Publications by authors named "Andrew L Marriott"

Gold mining activities are undertaken both at large and artisanal scale, often resulting in serious 'collateral' environmental issues, including environmental pollution and hazard to human and ecosystem health. Furthermore, some of these activities are poorly regulated, which can produce long-lasting damage to the environment and local livelihoods. The aim of this study was to identify a new workflow model to discriminate anthropogenic versus geogenic enrichment in soils of gold mining regions.

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  • Soil erosion is worsened by bad farming practices, land degradation, and human activities, affecting nutrient cycling, productivity, and economies.
  • This study uses the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) to assess soil erosion risk in the Winam Gulf, Kenya, at a monthly level from January 2017 to June 2020, revealing that erosion rates peak from February to April.
  • The findings emphasize the importance of understanding soil erosion patterns for effective policy-making and conservation efforts, with an average annual soil loss of 10.71 Mt in the catchment area.
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The occurrence of mercury (Hg) in the environment globally has been linked largely to its use for gold processing. In this research, ore samples, agricultural soil and mine wastes were taken within the vicinity of an artisanal gold mine and processing sites in Niger state, a north-central part of Nigeria to determine Hg contamination in the environment and estimate the potential hazard to health. The values of Hg measured in ore, agricultural soil and mine wastes ranged between 0.

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  • Air pollution, particularly from road dust, is a significant environmental issue in urban areas like Kolkata and Bengaluru, India, affecting human health due to exposure to harmful elements.
  • The study analyzed road dust samples for various inorganic components, revealing high levels of heavy metals and identifying specific risks associated with vehicle traffic and local industries.
  • The findings indicated that lead exposure, particularly for children in Kolkata, posed the greatest health risk through ingestion, while chromium was a concern in Bengaluru, highlighting the importance of addressing urban dust pollution.
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  • - The study analyzed soil, water, and food composition data to assess micronutrient intake and deficiencies across regions in Tanzania and Western Kenya, emphasizing the need for updated and comprehensive food balance information.
  • - About 1500 crop samples were tested for essential micronutrients, revealing that Tanzanian foods generally had better micronutrient supply than those in Western Kenya, with leafy vegetables showing the highest concentrations.
  • - The findings indicated high deficiency rates for calcium, zinc, and iodine, especially in Kenya, while some drinking water in Tanzania could significantly contribute to micronutrient intake, highlighting regional disparities in nutrient availability.
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Understanding the risks of a developing unconventional hydrocarbons industry, including shale gas, to the chemical quality of surface water and groundwater involves firstly establishing baseline compositions against which any future changes can be assessed. Contaminants of geogenic origin are of particular interest and radon has been identified as one potential contaminant from shale sources. Robust measurement and monitoring of radon in water at environmental concentrations is essential for ensuring protection of water sources and maintaining public confidence.

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Element deficiencies and excesses play important roles in non-communicable disease aetiology. When investigating their roles in epidemiologic studies without prospective designs, reverse-causality limits the utility of transient biomarkers in cases. This study aimed to investigate whether surrogate participants may provide viable proxies by assessing concentration correlations within households.

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