| 1. |
- Barregård, Lars, 1948, et al.
(author)
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Urinary mercury in people living near point sources of mercury emissions.
- 2006
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In: The Science of the total environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697. ; 368:1, s. 326-34
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As part of the European Mercury Emissions from Chlor Alkali Plants (EMECAP) project, we tested the hypothesis that contamination of ambient air with mercury around chlor alkali plants using mercury cells would increase the internal dose of mercury in people living close to the plants. Mercury in urine (U-Hg) was determined in 225 individuals living near a Swedish or an Italian chlor alkali plant, and in 256 age- and sex-matched individuals from two reference areas. Other factors possibly affecting mercury exposure were examined. Emissions and concentrations of total gaseous mercury (TGM) around the plants were measured and modeled. No increase in U-Hg could be demonstrated in the populations living close to the plants. This was the case also when the comparison was restricted to subjects with no dental amalgam and low fish consumption. The emissions of mercury to air doubled the background level, but contributed only about 2 ng/m(3) to long-term averages in the residential areas. The median U-Hg levels in subjects with dental amalgam were 1.2 microg/g creatinine (micro/gC) in Italy and 0.6 microg/gC in Sweden. In individuals without dental amalgam, the medians were 0.9 microg/gC and 0.2 microg/gC, respectively. The number of amalgam fillings, as well as chewing, fish consumption, and female sex were associated with higher U-Hg. The difference between the countries is probably due to higher fish consumption in Italy, demethylated methyl mercury (MeHg) being partly excreted in urine. Post hoc power calculations showed that if the background mercury exposure is low it may be possible to demonstrate an increase in U-Hg of as little as about 10 ng/m(3) as a contribution to ambient mercury from a point source.
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| 2. |
- Basu, Samar, et al.
(author)
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Regulatory factors of basal F(2)-isoprostane formation: population, age, gender and smoking habits in humans.
- 2009
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In: Free radical research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1029-2470 .- 1071-5762. ; 43:1, s. 85-91
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Oxidative stress is assumed to be the key underlying factor in the pathogenesis of many common diseases. This study describes the basal levels of 8-iso-PGF(2alpha ), a major F(2)-isoprostane and an in vivo oxidative stress biomarker in healthy subjects from three countries, namely Italy, Poland and Sweden, in relation to their smoking habits, age and gender. It studied urinary 8-iso-PGF(2alpha ) in 588 subjects from Sweden (n=220), Italy (n=203) and Poland (n=165). Polish subjects had the highest levels of F(2)-isoprostanes followed by the Swedish and Italians when adjusted for smoking, age, sex and creatinine and the inter-country differences were statistically significant. Smokers had significantly higher levels of 8-iso-PGF(2alpha ) compared to non-smokers in all countries and there was a moderate decrease with age. Women had only slightly lower 8-iso-PGF(2alpha ) than men. There is a difference in F(2)-isoprostane levels in vivo between countries. Smoking, age and gender affect isoprostane formation and should be taken into consideration in clinical studies of oxidative stress.
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| 3. |
- Ferri, Gabriele, et al.
(author)
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DustCart, a Mobile Robot for Urban Environments : Experiments of Pollution Monitoring and Mapping during Autonomous Navigation in Urban Scenarios
- 2010
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In: Proceedings of ICRA Workshop on Networked and Mobile Robot Olfaction in Natural, Dynamic Environments.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the framework of DustBot European project, aimed at developing a new multi-robot system for urban hygiene management, we have developed a twowheeled robot: DustCart. DustCart aims at providing a solution to door-to-door garbage collection: the robot, called by a user, navigates autonomously to his/her house; collects the garbage from the user and discharges it in an apposite area. An additional feature of DustCart is the capability to monitor the air pollution by means of an on board Air Monitoring Module (AMM). The AMM integrates sensors to monitor several atmospheric pollutants, such as carbon monoxide (CO), particular matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3) plus temperature (T) and relative humidity (rHu). An Ambient Intelligence platform (AmI) manages the robots’ operations through a wireless connection. AmI is able to collect measurements taken by different robots and to process them to create a pollution distribution map. In this paper we describe the DustCart robot system, focusing on the AMM and on the process of creating the pollutant distribution maps. We report results of experiments of one DustCart robot moving in urban scenarios and producing gas distribution maps using the Kernel DM+V algorithm. These experiments can be considered as one of the first attempts to use robots as mobile monitoring devices that can complement the traditional fixed stations.
