ASSESSMENT OF OUTDOOR RADIATION EXPOSURE LEVELS AND HUMAN HEALTH RISK IN A MAJOR SCRAP METAL MARKET IN ABUJA

Background: Scrap metal can contain sources of radiation with the associated environmental and health risks. Radioactive substances can become associated with scrap metal in various ways and if not discovered they can be incorporated into steel and non-ferrous metals through the melting process. This can cause health hazards to workers and to the public as well as environmental concerns Objectives: this study aimed at assessing the outdoor radiation exposure levels and human health risk in a major scrap metal market in Abuja, FCT. Method: An in-situ measurement approach was adopted using a factory calibrated Radiagem-2000 Universal Survey Meter and a handheld Global Positioning System (Garmin GPS 76S) equipment. The monitor was suspended in air at one meter above the ground level. Readings were obtained between the hours of 1200 and 1600 hours since the exposure rate meter has a maximum response to environmental radiation within these hours. Results: The results showed that the average values for the outdoor exposure dose rate for the three location ranges from 0.173±0.042 μSv/h to 0.177±0.046 μSv/h with a mean of 0.176±0.045 μSv/h. These values, though, slightly higher than the standard background radiation of 0.133 μSv/h,are below the ICRP maximum permissible limit of 0.57 μSv/h. The results also show that the AEDE values are lower than the ICRP recommended limits of 1.0 mSv/y for the public and 20 mSv/y for occupationally exposed workers. The ELCR ranges from 0.5926 x 10-3 to 0.6049 x 10-3 with a mean of 0.6008 x 10-3 which is 2.1 times higher than the world’s average. The dosage to organs received shows that the testes have the highest dose while the liver has the lowest dose. The result of the dose to the organs showed that all the values are below the international tolerable limits. Conclusion: Generally, The radiological assessment shows that the study area does not constitute any immediate radiological health effect on the workers and the general public due to radiation exposure rate.

Download Full-text

The Use of 'No Evidence' Statements in Public Health

Informal Logic ◽

10.22329/il.v35i1.4119 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 32 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Louise Cummings

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Risk ◽

Health Communication ◽

Human Health ◽

Human Health Risk ◽

Public Health Communication ◽

The Public

Public health communication makes extensive use of a linguistic formulation that will be called the “no evidence” statement. This is a written or spoken statement of the form “There is no evidence that P” where P stands for a proposition that typically describes a human health risk. Danger lurks in these expressions for the hearer or reader who is not logically perspicacious, as arguments that use them are only warranted under certain conditions. The extent to which members of the public are able to determine what those conditions are will be considered by examining data obtained from 879 subjects. The role of “no evidence” statements as cognitive heuristics in public health reasoning is considered.

Download Full-text

Outcome of the public consultation on the draft EFSA Opinion on the impact of non‐monotonic dose responses on EFSA´s human health risk assessments

EFSA Supporting Publications ◽

10.2903/sp.efsa.2021.en-6878 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Health Risk ◽

Human Health ◽

Human Health Risk ◽

Public Consultation ◽

Risk Assessments ◽

The Public ◽

Dose Responses ◽

The Impact ◽

Health Risk Assessments

Download Full-text

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in commercially important fish species from the tropical river estuary suggests higher potential child health risk than adults

