Health and environmental costs of pesticide use in vegetable farming in Nepal

There is a growing concern of pesticide risks to human health, natural environment and ecosystems. Many previous economic valuations have accounted health aspects or environmental components, but rarely combined; thus, overall risk assessment is partially distorted. The study, conducted close to the capital of Nepal, addressed the health effects of pesticides on small-scale farmers and evaluated the monetary risks of pesticide use on human health and environmental resources. We also aim to establish the relationships among valuation methods. The paper adopts cost of illness, defensive expenditure and contingent valuation willingness to pay approach. The study concluded that the methods used for valuing pesticide risks to human and environmental health are theoretically consistent. The exposed individuals are likely to bear significant economic costs of exposures depending on geographical location, pesticide use magnitudes and frequency. Individuals are willing to pay between 53 and 79% more than the existing pesticide price to protect their health and environment. The integrated pest management training is less likely to reduce health costs of pesticide exposure, although it leads to higher investment in safety measures.     

An assessment of the impacts of pesticide use on the environment and health of rice farmers in Sierra Leone

One of the biggest challenges faced by Sierra Leonean farmers is pest control. Birds, rodents, insects, crustaceans and other organisms can drastically reduce yields. In order to prevent these organisms from destroying their crop, farmers use pesticides. However there are reports that these chemicals are being misused and such misuse is having a negative impact on the environment and the health of the farmers.This research study aimed to investigate the use of pesticides in rice fields and its potential effects on the environment and on the farmers of Sierra Leone. Five hundred farmers and one hundred health workers across the country were interviewed. Fifty focus group discussions were also completed. Field observations were also undertaken to see how farmers apply pesticides to their farms and the possible threats these methods have on human health and the environment. It is clear that a wide range of pesticides are used by rice farmers in Sierra Leone with 60% of the pesticides used entering the country illegally. Most farmers have no knowledge about the safe handling of pesticides as 71% of them have never received any form of training. The pesticides kill both target and non-target organisms some of which enter the food chain.Cases of health problems such as nausea, respiratory disorders and blurred vision investigated in this research are significantly higher among farmers who use pesticides than those who do not use pesticides. Cases of pesticide intoxication are not investigated by health workers but results obtained from interviews with them also indicated that cases of pesticides related symptoms are significantly higher in environments where pesticides are used than those in which pesticides are not used.     

Assessment of indoor air quality and housing,household and health characteristics in densely populated urban slums

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This study provides the first quantitative assessment of seasonal variation in indoor PM2.5 in the high-air pollution risk and densely populated slums...     

Health benefits from reducing indoor air pollution from household solid fuel use in China--three abatement scenarios

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), indoor air pollution (IAP) from the use of solid fuels in households in the developing world is responsible for more than 1.6 million premature deaths each year, whereof 0.42 million occur in China alone. We argue that the methodology applied by WHO--the so-called fuel-based approach--underestimates the health effects, and suggest an alternative method. Combining exposure-response functions and current mortality and morbidity rates, we estimate the burden of disease of IAP in China and the impacts of three abatement scenarios. Using linear exposure-response functions, we find that 3.5 [0.8-14.7 95% CI] million people die prematurely due to IAP in China each year. The central estimate constitutes 47% of all deaths in China. We find that modest changes in the use of cooking fuels in rural households might have a large health impact, reducing annual mortality by 0.63 [0.1-3. 2 95% CI] million. If the indoor air quality (IAQ) standard set by the Chinese government (150 microg PM(10)/m(3)) was met in all households, we estimate that 0.9 [0.2-4.8] million premature deaths would be avoided in urban areas and 2.8 [0.7-12.4] million in rural areas. However, in urban areas this would require improvements to the outdoor air quality in addition to a complete fuel switch to clean fuels in households. We estimate that a fuel switch in urban China could prevent 0.7 [0.2-4.8] million premature deaths. The methodology for exposure assessment applied here is probably more realistic than the fuel-based approach; however, the use of linear exposure-response relationships most likely tends to overestimate the effects. The discrepancies between our results and the WHO estimates is probably also explained by our use of "all-cause mortality" which includes important causes of death like cardiovascular diseases, conditions known to be closely associated with exposure to particulate pollution, whereas the WHO estimate is limited to respiratory diseases.     

