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The steel industry is a significant worldwide source of atmospheric particulate matter (PM). Part of PM may settle (SePM) and deposit metal/metalloid and metallic nanoparticles in aquatic ecosystems. However, such an air-to-water cross-contamination is not observed by most monitoring agencies. The region of Vitoria City is the main location of iron processing for exports in Brazil, and it has rivers, estuaries, and coastal areas affected by SePM. We have evaluated the effects of SePM on a local representative fish species, the fat snook, Centropomus parallelus. After acclimation, 48 fishes (61.67 ± 27.83 g) were individually exposed for 96 h to diverse levels of SePM (0.0, 0.01, 0.1 and 1 g/L-1). The presence of metals in the blood and several blood biomarkers were analyzed to evaluate the impact of SePM on stress signaling, blood oxygen transport capacity, and innate immune activity. Metal bioaccumulation was measured from blood in two separately analyzed compartments: intracellular (erythrocytes plus white blood cells) and extracellular (plasma). The major metals present at all contamination levels in both compartments were Fe and Zn, followed by Al and Cu, plus traces of 'Emerging metals': Ba, Ce, La, Rb, Se, Sr, and Ti. Emerging metals refer to those that have recently been identified in water as contaminants, encompassing rare earth elements and critical technology elements, as documented in previous studies (See REEs and TCEs in Cobelo-García et al., 2015; Batley et al., 2022). Multivariate analysis revealed that SePM had strong, dose-dependent correlations with all biomarker groups and indicated that blood oxygen-carrying capacity had the highest contamination responsiveness. Metal contamination also increased cortisol and blood glucose levels, attesting to increased stress signaling, and had a negative effect on innate immune activity. Knowledge of the risks related to SePM contamination remains rudimentary. However, the fact that there was metal bioaccumulation, causing impairment of fundamental physiological and cellular processes in this ecologically relevant fish species, consumed by the local human population, highlights the pressing need for further monitoring and eventual control of SePM contamination.

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Artisanal mining is intensely carried out in developing countries, including Brazil and especially in the Amazon. This method of mineral exploration generally does not employ mitigation techniques for potential damages and can lead to various environmental problems and risks to human health. The objectives of this study were to quantify the concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs) and estimate the environmental and human health risks in cassiterite and monazite artisanal mining areas in the southeastern Amazon, as well as to understand the dynamics of this risk over time after exploitation. A total of 35 samples of wastes classified as overburden and tailings in active areas, as well as in areas deactivated for one and ten years were collected. Samples were also collected in a forest area considered as a reference site. The concentrations of REEs were quantified using alkaline fusion and ICP-MS. The results were used to calculate pollution indices and environmental and human health risks. REEs showed higher concentrations in anthropized areas. Pollution and environmental risk levels were higher in areas deactivated for one year, with considerable contamination factors for Gd and Sm and significant to extreme enrichment factors for Sc. Human health risks were low (< 1) in all studied areas. The results indicate that artisanal mining of cassiterite and monazite has the potential to promote contamination and enrichment by REEs.

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Introducción. La salud ambiental infantil es la rama de la pediatría que estudia la influencia del medioambiente en la salud y la enfermedad de los niños. Las exposiciones ambientales globales representan una seria amenaza para la salud, lo que justifica una mayor investigación y acción. Objetivo. Evaluar la salud ambiental de una muestra de niños que viven en áreas urbanas y rurales de la ciudad de Uruguaiana, Brasil. Población y métodos. Se incluyeron padres/tutores (n = 714) de niños atendidos en el Policlínico Infantil de la Ciudad de Uruguaiana de enero a octubre de 2021, que respondieron la anamnesis ambiental en pediatría (Sociedad Brasileña de Pediatría). Los datos obtenidos se analizaron según la residencia en zona urbana o rural, o el ingreso familiar. Resultados. Al comparar los habitantes de la zona urbana (n = 660) con los de la zona rural (n = 54), verificamos que entre los de la zona rural fue significativamente mayor la actividad con productos químicos (15 % vs. 32,7 %; p = 0,004), vivir cerca de plantación (7,5 % vs. 74,5 %; p <0,001) o con fuente de contaminación (4,8 % vs. 32,7 %; p <0,001), tener perro (62 % vs. 87,3 %; p <0,001), usar plaguicidas (0,6 % vs. 32,7 %; p <0,001) y exposición a contaminación química (2,6 % vs. 18,2 %; p <0,001). En el área urbana predominó la exposición al tránsito de vehículos cerca de la vivienda (85 % vs. 48,1 %; p <0,001), renta media inferior a 3 salarios mínimos (90 %) y baja escolaridad. Conclusión. Realizar la anamnesis ambiental es fundamental para la detección de amenazas ambientales presentes en los lugares donde los niños y adolescentes viven, aprenden, juegan y estudian.

