Development of a diffusive sampling method for determination of methyl isocyanate in air

A diffusive sampling method for determination of methyl isocyanate in air has been developed. A glass fibre filter impregnated with 1-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazine in a commercially available diffusive sampling device was used to collect methyl isocyanate and the derivative formed was analysed with LC-MS/MS. The sampling rate was determined to be 15.6 ml min(-1), with a relative standard deviation of 7.3%. The sampler was validated for sampling periods from 15 min to 8 h, for relative humidities from 20% to 80% and for concentrations from I to 46 microg m(-3). A field validation was also made and the diffusive sampling results showed no difference compared to a pumped reference method. The impregnated filters have to be stored apart from the diffusive sampler housing and loaded into the sampler prior to each sampling.     

Equity-focused health impact assessment: A tool to assist policy makers in addressing health inequalities

In Australasia (Australia and New Zealand) the use of health impact assessment (HIA) as a tool for improved policy development is comparatively new. The public health workforce do not routinely assess the potential health and equity impacts of proposed policies or programs. The Australasian Collaboration for Health Equity Impact Assessment was funded to develop a strategic framework for equity-focused HIA (EFHIA) with the intent of strengthening the ways in which equity is addressed in each step of HIA. The collaboration developed a draft framework for EFHIA that mirrored, but modified the commonly accepted steps of HIA; tested the draft framework in six different health service delivery settings; analysed the feedback about application of the draft EFHIA framework and modified it accordingly. The strategic framework shows promise in providing a systematic process for identifying potential differential health impacts and assessing the extent to which these are avoidable and unfair. This paper presents the EFHIA framework and discusses some of the issues that arose in the case study sites undertaking equity-focused HIA.     

博茨瓦纳欧科范果湿地1972～2000年泛滥方式

欧科范果三角洲地区泛滥范围年年在变化.这种变化与安哥拉高地集水区的区域性降水及当地降雨量有关.我们采用了1972～2000年的3000多幅卫星图像来描绘湿地的格局,其中从1985～2000年的图像几乎是NOAAAVHRR每日连续传送的,1972年以来的其它图像是从Landsat传感器上传下来的,其连续性次之.对AVHRR图像每10天为一期,用无监督分类方法分成陆地和水体.对LandsatTM和ERS2-ATSR数据进行分析的结果,与测算的淹没区域89%相吻合.结果显示欧科范果湿地近期30年期间的变化约在2450～11400km2之间.     

The effect of the introduction of prenatal diagnosis on the reproductive history of women at increased risk from neural tube defects

The reproductive history of 45 couples at increased risk for neural tube defect (NTD) who came for genetic counselling in 1970 and 1971 were compared with a similar number counselled in 1975 and 1976, when prenatal diagnostic tests were freely offered. They were subsequently interviewed in their homes and had their reproductive history recorded to the end of 1973 and 1978 respectively. Nearly all had a previous child with an NTD and none of the women were pregnant at the time of counselling. The effect of prenatal diagnosis was to speed somewhat the decision about further pregnancies, but the number of couples deciding on no further children and on having further pregnancies were almost identical in the two groups. The average number of pregnancies was 2·8 per family, with only 1·2 surviving children. The pregnancy outcomes are discussed as are the reasons for not attempting further pregnancies in both groups, which included very high risk of recurrence, a surviving spina bifida child, inability to accept the tests or its implications. Ninety per cent of the second group had tests. Their reactions to the tests were favourable but all complained of the waiting time between amniocentesis and obtaining the results. They all would have tests again in any future pregnancy. The reason for women not having prenatal diagnostic tests included inability to accept termination. It is concluded that couples in South Wales decide either to have no more children or to have further pregnancies regardless of tests. but tests speed a decision and enable the women to enjoy the pregnancy after obtaining the results, and that an NTD greatly reduces the number of children per family. A termination for an NTD is much more acceptable to most than an NTD at term. The reasons for this are discussed.     

Effects of planned expansion of waste incineration in the Swedish district heating systems

Recent targets for reduced amounts of waste to landfills in Sweden will result in a large increase in waste incineration with recovery of energy, used primarily for district heating. The aim of this study is to investigate what changes in the usage of other fuels and technologies for district heat production would be caused by this increase. A questionnaire was sent out to the largest district heating companies, and simulations in an energy systems model were carried out. The analysis shows that increased waste incineration reduces the demand for other fuels, especially biomass, for district heat production. The effects include reductions in operating hours as well as the avoidance or postponement of investments in new plants for district heat production. Increased waste incineration will also lead to a greater use of district heating in Sweden.     

