Tri-decabrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabromocyclododecane in indoor air and dust from Stockholm microenvironments 2: indoor sources and human exposure

Data on polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) concentrations from Stockholm, Sweden, indoor microenvironments were combined with information from detailed questionnaires regarding the sampling location characteristics, including furnishing and equipment present. These were used to elucidate relationships between possible flame-retarded sources and the contaminant concentrations found in air and dust. Median concentration ranges of ΣPenta-, ΣOcta-, ΣDecaBDE and HBCD from all microenvironments were 19-570, 1.7-280, 29-3200 and < 1.6-2 pg/m³ in air and 22-240, 6.1-80, 330-1400 and 45-340 ng/g in dust, respectively. Significant correlations were found between concentrations of some PBDEs and HBCD in air and/or dust and the presence of electronic/electrical devices, foam furniture, PUF mattresses and synthetic bed pillows in, as well as floor area and construction year of the microenvironment. Car interiors were a source to indoor air in dealership halls. Using median and maximum concentrations of ΣPenta-, ΣOcta-, ΣDecaBDE and HBCD in air and dust, adult and toddler (12-24 months) intakes from inhalation and dust ingestion were estimated. Toddlers had higher estimated intakes of ΣPenta-, ΣDecaBDE and HBCD (7.8, 43, 7.6 ng/d, respectively) from dust ingestion than adults (5.8, 38, 6.0 ng/d, respectively). Air inhalation in offices was also an important exposure pathway for ΣPenta-, ΣOcta- and ΣDecaBDE in adults. For ΣPentaBDE and HBCD, air inhalation and dust ingestion play minor roles when compared to previously published Swedish dietary intakes (median exposures). However, in worst case scenarios using maximum concentrations, dust ingestion may represent 77 and 95% of toddler intake for ΣPentaBDE and HBCD, respectively.     

Soil-plant-animal transfer models to improve soil protection guidelines: a case study from Portugal

Food chain models are essential tools to assess risks of soil contamination in view of product quality including fodder crops and animal products. Here we link soil to plant transfer (SPT) models for potentially toxic elements (PTEs) including As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, U and Zn with models describing accumulation in animal organs. Current EU standards for food products and acceptable daily intake levels (ADI) for humans were used as critical limits. The combined model is used to assess the impact of soil contamination on animal health, product quality and human health using data from 100 arable fields. Results indicate that 42 existing arable fields near industrial and mining sites are unsuitable for animal grazing in view of food safety due to elevated intake of Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb by cows and sheep. At 10 sites daily intake levels of As by cows exceeded threshold concentrations regarding the quality of animal products.The food chain model also was used inversely to derive soil threshold concentrations in view of EU fodder standards. Calculated threshold levels in soil for As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Hg and Zn appear to be in line with those proposed or used in other EU countries. As such the approach applied here can form a conceptual basis for a more harmonized risk assessment strategy regarding the protection of animal and human health.     

Particle-phase Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emissions from Non-catalysed, In-use Four-stroke Scooters

Metals and radionuclide levels in marine birds of the Aleutians are of interest because they are part of subsistence diets of the Aleut people, and can also serve as indicators of marine pollution. We examined geographic and species-specific variations in concentrations of radionuclides in birds and their eggs from Amchitka, the site of underground nuclear tests from 1965 to 1971, and Kiska Islands (a reference site) in the Aleutians, and the levels of lead, mercury and cadmium in eggs. In 2004 we collected common eiders (Somateria mollissima), tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata), pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba) and glaucous-winged gulls (Larus glaucescens) from Amchitka and Kiska, and eggs from eiders and gulls from the two island. We also collected one runt bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) chick from both Amchitka and Kiska Islands. For most species, the levels of radionuclide isotopes were below the minimum detectable activity levels (MDA). Out of 74 cesium-137 analyses, only one composite (gulls) was above the MDA, and out of 14 composites tested for plutonium (Pu-239, 240), only one exceeded the MDA (a guillemots). Three composites out of 14 tested had detectable uranium-238. In all cases, the levels were low and close to the MDAs, and were below those reported for other seabirds. There were significant interspecific differences in metal levels in eggs: gulls had significantly higher levels of cadmium and mercury than the eiders, and eiders had higher levels of lead than gulls. There were few significant differences as a function of island, but eiders had significantly higher levels of cadmium in eggs from Kiska, and gulls had significantly higher levels of mercury on Kiska. The levels of cadmium and mercury in eggs of eiders and gulls from this study were above the median for cadmium and mercury from studies in the literature. The levels of mercury in eggs are within the range known to affect avian predators, but seabirds seem less vulnerable to mercury than other birds. However, the levels of mercury are within the action levels for humans, suggesting some cause for concern if subsistence Aleuts eat a large quantity of eggs.     

