Influence of Surfactants on Degradation of 1‐(2‐Chlorobenzoyl)‐3‐(4‐chlorophenyl) Urea by Nanoscale Zerovalent Iron

Nanoscale zerovalent iron (NZVI) has been proved to be effective in the degradation of environmental pollutants and exhibits advantages in the removal of 1‐(2‐chlorobenzoyl)‐3‐(4‐chlorophenyl) urea (CCU), an analog of diflubenzuron. This present study focused on the influence of surfactants in the degradation procedure with NZVI in order to provide a simple and rapid removal method for CCU. Triton X‐100, Tween 20, Tween 80, sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS), and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) were investigated under anaerobic conditions. The experimental results demonstrated that the degradation rate increased sharply with the presence of SD during the first 15 min, up to 99.97% with addition of 0.01 g L^?1 SDS, whereas the presence of Triton X‐100, Tween 80, and Tween 20 resulted in a slight enhancement of the degradation of CCU. The enhancement strength of them was in the order Tween 20, Triton X‐100, and Tween 80. However, addition of the cationic surfactant CTAB resulted in a significant inhibitive effect. In contrast, the mixed surfactants did not result in the expected performance, and the performance was lower than that using some certain single surfactant among the mixed surfactants.     

Public concern about,and desire for research into,the human health effects of marine plastic pollution: Results from a 15-country survey across Europe and Australia

Marine plastic pollution is caused by humans and has become ubiquitous in the marine environment. Despite the widely acknowledged ecological consequences, the scientific evidence regarding detrimental human health impacts is currently debated, and there is no substantive evidence surrounding public opinion with respect to marine plastic pollution and human health. Results from a 15-country survey (n = 15,179) found that both the European and Australian public were highly concerned about the potential human health impacts of marine plastic pollution, and strongly supported the funding of research which aims to better understand its health/wellbeing implications. Multi-level modelling revealed that these perceptions varied across socio-demographic factors (e.g. gender), political orientation, marine contact factors (e.g. marine occupation and engagement in coastal recreation activities) and personality traits (e.g. openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness). Quantifying attitudes, as well as understanding how individual-level differences shape risk perception will enable policy makers and communicators to develop more targeted communications and initiatives that target a reduction in marine plastic pollution.     

Assessment of health safety from ingestion of natural radionuclides in seafoods from a tropical coast, India

The activities of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb were determined in commonly consumed seafoods to evaluate the internal exposure and risk to humans residing Kudankulam coast where a mega nuclear power plant is under construction. The concentration of ²¹⁰Po in seafoods ranged from 1.2 ± 0.7 to 248 ± 8.1 Bq kg⁻¹. Meanwhile, ²¹⁰Pb ranged between 1.1 ± 0.05 and 14.8 ± 1.6 Bq kg⁻¹. The committed effective dose (CED) due to ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb varied from 11.04 to 515.6 and 3.93 to 23.5 μSv yr⁻¹, respectively. The lifetime cancer risk for the public due to ²¹⁰Po was in the range of 3.47 × 10⁻⁵-1.62 × 10⁻³ and it was 4.03 × 10⁻⁵-1.96 × 10⁻⁴ due to ²¹⁰Pb. The activity intake, effective dose and cancer risk was found lesser than international guidelines and the seafood intake was considered to be safe for human consumption.     

玉树地震医疗卫生问题调查分析及启示

“现场搜索、营救、医疗卫生”是震后抗震救灾过程中最为关键的3个方面,医疗卫生工作的完善程度直接关系到疫情的发生与否以及严重程度如何,对保障人民群众生命安全和身体健康具有重要影响.因此抗震救灾中的医疗卫生工作必须得到高度的重视.本文基于1013份玉树地震救灾情况的问卷调查结果,吸取了汶川地震等以往地震的经验和教训,对震后...     

生态系统健康：理论/概念与评价方法

生态系统健康研究是目前生态与环境领域兴起的研究热点之一。在阅读和分析大量国内外文献的基础上,系统总结了健康和生态系统健康的概念,指出引入生态系统健康概念的目的是要得到一个重要生态指标清单,以此开展生态系统健康评价。然后,总结出生态系统健康评价的3种主要方法：指示物种法、指标体系法和指示区域法,并以代表实例阐述了此3种方...     

上海热浪与健康监测预警系统

用1989～1998年上海逐日4次气象观测资料,应用美国特拉华大学的SSC天气分类方法确定逐日天气类型,形成了10年逐日天气类型日历。并通过天气类型与死亡率的对比分析,确定MT+类型是上海地区形成热浪的“侵人型”气团,是具有最高死亡率的天气类型。采用逐步回归方法建立了MT+类型下因受热浪侵袭而超正常死亡数的回归方程。在此基础上建立了上海热浪与健康监测预警系统。通过1999年气象和死亡实况资料检验,系统对热浪及因此引起的死亡具有较好的监测和预警效果。     

Environmental effect and genetic influence: a regional cancer predisposition survey in the Zonguldak region of Northwest Turkey

