MEASURING OF BLACK CARBON CONCENTRATIONS, SUMMARIZING RAISED BLOOD PRESSURE DATA AND IDENTIFYING SPECULATIVE EFFECT ON RAISED BLOOD PRESSURE

Black carbon, as one of the main air pollutants, has gained a significant amount of attention in the last few years. It affects Earth’s climate as well as human health, especially in urban areas where it accumulates in greater amounts because of the dense setting of its sources such as traffic, industry and residential heating. The aim of this study was to investigate black carbon distribution and factors that influence its dispersion and consequently human health. Measurements were carried out in two separate parts, in winter 2017/2018 and spring 2017. Within sampling area, urban and background areas of Celje were included in the study. This setting of the measurements was selected with the purpose of investigating BC’s distribution and changes in its concentrations, while also finding how temperatures, wind, precipitation and traffic affect BC’s features. The results showed the highest black carbon concentrations always occur in the areas with heavy traffic flow, either in colder or warmer parts of the year (7.48 ± 6.48 µg m–3 in winter and 7.25 ± 6.06 µg m–3 in spring). Outcomes of the research also proved that wind speed, rainfall and temperatures affect black carbon dispersion as well as other factors like traffic density, time of day or day of the week. This study also revealed associations between black carbon oscillation and high blood pressure, especially during the winter period. Key words: black carbon; city pollution; environment; health; blood pressur

Smernice za diagnostiko, zdravljenje in sledenje bolnikov s sarkomi mehkih tkiv in kosti

no abstractni abstrakt

Modification of the risk assessment methodology in the case of drinking water softeners

