[Evaluation and prospectives of environmental-biologic monitoring and health surveillance in operating room personnel exposed to low doses of volatile anesthetics].
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Adult↗
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Cobalt powdersintering industry (stone cutting diamond wheels): a study of environmental-biological monitoring, workplace improvement and health surveillance.
This communication deals with an aspect of occupational hygiene in a factory producing granite cutting diamond wheels by sintering, in moulds, of fine cobalt powder. The factory has been studied between 1988 and 1991; the Department of Preventive and Occupational Medicine of the Local Sanitary Unit of Reggio Emilia has followed the evolution of the local exhaust ventilation equipment supplied by the employer in that period. At the same time, the following measurements and observations were carried out: (a) cobalt exposure by personal sampling, (b) airborne cobalt measurements by area sampling, (c) biological monitoring of cobalt in urine, (d) health surveillance.
Adult↗
Biological specimen banking in Arctic research: an Alaska perspective.
The cryogenic archival of biological specimens for retrospective analysis is of significant value for present and future research on population genetics, pathology, systematics, toxicology and environmental monitoring. This realization is emphasized by the increasing support of this activity by various government agencies, institutions and international groups. The international Arctic community is no exception. Canada has been conducting such activities in association with environmental monitoring programs for many years. Similar efforts appear to be underway in other polar nations. From the perspective of the United States Arctic, the Alaska Marine Mammal Tissue Archival Project (AMMTAP) was the earliest organized effort to develop an environmental specimen bank specifically designed for longterm archival of biological specimens under cryogenic conditions. The AMMTAP emphasizes use of standardized rigorous sampling and archival protocols, procedures that minimize contamination of samples during collection and maintaining a detailed record of sample history. The development of this specimen bank, recent activities of this project and other cryogenic specimen banks being developed in Alaska are described.
Alaska↗
[Study progress on determination of environmental trace toxicants by immunosensor].
Along with the advances in immunoassay and sensing techniques, the immunosensors based on specific immunoreaction and immobilized antibody (antigen) as recognition element were developed. They can be used for real-time, in-vivo and on-the-spot determination of pesticides, industrial organic pollutants, heavy metals, biotoxins, etc. with high sensitivity and selectivity. They possess a great potential for environmental monitoring. The working mechanism, fabrication and classification of immunosensor are briefly introduced in this paper. The latest study progress on immobilization methods and sensing techniques of immunosensor for determination of trace toxicants is reviewed. The application of immunosensor in environmental monitoring and the future development are also discussed.
Antigen-Antibody Reactions↗
[Chlorophenols in urine as an environmental medicine monitoring parameter].
Chlorophenols occur ubiquitously in the environment. They are taken up as such in man or are formed in intermediary metabolism e.g. from chlorobenzenes. In particular pentachlorophenol (PCP) is one of those chemical substances used up to the early 70's as a component of wood preservatives also indoors; for many years it has been at the centre of discussion about the environment. Mono, di, tri and tetrachlorophenols as well as pentachlorophenol occur in the urine in the general population often in surprisingly high concentrations. An increased chlorophenol excretion under certain circumstances also indicates an increased dioxin exposure (pre-dioxins). Possible sources of emission and routes of absorption for corresponding organochlorine compounds can be found in industry, agriculture and also private households. Environmental analysis in the air, in earth or dust do not allow any evaluation of health risks. Only biological monitoring with qualitative and quantitative determination of the actual concentration of the substance taken up by the organism allows a reliable estimation of the individual health risk. The background exposure of the general population not occupationally exposed to organochlorine compounds can be used for the determination of so-called norm values. For the determination of the chlorophenol spectrum 50 ml urine are necessary. The following values can be given as reference values for the most important chlorophenols: 4-monochlorophenol: 7.5 micrograms/l, 2.4-dichlorophenol and 2.5-dichlorophenol: 33.6 micrograms/l, 2.4.6-trichlorophenol: 4.7 micrograms/l, 2.4.5-trichlorophenol: 4.5 micrograms/l, 2.3.4.6-tetrachlorophenol and 2.3.5.6-tetrachlorophenol: 22.0 micrograms/l, pentachlorophenol 9.0 micrograms/l urine.
Chlorophenols↗
Southern California's marine monitoring system ten years after the National Research Council evaluation.
