Water quality indices appraisal and health risk assessment of nitrate,mercury and lead in water distribution network: A case study of Robat Karim in Tehran,Iran

Groundwater is a basic source of drinking water supply for urban and rural areas. This is especially the case for communities located in arid and semi-arid regions that rely on groundwater for drinking purposes. The present study set out to assess the potential health impacts of water impurities and to investigate the qualitative status of drinking water in Robat Karim rural areas, located in southwest Tehran, Iran. A total of 66 samples were collected from the water distribution network of 11 villages (33 sampling points, on two occasions) during September 2020 and were tested in terms of the most common quality parameters such as pH, mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chloride (Cl^–), chlorate (ClO₃^–), nitrite (NO₂^–), nitrate (NO₃^–), and flouride (F^–). Multiple methods and indexes including water quality index (WQI), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI), were worked out to assess the quality of water and health risk assessment of NO₃^– Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺. The results revealed that 33% and 90% of sampling sites have significantly high nitrate and total hardness (TH) concentrations, exceeding the maximum permissible limits set by World Health Organization (WHO; 50 and 200 mg/L, respectively). Furthermore, five sampling points exhibited poor WQIs mainly related to NO₃^– and TH. HQ values higher than 1 for nitrate were noticed in most sampling locations. Except for one sampling point, the HQ obtained for Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺ were below 1 indicating no obvious health hazard. This study represents that children and infants are at higher risk of chronic toxicity by excess NO₃^– intake. The health hazard that is yet imposed on the community by NO₃^– necessitates regular monitoring of drinking water, the use of advanced technologies to purify water or otherwise alternative resources should be proposed.     

Quantification,characteristics, and distribution of microplastics released from waste burning furnaces and their associated health impacts

Although investigation of microplastics (MPs) present in air environment has been intensively carried out, quantification, characteristics, and distribution of MPs released from the waste burning furnace (WBF) has been missing in literature. The aim of this study was to characterize the presence of MPs released from WBFs and analyze their associated health impacts. The examined locations were at two WBFs (nominated as TPS1 and TPS2) in Sidoarjo, Indonesia. MPs were collected using a 9 cm diameter glass beaker for a period of 8 h at two different sampling points, which are 3 and 15 m from each WBF. Several characteristics of MPs in terms of the number of particles, size, shape, color, and polymer type were comprehensively characterized. This study found that the obtained MPs were of fiber type and in the range of 46–77 and 41–59 particles at TPS1 and TPS2, respectively. In general, the polymer types of MPs were, respectively, cellophane and polytetrafluoroethylene at TPS1 and TPS2. Moreover, it was estimated that about 1.9–2.3 MPs can enter the human body via inhalation. This study offers a pilot examination of MPs released from WBF and findings from this study are crucial to provide new knowledge as a basis to carefully regulate the use of WBF particularly that are located closely to local community.     

中国居民饮用水镉暴露非致癌风险的年龄分层权重

饮水是人体镉(Cd)暴露的重要途径,为了定量表征中国居民饮用水镉暴露风险,通过文献调研收集我国3类主要饮用水类型的镉浓度数据.利用回归模型获得不同年龄段人群饮水暴露参数分布模式.基于概率方法评价不同水体和不同人群由于饮用水镉暴露造成的非致癌风险.结果发现,3种类型水体镉浓度存在显著差异.自来水、未处理的地下水和地表水源...     

Is being a leader a mixed blessing? A dual‐pathway model linking leadership role occupancy to well‐being

Recent leadership research has drawn greater attention to how the well‐being of leaders influences leadership behaviors, follower performance and well‐being, and overall leadership effectiveness. Yet little attention has been paid to the relationship between occupying leadership positions and job incumbents' well‐being. This research addresses this question by developing and testing a dual‐pathway model. Our model proposes that incumbency in leadership positions is positively related to high levels of both job demands and job control, whereas job demands and job control have offsetting effects on well‐being. Results based on a longitudinal sample revealed that employees who transitioned from nonleadership positions to leadership roles showed trajectories of increasing job demands and job control, whereas such trends were weaker among those who remained in nonleadership positions. Findings from three additional samples generally demonstrated that leadership role occupancy was indirectly related to various indices of psychological and physiological well‐being through job demands and job control. Because the signs of the indirect effects through job demands and job control differed in expected ways, the overall relationship between leadership role occupancy and the well‐being outcomes was generally small and nonsignificant. We discuss research and practical implications of our framework and findings for organizations, employees, and leaders.     

