Mobile Laboratory Research Articles

Epidemiological samplings for long-term HBM-studies during a pandemic situation – Experiences and lessons-learned, the German Environmental Specimen Bank during the COVID-19 pandemic

For the investigation of diseases and other harmful environmental influences (e.g., chemicals) epidemiological studies rely on high quality human samples, among others. Collecting samples and data in the field can pose an enormous challenge to the study team with regard to health protection and occupational safety, especially in the context of a pandemic where there was great uncertainty about the biological risks associated with SARS-CoV-2. The German Environmental Specimen Bank (German ESB) is a key element of environmental and human biomonitoring in Germany with the aim to document and assess trends of human and environmental exposure to chemicals over time and to provide scientific data for policy decision makers. Starting with a pilot study in 1978 human samples are now collected at four sampling locations annually, while sampling is carried out with a highly standardized mobile laboratory since 2013. Due to the corona pandemic 3 of 4 ESB sampling campaigns had to be cancelled in 2020. However, a continuous sampling is crucial to generate current policy relevant data on chemical exposure. Hence, a protection and hygiene concept has been developed including COVID-19 testing with the goal to protect the health of participants and employees during sampling and to meet legal requirements, while sustaining the standardized procedures of sampling and sample preparation. The concept is based on a flexible approach to allow adjustments to changing government regulations and recommendations in the course of the pandemic. By implementing this concept, all samplings were successfully carried out in 2021 & 2022, with the pandemic still ongoing. This paper provides an example of good practice and valuable insights in how to collect human samples during a pandemic.

A Novel Approach to Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Training in Physical Therapist Education

Background: Safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) training is prevalent in health care education and practice. However, there is limited evidence of this training in physical therapist education programs. Purpose: To determine if a single training session with a mobile laboratory equipped with SPHM equipment increases the knowledge of SPHM principles and techniques and is valuable to students prior to their first clinical experience. Methods: Training included a 1-hour lecture on SPHM principles, research, and techniques, followed by two 50-minute SPHM practice stations. One session was conducted using a mobile laboratory. Students completed a pretest/posttest measuring knowledge of SPHM principles. Students completed a survey regarding the perception and placement of SPHM training within the curriculum. Results: A total of 129 students in a physical therapist education program were invited to participate; 59 from first-year cohorts and 70 from second- and third-year cohorts. Eighty-seven students volunteered to participate, including all 59 students from the first-year cohorts receiving training as the experimental group, and 28 from the other cohorts receiving no training as the control group. Seventy students met the criteria for survey data analysis; 42 experimental and 28 control. Of those who received training, 90.5% reported that SPHM training improved their confidence prior to their inpatient clinical experience; 85.5% in the control group would have felt more confident being placed in an inpatient facility if they received SPHM training, and 85.7% of the experimental group and 89.3% of controls agreed that SPHM training should be performed prior to the first clinical experience. A paired t test showed that first-year students reported a statistically significant increase in knowledge of SPHM principles (P < .001). Conclusions: Physical therapist education programs should consider SPHM training prior to students’ first clinical experience to increase student confidence in inpatient settings.

Bioconcentration of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Precursors in Fathead Minnow Tissues Environmentally Exposed to Aqueous Film-Forming Foam-Contaminated Waters.

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been associated with toxicity in wildlife and negative health effects in humans. Decades of fire training activity at Joint Base Cape Cod (MA, USA) incorporated the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which resulted in long-term PFAS contamination of sediments, groundwater, and hydrologically connected surface waters. To explore the bioconcentration potential of PFAS in complex environmental mixtures, a mobile laboratory was established to evaluate the bioconcentration of PFAS from AFFF-impacted groundwater by flow-through design. Fathead minnows (n = 24) were exposed to PFAS in groundwater over a 21-day period and tissue-specific PFAS burdens in liver, kidney, and gonad were derived at three different time points. The ∑PFAS concentrations in groundwater increased from approximately 10,000 ng/L at day 1 to 36,000 ng/L at day 21. The relative abundance of PFAS in liver, kidney, and gonad shifted temporally from majority perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides (FASAs) to perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs). By day 21, mean ∑PFAS concentrations in tissues displayed a predominance in the order of liver > kidney > gonad. Generally, bioconcentration factors (BCFs) for FASAs, perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs), and fluorotelomer sulfonates (FTS) increased with degree of fluorinated carbon chain length, but this was not evident for PFSAs. Perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) displayed the highest mean BCF (8700 L/kg) in day 21 kidney. Suspect screening results revealed the presence of several perfluoroalkyl sulfinate and FASA compounds present in groundwater and in liver for which pseudo-bioconcentration factors are also reported. The bioconcentration observed for precursor compounds and PFSA derivatives detected suggests alternative pathways for terminal PFAS exposure in aquatic wildlife and humans. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:1795-1806. © 2024 The Author(s). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Centralized or Onsite Testing? Examining the Costs of Water Quality Monitoring in Rural Africa.

