Effects of soil amendment with PCB-contaminated sediment on the growth of two cucurbit species

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the application of increasing proportions (0%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) of an admixture of...     

Myoelectric manifestation of muscle fatigue in repetitive work detected by means of miniaturized sEMG sensors

Upper limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders have a 12-month prevalence ranging from 12 to 41% worldwide and can be partly caused by handling low loads at high frequency. The association between the myoelectric manifestation of elbow flexor muscle fatigue and occupational physical demand has never been investigated. It was hypothesized that an elbow flexor muscle fatigue index could be a valid risk indicator in handling low loads at high frequency. This study aims to measure the myoelectric manifestation of muscle fatigue of the three elbow flexor muscles during the execution of the work tasks in different risk conditions. Fifteen right-handed healthy adults were screened using a movement analysis laboratory consisting of optoelectronic, dynamometer and surface electromyographic systems. The main result indicates that the fatigue index calculated from the brachioradialis is sensitive to the interaction among risk classes, session and gender, and above all it is sensitive to the risk classes.     

Trends in Ecosystem Service Research: Early Steps and Current Drivers

Over the past 50 years, human beings have influenced ecosystems more rapidly than at any similar time in human history, drastically altering ecosystem functioning. Along with ecosystem transformation and degradation, a number of studies have addressed the functioning, assessment and management of ecosystems. The concept of ecosystem services has been developed in the scientific literature since the end of the 1970s. However, ecosystem service research has focused on certain service categories, ecosystem types, and geographical areas, while substantial knowledge gaps remain concerning several aspects. We assess the development and current status of ecosystem service research on the basis of publications collected from the Web of Science. The material consists of (1) articles (n = 353) from all the years included in the Web of Science down to the completion of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and (2) more recent articles (n = 687) published between 2006 and 2008. We also assess the importance of international processes, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Kyoto Protocol and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, as drivers of ecosystem service research. Finally, we identify future prospects and research needs concerning the assessment and management of ecosystem services.     

High temperature air-blown woody biomass gasification model for the estimation of an entrained down-flow gasifier

A high temperature air-blown gasification model for woody biomass is developed based on an air-blown gasification experiment. A high temperature air-blown gasification experiment on woody biomass in an entrained down-flow gasifier is carried out, and then the simple gasification model is developed based on the experimental results. In the experiment, air-blown gasification is conducted to demonstrate the behavior of this process. Pulverized wood is used as the gasification fuel, which is injected directly into the entrained down-flow gasifier by the pulverized wood banner. The pulverized wood is sieved through 60 mesh and supplied at rates of 19 and 27kg/h. The oxygen-carbon molar ratio (O/C) is employed as the operational condition instead of the air ratio. The maximum temperature achievable is over 1400K when the O/C is from 1.26 to 1.84. The results show that the gas composition is followed by the CO-shift reaction equilibrium. Therefore, the air-blown gasification model is developed based on the CO-shift reaction equilibrium. The simple gasification model agrees well with the experimental results. From calculations in large-scale units, the cold gas is able to achieve 80% efficiency in the air-blown gasification, when the woody biomass feedrate is over 1000kg/h and input air temperature is 700K.     

Indicators of perceived naturalness as drivers of landscape preference

The concept of naturalness is one of the more studied concepts in landscape preference research and describes how close a landscape is to a perceived natural state. In this study we explored the relationship between landscape preference and three landscape indicators of naturalness (level of succession, number of woodland patches and shape index of edges). We used computer-generated visualisations of a hypothetical landscape containing pasture and broadleaved woodland. In the landscape simulations we altered the values of the naturalness indicators between the levels of low, medium and high, creating 27 different visualisations. The survey was distributed as an on-line survey in seven different languages and obtained 703 respondents. The study showed a strong relationship with preference for both the level of succession and number of woodland patches, and a weaker relationship with shape index of edges. The two demographic factors which were shown to contribute most to the formation of preference were gender and having a landscape related profession. The results suggest that the selected indicators are more important drivers of preference than demographic factors.     

Long-term effects of subcutaneously injected 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on the liver of rhesus monkeys

