An intensive investigation was conducted to study the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), to show firstly the level of pollution in the agricultural areas and analyses specifically the status of soil polluted by these persistent pollutants in some locations of Xiamen region. Soil samples collected from Jiulong agricultural catchment have been analysed for 16 PAH compounds, using gas chromatography flame ionization detection in order to determine the level of selected PAH components and to identify the factors that may control their distribution and persistence in the area. The main PAHs found in soil samples were the low molecular weight. The total PAHs detected in soil samples ranged from 0.50 to 0.95 μg/g soil. The highest values of PAHs were significantly detected in the orange tree leaves, which range from 236.1 to 249.3 μg/g soil showing recent atmospheric inputs of these volatile pollutants. The distribution of PAHs in vegetable were monitored and indicating that the concentration were high and ranged from 8.24 to 58.87 μg/g. Other sediment samples were also collected and analysed from urban sewage (5.26 μg/g dw), aquacultural (0.52 μg/g dw) and industrial areas (from 0.62 to 2.09 μg/g dw), during this investigation. The contamination of Jiulong river estuary and Xiamen Western Sea by PAHs has been then widely justified by wastcwatcr discharges and soil runoffs from these areas. The results, therefore, provide important information on the current contamination status caused by the atmospheric transport and point to the need for urgent actions to stop the release of these hydrocarbons to the environment. The necessity of implementing systematic monitoring of PAHs is also emphasized. 相似文献
In November 1928, Theodore Jr. and Kermit Roosevelt led an expedition to China with the expressed purpose of being the first Westerners to kill the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The expedition lasted 8 months and resulted in the brothers shooting a giant panda in the mountains of Sichuan Province. Given the concurrent attention in the popular press describing this celebrated expedition, the giant panda was poised to be trophy hunted much like other large mammals around the world. Today, however, the killing of giant pandas, even for the generation of conservation revenue, is unthinkable for reasons related to the species itself and the context, in time and space, in which the species was popularized in the West. We found that the giant panda's status as a conservation symbol, exceptional charisma and gentle disposition, rarity, value as a nonconsumptive ecotourism attraction, and endemism are integral to the explanation of why the species is not trophy hunted. We compared these intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics with 20 of the most common trophy-hunted mammals to determine whether the principles applying to giant pandas are generalizable to other species. Although certain characteristics of the 20 trophy-hunted mammals aligned with the giant panda, many did not. Charisma, economic value, and endemism, in particular, were comparatively unique to the giant panda. Our analysis suggests that, at present, exceptional characteristics may be necessary for certain mammals to be excepted from trophy hunting. However, because discourse relating to the role of trophy hunting in supporting conservation outcomes is dynamic in both science and society, we suspect these valuations will also change in future. 相似文献
Prospective, community-based surveillance systems for measuring birth, death, and population movement rates may have advantages over the ‘gold-standard’ retrospective household survey in humanitarian contexts. A community-based, monthly surveillance system was established in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in partnership with a local implementing partner and the national ministry of health. Data were collected on the occurrence of births, deaths, arrivals, and departures over the course of one year, and a retrospective survey was conducted at the end of the period to validate the information. Discrepancies between the two approaches were resolved by a third visit to the households with discordant records. The study found that the surveillance system was superior in terms of its specificity and sensitivity in measuring crude mortality and birth rates as compared to the survey, demonstrating the method's potential to measure accurately important population-level health metrics in an insecure setting in a timely, community-acceptable manner. 相似文献
The rapidly developing Asian countries may face threatening environmental contamination, that however remains largely unassessed.
We studied persistent trace elements in three wetlands, Poyang Lake, relatively unpolluted, and Tai Lake, and Pearl River
Delta, selected as hotspots of pollution in Central China. We adopted as indicator the Little Egret, a widespread colonial
waterbird, and during 1999 and 2000 we collected and analysed the same samples as for a parallel study we conducted in Pakistan,
e.g. eggs, body feathers of chicks, prey spontaneously regurgitated by the chicks, and sediments at the areas most used by
foraging egrets. The levels of trace-metals at our three study areas were similar, or within the range, of those found in
the few other studies for East Asia, with few exceptions. The concentrations of the various elements were below the threshold
that may affect the survival or reproduction of the birds, and even the highest concentrations relative to background, i.e.