Rural water systems in Africa have room to improve water quality monitoring. However, the most cost-effective approach for microbial water testing remains uncertain. This study compared the cost per E. coli test (membrane filtration) of four approaches representing different levels of centralization: (i) one centralized laboratory serving all water systems, (ii) a mobile laboratory serving all systems, (iii) multiple semi-centralized laboratories serving clusters of systems, and (iv) decentralized analysis at each system. We employed Monte Carlo analyses to model the costs of these approaches in three real-world contexts in Ghana and Uganda and in hypothetical simulations capturing various conditions across rural Africa. Centralized testing was the lowest cost in two real-world settings and the widest variety of simulations, especially those with water systems close to a central laboratory (<36 km). Semi-centralized testing was the lowest cost in one real-world setting and in simulations with clustered water systems and intermediate sampling frequencies (1-2 monthly samples per system). The mobile lab was the lowest cost in the fewest simulations, requiring few systems and infrequent sampling. Decentralized testing was cost-effective for remote systems and frequent sampling, but only if sampling did not require a dedicated vehicle. Alternative low-cost testing methods could make decentralized testing more competitive.

The need for and prospects of developing a modern mobile laboratory complex for equipping sanitary and preventive organizations of the Russian Ministry of Defense

Presently, an increasing volume of laboratory tests performed by sanitary and preventive organizations of the Russian Ministry of Defense (centers of state sanitary and epidemiological supervision) are carried out directly in the field during various combat training activities and special tasks and the localization and elimination of epidemic foci of infectious diseases in organized military collectives. Thus, non-staff mobile sanitary-epidemiological groups are formed. However, the regular special military equipment—medical field laboratory—used to equip such groups, is outdated and does not provide the basic principles of their autonomous functioning (mobility, autonomy, multidisciplinarity, high manufacturability, zoning of workplaces, compliance with biological safety requirements). Hence, the need for and prospects of developing a new automotive laboratory complex for equipping sanitary and prophylactic organizations of the Russian Ministry of Defense are investigated. This study analyzes the experience of military sanitary-preventive organizations for the period 2011–2021. The tactical and technical characteristics of the staff laboratory of the medical field laboratory of the state sanitary and epidemiological supervision centers of the Russian Ministry of Defense are compared with available analogues, including those in the institutions of other ministries and departments. As the number of long visits of military sanitary specialists and preventive organizations significantly increases to the extent of providing temporary accommodation for military units to ensure the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the personnel, the need for laboratory research in isolation from the network of stationary laboratories to objectify the activities of the state sanitary and epidemiological supervision and ensure the anti-epidemic protection of troops also significantly increases. Moreover, the drawbacks of the standard medical field laboratory and its analogues and hence their limited use in the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense in existing configurations were identified. The obtained results enabled reasoning for the need for a new automotive laboratory complex for equipping sanitary and preventive organizations of the Russian Ministry of Defense considering the successful solutions in laboratory complexes of other ministries and departments.

Selected legal instruments for air protection against low emissions in Poland

Abstract A fundamental problem during the heating season is the above-normal concentrations of pollutants, especially particulate matter, which are often exceeded. Currently, the main source of air pollution in Poland is low emissions, which consists of from the inefficient burning of fossil fuels in single-family homes and road transportation. This article discusses the permissible particulate matter standards and identifies the anti-smog resolution as a legal instrument to reduce low emissions. For the purpose of this research, field measurements of particulate matter of various fractions were carried out using the specialist equipment of the University Laboratories for Atmosphere Control of the University of Silesia in Katowice. Field measurements were carried out in early 2023 using the Overhead Mobile Laboratory and the Field Mobile Laboratory in selected districts of Katowice. When conducting the study, attention was paid to the type of development, which determines the specifics of heating and the proximity of roads, which are a source of traffic pollution. Due to the high variability of atmospheric conditions and other components, such as current traffic, the data should be treated as indicative. The results of the study depend primarily on the conditions found and reflect the situation at a particular place and time. The occurrence of low emissions was confirmed by the results of the study, which showed very high concentrations of particulate matter in the southern districts of Katowice, where single-family old buildings predominate and building heating is unsuitable. An impact of automobile traffic on air quality was found.

