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Petroleum and Chlorinated Solvents in Meconium and the Risk of Hypospadias: A Pilot Study
No full textInternational audienceBackground: Hypospadias is a male congenital malformation that occurs in similar to 2 of 1,000 births. The association between hypospadias and fetal exposure to environmental chemicals has been studied, but the results are inconsistent. Although several petroleum and chlorinated solvents are suspected to have teratogenic effects, their role in the occurrence of hypospadias has been little studied and never using biomarkers of exposure. We aimed to evaluate the association between fetal exposure to petroleum and chlorinated solvents measured in meconium and the occurrence of hypospadias. Methods: We conducted a pilot case-control study in the maternity of the University Hospital of Rennes (France). Eleven cases of hypospadias and 46 controls were recruited between October 2012 and January 2014. Data from hospital records and maternal self-reported questionnaires, including socio-demographic characteristics and occupational and non-occupational exposure to chemicals, were collected. Meconium samples were collected using a standardized protocol. Levels of petroleum solvents (toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, and p, m, and o xylene), certain metabolites (mandelic acid, hippuric acid, methylhippuric acid, S-phenylmercapturic acid, S-benzylmercapturic acid, and phenylglyoxylic acid), and two chlorinated solvents (trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene) were measured in meconium by gas and liquid chromatography, both coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Associations between the concentration of each chemical and the occurrence of hypospadias were analyzed using exact logistic regressions adjusted for maternal age, educational level, pre-pregnancy body mass index, and alcohol, and tobacco consumption during pregnancy. Results are presented with odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Quantification rates for petroleum and chlorinated solvents or metabolites ranged from 2.2% (for methylhippuric acid) to 77.1% (for trichloroethylene) of the meconium samples. We found a significant association between the quantification of phenylglyoxylic acid (metabolite of styrene and ethylbenzene) in the meconium and a higher risk of hypospadias (OR = 14.2, 95% CI [2.5-138.7]). The risk of hypospadias was non-significantly elevated for most of the other solvents and metabolites. Conclusion: This exploratory study, on a limited number of cases, suggests an association between petroleum solvents and hypospadias. Additional studies are needed to confirm these results and identify the determinants for the presence of these solvents in meconium
Do we need an ISO standard on the evaluation of ecosystem services provided by soils?
No full textInternational audienceSoils host an enormous biodiversity, both in terms of abundance, number of species and functions of organisms. These organisms and their interactions are fundamental to many soil processes and ecological functions, as organic matter decomposition, nutrient and water cycling, soil structure formation, pest regulation, filtration and biotransformation of contaminants. All those processes and functions can be related to ecosystem services that are of direct benefit to humans, such as food production, climate regulation or provision of clean water. Ecosystem services are quite easily understandable and communicable: the way Nature provides you a service. Very quickly policy makers and even citizens have asked for valuations of ecosystem services provided by land (not only soil). As a consequence several world, EU, national or local experiments have been conducted leading to a great number of publications, the most famous one being the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. All those valuations have more or less proposed their own definitions and methodologies leading to a wide diversity of results. For more than 10 years several approaches and frameworks were developed by research units around the world to assess soil functions and the related ecosystem services. As a consequence various minimum datasets of parameters were proposed for those assessments including at least soil biological, physical and chemical parameters, but also integrating land use, land management or climate information. Now it appears there is a need to gather all those experiences to provide a consensual methodology to evaluators.Methods and models developed by scientists for investigating and deciphering processes in soils need to be translated into practical and transparent procedures. International standardization is a way to achieve such objective, as the aim is to share knowledge and reach agreement on a document (e.g., standard, guideline, technical report) that can be used worldwide. Having an international common way to assess soil functions and related ecosystem services is crucial to further compare valuations made in different countries, soil types and land uses (from degraded or contaminated land to agricultural or natural land) for management or remediation purposes.ISO/TC 190 has developed from the 1980's more than 180 standards dealing with soil description and soil analysis. Until the 1990's most of the standards were dedicated to the characterization of soil quality regarding fertility in relation to food production. Subsequently, the main emphasis shifted to the analysis of soil contaminants (e.g., trace elements, organic molecules) and their respective impact on soil living organisms (e.g., microorganisms, soil invertebrates, plants). More recently the issues of climate change and ecosystem services were raised. Last year during the plenary meeting ISO/TC 190 asked a group to decide about the need of standardization in the field of ecosystem services. We want to take the opportunity of EuroSoil 2020 to discuss this question with a broad range of research communities, coming from ecology, pedology, climatology, economics, agronomy…: do you think we can reach an agreement on definitions, indicators, models… and by the way will you join us? Come and debate with us so that we may take the decision of starting a new working group within ISO TC 190
