Epidemiologija ozljeda na radu među osiguranim radnicima u Saudijskoj Arabiji od 2004. do 2016.

This is a retrospective analysis of annual reports on occupational injuries issued by the national social insurance agency of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for the years 2004 through 2016. For each criterion we calculated an index based on the equation NY/Nref x100, where NY is the number of occupational injuries by a specific criterion in a specific year Y, and Nref is the number of injuries in the corresponding criterion in the reference year, i.e. 2004. We also calculated the number of injuries to number of workers ratio (Ni/Nw) for different occupations and economic sectors to get a clearer idea of the injury trends per worker. In terms of occupational injury rates (with respect to 2004), we observed increases in construction, financing & real estate (economic sectors), among engineers and technicians (occupations), in infections and secondary contusions (injury type), for upper and lower limbs (affected body parts), over falls and “other” causes. Most injuries occurred on Fridays, which is a weekend day in Saudi Arabia. We also observed increased recovery without disability (injury status). However, if we look at the number of occupational injuries per worker, we can see a decreasing trend over time for all occupations and economic sectors, most likely thanks to improved labour law and safety at work practices for insured workers. Our findings are similar to reports from other Persian Gulf countries and reflect current labour health and safety issues in the area.Retrospektivno smo analizirali godišnja izvješća o ozljedama na radu od 2004. do 2016., koje objavljuje državna agencija za socijalno osiguranje Kraljevine Saudijske Arabije. Za svaki smo kriterij izračunali odgovarajući indeks pomoću jednadžbe NY/Nref x100, gdje NY označava broj ozljeda na radu prema specifičnom kriteriju u pojedinoj godini Y, a Nref broj ozljeda u odgovarajućem kriteriju zabilježen u 2004., koja je uzeta kao referentna godina. Također smo izračunali omjer ozljeda i registriranih radnika (Ni/Nw) za različita zanimanja i gospodarske sektore kako bismo dobili jasniju sliku trenda ozljeda po radniku. Primijetili smo porast učestalosti ozljeda na radu (u odnosu na 2004.) u građevinskom I financijskom/nekretninskom sektoru, među inženjerima i tehničarima, u broju infekcija i sekundarnih kontuzija, u broju ozljeda gornjih i donjih udova, s uzrocima koji su najviše kategorizirani kao “ostali”. Većina se ozljeda dogodila petkom, koji je dan vikenda u Saudijskoj Arabiji. Također smo primijetili veću učestalost oporavka bez invaliditeta (status ozljede). No kad se pogleda broj ozljeda na radu po radniku, primjećuje se padajući trend za sva zanimanja i sve gospodarske sektore, ponajviše, vjerujemo, zbog poboljšanja zakonskih odredbi o radu i sigurnijoj praksi kod osiguranih radnika. Naši rezultati slični su onima iz drugih zemalja Perzijskoga zaljeva te odražavaju trenutačne probleme vezane uz zdravlje I sigurnost radnika

A potential solution to mitigate phosphorus release following clearfelling in peatland forest catchments

The original publication is available at http://www.springerlink.com/content/482p31xuh23q2312/peer-reviewedSince the 1950s, large areas of upland peat have been afforested in northern European countries. Due to the poor phosphorus (P) adsorption capacity and low hydraulic permeability in blanket peat soil and increased labile P sources, harvesting these blanket peat forests can significantly increase P concentrations in the receiving aquatic systems. This paper briefly reviews the current management practices on the control of P releases from forestry in Ireland and the UK, and proposes a possible novel practice—grass seeding clearfelled areas immediately after harvesting, which should reduce P release from blanket peat forest harvesting. The study was conducted in the Burrishoole Catchment in the west of Ireland. A field trial was carried out to identify the successful native grass species that could grow quickly in the blanket peat forest. The two successful grass species—Holcus lanatus and Agrostis capillaris—were sown in three blanket peat forest study plots with areas of 100, 360, and 660 m2 immediately after harvesting. Areas without grass seeding were used as controls. One year later, the P content in the aboveground vegetation biomass of the three study plots were 2.83, 0.65, and 3.07 kg P ha−1, respectively, which were significantly higher than the value of 0.02 kg P ha−1 in the control areas. The water extractable phosphorus in the three study plots were 8.44, 9.83, and 6.04 mg (kg dry soil)−1, respectively, which were lower than the value of 25.72 mg (kg dry soil)−1 in the control sites. The results indicate that grass seeding of the peatland immediately after harvesting can quickly immobilize significant amounts of P and warrants additional research as a new Best Management Practice following harvesting in the blanket peatland forest to mitigate P release

