Volume 40, Issue 3

Introduction The developing brain, especially vulnerable during neuroplastic phases, is influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Understanding the impacts of air pollution on children’s and young adults’ mental health is an emerging research field. Content This review systematically examines the adverse associations of ambient air pollutants on mental health. A database search using Scopus, EMBASE, Global Health, and PsycINFO included articles from 2013 onwards, following PRISMA guidelines. Of the 787 identified articles, 62 met the inclusion criteria. Quality was assessed using the EPHPP tool, and Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) evaluated the findings. Summary The review found 36 associations between ambient air pollutants and adverse mental health outcomes across seven life-course exposure periods. Strong evidence linked early-life PM 2.5 and NO 2 exposures to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and childhood exposures to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Significant, though inconsistent, associations were found between air pollutants and cognitive impairments, anxiety, depression, self-harm, and other behavioral problems. The heterogeneity of exposure limits and lack of experimental studies hinder causal assessment. Outlook Compelling evidence links early-life and childhood exposure to PM 2.5 and NO 2 with ASD and ADHD. These findings highlight the need for public health policy changes and further research to explore these associations comprehensively.

Phthalate esters (PAEs) represent a class of widely utilized plasticizers, resulting in their pervasive presence in soil and agricultural crops, which poses significant risks to human health. This review examines the current state of PAE pollution, the microbial resources available for PAE degradation, and the associated degradation pathways. It highlights the advantages of endophytic bacteria over environmental microorganisms, including the prolonged survival of inoculated strains, in vivo biodegradation of PAEs, and multifunctional capabilities. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which endophytic bacteria mitigate PAE accumulation across the three defense lines (soil, crops, and the human body) are elucidated. The integrated approach of employing both plants and microbial agents for the remediation of PAEs demonstrates considerable potential for ensuring the safety of agricultural products and safeguarding human health. This work offers new insights into addressing the challenges posed by organic pollutant contamination and reducing PAE accumulation in the human body.

House dust mite (HDM) allergens are one of the most important causes of allergenic diseases in the indoor environment. The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined risk thresholds for Group I HDM allergens as a concentration of 2 and 10 μg/mL in dust for producing asthma risk and polar asthma attacks, respectively. Continuing exposure to high concentrations of HDM allergens greatly increases the risk of developing allergic diseases. Therefore, it’s necessary to determine the exposure levels of HDM allergens to estimate the risk. So, various approaches have been developed to directly or indirectly detect HDM allergens in the environment. This paper overviews the developmental progress of HDM allergen detection and introduces the principle of HDM allergen detection methods, including semi-quantitative radioallergosorbent test (RAST), ACAREX test, dot immunobinding assay (DIBA), radioimmunoassay (RIA) which combines the high sensitivity and accuracy, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with high accuracy, fluorescent multiple arrays which can simultaneously detect multiple HDM allergens, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS) with high sensitivity and accuracy. The paper provides an overall understanding of the development of HDM allergen detection methods and guidance for choosing an appropriate method to detect HDM allergens.

Introduction Acute High Altitude Illness (AHAI) includes conditions such as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), and High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), which result from rapid ascent to altitudes exceeding 2,500 m. Although interest in AHAI research has been growing, a systematic and comprehensive analysis of global research trends remains lacking. Content A total of 3,214 articles and reviews published from 1937 to 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric tools, including CiteSpace and VOSviewer, were applied to thoroughly assess publication trends, collaborative networks among authors, institutional contributions, and keyword co-occurrence patterns. The dataset represents the contributions of over 11,758 authors across 86 countries and 3,378 institutions, reflecting the significant growth of this research domain. Summary and Outlook Our findings highlight the increasing scholarly attention to AHAI research, with the United States leading in publication numbers. Emerging research themes include cellular activation, oxidative stress, risk factors, and hypobaric hypoxia. This is the first systematic bibliometric review of AHAI literature, offering a detailed roadmap of research hotspots, potential collaborations, and key future directions. These findings provide a valuable reference for researchers aiming to explore gaps and build on the existing knowledge in high-altitude medicine.

