Hazardous Levels Research Articles

Assessing the comfort of earplugs: development and validation of the French version of the COPROD questionnaire

Earplugs are a common form of protection for workers exposed to hazardous noise levels. Their comfort directly impacts the effective protection by influencing their consistent and correct use. Nevertheless, comfort definition may vary according to the studies. Thus, a previous review of the literature has shown that to improve our understanding of perceived comfort and to reduce measurement variability, it is advisable to consider comfort through a multidimensional construct (physical, acoustical, functional and psychological). On this basis, the COPROD (COnfort des PROtections auDitives/COmfort of hearing PROtection Devices) questionnaire was developed. It is intended for people working in noisy environments. Nine earplug models were evaluated by 118 participants over a six-week period. This paper presents the successive analyses that were used to validate the structure of the questionnaire and confirm the relevance of the proposed dimensions and of the addressed items. First results suggest a preference for custom moulded earplugs. Practitioner Summary: Earplugs comfort conditions the hearing protection of the users. As the definition of comfort can vary between studies, the COPROD questionnaire was developed to jointly evaluate all its dimensions. Nine earplugs models were evaluated by 118 participants during six weeks. This paper presents the validation process of the questionnaire. Abbreviations: COPROD: COnfort des PROtections auDitives/COmfort of hearing PROtection Devices; HPD: hearing protection devices; SEM: structural equation modeling; CFA: confirmatory factor analysis; GOF: goodness of fit; RMSEA: root mean square error of approximation; CFI: comparison fit index; SRMR: standardised root mean square residual

Mud Dauber Nests as Sources of Spiders in Mercury Monitoring Studies.

Identifying ecosystems where biota may be contaminated with hazardous levels of methylmercury (MeHg) is a challenge. One widely used approach for determining site-specific MeHg contamination is to monitor MeHg contamination in sentinel species. Terrestrial shoreline spiders that consume emergent aquatic insects (e.g., midges and mayflies) have been proposed as sentinels of MeHg contamination of aquatic ecosystems. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether a novel sampling technique, collection of spiders from nests of mud dauber wasps (Sphecidae), would be an efficient method for capturing MeHg-contaminated shoreline spiders for use as sentinels in ecological risk assessments. Mud dauber nests were collected near the Clear Fork of the Trinity River in Fort Worth, Texas (USA) on 3 dates from 4 human-made structures. Nests contained 627 unconsumed spiders from 5 families: Araneidae, Salticidae, Thomisidae, Oxyopidae, and Theridiidae. Methylmercury concentrations ranged from 12.2 to 56.3 ng/g wet weight in Thomisidae and Araenidae, respectively. Methylmercury concentrations of the spiders were generally low relative to risk thresholds for adult birds, but a few families of spiders could pose a risk to nestlings. Although mud dauber nests have been recognized as a source of spiders for biodiversity studies, the present study is the first to demonstrate the potential use of spiders collected from mud dauber nests for ecotoxicology studies. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1335-1340. © 2021 SETAC.

Organophosphate Flame Retardants and Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Drinking Water Treatment Plants from Korea: Occurrence and Human Exposure.

In this study, the concentrations of organophosphate flame retardants (OPFR) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were investigated in raw water and treated water samples obtained from 18 drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). The ∑13OPFR concentrations in the treated water samples (29.5–122 ng/L; median 47.5 ng/L) were lower than those in the raw water (37.7–231 ng/L; median 98.1 ng/L), which indicated the positive removal rates (0–80%) of ∑13OPFR in the DWTPs. The removal efficiencies of ∑27PFAS in the DWTPs ranged from −200% to 50%, with the ∑27PFAS concentrations in the raw water (4.15–154 ng/L; median 32.0 ng/L) being similar to or lower than those in the treated water (4.74–116 ng/L; median 42.2 ng/L). Among OPFR, tris(chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP) and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) were dominant in both raw water and treated water samples obtained from the DWTPs. The dominant PFAS (perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)) in the raw water samples were slightly different from those in the treated water samples (PFOA, L-perfluorohexane sulfonate (L-PFHxS), and PFHxA). The 95-percentile daily intakes of ∑13OPFR and ∑27PFAS via drinking water consumption were estimated to be up to 4.9 ng/kg/d and 0.22 ng/kg/d, respectively. The hazard index values of OPFR and PFAS were lower than 1, suggesting the risks less than known hazardous levels.

