. Atmospheric transport and dispersion models suggested that microplastics are introduced into the marine atmosphere from both sea- and land-based emissions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Eleni K. Savvidou, Bo Sha, Matthew E. Salter, Ian T. Cousins, Jana H. Johansson
Summary: PFAAs are widespread in the oceans, but there is limited knowledge about their vertical distribution and fate. This study measured the concentrations of PFAAs in surface and deep ocean waters and found that PFAA input comes from the Mediterranean Sea and the English Channel. Higher PFAA levels were observed at the eastern edge of the Northern Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, indicating the accumulation of persistent contaminants in ocean gyres. PFAA concentrations generally decreased with distance from the coast and increasing depth, and longer-chain PFAAs were more prevalent in intermediate depths due to their stronger sorption to organic matter.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Engineering, Environmental
Xiangdong Li, Ian T. Cousins, Keri C. Hornbuckle
ACS ENVIRONMENTAL AU
(2023)
Letter
Environmental Sciences
Matthew Dunn, Jitka Becanova, Jarod Snook, Rainer Lohmann
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana Carolina M. F. Coelho, Lara Cioni, Wendy Van Dreunen, Vivian Berg, Charlotta Rylander, Ilona Urbarova, Dorte Herzke, Torkjel M. Sandanger
Summary: This study assessed the indirect contribution of oxidizable PFAA precursors and discovered that it accounted for 12% of the total PFAS burden. Several unknown PFAA precursors were also identified, and factors associated with their increased concentrations were found.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lara Cioni, Merle Plassmann, Jonathan P. Benskin, Ana Carolina M. F. Coelho, Therese H. Nost, Charlotta Rylander, Vladimir Nikiforov, Torkjel M. Sandanger, Dorte Herzke
Summary: A comprehensive study on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human serum samples was conducted, revealing that only a small fraction of PFAS are commonly monitored, which may lead to underestimation of human exposure. The study applied a fluorine mass balance approach and observed that total fluorine (TF) concentrations remained stable over time, while extractable organic fluorine (EOF) decreased. Furthermore, sex was found to influence the levels of unidentified EOF (UEOF) in a different way compared to target PFAS.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Rainer Lohmann, Branislav Vrana, Derek Muir, Foppe Smedes, Jaromir Sobotka, Eddy Y. Zeng, Lian-Jun Bao, Ian J. Allan, Peleg Astrahan, Ricardo O. Barra, Terry Bidleman, Evgen Dykyi, Nicolas Estoppey, Gilberto Fillmann, Naomi Greenwood, Paul A. Helm, Liisa Jantunen, Sarit Kaserzon, J. Vinicio Macias, Keith A. Maruya, Francisco Molina, Brent Newman, Raimon M. Prats, Manolis Tsapakis, Mats Tysklind, Barend L. van Drooge, Cameron J. Veal, Charles S. Wong
Summary: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a global concern, but information on their trends in water has been missing. Passive samplers have emerged as an attractive alternative for monitoring POPs. Deployments of passive samplers at globally distributed sites showed variations in POPs concentrations, with some compounds displaying higher concentrations in specific regions. These results contribute to our understanding of the global distribution and transport of organic pollutants in aquatic systems.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Matthew Dunn, Jitka Becanova, Jarod Snook, Bridger Ruyle, Rainer Lohmann
Article
Environmental Sciences
T. Husoy, I. H. Caspersen, E. Thepaut, H. Knutsen, L. S. Haug, M. Andreassen, A. Gkrillas, B. Lindeman, C. Thomsen, D. Herzke, H. Dirven, M. W. Wojewodzic
Summary: This study analyzed the dietary and dermal external exposure to PFOA in the European population using a PBPK model. The results showed that diet was the main contributor to internal exposure, but for some women participating in the study, personal care products also played a significant role. Therefore, further studies on exposure to PFOA and other PFAS from personal care products, especially for women, are needed.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lara Cioni, Merle Plassmann, Jonathan P. Benskin, Ana Carolina M. F. Coelho, Therese H. Nost, Charlotta Rylander, Vladimir Nikiforov, Torkjel M. Sandanger, Dorte Herzke
Summary: This study used a comprehensive fluorine mass balance approach to analyze human serum samples collected over 28 years in Tromso, Norway, and found that human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may be underestimated.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)