Uvod: V zadnjem desetletju se pojavlja čedalje več raziskav, katerih izsledki kažejo, da se dnevni vnos fosforja povečuje in da vrednosti precej presegajo priporočene prehranske potrebe. Kronično izpostavljenost visokim koncentracijam fosforja povezujejo s številnimi škodljivimi učinki na zdravje. Eden od t. i. skritih virov fosforja je tudi kemično mehčana pitna voda. Cilj raziskave: Cilj raziskave je bil izdelati oceno tveganja za zdravje ljudi zaradi izpostavljenosti kemičnim mehčalom (natrijev polifosfat) v pitni vodi. Metode: Raziskava je razdeljena na več faz. V prvi fazi je analiza vključevala preiskovanje koncentracij in pogostosti pojavljanja fosfatnih mehčal (kemična analiza vzorcev vroče pitne vode s spektrometrijsko metodo z amonijevim molibdatom) ter ugotavljanje zavedanja uporabnikov o mehčanju pitne vode (anketni vprašalnik). Ker so se vrednosti izmerjenih koncentracij fosfatov na posameznih odjemnih mestih močno razlikovale, je bila na izbranih mestih v nadaljevanju raziskave koncentracija fosfatov spremljana tudi v odvisnosti od časa. Izdelana je bila ocena dnevnega vnosa fosforja z uživanjem kemično mehčane pitne vode za različne scenarije izpostavljenosti. Drugo fazo raziskave prestavlja analiza jedilnikov v šestih različnih ustanovah, s katero je bil ocenjen dnevni vnos fosforja za različne starostne skupine. V tretji fazi je bila s testom na luminiscenčnih bakterijah Vibrio fischeri preverjena morebitna akutna strupenost na vodne mikroorganizme. Z namenom opozoriti na posredna tveganja, ki niso vključena v standardni nabor toksikoloških in ekotoksikoloških testov, je bil v četrti fazi raziskave določen tudi vpliv komercialnega pripravka (natrijev polifosfat) na rast bakterij Legionella pneumophila. Rezultati z diskusijo: Kemična analiza je pokazala, da je bila v skoraj polovici (45 %) odvzetih vzorcev pitne vode (N = 242) potrjena prisotnost fosfatov v koncentracijah od 0,2 do 24,6 mg PO4/L. Hkrati so izsledki analize anketnega vprašalnika pokazali, da večina (70 %) uporabnikov ni seznanjena z izvajanjem kemičnega mehčanja pitne vode, ki jo uživajo. Uživanje kemično mehčane pitne vode sicer predstavlja manjši delež dnevnega vnosa fosforja, vendar pa predvsem zaradi neustreznega deklariranja oziroma (ne)informiranja predstavlja skriti vir fosforja, ki kumulativno prispeva k (pre)visokemu dnevnemu vnosu. Precej večji dnevni vnos fosforja predstavlja vnos fosforja s hrano, pri čemer so priporočene prehranske potrebe precej presežene pri vseh starostnih skupinah. Ekotoksikološki testi so pokazali, da dodani fosfati (komercialni pripravek za mehčanje pitne vode v koncentraciji 3,6 in 39,5 mg PO4/L) precej vplivajo na rast bakterij L. pneumophila, zaznana je povišana rast za 1,28 oziroma 1,19 log CFU/mL. Na podlagi odziva bakterij L. pneumophila v poskusu in vitro je mogoče sklepati, da predstavlja dodani fosfat hranilo, ki pospešuje rast bakterij tudi v vodovodnem sistemu in tako posredno predstavlja dodatno tveganje za zdravje uporabnikov na ta način pripravljene pitne vode. Modificiran pristop ocene tveganja za zdravje na primeru kemičnega mehčanja pitne vode vključuje poleg (i) ocene izpostavljenosti ter (ii) ocene varnih dnevnih odmerkov, temelječih na toksikoloških študijah, tudi (iii) posredne učinke dodanih fosfatov na mikroorganizme, (iv) morebitne aditivne učinke različnih onesnažil v vodi, (v) vpliv fosfatov na absorpcijo hranil v gastrointestinalnem traktu ter (vi) upravljanje s tveganji. Na podlagi predstavljenih izsledkov raziskave je mogoče zaključiti, da tveganje za zdravje zaradi izpostavljenosti fosfatom v pitni vodi ni zanemarljivo.Introduction: In the last decade, the concerned researchers issued warnings related to high phosphorus daily intake, which significantly exceeds the recommended dietary allowance. Chronic exposure to high daily phosphorus intake is claimed to lead to adverse health effects. One of the so-called hidden sources of phosphorus is also chemically softened drinking water. Aim: The study purpose was to determine the health risk assessment resulting from exposure to chemical softeners (sodium polyphosphate) in the drinking water. Methods: The study is divided into several sections. The analysis was focused on concentrations and frequency of phosphate softeners (chemical analysis of hot water samples with the spectrometric method with ammonium molybdate) and the awareness of consumers about water softening (survey questionnaire). Since concentrations of phosphates at different sampling sites vary substantially, additional analysis was conducted to measure changes in concentration through time. Additionally, the exposure assessment for phosphate in case of consuming chemically softened drinking water was established. The next section of the research presents the analysis of daily menus in six different institutions providing the data on daily phosphorus intake by different age groups. The toxicity test on Vibro fisceri to determine any potential acute toxicity for water microorganisms was conducted. In order to highlight the indirect risks, which are not included in the standard list of toxicity and eco-toxicity tests, the impact of commercial product (sodium polyphosphate) on the growth of Legionella pneumophila was determined. Results and discussion: In nearly half (45 %) of the samples of the drinking water (N = 242), the presence of phosphates was confirmed in concentrations from 0.2 to 24.6 mg PO4/L. The majority of the consumers (70 %) were not aware of the chemical softening of their drinking water. The consumption of chemically softened drinking water presents a minor share of the daily phosphorus intake. However, it should be noted that chemically softened drinking water is one of the hidden sources of phosphorus, which cumulatively adds to its exceeded dietary intake. More important is the phosphorus intake through the consumed food, which significantly exceeds the recommended dietary allowance in nearly all participating groups. The phosphate additives (commercial product for drinking water softening in concentrations 3.6 and 39.5 mg PO4/L) enhance the growth of L. pneumophila by log 1.28 and log 1.19 CFU/mL, respectively. According to the response of the L. pneumophila in vitro, it can be inferred that the added phosphorus promotes the growth of bacteria also in water systems and thus indirectly presents additional threat to the health of consumers. The modified approach to the risk assessment in case of water softening includes (i) exposure assessment, (ii) assessment of safe daily intake, based on toxicity test and also on (iii) indirect impact of the added phosphates on microorganisms, (iv) potential additive effects of various pollutants in water, (v) the impact of phosphates on nutrient absorption in gastro–intestinal tract, and finally (vi) the risk management. The research findings indicate that the health risks deriving from phosphate exposure in drinking water are not negligible

