Particulate matter in the indoor and outdoor air of a gymnasium and a fronton

An indoor/outdoor monitoring programme of PM₁₀ was carried out in two sports venues (a fronton and a gymnasium). Levels always below 50 μg m^?3 were obtained in the fronton and outdoor air. Due to the climbing chalk and the constant process of resuspension, concentrations above 150 μg m^?3 were registered in the gymnasium. The chalk dust contributed to CO₃ ^2? concentrations of 32?±?9.4 μg m^?3 in this sports facility, which represented, on average, 18 % of the PM₁₀ mass. Here, the carbonate levels were 128 times higher than those registered outdoors. Much lower concentrations, around 1 μg m^?3, were measured in the fronton. The chalk dust is also responsible for the high Mg²⁺ concentrations in the gym (4.7?±?0.89 μg m^?3), unfolding a PM₁₀ mass fraction of 2.7 %. Total carbon accounted for almost 30 % of PM₁₀ in both indoor spaces. Aerosol size distributions were bimodal and revealed a clear dependence on physical activities and characteristics of the sports facilities. The use of climbing chalk in the gymnasium contributed significantly to the coarse mode. The average geometric mean diameter, geometric standard deviation and total number of coarse particles were 0.77 μm, 2.79 cm^?3 and 28 cm^?3, respectively.     

Distribution and partitioning of iron, zinc, and arsenic in surface sediments in the Grande River mouth to Cuitzeo Lake, Mexico

Cuitzeo Lake is one of the largest and most important lakes in Mexico. It receives different types of pollutants through its main tributary, the Grande River of Morelia. The aim of this work was to determine if high concentrations of iron, zinc, and arsenic are present in sediments in an area near the river mouth to the lake, as well as to estimate the partitioning of these metals using a sequential extraction procedure in order to obtain information of their potential bioavailability. Sediment samples were collected from three different sites in Cuitzeo Lake and two sites in Grande River in both dry and wet seasons. A sequential extraction procedure was carried out to determine the concentrations of these elements in different geochemical phases of the sediments. Total metal concentrations were evaluated by using the enrichment factor and the geoaccumulation index. A comparison with sediment quality guidelines and shale values has also been made. The results indicate that sediments are considered unpolluted by iron and moderately polluted by zinc and arsenic. However, fractionation studies showed that significant amounts of Zn and As could be released to the lake ecosystem depending on the environmental conditions, representing a medium risk potential of bioavailability to the biota.     

Environmental Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater and Groundwater in Quintana Roo,Mexico

The presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in wastewater has been reported as a result of fecal shedding of infected individuals. In this study, the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was explored in primary-treated wastewater from two municipal wastewater treatment plants in Quintana Roo, Mexico, along with groundwater from sinkholes, a household well, and submarine groundwater discharges. Physicochemical variables were obtained in situ, and coliphage densities were determined. Three virus concentration methods based on adsorption-elution and sequential filtration were used followed by RNA isolation. Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 was done by RT-qPCR using the CDC 2020 assay, 2019-nCoV_N1 and 2019-nCoV_N2. The Pepper mild mottle virus, one of the most abundant RNA viruses in wastewater was quantified by RT-qPCR and compared to SARS-CoV-2 concentrations. The use of three combined virus concentration methods together with two qPCR assays allowed the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in 58% of the wastewater samples analyzed, whereas none of the groundwater samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater were from 1.8 × 10³ to 7.5 × 10³ genome copies per liter (GC l⁻¹), using the N1 RT-qPCR assay, and from 2.4 × 10² to 5.9 × 10³ GC l⁻¹ using the N2 RT-qPCR assay. Based on PMMoV prevalence detected in all wastewater and groundwater samples tested, the three viral concentration methods used could be successfully applied for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in further studies. This study represents the first detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater in southeast Mexico and provides a baseline for developing a wastewater-based epidemiology approach in the area.

     

Sustainable Development and Health:Recent International Developments,Policies and Projects

Environment and health have been more and more jointly addressed in recent years,thanks to the efforts of several public and private institutions.In this scenario,a leading role has been played by the World Heath Organisation(WHO).A specific attention was devoted to the issue by the European Union(EU)EU institutions and the WHO Office for Europe,which lists 52 countries(including Europe,Eastern European Countries and Turkey, former Yugoslavia and part of the former Soviet Union).The objectives of the present paper are to give an overview of the main developments in this area,and to underline the progress made towards a common understanding of health and environment issues,the advantages and limits of these developments and the challenges for the future,to be tackled at a global level.     

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

<正>Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment,Print ISSN 1004-2857,Online ISSN 2325-4262,Volume 11,2013.Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment(www.tandfonline.com/tpre)is a peer-reviewed journal published in March,June,September,and December by TaylorFrancis,4 Park Square,Milton Park,Abingdon,Oxon,OX14 4RN,UK.     

Rapid karyotyping in ectopic pregnancies

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of karyotyping ectopic Fallopian tube pregnancies utilizing dividing cytotrophoblast cells. Villi from 78 ectopic conceptuses were processed by the direct chromosome technique and cytogenetic diagnosis was successful in 60 cases (76-9 per cent). The amount of villi obtained, as well as villus morphology, was correlated with cytogenetic success rate. Histological examination of the Fallopian tube was also carried out. A total of 47 cases were chromosomally abnormal (78-3 per cent), which is the highest frequency of cytogenetic abnormalities reported to date.