Poor management of hazardous waste can lead to environmental pollution, injuries, and adverse health risks. Children’s exposure to hazardous waste may cause serious acute and chronic health problems due to their higher vulnerability to the toxic effects of chemicals. This study examines an incident of illegal chemical dumping in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia and its potential health impacts on children. The study introduced a risk assessment of possible health-related effects due to chemical contamination based on a real case scenario where quantification of the contamination was not feasible. A literature review and spatial analysis were used as research methods. On 6th March 2019, tons of hazardous waste were illegally disposed into Kim Kim River, Pasir Gudang, Malaysia. They were identified as benzene, acrolein, acrylonitrile, hydrogen chloride, methane, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, and d-limonene. As a result, 975 students in the vicinity developed signs and symptoms of respiratory disease due to the chemical poisoning. The findings of this study indicate that more effective policies and preventive actions are urgently needed to protect human health, especially children from improper hazardous waste management.

Biomass burning (BB) is a major source of air pollution and particulate matter (PM) in Southeast Asia. However, the health effects of PM smaller than 10 µm (PM₁₀) originating from BB may differ from those of other sources. This study aimed to estimate the short-term association of PM₁₀ from BB with respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions in Peninsular Malaysia, a region often exposed to BB events. We obtained and analyzed daily data on hospital admissions, PM₁₀ levels and BB days from five districts from 2005 to 2015. We identified BB days by evaluating the BB hotspots and backward wind trajectories. We estimated PM₁₀ attributable to BB from the excess of the moving average of PM₁₀ during days without BB hotspots. We fitted time-series quasi-Poisson regression models for each district and pooled them using meta-analyses. We adjusted for potential confounders and examined the lagged effects up to 3 days, and potential effect modification by age and sex. We analyzed 210 960 respiratory and 178 952 cardiovascular admissions. Almost 50% of days were identified as BB days, with a mean PM₁₀ level of 53.1 µg/m³ during BB days and 40.1 µg/m³ during normal days. A 10 µg/m³ increment in PM₁₀ from BB was associated with a 0.44% (95% CI: 0.06, 0.82%) increase in respiratory admissions at lag 0–1, with a stronger association in adults aged 15–64 years and females. We did not see any significant associations for cardiovascular admissions. Our findings suggest that short-term exposure to PM₁₀ from BB increased the risk of respiratory hospitalizations in Peninsular Malaysia.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the mental health of frontline healthcare workers. This study investigated the mental health and occupational stressors faced by frontline workers in Selangor during the pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary data from the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services team, collected from March to August 2020. A total of 4593 frontline workers participated in the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale screening. Results: Mental health symptoms were common among frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 14.8% reporting stress, 30.7% anxiety, and 20.4% depression. Female workers had significantly higher odds of all three conditions, with adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of 1.35 (95% CI: 1.10–1.66) for stress, 1.25 (95% CI: 1.07–1.47) for anxiety, and 1.23 (95% CI: 1.03–1.47) for depression. Workers aged 18–30 had higher odds of stress (aOR 1.88; 95% CI: 1.42–2.47), anxiety (aOR 1.74; 95% CI: 1.43–2.12), and depression (aOR 1.80; 95% CI: 1.43–2.27) compared with those over 40. Employment in hospitals was associated with increased odds of all three conditions, with aORs ranging from 1.71 to 2.05. Among 711 respondents who reported occupational stressors, lack of mental health support was the strongest predictor (aORs 4.91–5.20), followed by poor work rotation and conflict with supervisors. Conclusions: Women, younger staff, and hospital workers were more vulnerable to mental health symptoms during the pandemic. Organizational factors, especially limited support and poor work arrangements, played a major role. Targeted mental health services and improved working conditions are needed to support healthcare workers in future emergencies.