Human accumulation of mercury in Greenland

In the Arctic, the traditional diet exposes its people to a high intake of mercury especially from marine mammals. To determine whether the mercury is accumulated in humans, we analyzed autopsy samples of liver, kidney and spleen from adult ethnic Greenlanders who died between 1990 and 1994 from a wide range of causes, natural and violent. Liver, kidney and spleen samples from between 33 and 71 case subjects were analyzed for total mercury and methylmercury, and liver samples also for selenium. Metal levels in men and women did not differ and were not related to age except in one case, i.e. for total mercury in liver, where a significant declining concentration with age was observed. The highest total mercury levels were found in kidney followed by liver and spleen. Methylmercury followed the same pattern, but levels were much lower, constituting only 19% of the total mercury concentration in liver and spleen and as little as 3% in kidney. In liver selenium was found in surplus to mercury on a molar basis. Mercury concentrations in the liver and kidneys of Greenlanders were elevated compared to levels in the general population in Japan, Korea and several European countries, except in the Faroe Islands where mercury levels were 2-3 times higher. This is in accordance with the expected exposure of mercury in the diet.     

Human exposure to contaminants in the traditional Greenland diet

The traditional diet is a significant source of contaminants to people in Greenland, although contaminant levels vary widely among species and tissue from very low in many to very high in a few. Our study has included cadmium, mercury, selenium, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), dichlorophenyltrichloroethane (DDT), chlordane, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH), chlorobenzenes, dieldrin and toxaphene in the major species and tissues consumed by Greenlanders. In general, the levels of these are very low in terrestrial species and in muscle of many marine species. High organochlorines concentrations are typically found in blubber of marine mammals and high metal levels in liver and kidney of seals and whales. In this study, the mean intakes of cadmium, chlordanes and toxaphene significantly exceed 'acceptable/tolerable intakes' (ADI/TDI) by a factor between 2.5 and 6. Mean intakes of mercury, PCB and dieldrin also exceed ADI/TDI by up to approximately 50%. However as these figures are mean intakes and as variation in both food intake and contaminant levels is large, the variation of contaminant intake among individuals is also large, and some individuals will be exposed to significantly higher intakes. The mean intakes of DDT, HCH and chlorobenzenes are well below the ADI/TDI values, and it seems unlikely that the TDI for these contaminants normally is exceeded in the Greenland population. The evaluation of contaminant intake in this study points to seal muscle, seal liver, seal kidney, seal blubber and whale blubber as the dominant contributors of contaminants in the traditional diet. Levels in liver from Greenland halibut, snow crab, king eider, kittiwake, beluga and narwhal and kidney of beluga and narwhal are also high but were, with the exception of toxaphene in Greenland halibut liver, not important sources in this study, because they were eaten in low quantities. A way to minimize contaminant intake would be to avoid or limit the consumption of diet items with high contaminant levels. If we assume a traditional diet composition in this study without fish liver, bird liver, seal liver, seal kidney, seal blubber, whale liver, whale kidney and whale blubber, the intake of all contaminants would be below the TDIs for these. This will result in a reduction of the intake of the amount of traditional food of only 24-25%, and it is not likely that this changed diet will result in deficiency of minerals, vitamins or other nutritional compounds.     

Human exposure to heavy metals in East Greenland II lead

The concentration of lead in 175 blood samples originating from the district of Angmagssalik, East Greenland and 130 from Aarhus, Denmark, has been determined. Both Greenland and Danish males had significantly higher (5%) blood lead than females (Eskimoan males 14.8 μg Pb/100 ml, females 12.8 μg Pb/100 ml; Danish males 10.5 μg Pb/100 ml, females 7.7 μg Pb/100 ml). For Danes living temporarily in Greenland the values were: males 10.5 and females 10.2 μg Pb/100 ml.Eskimos of both sexes were found to have higher blood lead values than Danes living in the same area. Danish males from Greenland and Denmark were not found to be different, whereas Danish women living in Greenland had a significantly higher (5%) mean value that women living in Denmark. In the Eskimo group, but not in the Danish, a weak, positive, but significant age correlation was found. 4 samples of Eskimo origin exceeded 35 μg Pb/100 ml accepted in the EEC as a maximum value for non-occupationally exposed persons. When re-examined 5 months later, all values were below this limit.The influence of eating habits (local or imported food) and smoking habits was tested, but not found to influence the blood lead concentration.The results have confirmed that blood lead levels in Greenland are comparable to those found in European industrialized areas. The reason for the unexpected high level in the arctic area with minimum car driving and industry remains to be clarified.     

