Survey of U.S.S.R. literature on air pollution and related occupational diseases /

Includes bibliography.

Hazardous waste : Tinker Air Force Base is making progress in cleaning up abandoned sites : briefing report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives /

"B-213706"--P. [1].

Maine occupational staffing patterns for railroads, trucking and warehousing, and transportation by air (regulated industries), June 1976 /

Mode of access: Internet.

Survey of occupational mobility, conducted by the cooperating university research centers and the Social Science Research Council for the U. S. Department of the Air Force and the U. S. Bureau of the Census. Voluntary shifts of St. Paul workers 1940-44 and 1945-50.

Mimeographed.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act--oversight : hearings before the Subcommittee on Hazardous Wastes and Toxic Substances of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundredth Congress, first session.

Item 1045-A, 1045-B (microfiche).

Passive air sampling for persistent organic pollutants: Introductory remarks to the special issue

There have been a number of developments in the need, design and use of passive air samplers (PAS) for persistent organic pollutants (POPs). This article is the first in a Special Issue of the journal to review these developments and some of the data arising from them. We explain the need and benefit of developing PAS for POPs, the different approaches that can be used, and highlight future developments and needs. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Indoor air quality in Portuguese schools: levels and sources of pollutants

Indoor air quality (IAQ) parameters in 73 primary classrooms in Porto were examined for the purpose of assessing levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aldehydes, particulate matter, ventilation rates and bioaerosols within and between schools, and potential sources. Levels of VOCs, aldehydes, PM2.5 , PM10 , bacteria and fungi, carbon dioxide (CO2 ), carbon monoxide, temperature and relative humidity were measured indoors and outdoors and a walkthrough survey was performed concurrently. Ventilation rates were derived from CO2 and occupancy data. Concentrations of CO2 exceeding 1000��ppm were often encountered, indicating poor ventilation. Most VOCs had low concentrations (median of individual species <5����g/m(3) ) and were below the respective WHO guidelines. Concentrations of particulate matter and culturable bacteria were frequently higher than guidelines/reference values. The variability of VOCs, aldehydes, bioaerosol concentrations, and CO2 levels between schools exceeded the variability within schools. These findings indicate that IAQ problems may persist in classrooms where pollutant sources exist and classrooms are poorly ventilated; source control strategies (related to building location, occupant behavior, maintenance/cleaning activities) are deemed to be the most reliable for the prevention of adverse health consequences in children in schools.

The Use of Cryogenic Air in Supplied Air Respiratory Protection

The Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006 implemented new regulations in the underground coal mining industry that allow for the certification of non-compressed gas equipment for respiratory protection in underground coal mines. NASA���s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Biomedical Research and Engineering Laboratory (BRL) is investigating the potential to expand cryogenic air supply systems into the mining and general industries. These investigations have, so far, resulted in four separate comparison and hardware development programs. The Propellant Handlers Ensemble (PHE) and Level ���A��� Ensemble Comparison (LAE): This study compared worker thermal stress while using the industry standard Level A hazardous material handling ensemble as opposed to using the similarly protective Propellant Handler���s Ensemble (PHE) that utilizes a cryogenic air supply pack, known as an Environmental Control Unit (ECU) as opposed to the compressed air Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) used in the LAE. The research found that, in a 102��F environment, test subjects experienced significantly decreased body temperature increases, significantly decreased heart rate increases, and decreased sweat loss while performing a standard work routine while using the PHE, compared to the same test subjects performing the same routine while using the LAE. The Cryogenic Refuge Alternative Supply System (CryoRASS) project: The MINER Act of 2006 requires the operators of underground coal mines to provide refuge alternatives that can provide a safe atmosphere for workers for up to 96 hours in the event of a mine emergency. The CryoRASS project retrofitted an existing refuge chamber with a liquid air supply instead of the standard compressed air supply system and performed a 96 hour test. The CryoRASS system demonstrated that it provided a larger air supply in a significantly smaller footprint area, provided humidity and temperature control, and maintained acceptable oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the chamber for the required amount of time. SCBA and Mine Rescue System (CryoBA/CryoASFS) Another requirement of the MINER Act is that additional emergency breathing equipment must be staged along evacuation routes to supplement the Self Contained/Self Rescue (SCSR) devices that are now required. The BRL has developed an SCBA known as the Cryogenic Breathing Apparatus (CryoBA), that has the ability to provide 2 hours of breathing air, a refill capability, and some cooling for the user. Cryogenic Air Storage and Filling Stations (CryoASFS) would be positioned in critical areas to extend evacuation time. The CryoASFS stations have a significantly smaller footprint and larger air storage capacity to similar compressed air systems. The CryoBA pack is currently undergoing NIOSH certification testing. Technical challenges associated with liquid breathing air systems: Research done by the BRL has also addressed three major technical challenges involved with the widespread use of liquid breathing air. The BRL developed a storage Dewar fitted with a Cryorefrigerator that has stored liquid air for four months with no appreciable oxygen enrichment due to differential evaporation. Testing of liquid breathing air was material and time intensive. A BRL contract developed a system that only required 1 liter of air and five minutes of time compared to the 10 liters of air and 75 minutes of time required by the old method. The BRL also developed a simple and cost effective method of manufacturing liquid air that joins a liquid oxygen tanker with a liquid nitrogen tanker through an orifice controlled ���Y��� fitting, mixing the two components, and depositing the mixed breathing air in a separate tanker.

