From a new perspective, namely focusing on the interaction of selenium and mercury, this thesis provides new insights into traditional research on biogeochemical cycles of mercury in soil-plant interaction and associated human exposure and risks. The subject of this thesis is both valuable and timely, providing essential information not only on selenium-mercury interaction in the soil-plant system but also on how to assess the combined benefits and risk of co-exposure to mercury and selenium. This work also sheds light on future aspects regarding prevention, remediation and risk management for environmental mercury contamination. Presenting high-quality papers published in leading international SCI journals such as Environmental Health Perspectives and Environmental Science & Technology and having been recognized with the Special Award of Presidential Scholarship Award and Excellent Doctoral Dissertations Prize of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), this thesis offers a valuable resource for scientific communities, policy-makers and non-experts who are interested in this field.

Dr. Hua Zhang works at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway.

This book serves as a timely and comprehensive overview of the latest science for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), covering the development of methods for assessing PFASs in biological fluids and tissues as well as the current knowledge regarding their toxicity to vertebrate organisms. This book includes chapters on human and wildlife exposure/body burdens, reviews of metabolism and toxicological effects by organ system/developmental stage and aspects of PFAS toxicity that are driving PFAS research and regulatory oversight. Toxicological Effects of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances provide critical assessments of the most controversial topics surrounding toxicological evaluation of PFASs to give readers an expert perspective on the issues. Emphasis is placed on the integration of modes and mechanisms of action with functional endpoints that are relevant to human and wildlife health. This book will be a useful resource for toxicologists, environmental chemists, risk assessors and researchers with an interest in the class of compounds known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Humans are diurnal organisms whose biological clock and temporal organization depend on natural light/dark cycles. Changes in the photoperiod are a signal for seasonal acclimatization of physiological and immune systems as well as behavioral patterns. The invention of electrical light bulbs created more opportunities for work and leisure. However, exposure to artificial light at night (LAN) affects our biological clock, and suppresses pineal melatonin (MLT) production. Among its other properties, MLT is an antioncogenic agent, and therefore its suppression increases the risks of developing breast and prostate cancers (BC&PC). To the best of our knowledge, this book is the first to address the linkage between light pollution and BC&PC in humans. It explains several state-of-the-art theories, linking light pollution with BC&PC. It also illustrates research hypotheses about health effects of light pollution using the results of animal models and population-based studies.

Much of the previous literature in the field of safety focuses on either the technical equipment issues or the human performance factors that contribute to the active failures in safety-critical systems. However, this book provides guidance in the moral or ethical aspects of decision-making that perpetuate many of the latent failures in safety-critical systems. The book presents an interdisciplinary discussion of ethical decision-making and discusses the need to teach ethical decision-making in professional academic programs. It provides a concise introduction to the ethical foundations and follows up with case studies from aviation, healthcare, and environmental and occupational health. These cases illustrate the challenges faced by the individuals in their respective field and the reasons for the choices that they made in the face of adversities. Safety Ethics gives a fascinating insight into ethical decision-making for all those interested or involved in safety-critical environments. The book will be an extremely valuable guide for professionals in making decisions consistent with their beliefs and code of ethics.

This concise text provides an overview of the wide-ranging field of malariology. It includes readable introductory chapters on the basic sciences; practical information on the diagnosis and clinical manifestations of malaria in various patient groups (including children, pregnant women, adults); a comprehensive guide to pharmacology and treatment of malaria, and a review of the current status in malaria vaccine development.

