Ergonomics and Work Organization: The Relationship Between Tayloristic Design and Workers’ Health in Banks and Credit Cards Companies

Abstract

The discussion developed in this paper is based on the results of an ergonomic work analysis carried out with attendants at call centers. Some critical issues and difficulties, like working pace, inadequate tools and workstations, and software inadequacies were detected in working situations. Operator-customer interactions are presented, attempting to put in evidence working constraints, working conditions, and their connection with health problems.

The main conclusion is that serving clients, especially when the job is to provide information, is not a simple task, as information is not always available in the computerized system and is completely fragmented. The scope of workers’ actions is very restricted and complicated and recurrent requests are redirected to others. Workers (individually or as groups) have limited possibilities to make adjustments to be able to give more adequate and personalized treatment to clients and, at the same time, to work in a less stressful environment. In periods of increased workload and work intensification, the situation is very much favorable to the incidence of health disorders, such as work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) and others. Some suggestions to improve the work situation are discussed.     

Temperature and discharge variations in natural mineral water springs due to climate variability: a case study in the Piedmont Alps (NW Italy)

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - In the context of global climate change, understanding the relationships between climate and groundwater is increasingly important. This study in the NW Alps...     

无锡鼋头渚夜鹭卵中有机氯农药残留及其环境指示意义

分析了太湖鼋头渚夜鹭卵中的有机氯农药残留情况,发现在禁用近20年后,HCH的异构体、DDT及其代谢物、异狄氏剂以及环氧七氯在夜鹭卵中都不有同程度的检出,其中β－HCH和p,p‘-DDE的残留水平和检出率均很高,p,p‘-DDE平均达到了0.906ug/g(干重）。研究发现无锡夜鹭卵中多数有机氯农药残留水平平均高于江西共青城地区的样品。无锡夜鹭卵孵化率较低。可能与DDE残留量较高有关。夜鹭卵中有机氯农药残留水平具有指示环境污染的意义。     

Pyrolysis of WEEE plastics using catalysts produced from fly ash of coal gasification

Catalytic pyrolysis of thermoplastics extracted from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was investigated using various fly ash-derived catalysts. The catalysts were prepared from fly ash by a simple method that basically includes a mechanical treatment followed by an acid or a basic activation. The synthesized catalysts were characterized using various analytical techniques. The results showed that not treated fly ash (FA) is characterized by good crystallinity, which in turn is lowered by mechanical and chemical treatment (fly ash after mechanical and acid activation, FAMA) and suppressed almost entirely down to let fly ash become completely amorphous (fly ash after mechanical and basic activation FAMB). Simultaneously, the surface area resulted increased. Subsequently, FA, FAMB and FAMA were used in the pyrolysis of a WEEE plastic sample at 400°C and their performance were compared with thermal pyrolysis at the same temperature. The catalysts principally improve the light oil yield: from 59 wt.% with thermal pyrolysis to 83 wt.% using FAMB. The formation of styrene in the oil is also increased: from 243 mg/g with thermal pyrolysis to 453 mg/g using FAMB. As a result, FAMB proved to be the best catalyst, thus producing also the lowest and the highest amount of char and gas, respectively.

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Assessment of Ni accumulation capability by fungi for a possible approach to remove metals from soils and waters

ABSTRACT

Abandoned industrial sites and mines may constitute possible hazards for surrounding environment due to the presence of toxic compounds that may contaminate soils and waters. The possibility to remove metal contaminants, specifically nickel (Ni), by means of fungi was presented exploiting a set of fungal strains isolated from a Ligurian dismissed mine. The achieved results demonstrate the high Ni(II) tolerance, up to 500 mg Ni l^?1, and removal capability of a Trichoderma harzianum strain. This latter hyperaccumulates up to 11,000 mg Ni kg^?1, suggesting its possible use in a bioremediation protocol able to provide a sustainable reclamation of broad contaminated areas.     

Chemical composition and surfactant characteristics of marine foams investigated by means of UV-vis,FTIR and FTNIR spectroscopy

