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Biomedical subjects

F Bro-Rasmussen

Publications and source records attributed to F Bro-Rasmussen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Contamination by persistent chemicals in food chain and human health.

Persistent polluting chemicals are, by definition, substances which have long half-lives or disappearance rates in the environment, mainly due to their chemical stability, but often also caused by unfavourable conditions for environmental/biological mineralisation processes to take place. DDT, lindane, dieldrin, HCB, and PCB are well known examples of chemicals which can be found in various parts/compartments of the environment, and in living organisms including man. The early findings in 1950s and 1960s of the persistent chlorinated pesticides in birds and fish populations in North America and Europe were obviously the results of deliberate and extensive use of these chemicals in agriculture and industry. The findings were confirmed and substantiated by national and international monitoring programmes, and it became clear that many field observations of threatened species convincingly could be correlated to the increasing levels of contamination. Still more man-made chemicals have been drawn into the field of interests as widespread pollutants, and the geographical areas in which contamination takes place have become ever larger. The threat to groundwater resources from infiltration of pesticides into soils, and the alarming reports on contamination of mothers milk are to-day well-known examples. They are described from many parts of the world. Similarly, the food chain biomagnification of several pesticides and of PCB which were already described from Great Lakes region in North America in the 1960s and from the Baltic Sea area in Europe in the 1970s has since then been followed by identical observations in the Danube basin in Eastern Europe and in Indian provinces during the 1980s. Scientifically, we are to-day able to describe many of the fundamental processes, including environmental transport and transformation, as well as exposure, uptake and metabolic patterns for many of the persistent man-made chemicals. Accordingly, we are reasonably well informed of the most obvious cause-effect chains which govern the process of increasing pollution. We understand and can often for most of the chemicals predict the hazards of the environment as well as to man. In spite of this experience, and contrary to belief created by our scientific knowledge, the problem of contamination is still increasing. This includes the frequency of reported accidents and damages from all over the world. It is obvious, therefore, that the question becomes a matter of concern for the global society and a call for world-wide attention through international bodies develops into a matter of urgency.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Environmental cadmium in Europe.

The present article reviews information from the latest 10 years concerning fate and exposure of cadmium in the environment, on ecotoxicological effects, and on critical pathways leading to human and environmental exposure. It emphasizes the situation within the Community of European Countries by referring to limit values used in the EEC and some of its member states for emissions to water, air and soil. Estimates have been made on total emission balances for the Netherlands, Denmark, and for the EEC as a whole. The balances show that 70-90% of all cadmium circulating in the Community is disposed of as waste in solid waste deposits. Production and use patterns are presently changing, as indicated by reduced consumption in recent years of cadmium for plating, stabilizers and pigments in several countries as a result of regulations. However, significant increases in consumption for cadmium-containing batteries have occurred, resulting globally in increasing trends for the total consumption and production. Cadmium in sediments is more mobile than described earlier. Aquatic organisms can be classified in order of decreasing accumulation: algae greater than molluscs greater than crustaceans greater than fish. There is no evidence of biomagnification of cadmium within marine or fresh water food webs. Cadmium may enter into plants via roots or by foliar adsorption following atmospheric deposition. Biomagnification in terrestrial food chains is not observed. The uptake into plants is plant specific. Within plants significant variations are seen with concentrations generally decreasing in the order: roots greater than leaves greater than fruiting parts greater than seeds. A compilation of cadmium in air, in the aquatic environment and in soil is given. A downward trend during the 1970s to mid-1980s seems to be evidenced from various Northern European studies on cadmium air concentrations as well as for deposition rates of cadmium. In rivers, the dissolved cadmium concentrations are generally found to be relatively low (10-500 ng/L). In seawater, cadmium concentrations are found at 0.5-10 ng/L in oceanic or open marine areas, while elevated concentrations are reported in more closed marine areas and especially in coastal zones close to polluted estuaries. In fresh water, lake sediments concentrations 3-30 times higher than the background concentrations are reported in the surface layers of sediments. A significant decrease in such pollution has been observed within the recent 10 years. For marine sediments, enrichment factors of two are found in sediments from open areas and locally even 5-10 times.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Cadmium↗
PubMed1987

Dislocation and/or congenital malformation of the shoulder joint. Observations on a Mediaeval skeleton from Denmark.

The purpose of this paper is to present a Mediaeval skeleton of an approximately 16 year old boy, which was excavated at a Danish cemetery containing ca. 150 graves. The skeleton reveals several pathologic changes, probably due to congenital malformation. The most intriguing find is seen at both scapulae, and the changes are bilateral symmetric. Both the glenoid cavities are placed posterior but at the normal height of the bone. The joints are almost perpendicular to their normal direction. The size of the glenoid cavities is normal and the shape is rather flat in accordance to the development stage of the skeleton, where the epiphysis of the rim has not yet appeared to form the gently concave fossa as normally seen in adults. Both the surface and the borderlines of the glenoid cavities are, however, more irregular than normally at that age. The position of the joints may be caused by dislocation and/or congenital malformation which is discussed. Due to the shape of the cavities, to the symmetric bilaterality, and to the minor congenital malformations, it is primarily believed to be caused by congenital malformation. Probably the young man was not much affected by the malformation of the shoulder joints, which is indicated by the normal form and size of the humeri and the well-developed muscle attachments of the bones. The claviculae seem shorter and more twisted than normal, which may be caused by a twisting of the scapulae. So the glenoid cavities may have pointed almost in the normal direction in spite of the malformation. Other minor malformations are spina bifida of the atlas and the 5. lumbar vertebra, multiple minor changes of the joints of both feet and malformations of one metatarsal bone in both feet. Agenesi of the praemolars is also seen. Although our study of the literature, we have not succeeded in correlation our finds with any known congenital syndrome, and as far as we know no similar case has been described in clinical observation or in skeletal finds.

