Cancer and Non-Cancer Health Risk from Eating Cassava Grown in Some Mining Communities in Ghana

Food crops such as cassava, cocoyam and other tuber crops grown in mining communities uptake toxic or hazardous chemicals such as arsenic, and cadmium, from the soil. Cassava is a stable food for Ghanaians. This study evaluated human health risk from eating cassava grown in some mining communities in Ghana such as Bogoso, Prestea, Tarkwa and Tamso, which are important mining towns in the Western Region of Ghana. The study evaluated cancer and non-cancer health effects from eating cassava grown in the study areas in accordance with US Environmental Protection Agency’s Risk Assessment guidelines. The results of the study revealed the following: cancer health risk for Tamso, 0.098 (RME – Reasonable Maximum Exposure) and 0.082 (CTE – Central Tendency Exposure). This means that approximately 10 and 8 out of 100 resident adults are likely to suffer from cancer related cases by RME and CTE parameters respectively. For Prestea, we have 0.010 and 0.12, which also means that approximately 1 out of 100 and 10 resident adults out of 100 are also likely to suffer from cancer related diseases by RME and CTE parameters. The results of the study obtained were found to be above the acceptable cancer risk range of 1× 10⁻⁶ to 1× 10⁻⁴, i.e., 1 case of cancer out of 1 million or 100,000 people respectively.     

放射源在线监控系统设计与应用

为了防止在使用放射源时发生脱落、丢失、超标使用、私自转移等情况,最大限度避免辐射安全事故,有必要设计建立放射源在线监控系统,对放射源放射性指标(辐射剂量率)及所处位置(经纬度)实行连续的自动监测。并通过各级监管平台设置放射源超标、异动等报警程序,全面提升放射源科学监管水平。     

四溴双酚A和镉复合污染对不同生物体的安全阈值

以赤子爱胜蚓（Eisenia fetida）、斑马鱼（Zebrafish）作为受试生物,进行急性毒性试验,死亡率、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）为效应指标,采用基准剂量（BMD）法推导四溴双酚A （TBBPA）和镉（Cd）单一及联合暴露对不同生物体的安全阈值.结果表明,在本研究的试验剂量范围内,蚯蚓、斑马鱼TBBPA、Cd暴露剂量与死亡率、SOD、CAT活性效应指标存在明显剂量-效应关系.单一暴露下,CAT、SOD活性指标最敏感,蚯蚓和斑马鱼的TBBPA安全阈值分别为0.95,0.44mg/L,Cd安全阈值分别为71.17,0.42mg/L.联合暴露下安全阈值小于单一暴露.蚯蚓、斑马鱼TBBPA安全阈值分别为0.33,0.024mg/L,Cd为6.45,0.176mg/L.     

纳米二氧化钛与镉对斜生栅藻(Scenedesmus obliquus)生长的拮抗效应及其作用机制

人工纳米材料（MNMs）进入水环境将改变传统环境污染物的环境归趋及其毒性作用,两者的相互作用及其机制一直是环境科学领域的热点问题.迄今为止,已有大量MNMs与现存污染物联合毒性作用的研究成果发表,但其潜在的作用机制,尤其是联合作用下的生物响应机制仍未清楚.本文以典型MNMs——纳米二氧化钛（nTiO₂）与重金属镉（Cd²⁺）为研究目标,以斜生栅藻（Scenedesmus obliquus）为受试生物,考察在等效剂量（毒性比1 ∶1）下不同浓度组合nTiO₂和Cd²⁺对斜生栅藻的联合毒性作用模式及其分子机制.结果表明,等效剂量下Cd²⁺和nTiO₂的72h EC₅₀值对比单独暴露时均有显著升高,呈拮抗效应.进一步开展转录组学分析发现,nTiO₂存在下斜生栅藻能量代谢所涉及的光合作用、叶绿素代谢以及淀粉与蔗糖代谢通路发生了显著上调,与藻细胞抗逆效应相关的精氨酸与脯氨酸代谢通路同样呈正向刺激表现.本文首次报道了nTiO₂与Cd²⁺等效剂量联合暴露下,浮游植物通过改变藻细胞抗逆能力与加强能量代谢来降低毒性的生物响应机制.本研究结果为深入理解MNMs与现存污染物的复合环境健康效应提供重要参考和研究基础.     

