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High-Tech and Nature-Made Nanocomposites and Their Applications in the Field of Sensors and Biosensors for Gas Detection.
Zappi, D, Ramma, MM, Scognamiglio, V, Antonacci, A, Varani, G, Giardi, MT
Biosensors. 2020;(11)
Abstract
Gas sensors have been object of increasing attention by the scientific community in recent years. For the development of the sensing element, two major trends seem to have appeared. On one hand, the possibility of creating complex structures at the nanoscale level has given rise to ever more sensitive sensors based on metal oxides and metal-polymer combinations. On the other hand, gas biosensors have started to be developed, thanks to their intrinsic ability to be selective for the target analyte. In this review, we analyze the recent progress in both areas and underline their strength, current problems, and future perspectives.
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An Overview of GIS-Based Modeling and Assessment of Mining-Induced Hazards: Soil, Water, and Forest.
Suh, J, Kim, SM, Yi, H, Choi, Y
International journal of environmental research and public health. 2017;(12)
Abstract
In this study, current geographic information system (GIS)-based methods and their application for the modeling and assessment of mining-induced hazards were reviewed. Various types of mining-induced hazard, including soil contamination, soil erosion, water pollution, and deforestation were considered in the discussion of the strength and role of GIS as a viable problem-solving tool in relation to mining-induced hazards. The various types of mining-induced hazard were classified into two or three subtopics according to the steps involved in the reclamation procedure, or elements of the hazard of interest. Because GIS is appropriated for the handling of geospatial data in relation to mining-induced hazards, the application and feasibility of exploiting GIS-based modeling and assessment of mining-induced hazards within the mining industry could be expanded further.
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Future of environmental research in the age of epigenomics and exposomics.
Holland, N
Reviews on environmental health. 2017;(1-2):45-54
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Abstract
Environmental research and public health in the 21st century face serious challenges such as increased air pollution and global warming, widespread use of potentially harmful chemicals including pesticides, plasticizers, and other endocrine disruptors, and radical changes in nutrition and lifestyle typical of modern societies. In particular, exposure to environmental and occupational toxicants may contribute to the occurrence of adverse birth outcomes, neurodevelopmental deficits, and increased risk of cancer and other multifactorial diseases such as diabetes and asthma. Rapidly evolving methodologies of exposure assessment and the conceptual framework of the Exposome, first introduced in 2005, are new frontiers of environmental research. Metabolomics and adductomics provide remarkable opportunities for a better understanding of exposure and prediction of potential adverse health outcomes. Metabolomics, the study of metabolism at whole-body level, involves assessment of the total repertoire of small molecules present in a biological sample, shedding light on interactions between gene expression, protein expression, and the environment. Advances in genomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics are generating multidimensional structures of biomarkers of effect and susceptibility, increasingly important for the understanding of molecular mechanisms and the emergence of personalized medicine. Epigenetic mechanisms, particularly DNA methylation and miRNA expression, attract increasing attention as potential links between the genetic and environmental determinants of health and disease. Unlike genetics, epigenetic mechanisms could be reversible and an understanding of their role may lead to better protection of susceptible populations and improved public health.
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Benthic algal assessment of ecological status in European lakes and rivers: Challenges and opportunities.
Poikane, S, Kelly, M, Cantonati, M
The Science of the total environment. 2016;:603-613
Abstract
This opinion paper introduces a special series of articles dedicated to freshwater benthic algae and their use in assessment and monitoring. This special series was inspired by talks presented at the 9th International Congress on the Use of Algae for Monitoring Rivers and Comparable Habitats (Trento, Italy, 2015), the latest of a series of meetings started in 1991. In this paper, we will first provide a brief overview of phytobenthos methods in Europe. Then, we will turn towards the 'dark side' of phytobenthos and describe four particular problems for phytobenthos assessment in the European Union: (1) over-reliance on a single group of algae (mostly diatoms) to the exclusion of other groups; (2) relatively low adoption of benthic algae for ecological assessments in lakes; (3) absence of measures of phytobenthos abundance; (4) approaches used to define boundaries between ecological classes. Following this, we evaluate the strengths and limitations of current phytobenthos assessment methods against 12 criteria for method evaluation addressing four areas: ecological rationale, performance, feasibility of implementation, and use in communication and management. Using these criteria, we identify and discuss three general challenges for those developing new methods for phytobenthos-based assessment: a weak ecological rationale and insufficient consideration of the role of phytobenthos as a diagnostic tool and for communicating ecosystem health beyond a narrow group of specialists. The papers in the special series allow a comparison with the situation and approaches in the USA, present new methods for the assessment of ecological status and acidification, provide tools for an improved management of headwaters and petrifying springs, discuss the utility of phytobenthos for lake assessments, and test the utility of functional measures (such as biofilm phosphorus uptake capacity, PUC).