Non-powered hand tool improvement research for prevention of work-related problems: a review

Purpose. In lower-middle-income countries, most of the work is performed manually using non-ergonomic hand tools which results in work-related health problems. Using hand tools designed in line with ergonomic principles may play an important role in reducing work-related health concerns significantly. Methods. Scientific databases (PubMed, EBSCOhost) and e-publishers were searched for articles from 1985 to 2015 using the following keywords: ‘hand tool’, ‘ergonomics’, ‘usability’ and ‘design’. After applying selection criteria to 614 articles, 58 articles related to the physical design of hand tools were selected. Results. Seventeen articles were related to hand tool improvement in the manufacturing sector. Musculoskeletal disorders were found to be the most frequently occurring work-related health problems. Most of the articles focused on product and qualitative variables for improvement in hand tools, while few articles considered human and task variables. Conclusions. Literature shows that hand tool improvement studies have been given less importance in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. However, some work of significance is reported in the agriculture sectors of these countries. Hence, it is concluded that ergonomic intervention in hand tools is much needed for those industries which employ traditional methods of working.     

基于大型无脊椎动物完整性的赤水河健康评价体系构建

作为长江上游珍稀鱼类国家自然保护区的核心区,赤水河流域水系的健康状况虽颇受关注,但相关评价工作却较少。笔者结合现场调查(2016年)和历史数据(2007年),初步构建基于大型无脊椎动物群落的健康评价体系,对赤水河干流和部分支流的不同季节(春季和秋季)和不同河段(上中下游)的健康状况进行评估。指标筛选结果显示:赤水河上游河段在春季和秋季分别包括6、2个核心参数,中游河段分别包括5、4个,下游包括3、2个核心参数。通过四分法将健康状态划分为4个等级:健康、亚健康、一般和不健康。从整体上看,赤水河处于亚健康状态,且春季和秋季河流不同采样点健康状况有所差异,春季健康状况好于秋季。回归分析显示,BOD_5、COD_(Mn)以及NH~+_4-N是影响赤水河健康的主要环境因子。研究所构建的B-IBI评价指标较好地评估了赤水河的健康状况,可作为赤水河流域水体环境监测的有效手段之一。     

应用鱼类完整性指数F-IBI评价巢湖流域的主要河流健康

保护河流健康是河流生态管理的重要目标,鱼类对维护河流生态系统健康的作用重要且不可替代。依据2013年10月巢湖53个河流采样点的鱼类调查数据,采用假设参照值法构建鱼类生物完整性指数(F-IBI)的参照系统,进而评价河流健康状况。基于29个候选生物参数,通过参数与环境因子间的相关性分析、参数间的冗余分析及其分布范围分析,确定F-IBI由鱼类总物种数、鲤科鱼类物种数百分比、中下层鱼类物种数百分比、肉食性鱼类数量百分比、产粘性卵鱼类数量百分比和耐受性鱼类数量百分比等6个参数构成。利用比值法统一各参数量纲,F-IBI值即为各构成参数比值的累加,进而评价河流水生态健康的等级,其中亚健康的采样点占16.98%,健康状况一般的采样点占50.94%,健康状况较差的采样点占32.08%。此外,影响巢湖主要河流F-IBI的重要水环境变量是叶绿素a。对重点污染区域,修复水生态系统和制定科学合理的策略,是恢复巢湖流域生态健康的重要手段。     

