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As one of the largest waste streams, electronic waste (e-waste) production continues to grow in response to global demand for consumer electronics. This waste is often shipped to developing countries where it is disassembled and recycled. In many cases, e-waste recycling activities are conducted in informal settings with very few controls or protections in place for workers. These activities involve exposure to hazardous substances such as cadmium, lead, and brominated flame retardants and are frequently performed by women and children. Although recycling practices and exposures vary by scale and geographic region, we present case studies of e-waste recycling scenarios and intervention approaches to reduce or prevent exposures to the hazardous substances in e-waste that may be broadly applicable to diverse situations. Drawing on parallels identified in these cases, we discuss the future prevention and intervention strategies that recognize the difficult economic realities of informal e-waste recycling.

A commercial nanofiltration (NF) membrane was modified using poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) to improve the nitrate rejection from groundwater. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, zeta potential, and water contact angle analyses were performed, showing that PSS was successfully coated onto the membrane with the surface negative charge density being enhanced. The results of nitrate removal tests showed that the best PSS concentration was 1.5 mg/L, with the nitrate rejection rate of 88.8% and the permeate flux of 27.0 L/m 2  h. The effect of initial nitrate concentration and solution pH on the nitrate removal performance of the modified NF membrane was investigated. The results indicate that the modified NF membrane can improve nitrate removal from actual groundwater, with little membrane permeate flux loss. Graphical abstract

There is a need to assess the risk of exposure to metals via roadside dust in Vietnam where many people live along the road/highways and are constantly exposed to roadside dust. In this study, we collected dust samples at 55 locations along two major Highways in north-east Vietnam, which passed through different land use areas. Samples were sieved into three different particle sizes and analyzed for concentrations of eight metals using a X-ray fluorescence instrument. The concentrations and environmental indices (EF, Igeo) of metals were used to evaluate the degree of pollution in the samples. Among different land uses, industrial areas could be highly polluted with heavy metals in roadside dust, followed by commerce and power plants. Additionally, the traffic density probably played an important role; higher concentrations were observed in samples from Highway No. 5 where traffic is several times higher than Highway No. 18. According to the risk assessment, Cr poses the highest noncarcinogenic risk even though the health hazard index values of assessed heavy metals in this study were within the acceptable range. Our assessment also found that the risk of exposure to heavy metals through roadside dust is much higher for children than for adults.

The fate and transport of tricyclazole and imidacloprid in paddy plots after nursery-box application was monitored. Water and surface soil samples were collected over a period of 35 days. Rates of dissipation from paddy waters and soils were also measured. Dissipation of the two pesticides from paddy water can be described by first-order kinetics. In the soil, only the dissipation of imidacloprid fitted to the simple first-order kinetics, whereas tricyclazole concentrations fluctuated until the end of the monitoring period. Mean half-life (DT₅₀) values for tricyclazole were 11.8 and 305 days, respectively, in paddy water and surface soil. The corresponding values of imidacloprid were 2.0 and 12.5 days, respectively, in water and in surface soil. Less than 0.9% of tricyclazole and 0.1% of imidacloprid were lost through runoff during the monitoring period even under 6.3 cm of rainfall. The pesticide formulation seemed to affect the environmental fate of these pesticides when these results were compared to those of other studies.

No abstract available.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Information was drawn from 176 local governments in five states to show that land-use plans can serve as a vehicle for limiting development of areas at risk from natural hazards. Without state mandates requiring both plans and attention to natural hazards, local governments will ignore opportunities for risk reduction through planning and development-limiting land use regulations. The issues of whether governments (and communities) can reduce susceptibility to losses in natural disasters and whether formally adopted plans can be used as a tool in the policy-making process are linked in a study which used data gathered from 176 local governments in 5 states. The data show that land-use plans can serve as a vehicle for limiting development of areas at risk from natural hazards. It is demonstrated that without state mandates requiring both plans and attention to natural hazards, a number of local governments will ignore opportunities for risk reduction through planning and development-limiting land use regulations.