Risk Assessment for Dermal Exposure of Organochlorine Pesticides for Local Fishermen in the Rangsit Agricultural Area,Central Thailand

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) used in agriculture and for public health purposes were banned in Thailand over the past decade; however, their persistent residues have been found in several agricultural areas of the country. This may result in adverse effects to human populations. This study investigated the concentration of organochlorine pesticides residues (OCPRs) in surface water and evaluated the potential cancer risk associated with dermal contact of the local fisherman fishing in the Khlong 7 canal, Rangsit agricultural area, central Thailand. Water samples were extracted using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and then analyzed by gas chromatography with microelectron capture detector (μ -ECD). The results show that low concentrations of OCPRs were detected in parts per billion (ppb or ng/ml) levels, that is, ∑ Endosulfan (α -, β -, and -sulfate) 0.082 ng/ml > DDT and derivatives 0.019 ng/ml > ∑ HCH (α -, γ -, β -, and δ -HCH) 0.014 ng/ml > aldrin and dieldrin 0.007 ng/ml > heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide 0.0068 ng/ml > endrin and endrin aldehyde 0.005 ng/ml > methoxychlor 0.001 ng/ml, respectively. Using the worst-case scenario defined as the reasonable maximum exposure (RME) to assess the potential cancer risk, five OCPs (dieldrin, 4,4′ -DDT, β -HCH, heptachlor, and heptachlor epoxide) may pose a risk of concern on a lifetime human carcinogenesis greater than one in a million.     

Laypeople's Health Concerns and Health Beliefs in Regard to Risk Perception of Mobile Communication

The consensus scientific view is that there is an absence of convincing scientific evidence for health risks of exposures to electromagnetic fields (EMF) at levels below those recommended in international guidelines. Nevertheless, some citizens are worried about EMF emitted by mobile communication and its consequences for health. The present study explored, by means of a mail survey, health concerns and the prevalence of health beliefs related to EMF in the general population. A random sample (n = 765, response rate 41%) of the German-speaking population in Switzerland was asked to assess various health beliefs. Results suggest that health concerns are widespread but lower than health concerns in regard to other hazards. About two-thirds of the respondents believed that some people suffer from electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS). Health beliefs items were analyzed using the Mokken scale. This scale was related to respondents' health concerns and showed that health beliefs differed in regard to sociodemographic variables. For example, analyses showed that females, younger respondents, and respondents who believed that some people are affected by EHS endorsed significantly more health beliefs than males, older respondents, and non-EHS respondents. Results indicate that it is important for policy-makers to develop a clear understanding of the possible effects of health beliefs on health concerns and risk perception. These findings may provide guidance for the further development of information materials and strategies.     

Ecological Risk Assessment of Organochlorine Pesticides in Surface Waters of Lake Taihu,China

The residues of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface waters from Meiliang Bay, Gonghu Bay, and Xukou Bay of Lake Taihu, China, were investigated, and their ecological risks were assessed using the risk quotient method and probabilistic risk assessment. Environmental concentrations of OCPs in surface water of these bays were relatively lower compared with other rivers or lakes in China. Calculation of risk quotient associated with taxonomic groups indicates moderate ecological risks from OCPs for crustaceans and insects in these bays, while the ecological risks were low for fish and negligible for phytoplankton. The ecological risk quotients associated with individual OCPs were lower than 0.01 in these bays, suggesting a negligible risk to aquatic organisms. Ecological risk from α-HCH was relatively lower compared with DDTs, endosulfans, and γ-HCH. The combined ecological risks were evaluated using probabilistic risk assessment for only eight OCPs owing to a lack of available toxicity data for β-HCH and δ-HCH. The percentage of species with the potential to be at risk from mixture of OCPs was lower than the criteria of 5% in each bay, indicating that the combined ecological risks were acceptable.     

Risk Perception and Energy Production

Mean risk magnitude judgments expressed by Belgian and French students on 107 items combining a particular energy domain (wood and biomass, coal, gas, oil, nuclear, water, wind, geothermal and solar) and a particular aspect of the energy production process (obtaining raw materials, storage of raw materials, transport of raw materials, energy production, waste products related to energy production, energy transport, waste products transport, waste products storage, utilization of energy) are reported, and analyzed. Questions were of the form: What is the level of risk (for health and the environment) associated with the item “Electrical energy production by thermodynamic conversion”? Concerning energy domains, nuclear energy received the highest ratings, almost regardless of the aspect of the energy production process considered (from the extraction of raw materials to the storage of production wastes). This was followed by oil, obtaining the next highest ratings after those for nuclear energy, then gas, considered more risky than biomass and coal. The brand image of these two latter energy sources would be almost as positive as that of water, solar, geothermal and wind energy if a solution could be found to the problem of atmospheric emission of carbon monoxide. Concerning production process aspects, waste products (as well as the transport and storage of waste) received the highest ratings. This is not unrelated to the fact that the vast majority of studies devoted to a particular area or particular aspect have concerned nuclear waste. In contrast, no very high degree of concern was found regarding the energy (electrical) transport aspect.     