In 1990, the National Research Council (NRC) published two in-depth assessments of marine environmental monitoring effectiveness. The first of these, Managing Troubled Waters: The Role of Marine Environmental Monitoring, provided a national perspective and the second, Monitoring Southern California's Coastal Waters, examined the specifics of monitoring design and implementation in a densely populated, highly urbanized coastal region. The reports include explicit recommendations about the need for greater regionalization of monitoring efforts, supported by greater standardization of field, laboratory, and data analysis methods. They also identified the need for centralized data management and for greater flexibility in the language of standard discharge permits, flexibility that would permit discharge agencies to more readily participate in regional monitoring and research programs. Other recommendations identified a need for EPA and NOAA to focus on creating a national monitoring program structured as a network of coordinated local and regional efforts. Finally, the NRC emphasized the need for better reporting and for periodic review of monitoring's relevance to management concerns. In this paper, we use southern California as a test case to assess progress made in implementing the NRC's recommendations. We review progress made on each recommendation and discuss the features of the regulatory and management climate that contributed to or impeded this progress. We also consider whether, and to what extent, the NRC's recommendations remain relevant in the present context.
California↗
Hygienic monitoring of environmental surroundings in office-based ambulatory surgery units--an instrument for infection control.
Out-patient operations cause lower costs and they are a method the patients are less burdened with than it is the case with usual operating methods. Avoiding nosocomial infections is regarded as another advantage. The rate of infection can be given by a carefully kept nosocomial infection surveillance. Ambulatory surgery units have difficulties in keeping these statistics because they often do not take over the after-treatment of this patients. Out-patient operations in surgeries must guarantee the same standard of hygiene which can usually be found in hospitals. Hospital epidemiologists, health authorities and professional associations have published corresponding guidelines with organizational/functional and structural requirements. These requirements, however, are only met by few ambulatory practices. Surgery holders justify the non-observance of the guidelines by supposing that the spectrum of germs in their office differs from that in a hospital and that there aren't any pathogens. The standard of hygiene in ambulatory surgery units is not controlled regularly. Therefore the hygienic conditions and the microbial burden of five surgeries that carry out out-patient operations under general anaesthesia were determined within the scope of microbial monitoring of the surroundings. Only two surgeries achieved a standard of hygiene which is comparable with that of a hospital. Up to 42% of the taken samples were sterile. The other three surgeries did not meet the requirements. The microbial burden in these surgeries was distinctly higher. The spectrum of detected microorganisms was very wide and there were pathogens too. Hygienic controls and monitoring of the surroundings should be carried out regularly as a measure to guarantee the production and maintenance of quality. Thus the actually achieved hygienic standard in the surgeries can be controlled and improved if necessary. Ambulatory surgeries should be liable to similar hygienic controls as hospitals.
Ambulatory Surgical Procedures↗
Environmental water monitoring by capillary electrophoresis and result comparison with solvent chemistry techniques.
The aim of this work was to determine inorganic ions from natural waters by capillary electrophoresis (CE) and to compare the results obtained with those measured with conventional solvent chemistry techniques. The project was part of a larger CE study, during which we measured inorganic ions from some lake and river systems and groundwaters in Southern Finland. Results obtained from contaminated Finnish waters were compared with samples from the River Rhine in the Düsseldorf area. Two CE methods were used for analysis: one for determination of chloride, sulfate, nitrite and nitrate at pH 7.7 and the other for ammonium, potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium at pH 3.6, both methods using identification based on indirect UV detection. Two separation methods were used in order to prevent complex formation of metals with sulfate, hydroxide and decomposed organic matter present in the environmental samples. On the basis of the CE studies dilution was needed for those samples having more than 100 mg/l of sulfate, chloride, calcium and sodium. On average, the natural waters in the study contained ammonium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and calcium below 0.3, 20, 200, 20, and 200 mg/l, respectively. The concentrations of chloride, sulfate, nitrite and nitrate were below 20, 100, 10, and 10 mg/l, respectively. Correlation of the CE results with those acquired by titration, atomic absorption spectrometry, ion chromatography and flow injection analysis were obtained; R2 values for the comparison tests varied from 0.8816 to 0.9994 depending on the ion. The repeatabilities of the anion and cation CE methods were tested using laboratory-made reference sample mixtures with high and low salt concentration.
Calibration↗
Monitoring Diffuse Impacts: Australian Tourism Developments.
