Portable Raman Spectrometer for in situ analysis of asbestos and fibrous minerals

Asbestos inhalation is associated with fatal respiratory diseases and raises concerns from the perspective of workplace safety and environmental impacts. Asbestos and asbestos-like minerals naturally occur in rocks and may become airborne when outcrops or soils are disturbed by anthropic activities. In situ detection of these minerals is a crucial step for the risk evaluation of natural sites. We assess here whether a portable Raman spectrometer (pRS) may be used in the identification of asbestos and asbestos-like minerals at the mining front during exploitation. pRS performance was tested at three geologically different mining sites in Italy and New Caledonia and compared with a high-resolution micro-Raman spectrometer (HRS). About 80% of the overall in situ analyses at the mining front were successfully identified by pRS, even when intermixed phases or strongly disaggregated and altered samples were analyzed. Chrysotile and tremolite asbestos, asbestos-like antigorite, and balangeroite were correctly detected during surveys. The major difficulties faced during in situ pRS measurements were fluorescence emission and focussing the laser beam on non-cohesive bundles of fibers. pRS is adequate for discriminating asbestos and asbestos-like minerals in situ. pRS may support risk assessment of mining sites to better protect workers and environmen

Worldwide trends in population-based survival for children, adolescents, and young adults diagnosed with leukaemia, by subtype, during 2000–14 (CONCORD-3) : analysis of individual data from 258 cancer registries in 61 countries

Background Leukaemias comprise a heterogenous group of haematological malignancies. In CONCORD-3, we analysed data for children (aged 0–14 years) and adults (aged 15–99 years) diagnosed with a haematological malignancy during 2000–14 in 61 countries. Here, we aimed to examine worldwide trends in survival from leukaemia, by age and morphology, in young patients (aged 0–24 years). Methods We analysed data from 258 population-based cancer registries in 61 countries participating in CONCORD-3 that submitted data on patients diagnosed with leukaemia. We grouped patients by age as children (0–14 years), adolescents (15–19 years), and young adults (20–24 years). We categorised leukaemia subtypes according to the International Classification of Childhood Cancer (ICCC-3), updated with International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, third edition (ICD-O-3) codes. We estimated 5-year net survival by age and morphology, with 95% CIs, using the non-parametric Pohar-Perme estimator. To control for background mortality, we used life tables by country or region, single year of age, single calendar year and sex, and, where possible, by race or ethnicity. All-age survival estimates were standardised to the marginal distribution of young people with leukaemia included in the analysis. Findings 164563 young people were included in this analysis: 121328 (73·7%) children, 22963 (14·0%) adolescents, and 20272 (12·3%) young adults. In 2010–14, the most common subtypes were lymphoid leukaemia (28205 [68·2%] patients) and acute myeloid leukaemia (7863 [19·0%] patients). Age-standardised 5-year net survival in children, adolescents, and young adults for all leukaemias combined during 2010–14 varied widely, ranging from 46% in Mexico to more than 85% in Canada, Cyprus, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, and Australia. Individuals with lymphoid leukaemia had better age-standardised survival (from 43% in Ecuador to ≥80% in parts of Europe, North America, Oceania, and Asia) than those with acute myeloid leukaemia (from 32% in Peru to ≥70% in most high-income countries in Europe, North America, and Oceania). Throughout 2000–14, survival from all leukaemias combined remained consistently higher for children than adolescents and young adults, and minimal improvement was seen for adolescents and young adults in most countries. Interpretation This study offers the first worldwide picture of population-based survival from leukaemia in children, adolescents, and young adults. Adolescents and young adults diagnosed with leukaemia continue to have lower survival than children. Trends in survival from leukaemia for adolescents and young adults are important indicators of the quality of cancer management in this age group.peer-reviewe