Waste to energy: A case study of Madinah city

The concept of energy from waste is getting popular nowadays across the globe, as being capable of producing multi fuels and value-added products from different fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW). The energy recovery technologies under this concept are anaerobic digestion (AD), pyrolysis, transesterification, refuse derived fuel (RDF) and incineration. This concept is very relevant to implementation in countries like Saudi Arabia, who wants to cut their dependence on oil. Moreover, the waste to energy becomes the imperative need of the time because of new governmental policy ‘Vision 2030’ that firmly said to produce renewable energy from indigenous sources of waste, wind and solar and due to given situations of Hajj and Umrah with massive amounts of waste generation in a short period. This study focused on two waste to energy technologies, AD and pyrolysis for food (40% of MSW) and plastic (20% of MSW) waste streams respectively. The energy potential of 1409.63 and 5619.80 TJ can be produced if all of the food and plastic waste of the Madinah city are processed through AD and pyrolysis respectively. This is equivalent to 15.64 and 58.81 MW from biogas and pyrolytic oil respectively or total 74.45 MW of continuous electricity supply in Madinah city throughout the whole year. It has been estimated that the development of AD and pyrolysis technologies will also benefit the economy with net savings of around US $63.51 and US$53.45 million respectively, totaling to an annual benefit of US $116.96 million. Therefore, in Saudi Arabia and particularly in Holiest cities of Makkah and Madinah the benefits of waste to energy are several, including the development of renewable-energy, solving MSW problems, new businesses, and job creation and improving environmental and public health

Cycling and transport of phosphorus and nitrogen from harvested peatland forests and possible mitigation and methods

Drainage of peatlands has been part of forestry practice since the early 20th century. In Ireland and the UK, approximately 800,000 ha of peat catchments were drained and afforested between the 1950s and 1990s. A large number of these forests are now approaching maturity and the rate of forest harvesting will undergo a rapid increase in the near future. Nutrient release following harvesting of upland blanket peat forests in western Ireland has become a significant environmental concern, as these forests drain into ecologically valuable, oligotrophic, salmonid rivers. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to assess the mechanisms of release and transport of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) from harvested peatland forests and the effectiveness of various mitigation methods to decrease nutrient export from them. A litterbag study was used to investigate the decomposition and P and N release dynamics of harvest residue needles on different peat sites and a laboratory incubation study assessed the mobilization of P and N from peat due to a rise in water table. Laboratory flume and mini-catchment experiments investigated the effect of harvest residue brash windrows on nutrient export from harvested blanket peatlands and nutrient retention efficiency of blanket peatland buffer areas. The results suggest that P is easily released from decaying harvest residue needles, whereas N is mostly retained or accumulated during the initial stages of decomposition. Therefore, the release of N from harvest residue needles is not a likely source of the increased N export following clear-cutting, but harvest residues may contribute to P losses. High water tables produced anoxic conditions in upper peat layers and resulted in P mobilization from moderately decomposed, nutrient-poor, Irish blanket peat and highly decomposed, nutrient-rich, Irish blanket peat. In peats from Finland, P mobilization occurred only from nutrient-poor, ombrotrophic peats, and not from nutrient-rich, minerotrophic peats. A high water table also caused higher mobilization of ammonium-N (NH4+-N) from nutrient-rich peats compared to nutrient-poor peats. These results suggest that water-logged conditions may cause different patterns of nutrient release from different types of peats depending on their biogeochemical characteristics.The release of P from brash windrows in blanket peat catchments is a significant source of P to receiving waters. Although brash windrows do not release N during the early stages of their decomposition, the decomposition of brash may enhance N leaching and export, probably by enhancing microbial activity and soil N mineralization below brash. The removal of harvest residues and whole-tree harvesting could be an efficient means of decreasing N and P release and transport to water courses from blanket peat catchments. Conventionally-designed buffer areas, with and without seeded grasses, may have limited effect on P retention from through-flow waters in blanket peat catchments, as frequent high flow episodes, typical in blanket peat areas, are disadvantageous for effective P retention. Alternatively, a mini-buffers method, comprising brash mats and windrows positioned perpendicular to the slope, as opposed to along the main slope, and with the strips between the brash windrows seeded with native grasses, is proposed. In contrast to conventional buffer areas, a grassed or non-grassed mini-buffers method might be a feasible means of decreasing P export to water courses from harvested blanket peat sites

