A box model for calculation of collective dose commitment from radioactive waterborne releases to the baltic sea

To meet the new regulations of maximum yearly releases from Swedish nuclear power plants issued by the Swedish National Radiation Protection Institute, and to make realistic calculations of collective dose commitment derived from radionuclides discharged to the Baltic Sea, a box model AQUAPATH-BALTIC has been developed. The model calculates radionuclide concentrations in 25 boxes for discharges into given compartments and takes into consideration the dispersion rates of the water masses, the sediment-water interaction and radioactive decay. The calculated concentrations in water and sediment at steady state are then used to evaluate individual and collective intakes of activity and external exposures. The radiation doses to the global population following discharges to the Baltic Sea are also calculated.     

Decline and diversity in Swedish seas: Environmental narratives in marine history,science and policy

Ambio - Before the mid-twentieth century, there was no comprehensive narrative about empirical conditions in Swedish seas. Around 1970, this view changed profoundly. In line with growing research...     

巴西雨林自然保护区河流中杀虫剂残毒:对水生生物和人类健康的影响评价

1998年11月、1999年3月和2000年元月分别在巴西雨林自然保护区河流的水体、沉积物和鱼体中检测杀虫剂残毒,每种杀虫剂浓度与基于急性毒性测试的生态毒理基准进行了比较,并且还与规定标准进行比较,以确定它们对水生生物和人类潜在影响的程度.在所有的7个调查地点都检测出杀虫剂及其代谢产物,在水体以及沉积物样品中检测出总共27种杀虫剂及其代谢物的残毒,鱼类富集其中某些最持久稳固的残毒.水体和沉积物中检测出的杀虫剂残毒浓度表明水生生物保护的问题需要引起重视,水体中的几种杀虫剂含量超过了巴西以及欧盟当局规定的指标,表明对人类的健康也有影响.     

Exposure to airborne organophosphates originating from hydraulic and turbine oils among aviation technicians and loaders

This study describes the potential for occupational exposure to organophosphates (OPs) originating from turbine and hydraulic oils, among ground personnel within the aviation industry. The OPs tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), dibutyl phenyl phosphate (DBPP), triphenyl phosphate (TPP) and tricresyl phosphate (TCP) have been emphasized due to their use in such oils. Oil aerosol/vapor and total volatile organic compounds (tVOCs) in air were also determined. In total, 228 and 182 OPs and oil aerosol/vapor samples from technician and loader work tasks during work on 42 and 21 aircrafts, respectively, were collected in pairs. In general, the measured exposure levels were below the limit of quantification (LOQ) for 84%/98% (oil aerosol) and 82%/90% (TCP) of the samples collected during technician/loader work tasks. The air concentration ranges for all samples related to technician work were 相似文献   

Air formaldehyde and solvent concentrations during surface coating with acid-curing lacquers and paints in the woodworking and furniture industry

An investigation of contemporary exposure to formaldehyde and organic solvents has been carried out during surface coating with acid-curing lacquers and paints in the Norwegian woodworking and furniture industry over a period of 3 years. The investigation covered 27 factories of different sizes and with different types of production, and totally 557 parallel formaldehyde and solvent samples were collected. The formaldehyde concentration (geometric mean) was 0.15 ppm (range 0.01-1.48 ppm) with about 10% of the samples exceeding the Norwegian occupational exposure limit of 0.5 ppm. The solvent concentration as additive effect (geometric mean) was 0.13 (range 0.0004-5.08) and about 5% of the samples exceeded the Norwegian occupational exposure limit. The most frequently occurring solvents from acid-curing lacquers were n-butyl acetate, ethanol, ethyl acetate and 1-butanol, which were found in 88-98% of the samples. Toluene, n-butyl acetate and 1-butanol were the only solvents with maximum concentrations exceeding their respective occupational exposure limits. Curtain painting machine operators were exposed to the highest concentrations of both formaldehyde (geometric mean 0.51 ppm, range 0.08-1.48 ppm) and organic solvents (additive effect, geometric mean 1.18, range 0.02-5.08). Other painting application work tasks such as automatic and manual spray-painting, manual painting and dip painting, showed on average considerably lower concentrations of both formaldehyde (geometric means 0.07-0.16 ppm) and organic solvents (additive effect, geometric mean 0.02-0.18). Non-painting work tasks also displayed moderate concentrations of formaldehyde (geometric means 0.11-0.17 ppm) and organic solvents (additive effect, geometric mean 0.04-0.07).     

