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Enya, Andrew, Shane Dempsey, and Manikam Pillay. "A Study Investigating How the Characteristics of High Reliability Organisations Can Be Measured in the Construction Industry in Australia." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 21 (November 9, 2020): 8273. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218273.
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Construction activities involve a lot of risk as workers are exposed to a wide range of job hazards, such as working at height, moving vehicles, toxic substances, and confined spaces. The hazards related to a construction project are mostly unpredictable because construction projects move quickly due to project deadlines, and changing work environments. As a result of this, the industry accounts for one of the highest numbers of work-related claims, and the fourth highest incidence rate of serious claims in Australia. This research investigates how key safety management factors can measure the characteristics of high reliability organisations (HROs) in the construction industry in New South Wales Australia. To address the problem, a model is presented that can predict characteristics of HRO in construction (CHC). Using structural equation modeling (SEM), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the model and measurement instruments are tested and validated from data collected from construction workers. The results identified the factors that effectively measure CHC, and the findings can also be used as a safety management strategy and will contribute to the body of knowledge in research.
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Collins, Bronwyn, Frank Zich, Jo Palmer, Gill Brown, Karina Knight, Ines Schönberger, Shelley James, and Emma Toms. "Containing the Spirits: Lessons learned from the Management of Australasian Herbarium Wet Collections." Biodiversity Information Science and Standards 2 (June 13, 2018): e26200. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/biss.2.26200.
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Several herbaria in Australia and New Zealand have recently been required to implement changes to the way in which spirit (alcohol or wet) specimens are managed in their institutions in order to deal with various curatorial and staff health and safety challenges. We will present an overview of some of the key lessons learned from addressing issues such as mould, FAA (formalin-acetic acid and alcohol solution), inadequate housing and storage of our spirit specimens whilst also ensuring that best-practice curation standards are implemented along with appropriate work health and safety practices to protect staff. For example, the National Herbarium of New South Wales spirit collection was stored until 2017 in metal filing cabinets and open wooden shelving. Due to unstable air-conditioning resulting in high humidity and condensation, mould had formed on all of the bottles and on all wooden surfaces. The external surface of each bottle was cleaned with prior to removal from the dedicated spirit collection room, the wooden shelving was replaced with open metal shelving, and room cleaned and resealed prior to return of the collection. Monitoring of the environment and condition of the collection continues, and future actions include replacing the specimen vials, many of which have failing lids. The Western Australian Herbarium recently renovated its spirit storage area from specimens stored in boxes on fixed open shelving to individual bottles filed in metal drawers. Health and safety concerns for staff handling heavy boxes, often up ladders, combined with the inflexible and inefficient use of space on fixed shelving are now solved. Plenty of space is available for specimen expansion, and the ease of access to each specimen makes the collection simple to maintain. The next step for the collection is to protect it better by implementing climate control. FAA was used as a fixative and preservative for plant fruit, flowers and other parts pre-1992 at the Australian National Herbarium in Canberra and the Australian Tropical Herbarium in Cairns. In response to changes in the Hazardous Substance classification for Formaldehyde a program was developed that focused on worker safety during replacement of the solution in approximately 15,000 bottles by minimising exposure and managing the manual handling risks of the work, whilst also ensuring best-practice curatorial outcomes for the specimens. This is a presentation on behalf of the Managers of Australasian Herbarium Collections (MAHC), a network of herbarium Collection Managers in Australia and New Zealand.
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Moon, Hyung-Il, Sang-Woo Han, Saemi Shin, and Sang-Hoon Byeon. "Comparison of the Qualitative and the Quantitative Risk Assessment of Hazardous Substances Requiring Management under the Occupational Safety and Health Act in South Korea." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 3 (February 2, 2021): 1354. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031354.
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The risk assessment of hazardous substances has become increasingly important for the efficient prevention and management of various diseases or accidents caused by increased amounts of hazardous substances in the workplace. In this study, risk assessment was conducted for 36 kinds of hazardous substances requiring management by using qualitative and quantitative risk assessments. Qualitative risk assessment was performed by multiplying the exposure level class by the hazard class according to the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency’s (KOSHA) Chemical Hazard Risk Management (CHARM). The quantitative risk assessment was followed by a four-step risk assessment system presented in the Guidelines for Hazard Risk Assessment of Chemicals (KOSHA GUIDE W-6-2016). In the quantitative assessments, we presented a new method of classifying risk levels into four steps, much like qualitative assessments. In this study, the quantitative risk assessment was considered difficult to predict through qualitative risk assessment. Therefore, it is necessary to perform a quantitative risk assessment after a qualitative risk assessment for a higher level of risk assessment.
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Morrish, Bronwyn, and Eric Wenger. "The Australian Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Data Centre." Microbiology Australia 29, no. 2 (2008): 70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ma08070.
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How well can Australia prevent and respond to an act of bioterrorism and how much do researchers in the life sciences know about the potential application of their work for hostile purposes? To further address these and other issues relating to the malicious use of hazardous substances, the Australian government has established the Australian Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Data Centre.
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Cawte, John. "Psychoactive Substances of the South Seas: Betel, Kava and Pituri." Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 19, no. 1 (March 1985): 83–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00048678509158818.
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Before white man brought his alcohol to the South Pacific, the indigenes were using many wild plants possessing psychoactive properties. The most prominent were betel in much of Melanesia, kava in much of Polynesia, and pituri in much of Australia. The use of each of these three drugs was widespread, institutionalised as a ritual and the occasion for extensive trade. Each was valued for its effect in reducing tension or in producing altered states of consciousness. Each was also capable of inducing intoxication. Since few physicians nowadays have had my opportunity to observe the use of all three of these substances, their main features are recalled here. Attention is paid to their traditional use and probable future use, to their pharmacological and clinical properties, and to their place in the zeitgeist of people and period. There is no indication that these substances will be espoused by the drug enthusiasts of the West as avidly as other ethno-psychopharmacological agents such as Peruvian coca leaf, the Indian hemp, the Asian poppy, or the American tobacco. The possibility, however, of some use in the West cannot be discounted.
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Field, Courtney. "Hazardous alcohol consumption in non-aboriginal male inmates in New South Wales." International Journal of Prisoner Health 14, no. 1 (March 12, 2018): 46–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijph-11-2016-0068.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine correlates and predictors of hazardous drinking behaviour, that may be considered evidence of generalised strain, in a sample of incarcerated non-Aboriginal males in New South Wales, Australia. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 283 non-Aboriginal male inmates as part of a larger epidemiological survey of inmates in NSW undertaken in 2015 by the Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network. Data relating to a range of social factors were selected with reference to relevant literature and assessed with regards their predictive value for scores from the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). To facilitate regression analysis, variables were logically organised into historical factors or adult factors. Findings Almost all participants reported some history of alcohol consumption. Hazardous drinking was common among participants. While parental alcohol problems and adult drug use were the only correlates of AUDIT scores, parental misuse of alcohol was shown to be an important predictor of AUDIT scores in regression analysis. The role of parent gender was inconclusive. Previous incarceration as an adult, employment status, and drug use as an adult also predicted AUDIT scores. Originality/value Alcohol abuse is common among inmates and the use of alcohol is implicated in the commission of many offences. A better understanding of its genesis may inspire novel approaches to treatment, leading to improved health outcomes for inmates.
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Cho, Hyungmin, Gibyung Park, Jewan Ryu, and Heekyung Park. "Decision-making process for places of refuge in hazardous and noxious substances incident: Case study of South Korea." Marine Policy 108 (October 2019): 103643. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2019.103643.
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Bade, Richard, Peter Stockham, Ben Painter, Alberto Celma, Lubertus Bijlsma, Felix Hernandez, Jason M. White, and Cobus Gerber. "Investigating the appearance of new psychoactive substances in South Australia using wastewater and forensic data." Drug Testing and Analysis 11, no. 2 (September 12, 2018): 250–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dta.2484.
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Bedka, Kristopher M., John T. Allen, Heinz Jurgen Punge, Michael Kunz, and Denis Simanovic. "A Long-Term Overshooting Convective Cloud-Top Detection Database over Australia Derived from MTSAT Japanese Advanced Meteorological Imager Observations." Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology 57, no. 4 (April 2018): 937–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/jamc-d-17-0056.1.
