Swedish Officers Research Articles

Captive swedes and the formation of mathematical cartography in Siberia (1711–1722)

After the defeat of Charles XII at Poltava, thousands of soldiers and officers of his army ended up in Russian captivity. Many of them were then exiled beyond the Urals, where they lived from 1711 to 1722. It is the Swedish officers that the beginnings of mathematical cartography of Siberia are associated with. The article analyzes the aspects of the work of the best known Swedish cartographer, Captain Philip Johan Tabbert (Philipp Johann von Strahlenberg) and provides information about other Swedes who engaged in cartography. At the early stage of the formation of mathematical cartography, an important problem was converting Russian linear measures into degrees. Various ratios used by both the Swedish captives and the Russian land surveyors are given. The methodology for longitude coordinates determination was studied based on the analysis of the maps and diary entries, made by Tabbert during D. G. Messerschmidt’s expedition. Indirect evidence of measurements of latitudinal coordinates, carried out by Swedish captives before the arrival of Russian surveyors in Siberia, has been collected. All of this enabled the analysis of mathematical basis of the two manuscript maps made by the Swedes in Siberia. It is concluded that the geographical maps, drawn in the Siberian captivity by Charles XII’s officers, continued the European tradition of mapping Siberia, being a separate stage in this process. What distinguished such maps was that their authors lived in the region they mapped. The Swedish captives became the first cartographers of Siberia, who created mathematically precise geographical maps with a grade grid, rather than hand-drawn, artistic maps. At the same time, Swedish officers’ efforts associated with creating geographical maps of Siberia had no impact on the development of Russian cartography. It was not the Swedes who broke the tradition of cartographic isography but, rather, the Russian graduates of the Maritime Academy who began working in Siberia in 1719.

The Nightmare Island: Representations of St. Barthélemy in Swedish Novels

The Nightmare Island: Representations of St. Barthélemy in Swedish Novels

Gentle hands bring relief. Thure Brandt's massage as acontemporary document and starting aid for urology

Naturopathy and urology have little overlap in the present day, but in the Victorian era it was genital massage that made it clear to the medical profession that training specialized in diseases of the abdomen was necessary for physicians, otherwise patients would seek out lay healers and not clinics. This massage was developed in the 1850s by the Swedish officer Thure Brandt. It remained part of German medical practice until after World WarII.

Sedentary behaviour, physical activity, and sleep among office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison of Brazil and Sweden

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected the physical behaviours of office workers worldwide, but studies comparing physical behaviours between countries with similar restrictions policies are rare. This study aimed to document and compare the 24-hour time-use compositions of physical behaviours among Brazilian and Swedish office workers on working and non-working days during the pandemic.MethodsPhysical behaviours were monitored over 7 days using thigh-worn accelerometers in 73 Brazilian and 202 Swedish workers. Daily time-use compositions were exhaustively described in terms of sedentary behaviour (SED) in short (< 30 min) and long (≥30 min) bouts, light physical activity (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and time-in-bed. We examined differences between countries using MANOVA on data processed according to compositional data analysis. As Swedish workers had the possibility to do hybrid work, we conducted a set of sensitivity analyses including only data from days when Swedish workers worked from home.ResultsDuring working days, Brazilian office workers spent more time SED in short (294 min) and long (478 min) bouts and less time in LPA (156 min) and MVPA (50 min) than Swedish workers (274, 367, 256 and 85 min, respectively). Time spent in bed was similar in both groups. Similar differences between Brazilians and Swedes were observed on non-working days, while workers were, in general, less sedentary, more active and spent more time-in-bed than during working days. The MANOVA showed that Brazilians and Swedes differed significantly in behaviours during working (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.36) and non-working days (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.20). Brazilian workers spent significantly more time in SED relative to being active, less time in short relative to long bouts in SED, and more time in LPA relative to MVPA, both during workdays and non-workdays. Sensitivity analyses only on data from days when participants worked from home showed similar results.ConclusionsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic Brazilian office workers were more sedentary and less active than Swedish workers, both during working and non-working days. Whether this relates to the perception or interpretation of restrictions being different or to differences present even before the pandemic is not clear, and we encourage further research to resolve this important issue.

