Brick tea and its health impact

Tea bush is one of the plants cultivated in acidic soil, and is a typical hyper-accumulator of F and Al. Brick tea is a kind of brick-formed tea compressed using the older and coarse leaves and branches of tea trees. Brick tea mixed with milk is drunk as a daily indispensable beverage for Mongols, Ewenki, and other minority nationalities in the pastoral and semi-pastoral areas of Northwest China. It is reported that drinking brick tea can result in dental and skeletal fluorosis due to the high F content in it. Because Alzheimer＇s disease （AD） is related with Al in human brain, and Al has potential toxicities for skeletal and neural systems,     

Examining the cooperative governance of occupational safety and health from a “health footprint” perspective

Natural Hazards - Because of the cross-domain status of labor, a characteristic of mobility is often added to individual occupational safety and health. Cooperative governance of occupational...     

Geology and health：closing the gap

It was discovered several decades ago that the natural geo-environment could substantially impact on the health of animals and humans. However, despite the growth of evidence supporting this discovery, there has not been a close interaction between geoscientists and health scientists in assessing the need to study the various facets of the relationships between human and animal health and air, water, soils and rocks. This book is timely in closing that gap as stated in its title.     

Is environmental antimony a potential health problem？

Antimony has long been recognized as a non-essential, potentially toxic element. It has recently been suggested, on the basis of measured elemental profiles in peat bogs, that natural levels of Sb in the environment have been overestimated by a factor of 10 and that anthropogenic Sb deposition from the atmosphere has closely followed that of Pb. The implication is that the health effects of environmental Sb may have been seriously underestimated. To examine these propositions, we have compared new data for Sb and Pb in dated cores from four Scottish ombrotrophic peat bogs, Carsegowan Moss, Flanders Moss, Red Moss of Balerno and Turclossie Moss, in southwest, west-central, east-central and northeast Scotland, respectively. Dried peat sections, 1 to 2 cm thick, were subjected to microwave-assisted digestion in nitric/hydrofluoric acid and subsequently analyzed for a range of elements （including Sb, Pb, and the conservative elements Sc, Ti） and Pb isotopic composition by ICP-OES and ICP-MS as appropriate. Three certified reference materials, including NIMT/UOE/FM/001 Peat, were used for quality control purposes. Radiometric dating of upper and lower sections of the cores was carried out using gamma spectrometry for ^21-Pb and accelerator mass spectrometry for ^14C, respectively Some 2000 years ago, in Roman times, both Sb and Pb were clearly elevated in Scottish peat but typically at concentrations below 0.1 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg, respectively, with an average anthropogenic Sb/Pb ratio of-0.01.     

Mineral aerosol： Connections to climate and human health

Mineral dust is a major component of the global aerosol, and the importance of dust for regional climate and biogeochemical cycles has become increasingly apparent. By scattering and absorbing radiant energy and through their effects on clouds, dust and other aerosol particles can cause climatic effects that affect ecosystem function and human health. Iron oxide minerals in the atmosphere are especially important in this regard because they absorb solar radiation and are involved in redox reactions. Furthermore, dust particles that settle out of the atmosphere provide nutrients, including iron, to marine ecosystems and other nutrients to terrestrial ecosystems. New technologies have shown that dust reacts in complex ways with other atmospheric constituents; indeed, this is one of the major revelations of recent dust research. Dust and other substances commonly occur in the same air parcels, but bulk chemical methods do not show whether the particles are internally mixed （multiple components mixed in single particles） or externally mixed （admixtures of different particles）. Electron beam techniques have shown internal mixtures of dust and black carbon, but the implications of this for climate forcing are still unresolved. Studies conducted with an aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer suggest preferential reactions between dust, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and chlorine. These reactions have important implications for particle formation and solubility, and for the particles＇ health effects. The activity of radionuclides, including Pu, co-vary with atmospheric dust loads, and while this is not a serious health concern, the emerging view is that pure dust is rarely sampled. While dust can affect ecosystems through climate, the production of dust also is influenced by humans, especially land-use practices that affect vegetative cover. Indeed, the issue of the relative importance of natural vs. anthropogenically-driven changes in dust budgets remains a subject of debate although several recent studies indicate natural variability dominates.     