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ABSTRACTA 10-yr geostationary (GEO) overshooting cloud-top (OT) detection database using Multifunction Transport Satellite (MTSAT) Japanese Advanced Meteorological Imager (JAMI) observations has been developed over the Australian region. GEO satellite imagers collect spatially and temporally detailed observations of deep convection, providing insight into the development and evolution of hazardous storms, particularly where surface observations of hazardous storms and deep convection are sparse and ground-based radar or lightning sensor networks are limited. Hazardous storms often produce one or more OTs that indicate the location of strong updrafts where weather hazards are typically concentrated, which can cause substantial impacts on the ground such as hail, damaging winds, tornadoes, and lightning and to aviation such as turbulence and in-flight icing. The 10-yr OT database produced using an automated OT detection algorithm is demonstrated for analysis of storm frequency, diurnally, spatially, and seasonally relative to known features such as the Australian monsoon, expected regions of hazardous storms along the southeastern coastal regions of southern Queensland and New South Wales, and the preferential extratropical cyclone track along the Indian Ocean and southern Australian coast. A filter based on atmospheric instability, deep-layer wind shear, and freezing level was used to identify OTs that could have produced hail. The filtered OT database is used to generate a hail frequency estimate that identifies a region extending from north of Brisbane to Sydney and the Goldfields–Esperance region of eastern Western Australia as the most hail-prone regions.
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Makhubele, J. C. "Hazardous substances in homemade alcohol in rural areas of Limpopo province, Republic of South Africa: a public health concern." Studies on Ethno-Medicine 11, no. 1 (January 2, 2017): 114–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09735070.2017.1311700.
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Meintjies, E., and V. Maharaj. "Evaluation of South African Raw and Drinking Water Supplies for Volatile Organic Complexes Potentially Hazardous to Human Health." Water Science and Technology 26, no. 9-11 (November 1, 1992): 2117–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.1992.0675.
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Raw and drinking water grab samples were collected throughout the province of Transvaal, Republic of South Africa, during a 2.5-year period from September 1988 to January 1991. Conductivity, pH and UV absorbance were recorded on all samples throughout the study period while trihalomethanes were measured on drinking water samples only. Results were compared to recommended and maximum allowable limits for drinking water. In addition, extracts of the water samples were analysed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection for volatile organic complexes. All samples revealed a complex mixture of organic complexes at very low concentration. Thirty six organic compounds, which can be classified into 5 categories, were positively identified by mass spectrometry. The most frequently occurring compounds were phthalate esters and acyclic hydrocarbons. The low concentration levels at which each of the identified substances occurred are unlikely to constitute a health hazard.
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McKay, Campbell, Robert W. Brander, and James Goff. "Putting tourists in harms way – Coastal tourist parks and hazardous unpatrolled surf beaches in New South Wales, Australia." Tourism Management 45 (December 2014): 71–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.03.007.
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Van Der Westhuizen, JL, F. Roodt, M. Nejthardt, T. Esterhuizen, M. Flint, D. Van Straaten, and P. Magni. "The prevalence of substance use in anaesthesia practitioners in South Africa." Southern African Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia 25, no. 6 (November 29, 2019): 14–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.36303/sajaa.19.6.a2.
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Background: In the United States the mortality associated with substance abuse among anaesthesia residents is twice that of non-anaesthesia residents. Since no data exist, the primary objective of this cross-sectional study was to establish the prevalence of substance use in South African anaesthesia practitioners. Secondary objectives were to compare the prevalence in male and female practitioners, and in private and state practice anaesthetists. Years of experience and level of training were explored as possible risk factors for hazardous or harmful use. Methods: Participants completed a self-administered, validated WHO questionnaire, over a ten-day period surrounding the 2018 South African Society of Anaesthesiologists (SASA) congress. All doctors practising anaesthesia in South Africa were eligible. Recruitment was via an email link sent to all SASA members, as well as a web-based link at the congress. Results: A total of 1 961 SASA members and 113 non-members (anaesthesiologists, registrars and non-specialists) were invited to participate (total 2 074). There were 434 responses (response rate 20.9%, margin of error 4.18%); 364 were suitable for analysis. The most commonly lifetime-used substances were alcohol (92.8%), tobacco (42.3%), cannabis (34.7%), and sedatives (34.4%). Questionnaire scores defined low-, medium- and high-risk categories according to substance use during the previous three months. Sedative (12.6%) and alcohol (12.1%) users were deemed to be at moderate risk. The prevalence of opioid use was 1.9% (n = 7). Prevalence of substance use was similar in male and female practitioners, as well as in those working in private practice or in state hospitals. Conclusion: The prevalence of current use of alcohol and sedatives is of major concern. A significant proportion of respondents were assessed to be at moderate risk of hazardous or harmful substance use. Gender and practice setting have little impact on substance use. Wellness efforts should be aimed at all anaesthesia practitioners in South Africa.
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Van Der Westhuizen, JL, F. Roodt, M. Nejthardt, T. Esterhuizen, M. Flint, D. Van Straaten, and P. Magni. "The prevalence of substance use in anaesthesia practitioners in South Africa." Southern African Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia 25, no. 6 (December 4, 2019): 14–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.36303/sajaa.2019.25.6.a2.
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Background: In the United States the mortality associated with substance abuse among anaesthesia residents is twice that of non-anaesthesia residents. Since no data exist, the primary objective of this cross-sectional study was to establish the prevalence of substance use in South African anaesthesia practitioners. Secondary objectives were to compare the prevalence in male and female practitioners, and in private and state practice anaesthetists. Years of experience and level of training were explored as possible risk factors for hazardous or harmful use. Methods: Participants completed a self-administered, validated WHO questionnaire, over a ten-day period surrounding the 2018 South African Society of Anaesthesiologists (SASA) congress. All doctors practising anaesthesia in South Africa were eligible. Recruitment was via an email link sent to all SASA members, as well as a web-based link at the congress. Results: A total of 1 961 SASA members and 113 non-members (anaesthesiologists, registrars and non-specialists) were invited to participate (total 2 074). There were 434 responses (response rate 20.9%, margin of error 4.18%); 364 were suitable for analysis. The most commonly lifetime-used substances were alcohol (92.8%), tobacco (42.3%), cannabis (34.7%), and sedatives (34.4%). Questionnaire scores defined low-, medium- and high-risk categories according to substance use during the previous three months. Sedative (12.6%) and alcohol (12.1%) users were deemed to be at moderate risk. The prevalence of opioid use was 1.9% (n = 7). Prevalence of substance use was similar in male and female practitioners, as well as in those working in private practice or in state hospitals. Conclusion: The prevalence of current use of alcohol and sedatives is of major concern. A significant proportion of respondents were assessed to be at moderate risk of hazardous or harmful substance use. Gender and practice setting have little impact on substance use. Wellness efforts should be aimed at all anaesthesia practitioners in South Africa.
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Al-Imam, Ahmed. "Retrospective Analyses of High-risk NPS: Integrative Analyses of PubMed, Drug Fora, and the Surface Web." Global Journal of Health Science 9, no. 11 (September 18, 2017): 40. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v9n11p40.
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BACKGROUND: Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) can be classified based on their safety for use into low-risk and high-risk. High-risk NPS can be either lethal or poisonous. Fatalities can be either pharmacological or behavioural-induced, including suicide and homicide.MATERIALS & METHODS: Observational analysis, including retrospective, were implemented across; Google Trends, PubMed/MedLine database; Drug Fora, and the surface web. The aim was to collect data in relation to incidents of intoxication and fatalities caused by forty-seven (47) of the most popular NPS and to infer the high-risk (hazardous) substances. Geo-mapping was also applicable. Inferential analyses were also carried out to deduct data on the different age grouping of (ab)users.RESULTS: Among the most popular NPS substances, nearly half of them were labelled as high-risk due to their relatively high incidence of intoxications and deaths. The substances included; DMA/DOX, MXE, Mescaline, Methylone, Crack, GHB, Benzodiazepines, NBOMe, 2C-B, DMT, Stimulants RCs, Shrooms, Ketamine, Opioids, Heroin, Meth, Speed, LSD, MDMA, and Cocaine. Many of these substances were either psychedelic or dissociative substance. Geo-mapping of use indicated that the top ten contributing countries were; Australia, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland, Norway, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Estonia. The contribution of the Middle East was insignificant, although data have regularly been noticed originating from Israel, Iran, and Turkey.CONCLUSION: In this study, an unconventional inferential method is suggested for analysis of high-risk NPS; it is based on cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of data. It relies primarily on data from; the surface web, Google Trends, PubMed/Medline database, and drug fora. This method is not only descriptive but also inferential for age and gender among (ab)users of a diverse array of high-risk NPS substances.
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Aragnou, Emilie, Sean Watt, Hiep Nguyen Duc, Cassandra Cheeseman, Matthew Riley, John Leys, Stephen White, et al. "Dust Transport from Inland Australia and Its Impact on Air Quality and Health on the Eastern Coast of Australia during the February 2019 Dust Storm." Atmosphere 12, no. 2 (January 22, 2021): 141. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos12020141.