Introduction. Children's environmental health studies the influence of the environment on health and disease in children. Global environmental exposures pose a serious threat to health, warranting further research and action. Objective. To assess the environmental health of a sample of children living in urban and rural areas in Uruguaiana, Brazil. Population and methods. We included parents/legal guardians (n = 714) of children seen at Policlinica Infantil de Uruguaiana between January and October 2021, who completed the environmental history- taking in pediatrics (Brazilian Society of Pediatrics). Collected data were analyzed based on place of residence (urban or rural) or household income. Results. The comparison between inhabitants of the urban area (n = 660) and the rural area (n = 54) established that, among those living in the rural area, activity with chemical substances (15% versus 32.7%; p = 0.004), living near a plantation (7.5% versus 74.5%; p < 0.001) or near a source of contamination (4.8% versus 32.7%; p < 0.001), having a dog (62% versus 87.3%; p < 0.001), using pesticides (0.6% versus 32.7%; p < 0.001), and exposure to chemical contamination (2.6% versus 18.2%; p < 0.001) were significantly higher. In the urban area, exposure to vehicle traffic near the house (85% versus 48.1%; p < 0.001), an average income below 3 minimum wages (90%), and a low level of education predominated. Conclusion. Environmental history-taking is critical for the detection of environmental threats present in the areas where children and adolescents live, learn, play, and study

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Introduction. Children's environmental health studies the influence of the environment on health and disease in children. Global environmental exposures pose a serious threat to health, warranting further research and action. Objective. To assess the environmental health of a sample of children living in urban and rural areas in Uruguaiana, Brazil. Population and methods. We included parents/legal guardians (n = 714) of children seen at Policlinica Infantil de Uruguaiana between January and October 2021, who completed the environmental historytaking in pediatrics (Brazilian Society of Pediatrics). Collected data were analyzed based on place of residence (urban or rural) or household income. Results. The comparison between inhabitants of the urban area (n = 660) and the rural area (n = 54) established that, among those living in the rural area, activity with chemical substances (15% versus 32.7%; p = 0.004), living near a plantation (7.5% versus 74.5%; p < 0.001) or near a source of contamination (4.8% versus 32.7%; p < 0.001), having a dog (62% versus 87.3%; p < 0.001), using pesticides (0.6% versus 32.7%; p < 0.001), and exposure to chemical contamination (2.6% versus 18.2%; p < 0.001) were significantly higher. In the urban area, exposure to vehicle traffic near the house (85% versus 48.1%; p < 0.001), an average income below 3 minimum wages (90%), and a low level of education predominated. Conclusion. Environmental history-taking is critical for the detection of environmental threats present in the areas where children and adolescents live, learn, play, and study.

Introducción. La salud ambiental infantil es la rama de la pediatría que estudia la influencia del medioambiente en la salud y la enfermedad de los niños. Las exposiciones ambientales globales representan una seria amenaza para la salud, lo que justifica una mayor investigación y acción. Objetivo. Evaluar la salud ambiental de una muestra de niños que viven en áreas urbanas y rurales de la ciudad de Uruguaiana, Brasil. Población y métodos. Se incluyeron padres/tutores (n = 714) de niños atendidos en el Policlínico Infantil de la Ciudad de Uruguaiana de enero a octubre de 2021, que respondieron la anamnesis ambiental en pediatría (Sociedad Brasileña de Pediatría). Los datos obtenidos se analizaron según la residencia en zona urbana o rural, o el ingreso familiar. Resultados. Al comparar los habitantes de la zona urbana (n = 660) con los de la zona rural (n = 54), verificamos que entre los de la zona rural fue significativamente mayor la actividad con productos químicos (15 % vs. 32,7 %; p = 0,004), vivir cerca de plantación (7,5 % vs. 74,5 %; p <0,001) o con fuente de contaminación (4,8 % vs. 32,7 %; p <0,001), tener perro (62 % vs. 87,3 %; p <0,001), usar plaguicidas (0,6 % vs. 32,7 %; p <0,001) y exposición a contaminación química (2,6 % vs. 18,2 %; p <0,001). En el área urbana predominó la exposición al tránsito de vehículos cerca de la vivienda (85 % vs. 48,1 %; p <0,001), renta media inferior a 3 salarios mínimos (90 %) y baja escolaridad. Conclusión. Realizar la anamnesis ambiental es fundamental para la detección de amenazas ambientales presentes en los lugares donde los niños y adolescentes viven, aprenden, juegan y estudian.

