Cookstoves, Candles, and Phthalates – Real Time Physicochemical Characterization and Human Exposure to Indoor Aerosols

Exposure to air pollution is associated with adverse health effects in humans, with special concern for exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The physicochemical properties of aerosols impact the health effects. Considering that we spend approximately 90% of our time indoors, it is important to gain increased understanding of indoor aerosol concentrations and properties. The overall aim of the research presented in this thesis was to characterize the physicochemical properties of indoor aerosols from cookstoves, candles, and phthalate sources, and to assess their contribution to human exposure. Aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS) was applied for real time measurements of the aerosol chemical composition and concentration throughout the measurements included in the thesis.Emissions from four different cookstoves commonly used in sub Saharan Africa were measured with AMS and interpreted on the basis of a simplified framework describing the thermochemical conversion of biomass. The framework was validated by a correlation analysis of the included emission classes. Moreover, the results showed reduced PM1 emissions for more advanced stoves. However, pollutants which are of specific health concern, were not reduced in proportion to PM1. Even when PM1 emissions were reduced, high emissions of pollutants that have a strong impact on health and climate may be emitted, for example polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs) and refractory black carbon (rBC). The framework may be applied to estimate emissions of classes that were not measured in the experiments.Aerosol emissions from stressed burning of five types of candles of different wax and wick compositions were studied. We found strong variations between the candle types in emissions of PM2.5, BC, and PAHs, as well as strong variations over time, depending on the wax and wick composition. Candle emissions from stressed burning were dominated by BC emissions, with minor contributions from inorganic and organic aerosol emissions. The candles that emitted the lowest BC concentrations showed high emissions of ultrafine particles. NOx, formaldehyde, and gas-phase PAHs showed less variation between candle types and proved difficult to reduce by altering the wax and wick composition. The emissions of particle phase PAHs, BC, and organic aerosol showed strong correlations at the stressed burning of candles, and may be used as proxies for each other.The sorption of di-(2-ethyhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on laboratory generated ammonium sulfate particles and indoor air particles was investigated by passing the particles through a 1.2 L chamber equipped with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring. A higher sorption of DEHP to indoor particles, with a higher organic mass fraction, was measured compared to laboratory generated ammonium sulfate particles. In presence of airborne particles the emission of DEHP from PVC flooring increased. Thus, when particles are present in indoor air, the airborne concentration of DEHP available for respiratory deposition may increase. The sorption of DEHP on particles depends on the particle chemical composition. Organic particle concentrations are often high indoors, which promotes the sorption of DEHP and other SVOCs, which in turn may contribute to increased human exposure to DEHP and other SVOCs. This highlights the need to reduce health detrimental chemicals in consumer products and building materials, and to reduce particle concentrations in indoor environments.A human exposure study was conducted to elucidate the dermal and inhalation uptake in 16 volunteers from exposure to airborne gas- and particle phase phthalates, with participants wearing clean clothing. The uptake was measured, via combined inhalation and dermal air-to-skin transfer and via air-to-skin transfer only for the gas-phase diethyl phthalate (DEP) and for particle phase DEHP. Dermal uptake via air-to-skin transfer only with clean clothing acting as a barrier was ten times lower than the uptake via inhalation for DEP. Only uptake via inhalation was measurable for the particle phase DEHP. DEHP uptake via the skin was below the detection limit. The uptake of the gas-phase DEP via inhalation was four times higher compared to the particle phase DEHP, which reflects the differences in the lung deposition of gases and particles. The physicochemical properties of SVOCs influence their gas-particle partitioning and the likelihood of uptake via both inhalation and the skin, which should be considered in risk assessments of SVOCs.The results presented in this thesis highlight the importance of detailed physicochemical characterization of indoor aerosols, and the need for a more complete evaluation of their impact on human health

Value Co-creation in the Interface between City Logistics Provider and In-store Processes

AbstractThis paper develops a framework for understanding how city logistics service co-creates value with users. The users’ perspective in city logistics research is limited, and value added services are rarely emphasized. The framework developed is based on literature on value in business markets, and in-store processes. Two case stores and their use of city logistics demonstrate how value is co-created when changes in delivery patterns and value added services affect especially the use of store employees. Further, we show that there is a barrier to the co-creation of value when services get close to core activities in-store operations

Children’s coping styles and trauma symptoms after an explosion disaster

Background: The negative impact of trauma on children and adolescents is well documented. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between coping and trauma and distress symptoms after man-made disasters, especially those not related to war. Objective: This study investigated the relationship between children’s coping styles and their self-reported levels of trauma and distress symptoms after an explosion disaster in a residential area. Method: Participants were recruited through the local public school that served the affected residential area. A total of 333 children and adolescents from grades 3 through 10 participated in the study 16 months after the explosion. All participants filled out questionnaires to assess their trauma and distress symptoms as well as their coping strategies. The adolescents answered additional questions about pre-, peri-, and post-traumatic factors and filled out questionnaires about their trauma and distress symptoms, including aspects of somatization and negative affectivity. Results: The following variables were associated with a higher degree of trauma symptoms for children in grades 6 through 10 and explained 39% to 48% of the unique variance in these symptoms: female gender; the experience of traumatic events pre-disaster; the destruction of property or danger to life occurring during the disaster; the experience of traumatic events post-disaster; and the use of self-blame, emotion regulation, wishful thinking, and cognitive restructuring. For the younger children, pre-, peri-, and post-disaster factors were not measured. However, female gender and the use of self-blame as a coping strategy explained 26% of the variance in trauma symptoms. Conclusions: This study generally supports the findings of the limited literature addressing coping skills after man-made disasters. However, contrary to previous findings in community samples after episodes of terrorism, adaptive coping strategies such as cognitive restructuring were found to influence the variance of trauma and distress symptoms