P01-10 Workplace Health Promotion To Facilitate Physical Activity Among Swedish Office Workers

BackgroundThe Swedish Work Environmental Authority (2015) states that about 60% of the Swedish workforce work in various office settings, a primarily sedentary environment (Prince, Elliott, Scott, Visintini, Reed, 2019). Today many workplaces offer their employees tax deductible preventive health services, i.e., wellness allowance to promote physical activity. Previous surveys indicate that 50% of the Swedish working population have access to wellness allowance (Hanson, 2007; Weightwatchers, 2017). However, 40% do not take advantage of this benefit (Weightwatchers, 2017; Kjellman & Höglind, 2006). Further, there is still little knowledge about how companies in Sweden promote an active lifestyle at work. This study describes how companies current Workplace Health Promotion (WHP), i.e., wellness allowance and other services related to physical activity, are implemented. Their purpose for providing WHP and the policymakers visions and possible hinders.MethodQualitative semi-structured interviews were used to explore how nine policymakers (i.e., human resource managers or CEO) describe WHP related to physical activity analyzed with the framework method.ResultsPhysical activity is facilitated through wellness allowance, flexible working hours, step-challenges, walk and talk meetings, and health education. The companies also use the office setting by providing fitness facilities. Accessibility and convenience are described as important for WHP uptake. The provision of WHP related to physical activity is described as employee-driven, where employee initiatives and work-life balance are essential. The purpose of providing WHP described by the informants was to maintain health and productivity among employees and employee branding. Their visions are to reach a broader range of employees by providing easier access to physical activity and more life-friendly solutions. Hinders related to WHP are economic interest, lack of flexibility, and distrust among employees and leaders. The wellness allowance must also be up to date with market prices to be attractive among employees.ConclusionsCompanies have several strategies to facilitate physical activity during and after working hours to maintain employee health and attract and retain top talents. To increase WHP usage and physical activity during and after working hours, we suggest improvements in organizational support, wellness allowance in line with market prices, and easy access to in-house fitness facilities.

Experience, Seniority and Gut Feeling—A Qualitative Examination of How Swedish Police Officers Perceive They Value, Evaluate and Manage Knowledge When Making Decisions

There is a debate in current scholarship regarding whether or not education and training is an effective tool to change police officers’ conduct. Compared to the United States, Sweden has longer training for officers who experience 2 years of academic training and 6 months of practical training. The Swedish police training is also, contrary to the American training, standardized. This paper aims to investigate how Swedish officers value, evaluate and manage knowledge when making decisions. To examine this further 27 qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 male and 13 female Swedish police officers during 2018. The interviews were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis in both English and Swedish to uncover themes and codes. Findings suggest that police officers utilize experience, seniority, and gut feeling when valuing, evaluating and managing knowledge. Furthermore, the results imply that certain types of knowledge are valued differently by officers. These findings can inform how and if education can be used as a tool to potentially change how officers in the US and other countries make their decisions.

Bi-Directional, Day-to-Day Associations between Objectively-Measured Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Sleep among Office Workers.

