scholarly journals A Study of PM 10, PM 2.5 Concentrations in the Atmospheric Air in Kraków, Poland

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maciej CIEPIELA ◽  
Wiktoria SOBCZYK
Keyword(s):  
Weather Conditions ◽  
World Health ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation ◽  
Airborne Dust ◽  
Permissible Levels ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Pm2.5 And Pm10 ◽  
Pm 10 ◽  
Autumn And Winter ◽  
Monitoring Stations

The air in Kraków is one of the most polluted in Europe. Polish standards for notification and alert levels for PM10 particulate matterare one of the the highest in Europe and exceed the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) for safe daily concentrations by several times. The article presents the results of airborne dust measurements in three districts of Kraków. The study hasshown that the concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter exceeded the annual average permissible levels. Empirical measurements of PM2.5 show significantly higher air pollution values than the data notified by stationary monitoring stations installed intwo locations. The high value of Pearson linear correlation coefficient confirms that weather conditions have a significant impact on airquality in Kraków. Wind speed in the autumn and winter seasons has by far the greatest influence on air quality in al. Krasińskiego,in the Ruczaj and Kurdwanów districts. A strong negative correlation was displayed. Manual measurements should be used to verifydata obtained from air monitoring stations. It is to be expected that, in Kraków, air purity will improve due to the implementation ofan anti-smog resolution and subsidies for the replacement of obsolete heating systems with more environmentally friendly solutions.

scholarly journals Water Quality of the Trstionica River (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 371-376
Author(s):  
Šuhreta Delibašić ◽  
Jasna Huremović ◽  
Sabina Žero ◽  
Sabina Gojak-Salimović
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Ion Exchange Resin ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Health Organization

The present study was conducted to investigate the water quality of the Trstionica River, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The physicochemical properties (temperature, pH, conductivity, total solids after evaporation at 105 °C), content of metals (calcium (Ca), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn)), and anions (chloride (Cl–), and phosphate (PO43–)) were determined in water samples collected at seven locations during two sampling periods: unstable weather conditions (precipitation), and stable weather conditions (without precipitation). There was a significant difference in the content of individual parameters in the river water depending on the sampling time. For determination of metals concentrations, which were below the limit of detection, a preconcentration method using an ion-exchange resin was applied. The metals concentrations during the rainy day were in the order Ca > Mg > Na > Fe > Cu > Zn > Pb > Mn with mean values of 343, 6.03, 1.94, 0.18, 0.20, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01 mg dm–3, respectively, and during stable weather conditions: Ca > Mg > Na > Cu > Fe > Mn > Zn with mean values of 288, 7.62, 2.38, 0.11, 0.10, 0.01, 0.01 mg dm–3, respectively. Cd, Cr, and Ni concentrations were below limit of detection in both cases. Obtained values were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) regulations. The results showed that the Trstionica River in the investigated part of the stream meets most of the parameters required by the regulations. The correlation between analysed parameters was assessed, as well. Based on the calculated water quality index values, the water of Trstionica River falls into the category of excellent water.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of Surveys to Estimate Food Additive Intake

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 812
Author(s):  
Gina L. Trakman ◽  
Winnie Lin ◽  
Amy L. Wilson-O’Brien ◽  
Annalise Stanley ◽  
Amy L. Hamilton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kappa Coefficient ◽  
Food Additive ◽  
World Health ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Food Standards ◽  
Recent Part ◽  
Permissible Levels ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Development And Validation

(1) Background: The Food Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) International Food Standards Codex Alimentarius CXS 192e International Food Standards (hereafter, CODEX) declares additives non-toxic, but they have been associated with changes to the microbiota changes and thinning of the mucus layer of the gut. Their widespread use has occurred in parallel with increased inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) incidence. This paper reports on the development and validation of surveys to estimate additive intake. (2) Methods: Dietitians created a food-additive database, with a focus on additives that have been associated with IBD. For each additive, information on the CODEX food-category they are permitted in and the associated maximum permissible levels (mg/kg) was recorded. Based on the database, questions to assess early life (part 1) and recent (part 2) additive intake were written. Forward–backward translation from English to Chinese was undertaken. Thirty-one individuals were evaluated to assess understandability. A further fifty-seven individuals completed the tool on two occasions, a fortnight apart; agreement was assessed using Cohen’s kappa coefficient or the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). (3) Results: The participants reported that it was difficult to remember food intake and estimate portion sizes. The participants also noted confusion around the term ‘home-grown’. Instructions and definitions were added; after this, respondents judged the questionnaires as clear. The average kappa coefficient for part 1 and part 2 questions were 0.61 and 0.67, respectively. The average ICC ranged from 0.30 to 0.94; three food lists were removed due to low reliability. (4) Conclusions: Two tools have been created and validated, in two languages, that reliably assess remote and recent food additive intake.

