Ethical Responsibilities Towards Dogs: An Inquiry into the Dog–Human Relationship

The conditions of life of many companion animals and the rate at which they are surrendered to shelters raise many ethical issues. What duties do we have towards the dogs that live in our society? To suggest answers to these questions, I first give four possible ways of looking at the relationship between man and dog: master–slave, employer–worker, parent–child, and friend–friend. I argue that the morally acceptable relationships are of a different kind but bears family resemblances to the latter three. As dogs are beings with an interest in their wellbeing, society has certain duties towards the dogs, which can be translated in legislation. But human beings also have special responsibilities towards the dogs they take into their care. Such responsibilities entail caring for their emotional and physical welfare, but also ensuring a bond of trust, which should not easily be broken.     

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products found in the Great Lakes above concentrations of environmental concern

The monitoring of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) has focused on the distribution in rivers and small lakes, but data regarding their occurrence and effects in large lake systems, such as the Great Lakes, are sparse. Wastewater treatment processes have not been optimized to remove influent PPCPs and are a major source of PPCPs in the environment. Furthermore, PPCPs are not currently regulated in wastewater effluent. In this experiment we evaluated the concentration, and corresponding risk, of PPCPs from a wastewater effluent source at varying distances in Lake Michigan. Fifty-four PPCPs and hormones were assessed on six different dates over a two-year period from surface water and sediment samples up to 3.2 km from a wastewater treatment plant and at two sites within a harbor. Thirty-two PPCPs were detected in Lake Michigan and 30 were detected in the sediment, with numerous PPCPs being detected up to 3.2 km away from the shoreline. The most frequently detected PPCPs in Lake Michigan were metformin, caffeine, sulfamethoxazole, and triclosan. To determine the ecological risk, the maximum measured environmental concentrations were compared to the predicted no-effect concentration and 14 PPCPs were found to be of medium or high ecological risk. The environmental risk of PPCPs in large lake systems, such as the Great Lakes, has been questioned due to high dilution; however, the concentrations found in this study, and their corresponding risk quotient, indicate a significant threat by PPCPs to the health of the Great Lakes, particularly near shore organisms.     

Eco-Labelling of Shampoos,Shower Gels and Foam Baths (6 pp)

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Environmental issues of personal care products have been met with little attention in the past. Monitoring data as well as preliminary environmental risk assessments indicate that some ingredients in personal care products might be relevant pollutants in the environment. Following the precautionary principle, eco-labelling is proposed as an effective tool for source control of one major group of personal care products, shampoos, shower gels and foam baths (SSBs). Eco-labelling is a soft, but effective market driven and product specific approach to lower discharge of environmentally detrimental substances. Products that fulfil the criteria proposed help to minimise the impact of SSBs on the environment. METHODS: Available assessment tools for dangerous substances (e.g. current legislation on environmental risk assessments and classification, and labelling, eco-labelling criteria for similar products, the calculation of the critical dilution volume) were adapted and integrated into the criteria for the eco-labelling of SSBs. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A short outline of the eco-labelling criteria developed for SSBs is provided. The basic criteria concern the effects of the substances discharged into the waste water during and after use. Products with an eco-label award may exclusively contain substances for which basic information about their effects on the environment is available. They may not contain persistent, bioaccumulating, toxic or ecotoxicological substances. In addition, the basic criteria include requirements for the container and consumer information. CONCLUSION: The basic criteria for eco-labelling SSBs are based on the actual state of science and are at the same time as simple and transparent as possible to ensure the best applicability. SSBs that comply with the described basic criteria can contribute to a lower chemical burden of waste water treatment plants and surface water. RECOMMENDATION AND OUTLOOK: The proposal for basic criteria described should stimulate discussion on eco-labelling of SSBs. It should help to pass valid criteria supported by authorities, producers and consumer groups for a national or international eco-label, e.g. for the European Flower or the German Blue Angel. In future, the successful introduction of labelled SSBs into the market will raise the awareness of the general public about the environmental effects of personal care products and it will help to promote environmentally compatible products.     

污水处理厂进出水及其受纳水体中典型PPCPs的污染特征

以对乙酰氨基酚为目标物,利用固相萃取(SPE)-高效液相色谱(HPLC)法测定了该药物在泰安市污水处理厂进出水和地表水体中的含量。结果表明,对乙酰氨基酚在污水处理厂进水中均被检出,质量浓度为0.9~238μg/L,表明生活污水为污水处理厂该药物活性成分的来源,出水中质量浓度为ND~8.3μg/L,去除率较高,其中生物降解是主要的降解机制。在泮河中的质量浓度为ND~3.59μg/L,与国内外其他地表水体相比,处于同一个数量级,且污水厂排水口下游水体中目标物浓度高于上游,反映出污水处理厂排放可能是其受纳水体中PPCPs的主要来源之一。     

Differences in urban and rural accident characteristics and medical service utilization for traffic fatalities in less-motorized societies

Introduction

Fatalities from traffic accidents in less-motorized societies are an important global issue. We aimed to characterize the geographic differences of fatalities in such societies to facilitate the development of targeted interventions.

