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At least 1,513 records · Page 84Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Comparing regulatory regimens for pesticide control in 22 countries: toward a new generation of pesticide regulation.

Some historical developments of chemical control legislation are being traced, from specialized laws, such as pesticide acts, to the 1970/1980 generation of generalized legal instruments involving all commercial chemicals. It is then argued that from an environmental protection point of view, a "cradle-to-grave" assessment will henceforth be necessary. Ecological guidelines and indicators for the assessment of the life-cyclewide environmental impact intensity of economic outputs are presented. The international implications of the worldwide trade in pesticides are being considered. As the use of pesticides has invariably transfrontier effects and since unilateral import restrictions due to environmental quality requirements constitute nontariff barriers to trade, a high degree of international harmonization is desirable. This point is also of some importance with a view to the GATT negotiations and the chances for exporting chemicals from developing and postsocialist countries into industrialized hard currency areas in the future. The results of a comprehensive review in 1990/1991 of the regulatory pesticide management regime in 22 countries are presented, comprising countries from Central and Eastern Europe as well as the industrialized Western countries. The review is based upon the returns to a questionnaire which had been designed jointly by the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the Regional Office of the WHO in Copenhagen. The information received was subsequently validated by the competent authorities. Taking all observations into consideration, the framework of an advanced prototype legislative framework for pesticides management is proposed.

Americas↗
PubMed1992

Reassessment of lead exposure in New Jersey using GIS technology.

In order to prevent children's exposure to lead, a variety of sources must be controlled. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy (NJDEPE) is using its Geographic Information System to identify areas within Newark, East Orange, and Irvington, New Jersey, where there may be greater environmental exposure to lead. Sensitive populations are identified through the U.S. Bureau of the Census information. Blood screening data provided by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) provide reported patterns of elevated blood lead in the study area. Comparisons of these spatial patterns will assist the NJDEPE in its soil sampling activities and lead exposure research, will provide information for public education, and will provide valuable information on sections of the study area where further screening and public education may be needed.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2003

[Limitations of occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields adopted by Polish law from the perspectives of international documents with particular reference to fields of low and medium frequencies].

Following the provisions of the decree on maximum admissible strength (MAS) values, issued by the Minister of Labour and Social Policy, comprehensive and homogeneous principles of workers' protection against excessive exposure to 0-300 GHz electromagnetic fields have been in force since 2001. Different mechanisms responsible for interactions between electromagnetic field and human body, as well as the need to limit their harmful effects were taken into account while setting permissible exposure conditions. Owing to the fact that both the strength of electric and magnetic fields and exposure duration have been considered, Polish regulations facilitate a parallel harmonisation of the prohibited exposure levels with so-called "basic restriction" values adopted as a minimum protection level in many international guidelines and to implement a significantly higher level of workers' protection in case of long-duration per shift exposure (equivalent of "precautionary principle" applied in the evaluation of general public exposure). The approaches adopted in Polish regulations coincide in many points with a drafted EU directive. Amendments being introduced into Polish legal regulations on the environmental protection should maintain cohesion principle with legal regulations on occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields, and should take into account additional restrictions concerning the protection of residential areas, as practiced in many European countries.

Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation↗
PubMed2007

Planning for sustainable tourism in southern Pulau Banggi: an assessment of biophysical conditions and their implications for future tourism development.

A priori assessments of a site's biophysical and socio-economic capacity for accommodating tourism are less common than tourism impact studies. A priori evaluations can provide a contextual understanding of ecological, economic and socio-cultural forces, which shape the prospects for sustainable tourism development at the host destination, and can avert adverse impacts of tourism. We conduct an a priori assessment of the biophysical environment of Pulau Banggi, in the Malaysian state of Sabah for sustainable tourism development. We characterise baseline conditions of the island's marine biodiversity, seasonality, and infrastructure. We then evaluate how existing biophysical conditions will influence options for sustainable tourism development. In particular, we suggest conditions, if there are any, which constitute a limit to future tourism development in terms of compatibility for recreation and resilience to visitor impacts. We find that the biggest constraint is the lack of adequate water and sanitation infrastructure. Blast fishing, although occurring less than once per hour, can potentially destroy the major attraction for tourists. We conclude that while Pulau Banggi possesses natural qualities that are attractive for ecotourism, financial and institutional support must be made available to provide facilities and services that will enable local participation in environmental protection and enhance prospects for future sustainable tourism.