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Introduction: Playful learning for environmental education represents a participatory pedagogical mediation that considers the socio-environmental realities in which persons are immersed. Objective: To promote environmental education, through playful, participatory, and flexible methods, to prevent pesticide exposure. Methodology: Using geographic information systems, the distances between schools and bananas plantations were calculated. A playful and constructivism methodology was designed for primary school students (6 - 8.5 years), and their legal guardians. Subsequently, 148 workshops were developed in 37 rural Costa Rican schools, in which 2757 children and 387 adults participated. Results: Thirty-eight percent (38 %) (n=14) of the schools were located at less than 100 meters from banana plantations. Playful communication generated a participatory environment, in which local needs were identified and collective knowledge was built about the effects of pesticide exposure on the environment and human health. Participants were able to identify the main preventive actions to reduce pesticide exposure. Conclusions: Playful, participatory, and flexible methodologies in environmental education facilitate the process of sensitizing first cycle primary school students and their parents from rural communities about the risks of exposure to pesticides. The methodology used can be easily adapted for application in other environmental science studies.

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Resumen: las fisuras labiopalatinas son malformaciones congénitas del sistema estomatognático, se presentan por alteración de las estructuras anatómicas del cráneo, la cara y la cavidad bucal, debido a una falla en la fusión de tejidos en la embriogénesis; las malformaciones pueden ser del labio, el paladar duro, el velo del paladar, la mucosa palatina y en algunos casos de la cavidad nasal; por lo demás, afectan las estructuras que participan en las funciones del lenguaje, el habla y la audición. Objetivo: Identificar los factores genéticos y ambientales asociados a las fisuras labiopalatinas. Metodología: la revisión bibliográfica se realizó en bases de datos académicas PubMed, LILACS, OVID-MEDLINE usando lenguaje normalizado con términos DECS-LILACS: exposición a riesgos ambientales, fisura del paladar, labio leporino, genética, medicina de precisión y síndrome; se aplicaron filtros de búsqueda propios de las bases de datos, tipos de textos científicos e información relevante para la investigación. De acuerdo con los resultados de la búsqueda bibliográfica se encontró que la etiología de las fisuras es multifactorial y se asocia a factores genéticos y ambientales. La identificación de diversos genes relacionados con estas malformaciones ha permitido reconocer oportunamente cuándo una fisura es sindrómica o no sindrómica, lo que lleva a entender la interacción gen por gen, a identificar variantes funcionales y a comprender su importancia etiológica. Conclusiones: el estudio y el conocimiento acerca de los mecanismos moleculares que se encuentran involucrados en la formación de las fisuras labiopalatinas ha tomado fuerza gracias al entendimiento del genoma humano y al desarrollo de herramientas modernas de biología molecular que permiten identificar gran cantidad de datos de secuencia, haciendo que los genes candidatos aumenten constantemente. Esto permitirá un manejo oportuno de la enfermedad, la identificación del riesgo de ocurrencia y un tratamiento especializado mediante la medicina de precisión.

Abstract: cleft lip and palate are congenital malformations of the stomatognathic system; they occur due to an alteration of the anatomical structures of the skull, face and oral cavity, due to a failure in the fusion of tissues in embryogenesis; malformations can be of the lip, hard palate, soft palate, palatal mucosa, and in some cases of the nasal cavity; moreover, they affect the structures involved in the functions of language, speech, and hearing. Objective: To identify the genetic and environmental factors associated with cleft lip and palate. Methodology: the bibliographic review was carried out in PubMed, LILACS, OVID-MEDLINE academic databases using standardized language with decs-lilacs terms: exposure to environmental risks, cleft palate, cleft lip, genetics, precision medicine and syndrome; Search filters of the databases, types of scientific texts and information relevant to the research were applied. According to the results of the bibliographic search, it was found that the etiology of the fissures is multifactorial and is associated with genetic and environmental factors. The identification of various genes related to these malformations has made it possible to timely recognize when a cleft is syndromic or non-syndromic, which leads to understanding gene-by-gene interaction, identifying functional variants and understanding their etiological importance. Conclusions: the study and knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms that are involved in the formation of cleft lip and palate has gained strength thanks to the understanding of the human genome and the development of modern molecular biology tools that allow the identification of large amounts of sequence data, causing the candidate genes to increase constantly.

