Long-term impact of parental divorce on intimate relationship quality in adulthood and the mediating role of psychosocial resources.

The purpose of this 16-year prospective follow-up study was to investigate the association between parental divorce in childhood and intimate relationship quality in adulthood. The mediating role of psychosocial resources (parent-child relationships at 16 years, self-esteem and social support at 32 years) in this association was also studied. All 16 year olds of one Finnish city completed questionnaires at school and were followed up by postal questionnaires at 32 years of age (n = 1,471). Results showed that women and men from divorced families were more often divorced or separated at the age of 32 years than those from nondivorced families. However, parental divorce was associated with poorer intimate relationship quality only among women. Women from divorced families also had poorer relationships with their father and mother in adolescence, and they had lower self-esteem and satisfaction with social support in adulthood than women from intact families. No such associations were found among men. The impact of parental divorce on intimate relationship quality among women was partially mediated by mother-daughter relationship, self-esteem, and satisfaction with social support. The mediating role of mother-daughter relationship was not direct, however, but was mediated via self-esteem and satisfaction with social support. Our findings indicate that parental divorce affects daughters more than sons. In the context of parental divorce, the mother-daughter relationship in adolescence is important for the development of later psychosocial resources and, via them, for intimate relationship quality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heavy metal concentrations in bottom ash and fly ash fractions from a large-sized (246 MW) fluidized bed boiler with respect to their Finnish forest fertilizer limit values

The total and size fractionated concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in bottom ash and two fly ash fractions from a large-sized (246 MW) fluidized bed boiler were compared to Finnish statutory limit values for forest fertilizers, which came into force in March 2007. Fly ashes were sampled from the different fields (i.e. electrodes) of the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) unit treating the stack gases. The bottom ash and the fly ash from the first ESP field are suitable for use a forest fertilizer. Due to the elevated As concentration (40 mg/kg; d.w.), which exceeded its Finnish limit value of 30 mg/kg (d.w.), the fly ash from the second ESP field is not suitable as a forest fertilizer alone. The results of ash sieving indicated that an As concentration of 40 mg/kg (d.w.) for particle size less than 0.125 mm for fly ash 2 from the second ESP electrode field exceeded the As limit value of 30 mg/kg (d.w.). In addition, a Pb concentration of 170 mg/kg (d.w.) for fly ash 1 from the first ESP electrode field for particle size 0.5-2.0 mm exceeded the Pb limit value of 150 mg/kg (d.w.). These two specific fractions are therefore not suitable for used as a forest fertilizer alone.     

Long-term daily intake estimates of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans, polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenylethers from food in Finnish children: risk assessment implications

Food is contaminated by polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/F), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE) worldwide. Previous data show elevated intakes in children. We determined intakes of POPs in Finnish children. Because no children-specific safe limit values exist, we used tolerable daily intakes (TDIs) set for adults by international expert bodies to examine the proportion of the study population that exceed those limits. We utilised dietary monitoring data with food consumption of Finnish boys and girls aged 1-6 years, measured the contaminant concentrations in all the main food items and calculated age-specific contaminant sum and congener-specific long-term daily intake levels. Our food intake and contaminant data correspond to years 2002-2005. The long-term upper-bound dioxin intakes ranged between 0.1 and 12.8?pg WHO(PCDD/F-PCB)-TEQ/kg bw/d (min and max). An immediate TDI for WHO(PCDD/F-PCB)-TEQs of 4.0?pg/kg?bw/d were exceeded by 2.5%-7.5% of the children. PBDE long-term upper-bound intake was between 0.1 and 5.8?ng/kg bw/d (min and max). Congener-specific analyses indicated a typical Finnish adult exposure pattern of the children to PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs. The highest POP intakes were observed in children aged 3 years. Long-term daily PCDD/F, PCB and PBDE intakes among Finnish children varied greatly between individuals and ages. In each age group of the study population, there was a proportion of children with their WHO(PCDD/F-PCB)-TEQ intake exceeding considered safe limits set for adults. Based on the exposure profile reported herein, children should be clearly considered as a specific sub-population in food-mediated contaminant risk assessment.     