10.1101/681478 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

A. S. Shafiuddin Ahmed ◽

Sharmin Sultana ◽

Ahasan Habib ◽

Hadayet Ullah ◽

Najiah Musa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Health Risk ◽

Human Health ◽

Fish Species ◽

Health Effect ◽

Human Health Risk ◽

River Estuary ◽

Commercially Important ◽

Potential Human Health Risk ◽

Potential Human Health

AbstractThe Karnaphuli, a major river of Bangladesh, located off the coast of Chittagong in the Bay of Bengal is largely exposed to the heavy metal pollutants, which may be toxic to humans and aquatic fauna. The estuary is a striking example of a site where human pressure and ecological values collide with each other. In spite of being a major supplier of fish food for local community, there has been no study carried out to date to assess the potential human health risk due to heavy metal contamination in the fish species from this estuary. Therefore, the aim of present study was to assess bioaccumulation status and the potential human health risk evaluation for local consumers. Six commercially important fish species, Apocryptes bato, Pampus chinensis, Hyporhamphus limbatus, Liza parsia, Mugil cephalus, and Tenualosa toil from the Karnaphuli River estuary were collected to analyze heavy metals concentration level. Heavy metals As, Pb, Cd, Cr and Cu were detected from the samples using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (Model: ELAN9000, Perkin-Elmer, Germany). The hierarchy of the measured concentration level of the metals was as follows: Pb (mean: 13.88, range: 3.19 - 6.19) > Cu (mean: 12.10, range: 10.27 - 16.41) > As (mean: 4.89, range: 3.19 – 6.19) > Cr (mean: 3.36, range: 2.46 – 4.17) > Cd (mean: 0.39, range: 0.21 - 0.74). The Fulton’s condition factor denoted that organisms were particularly in better ‘condition’ and most of the species were in positive allometric growth. The Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) observed in the species of the contaminants were organized in the following ranks: Cu (1971.42) > As (1042.93) > Pb (913.66) > Cr (864.99) > Cd (252.03), and among all the specimens, demersal fish, A. bato corresponded to the maximum bio-accumulative organism. Estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ) and carcinogenic risk (CR) assessed for human health risk implications suggest that the values are within the acceptable threshold for all sorts of consumers. Hence none of them would experience non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health effect for the ingestion of the fishes. However, children are shown to be largely susceptible than adults to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health effect due to the consumption of fish. Therefore, an appropriate guidlines and robust management measures needed to be taken to restore the estuarine health condition for greater benefit of the quality of fish products for local consumption.Graphical abstract

Download Full-text

Report of the public consultation on the EFSA draft guidance on human health risk-benefit assessment of foods

EFSA Journal ◽

10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1674 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 1674 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Health Risk ◽

Human Health ◽

Human Health Risk ◽

Benefit Assessment ◽

Public Consultation ◽

Draft Guidance ◽

The Public ◽

Risk Benefit Assessment

Download Full-text

Investigation of gaseous pollutants in residential-industrial area: Ambient levels, temporal variation and health risk assessment

Journal of Air Pollution and Health ◽

10.18502/japh.v4i2.1236 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Ahmad Tarassoli ◽

Abbas Esmaili Sari ◽

Nader Bahramifar

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Health Risk ◽

Human Health ◽

Health Risk Assessment ◽

Hazard Quotient ◽

Health Effect ◽

Human Health Risk ◽

Ground Level ◽

Temporal Variations ◽

Pollutant Emissions

Introduction: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the ambient concentration levels of ground-level ozone (GLO), nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide with temporal variations and to determine the risk of exposure to their pollutant on public people living in this area. Materials and methods: In the present study, GLO, NOx and SO2 concentrations were monitored using an ambient analyzer during the period of April to September 2018. Results: The obtained results demonstrated that the average concentrations of SO2, NO2 and GLO in the INZ station was significantly greater than the two other evaluated stations (i.e. SHV and CMC). The corresponding values for the measured parameters in INZ station was almost 8.9, 7.2 and 11.9 times higher than those in SHV station, however, 4.8, 5.3 and 2.9 times greater than of ones in CMC station, respectively. The average values of SO2 and NO2 concentrations in the INZ varied from 97.2 to 128.1 μg/m3 in the evening hours and from 50.2 to 62.3 μg/m3 in the morning hours respectively. Also, the lowest concentration of NO2 was observed during afternoon hours when GLO showed a peak. The maximum pikes of GLO concentration were observed at 13:00 PM with 249.3 μg/m3. Results of human health risk assessment indicated acceptable risk (hazard quotient (HQ) values˂ 1) for non-carcinogenic adverse health effect. Conclusion: The findings in the present study can be useful in developing control-based strategies for primary pollutant emissions, and also GLO formation, improve air quality and reducing possible risks on human health. Policymakers should enforce the limits on the release of pollutants into the atmosphere in the study area by strengthening existing legislation.

Download Full-text