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Research on Environmental Health: Sustainability and Innovation
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Research on Environmental Health: Sustainability and Innovation

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 4297

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ana Monteiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
H&TRC—Health & Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1600-560 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: exposure assessment; occupational exposure; occupational health; aerosols; bacteriology; atmosphere pollution; indoor air quality; environmental health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marina Almeida-Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
H&TRC-Health & Technology Research Center, Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde (ESTeSL), Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1900-096 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: environmental health; healthy ageing; susceptible population exposure to air pollutants; human health impacts to air pollutants; indoor and atmospheric air quality assessment; source apportionment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environment health research delivers research results and innovation in various domains. This includes the generation of harmonized data for risk assessment, the advancement of technologies, contributions towards informed decision making, and the production of knowledge applicable in academia, the health sector, policymaking, and public health by protecting citizens' health and well-being. To achieve this aim, it is crucial to foster environmental sustainability by adopting sustainability innovation, following the SDGs defined by the United Nations until 2030.

The new trend in societal development not only relates environmental health issues with sustainable innovation, but also with the entrepreneurial vision. Entrepreneurship has been considered a strategy for the growth and development of societies, where it plays a vital role in the leadership of today's societies (Santana-Domínguez et al., 2022), leading to technical and innovative changes that can generate economic growth, also converting new knowledge into modern and more sustainable products and services (Melnikova & Zaščerinska, 2021).

Taking all of these into consideration, we encourage submissions related to the following topics:

  • Research across different disciplinary domains studying the relationship between environmental health, entrepreneurship, innovation, and well-being or sustainability;
  • Public health and new, innovative, and sustainable solutions that might improve the population’s well-being;
  • Relationships between different kinds of indoor air pollutants and their effects on human health;
  • Methodologies and/or frameworks that cross the domains of environmental health and new and innovative solutions following the SDGs.

Dr. Ana Monteiro
Dr. Marina Almeida-Silva
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • environment
  • health
  • sustainability
  • innovation
  • entrepreneurship

