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Invisible Environmental Pollution - Sinhala

2021, Vidurawa

No abstract found

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JOURNAL OF RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING

Sri Lanka, as a developing country during the last two decades, has faced a lot of environmental changes. These changes have affected the country's economy, agriculture, and society. Primarily the causes of environmental pollution are industrialization, urbanization, population growth, transportation, and deforestation. This is a big issue that affects both developed and developing countries. Furthermore, these issues affect not only humans but also trees, plants, and animals. Sri Lanka confronted many environmental problems, including water pollution, air pollution, solid waste, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. This paper investigates the environmental issues in Sri Lanka and provides insight into the challenges and effects of Environmental Pollution in Sri Lanka.

saurav ghosh

Sri Lanka is a tropical island that experiences beautiful environmental conditions and consists of many natural resources. Primarily Sri Lanka includes forests and biodiversity, minerals and water resources. The main objective is to provide a concise and up-to-date insight into the state of the environment and environmental challenges. Sri Lanka has suddenly acquired industrialization as a developing country, leading to increased energy consumption. When energy consumption rises, pollution to the environment also highly increases. At present, there are many environmental issues in Sri Lanka. But the most harmful and increasing problems are water pollution, air pollution and solid waste pollution. So, this article explores the environmental problems and their impacts on the people and animals and minimization of these issues in Sri Lanka.

Environmental pollution is a severe hazardous status in Sri Lanka. It affects the atmosphere, land, and water in various situations due to the intervention of humans and nature. However, with the unlimited use of resources and harmful and unrestricted control of human beings, the effects are rising daily. Therefore, severe challenges are ahead for Sri Lankans due to environmental pollution. As a developing country, Sri Lanka is moving forward in the economy as an industrial sector, which causes to increase in energy consumption. There is a proportional relationship between energy consumption and wastage. If the percentage of energy consumption is high, wastage also rises. Sri Lanka faces many environmental issues, including inland, water, and air pollution. This report will explore those issues and their impacts on humans, animals, and the environment.

GORDON ONGUS

Md. Hasib Uddin

Md. H A S I B Uddin

Introduction:-Now a days, environmental pollution is a major cause for concern, not only for us, but also for the whole mankind. In the last century, the rise of this menace assumed so gigantic that it has cast its melancholic shadow on nature itself. The diminishing ozone ionosphere leading to global warming and the unpredictable seasonal variations are some of the adverse effects of worldwide environmental pollution that are threatening to the existence of human beings on this planet.

Jimmy E Ngwuta

International Journal of Environmental Science and Development

sumitha bharathi

Waddah Alabsi

KUST Medical …

Shehnaz Sheikh

Exposure to contaminants, generally called pollution, relates back to olden age when the environment was clean and free from chemicals. Knowledge of human exposure to environmental contaminants is an important component of environmental epidemiology, ...

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My essays Grade 10-save the environment-(පරිසරය සුරකිමු රචනාව) -written by Lisara Fernando

9 Simple Things You Can Do to Help Save the Environment

•  3R – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle . Cut down on what you throw away. Follow the three “R’s” to conserve natural resources and landfill space.
• Volunteer . Volunteer for cleanups in your community. You can get involved in protecting your watershed, too.
• Educate . When you further your own education, you can help others understand the importance and value of our natural resources.
• Conserve water . The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that eventually end up in the ocean.
• Shop wisely . Buy less plastic and bring a reusable shopping bag.
• Use long-lasting light bulbs . Energy-efficient light bulbs reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also, flip the light switch off when you leave the room!
• Plant a tree . Trees provide food and oxygen. They help save energy, clean the air, and help combat climate change.
• Don’t send chemicals into our waterways . Choose non-toxic chemicals in the home and office.
• Bike more . Drive less.

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Environmental pollution in Sri Lanka: a review

Keywords: Environmental pollution, Sri Lanka

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jnsfsr.v28i4.2644

J. Natn. Sci. Foundation Sri Lanka 2000 28(4): 301-325

• Page/Article: 301-325
• DOI: 10.4038/jnsfsr.v28i4.2644
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Henderson Island, a tiny remote island in the far flung reaches of the South Pacific Ocean, should bear no trace of human civilization. Instead, the tropical island is covered by a staggering 38 million pieces of plastic trash.  Marine debris is mostly made up of plastic, from waterproof sheets to plastic bottles to miniscule micro-plastics found in cosmetic products. Buoyant and durable, plastic is dispersed over vast distances and is found in the most impenetrable corners of the ocean: even the Marianna Trench is not free from plastic pollution.

Between 9-12 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean each year, and with populations growing in size and prosperity, plastic consumption will only increase, leading scientists to estimate that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. Once plastic is dumped in the ocean as a result of ineffective waste management, littering or because of storm water runoff, it is borne by ocean currents, landing on beaches, or joining vast floating garbage patches that are trapped by currents.