A low-cost radiation detection system to monitor radioactive environments by unmanned vehicles

Unconventional scenarios with hazardous radioactive levels are expected as consequences of accidents in the industrial sector of the nuclear energy production or following intentional releases of radioactive materials for terrorist purposes (dirty bombs, indoor contaminations, etc.). Nowadays, the need to balance the high standards of safety and security through an effective detection network is a matter of paramount importance. In this work, the authors’ challenge has been to design, realize and test a low-cost gamma detection and spectroscopy system which may be used in unmanned vehicles in general and/or drones with low payload capabilities. The designed platform may be used to carry out mapping or localization operations in order to reduce the risk factor for first responders or for the population affected by radiological and nuclear events. In this paper, the design process of a gamma ray detection and spectroscopy system based on affordable and commercially available technologies is presented along with the results of our ongoing characterization of the prototype.

Investigating the Level of Radon 222Rn and Radium 226Ra in Soil Samples Taken From Al-Amarah in the South of Iraq

Radon (222Rn) is created in the soil by radioactive decay of Radium (226Ra) and then emitted from the ground into the atmosphere (exhalation), environmental assessments of radon gas (222Rn) are keys to the assessment of air pollution. The major objective of the current study was to examine the (222Rn) exhalation rates and the (226Ra) concentrations in the soil samples. Thirty soil samples have been collected from ten streets in the region. The (222Rn) exhalation rate and concentrations of (226Ra) in soil samples were calculated using “Can Technique”. The measurements have shown that the surface and mass exhalation rate were varied from 3.9∓0.3 to 18.3∓0.3 μBq.kg−1.s −1, with a mean value of 7.8∓0.3 μBq.kg−1.s−1, and 12.9∓0.5 to 60.7∓1 μBq.m−2.s−1, with a mean value of 25.5∓0.9 μBq.m−2.s−1, respectively. In addition, the results showed that the values for 226Ra concentrations ranged from 1.8∓0.04 to 8.7∓0.1 Bq.kg−1, with a mean value of 3.7∓0.1 Bq.kg−1. Overall, the indications showed that the levels of (226Ra) in soil samples are less than the hazardous levels of human health 370 Bq.kg−1.

Classification of Critical Levels of CO Exposure of Firefigthers through Monitored Heart Rate.

Smoke inhalation poses a serious health threat to firefighters (FFs), with potential effects including respiratory and cardiac disorders. In this work, environmental and physiological data were collected from FFs, during experimental fires performed in 2015 and 2019. Extending a previous work, which allowed us to conclude that changes in heart rate (HR) were associated with alterations in the inhalation of carbon monoxide (CO), we performed a HR analysis according to different levels of CO exposure during firefighting based on data collected from three FFs. Based on HR collected and on CO occupational exposure standards (OES), we propose a classifier to identify CO exposure levels through the HR measured values. An ensemble of 100 bagged classification trees was used and the classification of CO levels obtained an overall accuracy of 91.9%. The classification can be performed in real-time and can be embedded in a decision fire-fighting support system. This classification of FF’ exposure to critical CO levels, through minimally-invasive monitored HR, opens the possibility to identify hazardous situations, preventing and avoiding possible severe problems in FF’ health due to inhaled pollutants. The obtained results also show the importance of future studies on the relevance and influence of the exposure and inhalation of pollutants on the FF’ health, especially in what refers to hazardous levels of toxic air pollutants.

Politics of the natural vegetation to balance the hazardous level of elements in marble polluted ecosystem through phytoremediation and physiological responses

The current paper evaluates the phytoremediation ability and physiological responses of selected resistant plant species to the hazardous levels of elements in the marble waste polluted ecosystem. Preliminary results demonstrate that all the indicator/resistant plant species i.e., Ailanthus altissima, Arundo donax, Cynodon dactylon, Erigeron canadensis, Cannabis sativa, Ficus carica, Lathyrus aphaca, Morus alba, Populus alba, Robinia pseudoacacia and Vitex negundo were the best Phyto-extractors and Phyto-stabilizers for most of the heavy metals in general and Mg, Ca, Fe, Cu and Na in particular (at p < 0.05). Structural Equation Modeling confirmed that marble waste pollution has a direct and significant (R2 =0.80) impact on proline synthesis and hence a role in combating the pollution. Chlorophyll content decreased by 4% in studied plant species when the concentration of pollutants increased. It is concluded that the studied bio-indicators - the abundant plant species of the Marble Waste Polluted Systems (MWPS) have a significant role in its remediation. Increasing proline accumulation and decreasing chlorophyll contents with an increase in pollution in the studied plants show resilience of the ecosystem in response to the external lithospheric toxicities. It is recommended that the recognized plant species could be planted abundantly to remediate the MWPS around the marble processing and other such industries and their catchments.