Biodiversity↗
PubMed2003

Water quality and impacts of pollution sources for Eymir and Mogan Lakes (Turkey).

Mogan and Eymir Lakes are two shallow lakes, interconnected hydrologically in the close vicinity of Ankara, Turkey. A total of 245 km(2) of the total 971.4 km(2) watershed is under environmental protection status as "Gölbaşi Specially Protected Area". Potential impacts from extensive agriculture, recreation, incomplete infrastructure and other human activities, such as residential settlements, are discussed with reference to previous and more recent pollution monitoring. Six monitoring stations enabling follow-up of previous work were selected in this study. These were on the creeks feeding the lake systems. Generally, summer months showed heavier pollution loads, with Eymir Lake concentrating the pollutants due to flow from Mogan Lake. When compared with the 1995 study; COD, total-P, Kjeldahl-N in the six stations were close or slightly decreased in the present study. Suspended solids significantly decreased; possibly due to erosion control measures and decreased domestic wastewater. The improvement in the pollution state of the lakes is attributed to the construction of a sewage system going around Mogan Lake and collecting wastewater discharges and restrictions to urban settlement development around the lakes brought by the 1/25,000 land use plan controlling further impact from residential developments within the protected area boundaries. The study, while addressing water quality and interactions due to human activities in shallow lakes, also discusses problems associated with human impacts in protected areas with the aim of presenting a complicated case study.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed1999

A risk assessment for exposure to grunerite asbestos (amosite) in an iron ore mine.

The potential for health risks to humans exposed to the asbestos minerals continues to be a public health concern. Although the production and use of the commercial amphibole asbestos minerals-grunerite (amosite) and riebeckite (crocidolite)-have been almost completely eliminated from world commerce, special opportunities for potentially significant exposures remain. Commercially viable deposits of grunerite asbestos are very rare, but it can occur as a gangue mineral in a limited part of a mine otherwise thought asbestos-free. This report describes such a situation, in which a very localized seam of grunerite asbestos was identified in an iron ore mine. The geological occurrence of the seam in the ore body is described, as well as the mineralogical character of the grunerite asbestos. The most relevant epidemiological studies of workers exposed to grunerite asbestos are used to gauge the hazards associated with the inhalation of this fibrous mineral. Both analytical transmission electron microscopy and phase-contrast optical microscopy were used to quantify the fibers present in the air during mining in the area with outcroppings of grunerite asbestos. Analytical transmission electron microscopy and continuous-scan x-ray diffraction were used to determine the type of asbestos fiber present. Knowing the level of the miner's exposures, we carried out a risk assessment by using a model developed for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Asbestos, Amosite↗
PubMed2005

Principles and practices of neurodevelopmental assessment in children: lessons learned from the Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research.

Principles and practices of pediatric neurotoxicology are reviewed here with the purpose of guiding the design and execution of the planned National Children's Study. The developing human central nervous system is the target organ most vulnerable to environmental chemicals. An investigation of the effects of environmental exposures on child development is a complex endeavor that requires consideration of numerous critical factors pertinent to a study's concept, design, and execution. These include the timing of neurodevelopmental assessment, matters of biologic plausibility, site, child and population factors, data quality assurance and control, the selection of appropriate domains and measures of neurobehavior, and data safety and monitoring. Here we summarize instruments for the assessment of the neonate, infant, and child that are being employed in the Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research, sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, discuss neural and neurobiologic measures of development, and consider the promises of gene-environment studies. The vulnerability of the human central nervous system to environmental chemicals has been well established, but the contribution these exposures may make to problems such as attention deficit disorder, conduct problems, pervasive developmental disorder, or autism spectrum disorder remain uncertain. Large-scale studies such as the National Children's Study may provide some important clues. The human neurodevelopmental phenotype will be most clearly represented in models that include environmental chemical exposures, the social milieu, and complex human genetic characteristics that we are just beginning to understand.