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Dust storms originating from Central Australia and western New South Wales frequently cause high particle concentrations at many sites across New South Wales, both inland and along the coast. This study focussed on a dust storm event in February 2019 which affected air quality across the state as detected at many ambient monitoring stations in the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) air quality monitoring network. The WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecast Model—Chemistry) model is used to study the formation, dispersion and transport of dust across the state of New South Wales (NSW, Australia). Wildfires also happened in northern NSW at the same time of the dust storm in February 2019, and their emissions are taken into account in the WRF-Chem model by using Fire Inventory from NCAR (FINN) as emission input. The model performance is evaluated and is shown to predict fairly accurate the PM2.5 and PM10 concentration as compared to observation. The predicted PM2.5 concentration over New South Wales during 5 days from 11 to 15 February 2019 is then used to estimate the impact of the February 2019 dust storm event on three health endpoints, namely mortality, respiratory and cardiac disease hospitalisation rates. The results show that even though as the daily average of PM2.5 over some parts of the state, especially in western and north western NSW near the centre of the dust storm and wild fires, are very high (over 900 µg/m3), the population exposure is low due to the sparse population. Generally, the health impact is similar in order of magnitude to that caused by biomass burning events from wildfires or from hazardous reduction burnings (HRBs) near populous centres such as in Sydney in May 2016. One notable difference is the higher respiratory disease hospitalisation for this dust event (161) compared to the fire event (24).
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Sukati, Bonokwakhe Hezekiel, Pieter Christiaan De Jager, John George Annandale, and Philip Dale Tanner. "The Hazardous Status of High Density Sludge from Acid Mine Drainage Neutralization." Sustainability 10, no. 11 (November 13, 2018): 4185. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su10114185.
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Classification of waste is an essential part of waste management to limit potential environmental pollution; however, global systems vary. The objective was to understand the waste classification of high density sludge (HDS) from acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment, according to selected global systems. Three sludges from two limestone treatment plants, and three others from a limestone and lime treatment plant from the Mpumalanga coalfields of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) were evaluated. Systems for the RSA, Australia, Canada, China, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) were considered. The USEPA system rated all six sludges non-hazardous, Canadian and Chinese systems allocated a hazardous status to one sludge from the limestone treatment plants based on Ni solubility. The RSA system considered two of the sludges from limestone treatment plants to be higher risk materials than did the other countries. This was due mainly to the RSA system’s inclusion of Mn and use of appreciably lower minimum soluble levels for As, Cd, Pb, Hg, and Se. None’s use of lime resulted in higher soluble Mn. Minimum leachable concentration thresholds for Cd, Hg, Pb, As, and Se in the RSA system were below method detection limits for Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) extracts, making the guidelines impractical, and revision is advised. Considering all the systems, the probability that the HDS from the coalfields of Mpumalanga, South Africa will be classified as hazardous waste increases if the material is only subjected to limestone treatment because of Ni solubility.
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Fahey, Morgan. "Aircraft Crash Management in Australia and New Zealand." Journal of the World Association for Emergency and Disaster Medicine 1, no. 2 (1985): 139–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1049023x00065298.
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In the history of aviation there has never been a period when so much effort has been demonstrated to improve the safety standards of international and national airports. This has come about through the knowledge that aircraft crashes in recent years at some airports have been mismanaged because of bad or non-existent planning for such a disaster, and by poor emergency medical response.We share today a faith in the safety of the aircraft. We share, too, the awareness that more people have survived aircraft crashes than have perished, and that if there are survivors on board, in most cases there will be more survivors than dead (1).The encouragement to improve airport safety and crash management has come largely from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); from the Club of Mainz Association, who in 1979 set up a consultant committee to investigate and improve international airports; from the Flight Safety Foundation and from the US Airline Pilots Association. All these organizations have rightly questioned the quality of existing emergency medical response to an aircraft crash, and have offered expert advice to improve disaster preparedness and management. This article will report our response to this challenge, particularly in New Zealand, but will also concern our neighboring continent of Australia.New Zealand, set in the Pacific Ocean with its two long islands, has international flight contacts through its three major airports with North America, South East Asia, Japan and the South West Pacific. It has its own national aviation hazards of mountain chains, difficult landing approaches from the sea, made more hazardous with strong winds which are a feature of our capital city airport. Despite this, the safety record of New Zealand airports is extremely high.
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Viana, Paula, Leonor Meisel, Ana Lopes, Rosário de Jesus, Georgina Sarmento, Sofia Duarte, Bruno Sepodes, et al. "Identification of Antibiotics in Surface-Groundwater. A Tool towards the Ecopharmacovigilance Approach: A Portuguese Case-Study." Antibiotics 10, no. 8 (July 21, 2021): 888. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10080888.
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Environmental monitoring, particularly of water, is crucial to screen and preselect potential hazardous substances for policy guidance and risk minimisation strategies. In Portugal, extensive data are missing. This work aimed to perform a qualitative survey of antibiotics in surface- groundwater, reflecting demographic, spatial, consumption and drug profiles during an observational period of three years. A passive sampling technique (POCIS) and high-resolution chromatographic system were used to monitor and analyse the antibiotics. The most frequently detected antibiotics were enrofloxacin/ciprofloxacin and tetracycline in surface-groundwater, while clarithromycin/erythromycin and sulfamethoxazole were identified only in surface water. The detection of enzyme inhibitors (e.g., tazobactam/cilastatin) used exclusively in hospitals and abacavir, a specific human medicine was also noteworthy. North (Guimarães, Santo Tirso and Porto) and South (Faro, Olhão and Portimão) Portugal were the regions with the most significant frequency of substances in surface water. The relatively higher detection downstream of the effluent discharge points compared with a low detection upstream could be attributed to a low efficiency in urban wastewater treatment plants and an increased agricultural pressure. This screening approach is essential to identify substances in order to perform future quantitative risk assessment and establishing water quality standards. The greatest challenge of this survey data is to promote an ecopharmacovigilance framework, implement measures to avoid misuse/overuse of antibiotics and slow down emission and antibiotic resistance.
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Makukhin, V., I. Latysheva, and V. Sinyukovich. "Study of the processes of distribution and deposition of hazardous substances of the first hazard class in the south of the Baikal region." Limnology and Freshwater Biology, no. 4 (2020): 677–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.31951/2658-3518-2020-a-4-677.
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Biggs, Herbert C., Vaughn L. Sheahan, and Donald P. Dingsdag. "Risk Management and Injury Prevention: Competencies, Behaviours, and Attitudes to Safety in the Construction Industry." Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling 13, no. 2 (September 1, 2007): 63–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1375/jrc.13.2.63.
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AbstractOriginally presented at the National Injury Management and Prevention Conference: Transition and Change, on April 27, 2006, which was held at the Hyatt Regency, Adelaide, South Australia. Reprinted with the permission of the authors.Work in the Australian construction industry is fraught with risk and the potential for serious harm. The industry is consistently placed within the three most hazardous industries to work along with other industries such as mining and transport (National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, 2003). In the 2001 to 2002 period, construction work killed 39 people and injured 13,250 more. Hence, more effort is required to reduce the injury rate and maximise the value of the rehabilitation/back-to-work process.
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Lee, Hyo, Jong-Ryeul Sohn, Sang-Hoon Byeon, Seok Yoon, and Kyong Moon. "Alternative Risk Assessment for Dangerous Chemicals in South Korea Regulation: Comparing Three Modeling Programs." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 8 (July 28, 2018): 1600. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15081600.
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Unlike other countries, the Korean chemical industry does not clearly distinguish between industrial sites and residential areas. The 2012 Gumi Hydrogen Fluoride Accident revealed that chemical accidents could cause damage to nearby residents. Accordingly, the Chemicals Control Act was enacted in 2015, which requested industrial sites using chemicals to perform a risk assessment for all chemical facilities and to distribute the results to the local residents and governments. Industrial businesses had the responsibility of warning the local residents. In this study, two programs (Areal Location of Hazardous Atmospheres (ALOHA), Process Hazard Analysis Software Tool (PHAST)) were compared with Korea Off-site Risk Assessment Supporting Tool (KORA), which is the current representative risk assessment program used in Korea Chemicals Control Act. The five chemical substances (nitric acid, hydrogen chloride, ammonia, sulfuric acid, and formaldehyde) most commonly involved in chemical accidents were selected. The range of influence of ERPG-2 (Emergency Response Planning Guideline) on chemical accidents was modeled and the results compared. ALOHA was found to be the most suitable program for the determination of toxicity for nitrate acid and ammonia, KORA for hydrogen chloride and sulfuric acid, and PHAST for formaldehyde. To maximize the safety of many local residents and to prepare for chemical accidents, risk assessments should be conducted using a variety of risk assessment programs, and the worst-case damage radius should be determined.
