Ethiopia's vulnerability to climate change is exacerbated by high poverty rates, rapid population growth, increasing prevalence of vector-borne diseases, and heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture. This narrative review aims to compile existing data on the impacts of climate extremes on the physical environment, public health, and livelihoods in Ethiopia, thereby highlighting the significance of this region for such a study. Data were sourced from peer-reviewed journal articles from databases like PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, as well as reports and other unpublished documents. Results show that Ethiopia is facing increasing frequency, severity, duration, and timing of climate-related extreme events. Key challenges include environmental degradation, reduced crop yields, recurring floods, droughts, famines, increased heat waves, and spread of infectious diseases. Average daily rainfall is projected to decrease from 2.04 mm (1961-1990) to 1.97 mm (2070-2099), indicating a worsening climate trend. Moreover, the average annual temperature has risen by 1.3 degrees C since 1960, at a rate of 0.28 degrees C per decade. Flood records indicate a sharp rise, with 274 flood incidents recorded in 2020, causing extensive damage, including an annual soil loss of 1 billion tons in the Ethiopian highlands, reducing land productivity by 2.2% annually. Droughts from 1964 to 2023 affected 96.5 million people, reduced GDP by 4%, decreased agricultural output by 12%, and increased inflation rates by 15%. The regions of Afar, Somali, Gambella, and Benshangul Gumuz exhibit extreme vulnerability to health impacts due to rising temperatures. Addressing climate extremes is critical to mitigate their adverse effects on Ethiopia's environment, public health, and livelihoods.

As more US states legalize recreational and medicinal cannabis use, legal market cannabis products present a new and growing potential source of heavy metal exposure. Currently, most states with legal markets only require testing for the big four heavy metals: arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. However, cannabis and hemp plants are known hyperaccumulators of heavy metals from soil and water and may be subject to a much broader array of contaminants. Heavy metal exposure is associated with a wide array of negative health impacts, including cardiovascular and respiratory system damage, making appropriate regulatory limits in consumer products a public health priority. The goal of this study was to characterize levels of 20 heavy metals in Colorado market cannabis flower using newly validated laboratory methods. Flower samples were anonymized and randomly selected from within the inventory of a laboratory that conducts state regulatory testing of cannabis and hemp in Colorado. Flower samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Heavy metal concentrations were generally within previously established ranges for tobacco and cannabis products, with some heavy metals at markedly lower levels than what has been observed in tobacco products. Flower samples that failed state regulatory testing for one of the big four heavy metals had higher levels of chromium and lower levels of beryllium than samples that did not fail for any of the big four heavy metals. Flower samples from indoor grow operations had lower levels of barium, lithium, and selenium than samples from outdoor grow operations. These findings highlight the need for more research into the levels of heavy metal contaminants in consumer cannabis products in Colorado and other US legal markets.

This review offers a synthesis of the current understanding of the impact of low-dose thallium (Tl) on public health, specifically emphasizing its diverse effects on various populations and organs. The article integrates insights into the cytotoxic effects, genotoxic potential, and molecular mechanisms of thallium in mammalian cells. Thallium, a non-essential heavy metal present in up to 89 different minerals, has garnered attention due to its adverse effects on human health. As technology and metallurgical industries advance, various forms of thallium, including dust, vapor, and wastewater, can contaminate the environment, extending to the surrounding air, water sources, and soil. Moreover, the metal has been identified in beverages, tobacco, and vegetables, highlighting its pervasive presence in a wide array of food sources. Epidemiological findings underscore associations between thallium exposure and critical health aspects such as kidney function, pregnancy outcomes, smoking-related implications, and potential links to autism spectrum disorder. Thallium primarily exerts cellular toxicity on various tissues through mitochondria-mediated oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress. This synthesis aims to shed light on the intricate web of thallium exposure and its potential implications for public health, emphasizing the need for vigilant consideration of its risks.

