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PubMed2004

Predicting organic loading in natural water using spectral fluorescent signatures.

Spectral fluorescent signature (SFS) is a rapid, reagent free and inexpensive technique, which has great potential for environmental monitoring of aqueous systems, especially for predicting dissolved organic carbon (DOC) along natural waters. This technical note aimed to examine the possibility to use SFS associated with partial least squares regression (PLS) to assess the organic loading in natural water. A model was built using samples of water collected between October 1999 and February 2002 on the Passaic River at Little Falls, NJ, USA. A correlation was established between measured DOC, SFS, and the corresponding daily registered flow from United States Geological Survey (USGS) New Jersey's streamflow database. The methodology presented herein looks promising in making use of the significant organic characteristics information contained in a SFS for application and use in spatial and temporal water quality management and treatment.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed2004

Interferometric microwave radiometers for high-resolution imaging of the atmosphere brightness temperature based on the adaptive Capon signal processing algorithm.

Passive microwave remote sensing from satellites and ground stations has contributed uniquely, and substantially, to the study of atmospheric chemistry, meteorology, and environmental monitoring. As user requirements are raised, in terms of the accuracy and the spatial resolution, a mechanically scanning radiometer, with a real aperture, becomes impractical due to the requirement for a very large antenna size. However, an aperture synthesis interferometric radiometer presents a valuable alternative. The work presented in this paper was devoted to high spatial resolution imaging, using the 37 GHz band interferometric radiometer, developed by ourselves. The spatially adaptive Capon beamforming method was exploited for the imaging, which outperformed the conventional Fourier Transform method. We concluded that the high spatial resolution imaging of the brightness temperature of the atmosphere could be accomplished with an interferometric radiometer equipped with the developed Capon beamforming imaging algorithm.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2002

Communication strategy of transboundary air pollution findings in a US-Mexico Border XXI program project.

From 1996 to 1997, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) conducted an air quality study known as the Lower Rio Grande Valley Transboundary Air Pollution Project (TAPP). The study was a US-Mexico Border XXI program project and was developed in response to local community requests on a need for more air quality measurements and concerns about the health impact of local air pollutants; this included concerns about emissions from border-dependent industries in Mexico, known as maquiladoras. The TAPP was a follow-up study to environmental monitoring done by EPA in this area in 1993 and incorporated scientific and community participation in development, review of results, and public presentation of findings. In spite of this, critical remarks were leveled by community activists against the study's preliminary "good news" findings regarding local air quality and the influence of transboundary air pollution. To resolve these criticisms and to refine the findings to address these concerns, analyses included comparisons of daily and near real-time measurements to TNRCC effects screening levels and data from other studies along with wind sector analyses. Reassessment of the data suggested that although regional source emissions occurred and outliers of elevated pollutant levels were found, movement of air pollution across the border did not appear to cause noticeable deterioration of air quality. In spite of limitations stated to the community, the TAPP was presented as establishing a benchmark to assess current and future transboundary air quality in the Valley. The study has application in Border XXI Program or other air quality studies where transboundary transport is a concern since it involved interagency coordination, public involvement, and communication of scientifically sound results for local environmental protection efforts.

Air Movements↗
PubMed2004

Method for testing the aquatic toxicity of sediment extracts for use in identifying organic toxicants in sediments.

Biologically directed fractionation techniques are a fundamental tool for identifying the cause of toxicity in environmental samples, but few are available for studying mixtures of organic chemicals in aquatic sediments. This paper describes a method for extracting organic chemicals from sediments and then re-introducing them into water column toxicity tests in a way that mimics, at least in part, the partitioning processes that govern bioavailability in sediment. This involves transferring solvent extracts of sediment into triolein and then placing the mixture inside low-density polyethylene dialysis tubing in a configuration similar to semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) used for environmental monitoring. For four model compounds, SPMDs were shown to effectively maintain water column exposure in static systems for 10-14 d, with partition coefficients similar to K(OW). Toxicity tests indicated that the SPMDs were compatible with four of five freshwater organisms tested and could be used to measure both lethal and sublethal end points. An example application showed good correspondence between organism responses in intactsediment and extracts in SPMDsfor both field-collected and spiked sediments. The SPMD-based method offers a simple, flexible test design, amenable to several different test organisms, and the ability to work with complex mixtures of contaminants while maintaining partitioning behavior similar to that within intact sediments.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Express detection of pentachlorophenol as dioxins precursor in natural water.

