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The paper describes the data obtained by Soviet and American physicians who took part in the treatment of patients burnt in the Bashkiria accident (an outburst of petroleum products). It was established that in deep burns bioelectrostimulation combined with early necrectomy and autodermoplasty yielded the best therapeutic results.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used to compare energy consumption and pollutant emissions of two oxygen biofuels, ethanol and methyl ester, which were mixed with gasoline and diesel oil at levels of 10% and 30% of the biofuel. The future of oxygen-containing biofuels was analyzed and forecasted. The results show that the mixture of biofuels and petroleum products can reduce crude oil consumption, but only methyl ester alternative fuel can reduce fossil fuel consumption. Use of methyl ester mixtures would reduce NOx by 50% compared to gasoline or diesel on a life cycle basis; however, NOx would increase using ethanol. Each alternative fuel mixture reduced PM10 emissions from the vehicle and methyl ester decreased VOCs. The SO2 emissions from the fuel production processes, which account for about 80% of SO2 life cycle emissions, must be strictly controlled.
The proposed replacement of the gasoline oxygenate MTBE with ethanol represents potential economic and environmental quality benefits. However, these benefits may be offset to some extent by potential detrimental effects on groundwater quality and natural attenuation of released petroleum products. The objectives of this literature review are to bound the extent to which these impacts may occur, summarize the available information on the biodegradation of ethanol in the environment, assess the potential effect that biodegradation processes may have on the fate and transport of BTEX compounds, and provide recommendations for research to enhance related risk assessment and management decisions. Ethanol that reaches groundwater aquifers is likely to be degraded at much faster rates than other gasoline constituents. If the carbon source is not limiting, a preferential degradation of ethanol over BTEX may be observed under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Depending on the extent of the release, ethanol may exert a high biochemical oxygen demand that would contribute to the rapid depletion of dissolved oxygen in the groundwater. Thus, ethanol will likely be degraded predominantly under anaerobic conditions. None of the potential ethanol metabolites that could accumulate in groundwater are toxic, although some potential biodegradation by-products such as butyrate could adversely affect the taste and odor of drinking water sources. In addition, acetate and other volatile fatty acids could accumulate at high concentrations, causing a pH decrease in poorly buffered systems. It is unknown, however, whether the pH would decrease to a point that inhibits natural degradative processes. Inhibition of microbial, activity near the source is likely to occur as a result of exposure to high alcohol concentrations, and bactericidal effects are likely to occur when cells are exposed to ethanol concentrations exceeding 10,000 mg/L. However, the maximum allowable ethanol content in gasoline is 10% by volume in the United States. Thus, such high ethanol concentrations are unlikely to be encountered at sites contaminated with ethanol-gasoline blends, except near the fuel/water interfaces or in the case of neat ethanol releases. Downgradient of the source area, biodegradation is unlikely to be inhibited by alcohol toxicity as concentrations decrease exponentially with distance. The preferential degradation of fuel alcohols by indigenous microorganisms and the accompanying depletion of oxygen and other electron acceptors suggest that ethanol could hinder BTEX bioremediation. This is particularly important for the fate of benzene, which is the most toxic BTEX compound and the most recalcitrant under anaerobic conditions. Alternatively, ethanol represents a carbon and energy source that is likely to stimulate the growth of a variety of aerobic and anaerobic microbial populations, including those that can degrade BTEX compounds. A higher concentration of BTEX degraders would be conducive to faster BTEX degradation rates under carbon-limiting conditions. Nevertheless, controlled studies that assess the overall effect of ethanol on BTEX bioremediation are lacking. In theory, ethanol could also contribute to longer BTEX plumes by enhancing BTEX solubilization from the fuel phase and by decreasing sorption-related retardation during transport. The overall effect of ethanol on BTEX plume length and treatment end points is likely to be system specific, and will depend largely on the release scenario and on the buffering and dilution capacity of the aquifer. Additional research is needed to understand the effect of ethanol on the stability and dimensions of co-occurring and pre-existing BTEX plumes. Future laboratory and field studies should also address response variability as a function of release scenario and site specificity, to facilitate risk assessment and remedial action decisions.
