The association between perceived discriminations and well-being in Korean employed workers: the 4th Korean working conditions survey

Abstract

Background

Around the globe, discrimination has emerged as a social issue requiring serious consideration. From the perspective of public health, the impact of discrimination on the health of affected individuals is a subject of great importance. On the other hand, subjective well-being is a key indicator of an individual's physical, mental, and social health. The present study aims to analyze the relationship between Korean employed workers' subjective health and their exposure to perceived discrimination.

Methods

The Fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS, 2014) was conducted on a representative sample of the economically active population aged 15 years or older, who were either employees or self-employed at the time of interview. After removing inconsistent data, 32,984 employed workers were examined in this study. The data included general and occupational characteristics, perceived discrimination, and well-being. Well-being was measured through the WHO-Five index (1998 version). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between perceived discrimination and well-being.

Result

As a group, employed workers who were exposed to discrimination had a significantly higher likelihood of "poor well-being" than their counterparts who were not exposed to discrimination. More specifically, the workers exposed to age discrimination had an odds ratio(OR) of 1.51 (95% CI: 1.36–1.68), workers exposed to discrimination based on educational attainment had an OR of 1.43 (95% CI: 1.26–1.61), and workers exposed to discrimination based on employment type had an OR of 1.68 (95% CI: 1.48–1.91) with respect to poor well-being.

Furthermore, workers exposed to a greater number of discriminatory incidents were also at a higher risk of "poor well-being" than their counterparts who were exposed to fewer such incidents. More specifically, the workers with three exposures to discrimination had an OR of 2.60 (95% CI: 1.92–3.53), the workers with two such exposures had an OR of 1.69 (95% CI: 1.44–1.99), and the workers with one such exposure had an OR of 1.32 (95% CI: 1.20–1.45).

Conclusion

The present study found that discrimination based on age, educational attainment, or employment type put workers at a higher risk of "poor well-being," and that the greater the exposure to discrimination, the higher the risk of poor well-being.

from Enviromental via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2yket3B

A case of generalized argyria presenting with muscle weakness

Abstract

Background

Argyria is a rare irreversible cutaneous pigmentation disorder caused by prolonged exposure to silver. Herein, we report a case of generalized argyria that developed after chronic ingestion of soluble silver-nano particles and presented with muscle weakness.

Case presentation

A 74-year-old woman visited our emergency room, complaining of fever and mental deterioration. She was diagnosed with acute pyelonephritis and recovered after antibiotic therapy. At presentation, diffuse slate gray-bluish pigmented patches were noticed on her face and nails. Two months prior to visiting our hospital, she was diagnosed with inflammatory myopathy and given steroid therapy at another hospital. We performed a nerve conduction study that revealed polyneuropathy. In skin biopsies from pigmented areas of the forehead and nose, the histopathologic results showed brown-black granules in basement membranes of sweat gland epithelia, which are diagnostic findings of argyria. We reviewed pathology slides obtained from the left thigh muscles and found markedly degenerated myofibers with disorganization of myofibrils without inflammatory reactions, consistent with unspecified myopathy, rather than inflammatory myopathy. The patient was diagnosed with generalized argyria with polyneuropathy and myopathy and transferred to a rehabilitation institution after being tapered off of steroids.

Conclusions

Clinicians should be aware of clinical manifestations of argyria and consider it in differential diagnosis when they examine patients who present with skin pigmentation and muscle weakness.

from Enviromental via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2fEHvPZ

Estimations of the lethal and exposure doses for representative methanol symptoms in humans

Abstract

Background

The aim of this review was to estimate the lethal and exposure doses of a representative symptom (blindness) of methanol exposure in humans by reviewing data from previous articles.

Methods

Available articles published from 1970 to 2016 that investigated the dose-response relationship for methanol exposure (i.e., the exposure concentration and the biological markers/clinical symptoms) were evaluated; the MEDLINE and RISS (Korean search engine) databases were searched. The available data from these articles were carefully selected to estimate the range and median of a lethal human dose. The regression equation and correlation coefficient (between the exposure level and urinary methanol concentration as a biological exposure marker) were assumed from the previous data.

