Toksični učinci olova u profesionalno izložene indijske obitelji

This article describes an entire family manufacturing lead acid batteries who all suffered from lead poisoning. The family of five lived in a house, part of which had been used for various stages of battery production for 14 years. Open space was used for drying batteries. They all drank water from a well located on the premises. Evaluation of biomarkers of lead exposure and/or effect revealed alarming blood lead levels [(3.92±0.94) µmol L-1], 50 % reduction in the activity of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase [(24.67±5.12) U L-1] and an increase in zinc protoporphyrin [(1228±480) µg L-1]. Liver function tests showed an increase in serum alkaline phosphatase [(170.41±41.82) U L-1]. All other liver function test parameters were normal. Renal function tests showed an increase in serum uric acid [(515.81±86.29) µmol L-1] while urea and creatinine were normal. Serum calcium was low [(1.90±0.42) mmol L-1 in women and (2.09±0.12) mmol L-1 in men], while blood pressure was high in the head of the family and his wife and normal in children. Lead concentration in well water was estimated to 180 µg L-1. The family was referred to the National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning in India, were they were received treatment and were informed about the hazards of lead poisoning. A follow up three months later showed a slight decrease in blood lead levels and a significant increase in haemoglobin. These findings can be attributed to behavioural changes adopted by the family, even though they continued producing lead batteries.Olovo je sveprisutni metal s mnogo namjena, a čovječanstvo ga rabi već više od 6000 godina. Danas je olovo među najrasprostranjenijim toksinima u okolišu, a drugi je na popisu toksičnih metala, odmah iza arsena. Mnogi još nisu svjesni njegova toksičnoga djelovanja te se i dalje izlažu olovu. Ovdje je opisana obitelj koja proizvodi olovne akumulatore i koja je pretrpjela trovanje olovom zahvaljujući svojoj neobaviještenosti. Ova peteročlana obitelj živjela je u jednome kućanstvu čiji je dio namijenjen različitim fazama proizvodnje akumulatora već 14 godina. Akumulatori su se sušili na otvorenome. Na imanju je bio i bunar s pitkom vodom. Mjerenja biopokazatelja izloženosti olovu i njegova djelovanja u svih pet članova obitelji dovela su do alarmantnoga saznanja o razinama olova u krvi [(3,92±0,94) µmol L-1], 50 %-tnom padu aktivnosti dehidrataze δ-aminolevulinske kiseline [(24,67±5,12) U L-1] te povišenom cinkovu protoporfirinu [(1228±480) µg L-1]. Jetrene probe otkrile su povišene razine alkalne fosfataze u serumu [(170,41±41,82) U L-1]. Ostali su parametri jetrene funkcije bili normalni. Testovi funkcije bubrega otkrili su povišene razine mokraćne kiseline u serumu [(515,81±86,29) µmol L-1], dok su razine ureje i kreatinina bile normalne. Također je zabilježen pad razina kalcija u serumu [(1,90±0,42) mmol L-1 u žena te (2,09±0,12) mmol L-1 u muškaraca]. Povišeni krvni tlak zamijećen je u glave obitelji i njegove supruge, dok je u djece bio normalan. Koncentracija olova u bunarskoj vodi bila je izrazito visoka, prema procjeni 180 µg L-1. Obitelj je upućena u indijski Državni referalni centar za otrovanje olovom (National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning) gdje je primila lijekove i bila upoznata s činjenicama vezanim uz otrovanje olovom. Tromjesečno je praćenje pokazalo blagi pad razina olova u krvi te značajan porast hemoglobina. Ovi se nalazi mogu pripisati promjenama u ponašanju obitelji, bez obzira na to što je nastavila proizvoditi akumulatore

Measuring Spatio-temporal Trends in Residential Landscape Irrigation Extent and Rate in Los Angeles, California Using SPOT-5 Satellite Imagery

Irrigation is a large component of urban water budgets in semi-arid regions and is critical for the management of landscape vegetation and water resources. This is particularly true for Mediterranean climate cities such as Los Angeles, where water availability is limited during dry summers. These interactions were examined by using 10-m resolution satellite imagery and a database of monthly water use records for all residential water customers in Los Angeles in order to map vegetation greenness, the extent and distribution of irrigated areas, and irrigation rates. A water conservation ratio between rates of irrigation and vegetation water demand was calculated to assess over-irrigation. The analyses were conducted for the water years (WY) 2005–2007, which included wet, average, and dry extremes of annual rainfall. Although outdoor water usage was highest in the dry year, vegetation greenness could not be maintained as well as in wetter years, suggesting that lower greenness was due to water stress. However, annual rainfall from WY 2005 to 2007 did not significantly influence the variability in the magnitude and spatial pattern of irrigation, with mean irrigated rates ranging only from 81 to 86 mm. The water conservation ratio showed that 7 % of the postal carrier routes across the city were over-irrigated in the dry year, but 43 % were over-irrigated in the wet year. This was largely because the climatic demand for water by vegetation decreased in wet years, but irrigation rates changed little from year-to-year. This overwatering can be addressed by water conservation, planning and public education, especially in the current California drought. The approach demonstrated here should be transferable to other cities in semi-arid climates

A comparative study of the water budgets of lawns under three management scenarios

The fate of irrigation in urban ecosystems is highly uncertain, due to uncertainties in urban ecohydrology. We compared irrigation rates, soil moisture, evapotranspiration (ET), stomatal conductance, and water budgets of landscape ecosystems managed with different turfgrass species and irrigation technologies. The “Typical” landscape had a cool-season fescue and was irrigated by an automatic timer. The “Alternative1” landscape had a warm-season paspalum and a “smart” soil moisture sensor-based irrigation system. The “Alternative2” landscape had a cool-season native sedge and a “smart” weather station-based drip irrigation system. ET was measured with a portable closed chamber and modeled using a Penman-Monteith approach, and the two methods agreed well. The water applied to the Alternative1 was 54 % less than the water applied to the Typical landscape, and the water applied to the Alternative2 was 24 % less. Soil moisture was similar in the Typical and Alternative2, while Alternative1 was drier in spring. The stomatal conductance of sedge was lower than the other two species, but its ET was not lower due to higher leaf area. Irrigation efficiencies (ET/applied irrigation) were 57 - 58 %, 86 – 97 %, and 78 - 80 % for the Typical, Alternative1, and Alternative2 landscapes, respectively. Runoff was less than 2 % in each landscape, and excess irrigation primarily drained below the root zone. Differences in irrigation efficiency between landscapes were due mainly to irrigation application, which varied more than species water use. Smart irrigation systems provided substantial water savings relative to a timer-based system, and prevented significant drainage losses. The utilization of smart sensors was more important than the choice of turfgrass species for irrigation efficiency