Download or read book A Framework for Assessing the Health Hazard Posed by Bioaerosols written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2008-11-30 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biological warfare agent (BWA) detectors are designed to provide alerts to military personnel of the presence of dangerous biological agents. Detecting such agents promptly makes it possible to minimize contamination and personnel exposure and initiate early treatment. It is also important, though, that detectors not raise an alarm when the situation does not warrant it. The question considered in this book is whether Agent-Containing Particles per Liter of Air (ACPLA) is an appropriate unit of measure for use in the evaluation of aerosol detectors and whether a better, alternative measure can be developed. The book finds that ACPLA alone cannot determine whether a health threat exists. In order to be useful and comparable across all biological agents and detection systems, measurements must ultimately be related to health hazard. A Framework for Assessing the Health Hazard Posed by Bioaerosols outlines the possibility of a more complex, but more useful measurement framework that makes it possible to evaluate relative hazard by including agent identity and activity, particle size, and infectious dose.
Download or read book Aerosols written by Igor Agranovski and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-05-16 with total page 505 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This self-contained handbook and ready reference examines aerosol science and technology in depth, providing a detailed insight into this progressive field. As such, it covers fundamental concepts, experimental methods, and a wide variety of applications, ranging from aerosol filtration to biological aerosols, and from the synthesis of carbon nanotubes to aerosol reactors. Written by a host of internationally renowned experts in the field, this is an essential resource for chemists and engineers in the chemical and materials disciplines across multiple industries, as well as ideal supplementary reading in graduate level courses.
Download or read book Introduction to Air Pollution Science written by Robert F. Phalen and published by Jones & Bartlett Publishers. This book was released on 2013 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique textbook examines the basic health and environmental issues associated with air pollution including the relevant toxicology and epidemiology. It provides a foundation for the sampling and analysis of air pollutants as well as an understanding of international air quality regulations. Written for upper-level undergraduate and introductory graduate courses in air pollution, the book is also a valuable desk reference for practicing professionals who need to have a broad understanding of the topic. Key features: - Provides the most up-to-date coverage of the basic health and environmental issues associated with air pollution. - Offers a broader examination of air pollution topics, beyond just the meteorological and engineering aspects of air pollution. - Includes the following Instructor Resources: Instructor's Manual, PowerPoint Presentations, and a TestBank. The Phalens have put together a timely book on a critically important topic that affects all of us -- air pollution - and they do so in a new and highly relevant way: they consider the broad societal health impacts from a fundamental science viewpoint. The epidemiology, toxicology, and risks of air pollutants are included, and ethical issues of concern are highlighted. This book is a must-read for students who wish to become professionals in the air quality field and for students of environmental science whose work includes air pollution issues. The book is a significant contribution to the discipline." - Cliff I. Davidson, Director, Center for Sustainable Engineering; Thomas C. and Colleen L. Wilmot Professor of Engineering, Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University "Truly, human well-being and public health in the 21st century may hinge on our ability to anticipate, recognize, evaluate, control, and confirm responsible management of air pollution. This timely, informative, and insightful text provides a solid introduction for students and a technically sound handbook for professionals seeking literacy and critical thinking, real-life examples, understanding (not just rote applications), opportunities for continuous improvement, and modern tools for assessing and managing current and evolving air pollution challenges." - Mark D. Hoover, PhD, CHP, CIH Aerosol and health science researcher, author, and editor
Download or read book Research Progress on Environmental Health and Safety Aspects of Engineered Nanomaterials written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-11-25 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite the increase in funding for research and the rising numbers of peer-reviewed publications over the past decade that address the environmental, health, and safety aspects of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), uncertainty about the implications of potential exposures of consumers, workers, and ecosystems to these materials persists. Consumers and workers want to know which of these materials they are exposed to and whether the materials can harm them. Industry is concerned about being able to predict with sufficient certainty whether products that it makes and markets will pose any environmental, health or safety issues and what measures should be taken regarding manufacturing practices and worldwide distribution to minimize any potential risk. However, there remains a disconnect between the research that is being carried out and its relevance to and use by decision-makers and regulators to make informed public health and environmental policy and regulatory decisions. Research Progress on Environmental, Health, and Safety Aspects of Nanomaterials evaluates research progress and updates research priorities and resource estimates on the basis of results of studies and emerging trends in the nanotechnology industry. This report follows up the 2012 report A Research Strategy for Environmental, Health, and Safety Aspects of Engineered Nanomaterials, which presented a strategic approach for developing the science and research infrastructure needed to address uncertainties regarding the potential environmental, health, and safety risks posed by ENMs. This new report looks at the state of nanotechnology research, examines market and regulatory conditions and their affect on research priorities, and considers the criteria for evaluating research progress on the environmental, health, and safety aspects of nanotechnology.
