The detection of psychiatric illness by questionnaire

One of our era's greatest scourges is air pollution, on account not only of its impact on climate change but also its impact on public and individual health due to increasing morbidity and mortality. There are many pollutants that are major factors in disease in humans. Among them, Particulate Matter (PM), particles of variable but very small diameter, penetrate the respiratory system via inhalation, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, reproductive and central nervous system dysfunctions, and cancer. Despite the fact that ozone in the stratosphere plays a protective role against ultraviolet irradiation, it is harmful when in high concentration at ground level, also affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular system. Furthermore, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), dioxins, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are all considered air pollutants that are harmful to humans. Carbon monoxide can even provoke direct poisoning when breathed in at high levels. Heavy metals such as lead, when absorbed into the human body, can lead to direct poisoning or chronic intoxication, depending on exposure. Diseases occurring from the aforementioned substances include principally respiratory problems such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, bronchiolitis, and also lung cancer, cardiovascular events, central nervous system dysfunctions, and cutaneous diseases. Last but not least, climate change resulting from environmental pollution affects the geographical distribution of many infectious diseases, as do natural disasters. The only way to tackle this problem is through public awareness coupled with a multidisciplinary approach by scientific experts; national and international organizations must address the emergence of this threat and propose sustainable solutions.

/pdf/environmental-and-health-impacts-of-air-pollution-a-review-8y7nwckg81.pdf

Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A Review.

Indoor air quality and health

Auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health

Objective:This report surveys and evaluates the scientific research on evidence-based healthcare design and extracts its implications for designing better and safer hospitals.Background:It builds o...

/pdf/a-review-of-the-research-literature-on-evidence-based-2oeftve5sd.pdf

A Review of the Research Literature on Evidence-Based Healthcare Design

The olfactory perception of 20 men (tank cleaners) exposed to petroleum products (while cleaning oil tanks) was examined. Office workers and watchmen were used as referents (N = 20 + 20). They were matched with regard to sex, age, and smoking habits. Odor detection thresholds and the perceived odor intensity of four odorous stimuli, pyridine, dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), n-butanol, and heating oil vapor (gas phase of heating oil heated to +40 degrees C), were determined. The results suggested that the tank cleaners had higher absolute odor thresholds for n-butanol and oil vapor than the referents. The psychophysical function of the tank cleaners and referents differed for all the tested substances in respect to odor intensity. The tank cleaners displayed an odor deficit analogous to the hearing loss known as "loudness recruitment," ie, normal perception of strong stimuli but impaired perception of weak stimuli. This odor deficit was therefore named "odor intensity recruitment" and seems, in tank cleaners, to be associated with occupational exposure to oil vapor.

Impaired odor perception in tank cleaners.

A comparison of odor perception in smokers, nonsmokers, and passive smokers*

A longitudinal study of air contaminants in a newly built preschool

The purpose of the experiment was to study how the loudness (or annoyance) of the constituents in pairs of community noises combines into total loudness (or total annoyance). Three community noises (pile driving, jack hammering, street traffic) were combined pairwise at different sound levels. The observers judged the total loudness of the combined noises as well as the loudness of each component noise when heard alone. Three models of loudness (or annoyance) summation for noise were tested: a vector summation model, a model assuming that the loudnesses of the masked constituent noises add arithmetically, and a simple model stating that the total loudness equals the loudest of the component noises when heard alone. All three models fitted the data satisfactorily from a statistical point of view. The ’’loudest component’’ model was favored because it produced a prediction error of only 14% in the ’’worst case’’ and can, therefore, serve as a ’’rule of thumb’’ for many practical purposes.

Thomas Lindvall

Papers

Impaired odor perception in tank cleaners.

A comparison of odor perception in smokers, nonsmokers, and passive smokers*

A longitudinal study of air contaminants in a newly built preschool

Loudness (or annoyance) summation of combined community noises

Volatile organic compounds from used building materials in a simulated chamber study