Human exposure to heavy metals in East Greenland I mercury

The concentration of mercury in 178 blood samples and 32 hair samples from the Angmagssalik district in East Greenland has been determined.For Greenlanders mercury concentrations are highly dependent on the amount of seal eaten. In the most heavily exposed group (eating more than six meals of seal per week), a significant positive correlation between blood mercury and age was demonstrated. No differences according to sex were demonstrated when the mean values were corrected for influence of age. In the most heavily exposed group, a mean value of 62.5 μg Hg/l was found, while in the group eating 1 meal of seal or less per week, the mean value was 22.2 μg Hg/l. In the control group consisting of Danes living temporarily in the district, the mean blood mercury concentration was 5.8 corresponding to the fact that they eat seal only occasionally.Hair mercury concentrations were found to correlate well with blood mercury concentrations (r = 0.9222). The hair/blood ratio was estimated to 289.It is concluded that the present relatively high mercury exposure in Greenland does not excert any immediate risk of intoxication to the adult population, but supplementary investigation on fetal exposure is needed.     

松花江水中有机污染物对人群健康影响的研究进展

水中有机污染物对人群健康的影响长期以来备受关注。本文针对松花江流域的研究状况进行了综述分析,对有机氯农药、邻苯二甲酸酯类及多环芳烃类污染物的污染做了具体的健康影响效应评价分析,最后阐述了防控措施的建议。本综述将为此类研究提供参考依据。     

Embedding financialization: a policy review of the English Affordable Homes Programme

Decent, affordable housing continues to be a major concern for policy-makers, providers and society at large. This paper contributes to the debate over the future of social housing in England by reviewing the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP). The AHP (2011–2015) saw the level of grant funding reduced dramatically; with the shortfall to be filled from housing associations own resources, increased rents and borrowing. To understand the implications of the AHP, this paper utilizes the concept of financialization. Financialization is a multifaceted process that seeks to explain the increased role and power of the financial markets in society. Specifically, the paper shows that the AHP leads to increased debt levels in the social housing sector, is predicated on short-termism and accumulation by dispossession. Finally, by employing financialization the paper also addresses debates about the nature of housing policy and how it can best be conceptualized.     

苯甲酸对人群健康影响的研究进展

本文综述了苯甲酸的理化性质和用途,苯甲酸在人体内的吸收代谢过程,苯甲酸在各类食品、药品中的含量,以及苯甲酸的毒理学和人群流行病学研究进展。各项研究结果表明,通过各类食物摄入苯甲酸而导致人群中毒的可能性较小。     

中药甘草饮片中的铅对健康的影响

目的:采用生物可给性方法评价甘草中铅对人体健康的影响。方法:通过生物可给性方法,分别测定饮片中铅的全量、铅每日摄入全量、铅每日摄入可给态的量,并分别与《中华人民共和国药典》铅的限量及铅的最大日允许摄入量限量进行比较。结果:甘草中铅在胃阶段的生物可给性(0.59%~0.72%)大于肠阶段的生物可给性(0.04%~0.08%);甘草饮片中铅的全量为0.95~7.6 ppm,可能超出《中华人民共和国药典》的5 ppm限量标准;铅每日摄入全量为5.7~45.6μg·d~(-1)、铅每日摄入可给态的量为0.23~2.28μg·d~(-1),均未超出铅的最大日允许摄入量限量要求(214μg·d~(-1))。结论:与传统的重金属含量测定方法相比,生物可给性方法更能够真实地反映重金属对人体健康的影响。     

The Reservoir Safety Programme in Northern Ireland

F ollowing P ublication of early proposals for the Reservoirs Act 1975, a systematic programme of reservoir investigation and repair work was carried out by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, Water Service.
The paper describes the full procedure followed for data collection, inspections, risk classification and stability and hydraulic investigations of 60 'large raised reservoirs' impounded by dams up to 42 m high and up to 148 years old. Also described are examples of some unusual repair works carried out, and the implementation of a recording, monitoring, and inspection system which now continually oversees all of the reservoirs involved.     

