Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs in the eastern part of Denmark in 2015 and 2016: Abuse patterns and trends

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the frequency of psychoactive drugs and alcohol in drivers under suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in 2015 and 2016 in the eastern part of Denmark. The trends in the number of traffic cases sent for drug analysis since 2000 and alcohol analysis since 2011 are also discussed.

Methods: Blood samples from drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or medication and/or illicit drugs in 2015 and 2016 were investigated as requested by the police. The blood samples were screened for alcohol and/or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) alone, for other drugs (covering all drugs, except THC, listed in the Danish list of narcotic drugs), or for THC and other drugs. Age and gender were also recorded. The number of drug traffic cases since 2000 and the number of alcohol cases since 2011 were extracted from our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).

Results: In total, 11,493 traffic cases were investigated. Alcohol and/or drugs exceeded the legal limit in 9,657 (84%) cases. Men constituted 95% of the drivers investigated for drugs and 88% of the alcohol cases. The drivers investigated for drugs consisted primarily of young men, whereas drivers investigated for alcohol were older.

The frequency was higher for positive alcohol cases above the legal limit (87%) than for drug cases (76%) above the fixed concentration limit. THC (67–69%) was the most frequently detected drug above the legal limit, followed by cocaine (27–28.5%), amphetamine (17%), and clonazepam (6–7%) in both years. Morphine (5.4%), included among the 5 most frequent drugs in 2015, was replaced by methadone (4.6%) in 2016. Few new psychoactive drugs (NPS) were detected.

The number of traffic cases sent for drug analysis has increased more than 30-fold since 2000–2006, and the number of traffic cases submitted in 2016 for drug analysis was higher than the number for alcohol analysis; the latter has decreased since 2011.

Conclusion: Overall, alcohol was the most frequent compound detected above the legal limit in both years, followed by the well-known illicit drugs THC, cocaine, and amphetamine. NPS were seldom seen. One consequence of the increased focus on drugs in traffic has been an immense increase in drug traffic cases sent for analysis since 2006 in the eastern part of Denmark. Although this survey revealed only minimal changes compared to earlier investigations, surveys like this are invaluable for monitoring abuse patterns and trends in drugged and drunken driving.     

环境剂量磷酸三(1,3-二氯异丙基)酯多代暴露对斑马鱼子代仔鱼的神经发育毒性

为探究环境剂量磷酸三(1,3-二氯异丙基)酯(TDCIPP)多代暴露对生物体的影响,选取斑马鱼为模型,研究了斑马鱼暴露于0、3、30和300 ng·L~(-1)TDCIPP至3代后,对每一代子代5 dpf仔鱼神经发育的毒性效应。研究结果表明,F0代暴露于300ng·L~(-1)TDCIPP 120 d后所产F1代仔鱼的孵化率显著性下降,存活率显著性降低;但对F2代和F3代仔鱼的这些终点指标均无显著性影响。运动行为结果表明,F0代暴露于3和300 ng·L~(-1)TDCIPP 120 d会导致F1代仔鱼在光暗周期刺激下的游泳速度受到抑制,并伴随着神经元发育基因(ngn1)以及轴突生长标志基因(α1-tubulin、netrin1b和zn5)的显著性上调,相关性分析表明,游泳速度的抑制与ngn1、α1-tubulin和zn5这3个基因的表达显著相关。但对F2代仔鱼,仅300 ng·L~(-1)TDCIPP导致其游泳速度在黑暗刺激下显著性下降,且导致神经发育和再生相关基因(elavl3、gap43、gfap和shha)表达量显著性下降,但游泳速度的下降与基因表达无显著相关性。继续暴露至F3代仔鱼时,TDCIPP暴露对运动行为不再有显著影响。研究表明,环境剂量TDCIPP多代暴露对子代仔鱼具有神经发育毒性,表现为运动行为受损和神经发育相关基因表达量的改变,但毒性效应随着暴露代数的增加而减弱。     