Plastic debris is fast becoming the greatest threat that oceans face. Marine wildlife are severely affected as they ingest plastic, or get strangled by it. Often mistaking plastic bags for jellyfish, studies estimate that 50% of sea turtles have eaten plastic, which blocks their gut. Strangulation by fishing lines and plastic packaging is also a common cause of death for marine animals. As plastic is not biodegradable, it persists in marine environments for centuries, fragmenting into smaller pieces that accumulate on the sea floor, blocking the exchange of gases and impairing ecosystems, or which travel through the food chain, ultimately ending up in seafood destined for human consumption.

Sri Lanka has a densely populated coastline with 14.6 million people residing in coastal areas. This coupled with an ineffective waste management system mean that waste is often dumped into oceans, either from canals, by local councils or frustrated seaside residents taking matters to their own hands.

Sri Lanka’s tourism, which is a massive earner of foreign revenue, is largely dependent on coastal tourism and the images of pristine golden beaches have long since been a draw. Pollution destroys the recreational value of beaches and the affect can already be seen in popular tourist beaches such as Mount Lavinia and Negombo. Marine ecosystems are also a source of tourist revenue as activities such as scuba diving, whale and dolphin watching and snorkeling are growing in potential. Biodiversity loss and habitat degradation caused by plastic pollution will affect these ventures which generate revenue and employment; the Bar Reef Marine Protected Area has provided employment for over 15000 people in the neighbouring areas.

Any solution to tackle marine debris needs to intervene at different phases, from encouraging people to reduce their usage of single use plastics, to encouraging waste segregation and recycling to even direct and immediate attention through beach clean ups. While solid waste management has been in the spotlight we cannot ignore marine pollution merely because it is sometimes out of sight and thus out of mind. It is vital that we do not pollute our oceans by choking them with plastic that will survive for centuries as our legacy.

• June 7, 2017

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Environmental Factor

Your online source for niehs news, papers of the month.

Extramural By Mali Velasco

Bacteria and material made from corn kernels can clean up PCBs in aquatic environments

Researchers funded by NIEHS demonstrated a new method to clean up aquatic ecosystems using biochar — the carbon-rich byproduct of burning plant matter — and bacteria. Their cost-effective strategy has the potential to destroy polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a group of harmful chemicals that persist in sediments.

Current strategies to remove PCBs from the environment, such as excavating sediments from the bottom of aquatic ecosystems, are costly and can result in water contamination. Remediation strategies that use bacteria to break down pollutants show promise, but bacteria are unable to fully degrade PCBs in the environment. To address this challenge, the team investigated whether adding biochar to solutions with bacteria and PCBs could enhance the performance of a type of PCB-degrading bacteria called Paraburkholderia xenovorans.

The scientists tested different types of biochar, including three natural biochars — made from burning corn kernels, bamboo, and wood — and activated carbon, which is commonly used in water treatment. Next, they measured the effects of each biochar on bacterial growth, bacterial attachment to biochar particles, and expression of bacterial genes that degrade PCBs.

Imaging analysis revealed that bacteria cells attached to the corn kernel biochar in greater numbers compared to the other types of biochar. Bacterial growth was also higher in the solution with the corn kernel material. In addition, there was increased expression of bacterial genes involved in PCB degradation in the corn kernel biochar solution compared with the other materials.

These findings suggest that combining biochar made from corn kernels and PCB-degrading bacteria may provide a cost-effective strategy to clean up contaminated sediments while protecting public and ecosystem health, according to the authors.

Citation : Dong Q, LeFevre GH, Mattes TE. 2024. Black carbon impacts on Paraburkholderia xenovorans strain LB400 cell enrichment and activity: implications toward lower-chlorinated polychlorinated biphenyls biodegradation potential . Environ Sci Technol 58(8):3895-907.

New lab model reveals the underlying mechanisms of PM2.5-induced lung disease

NIEHS-funded researchers developed a new model to study how fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure may lead to respiratory disease. The new multicellular model addresses the limitations of current methods, which use only one type of lung cell and are unable to capture the biological complexity of the respiratory system.

Upon breathing in PM2.5 air pollution, tiny particles enter the lung and are deposited in the alveolar capillary region (ACR), where gas exchange occurs. This exposure is linked to respiratory disease; however, the mechanisms are not well understood.

The scientists created a model using three types of lung cells and assembled them to mimic the structure of the ACR. The model included alveolar cells, which cover the surface of the ACR; fibroblasts, which support ACR connective tissue; and endothelial cells, which form the inner lining of blood vessels within the ACR. Then, they exposed the alveolar cells to a type of PM2.5 found in diesel exhaust for 24 hours and analyzed each cell’s response.

