Leaching of chloride, sulphate, heavy metals, dissolved organic carbon and phenolic organic pesticides from contaminated concrete.

Concrete samples from demolition waste of a former pesticide plant in Sweden were analysed for total contents and leachate concentrations of potentially hazardous inorganic substances, TOC, phenols, as well as for pesticide compounds such as phenoxy acids, chlorophenols and chlorocresols. Leachates were produced by means of modified standard column leaching tests and pH-stat batch tests. Due to elevated contents of chromium and lead, as well as due to high chloride concentrations in the first leachate from column tests at L/S 0.1, recycling of the concrete as a construction material in groundworks is likely to be restricted according to Swedish guidelines. The studied pesticide compounds appear to be relatively mobile at the materials own pH>12, 12, 9 and 7. Potential leaching of pesticide residues from recycled concrete to ground water and surface water might exceed water quality guidelines for the remediation site and the EU Water Framework Directive. Results of this study stress the necessity to systematically study the mechanism behind mobility of organic contaminants from alkaline construction and demolition wastes rather than rely on total content limit values.

Organic compounds in concrete from demolition works.

This study aims to verify the effect of physically removing the outer surface of contaminated concrete on total contents and on potential mobility of pollutants by means of leaching tests. Reclaimed concrete from 3 industrial sites in Sweden were included: A tar impregnated military storage, a military tar track-depot, as well as concrete constructions used for disposing of pesticide production surplus and residues. Solid materials and leachates from batch and column leaching tests were analysed for metals, Cl, F, SO4, DOC and contents of suspected organic compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAH, and pesticides/substances for pesticide production such as phenoxy acids, chlorophenols and chlorocresols, respectively). In case of PAH contaminated concrete, results indicate that removing 1 or 5 mm of the surface lead to total concentrations below the Swedish guidelines for recycling of aggregates and soil in groundwork constructions. 3 out of 4 concrete samples contaminated with pesticides fulfilled Swedish guidelines for contaminated soil. Results from batch and column leaching tests indicated, however, that concentrations above environmental quality standards for certain PAH and phenoxy acids, respectively, might occur at site when the crushed concrete is recycled in groundwork constructions. As leaching tests engaged in the study deviated from leaching test standards with a limited number of samples, the potential impact of the leaching tests' equipment on measured PAH and pesticide leachate concentrations has to be evaluated in future work.

Potential emissions from two mechanically-biologically pretreated (MBT) wastes.

The interaction of parameters determining the potential emissions of two different mechanically-biologically pretreated municipal solid wastes (MBT wastes) is elucidated in this work. The origins of the wastes are Germany and Sweden. By means of lab-scale experiments, increased stabilisation through composting is preferably determined by a decrease in respiration activity. Concurrently, the stabilisation is verified for the leachates by a decrease in COD, DOC, and BOD(5). Total organic carbon content reflects stabilisation less accurately. FT-IR and thermal analytical methods add valuable information about the state of degradation, especially when several distinct thermal parameters are taken into account. Mobility of Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn produced by a batch leaching test with deionized water is reduced by the pretreatment of both materials. Mobility of copper unambiguously increased. A principle component analysis (PCA) of membrane fractionated leachates indicates an affinity of Cu to mobile humic acids or dissolved organic carbon. High Cr, Zn, and Ni contents in the solid co-occur with high contents of solid humic acids. To a lesser extent, this is also true for solid Cd, Cu, and Pb contents. Due to differences in required landfilling conditions, actual emissions and after-care phase length will depend on whether each waste is landfilled in Germany or Sweden.

Genome-wide TDT analysis in a localized population with a high prevalence of multiple sclerosis indicates the importance of a region on chromosome 14q.