淡水环境中短链氯化石蜡的预测无效应浓度及生态风险评估

短链氯化石蜡(short-chain chlorinated paraffins, SCCPs)是《斯德哥尔摩公约》增列的一类持久性有机污染物。搜集筛选出SCCPs对8种淡水生物的慢性毒性数据,构建了物种敏感度分布曲线(SSD),推导出SCCPs的淡水预测无效应浓度(PNECwater)为0.425μg·L~(-1),淡水沉积物预测无效应浓度(PNECsed)为992.5μg·kg-1。搜集了国内外部分淡水河流水体及沉积物中SCCPs环境暴露数据,运用商值法,评估SCCPs的生态风险。结果表明,长江中游和白洋淀水体风险商范围为2.6～154.4和3.7～132.5,处于高风险;国外河流SCCPs污染水平较低,北美地区与日本淡水河流SCCPs风险商小于1,处于低风险。长江中游沉积物的SCCPs的风险商高达400.6,呈现显著风险,欧洲工业区域淡水沉积物中SCCPs存在潜在风险。本研究为SCCPs水质标准制定与环境风险管理提供参考依据。     

Applications of dust explosion hazard and disaster prevention technology

Powdered materials are widely used in industrial processes, chemical processing, and nanoscience. Because most flammable powders and chemicals are not pure substances, their flammability and self-heating characteristics cannot be accurately identified using safety data sheets. Therefore, site staff can easily underestimate the risks they pose. Flammable dust accidents are frequent and force industrial process managers to pay attention to the characteristics of flammable powders and create inherently safer designs.This study verified that although the flammable powders used by petrochemical plants have been tested, some powders have different minimum ignition energies (MIEs) before and after drying, whereas some of the powders are released of flammable gases. These hazard characteristics are usually neglected, leading to the neglect of preventive parameters for fires and explosions, such as dust particle size specified by NFPA-654, MIE, the minimum ignition temperature of the dust cloud, the minimum ignition temperature of the dust layer, and limiting oxygen concentration. Unless these parameters are fully integrated into process hazard analysis and process safety management, the risks cannot be fully identified, and the reliability of process hazard analysis cannot be improved to facilitate the development of appropriate countermeasures. Preventing the underestimation of process risk severity due to the fire and explosion parameters of unknown flammable dusts and overestimation of existing safety measures is crucial for effective accident prevention.     

我国资源再生产业集群辨识研究

资源再生产业是解决资源危机、能源短缺和环境污染等问题的有效途径.近年来,我国资源再生产业发展迅速,在一些区域产业集群特征凸显.因此,本文采用产业集中度和区位商法,对我国资源再生产业在省域层面的集群情况进行定量分析.结果表明:我国资源再生产业集群特征非常明显,2007年产业集中度CR_4达到71.15%,广东、浙江和湖南三省已形成资源再生产业集群,2007年三省的区位商分别达到1.781、1.987、8.491;同时还发现重庆、湖北、天津、江苏、上海也初具集群雏形,为从产业集群角度探索我国资源再生产业发展模式提供依据.此外,在对广东、浙江和湖南三省产业集群进行深入分析和验证时还发现:广东、浙江模式与湖南模式具有明显不同,前者是再生资源禀赋和地方需求主导模式.而后者则是交易成本、区位交通优势和政府扶持共同作用的结果.     

旋风除尘器流场及浓度场实验与模拟

在研究旋风除尘器内气固两相的运动状况及分离机理方面,计算机模拟替代部分实验的方法能够优化设计旋风除尘器结构参数,提高其对微细颗粒的捕集效率,减少运行压力损失。本研究采用RSM模型和随机轨道模型对旋风除尘器内流场及浓度场进行模拟及实验。研究表明,旋风除尘器压力损失模拟结果与实验结果吻合较好,对于大于5μm的颗粒其捕集效率模拟结果与实验结果基本吻合;旋风除尘器外壁的颗粒浓度呈螺旋带状分布;如将排气管管径减少至原直径0.8倍,可使其对2μm颗粒捕集效率提高6.6%,但压力损失提高36.5%;颗粒的凝并作用有利于提高旋风除尘器微细颗粒的捕集效率。     