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Perfluorooctane sulfonate: a review of human exposure, biomonitoring and the environmental forensics utility of its chirality and isomer distribution.
Miralles-Marco, A, Harrad, S
Environment international. 2015;:148-59
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Abstract
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) found extensive use for over 60 years up until its restriction in the early 2000s, culminating in its listing under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in 2009. Efforts to minimise human body burdens are hindered by uncertainty over their precise origins. While diet appears the principal source for the majority of western populations (with other pathways like dust ingestion, drinking water and inhalation also important contributors); the role played by exposure to PFOS-precursor compounds followed by in vivo metabolism to PFOS as the ultimate highly stable end-product is unclear. Such PFOS-precursor compounds include perfluorooctane sulfonamide derivates, e.g., perfluorooctane sulfonamides (FOSAs) and sulfonamidoethanols (FOSEs). Understanding the indirect contribution of such precursors to human body burdens of PFOS is important as a significant contribution from this pathway would render the margin of safety between the current exposure limits and estimates of external exposure to PFOS alone, narrower than hitherto appreciated. Estimates derived from mathematical modelling studies, put the contribution of so-called "precursor exposure" at between 10% and 40% of total PFOS body burdens. However, there are substantial uncertainties associated with such approaches. This paper reviews current understanding of human exposure to PFOS, with particular reference to recent research highlighting the potential of environmental forensics approaches based on the relative abundance and chiral signatures of branched chain PFOS isomers to provide definitive insights into the role played by "precursor exposure".
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Commentary on the contributions and future role of occupational exposure science in a vision and strategy for the discipline of exposure science.
Harper, M, Weis, C, Pleil, JD, Blount, BC, Miller, A, Hoover, MD, Jahn, S
Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology. 2015;(4):381-7
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Abstract
Exposure science is a holistic concept without prejudice to exposure source. Traditionally, measurements aimed at mitigating environmental exposures have not included exposures in the workplace, instead considering such exposures to be an internal affair between workers and their employers. Similarly, occupational (or industrial) hygiene has not typically accounted for environmental contributions to poor health at work. Many persons spend a significant amount of their lifetime in the workplace, where they maybe exposed to more numerous chemicals at higher levels than elsewhere in their environment. In addition, workplace chemical exposures and other exogenous stressors may increase epigenetic and germline modifications that are passed on to future generations. We provide a brief history of the development of exposure science from its roots in the assessment of workplace exposures, including an appendix where we detail current resources for education and training in exposure science offered through occupational hygiene organizations. We describe existing successful collaborations between occupational and environmental practitioners in the field of exposure science, which may serve as a model for future interactions. Finally, we provide an integrated vision for the field of exposure science, emphasizing interagency collaboration, the need for complete exposure information in epidemiological studies, and the importance of integrating occupational, environmental, and residential assessments. Our goal is to encourage communication and spur additional collaboration between the fields of occupational and environmental exposure assessment. Providing a more comprehensive approach to exposure science is critical to the study of the "exposome", which conceptualizes the totality of exposures throughout a person's life, not only chemical, but also from diet, stress, drugs, infection, and so on, and the individual response.
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A review of methods for sensing the nitrogen status in plants: advantages, disadvantages and recent advances.