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1249 KiB  
Article
Time Trends and Geographic Patterns of Mortality Due to Tracheal, Bronchus, and Lung Cancer in Portugal
by Cristina Teixeira, Cristiana Fialho, Joana Cunha, Ana Oliveira, Andrea F. Afonso and António Nogueira
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(13), 5933; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14135933 - 8 Jul 2024
Viewed by 690
Abstract
Tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer (TBLC) remains a major public health concern. Knowledge about geographic patterns and time trends in TBLC could give insights to better address this problem. This study aimed to evaluate the geographic patterns and time trends in mortality due [...] Read more.
Tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer (TBLC) remains a major public health concern. Knowledge about geographic patterns and time trends in TBLC could give insights to better address this problem. This study aimed to evaluate the geographic patterns and time trends in mortality due to TBLC observed in Portugal. TBLC-related deaths and population estimates (2011–2021) were derived from the Instituto Nacional de Estatística. Age-standardized mortality rates for people aged 50 or more (ASMR_50+) per 100,000 were obtained. Analyses were stratified by gender, geographic region, and level of urbanization. The time trends in ASMR_50+ were evaluated using joinpoint regression models, and the values for the annual percentage change (APC) and the respective 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were obtained. Differences in mortality due to TBLC between regions and levels of urbanization (2017–2021) were assessed through a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and the respective 95% CI. In 2021, the ASMR_50+ per 100,000 inhabitants observed in mainland Portugal was 158.0 and 40.4 among men and women, respectively. According to the time-trend analysis, ASMR_50+ due to TBLC remained stable or described a downward trend among men, but there was an upward trend among women in suburban and urban regions. Observed deaths were significantly higher than the expected for men in urban areas (SMR = 125%; 95% CI: 121–128 and SMR = 118%; 95% CI: 115–122 in Norte and Lisboa, respectively), and women in Urban Norte (SMR = 125%; 95%CI: 119–131). Lower mortality than expected was observed among men living in Rural Norte and Rural Centro, as well as, among women living in all the rural areas. In suburban areas, the observed deaths were lower, higher, or as expected depending on the geographic region and gender. A notable upward trend in mortality due to TBLC among women was observed. The geographic patterns observed suggest the effects of deleterious environmental factors and smoking habits, deserving attention from policymakers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Environmental Health: Sustainability and Innovation)
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14 pages, 2411 KiB  
Article
Design and Evaluation of Face Mask Filtration: Mechanisms, Formulas, and Fluid Dynamics Simulations
by Francesca Pisapia, David Rees and Manoochehr Rasekh
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(13), 5432; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14135432 - 22 Jun 2024
Viewed by 944
Abstract
The global adoption of face masks as a preventive measure against the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) has spurred extensive research into their filtration efficacy. This study begins by elucidating various mechanisms of particle penetration and comparing filtration efficiency formulas with experimental [...] Read more.
The global adoption of face masks as a preventive measure against the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) has spurred extensive research into their filtration efficacy. This study begins by elucidating various mechanisms of particle penetration and comparing filtration efficiency formulas with experimental data from prior studies. This is compared to the filtration efficiency experimental measurement developed in our previous study. Moreover, it delves into fluid dynamics simulations to examine different turbulent airflow models. Specifically, it contrasts the airflow velocity distribution of the k-ω and k-ε turbulent flow models with that of a quadrant-based average velocity model developed within this research. Furthermore, the study conducts fluid dynamic simulations to assess airflow profiles for six distinct medical and non-medical face masks. The results underscore substantial disparities among the simulations, emphasising the criticality of employing accurate fluid dynamics models for evaluating airflow patterns during diverse respiratory activities such as breathing, coughing, or sneezing, thereby enhancing environmental health in the realm of infectious disease prevention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Environmental Health: Sustainability and Innovation)
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23 pages, 2844 KiB  
Article
Research on the Coupled Coordination and Prediction of Technological Innovation and Ecological Environment Development in Coastal Regions of China
by Yuan Wang, Yingying Wu, Yihua Zhang and Linling Zheng
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 4767; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114767 - 31 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 607
Abstract
Scientific and technological innovation and ecological progress are important forces for China’s high-quality development. Nevertheless, the current body of research seldom explores the mutual dependence and evolutionary patterns of the two regional systems when considering both historical and future perspectives. This paper aims [...] Read more.
Scientific and technological innovation and ecological progress are important forces for China’s high-quality development. Nevertheless, the current body of research seldom explores the mutual dependence and evolutionary patterns of the two regional systems when considering both historical and future perspectives. This paper aims to enhance the current theoretical research framework by focusing on the coastal region of China. It analyzes and predicts the co-evolution and space–time distribution process of two systems by constructing a coupled model and a gray prediction model. The results show the following: (1) the coupling and coordinated development level of the two coastal systems has basically reached the stage of good coupling and coordinated development, and the level has increased, but the gap has gradually increased, and Jiangsu and Guangdong have reached the leading level; (2) the spatial distribution in coastal areas is uneven, showing a convex spatial pattern of “high in the middle and low at both ends”; (3) during the forecast period, the overall coupling and coordination level of the two systems will continue to improve, but individual cities still cannot jump out of the development state of slow development processes. With the aim of fostering the harmonious growth of both systems at both regional and national levels, this paper proposes practical recommendations concerning the establishment of a sustainable interaction mechanism, the evolution of the industrial structure towards ecological sustainability, and the economic contribution to scientific and technological innovation. Furthermore, this article serves as a valuable reference for advancing the sustainable development of other nations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Environmental Health: Sustainability and Innovation)
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22 pages, 19047 KiB  
Article
Electroencephalography (EEG)-Based Comfort Evaluation of Free-Form and Regular-Form Landscapes in Virtual Reality
by Hongguo Ren, Ziming Zheng, Jing Zhang, Qingqin Wang and Yujun Wang
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 933; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14020933 - 22 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1504
Abstract
Urban landscape parks play a crucial role in providing recreational opportunities for citizens. Different types of landscapes offer varying levels of comfort experiences. However, the assessment of landscape comfort primarily relies on subjective evaluations and basic physiological measurements, which lack sufficient quantification of [...] Read more.
Urban landscape parks play a crucial role in providing recreational opportunities for citizens. Different types of landscapes offer varying levels of comfort experiences. However, the assessment of landscape comfort primarily relies on subjective evaluations and basic physiological measurements, which lack sufficient quantification of relevant data. This study employed electroencephalography (EEG) technology and subjective questionnaire evaluation methods. Participants observed two sets of landscape demonstration videos using virtual reality (VR) devices, and EEG alpha values and subjective evaluation scores were collected to assess the comfort levels of free-form landscape and regular-form landscape. Additionally, this study explored the correlation between landscape characteristics and physiological comfort. The analysis of the results showed that: 1. The average amplitude of EEG alpha waves recorded from 11 electrodes in the left temporal lobe and right parietal lobe of the participants was higher after they watched the free-form landscape demonstration. The increased alpha values suggest that free-form landscapes are more likely to induce physiological comfort in these specific brain regions. In contrast, regular-form landscape was found to induce higher alpha values at seven specific electrodes located in the occipital cortex, right temporal lobe, and central regions of the participants. In general, free-form landscape provided physiological comfort to a greater number of brain regions. 2. The two groups of landscapes exhibit distinct subjective cognitive differences in terms of their landscape characteristics. These differences, ranked in order of magnitude, include rhythmicity, sense of order, sense of security, and sense of dependence. 3. This study examined the α-waves of specific brain regions, including the right and left temporal lobe and occipital lobe, as well as subjective scoring. It discovered that the rhythmicity, degree of variation, degree of color, and sense of nature of a landscape impact the α-wave value of electrodes in different brain regions. Moreover, there exists a certain linear relationship between the four landscape features and the α-wave values in different regions of the brain. The results of this study provide some reference for the creation of a comfortable landscape design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Environmental Health: Sustainability and Innovation)
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