Active biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by means of mosses

Spherical bags, packed with 20 g of peat moss (Sphagnum spp.), were exposed to ambient air at a distance of 1 km from a plant manufacturing electrodes for the production of aluminium, near Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In these bags, the concentrations of six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were determined, and compared with the concentrations in moss bags that had been exposed in relatively clean areas. From the results it can be concluded that, in addition to their useful application for biomonitoring of heavy metals, mosses can be applied in active biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air.     

Chemicals,man and the environment

The interaction of chemicals with biological organisms is as old as life itself. Chemical pollution is usually considered to be human interference with natural chemical cycles and the release of man-made, unnatural compounds. The article traces five areas of chemical pollution and health hazards: air pollution, water pollution, occupational exposure, pollution from agricultural practices and contamination of food. It is suggested that historic perspective can aid in rational and prudent evaluation of present-day pollution problems.     

Work technology and the needs for achievement and nurturance among nurses

Critical care nursing units have less routine work technology and provide greater opportunities for nurses to satisfy the need for achievement than do chronic and rehabilitative units. There is no difference between the types of units in opportunities to satisfy the need for nurturance. On units which have non-routine work technology, nurses with a high need for achievement have greater work satisfaction than nurses with a low need for achievement. On routine work technology units there is no correlation between need for achievement and work satisfaction.     

Two unbalanced segregation products due to a maternal t(7;16)inv(16)

We report a prenatal case of a maternally inherited abnormal chromosome 16, originally interpreted as a pericentric inversion only, but after family studies re-interpreted as a pericentric inversion (16) accompanied by an unbalanced (7;16) translocation. Because of the inversion 16 and an elder son with developmental delay and craniofacial dysmorphic features, in the past karyotyped as 46,XY, the chromosomes 16 of the mother and son were carefully re-examined. Using a whole chromosome 16 paint and sub-telomere probes of 16p and 16q, the karyotype of the mother was shown to be 46,XX,inv(16)(p11.2q23.2).ish t(7;16)(q36;p13.3)inv(16). Subsequently one chromosome 16 of the elder son appeared to be a der(16)t(7;16)(q36;p13.3). This is probably the result of a meiotic crossover between the chromosomes 16 in the mother. The prenatal karyotype was finally interpreted as 46,XY,inv(16)(p11.2q23.2).ish der(16)t(7;16)(q36;p13.3)inv(16). This is the same cytogenetic imbalance as his elder brother: a partial trisomy of chromosome 7 (q36→qter) and a partial monosomy of chromosome 16 (p13.3→pter). Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.