/ The scientific quality of monitoring for diffuse environmental impacts has rarely been quantified. This paper presents an analysis of all formal environmental monitoring programs for Australian tourism developments over a 15-year period from 1980 to 1995. The tourism sector provides a good test bed for this study because tourism developments are (1) often adjacent to or even within conservation reserves and other relatively undisturbed natural environments, and (2) often clustered, with resulting cumulative impacts that require detection at an early stage. Here we analyze the precision and reliability with which monitoring programs as actually implemented can detect diffuse environmental impacts against natural variation. Of 175 Australian tourism developments subject to EIA from 1980 to 1993 inclusive, only 13 were subject to formal monitoring. Only 44 individual parameters, in total, were monitored for all these developments together. No baseline monitoring was conducted for nine of the 44 parameters. For the remaining 35, only one was monitored for a full year. Before, after, control, impact, paired sampling (BACIP) monitoring designs were used for 24 of the 44 parameters, and power analysis in 10. The scientific quality of monitoring was significantly better for developments subject to control by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). The key factor appears to be the way in which GBRMPA uses external referees and manages external consultants. The GBRMPA model merits wider adoption.
Journal Article↗
Measurement of benzene in the workplace and its evolution process, Part II: Present methods and future trends.
This article (the second of a two-part series) provides a discussion of currently accepted methodology and possible future happenings regarding measurement of benzene in workplaces. The gap between occupational and environmental monitoring is becoming narrow. Environmental levels will always be lower than the occupational, but as the push for lower threshold limit values continues, the focus should be on the environmental aspect as the ultimate limiting factor with respect to measurement. The charcoal tube/carbon disulfide desorption procedure is slowly being stretched to its limit with respect to benzene. It may be time for serious consideration in North America regarding adoption of the proven European procedure of thermal desorption using a porous polymer tube for analysis of benzene.
Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
Minimizing environmental impacts of a major construction: the Øresund link.
The Øresund Link is a 4-lane motorway with a 2-line rail link between Copenhagen, Denmark, and Malmö, Sweden, built across the Øresund Sound between the 2 countries. The environmental concerns associated with construction of the Link were that that it might affect the water and salt flow through the Sound and into and out of the Baltic Sea, lead to destruction of the cod fishery, and affect other biological systems. An International Expert Panel was formed to design mitigation strategies to avoid negative environmental impacts. The Panel designed stringent environmental controls for the construction, of which the most significant was to limit sediment discharges to 5% of the dredged material. This was one-fifth of the discharge limit construction companies usually accept as normal for such a large-scale project. An environmental monitoring program was instituted to monitor compliance with the environmental control measures. As a result of the imposition of tough environmental requirements, the Link was built with little environmental impact and 3 y after it was completed, environmental conditions have returned to normal.
Conservation of Natural Resources↗
Evaluation of caged freshwater mussels as an alternative method for environmental effects monitoring (EEM) studies.
On three occasions between 1998 and 2000, freshwater mussels were collected by divers in Lake Memphremagog during the spring and transplanted to various locations in the St-François River (Quebec, Canada). Mussel growth was monitored by comparing total weight and length at the beginning and end of the exposure period. In 1998, mussels were caged for 60 days at 10 stations, including locations receiving treated effluents from three pulp and paper mills. Overall, there was an apparent trend of increased mussel growth from upstream to downstream along the river. However, mussels caged downstream from the effluent discharge of a bleached kraft pulp and paper mill grew more slowly than those caged immediately upstream in the river. In 1999 and 2000, we further investigated the situation in the vicinity of this bleached kraft mill. The measurements again indicated that growth of mussels in the effluent plume from this mill was reduced in comparison to sites upstream. Overall, in terms of growth, the caged mussels responded both positively and negatively to different environmental conditions. Compared with other monitoring approaches used at these sites during the same period, the caged mussel experiment results were consistent with the trends observed with the benthic invertebrate survey but not with the trends observed for fish.
Animals↗
Chemistry and fate of fenvalerate and esfenvalerate.