The bi-directional, day-to-day associations between daytime physical activity and sedentary behavior, and nocturnal sleep, in office workers are unknown. This study investigated these associations and whether they varied by weekday or weekend day. Among 324 Swedish office workers (mean age 42.4 years; 33.3% men), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and sedentary behaviors and sleep (total sleep time (TST) and sleep efficiency (SE)) were ascertained by using accelerometers (Actigraph GT3X) over 8 days. Multilevel linear mixed models were used to assess the bi-directional, day-to-day, within-person associations. Additional analyses stratified by weekend/weekday were performed. On average, participants spent 6% (57 min) of their day in MVPA and 59% (9.5 h) sedentary, and during the night, TST was 7 h, and SE was 91%. More daytime sedentary behavior was associated with less TST that night, and reciprocally, more TST at night was associated with less sedentary behavior on the following weekday. Greater TST during the night was also associated with less MVPA the next day, only on weekdays. However, daytime MVPA was not associated with TST that night. Higher nighttime SE was associated with greater time spent sedentary and in MVPA on the following day, regardless if weekday or weekend day. Sleep may be more crucial for being physically active the following day than vice versa, especially on weekdays. Nevertheless, sedentary behavior’s relation with sleep time may be bi-directional. Office workers may struggle with balancing sleep and physical activity time.

Does voluntary auditing help ventures? Evidence from Sweden

ABSTRACT Auditing in ventures may provide the necessary financial reporting bulwark, however, auditing also has direct and indirect costs that may be less efficacious in a venture with limited routines and capabilities, and could take an entrepreneur’s attention away from venture goals. We draw on a quasi-natural experiment in Sweden, where from 2011 small private firms meeting threshold criteria were exempt from audit. The law resulted in three groups of ventures – (i) those who were above the threshold criteria and continued with an audit, and among those who were exempt some chose to (ii) voluntarily audit or (iii) opted-out of the audit. Starting with ventures established in 2007 (about three years before the passage of the law), and drawing records of the Swedish Companies Registration Office, our results show that while opting out of audit slightly improves the odds of survival, it has detrimental effects when sales volatility or return on assets are high. Those voluntary auditing can realize a higher debt ratio, but also face a decline in sales and net profit. The findings have implications for entrepreneurs in particular and policymakers considering initiation or repealing of audit requirements for ventures.

Energy renovation strategies for office buildings using direct ground cooling systems

Direct ground cooling systems (DGCS) can provide comfort cooling to buildings without the use of any refrigeration-based cooling methods. DGCS is an emerging technology, commonly used for new office buildings in cold climates. This study aims to evaluate the energy-saving possibilities of a DGCS compared to a conventional chiller system for an existing office building. A typical Swedish office building with a chiller-based cooling system and in need of an energy renovation is taken as a reference case. Various possible renovation measures are applied on the building and to the cooling system, and the results are evaluated in terms of borehole design and building energy demand. The results show that applying the DGCS substantially reduces the building’s purchased energy, as chiller electricity demand is eliminated. In addition, implementing the renovation measures to reduce the thermal demand of the building could further reduce purchased energy. The results suggest implementing the DGCS after performing the renovation measures. This may lead to a considerable reduction in the required borehole length and hence in the drilling costs. Results from this study provide useful inputs for designing boreholes in ground-coupled systems for new and existing office buildings.

Arrheniusite-(Ce), CaMg[(Ce7Y3)Ca5](SiO4)3(Si3B3O18)(AsO4)(BO3)F11, a New Member of the Vicanite Group, from the Östanmossa Mine, Norberg, Sweden