Download or read book A Research Strategy for Environmental Health and Safety Aspects of Engineered Nanomaterials written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2012-05-09 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The nanotechnology sector, which generated about $225 billion in product sales in 2009, is predicted to expand rapidly over the next decade with the development of new technologies that have new capabilities. The increasing production and use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) may lead to greater exposures of workers, consumers, and the environment, and the unique scale-specific and novel properties of the materials raise questions about their potential effects on human health and the environment. Over the last decade, government agencies, academic institutions, industry, and others have conducted many assessments of the environmental, health, and safety (EHS) aspects of nanotechnology. The results of those efforts have helped to direct research on the EHS aspects of ENMs. However, despite the progress in assessing research needs and despite the research that has been funded and conducted, developers, regulators, and consumers of nanotechnology-enabled products remain uncertain about the types and quantities of nanomaterials in commerce or in development, their possible applications, and their associated risks. A Research Strategy for Environmental, Health, and Safety Aspects of Engineered Nanomaterials presents a strategic approach for developing the science and research infrastructure needed to address uncertainties regarding the potential EHS risks of ENMs. The report summarizes the current state of the science and high-priority data gaps on the potential EHS risks posed by ENMs and describes the fundamental tools and approaches needed to pursue an EHS risk research strategy. The report also presents a proposed research agenda, short-term and long-term research priorities, and estimates of needed resources and concludes by focusing on implementation of the research strategy and evaluation of its progress, elements that the committee considered integral to its charge.
Download or read book BioWatch and Public Health Surveillance written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2011-01-25 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the attacks of September 11, 2001 and the anthrax letters, the ability to detect biological threats as quickly as possible became a top priority. In 2003 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) introduced the BioWatch program-a federal monitoring system intended to speed detection of specific biological agents that could be released in aerosolized form during a biological attack. The present volume evaluates the costs and merits of both the current BioWatch program and the plans for a new generation of BioWatch devices. BioWatch and Public Health Surveillance also examines infectious disease surveillance through hospitals and public health agencies in the United States, and considers whether BioWatch and traditional infectious disease surveillance are redundant or complementary.
Download or read book Bioaerosol Detection Technologies written by Per Jonsson and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-07-31 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is intended to give technological background and practical examples, but also to give general insight into the on-going technology development in the area of biodetection. The content is therefore suitable for an array of stakeholders (decision makers, purchasing officers, etc.) and end-users of biodetection equipment within the areas of health, environment, safety and security, and military preparation. The book is divided into three sections. The first section discusses the fundamental physical and biological properties of bioaerosol's. The second section goes into more detail and discusses in-depth the most commonly used detection principles. The third section of the book is devoted to technologies that have been used in standoff applications. The last section of the book gives an overview of trends in bioaerosol detection. The reader of this book will gain knowledge about the different biodetection technologies and thus better judge their capabilities in relation to desired applications.
Download or read book Microbiomes of the Built Environment written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-10-06 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People's desire to understand the environments in which they live is a natural one. People spend most of their time in spaces and structures designed, built, and managed by humans, and it is estimated that people in developed countries now spend 90 percent of their lives indoors. As people move from homes to workplaces, traveling in cars and on transit systems, microorganisms are continually with and around them. The human-associated microbes that are shed, along with the human behaviors that affect their transport and removal, make significant contributions to the diversity of the indoor microbiome. The characteristics of "healthy" indoor environments cannot yet be defined, nor do microbial, clinical, and building researchers yet understand how to modify features of indoor environmentsâ€"such as building ventilation systems and the chemistry of building materialsâ€"in ways that would have predictable impacts on microbial communities to promote health and prevent disease. The factors that affect the environments within buildings, the ways in which building characteristics influence the composition and function of indoor microbial communities, and the ways in which these microbial communities relate to human health and well-being are extraordinarily complex and can be explored only as a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem by engaging the fields of microbial biology and ecology, chemistry, building science, and human physiology. This report reviews what is known about the intersection of these disciplines, and how new tools may facilitate advances in understanding the ecosystem of built environments, indoor microbiomes, and effects on human health and well-being. It offers a research agenda to generate the information needed so that stakeholders with an interest in understanding the impacts of built environments will be able to make more informed decisions.
