Health Promotion ; methods ; Humans ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (U.S.) ; Occupational Health ; United States

OBJECTIVETo establish a method for rapid determination of organic fluorides in the air of a fluorine chemical plant using portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS).

METHODSStandard samples of monochlorodifluoromethane, tetrafluoroethylene, and hexafluoropropylene of different concentrations were prepared by static volumetric method with high-purity nitrogen as the diluent gas. The samples were injected into the GC-MS by a hand-held probe. Retention time and characteristic ion were used for qualitative analysis, and the area of selected ion peak was used for quantitative analysis. The standard curves were then created for quantitative determination of the three organic fluorides.

RESULTSThe linear ranges for monochlorodifluoromethane, tetrafluoroethylene, and hexafluoropropylene by the method were 0.39-7.72, 0.45-8.84, and 0.61-12.20 mg/m3, respectively, the average recovery rates for the three concentrations were 102.8%, 96.0%, and 106.5%, respectively, and the average deviations were 2.1%, 5.1%, and 2.4%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe portable GC-MS can be used for the simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of monochlorodifluoromethane, tetrafluoroethylene, and hexafluoropropylene in the workplace air, and the method is simple, fast, and accurate.

Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Chlorofluorocarbons, Methane ; analysis ; Fluorides ; analysis ; Fluorocarbons ; analysis ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Workplace

Objective To identify shortcomings in the current evaluation index system of medical quality. Methods The documentary analysis focused on the existing index system comprises the Hospital Management and Quality Evaluation Standards (2007) by China Hospital Association, Hospital Management Evaluation Guidelines (2005) by the Ministry of Health, and Implementation Rules of Hospital Management Evaluation Standards for Beijing (2007). JCI Accreditation Standards for Hospitals (edition 2) (2003), and New Hospital Accreditation Standards for Taiwan (2005, 2006) were referred to in the study. Results The shortcomings found include the weak operability of indexes, and the deficiency of evaluation indexes from the point of hospital visiting process by patients. Conclusion In view of the hospital visiting process of patients, add more indexes for patients' hospital visiting process,and quantize and highlight the operability of indexes, with summary and optimization of experiences in time by steps.

Objective To investigate the value of galactography in the diagnosis with nipple discharge.Methods 40 cases of galactography with nipple discharge proved by clinic and pathology were analyzed retrospectively.Results There were normal ducts in 7 cases, simple duct dilatation in 17 cases, breast duct dilatation accompanied chronic mastitis in 4 cases, breast duct dilatation accompanied hyperplasia in 2 cases, intraductal papilloma in 8 cases, ductal carcinoma in 1 case and abscess of the breast in 1 case.Conclusion Breast galactography plays important roles in diagnosis and differentiation of the breast disease with nipple discharge, and provides significant information for clinical department.

Acetylcysteine ; urine ; Humans ; Hydrocarbons, Brominated ; metabolism ; urine

Dimethylformamide ; poisoning ; Fatal Outcome ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Young Adult

Six atrazine-degrading strains, Pseudomonas spp. AD1, AD2, AD6, Agrobacterium sp. AD4, Xanthomonas AD5, and Erwinia sp. AD7, were isolated from industrial wastewater. These strains are able to grow on atrazine as sole nitrogen source. Strain AD1 is able to degrade atrazine of 0. 3g/L in minimal medium at a percentage of 99.9% in 72 hours. PCR products that are homologous to the atrazine chlorohydrolase gene atzA)from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP were obtained by PCR method using total DNA of the strains AD1 ,AD4,AD5,AD6,and AD7 as templates.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the lead exposure, its effects, and the relationships between biomarkers of susceptibility in the workers with low-level occupational lead exposure, and to explore its sensitivity and practical value to evaluate the health hazard.

METHODSThe concentrations of lead fume and lead dust in workplaces of a lead acid storage battery enterprise in Jiangsu Province, China, were measured by occupational health monitoring method. The blood samples of 233 workers with occupational lead exposure and 76 non-occupational lead exposure were collected to measure the blood lead (Pb-B) level using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), the zinc Protoporphyrin (ZPP) level with blood fluorescence assay, and the delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) concentration by a spectrophotometer, and to determine the gene polymorphism of ALAD with TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction. At the same time, their urine samples were collected to measure urine lead (Pb-U) concentration with GFAAS and delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA-U) concentration with a spectrophotometer. The correlations between the above indices were analyzed by multiple linear regression method.

RESULTSThe concentration of lead fume in 18 testing sites and the concentration of lead dust in 30 testing sites were 0.002-0.019 mg/m3 and 0.004-0.013 mg/m3, respectively. Pb-B level was positively correlated with Pb-U concentration (r=0.62, P<0.01) and ZPP level (r=0.47, P<0.01) and was negatively correlated with ALAD concentration (r=-0.77, P<0.01) in 233 workers with occupational lead exposure. Among 233 workers, 218 (93.6%) had ≤70 µg/L Pb-U, and 15 (6.9%) had ≥400≥g/L Pb-B. Pb-B level was not correlated with ZPP level as Pb-B level was <190 µg/L (r=0.18, P=0.068 ), while Pb-B level was positively correlated with ZPP level as Pb-B level was ≥190 µg/L (r=0.36, P<0.01). Pb-U concentration was positively correlated with ALA-U concentration (r=0.49, P<0.01) and ZPP level (r=0.47, P<0.01). ZPP level was negatively correlated with ALAD concentration (r=-0. 19, P<0.01), and was positively correlated with ALA-U concentration (r=0.27, P<0.01). ALAD concentration was not correlated with ALA-U concentration (r =-0. 11, P>0.05). And in 233 workers with occupational lead exposure, there were no significant differences in Pb-B level, ZPP level, and ALAD activity between the workers with ALAD1-2 genotype and the workers with ALAD1-1 genotype (P>0.05). In 76 workers with non-occupational lead exposure, there was no significant difference in Pb-B level between the workers with ALAD1-2 genotype and the workers with ALAD1-1 genotype (P >0.05). The workers with ALAD1-2 genotype had a significantly lower ALAD activity, and a significantly higher ZPP level compared with those ALAD1-1 genotype (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONIn the workers with low-level occupational lead exposure, ZPP level is positively correlated with Pb-B level when Pb-B level was ≥190 µ/L. ALAD could be used as an effect biomarker of low Pb-B level. ALAD gene polymorphism shows different effects on the Pb-B level and the toxic effects between the workers with occupational lead exposure and the workers with non-occupational lead exposure.

Aminolevulinic Acid ; blood ; Biomarkers ; blood ; China ; Electric Power Supplies ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lead ; blood ; Linear Models ; Occupational Exposure ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Porphobilinogen Synthase ; blood ; genetics ; Protoporphyrins ; blood

Humans ; Hydrocarbons, Brominated ; toxicity ; Occupational Exposure ; standards

Chromatography, Gas ; Humans ; Hydrocarbons, Brominated ; urine