BackgroundRussia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 ignited the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II. Ukrainian government agencies, civil society organizations, and international agencies have gathered an unprecedented amount of data about the impact of war on the environment, which is often the silent victim of war. We review these data and highlight the limitations of international governance for protection of the environment during time of war.MethodsWe performed an integrative review of academic, institutional, and media information resources using the search terms Ukraine, Russia, war, environment, health, human rights, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, ecocide, and war crimes.Main textNearly 500,000 military personnel have been killed or wounded during the war, and more than 30,000 civilians have been killed or injured. Indirect health effects of the war have likely accounted for an even greater amount of civilian morbidity and mortality. The war has displaced more than 11 million people. Russia's military forces have caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure. The war has devastated Ukraine's economy and reduced food and energy security in many countries.The war has caused more than $56.4 billion in damage to the environment. There has been widespread chemical contamination of air, water, and soil, and 30% of Ukraine has been contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance. Landscape destruction, shelling, wildfires, deforestation, and pollution have adversely affected 30% of Ukraine's protected areas. Russia's seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam have posed risks of long-term environmental catastrophe. Most of these environmental impacts threaten human health.Main textNearly 500,000 military personnel have been killed or wounded during the war, and more than 30,000 civilians have been killed or injured. Indirect health effects of the war have likely accounted for an even greater amount of civilian morbidity and mortality. The war has displaced more than 11 million people. Russia's military forces have caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure. The war has devastated Ukraine's economy and reduced food and energy security in many countries.The war has caused more than $56.4 billion in damage to the environment. There has been widespread chemical contamination of air, water, and soil, and 30% of Ukraine has been contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance. Landscape destruction, shelling, wildfires, deforestation, and pollution have adversely affected 30% of Ukraine's protected areas. Russia's seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam have posed risks of long-term environmental catastrophe. Most of these environmental impacts threaten human health.ConclusionIn addition to enormous human costs, Russia's war on Ukraine has had devastating impacts on the natural environment and the built environment. International law mandates that methods of warfare must be implemented with due regard to the protection and preservation of the natural environment. A just and lasting peace necessitates, among other requirements, rebuilding and restoration of Ukraine's natural environment and built environment. The environmental consequences of all wars need to be investigated and more effective measures need to be implemented to protect the environment during war.

The airborne microbiome is one of the relevant topics in ecology, biogeochemistry, environment, and human health. Bioaerosols are ubiquitous air pollutants that play a vital role in the linking of the ecosystem with the biosphere, atmosphere, climate, and public health. However, the sources, abundance, composition, properties, and atmospheric transport mechanisms of bioaerosols are not clearly understood. To screen the effects of climate change on aerosol microbial composition and its consequences for human health, it is first essential to develop standards that recognize the existing microbial components and how they vary naturally. Bioaerosol particles can be considered an information-rich unit comprising diverse cellular and protein materials emitted by humans, animals, and plants. Hence, no single standard technique can satisfactorily extract the required information about bioaerosols. To account for these issues, metagenomics, mass spectrometry, and biological and chemical analyses can be combined with climatic studies to understand the physical and biological relationships among bioaerosols. This can be achieved by strengthening interdisciplinary teamwork in biology, chemistry, earth science, and life sciences and by sharing knowledge and expertise globally. Thus, the coupled use of various advanced analytical approaches is the ultimate key to opening up the biological treasure that lies in the environment.

Society could sustain the impact of climate change by adapting to the change and mitigating risks from adverse effects of increasing changes, so that it can continue maintaining its prospect and improving wellbeing. Nevertheless, climate change is more or less affecting society's functions at different scales, including both individuals and communities. In this review, we discuss the relationship between society and climate change in China from the aspects of the needs at different socioeconomic developing stages. The relationship as well as the current spatial pattern and future risks of the climate change impacts on societies are summarized. The complexity of social and climatic systems leads to the spatial heterogeneity of climate impacts and risks in China. To more effectively leverage increasing knowledge about the past, we advocate greater cross-disciplinary collaboration between climate adaption, poverty alleviation and Nature-based Solutions (Nbs). That could provide decision makers with more comprehensive train of thoughts for climate policy making.

Release of carbonaceous aerosols - comprising black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC) - from biomass burning into the atmosphere is dependent on the burning conditions as to the resultant relative abundances of the emitted BC and OC. This provides a way of managing biomass burning in terms of manipulating the types of emitted aerosol. The carbonaceous aerosols are concerned in different ways in different scientific fields. The BC and OC exert complex implications for (a) radiative forcing in climate change science but (b) public health concern in air pollution science. Referring to these complex implications, a case of sustainability is constructed, which is being unsustainably dealt with at the crossroads of the sciences. This reveals an inadequacy of the reductionist mode of enquiry, necessitating a new mode with unique epistemological orientation for the scholarship of sustainability. The necessity of integration of perspectives that are currently segregated for this sustainability issue and the implications for sustainable development are elucidated. Copyright (c) 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment