Establishment Of Reference Levels Research Articles

National scale assessment of the occurrence and risk of trace organic contaminants in Canadian Lake sediments.

In Canada studies on the presence of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides and flame retardants in lakes have primarily focused on the water column at localized scales. To address this gap, the occurrence of 44 TrOCs, representative of various types of human activities, was investigated in surface sediments (0-2cm) from 193 lakes across Canada. A total of 28 targeted TrOCs were detected, with 99.5% of the samples containing at least one detection, and one lake exhibiting up to 12 detections. The most frequently detected contaminants (> 20% of samples) were the insect-repellent diethyltoluamide (DEET), the UV filter oxybenzone, the flame retardants tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), and triphenyl phosphate (TPP), the stimulant caffeine, and cotinine, a metabolite of the stimulant nicotine. Median reported concentrations of the targeted TrOCs ranged from 0.017pgg-1 to 359ngg-1, with a maximum value of 23,700ngg-1 observed for DEET in one lake. The geographic distribution of analyte concentrations varied by compound class: pharmaceuticals and consumer product additives were predominantly found in the more urbanized regions of Ontario and Quebec, whereas personal care products such as DEET and oxybenzone were more frequently detected in the western provinces of Canada. An environmental risk assessment based on an additive model conducted on three aquatic organisms (algae, cladocerans, and fish) revealed that 4% and 6% of the lakes posed a potentially high risk for cladocerans and algae, respectively. A geographical analysis indicated that lakes in the south of the eastern provinces of Canada presented the highest risks for all three species. These findings represent the first large-scale results detailing the extent of contamination caused by TrOCs on Canadian lake sediments. They establish reference levels that can guide future monitoring efforts and inform policy discussions aimed at protecting lake ecosystems.

Abstract SY38-02: Clinical investigations of obesity in cancer: BMI and other confounders

Abstract SY38-02: Clinical investigations of obesity in cancer: BMI and other confounders

Optimization of Routine Pediatric Computed Tomography Examinations in Hawassa City, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia

Computed tomography (CT) has considerable impact in patient care. However, it is the most irradiating medical imaging technique in diagnostic radiology department. Optimization of pediatric CT is not well-practiced in developing countries. Protocols for some age groups were missed, and scan parameters are not adapted to the patient body size and age group. Furthermore, there are no established diagnostic reference levels to enhance dose optimization for pediatric patients at the local, regional, and national levels. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the optimization of routine pediatric CT examinations in Hawassa city, Ethiopia. A total of 360 pediatric dose records were reviewed for routine pediatric CT performed between January 1st, 2021 - May 30th, 2022. The data were analyzed using the statistical package for social science version 25 software. The Local Diagnostic Reference Levels (LDRLs) were established at the 75th percentile of CT dose quantities. The average KVp, mAs, and scan length used for pediatric head, chest, and abdomen CT were (112.8, 260.6, and 19.8), (112.9, 64.7, and 31.5), and (113.3, 79.4, and 32.9) respectively. The range of the established LDRLs in terms of volumetric CT dose index for the head, chest, and abdomen CT were (31.5 to 47, 2.3 to 6.1, 1.7 to 4.7) mGy. Whereas the range in terms of dose length product per scan for the head, chest, and abdomen CT were (723.4 to 1126.7, 55.9 to 258.9, and 38.1 to 242.5) mGy cm respectively. The obtained results show that the LDRLs for volumetric CT does index for head and chest CT were equivalent to the international studies. Whereas the local DRLs in terms of dose length product per scan were higher than the reports other studies except in Japan where the values for chest CT were comparable to the results of this study. Finally, the findings suggested that non-optimized pediatric head and chest CT were performed across all age groups.

Valores de referencia de hormonas tiroideas en la población de gestantes de Guadalajara

IntroductionThyroid dysfunction during gestation impacts on maternal-fetal health and may influence the neurocognitive development of the child. Thyroid physiology changes during pregnancy and requires the establishment of specific reference levels per trimester and for each population and method. The objectives of our study were to analyse thyroid function throughout pregnancy and to establish reference levels for TSH and T4L in each trimester for our population and methodology. Material and methodsProspective analytical study of 598 pregnant women from March 2018 to October 2020. TSH, T4L, T3L, ATPO and ATG were determined in all of them. A total of 151 pregnant women were excluded due to positive thyroid immunity, previous thyroid disease in treatment with levothyroxine, twin pregnancy, diagnosis of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in the request or absence of some of the parameters studied, with a reference population of 447 pregnant women. ResultsThe reference levels for TSH were 0.07-3.14mIU/L for the first, 0.66-3.21mIU/L for the second and 0.52-2.97mIU/L for the third trimester. Reference levels for T4L were 0.81-1.19ng/dL for the first, 0.71-1.07ng/dL for the second and 0.69-1.06ng/dL for the third trimester. ConclusionsThe reference levels for TSH and T4L obtained in this study differ from those used for the general population, which may have led to misclassification errors and unnecessary treatment in pregnant women.

Modelling and testing forest ecosystems condition account

We developed an application model based on the System of Environmental Economic Accounting-Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) framework, endorsed by the United Nations Statistical Commission in 2021. This model enables mapping condition accounts for forest ecosystems using automated computation. We applied the model nationally in Spain between 2000 and 2015 to test its effectiveness. Our model follows five methodological steps to generate forest condition accounts: (i) definition and spatial delimitation of forest ecosystem types; (ii) selection of variables using the ecosystem condition typology encompassing physical, chemical, compositional, structural, functional, and landscape characteristics; (iii) establishment of reference levels, including lower (collapse) and upper (high ecosystem integrity) thresholds; (iv) aggregation of variables into condition index; and (v) calculation of a single condition index by rescaling the aggregated indicators between 0 and 1. The results obtained from the model provide valuable insights into the status and trends of individual condition indicators, as well as aggregated condition index values for forest ecosystems, in a spatially explicit manner. Overall, the condition of the forest ecosystems in Spain showed a slight increase, from 0.56 in 2000 to 0.58 in 2015. However, distinct trends were observed for each ecosystem type. For example, mixed Alpine and Macaronesia forests exhibited a significant improvement, while the continental Mediterranean coniferous forests did not show any change. This innovative approach to monitoring forest condition accounts has important potential applications in policy and decision-making processes. It can contribute to effective evidence-based nature conservation, ecosystem service management, and identifying restoration areas.

Establishment of institutional diagnostic reference level for Computed Tomography dose on 160 slicer Computed Tomography scan at Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar.

To set institutional diagnostic reference level for computed tomography of multiple anatomical regions using dose length product as dosimeter parameter and to compare results with international diagnostic reference level. The retrospective study was conducted at the Radiology Unit of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan, and comprised dose data of patients who underwent computed tomography from June 1 to August 31, 2018. The mean, 25th, 50th and 75th percentile of dose distribution of common computed tomography examinations was calculated and compared with other established diagnostic reference levels. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. Of the 1001 scans, 143(14.2%) related to brain, 275(27.5%) abdomen-pelvis, 133(13.3%) kidney-ureter-bladder, 186(18.58%) thorax, 85(8.49%) triphasic, 126(12.58%) musculoskeletal, and 53(5.29%) cardiac. Institutional diagnostic reference levels for the computed tomography unit was established as 50th percentile of dose length product for different regions brain 339, abdomen-pelvis 298, thorax 165, kidney-ureter-bladder 302, triphasic 633, musculoskeletal 366 and cardiac 403. Both 50th and 75th percentile values of dose length product for each individual body region was lower than international Diagnostic reference levels. The diagnostic reference level will be used in routine computed tomography practice at the institution, and will act as the baseline for developing the national diagnostic reference levels.

Phantom comparison for MRI quality control tests according to manufacturers and national standards

Quality control tests are mandatory and essential to monitor Magnetic Resonance Imaging equipment. These assist in determining improper functioning or parameters below established reference levels. The objective of this study was to perform quality control tests in magnetic resonance imaging equipment and to compare their methodology with both FLUKE and KONEX phantoms. Different protocols were used for their evaluation, including the American Association of Physics in Medicine, the American College of Radiologists, and the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency. In this study, we demonstrated the results for the most critical tests: slice thickness accuracy, slice position accuracy, high-contrast spatial resolution, low-contrast resolution, magnetic field, and slice thickness uniformity. The results are that, although both phantom objects are efficient for carrying out the tests required in Brazilian regulations, the KONEX phantom consumes less time, as it requires less to image all its structures. The FLUKE phantoms need a longer acquisition time to obtain all test structures and object images. Nevertheless, the results obtained in both are within limits required by Brazilian regulations and limits suggested by the manufacturers' manuals. This work is expected to be a basis for other physicians and services using similar phantoms.

Estimation of Diagnostic Reference Level for Lumbar Spine X- Ray Procedures in Some Radiological Facilities in Abuja Metropolis, Nigeria

The worldwide increase in the use of radiation in diagnostic radiology practice has increased the need for organizations that deal with radiation protection to focus on improving patient protection. The essential aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic reference level for lumbar spine anterior posterior in some radiological facilities in Abuja metropolis, Nigeria. This study was performed to assess the values of entrance surface air kerma via indirect method for 87 adult patients whom their ages ranged between 19 to 75 years that underwent lumbar spine X-ray examination in six diagnostic radiology centres. The age of patients ranged from 20 to 60yrs; their weight ranged from 46 to 90 Kg, while the height of patients ranged from 1.4 to 1.8 m. The mean entrance surface air kerma for centres A, B, C, E and F were 2.41mGy, 2.39mGy, 2.75mGy, 2.91mGy and 2.67mGy respectively while the determined diagnostic reference level was 2.83mGy. This indicates improvement in optimization of patients’ doses when compared to established international reference levels. Keywords: Entrance surface air kerma, diagnostic reference level, lumbar spine X- ray examination and radiological facilities DOI: 10.7176/APTA/86-04 Publication date: October 31 st 2022

Niveles de referencia de dosis para adultos en procedimientos de cardiología intervencionista en Ecuador.

ResumenAntecedentes y objetivo:El conocimiento de los niveles de referencia para estudios diagnósticos y terapéuticos es importante, dado que contribuye a la optimización de la protección radiológica de los pacientes y evita que se expongan a dosis innecesariamente altas; sin embargo, no se encontraron evidencias de estos niveles en procedimientos de cardiología intervencionista en Ecuador, por lo cual el objetivo de este estudio fue calcular los niveles de referencia diagnósticos de dosis en la superficie de entrada en pacientes adultos sometidos a procedimientos intervencionistas de cardiología (cinecoronariografía, cateterismo e intervencionismo percutáneo coronario) en la Unidad de Hemodinámica del Hospital de Especialidades Carlos Andrade Marín de Ecuador.Materiales y métodos:Las mediciones del producto dosis-área, dosis en superficie de entrada, número de imágenes y tiempo de fluoroscopia se realizaron con el angiógrafo Axiom Artis y los datos obtenidos se tabularon y procesaron con el programa informático Excel. Para este estudio se seleccionó a 145 pacientes mayores de 18 años y los valores obtenidos de niveles de referencia diagnósticos de dosis se compararon con otros informados en investigaciones anteriores y con los límites permisibles para la aparición de efectos deterministas en piel.Resultados:Este estudio permitió establecer los niveles de referencia para diagnóstico en los procedimientos intervencionistas de cardiología (cinecoronariografía, cateterismo e intervencionismo percutáneo coronario) en la Unidad de Hemodinámica del Hospital de Especialidades Carlos Andrade Marín de Ecuador.Conclusiones:Los resultados mostraron que las dosis en superficie de entrada obtenidas fueron menores a los niveles máximos recomendados por la International Atomic Energy Agency.

241Am and 137Сs in the Khoiniki district of Belarus: updated radiological assessment of the local existing exposure situation

The results covered in this paper relate to the “Khoiniki” research sub-unit of a larger-scale sequence of studies focused on the local assessments of the present-day 241Am and 137Cs concentrations in the soils and locally produced foods, with the estimation of the public internal radiation doses in the residential areas of the Gomel region of the Republic of Belarus most closely adjacent to the ChNPP resettlement zone. The objective was to make a conservative estimate of a committed annual dose of internal exposure from 241Am and 137Сs received by the villagers of 96 farmsteads in 30 settlements of the private sector of Khoiniki countryside through both, inhalation and consumption of local foodstuffs. The results obtained in this study include an update of the existing contamination levels of 241Am and 137Сs present in the local soils and foods grown or produced in private backyards and households. 241Am in food samples was determined by alpha-spectroscopy radiochemical analysis with the use of selective extraction-chromatographic resins. Gamma-spectrometry techniques were used to measure 241Am in soil samples and 137Сs in soil and food samples. Based on our findings, the present-day deposition density of 241Am in the soils does not exceed 4 kBq/m2 , while the values of 137Cs contamination are by one to two orders of magnitude higher than that of 241Am and vary between 30 and 500 kBq/m2 . Generally, the values of activity concentration of 241Am detected in local soils are well within 10 Bq/kg in the majority of inspected villages, with the exception of three sites where higher levels of 241Am contamination is soils were detected ranging from 14 to 16 Bq/kg. The ambient dose rates in the countryside range from 0.05 to 0.38 μSv/hour, with the average of 0.15 μSv/hour. No cases of 137Сs contamination above the established reference levels of 80, 100 and 90 Bq/ kg have been found in the local food samples of, respectively, potatoes, vegetables (incl. roots and tubers) and grains. The content of 241Am in the staple foods produced in the area varies from single digits to tenths of mBq/ kg, which is less by three orders of magnitude than 137Сs activities concentrationd found in the same staples. Of the two pathways contributing to the local committed internal exposure from 241Am, the dominant one is through inhalation (0.006–0.038 mSv/year) prevailing over the consumption pathway of this same radioisotope by at least one order of magnitude. At the time of gardening and other household field works, the existing levels of 241Am contamination in soils are estimated to produce from 85 to 98% of the internal radiation dose received by individuals from inhaling the total of 241Am and 137Сs. The maximum committed annual doses of internal exposure from 137Сs are estimated to be above 1 mSv/year in 6 out of 30 villages engaged in our study. At the same time, the estimated internal radiation dose due to 241Am does not surpass 0.04 mSv/year. The 137Сs major contribution to the internal exposure of villages in the Khoiniki countryside is through food consumption.

Characterizing ambient nutrient concentrations and potential warning levels for surface water in natural forested wetlands in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of North Carolina, USA

Nearly thirty years ago the U.S. EPA directed states to begin developing water quality standards specific to wetlands; however, progress has been limited. This study presents an overview of ambient wetland water quality and the first step towards the development of numeric nutrient standards for forested wetlands in North Carolina. Water quality samples were collected in 16 natural wetlands across the state for three years. The sites span a range of anthropogenic disturbance. The data was combined with historical data collected at these and other sites from 2005 to 2013. Concentration levels in wetlands without significant anthropogenic disturbance are likely higher than streams for TN, TP, similar for NH4+, and likely lower than streams for NO3–-N. A method developed by the U.S. EPA to establish reference levels was modified to define draft nutrient warning levels that may indicate anthropogenic impacts. These warning levels were calculated as 0.06 mg/L, 0.14 mg/L, 0.34 mg/L and 2.8 mg/L for NO3–-N, NH4+-N, TP and TN, respectively. NO3–-N and NH4+-N concentrations were the best indicators of disturbance. Overall, despite the limitations imposed by the sampling frequency and inherent variability in wetland ecosystems, this research methodology presents a reasonable first attempt at defining nutrient warning levels for undisturbed natural forested wetlands in N.C., and may serve as a starting point in developing numeric nutrient criteria for wetlands.

Entrance Surface Dose (ESD) Measurement During Pediatric Chest X-Rays

Introduction Given the high radiation tissue sensitivity of pediatric patients, it is necessary to monitor their received dose in order to optimize radiation protection. The first aim of this study was to evaluate of the entrance surface dose (ESD) in pediatric patients undergoing chest x-ray at the main hospital of Dezful, Iran. The second aim was to compare our results with the established dose reference levels (DRL). Materials and Methods The studied population included 204 pediatric patients less than 15 year who were referred to chest x-ray. A calibrated dose area product meter (DAP-meter) with permanent installation on x-ray unit was used to radiation dose measurements. For each patient, the demographic data, exposure parameters and the dose read by DAP-meter were recorded and ESD was calculated using standard mathematical formula. Results The average value of ESD was 119 μGy in patients less than 15 years. This value was 51.3, 122.3, 131.5 and 171.2 μGy for the age groups less than 1 year, 1 to 5 year, 5 to 10 year and 10 to 15 year, respectively. A statistical significant difference was seen between ESD values ​​in different age groups (P<0.001), whereas no statistical difference was seen between ESD values in ​ girls and boys (P =0.993). Conclusion Pediatric patients in hospital investigated (except age group less than 1 year) are subjected to unnecessary radiation exposure, especially due to use of non-optimize x-ray protocols.

Application of Dose Area Product (DAP) to Estimate Entrance Surface Dose (ESD) in Pediatric Chest X-Rays

Introduction: Given the high radiation tissue sensitivity of pediatric patients, it is necessary to monitor their received dose to optimize radiation protection. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the entrance surface dose (ESD) in pediatric patients undergoing a chest X-ray at the main hospital of Dezful, Iran. The second aim was to compare our results with the established dose reference levels (DRLs).
 Materials and Methods: The studied population included 204 pediatric patients less than 15 years who were referred to as chest X-ray. A calibrated dose area product meter (DAP-meter) with permanent installation on the X-ray unit was used to radiation dose measurements. For each patient, the demographic data, exposure parameters and the dose read by DAP-meter were recorded and ESD was calculated using a standard mathematical formula.
 Results: The average value of ESD was 119 μGy in patients less than 15 years. This value was 51.3, 122.3, 131.5 and 171.2 μGy for the age groups for less than 1 year, 1 to 5 years, 5 to 10 years and 10 to 15 years, respectively. A statistically significant difference was seen between ESD values ​​in different age groups (P<0.001), whereas no statistical difference was seen between ESD values in ​ girls and boys (P =0.993).
 Conclusion: Pediatric patients in hospital investigated (except age group less than 1 year) are subjected to unnecessary radiation exposure, especially due to the use of non-optimize X-ray protocols.

Toxicological assessment of chlorine concentration in atmospheric particulate matter in Benin City, Nigeria

Chlorine gas is widely known as obnoxious gas in the environment. It is well documented that little amount of chlorine gas in the atmosphere can cause pulmonary edema, pneumonitis, emphysema, bronchitis, and irritation of eyes, throat, and nose, just to mention a few. The thrust of this work is to investigate the breathing disease and health hazard emanating from the inhalation of chlorine concentration in particulate matter during job activities. This work was conducted among 120 employers from nine (9) industries. Information of the various ailments were gathered by using questionnaires and spirometry. The spirometry has an opening in which one blows in air to determine the lung volume. The commonest symptoms in the work were cough 47.5%, phlegm expectoration 50.0%, wheeze 5.8%, chest tightness 10.0%, chest pain 5.7%, breathlessness 8.3%, and cough with phlegm 8.3%. The concentration of chlorine in the total suspended particle ranged from 0.005 to 0.189 ppm, while the mean concentration of chlorine in the inhalable particle ranged from 0.112 to 0.270 ppm, and the concentration of chlorine gas in respirable particle ranged from 0.070 to 0.266 ppm. Further study should be conducted to enable establishment of reference level for the state.

Justification of the methodical approaches to the assessment of the doses of the public residing in the zone of influence of the facilities of the nuclear and radiation legacy

To justify the decision on the necessity of the execution of the remediation actions or public safety measures as well as the correspondence of the remediated territories to the established criteria or reference levels it is necessary to correctly perform the assessment of the doses of the public residing in the zone of influence of the facilities of the nuclear and radiation legacy. Currently, there is no legislative document, regulating the doses of that category of the public. Based on the result of the regulatory documents and scientific publications on the radiation surveys of the contaminated territories and assessment of the doses to the public residing in the surveillance zone of the radiation facilities, on the radioactively contaminated territories and exposed by natural radionuclides, it was estimated that approaches, models and equations for the estimation of the doses from man-made and natural radionuclides can be applied for the public residing in the zone of influence of the facilities of the nuclear and radiation legacy. The number of control measurement points and samples for the radiation survey of the territories of the limited scale should be sufficient for the representative assessment of the doses to the public.

Остеотропный диагностический радио­фармацевтический лекарственный препарат на основе золедроновой кислоты «Резоскан, 99mTс». Предварительные результаты сравнительных клинических исследований

Purpose: Clinical trials involving study of functions, assessment of drug and radiation safety of the radiopharmaceutical drug “Rezoscan, 99mTc” in comparison with the “Technefor, 99mTc”.
 Material and methods: Clinical studies of RP “Rezoscan, 99mTc” were carried out using a diagnostic gamma camera Toshiba. The study involved 25 patients: 2 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, 3 patients diagnosed with cervical cancer, 15 patients diagnosed with breast cancer and 5 patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease without cancer, who underwent osteoscintigraphy to identify osteoporosis foci and who signed an informed consent to participate in the study. To study the functional properties of RP “Rezoscan, 99mTc”, we studied its pharmacokinetics and evaluated the quality of visualization of pathological foci in bone tissue. To assess drug safety the patient was monitored for 15 days with an assessment of acute and delayed reactions to intravenous administration. Radiation safety of the RP was estimated using values of absorbed radiation doses of organs and effective doses to patients [1]. To the same patients the radiopharmaceutical preparations “Rezoscan, 99mTc” and “Technefor, 99mTc” were injected sequentially in one day.
 Results: According to the pharmacokinetics study, the accumulation of RP “Rezoscan, 99mTc” in the skeleton in 2 hours reaches 40 % of the administered amount. At the same time, a relatively rapid excretion of the drug from the soft tissues takes place, which makes it possible to clearly visualize the condition of the bone system and to reveal pathological changes with coefficients of differential accumulation (CDA) bone/soft tissues of about 10. Comparative studies of the functional characteristics of RP “Rezoscan, 99mTc” and “Technefor, 99mTc” showed the advantage of the new drug in the early detection of pathological changes in bone tissue with the metastatic skeletal lesion. In all cases in the study with RP “Rezoscan, 99mTc”on scintigrams in 15 patients with a verified diagnosis of breast cancer, the pathological foci of hyperfixation RP, which are typical for metastatic bone lesions, were visualized. In the same patients, examined with the help of the RP “Technefor, 99mTc”, pathological foci in the skeleton were visualized only in 13 cases.
 According to the results of studies of patients with RP “Rezoscan, 99mTc” accuracy was 0.8, sensitivity – 0.9, specificity – 0.6. According to the study of patients of the same group with RP “Technefor, 99mTc” defined: the accuracy is 0.8, sensitivity – 0.8 and specificity – 0.4.
 Based on the results of monitoring the condition of patients for 15 days, acute and delayed reactions to intravenous administration of the drug were not detected. The estimate of the absorbed radiation dose values of RP “Rezoscan, 99mTc” in organs and tissues of patients, as well as effective doses of irradiation allow us to suggest that the introduced RP activity and patient dose do not go beyond the previously established reference levels.
 Conclusions: The radiopharmaceutical “Rezoscan, 99mTc” can be used for the early detection of pathological foci of bone tissue.

High Sensitivity Measurements of Airborne Allergens Using a Patient-Operated Sampling Device: A New Technology Reveals Indoor Aerobiome

We developed a powerful airborne allergen-sampling device for people with allergic asthma or rhinitis to easily operate in their own homes. Current standards rely on concentrations in settled dust as surrogates for inhalable allergens. We establish reference levels based on median values of allergens from air samples, as a direct measure of inhalable allergens. Patients from 5 allergist’s practices in the greater Chicago region were provided with instructions, informed consent forms and samplers to run for 5 days in their bedrooms. They recorded demographic, temperature, humidity and other environmental information. Air samples were assayed for 12 common household allergens. Unique allergen profiles were obtained for 92 patient homes. The percentage of samples with values above the limit of detection were: total dustmite: 25%; Fel d 1, 63%; Can f 1, 64%; Mus m 1, 13%; Rat n 1, 0%; Bla g 2, 4%; Alt a 1, 6%; Bet v 1, 1%; Asp f 1, 23%; Phl p 5, 9%; Amb a 1, 4%. The high volume of air sampled permitted the detection of airborne allergens not previously measurable by other air sampling devices. This includes dust mite, cockroach, and cat or dog in homes without cat or dogs. The device may provide a more relevant measurement for indoor pollen and mold allergens than counts received from remote, outdoor stations. Median values provide a reference frame for individual reports, and with further data can be adapted for other regions.

