Levels and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) near hospitals and schools using leaves and barks of Sambucus nigra and Acacia melanoxylon.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most studied organic compounds in urban environments, due to their known threat to human health. This study extends the current knowledge regarding the ability of different vegetative parts of different tree species to accumulate PAHs. Moreover, exposure intensity to PAHs in areas frequented by population susceptible to adverse health effects of air pollution is evaluated.

Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Leaf and Bark Samples of Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous organic compounds coming from natural or anthropogenic activities. Tree organs such as leaves and barks have been used to monitor urban air quality and have achieved remarkable ecological importance. However, the potential of many tree species as biomonitors is still unknown and efforts should be focused on conducting studies that analyze their capabilities with a viable analytical method.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Needles in Urban Areas: Evaluation of Sources and Road Characteristics.

needles were collected in urban areas of the city of Quito, Ecuador, to analyze the relationship between the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with different emission sources and road characteristics. The PAHs were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and included naphthalene (Naph), benzo[]anthracene (BaA), chrysene (Chry), and benzo[]pyrene (BaP), which are related to the sources considered in this work. The results indicated that some streets with moderate and low traffic intensity had higher total concentrations of PAHs than streets with high traffic intensity, showing the importance of non-traffic related emission sources and road characteristics on PAH emissions.

Haematophagous bat bites in Ecuadorian Amazon: characterisation and implications for sylvatic rabies prevention.

Objective: To characterise the risk factors of haematophagous bat bites and to provide information to contribute to the prevention of rabies in Ecuador.

Design: Cross-sectional study based on interviews with 3518 individuals, from which two sets of variables were generated: characteristics of haematophagous bat attacks in the previous year among humans and risk factors for being bitten.

Methods: Data were analysed using multivariate logistic regression models, taking history of bat bites in the previous year as the response variable.