Organochlorines in Greenland marine fish, mussels and sediments

Shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius), polar cod (Boreogadus saida), blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and sediments were sampled in Greenland 1994-1995 at three locations at the west coast and one at the east coast. Fish liver, mussel soft tissue and sediments were analysed for PCBs (10 congeners), DDTs (pp,'), HCHs (alpha, beta, gamma), HCB and trans-nonachlor. The overall geometric mean concentrations found for PCBs were 17 micrograms kg-1 wet wt. in shorthorn sculpin liver, 33 micrograms kg-1 wet wt. in polar cod liver, and 0.86 microgram kg-1 wet wt. in blue mussels. For the three species, the geometric mean concentrations for DDTs were 11, 36, and 0.39 micrograms kg-1 wet wt., respectively; for HCHs: 8.7, 32 and 0.56 micrograms kg-1 wet wt., respectively; for HCB: 4.2, 11 and 0.06 micrograms kg-1 wet wt., respectively; and for trans-nonachlor: 6.3, 19 and 0.16 microgram kg-1 wet wt., respectively. All organochlorines in the sediment samples were below the detection limit of 0.1 microgram kg-1 dry weight. For sculpins and mussels, most organochlorine compounds were found to increase with increasing lipid content. The weight of mussels did not influence organochlorine concentrations, whereas organochlorine content in general increased with fish length of sculpins. The concentrations were found to be comparable to levels in other Arctic regions, but orders of magnitude lower than levels found in the southern part of the North Sea. Organochlorine concentrations in sculpins showed a decreasing trend following the ocean current flowing from north to south at the east coast and from south towards north at the west coast of Greenland. The proportion of higher chlorinated PCBs (Cl atoms > or = 6) in sculpin liver followed the decreasing trend of PCB concentrations.     

生物多样性影响人类健康：机制假说及 关键问题

生物多样性与人类健康休戚与共,在中国大力开展生物多样性保护和健康中国建设的背景下,实现二者的协同具有重要意义,但中国的相关研究和实践仍处于起步阶段,有必要回顾国际经验、探索前进方向。梳理了生物多样性与人类健康关系的认知发展历程,辨析了“同一健康”“生态健康”“星球健康”3种主流整体健康思想的异同,总结了当前有关生物多样性影响人类健康的医学和心理学机制、假说与理论模型。在此基础上,从阐释现象、理论机制、调节优化3个层面提出了生物多样性影响人类健康领域的15组关键研究问题,并提出了加强生物多样性促进人类健康能力的绿色空间规划设计策略。系统地展现了生物多样性影响人类健康领域的认知历程、作用机制、关键问题及实现路径,以期为后续研究和实践提供借鉴。     

民用建筑的中央空调与人体健康

就人们日益关注的室内空气品质问题进行描述,分析其对人体健康的影响。例举了几种空气净化新技术,并且指出了我国在应用这些高新技术中存在的问题。     

绿地之于人体健康的功效与机理 ——绿色医学的提案

绿地之于人的健康在生理、心理、社会3个维度均存在一定的有益功效。总结绿地发挥健康功效的作用机理,包括满足人类自然基本属性、改善人居环境条件、刺激五感、提供活动支持、激发联想、提供树木的能量和气场6个方面。以此为基础,提出绿色医学的概念和设想,探索一条维持人们、特别是城市居民身心健康的辅助途径,并为提升绿地的健康卫生功能提供依据。     

阿拉伯国家的城市管理项目

城市管理项目在阿拉伯国家地区有诸多积极的合作伙伴，他们就土地管理、性别、政府治理、艾滋病病毒／艾滋病等问题开展了广泛的协商活动。这些活动树立了新的意识，引发了人们对于过去忽略的问题或是禁忌问题的讨论。在一些案例中，这些活动对政策产生了影响。     

PM_(2.5)对人群健康影响的流行病学研究进展

随着科技的不断进步,雾霾现象频繁发生,雾霾中主要以PM_(2.5)为主,因此人类长期或短期暴露于高浓度的PM_(2.5)可能对人类的健康有一定的影响,这不仅是工业生产和环境卫生的热点社会问题,更是国内外科学研究的焦点问题。大量研究表明,PM_(2.5)可导致呼吸系统、心血管系统、免疫系统和生殖系统等出现功能障碍,甚至炎症的发生,严重可导致死亡。本文综述了PM_(2.5)的化学组成、来源、研究方法和对人群健康的影响等。     

Programme management in a developing nation telecommunications company

In order to examine the application of programme management in developing nations or in companies with little experience, a fictitious telecommunications company, TNTC, somewhere in the Third World is studied. TNTC is undertaking several large capital investment programmes, although three years ago it had no programme managers and almost no experience in programme management. Several lessons in the application of programme management can be learned from examining the way in which TNTC launched into this area. Although TNTC is an imaginary company, the events described are drawn from real cases.     