Operationalizing and implementing ecosystem-based management

There is now a large literature on ecosystem-based management (EBM; also known as the ecosystem approach). Our sense is that EBM is moving - albeit slowly - from the “what's, why's and when's” to the “how's” of operationalization and implementation; as such it seemed timely to develop this article theme set (TS). Our objectives were to ascertain the state of the discipline and to advance EBM by offering practical examples of its implementation - or attempts at such - in a variety of incarnations and at various scales, including what has or has not worked, suggestions for best practice, and lessons learned. As exemplified by the articles in this TS, key lessons learned include the need for: constant and clear communication with all parties involved; clear objectives and governance; the distillation of complex ecosystem information into digestible indicators; the establishment of reference levels on which management decisions can be made; and clear protocols to evaluate tradeoffs. Instances of truly multisectoral EBM remain rare, with EBM having advanced farthest within specific ocean-use sectors. Although progress towards implementing operational EBM has been somewhat limited, and although EBM is by its very nature complex and difficult to operationalize, there has been progress nonetheless. We hope that this TS will encourage even further operationalization of EBM.

Radiation-hygienic passportization and USIDC-information basis for management decision making for radiation safety of the population of the Russian Federation. Report 1. Main achievements and challenges to improve

The article analyzes 20-year experience in radiation-hygienic certification in the Russian Federation and the Unified System of Individual Dose Control of the citizens. Radiation-hygienic passport is an objective and accessible information about the characteristics of all sources of ionizing radiation (man-made, medical, natural) and the radiation doses of the population caused by them on the territory of the whole country and in particular subjects of the Russian Federation. Radiation-hygienic passportization and the Unified System of Individual Dose Control of the citizens are currently covering all enterprises that carry out handling with technogenic sources of radiation, supervised by the Rospotrebnadzor and the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of the Russian Federation, and subordinated to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the Federal Security Service, the Federal Service for the Execution of Punishments and the Presidential Executive Office. The Interregional Radiation Safety Centers play an important role in improving the effectiveness of organizational work, filling the passports with objective information. The Centers were created by the order of the Rospotrebnadzor in 2007, capable of performing all types of radiation control necessary for the qualitative filling of radiation and hygienic passports, including for the attached territories. The work on the certification of radiation facilities and territories has made it possible to establish the levels and exposure structure of the country’s population from all major sources of ionizing radiation and to identify population groups for which doses due to the natural sources exceed 5 and 10 mSv/year; control and accounting of radiation doses to patients have been introduced in the practice of medical institutions. The work is underway to optimize the structure of medical radiology research; the system of establishing reference levels of medical exposure has been introduced. In order to improve the radiation-hygienic passports of the territories, it is necessary to obtain information on radioactive contamination of environmental media by all constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and timely improve the methodological documents and software to fill them.

Reference levels of trace elements in hair samples from children and adolescents in Madrid, Spain

IntroductionHair samples are used as a tool to evaluate environmental exposure to contaminants and metabolic status in the individual. However, the use of human hair is controversial, mainly because of the lack of well-defined reference levels. In the case of Spain, very few biomonitoring studies have investigated these issues in infants, children or adolescents. ObjectiveTo establish reference levels for trace elements in children and teenagers in Madrid, Spain. Material and methodsInductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to measure Al, As, Ag, Ba, Bi, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, Tl and Zn levels in hair samples from 648 healthy children and adolescents (253 boys and 395 girls) between April 2008 and December 2009. ResultsMedian levels were as follows: Al 18.5μg/g, As 0.07μg/g, Ag 196ng/g, Ba 0.5μg/g, Bi 0.01μg/g, Cd 18.3ng/g, Cr 0.4μg/g, Co 14.5ng/g, Cu 25.7μg/g, Fe 15.5μg/g, Mn 328ng/g, Mo 0.04μg/g, Ni 0.5μg/g, Pb 0.70μg/g, Se 0.5μg/g, Sr 1.29μg/g, Tl 0.28ng/g and Zn 121μg/g. Discussion and conclusionThe values of trace elements here described could be considered as possible reference ranges for hair samples from children and adolescents aged 0–18 years living in the Madrid region (central Spain). These values could also be selected as a preliminary screening tool to assess exposure sources and to generate information needed to develop prevention strategies and likewise could be a complement to other diagnostic procedures.