Central Nervous System↗
PubMed2002

Comparison of deterministic and probabilistic calculation of ecological soil screening levels.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is sponsoring development of ecological soil screening levels (Eco-SSLs) for terrestrial wildlife. These are intended to be used to identify chemicals of potential ecological concern at Superfund sites. Ecological soil screening levels represent concentrations of contaminants in soils that are believed to be protective of ecological receptors. An exposure model, based on soil- and food-ingestion rates and the relationship between the concentrations of contaminants in soil and food, has been developed for estimation of wildlife Eco-SSLs. It is important to understand how conservative and protective these values are, how parameterization of the model influences the resulting Eco-SSL, and how the treatment of uncertainty impacts results. The Eco-SSLs were calculated for meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and northern short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) for lead and DDT using deterministic and probabilistic methods. Conclusions obtained include that use of central-tendency point estimates may result in hazard quotients much larger than one; that a Monte Carlo approach also leads to hazard quotients that can be substantially larger than one; that, if no hazard quotients larger than one are allowed, any probabilistic approach is identical to a worst-case approach; and that an improvement in the quality and amount of data is necessary to increase confidence that Eco-SSLs are protective at their intended levels of conservatism.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

'Gold standard' for remediation of WTC contamination.

The events of September 11, 2001 and thereafter resulted in arguably the worst environmental disaster in the history of New York City. Particulate matter and combustion by-products containing asbestos, lead, mercury, dioxin, PAHs, and other toxic substances, not only affected rescue and recovery workers but also infiltrated thousands of residences and workplaces. Government agencies did not acknowledge responsibility for residential indoor environmental quality until eight months later, and still have not accepted responsibility for indoor environmental quality in commercial or government buildings. In May 2002, 200 representatives from 38 community, labor, environmental, and public health organizations met to discuss unmet post-9/11 public health needs. They established a technical working group to press the Environmental Protection Agency to expand and improve its proposals for the cleanup of Lower Manhattan. This 2002 document, "The 'Gold Standard' for Remediation of WTC Contamination," articulates the environmental health concerns and suggestions of grassroots organizations active in 9/11 response efforts at that time.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

[Assessment of effects of lead on humans].

The author summarizes materials published in the issue, stresses importance of "Lead and Human Health" problem and necessitates further research on disclosing the lead influence on humans, with consideration of possible sources (air, waters, foods). Important matters also are improvement of hygienic regulation, biologic monitoring methods, environmental protection means; epidemiologic research covering large samples of workers, general population and children.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Cooperation in public health in the Bodensee district from the viewpoint of Vorarlberg].

Following a brief presentation of a few significant data and specifications in respect of the structure and organisation of the Austrian Public Health administration, general basic rules for across-the-border cooperation in the region of Lake Constance are outlined. The following subjects for such cooperation are listed: epidemiology and how to fight spring-summer meningoencephalitis, rabies, echinococcosis, AIDS/HIV. Other areas of cooperation are, for example. Health protection within the framework of prostitution, drugs and drug substitution, states of emergency (natural or other catastrophes), incidents or cases or topics concerning pharmaceuticals, pharmacology or pharmacies in general, and especially environmental protection and protection of natural resources in connection with the large drinking water reservoir Lake Constance. Future perspectives are roughly sketched in respect of possible closer cooperation and communication if occasion arises.

Austria↗
PubMed2002

Ambient air measurement of acrolein and other carbonyls at the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge toll plaza.