Resumo: as fissuras labiopalatais são malformações congénitas do sistema estomatognático, ocorrem por alterado das estruturas anatómicas do crânio, face e cavidade oral, por falha na fusão dos tecidos na embriogênese; as malformações podem ser do lábio, palato duro, palato mole, mucosa palatina e, em alguns casos, da cavidade nasal; caso contrário, afetam as estruturas envolvidas nas funções da linguagem, fala e audição. Objetivo: Identificar os fatores genéticos e ambientais associados á fissura labiopalatal. Metodologia: a revisão bibliográfica foi realizada nas bases de dados académicas PubMed, LILACS, OVID-MEDLINE utilizando linguagem normalizada com termos DECS-LILACS: exposição a riscos ambientais, fenda palatina, lábio leporino, genética, medicina de precisão e síndrome; foram aplicados filtros de busca das bases de dados, tipos de textos científicos e informados relevantes para a pesquisa. Segundo os resultados a partir da pesquisa bibliográfica, foi constatado que a etiologia das fissuras é multifatorial e está associada a fatores genéticos e ambientais. A identificado de vários genes relacionados a essas malformações permitiu reconhecer em curto tempo quando urna fissura é sindrómica ou não sindrômica, o que leva ao entendimento da interação gene a gene, identificado de variantes funcionais e compreensão de sua importância etiológica. Conclusóes: o estudo e conhecimento sobre os mecanismos moleculares encontrados envolvidos na formação da fissura labiopalatal ganhou força graças á compreensão do genoma humano e o desenvolvimento de ferramentas modernas de biologia molecular que permitem a identificado de grandes quantidades de dados de sequênces, fazendo com que os genes candidatos aumentem constantemente. Isso permitirá a gestão atempada da doença, identificado do risco de ocorrência e tratamento especializado através da medicina de precisão.

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BACKGROUND: Environmental risk assessments and interventions to mitigate environmental risks are essential to protect public health. While the objective measurement of environmental hazards is important, it is also critical to address the subjective perception of health risks. A population's perception of environmental health hazards is a powerful driving force for action and engagement in safety and health behaviors and can also inform the development of effective and more sustainable environmental health policies. To date, no instruments are available to assess risk perception of environmental health hazards in South America even though there are many concerning issues in the region, including mining. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to adapt and validate an environmental health risk perception questionnaire in a Chilean population affected by mining activity among other risks frequently reported in Latin American countries and included the collection of information on trust on public information sources. METHODS: We adapted an Australian risk perception questionnaire for validation in an adult population from a Chilean mining community. This adaptation included two blinded translations (direct, inverse), a pre-test study (n = 20) and a review by environmental health experts. Principal Component Analyses (PCA) was used to identify factors within major domains of interest. The Bartlett test of sphericity, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure and the Cronbach α test were used to assess the instrument's validity and reliability. The instrument was pilot tested in 205 adults from a mining community in Chañaral. RESULTS: The final adapted questionnaire proved to be a good instrument to measure risk perception in a community chronically exposed to mining waste. For community risks, four factors explained 59.4% of the variance. "Global Issues" (30.2%) included air pollution, contamination of mining, ozone layer depletion and vector diseases. For personal risks, the first two components explained 59.5% of the variance, the main factor (36.7%) was "unhealthy behaviors within the household". For trust in information, the first factor (36.2%) included as main sources "Media and authorities". The Cronbach α ranged between 0.68 and 0.75; and the KMO test between 0.7 to 0.79 for community and personal risks and trust. CONCLUSIONS: The final questionnaire is a simple, reliable and useful instrument that can assist in evaluating environmental health risk perceptions in Latin American countries.

