Health and environmental assessment of mercury exposure in a gold mining community in Western Mindanao, Philippines

The small-scale gold mining activities using mercury began in the late 1980s in Sibutad, Western Mindanao. It is located very near the Murcielagos Bay with tailing ponds directly discharging into bodies of water. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the health and environmental effects of gold mining activities on the community. Residents were randomly selected and classified into two groups, namely, the directly exposed and indirectly exposed populations using a set inclusion criteria. Complete medical and laboratory examinations were performed. Environmental and biologic samples were collected for total mercury and methylmercury determinations. The results showed that the directly exposed group had significantly higher mean blood total mercury and methylmercury levels in comparison with the indirectly exposed population. Although there were no significant differences between hair total mercury and methylmercury levels, there was a trend for higher levels of these biomarkers among the directly exposed residents as compared with the unexposed group. The absence of statistically significant differences may be attributable to the small sample size. Ambient air quality monitoring for mercury exceeded the allowable levels. However, levels of mercury in drinking water and sediments were within allowable limits. Frequency of gastrointestinal complaints was significantly associated with elevated hair methylmercury levels (p=0.02). Also, there appears to be a trend towards higher blood total mercury levels and frequency of gastrointestinal complaints (p=0.09). An interesting finding in this study was the increasing incidence of elevated diastolic blood pressure with elevated hair total mercury levels (p=0.07). Mercury storage at home is a risk factor.     

联合国环境署最近发表一份报告,指出——亚太地区八大环境问题

亚太地区拥有面积1.65亿平方公里的太平洋和面积7300万平方公里的印度洋。拥有33亿人口和世界上三个人口最多的国家:中国、印度和印度尼西亚。这里的土地占全球土地总面积的23％。人口却占总人口的58％。亚太地区的经济原本很落后,但目前已变成全球经济最有生气的地区,经济年增长率多年来一直高过全球其它地区。当然,反差也很     

适温织物的研究

不同的纤维织物经过含有适当交联剂和混合酸催化剂的聚乙二醇溶液浸轧,在一定的焙烘条件下,处理后的织物可获得较高的热焓值15—35J/g,具有适温性能。即在一定温度范围内,升温时吸热凉爽和降温时放热保温。相变物质聚乙二醇(PEG)在热力学转变时,由于热容量较大,所以使织物具有显著适温性能。本实验研究不同条件与织物类型对适温性能的影响。     

乳化炸药生产线生产和工程建设安全问题的思考与建议

针对乳化炸药连续化、自动化生产线生产和工程建设中的现有问题,通过分析其现状提出了针对性建议。     

底辟作用和重力构造会议

<正> 引言自 H.Ramberg(1963)在实验室开始他的著名的模拟底辟构造研究,并将这些模拟研究应用于解释造山带主要构造的成因以来,至今将近二十年了。在此期间,构造地质学思想发生了一场革命,即基于地球板块构造运动的水平构造的思想比与底辟有关的垂直构造的思想来说占优势地位。因此考虑,应及时地回顾一下底辟作用在区域变形中的相对作用,于是构造研究组(隶属伦敦地质学会)于1980年3月25-     

漫画·漫话

做一个拾贝者,还是成为一个制造垃圾的人,取决于每个人的人生选择。从某种意义上说,人生的艺术就是选择的艺术——选择,决定作为。赫拉克利特断言：上坡路和下坡路是同一条路。诚哉斯言! 但我想说的是,选择上坡,还是选择下坡,结局决不是一回事。     

差示光谱技术在定量呼吸性粉尘中石英上的应用

应用傅立叶变换红外光谱的差示光谱技术，对含有矿物干扰物的样品中石英含量进行了测试研究，该方法能简单快捷地消除样品中未知矿物干扰，准确测定石英含量，具有良好的应用前景。     

浅谈我国环境影响评价制度建设缺陷

由于环境影响评价制度的不完善制约着环境保护与经济、社会的协调发展,本文详细分析了我国环境影响评价制度建设中的问题,提出了如何健全这一制度,此不仅关系到环境影响评价工作的时效性,而且影响社会可持续发展目标的实现.     

山焦公司实行安全生产单项奖

进入 9月份 ,山西焦化股份公司焦化二厂炼焦车间新出台的一项促进安全生产的新举措——安全生产单项奖正式实施。山焦公司的 2座 JN6 0 -89型大容积焦炉自2 0 0 0年投产以来 ,焦化二厂炼焦车间采取了多种措施确保安全生产。近日 ,该车间又推出了旨在增强职工责任心 ,进一步完善生产运行状况的安全生产单项奖。该奖项的考核对象为值班长、分管焦炉生产作业的副值班长、四大车司机及维修工段四大车包机人员 ,力求做到“人人有责、有章可循、奖罚分明”。具体的实施方案还规定了被考核对象的得奖条件 ,其中 ,重点要求值班长、副值班长 ,全月完…