Culturability and concentration of indoor and outdoor airborne fungi in six single-family homes

In this study, the culturability of indoor and outdoor airborne fungi was determined through long-term sampling (24-h) using a Button Personal Inhalable Aerosol Sampler. The air samples were collected during three seasons in six Cincinnati area homes that were free from moisture damage or visible mold. Cultivation and total microscopic enumeration methods were employed for the sample analysis. The geometric means of indoor and outdoor culturable fungal concentrations were 88 and 102 colony-forming units (CFU) m(-3), respectively, with a geometric mean of the I/O ratio equal to 0.66. Overall, 26 genera of culturable fungi were recovered from the indoor and outdoor samples. For total fungal spores, the indoor and outdoor geometric means were 211 and 605 spores m(-3), respectively, with a geometric mean of I/O ratio equal to 0.32. The identification revealed 37 fungal genera from indoor and outdoor samples based on the total spore analysis. Indoor and outdoor concentrations of culturable and total fungal spores showed significant correlations (r = 0.655, p<0.0001 and r = 0.633, p<0.0001, respectively). The indoor and outdoor median viabilities of fungi were 55% and 25%, respectively, which indicates that indoor environment provides more favorable survival conditions for the aerosolized fungi. Among the seasons, the highest indoor and outdoor culturability of fungi was observed in the fall. Cladosporium had a highest median value of culturability (38% and 33% for indoor and outdoor, respectively) followed by Aspergillus/Penicillium (9% and 2%) among predominant genera of fungi. Increased culturability of fungi inside the homes may have important implications because of the potential increase in the release of allergens from viable spores and pathogenicity of viable fungi on immunocompromised individuals.     

Changes in bryophyte and lichen communities on Scots pines along an alkaline dust pollution gradient

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Dust pollution can cause a significant damage of environment and endanger human health. Our study aimed to investigate epiphytic lichens and...     

Limnological effects of wood ash application to the subcatchments of boreal,humic lakes

To assess environmental risks of wood ash, limnological effects of ash application to the drainage basins of two small, humic lakes and one reference lake in southern Finland were examined in this three-year study. Treated areas corresponded to 12 and 19% of the total catchment and the amount of wood ash added was 6400 kg ha(-1). Immediate effects of wood ash on lake water were investigated in three tank experiments each lasting 1.5 wk. In tank experiments, addition of wood ash increased pH, alkalinity, conductivity, and Ca and P concentrations of humic lake water, while growth of phytoplankton decreased. After wood ash application to the subcatchments, pH, alkalinity, conductivity, and concentrations of K+, SO4(2-), and Cl- slightly increased, both in inflowing waters and in the lakes, but no increased leaching of Ca, N, or P from the treated subcatchments occurred. Phytoplankton biomass increased in both experimental lakes in comparison with the reference lake. In the lake with 19% application rate to the catchment, zooplankton biomass also increased. The results indicate that, over the short term, a small-scale ash treatment to a forested drainage basin will not necessarily cause significant changes in the water quality of boreal humic lakes, but at higher application rates, changes in water chemistry and biology are more evident.     

Fate of pulp mill effluent compounds in a finnish watercourse

Chloroorganic chemicals emitted from the pulp and paper mill at nekoski in central Finland were monitored for several years. Concentration time series are used for evaluating the environmental fate and the applicability and validity of an exposure models. Fitted elimination rates of 3,4,5-Tri-, 4,5,6-Tri-, Tetrachloroguaiacol and 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol are approx. 0.22 d^-1, or rather the half-lives are approx. 3 days. The elimination is most likely by biodegradation and transport-controlled. For 2,3,6-trichloro-p-cymene, fate simulations indicate significant volatilization and sedimentation. Good agreement is achieved with a one-dimensional steady-state box model, except for concentrations in fish. For a reliable assessment of environmental damage, laboratory experiments, monitoring and simulations need to be in tune.     

Spatial and temporal variations of PM(2.5) concentration and composition throughout an urban area with high freeway density-the Greater Cincinnati study

The PM(2.5) concentration and its elemental composition were measured in the Cincinnati metropolitan area, which is characterized by intense highway traffic. The spatial and temporal variations were investigated for various chemical elements that contributed to the PM(2.5) fraction during a 1-year-long measurement campaign (December 2001-November 2002). The ambient aerosol monitoring was performed in 11 locations around the city during nine measurement cycles. During each cycle, four Harvard-type impactors were operating in parallel in specific locations to explore various factors affecting the PM(2.5) elemental concentrations. The sampling was performed during business days, thus assuring traffic uniformity. The 24-h PM(2.5) samples were collected on Teflon and quartz filters. Teflon filters were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis while quartz filters were analyzed by thermal-optical transmittance (TOT) analysis. In addition to PM(2.5) measurements, particle size-selective sampling was performed in two cycles using micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor; the collected fractionated deposits were analyzed by XRF. It was found that PM(2.5) concentration ranged from 6.70 to 48.3 mug m(-3) and had low spatial variation (median coefficient of variation, CV=11.3%). The elemental concentrations demonstrated high spatial variation, with the median CV ranged from 38.2% for Fe to 68.7% for Ni. For traffic-related trace metals, the highest concentration was detected in the city center site, which was close to a major highway. The particle size selective measurement revealed that mass concentration of the trace metals, such as Zn, Pb, Ni, as well as that of sulfur reach their peak values in the particle size range of 0.32-1.0 mum. Meteorological parameters and traffic intensity were not found to have a significant influence on the PM(2.5) elemental concentrations.     

