Simple assessment of the reactive aluminium in sediments

The mobility of aluminium in sediments was evaluated through a one-step extraction with a strong chelating agent. Single and sequential extraction procedures for the extraction of Al were applied to four sediments from a polluted region. A single-step extraction with 0.05 mol L⁻¹ ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was used, and compared with a standardized SEP as reference. The Al contents extracted into Na₂EDTA were in good agreement with the sequential extraction that yeilds mobile and potentially mobile portion of Al. Extracted EDTA contents make up more than 70% of the first-three-step sum of the five-step extraction procedure. Thus, Na₂EDTA extraction of Al could be applied to assess aluminium mobility changes in sediments and soils.     

兰州地区人群对多环芳烃的暴露及健康风险评价

采用多介质-多途径暴露模型,评价兰州地区居民暴露于多环芳烃的健康风险,分析风险来源、暴露介质及暴露途径,并结合蒙特卡罗方法分析研究过程中的不确定性。结果表明,兰州地区居民中男性和女性对环境中多环芳烃的终身日平均暴露量分别为4.55×10-4和5.07×10-4mg.kg-1.d-1。暴露途径中食物摄取是最主要途径,食物中贡献较大的为谷物。相应的男性和女性的健康风险度分别为4.12×10-5.a-1和4.80×10-5.a-1,兰州地区多环芳烃类污染物居民人体健康风险度远远高于可接受健康风险度的标准。兰州地区女性对多环芳烃的暴露量高于男性,女性健康风险平均值亦远远高于EPA标准值,兰州地区女性乳腺癌发病率较高可能与长时间低剂量多环芳烃暴露有一定的关系。兰州地区多环芳烃人群暴露与天津和北京相比存在一定的差异。     

Uncertainty in the assessment of hazard,exposure and risk

The terminology, concepts and current approaches to uncertainty in the assessment of hazard, exposure and risk are reviewed. Five generic questions are discussed on uncertainty, including sources, levels, when and how it should be dealt with or reduced, what are our gaps in understanding and how they can be addressed. A case study of lead exposure of children in Lavrion, Greece, is used to exemplify these questions and possible answers. Estimation of uncertainty may be improved by the use of interorganisational studies to capture sources of uncertainty that are often overlooked. Gaps identified in our understanding of uncertainty include: a limitation in the availability of basic measurements, a lack of knowledge of the environmental processes, an inability to predict the effects of mixtures, the aetiology of disease and devising procedures for optimal resource allocation in impact assessment.     

Qualitative and quantitative assessment of the risk from the exposure to fetotoxic chemical compounds

A new mathematical dose-response model for the expected probability of toxic response and also for the expected measure of the overdispersion parameter for the reproductive and developmental risk assessment is proposed. The model for the expected probability of toxic response is an improvised Weibull dose-response model incorporating the litter-size effect while the model for the overdispersion parameter is a polynomial function of the dose level. A beta-binomial distribution for the number of offspring showing toxic responses in a litter satisfactorily accounts for the extra-binomial variation and the intralitter correlation of responses of these pups. Confidence limits for low-dose extrapolation are based on the asymptotic distribution of the likelihood ratio. The safe dose for human exposure is then calculated by simple linear extrapolation. The model for overdispersion allows us to obtain the estimates of the overdispersion parameter at these dosages. This was not possible in the earlier models. The proposed model is illustrated by an application to a study on the effect of exposure to diethylhexylphthalate in mice. The results are compared with those obtained by Chen and Kodell (1989) who have applied the simple Weibull dose-response model to the same data set.This paper was prepared with partial support from the United States Environmental Protection Agency under a Cooperative Agreement Number CR-815273. The contents have not been subject to Agency review and therefore do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred.     

Quantitative health risk assessment of inhalation exposure to automobile foundry dust

With a growing awareness of environmental protection, the dust pollution caused by automobile foundry work has become a serious and urgent problem. This study aimed to explore contamination levels and health effects of automobile foundry dust. A total of 276 dust samples from six types of work in an automobile foundry factory were collected and analysed using the filter membrane method. Probabilistic risk assessment model was developed for evaluating the health risk of foundry dust on workers. The health risk and its influencing factors among workers were then assessed by applying the Monte Carlo method to identify the most significant parameters. Health damage assessment was conducted to translate health risk into disability-adjusted life year (DALY). The results revealed that the mean concentration of dust on six types of work ranged from 1.67 to 5.40 mg/m³. The highest health risks to be come from melting, cast shakeout and finishing, followed by pouring, sand preparation, moulding and core-making. The probability of the risk exceeding 10⁻⁶ was approximately 85%, 90%, 90%, 75%, 70% and 45%, respectively. The sensitivity analysis indicated that average time, exposure duration, inhalation rate and dust concentration (C) made great contribution to dust health risk. Workers exposed to cast shakeout and finishing had the largest DALY of 48.64a. These results can further help managers to fully understand the dust risks on various types of work in the automobile foundry factories and provide scientific basis for the management and decision-making related to health damage assessment.

