A framework for One Health research

Lebov, J.; Grieger, K.; Womack, D.; Zaccaro, D.; Whitehead, N.; Kowalcyk, B.; MacDonald, P.D.M.

Simulations were performed to estimate exposures to humans, wildlife, and farm animals. Human exposures can occur through the inhalation of contaminated air (i.e., dust, particles, vapors); ingestion of contaminated groundwater or surface water; inhalation of organic pollutants during showering; incidental ingestion of soil; and ingestion of contaminated farm products, including produce, meat, milk, and fish caught in the farm pond. Wildlife and farm animals may be exposed to pollutants through contact with water, soil, and sediment and through ingestion of contaminated aquatic and terrestrial species. Simulation of these exposures and estimation of health impacts require extensive data collection defining thousands of input parameters. Parameter data were obtained to define modeling scenarios, including the following: physical and chemical composition of biosolids; characteristics of agricultural and field practices (e.g. application frequency); environmental setting and climate characteristics (e.g. daily windspeed, precipitation, etc.); behavior of chemical components in terms of fate and transport; pollutant receptors and rates of uptake; health risks associated with varying levels of chemical toxicity, exposure route, and exposure duration. These data were obtained from EPA reports and databases of the United States Geological Service and the United States Department of Agriculture databases, among other sources [14] .