Petrochemical Complex Research Articles

Associations of soluble metals and lung and liver toxicity in mice induced by fine particulate matter originating from a petrochemical complex.

Adverse health effects have been observed in nearby residents due to exposure to petrochemical-derived chemicals. The objective of this study was to examine associations of soluble metals with lung and liver toxicity in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the vicinity of a petrochemical complex. PM2.5 was collected in the vicinity of a petrochemical complex of Mailiao Township (Yunlin County, Taiwan) to investigate lung and liver toxicity in BALB/c mice. The PM2.5 concentration was 30.2 ± 11.2μg/m3, and the PM2.5 was clustered in major local emissions (19.1μg/m3) and minor local emissions (14.1μg/m3) using a k-means clustering model. The PM2.5 (50 and 150μg/kg) and PM2.5-equivalent soluble nickel (Ni), vanadium (V), and lead (Pb) concentrations were intratracheally instilled into BALB/c mice. PM2.5 and V significantly decreased the tidal volume after exposure (p< 0.05). The peak expiratory flow (PEF) and peak inspiratory flow (PIF)/PEF ratio were significantly altered by 150μg/kgV (p< 0.05). V and Pb significantly increased total protein and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) (p< 0.05). Interleukin (IL)-6 in BALF significantly increased after exposure to Pb (p< 0.05) accompanied by lung inflammatory infiltration. PM2.5 and Pb significantly increased levels of 8-isoprostane (p< 0.05). The level of caspase-3 activity significantly increased after exposure to Pb (p< 0.05). LDH in the liver was significantly increased by PM2.5 (p< 0.05). 8-Isoprostane in the liver was significantly increased by PM2.5 and Pb (p< 0.05). IL-6 in the liver was significantly increased by PM2.5, Ni, V, and Pb after exposure (p< 0.05), accompanied by liver inflammatory infiltration. Our results demonstrated that V in PM2.5 was associated with an increase in 8-isoprostane for all emissions and major local petrochemical emissions. In conclusion, V contributes to in vivo liver toxicity induced by PM2.5 in the vicinity of a petrochemical complex.

Liver fibrosis associated with potential vinyl chloride and ethylene dichloride exposure from the petrochemical industry

BackgroundThe understanding of the relationship between exposure to carcinogenic vinyl chloride (VCM) and ethylene dichloride (EDC) and liver fibrosis is limited. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the associations between the urinary metabolite levels of VCM and EDC and the risk of liver fibrosis in residents living near a petrochemical complex. MethodsOur study comprised 447 adult residents of two townships with questionnaire survey and health examination near the largest petrochemical complex in central Taiwan. The urinary levels of thiodiglycolic acid (TdGA), the metabolite of VCM and EDC, were detected in study subjects. We utilized fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) as the noninvasive liver fibrosis index. Adjusted linear model was applied to evaluate the associations between the distance from the complex and the urinary TdGA levels. Adjusted logistic regression model was applied to evaluate the associations between the urinary TdGA levels and the risk of liver fibrosis. ResultsThe study subjects living in the closer township had significant higher urinary TdGA levels than those living in the more distant township (269.6 ± 200.7 vs. 199.2 ± 164.7 μg/g creatinine) (p < 0.001). It showed that urinary TdGA levels were decreased 0.53-fold when the distances from the complex were increased 1-fold after adjusting for confounding factors. It demonstrated that the study subjects with the highest TdGA levels (>343.3 μg/g creatinine) had a higher risk of FIB-4>1.29 (OR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.17, 3.78), and those with higher TdGA levels (232.7 to 343.3 μg/g creatinine) had a marginally higher risk of FIB-4>1.29 (OR = 1.65; 95% CI: 0.94, 2.90). ConclusionThe residents living closer to the VCM/PVC plant in the petrochemical complex had higher urinary TdGA levels, which were associated with an increased risk of fibrosis. This confirmed that the EDC and VCM potentially emitted from the petrochemical industry may have an impact on the liver health of nearby residents.

