Using air pollution based community clusters to explore air pollution health effects in children

To study respiratory health effects of long-term exposure to ambient air pollutant mixture, we observed 7058 school children 5-16 years of age living in the four Chinese cities of Lanzhou, Chongqing, Wuhan, and Guangzhou. These children were enrolled from elementary schools located in eight districts, one urban district and one suburban district in each of the above cities. Ambient levels of PM(2.5), PM(10-2.5), total suspended particles (TSP), SO(2), and NO(x) were measured in these districts from 1993 to 1996. Based on a cluster analysis of arithmetic mean concentrations of PM(2.5), PM(10-2.5), (TSP-PM(10)), SO(2), and NO(x), we classified these children into four ordinal categories of exposure to ambient air pollutant mixtures. We tested for exposure-response relationships using logistic regression models, controlling for relevant covariates. We observed monotonic, positive relationships of exposure to the pollutant mixture with prevalence rates of cough with phlegm and wheeze. Other outcomes were not associated with the exposure in a monotonic exposure-response pattern. Even so, odds ratios for cough, phlegm, bronchitis, and asthma in the higher exposure district clusters were all higher than in the lowest exposure district cluster. We found evidence that exposure to the pollutant mixtures had adverse effects on children living in the four Chinese cities.     

Foliar uptake of 134Cs and 85Sr in strawberry as function by leaf age

In this paper a study of the foliar uptake and translocation of 134Cs and 85Sr in a herbaceous fruit plant is presented. In particular, absorption, translocation and loss of these radionuclides in strawberry plants have been studied in relation to the age of contaminated leaves. Strawberry plants were contaminated by distributing droplets of an aqueous solution containing 134CsCl and 85SrCl2 on the surface of two leaves per plant. One half of the plants was contaminated through two young leaves, a second half through two old leaves. Sets of plants were collected 1 day, 7 days and 15 days after contamination. One half of them was rinsed with double distilled water before gamma analysis. Rinsing contaminated leaves removes on average 55% of the applied 134Cs and 45% of 85Sr. The activity removed decreases during the 15 days of the experimental study, both for 134Cs and for 85Sr, suggesting an increase in foliar absorption during this period. The activity removed does not differ between old and young leaves. "External loss" is lower for young than old contaminated leaves. "Internal loss" through translocation occurs mainly for 134Cs. Translocation coefficients from contaminated leaves to fruits are two orders of magnitude higher for 134Cs (4.0%), than for 85Sr (0.05%). Leaf to fruit translocation coefficients for 134Cs are higher from young leaves (5.8%), than from old leaves (2.3%).     

Uranium-238 and thorium-232 series concentrations in soil, radon-222 indoor and drinking water concentrations and dose assessment in the city of Aldama, Chihuahua, Mexico

High-resolution gamma spectrometry was used to determine the concentration of 40K, 238U and 232Th series in soil samples taken from areas surrounding the city of Aldama, in Chihuahua. Results of indoor air short-time sampling, with diffusion barrier charcoal detectors, revealed relatively high indoor radon levels, ranging from 29 to 422 Bq/m3; the radon concentrations detected exceeded 148 Bq/m3 in 76% of the homes tested. Additionally, liquid scintillation counting showed concentrations of radon in drinking water ranging from 4.3 to 42 kBq/m3. The high activity of 238U in soil found in some places may be a result of the uranium milling process performed 20 years ago in the area. High radon concentrations indoor and in water may be explained by assuming the presence of uranium-bearing rocks underneath of the city, similar to a felsic dike located near Aldama. The estimated annual effective dose of gamma radiation from the soil and radon inhalation was 3.83 mSv.     

Estimation of internal radiation dose to the adult Asian population from the dietary intakes of two long-lived radionuclides

Daily dietary intakes of two naturally occurring long-lived radionuclides, 232Th and 238U, were estimated for the adult population living in a number of Asian countries, using highly sensitive analytical methods such as instrumental and radiochemical neutron activation analysis (INAA and RNAA), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The Asian countries that participated in the study were Bangladesh (BGD), China (CPR), India (IND), Japan (JPN), Pakistan (PAK), Philippines (PHI), Republic of Korea (ROK) and Vietnam (VIE). Altogether, these countries represent more than 50% of the world population. The median daily intakes of 232Th ranged between 0.6 and 14.4 mBq, the lowest being for Philippines and the highest for Bangladesh, and daily intakes of 238U ranged between 6.7 and 62.5 mBq, lowest and the highest being for India and China, respectively. The Asian median intakes were obtained as 4.2 mBq for 232Th and 12.7 mBq for 238U. Although the Asian intakes were lower than intakes of 12.3 mBq (3.0 ug) 232Th and 23.6 mBq (1.9 ug) 238U proposed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for the ICRP Reference Man, they were comparable to the global intake values of 4.6 mBq 232Th and 15.6 mBq 238U proposed by the United Nation Scientific Commission on Effects of Radiation (UNSCEAR). The annual committed effective doses to Asian population from the dietary intake of 232Th and 238U were calculated to be 0.34 and 0.20 microSv, respectively, which are three orders of magnitude lower than the global average annual radiation dose of 2400 microSv to man from the natural radiation sources as proposed by UNSCEAR.     