Networks in local health systems: towards new spaces?

New organizations of care and social service delivery (especially the development of coordination and networks) are leading to the definition new spaces. This article is based on examples of restructuring of health care systems in France and in Quebec. Both are moving towards more integration of delivery of care. In Quebec, 95 territories were created with a leading structure: the center for health and social services. This structure is responsible for bringing all the providers of services into a network and for giving to the population the guarantee of continuity and quality of care. It results in a new geography of health at the local scale. In France, continuity and quality of care are also used as arguments to justify changes in the organization of the system.     

Environmental geohydrochemistry and health of the high altitude population in Ladakh

Background： Radiographic signs of Pneumoconiosis found in farming Ladakhi despite absences of mines and industries were believed to be due to exposure to frequent dust storms and domestic fire pollutions. Seasonal Koilonychia （spoon nail） occurring predominantly in farming women in absences of iron deficiency anaemia was thought to arise from exposure to water made alkaline by weathering of hornblende minerals. The relation of these health conditions to environmental geohydrochemistry is postulated as the source of irrigation water in the affected population originates from glaciers in trans-Himalaya range of sedimentary geology and steep landscape favouring flushing of silica/silicate containing silts. Methods and results： Survey in two central Ladakh villages revealed radiographic evidence of silicosis in all middle aged women and half in middle aged men. In a large-scale study of 3105 subjects aged over 30 years from three villages; 101 （22.5%） of the 449 radiographed showed signs of pneumoconiosis （ILO 1980 criteria） including eggshell calcification of hilar gland and progressive massive fibrosis. Indoor dust analyzed using Philips 400T electron microscope with energy dispersive analysis system attached showed SiO2 levels upto 53.27% with particle size of 0.5 to 5.0 microns and the concentration during cooking period in the worst affected area was 7.495 mg/m^3. Microscopy and histopathology from the subject was characteristic of pneumoconiosis. Analysis of the inorganic dust in the lung showed 40.2% muscovite, 37.3% quartz with the extracted dust wt 147.9 mg/gm of dry tissue. Prevalence of chronic cough with chronic phlegm and percentage of villagers with FEV1/FVC ratio of less than 65% rose with age. Of 70 subjects studied 19 women and 2 men had Koilonychia with incidence being highest in summer. Absence of seasonal Koilonychia in villages fed by water derived from northern mountain range glaciers with mainly igneous geology supports our hypothesis.     

Pollutants,human health and the environment – A risk-based approach

Over the last 50 a there has been mounting unease about the risk of synthetic chemicals to human health. Publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962 catalyzed public concern about chemicals. There is now a vast range of synthetic substances in the environment and their potential cocktail as well as the effects of chronic exposure is of concern. Concerns about pollution are not restricted to toxic chemicals, with radioactivity being an issue that continues to be emotive, and exposure to substances such as particulates has been seen to cause health problems. Improved understanding of chemical risks to the environment and human health suggest that a precautionary approach is adopted, with new approaches demonstrating how nature uses thousands of sustainable, non-toxic processes, which can be copied by industry. Policy has evolved from the prevention of local pollution to the holistic management of environmental quality. Regulation is now increasingly underpinned by risk assessment and responsibility for understanding and managing chemical risk is being transferred progressively to manufacturers and users. There is now an increased emphasis on individual responsibilities which requires a debate about the risks and benefits of chemicals in which all members of society can participate.     