Antimicrobial resistance is recognised among the world’s most challenging problems. Despite its global spread, Africa, specifically sub-Saharan Africa, is the most affected by this malaise. Poor living conditions and inadequate access to sanitation and potable water supplies are among contributing factors that have influenced a high disease burden on the continent, requiring extensive antimicrobials. Weak health systems and the absence of firm policies further aggravate the problem, as the use of antimicrobials is mostly unregulated. The increasing demand for animal protein to meet the starving populations’ demands has also influenced the use of these antimicrobials, including those banned on other continents, for food animal production. The ripple effect of indiscriminate use in humans and animals is the massive discharge of antimicrobials, their residues, antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms and their associated genes into the environment.  This 14-chapter unique masterpiece presents the AMR problem in African, addressing the various compartments of the One Health – humans, animals, and the environment, to illustrate the need for concerted efforts in the fight against AMR, especially in Africa. Authors from the four cardinal points present diverse aspects of AMR in Africa, starting with behavioural and social drivers of AMR in Africa. Antimicrobial stewardship in an African context is also discussed. AMR in humans is presented through studies on antibiotic-resistant neonates and nontyphoidal Salmonella infections and the clinical relevance of the genetics of viral resistance. Topics on AMR in mastitis, biosecurity in animal farming and the linkage between disinfectants and AMR are discussed. The environmental dimension of AMR is discussed, notably in the aquatic environment, and its implication for aquaculture and irrigation and using nanomaterials to treat polluted waters from such environments are highlighted. Finally, Africa’s rich floral diversity is portrayed as an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach to combat AMR. Hopefully, the work presented will spur greater collaboration between scientists, environmental, animal and human health practitioners, the general population, and policymakers to assimilate and implement the One Health approach to combating AMR, rather than working in silos on their various sectors

This widely used text provides a clear and critical summary of research approaches to the epidemiological study of workplace hazards. It describes the historical development of occupational epidemiology, methods for characterizing occupational exposures, and techniques for designing and implementing epidemiologic studies in this area. The relative strengths and limitations of various study designs for investigating specific health outcomes are emphasized. Also included are more advanced discussions of statistical analysis, exposure and dose modeling, and subsequent applications of data derived from epidemiologic research, as in meta-analysis, pooled analysis, and statistical analysis, exposure and dose modeling, and risk assessment. Since the first edition was published 15 years ago, there have been numerous advances in epidemiologic methods to accommodate a broadened scope of investigations of occupational exposures and associated adverse health outcomes. Thus, in this Second Edition the authors have updated their discussions of methodology to include such topics as case-cohort and case-crossover designs and statistical analysis of repeated measures data, and have expanded the examples they use throughout the book to demonstrate the applications of these methods to a wide range of acute and chronic health outcomes. They have also added a new chapter on occupational health sureillance. Their text is unique for its strong emphasis on the definition and assessment of exposures, the application of quantitative exposure data to epidemiologic models, and the recognition that improvements in workplace risk identification and quantification will come from careful integration of theseapproaches. This fine volume will serve both as a textbook for courses on occupational epidemiology and as a practical handbook of the design, implementation, and evaluation of research in this field.

Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are the leading cause of worker impairment, disability, compensation costs and loss of productivity in industrialized countries. The aging of the workforce and the increased diffusion of physically demanding jobs contribute to the widespread concern about musculoskeletal disorders.
The effective prevention of work related musculoskeletal disorders needs a multidisciplinary approach, drawing together experience from backgrounds in engineering, mechanics, physiology, occupational medicine and psychology; all considered in the context of ergonomics.
This book is a collection of lectures on both back and upper limb musculoskeletal disorders presented at an International Course sponsored by the Nordic Institute for Advanced Training in Occupational Health (NIVA), and the University of Bologna in September 1999. The lectures were given by renowned international researchers on the subject and therefore the book provides a comprehensive overview of all critical issues related to musculoskeletal disorders at work. The book forms an update to the latest research in the field and will interest a wide range of professionals and researchers in ergonomics as well as in the fields from which the material is drawn.
The book covers the main topics addressed in dealing with occupational ergonomics including:
* occupational biomechanics
* physiology
* epidemiology
* psychosocial issues
* medical diagnosis and management
* ergonomic solutions


eBook available with sample pages: 0203484916

Malaria causes more death and disease than any other parasitic pathogen known today. This multiauthored text covers the important areas of malaria research, particularly focusing on those sectors which are of clinical importance for the understanding of the disease, the parasite, and its vector.
The chapter authors are all leading experts within their own particular fields. The biology and molecular biology of the parasite, the clinical spectrum of the disease, the pathogenesis of malaria, and the immunology and emergence of malaria vaccines are some examples of the scientific spheres that are discussed.
The book is suitable as a text for graduate students and clinicians as well as researchers at universities and companies involved in treating or studying infectious diseases.

