Hydrogen selenide: Risk assessment, environmental, and health hazard

Abstract Introduction Blast overpressure health hazard assessment is required prior to fielding of weapon systems that produce blast overpressures that pose risk of auditory and nonauditory blast lung injuries. The anthropomorphic blast test device (ABTD) offers a single device solution for collection of both auditory and nonauditory data from a single blast at anthropometrically correct locations for injury risk assessment. It also allows for better replication of personnel positioning during weapons firings. The ABTD is an update of the blast test device (BTD), the current Army standard for collection of thoracic blast loading data. Validation testing of the ABTD is required to ensure that lung injury model validated using BTD collected test data and sheep subjects is still applicable when the ABTD is used. Methods Open field validation blast tests were conducted with BTD and ABTD placed at matching locations. Tests at seven blast strength levels were completed spanning the range of overpressures for occupational testing. Results The two devices produced very similar values for lung injury dose over all blast levels and orientations. Conclusion The ABTD was validated successfully for open field tests. For occupational blast injury assessments, ABTD can be used in place of the BTD and provide enhanced capabilities.

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Human Health Risk Assessment of Some Toxic Metals in Groundwater Resources in Four Selected Towns of Delta State, Nigeria

Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology ◽

10.9734/jabb/2020/v23i730164 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

K. Nkitikpor ◽

R. E. Jemerigbe

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Health Risk ◽

Human Health ◽

Health Risk Assessment ◽

Toxic Metals ◽

Groundwater Resources ◽

Health Hazard ◽

Human Health Risk ◽

Groundwater Samples ◽

Groundwater Consumption

Aims: The health risk assessment of some toxic metals in groundwater in four selected towns of Delta State, Nigeria was confirmed by this study. Methodology: Ninety six groundwater samples were obtained from sixty four hand-dug wells and thirty two boreholes between December 2016 and May 2017. Samples were analyzed for heavy metals using standard procedures. Data collected was subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows version 22.0. Health Risk Assessment for Non cancer hazard and carcinogenic effects were determined. Results: The HQ of Cr, Mn and Ni were below 1.0 indicating no threat to the water consumers while the HQ values for Pb, Cd and Cu were above 1.0 indicating risk to human health. The HI value was found to be greater than 1.0, indicating noncarcinogenic adverse effects. The estimated Lifetime of Carcinogenic Risks (LTCR) for Pb, Cr, Cd and Ni exceeded the predicted lifetime risk for carcinogens of 10−6 from ingestion pathway. The groundwater had higher risks of Cr and Cd as LTCR value in most sites were >10−4. The high LTCR should be given high priority as public health is concerned. Conclusions: This study indicated possible non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic human health hazard from groundwater consumption in study area through oral consumption.

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Risk management and environmental benefits of a prospective system for indirect potable reuse of municipal wastewater in France

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2019.025 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 1533-1540

Author(s):

C. Remy ◽

W. Seis ◽

U. Miehe ◽

J. Orsoni ◽

J. Bortoli

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Water Supply ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Municipal Wastewater ◽

Health Hazard ◽

Operating Mode ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Initial State ◽

Potable Reuse ◽

Indirect Potable Reuse

Abstract This paper presents the assessment of a planned scheme of indirect potable reuse (IPR) in the Vendée region of France in its potential risks for human health and ecosystems, and also in its overall environmental impacts. Methods of risk assessment (quantitative microbial and chemical risk assessment) and life cycle assessment (LCA) are used to characterize the risk associated with the use of reclaimed water for IPR, but also the environmental benefits compared with other options for additional drinking water supply. The LCA results show that IPR is competitive with other options of water supply in its energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. Pathogens as the main health hazard are controlled effectively by existing and planned preventive measures. For chemicals the number of potentially relevant substances could be reduced substantially by the assessment. A demonstrator phase should now be implemented to validate the outcomes of this prospective assessment by improving data quality of the initial state and by monitoring effective impacts in an operating mode.

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Screening Risk Assessment of Agricultural Areas under a High Level of Anthropopressure Based on Chemical Indexes and VIS-NIR Spectroscopy

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules25143151 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (14) ◽

pp. 3151

Author(s):

Agnieszka Klimkowicz-Pawlas ◽

Guillaume Debaene

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Human Health ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Health Hazard ◽

Nir Spectroscopy ◽

Concentration Addition ◽

Anthropogenic Activity ◽

Study Region ◽

Binary Model ◽

High Level

Intensive anthropogenic activity may result in uncontrolled release of various pollutants that ultimately accumulate in soils and may adversely affect ecosystems and human health. Hazard screening, prioritisation and subsequent risk assessment are usually performed on a chemical-by-chemical basis and need expensive and time-consuming methods. Therefore, there is a need to look for fast and reliable methods of risk assessment and contamination prediction in soils. One promising technique in this regard is visible and near infrared (VIS-NIR) spectroscopy. The aim of the study was to evaluate potential environmental risk in soils subjected to high level of anthropopressure using VIS-NIR spectroscopy and to calculate several risk indexes for both individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their mixture. Results showed that regarding 16PAH concentration, 78% of soil samples were contaminated. Risk assessment using the most conservative approach based on hazard quotients (HQ) for 10 individual PAHs allowed to conclude that 62% of the study area needs further action. Application of concentration addition or response addition models for 16PAHs mixture gave a more realistic assessment and indicates unacceptable risk in 23% and 55% of soils according to toxic units (TUm) and toxic pressure (TPm) approach. Toxic equivalency quotients (TEQ) were below the safe limit for human health protection in 88% of samples from study region. We present here the first attempt at predicting risk indexes using VIS-NIR spectroscopy. The best results were obtained with binary models. The accuracy of binary model can be ordered as follows: TPm (71.6%) < HI (85.1%) < TUm (87.9%) and TEQ (94.6%). Both chemical indexes and VIS-NIR can be successfully applied for first-tier risk assessment.

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