Abstract

Levels of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 30 edible tissues of selected frequently-consumed fish and seafood collected from three coastal waters of Niger Delta, namely, Sime, Kporghor and Iko were investigated in 2014. Gas chromatographic analysis were employed for PAHs determination. Observed mean PAHs levels in the samples ranged from below detection limit (BD) of analytical instrument to 22.400 ± 0.050 μg kg−1 wet wt. in Littorina littorea, BD to 87.400 ± 0.030 μg kg−1 wet wt. in Crassostrea virginica and from BD to 171.000 ± 0.430 μg kg−1 wet wt. in Periophthalmus koeleuteri. The highest average concentration of 171.000 ± 0.430 μg kg−1 wet wt. was recorded for Indeno [1, 2, 3-cd]pyrene from Sime water. High molecular weight PAHs (HMW-PAHs) were generally predominant compared to low molecular weight PAHs (LMW-PAHs). The LMW- PAH/HMW-PAH ratio was <1 for all species, indicating anthropogenic origin of PAHs in the coastal waters of Niger Delta environment. Moreover, the study of the PAHs fingerprints, using specific ratios, suggests the predominance of a pyrolytic origin for observed PAHs.

Abstract

A socio-economic data set on Chinas historical flood losses for the period 1984–2012 was compiled to analyze the exposed population, economy, and crop area as well as the vulnerabilities of the population and economy to floods. The results revealed that the exposed population was approximately 126 persons km−2 per year when taking China as a whole, in terms of the economy, potential losses due to floods were estimated to be approximately 1.49 million CN¥ km−2 and the crop area exposed to floods covered 153 million hm2 per year. Chinas total exposure to floods significantly increased over the analysis period. The areas that showed the higher exposure were mainly located along the east coast. The populations vulnerability to floods showed a significantly increasing trend, however, the economic vulnerability showed a decreasing trend. The populations and economies that were most vulnerable to floods were in Hunan, Anhui, Chongqing, Jiangxi, and Hubei provinces. The municipalities of Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin showed the lowest vulnerabilities to floods.

Abstract

To examine whether a group of social drinkers showed longer response latencies to alcohol-related stimuli than neutral stimuli and to test whether exposure to 1) an alcohol-related environment and 2) consumption related cues influenced the interference from alcohol-related stimuli. A 2 × 2 × 2 × 5 factorial design with Exposure Group (high, low) and Consumption Group (high, low) as between-participant factors and Word Type (alcohol, neutral) and Block (1–5) as within-participant factors was used. Forty-three undergraduate university students, 21 assigned to a high exposure group and 22 to a low exposure group, took part in the experiment. Exposure Group was defined according to whether or not participants currently worked in a bar or pub. Consumption Group was defined according to a median split on a quantity–frequency measure derived from two questions of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire. A modified computerised Stroop colour naming test was used to measure response latencies. Exposure and consumption factors interacted to produce greater interference from alcohol-related stimuli. In particular, the low consumption group showed interference from alcohol-related stimuli only in the high exposure condition. Exposure did not affect the magnitude of interference in the high consumption group. Attentional bias is dependent upon exposure to distinct types of alcohol-related cues.

Abstract

International audience Industrial development can generate hazardous situations – in particular, when there is a need to deal with dangerous substances, such as those in chemical or petrochemical plants. Too often, these industries are located in the heart of urbanized areas with high-density populations, as urbanization intrudes on the hazardous sites (originally established outside of cities). Protecting civil populations from these risks – either through precautionary measures or special crisis management plans, if a catastrophe occurs – is a key issue. To better protect citizens, identifying the risks to which they are exposed and also how they perceive the risks in their area can help authorities and stakeholders better understand the risks (Glatron & Beck, 2008). Adequate knowledge of these risks can also dissuade populations from settling in certain zones and thus lower their vulnerability. Finally, authorities need to assess the exposure of populations to hazards – through modelling – to set up appropriate and efficient risk management plans based on land planning. The present chapter – founded on responses to a questionnaire-based investigation (see the Annex) carried out in the Milazzo–Valle del Mela area of Sicily, in 2008 – explores two main aspects of exposure assessment: space-time-pattern methodological challenges and results of individual space-time activity data extracted from the investigation in the Milazzo–Valle del Mela area. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