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) accumulates and remains stable in the fatty tissues and liver of rodents for a long time. Considering the pronounced difference between species, long-term, low dose hepatic effects of TCDD were investigated after subcutaneous administration of TCDD into rhesus monkeys during pregnancy. Macroscopic and histopathological examination of the liver carried out 4 y after TCDD administration demonstrated intrahepatic focal fatty changes, infarction, hemorrhage, microthrombi-formation, sinusoidal ectasia, small hepatocyte hyperplasia, and increased number of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA)-positive cells. An electron microscopic study disclosed sinusoidal endothelial cell degeneration and injury in the liver of TCDD-treated monkeys. Western blot analysis showed downregulation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) protein expression and decreased level of vascular endothelial (VE) cadherin but increased expression levels of CYP1A1 and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) protein in the liver tissues. These changes observed in TCDD-exposed monkeys indicated sinusoidal endothelial cell injury and impairment in intrasinusoidal microcirculation. Infarction, focal fatty change, and microthrombi-formation are considered to be closely associated with intrahepatic circulatory impairment. Increased number of alpha-SMA-positive cells and decreased level of VE cadherin expression in the liver tissues might also be associated with sinusoidal endothelial cell injury. In addition, downregulation of AhR expression and increased CYP1A1 protein levels in the liver were consistent with persistent effects of TCDD. Although it has been reported that TCDD induced endothelial cell injury, this is the first report to describe vascular disorders and protein expression in the liver after injection with TCDD in a primate model.     

Monitoring PCDD/Fs and other organic substances in workers of a hazardous waste incinerator: a case study

The aim of this study was to measure, 6 years after regular operations, the concentrations of a number of organic substances in blood and urine of 19 workers employed at a hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) in Spain, and to establish the temporal variation with respect to baseline data and previously performed surveys. This facility was the first, and so far the only HWI in that country. The levels of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 28, 52, 101, 138, 153 and 180) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were analyzed in six composite plasma samples, while concentrations of di-, tri, and pentachlorophenols, as well those of 1-hydroxypyrene were measured in the urine of these workers. The current mean PCDD/F concentration, 10.4 ng I-TEQ/kg lipid, was significantly lower than that found in the baseline survey, 26.7 ng I-TEQ/kg lipid and similar to that found in the previous (2004) study (7.7 ng I-TEQ/kg lipid). PCDD/F levels in plasma were similar or even lower than those recently reported for various non-exposed populations. For the remaining analyzed substances in plasma and urine, there was not any significant increase in comparison with the levels found in the baseline survey. On the other hand, no marked differences between the concentrations of organic substances in plasma or urine were found according to the respective workplace (plant, laboratory and administration). The results of the present survey indicate that after 6 years of regular operation, the workers at the HWI are not occupationally exposed to PCDD/Fs and other organic substances in their workplaces.     

Occurrence of tributyltin (TBT)-resistant bacteria is not related to TBT pollution in Mekong River and coastal sediment: with a hypothesis of selective pressure from suspended solid

Tributyltin (TBT) is organotin compound that is toxic to aquatic life ranging from bacteria to mammals. This study examined the concentration of TBT in sediment from and near the Mekong River and the distribution of TBT-resistant bacteria. TBT concentrations ranged from <2.4 to 2.4 ng/g (dry wt) in river sediment and <2.4-15 ng g(-1) (dry wt) in harbor sediment. Viable count of total bacteria ranged from 2.0 x 10(4) to 1.4 x 10(7)cfu/g, and counts of TBT-resistant bacteria ranged <1.0 x 10(2) to 2.5 x 10(4)cfu/g. The estimated occurrence rate of TBT-resistant bacteria ranged from <0.01 to 34% and was highest in upstream sites in Cambodia. The occurrences of TBT in the sediment and of TBT-resistant bacteria were unrelated, and chemicals other than TBT might induce TBT resistance. TBT-resistant bacteria were more abundant in the dry season than in the rainy season. Differences in the selection process of TBT-resistant bacteria between dry and rainy seasons were examined using an advection-diffusion model of a suspended solid (SS) that conveys chemicals. The estimated dilution-diffusion time over a distance of 120 km downstream from a release site was 20 days during dry season and 5 days during rainy season, suggesting that bacteria at the sediment surface could be exposed to SS for longer periods during dry season.     

Human dietary intake of organochlorines from Baltic herring: implications of individual fish variability and fisheries management

This study examines the extent to which Finnish human dietary intake of organochlorines (PCDD/Fs and PCBs) originating from Northern Baltic herring can be influenced by fisheries management. This was investigated by estimation of human intake using versatile modeling tools (e.g., a herring population model and a bioenergetics model). We used a probabilistic approach to account for the variation in human intake of organochlorines originating from the variation among herring individuals. Our estimates were compared with present precautionary limits and recommendation for use. The results show that present consumption levels and frequencies of herring give a high probability of exceeding recommended intake limits of PCDD/Fs and PCBs. Furthermore, our results clearly demonstrate that in the risk management of dioxinlike organochlorines, regulating fishing (in this case increasing fishing pressure) is a far less effective way to decrease the risk than regulating the consumption of herring. Increased fishing would only slightly decrease organochlorine concentrations of herring in the Finnish fish market.     

Source-specific sewage pollution detection in urban river waters using pharmaceuticals and personal care products as molecular indicators

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Source-specific elucidation of domestic sewage pollution caused by various effluent sources in an urban river water, as conducted for this study,...