Denmark↗
PubMed1986

Perivascular axillary block VI: the distribution of gelatine solution injected into the axillary neurovascular sheath of cadavers.

Axillary perivascular injection of 50 ml blue-stained gelatine was made in 20 cadavers, and a total dissection of the axilla was performed. The distribution of injected gelatine and the contact between nerves and gelatine were examined on cross-sections of the neurovascular bundle. The spread of gelatine was characterized by: restriction of gelatine to the neurovascular bundle, an upper border of the gelatine which was constantly found to be proximal to the coracoid process, and bulging of the gelatine towards the medial part of the axillary space. Cross-sections of the neurovascular bundle showed the nerves and vessels to be located in the periphery of the gelatine and in close contact with the lateral wall of the axillary space. The median and the ulnar nerves were in all dissections found to be in direct contact with the gelatine, whereas the radial, the musculocutaneous, and the axillary nerves did not always have direct contact with the gelatine. Abduction of the arm to 90 degrees brings the stretched neurovascular bundle close to the lateral wall of the axilla and this compromises perivascular circumferential spread of the injected gelatine. On the basis of the present investigation, it is hypothesized that insufficient circumferential spread is the cause of incomplete axillary blockades, and the perivascular injection of local anaesthetic should consequently be made with the arm along the side of the body.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Hexachlorobenzene: an ecotoxicological profile of an organochlorine compound.

Most data on hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the environment concern its occurrence in the aquatic environment, i.e., in marine and fresh-water ecosystems in which the HCB build-up and increased concentrations in sediments and food-chain organisms are well documented. Food-chain bioaccumulation is also known in terrestrial ecosystems, but data on atmospheric contamination seem scarce and unreliable. However, it is likely that HCB is transported by the atmosphere in low concentrations which are sufficient to make significant contributions to the global distribution of HCB. HCB is of low or moderate acute toxicity, and is not an immediate or acute cause for concern. Nevertheless, it should be classified as a hazard to the environment due to its persistence and its high rate of bioaccumulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Ecoepidemiology--a casuistic discipline describing ecological disturbances and damages in relation to their specific causes: exemplified by chlorinated phenols and chlorophenoxy acids.

Ecoepidemiology is a new concept created in analogy to human epidemiology, and aims at the study of ecotoxicological effects at the levels of ecosystems, biological communities, and populations in relation to causative environmental exposures, mostly by chemicals. By way of example, ecoepidemiology is described by presenting an example of unintentional dissipation and possible discharges of chlorophenols and phenoxy acids into the terrestrial environment and--as a more specific case--a marine, aquatic area, viz., the Køge Bay immediately to the south of Copenhagen, Denmark. The examples are illustrative of the complex situation which characterizes most ecoepidemiological cases. Difficulties with which the ecoepidemiologist are confronted are not only the identification of possible causative and confounding chemicals, and the description of ecoepidemiological effects per se, but also the assessment of critical pathways of multimedium pollutants. Biomonitoring, computer-based handling of data from natural localities, and determination of a variety of anthropogenic impact factors are necessary elements of ecoepidemiological studies.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Cadmium in soil and terrestrial biota, with emphasis on the Danish situation.

The cadmium load on the soil and terrestrial biota in the industrialized countries appears to be on the increase. Due to a relatively high mobility of this metal in the soil-plant system, the likely gradual increase in soil concentrations will influence the cadmium load on organisms in the terrestrial biota. It might be too early to predict the actual rate of increase in the cadmium load on specific organisms but some attempts to do so have suggested an annual increase rate of 0.5-2% in the human food intake of the metal. Although the present cadmium pollution of the environment at large is not yet crucial, the most sensitive species, man and other long-lived mammals, might soon need introduction of countermeasures to seriously reduce the load of this toxic metal. The most feasible countermeasures to be taken are reductions in emission to air directly or indirectly via reduction of the indiscriminate use of the metal for common consumer goods. A decrease of the inflow to soils in phosphate fertilizer may be more difficult to curb, but a reduced fertilization rate on most areas might be possible without loss of fertility. Sludge may not be a major source of cadmium nationally, but may locally significantly increase the inflows to agriculture (Statens Naturvårdsverk, 1978; Miljøstyrelsen, 1980; Umweltbundesamt, 1981; Department of the Environment, 1980.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1982

New theory on the mechanism of erection involving hitherto undescribed vessels.

47 cadaver penises were investigated by means of plastic, corrosion casts, direct dissection under a stereomicroscope, tissue clearing, and light microscopy. "Shunt" arteries connecting the deep arteries in the corpora cavernosa with vessels in the corpus spongiosum were found. When the penis is flaccid these arteries probably allow blood to pass through the corpora cavernosa directly into the veins of the corpus spongiosum. Constriction of the shunt arteries may divert blood through the helicine arteries into the spaces of the corpora cavernosa, thus producing tumescence and erection. 20 of the cadaver penises had no direct vascular connection between the corpora cavernosa and the corpus spongiosum or glans. This supports the hypothesis that such fistulae, which have been reported in impotent patients are pathological structures.

Adult↗