Impact of human development on safety consciousness in construction

The International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that the risk of fatal occupational injuries in developing countries is almost twice as high as in developed countries, indicating a potential relationship between the fatality rates and the development level. The human development index (HDI), based on life expectancy, knowledge level and purchasing power parity, endorsed by the United Nations Development Programme, is a widely accepted measure of the development level. This study investigates the relationship between the HDI and the fatality rates reported by the ILO. A 23-country data set is used to demonstrate the general trend of the relationship followed by country-specific analyses for Australia, Spain, Hungary and Turkey. The study conducted is limited to fatal occupational injuries in construction, where the accidents are notoriously high. The results demonstrate a statistically significant inverse relationship between the fatality rates and the HDI.     

溴水氧化-磷钼蓝分光光度法测定水和废水中元素磷

对元素磷水样的采集方法进行了比对；对其测定条件进行了试验；提出有机磷农药对元素磷测定无干扰；在应急监测时可减少水样的清洗次数；该方法的检出限为0．019mg／L、样品的加标回收率为92．69％～97．70％。     

X－射线荧光光谱法测定道路扬尘中21种元素

本文用Ｘ－射线荧光光谱法，一次测定道路扬尘中Ｎａ等２１种元素。人工配制标样，回归法求取校准曲线常数，用散射线内标法和经验系数法校正基体效应。方法的准确度、精密度较好，分析结果令人满意。     

Effects of Selenium Supplementation on Arsenism: An Intervention Trial in Inner Mongolia

This paper reports the effects of a placebo-controlled Se-enriched yeast supplementation trial, conducted for 14 months, on arsenism in adult farmers living in a rural community in Inner Mongolia, China. The farmers had been naturally exposed to elevated concentrations of As in drinking water from tube-wells since 1983 but changed to arsenic-free drinking water when the trial began in June 1996. Blood and hair Se and As concentrations were analysed pre-intervention and at the end of the 3rd, 9th and 14th month, while skin lesions were assessed pre-intervention, as well as at the end of the 14th month, using the Arsenism Clinical Criteria established by the Ministry of Health, China. As the trial was a voluntary one, a number of farmers did not routinely have their blood and hair samples taken for analysis. Consequently, the data have been analysed in two categories. Fifty-four farmers from the Se-group and 29 from the placebo-group who were sampled on each occasion were considered as one group, which has been compared with the second group comprising up to a total of 100 farmers in the Se-group and 86 in the placebo-group. Results calculated for those farmers who were sampled on each occasion, showed that at the end of the trial, blood and hair Se concentrations of the Se-group increased from 0.130 to 0.186 µg ml^–1 and from 0.431 to 0.502 µg g^–1, respectively, while those of the placebo-groups remained constant. Blood and hair As concentrations of the Se-group decreased from 0.051 to 0.015 µg ml^–1 and from 2.57 to 0.680 µg g^–1, respectively, a greater reduction than those in the placebo-group that went from 0.064 to 0.024 µg ml^–1 and from 2.62 to 1.25 µg g^–1, respectively. When the data from all patients were examined, the analytical trends were similar. An evaluation of skin lesions in the category who were sampled for hair and blood on each occasion showed that 41.2% of hyperkeratosis, 50.0% of depigmentation and 44.7% of pigmentation in the Se-group improved one or more degrees, while those in the placebo-group improved by only 7.1, 12.0 and 6.7%, respectively. A total of 61.1% of the adults in Se-group improved in one or more type of skin lesion, but only 17.2% improved in the placebo-group. Comparable results were obtained when all the data from both categories of farmers were examined. Results from the trial showed that Se supplementation was more effective for the improvement of adults who were affected by double or triple skin lesions. In the placebo-group, most of the severely affected adults improved in only one kind of skin lesion, but in the Se-group, more adults improved in two or three kinds of skin lesions. Although the trial was limited by its relatively small size, the results have provided some evidence of the usefulness of Se supplementation for people affected by arsenism.     

