[PCDD/F emission characteristics in different waste incineration facilities and evaluation of 23478-PeCDF as I-TEQ indicator of PCDD/F in flue gases].

The emission characteristics of PCDD/F from different waste incineration facilities in China, the correlations of different PCDD/F isomers with I-TEQ and the linear regression analysis of 23478-PeCDF with I-TEQ were reported in this article. Statistical analysis of the homologue patterns of PCDD/F in different incineration facilities will provide valuable information in environmental survey to find the contamination sources. PCDD/F congener patterns were almost constant among municipal and hazardous waste incineration facilities with only very small variations, but those patterns in medical waste incineration facilities were slightly different from medical and hazardous waste incineration facilities. It was found that the major contributors to the toxic PCDD/F concentrations were OCDD and 1234678-HpCDF contributing for 12.3%-23.0% and 15.0%-19.7% respectively. However, the largest contributor to I-TEQ was 23478-PeCDF and 33.1%-34.5% of I-TEQ was the presence of this congener. Correlation analysis showed that:23478-PeCDF posed the best the correlation relationship with I-TEQ, R2 0.93-0.99. The most toxic 2378-TCDD only posed weak correlation with I-TEQ, R2 0.29-0.49. The correlation coefficient between the most abundant OCDD and I-TEQ was only 0.03-0.12. However, another abundant congener 1234678-HpCDF posed better correlation with I-TEQ, R2 0.62-0.87. Linear regression analysis showed that even I-TEQ fell into the concentration range of 5-6 orders of magnitudes, the linear relationship between 23478-PeCDF and I-TEQ was still excellent. The slopes of that lines, in different waste incineration facilities, were in the range of 1.16-1.40 and R2 0.94-0.97.

[Study on sexual behavior and HIV/STIs among miners in Yunnan province].

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to describe human immunodeficiency virus/sexual transmitted infections (HIV/STIs) related knowledge, attitudes, practice and the prevalence of HIV/STIs amongst miners. METHODS: Two focus-group related discussions with a total number of 13 members including Community Advisory Boards (CAB) and 12 miners were conducted in a mining township in Yunnan province. Questionnaire surveys and HIV/STIs tests were conducted among 233 miners recruited by cluster sampling in two towns where the mines were located. RESULTS: The average age of respondents was 28 year old with 82.8% of them younger than 35 year old. 95.3% of the respondents attended the education level of junior middle school. AIDS related knowledge among miners was low. The percentage of right answers to the routes of transmission was only 54.4%. The ratio of self-reported prostitutes visits was 9.0%. The prevalence rates of Neisseria gonrrhoeae, HIV and Chlamydia trachomatis were 0.4%, 0.4%and 8.2% respectively. The correlation between Chlamydia trachomatis infection and education (P = 0.0347) was significant, and so was that between Chlamydia trachomatis infection and marriage status (P = 0.032). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the awareness of HIV/STIs prevention was limited and the rate of condom use was low, suggesting that miners needed to be viewed as a key population in HIV/STIs prevention and control.