     

Assessing human exposure to aluminium,chromium and vanadium through outdoor dust ingestion in the Bassin Minier de Provence,France

The Western part of the “Bassin Minier de Provence”, a former coal mining area, is still occupied by old polluting industries such as a coal-fired power plant and an alumina factory. The identified pollution sources that raise more concern in the population are the emission of gases and dusts, as well as the storage of raw and transformed materials. In 2011, a preliminary survey was carried out in the area as the first step to an exposure and health risk-assessment study. This first survey intends to assess human exposure through ingestion and health risk associated with potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in ground-level dusts collected in recreational areas used by children. Dust samples were taken at 19 sites distributed across the study area, depending on the location of public parks, public gardens, playgrounds and schools. Pseudo-total concentrations of 53 elements were determined by ICP-MS. Bioaccessible concentrations were estimated using the unified bioaccessibility method. This study presents the results obtained for Al, V and Cr, which seem to be related with industry and show similar distribution patterns. PHEs presumably related to traffic or other urban pollution sources are not discussed in this study. The highest total concentrations occur in dusts near the alumina plant that have significant amounts of Al mineral phases (gibbsite and alumina). However, in these dusts only small fractions of the elements under study are in bioaccessible forms. The highest bioaccessible fractions occur in dusts collected near the coal-fired power plant. Further investigation is required to assess potential pathways of exposure and health risk in this area.     

Environmental and economic analysis of aluminium recycling through life cycle assessment

Aluminium is the most-used metal in the world after steel, with a wide range of applications in the industrial field owing to its physical and mechanical properties. The aim of this study was environmental and economic analysis of secondary aluminium. In particular, this study demonstrated that aluminium recycling offers many advantages to both consumers and industry:

• Increased energy savings compared to primary aluminium production;

• Recovery and reuse of raw materials for future production avoids consumption of non-renewable resources;

• Reduction in landfill waste and consequent environmental damage;

• Reduction in bauxite mining which, in turn, will reduce the socio-economic impact on populations of those countries, mainly underdeveloped, that contain mines;

• Economic advantages for Italy, the first European producer of secondary aluminium, which lacks bauxite mines and has high energy costs.

This study used the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method, the modified Eco-indicator 99 method for damage calculation, and the SimaPro calculation code. The study examined secondary aluminium production by ICMET, based in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The economic and environmental evaluation utilised environmental information supplied by the company.     

Human predisposition to cognitive impairment and its relation with environmental exposure to potentially toxic elements

New lines of evidence suggest that less than 10% of neurodegenerative diseases have a strict genetic aetiology and other factors may be prevalent. Environmental exposures to potentially toxic elements appear to be a risk factor for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and sclerosis diseases. This study proposes a multidisciplinary approach combining neurosciences, psychology and environmental sciences while integrating socio-economic, neuropsychological, environmental and health data. We present the preliminary results of a neuropsychological assessment carried out in elderly residents of the industrial city of Estarreja. A battery of cognitive tests and a personal questionnaire were administered to the participants. Multivariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to identify potential relationships between the cognitive status of the participants and environmental exposure to potentially toxic elements. The results suggest a relationship between urinary PTEs levels and the incidence of cognitive disorders. They also point towards water consumption habits and profession as relevant factors of exposure. Linear regression models show that aluminium (R ² = 38%), cadmium (R ² = 11%) and zinc (R ² = 6%) are good predictors of the scores of the Mini-Mental State Examination cognitive test. Median contents (µg/l) in groundwater are above admissible levels for drinking water for aluminium (371), iron (860), manganese (250), and zinc (305). While the World Health Organization does not provide health-based reference values for aluminium, results obtained from this study suggest that it may have an important role in the cognitive status of the elderly. Urine proved to be a suitable biomarker of exposure both to elements with low and high excretion rates.     

