OJS (University of Applied Sciences Velika Gorica)
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SERVICES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY AND TOXICITY TESTING OF CHEMICALS
No full textLaboratory of Environmental Toxicology at the National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics (NICPB) holds currently the key competence in Estonia for evaluating the toxicity of chemicals and environmental samples such as pollutants, industrial chemicals (e.g. heavy metals, oils, phenolic compounds, PAHs, oil-shale industry and energy production related by-products) and engineered nanomaterials. The laboratory has over 20 years of experience in environmental toxicology and over 10 years of experience in nanotoxicology.
The NICPB Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology has the know-how and facilities to conduct several (not accredited) regulatory assays for environmental safety evaluation of chemicals and materials important for REACH: Daphnia magna acute immobilisation and reproduction assays (OECD 202, OECD 211) and algal 72-h growth inhibition assay (OECD 201), the Vibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition assays (ISO 21338, ISO11348), water plants growth inhibition assay (OECD 221), terrestrial plant growth inhibition assay (OECD 208), antimicrobial activity assay of samples in suspensions (ISO 20776, EURL ECVAM DB-ALM Protocol No 33) and antimicrobial activity assays of non-porous surfaces (including photoactive materials) (ISO 27447, ISO 22196). The in house designed and genetically modified luminescent bacteria are suitable for sensing very low concentrations of bioavailable heavy metals (e.g. Cu, Ag, Zn, As, Cr, and Pb) in environmental samples.
The laboratory has the competencies and facilities for characterizing the physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials and chemicals and for evaluating their biological effects in vitro using various types of cell lines (e.g. Caco-2, A549, balb/c3T3, K562, THP-1, HepG2).
Please, find Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology services via Estonian research and development community database ADAPTER (https://adapter.ee/en/). Also, the Estonian Society of Toxicology was initiated and founded by the members of the Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology (https://kbfi.ee/ets/index_english.html).
Presenter e-mail: [email protected]
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION
No full textBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a number of opportunities for research in environmental health in our lab. We developed mask testing and materials testing rigs to test newly manufactured PPE. We also established a global group to look for SARS-CoV-2 in seawater, and were part of a national wastewater epidemiology project, also looking for SARS-CoV-2 in waster.
Aim: To describe a number of opportunities in environmental health research and collaboration and how we can exploit difficult situations to come together to protect public health.
Methods and Results: The mask testing facility was established to assess the bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of masks which we did for both commercial masks and also for masks for sale on Etsi®. The materials testing rig was built to assess whether surgical gowns were able to withstand the penetration of viruses. The seawater spray project was a collaboration between Australia, Portugal and the United States, and was initiated to determine whether there was a risk for transfer COVID-19 transfer between bathers at the beach, and then broadened to include other human pathogens. The wastewater project was part of a national effort to establish a wastewater survey to provide early warning of SARS-CoV-2 infections.
We were also able to establish and maintain an “Environmental Health around the world” academic community of practice, that now meets fortnightly. This group meets to discuss the pandemic, teaching and learning issues, and to write commentary as the pandemic unfolds and the world recovers.
Conclusion(s): The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a number of opportunities for research and collaboration in environmental health across the world. These opportunities have evolved into lasting collaborations.
Presenter e-mail: [email protected]
PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL MONITORING OF SEA WATER USED IN BIVALVE MOLLUSC PRODUCTION IN RIBEIRÃO DA ILHA, FLORIANÓPOLIS/SC, BRAZIL
No full textBackground: The cultivation of bivalve molluscs such as oysters, seafood and scallops, is one of the main economic activities in Ribeirão da Ilha, Florianópolis/SC, Brazil. To promote safety, health and sustainability of this sector, the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina (IFSC) Florianópolis / SC, Brazil have a Mariculture Program that aims to promote technical-scientific and technological development, dissemination of knowledge and training, involving all society's stakeholders.
Aim: The present study was integrate Mariculture Program of IFCS and aimed to analyze physical-chemical and microbiological parameters of seawater used in the bivalve mollusc cultivation in Ribeirão da Ilha, Florianópolis/SC, Brazil, in order to identify and prevent potencial contamination sources.
Methods: Five sampling points were defined within the extension of the Ribeirão da Ilha neighborhood and a total of twenty water samples were analyzed, between May and November 2019. The parameters analyzed were: Temperature; Turbidity; Color; pH; Conductivity; Dissolved Oxygen (DO); Total Carbon; Total Phosphorus; Ammoniacal nitrogen; Nitrite; Nitrate; Total and Thermotolerant Coliforms.