Cycling and transport of phosphorus and nitrogen from harvested peatland forests and possible mitigation and methods

Drainage of peatlands has been part of forestry practice since the early 20th century. In Ireland and the UK, approximately 800,000 ha of peat catchments were drained and afforested between the 1950s and 1990s. A large number of these forests are now approaching maturity and the rate of forest harvesting will undergo a rapid increase in the near future. Nutrient release following harvesting of upland blanket peat forests in western Ireland has become a significant environmental concern, as these forests drain into ecologically valuable, oligotrophic, salmonid rivers. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to assess the mechanisms of release and transport of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) from harvested peatland forests and the effectiveness of various mitigation methods to decrease nutrient export from them. A litterbag study was used to investigate the decomposition and P and N release dynamics of harvest residue needles on different peat sites and a laboratory incubation study assessed the mobilization of P and N from peat due to a rise in water table. Laboratory flume and mini-catchment experiments investigated the effect of harvest residue brash windrows on nutrient export from harvested blanket peatlands and nutrient retention efficiency of blanket peatland buffer areas. The results suggest that P is easily released from decaying harvest residue needles, whereas N is mostly retained or accumulated during the initial stages of decomposition. Therefore, the release of N from harvest residue needles is not a likely source of the increased N export following clear-cutting, but harvest residues may contribute to P losses. High water tables produced anoxic conditions in upper peat layers and resulted in P mobilization from moderately decomposed, nutrient-poor, Irish blanket peat and highly decomposed, nutrient-rich, Irish blanket peat. In peats from Finland, P mobilization occurred only from nutrient-poor, ombrotrophic peats, and not from nutrient-rich, minerotrophic peats. A high water table also caused higher mobilization of ammonium-N (NH4+-N) from nutrient-rich peats compared to nutrient-poor peats. These results suggest that water-logged conditions may cause different patterns of nutrient release from different types of peats depending on their biogeochemical characteristics.The release of P from brash windrows in blanket peat catchments is a significant source of P to receiving waters. Although brash windrows do not release N during the early stages of their decomposition, the decomposition of brash may enhance N leaching and export, probably by enhancing microbial activity and soil N mineralization below brash. The removal of harvest residues and whole-tree harvesting could be an efficient means of decreasing N and P release and transport to water courses from blanket peat catchments. Conventionally-designed buffer areas, with and without seeded grasses, may have limited effect on P retention from through-flow waters in blanket peat catchments, as frequent high flow episodes, typical in blanket peat areas, are disadvantageous for effective P retention. Alternatively, a mini-buffers method, comprising brash mats and windrows positioned perpendicular to the slope, as opposed to along the main slope, and with the strips between the brash windrows seeded with native grasses, is proposed. In contrast to conventional buffer areas, a grassed or non-grassed mini-buffers method might be a feasible means of decreasing P export to water courses from harvested blanket peat sites

Diatom assemblages and their associated environmental factors in upland peat forest rivers

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Ecological Indicators. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Ecological Indicators, [VOL18, (July 2012)] doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2011.12.008, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X11004109peer-reviewedThe acid-sensitive upland blanket peat catchments are important habitats for diatom assemblages. In this study, the distribution patterns of epilithic diatom assemblages in the streams of upland forested blanket peat in north-west of Ireland are presented and the associated environmental factors are discussed. A total of 43 sites in 16 rivers were sampled. Multivariate analysis highlighted alkalinity and conductivity as the main physicochemical drivers of riverine diatom assemblages. Contrary to expectations nutrients were not found to have a major influence on the diatoms. A major flood event had a significant impact on the diatom assemblage, and one year after the event, long stalked diatom taxa were still largely absent from the river, indicating that floods could be one of the important factors affecting diatom assemblages. However, the ecological status of the affected sites, as determined by the EQR, did not alter from before to after the flood. The results of this study could be applied to similar acid-sensitive upland peat forest catchments and used as the benchmark to assess the impact of forest operations and peat degradation on ecological status