Download or read book Continents and Supercontinents written by John J. W. Rogers and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2004-09-16 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Surveys the origin of continents, and the accretion and breakup of supercontinents through earth history. This book also shows how these processes affected the composition of seawater, climate, and the evolution of life.
Download or read book Bioaerosols written by Janet Macher and published by American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygenists. This book was released on 1999 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Expanding far beyond its predecessor, this text offers a comprehensive guide to the assessment and control of bioaerosols in the full range of contemporary workplaces. Although the indoor environment remains a focus of concern, much of the information in this publication has application beyond office environments. The prominence of saprophytic microorganisms remains; however, more attention has been given to other important biological agents (e.g., arthropod and animal allergens, infectious agents, and microbial volatile organic compounds). In addition, fuller descriptions are provided for microbial toxins and cell wall components that may cause health effects
Download or read book Advances in Safety Management and Human Performance written by Pedro M. Arezes and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-06-30 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book brings together studies broadly addressing human error and safety management from the perspectives of various disciplines, and shares the latest findings on ensuring employees’ safety, health, and welfare at work. It combines a diverse range of disciplines – e.g. work physiology, health informatics, safety engineering, workplace design, injury prevention, and occupational psychology – and presents new strategies for safety management, including accident prevention methods such as performance testing and participatory ergonomics. It reports on cutting-edge methods and findings concerning safety-critical systems, defense, and security, and discusses advanced topics regarding human performance, human variability, and reliability analysis; medical, driver and pilot error, as well as automation error; and cognitive modeling of human error. Further, it highlights cutting-edge applications in safety management, defense, security, transportation, process controls, and medicine. Gathering the proceedings of the AHFE 2020 International Conference on Safety Management and Human Factors and the AHFE 2020 Virtual Conference on Human Error, Reliability, Resilience, and Performance, held on July 16–20, 2020, USA, the book offers an extensive, timely, and multidisciplinary guide for researchers and practitioners dealing with safety management and human error.
Download or read book Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment written by Charles N. Haas and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-07-08 with total page 439 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides the latest QMRA methodologies to determine infection risk cause by either accidental microbial infections or deliberate infections caused by terrorism • Reviews the latest methodologies to quantify at every step of the microbial exposure pathways, from the first release of a pathogen to the actual human infection • Provides techniques on how to gather information, on how each microorganism moves through the environment, how to determine their survival rates on various media, and how people are exposed to the microorganism • Explains how QMRA can be used as a tool to measure the impact of interventions and identify the best policies and practices to protect public health and safety • Includes new information on genetic methods • Techniques use to develop risk models for drinking water, groundwater, recreational water, food and pathogens in the indoor environment
Download or read book Environmental Mycology in Public Health written by Carla Viegas and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2015-08-03 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental Mycology in Public Health: Fungi and Mycotoxins Risk Assessment and Management provides the most updated information on fungi, an essential element in the survival of our global ecology that can also pose a significant threat to the health of occupants when they are present in buildings. As the exposure to fungi in homes is a significant risk factor for a number of respiratory symptoms, including allergies and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, this book presents information on fungi and their disease agents, important aspects of exposure assessment, and their impacts on health. This book answers the hard questions, including, "How does one detect and measure the presence of indoor fungi?" and "What is an acceptable level of indoor fungi?" It then examines how we relate this information to human health problems. - Provides unique new insights on fungi and their metabolites detection in the environmental and occupational settings - Presents new information that is enriched by significant cases studies - Multi-contributed work, edited by a proficient team in medical and environmental mycology with different individual expertise - Guides the readers in the implementation of preventive and protective measures regarding exposure to fungi
Download or read book Creating Healthy and Sustainable Buildings written by Mateja Dovjak and published by Springer. This book was released on 2020-08-14 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The open access book discusses human health and wellbeing within the context of built environments. It provides a comprehensive overview of relevant sources of literature and user complaints that clearly demonstrate the consequences of lack of attention to health in current building design and planning. Current designing of energy-efficient buildings is mainly focused on looking at energy problems and not on addressing health. Therefore, even green buildings that place environmental aspects above health issues can be uncomfortable and unhealthy, and can lead to public health problems. The authors identify many health risk factors and their parameters, and the interactions among risk factors and building design elements. They point to the need for public health specialists, engineers and planners to come together and review built environments for human wellbeing and environmental sustainability. The authors therefore present a tool for holistic decision-making processes, leading to short- and long-term benefits for people and their environment.
