Food contamination as a pathway for lead exposure in children during the 2010–2013 lead poisoning epidemic in Zamfara, Nigeria

In 2010, an estimated 400 to 500 children died of acute lead poisoning associated with artisanal gold mining in Zamfara, Nigeria. Processing of gold ores containing up to 10% lead within residential compounds put residents, especially children, at the highest risk. Principal routes of exposure were incidental ingestion and inhalation of contaminated soil and dusts. Several Nigerian and international health organizations collaborated to reduce lead exposures through environmental remediation and medical treatment. The contribution of contaminated food to total lead exposure was assessed during the environmental health response. Objectives of this investigation were to assess the influence of cultural/dietary habits on lead exposure pathways and estimate the contribution of contaminated food to children's blood lead levels(BLLs). A survey of village dietary practices and staple food lead content was conducted to determine dietary composition, caloric intakes, and lead intake. Potential blood lead increments were estimated using bio-kinetic modeling techniques. Most dietary lead exposure was associated with contamination of staple cereal grains and legumes during post-harvest processing and preparation in contaminated homes. Average post-harvest and processed cereal grain lead levels were 0.32 mg/kg and 0.85 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. Age-specific food lead intake ranged from 7 to 78 μg/day. Lead ingestion and absorption were likely aggravated by the dusty environment, fasting between meals, and nutritional deficiencies. Contamination of staple cereal grains by highly bioavailable pulverized ores could account for as much as 11%–34% of children's BLLs during the epidemic, and were a continuing source after residential soil remediation until stored grain inventories were exhausted.     

兰州市西固区儿童饮用水重金属暴露及健康风险精细化评估

饮用水是人体暴露重金属的重要途径之一,准确评估人体经饮用水暴露重金属的健康风险对其采取有针对性地健康风险防范措施具有重要意义.为探索并准确识别兰州市西固区人群经饮用水途径对重金属暴露的健康风险,本研究于2015年7～9月(非采暖期)和2015年12月～2016年1月(采暖期)开展现场入户调查,采集当地0～5岁和6～17岁儿童的饮水和用水样品,并开展人群饮用水行为模式问卷调查.通过饮水和用水中Cd、Cr、Pb和As的浓度分析,结合儿童饮用水暴露行为模式特征,采用美国环保署推荐的暴露和健康风险评价模型开展儿童饮水和用水重金属暴露的健康风险研究.结果表明,两种水体中Cd、Cr、Pb和As的浓度均未超过国家生活饮用水卫生标准限值,用水重金属的浓度受季节性影响较大,而饮水较小.饮水和用水中4种重金属的非致癌和致癌风险水平范围分别为2. 82E-08～2. 43E-02和7. 55E-09～3. 62E-05,均处于可接受风险水平;但饮水中重金属的致癌和非致癌健康风险均高于用水.同一时期0～5岁儿童用水重金属暴露的致癌和非致癌风险均低于6～17岁;而0～5岁儿童饮水中重金属暴露的致癌风险低于6～1...     

销轴滑动磨损条件下的极限承载力研究

目的 针对销轴在海洋环境下由于轴向滑动磨损造成的极限承载力变化进行数值模拟研究，得到销轴的极限承载力演变规律，为水下磨损结构的安全评估提供理论依据。方法 首先，运用ANSYS有限元分析软件，建立“柱-瓦”模型进行磨损计算，对滑动磨损方法进行验证。然后，建立实际销轴与锚链横档局部有限元模型，进行磨损分析，得到不同轴向滑动频率下的磨损数据。最后，计算销轴在失效准则下不同磨损深度等级(0、1、2、3 mm)的极限承载力，并根据磨损速度-磨损深度-破断力的映射关系得到其许用极限承载力和累计使用时间随磨损深度的变化曲线。结果 在典型工况(滑动频率为3 Hz)条件下，销轴连续工作约3 298 h，磨损深度可达3 mm，许用极限承载力下降14 180 N。结论 随着销轴轴向滑动频率的增加，销轴的最大磨损深度、总磨损体积、磨损速度均近似呈线性增长变化。在典型工况下，销轴许用极限承载力随着服役时间增长近似呈线性下降，且随着时间增加许用极限承载力下降趋势变缓。     