Injury surveillance trends in career–technical education: New Jersey 1999–2018

Introduction: Adolescents engaging in school-sponsored work experiences may be at risk of injury due to factors such as inexperience. This article examines trends in 20 years of reported injuries among New Jersey (NJ) adolescents engaging in school-sponsored work experiences, and compares a transition from paper to online reporting format. Methods: New Jersey requires reporting of injuries occurring during school-sponsored work experiences to the NJ Department of Education. Injuries reported by NJ schools from 1999 to 2018 (n = 2,119) were examined; incidence rates for 2008 to 2018 (n = 743) were calculated using publicly available NJ Department of Education enrollment data for the denominator, including for specific groups of students: career and technical education; special healthcare needs. Results: A downward trend in reported injuries in NJ schools was observed. However, the year online reporting became required by code (2013), an increase of nearly 50% was seen from 2012 (59–89), followed by a decline in reported incidents 2014 to 2018 (mean = 65, range 76 down to 47). Injury rate trends over time paralleled those of reported incidents. Conclusions: This study suggested worker safety and public health benefits of improvements from State of NJ code required training programs and online injury surveillance report form. Practical Applications: One potential method to address the safety and health of adolescents engaging in work experiences is the use of online reporting forms, to aid in surveillance efforts, coupled with occupational safety and health training specifically geared toward teachers and administrators who both supervise young, relatively inexperienced and vulnerable workers and who make relatively frequent worksite visits. Incorporation of specific details of the instructions on the use of a reporting form into required trainings, in addition to providing a clear, accessible guidance manual online, could further help improve youth worker safety surveillance efforts.     

Does the potential safety risk affect whether particular construction hazards are recognized or not?

Introduction: Evidence from the global construction industry suggests that an unacceptable number of safety hazards remain unrecognized in construction workplaces. Unfortunately, there isn’t a sufficient understanding of why particular safety hazards remain unrecognized. Such an understanding is important to address the issue of poor hazard recognition and develop remedial interventions. A recent exploratory effort provided anecdotal evidence that workers often fail to recognize safety hazards that are expected to impose relatively lower levels of safety risk. In other words, the research demonstrated that the underlying risk imposed by a safety hazard can affect whether a hazard will be recognized or not. Method: The presented research focused on empirically testing this preliminary finding. More specifically, the study tested the proposition that Construction workers are more likely to recognize safety hazards that impose higher levels of safety risk than those that impose relatively lower levels of safety risk. The research goals were accomplished through a number of steps. First, a set of 16 construction case images depicting a variety of construction operations that included a number of known safety hazards was presented to a panel of four construction safety experts. The experts were tasked with examining each of the known safety hazards and providing a rating of the relative safety risk that the individual hazards impose. Having obtained an estimate of the underlying safety risk, a hazard recognition activity was administered to 287 workers recruited from 57 construction workplaces in the United States. The hazard recognition activity involved the examination of a random sample of two construction case images that were previously examined by the expert panel and reporting relevant safety hazards. Results: The results of the study provided support for the proposition that workers are more likely to recognize hazards that impose relatively higher levels of safety risk. Practical Applications: The findings of the study can be leveraged to improve existing hazard recognition methods and develop more robust interventions to address the issue of poor hazard recognition levels.     

Efficacy of text messaging apprentices to reinforce ergonomics and safety voice training

Introduction: Injuries and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common among masons. SAfety Voice for Ergonomics (SAVE) integrates training in ergonomic and safety problem-solving skills into masonry apprenticeship training. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of text messaging to reinforce SAVE program content. Method: SAVE effectiveness was evaluated at masonry apprenticeship training centers across the United States by comparing three experimental groups: (1) Ergonomics training, (2) Ergonomics and Safety Voice training, and a (3) Control. Apprentices received SAVE training with their standard instruction. To reinforce classroom training, refresher training was implemented by sending weekly text messages for six months. Half of the text messages required a response, which tested knowledge or assessed behavior, while the remaining reiterated knowledge. Apprentices (n = 119) received SAVE text messages. Response rates and percentage of correct responses were compared with chi-square tests and independent group t-tests. Multivariable logistic regression analysis predicted apprentice response with selected demographic and work experience variables. Finally, feedback on of the use of text messaging was obtained. Result: Of 119 participants, 61% (n = 72) responded to at least one text message. Logistic regression revealed that being a high school graduate and a brick and block mason significantly affected the odds of responding. Sixty-nine percent of apprentices agreed that text messages reinforced SAVE content. Conclusion: Even though there was no training center requirement to respond, the high response rate suggests that text messaging can effectively be used to reinforce ergonomics and safety voice training for both knowledge and behavior. Practical Application: The prevalent use of text messaging creates opportunities to reinforce health and safety training and engage workers, especially for populations that may be at various locations over time such as construction sites. Instructors and practitioners should consider the utility of text messaging for supporting their training and safety programs.