Plasma concentrations of sucralose in children and adults

We aimed to measure concentrations of the commonly used artificial sweetener sucralose, following ingestion of doses reflecting a range of consumption and to compare concentrations in children and adults. Eleven adults consumed 355 mL water containing 0 mg (control), 68, 170, or 250 mg sucralose (equivalent to 1–4 diet sodas). A second group of adults (n = 11) consumed 355 mL Diet Rite Cola? (68 mg sucralose and 41 mg acesulfame-potassium (ace-K)) or 68 mg sucralose and 41 mg ace-K in seltzer. Beverages were provided at separate visits in randomized order, prior to an oral glucose tolerance test. Eleven children consumed 0 or 68 mg sucralose in 240 mL water, in an identical study design. Blood was collected before beverage ingestion and serially for 120 min. Sucralose doses (corrected for weight) resulted in similar plasma concentrations in children and adults. Concentrations were comparable whether sucralose was administered in water, combined with ace-K, or in diet soda. Due to their lower body weight and blood volume, children have markedly higher plasma sucralose concentrations after the consumption of a typical diet soda, emphasizing the need to determine the clinical implications of sucralose use in children.     

Finfish Aquaculture: Animal Welfare, the Environment, and Ethical Implications

The aim of this review is to assess the ethical implications of finfish aquaculture, regarding fish welfare and environmental aspects. The finfish aquaculture industry has grown substantially the last decades, both as a result of the over-fishing of wild fish populations, and because of the increasing consumer demand for fish meat. As the industry is growing, a significant amount of research on the subject is being conducted, monitoring the effects of aquaculture on the environment and on animal welfare. The areas of concern when it comes to animal welfare have here been divided into four different stages: breeding period; growth period; capturing and handling; and slaughter. Besides these stages, this report includes a chapter on the current evidence of fish sentience, since this issue is still being debated among biologists. However, most biologists are at present acknowledging the probability of fish being sentient creatures. Current aquaculture practices are affecting fish welfare during all four of the cited stages, both on physical and mental levels, as well as on the ability of fish to carry out natural behaviors. The effect fish farming has on the environment is here separated into five different categories: the decline of wild fish populations; waste and chemical discharge; loss of habitat; spreading of diseases; and invasion of exotic organisms. There is evidence of severe negative effects on the environment when looking at these five categories, even when considering the difficulty of studying environmental effects, due to the closely interacting variables. The ethical arguments and scientific evidences here reviewed have not all come to the same conclusions. Nevertheless, the general agreement is that current aquaculture practices are neither meeting the needs of fish nor environment. Thus, the obvious environmental and animal welfare aspects of finfish aquaculture make it hard to ethically defend a fish diet.     

Development of sustainable energy systems in Swedish municipalities: A matter of path dependency and power relations

Case studies of two Swedish municipalities indicate that the general energy area was divided into three independent policy areas: one dealing with supply, one with conservation and one with environmental questions related to the Agenda 21 vision of an ecologically sustainable energy system. However, the dominant energy policy area in the municipalities was supply policy. This article discusses why supply policy is dominant and the consequences of this for energy system development. Analysis of this pattern reveals that powerful actors, such as local energy companies, were able to mobilize support for supply policies, not least because they owned the energy plants and distribution networks. These actors were also represented in many different decision arenas; in contrast, actors representing the other energy policy areas often lacked power and resources, and were represented in only a few decision arenas.     

Flooding patterns of the Okavango Wetland in Botswana between 1972 and 2000

The inundated area of the Okavango Delta changes annually and interannually. The variability relates to regional precipitation over the catchment area in the Angolan highlands, and to local rainfall. The patterns of the wetland were captured using more than 3000 satellite images for the period 1972 to 2000, near daily NOAA AVHRR data for 1985-2000, and less frequent images of the Landsat sensors from 1972 onwards. One AVHRR image for every 10-day period was classified into land and water using an unsupervised classification method. Evaluation against Landsat TM and ERS2-ATSR data indicate an agreement of 89% for the size of estimated inundation area. Results show that the wetland area has varied between approximately 2450 km2 and 11400 km2 during the last 30 years.