Serum PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in Slovakia: age, gender, and residence as determinants of organochlorine concentrations

We measured organochlorine concentrations of 15 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and six organochlorine pesticides (PCB28, 52, 101, 123(+149), 118, 114, 153, 105, 138(+163), 167, 156(+171), 157, 180, 170, 189, alpha-, beta-, gamma-HCH, HCB, p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE) in 2047 subjects from contaminated and background areas of eastern Slovakia. Data were collected in 2001 and analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography with electron capture detection in 2002-2003. Elevated levels persist in subjects from Michalovce district, site of former production facility, after almost 20-years since the end of the PCB manufacturing. Sum of 15 PCB congeners was 3105 ng/g of lipid in the Michalovce district versus 871 ng/g of lipid for subjects from the background districts of Svidnik and Stropkov. Relatively high concentration in children from the Michalovce district, sum PCB = 766 ng/g of lipid versus 372 ng/g of lipid in children from background area suggest ongoing exposure from environmental reservoirs and contaminated food. Consistent differences between genders in both contaminated and background areas are reported here. Levels in males are about 20% higher in both districts. Levels of organochlorine pesticides, particularly of DDT metabolite DDE and hexachlorobenzene are also elevated in the Michalovce district, reflecting intensive use of pesticides in agriculture in the past. About 30% decrease in serum organochlorine levels was observed in comparison with our earlier samples collected in 1998. These results suggest that contamination with PCBs still remains a source of relatively high environmental exposure for subjects in the Michalovce district.     

An initial assessment of spatial relationships between respiratory cases,soil metal content,air quality and deprivation indicators in Glasgow,Scotland, UK: relevance to the environmental justice agenda

There is growing interest in links between poor health and socio-environmental inequalities (e.g. inferior housing, crime and industrial emissions) under the environmental justice agenda. The current project assessed associations between soil metal content, air pollution (NO₂/PM₁₀) and deprivation and health (respiratory case incidence) across Glasgow. This is the first time that both chemical land quality and air pollution have been assessed citywide in the context of deprivation and health for a major UK conurbation. Based on the dataset ‘averages’ for intermediate geography areas, generalised linear modelling of respiratory cases showed significant associations with overall soil metal concentration (p = 0.0367) and with deprivation (p < 0.0448). Of the individual soil metals, only nickel showed a significant relationship with respiratory cases (p = 0.0056). Whilst these associations could simply represent concordant lower soil metal concentrations and fewer respiratory cases in the rural versus the urban environment, they are interesting given (1) possible contributions from soil to air particulate loading and (2) known associations between airborne metals like nickel and health. This study also demonstrated a statistically significant correlation (?0.213; p < 0.05) between soil metal concentration and deprivation across Glasgow. This highlights the fact that despite numerous regeneration programmes, the legacy of environmental pollution remains in post-industrial areas of Glasgow many decades after heavy industry has declined. Further epidemiological investigations would be required to determine whether there are any causal links between soil quality and population health/well-being. However, the results of this study suggest that poor soil quality warrants greater consideration in future health and socio-environmental inequality assessments.     

The relentless progress of commodity exchanges in the establishment of primary commodity prices

A continuously expanding group of commodities are being priced on commodity exchanges. This paper explains the causes to the increasing preference of exchanges as pricing instruments. It also provides the detail of the shift in the 1970s and 1980s from producer determined prices to prices set by commodity exchanges for three major commodities—aluminum, nickel and petroleum.     

Nitrogen content of food as an index of absorption efficiency in fishes

Gravimetric estimation of absorption efficiency in fishes is a time-consuming process and still subject to technical errors. Available marker methods require no quantitative recovery of feces, but their applicability is limited (e.g. chromic oxide method) or their reliability is questionable (e.g. Conover's ash ratio method). From over 100 values reported for about 50 fish species, it has been observed that nitrogen content of food holds a positive correlation to absorption efficiency; the relation is significantly (P<0.001) correlated (r=>0.9). Hence absorption efficiency (Ae) of fishes is predictable from the nitrogen content of food with less than 8% error, using the equation log Ae=1.3706+0.5807 log N.Dedicated to Professor O. Kinne on his 61st birthday, August 30, 1984     