Levels and spatial and temporal trends of contaminants in Greenland biota: an updated review

Knowledge of contaminant levels in Greenland biota has increased substantially in recent years, particularly for persistent organic pollutants. This paper reviews and updates knowledge of spatial and temporal trends of Cd, Hg and organochlorines (PCBs, DDTs, HCHs, HCB and chlordane-related compounds) in Greenland terrestrial, freshwater and marine biota. The most comprehensive studies of spatial trends of Cd and Hg in the terrestrial ecosystem concern lichens, with relatively complete coverage, and caribou (Rangifer tarandus), with coverage mainly in different regions of central West Greenland and Southwest Greenland. The Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) is the only freshwater organism for which studies of spatial trends of Hg levels have been completed. Information on spatial trends of Cd and Hg in the marine environment is available from studies of fish, seabirds, ringed seals (Phoca hispida) and polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Geographical patterns of Cd and Hg in Greenland biota were not always consistent among different species or different studies. In landlocked Arctic char the concentrations of Hg decreased from south to north. In marine animals levels of Hg tended to be higher in East Greenland than in West Greenland and Cd levels were highest in biota from Disko Island in central West Greenland. The observed regional differences are difficult to explain but in most cases the causes appear to be natural rather than anthropogenic. Only a few time series covering the last 20 years exist for Cd and Hg. The one time series indicating a temporal change is for ringed seals in Northwest Greenland, which shows an increasing trend of Hg and a decreasing trend of Cd since 1984. Whether the changes reflect anthropogenic inputs, seal behaviour or other environmental factors is unknown. The most significant new insights have concerned organochlorines. In general, levels of these compounds were very low in terrestrial biota compared to marine species. Concentrations in landlocked Arctic char were highest in Southeast Greenland and lowest in Northwest and Northeast Greenland. Marine species from East Greenland had consistently higher levels of SigmaPCB, SigmaDDT and SigmaHCH than marine species from West Greenland. Very few data exist to evaluate temporal changes of organochlorine levels in Greenland biota, and this is the most significant knowledge gap at present. The most pronounced change observed was a decrease of 78% in SigmaPCB levels in polar bears from East Greenland from 1990 to 2000. Levels of SigmaHCH in shorthorn sculpins (Myoxocephalus scorpius) and seals from both central West Greenland and central East Greenland appear to have decreased since 1994. Increasing trends of SigmaDDT from 1994 until now were found in both sexes of seals as well as in male sculpins from central West Greenland.     

健康人力资本对农民农业收入增长的影响研究

基于中国健康与营养调查(CHNS)面板数据,采用Hausman-Taylor模型,本文估计了中国农村地区农民的营养与健康状况对农业收入的影响。研究表明,更高的身高可以增加农民的农业收入,并且男性身高回报要高于女性。身体质量指数(BMI)对女性农业收入的提高有显著性影响,但对男性的影响不显著且方向为负。热量摄入与农业收入之间显著相关,更高的热量摄入是农业收入增长的决定因素之一。本文的研究结果为健康人力资本在农民增收中的重要作用提供了经验证据。     

水环境中抗生素来源及对健康的影响

本文通过分析水环境中抗生素对人体健康、生态环境的影响,指出了水环境中抗生素的主要来源是养殖业、医疗行业、制药工业污水。水环境中的污水可使人体常驻菌群获得耐药性,导致长期饮用被抗生素污染水体的人免疫力下降、严重的过敏反应和慢性毒性作用,也可对某些水生生物产生毒性作用。本文同时也阐述了抗生素在环境中的迁移转化过程,以及目前常规的处理工艺对抗生素的影响。最后,针对我国目前情况,本文提出了今后水环境抗生素研究方向及开展工作方向。