ABSTRACT Arrheniusite-(Ce) is a new mineral (IMA 2019-086) from the Östanmossa mine, one of the Bastnäs-type deposits in the Bergslagen ore region, Sweden. It occurs in a metasomatic F-rich skarn, associated with dolomite, tremolite, talc, magnetite, calcite, pyrite, dollaseite-(Ce), parisite-(Ce), bastnäsite-(Ce), fluorbritholite-(Ce), and gadolinite-(Nd). Arrheniusite-(Ce) forms anhedral, greenish-yellow translucent grains, exceptionally up to 0.8 mm in diameter. It is optically uniaxial (–), with ω = 1.750(5), ε = 1.725(5), and non-pleochroic in thin section. The calculated density is 4.78(1) g/cm3. Arrheniusite-(Ce) is trigonal, space group R3m, with unit-cell parameters a = 10.8082(3) Å, c = 27.5196(9) Å, and V = 2784.07(14) Å3 for Z = 3. The crystal structure was refined from X-ray diffraction data to R1 = 3.85% for 2286 observed reflections [Fo &amp;gt; 4σ(Fo)]. The empirical formula for the fragment used for the structural study, based on EPMA data and results from the structure refinement, is: (Ca0.65As3+0.35)Σ1(Mg0.57Fe2+0.30As5+0.10Al0.03)Σ1[(Ce2.24Nd2.13La0.86Gd0.74Sm0.71Pr0.37)Σ7.05(Y2.76Dy0.26Er0.11Tb0.08Tm0.01Ho0.04Yb0.01)Σ3.27Ca4.14]Σ14.46(SiO4)3[(Si3.26B2.74)Σ6O17.31F0.69][(As5+0.65Si0.22P0.13)Σ1O4](B0.77O3)F11; the ideal formula obtained is CaMg[(Ce7Y3)Ca5](SiO4)3(Si3B3O18)(AsO4)(BO3)F11. Arrheniusite-(Ce) belongs to the vicanite group of minerals and is distinct from other isostructural members mainly by having a Mg-dominant, octahedrally coordinated site (M6); it can be considered a Mg-As analog to hundholmenite-(Y). The threefold coordinated T5 site is partly occupied by B, like in laptevite-(Ce) and vicanite-(Ce). The mineral name honors C.A. Arrhenius (1757–1824), a Swedish officer and chemist, who first discovered gadolinite-(Y) from the famous Ytterby pegmatite quarry.

A French diplomat in the Russian Service. Missions of the Count d&amp;apos;Antraigues in Venice (1795–1797)

The article deals with the history of secret diplomacy of the time of the French Revolution. It aims to show unknown aspects of the French émigré сount d&amp;apos;Antraigue&amp;apos;s activities as a councillor to the Russian embassy in Venice and as a personal representative of Louis XVIII in 1795–1797. Unpublished documents from the Archives of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire and the memoirs of contemporaries form the source base of the research. The practice of appointing French royalists “under Russian protection” as employees of Russian diplomatic missions was proposed by the Russian court in 1794. The case of d’Antraigues, therefore, was not unique. D&amp;apos;Antraigues&amp;apos; duties in this post were related to the search for information on revolutionary France, the French army in Italy, the politics of the Italian states. His contacts with Swedish agents, French royalists, and French army officers were the most fruitful. At the same time, he was associated with British diplomats. Bonaparte used the errors of the diplomat to his advantage: сount d&amp;apos;Antraigues’s notes served as a pretext for the coup d&amp;apos;état of 18 Fructidor, Year V. Although he сount lost credibility in the eyes of the royalists yet, thanks to the support of A.K. Razumovsky, he continued his service as correspondent and honorary “pensionnaire” of the Russian court. It was after 1797 that a “black legend” developed around the name of the count, thanks, in particular, to former secret agents of the Directory and Napoleon Bonaparte, depicting him as an opportunist.

Improving indoor environmental quality (IEQ) for occupant health and well-being: A case study of Swedish office building

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is a major domain of building conditions relating to occupant comfort, health and well-being. Especially in the office environment, IEQ can influence work productivity positively. Within the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), goal 3 good health and well-being, and goal 8 decent work and economic growth are the two areas where IEQ can significantly contribute. To better design sustainable office buildings in line with the agenda 2030, the study aims to examine occupant satisfaction, health and work in a newly renovated office building which is labelled by the BREEAM certification scheme Silver. Occupant preferences of IEQ comparing to the current conditions were also explored to provide advice for future design. The results show that occupant satisfaction with IEQ has not well achieved and in the office environment occupants prefer warmer temperature, more fresh air, less noise, and more daylight. We also find that perceived IEQ is extensively related to occupant health and work productivity. It concludes that in such a newly renovated office building as a high-performance building, there are still many problems from the indoor environments. Therefore, improvements are needed to gain occupant satisfaction and positively influence occupant health, well-being and work productivity.