Characterization of arsenic-contaminated groundwater and human health risk assessment in Vietnam

The characteristics of arsenic-contaminated groundwater were investigated and the potential risks from groundwater were evaluated in Vietnam. Arsenic contamination in groundwater was found in Ha Nam Province in the northern part of Vietnam. Since groundwater has been used as one of the main drinking water sources in this region, groundwater （n=10） and hair （n=15） samples were collected in the Vinh Tru district, Ha Nam Province, during February of 2006. At the site, the concentrations of anions and silica were analyzed and As（Ⅲ） and As（Ⅴ） species in groundwater were separated with disposable arsenic speciation cartridge. The concentrations of arsenic in groundwater ranged from 13 to 582 μg/L （mean=366 μg/L）. According to the results of arsenic speciation, approximately 90% of arsenic in groundwater existed as As（Ⅲ） species. Average concentrations of iron and manganese were 18 and 0.7 mg/L, respectively. All samples exceeded the Vietnamese drinking water standard of 10μg/L for arsenic and 0.5 mg/L for iron. Also 70% of the groundwater samples were above the Vietnamese drinking water standard of 0.5 mg/L for manganese. However, a real intake of arsenic to human is less than analyzed arsenic concentration because sand filtration units are used to remove iron and arsenic in groundwater in this region. After treatment, arsenic concentrations decreased from 〈1 to 82 μg/L （mean=33 μg/L）. The concentrations of arsenic in hair samples and treated groundwater were compared. Especially, arsenic concentrations in female hair samples and treated groundwater had significantly positive correlation with the Spearman correlation of 0.88 and the P-value of 0.001. Based on the arsenic concentrations in treated groundwater, the assessment of human health risks was conducted.     

Dusts from dry lakebeds： Mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of potential health concern

Dry lakebeds can be important sources of dusts that are potentially deleterious to the health of chronically exposed populations. The lakebeds accumulate and can concentrate natural and anthropogenic contaminants transported in particulate and dissolved form from the surrounding watersheds. The lakebed sediments are commonly enriched in respirable-size, detrital clay particles that can be disturbed to form dust. Evaporative concentration of ephemeral lake waters following intermittent wet periods, and of near-surface ground waters beneath some lakebeds, can enrich the sediments in diverse alkaline sulfate, carbonate, and chloride salts. Chemical reactions between alkaline evaporative waters and detrital silicates in the sediments can produce secondary silicates such as zeolites. Lakebeds with abundant salts and intermingled silicates can be highly susceptible to wind erosion, and repeated regeneration of salts in surface sediments may maintain a sustained source of salt-rich dusts. Potential health concerns arise in part from the large load of respirable particles emanating from some dry lakebeds. These concerns are exacerbated if the dusts have elevated metals, particularly metals enriched in soluble evaporative salts. For example, Owens-a dry lake, California, which was prior to mitigation the largest source of PM10 dust in the continental United States, contains elevated As in its dusts. Chemical leach tests using water and simulated gastric and lung fluids indicate that dry lakebed sediments and dusts can contain bioaccessible As, Mn, Al, Zn, Cu, Pb, U, W, Mo, and other potentially toxic metals. Another possible health issue is the occasional presence in lake sediments of secondary erionite, a fibrous zeolite associated with asbestos-related diseases. The potential presence of pathogens, as well＇as enrichments, bioaccessibility, and toxicity of pesticides and other organic pollutants in the dusts must also be evaluated. Earth scientists can help assess potential health effects of dry lakebed dusts by developing predictive models for dust generation and dust toxicity based on the geology,     

SARS in Singapore—challenges of a global health threat to local institutions

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) has been declared by WHO (World Health Organisation) as a global health threat. Within a period of four to five months in 2003, the disease infected some 8,000 people in more than 25 countries and left 774 dead. The many studies that have been done on the spread of SARS in Asia as well as countries as far flung as Germany and Canada have focused on the global dimension of the infectious disease as well as the speed of its spread upon emergence in southern China and then Hong Kong. Less attention has been paid to its spatial distribution at the national and local scales. This discussion focuses on the spread of SARS at the national and local spatial scales. In the process, the study presents the management of a hazard, in this case, an emerging infectious disease by national health care institutions such as the hospitals that ultimately proved to have been wholly unprepared for coping with at least the health aspects of the outcome of a globalised national agenda for growth and economic progress.     