Comparative analysis using EIA for developed and developing countries: case studies of hydroelectric power plants in Pakistan,Norway and Sweden

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an important legislative and scientific tool that may assist and improve the quality assistance for the decision-making process in sustainable development. Here, a comparison of EIAs from three cases of hydropower projects in Pakistan, Norway and Sweden is reported. A huge difference concerning the incorporation of environmental considerations into the decisionmaking process between developed and developing countries is observed. The EIA system of Pakistan appears to be less efficient in the application and review process. In addition, the appraisal of issues, the decision-making process and evaluation through post-monitoring is not as well performed in Pakistan as in cases of hydroelectric power plants in Sweden and Norway. The key reason for this shortcoming is misconceptions about the EIA process, which initially receives intense attention but becomes weakened by the time of implementation. This implies that there is a need to adopt simplified and flexible EIA techniques suitable for the infrastructure and resources of a specific country, taking into account institutional, technical and financial constraints. Improvements are required in public participation, awareness, as well as in environmental control and data system sectors in Pakistan, besides simply enacting legislation to achieve the goals of the EIA system.     

Uptake and loss of 134Cs and 60Co by the Baltic bivalve Macoma baltica in a laboratory microcosmos

Accumulation and clearance of ¹³⁴Cs and ⁶⁰Co by the Baltic bivalve Macoma baltica were experimentally investigated in a laboratory microcosmos. The nuclides were added to the water and the activities in bivalve flesh, shell, feces and sediment were determined at regular intervals. The uptake was quite rapid, 40% (Cs) and 55% (Co) of the final steady state values being attained after 24 h. The subsequent releases were also rapid, 50% (Cs) and 40% (Co), of the accumulated activity being lost within 6 days. The experiments demonstrated that the major intake route following short-term releases of activity will be from the water column and that the close relationship between activity in water and organism can thus be used for predictive purposes without the complication of radionuclide uptake from contaminated sediments. However, for longer periods, the subsequent intake of sediments will generate a significant exposure pathway for this deposit-feeding bivalve.     

Airborne exposure and biological monitoring of bar and restaurant workers before and after the introduction of a smoking ban

The aims were to assess the impact of a total smoking ban on the level of airborne contaminants and the urinary cotinine levels in the employees in bars and restaurants. In a follow up design, 13 bars and restaurants were visited before and after the implementation of a smoking ban. Ninety-three employees in the establishments were initially included into the study. The arithmetic mean concentration of nicotine and total dust declined from 28.3 microg m(-3) (range, 0.4-88.0) and 262 microg m(-3) (range, 52-662), respectively, to 0.6 microg m(-3) (range, not detected-3.7) and 77 microg m(-3) (range, not detected-261) after the smoking ban. The Pearson correlation coefficient between airborne nicotine and total dust was 0.86 (p < 0.001; n = 48). The post-shift geometric mean urinary cotinine concentration declined from 9.5 microg g(-1) creatinine (cr) (95% CI 6.5-13.7) to 1.4 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 0.8-2.5) after the ban (p < 0.001) in 25 non-snuffing non-smokers. A reduction from 1444 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 957-2180) to 688 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 324-1458) was found (p < 0.05) in 29 non-snuffing smokers. The urinary cotinine levels increased from 11.7 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 7.0-19.6) post-shift to 21.9 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 13.3-36.3) (p < 0.01) in the next morning in 24 non-snuffing non-smokers before the smoking ban. A substantial reduction of airborne nicotine and total dust was observed after the introduction of a smoking ban in bars and restaurants. The urinary cotinine levels were reduced in non-smokers. The decline found in smokers may suggest a reduction in the amount of smoking after intervention. In non-smokers cotinine concentrations were higher based on urine sampled the morning after a shift than based on urine sampled immediately post-shift.     

Occupational exposure to airborne solvents during nail sculpturing

This study describes occupational exposure to acrylates and other solvents during nail sculpturing, including comparative measurements of the exposure using four different sculpturing methods: The acrylic method, the UV-gel method, the acrylic powder method and the resin method. Thirty-two nail technicians working in 22 different salons participated in the study. In total, 92 measurements were performed, comprising 70 solvent measurements and 22 measurements of ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate. The solvents most frequently present in all samples were acetone, ethyl acetate, toluene and n-butyl acetate, measured in 96%, 94%, 91% and 81% of the samples, respectively. The study shows that the overall solvent exposure was low, with all measurements calculated as the additive effect (n = 70) below 20% of the OEL (arithmetic mean 0.06 and range 0.01-0.19). No statistically significant difference between sculpturing methods were observed (p = 0.05).     

Environmental management from left to right – on ideology,policy-specific beliefs and pro-environmental policy support

Due to growing environmental challenges, the demand for effective management through pro-environmental policy measures is increasing. The effectiveness is, however, largely determined by the degree to which the policy measures are supported by the actors affected by them. A consistent finding in the literature is that ideology (or subjective positioning on the left–right dimension) affects environmental policy support, with left-leaning individuals being more pro-environmental. A major caveat with previous research is that it seldom makes a distinction between different kinds of policies. Therefore, we are concerned with investigating how different ideological positions affect attitudes towards different forms of environmental protection. Using unique survey data, we show that ideology is related to conceptions about the fairness and effectiveness of different policy tools, which in turn steer preferences. In that sense, this paper makes the discussion on the effects of ideological position on pro-environmental policy support more nuanced.