Airbag deployment–related eye injuries

Objective: We studied the correlation between airbag deployment and eye injuries using 2 different data sets.

Methods: The registry of the Finnish Road Accident (FRA) Investigation Teams was analyzed to study severe head- and eyewear-related injuries. All fatal passenger car or van accidents that occurred during the years 2009–2012 (4 years) were included (n = 734). Cases in which the driver's front airbag was deployed were subjected to analysis (n = 409). To determine the proportion of minor, potentially airbag-related eye injuries, the results were compared to the data for all new eye injury patients (n = 1,151) recorded at the Emergency Clinic of the Helsinki University Eye Hospital (HUEH) during one year, from May 1, 2011, to April 30, 2012.

Results: In the FRA data set, the unbelted drivers showed a significantly higher risk of death (odds ratio [OR] = 5.89, 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.33–10.9, P = 2.6E-12) or of sustaining head injuries (OR = 2.50, 95% CI, 1.59–3.97, P = 3.8E-5). Only 4 of the 1,151 HUEH patients were involved in a passenger car accident. In one of the crashes, the airbag operated, and the belted driver received 2 sutured eye lid wounds and showed conjunctival sugillation. No permanent eye injuries were recorded during the follow-up. The calculated annual airbag-related eye injury incidence was less than 1/1,000,000 people, 4/100,000 accidents, and 4/10,000 injured occupants.

Conclusions: Airbag-related eye injuries occurred very rarely in car accidents in cases where the occupant survived and the restraint system was appropriately used. Spectacle use did not appear to increase the risk of eye injury in restrained occupants.     

Road pavers' occupational exposure to asphalt containing waste plastic and tall oil pitch

Waste plastic (WP) and tall oil pitch (T), which are organic recycled industrial by-products, have been used as a binder with bitumen in stone mastic asphalt (SMA) and asphalt concrete (AC). We compared the exposure over one workday in 16 road pavers participating in a survey at four paving sites, using mixes of conventional asphalt (SMA, AC) or mixes containing waste material (SMA-WPT, AC-WPT). The concentrations of 11 aldehydes in air were 515 and 902 microg m(-3) at the SMA-WPT and AC-WPT worksites, being 3 and 13 times greater than at the corresponding worksites laying conventional asphalt. Resin acids (2-42 microg m(-3)), which are known sensitizers, were detected only during laying of AC-WPT. The emission levels (microg m(-3)) of total particulates (300-500), bitumen fumes (60-160), bitumen vapour (80-1120), naphthalene (0.59-1.2), phenanthrene (0.21-0.32), pyrene (<0.015-0.20), benzo(a)pyrene (<0.01) and the sum of 16 PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 1.28-2.00) were similar for conventional and WPT asphalts. The dermal deposition of 16 PAHs on exposure pads (on workers' wrist) was low in all pavers (0.7-3.5 ng cm(-2)). Eight OH-PAH biomarkers of naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene exposures were quantified in pre- and post-shift urine specimens. The post-shift concentrations (mean +/- SD, micromol mol(-1) creatinine) of 1- plus 2-naphthol; 1-,2-,3-,4- plus 9-phenanthrol; and 1-hydroxypyrene were, respectively, for asphalt workers: 18.1+/- 8.0, 2.41 +/- 0.71 and 0.66+/- 0.58 (smokers); 6.0+/- 2.3, 1.70+/- 0.72 and 0.27+/- 0.15 (non-smokers); WPT asphalt workers: 22.0+/- 9.2, 2.82+/- 1.11 and 0.76+/- 0.18 (smokers); 6.8+/- 2.6, 2.35+/- 0.69 and 0.46+/- 0.13 (non-smokers). The work-related uptake of PAHs was low in all pavers, although it was significantly greater in smokers than in non-smokers. The WPT asphalt workers complained of eye irritation and sore throat more than the pavers who had a much lower exposure to aldehydes and resin acids.     

A New Approach to Measuring Work-Related Well-Being

The main aim of this study was to develop a short questionnaire to assess work-related well-being from the organizational behaviour perspective. The short well-being questionnaire enables measuring longitudinal work-related well-being. Work-related well-being was assessed with a 147-item questionnaire covering both organizational and intrinsic factors of work-related well-being. The questionnaire consisted of 27 categories. The respondents were 114 women (65%) and 62 men (35%), mean age 39.2 years, in various occupations. From the extensive questionnaire a shorter questionnaire with 33 items was developed by principal component analysis. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure to test the sampling adequacy of 27 factor solutions varied from .62 to .91 and Cronbach’s a was .74–.94. Most K values of the shorter questionnaire were .50–.94 (p < .001). The reliability of the short version was comparable to that of the original questionnaire. The short one could also be suitable for Internet and mobile questionnaire applications.