Hand hygiene in emergency situations

Higiena kot veda o zdravju je ena izmed temeljnih medicinskih ved, ki preučuje vplive na človekovo zdravje. Še posebno v zaostrenih epidemioloških razmerah v zadnjih letih zaradi covida-19 so se ljudje začeli bolj zavedati po-mena izvajanja osnovnih higienskih ukrepov, ki so bistveni za uspešno obvladovanje pandemije. Pri obvladovanju in predvsem omejevanju širjenja virusa SARS-CoV-2 je zelo pomembna tudi ustrezna izvedba postopkov higiene rok. Umivanje in tudi razkuževanje rok sta pomembna higienska ukrepa, ki ju sicer dobro poznamo, vendar ne izvajamo dovolj natančno, predvsem pa ne vedno, ko je to treba. V prispevku so predstavljeni rezultati raziskave na vzorcu 868 ljudi, z njo pa smo preverjali znanje o higieni rok, odnos posameznika do umivanja in razkuževanja rok ter spremembe v odnosu do umivanja in razkuževanja rok zaradi pandemije. Rezultati kažejo, da so številni svoje higienske navade med pandemijo spremenili, kljub temu pa zaznavamo pomanjkljivo znanje tako o umivanju kot tudi razkuževanju rok. Zaskrbljujoč je predvsem delež uporabnikov, ki si roke v domačem okolju še vedno razkužuje.Hygiene is one of the basic medical sciences that encompasses all aspects and various environmental influences on human health. In the difficult epidemiological situation of recent years (the Covid-19 pandemic), basic hygiene measures again played a crucial role and were a key factor in the successful control of the pandemic. Proper hand hygiene was extremely important in order to control and, most importantly, contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Handwashing (and disinfecting) is an important hygiene measure that we all know well, but do not always perform properly, especially when it is necessary. This paper presents the results of a survey of 868 people ad-dressing (1) knowledge about hand hygiene(2) people’s attitudes towards handwashing and disinfectionand (3) the change in attitudes towards handwashing and disinfection after the pandemic. The results indicate that many have changed their hygiene habits during the pandemic, but that there is a lack of knowledge about handwashing and disinfection. Of particular concern is the proportion of users who still disinfect their hands at home

A study on implementation and perception of preventive hygiene measures

The Covid-19 pandemic required the implementation of various preventive hygiene measures to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Various non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) were introduced worldwide. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people’s daily lives. Again, relatively simple hygiene measures have proven to be very effective and useful. The main objective of the present study was to find out how people implement the proposed individual prevention measures and how they perceive the administrative measures implemented during the pandemic. The paper presents the results of a web-based, non-representative cross-sectional study conducted between October 15 and November 17, 2020 in Slovenia during the Covid-19 lockdown. The completion of the survey coincided with the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, so it was to be expected that awareness of the importance of hand hygiene as well as other preventive measures was high among respondents. We find that people have changed their hygiene habits during the pandemic. Habits differ both between individual NPIs and between groups of respondents (age, gender and occupational structure of respondents). There are still opportunities to improve knowledge and attitudes towards hand hygiene and to implement all other NPI

Neglected importance of cumulative exposure to phosphorus in drinking water and food products

Using a risk assessment approach possible health risks from different chemicals or other environmental stressors could be assessed. The method is widely used for regulatory risk assessment of chemicals. Although the method gives good results in the field of public and environmental health risk assessment, the approach has several flaws and unknowns, since disregarded real exposure scenarios could sometimes also lead to wrong assumptions. Using the risk assessment approach in the case of phosphate additives we will present weather added phosphorus in food and drinking water, presenting some concerns for human health. In recent years in developed countries, according to recent studies, intake of phosphorus and consequently phosphorus serum levels are increasing. Besides naturally present phosphates in food, predominantly pre-processed food and also processed (chemically softened) drinking water is a source of additional phosphate intake. The main reason for drinking water chemical softening is primarily prevention of the equipmentthe health effect of such treatment is underestimated and neglected. Although phosphorus is an essential element, according to latest researches blood vessel calcification and hormonal de-regulation as health effect of high phosphorus concentration are reported. Any kind of increased intake of phosphorus is therefore not needed and in fact it could actually present an additional health threat. Therefore it is necessary that a holistic approach of risk assessment is used in the context of realistic exposure scenarios of simultaneous exposure to cocktail of various pollutants, their degradation products, and inclusion of potential causal links and indirect impacts of evaluated chemicals on health. According to the presented facts health risk in the case of sodium polyphosphate as drinking water softeners is insufficiently investigated and consequently, the risk might be underestimated