Natural siliceous dust and human health： Pathways, toxicity, and impact

Fine atmospheric dust includes mineral particles and aggregates, fibrous minerals and fibrous organic material. Generation, dislodgement and transport （deflation） of natural dust with the finer （〈4 microns） components suspended as silt-size aggregates, is widespread in and adjacent to the world＇s drylands, as well as deriving from volcanic vents. Silica is a highly fibrogenic agent in lung tissue. Long-term inhaling of siliceous dusts can lead to a number of fibrotic lung diseases, including natural （non-occupational） pneumoconioses （notably silicosis, but including asbestosis and others）. Different polymorphs of silica show different levels of toxicity in interaction with lung tissue. Particles with highly active surfaces may release radicals, causing cell damage. Some types of inhaled particulates are degraded by macrophages, but many are highly resistant and persist in the lungs, some stimulating fibroblastic cells to deposit collagen. Silicosis is an inflammation of the lung commonly caused by silicate mineral particles, leading to fibrosis. Three types are recognized： nodular pulmonary fibrosis （simple or chronic silicosis）, acute silicosis, and accelerated silicosis. Generally, finer particulates have greater oxidative capacity than the coarser fractions. They contain more reactive oxygen species, their greater bioreactivity making them more toxic to pulmonary tissue. Nevertheless, inhalation of large dust particles （〉 10μm） may constitute a health risk if the mineralogy is toxic, regardless of where the grains lodge in the respiratory system. Dust may absorb harmful gases, disease-generating bacteria and carcinogenic hydrocarbon compounds. Silica-related respiratory disease may also an exacerbate cardiac problem, and epidemiology suggests a link with tuberculosis. Quantification of dust loading and exposure requires study of spatial and temporal patterns, supported by meteorological analysis, airflow modeling and satellite-borne imagery. Some acute, short-term health impacts have been assessed using atmospheric and health records both before and after a dust storm or by comparison of populations within and outside such events. Analysis of the size, shape, mineralogy and geochemistry of ambient dust particulates provides information on natural dust sources, dust concentrations, and potential particulate toxicity, as well as providing a datum for assessment of human exposure levels.     

Geochemistry of sulfur and hazardous trace elements in coals and its bearing on human health

Hazardous air pollutants, including compounds of sulfur and toxic trace elements, are emitted during coal combustion. Geochemical studies of these constituents in coals provide information about their species, regional distribution and origins. The data are useful in understanding the cause and scope of human health problems related to these hazardous elements and in designing preventive or remedial measures. Sulfur in coal is a problem because sulfur dioxide emitted during coal combustion is a main source of acid rain. The sulfur isotopic evidence shows that sulfur in low-sulfur coal is derived primarily from parent plant materials. Sulfur enrichment in medium- and high-sulfur coals is caused by the sulfate in seawater that flooded the peat swamp during coal formation. The sulfur content of a coal is controlled primarily by the depositional environment of coal seams. Only pyritic sulfur can be removed by physical coal cleaning processes （coal preparation）. Sulfur dioxide emission can be reduced using clean coal technologies, such as flue-gas desulfurization, fluidized-bed combustion, and integrated gasification and combined cycle.     

More rhetoric or less action? Digging into urban health vulnerabilities: insights from urbanizing Accra

Urbanization is a product of development and in recent years, most cities have been experiencing unprecedented growth with improvements in their infrastructure. The obvious benefits of the process tend to paradoxically overshadow its insidious symptoms, as unregulated growth tend to create huge unmet needs such as lack of access to good-quality services, increasing poverty and deteriorating environment. The origin of this dichotomy is rooted in the governance practices where city authorities pay greater attention to issues of managing the ‘global commons’ than the critical ‘brown issues’, such as improving water supply and sanitation that affect the urban poor. Using multiple research techniques, this study highlights how such neglected necessities consign sections of the population to one of the deadly infectious diseases Ghana has ever known—cholera. The paper calls for an all-inclusive and explicitly pro-poor community-led orientation as one of the effective strategy for achieving equity in the urban settings and possibly, helps win the ‘war’ on poor sanitation.     