Development of an innovation ecosystem model in handling the covid-19 in Indonesia

Technological innovation in the medical area is vital when the COVID-19 pandemic strikes, including in Indonesia. One of the essential innovations is a health facility for infection testing. Through the TFRIC-19 program, several Indonesian researchers have developed a mobile laboratory named Mobile Lab Biosafety Level 2 (MBSL2). MBSL2 is one of the medical innovations from the TFRIC-19 program as a measure to handle the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. TFRIC-19 is an innovation system initiated by government institutions in the RnD area. Establishing TFRIC-19 was the initial step in handling the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. This research aims to identify the actor's role in developing MBSL2. The technique uses the Ecosystem Pie Model (EPM) approach for analysis. It was found that the most essential aspect of creating innovation is collaboration between involved actors.

Mobile air quality monitoring and comparison to fixed monitoring sites for instrument performance assessment.

Air pollution monitoring using mobile ground-based measurement platforms can provide high quality spatiotemporal air pollution information. As mobile air quality monitoring campaigns extend to entire fleets of vehicles and integrate smaller scale air quality sensors, it is important to address the need for assessing these measurements in a scalable manner. We explore collocation-based evaluation of air quality measurements in a mobile platform using fixed regulatory sites as a reference. We compare two approaches - a standard collocation assessment technique where the mobile platform is parked near the fixed regulatory site for a period of time and an expanded approach using measurements while the mobile platform is in motion in the general vicinity of the fixed regulatory site. Based on the availability of fixed reference site data, we focus on three pollutants (ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric oxide) with distinct atmospheric lifetimes and behaviors. We compare measurements from a mobile laboratory with regulatory site measurements in Denver, Colorado, USA and in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA. Our one-month Denver dataset includes both parked collocation periods near the fixed regulatory sites as well as general driving patterns around the sites, allowing a direct comparison of the parked and mobile collocation techniques on the same dataset. We show that the mobile collocation approach produces similar performance statistics, including coefficients of determination and mean bias errors, as the standard parked collocation technique. This is particularly true when the comparisons are restricted to specific road types, with residential streets showing the closest agreement and highways showing the largest differences. We extend our analysis to a larger (year-long) dataset in California, where we explore the relationships between the mobile measurements and the fixed reference sites on a larger scale. We show that using a 40-hour running median converges to within ±4 ppbv of the fixed reference site for nitrogen dioxide and ozone and up to about 8 ppbv for nitric oxide. We propose that this agreement can be leveraged to assess instrument performance over time during large-scale mobile monitoring campaigns. We demonstrate an example of how such relationships can be used during large-scale monitoring campaigns using small sensors to identify potential measurement biases.

Comparative analysis of the photosynthetic potential of new spring barley varieties in the arid climate zone of the Lower Volga region

Since the climatic conditions have become more arid in the Southern Federal District over the past thirty years, spring barley productivity has sharply reduced. According to the early research and data on meteorological forecasts, in 2022–2023 in the Gorodishchensky district of the Volgograd region there was established an experimental plot based on the Federal Research Center of Agroecology of RAS to test such spring barley varieties as ‘Medikum 139’ (standard, FRC of Agroecology of RAS), ‘Ratnik’, ‘Fedos’, ‘Format’, ‘Azimuth’ ‘Shchedry’, ‘Leon’ (FSBRI “ARC “Donskoy”). These varieties were selected based on their characteristics as the most resistant to abiotic stress factors of the environment. All records and observations were carried out according to generally accepted methods. During the vegetation period, there were carried out observations and there were taken samples to study photosynthetic indicators in the sprouting, tillering, booting, heading stages. There was also carried out leaf diagnostics by the mobile laboratory «Ecotest-2020» to identify the mobility of chloroplasts and nutrients in plants during the tillering period. There was established that the spring barley varieties ‘Azimut’, ‘Format’, ‘Shchedry’ and ‘Leon’ showed the highest adaptability to the acutely arid conditions of the Volgograd region. Based on the analyzed traits of photosynthetic activity, the variety ‘Azimut’ has been included in the State List of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation for the Lower Volga region since 2022.

