Health impacts of indoor air pollution from household solid fuel on children and women.

The inefficient and incomplete combustion of solid fuel (SF) is associated with high levels of indoor air pollutants leading to 3.55 million deaths annually. The risk is higher in women and children, due to their higher exposure duration and unique physical properties. The current article aims to provide a critical overview regarding the use of solid fuel, its associated pollutants, their toxicity mechanisms and, most importantly the associated health impacts, especially in women and children. Pollutants associated with SF mostly include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, particulate matter, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, and their concentrations are two- to threefold higher in indoor environments. These pollutants can lead to a variety of health risks by inducing different toxicity mechanisms, such as oxidative stress, DNA methylation, and gene activation. Exposed children have an increased prevalence of low birth weight, acute lower respiratory tract infections, anemia and premature mortality. On the other hand, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular diseases are the major causes of disability and premature death in women. Indoor air pollution resulting from SF combustion is a major public health threat globally. To reduce the risks, it is important to identify future research gaps and implement effective interventions and policies.

Adsorption behaviour and interaction of organic micropollutants with nano and microplastics - A review.

Nano/microplastics (NPs/MPs) and organic micropollutants are contaminants exerting serious threats to aquatic ecosystems, which are further aggravated through their interactions. Organic micropollutants can adsorb on the surface of NPs/MPs, enter to the digestive systems of aquatic organisms with NPs/MPs, and desorb from the surface inside the organism. Consequently, the migration behaviour of organic micropollutants is significantly affected increasing their risk to accumulate in the food chain. Therefore, understanding the adsorption interactions between NPs/MPs and organic micropollutants is critical for evaluating the fate and impact of NPs/MPs in the environment. This review article provides an overview about the role of NPs/MPs as (temporary) sinks for organic micropollutants but also as primary sources of organic micropollutants through the leaching of plastic additives. Specifically, the following aspects are discussed: adsorption/desorption mechanisms (e.g., hydrophobic partitioning interaction, surface adsorption by van der Waals forces or hydrogen bonding, and pore filling), influencing environmental factors (e.g., pH, salinity, and dissolved organic matter), leaching of plastic additives from NPs/MPs, and potential ecotoxicological effects arising from the interactions of NPs/MPs and organic micropollutants.