Health risk assessment of metal fumes in an Iranian Mineral Salt company

Introduction: Salt is a crucial mineral for human health, however, workers of salt factories may be exposed to hazardous pollutants such as heavy metals. Heavy metal fumes are considered toxic for human health. This study aimed to investigate concentration and assess health risks posed by toxic fumes in a salt factory. Materials and methods: Three units in the factory including salt laboratory, maintenance and metalworks were sampled for Arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co) and lead (Pb) according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH7300 method, and analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometers (ICP-AES) Results: All hazardous levels of fumes were below the permissible limit. The highest concentration of toxic fumes (Cr) was found in the maintenance unit. With 0.0758 mg/m3 , the highest total concentrations of heavy metals (tHM) was found in the maintenance unit (tHM for Salt laboratory=0.0281 mg/m3 and metalworks=0.0103 mg/m3 ). In salt laboratory, the metal fumes concentrations were ordered as Pb&gt;As&gt;Cd&gt;Cr&gt;Co; in maintenance unit: Cr&gt;Pb&gt;As&gt;Co&gt;Cd; in metalworks: Cr&gt;As&gt;Pb&gt;Co&gt;Cd. The total hazard quotient (tHQ) and Life Time Cancer Risk (LCR) in salt laboratory unit were 5.11 and 4.93E-01, respectively; in maintenance the tHQ=9.35E+01 and Life Time Cancer (LCR) =5.90E-01; in metalworks tHQ=6.57 and LCR=4.95E-02. Conclusion: The pollutant levels were below the acceptable limit. Yet, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks that they pose are not negligible. Therefore, enhancing the efficiency of the ventilation system and additional monitoring on wearing protective equipment as preventive strategies are proposed

Climate change and infrastructure risk: Indoor heat exposure during a concurrent heat wave and blackout event in Phoenix, Arizona

Concurrent with a rapid rise in temperatures within US cities, the frequency of regional electric grid system failures is also rising in recent decades, resulting in a growing number of blackouts during periods of extreme heat. As mechanical air conditioning is a primary adaptive technology for managing rising temperatures in cities, we examine in this paper the impact of a prolonged blackout on heat exposure in residential structures during heat wave conditions, when air conditioning is most critical to human health. Our approach combines a regional climate modeling system with a building energy model to simulate how a concurrent heat wave and grid failure event impacts residential building-interior temperatures across Phoenix. Our results find a substantial increase in heat exposure across residential buildings in response to the loss of electrical power and mechanical cooling systems, with such an event potentially exposing more than one million residents to hazardous levels of heat. We further find the installation of cool roofing to measurably lower the risk of extreme heat exposure for residents of single-story structures.

Photochemical environment over Southeast Asia primed for hazardous ozone levels with influx of nitrogen oxides from seasonal biomass burning

Abstract. Mainland and maritime Southeast Asia is home to more than 655 million people, representing nearly 10 % of the global population. The dry season in this region is typically associated with intense biomass burning activity, which leads to a significant increase in surface air pollutants that are harmful to human health, including ozone (O3). Latitude-based differences in the dry season and land use distinguish two regional biomass burning regimes: (1) burning on the peninsular mainland peaking in March and (2) burning across Indonesia peaking in September. The type and amount of material burned in each regime impact the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which combine to produce ozone. Here, we use the nested GEOS-Chem atmospheric chemistry transport model (horizontal resolution of 0.25∘ × 0.3125∘), in combination with satellite observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and ground-based observations from Malaysia, to investigate ozone photochemistry over Southeast Asia in 2014. Seasonal cycles of tropospheric ozone columns from OMI and GEOS-Chem peak with biomass burning emissions. Compared to OMI, the model has a mean annual bias of −11 % but tends to overestimate tropospheric ozone near areas of seasonal fire activity. We find that outside these burning areas, the underlying photochemical environment is generally NOx-limited and dominated by anthropogenic NOx and biogenic non-methane VOC emissions. Pyrogenic emissions of NOx play a key role in photochemistry, shifting towards more VOC-limited ozone production and contributing about 30 % of the regional ozone formation potential during both biomass burning seasons. Using the GEOS-Chem model, we find that biomass burning activity coincides with widespread ozone exposure at levels that exceed world public health guidelines, resulting in about 260 premature deaths across Southeast Asia in March 2014 and another 160 deaths in September. Despite a positive model bias, hazardous ozone levels are confirmed by surface observations during both burning seasons.

