Background There is an increasing range of adverse health effects associated with air pollution at very low concentrations. Few studies have assessed respiratory parameters among filling station attendants. Objectives This study assessed air pollutants; particulate matter (PM10) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) concentrations at filling stations as well as determined forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) levels among filling station attendants. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess PM10 and TVOC concentrations at 20 systematically selected filling stations in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Ibadan for 2 months using a Thermo Scientific pDR 1500 PM10 monitor and SF2000-TVOC meter. FEV1 and PEFR levels were measured in order to assess the effect of exposure to PM10 and TVOC on lung function of 100 filling station attendants using a PIKO-1 Electronic peakflow/FEV1 meter. Results Total mean PM10 concentrations (μg/m3) in the morning (43.7±16.5) and afternoon (27.8±7.9) were significantly lower (p<0.01) than the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline limit (50 μg/m3). Total mean TVOC concentrations (ppm) in the morning (12.0±3.4) and afternoon (5.6±2.4) were however significantly higher (p<0.01) than the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guideline limit (3 ppm). Mean FEV1 for filling station attendants was 1.63±0.39 and PEFR was 171.7±45.9. Conclusion Filling stations are hotspots for the emission of VOCs and PM10. However, filling station attendants in this study are at risk of exposure to high concentrations of VOCs but not PM10. FEV1 and PEFR values among filling station attendants were very low which could possibly be attributed to extended exposure to air pollutants. Regular medical examinations should also be conducted on filling station attendants in order to aid early detection of deviations in their health status.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2018-0027 | DOI Listing |
J Family Med Prim Care
December 2024
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Legambiente nazionale APS - RETE ASSOCIATIVA - ETS, via Salaria 403, 00199, Rome, Italy.
This paper presents a preliminary assessment of waste accumulation along riverbanks in Italy, aiming to provide baseline data for future monitoring and management efforts. The study surveyed 18 stations along 16 rivers across different regions of Italy, from north to south, to quantify and characterise the types and abundance of litter present along their banks. Field surveys were conducted by Legambiente citizen scientists applying a standardised protocol to record and categorise litter items systematically.
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December 2024
Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China.
As global food security issues become increasingly severe, an important innovation in agricultural production patterns, namely integrated rice-fish farming, has been widely implemented around the world, especially in Asia. To assess the impact of integrated rice-crayfish () farming (IRCF) on agricultural ecosystems, we used Illumina high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze differences in diversity, composition, co-occurrence network, and assembly process of planktonic bacterial communities in paddy water between traditional rice farming (TRM) and IRCF. Environmental factors and planktonic bacterial communities were evaluated during the tillering, jointing, flowering, and grain-filling stages on August 24, September 5, September 24, and October 16, respectively.
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Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Siwan, Dr. RPCAU, Pusa, Bihar, India.
Detrimental effects of terminal heat stress could be mitigated by exogenous application of synthetic compounds by preserving cell membrane integrity and protecting against oxidative damage. A field experiment was conducted to test the application of seven synthetic compounds on wheat growth traits: (1) thiourea (20 mM and 40mM); (2) potassium nitrate (1% and 2%); (3) sodium nitroprusside (400 μg mL-1 and 800μg mL-1 ); (4) dithiothreitol (25 ppm and 50ppm); (5) salicylic acid (100 ppm and 200ppm); (6) thioglycolic acid (200 ppm and 500ppm); and (7) putrescine (4 mM and 6mM). These compounds were applied at the anthesis and grain-filling stages to enhance physio-biochemical traits and yield attributes of wheat (Triticum aestivum ) cvs GW-11 and GW-496 under terminal heat stress.
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Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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