Decoupling for ecological sustainability: A categorisation and review of research literature.

The idea of decoupling "environmental bads" from "economic goods" has been proposed as a path towards sustainability by organizations such as the OECD and UN. Scientific consensus reports on environmental impacts (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions) and resource use give an indication of the kind of decoupling needed for ecological sustainability: global, absolute, fast-enough and long-enough. This goal gives grounds for a categorisation of the different kinds of decoupling, with regard to their relevance. We conducted a survey of recent (1990-2019) research on decoupling on Web of Science and reviewed the results in the research according to the categorisation. The reviewed 179 articles contain evidence of absolute impact decoupling, especially between CO2 (and SOX) emissions and evidence on geographically limited (national level) cases of absolute decoupling of land and blue water use from GDP, but not of economy-wide resource decoupling, neither on national nor international scales. Evidence of the needed absolute global fast-enough decoupling is missing.

Effect of pain on autonomic nervous system indices derived from photoplethysmography in healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Photoplethysmographic pulse wave amplitude (PPGA) and heart rate (HR) can be used to measure cold, nociception-induced autonomic responses, or both. The aim of our study was to correlate the intensity of experimental pain to changes in physiological variables reflecting the autonomic nervous system response to pain. METHODS: PPGA, HR, and subjective measurements of pain intensity were measured in 29 healthy male volunteers during two heat stimuli (43°C and 48°C) and the cold pressor test (CPT). Surgical pleth index (SPI), autonomic nervous system state (ANSS), and ANSS index (ANSSi) were calculated using PPGA and HR. RESULTS: Pain intensity scores increased on the average by 1.6, 3.5, and 8.1 for the 43°C, 48°C, and CPT stimuli, respectively. The pain intensity scores for all three stimuli groups were significantly different from each other (P<0.001). All three stimuli changed HR, PPGA, SPI, ANSS, and ANSSi values significantly from their respective baseline values (P<0.001 for all). Heat stimuli-induced pain intensity did not correlate with the magnitude of the respective changes in HR, PPGA, SPI, ANSS, and ANSSi. CPT-induced pain intensity correlated with the magnitude of the respective changes in HR, PPGA, SPI, ANSS, and ANSSi. PPGA, ANSSi, ANSS, and SPI differentiated between heat and cold stimuli-induced pain. CONCLUSIONS: All three thermal stimuli produced a significant change in photoplethysmograph-derived parameters. All photoplethysmograph-derived parameters appear to be suitable to study autonomic nervous system activation.

Metals and arsenic in eye shadows.

The regulations relating to cosmetic products give no limit values for toxic elements such as metals or arsenic occurring as impurities in cosmetic products. The present study of metals (lead, cobalt, nickel, chromium) and arsenic in eye shadows in 88 colors of 25 brands and 49 products provides a basis for assessing the safety of eye shadow. 66 out of 88 (75%) of the colors contained more than 5 ppm of at least one of the elements, and all 49 products contained more than one 1 ppm of at least 1 of the elements. In one color, the amount of all elements was less than 1 ppm. The highest levels of cobalt and nickel were 41 and 49 ppm, respectively. These levels were high enough to cause allergic symptoms in those previously sensitized. Furthermore, long-term exposure to such levels may probably sensitize. The concentrations of arsenic were extremely low, 2.3 ppm at most. The level of lead was less than 20 ppm in all products. Accordingly, the concentrations of arsenic and lead seemed to be safe. 9 colors had concentrations of water-soluble chromium exceeding 2 ppm, and a very high level, 318 ppm, was encountered in 1 case. The overall results indicate that eye-shadows probably have no significant systemic toxicological effects. The groups at greatest risk are those already sensitized to the allergenic elements. Such consumers will have difficulties in choosing suitable products, since these elements in the form of impurities are not declared in the list of ingredients. Manufacturers should demand certification that the raw materials they buy contain no toxic elements. Although some of the products studied were acceptable, many had excessive levels of the elements from the consumer's viewpoint.