Results

The lethal human dose of pure methanol was estimated at 15.8–474 g/person as a range and as 56.2 g/person as the median. The dose-response relationship between methanol vapor in ambient air and urinary methanol concentrations was thought to be correlated. An oral intake of 3.16–11.85 g/person of pure methanol could cause blindness. The lethal dose from respiratory intake was reported to be 4000–13,000 mg/l. The initial concentration of optic neuritis and blindness were shown to be 228.5 and 1103 mg/l, respectively, for a 12-h exposure.

Conclusion

The concentration of biological exposure indices and clinical symptoms for methanol exposure might have a dose-response relationship according to previous articles. Even a low dose of pure methanol through oral or respiratory exposure might be lethal or result in blindness as a clinical symptom.

from Enviromental via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2yjwleJ

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1166: Distance, Duration, and Velocity in Cycle Commuting: Analyses of Relations and Determinants of Velocity

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1166: Distance, Duration, and Velocity in Cycle Commuting: Analyses of Relations and Determinants of Velocity

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph14101166

Authors: Peter Schantz

Background: The distance, duration, and velocity of cycling for transport purposes are used in health economic assessments, epidemiological studies, traffic modelling, and planning. It is therefore of value to determine relevant levels for them, and analyze how they relate, as well as to what extent other relevant variables may affect cycling velocities. 1661 cycle commuters (34% males) in Greater Stockholm, Sweden have been studied for that purpose. Methods: The participants were recruited with advertisements. They received questionnaires and individually adjusted maps to draw their normal cycling route. Route distances were measured by a criterion method. Age, sex, weight, height, and cycling durations to work were self-reported. The commuting routes were positioned in relation to inner urban and/or suburban–rural areas. Linear multiple regression analyses were used. Results: Cycling speeds were positively related to commuting distances or durations, being male, of younger age, having higher body weight but lower body mass index (BMI), and using the last digits 1–4 or 6–9 in duration reports (as compared to 0 and 5), as well as cycling in suburban (versus inner urban) areas. Conclusions: The study provides new knowledge about how distance and duration, as well as other factors, relate to the velocity of commuter cycling. It thereby enables the use of more appropriate input values in, for instance, health economic assessments and epidemiological health studies.

from Enviromental via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2g4SeUk

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1167: Arsenic Removal from Groundwater by Solar Driven Inline-Electrolytic Induced Co-Precipitation and Filtration—A Long Term Field Test Conducted in West Bengal

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1167: Arsenic Removal from Groundwater by Solar Driven Inline-Electrolytic Induced Co-Precipitation and Filtration—A Long Term Field Test Conducted in West Bengal

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph14101167

Authors: Philipp Otter Pradyut Malakar Bana Jana Thomas Grischek Florian Benz Alexander Goldmaier Ulrike Feistel Joydev Jana Susmita Lahiri Juan Alvarez

Arsenic contamination in drinking water resources is of major concern in the Ganga delta plains of West Bengal in India and Bangladesh. Here, several laboratory and field studies on arsenic removal from drinking water resources were conducted in the past and the application of strong-oxidant-induced co-precipitation of arsenic on iron hydroxides is still considered as the most promising mechanism. This paper suggests an autonomous, solar driven arsenic removal setting and presents the findings of a long term field test conducted in West Bengal. The system applies an inline-electrolytic cell for in situ chlorine production using the natural chloride content of the water and by that substituting the external dosing of strong oxidants. Co-precipitation of As(V) occurs on freshly formed iron hydroxide, which is removed by Manganese Greensand Plus® filtration. The test was conducted for ten months under changing source water conditions considering arsenic (187 ± 45 µg/L), iron (5.5 ± 0.8 mg/L), manganese (1.5 ± 0.4 mg/L), phosphate (2.4 ± 1.3 mg/L) and ammonium (1.4 ± 0.5 mg/L) concentrations. Depending on the system setting removal rates of 94% for arsenic (10 ± 4 µg/L), >99% for iron (0.03 ± 0.03 mg/L), 96% for manganese (0.06 ± 0.05 mg/L), 72% for phosphate (0.7 ± 0.3 mg/L) and 84% for ammonium (0.18 ± 0.12 mg/L) were achieved—without the addition of any chemicals/adsorbents. Loading densities of arsenic on iron hydroxides averaged to 31 µgAs/mgFe. As the test was performed under field conditions and the here proposed removal mechanisms work fully autonomously, it poses a technically feasible treatment alternative, especially for rural areas.