Emission-related Heavy Metal Associated with Oxidative Stress in Children: Effect of Antioxidant Intake.

Heavy metals, the common pollutants emitted from industrial activities, are believed to cause harmful effects, partially through the mechanism of elevated oxidative stress, and antioxidant intake has been hypothesized to provide a potential protective effect against oxidative stress. This study aims to investigate the heavy metal exposure and the associated oxidative damage of young children living near a petrochemical complex and to assess the protective effect of antioxidant intake. There were 168 children recruited from the kindergartens near a huge petrochemical complex, with 87 as the high exposure group and 81 as the low exposure group. Urinary concentrations of eleven metals were detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and four biomarkers of oxidative stress were measured in urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The food frequency questionnaire was collected to assess participants’ intake of antioxidants. Multiple linear regression was performed to determine the predictors of metals for oxidative stress and to measure the beneficial effect of antioxidants. Weighted quantile sum regression was performed to determine the contributors among metals to the oxidative stress. Results showed that high exposure group had significantly higher concentrations of chromium, manganese, nickel, arsenic, strontium, cadmium, and lead when compared to those in low exposure group. There was no obviously difference on the total antioxidant intake and dietary profile between two groups. The elevated levels of two oxidative stress markers were significantly associated with most of the urinary metal concentrations in all study subjects after adjusting confounders, while no significant association was found between oxidative stress and antioxidant intake. Among the metals, mercury and strontium showed the dominated contributions for elevated levels of oxidative stress. It concluded that higher metal exposure was associated with elevated oxidative stress but with no protective effect by antioxidant intake among the young children residents near a petrochemical industry.

A Reactivity Based Emission Inventory for the South Pars and Its Implication for Ozone Pollution Control

The South Pars zone in Iran encompasses the largest gas refineries and petrochemical complexes in the world. In the South Pars zone, elevated concentrations of reactive hydrocarbons co-emitted with nitrogen oxides from industrial facilities lead to substantial ozone production downwind. To understand the role of these emissions on the ozone formation and, to formulate appropriate control strategies in this zone, emissions of precursors of ozone were quantified, and compounds that deserve relatively more attention were determined. To do this, first, a fully- speciated ozone precursors emission inventory was prepared to provide necessary input data for air quality simulation models. Then, the emission inventory was weighted by emitted mass and incremental reactivity scales to determine which compounds deserve relatively more detailed representation in the modeling. Afterward, a photochemical model was applied to determine the ozone sensitivity to its precursors. Finally, source apportionment was done for the most important compounds. Additionally, the reactivity-based inventory was compared with other regions. Results show that nitrogen oxides -sensitive chemistry is dominant in the zone thus the most effective control strategy is the mitigation of the nitrogen oxides emissions. Gas refinery plants have a larger share than petrochemical plants in the nitrogen oxides emission and, the gas turbines are the main sources of nitrogen oxides emission in this region. Emitted volatile organic compounds contain more highly reactive species in comparison with the ambient air composition of typical urban areas and areas with gas production industries. Propylene and ethylene have the most contribution to the ozone formation in comparison with other volatile organic compounds. The major sources of their emissions are the olefin processes and polymer production plants.

Special issue in honour of Prof. Reto J. Strasser - Environmental pollution is reflected in the activity of the photosynthetic apparatus

The efficiency of chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence for forecasting plant response to environmental pollution was examined in four wheat cultivars. The plants were irrigated with wastewater from Razi petrochemical complex. A forecasting model was designed based on the data of maximal quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), efficiency of both photosystems (PIABS), and Chl contents of 60-d analysis. A comparison of the forecasting model results with the real data of Fv/Fm, PIABS, and Chl in response to wastewater suggested Fv/Fm as an accurate tool for stress forecasting. The high salt concentration in wastewater induced high accumulation of H2O2, lipid peroxidation, inhibition of photosynthesis, and reduction in contents of proteins and carbohydrates, which resulted in growth suppression of all cultivars. Taken together, the negative effect of environmental pollution on crop can be detected at an early stage of stress using Fv/Fm as a fast and accurate tool to prevent irrecoverable damage to plants.