Results: The results of OD, Total Carbon, Total Phosphorus and Ammoniacal Nitrogen were above the values defined in the aquaculture Brazilian legislation. There were also detected concentrations of thermotolerant coliforms above the limit values at specific sampling points.
Conclusion(s): The mangrove forests and untreated domestic sewage discharges may have influenced the results obtained. This pilot study has shown the importance of developing environmental education programs for mariculture farmers and population of the region.
Keywords: Bivalve mollusc, water contamination, heath risks, aquaculture.
Presenter e-mail: Joana Santos – [email protected]
SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS IN A POPULATION NEAR A WIND FARM: CASE STUDY OF COENTRAL GRANDE (PORTUGAL)
No full textBackground: Concerns about environmental issues, where degradation is accentuated by the use of fossil fuels, have motivated interests in renewable energies, especially wind power. However, wind energy bring the problems related with the noise produced by wind turbines and the consequent negative impact in the human health.
Aim: The aim of this study is to analyse and characterise infrasound’s and low frequency noise produced by the wind farm of Coentral-Safra (Portugal) and understand the influence on the population of Coentral Grande. Humidity, day time, measuring location (with or without forest), air velocity and propagation of noise were also analysed.
Methods: The study was carried out on Coentral Grande. A matrix with 81 sampling points was elaborated, in order to better understand the village area. Cesva SC420 Sound Level Meter was used to for the 137 measurements. This equipment was at 1,5m from the ground and 2m from infrastructures. The measurements included frequencies from 2Hz to 20000Hz (2Hz/line), in dB and in dB(A). Types of noise were categorised in: Infrasound [2-20 Hz/dB], Low Frequency Noise [20-500 Hz/dB], Infrasound and Low Frequency Noise [2-500 Hz/dB] and Environmental Noise [dB(A)]. Temperature, relative humidity and air velocity was defined (with TSI 8554 multiparameter meter) in 15 meters from the wind turbine further to the northwest point.
Results: The production of Infrasound and IRBF is influenced by the air velocity. It was also found that, at night, there is an increase of infrasound and low frequency noise levels, resulting from the variation in air velocity and relative humidity. In areas without forest the sound pressure levels were also higher.
Conclusion(s): Considering that exposure to high sound pressure levels of infrasound’s and low frequency noise are a public health problem, is crucial to develop strategies to minimise the impact of these disease agents.
Planning the land use, environment and health must be highlight in order to reduce the consequences of these impacts.
Presenter e-mail: [email protected]
LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT OF AIR POLLUTANTS IN LISBON REGION BETWEEN 2014-2018 AT ENTRECAMPOS AND LARANJEIRAS STATIONS
No full textBackground: Climate change is one of the main threats to sustainable development. Climate plays an important role in determining air quality standards at various scales, in time and space since emissions are influenced by meteorological variables such as temperature, humidity, speed, and wind direction. Emissions from road traffic come from the combustion process, with the consequent release of exhaust gases. Air pollution in many countries is getting worse with industrialization and urbanization. Climate change can directly or indirectly affect the incidence and severity of respiratory infections. The existence of different types of stations operating in the same network of monitoring of the air quality (RMQAr) allows an evaluation at different scales, thus facilitating the evaluation of air quality and its management.
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the behavior of the variation of the concentrations of five pollutants: nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), ozone (O3), particulate matter less than 2, 5 (PM2,5), and particulate matter less than 10 (PM10), from the year 2014 to 2018 in two different air quality stations, Entrecampos, an urban station where its type of influence is car traffic and that of Laranjeiro, an urban station and its type of influence is the background.
Methods: This work is based on air quality data extracted from the QualAR Online Database of the Portuguese Environment Agency.
Results: In this work, we observed that the concentration of NO2, NOx, PM2.5, and PM10 is always higher in the air quality station of Entrecampos (EQAE) and the opposite happens with the O3 in the air quality station in Laranjeiro (EQAL). It was found that there is great variability in the concentration of these pollutants throughout the seasons and days since they are influenced by weather conditions and natural and anthropogenic sources.
Conclusion(s): Systematically monitoring the concentrations of pollutants over time allows us to obtain important information about their location and geographical and spatial dispersion that can be used to study possible risk sites, to minimize emission sources, or adapt solutions to reduce their values.