Chitosan Nanoparticles Loaded The Herbicide Paraquat: The Influence Of The Aquatic Humic Substances On The Colloidal Stability And Toxicity.

Polymeric nanoparticles have been developed for several applications, among them as carrier system of pesticides. However, few studies have investigated the fate of these materials in the environment in relation to colloidal stability and toxicity. In nature, humic substances are the main agents responsible for complexation with metals and organic compounds, as well as responsible for the dynamics of these nanoparticles in aquatic and terrestrial environments. In this context, the evaluation of the influence of aquatic humic substances (AHS) on the colloidal stability and toxicity of polymeric nanoparticles of chitosan/tripolyphosphate with or without paraquat was performed. In this study, the nanoparticles were prepared by the ionic gelation method and characterized by size distribution measurements (DLS and NTA), zeta potential, infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy. Allium cepa genotoxicity studies and ecotoxicity assays with the alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata were used to investigate the effect of aquatic humic substances (AHS) on the toxicity of this delivery system. No changes were observed in the physical-chemical stability of the nanoparticles due to the presence of AHS using DLS and NTA techniques. However some evidence of interaction between the nanoparticles and AHS was observed by infrared and fluorescence spectroscopies. The ecotoxicity and genotoxicity assays showed that humic substances can decrease the toxic effects of nanoparticles containing paraquat. These results are interesting because they are important for understanding the interaction of these nanostructured carrier systems with species present in aquatic ecosystems such as humic substances, and in this way, opening new perspectives for studies on the dynamics of these carrier systems in the ecosystem.

The International Collaboration on Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes: Initial Results

BACKGROUND: The findings of prior studies of air pollution effects on adverse birth outcomes are difficult to synthesize because of differences in study design. OBJECTIVES: The International Collaboration on Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes was formed to understand how differences in research methods contribute to variations in findings. We initiated a feasibility study to a) assess the ability of geographically diverse research groups to analyze their data sets using a common protocol and b) perform location-specific analyses of air pollution effects on birth weight using a standardized statistical approach. METHODS: Fourteen research groups from nine countries participated. We developed a protocol to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for the association between particulate matter <= 10 mu m in aerodynamic diameter (PM(10)) and low birth weight (LBW) among term births, adjusted first for socioeconomic status (SES) and second for additional location-specific variables. RESULTS: Among locations with data for the PM(10) analysis, ORs estimating the relative risk of term LBW associated with a 10-mu g/m(3) increase in average PM(10) concentration during pregnancy, adjusted for SES, ranged from 0.63 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.30-1.35] for the Netherlands to 1.15 (95% CI, 0.61-2.18) for Vancouver, with six research groups reporting statistically significant adverse associations. We found evidence of statistically significant heterogeneity in estimated effects among locations. CONCLUSIONS: Variability in PM(10)-LBW relationships among study locations remained despite use of a common statistical approach. A more detailed meta-analysis and use of more complex protocols for future analysis may uncover reasons for heterogeneity across locations. However, our findings confirm the potential for a diverse group of researchers to analyze their data in a standardized way to improve understanding of air pollution effects on birth outcomes.

Impact of outdoor biomass air pollution on hypertension hospital admissions

Background This study aimed to evaluate the association between the total suspended particles (TSP) generated from burning sugar cane plantations and the incidence of hospital admissions from hypertension in the city of Araraquara. Methods The study was an ecological time-series study. Total daily records of hypertension (ICD 10th I10-15) were obtained from admitted patients of all ages in a hospital in Araraquara, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, from 23 March 2003 to 27 July 2004. The daily concentration of TSP (mu g/m(3)) was obtained using a Handi-Vol sampler placed in downtown Araraquara. The local airport provided daily measures of temperature and humidity. In generalised linear Poisson regression models, the daily number of hospital admissions for hypertension was considered to be the dependent variable and the daily TSP concentration the independent variable. Results TSP presented a lagged effect on hypertension admissions, which was first observed 1 day after a TSP increase and remained almost unchanged for the following 2 days. A 10 mu g/m(3) increase in the TSP 3 day moving average lagged in 1 day led to an increase in hypertension-related hospital admissions during the harvest period (12.5%, 95% CI 5.6% to 19.9%) that was almost 30% higher than during non-harvest periods (9.0%, 95% CI 4.0% to 14.3%). Conclusions Increases in TSP concentrations were associated with hypertension-related hospital admissions. Despite the benefits of reduced air pollution in urban cities achieved by using ethanol produced from sugar cane to power automobiles, areas where the sugar cane is produced and harvested were found to have increased public health risk.