Contains papers presented at the Third International Symposium on Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering (1997), which provide evidence that computer-based models, and in particular numerical methods, are becoming essential tools for the solution of many problems encountered in the field of biomedical engineering. The range of subject areas presented include the modeling of hip and knee joint replacements, assessment of fatigue damage in cemented hip prostheses, nonlinear analysis of hard and soft tissue, methods for the simulation of bone adaptation, bone reconstruction using implants, and computational techniques to model human impact. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering also details the application of numerical techniques applied to orthodontic treatment together with introducing new methods for modeling and assessing the behavior of dental implants, adhesives, and restorations.
For more information, visit the "http: //www.uwcm.ac.uk/biorome/international symposium on Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering/home page, or "http: //www.gbhap.com/Computer_Methods_Biomechanic s_Biome dical_Engineering/" the home page for the journal.

Current radiation protection standards are based upon the application of the linear no-threshold (LNT) assumption, which considers that even very low doses of ionizing radiation can cause cancer. The radiation hormesis hypothesis, by contrast, proposes that low-dose ionizing radiation is beneficial. In this book, the author examines all facets of radiation hormesis in detail, including the history of the concept and mechanisms, and presents comprehensive, up-to-date reviews for major cancer types. It is explained how low-dose radiation can in fact decrease all-cause and all-cancer mortality and help to control metastatic cancer. Attention is also drawn to biases in epidemiological research when using the LNT assumption. The author shows how proponents of the LNT assumption consistently reject, manipulate, and deliberately ignore an overwhelming abundance of published data and falsely claim that no reliable data are available at doses of less than 100 mSv.

Many business leaders do not take care of their health. Each chapter of this interactive manual explores an aspect of the health and vitality of the modern business leader, and provides solutions based on up-to-date medical science and more than 20 years' experience at INSEAD with more than 75,000 corporate executives.

More than 30-year operational satellite data have already been used for monitoring land, ocean and atmosphere. These applications have contributed to improve sustainable economy, produce healthy environment and enhance human life. The Advanced Research Workshop sponsored by NATO and organized by the USA's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Ukrainian's Space Agency bring the scientists with the most mature research designed for practical use. The goals were to select those which is used for services today and identify the areas to expand research and services. Scientific and application results of the Workshop presented in this book can be used today in agriculture, forestry, water resources, healthy coastal life and fisheries, climate and land cover change, anthropogenic activities and others. The presented papers provide information on how to use operational satellites and in situ measurements for early detection of large-scale droughts, floods and fires, diagnose crop and pasture annual losses, predict periods with health/unhealthy vegetation based on such climate forcing events as ENSO, monitor air quality and geomagnetic activities, assess land cover trends in responce to global warming etc. The available satellite/ground information and method is currently warn with a lead time sufficient to respond, recover and protect.

The volumes that comprise Chemical Sensitivity are the first major scientific books to be published on chemical sensitivity, a growing world-wide health problem. These volumes present clinical experiences in diagnosing and treating chemical sensitivity in over 20,000 patients under controlled conditions.

Chemical Sensitivity is the first major scientific book series on chemical sensitivity, an increasingly important worldwide health problem. This four-volume series features results from the study of more than 20,000 environmentally sensitive patients at the Environmental Health Center (EHC) in Dallas. Results from the study at EHC are supplemented by information accumulated from the treatment and study of an estimated 100,000 patients by other environmentally oriented physicians and scientists around the world.

This book discusses a wide range of health-related mining issues, with particular reference to occupational diseases, metal toxicity, postural injuries in miners, modern fire safety controls, noise-induced hearing loss prevention, and noise mapping. Mining plays a central role in the development of modern civilization. By providing the essential raw materials, mining ensures progress, safety, and comfort of people. However, this necessary activity comes with several woes, the most important of which are occupational health hazards. Mines act as sources of constant danger and risk to the miners irrespective of the scale of mining, such as large-scale industrial mining or small-scale artisanal mining. Not only are there accidents, but continuous exposure to dust, metal toxicity, hazardous gases and fumes, and loud noises, giving rise to a variety of diseases to mine workers. The comprehensive coverage of issues and the case studies will make this book an essential reference and critical reading. Medical geology is a necessary discipline in earth sciences. Unfortunately, not much literature is available on this subject. Therefore, this book is essential for practicing engineers and supervisors in mines, health and safety professionals, researchers, and mining industry students.

