Mercury, lead and cadmium in human milk in relation to diet, lifestyle habits and sociodemographic variables in Madrid (Spain)

Background

Although breastfeeding is the ideal way of nurturing infants, it can be a source of exposure to toxicants. This study reports the concentration of Hg, Pb and Cd in breast milk from a sample of women drawn from the general population of the Madrid Region, and explores the association between metal levels and socio-demographic factors, lifestyle habits, diet and environmental exposures, including tobacco smoke, exposure at home and occupational exposures.

Methods

Breast milk was obtained from 100 women (20 mL) at around the third week postpartum. Pb, Cd and Hg levels were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Metal levels were log-transformed due to non-normal distribution. Their association with the variables collected by questionnaire was assessed using linear regression models. Separate models were fitted for Hg, Pb and Cd, using univariate linear regression in a first step. Secondly, multivariate linear regression models were adjusted introducing potential confounders specific for each metal. Finally, a test for trend was performed in order to evaluate possible dose-response relationships between metal levels and changes in variables categories.

Results

Geometric mean Hg, Pb and Cd content in milk were 0.53 μg L⁻¹, 15.56 μg L⁻¹, and 1.31 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Decreases in Hg levels in older women and in those with a previous history of pregnancies and lactations suggested clearance of this metal over lifetime, though differences were not statistically significant, probably due to limited sample size. Lead concentrations increased with greater exposure to motor vehicle traffic and higher potato consumption. Increased Cd levels were associated with type of lactation and tended to increase with tobacco smoking.

Conclusions

Surveillance for the presence of heavy metals in human milk is needed. Smoking and dietary habits are the main factors linked to heavy metal levels in breast milk. Our results reinforce the need to strengthen national food safety programs and to further promote avoidance of unhealthy behaviors such as smoking during pregnancy.     

Global energy and emissions scenarios for effective climate change mitigation—Deterministic and stochastic scenarios with the TIAM model

The achievement possibilities of the EU 2 °C climate target have been assessed with the ETSAP TIAM global energy systems model. Cost-effective global and regional mitigation scenarios of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and F-gases were calculated with alternative assumptions on emissions trading. In the mitigation scenarios, an 85% reduction in CO₂ emissions is needed from the baseline, and very significant changes in the energy system towards emission-free sources take place during this century. The largest new technology groups are carbon-capture and storage (CCS), nuclear power, wind power, advanced bioenergy technologies and energy efficiency measures. CCS technologies contributed a 5.5-Pg CO₂ annual emission reduction by 2050 and 12 Pg CO₂ reduction by 2100. Also large-scale forestation measures were found cost-efficient. Forestation measures reached their maximum impact of 7.7 Pg CO₂ annual emission reduction in 2080. The effects of uncertainties in the climate sensitivity have been analysed with stochastic scenarios.     

超声波/零价铁降解对氯苯胺性能及机理研究

在超声波/零价铁体系中考察了溶液初始pH值、浓度对对氯苯胺降解的影响.在pH值为3～11范围内最佳条件为pH=9;初始浓度为0.1、0.2和0.4 mmol/L时的降解率(180 min)分别为83.2%、63.5%和36.1%.对氯苯胺在单纯铁粉、单纯超声波和超声波/零价铁3种体系中降解符合拟一级反应动力学规律,速率常数分别为6.83×10-4、3.95×10-3和1.01×10-2 min-1,增强因子为218%,表明铁粉与超声波对对氯苯胺降解有明显的协同效应.在体系中加入自由基捕捉剂正丁醇能抑制对氯苯胺的降解,证实对氯苯胺降解主要是依靠羟基自由基的氧化作用.     

南京夏季大气臭氧光化学特征与敏感性分析

对流层臭氧（O₃）主要由氮氧化物（NO_x）和挥发性有机物（VOCs）经过一系列光化学反应生成,反应过程呈现复杂的非线性关系.为深入了解O₃的光化学特征及生成机制,利用2018年夏季大气O₃与VOCs的观测数据,结合大气零维框架模拟模型F0AM-MCM,研究O₃超标日和非O₃超标日的O₃光化学特征之间的差异性.观测结果表明,O₃超标日期间φ（O₃）和φ（TVOCs）的平均值分别为47.8×10^-9和49.0×10^-9,为非O₃超标日期间O₃（26×10^-9）和TVOCs（30×10^-9）体积分数的1.8倍和1.6倍.使用F0AM模型,借助EKMA曲线和RIR分析等识别O₃敏感性,发现南京市O₃超标日和非O₃超标日O₃的形成均主要受VOCs和NO_x的协同控制.F0AM-MCM模拟结果表明,在O₃超标日,·OH和HO₂的日平均混合比分别是非O₃超标日的1.3倍和1.8倍,表明O₃超标日期间具有更强的大气氧化能力,且·OH和HO₂的形成和损失速率也有明显的增加,表明自由基循环的增强.此外,O₃超标日的O₃生成速率明显高于非O₃超标日,从而导致了O₃超标日的O₃净生成速率明显高于非O₃超标日.以上发现提高了对南京夏季O₃超标日大气O₃光化学特征的认识.     