Beyond the Hazard: The Role of Beliefs in Health Risk Perception

This article addresses how beliefs about health risks cluster and how these relate to perceptions of risk among Canadians. A principal components analysis conducted on items reflecting various beliefs from the Canadian National Health Risk Perception Survey extracted four underlying dimensions: Cancer Dread, Trust in Regulators, Environmental Concern, and Personal Agency. Factor scores were then used to investigate relationships between belief factors and the perceived health risk of various hazards with gender, education, income, and province of residence as covariates. Environmental and Therapeutic health risk perceptions were significantly higher in respondents with high Cancer Dread and high Environmental Concern, but lower in respondents with high Trust in Regulators. Environmental health risk perceptions were lower in respondents with high Personal Agency, whereas Social health risk perceptions were higher in respondents with high Cancer Dread and Personal Agency. Results suggest that information about health risk–related beliefs can be useful in improving our understanding of the public's perceived risk of health hazards.     

DDT and HCH (Organochlorine Pesticides) in Residential Soils and Health Assessment for Human Populations in Korba,India

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), and their isomers’ levels in residential soils were determined for the assessment of health risk in Korba, India. Observed concentrations of total HCH and total DDT in soils were more or less comparable with other parts of India and the world. ΣHCH and ΣDDT concentrations ranged between 0.9–20 μg kg^?1 and 2–315 μg kg^?1, respectively, which were lower than recommended soil quality guidelines indicating low ecotoxicological risk. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic impacts of HCH and DDT on human populations through soil ingestion were evaluated and presented. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for adults and children ranged between 7.8 × 10^?10–1.6 × 10^?7 and 4.1 × 10^?9–8.2 × 10^?7, respectively. Non-cancer health hazard quotient (HQ) ranged between 5.9 × 10^?7–1.8 × 10^?3 and 3.1 × 10^?6–9.4 × 10^?3, respectively, for adults and children. The estimated ILCR and HQ were within the safe acceptable limits of 10^?6–10^?4 and ≤1.0, respectively, indicating low risk to human populations from exposure to organochlorine pesticides (HCH and DDT) in the study area.     

Societal Risk Perception in Present Day Russia

The study analyzed new information regarding the way in which present day Russians (living in Moscow or Tula) perceive societal risks. The main concerns of Russians in year 2003 were essentially the same ones that were identified in previous studies conducted on Western samples: violence, sex, and addiction-type hazards received the highest risk ratings. Women's mean risk judgments were systematically higher than men's mean judgments, and older participants' mean judgments were higher than younger participants' mean judgments regarding domestic hazards. Technically trained people perceived higher societal risk than people with training in the humanities, but the difference between people with technical training and people trained in the humanities was more accentuated among younger people than among the elderly. Also, men living in Tula perceived themselves as less exposed to risks of violence than women living in Tula and both men and women living in Moscow.     

Inter- and Intra-Species Extrapolation in Risk Assessment of Different Classes of Pesticides

Risk assessors routinely use the reference dose (RfD) approach for non-cancer risk assessment. In this approach, No-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level (NOAEL) is divided by the product of uncertainty factors (UFs) and, occasionally, an additional modifying factor (MF), each usually employed by default as factors of 10. In the present investigation, kinetic and dynamic data have been used in order to reduce uncertainties when establishing exposure guidelines for examples of chemicals representing four classes of pesticides (warfarin, lindane, carbaryl and parathion). An intensive search of databases was conducted for these pesticides, and toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic parameters in inter- and intra-species were evaluated. The kinetic and dynamic subfactors were less than the proposed values of Renwick and the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS). The composite factors for all the examined pesticides were less than 100. The present study indicated that in setting exposure levels it is important to incorporate kinetic and dynamic data, as they become available, rather than rely on default uncertainty factors, which are imprecise in many cases.     

A Preliminary Human Health Risk Assessment of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues Associated with Aquatic Organisms from the Rangsit Agricultural Area,Central Thailand

Food consumption is one of the main routes of human exposure to organochlorine pesticide residues (OCPRs). To assess the potential health risks associated with OCPRs contaminants due to freshwater organism consumption, a number of vegetables, prawn, snail, and fish were collected from Khlong 7 (canal), Rangsit agricultural area, Pathum-Thani Province, Thailand. The samples were extracted using a multiresidue extraction method and then analyzed by gas chromatography with microelectron capture detector (μ -ECD). The results show that low concentrations of OCPRs were detected in parts per billion (ppb) levels. Based on a plausible worst-case scenario, the local population could be at risk for cancer due to consumption of fish contaminated by α -, β -HCH, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, dieldrin, DDD, DDE, and DDT. Likewise, individuals may be at risk from consumption of Lanchester's freshwater prawn Macrobrachium lanchesteri, freshwater snail Filopaludina mertensi, swamp morning-glory Ipomomea aquatica, neptunia Neptunia oleracea, and water lily Nymphaea lotus because these species all contained elevated concentrations of α -, β -HCH, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, and dieldrin.     