from Enviromental via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2hHRYOZ

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1165: Tackling Complex Emergency Response Solutions Evaluation Problems in Sustainable Development by Fuzzy Group Decision Making Approaches with Considering Decision Hesitancy and Prioritization among Assessing Criteria

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1165: Tackling Complex Emergency Response Solutions Evaluation Problems in Sustainable Development by Fuzzy Group Decision Making Approaches with Considering Decision Hesitancy and Prioritization among Assessing Criteria

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph14101165

Authors: Xiao-Wen Qi Jun-Ling Zhang Shu-Ping Zhao Chang-Yong Liang

In order to be prepared against potential balance-breaking risks affecting economic development, more and more countries have recognized emergency response solutions evaluation (ERSE) as an indispensable activity in their governance of sustainable development. Traditional multiple criteria group decision making (MCGDM) approaches to ERSE have been facing simultaneous challenging characteristics of decision hesitancy and prioritization relations among assessing criteria, due to the complexity in practical ERSE problems. Therefore, aiming at the special type of ERSE problems that hold the two characteristics, we investigate effective MCGDM approaches by hiring interval-valued dual hesitant fuzzy set (IVDHFS) to comprehensively depict decision hesitancy. To exploit decision information embedded in prioritization relations among criteria, we firstly define an fuzzy entropy measure for IVDHFS so that its derivative decision models can avoid potential information distortion in models based on classic IVDHFS distance measures with subjective supplementing mechanism; further, based on defined entropy measure, we develop two fundamental prioritized operators for IVDHFS by extending Yager's prioritized operators. Furthermore, on the strength of above methods, we construct two hesitant fuzzy MCGDM approaches to tackle complex scenarios with or without known weights for decision makers, respectively. Finally, case studies have been conducted to show effectiveness and practicality of our proposed approaches.

from Enviromental via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2g3WnIm

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1168: Multi-Elements in Source Water (Drinking and Surface Water) within Five Cities from the Semi-Arid and Arid Region, NW China: Occurrence, Spatial Distribution and Risk Assessment

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1168: Multi-Elements in Source Water (Drinking and Surface Water) within Five Cities from the Semi-Arid and Arid Region, NW China: Occurrence, Spatial Distribution and Risk Assessment

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph14101168

Authors: Ting Wu Xiaoping Li Tao Yang Xuemeng Sun Howard Mielke Yue Cai Yuwei Ai Yanan Zhao Dongying Liu Xu Zhang Xiaoyun Li Lijun Wang Hongtao Yu

The purpose of this study was to identify the concentration of multi-elements (MEs) in source water (surface and drinking water) and assess their quality for sustainability. A total of 161 water samples including 88 tap drinking waters (DW) and 73 surface waters (SW) were collected from five cities in Xi'an, Yan'an, Xining, Lanzhou, and Urumqi in northwestern China. Eighteen parameters including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total organic carbon (TOC) total nitrogen (TN), chemical compositions of anions (F−, Cl−, NO3−,HCO3−, SO42−), cations (NH4+, K+, Na+, Ca2+,Mg2+), and metals (lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu)) were analyzed in the first time at the five cities . The results showed that pH values and concentrations of Cl−, SO42−, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Cd, Cr, Cu in DW were within the permissible limits of the Chinese Drinking Water Quality Criteria, whereas the concentrations of other ions (F−, NO3−, NH4+ and Pb) exceeded their permissible values. In terms of the SW, the concentrations of F−, Cl−, NO3−, SO42− were over the third range threshold i.e., water suitable for fishing and swimming of the Surface Water Quality Standards in China. The spatial distributions of most MEs in source water are similar, and there was no clear variation for all ions and metals. The metals in DW may be caused by water pipes, faucets and their fittings. The noncarcinogenic risk of metals in DW for local children are in decreasing order Cr > Cd > Pb > Cu. The carcinogenic risk from Cr exposure was at the acceptable level according to threshold of USEPA. Although the comprehensive index of potential ecological assessment of Cr, Cd, Pb and Cu in SW ranked at low risk level and was in the order of Huang River in Xining > Peaceful Canal in Urumqi > Yan River in Yan'an > Yellow River in Lanzhou, their adverse effects to ecology and human health at a low concentration in local semi-arid and arid areas should not be ignored in the long run.

from Enviromental via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2g4aYmU