Urinary excretion of arsenic species after exposure to arsenic present in drinking water.

The water from some drilled wells in southwest Finland contains high arsenic concentrations (min-max: 17-980 microg/L). We analyzed inorganic arsenic (As-i) and organic arsenic (monomethylarsonate [MMA] and dimethylarsinate [DMA]) species in urine and conducted a clinical examination of current users (n = 35) and ex-users (n = 12) of such wells. Ex-users had ceased to use the water from the wells 2-4 months previously. Urinary arsenic species were also analyzed from persons whose drinking water contained less than 1 microg/L of arsenic (controls, n = 9). The geometric means of the concentrations of total arsenic in urine were 58 microg/L for current users, 17 microg/L for ex-users, and 5 microg/L for controls. The excreted arsenic was associated with the calculated arsenic doses, and on average 63% of the ingested arsenic dose was excreted in urine. The ratios of MMA/DMA and As-i/As-tot (As-tot = As-i + MMA + DMA) in urine tended to be lower among the current users and in the higher exposure levels than in controls, suggesting that As-i was better methylated in current users. However, the differences were mainly explained by age; older persons were better methylators of inorganic arsenic than younger individuals. The arsenic content of hair correlated well with the past and chronic arsenic exposure; an increase of 10 microg/L in the arsenic concentration of the drinking water or an increase of 10-20 microg/day of the arsenic exposure corresponded to a 0.1 mg/kg increase in hair arsenic. The individuals were interviewed and complained of muscle cramps, mainly in the legs, and this was associated with elevated arsenic exposure. The present study demonstrates that arsenic methylation has no threshold at these exposure levels.

Ambient and biological monitoring of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at a coking plant.

The exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) was measured in a Finnish coking plant over a 7-year period (1988-1994), since the beginning of production. Hygienic measurements including dust and vapour sampling were performed and the correlations between the concentrations of airborne pyrene with the levels of pyrene metabolite 1-pyrenol in urine were calculated. The profile of measured 12 or 15 PAHs was very similar between mean concentrations of personal samples, which suggests that it is possible to calculate the concentrations of total PAH by using e.g. pyrene as a marker compound. Measurements suggest that the progress of working conditions has been very favourable because the mean exposure level of shift workers to benzo[a]pyrene has decreased from 2.5 micrograms/m3 to 0.3 micrograms/m3. This points to successful measures of technical prevention. The mean concentration of 1-pyrenol in urine has been 0.2-0.6 mumol/mol creatinine. The concentration increases slightly towards the end of the working day, but the correlation urinary pyrenol and air pyrene was weak. Therefore the usefulness of pyrenol level for predicting the pyrene concentration at low exposure level in the ambient air is very limited.

Assessment of exposure to inorganic arsenic by determining the arsenic species excreted in urine.

Urinary concentrations of inorganic arsenic metabolites (AsIII, AsV, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA)) and occupational exposure to arsenic were measured in 24 copper smelter and arsenic trioxide refinery workers during a study period consisting of 2 pairs of work days and the 6 (partly 4) days off between them. The correlations between the time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations of arsenic in air (0.8-45 micrograms/m3) and the concentrations of arsenic species in urine 0, 0-8, 8-16 and 16-20 h after the exposure were calculated. The best correlation (r = 0.78, P = 0.0001) was found for the sum of AsIII and AsV concentration in urine collected between 0 and 8 h after the exposure. The DMA concentrations at any time in urine correlated only poorly to the exposure. A reason for this was obviously an increased urinary excretion of DMA due to the ingestion of DMA in the diet. An 8-h TWA exposure of 10 micrograms As/m3 was calculated to lead to an inorganic arsenic concentration of 5 micrograms/l in urine.

