Cultural and Political Determinants of Air Quality

This paper investigates empirically the determinants of air quality in a large cross-section of countries. We assess air quality by sulfur emissions and, following the literature, we consider three different groups of determinants: economic, political and cultural. We confirm the existence of an EKC for sulfur (inverted-U shaped relation between wealth and pollution). Political determinants are proxied by ethnic or religious fractionalization indexes and the country’s legal origin (we consider five possible legal origins: English common law, French civil law, German civil law, Scandinavian legal system and Socialist legal system). Cultural determinants are assessed by the percentage of a country’s population that belongs to one of the three main religions (Catholic, Muslim or Protestant). Our goal is to establish the economic, political and cultural profile of a country that manages to be efficient in providing good air quality. We conclude that a country will provide higher air quality if it has one or more of the following characteristics: it is ethnic and/or religious homogeneous, it has a German or Scandinavian legal tradition; it is Protestant.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Electrokinetic treatment of environmental matrices. Contaminants removal and phosphorus recovery

There is a need to develop viable techniques for removal and recovery organic and inorganic compounds from environmental matrices, due to their ecotoxicity, regulatory obligations or potential supplies as secondary materials. In this dissertation, electro –removal and –recovery techniques were applied to five different contaminated environmental matrices aiming phosphorus (P) recovery and/or contaminants removal. In a first phase, the electrokinetic process (EK) was carried out in soils for (i) metalloids and (ii) organic contaminants (OCs) removal. In the case of As and Sb mine contaminated soil, the EK process was additionally coupled with phytotechnologies. In a second phase, the electrodialytic process (ED) was applied to wastes aiming P recovery and simultaneous removal of (iii) toxins from membrane concentrate, (iv) heavy metals from sewage sludge ash (SSA), and (v) OCs from sewage sludge (SS). EK enhanced phytoremediation showed to be viable for the remediation of soils contaminated with metalloids, as although remediation was low, it combines advantages of both technologies while allowing site management. EK also proved to be an effective remediation technology for the removal and degradation of emerging OCs from two types of soil. Aiming P recovery and contaminants removal, different ED cell set-ups were tested. For the membrane concentrates, the best P recovery was achieved in a three compartment (3c) cell, but the highest toxin removal was obtained in a two compartment (2c) cell, placing the matrix in the cathode end. In the case of SSA the best approach for simultaneous P recovery and heavy metals removal was to use a 2c-cell placing the matrix in the anode end. However, for simultaneous P recovery and OCs removal, SS should be placed in the cathode end, in a 2c-cell. Overall, the data support that the selection of the cell design should be done case-by-case

Genetics education in public health : a case study on sickle cell anaemia in Brazil

A anemia falciforme é a doença genética de maior prevalência na população brasileira e comumente apontada como uma questão de saúde pública. O Brasil tem investido na elaboração de ações no campo da anemia falciforme, dentre as quais se encontram ações educativas. Este artigo analisa alguns dos impactos causados pelas informações contidas no folheto educativo Anemia falciforme: um problema nosso, do Ministério da Saúde. O objetivo foi descrever e analisar como, após a leitura do folheto, pessoas com diferentes níveis de escolaridade compreendem a distinção entre traço e a anemia falciforme e como mensuram o risco reprodutivo de casais com o traço falciforme. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de questionário aplicado com 1.007 pessoas, em 11 cidades brasileiras, no período de junho a setembro de 2003. Os dados revelam que: a educação formal é fator fundamental para compreensão do folheto; a confusão entre traço e anemia falciformes permanece apesar de o folheto destacar a diferença entre ambas; e o risco reprodutivo de nascimento de futuras crianças com anemia falciforme é sobrevalorizado. Os resultados apontam para a tensão entre estratégias de prevenção de doenças e de promoção da autonomia reprodutiva, uma característica da nova genética. ________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThe sickle cell anaemia is the genetic disease with the highest prevalence in Brazil and it is considered a public health matter. Brazil has proposed medical actions to control sickle cell anaemia. This paper analyses some impacts of the educative brochure Anemia falciforme: um problema nosso (Sickle Cell Anaemia: a collective question), edited by the Brazilian Health Ministry. The aim of this paper is to describe and analyse how, after reading the brochure, people with different levels of education understand the difference between trace and sickle cell anaemia, and how they measure the reproductive risk of couples with the trace. The gather of information was done through a questionnaire handed out to 1,007 people, in 11 Brazilian cities, between June and September of 2003. The information discloses that. the formal education is essential to the comprehension of the brochure; the confusion between trace and sickle cell anaemia remains although the brochure points out the difference between both; and the reproductive risk of couples with the trace is exaggerated. The results indicate the tension between prevention and the promotion of the reproductive autonomy, a characteristic of the new genetic