Import control of irradiated foods by the thermoluminescence method

Summary A thermoluminescence (TL) method was applied for the import control of irradiated foods. The method is based on the determination of the TL of mineral contaminants in foods. Detection of irradiation was incorporated in official Finnish control procedures in spring 1990. For foodstuffs with a reduced microbe content and in which no fumigant residues are found, possible irradiation is investigated by the TL method. The minerals are separated from the foods in different ways: picking is used for spices; water rinsing for herbs, spices, berries and mushrooms; high-density liquid to separate the organic material from the mineral fraction in seafood; and carbon tetrachloride for foods forming gels with water. To date about 140 food samples have been analysed for control purposes: 50 samples of herbs and spices, 25 samples of berries and mushrooms and 65 samples of seafood. Of these, 14 samples of herbs and spices and 5 samples of seafood were shown to have been irradiated. Differences in TL intensity between irradiated and unirradiated samples were at least 1 and usually 3–4 orders of magnitude.

---

Einfuhrkontrolle bestrahlter Lebensrnittel mit Hilfe der Thermoluminescenz-Methode

Zusammenfassung Eine Thermoluminescenz-Methode (TL) wurde für die Einfuhrkontrolle bestrahlter Lebensmittel verwendet. Diese Methode basiert auf der Messung der Thermoluminescenz von in den Lebensmitteln vorhandenen mineralischen Verunreinigungen. Diese Methode, eine Bestrahlung festzustellen, wurde im Frühjahr 1990 in das offizielle finnische Kontrollverfahren aufgenommen. Lebensmittel mit reduziertem Mikrobengehalt, ohne feststellbare Begasungsrückstände werden mit der TL-Methode auf eventuelle Bestrahlung überprüft. Die mineralischen Stoffe werden mit verschiedenen Verfahren aus den Lebensmitteln abgetrennt. Dabei werden bei Gewürzen die mineralischen Partikel manuell entnommen, bei Kräutern, Gewürzen, Beeren und Pilzen werden diese mit Wasser abgespült, bei Meeresfrüchten wird mit hochkonzentrierter Lösung behandelt und das organische Material wird von der anorganischen Fraktion bei Lebensmitteln, die mit Wasser gelieren, mit Kohlenstofftetrachlorid abgetrennt. Bis jetzt sind zu Kontrollzwecken etwa 140 Lebensmittelproben analysiert worden: 50 Kräuter- und Gewürzproben, 25 Beeren- und Champignonproben und 65 Proben von Meeresfrüchten. Dabei konnte bei 14 Kräuter- und Gewürzproben sowie bei 5 Proben von Meeresfrüchten eine Bestrahlung nachgewiesen werden. Zwischen den bestrahlten und den unbestrahlten Proben zeigten sich in der TL-Intensität Unterschiede von mindestens einer, meist jedoch von drei bis zu vier Größenordnungen.

     

Development of a fuel feeder for a solid oxide fuel cell test station

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) can utilize various fuels, such as natural gas, hydrogen and biogas, but often, it is sensible to use a pre‐reformer that converts the fuel into a hydrogen‐rich gas stream. Relevant testing conditions, including the fuel to be used in SOFC systems, are important because cell performance depends on test conditions, such as fuel composition. Still, a majority of the reported single‐cell and short stack tests are performed with pure hydrogen or synthetic reformate mixed from gas bottles. In this article, the development of a fuel feeder used to pre‐reform natural gas for a single cell SOFC test station is presented. To mimic SOFC system conditions, natural gas is taken from the grid, desulfurized with commercial sulfur sorbent and reformed with a commercial precious metal catalyst. The fuel feeder is designed to be a versatile and efficient research tool, capable to be used in a wide temperature and gas flow range and with different reforming techniques, such as steam reforming, catalytic partial oxidation and simulated anode off‐gas recycling. The construction, operation and characterization of the fuel feeder as well as methods of avoiding carbon formation are discussed. The performance is evaluated by comparing measured outlet temperatures and compositions against equilibrium values. All measured gas compositions matched closely with the calculated equilibrium values, and the identified deviations were small and to no harm in practical use. The operator can control the product gas composition by setting the fuel feeder heater to the temperature corresponding to the targeted composition. Results show that the fuel feeder design can be used as such for single‐cell testing or scaled to fit larger stack test stations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.