The Dynamics of Military Skills: The Role of Experience-Based Knowledge in Challenging Situations

Based on narratives from Swedish officers’ experiences from challenging situations, the article investigates the role of experience-based knowledge in military practice. Officers must be prepared to act in situations in which they do not have full control, make decisions under uncertain circumstances, and master tasks with conflicting rules, objectives, and means. These conditions apply in an overseas warfare environment, and also back home. The officers’ ability to adequately interpret phenomena in a given situation includes a variety of inarticulable knowledge. The aim of this article is to examine two aspects of military practice: (I) what role experience plays when handling challenging situations, and (II) how different kinds of knowledge are active in forming a professional skill. Using a set of epistemological concepts (phronesis, knowledge of familiarity, skill acquisition model), the article presents an analytical framework that focuses on experience-based forms of knowledge. The results show that experience-based aspects of knowledge which are crucial in military practice run the risk of not being discussed, because established methods and research traditions are focusing on measurable forms of knowledge. Finally, the article discusses the risk of de-professionalization due to unilateral use of monitoring and evaluation methods that primarily focus on forms of knowledge that can be calculated and expressed explicitly.

Sitting, standing and moving during work and leisure among male and female office workers of different age: a compositional data analysis

BackgroundGendered patterns of physical activity behaviours may help explaining health inequalities between men and women. However, evidence on such patterns in the working population is sparse. This study aimed at documenting and comparing compositions of sitting, standing and moving at work and during leisure among male and female office workers of different age.MethodsSitting (including lying), standing and moving were measured using accelerometry for, on average, four working days in 55 male and 57 female Swedish office workers. Behaviours were described in terms of time spent in four exhaustive categories: sitting in short (< 30 min) and long (≥30 min) bouts, standing, and moving. In a compositional data analysis approach, isometric log-ratios (ilr) were calculated for time sitting relative to non-sitting, time in short relative to long sitting bouts, and time in standing relative to moving. Differences between genders (men vs. women), domains (work vs. leisure), and according to age were examined for each ilr using ANOVA.ResultsAt work, time spent sitting in short bouts, sitting in long bouts, standing, and moving was, on average, 29, 43, 21 and 7% among men, and 28, 38, 26 and 7% among women. Corresponding proportions during leisure were 34, 27, 27 and 13% among men and 28, 27, 32 and 13% among women. Men spent more time sitting relative to non-sitting ( {eta}_p^2 =0.04, p = 0.03) than women, and less time standing relative to moving ( {eta}_p^2 =0.07, p = 0.01). At work compared to during leisure, both genders spent more time sitting relative to non-sitting ( {eta}_p^2 =0.47, p < 0.01); within sitting more time was spent in long relative to short sitting bouts ( {eta}_p^2 =0.26, p < 0.01), and within non-sitting, more time was spent standing than moving ( {eta}_p^2 =0.12, p < 0.01). Older workers spent less of their non-sitting time moving than younger workers ( {eta}_p^2 =0.07, p = 0.01).ConclusionMale office workers spent more time sitting relative to non-sitting than female workers, and more time moving relative to standing. Both genders were sitting more at work than during leisure. Older workers moved less than younger. These workers could likely benefit from interventions to reduce or break up prolonged sitting time, preferably by moving more.

Correction of bias in self-reported sitting time among office workers - a study based on compositional data analysis.