PM2.5 altered gene expression in both alveolar cells and endothelial cells. However, endothelial cells had more gene expression changes, despite having indirect contact with the particles. Endothelial cells also developed a type of biological stress, which led them to produce proteins that cause inflammation — an indicator of respiratory disease. Further analysis revealed that a cell signaling pathway in epithelial cells, known as mitogen activated protein kinase, played a key role in the changes observed in the endothelial cells.

The study shows that changes in endothelial cells may play an important role in how PM2.5 exposure leads to lung disease, according to the authors. They also noted that models that include multiple types of lung cells can help expand our understanding of how respiratory disease develops.

Citation : Vitucci ECM, Simmons AE, Martin EM, McCullough SD. 2024. Epithelial MAPK signaling directs endothelial NRF2 signaling and IL-8 secretion in a tri-culture model of the alveolar-microvascular interface following diesel exhaust particulate (DEP) exposure . Part Fibre Toxicol 21(1):15.

New strategy to prioritize PFAS for health risk assessments

An NIEHS-funded team developed a screening method that uses human-derived cells to evaluate how PFAS might affect health. The new approach might help prioritize different PFAS for further testing in efforts to improve health risk assessments.

PFAS are a large group of chemicals widely used in consumer products, but the majority lack toxicity data, making risk evaluation difficult. The most widely accepted approach to assess large numbers of PFAS organizes the chemicals based on structural similarities and then selects a few representative compounds for further testing.

In this study, the team explored a different approach using liver and heart cells grown in a lab and exposing them to 26 different PFAS. They looked at how the chemicals affected cell function and gene expression.

PFAS had minimal effect on liver cell function. In contrast, exposure to eight of the 26 compounds resulted in decreased beating frequency in heart cells. Genetic expression analysis of liver cells showed increased activity in genes that regulate stress and cellular structure, but decreased activity in genes that break down fats. In heart cells, PFAS exposure decreased the expression of genes related to how the heart contracts.

To compare their approach to the traditional structure-based grouping method, the team looked for associations between PFAS molecular weight or chemical structure and the observed biological effects. They found no structural similarities among compounds with similar biological effects.

These results suggest that grouping PFAS by structure alone might not adequately predict individual chemicals’ health effects, according to the authors. Their strategy could guide researchers and policymakers in determining which chemicals to prioritize for future evaluation.

Citation : Tsai HD, Ford LC, Chen Z, Dickey AN, Wright FA, Rusyn I. 2024. Risk-based prioritization of PFAS using phenotypic and transcriptomic data from human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes . ALTEX; [Online 22 Feb 2024].

Inhibiting mitochondria-related protein may protect against neurodegenerative diseases

Partially blocking Drp1, a protein critical for mitochondrial division, may protect against neurodegenerative diseases, according to an NIEHS-funded study. Mitochondria are small cellular structures that produce energy for cells to carry out various functions.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and errors in autophagy, a cellular process that degrades and recycles old cellular components, have been linked to various neurodegenerative disorders, including parkinsonism — an umbrella term for conditions that cause movement symptoms that closely resemble Parkinson's disease. Previous studies have shown that partial reduction of Drp1 may shield against neurodegeneration, but the mechanisms behind this process are not well understood.

First, the scientists used lab-grown cells, derived from human and rat brain cells, to examine the effects of blocking Drp1. Then, they conducted studies in mice with normal Drp1 protein levels and mice that produced approximately one-half the typical amount. They gave the mice either water alone or water containing manganese, a metal implicated in mitochondrial and autophagy impairment, daily for 30 days. Finally, the team analyzed alterations in mouse brain genes and mitochondrial activity.

Results from both cell and animal studies showed that exposure to low nontoxic levels of manganese had no effect on mitochondrial function. However, low-level manganese exposure decreased autophagy rates and increased levels of alpha-synuclein, a protein linked to parkinsonism. In addition, partially blocking Drp1 significantly reduced the damaging effects of manganese on autophagy.

According to the authors, these findings indicate that Drp1 plays an important role in autophagy, independent of mitochondrial activity, and may be a useful target for interventions to treat certain neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, the results suggest that exposure to manganese may increase the risk of parkinsonism by increasing the accumulation of alpha-synuclein.

Citation : Fan RZ, Sportelli C, Lai Y, Salehe S, Pinnell JR, Brown HJ, Richardson JR, Luo S, Tieu K. 2024. A partial Drp1 knockout improves autophagy flux independent of mitochondrial function . Mol Neurodegener 19(1):26.

(Mali Velasco is a research and communication specialist for MDB Inc., a contractor for the NIEHS Division of Extramural Research and Training.)

Read the current Superfund Research Program Research Brief . New issues are published on the first Wednesday of every month.