Organophosphate Pesticide Residues in Drinking Water from Artesian Wells and Health Risk Assessment of Agricultural Communities,Thailand

Organophosphate pesticide (OPPs) concentrations in artesian wells located in Thai agricultural and non-agricultural communities were studied during both wet and dry seasons. A total of 100 water samples were collected and subjects were asked to complete a survey. Gas chromatography flame photometric detector was used for OPP analysis. The average OPP concentration in the agricultural communities (0.085 and 0.418 μg/l in dry and wet season) was higher than in the non-agricultural communities (0.004 μg/l in both seasons). Ingestion of OPPs in contaminated water in the agricultural communities were estimated to be 0.187 and 0.919 μg/day during the dry and wet seasons, respectively, and 0.008 μg/day during both seasons in the non-agricultural communities. Agricultural communities were exposed to pesticide residues under the oral chronic reference dose. This study suggests that people in agricultural communities may be exposed to significantly greater levels of pesticides than non-agricultural populations during the dry and wet seasons (p < .001, .001).     

Cross-National Validation of an Eight-Factor Model of Societal Risk Perception

This study cross-nationally tested an eight-factor model of societal risk perception. The factors in the model were: Common individual hazards, Pollutants, Energy production and public transportation, Outdoor activities, Sex, deviance and addictions, Medical care, Weapons, and Psychotropic drugs. Using confirmatory factor analyses, the model was tested on a sample of Greek students and on a sample of French students, and was shown to satisfactorily account for the data in both samples. This model may be considered as a potentially useful tool for studying cross-national as well as individual differences (e.g., age, gender, worldviews or personality) in risk perception. Future studies are needed to determine: (a) whether this model applies to samples composed of persons of different ages or composed of persons from non-Western countries and (b) whether this model could be usefully expanded with one or more factors.     

Risk Literacy and Risk Perception Among Undergraduates in Mainland China: The Case of BSE

Risk response and cognitive characteristics of different groups are important aspects in risk research. In this article we discuss the general features of risk literacy and perception among undergraduates at Nanjing University and Huaiyin Institute of Technology in China in the case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The results show that: (1) there seem to be no relationships between respondents’ knowledge about BSE and their risk identification; (2) between all contrast samples, the greatest divergence appears in the judgment about probability of risk while the smallest one is the trust in science and technology to avoid BSE; (3) the judgment of hazard probability would be related to gender, family location, and the backgrounds of college and academic specialty. And only gender has impact on the affirmation of hazard with a significant level of 0.05. These findings provide insights into the comprehension of undergraduates’ risk literacy and perception, and can contribute to the improvement of risk communication and management in China.     

Environmental Health Risk Perception of a Nationwide Sample of Taiwan College Students Majoring in Engineering and Health Sciences

The present study aims to characterize Taiwan college students’ risk perception on 26 environmental health hazards, and to identify influential factors contributing to their perceived risk. A total of 1218 nationwide college students and 35 professors participated in the study. Despite their varying demographic background, the students on average show very similar perceived relative risks, particularly for hazards of high-rank risk. Aggregate-level data analyses show that the perceived risk of a hazard increases with its increasing dreadfulness, but decreases with its increasing unknown to the participants. On the other hand, the factors contributing to the perceived risk by an individual are more complex. The dread component is the dominant factor affecting both the students’ and professors’ perceived risk. However, unlike the students, the professors’ perceived risk is also strongly driven by considerations for the exposure characteristics, the uncontrollable nature, and the newness of a hazard. It is notable that, for certain hazards, the perception gaps between the students and professors are substantial, thus highlighting areas of interest for additional risk communication efforts.     

Organophosphorus and Organochlorine Pesticides Bioaccumulation by Eichhornia crassipes in Irrigation Canals in an Urban Agricultural System

A natural wetland in Mexico City Metropolitan Area is one of the main suppliers of crops and flowers, and in consequence its canals hold a high concentration of organochlorine (OC) and organophosphorus (OP) pesticides. There is also an extensive population of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), which is considered a plague; but literature suggests water hyacinth may be used as a phytoremediator. This study demonstrates bioaccumulation difference for the OC in vivo suggesting their bioaccumulation is ruled by their log K_ow, while all the OP showed bioaccumulation regardless of their log K_ow. The higher bioaccumulation factors (BAF) of the accumulated OC pesticides cannot be explained by their log K_ow, suggesting that the OC pesticides may also be transported passively into the plant. Translocation ratios showed that water hyacinth is an accumulating plant with phytoremediation potential for all organophosphorus pesticides studied and some organochlorine pesticides. An equation for free water surface wetlands with floating macrophytes, commonly used for the construction of water-cleaning wetlands, showed removal of the pesticides by the wetland with room for improvement with appropriate management.     