Humanitarian action and military intervention: temptations and possibilities

Although the war in Liberia in July 2003 claimed hundreds of lives, the international community was reluctant to intervene. In this article, the author debates the question: does international military intervention equal protection of populations? The role of humanitarian organisations in military intervention is considered. Aid organisations cannot call for deployment of a protection force without renouncing their autonomy or appealing to references outside their own practices. Such organisations provide victims with vital assistance and contribute to ensuring that their fate becomes a stake in political debate by exposing the violence that engulfs them, without substituting their own voices for those of the victims. The political content of humanitarian action is also outlined and military intervention in the context of genocide is discussed. The author concludes that the latter is one of the rare situations in which humanitarian actors can consider calling for an armed intervention without renouncing their own logic.     

Current and Future Strategies for Water and Wastewater Management of Istanbul City

Istanbul has experienced rapid increases in population to more than 12 million people, which has created infrastructure problems of water supply and wastewater treatment and disposal. In this article, the achievements and approaches of the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKI) to solve the water shortage problem and to improve services are summarized. Istanbul had a very severe water shortage problem in 1994 because of ignorance of the implementation of the needed projects. After reviewing the reasons and causes of the problem, new priority criteria adopted after 1994 are given. Following the implementation of the projects determined according to the aforementioned criteria, water supplied has exceeded the water demand. The added capacity is equal to one to three times of the capacity built up to 1994 for water treatment, service reservoirs, pumping stations, transmission lines, and the water distribution network; water quality has been improved the meet local and international potable water standards. Unaccounted for water has been reduced from 60% to 27%. The percentage of treated wastewater has been increased from 10% to 90% in 8 years, resulting in drastic improvements and rehabilitation of the Golden Horn and coastal water quality. Through improved customer services, complaints were reduced from 33% in 1994 to 0.3%. Some of the main criteria and the approaches behind this success are summarized. Published online     

密执安马克特山脉的硬铁矿

一、绪言 自马克特山脉开采铁矿以来,平均含铁60％的镜铁矿和磁铁矿矿块就成了一种重要矿石。这种矿石之所以被早期开采者称为硬铁矿,是因为他们要把它同他们称为软矿石的土状针铁矿区别开来。这个名词一直沿用下来,至今已超过一百年仍然通用。大约67     

The in-vitro response of pollen germination and tube length to different types of acidity

Pollen germination and tube growth are among the most sensitive responses to atmospheric pollution. Both these are inhibited by the acidity of the growth medium. Pollen grains from two species (Pinus cembra L. and Sambucus nigra L.) were germinated in media over a range of pHs (5.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, 3.0 and 2.5) and six types of acidity (H(2)SO(4), HNO(3), H(2)SO(4): HNO(3) in 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and 5:1 ratio). Pollen of the Gymnosperm is shown to be more resistant to acidity in the medium. Sulphuric acid alone and the ratio 2:1 with nitric acid are demonstrated to be the more harmful for P. cembra and S. nigra, respectively. The latter species was sensitive to all mixtures, particularly in respect to germination percentage.     

黑森州埃施维格及桑特拉的蔡希斯坦白云岩中层状萤石矿床

<正> 一、引言及概况 最近25年以来,沉积型萤石矿床已具世界性的经济意义和科研价值。由于它展布面积很大,常有着巨大的CaF_2储量。它是利于露天开采的近地表的矿床,因而其经济价值胜过必须地下开采的热液脉状矿床。 萤石产于呈透镜体状及层状的沉积矿层中,在岩石学及地层学不同年代的岩石里它常伴有石英、重晶石、方解石、天青石和菱锶矿,并伴有少量方铅矿,     

Air bag effectiveness as function of impact speed

An investigation was conducted to estimate the effectiveness of air bags as a function of velocity. The study consisted of three parts: a theoretical idealization, an analysis of National Automotive Sampling System/Crashworthiness Data System (NASS/CDS), and a reanalysis of previously published Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data. The theoretical analysis looked at idealized risk curves as a function of velocity; assuming that the air bag offers a benefit for both belted and unbelted occupants. Analysis of the NASS/CDS data looked at the effectiveness of air bags as a function of velocity for Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) 3+ injuries. The reanalysis of the previously published FARS data looked at the effectiveness of the air bag as a function of velocity for fatalities. The theoretical analysis indicates that the air bag effectiveness should be greatest at the low velocities. The field data analysis of both NASS/CDS and FARS were consistent with the theoretical analysis, indicating that air bags are most effective at the lower velocities, below 40 kph (25 mph), for both belted and unbelted occupants. Although it was not possible to estimate a different effect for belted and unbelted for fatalities using FARS, it was possible for MAIS 3+ using NASS/CDS. For unbelted occupants the effectiveness goes to zero or becomes negative above 40 kph (25 mph) for MAIS 3+, and for belted occupants the effectiveness stays positive but with significantly lower magnitude for speeds above 40 kph (25 mph).