Application of a semi-automated SOS chromotest for measuring genotoxicities of complex environmental mixtures containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Soxhlet-extracted samples of standard reference materials (SRMs) 1649 (PAR1: urban dust/organics) and 1650 (PAR2: diesel particulate matter) from the U.S. Institute of Standards and Technology were tested for induction of SOS functions using a semi-automated version of the SOS chromotest with Escherichia coli PQ37. Concentrations of 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the extracts were determined using reversed-phase HPLC. Only the diesel particulate matter (PAR2) extracts expressed SOS induction activity, which decreased when metabolic activation was used. Mutagenic PAH compounds (e.g., chrysene) were found in higher concentrations in the PAR2 extracts than in the PAR1 extracts but this could not explain the genotoxicity while it was mainly exhibited without metabolic activation. The direct genotoxic activity of the diesel particulate matter sample PAR2 is probably caused by nitroaromatic compounds; this was also supported by parallel studies with the Ames/Salmonella assay.

Carbonic anhydrase III and collagen markers in serum following cross-country skiing.

Protein leakage from type I skeletal muscle cells and collagen synthesizing cells were studied during a 24-h cross-country skiing relay in eight men using serum carbonic anhydrase III (S-CA III) and serum galactosylhydroxylysyl glucosyltransferase (S-GGT) as the respective specific marker proteins. Serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (S-Pro(III)-N-P) was used as an indicator of type III collagen synthesis and serum creatine kinase (S-CK) as a nonspecific muscular marker. S-CK, S-CA III, and S-GGT were increased immediately following the skiing relay by 870%, 640%, and 40%, respectively. No significant change was observed in the concentration of S-Pro(III)-N-P following the exercise. A high positive correlation (rs = 0.92, P less than 0.01) was found between the increase in S-CA III and S-CK, whereas no correlation was observed between these muscular markers and S-GGT. The results suggest leakage from type I skeletal muscle cells and collagen synthesizing cells as a consequence of prolonged cross-country skiing, but there seems to exist no dependence between acute responses in muscular and connective tissue cells to exercise.

Serum carbonic anhydrase III, an enzyme of type I muscle fibres, and the intensity of physical exercise.

The effects of 30 min running with stepwise increasing intensity (exhaustive, energy demand approx. 50----100% of VO2max), 60 s supramaximal running (anaerobic, greater than or equal to 125% of VO2max) and 40-60 min low-intensity running (aerobic, 40-60% of VO2max) on serum concentration of muscle-derived proteins were studied in 5 male and 5 female elite orienteerers. S-Carbonic anhydrase III (S-CA III) was used as a marker of protein leakage from type I (slow oxidative) muscle fibres and S-myoglobin (S-Mb) as a non-selective (type I + II) muscular marker. The fractional increase in S-CA III (delta S-Ca III) was 0.37 +/- 0.09 (mean +/- SEM, p less than 0.001), 0.10 +/- 0.05 (N. S.) and 0.46 +/- 0.09 (p less than 0.001) 1 h after exhaustive, anaerobic and aerobic exercise, respectively. The corresponding values for delta S-Mb were 1.45 +/- 0.36 (p less than 0.001), 0.39 +/- 0.13 (p less than 0.01) and 0.67 +/- 0.18 (p less than 0.001). The value for the delta S-CA III/delta S-Mb ratio was 0.68 +/- 0.03 after the aerobic exercise, but only 0.25-0.26 (p vs. aerobic exercise less than 0.001) after the two high-intensity forms of exercise. Since type I fibres of skeletal muscle are known to be responsible for power production during low-intensity exercise, whereas fibres of both type I and type II are active at higher intensities, the delta S-CA III/delta S-Mb ratio may depend on the recruitment profile of type I vs. type I + II fibres.

Ambient monitoring of cyclophosphamide in manufacture and hospitals.