The World Health Organization's recently published Global Report on Drowning found that drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide-making the information presented in this new book an important part of the global effort to reduce this health risk. Written by leading researchers and academics from around the world, The Science of Beach Lifeguarding focuses on the scientific evidence that underpins what is taught to and practised by beach lifeguards. It is the first book to pull together all the different areas involved in beach lifeguarding and evaluate their evidence base. An accessible and informative reference underpinned by the best current research, the book's key themes cover the context of beach lifeguarding, the physical environment in which lifeguards work, medical aspects, practical lifeguarding techniques, physiological standards for lifeguards, safety education, and future developments in beach lifeguarding. The book presents groundbreaking work quantifying the scientific rationale behind a universally accepted fitness standard. It supplies an in-depth examination of the risks and hazards associated with the beach environment, including rip currents and cold water immersion. The book includes a state-of-the-art review of drowning and a comprehensive chapter on first aid. Detailing the recently announced 2015 European Resuscitation Council Guidelines, this book is a must-have for beach lifeguards, beach lifeguard managers, search and rescue personnel, paramedics, sports scientists, health and safety practitioners, and occupational health practitioners.

The probability for exposure to damaging radiation, toxic chemicals in the environment and adverse biological agents has increased exponentially today. The more frequent and faster travel that we experience today also escalates the risk of contraction and transmission of potentially deadly infections. This has created a very real and escalating risk for injuries and deaths. This is accentuated in the military and medical staff that is more frequently exposed to radiological, chemical, and biological agents in their normal working environment. Understanding the mechanisms whereby these toxic agents inflict damage to our bodies is essential to prepare us for these challenges. Much of the damage is inflicted through the generation of free radicals and non-radical oxidants which then act through oxidative mechanisms to injury the body. This volume will discuss the damage caused by these radiological, chemical, and biological environmental stressors, the mechanisms through which the damage can occur and the novel strategies that can be used to reduce the injury inflicted by these toxic compounds. Using basic and clinical research approaches, the contents of this book discuss new ideas for the development of bioactive products and environmental approaches to lessen or negate the biological damage inflicted by these noxious compounds.

A comprehensive overview of the effects of trichloroethylene toxicity caused by real-life exposure levels highlighting how exposure to trichloroethylene may contribute to the etiology of several idiopathic human diseases. Discussion will focus on different kinds of modeling and how they may be used to predict functional consequences and to dissect the contribution of different mechanistic pathways, including potential mechanisms of action for trichloroethylene toxicity in different organ systems. It will explore the role of epigenetic alterations in trichloroethylene toxicity, this provides important mechanistic information and may also provide the basis for intervention therapy. Chapters will also explain how the risks from trichloroethylene exposure may be greater in certain populations based on genetic predisposition, age of exposure and co-exposure to other chemicals With contributions from international experts in the field, Trichloroethylene: Toxicity and Health Risks is an essential resource for researchers and clinicians in toxicology, immunology, medicine and public health as well as industry and government regulatory scientists involved in safety and health protection and epidemiologists, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary cooperation in solving issues of environmental toxicity.

This contributed volume, based on papers presented at a conference held in Zimbabwe in mid-2021, interrogates solutions to COVID-19-related problems and issues across agricultural, environmental and water sectors in Zimbabwe and assesses their scientific, economic and practical validity. Across 19 chapters, this volume unpacks the science, economics and politics of the pandemic with a focus on understanding its secondary and tertiary impact on Zimbabwe's population. The volume is also dedicated to understanding the practical and policy-oriented approaches in tackling the pandemic and confronting the "new normal" of COVID-19. It brings together researchers, development practitioners and policy makers from various disciplines in an endeavour to understand COVID-19 trends and analyse the scientific options for mitigation, containment, innovation and ultimately pre-empt the possible emergence and impacts of other pandemics in the future