A rapid detection method for the pesticide pentachlorophenol (PCP)--polarization fluoroimmunoassay (PFIA)--in the dynamic range of 10-9,000 ppb was developed. PCP may form polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, making environmental monitoring of this compound an issue of great importance. In order to optimize the PFIA procedure, a number of fluorescein-labeled PCP derivatives and similar compounds (tracers) were synthesized, and the influence of their structure on PFIA characteristics was studied. Also, two antisera were tested in developing PFIA for PCP. The developed method is highly specific for PCP and can be used for its determination in water samples at a level down to 10 ppb. Total time of the assay for 10 samples is about 7 min. The assay provides a useful and a highly practical screening tool for the processing of large numbers of samples and for the preliminary estimation of potential dioxins contamination in water resources.

Antibody Specificity↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Transport of atmospheric pollutants in a semi-rural area of central Italy.

An environmental monitoring program aimed to the evaluation of the air quality in the surroundings of Gallese (near Viterbo, in central Italy) was carried out from July 1998 to July 2000. The goal of the program was the comprehension of the transport and transformation mechanisms of nitrogen and sulphur pollutants, and the evaluation of photochemical smog episodes. In this framework, a wide range of atmospheric pollution events was studied, and for many of them it was possible to detect the main source of the pollution. We report in this paper the interpretation of ozone episodes, sulphur dioxide episodes and sea-salts episodes, due to transport from the urban area of Rome, the industrial area of Narni-Tarni and the coastal areas of the Tyrrhenian Sea, respectively.

Air Movements↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Predicting physical and chemical water properties from relationships with watershed soil characteristics.

The Surface Waters component of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAPSW) was developed by the USEPA to evaluate the extent and condition of lakes and streams over national and regional scales. Realistically, chemical or physical water properties (WPs) such as acidity or turbidity can be field-sampled for only a small portion of all lakes and streams. However, soil characteristics (SCs) affect WPs and broad-scale soil survey data have become available in the State Soil Geographic Data Base (STATSGO). We developed models relating observed WPs to SCs to extrapolate the sampled WPs to a region, potentially reducing extensive monitoring needs. Our study region consisted of 13 northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and contained 882 STATSGO soil map units. We used map units as the spatial component of WP analysis. The WPs were sampled in 721 randomly selected EMAPSW study sites. The watersheds of these sites represent 7.1% of the region's total area and spatially intersect 400 of its soil map units. Each intersected map unit was assigned the weighted average WPs from the corresponding watersheds. Conditional expectation models were used to extrapolate sampled WPs to 882 map units. The relative standard errors ranged from low for pH (0.8%), intermediate for total P (12.1%), and very high for chloride (54.8%). The high extrapolation errors indicate outlier conditions from natural, non-soil, or anthropogenic sources.

Ecosystem↗
PubMed2003

natural background radiation dosimetry in the highest altitude region of Iran.

The natural background radiation has been measured in one of the highest altitude regions (Zagros Mountains), Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, in the south west of Iran. The outdoors-environmental monitoring exposure rate of radiation was measured in 200 randomly chosen regions using portable Geiger-Muller and scintillation detectors. Eight measurements were made in each region and an average value was used to calculate the exposure rate from natural background radiation. The average exposure rate was found to be 0.246 microGy/h and the annual average effective dose equivalent was found to be 0.49 mSv. An overall population-weighted mean outdoor dose rate was calculated to be 49 nGy/h, which is higher than the world-wide mean value of 44 nGy/h, as reported by UNSCEAR in 1998, and is comparable to the annual effective dose equivalent of 0.38 mSv. A good correlation between the altitude and the exposure rate was observed, as the higher altitude regions have higher natural background radiation levels.