The Cretaceous-Eocene volcano-sedimentary units of the Zonguldak region of the western Black Sea consist of subalkaline andesite and tuff, and sandstone dominated by smectite, kaolinite, accessory chlorite, illite, mordenite, and analcime associated with feldspar, quartz, opal-CT, amphibole, and calcite. Kaolinization, chloritization, sericitization, albitization, Fe–Ti-oxidation, and the presence of zeolite, epidote, and illite in andesitic rocks and tuffaceous materials developed as a result of the degradation of a glass shards matrix, enclosed feldspar, and clinopyroxene-type phenocrysts, due to alteration processes. The association of feldspar and glass with smectite and kaolinite, and the suborientation of feldspar-edged, subparallel kaolinite plates to fracture axes may exhibit an authigenic smectite or kaolinite. Increased alteration degree upward in which Al, Fe, and Ti are gained, and Si, Na, K, and Ca are depleted, is due to the alteration following possible diagenesis and hydrothermal activities. Micromorphologically, fibrous mordenite in the altered units and the presence of needle-type chrysotile in the residential buildings in which cancer cases lived were detected. In addition, the segregation pattern of cancer susceptibility in the region strongly suggested an environmental effect and a genetic influence on the increased cancer incidence in the region. The most likely diagnosis was Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which is one of the hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes; however, no mutations were observed in the p53 gene, which is the major cause of Li-Fraumeni syndrome. The micromorphology observed in the altered units in which cancer cases were detected may have a role in the expression of an unidentified gene, but does not explain alone the occurrence of cancer as a primary cause in the region.     

Temporal variations of fluoride concentration in Isparta public water system and health impact assessment (SW-Turkey)

Water–rock interaction is one of the prime factors affecting the fluoride contents of surface and groundwater. If fluoride concentration of drinking water has been neglected, excess fluoride can cause serious dental and medical problems on human health, which is well known at Golcuk-Isparta region. In the research area, Egirdir lake, Golcuk lake and surrounding springs have been utilized as drinking water sources. Golcuk lake water and surrounding groundwaters have high fluoride content (1.4–4.6 mg/l), which is above the WHO standards. Fluoride is predominantly supplied by dissolution of fluoride within the fluormicas of volcanics during the circulation of water. Fluoride concentrations of waters have shown variations for dry and rainy seasons depending on the degree of interaction between groundwater and volcanic rocks. It tends to decrease in rainy seasons and increase in dry seasons for all years. In this study, temporal variations and spatial distribution of fluoride concentration in public water system of Isparta were investigated to get benefit using GIS techniques from1990 to 2003 years. Extremely fluoride concentrations were measured in the public water system in 1990 at almost every district of the city. In 2003, fluoride content of the public water system decreased in some district of city due to drinking water has started obtaining from Egirdir lake in 1995. The fluoride contents of Isparta drinking water ought to be modified with suitable mixture of lake waters and groundwater point of view to health impact.     

The interplay between social welfare and competitiveness: The case of Canadian Medicare

Canadian Medicare, the government financed national health care system, is seen by many as enhancing both social welfare and competitiveness. If true, this will broaden and further existing conceptions of competitiveness in Canada and beyond. Moreover, it will have important implications for the ongoing debate in the social sciences about institutional convergence and path dependence. The central focus of this paper is to evaluate this claim: Medicare’s impact on competitiveness, evaluated by using investment attraction as a proxy, is determined through reference to detailed case analysis and the insight into investment behavior gained from interviews. This paper concludes that Medicare makes a difference for certain reinvestment decisions but no difference for location and initial investment decisions. Several implications are drawn from this finding: Medicare’s impact on reinvestment decisions may stop certain Canadian firms from investing elsewhere but likely would not attract new investment into Canada from abroad. Industries with high labor costs will extract a disproportionately large benefit from Medicare; so, this type of institution is a source of competitiveness to certain industries if not an overarching source of regional competitiveness for Canada. I conclude that, no matter the size and scope of the competitive benefit, social institutions such as Medicare must be considered when evaluating regional competitiveness, having thus far been ignored by mainstream academic competitiveness theories.     

南水北调东线工程通水后东平湖水质评价

为了解南水北调东线工程全线通水后东平湖水质状况,于2015年6月（枯水期）采集了东平湖4个地表水样品和7个地下水样品,测定了其中As、Cd、Cr、Cu、F、Hg、Mn和Pb等8种元素的含量,采用综合污染指数法、综合水质评分法和健康风险评价模型评价了其水环境质量和健康风险,结果表明：地表水中重金属浓度多数满足地表水环境质量标准I类,其中Hg污染相对较重,地下水中重金属浓度多数满足地下水质量标准III类及以上,其中F和Mn污染相对较重;4个地表水采样点综合污染指数均小于1,表明其水质优良,地下水中3个采样点的综合水质评分小于2.5,水质良好,4个采样点的综合水质评分大于4.25,水质较差;地表水的平均健康风险为9.18×10-5a-1,地下水的平均健康风险为8.16×10-5a-1,均为III级中风险。