Removal of virus aerosols by the combination of filtration and UV-C irradiation

● The removal of virus aerosols by filtration and UV-C irradiation was proposed. ● The filtration efficiency for virus aerosols was affected by the filtration rate. ● The inactivation rate by UV-C was not linear with irradiation intensity or time. ● The virus trapped by filter material had a shielding effect on UV-C irradiation. The COVID-19 pandemic remains ever prevalent and afflicting—partially because one of its transmission pathways is aerosol. With the widely used central air conditioning systems worldwide, indoor virus aerosols can rapidly migrate, thus resulting in rapid infection transmission. It is therefore important to install microbial aerosol treatment units in the air conditioning systems, and we herein investigated the possibility of combining such filtration with UV irradiation to address virus aerosols. Results showed that the removal efficiency of filtration towards f2 and MS2 phages depended on the type of commercial filter material and the filtration speed, with an optimal velocity of 5 cm/s for virus removal. Additionally, it was found that UV irradiation had a significant effect on inactivating viruses enriched on the surfaces of filter materials; MS2 phages had greater resistance to UV-C irradiation than f2 phages. The optimal inactivation time for UV-C irradiation was 30 min, with higher irradiation times presenting no substantial increase in inactivation rate. Moreover, excessive virus enrichment on the filters decreased the inactivation effect. Timely inactivation is therefore recommended. In general, the combined system involving filtration with UV-C irradiation demonstrated a significant removal effect on virus aerosols. Moreover, the system is simple and economical, making it convenient for widespread implementation in air-conditioning systems.     

新冠疫情背景下建筑从业人员统计生命价值研究

为研究建筑职业风险和新冠疫情风险下的统计生命价值(VOSL),以成都市建筑从业者为对象采集数据,基于生存分析处理删失数据的特性,运用二分式条件价值法(CVM)和Kaplan-Meier法测算不同背景下的VOSL,运用COX回归对VOSL影响因素进行分析。研究结果表明：成都市建筑从业者在职业风险和新冠疫情风险下的VOSL分别为429.472,459.079万元,生命价值评估具有情境依赖性且存在“引导悖论”;2种风险背景下受访者学历、月收入及安全重视程度的提高均会增强支付意愿,而安全满意程度的提高则会降低支付意愿;职业风险下影响支付意愿的关键因素为安全设备保障满意程度、重视程度和学历,新冠疫情风险下影响支付意愿的关键因素为卫生安全重视程度、学历和月收入。     

Contesting the crisis narrative: epidemic accounts in Sierra Leone,Tanzania, and Democratic Republic of the Congo

Scientists and global commentators watched African countries closely in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, predicting an impending disaster: the virus was projected to overwhelm already weak health systems. These expectations were informed by imaginaries of Africa as an inevitable site of epidemic disaster. This paper draws on accounts from Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Democratic Republic of the Congo to contrast global catastrophe framings with everyday imaginations and experiences of crisis and crisis management. Utilising ethnographic research, the paper initially explores how COVID-19 was understood in relation to previous epidemics, from HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) to Ebola, as well as political conflict. It then considers how global crisis narratives both inform and are in tension with everyday collective and personal experiences. The paper brings these empirical reflections into a conversation with theoretical debates on the discursive construction of crisis and its effects, and argues that these tensions matter because crisis framings have consequences.     

Covid-19 lockdown and physical distancing policies are elitist: towards an indigenous (Afro-centred) approach to containing the pandemic in sub-urban slums in Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This study explores the experience of the sub-urban slum residents in Okpoko (Anambra State), Ngwa-road Aba (Abia State), Ajegunle (Lagos State) and Gwagwalada (Abuja), to underscore the elitist and western contexts of Covid-19 lockdown and physical distancing policies. The study apprehends these policies as being counter-productive due to Nigeria’s peculiar socio-economic circumstances, and brainstorms on the need and prospects for adaption and institutionalisation of an indigenous Afro-centred approach towards the containment of the Covid-19 pandemic. The use of herbal mixtures or local concoctions such as parboiled garlic cloves, lemon and ginger juice in the treatment and/or prevention of Covid-19 pandemic is a popular home-grown indigenous approach/practice which is generally believed to have inhibitory effects against Covid-19 by majority of the local people. These herbal remedies should be formally investigated, validated and encouraged in Nigeria as an alternative indigenous approach for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19 pandemic.     