Method

This study linked police reports, hospital data, and vital registration data from Taiwan with special reference to accident factors in pre-hospital deaths and medical care in hospital deaths.

Results

A higher percentage of pre-hospital deaths were observed following rural as compared to urban traffic accidents. The deaths due to rural accidents can be attributed to lower use of restraints (i.e., helmets or seat belts), lower percentage of motorcyclists, and more highway accidents. A higher percentage of victims in rural accidents were transported to distant medical centers rather than to local hospitals.

Conclusion

Specific interventions, such as intelligent emergency medical systems, campaigns for helmets and seat belt usage, enforcement of helmets and seat belt use, and speed control measures should be targeted to rural areas.

Impact on industry

Cooperation between the vehicle industry and emergency medical providers in rural traffic accident rescue teams may decrease the numbers of deaths in these regions.     

两种典型PPCPs在潜流人工湿地中的季节性去除效果及降解产物

药物及个人护理品(PPCPs)在地表水中的污染问题已引起了广泛关注,人工湿地(constructed wetlands,CWs)在PPCPs去除中具有突出优势,然而关于不同类型PPCPs 在CWs 去除中的相互作用研究得还较少.本研究选取两种常用且相对分子质量接近的典型PPCPs——广谱抗菌剂三氯生(TCS)和非甾体抗...     

宁夏入黄排水沟中药物和个人护理品的污染特征与生态风险评价

药物和个人护理品（PPCPs）是一类新污染物,对水生生物具有潜在危害.为探究宁夏入黄排水沟中PPCPs的污染特征与生态风险,利用固相萃取-超高效液相色谱-质谱联用仪对21种PPCPs进行检测分析．结果表明,宁夏入黄排水沟中目标PPCPs的总浓度范围在47.52~1 700.96 ng·L^-1之间.其中,环丙沙星、对乙酰氨基酚、二苯甲酮-3和避蚊胺的检出率大于80%;检出浓度最大的5种化合物分别为对乙酰氨基酚、避蚊胺、咖啡因、二苯甲酮-3和左氧氟沙星,浓度最大值分别为597.21、563.23、559.00、477.28和473.07 ng·L^-1.空间分布上,排水沟中PPCPs的污染程度呈现出银川市>石嘴山市>吴忠市>中卫市的分布特征,入黄口采样点PPCPs总浓度范围为124.82~1 046.61 ng·L^-1.来源分析表明,宁夏入黄排水沟中磺胺嘧啶和土霉素主要来自于畜禽养殖,左氧氟沙星和环丙沙星主要来源于医疗废水,三氯卡班和三氯生来自于生活污水和工业废水,咖啡因和避蚊胺主要来自于生活污水.入黄排水沟中双氯芬酸、西咪替丁、三氯卡班和三氯生的污染程度与区域人口数量和经济发展水平呈正相关.生态风险评价结果显示,宁夏入黄排水沟中左氧氟沙星、双氯芬酸、吉非罗齐、二苯甲酮-3和三氯卡班表现为高风险;值得关注的是,大多数采样点PPCPs的综合生态风险表现为高风险.     

Occupational risk from static magnetic fields of MRI scanners

The health care staff operating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners are exposed to static magnetic field of significant spatial heterogenity and high level of flux density—usually existing permanently during the shift. The personnel can also be exposed to pulses of magnetic field of high rate of rise/fall, so-called gradient fields, which exist only during examination of patients. The level of workers’ exposure depends both on the type of the magnet and on the ergonomical characteristic of design of the particular MRI scanner. This paper presents the current state of the art on occupational exposure to static magnetic field health effects, gaps in scientific data, MRI workers’ exposure characteristics, research needs, and suggestions for the exposure assessment protocol for future investigations.     

Current analyses do not resolve whether extra-pair paternity is male or female driven

Recent studies question the importance of indirect genetic effects in explaining female benefits of extra-pair matings in socially monogamous species. Compiling data on 14 wild bird species, Arnqvist and Kirkpatrick (Am Nat 165:S26–S37, 2005) estimated the average direct cost in terms or reduced parental care to be an order of magnitude larger than the potential effect of genetic benefits. This study has sparked a debate regarding potential confounding factors but no consensus appears to have been reached. Here we focus on the implicit assumption that all individuals face the same selective pressures and argue that this assumption is probably too strong in most cases. Using a theoretical model we show that when the amount of resources that a male provides depends on territory quality, his physical condition or prospects for alternative breeding opportunities, a female may respond to such differences by altering her mating behaviour. Such confounding factors may lead to direct fitness effects that result in negative correlations between paternal care and paternity even if females that produce extra-pair young experience a net benefit. Negative correlations can also result when males forcefully seek copulations and females resist them. We discuss the studies included in the analysis in this light, and conclude that current analyses on the net selective pressures remain uninformative. In addition to considering average effects across individuals and species we suggest giving attention to individual differences and the influence of ecological factors such as territory quality and predation pressures on female mating behaviour.