Use of measurement results from a mobile laboratory in the diagnostics of anthropogenic environment - linear ordering of objects using the TOPSIS method

The measurements of the concentrations of gaseous and dust pollutants in the anthropogenic environment are an important element of environmental monitoring and for determining directions of preventive activities in the field of health protection. The article presents the results involving the concentrations of suspended dust and gaseous pollutants in the outdoor air, which were recorded at three measuring stations of air quality in the Silesian and Opole voivodeships (Wodzisław Śląski, Zabrze, Kędzierzyn-Koźle). The results were supplemented with the values recorded by the mobile laboratory located at the Center for Continuing Education - Branch of the Silesian University of Technology in Rybnik. The research results were used for a synthetic assessment of the threat level to the anthropogenic environment. In the computational layer, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was employed, which is included in the group of methods for solving multi-criteria decision-making problems (Multi Attribute Decision Making).

A better representation of VOC chemistry in WRF-Chem and its impact on ozone over Los Angeles.

The declining trend in vehicle emissions has underscored the growing significance of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions from Volatile Chemical Products (VCP). However, accurately representing VOC chemistry in simplified chemical mechanisms remains challenging due to its chemical complexity including speciation and reactivity. Previous studies have predominantly focused on VOCs from fossil fuel sources, leading to an underrepresentation of VOC chemistry from VCP sources. We developed an integrated chemical mechanism, RACM2B-VCP, that is compatible with WRF-Chem and is aimed to enhance the representation of VOC chemistry, particularly from VCP sources, within the present urban environment. Evaluation against the Air Quality System (AQS) network data demonstrates that our model configured with RACM2B-VCP reproduces both the magnitude and spatial variability of O3 as well as PM2.5 in Los Angeles. Furthermore, evaluation against comprehensive measurements of O3 and PM2.5 precursors from the Reevaluating the Chemistry of Air Pollutants in California (RECAP-CA) airborne campaign and the Southwest Urban NO x and VOC Experiment (SUNVEx) ground site and mobile laboratory campaign, confirm the model's accuracy in representing NOx and many VOCs and highlight remaining biases. Although there exists an underprediction in the total VOC reactivity of observed VOC species, our model with RACM2B-VCP exhibits good agreement for VOC markers emitted from different sectors, including biogenic, fossil fuel, and VCP sources. Through sensitivity analyses, we probe the contributions of VCP and fossil fuel emissions to total VOC reactivity and O3. Our results reveal that 52% of the VOC reactivity and 35% of the local enhancement of MDA8 O3 arise from anthropogenic VOC emissions in Los Angeles. Significantly, over 50% of this anthropogenic fraction of either VOC reactivity or O3 is attributed to VCP emissions. The RACM2B-VCP mechanism created, described, and evaluated in this work is ideally suited for accurately representing ozone for the right reasons in the present urban environment where mobile, biogenic, and VCP VOCs are all important contributors to ozone formation.

Bacterial Metabarcoding of Raw Palm Sap Samples from Bangladesh with Nanopore Sequencing.

The traditional practice of harvesting and processing raw date palm sap is not only culturally significant but also provides an essential nutritional source in South Asia. However, the potential for bacterial or viral contamination from animals and environmental sources during its collection remains a serious and insufficiently studied risk. Implementing improved food safety measures and collection techniques could mitigate the risk of these infections. Additionally, the adoption of advanced food analytical methods offers the potential to identify pathogens and uncover the natural bacterial diversity of these products. The advancement of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, particularly nanopore sequencing, offers a rapid and highly mobile solution. In this study, we employed nanopore sequencing for the bacterial metabarcoding of a set of raw date palm sap samples collected without protective coverage against animals in Bangladesh in 2021. We identified several bacterial species with importance in the natural fermentation of the product and demonstrated the feasibility of this NGS method in the surveillance of raw palm sap products. We revealed two fermentation directions dominated by either Leuconostoc species or Lactococcus species in these products at the first 6 h from harvest, along with opportunistic human pathogens in the background, represented with lower abundance. Plant pathogens, bacteria with the potential for opportunistic human infection and the sequences of the Exiguobacterium genus are also described, and their potential role is discussed. In this study, we demonstrate the potential of mobile laboratory solutions for food safety purposes in low-resource areas.