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| 4. |
- Jarosinska, Dorota, et al.
(author)
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Urinary mercury and biomarkers of early renal dysfunction in environmentally and occupationally exposed adults: a three-country study.
- 2008
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In: Environmental research. - : Elsevier BV. - 1096-0953 .- 0013-9351. ; 108:2, s. 224-32
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We conducted a cross-sectional study in Sweden, Italy and Poland to assess environmental and occupational exposure to mercury from chloralkali (CA) plants and the potential association with biomarkers of early renal dysfunction. Questionnaire data and first-morning urine samples were collected from 757 eligible subjects. Urine samples were analysed for mercury corrected for creatinine (U-HgC), alpha-1-microglobulin (A1M), N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) and albumin. Determinants of urinary mercury excretion were examined. Levels of kidney markers were compared in three U-HgC categories, and differences were tested taking age and other covariates into account. In the general population, the median U-HgC was higher in Italian (1.2 microg/gC) than in Polish (0.22 microg/gC) or Swedish (0.21 microg/gC) subjects, and no effect of living close to CA plants could be shown. Dental amalgam, chewing on amalgam, and fish consumption were positively associated with U-HgC. In subjects from the general population, no effects on the kidney markers could be detected, while in men, including workers occupationally exposed to mercury, U-HgC was positively associated with the kidney markers, especially with NAG, but to some extent also with A1M and albumin. Differences in urinary mercury and kidney markers in the general population between three studied countries could possibly be due to dietary factors, increased susceptibility to mercury at low selenium intake or co-exposure to other nephrotoxic metals.
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| 5. |
- Palagi, Stefano, et al.
(author)
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Propulsion of swimming microrobots inspired by metachronal waves in ciliates: from biology to material specifications
- 2013
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In: Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. - : Institute of Physics: Hybrid Open Access. - 1748-3182 .- 1748-3190. ; 8:4, s. 046004-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The quest for swimming microrobots originates from possible applications in medicine, especially involving navigation in bodily fluids. Swimming microorganisms have become a source of inspiration because their propulsion mechanisms are effective in the low-Reynolds number regime. In this study, we address a propulsion mechanism inspired by metachronal waves, i.e. the spontaneous coordination of cilia leading to the fast swimming of ciliates. We analyse the biological mechanism (referring to its particular embodiment in Paramecium caudatum), and we investigate the contribution of its main features to the swimming performance, through a three-dimensional finite-elements model, in order to develop a simplified, yet effective artificial design. We propose a bioinspired propulsion mechanism for a swimming microrobot based on a continuous cylindrical electroactive surface exhibiting perpendicular wave deformations travelling longitudinally along its main axis. The simplified propulsion mechanism is conceived specifically for microrobots that embed a micro-actuation system capable of executing the bioinspired propulsion (self-propelled microrobots). Among the available electroactive polymers, we select polypyrrole as the possible actuation material and we assess it for this particular embodiment. The results are used to appoint target performance specifications for the development of improved or new electroactive materials to attain metachronal-waves-like propulsion.
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| 6. |
- Reggente, Matteo, 1973-, et al.
(author)
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The DustBot System : Using Mobile Robots to Monitor Pollution in Pedestrian Area
- 2010
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In: Chemical Engineering Transactions. - : AIDIC Servizi. - 1974-9791 .- 2283-9216. - 9788895608143 ; 23, s. 273-278
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The EU project DustBot addresses urban hydeience. Two types of robots were designed, the DustClean robot to autonomously clean pedestrian areas, and the DustCart robot for door-to-door garbage collection. Three prototype robots were built and equipped with electronic noses so as to enable them to collect environmental data while performing their urban hygiene tasks. Essentially, the robots act as a mobile, wirless node in a sensor network. In this paper we give an overview of the DusBot platform focusig on the Air Monitoring Module (AMM). We descibe the data flow between the robots throught the ubiquitous network to a gas distribution modelling server, where a gas deisribution model is computed. We descibe the Kernel DM+V algorithn, an approach to create statistical gas disdtribution models in the form of predictive mean and variance discrtized onto a grid map. Finally we present and discuss results obtained with the DustBot AMM during experimental trails performex in outdoor public places; a courtyard in Pontedera, Italy and a pedestrian square in Örebro, Sweden.
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