“十三五”时期哈尔滨空气质量变化特征及影响因素分析

对"十三五"期间哈尔滨市空气质量状况、变化特征及影响因素进行分析,为哈尔滨市打赢蓝天保卫战提供科学参考。以哈尔滨市为研究区域,基于哈尔滨市12个国控监测点位监测结果,对"十三五"期间哈尔滨市环境空气质量优良天数及6项污染物进行分析,总结了环境空气质量变化特征及影响因素。结果表明:"十三五"期间,哈尔滨市环境空气质量呈现波动向好趋势,较"十二五"期间大幅改善,除细颗粒物外,其他指标已稳定达二级标准,臭氧成为仅次于细颗粒物的首要污染物,冬季燃煤污染是环境空气最主要的污染来源,秋季秸秆焚烧及春季清除秸秆根茬也会产生一定影响。     

Interactive effects of multiscale diversification practices on farmland bird stress

Farmland diversification practices (i.e., methods used to produce food sustainably by enhancing biodiversity in cropping systems) are sometimes considered beneficial to both agriculture and biodiversity, but most studies of these practices rely on species richness, diversity, or abundance as a proxy for habitat quality. Biodiversity assessments may miss early clues that populations are imperiled when species presence does not imply persistence. Physiological stress indicators may help identify low-quality habitats before population declines occur. We explored how avian stress indicators respond to on-farm management practices and surrounding seminatural area (1-km radius) across 21 California strawberry farms. We examined whether commonly used biodiversity metrics correlate with stress responses in wild birds. We used ∼1000 blood and feather samples and body mass and wing chord measurements, mostly from passerines, to test the effects of diversification practices on four physiological stress indicators: heterophil to lymphocyte ratios (H:L), body condition, hematocrit values, and feather growth rates of individual birds. We then tested the relationship between physiological stress indicators and species richness, abundance, occurrence, and diversity derived from 285 bird point count surveys. After accounting for other biological drivers, landscape context mediated the effect of local farm management on H:L and body condition. Local diversification practices were associated with reduced individual stress in intensive agricultural landscapes but increased it in landscapes surrounded by relatively more seminatural area. Feathers grew more slowly in landscapes dominated by strawberry production, suggesting that nutritional condition was lower here than in landscapes with more crop types and seminatural areas. We found scant evidence that species richness, abundance, occurrence, or diversity metrics were correlated with the individual's physiological stress, suggesting that reliance on these metrics may obscure the impacts of management on species persistence. Our findings underscore the importance of considering landscape context when designing local management strategies to promote wildlife conservation.     

堆芯中子通量测量系统指套管磨损分布规律及处理准则优化研究

目的 分析堆芯中子通量测量系统指套管磨损分布规律,提出处理准则优化建议.方法 统计了指套管在堆芯不同位置的磨损数量,分析了指套管磨损分布规律.结合指套管和导向管的结构特点和视频检查结果,分析了指套管的磨损原因,并提出了指套管磨损处理准则优化建议.结果 指套管磨损位置主要集中在P1和P4两处,其中P1位置磨损数量最多,而...     

Age and spatial distribution of the world's oldest trees

Extremely old trees have important roles in providing insights about historical climatic events and supporting cultural values, yet there has been limited work on their global distribution and conservation. We extracted information on 197,855 tree cores from 4854 sites and combined it with other tree age (e.g., the OLDLIST) data from a further 156 sites to determine the age of the world's oldest trees and quantify the factors influencing their global distribution. We found that extremely old trees >1000 years were rare. Among 30 individual trees that exceeded 2000 years old, 27 occurred in high mountains. We modeled maximum tree age with climatic, soil topographic, and anthropogenic variables, and our regression models demonstrated that elevation, human population density, soil carbon content, and mean annual temperature were key determinants of the distribution of the world's oldest trees. Specifically, our model predicted that many of the oldest trees will occur in high-elevation, cold, and arid mountains with limited human disturbance. This pattern was markedly different from that of the tallest trees, which were more likely to occur in relatively more mesic and productive locations. Global warming and expansion of human activities may induce rapid population declines of extremely old trees. New strategies, including targeted establishment of conservation reserves in remote regions, especially those in western parts of China and the United States, are required to protect these trees.