Fenvalerate is listed under Class IV of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) Surveillance Index Classification, indicating a low hazard potential to humans from both exposure and toxicological standpoints; thus, minimal monitoring is required (Reed 1981; Eisler 1992). To date, monitoring efforts have been of limited value in evaluating concentrations of fenvalerate and its subsequent risk to the environment. Few regulations currently exist for protection of sensitive natural resources against fenvalerate or esfenvalerate, although current application rates may be lethal to many nontarget species, including bees, fish, and aquatic invertebrates. Additional monitoring is recommended to measure residues in the environment and evaluate risks associated with use. It is clear that both fenvalerate and esfenvalerate are considerably less harmful to the environment and most nontarget organisms than most other insecticides. They are considerably less persistent and more selective in their toxicity, except for their high degree of toxicity to fish and aquatic invertebrates. However, they are moderately persistent in soils and, because of low water solubilities, high octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow), and moderate persistence, both fenvalerate and esfenvalerate have been identified as having the potential to accumulate in aquatic sediments and biota (Nowell et al. 1999). Numerous studies of fenvalerate dynamics in soils indicate that it is relatively immobile and readily degraded. In almost all cases, the degradation products formed are less toxic than the parent insecticide. However, some degradation products from fenvalerate may demonstrate elevated toxicity, and more research into and increased monitoring of abiotic degradation may be warranted. Results from environmental monitoring are minimal at best and do not adequately support research done in the laboratory. These results are critical for accurately determining the risk these insecticides pose to the environment. The pyrethroids are poised to fill the gap left in the insecticide market with the impending suspension of many of the organophosphates and possibly at least some carbamates. One agent, chlorpyrifos, has already been heavily restricted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and one manufacturer has ceased production. The environmental risk posed by both fenvalerate and esfenvalerate can change significantly with increased application, and current information is not sufficient to adequately assess the risk that a dramatic rise in use would pose. Future efforts should focus on increased environmental monitoring and research on esfenvalerate fate with increased and repeated application. Pyrethroids, including fenvalerate and esfenvalerate, have also recently been linked to endocrine disruption (Garey and Wolff 1998; Go et al. 1999). Endocrine disruption is an emerging field, and more research is essential in documenting and managing these types of effects. Research into the bioavailability and dynamics of esfenvalerate at the sediment-water interface is also of key importance. Current information indicates that resuspension or desorption from soils should be minimal, but this is not equivalent to the fraction of sediment-sorbed esfenvalerate that may be bioavailable to sensitive aquatic species. In terms of risk, fenvalerate and esfenvalerate are significant improvements over many of their predecessors, but it is clear that more information is needed to fully support this conclusion.
Animals↗
Recommendations for monitoring of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the Canadian environment.
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been reported in air, surface waters, suspended sediments, soil, sediment, fish, marine mammals, and bird eggs throughout Canada, from the St. Lawrence Estuary to the Strait of Georgia and the northernmost reaches of the Canadian Arctic. Canadian scientists have detected the presence of PBDEs in breast milk in every Canadian province. In fact, recent data on temporal trends strongly suggests that the concentrations of PBDEs are on the rise in the Canadian environment. These findings are similar to those reported in other nordic countries, and have prompted several countries to implement environmental monitoring programs. Among the key challenges currently facing Canada and other countries concerns how best to measure these chemicals in different matrices. In this paper, several analytical methods cited in the scientific literature for determining PBDE concentrations in different abiotic and biological matrices are reviewed. The critical criteria required for accurate determination of PBDEs in complex environmental matrices are discussed, including instrument sensitivity, reliability, potential interference's and the need for specialized instrumentation for the determination of compounds up to 975 Daltons. While a single analytical method that meets these and other criteria has not yet been perfected by scientists, GC/HRMS-based methods amenable to isotope dilution techniques warrant further refinement, and likely represent the best tools for future environmental monitoring programs.
Animals↗
The use of a urine mutagenicity assay in the monitoring of environmental exposure to genotoxins.
Urinary bacterial mutagenicity was used as a biomarker of exposure to ambient air pollution in a group of women working outdoors in the city of Teplice (TP; Northern Bohemia) with higher levels of air pollution than a similar group of women in the city of Prachatice (PT; Southern Bohemia). The Salmonella typhimurium plate incorporation assay with the TA98 and YG1041 strains and microsuspension assay with the YG1041 strain were used for testing the urinary mutagenicity. PAH and their metabolites were analyzed by HPLC and GC/MS methods. The significantly higher values of most PAHs/metabolites detected in a TP group confirmed the differences of PAH exposures between both groups. In the plate incorporation assay, the TA98 strain was not able to detect the increase in urinary mutagenicity, but, for the YG1041 strain, the urinary mutagenicity was clearly determined with a significant difference in number of YG1041 + S9 revertants between the TP and PT groups. The microsuspension assay increased the mean response by about 10-fold over the standard plate test; however, no statistical difference between TP and PT groups was found due to high interindividual variability and small sample size. Comparing the urinary PAH/metabolites to urinary mutagenicity, significant correlations were observed between the plate incorporation mutagenicity results with the YG1041 revertants in the presence of metabolic activation and several of the urinary PAH/metabolites. On the contrary, in the microsuspension assay, several urinary PAH/metabolites correlated significantly with the YG1041 revertants only in the absence of metabolic activation. This may indicate the influence of different treatment conditions of assays on the urinary mutagenicity results. The results suggest the insufficient sensitivity of the TA98 tester strain to determinate low urinary level of mutagens. On the contrary, the use of the YG1041 tester strain increases the probability of detecting an effect of environmental exposure and seems to be applicable to biological monitoring. To definitely replace the standard plate incorporation assay with the microsuspension method is not possible without further comparative studies.
