Environmental Modeling and Methods for Estimation of the Global Health Impacts of Air Pollution

Air pollution is increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to global health outcomes. A methodological framework for evaluating the global health-related outcomes of outdoor and indoor (household) air pollution is presented and validated for the year 2005. Ambient concentrations of PM2.5 are estimated with a combination of energy and atmospheric models, with detailed representation of urban and rural spatial exposures. Populations dependent on solid fuels are established with household survey data. Health impacts for outdoor and household air pollution are independently calculated using the fractions of disease that can be attributed to ambient air pollution exposure and solid fuel use. Estimated ambient pollution concentrations indicate that more than 80% of the population exceeds the WHO Air Quality Guidelines in 2005. In addition, 3.26?billion people were found to use solid fuel for cooking in three regions of Sub Saharan Africa, South Asia and Pacific Asia in 2005. Outdoor air pollution results in 2.7?million deaths or 23?million disability adjusted life years (DALYs) while household air pollution from solid fuel use and related indoor smoke results in 2.1?million deaths or 41.6?million DALYs. The higher morbidity from household air pollution can be attributed to children below the age of 5 in Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia. The burden of disease from air pollution is found to be significant, thus indicating the importance of policy interventions.     

Urban stormwater harvesting and reuse: a probe into the chemical, toxicology and microbiological contaminants in water quality

Stormwater is one of the last major untapped urban water resources that can be exploited as an alternative water source in Australia. The information in the current Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling relating to stormwater harvesting and reuse only emphasises on a limited number of stormwater quality parameters. In order to supply stormwater as a source for higher value end-uses, a more comprehensive assessment on the potential public health risks has to be undertaken. Owing to the stochastic variations in rainfall, catchment hydrology and also the types of non-point pollution sources that can provide contaminants relating to different anthropogenic activities and catchment land uses, the characterisation of public health risks in stormwater is complex, tedious and not always possible through the conventional detection and analytical methods. In this study, a holistic approach was undertaken to assess the potential public health risks in urban stormwater samples from a medium-density residential catchment. A combined chemical–toxicological assessment was used to characterise the potential health risks arising from chemical contaminants, while a combination of standard culture methods and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods was used for detection and quantification of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and pathogens in urban stormwater. Results showed that the concentration of chemical contaminants and associated toxicity were relatively low when benchmarked against other alternative water sources such as recycled wastewater. However, the concentrations of heavy metals particularly cadmium and lead have exceeded the Australian guideline values, indicating potential public health risks. Also, high numbers of FIB were detected in urban stormwater samples obtained from wet weather events. In addition, qPCR detection of human-related pathogens suggested there are frequent sewage ingressions into the urban stormwater runoff during wet weather events. Further water quality monitoring study will be conducted at different contrasting urban catchments in order to undertake a more comprehensive public health risk assessment for urban stormwater.     

Die Titicaca-See-Region auf dem Altiplano von Peru und Bolivien und die Folgen eingeführter Fische für Wildarten und ihren Lebensraum

In the course of a long-term case study (since 1960) the interaction between different exotic fish (salmonids, atherinids) on the endemic ichthyofauna (genusOrestias: Cyprinodontidae) introduced to the interandean basin of Lake Titicaca was observed. The contribution deals not only with the actual consequences which endanger endemic species but also the socio-economic effects on the native Indian population, both causing further ecological problems in the region of concern.     

Ontogeny of fetal liver glucose-6-phosphatase activity

A reliable and sensitive microassay for the measurement of liver glucose-6-phosphatase is described. Human fetal liver was assayed for glucose-6-phosphatase activity from 7.5 to 24 weeks of gestation and was found to have a mean activity of 2.11 nmol per min per mg of protein. This was approximately 30 per cent of the postnatal controls assayed by the same method, but there was no evidence of a change in activity during the gestational period examined. If fetal liver tissue can be reliably obtained, it may be possible to determine a deficiency of glucose-6-phosphatase in fetuses who are at risk.     

