scholarly journals Measurement report: Seasonality, distribution and sources of organophosphate esters in PM<sub>2.5</sub> from an inland urban city in Southwest China

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (23) ◽  
pp. 14933-14945
Author(s):  
Hongling Yin ◽  
Jinfeng Liang ◽  
Di Wu ◽  
Shiping Li ◽  
Yi Luo ◽  
...  

Abstract. Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are contaminants of emerging concern, and studies have concluded that urban areas are a significant source of OPEs. Samples were collected from six ground-based sites located in Chengdu, a typical rapidly developing metropolitan area in Southwest China, and were analyzed for seven OPEs in atmospheric PM2.5 (Σ7 OPEs). The concentrations of Σ7 OPEs in PM2.5 ranged from 5.83 to 6.91 ng m−3, with a mean of 6.6 ± 3.3 ng m−3, and the primary pollutants were tris-(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP), tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), tris-(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and tris-(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP), which together made up more than 80 % of the Σ7 OPEs. The concentrations of Σ7 OPEs were higher in autumn and winter than in summer. Nonparametric tests showed that there was no significant difference in Σ7 OPE concentrations among the six sampling sites, but the occurrence of unexpectedly high levels of individual OPEs at different sites in autumn might indicate noteworthy emissions. A very strong correlation (R2 = 0.98, p < 0.01) between the OPEs in soil and in PM2.5 was observed. Backward trajectory analysis indicated that the OPEs in PM2.5 were mainly affected by local sources. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the OPEs in PM2.5 were largely sourced from the plastics industry, interior decoration and traffic emission (34.5 %) and the chemical, mechanical and electrical industries (27.8 %), while the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model revealed that the main sources were the plastics industry and indoor source emissions, the food and cosmetics industry and industrial emissions. In contrast to coastal cities, sustained and stable high local emissions in the studied inland city were identified, which is particularly noteworthy. Chlorinated phosphates, especially TCPP and TCEP, had a high content, and their usage and source emissions should be controlled.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongling Yin ◽  
Jiangfeng Liang ◽  
Di Wu ◽  
Shiping Li ◽  
Yi Luo ◽  
...  

Abstract. Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are emerging contaminants in recent years and studies concluded that urban centers were a significant source of OPEs. Samples were collected from six ground-based sites located in Chengdu, a typical fast developing metropolitan of southwest China and were analyzed for seven OPEs in atmospheric PM2.5. The concentrations of Σ7OPEs in PM2.5 ranged from 5.83 to 6.91 ng m−3, with a mean of 6.6 ± 3.3 ng m−3, and the primary pollutants were TBEP, TnBP, TCEP and TCPP which made up more than 80 % in the Σ7OPEs. The concentrations of Σ7OPEs were higher in autumn/winter than that in summer. Nonparametric test showed that there was no significant difference in Σ7OPEs concentrations among the six sampling sites, but the occurence of unexpected high level of individual OPEs at different sites in autumn might indicate that there was a noteworthy emission. Very strong correlation (R2 = 0.98, p 


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2447
Author(s):  
Reinaldo Brandi Abreu Bifano ◽  
Catarina Da Rocha Marcolin ◽  
Maria Otávia Silva Crepaldi ◽  
Raquel Viana Quinelato ◽  
Adriana Tiemi Ramos Okumura ◽  
...  

