Impact of proposed changes in IESTI equations for short-term dietary exposure to pesticides from Australian and Codex perspective

ABSTRACT

In 2015 a scientific workshop was held in Geneva, where updating the four equations for estimating the short-term dietary exposure (International Estimated Short Term Intake, IESTI) to pesticides was suggested. The impact of these proposed changes on the exposure was studied by using residue data and large portion consumption data from Codex and Australia. For the Codex data, the exposure increased by a median factor of 2.5 per commodity when changing to the proposed IESTI equations. The increase in exposure was highest for bulked and blended food commodities (case 3 equations), followed by medium-sized food commodities (case 2a equations) and small- and large-sized food commodities (case 1 and case 2b equations). For the Australian data, out of 184 maximum residue limit (MRL) large portion combinations showing acute exposures below the acute reference dose (ARfD) with the current IESTI equations, 23 exceeded the ARfD with the proposed IESTI equations (12%). The percentage exceeding the ARfD was higher for the Australian MRL large portion combinations (12% of 184) than for those of Codex (1.3% of 8,366). However, the percentage MRL loss in the Australian dataset may not be representative of all pesticide MRLs since it concerns six pesticides only, specifically selected to elucidate the potential effects of the use of the proposed IESTI equations. For the Codex data, the increase in exposure using the proposed equations resulted in a small increased loss of 2.6% of the 1,110 MRLs estimated by the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR): 1.4% of the MRLs were already not acceptable with the current equations, 4.0% of the MRLs were not acceptable with the newly proposed equations. Our study revealed that case 3 commodities may be impacted more by the proposed changes than other commodities. This substantiates one of the conclusions of the Geneva workshop to gather information on bulking and blending practices in order to refine MRL setting and dietary risk assessment for case 3 commodities where possible.     

大质量熔融铝液遇水爆炸效应评估

为揭示蒸汽爆炸灾害形成机制,建立了大质量熔融铝液遇水自触发爆炸反应模拟装置。根据反应特征和破坏程度,熔融铝液遇水爆炸反应可分为柔和爆炸、剧烈爆炸与猛烈爆炸等3种类型;基于爆炸相似准则,定量化描述了爆炸反应的冲击波破坏效应;热效应则来自冲击波绝热压缩和产物热交换耦合作用;从热力学角度来看,铝液与容器底面夹裹形成过热亚稳态水,可认为是爆炸反应的触发源。     

考虑结构极限状态随机性的多维易损性分析

本文同时考虑结构在地震激励下响应的随机性和极限状态的随机性,将概率-凸集混合模型应用于结构的多维易损性分析。以最大层间位移、最大层加速度作为反映结构性能和非结构性能的两种工程需求参数,并视为符合对数正态分布的随机变量,两种需求参数的阈值被视为非概率凸集变量,分别建立阈值的椭球模型和区间模型,建立同时包含凸集变量和概率变量的二维联合性能极限状态方程;根据凸集模型和概率模型之间的相容性,提出一种混合模型下基于克里金模型的蒙特卡洛法用于求解超越概率的上、下界,得到反映超越概率区间的易损性曲线。研究表明:区间模型建立的易损性曲线较为保守;在罕遇地震作用下,不考虑阈值随机性会会低估结构的抗震能力。     

金属有机框架（MOFs）材料电催化还原CO2研究进展

电催化还原CO2转化为清洁能源或有用的化学品被认为是减排CO2的一种有效方式。金属有机框架(MOFs)材料由于分散的金属中心和可调的化学结构等特点而被广泛应用于电催化领域。综述了MOFs材料用于电催化还原CO2的研究进展,对比了近年来MOFs材料及其衍生物电催化CO2化学转化的效率及产物选择性,并对MOFs材料作为电催化材料的应用前景进行了展望。     

QSPR在混合物典型燃爆特性预测中的研究进展

为全面了解定量结构-性质关系（QSPR）方法在混合物燃爆特性预测中的研究现状,展望其发展趋势,综述其在混合物闪点、爆炸极限与自燃温度预测中的国内外研究进展,分析预测目标参数的选择、数据收集、描述符计算和筛选以及模型建立和验证等方面的不足与研究方向。结果表明:QSPR在混合物燃爆特性预测中尚处于起步阶段,当前研究的首要限制是混合物燃爆特性参数实验数据样本不足,关键点及难点是混合物结构的准确表征,未来研究应关注的重点是大量数据源统一的数据样本的获取方法、非加和性混合物分子描述符的计算方法以及机器学习等非线性建模方法。     

元素硫高温腐蚀产物氧化自燃性影响因素的研究

用差热-热重分析仪考察元素硫与Fe(OH)3发生硫化腐蚀反应的初始温度,分析硫化温度、硫化时间、氧化温度和水对高温硫腐蚀产物氧化自燃性的影响。结果表明:元素硫与Fe(OH)3发生硫化反应的初始温度为287.67℃;硫化温度越高,硫化时间越长,元素硫高温硫化腐蚀产物中FeS2的含量越高,氧化自燃性越大;氧化温度对高温硫腐蚀产物的氧化自燃性有很大影响,室温时几乎不发生氧化反应,氧化温度超过95℃后,腐蚀产物的氧化反应速率大幅度提高,对炼油装置安全构成极大威胁;水对高温硫腐蚀产物的氧化自燃性起着重要作用,无水时,高温硫化产物基本不发生氧化反应,少量水存在即可极大影响高温硫腐蚀产物的氧化速率。     