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Santanna, Maria Alice, João Kaminski, Danilo dos Santos Rheinheimer, Jaderson dos Anjos Toledo, and Carlos Alberto Casali. "Evaluation of Sikora instead of SMP buffer to estimate the potential acidity of brazilian soils." Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo 35, no. 5 (October 2011): 1707–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s0100-06832011000500025.
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Despite the efficiency of the Shoemaker, McLean, Pratt (SMP) buffer method in estimating soil acidity, the presence of p-nitrophenol and potassium chromate in the solution, both hazardous substances, has caused increasing environmental concerns. The purpose of this study was to test Sikora method (Sikora, 2006) as an alternative to the adapted SMP buffer method, generally used to estimate potential acidity of Southern Brazilian soils. For the test, 21 soils in the South and Cerrado regions of Brazil were sampled. (1) The potential acidity values of these soils range from 35.95 to 4.02 cmol c kg-1 of soil, reflecting a wide acidity variation. The Sikora buffer does not mimic the adapted SMP buffer used in Southern Brazil, since the former has a low ability to distinguish soils with different acidity from each other, probably due to the higher buffer capacity than of the adapted SMP solution.
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Zawadzki, Jarosław, Piotr Fabijańczyk, and Wiktor Treichel. "Monitoring of Groundwater Quality With Cokriging of Geochemical and Geoelectrical Measurements." Multidisciplinary Aspects of Production Engineering 4, no. 1 (September 1, 2021): 97–106. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/mape-2021-0009.
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Abstract The study presents the possibility of using geostatistical methods for monitoring groundwater quality. Poland is one of the largest copper producers in the world. However, the extraction and production of copper requires constant care for the natural environment. Reservoir Żelazny Most which is situated in South – Western Poland was designed to store flotation tailings out of nearby copper mines. It is one of the biggest industrial dumps in the world. The reservoir stores huge amounts of tailings and industrial water. Water migrating from dump to groundwater could be a potential source of contamination with chlorides, sulphates, heavy metals, and other hazardous substances used in ore separation process in the copper mining industry, like detergent and phenols. Monitoring system around Żelazny Most dump, which was designed to track harmful substances concentrations in groundwater, contains measuring wells and piezometers. They are used to collect groundwater samples for chemical analyses. The idea of the study was to integrate information provided by chemical analyses and geoelectrical measurements by cokriging method, utilizing correlation between electrical resistance of the soil solution and total dissolved solids concentration in groundwater. This enabled to obtain spatial distribution of total dissolved solids concentrations in groundwater at the part of eastern foreground of Żelazny Most dump.
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Aryal, Rupak, Dheeraj Kandel, Durga Acharya, Meng Nan Chong, and Simon Beecham. "Unusual Sydney dust storm and its mineralogical and organic characteristics." Environmental Chemistry 9, no. 6 (2012): 537. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/en12131.
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Environmental context In 2009, at the end of the longest drought period ever recorded in Australia, a major dust storm blanketed the cities of Sydney and Brisbane for more than 24 h. The source of the dust was inner New South Wales and South Australia, where large scale open-cut mining occurs together with agricultural practices. We report results of extensive mineralogical and chemical analyses of the dust, and discuss their significance in terms of the dust origins and potential human health risks. Abstract In a 24-h period from 23 to 24 September 2009, a dust storm passed over Sydney, Australia that produced a red sky and reduced the visibility to a few metres. It was Sydney’s worst dust storm since 1942. During this period, the PM10 (particles measuring 10 μm or less) value jumped from 50 to 11 800 µg m–3. The dust storm was sampled and its mineralogical and organic contents were analysed. Four major particle sizes (0.6, 4.5, 9.3 and 20 µm) were observed in the dust. A multimodal particle distribution indicated a long range of dust transport. Mineralogical analysis showed that the particles were mainly composed of crustal elemental oxides of Al and Si. The ratio of Al/Si was 0.39 and the organic content was 10.6 %, which was found to be enriched with humic-type substances. The high Al/Si ratio (>0.3) indicated that the dust originated from desert land whereas the high organic content indicated that the particles were also derived from eroded agricultural land. A fluorescence spectroscopic study on the organic matter at excitation and emission wavelengths of 245–265 and 330–350 nm indicated that biohazardous substances were unlikely to be present in the dust.
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Kingsford, Richard T., Keith F. Walker, Rebecca E. Lester, William J. Young, Peter G. Fairweather, Jesmond Sammut, and Michael C. Geddes. "A Ramsar wetland in crisis - the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 62, no. 3 (2011): 255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf09315.
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The state of global freshwater ecosystems is increasingly parlous with water resource development degrading high-conservation wetlands. Rehabilitation is challenging because necessary increases in environmental flows have concomitant social impacts, complicated because many rivers flow between jurisdictions or countries. Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin is a large river basin with such problems encapsulated in the crisis of its Ramsar-listed terminal wetland, the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth. Prolonged drought and upstream diversion of water dropped water levels in the Lakes below sea level (2009–2010), exposing hazardous acid sulfate soils. Salinities increased dramatically (e.g. South Lagoon of Coorong >200 g L–1, cf. modelled natural 80 g L–1), reducing populations of waterbirds, fish, macroinvertebrates and littoral plants. Calcareous masses of estuarine tubeworms (Ficopomatus enigmaticus) killed freshwater turtles (Chelidae) and other fauna. Management primarily focussed on treating symptoms (e.g. acidification), rather than reduced flows, at considerable expense (>AU$2 billion). We modelled a scenario that increased annual flows during low-flow periods from current levels up to one-third of what the natural flow would have been, potentially delivering substantial environmental benefits and avoiding future crises. Realisation of this outcome depends on increasing environmental flows and implementing sophisticated river management during dry periods, both highly contentious options.
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Ziersch, Anna, Moira Walsh, Clemence Due, and Alex Reilly. "Temporary Refugee and Migration Visas in Australia: An Occupational Health and Safety Hazard." International Journal of Health Services 51, no. 4 (January 28, 2021): 531–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0020731420980688.
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Employment and work-related exploitation and discrimination are important social determinants of health. However, little is known about the experiences of people on temporary visas in Australia, particularly those on refugee visas. This article reports on a study of people living on temporary visas in South Australia and their experiences of workforce exploitation and discrimination and impacts on health. Interviews were conducted with 30 people: 11 on non-refugee temporary visas and 19 on refugee temporary visas. Data was analyzed thematically. Analysis identified experiences of exploitation and discrimination in the Australian labor market that included difficulties securing work, underpayment, overwork, and hazardous workplaces. These experiences had negative health effects, particularly on mental health. None had made a formal complaint about their treatment, citing the precarity of their visas, difficulties finding an alternative job, and lack of knowledge about what to do. The impacts were especially evident for refugees who were also grappling with pre-settlement trauma and ongoing uncertainties about their future protection. Overall, these findings of discrimination and exploitation in the workplace and subsequent ill health highlight the pervasive impact of neoliberal agendas and stress the need for industrial, immigration, and welfare reform to protect workers on temporary visas.
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Taylor, Matthew D. "First reports of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Australian native and introduced freshwater fish and crustaceans." Marine and Freshwater Research 69, no. 4 (2018): 628. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf17242.
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Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent organic pollutants that have been extensively used in commercial and industrial applications, such as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) formulations. Widespread use of AFFFs has led to an increasing number of reports documenting PFAS contamination around civilian and military airports. However, research on the presence and distribution of PFASs in Australia is lacking. This study presents the first report of PFASs in Australian native and introduced freshwater species, sampled from a watercourse adjacent to the regional airport and colocated fire training ground near Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia. Perfluorooctane sulfonate was the most abundant PFAS compound in biota samples from this area, and both introduced common carp Cyprinus carpio and native Murray cod Maccullochella peelii had average concentrations higher than the Australian trigger value of 5.2μgkg–1. Common yabby Cherax destructor and golden perch Macquaria ambigua carried low concentrations, and common yabby also had low concentrations of perfluorohexane sulfonate. Differences in foraging habits provided some potential explanations of the differences observed among species. There is a clear and pressing need to better understand potential toxicological and reproductive effects of PFASs on Australian freshwater species.
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Qiu, Song, Arthur J. McComb, Richard W. Bell, and Jenny A. Davis. "Estimating production of gilvin from catchment leaf litter during seasonal rains." Marine and Freshwater Research 56, no. 6 (2005): 843. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf04297.
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The yellow substance, gilvin, is an important component of water quality in natural waters. Quantitative study of gilvin production is difficult since gilvin is not a well defined substance. In the present study, leaf litter from four common tree species of south-western Australia were exposed to rainy weather for 183 days and leachate properties were monitored. The gilvin leaching from litter was estimated using a ‘humic acid (HA) equivalent’ concept, derived by drawing an analogy between the spectrophotometric properties of gilvin and that of humic acid. Gilvin (g440, m−1) was leached from litter primarily during the first few weeks after the commencement of the wet season. On average, 13% less gilvin was leached under ‘flooded’ conditions compared with ‘non-flooded’ conditions. Litter leaching in the presence of soil caused a significant time lag (about a month) for the peak load to occur, and reduced the total gilvin in the leachate through soil–litter interactions. Banksia menziesii leaves produced little gilvin, equivalent to 6.6% of that leached from the flooded gum. The Eucalyptus species, such as flooded gum and jarrah, common in wooded catchments in the region, appeared to be a major player producing yellow-coloured substances under annual rainfall conditions in south-western Australia.
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Mitchell, Rebecca J., Lara A. Harvey, Henry Brodaty, Brian Draper, and Jacqueline C. T. Close. "Dementia and intentional and unintentional poisoning in older people: a 10 year review of hospitalization records in New South Wales, Australia." International Psychogeriatrics 27, no. 11 (August 4, 2015): 1757–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1041610215001258.
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ABSTRACTBackground:Medicinal substances have been identified as common agents of both unintentional and intentional poisoning among older people, including those with dementia. This study aims to compare the characteristics of poisoning resulting in hospitalization in older people with and without dementia and their clinical outcomes.Methods:A retrospective cohort study involving an examination of poisoning by intent involving individuals aged 50+ years with and without dementia using linked hospitalization and mortality records during 2003–2012. Individuals who had dementia were identified from hospital diagnoses and unintentional and intentional poisoning was identified using external cause classifications. The epidemiological profile (i.e. individual and incident characteristics) of poisoning by intent and dementia status was compared, along with clinical outcomes of hospital length of stay (LOS), 28-day readmission and 30-day mortality.Results:The hospitalization rate for unintentional and intentional poisoning for individuals with dementia was double and 1.5 times higher than the rates for individuals without dementia (69.5 and 31.6 per 100,000) and (56.4 and 32.5 per 1,00,000). The home was the most common location of poisoning. Unintentional poisoning was more likely to involve individuals residing in aged care facilities (OR 2.12; 95%CI 1.70–2.63) or health service facilities (OR 3.91; 95%CI 3.45–4.42). There were higher mortality rates and longer LOS for unintentional poisoning for individuals with dementia.Conclusions:Clinicians need to be aware of the risks of poisoning for individuals with dementia and care is required in appropriate prescription, safe administration, and potential for self-harm with commonly used medications, such as anticholinesterase medications, antihypertensive drugs, and laxatives.
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Won, Soo Ran, Young Sung Ghim, Jeonghoon Kim, Jungmin Ryu, In-Keun Shim, and Jongchun Lee. "Volatile Organic Compounds in Underground Shopping Districts in Korea." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 11 (May 21, 2021): 5508. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115508.
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Underground shopping districts (USDs) are susceptible to severe indoor air pollution, which can adversely impact human health. We measured 24 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 13 USDs throughout South Korea from July to October 2017, and the human risk of inhaling hazardous substances was evaluated. The sum of the concentrations of the 24 VOCs was much higher inside the USDs than in the open air. Based on factor analysis, six indoor air pollution sources were identified. Despite the expectation of a partial outdoor effect, the impacts of the indoor emissions were significant, resulting in an indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratio of 5.9 and indicating elevated indoor air pollution. However, the effects of indoor emissions decreased, and the contributions of the pollution sources reduced when the USD entrances were open and the stores were closed. Although benzene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde exhibited lower concentrations compared to previous studies, they still posed health risks in both indoor and outdoor settings. Particularly, while the indoor excess cancer risk (ECR) of formaldehyde was ~10 times higher than its outdoor ECR, benzene had a low I/O ratio (1.1) and a similar ECR value. Therefore, indoor VOC concentrations could be reduced by managing inputs of open air into USDs.
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Cairns, Rose, Emily A. Karanges, Anselm Wong, Jared A. Brown, Jeff Robinson, Sallie-Anne Pearson, Andrew H. Dawson, and Nicholas A. Buckley. "Trends in self-poisoning and psychotropic drug use in people aged 5–19 years: a population-based retrospective cohort study in Australia." BMJ Open 9, no. 2 (February 2019): e026001. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026001.
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ObjectivesTo characterise trends in self-poisoning and psychotropic medicine use in young Australians.DesignPopulation-based retrospective cohort study.SettingCalls taken by the New South Wales and Victorian Poisons Information Centres (2006–2016, accounting for 70% of Australian poisoning calls); medicine dispensings in the 10% sample of Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data (July 2012 to June 2016).ParticipantsPeople aged 5–19 years.Main outcome measuresYearly trends in intentional poisoning exposure calls, substances taken in intentional poisonings, a prevalence of psychotropic use (dispensing of antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines and medicines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)).ResultsThere were 33 501 intentional poisonings in people aged 5–19 years, with an increase of 8.39% per year (95% CI 6.08% to 10.74%, p<0.0001), with a 98% increase overall, 2006–2016. This effect was driven by increased poisonings in those born after 1997, suggesting a birth cohort effect. Females outnumbered males 3:1. Substances most commonly taken in self-poisonings were paracetamol, ibuprofen, fluoxetine, ethanol, quetiapine, paracetamol/opioid combinations, sertraline and escitalopram. Psychotropic dispensing also increased, with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increasing 40% and 35% July 2012 to June 2016 in those aged 5–14 and 15–19, respectively. Fluoxetine was the most dispensed SSRI. Antipsychotics increased by 13% and 10%, while ADHD medication dispensing increased by 16% and 10%, in those aged 5–14 and 15–19, respectively. Conversely, dispensing of benzodiazepines to these age groups decreased by 4% and 5%, respectively.ConclusionsOur results signal a generation that is increasingly engaging in self-harm and is increasingly prescribed psychotropic medications. These findings indicate growing mental distress in this cohort. Since people who self-harm are at increased risk of suicide later in life, these results may foretell future increases in suicide rates in Australia.
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Kim, Mi Sook. "Changes and Conflicts in Rural Villages Caused by Hazardous Substances -Focusing on the case before and after the survey of health epidemiology in Namwon Naegie Village, Jeonbuk Province in South Korea-." Journal of Regional Studies 27, no. 4 (December 31, 2019): 94–114. http://dx.doi.org/10.31324/jrs.2019.12.27.4.94.
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Erdem, Tunahan. "Some Chemical Properties of Infrared Dried Neem Fruit in Turkey." Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology 7, no. 7 (July 18, 2019): 958. http://dx.doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v7i7.958-962.2219.
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In Turkey, the Rosary (Neem) tree, known as the Melia azedarach L. is a type of evergreen plant. In the world, four different species of tree grows native in India, Burma, Pakistan, South Asia, and Australia. In our country, the Neem tree (Melia azedarach L.) grows naturally in tropical zones with light yellow fruit and green leaves. Fruits can reach maturity in September-October morphologically. Neem oil from fruits and powder from fruits and leaves are the main products which are traded in abroad as organic substances. In this study, neem fruit was investigated to obtain the neem oil from Melia azedarach L. in details such as moisture content (MC), drying rate (DR), moisture ratio (MR), Azadirachtin amount (AZ) and macro and microelement parameters. The fruits were collected from locally Turkey and de moisturized in the greenhouse for one week than dried in Infrared cabinet dryer to obtain the neem oil. The Azadirachtin amount results were found 46.1; 45.4; 48.4 (mg/g) through three replications.
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Robinson, Dorothy L. "Accurate, Low Cost PM2.5 Measurements Demonstrate the Large Spatial Variation in Wood Smoke Pollution in Regional Australia and Improve Modeling and Estimates of Health Costs." Atmosphere 11, no. 8 (August 13, 2020): 856. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos11080856.