From Lima to Canton and Beyond: Mobile and Digital Research Infrastructure for Closing the Gap Between Resource-rich and Resource-poor Organisations

ABSTRACT Access to research infrastructure for heritage science is the best way of narrowing the collections knowledge gap between resource-rich and resource-poor cultural institutions. Here we demonstrate a novel workflow that streamlines the use of a mobile laboratory for data collection (MOLAB) followed by a digital platform for data processing, analysis and interpretation (DIGILAB). The data collection and processing are taken care of by heritage science specialists, while the data analysis and interpretation can be performed collaboratively with conservators and curators. MOLAB with specialist personnel and mobile scientific instruments can sometimes be aided by in-house fixed laboratory (FIXLAB) equipment and personnel from resource-rich institutions to assist the resource-poor institutions if their collection can be hosted by the resource-rich institutions for analysis. The aim is to widen participation in the adoption of heritage science and material analysis in the understanding and conservation of collections, while ensuring high-quality, efficient and reliable data acquisition, processing, analysis and interpretation. The approach taken in this project combines access to various research infrastructure platforms to achieve extra benefit through adding further expert-assisted data analysis and interpretation capabilities, enabled by a new digital platform for data processing and visualisation.

Snapshot study of canine distemper virus in Bangladesh with on-site PCR detection and nanopore sequencing

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a highly contagious virus that affects domestic and wild animals, causing severe illness with high mortality rates. Rapid monitoring and sequencing can provide valuable information about circulating CDV strains, which may foster effective vaccination strategies and the successful integration of these into conservation programs. During two site visits in Bangladesh in 2023, we tested a mobile, deployable genomic surveillance setup to explore the genetic diversity and phylogenetic patterns of locally circulating CDV strains. We collected and analysed 355 oral swab samples from stray dogs in Rajshahi and Chattogram cities, Bangladesh. CDV-specific real-time RT-PCR was performed to screen the samples. Out of the 355 samples, 7.4% (10/135) from Rajshahi city and 0.9% (2/220) from Chattogram city tested positive for CDV. We applied a real-time RT-PCR assay and a pan-genotype CDV-specific amplicon-based Nanopore sequencing technology to obtain the near-completes. Five near-complete genome sequences were generated, with phylogenetic relation to the India-1/Asia-5 lineage previously identified in India. This is the first study to provide genomic data on CDV in Bangladesh and the first demonstration of a mobile laboratory setup as a powerful tool in rapid genomic surveillance and risk assessment for CDV in low resource regions.

Quick installation technology DNA profile – Rapid DNA

The investigation of criminal offenses requires modern, up-to-date, practical means. The ANDE Rapid DNA Identification System is a new technology that generates a DNA ID from forensic samples in less than two hours. In today’s conditions, its use in forensics, practical activities of law enforcement agencies on a permanent basis is very relevant. ANDE technology is specially designed and proven to be robust, mobile and suitable for use in harsh environments.&#x0D; The National Police of Ukraine is tasked with the enormous task of identifying victims of horrific crimes related to the ongoing war with russia. Over the past year, it has been proven that a significant percentage of these victims cannot be identified through forensic DNA alone, given her critical condition. The enormous amount of forensic DNA processing work required to address this situation far exceeds the capabilities of traditional DNA laboratory infrastructure. In addition, the logistical overhead associated with managing the efficient storage, movement, tracking, and provenance of large numbers of bodies or even DNA samples across wide geographic areas causes significant wastage of critical resources and long delays. ANDE technology accelerates DNA processing from months or even years to less than two hours. Forensic specialists use mobile DNA laboratories to identify dead. Today, the National Police operates 32 mobile laboratories. Rapid DNA’s secure, field-ready mobile systems provide the most accurate and efficient DNA identification results.&#x0D; Thus, the main goal of this study is to provide practical recommendations for forensic support for the use of rapid DNA profiling technology, using Rapid DNA as an example, in pre-trial investigation.&#x0D; The stated provisions and practical recommendations in the article are relevant in the context of the use of modern technologies by practical workers.