Americans' Nanotechnology Risk Perception:

Although proposed nanotechnology applications hold great promise, little is known about the potential associated risks. This lack of clarity on the level of risk associated with nanotechnology has forced people to make decisions about consumption with incomplete information. A national random digit dialing telephone survey (N= 1014) was conducted in the United States to assess knowledge of nanotechnology and perception of risk in August 2006. This investigation looks critically at individuals' responses to questions about the balance of risks and benefits of nanotechnology, both at the outset of the survey and after respondents were given a brief introduction to the potential benefits and risks of the technology. Models were created to characterzise respondents who said they did not know how nanotechnology's risks and benefits balanced in the “preinformation” condition but who, in the postinformation condition, had a different opinion. Respondents who were highly educated, members of the Republican Party, or male were more likely to switch from “don't know” in the preinformation condition to “benefits outweigh risks” in the postinformation condition, whereas respondents who were less educated, members of the Democratic Party, or female were more likely to switch from “don't know” in the preinformation condition to “risks outweigh benefits” in the postinformation condition. This is the first study to our knowledge to develop a significant model of nanotechnology risk perception change, specifically with regard to gender differences. The power of information provision to sway opinions is also supported, highlighting the importance of developing educational efforts targeting vulnerable populations.     

Societal Risk Perception in Arab Countries: The Case of Kuwait

The study was aimed at examining data on risk perception from an Arab country—Kuwait—in order to support the existence of an Arab group as regards the way hazards are perceived. The data were gathered in 2003 and 2004 on two Kuwaiti samples of young adults and adolescents. The questionnaire used was the one used in studies conducted in Egypt and France. It comprised 141 items. The overall mean value observed in the Kuwaiti sample was close to the one found in the Egyptian sample. The linear association between Kuwaiti and French ratings was moderate (0.70) and of the same magnitude as the one found between Egyptian and French ratings. The association between Kuwaiti and Egyptian ratings was greater (0.90). In 80% of the hazards, the specific differences observed between the Kuwaiti and French ratings were the same as the ones observed between Egyptian and French ratings. The whole set of findings supports the hypothesis that Kuwaitis and Egyptians, despite huge differences in the socioeconomic environments in which they live, perceive societal risks in a common way, a way that is different from the way Western Europeans perceive them.     

Organochlorine Pesticides in Sediments around Chaohu Lake: Concentration Levels and Vertical Distribution

Eighteen organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were investigated in surface sediments from the Nanfei River and in four sediment cores from the primary estuaries of Chaohu Lake, Eastern China. The results indicate that the OCP concentrations in the surface and core sediments around Chaohu Lake were 3.48–121.08 (with a mean of 34.93) ng/g and 0.60–39.28 (7.07) ng/g, respectively. Significantly higher concentrations of ΣOCPs were observed in sediment samples from the Nanfei River and its estuary. The three important OCP contributors around Chaohu Lake were dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), which originated primarily from the historical use of technical DDTs and HCHs. A principal component analysis (PCA) suggests that HCB and lindane may originate from the same sources, and DDTs were greatly influenced by organic carbon from the soil environment and the impact of urbanization processes.     

有机氯农药在东方白鹳和白鹤羽毛中的残留分析

2007年5月,采集合肥野生动物园采集东方白鹳(Ciconia boyciana)及白鹤(Grus leucogeranus)的胸部廓羽、飞羽及尾羽样品共51枚,用气相色谱法分别检测其中的op’-DDT、pp’-DDD、pp’-DDE、pp’-DDT、α-六六六、β-六六六、γ-六六六、δ-六六六及六氯苯9种有机氯农药的残留量。检测结果发现,pp’-DDD、pp’-DDE、pp’-DDT、β-六六六、δ-六六六5种有机氯农药在东方白鹳和白鹤羽毛中都有不同程度的检出,其中pp’-DDD的残留量最高,在东方白鹳的廓羽、飞羽和尾羽中的平均残留量分别达到0.8936、0.8353和0.7516μg/g干重,在白鹤的廓羽、飞羽和尾羽中的平均残留量分别达到0.5685、0.5077和0.4657μg/g干重;pp’-DDD和pp’-DDT在两种鸟胸部廓羽、飞羽及尾羽间的残留量无显著差异;pp’-DDD在东方白鹳飞羽和尾羽中的残留量显著高于白鹤。