Consumption of untreated tank rainwater and gastroenteritis among young children in South Australia.

BACKGROUND: Tank rainwater is a source of untreated drinking water in Australia and elsewhere. The aim of this study was to determine whether the risk of gastroenteritis among children who drank tank rainwater differed from that of children who drank treated public mains water. METHODS: A cohort study of 1,016 4- to 6-year old children who drank rainwater or treated mains water in rural South Australia was undertaken in 1999. Parents kept a daily diary of their child's gastrointestinal symptoms and water consumption for a period of 6 weeks. Data on respiratory illness and other risk factors for gastroenteritis were also collected. RESULTS: The incidence of gastroenteritis among children was 3.8-5.3 episodes per child-year, but most episodes (60%) lasted just 1 day. No increase in odds of gastroenteritis was observed among children who drank rainwater compared with treated mains water. The adjusted odds ratio for gastroenteritis associated with rainwater consumption compared with mains consumption was 0.84 (95% confidence interval 0.63-1.13). CONCLUSIONS: Gastroenteritis was found to be a significant cause of morbidity among young children. Young children, who were regular consumers of tank rainwater, were at no greater odds of gastroenteritis than those who drank treated public mains water.

Changes in airborne lead particulate in port pirie, South Australia, 1986-1996.

Port Pirie is 230 km north of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. The major industry in the city is a lead smelter owned by Pasminco. Fume, dust, and fugitive emissions from the smelter have been deposited in and around Port Pirie over the past 100 years. The results presented in this paper are from an air monitoring station situated at the southeast entrance of the smelter, approximately 600 m from the blast furnace. Measurements include total suspended particulate (TSP) and total suspended particulate lead (TSPL) reported as concentrations (microgram/m3). Data are available from 1986 to 1996 and consist of 548 measurements. Analysis of geometric mean concentration levels by wind direction showed that while for TSP there was little relationship with wind direction, TSPL increased substantially as the wind came from the direction of the smelter. An analysis of geometric mean concentration levels by wind speed showed that TSP was significantly correlated with wind speed for all wind sectors apart from winds coming from the smelter production area. The lack of correlation between TSP and wind speed when the wind blows from the direction of the smelter is probably due to the dilution effect of particulate from a point source as wind speed increases. TSPL was significantly correlated with wind speed for all wind sectors apart from winds coming from the city. As expected, both TSP and TSPL concentrations were significantly lower on days when rain fell. Both mean geometric TSP and TSPL concentrations were lower in the period 1993-1996 than in 1986-1992. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to demonstrate that this decline was statistically significant after adjusting for weather conditions. Wind directions were divided into four sectors: winds from the smelter production area; winds from the smelter nonproduction area; winds from the zinc wharf and east of the city; and winds from the city. Structural equation models for each sector were used to demonstrate that the decline in geometric mean TSPL concentrations over the two periods were of a similar order of magnitude for all four sectors. The relevance of this to the lead abatement programs that have been undertaken both within the city of Port Pirie and inside the smelter itself is discussed.

Port Pirie lead abatement Program, 1992.

The Port Pirie Lead Decontamination Program commenced in 1984 with a ten year mandate. The abatement programme involves identification of children with elevated blood lead levels, house decontamination, soil treatment, general City greening, family education and support and community education. Since 1984 the smelter has also implemented substantial new environmental controls.Blood lead and air monitoring programmes as well as some investigations of recontamination are in place. The blood lead monitoring programme has shown a significant decrease in the mean blood lead levels of the children, with the magnitude of the reduction being greatest in areas remote from the smelter.The results of the air monitoring programme suggest that there has been little change in the general air lead levels in the City over the period of the abatement programme. Analysis of the data suggests that re-entrainment of lead from the contaminated areas within the City is only a small contributor to air-borne lead levels compared with that from the smelter and its environs.Sources and pathways of lead for absorption by the children in Port Pirie are discussed.

Introducing a community health center at Mosgiel, New Zealand: effects on use of the hospital accident and emergency (A & E) department.

The effects of introducing a community health center on utilization of the accident and emergency (A & E) department of a New Zealand hospital are examined. Use by the recipient community during the 3 years before the health center existed was compared with use over the succeeding 3 years and with that by a nearby city served by traditional forms of primary care. Results from the study did not support the postulated reduction in overall use by the health center population, nor did they confirm a reduction in use during the hours that the health center was open or by those subgroups thought likely to find the new facility a preferred alternative. Furthermore, there appeared to be no change in the behavior of A & E staff toward using the health center as a potential alternative to follow-up care at the hospital.