Hydrothermal areas are potentially hazardous to humans as volcanic gases such as radon (222Rn) are continuously released from soil diffuse degassing. Exposure to radon is estimated to be the second leading cause of lung cancer, but little is known about radon health-associated risks in hydrothermal regions. This cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the DNA damage in the buccal epithelial cells of individuals chronically exposed to indoor radon in a volcanic area (Furnas volcano, Azores, Portugal) with a hydrothermal system. Buccal epithelial cells were collected from 33 individuals inhabiting the hydrothermal area (Ribeira Quente village) and from 49 individuals inhabiting a non-hydrothermal area (Ponta Delgada city). Indoor radon was measured with Ramon 2.2 detectors. Chromosome damage was measured by micronucleus cytome assay, and RAPD-PCR was used as a complementary tool to evaluate DNA damage, using three 10-mer primers (D11, F1 and F12). Indoor radon concentration correlated positively with the frequency of micronucleated cells (rs = 0.325, p = 0.003). Exposure to radon is a risk factor for the occurrence micronucleated cells in the inhabitants of the hydrothermal area (RR = 1.71; 95% CI, 1.2–2.4; p = 0.003). One RAPD-PCR primer (F12) produced differences in the banding pattern, a fact that can indicate its potential for detecting radon-induced specific genomic alterations. The observed association between chronic exposure to indoor radon and the occurrence of chromosome damage in human oral epithelial cells evidences the usefulness of biological surveillance to assess mutations involved in pre-carcinogenesis in hydrothermal areas, reinforcing the need for further studies with human populations living in these areas. 相似文献
In this paper we make use of some stochastic volatility models to analyse the behaviour of a weekly ozone average measurements
series. The models considered here have been used previously in problems related to financial time series. Two models are
considered and their parameters are estimated using a Bayesian approach based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods.
Both models are applied to the data provided by the monitoring network of the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City. The selection
of the best model for that specific data set is performed using the Deviance Information Criterion and the Conditional Predictive
Ordinate method. 相似文献
Cement-based materials, such as concrete and mortars, are used in extremely large amounts. For instance, in 2009 concrete
production was superior to 10 billion tons. Cement plays an important role in terms of economic and social relevance since
it is fundamental to build and improve infrastructure. On the other hand, this industry is also a heavy polluter. Cement production
releases 5–6% of all carbon dioxide generated by human activities, accounting for about 4% of global warming. It can release
huge amounts of persistent organic pollutants, such as dioxins and heavy metals and particles. Energy consumption is also
considerable. Cement production use approximately 0.6% of all energy produced in the United States. On the other hand, the
chemistry underlying cement production and its applications can be very helpful to overcome these environmental issues. In
terms of manufacture, there are many alternative materials that can be used to minimize carbon dioxide production and reduce
energy consumption, such as calcium sulfoaluminates and β-Ca2SiO4—rich cements. Using residues from other industrial sectors can also improve the sustainability of cement industry. Under
adequate conditions, waste materials such as tyres, oils, municipal solid waste and solvents can be used as supplementary
fuel in cement plants. Concrete can be used for encapsulation of waste materials such as tyres, plastics and glasses. In this
review, we discuss some aspects of the cement industry associated with environmental science. Other issues such as economic
aspects, the chemistry of cement manufacture and its properties are also presented. Special attention is given to the role
that cement chemistry can play in terms of sustainability. The most relevant aspects are outlined, such as the use of alternative
materials, new possibilities and also the recycling of materials. It is also argued that an important aspect is the role of
research and development necessary to improve cement sustainability. 相似文献
Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This paper discussed the possibility of replacing the internal combustion engine of the series plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) powered by... 相似文献