The accumulation of pine needle waste on the floor of a large pine forest is a severe problem. Dry pine needle waste acts as a fuel for forest fires which release harmful compounds into the atmosphere. The particulate matter in the smoke, released during forest fires, adversely affects human health. The top layer of fertile ground is harmed by unburned bioresidue. Moreover, pine needles provide the ground for pests’ growth, creating a threat to nearby vegetation and structures. Managing pine needle waste through conversion into sustainable materials and energy will help reduce environmental pollution and health risks. The biosorbents from pine needle waste can be used to remove heavy metals and dyes from wastewater. The remote forest areas may be supplied with electricity obtained through the gasification of pine needles. The extracts from pine needles offer a variety of benefits such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial. Currently, laws and subsidies promote the use of forest biomass to create biofuels. The present paper reviews the literature, provides the status and prospects, and analyses the literature data on the synthesis of bio briquettes, using the analysis of variance tool of Microsoft Excel ® .

Prenatal exposure to mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) has significant implications for children growth and development, especially in populations with high seafood consumption. Organic mercury (methylmercury) is particularly hazardous to neurodevelopment, while selenium serves as a critical micronutrient with antioxidant properties that might protect against mercury-related disruptions. Genetic variations in glutathione-related genes, such as those encoding glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), influence the body’s ability to metabolize mercury and utilize selenium. These polymorphisms can modulate mercury detoxification and selenium bioavailability, impacting mercury bioaccumulation and the oxidative balance essential for fetal growth and development. This narrative review explores the complex interactions between prenatal mercury and selenium exposure and glutathione gene polymorphisms, elaborating on their effects on children’s growth and developmental outcomes.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by challenges in social communication and repetitive behavior. While the exact etiology of ASD remains elusive, researchers have increasingly turned their attention to the role of environmental factors in its development. Among these factors, environmental pollution has emerged as a potential contributor to the rising prevalence of ASD cases worldwide. This review delves into the growing body of scientific evidence suggesting a significant association between environmental pollution and the risk of ASD. It explores the environmental pollution that have been implicated, including air pollution, water contaminants, heavy metals, pesticides, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The detrimental impact of these pollutants on the developing brain, particularly during critical periods of gestation and early childhood has been discussed. This will provide insights into the possible mechanisms by which the various pollutants may influence the neurodevelopmental pathways underlying ASD. Additionally, the potential interplay between genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure is explored to better understand the multifactorial nature of ASD causation. Considering the alarming increase in ASD prevalence and the ubiquity of environmental pollutants, this review emphasizes the urgent need for further investigation and the adoption of comprehensive preventive measures.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are commonly found in food due to their migration from plastic packaging. Despite their functional benefits, these additives can disrupt the endocrine system, leading to several adverse health outcomes. This review aims to examine the migration of phthalates, bisphenols, and per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from plastic food packaging into food substances. Six electronic databases were systematically screened for observational, case reports, or experimental studies investigating any food for human consumption exposed to food packaging. Sixty-seven studies, including 5,378 samples, were included. Phthalates and bisphenols consistently migrated from food packaging. PFAS migration was also detected but too few studies were published to draw conclusions. Migration rates were influenced by factors such as temperature, exposure time, and food composition, with high-fat or acidic foods leading to higher migration rates. Based on a standard Western Diet, 713.8 µg of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, 347.7 µg of di-n-butyl phthalate, 17.3 µg of butyl-benzyl phthalate, 35,250 µg of di-iso-decyl phthalate, and 65.4 µg of other plasticizers, totaling 36,349.2 µg, could be consumed from food packaging daily. However, these estimates may not be generalizable to other dietary patterns, such as Mediterranean or plant-based diets. Further research into low migration or safer alternative to current plasticizers, alongside regulatory efforts considering potential exposure via food contact materials may help reduce risks associated with endocrine-disrupting chemicals in food packaging.

In highly dioxin exposed populations, an elevated cancer risk and cancer mortality has been described. Environmental background exposure and cancer risk has not been analyzed systematically, so far. We conducted a structured review in order to identify relevant studies. Using the PECO scheme we included altogether 13 studies from initially 4,983 articles. Epidemiological data from the included studies did not indicate an increased risk of cancer or increased cancer mortality for all cancer, breast cancer, and sarcoma caused by dietary intake of dioxins. For Non-Hodgkin`s lymphoma, the study situation was in parts inconsistent showing for example an increased risk for DL-PCBs in one study and for furans in another study. Several studies evaluating the effect of dietary dioxin exposure and elevated cancer risk or cancer mortality did not observe a clear association. For Non-Hodgkin`s lymphoma further investigations are needed due to inconsistent results among the studies.

