Water pollution control and revitalization using advanced technologies: Uncovering artificial intelligence options towards environmental health protection, sustainability and water security.

In Ghana, illegal mining (galamsey) activities have polluted most of the river bodies. For example, water bodies in Ghana that are polluted amounts to 60% with most of them in deteriorating condition. However, to live a sustainable life, there is the need to follow rules of environmental management, where pollution control and advanced treatment technologies are imperative. The adoption of control strategies and advanced technologies in galamsey-affected-water basins in Ghana will help provide real-time revitalization for supply of quality water. The control strategies for water pollution management and advanced technologies would particularly help utility companies in ensuring that all Ghanaians continue to get potable, reliable, and sustainable water supplies for the current and future generations. The paper covers three key control strategies for water pollution management, vis-à-vis six major aspects of advanced technologies and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). AI based decision-making tools help optimize the use of various treatment technologies, such as adsorption, ion exchanges, electrokinetic processes, chemical precipitation, phytobial remediation, and membrane technology to effectively remove pollutants from affected water bodies. The paper also focuses on advantages and disadvantages of several advanced technologies, challenges on leveraging the technologies while identifying gaps, and possible technology roadmap. The review contributes to water quality issues in Ghana's Pra river basin by embracing AI and other cutting-edge technologies to address the current water pollution crisis and also ensure sustainable and secure water supply for future generations. This contribution is in line with the United Nations' Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals' (SDGs) goal 6 (clean water and sanitation) and goal 3 (good health and well-being).

Remediation of pesticide residues using ozone: A comprehensive overview.

Pesticide residues historically represent a severe threat to public health and the environment. Several species worldwide are still in danger from pesticide residues, despite efforts to mitigate the adverse health effects of these pollutants. As agricultural output has increased and scientific understanding has advanced, new methods have emerged for degrading pesticide traces. The remarkable effectiveness of ozone as a broad-spectrum disinfectant and its potential to destroy pesticide residues have led to its widespread use as a residue-free method for improving soil quality, disinfecting food, and treating water, among other benefits. Ozone is cheap to manufacture, making it an affordable option for treating harmful pesticide residues. Its capacity to degrade pesticides without negatively impacting the environment has increased its adoption as a tool for cleaning up after pesticide use. This review extensively provides an overview of ozonation for pesticide residues removal in different settings and applications. Ozone treatment of pesticide residues in the soil, water and food is effective in removing pesticides residues. We highlight recent advances in methods of removing pesticide residues. We discuss several challenges related to the ozone treatment of pesticide residues. Whether used alone or in conjunction with other processes, ozone is highly effective at removing pesticide residues from the environment. Therefore, we recommend this holistic and environmentally friendly strategy to reduce pesticide residues.

Neck circumference: A valuable anthropometric measurement to detect metabolic syndrome among different age groups in China.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between neck circumference and metabolic syndrome in Chinese residents and to explore the cut-off points of neck circumference for metabolic syndrome in different age groups. METHODS: In all, 4227 Chinese adults (18-90 y) were enrolled in the study and divided into 3 subgroups (young, middle-aged, and elderly) according to their ages. The compared data for the subjects included anthropometric indicators and biochemical detection indices. Neck circumference was compared with other simple anthropometric indices using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: (1) In all, 362 of the subjects who were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome were young (16.8%), 428 were middle-aged (36.9%), and 485 were elderly people (53.1%). (2) The areas under the curve of neck circumference for metabolic syndrome for the 3 subgroups, young, middle-aged, and elderly, for males were 0.853, 0.792, and 0.828, respectively, and these values were 0.859, 0.780, and 0.725 for females, respectively. (3) Neck circumference cut-offs were 39.05, 39.45, and 38.90 cm in men and 34.15, 33.55, and 33.95 cm in women. CONCLUSIONS: Neck circumference contributed to determining metabolic syndrome risk beyond the classical anthropometric indices among different age groups in China.