Altitude↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The relationship between work and vision in a preventive medicine context: the initial guidelines for a correct ergonomic ophthalmological approach proposed by the Italian Group for the Study of the Relationship between Work and Vision (G.I.L.V.). II. The method].

In view of the numerous problems concerning the relationship between work and vision, the Italian Group for the Study of Work/Vision Relationships has developed a document that sets out initial guidelines for environmental monitoring and health surveillance in ergophthalmology. Particular emphasis is given to fact-finding inspections and collection of subjective assessments that will enable the occupational health physician to identify any adverse factors in the working environment and assess the visual effort of the operators. The importance of cooperation between occupational health physicians and ophthalmologists in the various phases of ergophthalmological assessment is stressed. An analytical list is provided of the parameters that the ophthalmologist should measure during eye examination as well as the appropriate assessments that the occupational health physician should perform if an ophthalmological specialist is not available. Suggestions for periodic controls on the basis of visual effort and ophthalmological status are made. It is the task of the occupational health physician to establish the fitness or otherwise of the patients for the job, and for this the Group is preparing further documents.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed2004

Comparison of commercially available media for the recovery of Legionella species.

A lack of standardization of environmental monitoring techniques for Legionella spp. complicates the interpretation and comparison of results from different institutions. Since the quality of the culture media has enormous effect on the recovery of Legionella spp. a comparative assessment of commercially available media from four manufactures (Becton Dickenson, BioMerieux, Heipha, and Oxoid) was performed. For this, samples containing infected Acanthamoeba castellanii cells, samples from the External Quality Assurance Scheme (EQA) run by the Health Protection Agency in London and water samples from a hospital in Dresden, Germany, were investigated. The glycine-containing media (GVPC) from four manufactures were equally effective in growing legionellae. However, this medium formulation inhibited some of the non-pneumophila strains tested which was not observed with the selective BMPA and non-selective BCYE-agar.

Charcoal↗
PubMed2003

Worshippers' exposure to particulate matter in two temples in Taiwan.

Worshippers in temples may be exposed to high concentrations of pollutants emitted from incense burning. This work assessed the PM2.5 and PM10 exposures of temple worshippers in Taiwan and explored the important exposure determinants such as numbers of passing visitors and joss sticks in censers, worshipping dates, and temple characteristics. Sampling was conducted on the 1st, 2nd, 15th, and 16th of the lunar month in two temples in Taichung, Taiwan. Research staff took samples by wearing one PM2.5 and one PM10 sampler and imitating worshipping activity. Personal environmental monitors connected to personal pumps with 2-L/min flow rates were used for sampling. PM10 samples were also simultaneously taken outside the temples. The results suggested that burning joss sticks in temples is a significant PM exposure source. The geometric mean of personal exposure was 444 microg/m3 PM2.5 [geometric standard deviation (GSD) = 1.8] and 583 microg/m3 PM10 (GSD = 1.4). The latter was approximately 4-6 times that of roadside concentrations. Exposures on the 1st and 15th (with more visitors and more joss sticks) were about 130 microg/m3 PM2.5 and 249 microg/m3 PM10 higher than those on the 2nd and the 16th. Furthermore, each joss stick in the censer contributed about 0.40 microg/m3 of particles to the worshippers' exposure. In the worst case, PM exposure during one temple visit would account for 11% of the personal exposure in one day.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed2005

Validation and interpretation of CALUX as a tool for the estimation of dioxin-like activity in marine biological matrixes.