The distribution of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in urban-influenced air and river waters was investigated. The aquatic VOC were extracted with the closed-loop stripping technique (CLST) and the airborne compounds were studied using two methods, charcoal and polyurethane foam adsorption. In both types of samples, C1-C5 alkylbenzenes and n-alkanes constitute the two major VOC groups, and the presence of these groups indicates a predominance of petroleum products in these two environmental compartments. Chlorinated compounds such as polychlorobenzenes, polychloronaphthalenes and hexachlorobutadiene are abundant in water samples, whereas tetrachloroethene is the predominant chlorinated airborne VOC. The compounds collected with each sampling system can be described in terms of ranges of volatility. These ranges (expressed as mmHg vapour pressure at 25 degrees C) can be defined approximately as 140 (methylcyclopentane)-0.65 (n-undecane) for charcoal, 5.1 (n-nonane)-0.000061 (n-docosane) for polyurethane foam and 29 (toluene)-0.000029 (n-eicosane) for the CLST. Parallel air sampling with charcoal and polyurethane foam is therefore needed to cover a VOC range similar to that afforded by the CLST in water.
Familial and environmental factors may play a role in the development of conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Nineteen patients with biopsy-proven CIN completed a questionnaire to evaluate possible predisposing factors. Nineteen age-matched and sex-matched controls completed questionnaires and received slit-lamp examinations. Factors associated with a relatively increased risk of developing CIN included exposure to petroleum products, heavy cigarette smoking, light hair and ocular pigmentation, and family origin in the British Isles, Austria or Switzerland. Non-office and nonprofessional workers were more likely to develop conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (p = .05), as were those who were not college graduates (p = .07).
A public authority building a breakwater and other harbour facilities at a small seaport (population 3000) had short-term requirements for 261,000 tonnes of rock and ultimately for 1,000,000 tonnes. A suitable quarry was found about 11 km from the port but unfortunately the rock was found to be contaminated to a small extent with a fibrous mineral identified with the analytical transmission electron microscope as a non-commercial type of fine amphibole with many long fibres. Quarrying only was intended and there were no plans to crush the rock, but the projected work soon brought complaints from local residents, who expressed fears concerning risks to health from what soon became known as 'the asbestos mine'. These complaints posed a dilemma for both the construction and health authorities; they were forcefully expressed, and residents were supported by local newspapers, municipal authorities and regional politicians. The Land and Environment Court ordered (by consent) that the construction authority 'take all reasonable measures to ensure that no loose asbestos material and no rock with any asbestos material exposed on the surface (is) removed from the site'. Personal monitoring of quarry workmen by the membrane filter method and ambient air monitoring near residents' homes with analysis by electron microscope showed that only insignificant concentrations of airborne fibres were present. The breakwater was ultimately completed after much delay and extra expense. Other and greater risks to health and safety, such as the transport of liquid chlorine through the centre of the town to the fish processing plant and the storage, distribution and transport of petroleum products from the nearby regional facilities, were not perceived as such by the residents.
A hospital-based case-control study of multiple myeloma in whites (100 cases and 100 controls from seven Baltimore hospitals) was conducted to examine a number of postulated risk factors. Cases and controls were matched on age, sex, hospital, and year of diagnosis. Distributions by marital status and religious affiliation were found to be similar. Educational levels of cases were similar to controls except for postcollege schooling, where there was a slight excess of cases (6%) compared to controls (3%). No statistically significant associations were found between multiple myeloma and prior history of medical conditions believed to cause prolonged stimulation of the immune system including chronic bacterial infections [odds ratio (OR) = 0.8], autoimmune disorders (OR = 1.0), allergy-related disorders (OR = 1.0), or lymphoid tissue surgery (OR = 1.2). Statistically significant positive associations were found for occupational exposure to petroleum products (OR = 3.7; 1.3-10.3) and asbestos (OR = 3.5; 1.0-12.0). No increased risk was found for cigarette smoking or alcohol consumption or for employment in a variety of industries and occupations implicated in earlier studies. A significantly elevated risk was found for prior use of laxatives (OR = 3.5; 1.1-11.1), and elevated (OR greater than or equal to 1.8) but nonsignificant risks were found for use of other medications including diphenylhydantoin, phenobarbital, diazepam, propranolol, ibuprofen, and diet drugs and stimulants. These findings require clarification in larger, population-based studies.
It is from an analysis of these data that I proposed that losses of all or part of the long arm of chromosomes 5 and/or 7 may be indicators of exposure to mutagenic agents (8). Moreover, our analysis of the regions of chromosomes 5 and 7 that are consistently missing can define the critical region of each chromosome with some precision. Looked at from another perspective, the frequency of losses of chromosomes 5 and/or 7 may be an indicator of the proportion of ANLL in each particular population that is related to some mutagenic exposure. These aberrations are most frequent in cells of patients who were previously exposed to various cytotoxic regimens for treatment of a primary (usually malignant) disease; these patients are considered to have 2 degrees ANLL. Among patients with ANLL de novo, abnormalities of chromosomes 5 and 7 are much more frequent in older than younger patients. Finally, among adult patients with ANLL de novo, -5 and -7 are more common in those whose occupations could potentially expose them to mutagenic agents such as chemicals, pesticides, or petroleum products. With regard to chromosome 5, most of these deletions are interstitial and always include 5q23 through q31, which I have called the critical region. Although I am less certain with regard to chromosome 7, it appears that the critical region that is consistently deleted may be 7q32 or 7q34-35.
