WATER RESOURCES AND HUMAN HEALTH: THE VIEWPOINT OF MEDICAL GEOGRAPHY1

ABSTRACT: Medical geography studies both areal patterns of human health and disease and the environmental and cultural factors that contribute to such conditions. In such studies water resources are of major importance, not only because they are essential for life and their scenic beauty is of inspirational value, but also because they are involved, directly or indirectly, in more than 80 percent of all disease. The direct involvements result from various disease causing agents sometimes found in surface or ground water organic ones such as bacteria, worms, etc., which are known as pathogens, and inorganic ones such as trace elements and synthetic toxic chemicals. Surface waters may have indirect effects also, for they may serve as habitats or breeding places for organisms that do not themselves cause human disease but that serve as vectors or hosts for such pathogens. This paper will discuss these various roles of water resources in both endemic and epidemic disease occurrences and ways in which various human activities domestic, economic, recreational, or religious — increase or reduce our exposure to such diseases.     

Chemical pollution: Transfer of chemical elements to the aboverground phytomass of herbaceous plants

Changes in the species composition and a decrease in species diversity and total plant biomass along the gradient of soil pollution with heavy metals have been shown. Data on the concentrations of chemical elements (Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Co, Ni, Mn, Cr, and Fe) in the aboveground organs of herbaceous plants and the biomass of each species make it possible to estimate the role of higher producers in the incorporation of chemical elements into biogenic cycles in background zones and under conditions of chemical pollution. Plants of the composite family (Asteraceae) play the main role in accumulation of chemical elements. The results obtained indicate that natural ecosystems have mechanisms limiting excessive accumulation of chemical elements into the aboveground plant biomass.     

Development and Validation of the Total HUman Model for Safety (THUMS) Toward Further Understanding of Occupant Injury Mechanisms in Precrash and During Crash

Objective: Active safety devices such as automatic emergency brake (AEB) and precrash seat belt have the potential to accomplish further reduction in the number of the fatalities due to automotive accidents. However, their effectiveness should be investigated by more accurate estimations of their interaction with human bodies. Computational human body models are suitable for investigation, especially considering muscular tone effects on occupant motions and injury outcomes. However, the conventional modeling approaches such as multibody models and detailed finite element (FE) models have advantages and disadvantages in computational costs and injury predictions considering muscular tone effects. The objective of this study is to develop and validate a human body FE model with whole body muscles, which can be used for the detailed investigation of interaction between human bodies and vehicular structures including some safety devices precrash and during a crash with relatively low computational costs.

Methods: In this study, we developed a human body FE model called THUMS (Total HUman Model for Safety) with a body size of 50th percentile adult male (AM50) and a sitting posture. The model has anatomical structures of bones, ligaments, muscles, brain, and internal organs. The total number of elements is 281,260, which would realize relatively low computational costs. Deformable material models were assigned to all body parts. The muscle–tendon complexes were modeled by truss elements with Hill-type muscle material and seat belt elements with tension-only material. The THUMS was validated against 35 series of cadaver or volunteer test data on frontal, lateral, and rear impacts. Model validations for 15 series of cadaver test data associated with frontal impacts are presented in this article. The THUMS with a vehicle sled model was applied to investigate effects of muscle activations on occupant kinematics and injury outcomes in specific frontal impact situations with AEB.

Results and Conclusions: In the validations using 5 series of cadaver test data, force–time curves predicted by the THUMS were quantitatively evaluated using correlation and analysis (CORA), which showed good or acceptable agreement with cadaver test data in most cases. The investigation of muscular effects showed that muscle activation levels and timing had significant effects on occupant kinematics and injury outcomes. Although further studies on accident injury reconstruction are needed, the THUMS has the potential for predictions of occupant kinematics and injury outcomes considering muscular tone effects with relatively low computational costs.     

突发事件情景演化及关键要素提取方法

针对突发事件应急处置难度大的特点,突发事件应急管理模式必须向"情景-应对"转变。从系统复杂性、开放式预先设想以及序贯性三个主要原则的角度理解突发事件情景演化的机理,构建了突发事件情景演化系统模型,并以此为基础设计了突发事件情景网络关键要素的提取方法。该方法以危险源形成、突发事件演化以及应急响应三方面主要内容为情景网络的主体,以三方面主要内容所涉及的影响因素为分支,适当的选取情景网络关键要素并将关键要素分为四类。该方法的提出弥补了情景网络关键要素提取方法理论的空白,为突发事件情景构建提供了理论支持。     

Trace elements in particulate matter of ambient air at petroleum filling stations

Size segregated suspended particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM_10-2.5) in air at four major petroleum-filling stations in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, were monitored using double staged “Gent” stacked samplers to assess variations in mass loads and elemental concentrations of 25 elements. Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, Cs, Ta, W, and Pb were determined in both fractions by external ion beam proton-induced X-ray emission technique. Enrichment factors and pollution indices were calculated and results revealed that most elements were anthropogenic in both fractions with concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization guideline standards.     