新冠疫情下的保险业及保险连接证券市场

2019年底爆发的新型冠状病毒疫情已经给全世界造成了深远的影响,沉重打击了各国经济,人类生产、生活方式都发生重大变化.即使已经过去半年,目前的情况仍不明朗,每天仍有大量人员被确诊,全球经济前景充满不确定性.通过观察疫情对保险业的影响,认为在政策推动和需求增加的情况下,保险业未来的业务范围会向大流行病扩展.计算保险连接证...     

Changes in air pollution during COVID-19 lockdown in Spain: A multi-city study

The COVID-19 pandemic has escalated into one of the largest crises of the 21st Century. The new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, responsible for COVID-19, has spread rapidly all around the world. The Spanish Government was forced to declare a nationwide lockdown in view of the rapidly spreading virus and high mortality rate in the nation. This study investigated the impact of short-term lockdown during the period from March 15th to April 12th 2020 on the atmospheric levels of CO, SO₂, PM₁₀, O₃, and NO₂ over 11 representative Spanish cities. The possible influence of several meteorological factors (temperature, precipitation, wind, sunlight hours, minimum and maximum pressure) on the pollutants' levels were also considered. The results obtained show that the 4-week lockdown had significant impact on reducing the atmospheric levels of NO₂ in all cities except for the small city of Santander as well as CO, SO₂, and PM₁₀ in some cities, but resulted in increase of O₃ level.     

Air pollution perception in ten countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

As largely documented in the literature, the stark restrictions enforced worldwide in 2020 to curb the COVID-19 pandemic also curtailed the production of air pollutants to some extent. This study investigates the perception of the air pollution as assessed by individuals located in ten countries: Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Norway, South Africa and the USA. The perceptions towards air quality were evaluated by employing an online survey administered in May 2020. Participants (N = 9394) in the ten countries expressed their opinions according to a Likert-scale response. A reduction in pollutant concentration was clearly perceived, albeit to a different extent, by all populations. The survey participants located in India and Italy perceived the largest drop in the air pollution concentration; conversely, the smallest variation was perceived among Chinese and Norwegian respondents. Among all the demographic indicators considered, only gender proved to be statistically significant.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01574-2.     

突发公共卫生事件下公交暴露风险辨识方法:以深圳应对新型冠状病毒肺炎为例

为定量评估突发公共卫生事件下的公交暴露风险,基于公交线网、交通分析区及新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)疫情信息等多源数据,考虑公交站点、交通分析区及疫情场所3种研究尺度,集成公交网络结构拓扑模型、公交网络中心性模型及核密度分析等空间分析方法,提出公交暴露风险的多尺度辨识方法,并以深圳市为例进行验证。结果表明:公交站点暴露风险在空间上呈现多中心—圈层结构,较高及高暴露风险站点多为交通枢纽、商场等,占比达26.40%;较高及高暴露风险交通分析区主要分布在工业、商业聚集区及居民点密集区,占比达32.84%;较高及高暴露风险疫情场所主要集中在城市核心区域,占比为28.92%。     

Determination of toxic metals in discarded Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs)

This study focused on the determination of the toxic metal content of Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) present in various Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). The main objective was the identification and quantification of toxic metals detected in LCD panels. An experimental procedure which involved dismantling, shredding, pulverization, digestion and chemical analysis was followed for the sorting, separation and analysis of LCD monitors from various electronic devices that are currently on the market. Nine selected devices were examined, originated from four different types of e-waste (WEEE); TVs, computers, mobile phones and tablets. Eleven metals were measured in all examined samples. In addition, concentration values of chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) were compared with the respective limits set by the RoHS 2002/95/EC Directive that was recently renewed by the 2012/19/EU recast. The comparison revealed that the examined toxic metals on LCD panels did not exceed the limits set by the European Union (EU). Furthermore, when results were compared to the TTLC regulatory limits it was revealed that in three samples As concentrations were higher than the limit. Finally, when the TCLP test was implemented the aforementioned samples did not exhibit proportionally elevated values in their leachates.