\u3cem\u3eIn Vitro\u3c/em\u3e Determination of Potency of Small Molecule Inhibitors of Arp2/3 Complex

Actin is a key protein building block of actin microfilaments, which are constructed and deconstructed in response to cellular signaling pathways to regulate cellular processes such as motility, division, and endocytosis. Arp2/3 Complex is a 7-subunit protein complex that is in involved in cellular construction of branched actin networks, functioning by attaching to the side of a pre-existing actin filament and nucleating a daughter branch. Overexpression of Arp2/3 complex has been linked to the ability of certain metastatic cancers to proliferate. This work describes the synthesis and in vitro biochemical testing of several molecules predicted by computational docking to be inhibitors of Arp2/3 Complex, and therefore of potential interest in clinical applications. A bulk actin polymerization assay is used as the key method to determine the potency of inhibitor candidates. Structure-activity relationships derived from these results are also discussed

”Jeg har ikke selv fået lov til at vælge…men det er sjovt” : Barnets perspektiv på deltagelse i beslutningsprocesser omkring eget liv i sit habiliteringsforløb

Formål: At udforske og få kundskab om barnets perspektiv på deltagelse i beslutningsprocesser omkring eget liv i sit habiliteringsforløb. I studiet stilles spørgsmålene: I) I hvilket omfang oplever barnet at deltage i beslutningsprocesser? II) I hvilket omfang ønsker barnet at deltage? III) Hvilke måder at deltage på udtrykker barnet? samt IV) Hvilken relation kan ses mellem barnets oplevelse af sin funktionshæmning, tilfredsheden med sit habiliteringsforløb samt deltagelse i beslutningsprocesser? Baggrund: FN Børnekonventionens artikel 12 omkring barnets ret til at udtrykke egne synspunkter, er udgangspunktet for studiet. Konventionen støttes op af forskning indenfor habilitering, som peger på, at børn bør deltage i beslutningsprocesser. Hidtil har forskning indenfor habiliteringsområdet primært været fokuseret på forældres perspektiv på deltagelse i beslutninger med fagpersoner og der er således et vidensgab omkring, hvad barnet selv oplever og ønsker i forhold til den udtrykte rettighed i Børnekonventionens artikel 12. Metode: Ud fra et hermeneutisk-fænomenologisk videnskabsperspektiv er der foretaget et eksplorativt, semistruktureret individuelt interview med 7 børn i alderen 7-14 år, som har en funktionshæmning. Resultater: Sammenholdt med teori omkring deltagelse, empowerment og barneperspektivet, viser resultaterne, at de fleste af børnene beskriver en begrænset deltagelse, som flere af dem imidlertid er tilfredse med. Når børnene bliver hørt og deltager reelt i beslutningstagningen i forbindelse med deres habiliteringsforløb, sker det på eget initiativ som en form for empowerment. Relationen mellem børnenes tilfredshed med deres habiliteringsforløb, formålet med denne og deres deltagelse i beslutningsprocesser, kan forstås ud fra diskurser omkring normalisering og empowerment samt barneperspektivet og barnets perspektiv. Sammenfatning: Studiets resultater viser, at de fleste af børnene oplever en begrænset form for deltagelse, hvor den voksne primært bestemmer. Børnene deltager primært i dele af beslutningsprocesserne fremfor selve beslutningstagningen, men er imidlertid tilfredse med denne fordeling af magt og ansvar mellem barn og voksen

Forced Sterilization of Immigrant Women in US Detention Center

Abstract  This article addresses the reports of immigrant Latin American women being forcibly sterilized in the Irwin County ICE detention center through an intersectional approach and by using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) on data retrieved from news articles from the past six years and sources on the history of the practice of forced sterilization. How are these women vulnerable to this kind of abuse? The results indicate that immigrant Latin American women are in fact vulnerable to forced sterilization because of their position within the intersecting inequalities of gender, race and status, but that it is exacerbated by the negative discourses by the political elites and media (re)produce about them.        Keywords: intersectionality, CDA, forced sterilization, US

Celebrating diversity: focus on inclusion

As teachers, we are privileged to have the opportunity to work in diverse contexts and with diverse groups and individuals. The richness and opportunities within today’s classrooms provide a wealth of opportunities to learn from, and with our students, parents, community and colleagues. By sharing perspectives and histories that may be unfamiliar to us and to others, opportunities are created that must be embraced in order to break down the many social injustices that still exist, and which limit the opportunities of students to fulfil their full potential