微波消解－ICP－MS法测定土壤中稀土元素的研究

建立了电感耦合等离子体质谱（ ICP－MS）测定土壤中稀土元素的分析方法。采用HNO3＋HF酸体系用微波消解对土壤样品进行处理,以混合内标（ In、Bi）校正基体干扰和信号漂移,用ICP－MS对其中的16种稀土元素进行了测定。在优化的实验条件下,16种稀土元素标准曲线的相关系数r＞0．9999,检出限为0.012 ng／ml～0.069 ng／ml,加标回收率为84.0％～110％,相对标准偏差（n＝6）RSD均小于3.5％。该方法可用于四种不同类型土壤中稀土元素含量的测定。     

基于两种样品前处理方法对比研究小冬克玛底冰川雪坑中痕量元素

通过对唐古拉山小冬克玛底冰川雪坑中非季风季节沉积的雪样分别进行酸化处理和消解处理后,利用高分辨扇形磁场等离子体质谱仪(ICP-SFMS)测试了样品中19种痕量元素(Ba、U、Sr、Rb、Tl、Mo、Cs、Pb、Sb、V、Cr、Mn、Fe、Co、Al、Cu、Ti、Li、As)的酸化浓度和总浓度.研究结果表明,痕量元素浓度的变化范围较大,元素Al的最大/最小浓度比为326(酸化浓度)和465(总浓度),元素Pb相应比值为27和48.雪冰中痕量元素的总浓度一般大于该元素的酸化浓度,其中,元素Pb、Fe、Sb、Ba、Al、Ti的酸化浓度占总浓度的平均比值分别为91%、76%、60%、52%、33%和21%.一般地,样品中不溶微粒含量越大,酸化浓度占总浓度的比值越小;不溶微粒含量越小,则相反.对痕量元素的富集系数(EF)分析表明,各元素总浓度EF均值小于酸化浓度EF均值,揭示了用酸化浓度计算EF存在对痕量元素人为来源影响的高估.人类排放是小冬克玛底冰川中痕量元素的来源之一,对于元素Mo和Sb,人类排放估计是主要来源.利用后向轨迹模型模拟出小冬克玛底冰川雪冰中痕量元素在非季风季节主要来源于青藏高原西部及中亚中东地区.     

Contamination and vertical distribution of As,Cd, Cr,Cu, Pb,Tl, and Zn in paddy soil irrigated with untreated leachate from tailings retention ponds

The contamination and vertical distribution of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Tl, and Zn in paddy soil irrigated with untreated leachate from the tailings retention pond were investigated. As, Cr, Cu, and Zn were slightly contaminated in the surface soil and hence their vertical distribution was not obvious. However, Cd and Pb were highly contaminated in the surface soil, while their concentrations decreased with depth, being negatively correlated with pH and positively with total organic matter. Tl was considerably contaminated in the surface soil and a V-shaped vertical distribution was observed where the concentration increased to a maximum at about 30 cm depth and decreased thereafter. The findings revealed that the regular irrigation with untreated leachate from the tailings retention ponds could cause considerable contamination of Cd, Pb, and Tl, and thus tailings should be stringently treated before disposal to minimize their potential environmental impacts on the surroundings.     

太湖流域1954~2006年气候变化及其演变趋势

用Mann Kendall统计检验方法对太湖流域6个气象站点1954~2006年降水、气温、相对湿度、日照时数的变化趋势和时空特征进行了分析，结果表明：50余年来太湖流域降水量呈较弱的增加趋势，冬季和夏季降水增加显著；空间变化趋势表现为北部地区降水量呈下降趋势，东南部地区呈上升趋势。年平均相对湿度表现为微弱的下降趋势，M K倾斜度值为 -099%/10 a；春、秋季相对湿度都显著减小，而夏季减小幅度较弱，冬季减小现象不显著。年平均气温呈现明显上升趋势，并表现出最低气温比最高气温增高趋势显著的特点，冬、春季增温显著；空间分布变化趋势为以平湖和溧阳为中心的两个地区上升趋势最小，以上海为中心地区上升幅度较大。年日照时数的下降趋势幅度较大，以溧阳为中心的西部地区最为明显，四个季节日照时数都呈减少的趋势；空间分布变化趋势表现为全流域呈减少趋势，由西向东减少幅度依次减小。气候变暖，降水将进一步增加，必然导致径流也呈增加趋势，在一定程度上加大了太湖流域洪涝灾害发生的可能性。分析成果有助于进一步研究气候变化对太湖流域水资源和防洪安全的影响，也将为太湖流域未来气候变化情景的构建提供科学依据。     

EFFECTS OF MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER DISCHARGES ON AQUATIC COMMUNITIES,BOISE RWER,IDAHO1

ABSTRACT: Aquatic communities in the Boise River were examined from October 1987 to March 1988 to determine whether they were adversely affected by trace elements in effluents from two Boise wastewater treatment facilities. Trace-element concentrations in the Boise River were less than or near analytical-detection levels and were less than chronic toxicity criteria when detectable. Insect communities colonizing artificial substrates upstream and downstream from the wastewater treatment facilities were strongly associated, and coefficients of community loss indicated that effluents had benign enriching effects. The distributions of trace-element-intolerant mayflies indicated that trace-element concentrations in effluents did not adversely affect intolerant organisms in the Boise River. Condition factor of whitefish was significantly increased downstream from the Lander Street wastewater treatment facility and was significantly decreased downstream from the West Boise wastewater treatment facility.