Volunteer monitoring of E. coli in streams of the upper Midwestern United States: a comparison of methods

Fecal contamination of water is a public health concern for those using the water for drinking or recreation. The EPA recommends using Escherichia coli to evaluate recreational freshwaters for fecal contamination. With limited resources available, states have recently focused on training volunteers to expand data collection and resource assessment. Several bacteria testing methods are available for use by the public; however, few studies have comprehensively evaluated their use by volunteers. This study evaluated two E. coli monitoring methods used by volunteers: Coliscan Easygel® and 3M^TM Petrifilm^TM, incubated for 24 and 48 hours. The methods were assessed to determine how closely each matched results with EPA-approved laboratory analyses. Analysis of covariance results indicated that when used by volunteers to monitor surface water, 3M^TM Petrifilm^TM results were more similar to laboratory analyses than Coliscan Easygel®. Both test methods had similar overall accuracy of predicting if a sample exceeded or fell below the 235 cfu/100 mL EPA body contact standard for recreational surface waters. Two-thirds of volunteers preferred 3M^TM Petrifilm^TM.     

Modelling of occupational respirable crystalline silica exposure for quantitative exposure assessment in community-based case-control studies

We describe an empirical model for exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) to create a quantitative job-exposure matrix (JEM) for community-based studies. Personal measurements of exposure to RCS from Europe and Canada were obtained for exposure modelling. A mixed-effects model was elaborated, with region/country and job titles as random effect terms. The fixed effect terms included year of measurement, measurement strategy (representative or worst-case), sampling duration (minutes) and a priori exposure intensity rating for each job from an independently developed JEM (none, low, high). 23,640 personal RCS exposure measurements, covering a time period from 1976 to 2009, were available for modelling. The model indicated an overall downward time trend in RCS exposure levels of -6% per year. Exposure levels were higher in the UK and Canada, and lower in Northern Europe and Germany. Worst-case sampling was associated with higher reported exposure levels and an increase in sampling duration was associated with lower reported exposure levels. Highest predicted RCS exposure levels in the reference year (1998) were for chimney bricklayers (geometric mean 0.11 mg m(-3)), monument carvers and other stone cutters and carvers (0.10 mg m(-3)). The resulting model enables us to predict time-, job-, and region/country-specific exposure levels of RCS. These predictions will be used in the SYNERGY study, an ongoing pooled multinational community-based case-control study on lung cancer.     

Planning and governing nature-based solutions in river landscapes: Concepts,cases, and insights

Nature-based solutions (NBS), understood as actions that use ecosystem processes to address societal needs, can play important roles to future-proof river landscape development for people and nature. However, knowledge gaps exist how NBS can be planned and implemented at landscape scales. This Special Issue brings together insights and experiences from studies of assessing, planning, and implementing NBS in river landscapes in Europe and beyond. It addresses three research fields: (i) NBS effects, looking at the effectiveness of NBS to achieve ecological, social, and/or economic outcomes, (ii) NBS planning, focusing on approaches for planning and designing NBS, and (iii) NBS governance, relating to governance and business models for implementation. The twelve contributions deliver evidence on how NBS outperform conventional, rather technical solutions, provide guidance and tools to operationalize the NBS concept into practice, and showcase successful governance models of NBS in different contexts. The editorial ends with an outlook on further research needs.     

Genotoxicity,oxidative stress,and inflammatory response induced by crack-cocaine: relevance to carcinogenesis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Crack-cocaine is a cocaine by-product widely consumed by general population in developing countries. The drug is low cost and is associated with more...     

Study of the spontaneous ignition of stoichiometric tetrafluoroethylene–air mixtures at elevated pressures

The Ignition Temperature (IT) of stoichiometric tetrafluoroethylene–air mixtures on hot walls was determined in a 3-dm³-reactor. Tests at elevated pressure conditions were performed, namely at 5, 15 and 25 bar(a), showing a decrease of the IT with the initial pressure. Furthermore, the measured ignition temperatures of stoichiometric tetrafluoroethylene–air mixtures were lower than the ignition temperatures required for the decomposition pure tetrafluoroethylene (Minimum Ignition Temperature of Decomposition, MITD) reported in previous works.Equations from the Semenov thermal explosion theory on spontaneous ignition were used to identify approximate combustion kinetics of tetrafluoroethylene from the experimental results. The determined kinetics was used for the prediction of the IT of stoichiometric tetrafluoroethylene-air by simplified calculation methods. A very good agreement with the experimental results was observed.     