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade da água das microbacias dos rios Jardim e Mutari, situadas no Extremo Sul da Bahia, através da avaliação de parâmetros físicos, químicos, microbiológicos e do uso e ocupação da terra. Para isso foram realizadas quatro coletas, em abril, maio, julho e outubro de 2019, em 8 pontos amostrais, selecionados de acordo com possíveis fontes pontuais e difusas de poluição. Foram analisados os parâmetros temperatura, potencial hidrogeniônico (pH), salinidade, oxigênio dissolvido (OD), demanda bioquímica de oxigênio (DBO), nitrito, nitrato, amônia, nitrogênio total (NT), fósforo total (PT), sólidos dissolvidos totais, coliformes totais e termotolerantes, que foram comparados com o estabelecido pela CONAMA n° 357/2005. Já as análises de uso e ocupação da terra, foram realizadas utilizando o software QGIS. Com os resultados obtidos observou-se que os parâmetros pH, OD, DBO, PT e NT apresentaram valores em desacordo com o permitido pela legislação, principalmente nos pontos próximos às áreas urbanizadas. A análise estatística multivariada PCA, permitiu identificar diferenças na qualidade da água das microbacias no período seco e chuvoso.Já o teste Kruskal-Wallis indicou diferença significativa entre os ambientes analisados. Nossos resultados indicam que é de suma importância a tomada de ações por parte do poder público que visem minimizar os impactos causados pelo uso e ocupação desordenada da terra e atividades agrícolas na qualidade da água dessas bacias hidrográficas. Cabe destacar também a importância de ações voltadas a educação ambiental principalmente da população ribeirinha.  Water Quality Assessment in Hydrographic Watersheds in the Extreme South of Bahia, BrazilA B S T R A C TThis study aimed to evaluate the water quality of the Jardim and Mutari rivers, located in southern Bahia, by means of evaluating physical, chemical and microbiological parameters and land use and occupation. Four campaigns were carried out in April, May, July, and October, 2019, at 8 stations, selected according to possible punctual and diffusive sources of pollution. The water quality results were compared with that established by CONAMA n.º 357/2005and the Water Quality Index (IQA) was calculated from these. For data analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was also performed and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied, using the PAST software.The land use and occupation analyses were performed using the QGIS software. We observed that the pH, OD, DBO, PT and NT were in disagreement with those allowed by the legislation, mainly near urban areas. The multivariate statistical analysis PCA, allowed to identify differences in the water quality of the watersheds in the dry and rainy period. The Kruskal-Wallis test indicated a significant difference between the environments analyzed.The supervised classification confirmed the need to recover areas along the riverbed within the analyzed micro-basins.Our results indicate it is crucial that public authorities act to minimize the impacts caused by the disorderly urban occupation and agricultural activities. It is also worth mentioning the importance of actions aimed at environmental education, mainly of the riverside population.Keywords: water quality, physical, chemical and biological parameters, hydrographic basins, rivers. 


2021 ◽  
pp. 097275312199849
Author(s):  
Raghuram Nagarathna ◽  
M Madhava ◽  
Suchitra S Patil ◽  
Amit Singh ◽  
K. Perumal ◽  
...  

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major noncommunicable disease. While mortality rates are increasing, the costs of managing the disease are also increasing. The all-India average monthly expenditure per person (pppm) is reported to be ₹ 1,098.25, which translates to an annual expenditure of ₹13,179 per person. Purpose: While a number of studies have gone into the aspect of the cost of disease management, we do not find any study which has pan-India reach. We also do not find studies that focus on differences (if any) between rural and urban areas, age or on the basis of gender. We planned to report the cost of illness (COI) in diabetes individuals as compared to others from the data of a pan-India trial. Methods: Government of India commissioned the Indian Yoga Association to study the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in India in 2017. As part of the questionnaire, the cost of treatment was also captured. Data collected from 25 states and union territories were analyzed using the analysis of covriance (ANCOVA) test on SPSS version 21. Results: There was a significant difference ( P < .05) between the average expenses per person per month (pppm) of individuals with self-reported known diabetes (₹1,357.65 pppm) and others (unknown and/or nondiabetes individuals–₹ 999.91 pppm). Similarly, there was a significant difference between rural (₹2,893 pppm) and urban (₹4,162 pppm) participants and between those below (₹1,996 pppm) and above 40 years (₹5,059 pppm) of age. Conclusion: This preliminary report has shown that the COI because of diabetes is significantly higher than others pointing to an urgent need to promote disease-preventive measures.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 124-125
Author(s):  
Raul Castro-Portuguez ◽  
Samuel Freitas ◽  
George Sutphin