Fermentation can use renewable raw materials as substrate, which makes it a sustainable method to obtain H2. This study evaluates H2 production by a mixed culture from substrates such as glucose and derivatives from sugarcane processing (sucrose, molasses, and vinasse) combined with landfill leachate. The leachate alone was not a suitable substrate for biohydrogen production. However, leachate blended with glucose, sucrose, molasses, or vinasse increased the H2 production rate by 2.0-, 2.8-, 4.6-, and 0.5-fold, respectively, as compared with the substrates without the leachate. Determination of metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, Hg, Ni, and Fe) at the beginning and at the end of the fermentative assays showed how they were consumed during the fermentation and demonstrated improved H2 production. During fermentation, Cu, Fe, and Cd were the most consumed leachate metals. The best substrate combination to produce H2 was molasses and leachate, which gave high volumetric productivity—469 ml H2/l h. However, addition of the leachate to the substrates stimulated lactic acid formation pathways, which lowered the H2 yield. The use of leachate combined with sugarcane processing derivatives as substrates could add value to the leachate and reduce its polluting power, generating a clean energy source from renewable raw materials. 相似文献
Natural products may be applied in a wide range of domains, from agriculture to food and pharmaceutical industries. In this study, the antioxidant properties and the capacity to inhibit some enzymatic activities of Euphorbia resinifera and Euphorbia officinarum aqueous extracts and honeys were assessed. The physicochemical characteristics were also evaluated. Higher amounts of iron, copper and aluminium were detected in E. officinarum honey, which may indicate environmental pollution around the beehives or inadequate storage of honey samples. This honey sample showed higher amounts of total phenols and better capacity for scavenging superoxide anion free radicals and DPPH free radicals as compared with E. resinifera honey, but poorer capacity for inhibiting lipoxygenase, acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase and xanthine oxidase. The ratio plant mass:solvent volume (1:100) and extraction time (1 - 2 h) were associated with higher total phenols and better antioxidant activities and lipoxygenase, acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitory activities, regardless of the plant species. The aqueous extracts had systematically higher in vitro activities than the respective honey samples.
Blubber collected from beluga whales and ringed seals during subsistence hunts in the southern Baffin Island region of the Canadian Arctic were analysed for polychlorinated naphthalenes and eight planar PCB congeners (mono-ortho PCBs: 105, 114, 118 and 156; non-ortho PCBs: 77, 81, 126, 169). SigmaPCN (3-7 Cl) concentrations in blubber ranged from 35.9-383 pg/g (lipid weight; lw) in beluga and 35.4-71.3 pg/g (lw) in ringed seal. These represent the first measurements of PCNs in marine mammals in the Canadian Arctic, mammals which are an important part of the traditional diet of the indigenous population. SigmaCoplPCB concentrations were much higher, ranging from 15.5-317 ng/g (lw) in beluga whale blubber and 16.5-40.9 ng/g (lw) in ringed seal blubber. PCNs and coplanar PCBs both exhibit dioxin-like toxicity. Although average sigmaPCN concentrations were less than 1% of sigmaCoplPCBs, PCNs contribute up to 11% of TEQ relative to the coplanar PCBs based on TEFs determined by H4IIE enzyme assays. 相似文献
Persistent harmful scenarios associated with disposal of radioactive waste, high-background radiation areas and severe nuclear accidents are of great concern regarding consequences to both human health and the environment. Of particular concern is the extracellular DNA in aquatic environments contaminated by radiological substances. Strand breaks induced by radiation promote decrease in the transformation efficiency for extracellular DNA. The focus of this study is the quantification of DNA damage following long-term exposure (over one year) to low doses of natural uranium (an alpha particle emitter) to simulate natural conditions, since nothing is known about alpha radiation induced damage to extracellular DNA. A high-resolution Atomic Force Microscope was used to evaluate DNA fragments. Double-stranded plasmid pBS as a model for extracellular DNA was exposed to different amounts of natural uranium. It was demonstrated that low concentrations of U in water (50 to 150 ppm) produce appreciable numbers of double strand breaks, scaling with the square of the average doses. The importance of these findings for environment monitoring of radiological pollution is addressed. 相似文献