Cyclophosphamide (CP), one of the most commonly used cytostatic drugs, is known to be a human carcinogen. In this study, CP represents a model compound for the identification of potential exposure situations in the various phases of its manufacture and hospital use. Ambient air samples were taken in the various phases and analyzed for CP. A low detection limit (0.05 micrograms/m3 for a 1 m3 sample volume) was obtained for CP using the mass spectrometry method (MS) developed for this study. The detection limit was 1 microgram/m3 with the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The correlation between the two methods was good. The highest potential exposure situations were found to occur during specific operations at the end of the process. During these operations the airborne CP concentrations may rise as high as several hundred micrograms/m3, and the workers must use supplied-air respirators, gloves and protective clothing. For the measurements in hospital use, air samples were taken from flow hoods. During normal working practices, no measurable amounts of CP could be observed. A filter from a flow hood, however, contained CP in measurable quantities, showing that occasional spilling may occur.

Beta-endorphin and corticotropin release is dependent on a threshold intensity of running exercise in male endurance athletes.

Relationship between the intensity of running exercise on a treadmill and the changes in the concentrations of beta-endorphin + beta-lipotropin (beta-E + beta-LPH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in plasma were studied in 10 experienced male endurance athletes. At random order, the subjects run on a treadmill six exercises which required on an average (mean +/- S.E.) 50 +/- 0.8%, 58 +/- 0.8%, 69 +/- 1.1%, 80 +/- 0.7%, 92 +/- 1.0% and 98 +/- 0.5% of their maximal oxygen consumption. Plasma levels of beta-E + beta-LPH and ACTH did not show any significant changes during the 50-80%-tests. During the 92% test, the mean levels (+/- S.E.) of beta-E + beta-LPH and ACTH increased significantly (p less than 0.001), from 3.0 +/- 0.4 to 8.0 +/- 1.2 pmol/l and from 3.1 +/- 0.5 to 8.9 +/- 1.3 pmol/l, respectively, and during the 98% test, from 3.7 +/- 0.6 pmol/l to 20.4 +/- 1.5 pmol/l, and from 3.6 +/- 0.6 to 21.8 +/- 1.5 pmol/l, respectively. Increases in the plasma levels of beta-E + beta-LPH and ACTH were always accompanied by an increase in the blood lactate level. We conclude that intensive running with an anaerobic response causes an increase in the concentrations of beta-endorphin and ACTH in plasma in endurance athletes, whereas slight aerobic exercise did not elicit any response.

Response of plasma endorphins to running exercises in male and female endurance athletes.

We studied the responses of plasma concentrations of beta-endorphin, beta-lipotropin, and corticotropin to an exhaustive graded treadmill exercise, to an anaerobic treadmill exercise, and to a sub-maximal outdoor running exercise in 5 male and in 5 female endurance athletes. During the graded treadmill exercise, the mean plasma level (+/- SE) of beta-endorphin in men rose from 1.2 +/- 0.1 to 8.1 +/- 0.7 pmol.l-1, beta-lipotropin rose from 1.6 +/- 0.5 to 7.4 +/- 1.4 pmol.l-1, and corticotropin rose from 4.9 +/- 1.0 to 31 +/- 3.3 pmol.l-1. In women, the mean level of beta-endorphin rose from 1.2 +/- 0.2 to 8.2 +/- 1.8 pmol.l-1, beta-lipotropin rose from 1.4 +/- 0.1 to 8.1 +/- 2.0 pmol.l-1, and corticotropin rose from 3.3 +/- 0.4 to 28 +/- 7.9 pmol.l-1. Concentrations of endorphins and corticotropin increased significantly also during the anaerobic exercise test. In response to sub-maximal running exercise, no significant change was found. These results showed a relationship between the intensity of exercise and the secretion of pro-opiomelanocortin-related peptides, and there were no differences between the groups of trained men and women.

Determination of vanadium in workplace air by DCP emission spectrometry.

This paper provides a method for directly determining vanadium in workplace air by direct current plasma atomic emission spectrometry (DCP-AES). Wavelength selection, instrument operating parameters, and sample preparation methods were studied. It was found that the most suitable wavelength for the analytical line is 437.924 nm (DL 0.006 mg/L) but also the line 309.311 nm (DL 0.003 mg/L) can be used. The results obtained by DCP-AES were compared with those obtained by both flame (FAAS) and electrothermal atomization (ETA-AAS) atomic absorption spectrometry.