This dissertation proposes a heuristic theoretical framework for understanding dynamics that impact environmental health including social/built environmental settings, individual residents' behavioral patterns, location activity spaces (LAS), environmental quality, exposure, and health outcomes. I examined the relationships between factors included in the framework based on individuals' LASs, and represent a hypothetical geographic boundary in which an individual is expected to spend his/her time in daily life. In addition to the individual level exposure, I characterized built environmental quality for subsidized housing neighborhoods in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, which have not been the focus of previous affordable housing studies. In Chapter 2 and Chapter 4, I empirically demonstrated the framework for residents in neighborhoods near the Expo Right Rail Transit line and the Boyle Heights community in Los Angeles. With OLS regression analysis, I found that bigger LAS were associated with lower walkability, more non-residential land use, higher transit stop density, shorter length of residency, working out of home, and higher income. I examined the relationship between the probability of a census block group (BG) having at least one subsidized unit and associated BG built environmental qualities. Based on logistic regression models, I found that subsidized housing units tended to be located in BGs with better transit access, lower walkability, more mixed-use, and lower air pollution concentrations.

Abstract

Crash reduction factors are widely used by engineers for prioritizing safety investments. Work zones are routinely analyzed by the length and duration of queues. Queue detection warning technology has been growing in availability and reliability in recent years. However, there is sparse literature on the impact of freeway queueing on crash rates. This paper analyzes three years of crash data and crowd-sourced probe vehicle data to classify crashes as being associated with queueing conditions or free flow conditions. In 2014, only 1.2% of the distanced-weighted hours of operation of Indiana interstates operated at or under 45 MPH. A three-year study on Indiana interstates indicates that commercial vehicles were involved in over 87% of back-of-queue fatal crashes compared to 39% of all fatal crashes during free flow conditions. A new measure of crash rate was developed to account for the presence and duration of queues: crashes per mile-hour of congestion. The congested crash rate on all Indiana interstates in 2014 was found to be 24 times greater than the uncongested crash rate. These data were also separated into both rural and urban categories. In rural areas, the congested crash rate is 23 times the uncongested crash rate. In urban areas, the congested crash rate is 21 times the uncongested crash rate. Queues are found to be present for five minutes or longer prior to approximately 90% of congestion crashes in 2014. Longer term, this information shows the importance in the development of technology that can warn motorists of traffic queues.

Abstract

"jats:p"The target of analyse was to determine the exposure levels to the staff on the vessel and ensure adequate measures are in place to minimize the exposure when necessary. Noise levels through the vessel will be compared to the noise code detailed in section 2 of this report. The measurement data results obtained at this survey will be analysed against the codes, as shown below. In addition, the measurement result table has the readings from 2007 during sea trials at the shipyard, Brodogradilište d.o.o. – Split. The analyse is to measure the exposure levels, through the accommodation and machinery spaces to determine the risk to staff working in these areas as well as making recommendations that could reduce the exposure levels. Document type: Article

Abstract

Introduction: Only one-third of the European population meets the minimum recommended levels of physical activity (PA). Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases. Walking and cycling for transport (active mobility, AM) are well suited to provide regular PA. The European research project Physical Activity through Sustainable Transport Approaches (PASTA) pursues the following aims: (1) to investigate correlates and interrelations of AM, PA, air pollution and crash risk; (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of selected interventions to promote AM; (3) to improve health impact assessment (HIA) of AM; (4) to foster the exchange between the disciplines of public health and transport planning, and between research and practice. Methods and analysis: PASTA pursues a mixed-method and multilevel approach that is consistently applied in seven case study cities. Determinants of AM and the evaluation of measures to increase AM are investigated through a large scale longitudinal survey, with overall 14 000 respondents participating in Antwerp, Barcelona, London, Örebro, Rome, Vienna and Zurich. Contextual factors are systematically gathered in each city. PASTA generates empirical findings to improve HIA for AM, for example, with estimates of crash risks, factors on AM-PA substitution and carbon emissions savings from mode shifts. Findings from PASTA will inform WHO's online Health Economic Assessment Tool on the health benefits from cycling and/or walking. The study's wide scope, the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods and health and transport methods, the innovative survey design, the general and city-specific analyses, and the transdisciplinary composition of the consortium and the wider network of partners promise highly relevant insights for research and practice. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval has been obtained by the local ethics committees in the countries where the work is being conducted, and sent to the European Commission before the start of the survey. The PASTA website (http://www.pastaproject.eu) is at the core of all communication and dissemination activities. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution IGO License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/igo/), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction for non-commercial purposes in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. In any reproduction of this article there should not be any suggestion that WHO or this article endorse any specific organisation or products. The use of the WHO logo is not permitted. This notice should be preserved along with the article's original URL. Document type: Article