面向双重区位发展机遇的湖南省旅游发展战略研究

湖南参与了多个区域旅游合作战略,其中泛珠三角和中部6省合作战略是影响湖南旅游经济发展的两大重要外部力量,两大区域合作给湖南旅游业带来了新的发展机遇。在分析它们给湖南旅游发展带来发展机遇的基础上,提出了建立专门的行政组织来强化区域协调管理、利用区域内旅游资源特性实现旅游资源的联动、借助区域旅游市场的互动实现客源市场丰富的地区对湖南旅游市场的支撑、增加区域旅游合作的地域便捷性等对策。     

野生与养殖长吻鮠血液及不同器官同工酶的比较

采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳 (PAGE Electrophoresis) ,对野生及养殖长吻心脏、肾脏、肌肉、肝脏四个器官及血液的LDH(EC .1.1.1.2 7)、POD(EC .1.1.1.1)、EST(EC .3.1.1.1)、MDH(EC .1.1.1.37)同工酶所获电泳图谱进行对比分析 ,发现以上各酶在不同组织器官中均表现出组织特异性 ;野生和养殖四种同工酶也存在差异 ;LDH同工酶电泳带分为L1、L2 、L3 三个区 ,其中L2 区为 5条基本酶带 ,a4 和b4 表现一定的祖征性 ;EST同工酶呈多态性 ,较为复杂 ;对于POD和MDH同工酶而言 ,野生与养殖间差异较大 ,反映有氧代谢的状况 .因此认为这四种同工酶可以做为种质资源鉴定、生化遗传分析、系统分类及新陈代谢动态等方面研究的重要参考指标 .图 4参 13     

Ozone, nitric acid, and ammonia air pollution is unhealthy for people and ecosystems in southern Sierra Nevada, California

Two-week average concentrations of ozone (O₃), nitric acid vapor (HNO₃) and ammonia (NH₃) were measured with passive samplers during the 2002 summer season across the central Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, along the San Joaquin River drainage. Elevated concentrations of the pollutants were determined with seasonal means for individual sites ranging between 62 and 88 ppb for O₃, 1.0-3.8 μg m⁻³ for HNO₃, and 2.6-5.2 μg m⁻³ for NH₃. Calculated O₃ exposure indices were very high, reaching SUM00-191 ppm h, SUM60-151 ppm h, and W126-124 ppm h. Calculated nitrogen (N) dry deposition ranged from 1.4 to 15 kg N ha⁻¹ for maximum values, and 0.4-8 kg N ha⁻¹ for minimum values; potentially exceeding Critical Loads (CL) for nutritional N. The U.S., California, and European 8 h O₃ human health standards were exceeded during 104, 108, and 114 days respectively, indicating high risk to humans from ambient O₃.     

How contaminated with ammunition-derived lead is meat from European small game animals? Assessing and reducing risks to human health

Small game animals are generally hunted with lead gunshot which often fragments causing elevated lead concentrations in meat and presenting health risks to frequent consumers and vulnerable groups. We reviewed three decades of European data on lead concentrations in the meat of gamebirds, rabbits and hares across countries with various restrictions on lead gunshot use. Mean meat lead concentrations decreased to a low level in Denmark, the only country in the study with a total ban on lead gunshot use. In contrast, elsewhere in Europe meat lead concentrations increased over time, an unexplained and previously undescribed finding. The only regulatory restriction associated with a decrease in meat lead concentrations was the Danish total ban on lead gunshot use. We calculated an arithmetic mean lead concentration in small game meat of 5.205 ppm w.w. (2011–2021) from across Europe. EU and UK regulators are considering banning lead ammunition for all hunting to protect human and wildlife health. The mean value we found for small game meat (2011–2021) was fourteen times higher than that used in a recent EU-wide risk assessment.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-022-01737-9.     

Levels of lead in blood in residents of Kuwait

Following an examination of blood samples from 1000 persons from Kuwait, a number of important differences in the levels of lead in the blood were noted. There were significant differences between the sexes living in the same residential area. Certain significant lead in blood differences were also found between females and males who dyed their hair, and between smokers and non-smokers. Lead in blood concentrations were also tested for the various blood groups of the respondents. It was noted that O⁺ blood group respondents were found to have higher lead levels than those of other major blood groups.     

Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl substances in matched human serum, urine, hair and nail

The purpose of this study was to determine perfluoroalkyl substances(PFASs) in human serum, urine, hair and nail from general populations, and to investigate the possibility for human urine, hair and nail used as the biomonitoring sample for PFASs exposure. We detected the concentrations of PFHx A, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUn DA, PFDo A, PFHx S and PFOS in 39 matched human serum, urine, hair and nail samples from Shenzhen in China. The detection frequency and the median level of PFOS were all higher than that of the other PFASs in four matrices. The median concentration of PFOS in serum, urine, hair, and nail were 9.24 ng/mL, 13.96 ng/L, 0.58 ng/g and 0.63 ng/g, respectively. The results of spearman correlation test indicated that nail was an ideal matrix for biomonitoring PFOS rather than human urine and hair in general populations for the non-invasive sampling.     

婴儿脐带血和母亲血中多溴联苯醚的研究

为研究环境污染物多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)在人体的含量,采集了21对婴儿脐带和母亲静脉血样,用气相色谱和质谱法进行测定.结果表明,在所检测的7个PBDEs同系物(BDE-28,-47,-99,-100,-153,-154和-183)中,BDE-47和BDE-153为最主要的同系物.总PBDEs的含量分布于1.5~17ng/g;略高于挪威报道的含量水平,但低于瑞典和德国,远低于美国所报道的水平.