Scalp hair metal analysis in the assessment of the occupational exposure of arc welders

Eleven metals (Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni and Pb) were estimated in hair samples of metal arc welders and a control group with the same socioeconomic background. Nitric acid–perchloric acid wet digestion procedure was adopted for the estimation of endogenous metal contents by ICP-AE technique. The study exhibited the following increasing order of the metal concentrations: Cd??1, dry weight, respectively. On average, the levels of Mn, Ni, Pb and Fe were found to be 1.5–2.4 times higher in the hair of welders compared with controls. Besides age and exposure which were strongly correlated, Cu–Mg, Mn–Mg, Ca–Co and Cd–Zn also showed significantly positive correlations. The identification of metal sources, done by cluster and principal component analyses, revealed four factors: age and exposure; Cu, Mg, Mn and Fe; Ca and Co; Cd, Zn, Ni and Pb. High levels of Fe were found to have a depleting impact on Co levels. The arc welders were feared to accumulate heavy metals in their bodies due to long-term endogenous exposure.     

Automated interpulse duration assessment (AIDA) in the shore crab Carcinus maenas in response to copper exposure

The effects of acute (24 h) and chronic (4␣weeks) copper exposure and subsequent recovery in “clean” conditions on cardiac activity were examined in shore crabs ( Carcinus maenas). Cardiac activity was monitored by automated interpulse duration assessment (AIDA) which permits detection of irregularities in cardiac rhythms in selected invertebrates. Mean interpulse durations, maximum interpulse durations and coefficients of variation were significantly affected by exposure to copper for 24 h and 4 weeks. Mean interpulse durations decreased reflecting an increase in heart rate, whereas maximum interpulse durations and coefficients of variation increased with increasing exposure concentration. Recovery of normal cardiac activity was evident following a 6-week recovery period in “clean” conditions. However, high levels of mortality were seen among crabs exposed to the two highest copper concentrations (0.6 and 0.8 mg l⁻¹ Cu). The extent of recovery was assessed by subjecting the surviving crabs to a physiological challenge. There were no apparent differences in circulatory response to physiological challenge between crabs previously exposed to copper and control crabs. Gill copper concentrations were significantly elevated in crabs that had previously been exposed to copper, despite their return to “clean” sea water for 6 weeks. Midgut gland wet weight/dry weight ratios, haemolymph total protein and midgut gland metallothionein concentrations did not reflect the previous copper exposure. The findings of the present study indicate that AIDA may be a valuable tool for use in toxicity testing. Received: 24 March 1997 / Accepted: 21 October 1997     

Defoliation levels of oriental spruce by Ips typographus (L.) in relation to elevation and exposure

A study concerning the effects of elevation and exposure of the spruce forests on defoliation levels of oriental spruce (Picea orientalis (L.) Link.) by Ips typographus L. was carried out during 2005 and 2006 in Artvin-Hatila National Park, Turkey Nine spruce stands were selected at 3 zones of elevations (1000-1350 m, 1350-1700 m and 1700-2000 m) and at different aspects to assess the role of elevation and exposure in the crown defoliation level and body length of beetles. Influence of bark thickness and trunk diameter at 1.3 m on the damage caused by the pest was investigated as well. The results of the study were as follows: (1) The mean defoliation level was highest at 1700-2000 m following by 1350-1700 m and 1000-1350 m. (2) The highest defoliation levels occurred on southern slopes following by eastern and northern slopes at 1700-2000 m. (3) No statistical differences were found in the mean bark thickness between tree defoliation levels 1, 2, 3 and 4. (4) Mean trunk diameters of dead trees (level 4) were significantly greater than those with defoliation levels 0, 1 and 2. (5) Mean body length of I. typographus at upper zones was significantly higher than those at middle and lower zones.     

Geochemistry and health risk assessment of arsenic exposure to street dust in the zinc smelting district, Northeast China

The aim of this study was to investigate arsenic (As) accumulation in street dust and health risk of population. The investigation concentrated on: a. pollution levels of As in street dust; b. spatial distribution of As in street dust; c. physicochemical properties analysis of street dust; and d. assessment of population health risk due to As exposure to street dust. As concentration in street dust ranged from 3.33 to 185.1?mg?kg^?1, with a mean of 33.10?mg?kg^?1, which was higher than the background value of Liaoning soil. As contamination level of the area closing to Huludao Zinc Plant (HZP) was highest. Spatial variation showed that the pollution center was close to HZP, formed radial distribution pattern and extended to the northeast and southwest of HZP. The pH and organic matter of street dust were both higher than the background values of soil in Liaoning. There was significantly negative correlation between As concentration and the pH. The mass percentages of particles 180?C100,?<100?C75,?<75?C63, and?<63???m were 29.8, 3.7, 21.3, and 4.2?%, respectively. The highest of As concentration was found in the smallest particle size (<63???m). As loadings in the particles of grain size 180?C100 and?<75?C63???m were higher than other particle fractions. Results of the risk assessment indicated that the highest risk was associated with the ingestion of street dust particles. Health risk for different use scenarios to human decreased in the order of HZP?>?Industrial district?>?School?>?Commercial center?>?Residential area. Around HZP, Hazard Index (HI) for children and cancer risk of As by street dust exposure exceeded the acceptable values. It indicated that there was a potential adverse effect on children health by As exposure to the street dust of Huludao.     