Traffic speeds associated with implementation of 80 mph speed limits on West Texas rural interstates

Problem

In 2006 Texas raised the daytime speed limit for passenger vehicles on segments of I-10 and I-20 from 75 to 80 mph. Methods: Traffic speeds were measured before and 3, 12, and 16 months after the limit was changed. Results: During the 16-month period following the speed limit increase, mean speeds of passenger vehicles on I-20 increased by 9 mph relative to the comparison road, where no speed limit change occurred and traffic speeds declined. On I-10 mean speeds increased by 4 mph relative to the comparison road. Limiting the analysis to the month before the speed limit change and 1 year later, the proportion of drivers exceeding 80 mph was 18 times higher on I-20 and 2 times higher on I-10. Discussion: The smaller speed increases on I-10 may be related to its proximity to the U.S. border with Mexico. Highly visible border patrol activity coincided with posting of the higher speed limit. Long-term monitoring in other states suggests that traffic speeds in Texas are likely to continue to increase. Impact on Industry: The present study adds to the wealth of evidence that increased speed limits lead to increased travel speeds. The primary countermeasures to reduce the risk of speed-related crashes include highly visible police traffic enforcement and the use of speed cameras accompanied by publicity.     

Urban nature at the fingertips: Investigating wild food foraging to enable nature interactions of urban dwellers

Meaningful human–nature interactions can counteract the extinction of experience and positively influence people’s nature relatedness, health and wellbeing. In this study, we explored urban wild food foraging to understand how best to enable human-nature interactions in cities by means of foraging. Using a structured questionnaire, a total of 458 residents of Vienna, Austria were surveyed. Sixty-four percent of visitors of public urban green spaces previously foraged for wild food species, whereas foraging frequencies were related to the targeted plant species and their life forms. People who foraged more frequently had greater nature relatedness, more childhood foraging experiences and lived on the outskirts of the city, but their socio-demographic backgrounds were heterogeneous. Social acceptance and lack of access to wild foods were perceived to be barriers. To promote nature relatedness through urban foraging, the legal framework, access to low-contamination foraging areas, availability of wild foods and social acceptance need to be improved.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01648-1.     

ASsessment Of Alcohol Ethoxylate Surfactants And Fatty Alcohols Mixtures In River Sediments And Prospective Risk Assessment

A feasible and relatively readily available analytical method was adapted for the assessment of alcohol ethoxylates (AE) and fatty alcohols (FA) in sediments. This study illustrates the simultaneous measurement of 38 of 114 possible alcohol ethoxylate ethoxymers (AE) and fatty alcohols (FA) found in commercially important AE products. We predicted toxicity for all identified fractions, as well as the total mixture toxicity, relative to three exposure scenarios via sewage treatment plants (STP) for these widely used chemicals in consumer products and hence generate a preliminary environmental risk screening for AE and FA in sediments. The method is based on derivatization of solvent or solid-phase extracts with 2-fluoro-N-methylpyridinium p-toluenesulfonate (Pyr+). The derivatized extracts were analyzed with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) operating in the positive ion electrospray mode. The extraction efficiency of AE and FA in three different sediments of varying composition was evaluated with spike-recovery studies, ranging from 64% to 80%. The detection limits for individual ethoxymers typically ranged from 1 to 5ngg⁻¹on a dry weight basis. The mean limit of detection (LOD) was 6ngg⁻¹and the median LOD was 3ngg⁻¹. AE and FA in sediments were found to be stable for two weeks if preserved with 3% (v/v) formalin and stored at 4–6^∘C. Based on equilibrium partitioning, background concentrations of AE and FA were predicted to be below concentrations known to elicit chronically toxic effects. Total worst case mixture toxicities for all AE ethoxymers combined with FA were predicted to result in a risk quotient less than 0.6. Activated sludge treatment (STP) significantly reduced the release of total AE and FA by four-fold, suggesting that the total mixture risk quotient would be < 0.15 for sediment dependent organisms.     

Estimation of Heavy Metals in Different Berberis Species and Its Market Samples

Popularity of herbal drugs is increasing all over the world because of lesser side effects as compared to synthetic drugs. Besides, it costs less and easily available to poor people particularly in developing countries. But quality assurance of herbal drugs is very necessary prior to its use. Because in today's polluted environment, even herbal drugs are not safe. Berberis spp. is very important medicinal plant, having various medicinal properties. It is also included in Indian and British pharmacopoeias. Its demand is quite high in herbal drug market. So, to check the quality of market samples of this drug, ten different samples were procured from different drug markets of India for heavy metal estimation. Besides, genuine samples of four species of Berberis viz. B. aristata, B. chitria, B. lycium, B. asiatica were also collected from natural habitats to compare heavy metal concentration in both market and genuine samples. It was found that market samples were much more contaminated than genuine samples. Lead (Pb) concentration is far beyond from WHO permissible limit (10 ppm) for herbal drugs, reaching to maximum 49.75 ppm in Amritsar market sample. Likewise, concentration of all other metals like Cd, Cr and Ni were also very high in market samples as compared to genuine samples.