Employment of passive sampling in monitoring indoor air quality in selected residences in a Tri-city area in Poland

Time-weighted average concentrations of selected volatile compounds were measured in chosen residences in a Tri-City area of Poland by means of passive sampling. The results were compared to those obtained by dynamic technique – sorption tubes filled with Tenax TA sorbent. Results obtained by employing the two techniques were similar. Total volatile organic compound (TVOC) parameters were also determined. An attempt was also made to evaluate the influence of outdoor air pollutants on indoor air quality.     

The Influence of Anchor Devices on the Performance of Retractable Type Fall Arresters Protecting Against Falls From a Height

Retractable type fall arresters are part of the equipment used for protecting people against falls from a height. They are an intermediate part between full body harness worn by a man and the structural anchor at the worksite. The most important task of retractable type fall arresters is to arrest people’s falls and to reduce their harmful consequences. Information received from users as well as laboratories testing protective equipment indicates that the performance of such equipment is incorrect under specific conditions. The paper is concerned with an analysis of the conditions in which retractable type fall arresters demonstrate intermittent performance and with an explanation of that phenomenon. The results of tests investigating anchor devices and the performance of retractable type fall arresters are presented. External and internal factors contributing to intermittent performance have been determined and guidelines for safer use of these devices have been developed.     

Risk Factors to Musculoskeletal Disorders and Anthropometric Measurements of Filipino Manufacturing Workers

This study looked into the risk factors to musculoskeletal disorders and established anthropometric measurements of Filipino workers in 29 manufacturing industries. Anthropometric measurements of 1,805 workers were taken, and 495 workers were surveyed. Limitation of motion was found in 0.8% of the respondents, affectation in activities of daily living was seen in 1.6% and 3.2% felt discomfort in the head and neck. Upper trunk and low back pain was experienced by 23.8%. Odds ratio results (p = .05) showed that it is 29 times likely for workers to develop low back pain when they stand for 2-8 hrs a day than when they sit all the time. Anthropometry can be used for the design ofworkstations and work furniture.     

医疗保健行业中的纳米材料：职业风险和预防

欧洲职业健康安全署近期发布电子纪要,解释了保健行业工作者在他们工作场所的日常活动中如何与纳米材料发生可能的接触,并提供了预防潜在接触可以采取的措施。这些措施包括国家层面的法律监管、消除与替代、工程控制、管理措施以及个体防护装备（PPE）。作者特编译此文,为国内相关领域提供参考。     

职业外照射个人累积剂量管理现状及对策——以四川省为例

职业外照射个人剂量检测是实现辐射防护目的的重要环节之一,为保障广大放射工作人员的健康权益与安全,严防职业性放射性疾病的发生,本文以四川省为例,通过电离辐射防护与辐射源安全标准及职业性外照射个人监测规范方法,提出了在职业外照射工作人员剂量管理工作存在的问题及相应的对策。     

Household organic waste composting using bins with different types of passive aeration

The objective of this study was to study the performances of six 200-L polyethylene bins, each with different design for passive aeration to organic wastes composting. Food scraps and dry leaves (1.6 kg) were added to each bin once a day until the bin was full. Temperatures at the middle portion were measured daily. The compost from each bin was taken once a week for 120 days for analysis of C, N, volatile solids, and a germination index once a week for 120 days. After 120 days, the compost sample from each bin was taken to determine the mass reduction, size distribution, CEC, N, P and K values. The results showed that the temperatures inside the bins were in the ranges of 24 °C-57 °C. The composts in all bins were found to be stable at around 56-91 days. The wastes decayed fastest in bins with lateral and vertical systems of natural ventilation. It took about two months to stabilize the organic wastes, with a 59-62% decrease of mass. The C/N ratio, CEC, N, P, and K values of the final composts were 14.8-16.0, 66-68 cmol/kg, and 1.26-1.50% N, 0.52-0.56% P₂O₅ and 1.66-1.92% K₂O, respectively.     

便携式水质采样器的研制与应用

本文阐述了一种新型便携式水质采样器（实用新型专利ZL20082004001．9）的研制过程。介绍了采样器的工作原理、结构组成、技术特点,分析了其适用性。该采样器的主要优点是便携性好,使用方便,采样定位准确,所采水样均匀性好,并有效解决了低水位排污口的采样难题。     

Mechanistic insight into the biofilm formation and process performance of a passive aeration ditch (PAD) for decentralized wastewater treatment

• A Passive Aeration Ditch was developed to treat decentralized wastewater. • A model was developed to describe the process performance. • A high C/N ratio facilitates microbial growth but nitrification deteriorates. • A high salinity decreases both organic and nitrogen contaminants removal. Decentralized wastewater containing elevated salinity is an emerging threat to the local environment and sanitation in remote coastal communities. Regarding the cost and treatment efficiencies, we propose a passive aeration ditch (PAD) using non-woven polyester fabric as a feasible bubbleless aerator and biofilm carrier for wastewater treatment. Consideration has been first given to PAD’s efficacy in treating saline decentralized wastewater, and then to the impact of chemical oxygen demand-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio and salinity on biofilm formation. A multispecies model incorporating the salinity effect has been developed to depict the system performance and predict the microbial community. Results showed that the PAD system had great capacity for pollutants removal. The biofilm thickness increased at a higher C/N ratio because of the boost of aerobic heterotrophs and denitrifying bacteria, which consequently improved the COD and total nitrogen removal. However, this led to the deterioration of ammonia removal. Moreover, while a higher salinity benefited the biofilm growth, the contaminant removal efficiencies decreased because the salinity inhibited the activity of aerobic heterotrophs and reduced the abundance of nitrifying bacteria inside the biofilm. Based on the model simulation, feed water with salinity below 2% and C/N ratio in a range of 1 to 3 forms a biofilm that can reach relatively high organic matter and ammonia removal. These findings not only show the feasibility of PAD in treatment of saline decentralized wastewater, but also offer a systematic strategy to predict and optimize the process performance.     

Assessment of soil and soil-gas radon activity using active and passive detecting methods in Korea

Radon ((222)Rn) is a carcinogenic gas produced by the radioactive decay of radium ((226)Ra). It has been reported that soil and soil-gas are primary factors that could cause indoor radon problems. Six sites were selected for this study--Sanbook, Gangcheon, Jikyeong, Choojung, Geumsung and Homyoung--each was classified according to bedrock type. In order to investigate soil-gas radon activities and radon emanating power, innovated active and passive detecting methods were developed and applied under both field and laboratory conditions. Statistical analysis of results confirmed that the radon activity values measured using either active or passive methods under field or laboratory conditions could be interchangeable with each other.     

人尿中1-羟基芘浓度与多环芳烃日暴露量的关系

采集并分析了 10 0名不吸烟成人 2 4h的呼吸带空气 (PM10 和气相 )、食物及尿液样品 ,建立了尿中1 羟基芘与多环芳烃日暴露量的关系 结果表明 :晨尿 1 羟基芘 (μmol·mol肌酐 -1)浓度与芘、苯并 (a )芘等 13种多环芳烃日暴露量的对数线性回归方程拟合度R2 达 0 12— 0 6 7,方程各项参数也均达到了显著性水平 (P <0 0 0 1)