Modelling assessment of PM10 exposure control policies in Northern Italy

To assess the impact of three different emission reduction scenarios on PM10 concentrations in Northern Italy, the TCAM multiphase model has been applied in the framework of the CityDelta III-CAFE EU project. The considered domain, that is characterized by high urban and industrial emissions and a dense road traffic, due to frequently stagnating meteorological conditions is often affected by severe PM10 levels, far from the European standard regulations. The impact evaluation has been performed in terms of both yearly mean values and 50 g/m³ exceedance days for the 2004 Base Case simulation. The results show that the three selected emission reduction scenarios up to 2020 improve air quality all over the domain, in particular, in the area with higher emission density.     

The assessment of the malignant mesothelioma cases and environmental asbestos exposure in Sivas province, Turkey

One of the most significant diseases related to environmental asbestos exposure is malignant mesothelioma (MM). Sivas province is located in the Central Anatolia where asbestos exposure is common. We aimed to study clinical, demographical and epidemiologic features of the patients with MM in Sivas, along with the history of asbestos exposure. In total, 219 patients with MM who were diagnosed in our hospital between 1993 and 2010 were retrospectively analyzed in terms of demographical and clinical features. Rock, soil and house plaster samples were taken from the habitats of those patients and were evaluated with optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction methods. The age of the patients ranged between 18 and 85 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1.4:1. Most of the patients confirmed an asbestos exposure history. The most frequent symptoms of the patients were chest pain (60 %) and dyspnea (50 %). The gap between the start of first symptoms and the diagnosis date was approximately 4 months in average. The plaster materials used in most of the houses were made up of mainly carbonate and silicate minerals and some chrysotile. Ophiolitic units contained fibrous minerals such as serpentine (clino + orthochrysotile) chiefly and pectolite, brucite, hydrotalcite and tremolite/actinolite in smaller amounts. MM is not primarily related to occupational asbestos exposure in our region, and hence, environmental asbestos exposure may be indicted. Yet, single or combined roles and/or interactions of other fibrous and non-fibrous minerals in the etiology of MM are not yet fully understood and remain to be investigated.     

Chronic exposure of arsenic via drinking water and its adverse health impacts on humans

Worldwide chronic arsenic (As) toxicity has become a human health threat. Arsenic exposure to humans mainly occurs from the ingestion of As contaminated water and food. This communication presents a review of current research conducted on the adverse health effects on humans exposed to As-contaminated water. Chronic exposure of As via drinking water causes various types of skin lesions such as melanosis, leucomelanosis, and keratosis. Other manifestations include neurological effects, obstetric problems, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, diseases of the respiratory system and of blood vessels including cardiovascular, and cancers typically involving the skin, lung, and bladder. The skin seems to be quite susceptible to the effects of As. Arsenic-induced skin lesions seem to be the most common and initial symptoms of arsenicosis. More systematic studies are needed to determine the link between As exposure and its related cancer and noncancer end points.     

Macrozoobenthic assemblages in relation to environments of the Yangtze-isolated lakes

Eutrophication can shift lakes from a clear, macrophyte-dominated state to a turbid, algae-dominated state, and different habitat condition supports different fauna. Macrozoobenthos are good indicators of water environment, and studies on macrozoobenthic assemblage characteristics can help us to know which state a lake is in, thus provide the basis for its eutrophication control. In this study, a systematic investigation on macrozoobenthos was conducted in 17 Yangtze-isolated lakes to explore the macroecological laws of macrozoobenthic assemblages. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) revealed that variance of benthic assemblage structure occurred in two types of lakes. In macrophytic lakes, altogether 51 taxa of macrozoobenthos were identified. The average density and biomass of total macrozoobenthos were 2231 individuals·m^?2 and 1.69 g dry weight·m^?2, respectively. Macrozoobenthic assemblage was characterized by dominance of scrapers (i.e. gastropods). In algal lakes, altogether 20 taxa of macrozoobenthos were identified. The average density and biomass of total macrozoobenthos were 2814 individuals·m^?2 and 1.38 g dry weight·m^?2, respectively. Macrozoobenthic assemblage was characterized by dominance of collector-gatherers (i.e. oligochaetes). Wet biomass of submersed macrophytes (B _Mac) and phytoplankton chlorophyll a concentration (Chl a) were demonstrated as the key factor structuring macrozoobenthic assemblages in macrophytic and algal lakes, respectively.     