Facilitating the Use of the Theory of Representative Sampling for Granular Waste: Number of Particles, Sample Size and Uncertainty Arising From Sampling
No full textInternational audienceEnvironmental forensics assessments are often based on few analytical measurements. Biased data can, therefore, led the involved actors to be improperly charged or acquitted. Data reliability, considered in terms of uncertainty and variability, is determined by the analytical methods and the performed sampling procedures. The influence of this latter increases with highly heterogeneous materials characterized by the presence of trace, “rare” elements (both considered resources or contaminants), as occurring in the field of waste management. Nevertheless, the theoretical principles behind representative sampling are still not well understood in the waste community, which often underestimates its influence on the reliability of the resulting data and consequent decisions. Applying the binomial probability distribution, the theory of representative sampling is reviewed to facilitate its use for granular solid wastes. The concept of the number of particles n that shall compose a representative sample is introduced. Within n, the same fraction p shall be included of “rare” particles present in the lot to be characterized. Also, n depends on the minimum achievable variability of test results, i.e., coefficient of variation CV computable on a set of equivalent samples. Data are presented quantifying occurring intra and inter-laboratory variability of the most used chemical-physical and ecotoxicological analyses of homogeneous material. Accordingly, a specific formula to calculate n is proposed. Three requirements are then laid down to transform n into mass of sample. Representative samples must include a fraction p of particles considered “rare” in terms of i) presence/concentration of substances and ii) particles size distribution, since large waste particles are seldom characterized by the same composition of fine particles. Further, iii) the size of the sampling equipment shall prevent segregation of larger particles. The mass of a representative sample is calculated by reconciling these three conditions. According to the dedicated technical standards, the layout of a replication experiment is developed to measure the uncertainty arising from a sampling plan designed for waste classified with European Waste Code 191212 “other wastes including mixtures of materials from mechanical treatment of wastes”.Practical and design challenges that can affect the correct performance of the related experimental activities and the reliability of the outcomes are discussed
Emissions from metallic powder and high energy-based process - thermal spraying knowledge refresh
No full textInternational audienceRecently, in different industrials sectors, emissions are subjected to rules and regulations which are coming increasingly stringent and more carefully monitored. And this is where thermal spraying, powder atomization and additive manufacturing come in metal powder and high energy-based processes. These technologies manufacture or use micrometer size feedstock. But the process characteristics as the heat source induces nanoparticle formation. The paper is to address a knowledge refresh on thermal spraying regarding emissions due to the process in relationship with working conditions, personal protection, dust filtration, etc. A survey has been conducted and the results are compared to scientific literature and previous surveys
The Gradual Integration of CCUS into National and Regional Strategies for Climate Change Mitigation, Energy Transition, Ecological Transition, Research and Innovation: An Overview for France
No full textInternational audienceCO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) is gradually gaining global recognition as a vital technology to complement the climate change mitigation portfolio. Since CCS entered the public arena with the publication of the IPCC Special Report in 2005, most of the international prospective scenarios compatible with keeping the temperature rise below 2°C rely on CCS (e.g. IPCC, IEA). International initiatives gathering many volunteer countries are playing a key role for enabling the development and deployment of CCS, such as IEAGHG since 1991, CSLF since 2003, ISO/TC 265 since 2011, Mission Innovation Challenge 3 since 2015, SET Plan Action 9 since 2016. Quite recently the use (U) of CO2 has entered the value chain to encourage the economic use of part of the captured CO2 as a raw material for the manufacture of new products before permanently storing the rest in the deep subsurface, this is why the technology is now often referred to as CCUS, or CCS and CCU. France has played a key role in the development of global climate policies (e.g. the Paris agreement in 2015), and is involved in the various international initiatives devoted to CCUS mentioned above. It is therefore interesting to take stock of how France is preparing to develop this technology and deploy it on its territory. Are we heading towards the deployment of the CCUS technology in France
Science as a Lever: The Roles and Power of Civil Society Organisations in Citizen Science
No full textInternational audienceCitizen science has become an umbrella term that encompasses a growing range of activities, actors, and issues. This chapter examines the potential of citizen science to generate transformative knowledge and argues that civil society organisations (CSOs) are key actors in this regard. However, the roles of CSOs are neglected in the literature on citizen science. We turn to the traditions of community-based research and participatory action research to learn more. With two case studies on health and safety, we show how transformative knowledge enables concerned communities to claim their rights and enriches scientific knowledge generation. Through a socio-historical analysis, we find three main roles grassroots CSOs take on in participatory research: (1) a technical role in the production of data and knowledge; (2) a governance role in the deliberation on research activities and risk assessment; and (3) an advocacy role by campaigning for transformative knowledge. These roles determine the ability of grassroots CSOs to generate legitimacy and rely on CSO members belonging to different spheres of society, scientific skills, and access to marginalised communities. Finally, we discuss the conceptual and practical challenges of accounting for CSOs’ roles in order to build a more just and transformative future through citizen science