Temporal trends of legacy and novel brominated flame retardants in sediments along the Rhône River corridor in France

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are anthropogenic compounds that are ubiquitous in most manufactured goods. Few legacy BFRs have been recognised as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and have been prohibited since the 2000s. However, most BFRs continue to be used despite growing concerns regarding their toxicity; they are often referred to as novel BFRs (nBFRs). While environmental contamination due to chlorinated POPs has been extensively investigated, the levels and spatiotemporal trends of BFRs are comparatively understudied. This study aims to reconstruct the temporal trends of both legacy and novel BFRs at the scale of a river corridor. To this end, sediment cores were sampled from backwater areas in four reaches along the Rhône River. Age-depth models were established for each of them. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), legacy BFRs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers - PBDEs, polybrominated biphenyls - PBBs and hexabromocyclododecane - HBCDDs) and seven nBFRs were quantified. Starting from the 1970s, a decreasing contamination trend was observed for PCBs. Temporal trends for legacy BFRs revealed that they reached peak concentrations from the mid-1970s to the mid-2000s, and stable concentrations by the mid-2010s. Additionally, individual concentrations of nBFRs were two to four orders of magnitude lower than those of legacy BFRs. Their temporal trends revealed that they appeared in the environment in the 1970s and 1980s. The concentrations of most of these nBFRs have not decreased in recent years. Thus, there is a need to comprehend the sources, contamination load, repartition in the environment, and toxicity of nBFRs before their concentrations reach hazardous levels.

Accelerating towards net zero emissions: the most important global health intervention

Accelerating towards net zero emissions: the most important global health intervention

Mortality Associated with Bushfire Smoke Inhalation in a Captive Population of the Smoky Mouse (Pseudomys fumeus), a Threatened Australian Rodent.

A mortality event of nine threatened smoky mice (Pseudomys fumeus) occurred in January 2020 at a captive breeding facility in southeastern Australia that was affected at the time by hazardous levels of bushfire smoke, despite being more than 20 km from the nearest fire. Pathologic and clinical observations indicated smoke inhalation was the cause of death. All animals had significant pulmonary lesions, notably pulmonary edema and congestion, and moderate amounts of dark brown to black pigmented intracellular and extracellular particles from <0.5-2.5 µm in diameter were observed in the central or hilar region of the lungs of four of six animals examined histologically. Deaths occurred between three and 30 d after exposure to smoke and, for seven animals in outdoor acclimatization enclosures, were associated with very high ambient temperature (>40 C). Similar mortalities did not occur in co-located parrots, suggesting differing species sensitivity to smoke inhalation. Our findings highlight the potential for smoke to be an underdiagnosed cause of mortality in free-ranging wildlife during bushfires and for bushfires to affect wildlife populations outside of burnt areas, including in unburnt refugia. Conservation interventions for wildlife after bushfires should consider and, where possible, mitigate the risk of animals dying due to increased respiratory demand following smoke inhalation injury.

Noise levels encountered in university dental clinics during different specialty treatments.

Background:Noise levels encountered during the dental treatments in different departments have deleterious effects on the ears of dental healthcare providers and there is scarcity of data in the literature in Saudi Arabia. Hence, the aim of the study was to determine the noise levels resulting from the usage of different specialty instruments and equipment.Material and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted to measure the level of noise produced by different specialty instruments and equipment within the dental clinics of the College of Dentistry, Riyadh Elm University (REU), Riyadh. The noise produced during the restorative treatments, endodontics and prosthodontics was recorded objectively using a decibel (dB) meter placed at a distance of 30 cm from the operator's ear. Mean noise levels were calculated and compared among the various specialty treatments using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Furthermore, Tukey's test was applied to perform a pairwise comparison between the groups.Results:An overall noise of 73.83 ± 4.39 dB was found to be generated within the dental clinical setting. A highest sound level of 79.44 ± 2.10 dB was observed during restorative treatment followed by 74.14 ± 3.08, 73.22 ± 1.93, 71.39 ± 3.37 and 70.97 ± 4.70 dB for endodontic, periodontal, and prosthodontic treatments, respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed in the noise levels produced from the different specialty treatments (P = 0.000).Conclusion:The greatest noise level was recorded with the use of the amalgamator in restorative dental treatment. It was inferred that the noise emanating from all the specialty dental treatments was below the hazardous levels. Long-term exposure may, however, have adverse effects on auditory as well as general health.