Se in eggs, and Hg in feathers at Pearl Delta, do not pose toxic hazards. In sediments, the levels of trace elements were
lower than the critical levels assumed for contaminated soil, except for alarming high levels of As at Poyang. These results
do not confirm our expectation, that Poyang was relatively uncontaminated, while Tai and Pearl were polluted. Although trace
metal concentration differed significantly among the three study areas, these differences were minor and were not consistent
among elements and samples. The bioaccumulation ratios from sediments through prey, feather and egg, were consistent with
our previous findings for Pakistan. Only Hg exhibited high bioaccumulation, while Se and Zn had low accumulation, and the
other elements no accumulation. This reasserts that feathers of predators such as egrets, may be more sensitive indicators
of environmental contamination for the elements subject to bioaccumulation, whereas the sediments or the organisms low in
the food chain are better indicators for the other elements. 相似文献
Bio-monitoring of some heavy metal levels (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu) in whole edible soft parts of Mytilus galloprovincialis (L. 1758) was conducted in Turkish Aegean Sea coast during the period of September 2002–August 2003 seasonally. Moreover, some physico-chemical environmental parameters, also have been analysed in the same region. The values of some physico-chemical environmental parameters in coastal waters of Turkish Aegean Sea were changed between; 9.0–27.0 ∘C for temperature, 31.93–40.45 psu for salinity, 7.35–8.48 for pH and 4.05–9.50 mg/l for dissolved oxygen. The levels of trace elements in whole edible soft parts including interstitial fluids of Mediterranean mussels M. galloprovincialis (L. 1758), sampled from 6 different regions of Turkish Aegean Sea coast have ranged between; 0.04–0.52 μg Cd/g wet weight, 0.49–1.72 μg Pb/g w.w., 0.95–1.85 Cu/g w.w., 16.11–37.15 μg Zn/g w.w. The highest values for all trace metals (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu) were measured in inner part of Izmir Bay (station 3) and lowest in Sigacik and Gulluk Bay (station 5, 6). Generally heavy metal levels are lower than the results in soft mussel tissues reported from Mediterranean regions. 相似文献
Objective: Electric bike/moped-related road traffic injuries have become a burgeoning public health problem in China. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence and potential risk factors of electric bike/moped-related road traffic injuries among electric bike/moped riders in southern China.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was used to interview 3,151 electric bike/moped riders in southern China. Electric bike/moped-related road traffic injuries that occurred from July 2014 to June 2015 were investigated. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews and analyzed between July 2015 and June 2017.
Results: The prevalence of electric bike/moped-related road traffic injuries among the investigated riders was 15.99%. Electric bike/moped-related road traffic injuries were significantly associated with category of electric bike (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.82), self-reported confusion (AOR = 1.77, 95% CI, 1.13–2.78), history of crashes (AOR = 6.14, 95% CI, 4.68–8.07), running red lights (AOR = 3.57, 95% CI, 2.42–5.25), carrying children while riding (AOR = 1.96, 95% CI, 1.37–2.85), carrying adults while riding (AOR = 1.68, 95% CI, 1.23–2.28), riding in the motor lane (AOR = 2.42, 95% CI, 1.05–3.93), and riding in the wrong traffic direction (AOR = 1.63, 95% CI, 1.13–2.35). In over 77.58% of electric bike/moped-related road traffic crashes, riders were determined by the police to be responsible for the crash. Major crash-causing factors included violating traffic signals or signs, careless riding, speeding, and riding in the wrong lane.
Conclusion: Traffic safety related to electric bikes/moped is becoming more problematic with growing popularity compared with other 2-wheeled vehicles. Programs need to be developed to prevent electric bike/moped-related road traffic injuries in this emerging country. 相似文献
ABSTRACTIn science communication, a prerequisite for reaching different parts of a society is to find out how these publics experience and interpret science. Since rural South African publics are perceived to exhibit a large cultural distance to science, the present exploratory study aimed to know in more detail how rural South Africans perceive and understand science in their local and social contexts. Theoretical notions on cultural distance and the methodological approach of segmentation studies were considered. Semi-structured interviews with rural South Africans were carried out in four towns (n?=?52) that differ with respect to having a large scientific installation in their vicinity, or not. Sensitively comparing local and social contexts helped identifying three different publics who differed regarding their perceptions of science; however, the large scientific installations only made a difference in perceptions for those publics who were generally less exposed to and less knowledgeable about science. 相似文献