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The accuracy and utility of low-cost PM2.5 sensors was evaluated for measuring spatial variation and modeling population exposure to PM2.5 pollution from domestic wood-heating (DWH) in Armidale, a regional town in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, to obtain estimates of health costs and mortality. Eleven ‘PurpleAir’ (PA) monitors were deployed, including five located part of the time at the NSW government station (NSWGov) to derive calibration equations. Calibrated PA PM2.5 were almost identical to the NSWGov tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) and Armidale Regional Council’s 2017 DustTrak measurements. Spatial variation was substantial. National air quality standards were exceeded 32 times from May–August 2018 at NSWGov and 63 times in one residential area. Wood heater use by about 50% of households increased estimated annual PM2.5 exposure by over eight micrograms per cubic meter, suggesting increased mortality of about 10% and health costs of thousands of dollars per wood heater per year. Accurate real-time community-based monitoring can improve estimates of exposure and avoid bias in estimating dose-response relationships. Efforts over the past decade to reduce wood smoke pollution proved ineffective, perhaps partly because some residents do not understand the health impacts or costs of wood-heating. Real-time Internet displays can increase awareness of DWH and bushfire pollution and encourage governments to develop effective policies to protect public health, as recommended by several recent studies in which wood smoke was identified as a major source of health-hazardous air pollution.
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Trinh, T., B. van den Akker, R. M. Stuetz, H. M. Coleman, P. Le-Clech, and S. J. Khan. "Removal of trace organic chemical contaminants by a membrane bioreactor." Water Science and Technology 66, no. 9 (November 1, 2012): 1856–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2012.374.
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Emerging wastewater treatment processes such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs) have attracted a significant amount of interest internationally due to their ability to produce high quality effluent suitable for water recycling. It is therefore important that their efficiency in removing hazardous trace organic contaminants be assessed. Accordingly, this study investigated the removal of trace organic chemical contaminants through a full-scale, package MBR in New South Wales, Australia. This study was unique in the context of MBR research because it characterised the removal of 48 trace organic chemical contaminants, which included steroidal hormones, xenoestrogens, pesticides, caffeine, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Results showed that the removal of most trace organic chemical contaminants through the MBR was high (above 90%). However, amitriptyline, carbamazepine, diazepam, diclofenac, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, omeprazole, sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim were only partially removed through the MBR with the removal efficiencies of 24–68%. These are potential indicators for assessing MBR performance as these chemicals are usually sensitive to changes in the treatment systems. The trace organic chemical contaminants detected in the MBR permeate were 1 to 6 orders of magnitude lower than guideline values reported in the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling. The outcomes of this study enhanced our understanding of the levels and removal of trace organic contaminants by MBRs.
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Herbst, Charles Petrus, and Gerhard H. Fick. "Radiation protection and the safe use of X-ray equipment: Laws, regulations and responsibilities." South African Journal of Radiology 16, no. 2 (June 12, 2012): 50–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajr.v16i2.306.
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Lately, South Africa’s regulatory framework for electromagnetic medical devices has come under considerable pressure. In this article the legislative framework and regulatory infrastructure are scrutinized, by looking at how the legislature has given form to protective measures against ionizing radiation.
Although the Hazardous Substances Act provides for effective protection against radiation, poor administration led to insufficient staffing levels, uncertainty about Regulations and licensing conditions and therefore undermines a sound radiation protection infrastructure. The legal basis of enforcing licensing conditions through a website without proper consultation with interested and affected parties is questionable and ineffective in controlling radiation levels.
Effective and legal radiation control is possible by activating the National Advisory Committee on Electronic Products provided for in Regulation R326 published in 1979, but never implemented.
The possible impact of annual quality assurance tests currently enforced through licensing conditions on the radiation dose of the population is not cost effective as new training and accreditation structures had to be created. The fact that generally more than 80% of overexposures are caused by human error is a clear indication that training of the daily users of X-ray equipment should be emphasized and not the training and accreditation of the technicians responsible for a single quality assurance test per year.
Constructive engagement with the professional bodies involved in the medical use of X-rays through a National Advisory Committee on Electronic Products may be a cost effective solution for lowering radiation dose to the population.
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Ramappa, Harish Etigemane, and David Muniswamy. "Spatial Distribution of Heavy Metals around the Gold Mine Ore Tailings of Hatti, Karnataka State, India." Landscape & Environment 11, no. 1 (December 12, 2017): 35–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.21120/le/11/1/4.
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Mining is an imperative segment of the world economy as it contributes socio-economic status of the nations. However, developing countries like India due to lack of high profile industrial techniques and equipment, eluting effluents from the industrial process may contain various hazardous substances which greatly affect the environmental and human health. The present work is aimed with the distribution of heavy metals in and around Hatti Gold Mine Ore Tailing (H-GOT). The results elicit the mine ore tailings are having high-level contaminants of heavy metal than the crop lands of Hatti (Hs), Kotha (Ks), Chikka Nagur (Cs), Tawag (Ts), Lingsugur (Ls) of Raichur District, Karnataka. It was reported that, Hatti Gold Mine ore tailings hold about 41.31±0.49 mg/kg, 2.1±0.31mg/kg, 71.96±3.26 mg/kg, 39.56±1.47 mg/kg and 73.4±2.19 mg/kg of Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn) heavy metals respectively. While the crop lands metal contamination range depends on seasonal variation. In south-west monsoon farming lands metal contamination order is Hs> Ks>Cs> Ts >Ls, and it was decreased during Post-monsoon. This is the hallmark of the fetching huge amount of toxic heavy metals from mining center to nearest crop lands. The continuous squeezing of these toxic metals could trigger the bio-magnification in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem and it may impact various metabolic disorders.
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Korneeva, Evgenia A. "Economic Evaluation of Ecological Restoration of Degraded Lands through Protective Afforestation in the South of the Russian Plain." Forests 12, no. 10 (September 26, 2021): 1317. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f12101317.
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The latest international climate documents emphasize the great importance of protective forest stands in ensuring the sustainable development of agriculture, and the main requirement is the use of the forest-forming factor by landowners in the interests of improving the environment. In Russia, until recently, the ecological significance of forest plantations was underestimated, which created the ground for discussions about their effectiveness. In this regard, a new approach is proposed that emphasizes the positive impact of forests, including sustainable development, environmental security of the agricultural sector and reducing the degradation of agricultural land. The purpose of the work was an economic assessment and regularities of the dynamics of humus-regulating and nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK)-regulating efficiency of protective forest plantations on lands with deflation-hazardous soils. By means of a system analysis, the change in the soil cover of land use due to the influence of forest plantations on the balance of soil fertility elements in forested cells is comprehensively analyzed. The different spatial placement of trees from each other under different degrees of deflation in semiarid conditions is modeled. These models are used to determine the nature of the dynamics of soil nutrients in forested areas: in protection zones and outside protection. It is established that the anti-deflationary effect of agroforestry depends on the indicator of the protective forest cover of the land, the level of deflationary danger, and the operational life of the plantings. In semiarid conditions, it increases in proportion to the increase in the protection of land and amounts to EUR 376–EUR 4222 ha−1. With an increase in the intensity of deflation to the level of dust storms, the prevented damage from the loss of soil nutrients increases almost four times. In systems of plantings from early-maturing fast-growing rocks, the anti-deflationary effect is 6–7% higher on an average annual basis than in systems of plantings from long-lasting, slow-growing rocks. The greatest efficiency of forest reclamation in ensuring a positive balance of humus and NPK substances in the soil (EUR 1002–EUR 4222 ha−1) is achieved when placing plantings after 15 H. The study will confirm the need to subsidize the integration of trees into farm systems.
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Kus, B., Jaya Kandasamy, S. Vigneswaran, and H. K. Shon. "Water quality characterisation of rainwater in tanks at different times and locations." Water Science and Technology 61, no. 2 (January 1, 2010): 429–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2010.824.
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Rainwater collected from ten domestic roofs in Sydney and from one in Wollongong, a town south of Sydney, Australia was analysed to determine the water quality and to compare against the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) to determine its suitability as a potable water supply. The pollutants analysed were 13 heavy metals, 8 salts & minerals, pH, ammonia, orthophosphate, conductivity, water hardness, turbidity, total suspended solids, Total dissolved salts & Bicarbonate. The results indicate that the rainwater tested complied to most of the parameters specified in the ADWG. Molecular weight distribution of organic matter from one of the domestic rainwater tanks was analysed in terms of the effects of aging and roof contact. Molecular weight distribution of organic matter in rainwater showed prominent peaks at 37,500 daltons may be due to biopolymers, 850 Da to humic substances, 500 Da to building blocks, 220 Da to low MW acids, and less than 220 Da to amphiphilics. The findings also indicate that the first flush volumes that by-passed the tank can have a significant influence on the water quality in the rainwater tank.