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Mining and petroleum production are the source of many elements and base materials fundamental for our modern way of life. The flip side of these keystone industries is the environmental degradation they can cause if not properly managed. Metallic mining and petroleum production can contaminate the local ecosystem with sediments, chemicals used in the industrial processes and heavy metals, part of the metallic ore or oil reservoir. The objective of this project was to analyze the spatial distribution of the presence of different potentially hazardous elements that make up the metallic deposits and oil reservoirs in Ecuador, focused mainly on artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) districts. Additionally, we were interested in analyzing this information under the local political and administrative contexts which are key to determining how likely it is that mismanagement of the local mineral deposits and petroleum exploitation projects will end up causing environmental degradation. An extensive and intensive literature search was conducted for information on the presence and concentration of 19 potentially harmful elements. We analyzed data on 11 metallic deposits throughout Ecuador and a major oilfield in the Ecuadorian Amazon basin. We used geographic information systems to analyze the spatial distribution of these reservoirs and their mineral compositions. The results indicated a widespread distribution and high concentration of elements potentially harmful for human health, such as mercury, cadmium and arsenic, throughout the metallic deposits in Ecuador. This is particularly true for long-exploited ASGM districts, such as Ponce-Enríquez, Portovelo-Zaruma and Nambija. This study highlights the importance of understanding geological diversity and its potential risks to better protect the biological diversity and public health of its inhabitants. Furthermore, we consider our work not as a call to stop ASGM mining nor petroleum production, but on the contrary as a strong call to plan every mining and petroleum production project considering these risks. Moreover, our work is a call to action by the local government and authorities to stop corruption and fulfill their duties overseeing the activities of mining and petroleum companies, stopping illegal mining, helping ASGM communities to improve their environmental standards, finding alternative income sources and protecting the local environment.

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The fate of pharmaceuticals during the treatment of effluents is of major concern since they are not completely degraded and because of their persistence and mobility in environment. Indeed, even at low concentrations, they represent a risk to aquatic life and human health. In this work, fourteen pharmaceuticals were monitored in a constructed wetland wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) assessed in both influent and effluent samples. The basic water quality parameters were evaluated, and the removal efficiency of pharmaceutical, potential for bioaccumulation, and the impact of WWTP were assessed using Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler (POCIS) and biofilms. The pharmaceutical compounds were quantified by High Performance Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The sampling campaign was carried out during winter (July/2018) and summer (January/2019). The WWTP performed well regarding the removal of TSS, COD, and BOD5 and succeeded to eliminate a significant part of the organic and inorganic pollution present in domestic wastewater but has low efficiency regarding the removal of pharmaceutical compounds. Biofilms were shown to interact with pharmaceuticals and were reported to play a role in their capture from water. The antibiotics were reported to display a high risk for aquatic organisms.

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Las cuestiones ambientales están ligadas a la emergencia de epidemias. La crisis que enfrenta hoy el mundo ha tenido su origen en las constantes perturbaciones ambientales, lo que se ha reflejado en las preocupaciones manifestadas por la Organización de las Naciones Unidas en cada celebración del Día Mundial del Medio Ambiente. Los ecosistemas degradados no pueden ofrecer servicios ecológicos que garanticen bienestar y salud; así, una crisis lleva a otra. En este artículo se expone cómo al romperse el equilibrio natural que protege al hombre de múltiples riesgos, este queda expuesto a más de un millón de microorganismos patógenos desconocidos que podrían cruzar la barrera de las especies, tal es el caso del nuevo virus SARS-CoV-2; a ello se suma la amenaza del cambio climático, que es un impulsor de muchos riesgos. Los problemas sanitarios estarán siempre sujetos a la interacción de cada civilización con su entorno, lo que depende, en esencia, del carácter de la relación hombre-naturaleza.

The environmental questions are linked to the emergency of epidemics. The crisis that world faces today has had its origin in the constant environmental interferences, what has been reflected in the concerns manifested by the United Nations Organization in each celebration of the Environment World Day. The degraded ecosystems cannot offer ecological services that guarantee well-being and health; this way, a crisis takes to another. In this work it is exposed how men are exposed to more than a million of unknown pathogens microorganisms that could cross the barrier of the species when breaking the natural balance that protects him of multiple risks, such is the case of the SARS-CoV-2 new virus; this comes on top of the threat of the climatic change that is an instigator of many risks. Health problems will always be subject to the interaction of each civilization with their environment, what depends, in essence, of the character in man-nature relationship.

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