Environmental exposure to PCBs and cancer incidence in eastern Slovakia

In a population-based cross-sectional study, we compared serum levels of 15 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and three organochlorine pesticides in residents of two districts in eastern Slovakia, one with extensive environmental contamination from a former PCB production site (Michalovce) and the other matched on geography but with low (background) levels (Svidnik). The age-adjusted geometric means for sum of 15 measured PCB congeners were statistically significantly higher in subjects from the Michalovce district for both sexes: 3327.6 versus 1331.4 ng/g of lipid in males, 2751.8 versus 992.2 ng/g of lipid in females. Levels of DDE and DDT were also significantly higher, although the absolute differences were less pronounced. There was no substantial difference in HCB levels between the districts. We also conducted an ecologic study to compare cancer incidence occurring in these same two districts from 1985 through 1994. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals for each district using indirect standardization and rates from eastern Slovakia. Among males from Michalovce (exposed), but not Svidnik (unexposed), there was an excess of cancer of the tongue (SIR=1.46; 1.06-1.96), stomach (SIR=1.15; 1.00-1.32), lung (SIR=1.14; 1.04-1.24), testis (SIR=1.40; 0.97-1.97), and kidney (SIR=1.23; 0.98-1.52), and lower than expected incidence of prostate cancer (SIR=0.83; 0.69-0.97); in contrast, there was an excess of peritoneal (SIR=3.05; 1.11-6.63) and laryngeal cancer (SIR=1.43; 0.99-1.98) in Svidnik not observed Michalovce. Among females from Michalovce, but not Svidnik, there was an excess of cancer of the lip (SIR=2.54; 1.53-3.96), stomach (SIR=1.22; 1.02-1.44), and lung (SIR=1.17; 0.94-1.45); in contrast, there was an excess of kidney (SIR=1.61; 1.03-2.40) and thyroid (SIR=1.97; 1.12-3.20) cancer in Svidnik not observed in Michalovce. Taken together, these results raise the possibility that high environmental exposure to organochlorines in the Michalovce district may be associated with higher rates of certain cancers, particularly stomach and lung cancer.     

“Are you still driving?” Metasynthesis of patient preferences for communication with health care providers

Aim: The aim of this study was to synthesize published qualitative studies to identify older adults' preferences for communication about driving with health care providers.

Background: Health care providers play a key role in addressing driving safety and driving retirement with older adults, but conversations about driving can be difficult. Guides exist for family members and providers, but to date less is known about the types of communication and messages older drivers want from their health care providers.

Design: A qualitative metasynthesis of studies published on or before October 10, 2014, in databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) and grey literature was performed.

Review Methods: Twenty-two published studies representing 518 older adult drivers met the following inclusion criteria: the study (1) was about driving; (2) involved older drivers; (3) was qualitative (rather than quantitative or mixed methods); and (4) contained information on older drivers' perspectives about communication with health care providers.

Results: We identified 5 major themes regarding older adults' communication preferences: (1) driving discussions are emotionally charged; (2) context matters; (3) providers are trusted and viewed as authority figures; (4) communication should occur over a period of time rather than suddenly; and (5) older adults desire agency in the decision to stop driving.

Conclusion: Various stakeholders involved in older driver safety should consider older drivers' perspectives regarding discussions about driving. Health care providers can respect and empower older drivers—and support their family members—through tactful communication about driving safety and mobility transitions during the life course.     

Determination of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and pesticides in surface and treated waters: method development and survey

Water is fundamental to the existence of life since it is essential to a series of activities, such as agriculture, power generation, and public and industrial supplies. The residual water generated by these activities is released into the environment, reaches the water systems, and becomes a potential risk to nontarget organisms. This paper reports the development and validation of a quantitative method, based on solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, for the simultaneous analysis of 18 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and 33 pesticides in surface and drinking waters. The accuracy of the method was determined by calculating the recoveries, which ranged from 70 to 120 % for most pesticides and PPCPs, whereas limits of quantification ranged from 0.8 to 40 ng/L. After the validation step, the method was applied to drinking and surface waters. Pesticides and PPCPs were found in concentrations lower than 135.5 ng/L. The evaluation of different water sources with regard to contamination by pesticides and PPCPs has been quite poor in southern Brazil.     

Persistent organochlorine pesticides in internal organs of coypu,Myocastor coypus

A highly selective and sensitive method based on gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) to identify and quantify persistent organochlorine pesticides, (18 compounds including primary compounds and metabolites), in animal internal organs (kidneys, liver, and brain) has been developed. Tandem mass spectrometric conditions were individually optimized for each target compound in Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mode to obtain maximum sensitivity. Prior to instrumental analysis, a sample preparation method based on matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) followed by acidic digestion with sulfuric acid to reduce matrix co-extractives was employed. Analyses of real samples were carried out on coypus (Myocastor coypus) from the autumn slaughter of 19 animals. In the analyzed samples, three of the target compounds, namely DDE-pp′ (DDT metabolite), HCB and lindane, were detected. Their concentration levels fell in the ranges of 0.003–0.007, 0.003–0.025, and 0.003–0.021 mg kg^?1 (0.005, 0.010, and 0.010 mg kg^?1 on average) in the case of DDE-pp′, HCB and lindane, respectively. Although low quantities of organochlorine pesticides do not pose an immediate danger to consumers' health, they should be of public health concern considering long-term, low-dose exposure.