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Huyser, Matthew, LCDR Kevin Boyd, Adriana C. Bejarano, and Jacqueline Michel. "Improving Biological Assessments and Consultations for Regional Response Team Preauthorization Plans: An Example with Federal Region 4 Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic." International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings 2017, no. 1 (May 1, 2017): 589–604. http://dx.doi.org/10.7901/2169-3358-2017.1.589.
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ABSTRACT Immediately following the unprecedented use of dispersants in response to the Deepwater Horizon (a.k.a. MC252) incident, the National Response Team (NRT) issued a memorandum to NRT members and Regional Response Team (RRT) co-chairs recommending review and revision of all dispersant preauthorization plans. During this review process, the Regional Response Team 4 (RRT4) (North Carolina to Mississippi) determined that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 consultations would likely require further revisions and that the assessment should also be prepared to request consultation in accordance with Section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) (i.e. Essential Fish Habitat (EFH)). The RRT4 Science & Technology Committee Biological Assessment Workgroup developed a functional outline that included narrowing the focus of the assessment to evaluate only oil spill scenarios where dispersant is applied under preauthorized protocols and locations. An analysis of oil spill incidents using U.S. Coast Guard Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) data was performed to develop spill scenarios, each with dispersant response scenarios using the NOAA Dispersant Mission Planner (DMP2). The General NOAA Oil Modeling Environment (GNOME) model was used to quantitatively describe the average concentration of oil within the water column at different time steps. In close coordination with the Services, species and habitats were selected for evaluation based on their likelihood to occur in the proposed preauthorized geographic area, with effects of the action assessed for species groups. The same framework was used in preauthorization planning for in-situ burning. The summation of these steps resulted in a swift and cost-effective biological assessment process that incorporated both response tactics. Initiating or revising biological assessments and consultations to oil spill contingency plans will continue to expand beyond preauthorization for alternative countermeasures under the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) Subpart J). The RRT4 efforts contribute to the body of practical practices as national recommendations continue to be developed.
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Ben-Tovim, David, Robert Elzinga, John Pilla, Stuart McAllister, Kay Wilhelm, George Lipton, Rene Pols, John Franklin, and Marlene M. Waters. "A Casemix for Mental Health Services: The Development of the Mental Health and Substance abuse Components of the Australian National Diagnosis-Related Groups." Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 30, no. 4 (August 1996): 450–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00048679609065016.
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Objective: To describe the development of the mental health and substance abuse sections of the version of the Australian casemix system, Australian national diagnosis-related groups 3 (AN-DRG 3), released in July 1995. Method: The guiding principles and data sources used to construct the mental health and substance abuse components of AN-DRG 3 are described by the group who undertook that task. The group used data sets of patients separating from hospitals throughout Australia, and from hospitals in South Australia, to examine the capacity of existing and revised diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) to predict patients' lengths of hospital stay. They also reviewed the lists of conditions allowed as complicating and comorbid conditions within the AN-DRG system. Results: A variety of recommendations were made including: moving organic mental disorder DRGs to a neuroscience area of the AN-DRG; completely reorganising the mental health section of the casemix; creating a number of narrowly defined DRGs covering areas such as schizophrenia, major affective disorders, anxiety disorders and eating disorders, while allowing for a limited number of more heterogenous DRGs; and simplifying substance abuse DRGs into groups covering alcohol and other substances, and differentiating intoxication and withdrawal from abuse and dependency. Conclusions: A casemix dialect based on clinical diagnosis, which describes mental health and substance abuse problems in terms which should be familiar to clinicians, has been developed. Its applications and limitations are briefly discussed.
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Wallace, Todd A., George G. Ganf, and Justin D. Brookes. "Rapid utilisation of storm water-derived dissolved organic carbon and its fractions in an urban lake." Marine and Freshwater Research 65, no. 4 (2014): 370. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf12287.
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Hypoxia occurred in the Torrens Lake, South Australia, after a 16-mm rainfall which discharged high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) into the Lake. This work explores the hypothesis that hypoxia was correlated with the bioavailability of DOC. Carbonaceous biological oxygen demand and a decrease in DOC from samples collected immediately after stormwater was discharged into the Lake confirmed the presence of an active aerobic microbial community. In addition, the inlet and outlet of the Lake were monitored over a 10-day period. Dissolved oxygen fell from 10 to <3 mg L–1 within 44 h as the DOC increased and then decreased. A similar pattern occurred at the outlet after a lag of 20 h. At the inlet, because minimal mixing with the Lake water occurred, the rapid decrease of DOC and its fractions was interpreted as a function of aerobic microbial activity. Aquatic humic substances (AHS) were metabolised fastest, followed by hydrophilic acids (HiA) and hydrophilic neutrals (HiN). The warm nature of Mediterranean water bodies during summer may make them more susceptible to hypoxia as the frequency of extreme droughts allow accumulation of leaf litter and other debris that is subsequently mobilised by episodic floods.
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Simpson, Stuart L., Rob W. Fitzpatrick, Paul Shand, Brad M. Angel, David A. Spadaro, and Luke Mosley. "Climate-driven mobilisation of acid and metals from acid sulfate soils." Marine and Freshwater Research 61, no. 1 (2010): 129. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf09066.
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The recent drought in south-eastern Australia has exposed to air, large areas of acid sulfate soils within the River Murray system. Oxidation of these soils has the potential to release acidity, nutrients and metals. The present study investigated the mobilisation of these substances following the rewetting of dried soils with River Murray water. Trace metal concentrations were at background levels in most soils. During 24-h mobilisation tests, the water pH was effectively buffered to the pH of the soil. The release of nutrients was low. Metal release was rapid and the dissolved concentrations of many metals exceeded the Australian water quality guidelines (WQGs) in most tests. The concentrations of dissolved Al, Cu and Zn were often greater than 100× the WQGs and strong relationships existed between dissolved metal release and soil pH. Attenuation of dissolved metal concentrations through co-precipitation and adsorption to Al and Fe precipitates was an important process during mixing of acidic, metal-rich waters with River Murray water. The study demonstrated that the rewetting of dried acid sulfate soils may release significant quantities of metals and a high level of land and water management is required to counter the effects of such climate change events.
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Popova, Milena, Dessislava Gerginova, Boryana Trusheva, Svetlana Simova, Alfred Ngenge Tamfu, Ozgur Ceylan, Kerry Clark, and Vassya Bankova. "A Preliminary Study of Chemical Profiles of Honey, Cerumen, and Propolis of the African Stingless Bee Meliponula ferruginea." Foods 10, no. 5 (May 2, 2021): 997. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/foods10050997.
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Recently, the honey and propolis of stingless bees have been attracting growing attention because of their health-promoting properties. However, studies on these products of African Meliponini are still very scarce. In this preliminary study, we analyzed the chemical composition of honey, two cerumen, and two resin deposits (propolis) samples of Meliponula ferruginea from Tanzania. The honey of M. ferruginea was profiled by NMR and indicated different long-term stability from Apis mellifera European (Bulgarian) honey. It differed significantly in sugar and organic acids content and had a very high amount of the disaccharide trehalulose, known for its bioactivities. We suggested trehalulose to be a potential marker for African stingless bee honey analogously to the recent proposal for Meliponini honey from Asia, South America, and Australia and demonstrated its easy discrimination by 13C NMR. Propolis and cerumen were studied by GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectometry). The samples contained mainly terpenoids (di-and triterpenes) but demonstrated qualitative and quantitative differences. This fact was an indication that possibly M. ferruginea has no strict preferences for resins used to construct and protect their nests. The antimicrobial and anti-quorum sensing properties of the two materials were also tested. These first results demonstrated that the honey, cerumen, and propolis of African stingless bees were rich in biologically active substances and deserved further research.
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Ștefănescu, Ruxandra, Amelia Tero-Vescan, Ancuța Negroiu, Elena Aurică, and Camil-Eugen Vari. "A Comprehensive Review of the Phytochemical, Pharmacological, and Toxicological Properties of Tribulus terrestris L." Biomolecules 10, no. 5 (May 12, 2020): 752. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biom10050752.