Оценка максимального стока рек прибрежной территории Приморского края в связи с опасностью наводнений

The temporal patterns and spatial features of the maximum runoff in the coastal territory of Primorsky Region in view of the floods hazard for the period from the beginning of observations to 2018, are considered. The indicator of exceeding the hazardous water level, determined by the territorial divisions of the Hydrometeorology Department of the Russian Federation, used as a criterion for identifying the most flood-prone areas. Except for the Kazachka river, all the considered watercourses are characterized by the predominance of supreme value of runoff in summer-autumn season. There is no dependence between the amplitudes of intra-annual average daily, inter-annual fluctuations of the maximum water levels and the morphometric characteristics of catchments for the rivers on the coast of Primorsky Region. But generally it is obvious that amplitudes grow with increasing a river size. The temporal dynamics of the absolute values of the maximum runoff, its anomalies and long-term water cycles of the rivers in the coastal zone of Primorsky Region are not synchronous, except for a group of neighboring rivers on the east coast, as well as the Razdolnaya river in three gaging stations. The rivers of the coast region are characterized by a complex spatial differentiation of hazardous phenomena associated with high water levels. Their recurrence differs on closely located rivers. An increase in the frequency of floods in recent years has been observed only on certain rivers as the Razdolnaya river at Novogeorgievka settlement and the Rakovka river at Opyitny settlement. The territories of the catchments of the Razdolnaya, Borisovka and Tsukanovka rivers are exposed to the greatest threats of exceeding the hazardous water levels

Combining 3D Structured Light Imaging and Spine X-ray Data Improves Visualization of the Spinous Lines in the Scoliotic Spine

Scoliosis is a three-dimensional trunk and spinal deformity. Patient evaluation is essential for the decision-making process and determines the selection of specific and adequate treatment. The diagnosis requires a radiological evaluation that exposes patients to radiation. This exposure reaches hazardous levels when numerous, repetitive radiographic studies are required for diagnostics, monitoring, and treatment. Technological improvements in radiographic devices have significantly reduced radiation exposure, but the risk for patients remains. Optical three-dimensional surface topography (3D ST) measurement systems that use surface topography (ST) to screen, diagnose, and monitor scoliosis are safer alternatives to radiography. The study aimed to show that the combination of plain X-ray and 3D ST scans allows for an approximate presentation of the vertebral column spinous processes line in space to determine the shape of the spine’s deformity in scoliosis patients. Twelve patients diagnosed with scoliosis, aged 13.1 ± 4.5 years (range: 9 to 20 years) (mean: Cobb angle 17.8°, SD: ±9.5°) were enrolled in the study. Patients were diagnosed using full-spine X-ray and whole torso 3D ST. The novel three-dimensional assessment of the spinous process lines by merging 3D ST and X-ray data in patients with scoliosis was implemented. The method’s expected uncertainty is less than 5 mm, which is better than the norm for a standard measurement tool. The presented accuracy level is considered adequate; the proposed solution is accurate enough to monitor the changes in the shape of scoliosis’s spinous processes line. The proposed method allows for a relatively precise calculation of the spinous process lines based on a three-dimensional point cloud obtained with a four-directional, three-dimensional structured light diagnostic system and a single X-ray image. The method may help reduce patients’ total radiation exposure and avoid one X-ray in the sagittal projection if biplanar radiograms are required for reconstructing the three-dimensional line of the spinous processes line.

Comparing particulate matter dispersion in Thailand using the Bayesian Confidence Intervals for ratio of coefficients of variation

Abstract Recently, harmful levels of air pollution have been detected in many provinces of Thailand. Particulate matter (PM) contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems. A high dispersion of PM is measured by a coefficient of variation of log-normal distribution. Since the log-normal distribution is often used to analyse environmental data such as hazardous dust particle levels and daily rainfall data. These data focus the statistical inference on the coefficient of variation. In this paper, we develop confidence interval estimation for the ratio of coefficients of variation of two log-normal distributions constructed using the Bayesian approach. These confidence intervals were then compared with the existing approaches: method of variance estimates recovery (MOVER), modified MOVER, and approximate fiducial approaches using their coverage probabilities and average lengths via Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation results show that the Bayesian confidence interval performed better than the others in terms of coverage probability and average length. The proposed approach and the existing approaches are illustrated using examples from data set PM10 level and PM2.5 level in the northern Thailand.