Investigating the Relationship Between Cannabis Expectancies and Anxiety, Depression, and Pain Responses After Acute Flower and Edible Cannabis Use.

Objective: Cannabis has been touted for a host of pharmacological and therapeutic effects and users commonly report reduced symptoms of physical and mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. While there is existing empirical evidence supporting these effects of cannabis use, little is known about the extent to which these effects result from pharmacological versus expectancy factors. We evaluated the associations between participants' cannabis expectancies and their acute self-reported reactions after using legal market forms of cannabis with varying levels of cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in three domains: anxiety, depression, and pain. Methods: Fifty-five flower and 101 edible cannabis users were randomly assigned and asked to purchase at a local dispensary one of three products containing varying levels of CBD and THC. Participants completed a baseline assessment where they reported expectancies about general health effects of cannabis use and an experimental mobile laboratory assessment where they administered their assigned products. Edible users also reported their domain-specific expectancies about cannabis use in improving anxiety, depression, and pain. Following administration, participants completed acute indicators of anxiety, depression, and pain operationalized through subjective acute tension, elation, and a single-item measure of pain. Results: Among flower users, more positive expectancies for cannabis to improve general health were correlated with greater reductions in tension at acute post-use. This finding was replicated among edible users. Unlike flower users, more positive expectancies for cannabis to improve general health were also correlated with greater increases in elation and greater reductions in pain among edible users. More positive expectancies for cannabis to improve depression and pain were also correlated with greater increases in elation and greater reductions in pain, respectively, among edible users. Conclusions: Cannabis users' expectancies significantly impacted some of the acute subjective effects of legal market cannabis products. Among both flower and edible users, consistent, significant expectancy effects were found. Results were consistent with prior findings and demonstrate the need to measure and control pre-existing expectancies in future research that involves cannabis administration. Clinical trial registration number: NCT03522103.

Contribution of cooking emissions to the urban volatile organic compounds in Las Vegas, NV

Abstract. Cooking is a source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which degrade air quality. Cooking VOCs have been investigated in laboratory and indoor studies, but the contribution of cooking to the spatial and temporal variability in urban VOCs is uncertain. In this study, a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) is used to identify and quantify cooking emission in Las Vegas, NV, with supplemental data from Los Angeles, CA, and Boulder, CO. Mobile laboratory data show that long-chain aldehydes, such as octanal and nonanal, are significantly enhanced in restaurant plumes and regionally enhanced in areas of Las Vegas with high restaurant densities. Correlation analyses show that long-chain fatty acids are also associated with cooking emissions and that the relative VOC enhancements observed in regions with dense restaurant activity are very similar to the distribution of VOCs observed in laboratory cooking studies. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) is used to quantify cooking emissions from ground site measurements and to compare the magnitude of cooking with other important urban sources, such as volatile chemical products and fossil fuel emissions. PMF shows that cooking may account for as much as 20 % of the total anthropogenic VOC emissions observed by PTR-ToF-MS. In contrast, emissions estimated from county-level inventories report that cooking accounts for less than 1 % of urban VOCs. Current emissions inventories do not fully account for the emission rates of long-chain aldehydes reported here; thus, further work is likely needed to improve model representations of important aldehyde sources, such as commercial and residential cooking.

IJCM_216A: Task force study for evaluation of community level acceptability, scalability and linkage within health system of ICMR pre-validated Labike/ Technologies for screening &amp; diagnosis in rural &amp; urban population–An implementation research

Background: The concept of ABDM- Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission and Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna are in root for overall aims of the research and importance of this research proposal. There is a need to study the acceptability &amp; scalability of ICMR pre-validated technologies -Mobile Lab technology &amp; digital technologies, skilled manpower needed for health data updating from individuals given individual health ids. Objectives: To do situational analysis of availability of medical diagnostic, testing facilities in under privileged/ remote areas. Methodology: Study Design – Implementation research, Sample - 1000 households (5000 population) have been equally enrolled from rural and urban areas which are further equally divided into two groups of control and intervention. Base Line Data has been collected on following information- socio-demographic characteristics, blood pressure measurement, health needs, health seeking behavior of community, availability and utilization of existing health care facilities and blood investigations. Study tools: Questionnaire for baseline survey – After informed consent, interview of the family head was done using set of quantitative and open-end qualitative questionnaires. Results: 77.9% and 69.3% belong to Upper Lower class in urban and rural areas. 21% and 15.6 % blood pressure measurements were deranged in urban and rural areas, 11.8 % and 10% population in urban and rural areas showed their willingness for lab investigations at door step through LABIKE. Blood glucose measurements of 5.4 % and 10.6% population in urban and rural areas were deranged. Haemoglobin values of 11.8 % and 17% population in urban and rural areas were low than 10 g/dl. 7 % and 12.7 % population in urban and rural areas utilized existing health care facilities. Conclusion: There is need to generate robust grass root level network by integrating community and health service providers.