Introduction Formaldehyde is a known human allergen and irritant, yet health risks from exposure via treated textiles – especially occupational uniforms – remain underrecognized. This article combines a review of international literature and public data on formaldehyde sensitization rates and regulatory approaches with a study of airline employees exposed to formaldehyde-treated uniforms. Content A literature review was conducted to assess sensitization prevalence and regulatory frameworks across countries. Publicly available data suggest that countries with stricter formaldehyde limits in textiles tend to report lower population-level sensitization rates. To explore implications in the U.S., we assessed self-reported symptoms among 291 airline employees required to wear new uniforms containing 26–83 ppm of formaldehyde. Participants completed a health survey capturing symptoms before, during, and after uniform use. Results were compared to the 2020 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), adjusting for age, gender, BMI, and smoking status. Summary Compared to the NHIS sample, uniformed airline employees reported significantly higher rates of asthma, anxiety, depression, and immune-related conditions. Time spent perspiring while wearing uniforms – a biologically relevant exposure proxy – was significantly associated with increased dermatologic symptom severity. Outlook Even moderate levels of formaldehyde in occupational textiles can trigger adverse health effects under real-world wear conditions involving heat, friction, and perspiration. In the absence of enforceable U.S. regulations for formaldehyde in textiles, employers serve as the first line of defense. They must assess garment safety, consider vulnerable subpopulations, and take precautionary steps – such as requiring OEKO-TEX certification – to protect worker health.

Sodium p-perfluorous nonenoxybenzene sulfonate (OBS) is an alternative to perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), primarily used as surfactant in various industrial and commercial applications. Due to the presence of both perfluorinated carbon tail and sulfonate functional group in its molecular structure, OBS exhibits exceptional chemical stability and resistance to environmental degradation. Recent environmental monitoring studies have detected OBS in soil, surface and groundwater, across diverse geographic regions, indicating that human populations are inevitably exposed to this pollutant through multiple environmental pathways. As with other PFAS, the widespread distribution and environmental persistence of OBS have raised serious concerns about its potential adverse effects on human health. This review aims to summarize the current understanding of the health risks associated with OBS exposure. Moreover, we employed network toxicology analysis to identify potential molecular targets and disease associations related to OBS exposure by integrating computational target prediction algorithms with disease-related databases. Data from existing in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that OBS can bioaccumulate in multiple organs with dose-dependent manner and further induce hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, immunotoxicity, as well as neurovascular, thyroid, intestinal, developmental, and pancreatic toxicity. Additionally, network toxicology analysis revealed 90 targets associated with OBS exposure, which are implicated in 417 diseases, with cancer, diabetes, and metabolic disorders emerging as key concerns. While much of the current evidence is based on animal and cellular models, this review highlights the need for further research, particularly in human clinical settings, to validate these findings and fully understand the health risks posed by OBS.

Objectives Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent neurodevelopmental condition in Australia, with one in 20 children diagnosed. Air pollutants have been associated with poorer child neurodevelopmental outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to determine the association between particulate matter (PM 2.5 , PM 10 ), and nitrogen oxide (NO x ) exposure during pregnancy and the development of ADHD in offspring. Content We searched MEDLINE; CINAHL; EMBASE; PsycINFO; The Cochrane Library and Google Scholar (until March 2023), and included English language, human studies if they investigated the association between PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and/or NO x (NO and/or NO 2 ) exposure during pregnancy and a clinician-based ADHD diagnosis up to 18 years of age. Three studies met these criteria, with two suitable for meta-analysis due to comparable NO x exposure data. Summary For every 10 μg/m 3 increase in maternal NO x exposure during pregnancy, there was a 9 % increased odds of ADHD diagnosis in childhood (adjusted odds ratio 1.09; 95 % confidence interval: 1.01–1.17). Outlook Our findings add to the evidence for an association between air pollution exposure during pregnancy and alterations in offspring neurodevelopment. Since there were only two studies which could be meta-analysed and a very low certainty of the evidence, more research is needed to confirm these findings and inform future interventions and policy.