Physico-chemical characteristics of the Vellar estuary in relation to shrimp farming

All the physico-chemical parameters such as temperature, LEC, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and nutrients like total phosphorus, inorganic phosphate, nitrite and silicate studied in relation to shrimp farming. There are as many as 42 shrimp farms situated on the banks of Vellar estuary. These farms discharge the used water into the estuary, which may influence the biota there. In the present study the physico-chemical feature in relation to shrimp farming were studied in 3 stations of the estuary. When compared with the previous data from Vellar estuary there was no much difference in physico-chemical characteristics due to shrimp farming.     

Responses of the earthworm Eisenia andrei exposed to sublethal aluminium levels in an artificial soil substrate

Industrial discharges of Al are increasingly common. In this study, the activities of three antioxidases, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and changes in coelomocytes were investigated in earthworms (Eisenia andrei) exposed to different concentrations of aluminium chloride (range 0–200 mg Al kg^?1 dry soil) in artificial soils for 32 days. Within the first 16 days of Al exposure, catalase activity was elevated in most treatments, while the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were inhibited in all treatments. After 16 days exposure, SOD and GSH-Px activities returned to normal at lower Al concentrations, but were still inhibited at higher concentrations, hence the inhibition of SOD and GSH-Px showed some exposure-level dependence during the late exposure phase. MDA content was significantly elevated from 16 days after initial exposure. Neutral Red retention time of coelomocytes decreased at the highest exposure concentrations after 32 days, and an increased proportion of cells showing membrane damage was also observed at this time using flow cytometry. We conclude that excessive Al in soils can cause oxidative stress and cell damage in earthworms. Hence, Al accumulation in the environment may present an ecological hazard through suppression of the important functions of earthworms in soil ecosystems.     

Enrichment and exposure assessment of As,Cr and Pb of the soils in the vicinity of Stawell,Victoria, Australia

Stawell Gold Mine in NW Victoria, Australia, mines ores that contain large concentrations of As and significant quantities of the metals Pb and Cr. The aim of this research was to understand the dispersion, enrichment and probable exposure of these potentially hazardous elements around the mine site. Fifty-five surface soil samples were collected near the mine (<15 km) and analysed by ICP-MS/OES following bioavailable and four-acid extractions. Soils near the mine show greater concentrations of As, Cr and Pb than those near a regionally determined background. This is attributed to the combination of a natural geochemical halo around mineralization and anthropogenic dispersion due to mining and urbanization. Total As concentrations were between 16 and 946 mg kg⁻¹ near the mine in a regional background of 1–16 mg kg⁻¹. Total Cr concentrations were between 18 and 740 mg kg⁻¹ near the mine in a regional background of 26–143 mg kg⁻¹. Total Pb concentrations were between 12 and 430 mg kg⁻¹ near the mine in a regional background of 9–23 mg kg⁻¹. Dispersion of contaminant elements from the present ore processing is <500 m. The most enriched soils occur close to the town and are unrelated to present mining practices. The bioavailable As, Cr and Pb, soil ingestion rates and Risk Reference Doses were used to estimate health risks. An average toddler (12 kg) would need to consume at least 1.5 g, and most likely 12 g, of soil per day to show some symptoms of As toxicity. The maximum measured bioavailable As would pose a risk at average ingestion rates of 200 mg per day. Individuals with soil-eating disorders would exceed the safe daily consumption limits for As, and potentially Cr and Pb. Small children are not typically exposed to soil everyday, very few have soil eating disorders, and, therefore, the health risk from the soils around the mine is minimal.     

Observations on phytoplankton productivity in relation to hydrography in the Northern Adriatic

This work, carried out within the framework of the PRISMA II project, aims at evaluating the effects of the Po River flow on primary productivity, measured by C with in situ sample incubations. A total of four cruises was carried out in late winter and early summer (1996-1998) along transects from the coast offshore. In both seasons, the highest primary productivity was found in the most oligohaline stations. The effects of the Po River inputs were therefore clearly evident in the westernmost area, both in high productivity values and in the shape of productivity profiles. In late winter, extensive blooms of Skeletonema costatum and Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima resulted in productivity values that were sometimes higher than in early summer. In early summer 1996, greatly reduced river flow clearly influenced productivity which was much lower than in 1997.