Adult↗
Evaluation of organic solvent ototoxicity by the upper limit of hearing.
To clarify the effects of organic solvents on hearing, we measured the upper limit of hearing in 93 male workers exposed to organic solvents in 7 factories that produced plastic buttons or baths. Medical examinations, environmental monitoring (i.e., concentration in breathing-zone air), and biological monitoring (i.e., concentration in urine) of the organic solvents were also done. Although the organic solvent concentrations in the environmental monitoring were lower than the occupational exposure limit, the upper limit of hearing was reduced in workers who were exposed for 5 y or more. This reduction was dose-dependent and was related to styrene concentrations in breathing-zone air and mandelic acid concentrations in urine. Even individuals who had normal medical examinations showed a reduced upper limit of hearing. The upper limit of hearing may serve as an early detection indicator of health effects in workers constantly exposed to styrene.
Acetone↗
Environmental proteomics and metallomics.
Monitoring environmental pollution using biomarkers requires detailed knowledge about the markers, and many only allow a partial assessment of pollution. New proteomic methods (environmental proteomics) can identify proteins that, after validation, might be useful as alternative biomarkers, although this approach also has its limitations, derived mainly from their application to non-model organisms. Initial studies using environmental proteomics were carried out in animals exposed to model pollutants, and led to the concept of protein expression signatures. Experiments have been carried out in model organisms (yeast, Arabidopsis, rat cells, or mice) exposed to model contaminants. Over the last few years, proteomics has been applied to organisms from ecosystems with different pollution levels, forming the basis of an environmental branch in proteomics. Another focus is connected with the presence of metals bound to biomolecules, which adds an additional dimension to metal-biomolecule and metalloprotein characterization - the field of metallomics. The metallomic approach considers the metallome: a whole individual metal or metalloid species within a cell or tissue. A metallomic analytical approach (MAA) is proposed as a new tool to study and identify metalloproteins.
Animals↗
Implantable flow-through capillary-type microdialyzers for continuous in situ monitoring of environmentally relevant parameters.
In this paper, a simple, flexible, and cost-effective flow-through microdialyzer hyphenated with a miniaturized differential potentiometric detector is proposed for continuous diffusion-controlled sampling of analytes of environmental interest. The analytical performance of the dedicated configuration involving merely a single cellulose regenerated hollow fiber is critically compared with that of commercially available concentric probes commonly exploited for in vivo monitoring of the extracellular space in living tissues and that of large dialysis-based probes furnished with flat membranes. The outstanding feature of the capillary-type design is the ability of adapting the extraction fractions (EF) to the requirements of the assays and flow-through detectors by selection of appropriate membrane length/perfusion rate ratios. Passive sampling under steady-state conditions (EF approximately 100%) has proven feasible for environmentally relevant ions, such as chloride, by perfusing a 3-cm-long capillary with water at a flow rate of 2.0 microL/min. Hence, there is no need for recalibration of the flow setup after implantation of the purpose-made probe. The effect of physical and chemical variables on the diffusive flux is discussed in detail for the various flow-through membrane separation devices assessed. Effective means to attain identical dialysate concentrations of target species under dynamic regime irrespective of the matrix ingredients are also presented. The dedicated microdialyzer features extreme tolerance to high molecular weight interfering matrix compounds (> or =5000 mg/L humic acid) at the 5% interference level, which makes it especially suited for the interference-free potentiometric determination of ionic species in environmental samples containing high levels of organic matter. The potentials of the membrane separation unit were assessed for continuous monitoring of chemical changes in the interstitial/pore water of organic soils via stimulus-response strategies.
Chlorides↗