Distribution of benefits based on household participation roles in decentralized conservation within Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project,Nepal

Kanchenjunga Conservation Area is located in the remote and sparsely populated mountainous region of Eastern Nepal. It has been locally managed as a decentralized Integrated Conservation and Development Project since 2006, the first of its kind in Asia. Major international donor agencies sponsor programs to empower and strengthen the capacity of local communities to manage their natural resources, while concurrently improving livelihood opportunities. We surveyed 205 randomly selected households throughout the project area to assess the factors that influence household participation roles in management and management groups, and to evaluate how benefits from program involvement were distributed among the community. Overall, the distribution of benefits was unequal: households with higher level participation roles had increased access to financial credit and capacity development trainings. Social variables such as age, level of education among head of households, the highest level education among household adults, and household size predicted participation. The region is economically homogeneous; therefore, economic factors such as remittances, off-farm income and the quantity of landholdings or livestock did not predict household participation roles. Our results demonstrate the importance of targeting and empowering disadvantaged households in decentralized conservation programs, including educating members about the relationship between participation and equitable distribution of benefits.     

The practical use of electrets in a public health radon remediation campaign

As part of a long-term assessment of domestic radon in Northamptonshire, England, a batch of 50 commercially available electrets was deployed for nearly 1000 exposures, individual exposure periods ranging from one to eight weeks. Responsivity was comparable with that of recently-calibrated Durridge RAD-7 continuously-monitoring equipment. Voltage history analysis indicated mean voltage decay during manufacturers' QA assessment of 0.059 ± 0.026 V day⁻¹, increasing to 0.114 ± 0.073 V day⁻¹ during storage to first use and to 0.204 ± 0.49 V day⁻¹ during inter-deployment storage. At a representative elevated radon concentration of 500 Bq m⁻³, the resulting perturbation is 3% over a 7-day deployment; at the typical mean Northamptonshire level of 80 Bq m⁻³ it approaches 22%. Each electret can be used for up to 25 measurements, which makes the technology attractive for organisational use. It is not suited for deployment by individual householders.     

The practical use of electrets in a public health radon remediation campaign

As part of a long-term assessment of domestic radon in Northamptonshire, England, a batch of 50 commercially available electrets was deployed for nearly 1,000 exposures, individual exposure periods ranging from one to eight weeks. Responsivity was comparable with that of recently-calibrated Durridge RAD-7 continuously-monitoring equipment. Voltage history analysis indicated mean voltage decay during manufacturers' QA assessment of 0.059+/-0.026 Vday(-1), increasing to 0.114+/-0.073 Vday(-1) during storage to first use and to 0.204+/-0.49 Vday(-1) during inter-deployment storage. At a representative elevated radon concentration of 500 Bqm(-3), the resulting perturbation is 3% over a 7-day deployment; at the typical mean Northamptonshire level of 80 Bqm(-3) it approaches 22%. Each electret can be used for up to 25 measurements, which makes the technology attractive for organisational use. It is not suited for deployment by individual householders.     

Distribution of natural radionuclides in the production and use of phosphate fertilizers in Brazil

The Brazilian phosphate fertilizer is obtained by wet reaction of igneous phosphate rock with concentrated sulphuric acid, giving as final product, phosphoric acid and dehydrated calcium sulphate (phosphogypsum) as by-products. Phosphoric acid is the starting material for triple superphosphate (TSP), single superphosphate (SSP), monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP). The phosphate rock used as raw material presents in its composition radionuclides of the U and Th natural series. Taking this into account, the main aim of this paper is to evaluate the fluxes of natural radionuclides and radioactive disequilibria involved in the Brazilian industrial process of phosphoric acid production; to determine the content of radioactivity in several commercial fertilizers produced by this industry; to estimate their radiological impact in crop soils and the long term exposure due to their application. Radiological characterization of phosphate rock, phosphogypsum and phosphate fertilizers was performed by alpha and gamma spectrometry. The fertilizer samples, which are derived directly from phosphoric acid, MAP and DAP, presented in their composition low activity concentrations for 226Ra, 228Ra and 210Pb. As for U and Th, the concentrations found in MAP and DAP are more significant, up to 822 and 850Bqkg(-1), respectively. SSP and TSP, which are obtained by mixing phosphoric acid with different amounts of phosphate rock, presented higher concentrations of radionuclides, up to 1158Bqkg(-1) for (238)U, 1167Bqkg(-1) for (234)U, 1169Bqkg(-1) for 230Th, 879Bqkg(-1) for 226Ra, 1255Bqkg(-1) for 210Pb, 521Bqkg(-1) for 232Th, 246Bqkg(-1) for 228Ra and 302Bqkg(-1) for 228Th. Long term exposure due to successive fertilizer applications was evaluated. Internal doses due to the application of phosphate fertilizer for 10, 50 and 100 years were below 1mSvy(-1), showing that the radiological impact of such practice is negligible.     

