Browsing by Author "Li, Gang"
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- Embedded health risk from arsenic in globally traded ricePublication . Nunes, Luís; Li, Gang; Chen, Wei-Qiang; Meharg, Andrew A.; O’Connor, Patrick; Zhu, Yong-GuanInternational food trade is fundamental to globalfood security but with often negative consequences in theproducing country. We propose a method of quantifyingflows ofinorganic arsenic (iAs) and embedded increased lifetime cancerrisks (EHR) at a global scale, where negative impacts are felt onthe importing country. Computations were made for 153countries. Vietnam exports the most iAs embedded in rice (796kg/year) followed by India (788 kg/year), Thailand (485 kg/year),and the United States (323 kg/year). We show that continentalChina, Indonesia, and Malaysia have the highest imports of iAs(292, 174, and 123 kg/year, respectively). Bangladesh rankshighest in EHR followed by Vietnam and Cambodia (150, 141, and 111 per 100,000, respectively). Countries that dependexclusively on imported rice are importing a substantial amount of risk, as, e.g., Kiribati and Solomon Islands (57 and 53 per100,000, respectively). We discuss the potential policy options for reducing population dietary health risks by well-balancedapportioning of rice sources. This study targets policy design solutions based on health gains, rather than on safe levels of the riskfactor alone.
- Global microplastic fiber pollution from domestic laundryPublication . Wang, Chunhui; Song, Jing; Nunes, Luís; Zhao, Hongting; Wang, Peng; Liang, Zhirong; Arp, Hans Peter H.; Li, Gang; Xing, BaoshanThe rapid expansion of fast fashion has significantly increased microplastic fiber (MPF) release during laundry practices, accounting for approximately one-third of primary microplastics entering the ocean. Currently, a significant gap exists in global-scale research on the release of MPFs from washing textiles. This study introduces an innovative empirical model to assess the spatial distribution of MPF emissions. The model estimates an annual global emission of 5.69 million tons of MPFs from laundry. Of this total, machine washing accounts for the majority (93.7 %), with hand washing contributing the remaining 6.3 %. As the primary source of MPF pollution, Asia's ' s emissions reach 3.71 million tons, far exceeding those of North America (1.18 million tons) and Europe (0.45 million tons). The primary issue is that wastewater management efficiency varies significantly worldwide. In Asia, there is persistently high discharge of MPFs into natural waters, and the removal efficiency of wastewater treatment plants is still comparatively low. In contrast, the United States and many European countries exhibit better MPF retention. The global nature of this challenge mandates international collaboration for comprehensive environmental conservation. Our study provides the first high-resolution global distribution map of MPF emissions and discharge into natural waters, establishing a data foundation for global and regional management of microplastics originating from household laundry sources.
- Inorganic arsenic in Chinese food and its cancer riskPublication . Li, Gang; Sun, Guo-Xin; Williams, Paul N.; Nunes, L.; Zhu, Yong-GuanEven moderate arsenic exposure may lead to health problems, and thus quantifying inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure from food for different population groups in China is essential. By analyzing the data from the China National Nutrition and Health Survey (CNNHS) and collecting reported values of iAs in major food groups, we developed a framework of calculating average iAs daily intake for different regions of China. Based on this framework, cancer risks from As in food was deterministically and probabilistically quantified. The article presents estimates for health risk due to the ingestion of food products contaminated with arsenic. Both per individual and for total population estimates were obtained. For the total population, daily iAs intake is around 42 mu g day(-1), and rice is the largest contributor of total iAs intake accounting for about 60%. Incremental lifetime cancer risk from food iAs intake is 106 per 100,000 for adult individuals and the median population cancer risk is 177 per 100,000 varying between regions. Population in the Southern region has a higher cancer risk than that in the Northern region and the total population. Sensitive analysis indicated that cancer slope factor, ingestion rates of rice, aquatic products and iAs concentration in rice were the most relevant variables in the model, as indicated by their higher contribution to variance of the incremental lifetime cancer risk. We conclude that rice may be the largest contributor of iAs through food route for the Chinese people. The population from the South has greater cancer risk than that from the North and the whole population. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- Methyl mercury concentrations in seafood collected from Zhoushan Islands, Zhejiang, China, and their potential health risk for the fishing communityPublication . Yu, Xinwei; Khan, Sardar; Khan, Anwarzeb; Tang, Yuting; Nunes, Luís; Yan, Jianbo; Ye, Xingqian; Li, GangSeafood is an important exposure route for mercury, especially methyl mercury (MeHg). Therefore, we quantified MeHg concentrations in 69 species of seafood including fish, crustaceans and mollusks collected from Zhoushan Islands, China. MeHg concentrations ranged from <0.0020-0.2098 µg/g and did not exceed the threshold limit of 1 µg/g in all sampled species, However, MeHg concentrations significantly differed among fish species (0.0085-0.2098 mg kg-1), crustaceans (<0.002-0.0221 mg kg-1) and mollusks (<0.002-0.1389 mg kg-1). The trophic magnification factor (TMF) was determined on the basis of the trophic level (TL). The TL values for fish, crustaceans and mollusks were above 3 when the TMF values were >1. The daily dietary intake and hazard quotient for MeHg were calculated to estimate exposure and health risk through seafood consumption by local inhabitants. The calculated HQ was lower than 1, thus indicating that the exposure was below the risk threshold of related chronic diseases. However, higher MeHg concentrations in fish species such as Scoliodon sorrakowah and Auxis thazard are concerning and may pose health risk through continuous consumption by local inhabitants.
- Tourism memory characteristics scale: development and validationPublication . Kim, Youngsoo; Ribeiro, Manuel Alector; Li, GangRecall of tourism experiences is a decisive factor in tourists' future behavior and decision making when choosing destinations. Understanding the phenomenology of tourism memory can enable tourism organizations to enter a more competitive marketplace. Although extensive literature has addressed how to provide memorable tourism experiences, limited studies have focused on the autobiographical memories associated with these experiences. This research employed rigorous scale development procedures to establish the Tourism Memory Characteristics Scale (TMCS). Findings point to a seven-dimension scale consisting of accessibility, trip details, vividness, sensory details, valence, emotional intensity, and sharing. Tourism memory characteristics were found to support the scale's dimensional structure, validity, and reliability. It was also found that tourism memory influences revisit intention and word of mouth. Results present opportunities for tourism organizations to capture the fundamental characteristics of their products by using the TMCS.
- Tourism memory, mood repair and behavioral intentionPublication . Kim, Youngsoo; Ribeiro, Manuel Alector; Li, GangRecall of tourism experiences evokes pleasant affect tied to the trip, which leads to mood and behavioral intentions. Based on experimental design with two studies, this research investigates the mood-repairing role of tourism memory, memory characteristics, and affective and behavioral consequences of tourism memory. Study 1 confirmed that both positive and negative mood groups recall positive tourism memories, and the effect of mood repair motivation on tourism memory valence is moderated by mood state. Study 2 identified tourism memory characteristics and the effect of tourism memory valence on mood and behavioral intentions. Findings contribute to the literature on relationships between tourism memories, mood and behavioral intentions, and inform tourism organizations on how to use tourism memories for experience management.(c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).