Socioeconomic status and differential psychological and immune responses to a human-caused disaster

ObjectiveIndividuals from different socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds may respond variably to stressful events, and such differences are likely to contribute to health disparities. The current study leveraged data collected before and after a petrochemical explosion and aimed to investigate how individuals from different SES backgrounds responded to this unexpected stressor in terms of perceived social support, perceived stress, and systemic inflammation. MethodsData were drawn from 124 participants (Mage = 55.9 ± 16.1 years, 69.4% female, 29.0% White) living close to a petrochemical complex where the explosion occurred in 2005. SES was assessed at baseline, and perceived stress and inflammatory markers (i.e., C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin-6 [IL-6]) were assessed at both pre- and post-explosion. Perceived social support was assessed at post-explosion. ResultsLower SES was associated with less perceived social support. Lower SES was also associated with a larger increase in perceived stress and higher levels of IL-6, but not CRP. Perceived social support did not moderate or mediate the effects of SES on changes in perceived stress, IL-6, or CRP. The associations between SES and inflammatory markers were also not explained by changes in perceived stress. ConclusionFindings from this study support the idea that individuals from different SES backgrounds respond differently to stressors at both the psychosocial (perceived social support and perceived stress) and biological (inflammation) levels. Our findings also suggest that these two processes appear to act independently from each other.

Urban climate assessment in the ABC Paulista Region of São Paulo, Brazil

This article aims to map the urban climate in the ABC Paulista (ABCP) region, which is located in the southeast area of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP), Brazil. More than 80% of the ABCP urban area comprises the municipalities of Santo André (SA), São Bernardo do Campo (SBC), São Caetano do Sul (SCS), Mauá (MA), Diadema (DIA), and Ribeirão Pires. Considering a four-year dataset (2015–2018), higher urban heat island (HI) intensities were found in the spring (3.7 °C) and summer (3.2 °C), in DIA and SCS, and these HI intensities were associated with extreme thermal discomfort in the afternoon. More intense and concentrated rainfall patterns over a shorter period were identified in ABCP, especially in DIA and SCS. An analysis of O3 and PM10 at fixed pollutant monitoring stations identified SBC as having the largest number of days with O3 concentrations beyond the standards; meanwhile, SCS significantly exceeded the PM10 standards. The traffic and transportation simulation tool, Equilibre Multimodal/Multimodal Equilibrium which was used to estimate emissions from mobile sources, identified SCS as having the highest emissions rates for CO2, CO, HC and PM10. Analysis of the rainwater composition in Capuava (located along boundary of SA and MA) and Paranapiacaba (an environmental preservation area of SA) identified that a major contribution of strong acids and heavy metals in Capuava possibly originated from the Capuava Petrochemical Complex. Meanwhile, the main source of pollutants in Paranapiacaba was from the industrial city of Cubatão. Principal component analysis identified the first three components, which explained 80.7% of the total variance of the data and the main urban climate processes. The HI intensity was associated with thermal discomfort; moreover, the PCA showed the inverse correlation between the number of days that O3 and PM10 exceeded the limits with low relative humidity and no precipitation.

Multi-Period Planning of Hydrogen Supply Network for Refuelling Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles in Urban Areas