Interest in ambient concentrations of acrolein and other alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes and dicarbonyls (e.g., crotonaldehyde, methyl glyoxal, glyoxal, malonaldehyde (malondialdehyde)) is growing because either they exist at high levels in motor vehicle emissions or they arise from photooxidation of other hydrocarbons emitted from mobile sources. In addition, their mutagenic, genotoxic, or carcinogenic properties are well-established, and the results of a dispersion-modeling study regarding the health risks posed by the 188 hazardous air pollutants in California attributes the highest noncancer risk to exposure to acrolein. Such modeling studies, conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), also predict median ambient air concentrations of acrolein higher than 0.06 microg/m3, the chronic inhalation reference exposure level stipulated by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment in counties surrounding the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge. We measured acrolein and other potentially toxic carbonyls in air sampled at the San Francisco Bay Bridge toll plaza during rush hour traffic, which may be considered a "worst case scenario" for outdoor airborne carbonyls. We identified 36 carbonyls in the sample extracts, including 14 saturated aliphatic carbonyls, six unsaturated carbonyls, four aromatic carbonyls, six dicarbonyls, and six hydroxy carbonyls. Structural information to support tentative identification of carbonyls and hydroxycarbonyls was obtained by using a method that involves O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine (PFBHA) and PFBHA/bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) derivatization in concert with gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry. Most notably, we report for the first time the presence of malonaldehyde in the ambient atmospheric environment. A relatively linear relationship between retention time and the molecular weight of the derivatives was established to assist in obtaining structural information about chemicals for which authentic standards are not readily available. Levels of acrolein exceeded the California reference exposure level during morning rush hour traffic. The measured values, however, were significantly lower than estimates of county-wide average acrolein concentrations predicted by a U.S. EPA modeling study based on 1996 data. Successful regulatory efforts such as the introduction of reformulated gasoline, together with the advancement of new catalysts and fleet turnover throughout the 1990s, are likely to account for part of the gap between our determination and the 1996 levels.

Acrolein↗
PubMed2006

Development of a health-protective drinking water level for perchlorate.

We evaluated animal and human toxicity data for perchlorate and identified reduction of thyroidal iodide uptake as the critical end point in the development of a health-protective drinking water level [also known as the public health goal (PHG)] for the chemical. This work was performed under the drinking water program of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment of the California Environmental Protection Agency. For dose-response characterization, we applied benchmark-dose modeling to human data and determined a point of departure (the 95% lower confidence limit for 5% inhibition of iodide uptake) of 0.0037 mg/kg/day. A PHG of 6 ppb was calculated by using an uncertainty factor of 10, a relative source contribution of 60%, and exposure assumptions specific to pregnant women. The California Department of Health Services will use the PHG, together with other considerations such as economic impact and engineering feasibility, to develop a California maximum contaminant level for perchlorate. We consider the PHG to be adequately protective of sensitive subpopulations, including pregnant women, their fetuses, infants, and people with hypothyroidism.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparative performance studies of water lettuce, duckweed, and algal-based stabilization ponds using low-strength sewage.

A bench-scale continuous-flow wastewater treatment system comprising three parallel lines using duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), and algae (natural colonization) as treatment agents was set up to determine environmental conditions, fecal coliform profiles and general treatment performance. Each line consisted of four ponds connected in series fed by diluted sewage. Influent and effluent parameters measured included environmental conditions, turbidity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, total phosphorus, fecal coliforms, mosquito larvae, and sludge accumulations. Environmental conditions and fecal coliforms profiles were determined in the sediments (0.63 m), suspensions (0.35 m), and surfaces (0.1 m) of each pond. Acidic conditions were observed in the pistia ponds, neutral conditions in duckweed ponds, and alkaline conditions in algal ponds. Fecal coliforms log removals of 6, 4, and 3 were observed in algal, duckweed, and pistia ponds, respectively, in the final effluents, with die-off rates per pond of 2.7, 2.0, and 1.6. Sedimentation accounted for over 99% fecal coliform removal in most of the algal and pistia ponds. BOD removal was highest in the duckweed system, followed by pistia and algae at 95%, 93%, and 25%, respectively. COD removals were 65% and 59%, respectively, for duckweed and pistia, while COD increased in algal ponds by 56%. Nitrate removals were 72%, 70%, and 36%, respectively for duckweed, pistia, and algal ponds. Total phosphorus removals were 33% and 9% for pistia and duckweed systems, while an increase of 19% was observed in the algal treatment system. Ammonia removals were 95% in both pistia and duckweed and 93% in algal systems. Removals of total dissolved solids (TDS) were 70% for pistia, 15% for duckweed, and 9% for algae. Mosquito populations of 11,175/m(2), 3516/m(2), and 96/m(2) were counted in pistia, algal, and duckweed ponds, respectively. Low turbidity and low sludge accumulation characterized the macrophyte ponds. Performance in the removal of fecal coliforms in the algal-based treatment system and organic load removal in both macrophytes and algal-based treatment systems met the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency guideline values.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

An analysis on spatial variation of urban human thermal comfort in Hangzhou, China.