This innovative volume introduces Twinley's concept of 'The Dark Side of Occupation'. Focused on less explored and under-addressed occupations, it is an idea which challenges traditional assumptions around the positive, beneficial, health-promoting relationship between occupation and health. Emphasising that people's individual experiences of occupations are not always addressed and may not always be legal, socially acceptable, or conducive to good health, the book investigates how these experiences can be explored theoretically, in practice and research, and in curriculum content for those learning about occupation. Beginning with a discussion of some assumptions and misunderstandings that have been made about the concept, the substantive chapters present and analyse tangible examples of the concept's applicability. This ground-breaking and practice-changing text provides ideas for future research and highlights contemporary, internationally relevant issues and concerns, such as the coronavirus pandemic. This book is an essential purchase for students in occupational therapy and science, and valuable supplementary reading for practitioners. It is also relevant to a wide interdisciplinary audience with an interest in human occupation, encompassing anthropologists, councillors, criminologists, nurses, and human geographers.

The book utilises the Five Ways to Well-being as a model: Connect, Be Active, Keep Learning, Give, Take Notice. Each of these Ways are explored through a specific museum object illustrating the important role collections can play in museum well-being. The book considers how museum well-being, and the austerity project became entwined, and how the COVID-19 pandemic supercharged growth in this field. The book explores such diverse topics as walking, slow art, social capital, Virginia Woolf, body positivity, collective joy, identity, art therapy, yoga, Squid Game, Effective Altruism, mindfulness, gift exchange, the Preston model, the limits of data, sketching, photography, inclusive spaces, and workplace well-being. The book signposts a vast array of existing information, and offers a critical engagement with current practices. Museums and Well-being is aimed initially to students of museum studies programmes, it is also an ideal book for a museum staff who needs to add a well-being component to their existing programming; or to reconsider existing programming from the perspective of well-being.

Species of aspergilli are common in man's environment and are responsible for a wide spectrum of human and animal disease, ranging in animals from mycotic abortion to aflatoxicosis and in humans from localized colonization of the ear or skin to life-threatening systemic infection of neutropenic patients. In recent times, invasive aspergillosis has become increasingly important as a cause of morbidity and death, initially in patients receiving immunosuppression prior to organ transplantation, and latterly in haematologic patients rendered neutropenic by underlying disease or chemotherapy. In some centres, the condition has been recorded in more than 40% of patients dying with acute leukaemia. Laboratory diagnostic procedures are not always helpful and the diagnosis depends largely on clinical parameters. The clinician is faced with yet another problem, that of management. At present, antifungal therapy of invasive aspergillosis can be largely ineffectual, and the mortality rate remains unacceptably high. Since Aspergillus fumigatus was first described almost 125 years ago, several other pathogenic species have been recognized. The marked biosynthetic abilities and varied mechanisms of gene recombination of aspergilli have long commanded attention in food technology and genetics. Their equally varied abilities to cause disease have attracted the interest of toxicologists, allergists and physicians concerned with infectious diseases.

Planetary health involves complex spatial-temporal interactions among agents, hosts, and earth environment. Due to rapid technical development of geomatics, including geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) in the era of big data analytics, therefore, earth data analytics has become one of the important approaches for monitoring earth surface process and measuring of the effects of environment changes on all humans and other living organisms on earth. Various methods in earth data analytics, including spatial-temporal statistics, spatial evolutionary algorithms, remote sensing image analysis, wireless geo-sensors, and location-based analytics, are an emerging discipline in understanding complex interactions in planetary health. This edited book provides a broad focus on methodological theories of earth data analytics and their applications to measuring the process of planetary health, with the goal to build scientific understanding on how geospatial analytics can provide valuable insights in measuring environmental risks in Southeast Asian regions. It is collection of selected papers covering both theoretical and empirical studies focusing on topics relevant to spatial perspectives on planetary health and environmental exposure studies. The book is written for senior undergraduates, graduate students, lecturers, and researchers in applications of geospatial technologies for public health and environmental studies.