Presenter e-mail: [email protected]
A CLIMATE CHANGE FOOD GARDEN HUMANS MAY WANT TO LIVE IN - AN EHO’S NEW HOME GROWN DWELLING PERSPECTIVE
No full textBackground:: Permaculture is one of Australia’s greatest intellectual exports and a really powerful way of devising integrated environmental health problem solving. This new experiment shrinks a room down to something even smaller than a “tiny house” and naturally creates desirable microclimates and environments for human occupation.
Aim: Human health and planetary climate health is dependent on a better unit of human civilisation being developed beyond the detrimental artificial caves we currently inhabit. It also needs to be affordable, recreational, educational and nutritional in every sense.
Methods: It started off as an idea for a new type of outdoor furniture and literally grew into a potentially new type of habitation and outlook. Rather than designing from the ground up, this prototype was designed from the position of the sun down. Vines are great for growing fresh fruit and vegetables but also have several other microclimate applications.
Every element of this new structure has multiple roles and is closely integrated with other and seasonal elements.
The walls and ceiling panels are interchangeable and adjusted to a desirable climate and the whole room rolls on rails to adjust extent of shade, avoid rain or to secure in storage.
Results: The vines have been incredibly productive and visits from unseen wildlife very pleasing. Even time seems to slow down particularly when staring directly up into the clouds or the stars particularly when breathing in the fresh air.
Conclusion: l can’t wait to add the additional life support components, try other configurations and learn to see what others of all ages, cultures, environments and climates do with these ideas.
Environmental Health is not just about ticking boxes and it is time to think more inside and outside the box as well. Review your life support systems and do some real life “Dr Who”! Reality is so much more fun than imagined situations.
Keywords: Advanced Permaculture, Dynamic Passive Solar, Environmental Health, Tiny House
Presenter e-mail: [email protected]
WHY IS IT WORTH IT? SHARING LESSONS AND EXPERIENCES: ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS IN IMPLEMENTING KEY INTERVENTION STRATEGIES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: CAPE TOWN PERSPECTIVE: SOUTH AFRICA
No full textBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disastrous impact world over. Several countries have struggled to effectively respond to the challenges posed by this disease. In responding to COVID 19 pandemic, Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP’s) in Cape Town had to embark on unchartered territories with limited information and expertise at their disposal to deal with the pandemic. In this context, they had to adapt and be resilient in the face of adversity in order to cope and thrive with the new challenges of COVID-19.
However, this presented an opportunity for EHP’s to learn on how to overcome the challenges posed by the emerging diseases. The broad scope of practice of Environmental Health Practitioners inter alia surveillance and prevention of communicable diseases, health surveillance of premises, monitoring of port health, and management and control of the disposal of the dead contributed immensely in combatting the scourge of the disease.
The aim of this article is to demonstrate the adaptability, resilience, innovation, and flexibility of this profession in dealing with a pandemic. This will lay the groundwork for future research on environmental health. It is worth sharing these lessons and experiences to underscore the value of this profession within the health system and debunk the discourse that this is an invincible profession.
Aim: The aim of this article is to demonstrate the adaptability, resilience, innovation, and flexibility of this profession in dealing with a pandemic. and demonstrate its value in the face of adversities. This will lay the groundwork for future research on environmental health. It is worth sharing these lessons and experiences to underscore the value of this profession within the health system and debunk the discourse that this is an invincible profession.
Methods: This is a descriptive analysis and observation of the role of Environmental Health Practitioners in combatting COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion(s): Several countries have been severely affected by COVID-19, as a result a high number of people have died because of this disease. Countries were compelled to come up with innovative ways to manage and control the spread of this disease. This presented an opportune time for EHP’s to adapt quickly and bring about innovation in dealing with the pandemic, for example, handling of the human remain which required stringent precautions to be followed by the communities as the disease is highly contagious. Throughout the pandemic, EHP’s had to adapt and be resilient by embracing new business models to minimize the spread of infections.
A positive correlation was observed between the two concepts as they are interwinned. Adaptive leadership needs a degree of resilience which needs continous revisiting and adjusting responses to the pandemic. Invariably, dealing with COVID-19 posed serious challenges amongst the EHP’s due to the complex nature of the disease. EHP’s were equally affected by the disease but they were inevitably obliged to adapt to the conditions imposed by the environment they find themselves. However, this proved that adaptation and resilience can co-exist to enable one to thrive under difficult circumstances. Safeguarding the health of the public during the period of the pandemic was a defining moment for the EHPs as they learnt new ideas and actions to fight the pandemic.