The hydrogen economy refers to an economic and industrial structure that uses hydrogen as its main energy source, replacing traditional fossil-fuel-based energy systems. In particular, the widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) is one of the key factors enabling a hydrogen economy, and aggressive investment in hydrogen refuelling infrastructure is essential to make large-scale adoption of HFCVs possible. In this study, we address the problem of effectively designing a hydrogen supply network for refuelling HFCVs in urban areas relatively far from a large hydrogen production site, such as a petrochemical complex. In these urban areas where mass supply of hydrogen is not possible, hydrogen can be supplied by reforming city gas. In this case, building distributed hydrogen production bases that extract large amounts of hydrogen from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) and then supply hydrogen to nearby hydrogen stations may be a cost-effective option for establishing a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in the early stage of the hydrogen economy. Therefore, an optimization model is proposed for effectively deciding when and where to build hydrogen production bases and hydrogen refuelling stations in an urban area. Then, a case study of the southeastern area of Seoul, known as a commercial and residential center, is discussed. A variety of scenarios for the design parameters of the hydrogen supply network are analyzed based on the target of the adoption of HFCVs in Seoul by 2030. The proposed optimization model can be effectively used for determining the time and sites for building hydrogen production bases and hydrogen refuelling stations.

Petrochemical wastewater treatment: Water recovery using membrane distillation

Water is a natural resource of great economic value and its imminent scarcity has led modern industrial complexes to develop projects to save water. This work investigated the application of membrane distillation in the treatment of the concentrated effluent generated in an electrodialysis reversal pilot plant which is used to treat wastewater from a petrochemical complex in the south of Brazil. The results showed that the recovery of water is technically feasible using pretreatments to improve the operating of the membrane distillation process. Considering the composition of the electrodialysis reversal effluent, it was proposed a physical treatment (filtration) to remove the suspended solids and the pH adjustment to reduce the formation of fouling on the membrane surface. With the proposed pretreatment, the drop in permeate flow rate was minimized by 30% and the rate of water recovery increased from 56% to 75% in comparison with the test carried out without pretreatment. Due to the high rejection of pollutants, the recovered water presented a physical-chemical quality that enables its direct use in the industrial process.

Spatiotemporal variation of odor-active VOCs in Thessaloniki, Greece: implications for impacts from industrial activities.

A yearlong study of odor-active VOCs was carried out in the northwestern district of the city of Thessaloniki, Greece, which is in close vicinity to a large-scale petroleum refining and petrochemical process complex, as well as other activities such as power generation from natural gas burning and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shipping. Odor nuisance has been a major concern in the district often rising complaints from local residents. A total of 312 samples of VOCs were collected at three sites during a 12-month period (May 2018-May 2019) on thermal desorption cartridges and analyzed by thermal desorption gas chromatography interfaced with mass selective detector (TD-CG/MS). Fifty-five odorous compounds including 8 mercaptans, 5 thiophenes, 7 sulfides, 22 aromatics, and 13 aldehydes were measured, and their spatial and temporal variations were assessed. Concentrations found were compared with those measured at other sites within the urban agglomeration Thessaloniki. Correlations with meteorological conditions (ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind direction/speed, and frequency/depth of temperature inversions) were investigated. Bivariate polar plots of the concentrations of Σ8Mercaptans, Σ5Thiophenes, Σ7Sulfides, Σ22Aromatics, and Σ13Aldehydes as a function of wind speed and wind direction were constructed for source localization.

Petrochemical waste characterization and management at Pars Special Economic Energy Zone in the south of Iran.

Industrial waste management generated by different petrochemical complexes at Pars Special Economic Energy Zone, located in the south of Iran, was investigated. All 10 active petrochemical complexes were visited and generated wastes were identified by a checklist. Petrochemical plants were classified regarding feeds, process, and products and nine representative wastes were sampled. Physicochemical characteristics were analyzed and appropriate management approaches were proposed according to the literature review and the results of waste characterization. The generated wastes were classified as hazardous and non-hazardous according to the Basel Convention and Environmental Protection Agency lists of waste classification. Also, the concentrations of organic compounds and heavy metals were measured to classify wastes characteristically. Comparing concentrations of the most important heavy metals in sampled wastes illustrated that sandblast with Cu concentration of 4295 mg kg-1, spent activated carbon with Hg concentration of 127 mg kg-1, and spent catalyst with 25% Ni content can be categorized as hazardous wastes, due to the exceeding Total Threshold Limit Concentration levels. Based on laboratory results, all industrial waste generated in the petrochemical complexes were categorized into three groups, namely Organic Waste with High Calorific Value, Non-organic Recyclable Waste, and Non-organic Non-recyclable Waste. Finally, management approaches, including material recycling, energy recovery (through incineration), and landfilling, were proposed and a conceptual model was suggested in order to show different routes and final destination for each kind of waste generated in all similar petrochemical complexes.