附加环境因素:传统比较优势理论的扩展

在李嘉圈模型中，若将环境成本用追加的劳动投入来衡量。可以发现，环境成本的引入将修正传统的比较优势格局。在H-O模型中耐加环境因素，亦即假定环境作为一种生产要搴而起作用。则所形成的比较优势将建立在包含环境要素真实价格的基础之上。本文最后指出，环境要素的真实价格与现实价格的脱离，使“显示的比较优势”有可能与真实的比较优势发生偏离。从而损害效率与公平。     

Time discounting and the decision to protect areas that are near and threatened or remote and cheap to acquire

Should conservation organizations focus on protecting habitats that are at imminent risk of being converted but are expensive or more remote areas that are less immediately threatened but where a large amount of land can be set aside? Variants of this trade‐off commonly arise in spatial planning. I used models of land‐use change near a deforestation frontier to examine this trade‐off. The optimal choice of where to protect was determined by how decisions taken today accounted for ecological benefits and economic costs of conservation actions that would occur sometime in the future. I used an ecological and economic discount rate to weight these benefits and costs. A large economic discount rate favored protecting more remote areas, whereas a large, positive ecological discount rate favored protecting habitat near the current deforestation frontier. The decision over where to protect was also affected by the influence economic factors had on landowners' decisions, the rate of technological change, and ecological heterogeneity of the landscape. How benefits and costs through time are accounted for warrants careful consideration when specifying conservation objectives. It may provide a niche axis along which conservation organizations differentiate themselves when competing for donor funding or other support.     

Aerobic thermophilic bacteria enhance biogas production

The enhancing effect of aerobic thermophilic (AT) bacteria on the production of biogas from anaerobically digested sewage sludge (methanogenic sludge) was investigated. Sewage sludge (5%, w/w) was incubated at 65°C with shaking for a few months to prepare the AT seed sludge. AT sludge was prepared by incubation of the AT seed sludge (5%, v/v) and sewage sludge (5%, w/w) at 65°C with shaking. The addition of this AT sludge (1.2% ± 0.5% of total volatile solids) to methanogenic sludge enhanced the production of biogas. The optimum volume of the addition and the pretreatment temperature of the AT sludge for optimum biogas production were 5% (v/v) and 65°C. Batch-fed anaerobic digestion was covered with the addition of various AT sludges. The AT sludge prepared with the AT seed sludge improved the biogas production by 2.2 times relative to that from the sewage sludge addition. The addition of sludge without AT seed sludge weakly enhanced biogas production. An aerobic thermophilic bacterium (strain AT1) was isolated from the AT seed sludge. Strain AT1 grew well in a synthetic medium. The production of biogas from the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge was improved by the addition of 5% (v/v) AT1 bacterial culture compared with that from the sewage sludge addition. The addition of AT1 culture reduced the volatile solids by 21%, which was higher than the 12.6% achieved with the sewage sludge addition. The AT1 bacterial culture enhanced the biogas production more than the AT seed sludge. The phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that strain AT1 is closely related to Geobacillus thermodenitrificans (100% sequence similarity). The improvement in the production of biogas with the AT sludge could be caused by thermophilic bacterial activity in the AT sludge.     

Synthesis of Poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) in Simulated Microgravity: An Investigation of Aeration Profiles in Shake Flask and Bioreactor

The microbial strain Azotobacter vinelandii UWD was grown under conditions of simulated microgravity in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Bioreactor. Bacterial growth in simulated microgravity differed significantly from that observed in conventional shake flask experiments: Cells tended to grow in a cluster-like pattern and polymer production started immediately after exposing them to conditions of simulated microgravity, and no lag time was observed. It was imperative to differentiate between the effects derived from microgravity and those imposed by the altered oxygen supply in the bioreactor. Aeration conditions were studied in both reactor types and a gas supply profile was developed for the bioreactor. This supply profile allowed for similar amounts of dissolved oxygen in the bioreactor and the shake flask in the initial stage of the fermentation and, therefore, for an evaluation of the effects of microgravity on biopolyester-producing bacteria. Since the optical density that is conventionally used as a measure for the cell growth could not be used due to the cluster-like growth pattern of the cells, it was determined that bacterial growth behavior in the bioreactor can be monitored through glucose or oxygen consumption.     

Preliminary Studies on Converting Agricultural Waste into Biodegradable Plastics,Part I: Corn Distillers’ Dry Grain

Distillers dry grain (DDG) was derivatized either by carboxymethylation, glutaration, maleiation, phthallation, or succination in order to produce anionic materials suitable for complexation with soy protein isolate. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed that derivatization of DDG by all reagents was successful. Blending of derivatized anionic products with soy protein resulted in instant precipitation of gels. The gels were centrifuged, molded, and dried into solid pellets with tensile strengths as high as 1.67MPa, suggesting that these materials could be promising as biodegradable structural materials. Infrared spectroscopy suggested the possibility of complexes forming between soy protein isolate and each of the derivatized DDG samples.     

中国加入WTO对环保机械企业产生的影响

中国加入WTO将使国内环保企业竞争更为激烈 ,使国内环保机械企业生存变得更为艰难。同时 ,由于经验丰富的国外企业已将凭借实力占据国际市场 ,使得我国环保机械企业在国际市场竞争中处于不利地位。从另一方面讲 ,中国加入WTO可以促进我国政府采取有力措施 ,加强对环保市场的监管 ,克服无序竞争 ,为国内企业营造良好的竞争环境 ;加入WTO可以加快国内环保机械企业技术创新 ,开发具有国际水准的拳头产品 ,增强市场竞争力 ,同时 ,可以推动国内产业结构调整及资本运营 ,使环保机械企业快速发展壮大 ;另外 ,WTO的加入可以迫使国内环保机械企业学习国外先进经验 ,掌握全球经济知识 ,夯实参与国际市场竞争的基础。