Attribution of physical complaints to the air disaster in Amsterdam by exposed rescue workers: an epidemiological study using historic cohorts

BACKGROUND: In 1992 a cargo aircraft crashed into a residential area of Amsterdam. A troublesome aftermath followed, with rumors on potential toxic exposures and health consequences. Health concerns remained even though no excess morbidity was predicted in retrospective risk evaluations. This study aimed to assess to what extent the rescue workers attribute long-term physical complaints to this disaster, including its aftermath, and to examine associations between such attribution and types of exposure and background variables. METHODS: Historic cohort study that collected questionnaire data on occupational disaster exposure, attribution of physical complaints, and background variables on average 8.5 years post-disaster. For the present study the workers who were exposed to the disaster were selected from the historic cohort, i.e. the professional firefighters (n = 334), police officers (n = 834), and accident and wreckage investigators (n = 241) who performed disaster-related tasks. RESULTS: Across the three occupational groups, a consistent percentage (ranging from 43% to 49%) of exposed workers with long-term physical complaints attributed these to the disaster, including its aftermath. Those with more physical complaints attributed these to a stronger degree. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that attribution was significantly more often reported by firefighters who rescued people, and by police officers who reported the identification and recovery of or search for victims and human remains, clean-up, or security and surveillance of the disaster area; who witnessed the immediate disaster scene; who had a close one affected by the disaster; and who perceived the disaster as the worst thing that ever happened to them. Age, sex and educational level were not significantly associated with attribution. CONCLUSION: This study provides further cross-sectional evidence for the role of causal attribution in post-disaster subjective physical health problems. After on average 8.5 years, almost a third (32%) of all the exposed workers, and almost half (45%) of the exposed workers with physical complaints, attributed these complaints to the disaster, including its aftermath. The similarity of the results across the occupational groups suggests a general rather than an occupation-specific attribution process. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether causal disaster attribution leads to persistence of post-disaster complaints and health care utilization

Teratogenicity of depleted uranium aerosols: A review from an epidemiological perspective

BACKGROUND: Depleted uranium is being used increasingly often as a component of munitions in military conflicts. Military personnel, civilians and the DU munitions producers are being exposed to the DU aerosols that are generated. METHODS: We reviewed toxicological data on both natural and depleted uranium. We included peer reviewed studies and gray literature on birth malformations due to natural and depleted uranium. Our approach was to assess the "weight of evidence" with respect to teratogenicity of depleted uranium. RESULTS: Animal studies firmly support the possibility that DU is a teratogen. While the detailed pathways by which environmental DU can be internalized and reach reproductive cells are not yet fully elucidated, again, the evidence supports plausibility. To date, human epidemiological data include case examples, disease registry records, a case-control study and prospective longitudinal studies. DISCUSSION: The two most significant challenges to establishing a causal pathway between (human) parental DU exposure and the birth of offspring with defects are: i) distinguishing the role of DU from that of exposure to other potential teratogens; ii) documentation on the individual level of extent of parental DU exposure. Studies that use biomarkers, none yet reported, can help address the latter challenge. Thoughtful triangulation of the results of multiple studies (epidemiological and other) of DU teratogenicity contributes to disentangling the roles of various potentially teratogenic parental exposures. This paper is just such an endeavor. CONCLUSION: In aggregate the human epidemiological evidence is consistent with increased risk of birth defects in offspring of persons exposed to DU

INTERSYSTEM CROSSING IN NAPHTHALENE AT ROTATIONAL RESOLUTION

Author Institution: Pysisch Laboratorium, Toernooiveld, 6525Due to intersystem crossing the $S_{1}$ state of naphthalene is coupled to a manifold of triplet states. Therefore part of the excited singlet state molecules will end in the triplet state. We have measured simultaneously the laser induced fluorescence and phosphorescence spectra of several vibronic bands of the $S_{1} \leftarrow {S_{0}}$ transition in naphthalene in a molecular beam. The phosphorescence was detected by colliding the molecules after excitation on a cold copper surface further downstream. With this set-up, in combination with a single frequency laser rotational resolution was achieved. The resulting spectra correspond to an asymmetric rotor, for which all lines could be identified. We found the intersystem crossing rate to be independent of the rotational quantum numbers and depending on the vibrational state

The use of generic failure frequencies in QRA: the quality and use of failure frequencies and how to bring them up-to-date.

Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) is a method which is often used in the chemical industry and, in some countries, also in land-use planning. In QRA calculations the frequency of an accident scenario is most often assessed by a generic failure frequency approach. The credibility and validity of the failure frequencies used in the Netherlands for land-use planning is evaluated by means of an historical review. Furthermore, the possibility is presented how these generic data can be revised and updated

HIGH RESOLUTION ABSORPTION SPECTRUM OF THE MOLECULAR EIGENSTATES OF PYRAZINE

$^{1}$ J. Kommandeur, W.A. Majewski, W.L. Meerts and D.W. Pratt, Ann, Rev. Chem, Phys, 38 (1987) 433Author Institution: Fysisch LaboratoriumThe pyrazine molecules serves as a prototype of an intermediate case molecule in the theory of intramolecular radiationless transitions. The main attention is focused on the fluorescence decay of the first excited singlet $(^{1}B_{3u})$ electronic state. For a recent review see [1] and the references therein. The high resolution absorption spectrum of the P, Q and R. branches of the 0-0 electronic transition of pyrazine was recorded with a bolometer in a supersonic molecular beam and a single mode, frequency doubled ring dye laser. A residual Doppler linewidth of 50 MHz was achieved. Simultaneously with the absorption spectrum the laser induced fluorescence spectrum was observed A comparison is made between excitation and absorption inensities of the molecular eigenstate spectra. It is concluded that substantial differences exist between both spectra