Environmental tobacco smoke: The use of mathematical models to predict health effects

The mathematical model used by Repace and Lowrey to arrive at the quantitative estimate of five lung cancer deaths per year 100, 000 persons exposed to ETS is questioned based on data from published international studies. A challenge of the Repace and Lowrey calculations is necessary to allay the concern which has arisen from the uncritical acceptance of the preliminary accusative estimates.     

Environmental and health consequences of depleted uranium use in the 1991 Gulf War

Depleted uranium (DU) is a by-product of the 235U radionuclide enrichment processes for nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons. DU in the metallic form has high density and hardness as well as pyrophoric properties, which makes it superior to the classical tungsten armour-piercing munitions. Military use of DU has been recently a subject of considerable concern, not only to radioecologists but also public opinion in terms of possible health hazards arising from its radioactivity and chemical toxicity. In this review, the results of uranium content measurements in different environmental samples performed by authors in Kuwait after Gulf War are presented with discussion concerning possible environmental and health effects for the local population. It was found that uranium concentration in the surface soil samples ranged from 0.3 to 2.5 microg g(-1) with an average value of 1.1 microg g(-1), much lower than world average value of 2.8 microg g(-1). The solid fallout samples showed similar concentrations varied from 0.3 to 1.7 microg g(-1) (average 1.47 microg g(-1)). Only the average concentration of U in solid particulate matter in surface air equal to 0.24 ng g(-1) was higher than the usually observed values of approximately 0.1 ng g(-1) but it was caused by the high dust concentration in the air in that region. Calculated on the basis of these measurements, the exposure to uranium for the Kuwait and southern Iraq population does not differ from the world average estimation. Therefore, the widely spread information in newspapers and Internet (see for example: [CADU NEWS, 2003. http://www.cadu.org.uk/news/index.htm (3-13)]) concerning dramatic health deterioration for Iraqi citizens should not be linked directly with their exposure to DU after the Gulf War.     

农地流转与农户生计策略联合决策研究

基于中国家庭追踪调查(CFPS)2014年农村住户数据,采用多元probit模型实证检验了农户土地流转决策、农户种植经济作物决策和非农劳动力转移决策之间的相互影响。研究发现:①农户土地流转与劳动力非农转移和经济作物种植生计决策相互关联。总体而言,土地转入与种植经济作物决策正相关,与非农劳动力转移决策负相关。土地转出与非农劳动力转移决策正相关,与种植经济作物决策负相关。②土地流转与农户非农劳动力转移和经济作物种植等生计策略的关系与农地流转规模相关,小规模和中等规模的土地转入与非农劳动力转移之间未有显著关系,与经济作物种植决策具有显著正向关系,但大规模的土地转入与农户经济作物种植决策和非农就业决策显著负相关。③土地流转是否影响农户生计多样化决策还取决于地区机械化程度。机械化程度较高的平原地区土地转入决策与农户非农劳动力转移和经济作物种植决策未有显著关系,而机械化程度较低的高山、丘陵、高原等地区土地转入决策与农户种植经济作物和非农就业决策分别存在正相关和负相关关系,表明随着机械化对农业劳动力替代程度的增强,土地流转对农户劳动力配置的影响效应减弱。政策建议是:①统筹推进农村土地、劳动力市场发展,推动农户土地流转参与,促进转出户生计向非农专业化转移,促进转入户农地适度规模经营;②完善农机社会化服务市场,提高农机和农技融合使用深度和广度,提高农机对农业劳动力的替代弹性,增强转入户农业劳动力农地规模经营的能力,增加农业生产比较收益。     

Screening of household products for the emission of volatile organic compounds

10 household products, eight waxes or polishes, and two detergents have been screened by a headspace technique for the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC). Using Tenax sampling and analysis by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) more than 80 single compounds or groups of isomers have been identified, and semiquantitative data on the initial emission rates (emission rate immediately after application) have been obtained. Products fall into two groups: those containing water as a main (80 to 90%) constituent and those without water. The initial emission rate of the first group ranged from 0.2 to 2 μg cm⁻²min⁻¹, whereas the second group had higher emission rates of up to 430 μg cm⁻²min⁻¹. Products of the second group emit essentially hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, and terpenes), whereas most products of the first group emit oxygenated compounds including terpene alcohols and their acetates, aliphatic alcohols and esters, and alkoxy-alcohols.     