连续曝气下河水水质及睡莲生理响应的季节变化

采取现场实验方法,在春、夏、秋三季测定了6个睡莲(Nymphaea tetragona L.)植物净化槽(曝气、非曝气)中睡莲的叶绿素(Chl)、可溶性蛋白(SP)含量与过氧化物酶(POD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性,氮磷积累、生物量、根长、茎高、叶长、分蘖数、根密度等生物学指标及对应的水质常规理化指标,探讨了连续曝气下睡莲的生理响应及河水水质的季节变化。结果表明,连续曝气明显影响了睡莲的生理特性,导致净化槽中水质发生相应变化,且影响程度与睡莲生长状况的季节变化相关。曝气槽中睡莲植物的根长、茎高、叶长较短,叶片Chl-a、Chl-b、SP含量下降,而根组织POD、CAT活性升高,氮磷积累、生物量下降,分蘖数、根密度下降;春、夏季曝气对睡莲的影响相对较小,曝气槽中TN、NH4+-N浓度低于非曝气槽,而TP、溶解性P浓度明显升高;秋季曝气对睡莲的影响较严重,曝气槽中TN、NH4+-N、TP、溶解性P浓度均高于非曝气槽。研究结论为在污染河道生态修复工程实践中,针对水生植物生长状况的季节变化而进行曝气方式调节提供理论依据。     

The Long Beach/Fort Lauderdale relative risk study

Problem

The role of alcohol as a major factor in traffic crash causation has been firmly established. However, controversy remains as to the precise shape of the relative risk function and the BAC at which crash risk begins to increase.

Methods

This study used a case-control design in two locations: Long Beach, California, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Data were collected on 2,871 crashes of all severities and a matched control group of drivers selected from the same time, location, and direction of travel as the crash drivers. Of the 14,985 sample drivers, 81.3% of the crash drivers and 97.9% of the controls provided a valid BAC specimen.

Results

When adjusted for covariates and nonparticipation bias, increases in relative risk were observed at BACs of .04-.05, and the elevations in risk became very pronounced when BACs exceeded .10.

Discussion

The results provide strong support for .08 per se laws and for state policies that increase sanctions for BACs in excess of .15.

Impact on Industry

This study provides further precision on the deleterious effects of alcohol on driving and, by implication, on other complex tasks.     

Validity of police-reported alcohol involvement in fatal motor carrier crashes in the United States between 1982 and 2005

Objective

To examine the validity of police-reported alcohol data for drivers involved in fatal motor carrier crashes.

Material and Methods

We determined the availability of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and police-reported alcohol data on 157,702 drivers involved in fatal motor carrier crashes between 1982 - 2005 using Fatality Analysis and Reporting System (FARS) data. Drivers were categorized as motor carrier drivers if they operated a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 26,000 pounds. Otherwise, they were classified as non motor carrier drivers. The sensitivity and specificity of police-reported alcohol involvement were estimated for both driver types.

Results

Of the 157,702 drivers, 18% had no alcohol information, 15% had BAC results, 42% had police-reported alcohol data, and 25% had both. Alcohol information varied significantly by driver, crash, and vehicle characteristics. For example, motor carrier drivers were significantly more likely (51%) to have BAC testing results compared to non motor carrier drivers (31%) (p < 0.001). The sensitivity of police-reported alcohol involvement for a BAC level ≥ 0.08 was 83% (95% CI 79%, 86%) for motor carrier drivers and 90% (95% CI 89%, 90%) for non motor carrier drivers. The specificity rates were 96% (95% CI 95%, 96%) and 91% (95% CI 90%, 91%), respectively.

Conclusions

The sensitivity and specificity of police-reported alcohol involvement are reasonably high for drivers involved in fatal motor carrier crashes. Further research is needed to determine the extent to which the accuracy of police-reported alcohol involvement may be overestimated because of verification bias.

Impact on the Industry

Based on the results of this study, the federal government should continue to work with states to strengthen their strategies to increase chemical testing of all drivers involved in fatal crashes.     

锑锍渣中回收金试验研究

通过对"浮选+氰化浸出"工艺回收锑锍渣中金的试验研究,确锍渣中金的综合回收率可达80%-85%,既减少了污染,又回收了有价资源,有明显的经济和环境效益.