Labile copper and zinc fractions under different salinity conditions in a shipyard area in the patos lagoon estuary, south of Brazil

Copper and zinc are common elements in paint residues and can be toxic to estuarine organisms. This study aims to determine the labile dissolved and labile particulate fractions (LPFs) of copper and zinc in the estuarine waters of a shipyard in southern Brazil under different salinity levels and in different seasons. The labile dissolved fraction was determined using the diffusive gradient in thin-film (DGT) technique. The variations in DGT-Cu (0.22-1.05 µg L-1), DGT-Zn (0.54-18.39 µg L-1), LPF-Cu (1.22-3.77 µg g-1), and LPF-Zn (4.29-19.12 µg g-1) concentration were related to changes in their physico-chemical parameters and as a result of boat maintenance activities.

Alterations in psychosocial health of people affected by asbestos poisoning

OBJECTIVE To analyze the state of psychosocial and mental health of professionals affected by asbestos.METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with 110 professionals working in the Ferrolterra region of Spain, who were affected by asbestos poisoning. This group was compared with a group of 70 shipyard workers with no manifestation of work-related diseases. All the participants were male with a mean age of 67 years. This study was conducted in 2013, between January and June, and used the SCL-90 questionnaire by Derogatis as its primary measure for research. This questionnaire consists of 9 variables that measure psychosomatic symptoms. In addition, an overall index of psychosomatic gravity was calculated. The participants were also asked two questions concerning their overall perception of feeling good. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and logistic regression.RESULTS Participants affected by asbestos poisoning showed high occurrence rates of psychological health variables such as somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism, and global severity index.CONCLUSIONS Social interaction as a differentiating factor between workers affected by work-related chronic syndromes as compared to healthy participants will possibly aid in the development of intervention programs by improving the social network of affected individuals.

Exposição ocupacional a compostos orgânicos voláteis na indústria naval

The scope of this study involved the evaluation of the concentration of some volatile organic compounds in the internal environmental air of a naval shipyard in the State of Rio de Janeiro, during painting activities in enclosed, semi-enclosed and open areas. Xylene was the volatile compound found in greatest abundance (25.20 to 191.66 ppm) in the locations researched. Benzene in the air, which is a carcinogenic substance, attained levels of 3.34 ppm in semi-enclosed environments and the highest levels of toluene, xylene and n-butanol were found in the enclosed space of the ship. Results obtained highlight the need to establish air quality control programs in these internal areas, in order to safeguard the health of the workers.