Among the different analytical tools proposed as an alternative to the very expensive gas chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) analyses of polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorodibenzofurans, Chemically Activated LUciferase gene eXpression (CALUX) in vitro cell bioassay is very promising. It allows the analyses of a high number of samples since it is relatively fast, inexpensive, and sensitive. However, this technique is not yet widely applied for screening or environmental monitoring. The main reasons are probably the lack of validation and the difficulty in interpreting the global biological response of the bioassay. In this paper, the strict quality control criteria set up for the validation of CALUX are described. The validation has shown good repeatability (relative standard deviation (RSD) = 9%) and good within-lab reproducibility (RSD = 15%) of the results. The quantification limit, in the conditions applied in this paper, is 1.25 pg CALUX-TEQ/g fat. Comparison of CALUX and GC-HRMS analysis was made forvarious marine matrixes (fishes, mussels, starfishes, sea birds, and marine mammals). Good correlations are usually observed, but there are systematic differences between the results. Attempts are made to identify the origin of the discrepancy between the two methods.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Contribution of the intensive care unit environment to sleep disruption in mechanically ventilated patients and healthy subjects.

Recent studies have challenged the traditional hypothesis that excessive environmental noise is central to the etiology of sleep disruption in the intensive care unit (ICU). We characterized potentially disruptive ICU noise stimuli and patient-care activities and determined their relative contributions to sleep disruption. Furthermore, we studied the effect of noise in isolation by placing healthy subjects in the ICU in both normal and noise-reduced locations. Seven mechanically ventilated patients and six healthy subjects were studied by continuous 24-hour polysomnography with time-synchronized environmental monitoring. Sound elevations occurred 36.5 +/- 20.1 times per hour of sleep and were responsible for 20.9 +/- 11.3% of total arousals and awakenings. Patient-care activities occurred 7.8 +/- 4.2 times per hour of sleep and were responsible for 7.1 +/- 4.4% of total arousals and awakenings. Healthy subjects slept relatively well in the typically loud ICU environment and experienced a quantitative, but not qualitative, improvement in sleep in a noise-reduced, single-patient ICU room. Our data indicate that noise and patient-care activities account for less than 30% of arousals and awakenings and suggest that other elements of the critically ill patient's environment or treatment should be investigated in the pathogenesis of ICU sleep disruption.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Epidemiological studies of air pollution and health effects in areas near roadways with heavy traffic in Tokyo].

Recent concern regarding health effects of air pollution in Japan has concentrated mainly on traffic-induced air pollution and its health effects in large cities. In Japan, where many people in large cities have been living near major roadways, the increase of automobile exhaust due to heavy traffic congestion will predictably cause a greater impact on people living near major roadways. We surveyed the characterization of residential suspended particulate matter (SPM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations along the major roadways in Tokyo, along with a health survey on the respiratory conditions of residents living in the same area, to examine the relationships between indoor pollutant levels, prevalence of respiratory symptoms and distance from roadways. The environmental monitoring was conducted in five phases. Using a newly developed SPM sampler and NO2 filter badge, continuous 4 day (96 hours) measurements were conducted in two hundred residential homes for four weeks. NO2 was measured in the living room, kitchen and outside of each home, while SPM was monitored in the living room. Health information was collected in October 1987 using ATS-DLD self-administered questionnaires. Of the 1,093 homes investigated, responses from 805 homes were received. The following results were obtained. SPM and NO2 concentrations showed large variations. Indoor pollution levels mostly depended on indoor sources, i.e. cigarette smoking and unventilated space heaters, and the effects of those indoor sources were influenced by the building structure with respect to air tightness. An association between increase in pollutant levels and the distance from the roadway was observed. However its effect is small compared to indoor source effects. The prevalence rate of respiratory symptoms was higher in those areas nearest roadways with heavy traffic both in children and adults. These results suggest the presence of a relationship between automobile exhaust and health effects.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Biomarkers of a native fish species (Cnesterodon decemmaculatus) application to the water toxicity assessment of a peri-urban polluted river of Argentina.

