Hazardous Waste

Nature can efficiently recognize specific ions by exerting second-sphere interactions onto well-folded protein scaffolds. However, a considerable challenge remains to artificially manipulate such affinity, while being cost-effective in managing immense amounts of water samples. Here, we propose an effective approach to regulate uranyl capture performance by creating bio-inspired nano-traps, illustrated by constructing chelating moieties into porous frameworks, where the binding motif's coordinative interaction towards uranyl is enhanced by introducing an assistant group, reminiscent of biological systems. Representatively, the porous framework bearing 2-aminobenzamidoxime is exceptional in sequestering high uranium concentrations with sufficient capacities (530 mg g-1) and trace quantities, including uranium in real seawater (4.36 mg g-1, triple the benchmark). Using a combination of spectroscopic, crystallographic, and theory calculation studies, it is revealed that the amino substituent assists in lowering the charge on uranyl in the complex and serves as a hydrogen bond acceptor, boosting the overall uranyl affinity of amidoxime.

Phytoremediation is the use of plants to remedy contaminated soils, sediments, and/or groundwater. Sorption and uptake are governed by physicochemical properties of the compounds, and moderately hydrophobic chemicals (logarithm octanol--water coefficients = 1.0--3.5) are most likely to be bioavailable to rooted, vascular plants. Some hydrophilic compounds, such as methyl-tert-butylether and 1,4-dioxane, may also be taken up by plants via hydrogen bonding with transpiration water. Organic chemicals that pass through membranes and are translocated to stem and leaf tissues may be converted (e.g., oxidized by cytochrome P450s), conjugated by glutathione or amino acids, and compartmentalized in plant tissues as bound residue. The relationship between metabolism of organic xenobiotics and toxicity to plant tissues is not well understood. A series of chlorinated ethenes is more toxic to hybrid poplar trees (Populus deltoides x nigra, DN-34) than are the corresponding chlorinated ethanes. Toxicity correlates best with the number of chlorine atoms in each homologous series. Transgenic plants have been engineered to rapidly detoxify and transform such xenobiotic chemicals. These could be used in phytoremediation applications if issues of cost and public acceptability are overcome.

Waste is part of the agenda of the European Environment and Health Process and included among the topics of the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health. Disposal and management of hazardous waste are worldwide challenges. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the evidence of the health impact of hazardous waste exposure, applying transparent and a priori defined methods. The following five steps, based on pre-defined systematic criteria, were applied. 1. Specify the research question, in terms of "Population-Exposure-Comparators-Outcomes" (PECO).Populationpeople living near hazardous waste sites; Exposure: exposure to hazardous waste; Comparators: all comparators; Outcomes: all diseases/health disorders. 2. Carry out the literature search, in Medline and EMBASE. 3. Select studies for inclusion: original epidemiological studies, published between 1999 and 2015, on populations residentially exposed to hazardous waste. 4. Assess the quality of selected studies, taking into account study design, exposure and outcome assessment, confounding control. 5. Rate the confidence in the body of evidence for each outcome taking into account the reliability of each study, the strength of the association and concordance of results.Fifty-seven papers of epidemiological investigations on the health status of populations living near hazardous waste sites were selected for the evidence evaluation. The association between 95 health outcomes (diseases and disorders) and residential exposure to hazardous waste sites was evaluated. Health effects of residential hazardous waste exposure, previously partially unrecognized, were highlighted. Sufficient evidence was found of association between exposure to oil industry waste that releases high concentrations of hydrogen sulphide and acute symptoms. The evidence of causal relationship with hazardous waste was defined as limited for: liver, bladder, breast and testis cancers, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, asthma, congenital anomalies overall and anomalies of the neural tube, urogenital, connective and musculoskeletal systems, low birth weight and pre-term birth; evidence was defined as inadequate for the other health outcomes. The results, although not conclusive, provide indications that more effective public health policies on hazardous waste management are urgently needed. International, national and local authorities should oppose and eliminate poor, outdated and illegal practices of waste disposal, including illegal transboundary trade, and increase support regulation and its enforcement.

ImportanceBeginning in the 1940s, radioactive waste from the effort to develop an atomic bomb was stored in the open near the St Louis, Missouri, airport, and over several decades contaminated nearby Coldwater Creek.ObjectiveTo evaluate whether living near Coldwater Creek in childhood was associated with self-reported cancer incidence in the St Louis Baby Tooth-Later Life Health Study (SLBT).Design, setting, and participantsThe SLBT cohort study was centered in St Louis and included individuals who donated their baby teeth from 1958 to 1970 to assess exposure to atmospheric nuclear weapons testing. Participants for the present analysis were recruited from June 22, 2021, to September 18, 2024.ExposuresResidential proximity to Coldwater Creek (≤1, >1 to 5, >5 to 20, and >20 km) in childhood when participants donated their baby teeth.Main outcomes and measuresSelf-reported cancers, from which several composite outcomes were constructed: any cancer, solid cancers (all except leukemias and lymphomas), known radiosensitive cancers (thyroid, breast, leukemia, and basal cell), and nonradiosensitive cancers (all except thyroid, breast, leukemia, and basal cell). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% CIs between living near Coldwater Creek and several self-reported cancer outcomes were estimated, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and neighborhood median income.ResultsThere were 4209 eligible SLBT participants, of whom 2369 (56.3%) were female. The mean age at enrollment was 63 (range, 55-77) years. The background risk of any form of cancer was 24%. The OR was 1.44 (95% CI, 0.96-2.14) for any form of cancer comparing participants living 1 km or nearer with those living further than 20 km. There was a significant association for radiosensitive cancers (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.21-2.81) but not for nonradiosensitive cancers (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 0.86-2.30) for participants living 1 km or nearer vs further than 20 km. There was evidence of a dose-response association, where cancer risks were still elevated (albeit smaller) for those living in buffers of greater than 1 to 5 km and greater than 5 to 20 km. Despite imprecision in some of the site-specific estimates, clear signals for some organs, such as the thyroid, were still detected (OR for living ≤1 vs >20 km, 5.00; 95% CI, 1.23-20.32).Conclusions and relevanceIn this cohort study of baby teeth donors from the Greater St Louis area, evidence suggested a positive association between living near Coldwater Creek in childhood and risk of cancer.