Exploring Effective Chemical Indicators for Petrochemical Emissions with Network Measurements Coupled with Model Simulations

A large petrochemical complex, dubbed Petro–complex, situated in a rather rural region of Taiwan, was used as a test bed to detect emissions from the Petro–complex to its surroundings. Hourly observations of speciated non–methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) by the photochemical assessment monitoring stations (PAMSs), as well as the total amounts of NMHCs, SO2, and NOx provided by the air quality stations (AQSs), were utilized to find useful petro–emission indication methods. The analytical aspect of NMHCs either as a speciated form or as total amounts was demonstrated through field comparison to illustrate data quality. Using ethyne to offset traffic influence, the ratios of ethene to ethyne (acetylene) (E/A) and propene to ethyne (P/A) were proven to be effective indicators of petro–emissions owing to pronounced emissions of ethene and propene, revealed as tall spikes in PAMS measurements. SO2 and NOx were also explored as petro–emission indicators mainly for stack sources. By coordinating with three–dimensional modeling, SO2 from petro–emissions could be distinguished from other prominent sources, such as coal–fired power plants. An attempt was also made to use SO2 and NOx as indicators of broader petro–emissions with stringent criteria to minimize traffic interference and increase specificity. Similar findings were observed with the three indicators, that is, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) ratios, SO2 and NOx, to identify the southwest area of the Petro–region as the most affected area, as represented by Taisi station (F2). The percent affected time of a year at F2 was 10%–14%, owing to the dominant wind field of northeast monsoonal (NEM) in the region, as compared with other sites in the east and north of 1–5%. Using VOC ratios as petro–emission indicators is more effective than using other gases, owing to the compositional advantage to minimize traffic interference.

Integrated study of genotoxicity biomarkers in schoolchildren and inhalable particles in areas under petrochemical influence

This study aimed to evaluate genotoxicity effects of inhalable particulate matter from areas influenced by a petrochemical complex on exposed children population. Peripheral blood and buccal mucosa exfoliated cells were collected from 54 children (5–12 years) at two public schools, 2.5 Km (Site NW) and 35 km (Site NWII) from the main industrial emission source. These areas lie in the first wind direction from a petrochemical complex. Blood samples were used to Comet Assay (CA) evaluating the tail intensity and to the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay (CBMN-cyt), assessing the frequency of micronucleus (MN), nuclear buds (NBUDs) and nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs). Buccal micronucleus cytome assay (BMCyt) was used to detect MN and nuclear abnormalities. Mutagenicity of particulate matter (PM) organic extracts from these two sites, besides from one in the second wind direction (NE) was evaluated by Salmonella/microsome assay, microsuspension method, strains TA98, YG1021 and YG1024 with and without metabolic activation (S9). The site closest to the petrochemical complex (NW) presented worse air quality, evidenced by greater PM mutagenicity and more toxic PAHs profile (ΣTEQ). Also, Tail intensity was significantly higher at this site (10.65 ± 0.78) compared to site NWII (6.73 ± 0.92). MN frequencies in CBMN-cyt did not differ among groups, but was significantly higher than an external reference site. NBUDs were significantly higher at site NWII. BMCyt showed no difference among the groups for MNs and NBUDs. Site NWII showed higher frequencies of karyorrhexis and karyolysis. All samples, even within the PM limits, presented genotoxic potential. Results showed that the children are exposed to a mixture of contaminants from different sources, and that the proximity of the petrochemical industry gives a cause of concern. Actions must be taken to identify and reduce emissions and hazardous effects, since air quality standards are not enough to ensure the exposed population health.

МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЕ УСТОЙЧИВОСТИ БУРИЛЬНЫХ КОЛОНН НА СТАДИИ ПРОЕКТИРОВАНИЯ – ГАРАНТИЯ НАДЕЖНОСТИ ИХ РАБОТЫ

In the address of the Head of state Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the people of Kazakhstan, announced on September 1, 2020, a number of tasks related to improving the productivity of industrial production, including the oil industry, with the broad introduction of modern IT technologies. This is evidenced by the instruction of the President sent in his Message to the Western regions of the country on issues of investment attraction for construction in the future, petrochemical complexes and creating new production runs of high value added [1]. This requires in the near future expand the set of activities for finding and developing new oil and gas fields, and in line with this, a substantial increase in drilling operations, the introduction of effective methods of deep drilling. In this regard, it is very important to ensure the reliability of drilling systems (DS) at the design stage. This, in turn, allows you to solve several tasks simultaneously: based on the use of modeling methods and digital technologies, predict the performance and working properties of DS elements in advance, before they are created, and thereby significantly reduce the risks of large capital expenditures, human and time resources, which would have acquired an irreversible process already at the stage of operation; create digital technology platforms that can become the driving force of the digital ecosystem of the industry [1], in our case, drilling and exploitation of oil and gas fields, thus complementing the electronic database with information about problem situations and effective methods of their solution (elimination). In this paper, which is a continuation of the results of the authors ' research published in [2], we consider special cases of modeling the stability and vibration of drill strings (DStr) taking into account the geometric nonlinearity of deformation. Such cases are buckling often occur with increasing depth of drilling, i.e., length, DStr, where the system becomes quite like a long stretchedcompressed tubular rods under longitudinal and transverse loads. In order to study (predict) the reliability of DS in such situations, the dynamic stability of a geometrically nonlinear DStr under variable loads is investigated, and a method for applying the finite element method to study the dynamic stability of DStr under geometric nonlinearity of their deformation is proposed. To study these phenomena under DStr loading conditions, the authors of this article consider the dynamic stability of a weighed column, taking into account its physical nonlinearity under compressive loads of time variables. Based on the analysis of the obtained theoretical dependencies, the DStr deflections are compared for both physically linear and nonlinear problems. It is established that taking into account physical nonlinearity leads to an oscillatory process with a limited amplitude, and that the presence of nonlinearity for the selected parameters leads to an oscillatory process of the column. In General, the graphical dependencies that characterize the DStr stability parameters obtained on the basis of mathematical modeling methods demonstrate the ability to predict and control the Parameters of this process at the design stage, which allows us to estimate the most optimal zones (limits, ranges) that ensure the efficiency and reliability of the DS operation by varying their values in advance.

Typology of innovation strategies for petrochemical enterprises

The article defines the role of the petrochemical industry in the development of the economy as a whole. The key problems of innovative development of the Russian petrochemical complex that are typical for the current stage are identified. The purpose of the study is to analyze the organizational and economic processes of formation and implementation of innovative strategies for the development of petrochemical enterprises and practical recommendations for improving their performance. To achieve this goal, the role of the components of the innovative potential of enterprises in the development of the economy is determined; the analysis of directions of development of innovative activity of the main foreign players in the market of petrochemical is carried out; strategies of innovative development of petrochemical enterprises are formed. It is concluded that in the era of digitalization of industry, the priority strategy for the development of the petrochemical complex is resource conservation.

Key directions of automation of petrochemical production

The article reveals the role of automation of the main systems of petrochemical production: technological processes, security systems, information management, and electrical equipment. The purpose of the article is to determine the main directions of automation in the petrochemical complex. Based on the study, it is shown how industrial automation affects gross national product growth by optimizing production and logistics operations, labor efficiency, increasing equipment productivity, improving research and development and product development. For example, if the cost of reconstruction is 2-6% of the total cost of a petrochemical enterprise, the resulting effect of automation is estimated at 15-30% of the increase in operational efficiency. It is concluded that integrated control automation systems regularly design, upgrade, and provide comprehensive support for the availability of complex technical systems throughout its life cycle.