ABP.Amiante et Bonnes Pratiques : rapport scientifique final

Le projet « Amiante et Bonnes Pratiques » (ABP) propose une étude intégrée depuisl’identification jusqu’au caractère pathogène des fibres issues des minéraux amiantifèresprésents en secteur minier néo-calédonien. Au travers d’un échantillonnage d’un panelreprésentatif des asbestes présents (famille des serpentinites et des amphiboles), il s’agit decaractériser les minéralogies, les propriétés physico-chimiques et toxicologiques de cesminéraux amiantifères. Ces résultats permettront de décrypter le comportement de chaquetypologie minérale d’asbeste face aux « attaques » supergènes susceptibles de déclencherl’émission de fibres pathogènes. À noter que le projet ABP apporte les premières donnéestoxicologiques sur les fibres d’amiante néo-calédoniennes. Un intérêt particulier est porté surl’antigorite, minéral fibreux très présent sur le territoire calédonien, notamment en secteurminier, mais non répertorié comme amiante dans la législation hors territoire

Sr, Nd, Hf and Pb isotope geochemistry of Early Miocene shoshonitic lavas from the South Fiji Basin: note

International audienc

Potential contamination of stream waters by ultramafic mining sediments: Identification of geochemical makers (New Caledonia)

International audienceThe ultramafic massifs of New Caledonia are mainly composed of regolites with lateritic soils rich in metals such as Co, Fe, Mg and Ni. The nickeliferous ore is exploited by opencast mines. After rainfalls, erosion and particle runoff cause the mobilization of metals and metalloids in surface waters. The objective of this study is (i) to determine the geochemical background of metals and metalloids in surface waters draining a mining ultramafic massif, (ii) to identify the geochemical markers influenced by the mining of nickeliferous ore (iii) and to define discriminant values of the mining impact. Hydrochemical monitoring was carried out on five streams draining the Koniambo massif over a 15-years period. Twenty-four elements were analyzed for their total concentration and 18 for their dissolved concentration (<0.45 μm). The descriptive analysis shows that one river has higher total concentrations of As, Co, Cr, Ni, Mn, Al, Fe, Si and Mg and higher dissolved concentrations of Al, Cr, Ni than the other 4 rivers. This difference results from an old mine whose erosion exacerbates sediment transport. These 5 rivers drain the same ultramafic massif of small surface area (21 km2). The description by the boxplot method of the 4 non-impacted rivers allowed us to define a geochemical background. The graphical comparison between the geochemical background with the median values of the river impacted, validated by the ANOVA one way, allowed us to identify markers of the mining anthropization. The use of a supervised classification as a decision tree ranks the markers according to their discriminating power. In addition, this method determines the range of threshold values that separate impacted from non-impacted rivers. The elements Cr, As, Si, Mg and Al are identified as discriminating markers for total concentrations. Only Cr has been identified as a discriminating metal for the dissolved fraction with an interval around 58 μg/l. This concentration is close to the limit defined by the WHO for drinking water which is 50 μg/l

Synthèse du programme amiante et bonnes pratiques

- Ce rapport présente la synthèse, issue du rapport scientifique final, des résultats du programme « ABP, Amiante et bonnes pratiques ».- Le programme ABP a proposé une étude intégrée et pluridisciplinaire depuis l’identification jusqu’au caractère pathogène des fibres issues des minéraux amiantifères présents en secteur minier néo-calédonien.- Au travers d’un échantillonnage d’un panel représentatif des asbestes présents (famille des serpentinites et des amphiboles), les minéralogies, les propriétés physico-chimiques et toxicologiques de ces minéraux amiantifères ont été caractérisées.- À noter que le programme ABP a apporté les premières données toxicologiques sur les fibres d’amiante néo-calédoniennes. Un intérêt particulier est porté sur l’antigorite, minéral fibreux très présent sur le territoire calédonien, notamment en secteur minier, mais non répertorié comme amiante dans la législation hors territoire

Oligocene-Miocene tectonic evolution of the South Fiji Basin and Northland Plateau, SW Pacific Ocean : evidence from petrology and dating of dredged rocks

International audienc