Objective Emerging evidence suggests that excessive sitting has negative health effects. However, this evidence largely relies on research using self-reported sitting time, which is known to be biased. To correct this bias, we aimed at developing a calibration model estimating "true" sitting from self-reported sitting. Methods Occupational sitting time was estimated by self-reports (the International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and objective measurements (thigh-worn accelerometer) among 99 Swedish office workers at a governmental agency, at baseline and 3 and 12 months afterwards. Following compositional data analysis procedures, both sitting estimates were transformed into isometric log-ratios (ILR). This effectively addresses that times spent in various activities are inherently dependent and can be presented as values of only 0-100%. Linear regression was used to develop a simple calibration model estimating objectively measured "true" sitting ILR (dependent variable) from self-reported sitting ILR (independent variable). Additional self-reported variables were then added to construct a full calibration model. Performance of the models was assessed by root-mean-square (RMS) differences between estimated and objectively measured values. Models developed on baseline data were validated using the follow-up datasets. Results Uncalibrated self-reported sitting ILR showed an RMS error of 0.767. Simple and full calibration models (incorporating body mass index, office type, and gender) reduced this error to 0.422 (55%) and 0.398 (52%), respectively. In the validations, model performance decreased to 57%/62% (simple models) and 57%/62% (full models) for the two follow-up data sets, respectively. Conclusions Calibration adjusting for errors in self-reported sitting led to substantially more correct estimates of "true" sitting than uncalibrated self-reports. Validation indicated that model performance would change somewhat in new datasets and that full models perform no better than simple models, but calibration remained effective.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most offensive of them all? – Explaining the offensive bias in military tactical thinking

ABSTRACTThis article explores why the offensive predominates military tactical thinking. With survey results showing an offensive bias among 60 per cent of senior Swedish officers and as many as 80 per cent in the case of the army, it is clear that this is not just a problem of the past but is equally relevant today. The article asks why there is a tendency to perceive and understand offensive tactics as the preferred choice and the way to conduct battle that should be encouraged and preferred. Drawing on existing research and the findings of a pilot study, ten propositions for why the offensive bias exists are tested using a mixed-method approach. Based on the findings, the article develops a model to understand why the offensive dominates military tactical thinking. It is found that the two key constitutive factors behind the offensive bias are military culture and education. These factors most directly and profoundly influence an officer’s identity, perceptions, and thinking. Military culture and education, in turn, work as a prism for four other factors: military history, the theory and principles of war, doctrine and TTPs, and psychological factors.

Organohalogenated Flame Retardants and Organophosphate Esters in Office Air and Dust from Sweden.

A wide range of organohalogenated flame retardants (HFRs) and organophosphate esters (OPEs) were measured in air and floor dust from 10 offices in Stockholm, Sweden. Concentrations of ∑18 emerging HFRs, ∑21 legacy HFRs and ∑11 OPEs from the offices were found to be 420, 510, and 1600000 ng/g, respectively, in floor dust and 400, 15, and 160 000 pg/m3 respectively in active air samples. All targeted compounds were detected in dust except 2,3,5,6-tetrabromo- p-xylene (pTBX) indicating widespread application of a broad range of FRs in the Swedish offices while only 54% of targeted compounds were detected in indoor air. Estimated ∑OPE exposure in Swedish offices is 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than for ∑emerging HFRs and ∑legacy HFRs via all three different exposure routes in our study. Adult's estimated intakes of emerging and legacy HFRs and OPEs from office air and dust during working hours (30% of a day) are some orders of magnitude lower than the corresponding reference doses (RfD). However, in worst case exposure scenarios (maximum concentrations and high dust intake), the intake of tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) was one-third of its RfD, which may be of potential concern if exposure is as high in other microenvironments.

Relationships Between Aerobic Fitness Levels and Cognitive Performance in Swedish Office Workers.