Suitability of ignition source “exploding wire” for determination of dust explosion characteristics in the 20-L-sphere

Several safety characteristics of dusts are determined in the 20-L-sphere (also known as SIWEK Chamber) according to international standards. Dust cloud ignition is carried out using pyrotechnical igniters. Due to various disadvantages of such igniters the need for alternative ignition sources arises again and again. An alternative could be an ignition source which is known as “exploding wire” or “fuse wire”. The paper presents test results of a comparative study between both ignition sources for the determination of the safety characteristics “Maximum Explosion Pressure” and “Maximum Rate of Explosion Pressure Rise” of five selected dusts in the 20-L-sphere. In addition to that the ignition mechanisms of both ignition sources were analyzed by high speed camera recordings and the ignition energy was determined with electric and calorimetric recordings. The paper shows results of measurements of the ignition energy of both ignition sources as well as sequences of the flame propagation.     

Cellular arsenic transport pathways in mammals

Natural contamination of drinking water with arsenic results in the exposure of millions of people world-wide to unacceptable levels of this metalloid. This is a serious global health problem because arsenic is a Group 1 (proven) human carcinogen and chronic exposure is known to cause skin, lung, and bladder tumors. Furthermore, arsenic exposure can result in a myriad of other adverse health effects including diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, reproductive, and endocrine systems. In addition to chronic environmental exposure to arsenic, arsenic trioxide is approved for the clinical treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia, and is in clinical trials for other hematological malignancies as well as solid tumors. Considerable inter-individual variability in susceptibility to arsenic-induced disease and toxicity exists, and the reasons for such differences are incompletely understood. Transport pathways that influence the cellular uptake and export of arsenic contribute to regulating its cellular, tissue, and ultimately body levels. In the current review, membrane proteins (including phosphate transporters, aquaglyceroporin channels, solute carrier proteins, and ATP-binding cassette transporters) shown experimentally to contribute to the passage of inorganic, methylated, and/or glutathionylated arsenic species across cellular membranes are discussed. Furthermore, what is known about arsenic transporters in organs involved in absorption, istribution, and metabolism and how transport pathways contribute to arsenic elimination are described.     

Comparative Assessment of Public Opinion on the Landscape Quality of Two Biosphere Reserves in Europe

The European Landscape Convention (2000) obligates European Union countries to identify and implement landscape quality objectives (LQOs) understood as the specification of public expectations and preferences concerning the landscape of a given area, expressed by competent public authorities. The convention emphasizes the important role of local community representatives in this field. In Poland, the implementation of the LQO concept was first undertaken in two regions with radically different landscape characteristics: (1) the West Polesie Biosphere Reserve and (2) the selected protected areas of the Roztocze–Solska Forest, nominated to the rank of a biosphere reserve. The first stage of the presented study was the recognition of public opinion on the quality of key features of landscape, based on a questionnaire (n = 470). The primary objective of the study was to provide an answer to the following questions: (1) Whether similar social expectations regarding landscape quality exist in spite of radically different landscape characteristics of the regions investigated (landscape quality is understood as spatial arrangement, scenic beauty, and lack of environmental pollution); (2) which landscape features are considered to be most preservation worthy by the representatives of both local communities; and (3) What processes or development impacts pose the greatest threat to the landscape quality of both regions according to the public opinion? The conducted comparative assessment revealed that it is possible to define a set of features fundamental to the quality of both areas and that representatives of local communities pointed out the same threats to the natural and cultural values of both regions investigated.     

Work-related deaths in Washington State, 1998-2002

INTRODUCTION: In Washington State, 87 workers are killed each year, on average, while in work status. To understand these incidents and to assist in focusing on and development of potential prevention measures, they must be well characterized. METHODS: Work-related fatalities between the years 1998 and 2002 are described by the demographics of the victims, types of incidents, the victims' occupations, and industries and location in which they worked. RESULTS: Motor vehicle- and machinery-related incidents accounted for nearly 33% and 14% of the incidents, respectively. Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, and mining (n=87), and construction (n=83) had the most fatalities. Fatality rates per 100,000 workers for these industries were 25.7 and 8.7, respectively, compared to the state-wide average of 3.1 fatalities/100,000 workers. DISCUSSION: These data indicate numerous areas for prevention of work-related traumatic injuries and fatalities.     

Spatio-temporal variation of element accumulation by Moehringia trinervia in a polluted forest ecosystem (South Poland)

The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting accumulation of elements by Moehringia trinervia (L.) Clairv. in a forest ecosystem impacted by long-term inflow of air pollution. The concentrations of N, S, Ca, K, Mg, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn were determined in plants collected in 1999. In addition, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn content was compared with measurements from 1984. Soil properties and bulk precipitation chemistry were used as explaining variables. The amount of heavy metals accumulated by M. trinervia depended on the magnitude of industrial emissions, but only Cu and Pb concentrations were clearly related to the distance from the pollution sources. The spatial distribution of Fe content was shaped by habitat conditions, whereas the distributions of Cd and Zn content were unexplained. Among the macronutrients, only Mg uptake was affected by environmental properties: it was lower under high concentrations of soil Cd and Zn.