Arsenism Clinical Stages and their Relation with Hair Arsenic Concentration of Residents of Bayinmaodao Rural District, Inner Mongolia, China

The clinical skin lesions of arsenism in men and women in Bayinmaodao rural district in Inner Mongolia, Peoples Republic of China, have been examined by doctors, and their hair and drinking water samples analysed for arsenic by hydride generation and ICP-AES. Altogether 311 arsenism patients with a 15.53% prevalence rate for the district were recorded. The disease prevalence rate was positively related to population, age, and their exposure to elevated arsenic concentrations in the drinking water from 1983 when new wells were dug and drinking of surface water was abandoned. Hyperkeratosis was the most serious skin lesion with the highest occurrence rate, then depigmentation and pigmentation in decreasing order. With increasing severity of the disease, ranging from skin lesion with single hyperkeratosis 1° to hyperkeratosis 3° with depigmentation 3° and pigmentation 3°, the results showed that arsenic concentrations in head hair had increased. Arsenic concentrations in hair were positively correlated with the arsenic concentrations in drinking water obtained from local wells.     

A Preliminary Study of Geographic Influence on Arsenic Concentrations in Human Hair

Past mining activities in the county of Cornwall in the United Kingdom, has exposed the local environment to raised levels of As. Previous research has shown an increased concentration of As in crops grown in such areas and the subsequent take-up of As through the food chain may lead to an increased body burden in man. In an attempt to evaluate this, a pilot study was carried out using Particle Induced X-ray Emission to compare the hair As concentration of a group of Cornish residents to that of a control group consisting of residents in the counties of Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. The null hypothesis being that there is no significant difference between the hair As concentrations of the two groups.Each group comprised thirty six age and sex matched subjects. The mean hair As concentration for the Cornish group was 2.51 g g-1, which is significantly greater than that of 0.7 g g-1 found in the control group (p = 0.004). The World Health Organisation suggests a hair As value greater than 1 g g-1 as evidence of increased exposure to As and 5 g g-1 is quoted by the Canadian Government as evidence of significant ingestion of As. Twenty one Cornish subjects registered a value at or above 1 g As g-1 compared to nine in the control group (p = 0.0003). Five subjects in the Cornish group had values that exceed 5 g As g-1, compared to only two in the control group (p = 0.23). We use the results of this study as evidence to support our continued work in this area in order to evaluate possible health implications.     

三价钇对紫露草的遗传毒性研究

用紫露草四分体微核试验法和紫露草雄蕊毛细胞突变法研究了稀土元素三价钇的遗传毒性．结果表明：Y3＋能引起紫露草四分体微核率显著升高，提示Y3＋是诱变剂或纺锤丝毒剂；Y3＋能引起雄蕊毛细胞突变率显著升高，进一步明确Y3＋是诱变剂．     

汞矿地区人发中甲基汞的气相色谱测定

本文采用气相色谱法测定人发中甲基汞，对人发的酸度，浸取时间，人发与酸液的比例，以及无机汞存在的影响作了测定和选择，方法的平均回收率９６．６％，精确度２．８％，方法可靠性用氢化物原子荧光法核对，结果一致，并对我国某矿区职工，儿童及产妇发样分析结果作了讨论。     

大气有机物GC分析预处理中的组分损失

大气有机物在脱水，富集过程中的组分损失造成ＧＣ分析的系统误差。回收率测定表明，在本实验条件下，疏水性有机组分在填充碱石棉与碳酸钾的脱水预柱上的损失率分别为２５％和１５％左右，亲水性的乙醇的损失经高达６０％左右。     

Portuguese coastal zones and the new coastal management plans

Coastal zones in Portugal, as interface areas between land and sea, have problems related to the growing human pressure in terms of changes in land use associated with urban and industrial occupation, new accessibility (ports, motorways) and traffic flows, intensification of recreational use (beaches, water sports) and excessive fishing. Impacts include deterioration of water quality and sediments; alteration and degradation of natural habitats; new hydrodynamic situations; major landscape changes: and rapid changes in habits and way of life of the local populations and increased exposure of populations and assets to natural and induced risks (storms, accidents, spills, explosions). Plans for the Management of the Coastal Zone (POOC) have been developed and seven of them have been approved, while two similar plans are at a final stage of preparation. Together they cover the entire coast of Portugal. Their implementation and assessment could be a first step towards an integrated management of the Portuguese coastal zones. River Basin Management Plans (PBH) have been concluded and recently approved for the whole country. However, these plans do not consider estuarine systems and some other issues related to coastal systems. The National Water Plan (PNA) is under public presentation and discussion. Several ‘key messages’ are presented in this paper as a contribution for assessment of the proposals of this plan on issues related with coastal waters.