Urban human thermal comfort (UHTC) is affected for interacting of weather condition and underlying surface framework of urban area. Urban underlying surface temperature value and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were calculated using image interpreting and supervised classification technique by ERDAS IMAGE software using 1991 and 1999 Landsat TM images data. Reference to the relational standard of assessing human thermal comfort and other meteorology data of Hangzhou City in summer, air temperature and relative humidity variation of different land types of underlying surface were inversed. By choosing discomfort index as an indictor, the spatial distribution characteristic and the spatial variation degree of UHTC were estimated and mapped on a middle scale, that is, in six districts of Hangzhou. The main characteristics of UHTC spatial variation from 1991 to 1999 were revealed using a GIS-based calculation model. The variation mechanism were analyzed and discussed from the viewpoint of city planning, construction and environmental protection.

China↗
PubMed1993

Methylene chloride toxicity.

The effects of acute exposure to methylene chloride (dichloromethane) are due to its central nervous system depressant properties, which have resulted in fatalities. Manifestations of acute exposure include mental confusion, fatigue, lethargy, headache and chest pain. Metabolic conversion of methylene chloride to carbon monoxide may place persons with preexisting coronary artery disease at increased risk. Sequelae following chronic exposure are unknown, but data suggest serious long-term effects. The Environmental Protection Agency considers methylene chloride to be a probable human carcinogen.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

A critical review of the biogeochemistry and ecotoxicology of selenium in lotic and lentic environments.

Anthropogenic activities resulting in elevated selenium (Se) levels in aquatic ecosystems can result in teratogenic and reproductive effects in fish and waterfowl. However, relationships between observed effects and exposure concentrations or body burdens are ambiguous. Therefore, it is critical to identify factors that affect Se ecotoxicity before defining adequate protective environmental regulations. One important political debate questions if Se ecotoxicity differs between standing (lentic) and flowing (lotic) waters and, if so, how this should be incorporated into the definition of protective criteria. In the present review, we compile and discuss the scarce literature regarding Se ecotoxicity in lotic systems, and we compare it to the substantial body of evidence for lentic systems. General differences between lentic and lotic systems with respect to ecology, hydrology, and biogeochemistry are identified and related to Se ecotoxicity. The limited knowledge regarding Se speciation in the biomagnification process is reviewed and put in context. Fundamental considerations suggest that Se ecotoxicity in lotic systems should be reduced compared to lentic systems, but we conclude that this statement is not substantiated by the existing data. Additionally, we identify critical gaps of knowledge that must be resolved in future studies before the argument can be decided conclusively.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Arsenic and cadmium exposure in children living near a smelter complex in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

The main purpose of this study was to assess environmental contamination by arsenic and cadmium in a smelter community (San Luis Potosí City, México) and its possible contribution to an increased body burden of these elements in children. Arsenic and cadmium were found in the environment (air, soil, and household dust, and tap water) as well as in the urine and hair from children. The study was undertaken in three zones: Morales, an urban area close to the smelter complex; Graciano, an urban area 7 km away from the complex; and Mexquitic, a small rural town 25 km away. The environmental study showed that Morales is the most contaminated of the zones studied. The range of arsenic levels in soil (117-1396 ppm), dust (515-2625 ppm), and air (0.13-1.45 micrograms/m3) in the exposed area (Morales) was higher than those in the control areas. Cadmium concentrations were also higher in Morales. Estimates of the arsenic ingestion rate in Morales (1.0-19.8 micrograms/kg/day) were equal to or higher than the reference dose of 1 microgram/kg/day calculated by the Environmental Protection Agency. The range of arsenic levels in urine (69-594 micrograms/g creatinine) and hair (1.4-57.3 micrograms/g) and that of cadmium in hair (0.25-3.5 micrograms/g) indicated that environmental exposure has resulted in an increased body burden of these elements in children, suggesting that children living in Morales are at high risk of suffering adverse health effects if exposure continues.

Air Pollutants↗