Properties,use and health effects of depleted uranium (DU): a general overview

Depleted uranium (DU), a waste product of uranium enrichment, has several civilian and military applications. It was used as armor-piercing ammunition in international military conflicts and was claimed to contribute to health problems, known as the Gulf War Syndrome and recently as the Balkan Syndrome. This led to renewed efforts to assess the environmental consequences and the health impact of the use of DU. The radiological and chemical properties of DU can be compared to those of natural uranium, which is ubiquitously present in soil at a typical concentration of 3 mg/kg. Natural uranium has the same chemotoxicity, but its radiotoxicity is 60% higher. Due to the low specific radioactivity and the dominance of alpha-radiation no acute risk is attributed to external exposure to DU. The major risk is DU dust, generated when DU ammunition hits hard targets. Depending on aerosol speciation, inhalation may lead to a protracted exposure of the lung and other organs. After deposition on the ground, resuspension can take place if the DU containing particle size is sufficiently small. However, transfer to drinking water or locally produced food has little potential to lead to significant exposures to DU. Since poor solubility of uranium compounds and lack of information on speciation precludes the use of radioecological models for exposure assessment, biomonitoring has to be used for assessing exposed persons. Urine, feces, hair and nails record recent exposures to DU. With the exception of crews of military vehicles having been hit by DU penetrators, no body burdens above the range of values for natural uranium have been found. Therefore, observable health effects are not expected and residual cancer risk estimates have to be based on theoretical considerations. They appear to be very minor for all post-conflict situations, i.e. a fraction of those expected from natural radiation.     

Reducing external costs of nitrogen pollution by relocation of pig production between regions in the European Union

This paper tests the hypothesis that relocation of pig production within the EU27 can reduce the external costs of nitrogen (N) pollution. The external cost of pollution by ammonia and nitrate from agriculture in the European Union (EU27) in 2008 was estimated at 61–215 billion € (0.5 to 1.8% of the GDP). Per capita it ranged from more than 1000 € in north-west EU27 to 50 € in Romania. The average contribution of pig production was 15%. Using provincial data (224 NUTS2 regions in EU27), the potential reduction of external N cost by relocation of pig production was estimated at 14 billion € (10% of the total). Regions most eligible for decreasing the pig stock were in western Germany, Flemish region, Denmark, the Netherlands and Bretagne, while Romania is most eligible for increasing pig production. Relocating 20 million pigs (13% of the total EU stock) decreased average external costs per capita from 900 to 785 € in the 13 NUTS2 regions where pigs were removed and increased from 69 to 107 € in 11 regions receiving pigs. A second alternative configuration of pig production was targeted at reducing exceedance of critical N deposition and closing regional nutrient cycles. This configuration relocates pigs within Germany and France, for example from Bretagne to Northern France and from Weser-Ems to Oberbayern. However, total external cost increases due to an increase of health impacts, unless when combined with implementation of best N management practices. Relocation of the pig industry in the EU27 will meet many socio-economic barriers and realisation requires new policy incentives.     

