Kaspersenshepard2219

Odds ratios for dry cough and phlegm were close to unity. The pattern of associations agreed well with the updated meta-analysis. The meta-analytic random effects summary estimate was 1.05 (1.02, 1.07) for LRS. Credible intervals substantially narrowed when adding prior information from the meta-analysis. The odds ratio for lower respiratory symptoms with an informative prior was 1.06 (0.99, 1.14). Burden of disease maps showed a strong spatial variability in the number of asthmatic symptoms associated with ambient NO2 derived from a regression kriging model. In total, 70 cases of asthmatic symptoms can daily be associated with NO2 exposure in the city of Eindhoven. We conclude that Bayesian estimates are useful in estimation of specific local air pollution effect estimates and subsequent local burden of disease calculations. With the fine resolution air quality network, neighborhood-specific burden of asthmatic symptoms was assessed. Farmland soil contamination of heavy metal(loid)s (HM) derived from smelting activities is a global concern, owing to its potential threat for human health through food chain. This study aims to evaluate total contents and bioavailability of HMs (Pb, Zn, Tl, Cd, Cu, As, Ag, Co, Cr and Ni) in farmland soils distributed over ten different villages from a former artisanal zinc smelting area in the northwest Guizhou province, China. The results showed that most of the studied soils still exhibited exceptionally high enrichment of Pb, Zn, Cd and As. High levels of bioavailable HMs were also observed in some samples, which may enter the human food chain through agricultural activities. Further analyses by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy - Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (STEM-EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed the presence of Zn smelting by-products such as Fe oxides, ZnO and PbSO4 even in nanoscale particles retained by the soils. Elemental mapping by EDS confirmed a close association of the studied HMs with the smelting waste particles. All these results signify that high levels of HM-contamination from historical artisanal zinc smelting activities still persist and threaten the health of local residents, despite the fact that the major industrial-derived-contamination period ended >15 years ago. Our findings highlight pivotal concerns in similar artisanal-smelting-affected farmland soils of suspected contamination, due to less-expected toxic elements such as Tl, which may cause high ecological health risks. Soil erosion and fine particle transport are two of the major challenges in food security and water quality for the growing global population. Information of the areas prone to erosion is needed to prevent the release of pollutants and the loss of nutrients. Sediment fingerprinting is becoming a widely used tool to tackle this problem, allowing to identify the sources of sediments in a catchment. Methods in fingerprinting techniques are still under discussion with tracer selection at the centre of the debate. We propose a novel method, termed as consensus ranking (CR), that combines the predictions of single-tracer models to identify non-conservative tracers. In this context, a numerical procedure to quantify the predictions of individual tracers is first delivered. The scoring function to rank the tracers is based on several random debates between tracers in which the tracer that prevents consensus is discarded. Based on these results, a conservativeness index (CI) is presented along with a clustering method to identify groups of similar tracers. To illustrate the CI and CR procedures, an artificial mixture created with real soil to independently test the method is analysed. The results demonstrate the capability of our method to identify non-conservative tracers beyond the capability of currently used selection methods. Further, a real sediment sample from a Mediterranean mountain catchment is evaluated to emphasise its utility in complex natural environments. To test the utility of our method, it was decided to include the conservative and consensus-enforcing tracers extracted by this new approach with two different unmixing models. Furthermore, CR and CI procedures are displayed together with the most widespread statistical tests and the within-a-polygon approach used for tracer selection in fingerprinting studies. The new proposed method will enable the research community to homogenise results for replicability as well as allowing comparisons among study areas. selleck chemical In recent years, PM2.5 and O3 pollutions are prevalent in the atmosphere in Beijing. The study on pollution characteristics of VOC, which are important precursors of O3 and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) contributing PM2.5, is of great significance for providing a reference to guide its reduction policy formulation. Herein, the seasonal variation of atmospheric VOCs and meteorological conditions at the sampling frequency of 1 time per hour were continuously measured from March 2016 to January 2017 in Beijing. Using the collected data combined with multiple models, the role of VOCs in SOA and O3 production was investigated. Alkanes were the most abundant species, contributing 54.1-64.7% of the total VOC concentration for four seasons, followed by aromatics, alkenes and acetylene. The SOA potential (SOAP) was highest in winter at 2885.1 μg m-3, followed by autumn, spring and summer. Aromatics were the main contributors to SOAP, accounting for ~98.2% of the total SOAP during the entire observation period. The empirical kinetic modeling approach results showed that O3 production featured the VOC-limited regime in Beijing. Alkenes and aromatics were major contributors to O3 formation potential (OFP), accounting for 33.1-45.6% and 27.2-45.2%, respectively, particularly ethylene and m,p-xylene. Positive matrix