From answers by one-third of the practicing dermatologists in the San Francisco Bay Area to a questionnaire on occupational skin diseases, contact dermatitis due to irritants and sensitizers was found to rank first. Poison oak, which is the leading reported cause on "Doctor's First Report of Work Injury" received by the California Department of Industrial Relations, was sixth on the list of the survey, trailing solvents, cleansing agents, petroleum products and epoxy resins. A history of atopic dermatitis was often noted in current cases of occupational diseases of the skin. Avoidance of exposure or limiting the contact with pathogenic substances-through engineering changes, observation of working conditions by physicians, education of workers-appeared to be the best preventive measures.
Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are difficult to monitor and quantify. This study has been worked-out to evaluate various sampling methods for monitoring PAH in the work environment: the sampling devices were tested on the field in a carbon electrodes factory. During the field surveys we used the following sampling procedures that actually are the most adopted: Glass fiber filter, Silver membrane (Teflon, cellulosic esters), The over mentioned membrane filters followed by solid substrate (Amberlite XAD-2). For the analytical quantification we followed this procedure: PAH s extraction from membranes and resins by solvent in ultrasonic bath; quantification by GS-MS (single ion monitor, capillary column, on column injection). Results of field testing show that for completely retain PAHs during air sampling in work environment it is necessary to use a membrane filter followed by a back-up tube of Amberlite-XAD-2 resin: the use of this sampling device is particularly recommended during monitoring of work operations with temperature greater than or equal to 150 degrees C involving coke oven procedure, charcoal production, asphalt production, petroleum coking operations.
Seventy-four adult patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) were classified retrospectively as to whether or not they had had occupational exposure to insecticides, chemicals and solvents, or petroleum products. Fifty-eight patients were considered nonexposed and 16 were considered exposed. The chromosome banding pattern was abnormal in 37 of the 74 patients (50%). Twenty-five of the 58 (43%) nonexposed patients had a clonal chromosome abnormality, compared with 12 of the 16 (75%) exposed patients (p = 0.02). Only 2 of 23 (8.7%) females with an abnormal karyotype were exposed, whereas 10 of 14 (71%) males with an abnormal karyotype were exposed. Either a -5/5q- or a -7/7q- was present in 67% of the exposed patients with a chromosome abnormality, compared to 28% of the aneuploid nonexposed patients. The -7/7q- abnormality was present in 7 of the 12 (58.3%) exposed patients, versus 5 of the 25 (20%) nonexposed patients with abnormal karyotypes (p less than 0.05). The -5/5q- anomaly was observed in 4 of the 12 (33%) exposed patients and in 4 of the 25 (16%) nonexposed abnormal patients. Our study supports the observation that a subset of patients with ANLL de novo have a history of occupational exposure and a unique pattern of chromosome abnormalities.
The differential diagnosis of an abdominal mass in an infant or young child includes hepatoblastoma. This rare embryonal neoplasm of the liver is linked to several congenital abnormalities and may be associated with maternal occupational exposure to metal fumes, petroleum products, or paints. Alpha-fetoprotein is a useful tumor marker that may also be elevated with hepatocellular carcinoma. The relatively better prognosis of hepatoblastoma, if completely resected, mandates its differentiation from hepatoma. The fetal subtype of hepatoblastoma seems to represent a "favorable" histology pattern.
While a number of epidemiological studies of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) have been conducted, separate analysis of risk factors for ALL subtypes has generally not been possible. We report the results of an analysis of data obtained from parents of children with ALL (and a control group of children without cancer), linked to a clinical database. Cases were classified into four ALL subtypes, and odds ratios (OR) were determined for each subtype for a broad range of factors. Numerous significant associations were found, some across all subtypes and others that were subtype-specific. Factors with elevated and/or significant ORs included: (i) for common ALL (n = 286): Down syndrome; family history (FH) of bone/joint diseases; postnatal jaundice; birthweight; MMR vaccination; exposure to gases and insecticides; and parental occupational exposure to insecticides. (ii) for pre-B ALL (n = 38): FH of gastrointestinal, hematological or bone/joint diseases, or allergy; cat ownership; exposure to solvents, fumes, petroleum products, cleaning agents and farm animals; and parental exposure to farm animals, fumes and solvents; (iii) for T-cell ALL (n = 158): FH of gastrointestinal disorders, maternal age, male gender, and parental occupational exposure to metals; (iv) for null-cell ALL (n = 65): FH of congenital heart disorders; measles; and parental occupational exposure to fumes, metals or solvents. This analysis should be considered as a hypothesis-generating process for future case-control interview studies.
