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| 32. |
- Björklund, Sofie, 1992-
(författare)
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Exploring the occurrence, distribution and transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in waste-to-energy plant
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Efficient municipal solid waste (MSW) management promotes resource conservation, climate-change mitigation, public health, and environmental protection. A key aspect of environmental protection within MSW management is ensuring that potential pollutants are not released into the environment. One group of environmental pollutants of global concern is per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Also known as “forever chemicals”, these are used in a wide variety of consumer products and industrial processes, and are known for their persistence. The fate of PFAS in waste-management processes, such as Waste-to-Energy (WtE), is largely unknown. This thesis aimed to investigate the fate of PFAS in a WtE plant.Comprehensive sampling was performed to provide a synoptic overview of the occurrence and distribution of PFAS in residual streams, and to investigate the potential emission of PFAS from the WtE process to the environment.Short-chain (C ≤ 7) perfluorocarboxylic acids were the dominant class of PFAS across all matrices analysed. PFAS was found in leachate from the temporary MSW stockpile located at the WtE plant, as well as in most incineration residues (e.g., bottom ash, condensate, and flue gas) during the incineration of MSW. Co-incineration of sewage sludge from a wastewater treatment plant and MSW (with the former added at 5–8 wt.% of the latter) led to an increase in the concentration of PFAS in all matrices, with the exception of filter ash and stack flue gas.In general, the wet flue-gas treatment was able to capture some PFAS and transfer them to the in-house process-water treatment; however, further optimisation is required to increase the ability of this treatment to capture the shortest PFAS investigated (perfluorobutanoic acid).Overall, these findings highlight that some PFAS are not fully degraded during WtE conversion, and that PFAS could enter the environment via both leaching from unburnt MSW and incineration residues.
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| 33. |
- Blomskog, Stig
(författare)
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En analys av Arbetsdomstolens arbetsvärdering i ett lönediskrimineringsmål
- 2016
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- I uppsatsen genomförs en formell analys av en arbetsvärdering utförd av Arbetsdomstolen(AD) i samband med ett lönediskrimineringsmål år 2001. I målet bedömde AD att en intensivvårdssjuksköterska och en medicintekniker utförde arbeten som i jämställdhetslagens mening bör betraktas som likvärdiga. AD bedömde dock att arbetsgivaren kunde presentera sakliga skäl för att medicinteknikerna hade en högre lön än intensivvårdssjuksköterskan och därmed förelåg inte lönediskriminering enligt jämställdhetslagens bestämmelser i dess lydelse år 2001. Arbetsvärderingen utgick från de i jämställdhetslagen angivna fyra huvudkriterierna krav på kunskap och förmåga, krav på ansvar, krav på ansträngning samt arbetsförhållanden som AD delade upp 20 olika typer av arbetskrav s k faktorer.Resultatet av analysens första huvudfråga är att det som sägs i domskälet ger stöd för att AD tolkar begreppet ‘likvärdigt arbete’ som ett grund-öppet mellanbegrepp, som är vanligt förekommande i juridiska kontexter. Detta innebär, som också AD betonar, att det inte finns någon regel eller metod, som kan tillämpas, utan grunden för beslutet i vilken mån arbetena är likvärdiga måste ytterst baseras på bedömningar. Däremot gäller att följden av beslutet att arbetena är likvärdig är väldefinierad i jämställdhetslagen. Tolkningen tydliggör att en arbetsvärdering ska betraktas som en normativ argumentation för hur lönesättningen bör utformas. Beslutet att arbetena är likvärdiga är m a o inget faktapåstående utan ska betraktas som ett normativt påstående om hur lönen bör sättas.I analysens andra huvudfråga identifieras och diskuteras ett antal oklarheter i AD:s argumentation för att arbetena är likvärdiga. Hur ska AD:s jämförelser av arbetena avseende de olika kraven – de partiella värderingarna – tolkas? Hur ska AD:s sammanvägning tolkas? Hur ska AD:s viktning av de olika kraven tolkas? Oklarheterna gör det svårt för utomstående bedömare att ta ställning till AD:s argumentation i arbetsvärderingen.En allmän slutsats av analysen är att den oklara terminologin som förekommer i arbetsvärderingen kan undvikas om begrepp och principer som utformats inom ramen för flerdimensionell beslutsteori skulle tillämpas. En korrekt tolkning av centrala begrepp och principer är en viktig förutsättning för att beslutsfattaren ska kunna på ett rationellt sätt reflektera över och argumentera för olika bedömningar och beslut i arbetsvärderingsproceduren.
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| 34. |
- Blum, Kristin M., et al.