Presenter e-mail: [email protected]
A YOUNG REPORTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IN A ECOCAMPUS
No full textInstitutions: Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Coimbra – IPC – Portugal; Centro Universitário Araguaia – Brasil; Universidade Fernando Pessoa - Portugal
Background: Young Reporters for the Environment empowers young people to have their say on environmental issues in their locality which they feel are not being adequately addressed. It gives them an outlet for their frustrations and a platform from which to make a difference. An EcoCampus provides a framework to guide higher education institutions on their sustainable journey, involving everyone to become forward thinkers and lead the way towards sustainable development.
Aim: Through an inclusive and action-based approach universities and students get involved, show commitment and engage for positive change.
Methods: The Steps Methodology, in a EcoCampus (7 steps) and Young Reporters for the Environment (4 steps) programs, are a blueprint of action for Sustainable Development.
Results: The higher education institutions encompass a wide array of disciplines, they have a great impact on sustainable development through research, innovation, education and organisational decision making. Indeed, we observe it can be said, that the SDGs - Sustainable Development Goals will not be achieved without tertiary level educational institutions.
Conclusion(s): Young Reporters for the Environment and the EcoCampus programs are the support to the principles of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals, providing quality education as fundamental step towards sustainable development in order to raise awareness and give everyone the opportunity to learn in an integrative environment.
The Young Reporters for the Environment and the EcoCampus programs are not just an economic model to lower costs, it is also a humanistic models that places the students and stakeholders at the centre of a process of change towards sustainability, connecting them to the real issues in their communities.
Presenter e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
BUILDING EXCELLENCE – A REPOSITORY FOR ALL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TEACHING AND LEARNING
No full textBackground: The practice of environmental health (EH) varies little around the world. International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) is looking to develop the definitive syllabus and teaching & learning resource, available to every member University to access, adjust and utilize.
Aim: Academics around the world spend 40-60% of their time designing teaching and learning material/ rubrics/ assessments. The lack of a single repository for such material was identified by the IFEH Faculty Forum in Auckland 2018. The IFEH FF calls upon academics and practitioners across the world to work together in collaboration.
Methods: This paper will show colleagues how EH material can be packaged and uploaded into an accessible repository where it can be accessed by colleagues around the world, adapted to local needs and enhanced before re uploading and making available to colleagues.
Results: In time IFEH FF hope to create a range of definitive teaching resources, assessments and rubrics that enhance the student teaching and learning experience across the world.
Conclusion(s): The author of this paper is the current chair of IFEH FF and calls upon all academics present and around the world to contribute unreservedly and without prejudice to the repository.
Presenter e-mail: [email protected]
ESTONIAN RESIDENTS’ AWARENESS OF USING DOMESTIC DRINKING WATER FILTRATION SYSTEMS
No full textAim: The aim of the research is to describe and explain the usage the awareness of domestic drinking water filtration systems in Estonia.
Methods: The sample consisted of volunteer adult Estonian residents who undertook an anonymous electronic questionnaire in the connect.ee environment. The questionnaire was distributed in social media. Data collection was carried out from 12.09.2020 to 31.10.2020.
Results: Among 140 respondents, 76 % were female. 76% of the respondents used the tap water, 14% private well water and 10% private drilled well water. 35% of respondents used domestic drinking water filtration systems, of which 8% used systems that were attached to the faucet, 83% used systems that were integrated to the piping, and 4 respondents used filtrating pitchers. 63% of respondents found the water to be purer after filtration. The main reasons for using the filtration systems were to improve the aesthetic appearance of the water (29%) and to remove excess iron (21%). Maintenance of filter systems is very important for 42% of respondents, and important for 54% of respondents. 23% of respondents do not clean the filters at all, 20% of the respondents, who do clean the filtration systems regularly, are carrying this out once in few months. 31% of respondents used clean water for rinsing the filtration system. 50% of respondents claimed that water filtration systems can affect health and 51% of those respondents, found that the impact on health is positive. However, 23% thought that the impact on health could be negative if the filters are not maintained correctly (19%), or if the filter systems are too efficient and can remove necessary minerals from the water (6%).
Conclusion(s): Domestic drinking water filtration systems are mainly used to improve the appearance and organoleptic properties of water. Most of the respondents use the integrated filtration systems. Most of the respondents find it important to clean the systems and the most used method for cleaning is rinsing with clean water. About a fifth of the respondents clean the filters once in few months. Half of the respondents who see that domestic water filtrations systems can affect health claim that the impact is positive.
Presenter e-mail: [email protected]