The role of non-sunlight-related risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin was investigated in a population-based, case-control study conducted among males in Alberta, Canada. In total, 180 SCC and 226 BCC cases and 406 randomly selected male controls, frequency matched by 5-year age groups to the cases, were interviewed by trained personnel using a standardized etiological questionnaire. Data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression techniques. After adjustment for age, skin and hair color, mother's ethnic origin, and sunlight exposure, elevated risks for SCC were seen in subjects exposed to insecticides [odds ratio (OR), highest tertile, 2.8; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4-5.6], herbicides (OR, highest tertile, 3.9; 95% CI, 2.2-6.9), and fungicides and seed treatments (OR, highest tertile, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.4-4.0), as well petroleum products, grease, and several other exposures. Elevated risks of BCC were seen in subjects exposed to fiberglass dust (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.0-3.9) and dry cleaning agents (OR, 4.6 95% CI, 1.1-19.7). Prior nondiagnostic X-ray treatment for skin conditions increased risk of both cancers. Although solar UV radiation is known to be the major environmental exposure causing nonmelanocytic skin cancer, results of this study suggest that nonsolar factors may also be important.
Although case reports on the association between neonatal tumours and maternal therapeutic drug use during pregnancy are cited regularly, no systematic review has been published. In a systematic search of the literature on fetal and neonatal tumours, we identified 36 malignant and 54 benign tumours in 89 fetuses and neonates prenatally exposed to various drugs. Six associations with in utero exposure are noteworthy: (1) phenytoin and neuroblastoma, as already suspected; (2) antibiotics and leukaemias; (3) hormonal treatment and vascular tumours; (4) acetaminophen (paracetamol) and fusocellular sarcoma; (5) acetaminophen in combination with petroleum products and hepatoblastoma; and (6) dicyclomine hydrochloride and teratomas. In view of the high level of consumption of drugs by pregnant women and the rarity of neonatal tumours, a possible carcinogenic effect is difficult to establish. However, some associations already observed in older infants, children and adults after antenatal and postnatal exposure to the same drugs are of note. We suggest that these drugs may act as carcinogens or as co-carcinogens in association with other physical and chemical agents and/or a particular genetic background. We therefore feel it is important to encourage the systematic collection, registration and publication of case reports on this subject. The hypotheses generated thereby could then be tested by formal epidemiological studies.
This article reviews the available epidemiologic evidence for relationships between the development of cancer in childhood and environmental agents, specifically chemicals, ionizing radiation, low-frequency electromagnetic fields, and infectious agents. Chemical exposures include medications and other drugs, components of diet, and second-hand exposure to industrial chemicals and to environmental carcinogens. Ionizing radiation is the only well-established risk factor for childhood cancers. Suggestive associations with excess childhood cancer risk have been found with exposures to paints, petroleum products, solvents, pesticides and metals. An excess risk of brain tumours has been reported with ingestion of n-nitroso compounds, and there have been positive findings relating leukemia risk and infections. Studies of risk of childhood cancer with parental use of alcohol and with parental smoking have been generally negative, while the inconsistencies and generally low risks reported in studies of power-frequency electromagnetic fields do not support a causal relationship.
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A new quantitative calibration algorithm, called "Moment Combined Partial Least Squares (MC-PLS)", which combines the moment of spectrum and conventional PLS was proposed. Its calibration performance was evaluated for the analyses of three import petroleum and petrochemical products: gasoline, naphtha and polyol samples. The selected properties for these products included the research octane number (RON) and Reid vapor pressure (RVP) for gasoline, the distillation temperature at 10% (D 10%) for naphtha and the hydroxyl (OH) number for polyol. The major concept presented here used the moment to find the closest spectrum of a sample in a given dataset, and generate the difference spectrum and the corresponding difference in the property. These difference spectra and property differences were then used for PLS calibration. The moment has been employed in spectroscopic fields as a simple and effective "spectral feature characteristic" using just a few scalar values (moments). MC-PLS showed improved prediction performance over PLS for each case. In MC-PLS, the difference spectra generated using the moments were used as explained; therefore, additional detail in spectral variations can be utilized for calibrations. Additionally, the difference in the property was employed as reference data, so that its variation range was smaller when compared with that of the original property. Consequently, the MC-PLS performance could be better since the feature-enhanced spectra were used to model a narrower range of property variations. In the case of the D 10% prediction for naphtha, a non-linear prediction pattern that occurred in conventional PLS was effectively corrected using the MC-PLS method.