(författare)
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Removal of 30 active pharmaceutical ingredients in surface water under long-term artificial UV irradiation
- 2017
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Ingår i: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier BV. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 176, s. 175-182
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigated the i) kinetics, and ii) proportion of photolysis of 30 relatively stable active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) during artificial UV irradiation for 28 d in ammonium acetate buffer, filtered and unfiltered river water. Buffer was included to control removal kinetics under stable pH conditions and without particulate matter. Dark controls were used to determine removal due to other processes than photolysis and calculate the proportion of photolysis of the total removal. The removal of each API in each matrix was determined using online solid phase extraction/liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (online SPE/LC-MS/MS). Most APIs transformed during the 28 d of UV irradiation and the dark controls showed that photolysis was the major removal process for the majority of the APIs studied. The half-lives ranged from 6 h (amitriptyline) in unfiltered river water to 884 h (37 d, carbamazepine) in buffer. In unfiltered river water, the proportion of APIs with short half-lives (<48 h) was much higher (29%) than in the other matrices (4%), probably due to additional organic carbon, which could have promoted indirect photolysis. Furthermore, two APIs, memantine and fluconazole, were stable in all three matrices, while alprazolam was stable in buffer and unfiltered river water and four additional APIs were stable in buffer. Considering the relatively long-term UV-exposure, this study enabled the investigation of environmentally relevant half-lives in natural waters. Many APIs showed high persistence, which is environmentally concerning and emphasizes the importance of further studies on their environmental fate and effects.
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
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| 37. |
- Brännström, Inger A
(författare)
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Gender stratification in management. The World Health Organization 2000
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Health Organization & Management. - : Emerald. - 1477-7266 .- 1758-7247. ; 18:1, s. 7-15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The World Health Organization (WHO) is a global organization that nowadays has integrated gender issues into its policy, programmes and budget. How then is the state of affairs in the area of gender equity at the ultimate governing bodies of the modern WHO? This study aims to assess the representation of women and men and their promotion within the supreme decision-making bodies of the WHO during the year 2000. Information sources used are the official and confirmed protocols of the 53rd World Health Assembly (WHA) in 2000 and of the two Executive Board (EB) meetings of the corresponding year. A descriptive quantitative content analysis approach is used exclusively. The present study demonstrates strikingly skewed gender distribution, with men substantially at an advantage numerically in the prominent positions at the WHA 2000. Additionally, men also hold an advantage in terms of being promoted to leading positions within the bodies examined, notably all upgraded chairs of the EB during 2000. However, the formerly male-dominated supervisory positions of the WHO are, these days, challenged by women having been elected at the very top of the WHO. The present study stresses the need to elaborate a qualitative research design to advance the understanding of the social construction of gender in supreme governing positions of the modern WHO.
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| 38. |
- Brännström, Inger, 1945-
(författare)
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Community participation and social patterning in cardiovascular disease intervention
- 1993
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study addresses health policy and public health in the field of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on the local level in Sweden. The overall aim is to contribute to the assessment of structural and social conditions within public health by analysing participation processes and outcome patterns in a local health programme. The northern Swedish MONICA study served as a reference area. The research strategy has been to integrate quantitative and qualitative methodologies and, thereby, focus on different aspects of the health programme under study.The mortality rate was excessive in the study area of Norsjö relative to both provincial and national figures over a period of more than 10 years. This finding formed the basis for a tenyear comprehensive and community-based health programme towards the prevention of CVD and diabetes.Even in this seemingly homogeneous area it was found that socio-economic circumstances were associated with the public health. Almost half of the study population had hypercholesterolaemia (;>6.5 mmol/1), 19% of men and 25% of women were smokers and 30% and 29%, respectively, had high blood pressure. Age had a strong impact on all outcome measures. After adjustments for age and social factors it was found that the relative risk of having hypercholesterolaemia dropped significantly in both sexes during the six years of intervention. The probability of being a smoker was significantly reduced only in highly educated groups. No statistically significant change over time could be found for the risk of suffering high blood pressure. In the reference area of northern Sweden there were no changes over time for any of the selected risk factors. The likelihood of self-assessed good health decreased with increasing risk factor load, with the exception of hypercholesterolaemia , in all social strata.The authorities, including the health and medical staff, were the main actors on the mediastage. Men in manual occupations were least affected by the media coverage. The actors and the public as well as the media viewed the health programme as orientated towards individual lifestyles. Community participation was mainly defined by the actors based on the medical and health planning approach. Differences in interpretations, social interests, personal conflicts and ideological constraints among the actors at local level were observed. Some critical attitudes towards the organization and management of the health programme were also noted among the citizens. However, a majority of the public wanted the health programme to continue. The present study underlines the importance of considering age, gender and social differences in the planning and evaluation of CVD preventive programmes.
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
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