Small, volatile hydrocarbons, including trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, and chloroform, are common environmental pollutants that pose serious health effects. We have developed transgenic poplar (Populus tremula x Populus alba) plants with greatly increased rates of metabolism and removal of these pollutants through the overexpression of cytochrome P450 2E1, a k...

Plastic debris litters aquatic habitats globally, the majority of which is microscopic (< 1 mm), and is ingested by a large range of species. Risks associated with such small fragments come from the material itself and from chemical pollutants that sorb to it from surrounding water. Hazards associated with the complex mixture of plastic and accumulated pollutants are largely unknown. Here, we s...

While emissions of pollutants from conventional sources, such as industrial and thermal processes, have been in decline over the last two decades, fires have become major sources for the emission of several contaminants. This review summarises chemical mechanisms pertinent to the formation of prominent pollutants, such as NOx, HCN, HCl, soot, and trace species, such as PCDD/Fs (dioxins). We com...

The question "can the approach used for radiation protection standards, i.e., to extrapolate dose--response relationships to low doses, be applied to combustion pollutants?" provided a basis for discussion. The linear, nonthreshold model postulated by ICRP and UNSCEAR for late effects of ionizing radiation is described and discussed. The utility and problems of applying this model to the effect...

Exact measurements or modeling of human exposures to environmental pollutants are of crucial importance for a realistic evaluation of public health risks. Current concepts, however, often use assumptions that result in overly conservative assessments of public health risks. Too frequently the dose of the pollutant retained in the body is approximated by oversimplified predictions assuming that ...

Among several viable explanations for the ubiquitous SES-health gradient is differential exposure to environmental risk. We document evidence of inverse relations between income and other indices of SES with environmental risk factors including hazardous wastes and other toxins, ambient and indoor air pollutants, water quality, ambient noise, residential crowding, housing quality, educational f...

Abstract. An ecological type nonlinear mathematical model is proposed to study the removal of gaseous pollutants and two distinct particulate matters by precipitation scavenging in the atmosphere. The atmosphere during precipitation consists of five interacting phases namely the raindrops phase, the gaseous pollutants phase, the smaller particulate matters phase, the larger particulate matters ...

Metal fabrication operations, such as welding, brazing, cutting, painting, and paint removing which are commonly performed at a shipyard, release air pollutants harmful to the health of workers. To protect the health of workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established permissible exposure levels (PELs) for various air pollutants released in the workplace. OSHA c...

The major aspects that must be considered in studies of the health effects of environmental pollutants are: the direct damage due to the exposure, the role of pre-existing disease, and effects of the exposure on the response to secondary stresses. In experimental studies at concentrations of air pollutants found in urban environments frank toxicological responses are rarely observed. However, e...

Strictly speaking, all toxins entering the environment can be regarded as environmental poisons. Certain pollutants can, acting over long periods, harm living organisms even in low concentrations. This means that pollutants that are stable and thus persistent have a great ability to act as environmental poisons. Their stability means not only that their effects are long-lasting, but also that t...