Incidence of Respiratory Symptoms for Residents Living Near a Petrochemical Industrial Complex: A Meta-Analysis.

The air pollution emitted by petrochemical industrial complexes (PICs) may affect the respiratory health of surrounding residents. Previous meta-analyses have indicated a higher risk of lung cancer mortality and incidence among residents near a PIC. Therefore, in this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the degree to which PIC exposure increases the risk of the development of nonmalignant respiratory symptoms among residents. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to systematically identify, select, and critically appraise relevant research. Finally, we identified 16 study groups reporting 5 types of respiratory symptoms: asthma, bronchitis, cough, rhinitis, and wheezing. We estimated pooled odds ratios (ORs) using random-effect models and investigated the robustness of pooled estimates in subgroup analyses by location, observation period, and age group. We determined that residential exposure to a PIC was significantly associated with a higher incidence of cough (OR = 1.35), wheezing (OR = 1.28), bronchitis (OR = 1.26), rhinitis (OR = 1.17), and asthma (OR = 1.15), although the latter two associations did not reach statistical significance. Subgroup analyses suggested that the association remained robust across different groups for cough and bronchitis. We identified high heterogeneity for asthma, rhinitis, and wheezing, which could be due to higher ORs in South America. Our meta-analysis indicates that residential exposure to a PIC is associated with an increased risk of nonmalignant respiratory symptoms.

The Issues of Sustainable Management of Innovative Industrial Risks During Sustainable Development of Entities

This research considers the issues of the balanced management of innovative industrial risks as a mechanism for achieving sustainable development of entities. The place of this complex of management actions has been determined in the general strategic management system when introducing innovations in the context of disturbances and risks. The role of innovative industrial risks, as restrictions of innovative development, has been defined, and the main challenges of implementing balanced management principles when introducing innovations in the face of uncertainty have been analyzed. For research, the petrochemical complex of the Republic of Tatarstan has been selected, the features of its innovative development have been studied, and the main trends and approaches to managing innovative industrial risks at achieving sustainable development in present-day conditions have been identified.

Health risk assessment of trace elements exposure through the soil-plant (maize)-human contamination pathway near a petrochemical industry complex, Northeast China

The trace elements contamination of agricultural soils near petrochemical industry complexes is a concern due to the risk of accumulating in food systems and subsequently affecting human health. We measured representative trace elements (Cu, Ni, Cr, Pb, Zn, Pb, Hg and As) through the soil-plant (maize)-human contamination pathway near a petrochemical industry complexes in an agricultural region from September 20 to 28, 2016. We found that the soil was mildly to moderately polluted by multiple trace elements, which was also confirmed by the contamination factor and enrichment factor values. Cd (enrichment factor = 2.28), Cu (2.75), Zn (1.85) and Pb (1.70) should be given more attention and prioritized over the other trace elements due to their higher potential risks. Furthermore, the trace elements contamination in maize grains was lower than the corresponding limits. The sequence of the transfer coefficient values was Zn > Cd > Cu > Hg > Ni > As > Cr > Pb. Maize grain safety was threatened mainly by Zn, Cd and Cu. There was no risk to humans through soil ingestion, while a potential health risk from maize grain consumption existed. Children were more sensitive than adults to the non-carcinogenic risks of maize grain consumption. Trace element As was found to be the priority metal for risk control. For carcinogenic risk, adults were more sensitive than children; As, Cr and Cd were the priority metals for risk control, with CRmaize values exceeding the risk threshold (1 × 10−4). Overall, strict, intensive monitoring, especially of Cr and Cd, and soil protection measures are needed to prevent any furthertrace elements contamination and to ensure food safety. This study also provides a reference for similar studies worldwide.

Reliance wants to invest $700 M in a petrochemical complex

Reliance wants to invest $700 M in a petrochemical complex