Download or read book The Healthy Indoor Environment written by Philomena M. Bluyssen and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-10-30 with total page 794 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite policy directives, standards and guidelines, indoor environmental quality is still poor in many cases. The Healthy Indoor Environment, winner of the 2016 IDEC Book Award, aims to help architects, building engineers and anyone concerned with the wellbeing of building occupants to better understand the effects of spending time in buildings on health and comfort. In three clear parts dedicated to mechanisms, assessment and analysis, the book looks at different indoor stressors and their effects on wellbeing in a variety of scenarios with a range of tools and methods. The book supports a more holistic way of evaluating indoor environments and argues that a clear understanding of how the human body and mind receive, perceive and respond to indoor conditions is needed. At the national, European and worldwide level, it is acknowledged that a healthy and comfortable indoor environment is important both for the quality of life, now and in the future, and for the creation of truly sustainable buildings. Moreover, current methods of risk assessment are no longer adequate: a different view on indoor environment is required. Highly illustrated and full of practical examples, the book makes recommendations for future procedures for investigating indoor environmental quality based on an interdisciplinary understanding of the mechanisms of responses to stressors. It forms the basis for the development of an integrated approach towards assessment of indoor environmental quality.
Download or read book Safe Management of Wastes from Health care Activities written by Yves Chartier and published by World Health Organization. This book was released on 2014 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the second edition of the WHO handbook on the safe, sustainable and affordable management of health-care waste--commonly known as "the Blue Book". The original Blue Book was a comprehensive publication used widely in health-care centers and government agencies to assist in the adoption of national guidance. It also provided support to committed medical directors and managers to make improvements and presented practical information on waste-management techniques for medical staff and waste workers. It has been more than ten years since the first edition of the Blue Book. During the intervening period, the requirements on generators of health-care wastes have evolved and new methods have become available. Consequently, WHO recognized that it was an appropriate time to update the original text. The purpose of the second edition is to expand and update the practical information in the original Blue Book. The new Blue Book is designed to continue to be a source of impartial health-care information and guidance on safe waste-management practices. The editors' intention has been to keep the best of the original publication and supplement it with the latest relevant information. The audience for the Blue Book has expanded. Initially, the publication was intended for those directly involved in the creation and handling of health-care wastes: medical staff, health-care facility directors, ancillary health workers, infection-control officers and waste workers. This is no longer the situation. A wider range of people and organizations now have an active interest in the safe management of health-care wastes: regulators, policy-makers, development organizations, voluntary groups, environmental bodies, environmental health practitioners, advisers, researchers and students. They should also find the new Blue Book of benefit to their activities. Chapters 2 and 3 explain the various types of waste produced from health-care facilities, their typical characteristics and the hazards these wastes pose to patients, staff and the general environment. Chapters 4 and 5 introduce the guiding regulatory principles for developing local or national approaches to tackling health-care waste management and transposing these into practical plans for regions and individual health-care facilities. Specific methods and technologies are described for waste minimization, segregation and treatment of health-care wastes in Chapters 6, 7 and 8. These chapters introduce the basic features of each technology and the operational and environmental characteristics required to be achieved, followed by information on the potential advantages and disadvantages of each system. To reflect concerns about the difficulties of handling health-care wastewaters, Chapter 9 is an expanded chapter with new guidance on the various sources of wastewater and wastewater treatment options for places not connected to central sewerage systems. Further chapters address issues on economics (Chapter 10), occupational safety (Chapter 11), hygiene and infection control (Chapter 12), and staff training and public awareness (Chapter 13). A wider range of information has been incorporated into this edition of the Blue Book, with the addition of two new chapters on health-care waste management in emergencies (Chapter 14) and an overview of the emerging issues of pandemics, drug-resistant pathogens, climate change and technology advances in medical techniques that will have to be accommodated by health-care waste systems in the future (Chapter 15).
Download or read book PHEs Environment and Human Health written by Claudio Bini and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-05-14 with total page 478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is dedicated to the occurrence and behaviour of PHEs in the different compartments of the environment, with special reference to soil. Current studies of PHEs in ecosystems have indicated that many industrial areas near urban agglomerates, abandoned or active mines, major road systems and ultimately also agricultural land act as sources and at the same time sinks, of PHEs and large amounts of metals are recycled or dispersed in the environment, posing severe concerns to human health. Thanks to the collaboration of numerous colleagues, the book outlines the state of art in PHEs research in several countries and is enforced with case studies and enriched with new data, not published elsewhere. The book will provide to Stakeholders (both Scientists Professionals and Public Administrators) and also to non-specialists a lot of data on the concentrations of metals in soils and the environment and the critical levels so far established, in the perspective to improve the environmental quality and the human safety.