Environmental monitoring by means of biomarker parameters assessed in different species is a useful tool. It has the advantage of providing a quantitative response as well as valuable information of ecological relevance on the chronic adverse effects caused by water pollution. The aim of this study was to assess the response of biochemical and physiological parameters of Cnesterodon decemmaculatus, a native teleost, simultaneously caught in two sites of Reconquista river, a highly polluted peri-urban river. This study compared the measured parameters with that of specimens of the same species captured in an unpolluted body water, and correlated the detected changes with the physicochemical profile of the water at each site. A comparison was made of selected parameters of gill, brain and liver and of somatic indices of fish collected from polluted and reference sites. The main parameters whose changes allowed to discriminate between sampling sites were gill (Na(+),K(+))-ATPase, brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and liver aminotransaminases activities; tissues' protein content and liver somatic index (LSI) were also sensitive biomarkers in brain and liver, respectively. The results showed that the response of the measured biomarkers allowed for the differentiation of sampling sites according to their water quality and confirmed that Cnesterodon decemmaculatus may be a useful test organism for the biomonitoring of freshwater environments. In addition, the simultaneous measurement of the physicochemical parameters of the water samples showed a good correspondence between the biomarkers responses and the environmental chemical stress conditions.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed1996

Radiological environmental impact of the nuclear industry in China.

Since 1955, the nuclear industry has become a comprehensive industrial system in China, for which the radiological impact assessment began in 1981. Within 80 km region of each facility, investigation of population distribution, crop distribution, and food consumption has been made. Meteorological, hydrological, and geological data as well as effluent and environmental monitoring data have been obtained and analyzed. All the calculations were performed through the Y3001 computer code. The effective dose equivalents to all the critical groups near the region nuclear facilities are below the dose limits. The dose to about 80% of the critical groups are less than 1/10 of those caused by natural radiation exposure (2.3 mSv y(-1)). The total annual average collective effective dose equivalent resulting from the nuclear industry as a whole is 23 person Sv y(-1) which is less than 0.01% of that from natural radiation and far below the detriment resulting from non-nuclear industries or other human activities. According to the nuclear industry planning in China, by about the year 2000, it is estimated that the total annual collective effective dose equivalent resulting from the nuclear industry would be 59 person Sv.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Multivariate analysis of the ecoregion delineation for aquatic systems.

The ecoregion concept is a popular method of understanding the spatial distribution of the environment', however, it has yet to be adequately demonstrated that the environment is distributed in accordance with these bounded units. In this paper, we generated a testable hypothesis based on the current usage of ecoregions: the ecoregion classification will allow for discrimination between lakes of different water quality. The ecoregion classification should also be more effective better than a comparably scaled classification based on political boundaries, land-use class, or random grouping. To test this hypothesis we used the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) lake water chemistry data from the northeast United States. The water chemistry data were reduced to four components using principal component analysis. For comparison to an optimal grouping of these data we used K-means cluster analysis to define the extent at which these lakes could be segregated into distinct classes. Jackknifed discriminant analysis was used to determine the classification rate of ecoregions, the three alternative spatial classification methods, and the clustering algorithm. The classification based on ecoregions was successful for 35% of the lakes included in this study, in comparison to the clustered groups accuracy of 98%. These results suggest that the large scale spatial distribution of ecosystem types is more complicated than that suggested by the present ecoregion boundaries. Further tests of ecoregion delineations are needed and alternative large-scale management strategies should be investigated.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2006

Exposure evaluation to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an italian airport.

The aim of this study was to use environmental monitoring to evaluate occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and biphenyl in an Italian airport. Air was sampled using a quartz fiber filter, a polyurethane foam, and an XAD-2 layer. After extraction with dichloromethane, concentration and purification analyses of 25 PAHs (including biphenyl) were carried out by gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry. In winter 2005, 12 air samples were taken at 120 L/min for 24 hours in three different areas of the airport. PAH levels were found to be generally low. In all investigated areas, the higher levels refer to naphthalene (130-13,050 ng/m), 2-methylnaphthalene (64-28,500 ng/m), 1-methylnaphtalene (24-35,300 ng/m), and biphenyl (24-1610 ng/m). However, in some instances, for compounds such as benzo[b+j+k]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene, two high-boiling PAHs, the levels found (54.2 ng/ m and 8.6 ng/m, respectively) can be considered of some concern.

Air Pollutants↗