The bacterial quality of salad crops drip and furrow irrigated with waste stabilization pond effluent: an evaluation of the who guidelines

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (12) ◽  
pp. 425-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. X. Bastos ◽  
D. D. Mara
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
World Health ◽  
Stabilization Pond ◽  
Waste Stabilization Pond ◽  
Waste Stabilization ◽  
Contamination Levels ◽  
Health Organization

Field- and glasshouse-grown lettuces and radishes were drip- and furrow-irrigated with waste stabilization pond effluent and with trickling filter effluent diluted with clean water. Crop contamination levels varied considerably. Under dry weather conditions they were at worst of the orders of 103 and 104E. coli per 100 g (fresh weight) for radishes and lettuces, respectively; salmonellae were always absent. The bacterial quality of experimental lettuces was similar to those of lettuces on sale in local markets. When rainfall occurred E. coli numbers increased and salmonellae were isolated from lettuce surfaces. These results are interpreted as partially, substantiating the current World Health Organization bacteriological guideline for unrestricted wastewater reuse, but suggest the need for further assessment on the variation in crop contamination caused by climatic conditions.

scholarly journals Predictors of quality of life after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury

2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 409-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karina Tavares Weber ◽  
Viviane Assunção Guimarães ◽  
Octávio M Pontes Neto ◽  
João P. Leite ◽  
Osvaldo Massaiti Takayanagui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
World Health ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation ◽  
Assessment Protocol ◽  
Health Organization

ABSTRACT Objective To verify correlations between age, injury severity, length of stay (LOS), cognition, functional capacity and quality of life (QOL) six months after hospital discharge (HD) of victims of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Method 50 patients consecutively treated in a Brazilian emergency hospital were assessed at admission, HD and six months after HD. The assessment protocol consisted in Abbreviated Injury Scale, Injury Severity Score, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Revised Trauma Score (RTS), Mini Mental Test, Barthel Index and World Health Organization QOL - Brief. Results Strong negative correlation was observed between LOS and GCS and LOS and RTS. An almost maximal correlation was found between RTS and GCS and functional capacity and GCS at HD. Age and LOS were considered independent predictors of QOL. Conclusion Age and LOS are independent predictors of QOL after moderate to severe TBI.

scholarly journals Effect of Lockdown,Temperature,and Humidity on the Pattern of COVID-19 in Erbil Province,Kurdistan Region, Iraq

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-67
Author(s):  
Rundk Hwaiz ◽  
◽  
Katan Ali ◽  
Namir Al-Tawil
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Death Rate ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Temperature And Humidity ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization

Background: COVID-19 was first reported in Erbil province in Iraq on March 19, 2020. The effect of lockdown on reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus and the effect of weather conditions (air temperature and humidity) on the daily reported number of cases and death rate of COVID-19 were investigated during April to July, 2020. Objective: To investigate the effect of lock down on reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the effect of weather conditions (air temperature and humidity) on the daily reported number of cases and death rate of COVID-19. Patients and Methods: The data collected during three different periods, the first (total lockdown), followed by the second period of lockdown relaxation, which was followed by the third period (interrupted relaxation of lockdown) that reported hundreds of new cases daily. The real-time PCR .assay was performed on suspected COVID-19 patients according to the protocol established by the World Health Organization. Results: Temperature and relative humidity were recorded in Erbil city in Iraq. Patients’ age ranged (2-70) years old. Out of (1469) patients confirmed positive with COVID-19, 57.7% of them were males, 31.3% were females, and the rest (11%) were children. The mean number of patients per day was 32.77 during the period of interrupted relaxation lockdown which was significantly higher than in the total-lock down period (3.88 patient), and the relaxation lockdown period (1.93 patient). The mortality rate per day was 0.77 during the period of interrupted relaxation lockdown was significantly higher than the rates (0.0%) of the other periods. Moreover, increasing the temperature increased the number of confirmed cases in July while, low relative humidity significantly increased the rate of reported cases. Conclusion: The increase in the number of reported cases of COVID-19, might be related to the interruption of lockdown. Moreover, the daily reported cases and mortality rates increased by increasing the temperature from April to June.