Effect of Cadmium on Microbial Activity and a Ryegrass Crop in Two Semiarid Soils

Soil pollution with Cd is an environmental problem common in the world, and it is necessary to establish what Cd concentrations in soil could be dangerous to its fertility from toxicity effects and the risk of transference of this element to plants and other organisms of the food chain. In this study, we assessed Cd toxicity on soil microorganisms and plants in two semiarid soils (uncultivated and cultivated). Soil ATP content, dehydrogenase activity, and plant growth were measured in the two soils spiked with concentrations ranging from 3 to 8000 mg Cd/kg soil and incubated for 3 h, 20 days, and 60 days. The Cd concentrations that produced 5%; 10%;, and 50%; inhibition of each of the two soil microbiological parameter studied (ecological dose, ED, values) were calculated using two different mathematical models. Also, the effect of Cd concentration on plant growth of ryegrass (Lolium perenne, L.) was studied in the two soils. The Cd ED values calculated for soil dehydrogenase activity and ATP content were higher in the agricultural soils than in the bare soil. For ATP inhibition, higher ED values were calculated than for dehydrogenase activity inhibition. The average yields of ryegrass were reduced from 5.03 to 3.56 g in abandoned soil and from 4.21 to 1.15 g in agricultural soil with increasing concentrations of Cd in the soil. Plant growth was totally inhibited in abandoned and agricultural soils at Cd concentrations above 2000 and 5000 mg/kg soil, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the concentration of Cd in the plants and the total or DTPA-extractable concentrations of Cd in the soil.     

应用动态模型确定酸沉降临界负荷的探讨

任何一个天然生态系统都是一个稳定系统.在一定酸沉降量的作用下,生态系统最终会平衡在一个新的稳定状态.动态模型可以模拟不同酸沉降量下生态系统化学状态的变化趋势.根据信号与系统理论,这种趋势可以用一阶指数衰减函数进行模拟,以得到系统达到稳定状态时的化学指标值.根据不同酸沉降量和所对应的稳态化学指标值之间的剂量-响应曲线,可以求出当系统稳态化学指标值达到临界化学值时的酸沉降量,即为系统的酸沉降临界负荷.应用这种方法,以MAGIC模型为例,计算了四川峨眉山顶水和重庆南山湖泊的硫沉降临界负荷,分别为1.54和6.5     

Factors affecting the quantitative uncertainty of the estimated short-term intake. Part I—Calculation methods

ABSTRACT

The calculation of the combined uncertainty of the international estimated short-term intake (IESTI) of ethephon residues in apples is shown as an example. The ethephon residues in apples were reported by the Joint FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)/WHO (World Health Organization) Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). The apple consumption data were taken from the IESTI (international short-term intake) calculation template used by the JMPR. The IESTI was calculated with the currently used method (case 2a) and a proposed one recommended by the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)/RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health) Scientific Workshop co-sponsored by FAO and WHO. In this example, the ratio of IESTI_proposed/IESTI_current and their combined relative uncertainty are about 2.8, and 1.7, respectively. The larger IESTI and uncertainty obtained with the proposed equation are the consequence of calculation only with the large portion (LP) instead of its combination with unit mass, and the MRL instead of the highest residue (HR). The LP is the major contributor to the combined uncertainty. Both the calculated IESTI and its combined uncertainty depend on the actual food – pesticide residue combination, and should be calculated for each case.     

绿磺隆对水稻的残留危害剂量

用田间模拟试验法，研究了土壤中绿磺隆不同添加量与水稻危害剂量的关系。结果表明：稻田绿磺隆添加量超过０．３７５ｇ（ＡＩ）／ｈｍ￣２时，就可能对水用产生危害，在此用量水平下，绿磺隆在耕层土壤中的平均残留浓度为０．１７μｇ／ｋｇ，按此推算，麦田按正常用量的２倍量（３０ｇ／ｈｍ￣２）施用，在种麦期间绿磺隆在麦田土壤中的半衰期超过３２．１ｄ．即会对水稻产生危害。     

Evaluation of noise environments during daily activities of university students

Noise conditions specifically in areas inside university facilities and its impact on the quality of life of university students are topics that have received little attention. This paper presents a study of the noise conditions in which university students of various institutions in Madrid, Spain, carry out their daily studies. A representative number of measurements was carried out using noise dosemeters and dataloggers in order to evaluate the levels of noise, noise dose and exposure to noise during school periods and extracurricular activities. The results were compared with the recommendations given by current environmental noise regulations. This paper was complemented with a survey to get to know how students perceive the exposure to noise in university environments.     

新疆某煤制气矿井氡析出的辐射环境影响研究

为了了解某矿井氡析出对周围环境的影响,通过对矿井井上、井下环境氡浓度调查与测量,运用计算公式和UAIR-FINE软件,估算工作人员年附加受照剂量,模拟氡排放对周围20 km范围内各子区的氡浓度贡献值分布、公众个人剂量分布.结果表明,矿井生活环境氡浓度基本处于环境本底和限值以内,井下部分区域氡浓度略高,需采取补救行动;工作人员年附加受照剂量基本处于全国煤矿地下工作人员平均剂量水平;煤田矿井氡排放对周围20 km范围内公众的影响可以忽略.