Environmental Health Risk Assessment
[One-Health]
Human activities, including in ecosystems and land use, intensification of agriculture, urbanization, and globalization, have accelerated the emergence of various diseases. The increased use of antibiotics to treat these diseases has led to the global public health issue of antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistant microbes can easily spread within humans, animals, and the environment, such as hospitals, wastewater treatment plants, livestock farms, the ocean, and indoor air.
Thus, beyond global disease prevention, surveillance, and control, there is a greater need to address public health issues that encompass the health of the one-health perspectives, as well as the challenges associated with climate change, increased pollution, and the depletion of global resources. Therefore, a multidisciplinary One Health approach that includes humans, animals, and the environment is most important.
[Characteristic of indoor bioaerosols in the environment]
Bioaerosols in the indoor air can spread from various sources into the environment. In particular, potential pathogen and antibiotic resistant bacteria that can be inhaled by humans, leading to diseases. Therefore, we monitor potential pathogens, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes in bioaerosols across various indoor air. In addition, we assess human health by identifying the transmission potential of bioaerosols.
[Evaluation the exposure to antibiotic resistance at the wastewater treatment plant]
Wastewater treatment plants are where all the wastewater discharged by people and animals treated, and they are considered antibiotic hot-spots. In addition, current wastewater treatment plants do not completely eliminate antibiotic resistant bacteria, which are released into environment. Therefore, we investigate the occurrence and gene transfer of antibiotic resistant bacteria during the wastewater treatment process. We also evaluate the impact on the environment when these bacteria are spread through various aquatic environments via effluent, and ultimately assess the potential risks when humans are exposed.
[Assessment of Potential Hazards of Biodegradable Microplastics]
Biodegradable microplastics that are not completely decomposed in real marine environments can threaten marine ecosystems and human health by absorbing and desorbing PAHs, POPs, PCBs, Antibiotics, and potential pathogens. Therefore, we aim to investigate the adsorption and enrichment mechanisms of abiotic/biotic pollutants on biodegradable microplastics, and aseess their potential hazards through ecotoxicity assessment and QMRA (quantitative microbial risk assessment).
[Risk & Hazard Assessment]
Harmful bacterial and fungi, antibiotic resistance genes and bacteria, and toxic substances detected in various environments are quantified and qualified. Collected data are utilized to conduct risk assessments and identify potential risks. In order to protect the health of humans, animals, and the environment from One-Health perspective.