factorization results indicated that motor vehicle exhaust was still the largest local source of VOCs, but its proportion was considerably reduced. The potential source contribution function results revealed that regional transport sources of VOC pollution in Beijing mainly came from the northwest and southern areas. Thus, to control PM2.5 and O3 pollution in Beijing, the restriction of alkenes and aromatics emission, accompanied by regional cooperation combined with local control, is essential. Daytime and nighttime PM2.5 samples were collected at a road tunnel located in Qingdao, China. The mass concentrations and chemical compositions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrated PAHs (NPAHs) and oxygenated-PAHs (OPAHs) were analysed to determine the variation characteristics and sources. The concentrations in exit were obviously higher than those of entrance in the tunnel. Fluoranthene (FLT) and Pyrene (PYR) were the most abundant PAHs, 2 + 3-nitrofluoranthene (2 + 3N-FLA), 1-nitropyrene (1N-PYR) and 2-nitropyrene (2N-PYR) were the dominant NPAHs, and 9-fluorenone (9-FO) and 9,10-anthraquinone (9,10-ANQ) were the most abundant OPAHs. The high rings (4-6 rings) PAHs accounted for over 90% of the total PM2.5-bound PAH concentrations, most of which were considered as motor vehicle emissions. Based on the diagnostics ratios and PCA results, the most important sources of PAHs and NPAHs were estimated as gasoline and diesel vehicles emissions in the tunnel. In addition, non-exhausts (such as road dust, brake line, asphalt and tires wear) also had some contributions to PAHs and NPAHs. The average emission factors were 60.98, 9.02 and 8.47 μg veh-1 km-1 for total PM2.5-bound PAHs, NPAHs and OPAHs, respectively. The emission factors of high rings (4-6 rings) PAHs were greater than those with low rings (2-3 rings). 1N-PYR had the highest emission factor in all measured NPAHs, while the emission factors for the two highest OPAHs were 9-FO and 9,10-ANQ in this tunnel. PM2.5 mass and chemical constituents were measured over Van Vihar National Park (VVNP), a forested location within Bhopal. Positive Matrix Factorization (USEPA PMF5) was applied to two-year long (2012 and 2013) measurements of PM2.5 chemical species including water-soluble inorganic ions, organic, pyrolitic, and elemental carbon, and trace elements for the quantitative apportionment of PM2.5 mass. The model resolved seven factors. A combination of source profiles, temporal evolution, and potential source locations were used to identify these factors as secondary sulfate, combustion aerosol, re-suspended crustal dust, pyrolysis carbon-rich aerosol, biomass burning aerosol, secondary nitrate, and sea salt with mean contributions of 24.8%, 23.6%, 17.3%, 15.7%, 11%, 4.1%, 0.8%, respectively, to the PM2.5 mass during the study period. Rest of the mass was unapportioned. Inter-annual and seasonal variability of sources contributing to PM2.5 mass were also assessed. Combustion aerosol and pyrolysis carbon-rich aerosinventories as well as climate model outputs over the region. Vital for human consumption, water is a scarce resource, particularly in the arid environments of Patagonia. In this study we analysed local perspectives and the use of different water sources, based on two case studies in rural communities of Mapuche and Creole ancestry inhabiting extra-Andean Patagonia in Chubut, Argentina. Water quality was evaluated using an ethnolimnological, interdisciplinary approach, taking into account local perspectives and scientific contributions. In addition, we analysed appropriation strategies, management and local organoleptic characteristics. The work was based on semi-structured interviews, tours guided by informants, and physicochemical and microbiological analysis of water sources. It was found that 92% of local inhabitants mainly used superficial and subterranean sources of water for consumption, among which stood out river, streams, springs, wells, and boreholes. Differences were observed between local and scientific perspectives in terms of water quality (chemical and microbiological). Most water sources used by inhabitants presented water of deficient quality for human consumption (61%), whereas locals considered the water to be fresh, delicious, and transparent. Nevertheless, some points of agreement were found in terms of organoleptic characteristics (e.g., odour, colour) and physicochemical parameters in certain water sources. In general, locals do not recognise the deterioration of their water supply, but the importance of organoleptic characteristics in local perception should be highlighted. These aspects speak of a need to promote opportunities for dialogue, and implement effective health measures, taking local perspectives into account. In order to improve the removal rates of paracetamol and amoxicillin present in water, activated carbons prepared from argan waste were designed as a support for a biofilm-based on E. coli yielding microporous materials with high surface areas, in such a way that the biofilm support could be made homogeneously on the internal and external surface of the material. Adsorption studies without the presence of the biofilm showed rapid kinetics with adsorption constants kPCT = 0.06 and kAMX = 0.007 min-1. The adsorption isotherms could be described by the Langmuir isotherm model reaching a maximum adsorption capacity of qPCT = 502 and qAMX = 319 mg g-1. In contrast, the results obtained for the materials that support the biofilm showed slow kinetics (kPCT = 0.007 and kAMX = 0.003 min-1) and a remarkable change in the shape of the adsorption isotherms, since the experimental data are better represented by a combined Langmuir-Freundlich model, in which three important stages are observed (i) In a first stage, adsorption is carried out in those spaces available after supporting the biofilm in the surface of the ACs.