Development and Evaluation of an Innovative Method Based on Dilution to Sample Solid and Condensable Fractions of Particles Emitted by Residential Wood Combustion
No full textInternational audienceAn innovative and simple method based on dilution, named as the dilution chamber (DC), allowing the measurement of solid and condensable fractions of particulate matter emitted by residential wood combustion appliances has been developed, and its performances have been evaluated. The DC method was then tested by five European institutes (Ineris, ISSI/ENEA, DTI, and RISE) on advanced residential wood log/pellet stoves, under nominal output and low output combustion conditions and using different fuel types. The aim of the study was to evaluate the capability of the DC method to collect the condensable fraction. The DC method was compared with another manual method used to collect the solid and condensable fractions at the same time, the dilution tunnel (DT), on four sampling platforms. A third method, a combining heated filter and impinger filled in with isopropanol collection (SPC-IPA), was also used by Ineris only for comparison with the DC method. PM measurements based on the DC method globally showed a linear correlation with PM measurements based on DT (R2 ranged between 0.81 and 0.99, p < 0.05) specifically for the residential wood stoves under low output conditions when the condensable fraction contributes the most. An analysis and quantification of PAHs related to the total mass of PM of samples taken by the DC method and performed by ENEA/ISSI showed that it produces a condensation effect of semivolatile species comparable or even greater than the DT method. PM emission factors calculated from PM measurements based on the DC method were (i) about 2- to 20-fold higher for the residential wood stoves (EF ranged between 201 to 2420 g GJ–1) compared to those obtained for the residential pellet stoves (EF ranged between 108 to 556 g GJ–1) and (ii) of the same magnitude of PM emission factors from the literature or the EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory guidebook
La santé environnementale : l’opportunité d’instaurer une gouvernance des risques multidimensionnelle et intégrée
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In situ cultivation of aromatic plant species for the phytomanagement of an aged-trace element polluted soil: Plant biomass improvement options and techno-economic assessment of the essential oil production channel
No full textInternational audienceDue to the presence of trace element (TE) in agricultural soils, wide areas are unproper for food production and the clean-up of soil is not a feasible option. Considering the potential remediation options, the use of aromatic plants producing a high quantity of biomass and developing high-added value sectors such as essential oil (EO) production could be valuable regarding one of the phytomanagement objectives, i.e. the restoration of an economic activity. The purpose of this study was hence to evaluate in situ the suitability of two aromatic crops, clary sage and coriander, for the phytomanagement of aged TE-polluted soils, taking into account plants' growth, development and biomass production, essential oil (EO) content and quality as well as a techno-economic feasibility analysis of the channel. In situ experiments have been carried out on two agricultural plots of 1.5 ha, a TEpolluted one (Pb: 394 ppm -Zn: 443 ppm -Cd: 7.2 ppm) and an unpolluted one (Pb: 22 ppm -Zn: 48 ppm -Cd: 0.4 ppm). Our findings have shown the ability of coriander and sage to grow similarly on both unpolluted and TEpolluted soil and to produce significant amounts of biomass. The pesticide residue and TE analyses have demonstrated that the EO only contained trace amounts of the contaminants, below or close to the limit of quantification of the method used and similar to marketed products. Mycorrhizal inoculation has also shown promising results by increasing the colonization rates of both aromatic plants, but did not result in higher biomass or EO amounts. Our study brings new evidence towards the potential of clary sage to be used for the phytomanagement of TEpolluted areas, given its perennial vegetation cover, tolerance to TE and obtained EO yields. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Broad (multilevel) safety research and strategy. A sociological study
No full textInternational audienceStudying safety from a broad (or multilevel) perspective in daily operations is a challenging prospect. The aim of this article, with the help of a case study, is to contribute to its development. In the introduction, broad (multilevel) safety research is introduced. This introduction indicates main authors who have produced in the past thirty to forty years a strong background against which one can build an idea of this challenge. It requires to decipher in real life situations the interactions between technology, task, structure, culture, strategy and environment of high-risk systems. An additional interest is, following the insights gained from the literature, to investigate the importance of strategic decision making in such broad (multilevel) safety approach. A first section discusses methodological issues linked to ethnographic research, and presents the methodology followed. The second section provides a narrative of the case study which combines a historical view of the plant, a description of some of the salient problems of working practices in a production department, an explanation of these problems through an organisational and managerial perspective, a description of the complex patterns of interactions between people in the plant and a strategic analysis of the situation. The last section discusses the interest of a broad (multilevel) research agenda explicitly incorporating the importance, influence and centrality of powerful decision makers, without simplifying the complexity of this issue