In this study, we collected the ultraviolet–visible (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Fourier transform near-infrared (FTNIR) spectra of marine foams from different sites and foams produced by marine living organisms (i.e. algae and molluscs) to retrieve information about their molecular and structural composition. UV-vis spectra gave information concerning the lipid and pigment contents of foams. FTIR spectroscopy gave a more detailed qualitative information regarding carbohydrates, lipids and proteins in addition with information about the mineral contents of foams. FTNIR spectra confirmed the presence of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins in foams. Then, due to the higher content of structural information of FTIR spectroscopy with respect to FTNIR and UV-vis, we join the FTIR spectra of marine foams to those of humic substance from marine sediments and to the spectra of foams obtained by living organisms. We submitted this resulting FTIR spectral dataset to statistical multivariate methods to investigate specific aspects of foams such as structural similarity among foams and in addition, contributions from the organic matter of living organisms. Cluster analysis (CA) evidenced several cases (i.e. clusters) of marine foams having high structural similarity with foams from vegetal and animal samples and with humic substance extracted from sediments. These results suggested that all the living organisms of the marine environment can give contributions to the chemical composition of foams. Moreover, as CA also evidenced cases of structural differences within foam samples, we applied two-dimensional correlation analysis (2DCORR) to the FTIR spectra of marine foams to investigate the molecular characteristics which caused these structural differences. Asynchronous spectra of two-dimensional correlation analysis showed that the structural heterogeneity among foam samples depended reasonably on the presence and on the qualitative difference of electrostatic (hydrogen bonds) and nonpolar (van der Waals and π–π) interactions involving carbohydrate proteins and lipids present. The presence and relevance of these interactions agree with the supramolecular and surfactant characteristics of marine organic matter described in the scientific literature.     

An alternative supercritical fluid extraction system for aqueous matrices and its application in pesticides residue analysis

Abstract

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is a rapid and convenient method for the isolation of organic compounds from environmental samples. This paper describes a supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂) extraction system that uses a newly designed extraction cell to recover organic compounds from an aqueous matrix. Analysis of the extracts by gas chromatography‐electron capture detector (GC‐ECD) indicated that the herbicide trifluralin (2,6‐dinitro‐N,N‐dipropyl‐4‐trifluoromethylaniline) could be quantitatively extracted by using the SFE system proposed with small amounts of sample. The percentage of recovery obtained with the SFE system described was twice as high as the result obtained using a conventional solid‐phase extraction technique. Extraction by SFE was completed in a short period of time using a simple and low‐cost home‐made system that did not require the use of organic solvents.     

Changes in photosynthesis, mesophyll conductance to CO2, and isoprenoid emissions in Populus nigra plants exposed to excess nickel

Poplar (Populus nigra) plants were grown hydroponically with 30 and 200 μM Ni (Ni₃₀ and Ni₂₀₀). Photosynthesis limitations and isoprenoid emissions were investigated in two leaf types (mature and developing). Ni stress significantly decreased photosynthesis, and this effect depended on the leaf Ni content, which was lower in mature than in developing leaves. The main limitations to photosynthesis were attributed to mesophyll conductance and metabolism impairment. In Ni-stressed developing leaves, isoprene emission was significantly stimulated. We attribute such stimulation to the lower chloroplastic [CO₂] than in control leaves. However chloroplastic [CO₂] did not control isoprene emission in mature leaves. Ni stress induced the emission of cis-β-ocimene in mature leaves, and of linalool in both leaf types. Induced biosynthesis and emission of isoprenoids reveal the onset of antioxidant processes that may also contribute to reduce Ni stress, especially in mature poplar leaves.     

Ambient monitoring of asbestos in selected Italian living areas

This paper presents the results of an intensive monitoring activity of the particulate, fall-out and soil of selected living areas in Italy with the aim to detect the asbestos concentration in air and subsequent risk of exposure for the population in ambient living environments, and to assess the nature of the other mineral phases composing the particulate matrix. Some areas were sorted out because of the presence of asbestos containing materials on site whereas others were used as blank spots in the attempt to detect the background environmental concentration of asbestos in air. Because the concentration of asbestos in ambient environments is presumably very low, and it is well known that conventional low–medium flow sampling systems with filters of small diameter (25 mm) may collect only a very small fraction of particulate over a short period, for the first time here, an intense monitoring activity was conducted with a high flow sampling system. The high flow system requires the use of large cellulose filters with the advantage that, increasing the amount of collected dust, the probability to collect asbestos fibers increases. Both the protocol of monitoring and analysis are novel and prompted by the need to increase the sensitivity towards the small number of expected fibers. With this goal, the collection of fall-out samples (the particulate falling into a collector filled with distilled water during the monitoring shift) and soil samples was also accomplished. The analytical protocol of the matrix particulate included preliminary X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), optical microscopy and quantitative electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). Correlations with climatic trends and PM10 concentration data were also attempted.The surprising outcome of this work is that, despite the nature of the investigated site, the amount of dispersed asbestos fibers is very low and invariably lower than the theoretical method detection limits of the SEM and TEM techniques for identification and counting of asbestos fibers. The results are compared to the literature data worldwide and an updated model for asbestos fibers dispersion in ambient environments is proposed.     

Regression Analysis Model Applied to Biomonitoring Studies

A regression model is proposed for studying the relationship between trace metals concentrations and weights of individuals of Monodonta turbinata (Born), a gastropod mollusc used as a trace metal biomonitor of marine coastal areas. The model herein presented was developed including sites as reference factors and showed very good correlations. The prevision model of contamination gave good results for this kind of pollutants, and it can be used as a tool for monitoring programmes.