Epidemiological studies show that susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) has a strong genetic component, but apart from the HLA gene complex, additional genetic factors have proven difficult to map in the general population. Thus, localized populations, where MS patients are assumed to be more closely related, may offer a better opportunity to identify shared chromosomal regions. We have performed a genome-wide scan with 834 microsatellite markers in a data set consisting of 54 MS patients and 114 healthy family members. A group of families from a small village were possible to track back to common ancestors living in the 17th century. We used single marker- and haplotype-based transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) analysis and nonparametric linkage analysis to analyze genotyping data. Regions on chromosomes 2q23-31, 6p24-21, 6q25-27, 14q24-32, 16p13-12 and 17q12-24 were found to be in transmission disequilibrium with MS. Strong transmission disequilibrium was detected in 14q24-32, where several dimarker haplotypes were in transmission disequilibrium in affected individuals. Several regions showed modest evidence for linkage, but linkage and TDT were both clearly positive only for 17q12-24. All patients and controls were also typed for HLA class II genes; however, no evidence for a gene-gene interaction was observed.

Genome-wide linkage screen of a consanguineous multiple sclerosis kinship.

Multiple sclerosis (MS), like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), is a common neurological disorder thought to be caused by the interaction of several genes with unknown environmental factors. In both AD and PD the identification of disease forms inherited in a classic Mendelian fashion has helped investigators elucidate pathogenetic mechanisms. In this study a whole-genome screen, with an average of 608 successful genotypes per person, was performed on nine members of a consanguineous family: the index case, three of her siblings and her daughter, all of whom have been diagnosed with definite MS; as well as the parents of the index case (first cousins), one of her five healthy siblings and her husband (who is also her first cousin). Nonparametric linkage analysis was performed on genotyping data. Based on the presence of consanguinity, the a priori hypothesis was that the disease is transmitted in an autosomal recessive fashion in the pedigree. Linkage analysis revealed a suggestive logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 2.29 on the long arm of chromosome 9. Four of five affected family members were identically homozygous for a haplotype under this peak, spanning approximately 43 cM, while the fifth affected subject and all unaffected family members were heterozygous for the haplotype.

Analysis of nitric oxide synthase genes in cluster headache.

The aetiology of cluster headache is still not yet completely understood, but the potential relevance of genetic factors has been recognized during recent years. Nitric oxide (NO) plays a critical role in the regulation of vasodilation, neurotransmission, inflammation and many other events throughout the body. NO also appears to be an important mediator of vascular headache pathophysiology. In this study we have performed an association analysis of five polymorphic microsatellite markers in the three different NO synthase (NOS) genes; nNOS (NOS1), iNOS (NOS2A) and eNOS (NOS3). Ninety-one cluster headache patients diagnosed according to International Headache Society criteria and 111 matched controls were studied. Phenotype and allele frequencies were similarly distributed in patients and controls except for an iNOS (NOS2A) pentanucleotide repeat allele which was significantly more common in controls. We observed a higher phenotype frequency of this allele in our control group compared with rates in control groups of other studies, whereas the frequency in our patients was similar to that in controls from previous reports. Thus, we conclude that it is unlikely that genetic variations within the NOS genes contribute greatly to cluster headache susceptibility.

No linkage or association of the nitric oxide synthase genes to multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) of unknown etiology. Nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical that participates in a variety of biological processes. It is an important mediator in the immune response. Several studies indicate involvement of NO in the pathogenesis of MS. We studied five markers within the three NO synthase genes with regards to susceptibility and disease course in 156 affected sib-pairs and in 96 "benign" and 96 "severe" definite MS patients and 148 controls. We found no significant association or evidence for linkage in our data sets.

Orthodontic maxillary expansion and its effect on nocturnal enuresis.

A previous retrospective study of 10 children with varying degrees of nocturnal enuresis has shown that one side effect of rapid maxillary expansion (RME) is spontaneous reduction in bed-wetting at night. The aim of this prospective study was to analyze the effect of RME treatment (mean 2 weeks) in cases of chronic, long-standing nocturnal enuresis. Ten children, 8 to 13 years old, who had not responded to conventional medical treatment for bed-wetting, were referred from the pediatric department. Within 1 month of RME of 3 to 5 mm, 4 children were completely dry and 3 showed notable improvement. The results are encouraging, especially given the spontaneous recovery rate of about 15% per year. A reduction in nocturnal enuresis in children has also been reported after tonsillectomy. However, in this pilot study, no significant associations could be found between improvement in nocturnal enuresis and improvement in the nasal airway, age, amount of expansion, or nasopharyngeal dimension (measured on cephalograms).