Relationship between fluorine content in drinking water and oral health in some big cities in China

Background： Fluorine is an important element to human health. Overloading of fluorine may cause dental and/or skeletal fluorosis, while in fluorine deficiency distracts, fluoride drinking water supply or other methods of fluoridation may greatly reduce the ratio of dental caries of local residents. The benefit of drinking water fluoridation has been widely accepted as a public sanitation measure in most western countries, but in China it faces big challenges. Method： Investigation of oral health and fluorine level in drinking water, main food and urine in some big cities of China. Result and conclusion： （1） Fluorine content in drinking water in 70% of the whole research cities is lower than 0.3 mg/L, and in 90% of the research cities, it is lower than 0.5 mg/L. （2） Fluorine concentrations in main foodstuff of respective cities in China were low and did not have too much difference. （3） Drinking water was the main source of fluorine intake for Chinese residents. （4） With the data of the epidemiological research by NCOH in 1995, in the range of fluorine content in drinking water below 1.0 mg/L, the ratio of dental caries and DMFT decreases with the increase of fluorine concentration. The relation between fluorine concentration in drinking water and dental index did not have a good linear relationship.     

Characterization of microbial communities associated with African desert dust and their implications for human and ecosystem health

Desert winds aerosolize several billion tons of soil-derived dust each year, including concentrated seasonal pulses from Africa and Asia. Huge dust events create an atmospheric bridge over continents and oceans, and eject a large pulse of soil-associated microorganisms into the atmosphere. These dust events might therefore have a role in expanding the biogeographical range of some microorganisms by facilitating rare long-distance dispersal events. The goal of this study is to characterize the microbes associated with African dust events and determine if they pose a risk to humans or downwind ecosystems. Air samples were collected by vacuum filtration in a source region （Mali, West Africa） during dust events and plated on R2A media to culture microorganisms. These organisms were compared to those in similar samples collected in the Caribbean during Saharan/Sahelian dust events. A high-volume liquid impinger is currently being tested in Barbados, collecting aerosol samples during African dust events. Over 100 bacteria and fungi （19 genera of bacteria and three genera of fungi） have been characterized from source region dust events.     

Krieger’s conceptualization and measurement of discrimination and internalized oppression in studies of adverse health outcomes

Embodiment is a central concept in Krieger’s ecosocial theory, and is said to be of relevance to the understanding of the relationship between social conditions and a variety of adverse health outcomes. The most detailed empirical investigation of this in Krieger’s work is to be found in her studies of the relationship between racial discrimination and high blood pressure. Of especial relevance here is the idea of internalized oppression which is said to explain the observed association between self-reports of no racial discrimination and increased levels of blood pressure among working-class African Americans. Here we critically examine the empirical evidence pertaining to internalized oppression. Specifically, we focus on the measurement of the construct and the quality of the empirical evidence that has been presented in support of the hypothesis that there is an association between internalized oppression and adverse health outcomes. We argue that the validity of the concept has yet to be established and that the available data linking it to poor health outcomes are open to alternative explanations, notably measurement error and misclassification.

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Which households are most distant from health centers in rural China? Evidence from a GIS network analysis

In this paper we have two objectives—one empirical; one methodological. Although China’s leaders are beginning to pay attention to health care in rural China, there are still concerns about access to health services. To examine this issue, we use measures of travel distances to health services to examine the nature of coverage in Shaanxi Province, our case study. The mean distance by road to the nearest health center is still more than 6 km. When we use thresholds for access of 5 and 10 km we find that more than 40 (15) percent of the rural population lives outside of these 5 (10) kilometer service areas for health centers. The nature of the access differs by geographical region and demographic composition of the household. The methodological contribution of our paper originates from a key feature of our analysis in which we use Geographic Information System (GIS) network analysis methods to measure traveling distance along the road network. We compare these measures to straight-line distance measures. Road distances (produced by network analysis) produce measures (using means) that are nearly twice as great as straight-line distances. Moreover, the errors in the measures (that is, the difference between road distances and straight-line distances) are not random. Therefore, traditional econometric methods of ameliorating the effects of measurement errors, such as instrument variables regression, will not produce consistent results when used with straight-line distances.     

Missing basics: a study on sanitation and women’s health in urban slums in Lucknow,India

GeoJournal - Sanitation is a multidimensional concept alluding primarily to provision of services for safe disposal of human excreta, provision of clean potable water as well as maintenance of...