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent cancer in the liver. The majority of ingested tryptophan is processed in the liver through the kynurenine pathway, the endpoint of which is de novo NAD+ biosynthesis. Dysregulation of tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism and NAD+ synthesis may promote mitochondrial malfunction, tumor reprogramming, and carcinogenesis. Using a publicly available gene expression dataset from liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) samples available through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA; n = 371), we employed Principal Component Analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering, gene-pattern expression profiling, and survival analysis to cluster patients and determine overall survival. Our analysis of genes encoding kynurenine pathway enzymes determined that patients with high QPRT expression had a poor prognosis with decreased median survival, with no effect on the maximum survival. There is a significant difference in the survival between patients with high QPRT expression relative to patients with high HAAO/AFMID expression (HR = 1.2, [95% CI 0.5-1.8] P = 0.0181, Gehan-Breslow-Wilcoxon Test). Patients with high QPRT expression have higher survival rates compared with low QPRT expression (HR = 1.4, [95% CI 0.9-2.2] P = 0.0344, Gehan-Breslow-Wilcoxon Test). To test the consequences of kynurenine-pathway inhibition in mitochondrial function and morphology we use 4-Cl-3HAA, an irreversible HAAO inhibitor, and observed a small increase in mitochondrial fragmentation in HepG2 cells after 24 hours of treatment. We conclude that kynurenine metabolism may be useful as a biomarker to predict patient prognosis among HCC patients. In ongoing work, we are testing QPRT inhibitors in cell culture as a potential adjuvant for chemotherapies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mojdeh Mirmomen ◽  
Andrew E. Arai ◽  
Evrim B. Turkbey ◽  
Andrew J. Bradley ◽  
Julie C. Sapp ◽  
...  

AbstractIn this work, we sought to delineate the prevalence of cardiothoracic imaging findings of Proteus syndrome in a large cohort at our institution. Of 53 individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of Proteus syndrome at our institution from 10/2001 to 10/2019, 38 individuals (men, n = 23; average age = 24 years) underwent cardiothoracic imaging (routine chest CT, CT pulmonary angiography and/or cardiac MRI). All studies were retrospectively and independently reviewed by two fellowship-trained cardiothoracic readers. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. Differences between variables were analyzed via parametric and nonparametric tests based on the normality of the distribution. The cardiothoracic findings of Proteus syndrome were diverse, but several were much more common and included: scoliosis from bony overgrowth (94%), pulmonary venous dilation (62%), band-like areas of lung scarring (56%), and hyperlucent lung parenchyma (50%). In addition, of 20 individuals who underwent cardiac MRI, 9/20 (45%) had intramyocardial fat, mostly involving the endocardial surface of the left ventricular septal wall. There was no statistically significant difference among the functional cardiac parameters between individuals with and without intramyocardial fat. Only one individual with intramyocardial fat had mildly decreased function (LVEF = 53%), while all others had normal ejection fraction.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 936
Author(s):  
Milan Kojić ◽  
Branka Protić Gava ◽  
Milan Bajin ◽  
Marko Vasiljević ◽  
Jasmina Bašić ◽  
...  

Background: The research objective of the study is to determine the differences in the manifestation of the motor status of normally fed preschool test subjects, classified into groups according to foot status. Methods: This is a simple, comparative observational study. Preschool children included in this study have been subjected to anthropometric measurements in order to determine BMI, tests for motor skills assessment (running at 20 m from a high start, standing broad jump, backwards polygon, rectangular seated forward bend, plate tapping, sit-ups for 60 s, and bent arm hang), and a determination of foot status. The total sample was comprised of 202 test subjects who attended a regular sports program, aged 3.9 to 6.5 years of decimal age (M = 141; Age = 5.3 ± 0.74; Height = 117.3 ± 7.1; Weight = 22 ± 3.7; F = 61; Age = 5.1 ± 0.73; Height = 114.9 ± 7.4; Weight = 21.2 ± 3.8), of which 153 (75.7%) were normally fed, 6 (3%) were undernourished, 30 were overweight (14.9%), and 13 were obese (6.4%). Results: In the total sample, 30 (14.9%) subjects had normal arch feet, 90 (44.6%) high arched feet, and 41 (20.3%) flat feet. We found 41 (20.3%) subjects who had different left and right foot statuses within this sample. The data were processed by means of nonparametric tests (the Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests) at a significance level p ≤ 0.05. Conclusion: The results show that there is a statistically significant difference between groups of subjects with different foot statuses in the manifestation of motor status in most tests, with a significance level of p ≤ 0.01, and in tests of sit-ups for 60 s and the bent arm hang, there is a statistically significant difference, the level of which is p ≤ 0.05. It is only in the inclination test of rectangular seated forward bend that no statistically significant difference was displayed.


Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1365
Author(s):  
Kun He ◽  
Zhenxing Shen ◽  
Jian Sun ◽  
Yali Lei ◽  
Yue Zhang ◽  
...  

The profiles, contributions to ozone formation, and associated health risks of 56 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) species were investigated using high time resolution observations from photochemical assessment monitoring stations (PAMs) in Luoyang, China. The daily averaged concentration of total VOCs (TVOCs) was 21.66 ± 10.34 ppbv in urban areas, 14.45 ± 7.40 ppbv in suburbs, and 37.58 ± 13.99 ppbv in an industrial zone. Overall, the VOCs levels in these nine sites followed a decreasing sequence of alkanes > aromatics > alkenes > alkyne. Diurnal variations in VOCs exhibited two peaks at 8:00–9:00 and 19:00–20:00, with one valley at 23:00–24:00. Source apportionment indicated that vehicle and industrial emissions were the dominant sources of VOCs in urban and suburban sites. The industrial site displayed extreme levels, with contributions from petrochemical-related sources of up to 38.3%. Alkenes and aromatics displayed the highest ozone formation potentials because of their high photochemical reactivity. Cancer and noncancer risks in the industrial site were higher than those in the urban and suburban areas, and USEPA possible risk thresholds were reached in the industrial site, indicating PAMs VOC–related health problems cannot be ignored. Therefore, vehicle and industrial emissions should be prioritized when considering VOCs and O3 control strategies in Luoyang.


2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 715-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivy Drafor

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the spatial disparity between rural and urban areas in Ghana using the Ghana Living Standards Survey’s (GLSS) rounds 5 and 6 data to advance the assertion that an endowed rural sector is necessary to promote agricultural development in Ghana. This analysis helps us to know the factors that contribute to the depravity of the rural sectors to inform policy towards development targeting. Design/methodology/approach A multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis were applied to data from the GLSS-5 and GLSS-6 to determine the characteristics of the rural-urban divide in Ghana. Findings The findings reveal that the rural poor also spend 60.3 per cent of their income on food, while the urban dwellers spend 49 per cent, which is an indication of food production capacity. They have low access to information technology facilities, have larger household sizes and lower levels of education. Rural areas depend a lot on firewood for cooking and use solar/dry cell energies and kerosene for lighting which have implications for conserving the environment. Practical implications Developing the rural areas to strengthen agricultural growth and productivity is a necessary condition for eliminating spatial disparities and promoting overall economic development in Ghana. Addressing rural deprivation is important for conserving the environment due to its increased use of fuelwood for cooking. Absence of alternatives to the use of fuelwood weakens the efforts to reduce deforestation. Originality/value The application of PCA to show the factors that contribute to spatial inequality in Ghana using the GLSS-5 and GLSS-6 data is unique. The study provides insights into redefining the framework for national poverty reduction efforts.


Author(s):  
Carlos Mena Canata ◽  
Rebeca Noemí Ruiz Vallejos

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of adenotonsillectomy on the quality of life of postoperative patients.The study is observational, cross-sectional, and retrospective. The files of all postoperative adenotonsillectomy patients in Otorhinolaryngology Service, Hospital de Clínicas, San Lorenzo Paraguay. The Obstructive sleep apnea – 18 questionnaire (OSA 18) was applied, asking patients about symptoms before and after surgery. An effective sample of 143 postoperative patients was obtained. The average age was 6.05 ± 2.08 years, 55.10% (81) were male and 44.89% (66) were female, 65.30% (96) were from urban areas and 34.69% (51) from the rural areas. The t test was performed for means of two paired samples, comparing the results of the Obstructive sleep apnea – 18 questionnaire surveys before and after surgery which presented a significant difference (p <0.05) with a tendency to improve the quality of life after surgery. It has been shown that there is a significant difference, a considerable improvement in the quality of life of patients after adenotonsillectomy.


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