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The general spread of Tribulus terrestris L. (South Africa, Australia, Europe, and India), the high content of active ingredients (in particular sterol saponins, as well as flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, phenol carboxylic acids, and alkaloids), and its frequent uses in folk medicine, and as food supplements highlight the importance of evaluating its phytopharmacological properties. There are miscellaneous hypotheses that the species could have a high potential for the prevention and improvement of various human conditions such as infertility, low sexual desire, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases. Worldwide, numerous herbal supplements are commercialized with indications mostly to improve libido, sexual performance in both sexes, and athletic performance. Phytochemical studies have shown great disparities in the content of active substances (in particular the concentration of furostanol and spirostanol saponoside, considered to be the predominant active ingredients related to the therapeutic action). Thus, studies of experimental pharmacology (in vitro studies and animal models in vivo) and clinical pharmacology (efficacy and safety clinical trials) have sometimes led to divergent results; moreover, the presumed pharmacodynamic mechanisms have yet to be confirmed by molecular biology studies. Given the differences observed in the composition, the plant organ used to obtain the extract, the need for selective extraction methods which are targeted at the class of phytocompounds, and the standardization of T. terrestris extracts is an absolute necessity. This review aims to highlight the phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological properties of T. terrestris, with a focus on the contradictory results obtained by the studies conducted worldwide.
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Karunasena, Gayani, Raufdeen Rameezdeen, and Dilanthi Amarathunga. "Post-Disaster C&D Waste Management: The Case of COWAM Project in Sri Lanka." Australasian Journal of Construction Economics and Building - Conference Series 1, no. 2 (February 5, 2013): 60. http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/ajceb-cs.v1i2.3167.
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Waste management is considered to be the weakest phase in responding to a disaster. This became apparent when Sri Lanka suffered enormously from the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. The City of Galle located on the south coast was severely affected by this event, causing some 4000 deaths and destroying over 15000 houses. The Construction Waste Management (COWAM) project funded by the European Union from 2005-2009 looked at the most sustainable ways of dealing with Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste after a disaster and devised a pilot C&D recycling plant (COWAM Centre) in Galle. This paper reflects on the C&D waste management practices followed by the city authorities during the recovery and reconstruction phase right up to the operation of the COWAM Centre with the intention of seeking best practices for the future. As part of the COWAM case study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with municipal authorities and voluntary organizations to identify the C&D waste management process followed during recovery and reconstruction. Empirical data was collected from actual demolition sites located in Galle to establish the quantity of C&D waste, composition, hazardous substances found, and collection efficiency. Findings revealed that waste was disposed initially into temporary dumping sites and later re-cycled through the COWAM Centre. However, this study found many issues that could have been avoided if Galle Municipal Council had planned and implemented a quick C&D waste management strategy. Key issues which arose were lack of heavy vehicles, lack of manpower, inability to forecast the amount and composition of waste, and inability to identify suitable temporary dumping sites. The characteristics of C&D waste gave a baseline for the design of COWAM Centre. The paper presents a viable approach to overcome issues pertaining to C&D waste management during the aftermath of a disaster through the lessons learned from the COWAM project.
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Matnazarova, D. I. "ASSESSMENT OF THE BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSTION OF BLACKBERRIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE IN BREEDING." Bulletin of Agrarian Science 5, no. 86 (2020): 170–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.17238/issn2587-666x.2020.5.170.
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The work summarized the literature data on the content of chemicals in blackberries grown in various regions of Russia and foreign countries. Much attention is paid to the level of accumulation of biochemical components: soluble solids, sugars, organic acids, vitamins C (ascorbic acid) and P (phenolic compounds). In the studied regions, a high accumulation of anthocyanins (307-651 mg / 100 g) and ascorbic acid (23.4-54.0 mg / 100 g) in blackberries was noted in the Republic of Adygea. The highest sugar content (9.9%) was in blackberries grown in the middle zone of Russia. The average content of the studied components depends not only on the region of cultivation, but, first of all, on the varietal composition of the crop. The study of 25 blackberry varieties bred in the USA, England and Australia in the Krasnodar Territory allowed us to identify the most adapted of them for cultivation in the south of Russia,the most promising varieties are Thornfree, Smoothstem and Black Satin. In the Republic of Belarus, blackberries are grown on personal subsidiary plots, the most common is the American Agavam variety, which is noted for its high sugar content and the content of P-active substances. At the Maikop Experimental Station. N.I. Vavilov, as a result of studying the biochemical composition of blackberry berries, the following varieties were identified: by the content of dry matter – Oregon, Black Satin, Thornfree; sugar content – Oregon, Silvon, Black Satin, Thornfree, Young; by the content of organic acids – Derrow, Raven (1.67%), Cherokki (1.87%); by the content of ascorbic acid – Himalaya (54.6 mg / 100 g), Derrow (45.8 mg / 100 g), Raven (45.4 mg / 100 g) and Cherokki (47.8 mg / 100 g).
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Jackson, Melissa A., Amanda L. Brown, Amanda L. Baker, Gillian S. Gould, and Adrian J. Dunlop. "The Incentives to Quit tobacco in Pregnancy (IQuiP) protocol: piloting a financial incentive-based smoking treatment for women attending substance use in pregnancy antenatal services." BMJ Open 9, no. 11 (November 2019): e032330. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032330.
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IntroductionWhile tobacco smoking prevalence is falling in many western societies, it remains elevated among high-priority cohorts. Rates up to 95% have been reported in women whose pregnancy is complicated by other substance use. In this group, the potential for poor pregnancy outcomes and adverse physical and neurobiological fetal development are elevated by tobacco smoking. Unfortunately, few targeted and effective tobacco dependence treatments exist to assist cessation in this population. The study will trial an evidence-based, multicomponent tobacco smoking treatment tailored to pregnant women who use other substances. The intervention comprises financial incentives for biochemically verified abstinence, psychotherapy delivered by drug and alcohol counsellors, and nicotine replacement therapy. It will be piloted at three government-based, primary healthcare facilities in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, Australia. The study will assess the feasibility and acceptability of the treatment when integrated into routine antenatal care offered by substance use in pregnancy antenatal services.Methods and analysisThe study will use a single-arm design with pre–post comparisons. One hundred clients will be recruited from antenatal clinics with a substance use in pregnancy service. Women must be <33 weeks’ gestation, ≥16 years old and a current tobacco smoker. The primary outcomes are feasibility, assessed by recruitment and retention and the acceptability of addressing smoking among this population. Secondary outcomes include changes in smoking behaviours, the comparison of adverse maternal outcomes and neonatal characteristics to those of a historical control group, and a cost-consequence analysis of the intervention implementation.Ethics and disseminationProtocol approval was granted by Hunter New England Human Research Ethics Committee (Reference 17/04/12/4.05), with additional ethical approval sought from the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW (Reference 1249/17). Findings will be disseminated via academic conferences, peer-reviewed publications and social media.Trial registration numberAustralia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (Ref: ACTRN12618000576224).
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Johnstone, Megan-Jane. "Patient safety, ethics and whistleblowing: a nursing response to the events at the Campbelltown and Camden Hospitals." Australian Health Review 28, no. 1 (2004): 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah040013.
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IN NOVEMBER 2002, in what stands as one of the most significant whistle blowing cases in the history of the Australian health care system, four nurses went public with concerns they had about the management of clinical incidents and patient safety at two hospitals in Sydney, New South Wales. The handling of this case and its aftermath raises important moral questions concerning the nature of whistleblowing in health care domains and the possible implications for the patient safety and quality of care movement in Australia. This paper presents an overview of the case, the moral risks associated with whistleblowing, and some lessons learned. The International Council of Nurses (2000) Code of Ethics stipulates that nurses have a stringent responsibility to 'take appropriate action to safeguard individuals when their care is endangered by a co-worker or any other person'. Other local and international nursing codes of ethics and standards of professional conduct likewise obligate nurses to take appropriate action to safeguard individuals when placed at risk by the incompetent, unethical or illegal acts of others ? including the system. Despite these coded moral prescriptions for responsible and accountable professional conduct, taking appropriate action when others are placed at risk (including making reports to appropriate authorities) is never an easy task nor is it free of risk for nurses. As has been amply demonstrated in the literature, taking a moral stance to protect patient safety and quality of care can be extremely hazardous to nurses (Johnstone 1994, 2002, 2004; Ahern & McDonald 2002). In situations where nurses report their concerns to an appropriate authority but nothing is done to either investigate or validate their claims, nurses are faced with the ethical dilemma and 'choice' of whether to: do nothing ('put up and shut up'); leave their current place of employment (and possibly even the profession); or take the matter further ('blow the whistle') by reporting their concerns to an external authority that they perceive as having the power to do something about their concerns. It is rare for nurses to 'blow the whistle' in the public domain. When they do, it is usually because they perceive that something is terribly wrong and, as a matter of conscience, they cannot just look on as morally passive bystanders. For those nurses who do take a stand, the costs to them personally and professionally are almost always devastating, with no guarantees that the situation on which they have taken a public stance will be improved. Nurses who blow the whistle often end up with their careers and lives in tatters (see case studies in Johnstone 1994 & 2004).