Objectives: Aerobic exercise influence cognition in elderly, children, and neuropsychiatric populations. Less is known about the influence of aerobic exercise in healthy samples (particularly working age), and of different fitness levels on cognition. Two hypotheses were posed: (1) low fitness levels, compared to moderate and high, will be related to poorer cognitive performance, and (2) breakpoints for the beneficial relationship between VO2 and cognition will be observed within the moderate-to-high fitness span.Design and Methods: The sample consisted of n=362 office workers. A submaximal cycle ergometer test estimated maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max, mL·kg−1·min−1). Based on estimated VO2max participants were split into tertiles; low (n = 121), moderate (n = 119), and high (n = 122). A cognitive test battery (9 tests), assessed processing speed, working memory, executive functions and episodic memory.Results: Both hypotheses were confirmed. Groups of moderate (≈40) and high (≈49) fitness outperformed the group of low (≈31) fitness for inhibition and episodic recognition, whereas no significant differences between moderate and high fitness were observed (ANCOVAs). Breakpoints between benefits fromVO2max for inhibition and recognition were estimated to ≈44/43 mL·kg−1·min−1 (multivariate broken line regressions).Conclusions: Results suggest that it is conceivable to expect a beneficial relationship between VO2max and some cognitive domains up to a certain fitness level. In a sample of healthy office workers, this level was estimated to 44 mL·kg−1·min−1. This has implications on organizational and societal levels; where incentives to improve fitness levels from low to moderate could yield desirable cognitive and health benefits in adults.

Lone Swede in an International Military Staff Context: &lt;br&gt; A Qualitative Interview Study

The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the experience of Swedish officers when serving as the only Swedes in a multinational staff context. The methodological approach was qualitative and inductive according to the Grounded Theory method, and the empirical material is based on twenty completed interviews. The informants possessed a wide range of experience in a number of leadership positions as well as extensive participation in international operations. The building of contextual self-esteem is the central theme that emerged in the data analysis that may improve our understanding of officers serving as the only Swedes on an international staff. Contextual self-esteem and its structure can be understood through the following four processes: interpretation, adaptation, influence, and withdrawal. These occur to a greater or lesser extent depending upon both the individual and the context. Contextual self-esteem increases over time as experience of international operations expands. The longer the duration of a mission, the greater the influence becomes in contrast to adaptation, although all the processes are significant. The findings may be valuable in educational settings regarding challenges faced while serving alone during international military missions in multinational contexts.

Occurrence of legacy and alternative plasticizers in indoor dust from various EU countries and implications for human exposure via dust ingestion and dermal absorption

Plasticizers are a category of chemicals extensively used in consumer products and, consequently, their presence is ubiquitous in the indoor environment. In the present study, an analytical method has been developed for the quantification of plasticizers (7 legacy phthalate esters (LPEs) and 14 alternative plasticizers (APs)) in indoor floor dust based on ultrasonic and vortex extraction, Florisil fractionation and GC-(EI)-MS analysis. Dust samples (n = 54) were collected from homes, offices, and daycare centers from different EU countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and Sweden). Method LOQs ranged from 0.2 to 5 μg/g. Tri-n-hexyl trimellitate (THTM) was not detected in any sample, whereas dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diphenyl phthalate and acetyl triethyl citrate (ATEC) were detected only in 6, 2 and 1 out of 54 samples, respectively. The highest concentrations of plasticizers were measured in Swedish offices, at a mean concentration of total plasticizers of 1800 μg/g, followed by Swedish daycare centers at 1200 and 670 μg/g for winter and spring sampling, respectively. Generally, the contribution of APs was slightly higher than for LPEs for all indoor environments (mean contribution 60% and 40%, respectively based on contributions per indoor environment). For the APs, main contributors were DINP in Belgian homes (28%), Swedish offices (60%), Swedish daycare centers (48%), and Dutch offices (31%) and DEHT in Belgian (28%), Irish (40%) and Dutch homes (37%) of total APs. The predominant LPE was bis-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate (DEHP) with a mean contribution varying from 60% to 85% of total LPEs. Human exposure was evaluated for dust ingestion and dermal absorption using hazard quotients (HQs) of plasticizers (ratio between average daily doses and the reference dose). None of the HQs of plasticizers exceeded 1, meaning that the risk for adverse human health effects from these plasticizers via dust ingestion and dermal absorption is unlikely.