Environmental Research and Planetary Health

The The Impact of Climate Change on Human Health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Pakistan: A Literature Review (2015-2025)

Atta Ur Rahman, Inayat Ur Rahman, Muhammad Raza, Sahib Bahadar — Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Climate change is a pressing global issue with significant implications for human health, especially in vulnerable regions such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where environmental and socio-economic challenges amplify health risks. Climate variability has been linked to an increasing burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, highlighting the need for a comprehensive literature review. This article reviews studies published between 2015 and 2025 on the health impacts of climate change in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The search strategy included major databases, namely PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink, using the keywords “climate change,” “human health,” and “KPK.” Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 1,153 papers were initially identified, of which 55 met the inclusion criteria and were selected for in-depth analysis. The findings revealed several climatic factors affecting health, including extreme temperatures (38 studies), precipitation variability (29 studies), humidity (22 studies), and flooding (15 studies). Most studies focused on the increasing burden of vector-borne diseases, particularly dengue and malaria, as well as respiratory diseases, water-borne diseases, and heat-related health outcomes associated with climate variability.

Native Kaempferia galanga L. in Vietnam: Biological Characteristics and Potential Applications for Human Health Care

Do Thi Dinh, Le Minh Ha, Bui Thi Thuy Luyen — Sat, 23 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Kaempferia galanga is an important medicinal and economic herb of the Zingiberaceae family with significant potential for healthcare applications in Vietnam. This review was the first comprehensive synthesis focusing specifically on Vietnamese evidence regarding the botanical characteristics, cultivation practices, genetic resources, phytochemical composition, pharmacological activities, and traditional medicinal uses of this species. Available studies indicated that K. galanga was widely cultivated across Vietnam and demonstrated promising agronomic performance, with essential oil yields of 4.2–4.43% under optimized cultivation conditions and efficient in vitro propagation achieving 5.03 shoots per explant. Phytochemical investigations revealed a rich diversity of bioactive compounds, including ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, terpenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, and diarylheptanoids, which underpinned multiple biological activities. Experimental studies conducted in Vietnam demonstrated antioxidant, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and uric acid-lowering effects, supporting its traditional use in treating digestive disorders, musculoskeletal pain, inflammatory conditions, and respiratory ailments. Given its local availability and pharmacological potential, K. galanga represented a promising medicinal resource for evidence-based herbal therapeutics and community healthcare in Vietnam. However, important gaps remained regarding chemotype standardization, clinical validation, and sustainable cultivation strategies. This review provided a scientific foundation for future pharmaceutical development, conservation, and effective healthcare utilization of K. galanga in Vietnam.

Occupational Exposure to Engineered Nanomaterials: Pathways, Risk Assessment and Regulations

Kuok Ho Daniel Tang — Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Occupational exposure to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) has emerged as a critical concern due to their unique physicochemical properties, which influence their behavior, bioavailability, and toxicity. This review synthesizes current knowledge on occupational exposure pathways, risk assessment strategies, regulatory frameworks, and key challenges associated with ENMs. Occupational exposure occurs predominantly during manufacturing and handling processes, with inhalation identified as the primary route, although dermal and incidental ingestion pathways are also relevant. Exposure characterization remains limited, particularly across the full lifecycle of nano-enabled products, as transformation processes such as dissolution, aggregation, and surface modification can alter exposure profiles. Advances in risk assessment have led to the development of control banding tools, Bayesian networks, weight-of-evidence frameworks, and computational models such as nano-quantitative structure–activity relationship (nano-QSAR) models. Grouping and read-across strategies have also been proposed to address data gaps and reduce testing requirements. However, these approaches remain constrained by insufficient standardized data, variability in dose metrics, and limited regulatory acceptance. Existing lifecycle–based decision support systems offer promising integrated frameworks but remain dependent on data availability and methodological harmonization. This review integrates occupational exposure pathways, emerging risk assessment methodologies, and regulatory developments into a unified lifecycle-oriented perspective. It further offers a critical perspective on how predictive modeling, grouping strategies, and safe-by-design concepts can collectively support preventive rather than reactive nanosafety governance. Despite regulatory progress in the European Union, the United States, and the Asia-Pacific regions, inconsistencies in definitions, data requirements, and nanospecific provisions continue to hinder global harmonization and effective risk management of ENMs.

Physicochemical Assessment of Dairy Effluent Characteristics and Sustainable Waste Management Strategies

Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The dairy sector, a fundamental component of the global food ecosystem, has witnessed notable expansion due to technological innovations and shifting consumer preferences. Nonetheless, the management of dairy waste poses a significant challenge, with inadequate treatment resulting in severe environmental repercussions, including aquatic pollution, eutrophication, and ecological deterioration. This research examines the physicochemical characteristics of effluents from two dairies in Varanasi—Parag Industrial Dairy and Ganga Local Dairy. Parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), hardness, and nutrient concentrations were evaluated using standardized methodologies. The results indicated substantial deviations from prescribed standards, particularly for ammoniacal nitrogen, COD, BOD, as well as oil and grease concentrations, highlighting deficiencies in existing treatment protocols. The findings accentuate the necessity for enhanced effluent management strategies to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and promote sustainability. Additionally, this research underscores the potential applicability of treated effluent for agricultural use, warranting further investigation into optimal dilution ratios and microbial interactions to maintain ecological equilibrium and sustained productivity.

Drivers of Urban Growth: Cellular Automata–Markov–Analytic Hierarchy Process Modeling of Land Use Change in Amman City, Jordan

Nour Abdeljawad, Ahmad Awajan, Victor Adedokun — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Over the past two decades, rapid urban growth significantly altered land-use patterns in Amman, raising critical concerns regarding sustainability and food security. This study utilized an integrated Cellular Automata–Markov (CA–Markov) model, in combination with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), to simulate land-use and land-cover (LULC) changes and project future scenarios for 2031 and 2040. The CA–Markov model quantified temporal land-use transitions and simulated spatial growth patterns, while AHP served as a multi-criteria decision-making tool to determine the relative influence of key driving factors on urban growth. Landsat imagery from 2004, 2013, and 2022 was classified into three main categories: built-up areas, agricultural land, and barren land. The simulation framework incorporated key driving factors, including GDP per capita, population density, road accessibility, elevation, and slope. Model validation against actual 2022 LULC data yielded a high accuracy of 91.4% and a Kappa index of 0.89, demonstrating the reliability of the predictive framework. The results projected that built-up areas would increase from 257.35 km² (32.3%) in 2022 to 309.18 km² (38.9%) in 2031 and 349.17 km² (43.9%) by 2040, accompanied by a consistent decline in both agricultural and barren lands. Spatial analysis revealed that districts with higher population density, intense economic activity, and superior road accessibility were particularly susceptible to rapid urbanization. These findings highlighted the urgent need for proactive urban planning policies to protect agricultural land and manage growing infrastructure demands. While the CA–Markov model effectively replicated historical patterns, its reliance on past trends limited its capacity to anticipate sudden policy shifts or environmental shocks. Future research should prioritize integrating higher-resolution datasets, such as QuickBird imagery and detailed cadastral or infrastructure data, to improve the spatial accuracy of LULC simulations. In addition, the development of policy-driven and scenario-based models should incorporate urban growth boundaries, agricultural land protection policies, and transportation expansion plans. This would enable more realistic forecasting of land-use dynamics and provide stronger decision-support tools for resilient and sustainable urban development.