Metals and mineral phases of dusts collected in different urban parks of Krakow and their impact on the health of city residents

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - The authors present the results of chemical and mineralogical analyses of urban dusts collected in the spring seasons of 2015 and 2016 in three different...     

Radon concentration in soil gas around local disjunctive tectonic zones in the Krakow area

The purpose of this study was to investigate radon in the vicinity of geologic fault zones within the Krakow region of Poland, and to determine the influence of such formations on enhanced radon concentrations in soil. Radon ((222)Rn and (220)Rn) concentration measurements in soil gas (using ionization chamber AlphaGUARD PQ2000 PRO and diffusion chambers with CR-39 detectors), as well as radioactive natural isotopes of radium, thorium and potassium in soil samples (using gamma ray spectrometry with NaI(Tl) and HPGe detectors), were performed. Site selection was based on a geological map of Krakow. Geophysical methods (ground penetrating radar and shallow acoustic seismic) were applied to recognize the geological structure of the area and to locate the predicted courses of faults. Elevated levels of radon and thoron in soil gas were found in the study area when compared with those observed in an earlier survey covering Krakow agglomeration. For (222)Rn, the arithmetic mean of registered concentration values was 39 kBq/m(3) (median: 35.5 kBq/m(3)). For (220)Rn, the arithmetic mean was 10.8 kBq/m(3) and median 11.8 kBq/m(3).     

Extractable organic halogens (EOX) in sediments from selected Polish rivers and lakes--a measure of the quality of the inland water environment

EOX in sediments from the two main Polish rivers (the Vistula and the Oder/Odra) as well as five lakes was assayed coulometrically and its values examined with respect to the location of the sample collection points. EOX values were found to increase near industrial areas and large urban agglomerations, although mean values--comparable for rivers and lakes--were similar to those recorded elsewhere. EOX tends to rise as TOC does so. On the other hand, the EOX:TOC ratio decreases sharply in the case of lakes, since TOC values there are roughly one order of magnitude higher than in rivers. Furthermore, the contents of selected polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides are directly related to EOX values. These relationships constitute a basis for the application of EOX as a parameter reflecting the level of organochlorine compounds in environmental quality evaluation.     

Estimates of (239+240)Pu inventories in Gdańsk Bay and Gdańsk basin

This paper presents and discusses the results of (239+240)Pu determinations in different components of Gdańsk bay and Gdańsk basin ecosystem, as well as estimated sources and inventories of plutonium in these basins. The total plutonium (239+240)Pu activities deposited in Gdańsk bay and Gdańsk basin sediments are 1.18 TBq and 3.77 TBq, respectively. Two rivers, the Vistula and Neman rivers, and atmospheric fallout were distinguished as the main sources of plutonium in these basins. In seawater (with suspended matter included) there is about 2.33 GBq (239+240)Pu (0.2% of total activity) in Gdańsk bay and 9.92 GBq (239+240)Pu (0.3% of total activity) in Gdańsk basin. In both cases, 56% of (239+240)Pu is associated with suspended matter. Organisms contain 3.81 MBq in Gdańsk bay and 7.45 MBq (239+240)Pu in Gdańsk basin. From this value in Gdańsk bay 82.1% of plutonium is associated with zoobenthos, 13.6% with phytobenthos, 1.6% with phytoplankton, 1.5% with zooplankton and 1.2% with fish. In Gdańsk basin, 83.2% is associated with zoobenthos, 7.5% with phytobenthos, 3.6% with phytoplankton, 3.2% with zooplankton and 2.5% with fish.     

Influence of pH on the toxicity of nitrophenols to Microtox and Spirotox tests

The toxicity of mononitrophenols and dinitrophenols (DNP) to luminescent bacteria Vibrio fischeri (Microtox test) and ciliated protozoan Spirostomum ambiguum (Spirotox test) was evaluated. Spirotox was more sensitive to the tested nitrophenols (NPs) than the Microtox test. 2,5-DNP was the most toxic and 2-NP was the least toxic to the both bioindicators. The toxicity depended greatly on the pH of the medium. The highest changes were observed for DNPs, where the toxicity decreased more than 20-times when the pH increased from 6 to 8. No significant decrease of the toxicity was found for NPs, when the pH increased from 6 to 7. Greater increase of the pH to 8 caused from 1.5 to 4-fold decrease of the toxicity.     

Carpal tunnel syndrome in occupational medicine practice.

Work-related overload syndromes are chiefly associated with the upper limbs, where carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) plays a leading role. This article analyses methods of diagnosing CTS, with special emphasis on those that can be used by physicians in early diagnosis of CTS in workers doing monotonous work. It also discusses occupational (e.g., assembly work, typing, playing instruments, packaging and work associated with the use of a hammer or pruning scissors) and extra-occupational factors (e.g., post-traumatic deformation of bone elements of the carpal tunnel, degenerative and inflammatory changes in tendon sheaths, connective tissue hypertrophy or formation of crystal deposits) leading to CTS; diagnostic methods (subjective symptoms, physical examination and manual provocative tests, vibration perception threshold, electrophysiological examination and imaging methods); and therapeutic and preventive management tools accessible in occupational medicine practice.     

Workers' active involvement in the improvement of occupational safety and health in a textile enterprise--a case study.

Part of the Polish-Swedish OSHMAN project was carried out in a textile company. It aimed at implementing and improving effective health and safety management with workers' active involvement at all levels of the enterprise. The two main problems to be solved during the project were decreasing occupational risk and improving workers' poor knowledge on occupational risk. Training courses, workshops and practical activities were undertaken. As expected, there were changes in work organisation and improvement in the way workstations were looked after, which led to a decrease in occupational risk. Workers were highly committed during the project. Nevertheless it seems that more training should be directed at middle management.