scholarly journals Toxic Metal Concentrations in Drinking Water and Possible Effect on Sex Hormones among Men in Sabongida-Ora, Edo State, Nigeria

Medicines ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Osaro Ogie Enehizena ◽  
Mathias A. Emokpae
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Toxic Metal ◽  
World Health ◽  
Treated Water ◽  
Borehole Water ◽  
Dug Wells ◽  
Permissible Levels ◽  
Edo State ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Dug Well

Drinking water can be a potential source of toxic metals, which are a known leading cause of infertility in men. This study determines the concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) in drinking water (borehole, hand-dug well and treated water) and sex hormone levels (serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PROL), estradiol (E2), progesterone (PROG), and testosterone (T) in males who drink water mainly from these sources. The concentrations of Cd, and Pb in hand-dug wells were higher than the permissible limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) while Zn and Cu were within the permissible levels in drinking water. Blood Cd and Pb levels were significantly higher (p < 0.001) among subjects who consumed hand-dug and borehole water than treated water, while serum Zn was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in hand-dug well and borehole water consumers than in control subjects. Also, serum FSH (p < 0.001), LH (p < 0.001), E2 (p < 0.002), PROG (p < 0.04) and T (p < 0.001) were significantly lower among hand-dug well and borehole water consumers than controls, while PROL (p < 0.001) was significantly higher in hand-dug well and borehole water consumers than controls. Blood Cd and Pb levels were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in hand-dug well water consumers than borehole water consumers. The consumption of water from hand-dug wells may have adverse reproductive sequelae among consumers.

scholarly journals The Health Benefits of Heavy Metals in Herbal Drinks, Nigeria

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Toxic Metal ◽  
World Health ◽  
Waste Streams ◽  
Herbal Products ◽  
Medicinal Uses ◽  
Analytical Technique ◽  
Permissible Levels ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Toxic Metal Contamination

Herbal drinks are on the increase as they are being imported into developing countries like Nigeria for perceived medicinal uses. The presence of heavy metals in herbal drinks has received special attention due to their interactions with drugs and consequent effect in public health. Toxic metal contamination of soil, aqueous waste streams and groundwater causes major environmental and human health problems. Ten brands of herbal drinks from different supermarkets in Nigeria were randomly sampled and purchased. All samples were pretreated using acid digestion and the concentration of selected heavy metals (As, Pb, Cd, Co, and Cr) and metals (Zn, Fe, Mg and Ca) were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. For all the herbal samples analyzed, heavy metals such as arsenic (As) and Copper (Co) were the predominant heavy metals that were detected while the rest were of low significant values using the available analytical technique, also the analyzed metals that were equally present in large proportion were Magnesium and Calcium. The metals analyzed occur within varying concentrations. In comparison with permissible levels of herbal products by World Health Organization (Pb) 10ppm, (As) 10ppm, (Cd) 0.30ppm, it can be concluded that the herbal drinks although very useful and medicinal, they can pose health risk to the consumer if not properly processed or purified.

scholarly journals Seasonal Variation and COVID-19 Pandemic in Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-80
Author(s):  
Puspa Dhakal ◽  
Bishnu Pd. Pokhrel
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Dispersal Pattern ◽  
Syncytial Virus ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization has declared the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Covid-19 as a pandemic as it has spread globally. Understanding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) global dispersal pattern, it is important to know the environmental parameters within which the virus survives. There is adequate evidence in epidemiological and biological aspects to prove human beings are prone to viral pathogens such as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza virus in cold weather. Apart from the influence of seasonality, other factors that might impact the rate of virus spread includes the effectiveness of infection control practices, individual behavior and immunity, and emergency preparedness levels of countries. This viewpoint highlights the potential influence of weather conditions, seasons, and non-climatological factors on the geographical spread of cases of COVID-19 across the globe.

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