Effectiveness of a decontamination procedure in a pharmacy buffer room contaminated by 5 antineoplastic agents.

Healthcare facilities are obligated to implement strategies to protect healthcare workers from exposure to hazardous drugs, including any real or potential risk from contaminated surfaces. Guidelines are broad and lack sufficient detail for healthcare facilities to establish clear effectiveness targets for their decontamination procedures. Our goal in this analysis was to measure the effectiveness of a decontamination procedure in a pharmacy buffer room contaminated with 5 antineoplastic drugs. Six rounds of contamination, decontamination, and wipe sampling were performed in a pharmacy buffer room designated for hazardous drug (HD) compounding. Ten locations in the buffer room were contaminated with 5-fluorouracil, carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel, and doxorubicin. Pharmacy staff were blinded to contamination sites. After contamination, 3 pharmacy technicians following the same decontamination procedure decontaminated the buffer room. To assess the impact of decontamination, residual hazardous drug levels were assessed after contamination and after decontamination using a commercially available wipe sampling product. The mean (SD) residual contamination levels for the 239 wipe samples taken before and after decontamination were 63 (60) ng and 3.9 (8.2) ng, respectively, representing a 94% reduction in residual HD contamination. Residual contamination was not detectable (<5 ng) in 221 (~93%) of the samples after decontamination. The employed decontamination procedures effectively reduced residual HD surface contamination.

Knowledge, attitude and perception of related toxicity of pesticide exposure in humans and animals in Ibadan, Nigeria

This study reported knowledge, attitude and perception of pesticide use among farmers to determine the level of farmers’ education on use and handling of pesticides. Data on pesticide types purchased were collected from pet-shops and agro-allied stores in three states in Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to 100 farmers within Ibadan (Oyo State) to determine specific pesticides used, handling procedures adopted by farmers, protective measures employed and perception of toxic potentials of pesticides to human handlers and exposed animal. Survey reports showed majority used DDVP, 34% of farmers were uneducated, while 42%, 18% and 6% had primary, secondary and tertiary education, respectively. About 63.5% had been farming for 11-20years, 75% kept poultry while others kept sheep/goat and cattle. About 75% sought information from extension agents on pesticide use. The farmers were aware pesticides pose health hazards to animals but only 75% knew it could affect humans, 40% knew of pesticide withdrawal period with diverse opinions on route of pesticide poisoning. The study concluded that farmers and pet-owners in Southwest Nigeria use pesticides unethically and majority are unaware of toxicity and hazards of misuse and handling of pesticides, consequently exposing themselves and animals to hazardous and toxic pesticide levels. Legislations on pesticides enacted to prevent pesticide abuse should be enforced and awareness campaigns intensified to enlighten farmers and pet-owners on potential hazard pesticides pose to themselves, animals and environment. This would eventually prevent unnecessary exposure through misuse/mishandling of pesticides and create a safer ecosystem at large.&#x0D; Keywords: Attitude, Knowledge, Perception, Pesticide, Toxicity

Effects of the Sumatran forest fires (haze) on cognitive function in Indonesian children

Background: Smoke from the seasonal forest fires that occur on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan (often referred to as ‘haze’ in South-East Asia) can reach hazardous levels for extended periods of time. This poses severe health risks to tens of millions of people. We aimed to determine if living in a haze affected province is associated with cognitive function in Indonesian children.Methods: We used data from the Indonesian Family and Life Survey (IFLS) that assessed cognitive function by the Ravens Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM). Spatially resolved levels of particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) throughout Indonesia were downloaded from the Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group. We used multilevel mixed linear regression models to estimate associations between haze and annual mean PM2.5 concentrations and cognitive function.Results: There were no differences in RCPM scores for children living in haze provinces compared to children living in non-haze provinces in adjusted models (mean difference=-1.16%, 95%CI=-2.53%, 0.21%) in each survey wave. For children who completed cognitive tests in two successive survey waves, scores on the second RCPM were lower for children who had lived in a haze province all their lives compared to those children who had lived in a non-haze province all their lives (β=-1.50%; 95%CI:-2.94%, -0.07%).Conclusions: Living in a haze province for a prolonged period of time negatively impacted childhood cognitive scores after adjusting for individual factors. These findings may also be relevant for (mainly) women and young children exposed to high levels of household air pollution.