Organochlorine pesticide contamination of ground water in the city of Hyderabad

Organochlorine pesticides are ubiquitous and persistent organic pollutants used widely throughout the world. Due to the extensive use in agriculture, organic environmental contaminants such as HCH, DDT along with other organochlorine pesticides are distributed globally by transport through air and water. The main aim of present study is to determine contamination levels of organochlorine pesticides in the ground water of Hyderabad City. Water samples were collected from 28 domestic well supplies of the city. For this study, random sampling technique was applied, all the samples were collected in high purity glass bottles and refrigerated at 4 degrees C until analysis. Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) is used for the extraction of organochlorine pesticide residues in water sample. The collected water samples were pre-filtered through a 0.45 microg glass fiber filter (Wattman GF/F) to remove particulate matter and were acidified with hydrochloric acid (6N) to pH 2.5. Methanol modifier (BDH, for pesticide residue analysis, 10 mL) was added to water sample for better extraction. SPE using pre-packed reversed phase octadecyl (C-18 bonded silica) contained in cartridges was used for sample preparation. Prior to the extraction, the C-18 bonded phase, which contains 500 mg of bonded phase, was washed with 20 mL methanol. The sample was mixed well and allowed to percolate through the cartridges with flow rate of 10-15 mL/min under vacuum. After sample extraction, suction continued for 15 min to dry the packing material and pesticides trapped in the C-18 bonded phases were eluted by passing 10 mL hexane and fraction was evaporated in a gentle steam of Nitrogen. In all samples pesticide residues were analyzed by GC (Chemito-8510) with Ni63 ECD detector. Helium was used as carrier gas and nitrogen was used as make up gas. The injection technique was split/split less. All the samples analyzed were found to be contaminated with four pesticides i.e. DDT, beta-Endosulfan, alpha-Endosulfan and Lindane. DDT was found to range between 0.15 and 0.19 microg L(-1), beta-Endosulfan ranges between 0.21 and 0.87 microg L(-1), alpha-Endosulfan ranges between 1.34 and 2.14 microg L(-1) and Lindane ranges between 0.68 and 1.38 microg L(-1) respectively. These concentrations of pesticides in the water samples were found to be above their respective Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) values for Humans.     

过犹不及:土地资源资本化与实体经济发展

在经济转型发展战略背景下,探讨土地资源资本化及其对实体经济发展的影响具有重要理论和现实意义。不同于已有研究均质化地理解土地资本化,该研究从"度"的视角切入,认为土地资本化存在适度与过度之分,由此分析了不同程度土地资本化对实体经济的影响,并基于中国工业企业微观数据予以实证考察,最后讨论了中国当前土地过度资本化风险与原因。研究表明:(1)土地资本化存在限度,限度范围内促进实体经济增长,越过限度则抑制实体经济增长,两者呈"倒U型"关系,该结论在多种模型设定下均保持稳健;(2)当土地资本化越过最优限度,将激起全要素成本快速上涨,导致利润空间收窄,引致实体经济萎缩;(3)从工业企业大样本微观数据估计出的"倒U型"拐点来判断,当前中国城市经济已面临较严重的土地过度资本化问题,东中西部相继进入过度资本化高风险状态,这可能损害实体经济而影响中国经济的增长前景;(4)进一步的分析表明,中国式分权造成的地方政府"为增长而竞争"可能是土地资本化持续深化乃至过度化的重要原因,调整政治激励方式应是寻求土地过度资本化理性回归的着力点。研究提供了重要政策启示:土地资本化是一把"双刃剑",趋利避害的关键是把握"度"的原则;中国必须通过深化政绩考核、土地市场和土地税制等多方面协同改革来纠正土地过度资本化偏向;面向高质量发展与实体经济转型升级,主动转变土地资本化支撑方式,改革土地资本收益支出结构,加快支出重心向新基建、科教部门和民生部门转移。     

Microbial content of household dust associated with exhaled NO in asthmatic children

Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is increasingly used as a non-invasive measure of airway inflammation. Despite this, little information exists regarding the potential effects of indoor microbial components on eNO. We determined the influence of microbial contaminants in house dust and other indoor environmental characteristics on eNO levels in seven-year-olds with and without a physician-diagnosis of asthma. The study included 158 children recruited from a birth cohort study, and 32 were physician-diagnosed as asthmatic. The relationship between eNO levels and exposures to home dust streptomycetes, endotoxin, and molds was investigated. Streptomycetes and endotoxin were analyzed both as loads and concentrations in separate models. Dog, cat, and dust mite allergens also were evaluated. In the multivariate exposure models, high streptomycetes loads and concentrations were significantly associated with a decrease in eNO levels in asthmatic (p < 0.001) but not in healthy children. The presence of dog allergen, however, was associated with increased levels of eNO (p = 0.001). Dust endotoxin was not significant. The relationship between eNO and indoor exposure to common outdoor molds was u-shaped. In non-asthmatic children, none of the exposure variables was significantly associated with eNO levels. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating a significant association between microbial components in the indoor environment and eNO levels in asthmatic children. This study demonstrates the importance of simultaneously assessing multiple home exposures of asthmatic children to better understand opposing effects. Common components of the indoor Streptomyces community may beneficially influence airway inflammation.