Muñoz-Huerta, RF, Guevara-Gonzalez, RG, Contreras-Medina, LM, Torres-Pacheco, I, Prado-Olivarez, J, Ocampo-Velazquez, RV
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland). 2013;(8):10823-43
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) plays a key role in the plant life cycle. It is the main plant mineral nutrient needed for chlorophyll production and other plant cell components (proteins, nucleic acids, amino acids). Crop yield is affected by plant N status. Thus, the optimization of nitrogen fertilization has become the object of intense research due to its environmental and economic impact. This article focuses on reviewing current methods and techniques used to determine plant N status. Kjeldahl digestion and Dumas combustion have been used as reference methods for N determination in plants, but they are destructive and time consuming. By using spectroradiometers, reflectometers, imagery from satellite sensors and digital cameras, optical properties have been measured to estimate N in plants, such as crop canopy reflectance, leaf transmittance, chlorophyll and polyphenol fluorescence. High correlation has been found between optical parameters and plant N status, and those techniques are not destructive. However, some drawbacks include chlorophyll saturation, atmospheric and soil interference, and the high cost of instruments. Electrical properties of plant tissue have been used to estimate quality in fruits, and water content in plants, as well as nutrient deficiency, which suggests that they have potential for use in plant N determination.
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Personalized exposure assessment: promising approaches for human environmental health research.
Weis, BK, Balshaw, D, Barr, JR, Brown, D, Ellisman, M, Lioy, P, Omenn, G, Potter, JD, Smith, MT, Sohn, L, et al
Environmental health perspectives. 2005;(7):840-8
Abstract
New technologies and methods for assessing human exposure to chemicals, dietary and lifestyle factors, infectious agents, and other stressors provide an opportunity to extend the range of human health investigations and advance our understanding of the relationship between environmental exposure and disease. An ad hoc Committee on Environmental Exposure Technology Development was convened to identify new technologies and methods for deriving personalized exposure measurements for application to environmental health studies. The committee identified a "toolbox" of methods for measuring external (environmental) and internal (biologic) exposure and assessing human behaviors that influence the likelihood of exposure to environmental agents. The methods use environmental sensors, geographic information systems, biologic sensors, toxicogenomics, and body burden (biologic) measurements. We discuss each of the methods in relation to current use in human health research; specific gaps in the development, validation, and application of the methods are highlighted. We also present a conceptual framework for moving these technologies into use and acceptance by the scientific community. The framework focuses on understanding complex human diseases using an integrated approach to exposure assessment to define particular exposure-disease relationships and the interaction of genetic and environmental factors in disease occurrence. Improved methods for exposure assessment will result in better means of monitoring and targeting intervention and prevention programs.
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Use of PRD1 bacteriophage in groundwater viral transport, inactivation, and attachment studies.
Harvey, RW, Ryan, JN
FEMS microbiology ecology. 2004;(1):3-16
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Abstract
PRD1, an icosahedra-shaped, 62 nm (diameter), double-stranded DNA bacteriophage with an internal membrane, has emerged as an important model virus for studying the manner in which microorganisms are transported through a variety of groundwater environments. The popularity of this phage for use in transport studies involving geologic media is due, in part, to its relative stability over a range of temperatures and low degree of attachment in aquifer sediments. Laboratory and field investigations employing PRD1 are leading to a better understanding of viral attachment and transport behaviors in saturated geologic media and to improved methods for describing mathematically subsurface microbial transport at environmentally significant field scales. Radioisotopic labeling of PRD1 is facilitating additional information about the nature of viral interactions with solid surfaces in geologic media, the importance of iron oxide surfaces, and allowing differentiation between inactivation and attachment in field-scale tracer tests.
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Surface level ozone and its adverse effects on crops and forests: a need for an interdisciplinary understanding.
Krupa, SV
TheScientificWorldJournal. 2001;:148-9
Abstract
Surface level ozone (O3) is clearly a global scale problem with regard to its adverse effects on crops, forests and native, terrestrial plant ecosystems. Photochemists and meteorologists are continuing to define the chemistry and physics of the prevalence of O3 at the ground level. Similarly, plant scientists in the U.S. and Europe have examined the effects of O3 on crops and tree seedlings or saplings through large-scale studies. Examples include the U.S. National Crop Loss Assessment Network (NCLAN), the U.S. EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency’s) San Bernardino National Forest Photochemical Oxidant Study, European Open-top Chambers Programme (EOTCP), and several ongoing EU (European Union) projects. In addition, there have been studies on mature tree responses through field measurements and by simulation modeling.