Dissemination of Drinking Water Contamination Data to Consumers: A Systematic Review of Impact on Consumer Behaviors

Drinking water contaminated by chemicals or pathogens is a major public health threat in the developing world. Responses to this threat often require water consumers (households or communities) to improve their own management or treatment of water. One approach hypothesized to increase such positive behaviors is increasing knowledge of the risks of unsafe water through the dissemination of water contamination data. This paper reviews the evidence for this approach in changing behavior and subsequent health outcomes.A systematic review was conducted for studies where results of tests for contaminants in drinking water were disseminated to populations whose water supply posed a known health risk. Studies of any design were included where data were available from a contemporaneous comparison or control group. Using multiple sources >14,000 documents were located. Six studies met inclusion criteria (four of arsenic contamination and two of microbiological contamination). Meta-analysis was not possible in most cases due to heterogeneity of outcomes and study designs. Outcomes included water quality, change of water source, treatment of water, knowledge of contamination, and urinary arsenic. Source switching was most frequently reported: of 5 reporting studies 4 report significantly higher rates of switching (26–72%) among those who received a positive test result and a pooled risk difference was calculate for 2 studies (RD = 0.43 [CI0.4.0–0.46] 6–12 months post intervention) suggesting 43% more of those with unsafe wells switched source compared to those with safe wells. Strength of evidence is low since the comparison is between non-equivalent groups. Two studies concerning fecal contamination reported non-significant increases in point-of-use water treatment.Despite the publication of some large cohort studies and some encouraging results the evidence base to support dissemination of contamination data to improve water management is currently equivocal. Rigorous studies on this topic are needed, ideally using common outcome measures

Surface complexation model for strontium sorption to amorphous silica and goethite

Strontium sorption to amorphous silica and goethite was measured as a function of pH and dissolved strontium and carbonate concentrations at 25°C. Strontium sorption gradually increases from 0 to 100% from pH 6 to 10 for both phases and requires multiple outer-sphere surface complexes to fit the data. All data are modeled using the triple layer model and the site-occupancy standard state; unless stated otherwise all strontium complexes are mononuclear. Strontium sorption to amorphous silica in the presence and absence of dissolved carbonate can be fit with tetradentate Sr2+ and SrOH+ complexes on the β-plane and a monodentate Sr2+complex on the diffuse plane to account for strontium sorption at low ionic strength. Strontium sorption to goethite in the absence of dissolved carbonate can be fit with monodentate and tetradentate SrOH+ complexes and a tetradentate binuclear Sr2+ species on the β-plane. The binuclear complex is needed to account for enhanced sorption at hgh strontium surface loadings. In the presence of dissolved carbonate additional monodentate Sr2+ and SrOH+ carbonate surface complexes on the β-plane are needed to fit strontium sorption to goethite. Modeling strontium sorption as outer-sphere complexes is consistent with quantitative analysis of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) on selected sorption samples that show a single first shell of oxygen atoms around strontium indicating hydrated surface complexes at the amorphous silica and goethite surfaces

Methodological issues in defining aggression for content analyses of sexually explicit material

There exists an important tradition of content analyses of aggression in sexually explicit material. The majority of these analyses use a definition of aggression that excludes consent. This article identifies three problems with this approach. First, it does not distinguish between aggression and some positive acts. Second, it excludes a key element of healthy sexuality. Third, it can lead to heteronormative definitions of healthy sexuality. It would be better to use a definition of aggression such as Baron and Richardson's (1994) in our content analyses, that includes a consideration of consent. A number of difficulties have been identified with attending to consent but this article offers solutions to each of these

Impact of sedimentation history for As distribution in Late Pleistocene-Holocene sediments in the Hetao Basin, China

PURPOSE: To understand the impact of geochemical sedimentation history for arsenic (As) distribution in the sediment profiles of the Hetao Basin, we (1) evaluated sediments provenance and variations of weathering intensities, (2) attempted to reconstruct the depositional environments, and (3) explored the As and Fe speciation in the sediments. Combining the information above, different sedimentation facies were distinguished in the vertical profiles. METHODS: Two sediments cores were drilled up to 80 m depth. Major and trace element compositions, including rare earth elements (REE), were analyzed. Carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³Cₒᵣg) of embedded organic matter in the sediments were analyzed by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IR-MS). Arsenic and Fe speciation of the sediments were determined by sequential extractions. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The similar REE geochemistry of rocks from the Lang Mountains and sediments in the Hetao Basin indicated that the sediments originated from the Lang Mountains. The C/N ratio (~ 4 to ~ 10) in combination with δ¹³Cₒᵣg (− 27‰ to −2 4‰) suggested that sediments were mainly deposited in aquatic environments. The unconfined aquifer equaled the lacustrine deposit with less intensive weathering during last glacial maximum (LGM). Here, the As content (average, 5.4 mg kg⁻¹) was higher than in the aquifer sediments below (average, 3.6 mg kg⁻¹). CONCLUSION: Higher content of releasable As in combination with paleolake-derived organic matter aquifer sediments probably contributes to higher groundwater As concentration in the unconfined aquifer. This study provides the first insight into the impact of sedimentation history on As distributions in sediment profiles in the Hetao Basin

An Interdisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation Programme: Description and Evaluation of Outcomes

Purpose: The purpose of this archival report is to describe the essential elements of an intensive 8-week interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programme (IPRP) with a cognitive–behavioural emphasis and the results that can be expected in treating patients with chronic pain conditions