Middle East oil and gas methane emissions signature captured at a remote site using light hydrocarbon tracers

The observational characterization of anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region, known for its significant oil and gas (OG) production, remains limited. Light alkanes, such as ethane (C2H6), are co-emitted with CH4 by OG activities and are promising tracers for identifying the CH4 emissions from this sector at the wider regional scale. In this study, in-situ measurements of CH4 and alkanes (C2–C8 were collected during a field campaign at a regional background site (Cape Greco, Cyprus). A mobile laboratory housed the instrumentation at the south-eastern edge of the island between December 2021 and February 2022. This specific location and time of year were selected to capture air masses originating from distant southern and eastern regions, primarily impacted by sources from the Middle East. Based on these observations we 1) evaluate the significance of long-range transported versus local sources in Cyprus, 2) identify and document regional anthropogenic CH4 sources with the help of the concomitant alkane measurements, and 3) assess the accuracy of the EDGAR sectoral emission inventory over the EMME region. The highest alkane mixing ratios observed were associated with the Middle Eastern OG CH4 signal. Surprisingly, the Middle Eastern emissions of CH4 were found to be heavily influenced by the breeding and waste management sectors. By investigating the measured CH4 mixing ratios together with an atmospheric dispersion model (FLEXPART), we derive a comprehensive characterization of the pollution sources at a regional scale over the Eastern Mediterranean region. Our results indicate that CH4 emissions from the Middle Eastern OG sector are likely underestimated by ca. 69 %. These findings underscore the efficacy of using experimental observations of alkanes for CH4 source identification at receptor sites. This tracer approach would also benefit from a substantial revision of light hydrocarbon emission inventories.

Traceability tagging of volatile organic compound sources and their contributions to ozone formation in Suzhou using vehicle-based portable single-photon ionization mass spectrometry

BackgroundIn recent decades, there has been an increasing global preoccupation with atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Given the significant impact of VOCs as pollutants and essential precursors of ozone (O3) in urban and industrial areas, it is imperative to identify and quantify the sources of their emissions to facilitate the development and implementation of effective environmental control strategies.MethodsA mobile laboratory vehicle equipped with a single-photon ionization–time-of-flight mass spectrometer (SPI–TOFMS) and a navigation system was employed to establish the traceability of VOCs that contribute to the formation of ozone in Suzhou Industrial Park. The method exhibited a favorable detection limit of 0.090 ppbv, accompanied by a mass resolution of 1500 for the instrument and a correlation coefficient ≥ 0.990. A positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was utilized to determine the source appointment of the VOCs.ResultsThe study tentatively traced and identified the VOCs emissions source and their contribution to ozone formation in Suzhou. Using the PMF model, the sources of VOCs were profiled: three primary sources of VOCs were identified, namely, vehicular emissions, an industrial solvent, and biofuel combustion. Alkanes groups were found to be the most abundant VOCs species, accounting for 60% of the total VOCs, followed by aromatics and alkenes. Maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) quantifies the impact of photochemical reaction mechanism on the potential ozone formation.ConclusionsThe findings of this study complement existing knowledge on the pollution status of atmospheric VOCs and highlight the correlation with ozone formation potential in Suzhou. The aforementioned sources were identified as the primary factors responsible for the pollution in Suzhou. The successful implementation of SPI–TOFMS has demonstrated a promising methodology that is well-suited for the real-time and online monitoring of VOCs in the atmosphere. In addition, a library for identifying VOC fingerprints from the same plant was established. This library serves as a comprehensive resource for establishing on-site VOC traceability, estimating source apportionment, and evaluating their impact on ozone formation.