The impact of different TiO2 particles on the activity of acetylcholinesterase

Over the last decades, the production of nanoparticles (NPs) has been rapidly growing on the global scale. The data on biological activity of NPs is crucial in evaluating their safe use and in the development of new products containing NPs. Different tests are available for the purposes of determining interactions between NPs and biological systems. In this study, a modified Ellman’s method, adapted to work with microtiter plate, was used. This study aims to evaluate the biological reactivity of 10 different titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles with different primary sizes, crystallinity and different coatings. Biological reactivity was assessed by testing their adsorption to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and to inhibit its activity. It was assumed that the tested particles inhibit AChE depending on physiochemical properties of particles, with crucial importance of their crystal structure. It was also assumed that a higher NP adsorption to AChE and a formation of so-called corona have no direct correlation to stronger AChE inhibition. TiO2 particles sized between 5 and 100 nm showed the highest rate of inhibition and adsorption to AChE, whereas the particles with size between 100 and 500 nm showed a lower rate of both. In our study the crystallinity of TiO2 particles did not have a significant effect on their ability to inhibit and adsorb AChE. Observed NP inhibition and adsorption to AChE was dependant on NP concentration. We observed higher NP effect on inhibition than on adsorption

Traffic density-related black carbon distribution

Black carbon is one of the riskiest particle matter pollutants that is harmful to human health. Although it has been increasingly investigated, factors that depend on black carbon distribution and concentration are still insufficiently researched. Variables, such as traffic density, wind speeds, and ground levels can lead to substantial variations of black carbon concentrations and potential exposure, which is even riskier for people living in less-airy sites. Therefore, this paper "fills the gaps" by studying black carbon distribution variations, concentrations, and oscillations, with special emphasis on traffic density and road segments, at multiple locations, in a small city located in a basin, with frequent temperature inversions and infrequent low wind speeds. As wind speed has a significant impact on black carbon concentration trends, it is critical to present how low wind speeds influence black carbon dispersion in a basin city, and how black carbon is dependent on traffic density. Our results revealed that when the wind reached speeds of 1 ms-1 , black carbon concentrations actually increased. In lengthy wind periods, when wind speeds reached 2 or 3 ms-1 , black carbon concentrations decreased during rush hour and in the time of severe winter biomass burning. By observing the results, it could be concluded that black carbon persists longer in higher altitudes than near ground level. Black carbon concentration oscillations were also seen as more pronounced on main roads with higher traffic density. The more the traffic decreases and becomes steady, the more black carbon concentrations oscillate

Contribution of Drinking Water Softeners to Daily Phosphate Intake in Slovenia

The cumulative phosphate intake in a typical daily diet is high and, according to several studies, already exceeds recommended values. The exposure of the general population to phosphorus via drinking water is generally not known. One of the hidden sources of phosphorus in a daily diet is sodium polyphosphate, commonly used as a drinking water softener. In Slovenia, softening of drinking water is carried out exclusively within the internal (household) drinking water supply systems to prevent the accumulation of limescale. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of sodium phosphates in the drinking water in Slovenia in different types of buildings, to determine residents’ awareness of the presence of chemical softeners in their drinking water, and to provide an exposure assessment on the phosphorus intake from drinking water. In the current study, the presence of phosphates in the samples of drinking water was determined using a spectrophotometric method with ammonium molybdate. In nearly half of the samples, the presence of phosphates as water softeners was confirmed. The measured concentrations varied substantially from 0.2 mg PO4/L to 24.6 mg PO4/L. Nearly 70% of the respondents were not familiar with the exact data on water softening in their buildings. It follows that concentrations of added phosphates should be controlled and the consumers should be informed of the added chemicals in their drinking water. The health risks of using sodium polyphosphate as a drinking water softener have not been sufficiently investigated and assessed. It is highly recommended that proper guidelines and regulations are developed and introduced to protect human health from adverse effects of chemicals in water intended for human consumption