Scalar transport from point sources in the flow around a finite-height cylinder

This paper presents a large eddy simulation of mass transfer in the flow around a surface-mounted finite-height circular cylinder. The study was carried out for a cylinder with height-to-diameter ratio of 2.5 and a Reynolds number based on the cylinder diameter of 44000. The approach flow boundary layer had a thickness of about 10% of the cylinder height. A tracer was released at various levels upstream of the cylinder. The effect of the release position in the subsequent spreading and dilution of the plumes is analyzed. It is found that a tracer released at the top or at mid-height is entrained into the recirculation zone behind the cylinder, and therefore presents similar plume evolution in the far wake in both cases. If the tracer is released at around three-quarters of the height of the cylinder, it is not significantly entrained by the main recirculation region, leading to smaller rates of spreading of the plume. Finally, if the tracer is released near the floor, the plume is entrained by the horseshoe vortex that wraps around the cylinder, leading to a large lateral spreading of the plume, remaining always near the floor.     

Elektronen-Energieverlust-Spektroskopie (FELS) als Methode zur Lokalisierung von Antigenen und anderen Substanzen in Zellen und Geweben

The localization of antigens and other substances in cells and tissues by electron microscopy is usually performed by immunohistochemical techniques employing labelled conventional or monoclonal antibodies. For the ultrastructural localization of the antibodies, they are coupled to electron-dense labels like gold or ferritin. Here, we demonstrate a novel method to localize antigens in cells, tissues, and on other supports. By electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) it is possible to directly analyze the distribution of antigens, metabolites or other substances without the use of labelled antibodies: as an example we demonstrate the distribution of the immunomodulator lipopeptide in B lymphocytes and macrophages. EELS represents a novel, sensitive, and generally applicable method for the detection and localization of antigens and other substances in biology and medicine.     

Umbilical cord haematoma as a complication of intrauterine intravascular blood transfusion

Between October 1985 and February 1989, 49 ultrasound-guided intravascular fetal blood transfusions were performed in 16 patients (14 with rhesus (Rh) isoimmunization, 2 with non-immunologic hydrops fetalis (NIHF)). As an intra-operative complication, perivascular haematoma of the cord occurred in three patients (7 per cent). In two cases, fetal bradycardia necessitated delivery by Caesarean section at 30 and 32 weeks' gestation, respectively. In the third case, fetal bradycardia developed during transfusion, at 31 weeks' gestation, but normalized within 3 min. The baby was delivered as planned at 36 weeks of gestation, after another transfusion at 34 weeks. Dislodgement of the needle tip into perivascular tissue, caused by sudden fetal or maternal movements, is the reason for this complication. The haematoma develops as a result of delayed recognition and continuous transfusion into Wharton' s jelly. Cord haematoma may be diagnosed in time by continuous ultrasound imaging, as illustrated in case 3. To minimize the risk of needle dislodgement during transfusion, sedation of the mother and complete immobilization of the fetus by injecting a short-acting muscle relaxant into the umbilical vessel are recommended.     

Oxygen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs) in urban soils of Bratislava, Slovakia: patterns, relation to PAHs and vertical distribution

We determined concentrations, sources, and vertical distribution of OPAHs and PAHs in soils of Bratislava. The ∑14 OPAHs concentrations in surface soil horizons ranged 88-2692 ng g⁻¹ and those of ∑34 PAHs 842-244,870 ng g⁻¹. The concentrations of the ∑9 carbonyl-OPAHs (r = 0.92, p = 0.0001) and the ∑5 hydroxyl-OPAHs (r = 0.73, p = 0.01) correlated significantly with ∑34 PAHs concentrations indicating the close association of OPAHs with parent-PAHs. OPAHs were quantitatively dominated by 9-fluorenone, 9,10-anthraquinone, 1-indanone and benzo[a]anthracene-7,12-dione. At several sites, individual carbonyl-OPAHs had higher concentrations than parent PAHs. The concentration ratios of several OPAHs to their parent-PAHs and contribution of the more soluble OPAHs (1-indanone and 9-fluorenone) to ∑14 OPAHs concentrations increased with soil depth suggesting that OPAHs were faster vertically transported in the study soils by leaching than PAHs which was supported by the correlation of subsoil:surface soil ratios of OPAH concentrations at several sites with K_OW.