[Pollution Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Hazardous Air Pollutants in the Surroundings of Three Petrochemical Industries in Northwest China].

The samples in the surroundings of three representative petrochemical industries in Northwest China were collected by summa canister/adsorption using activated carbon/glass fiber filter, and then they were analyzed for 13 hazardous air pollutants by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/gas chromatograph/high performance liquid chromatography. The pollution characteristics and human health risk of hazardous air pollutants were discussed. The results showed that 8 hazardous air pollutants existed in the surroundings of all petrochemical industries. The detection frequency for 8 hazardous air pollutants exceeded 80%. The ranges of the average concentrations of benzene series(BTEX), 1,3-butadiene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, benzo[a]pyrene were 48.01-182.75 µg·m-3, 6.28-7.95 µg·m-3, 5.53-12.62 µg·m-3 and 7.03-36.08 ng·m-3. Daily average concentration of benzo[a]pyrene was 1.8-13.4 times higher than the limit of national standard level-Ⅱ, and those of benzene, toluene and xylene were also over their limits of standard to different degrees. The non-carcinogenic risks of benzo[a]pyrene and 1,3-butadiene were beyond acceptable levels around the three petrochemical industries in Northwest China. Meanwhile, the non-carcinogenic health impact of benzene was appreciable on the exposed population of Lanzhou petrochemical industrial area. The carcinogenic risks of benzene, ethylbenzene, styrene, 1,3-butadiene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene and benzo[a]pyrene were beyond acceptable levels. At the same time, the carcinogenic risks of benzene, 1,3-butadiene and 1,4-dichlorobenzene were significantly higher than their acceptable ranges recommended by US EPA.

Assessment of dual-probe Her-2 fluorescent in situ hybridization in breast cancer by the 2013 ASCO/CAP guidelines produces more equivocal results than that by the 2007 ASCO/CAP guidelines.

Dual-probe fluorescence in situ hybridization (D-FISH) is a widely accepted method to determine the gene amplification status of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2). In 2013, the American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists (ASCO/CAP) updated the guidelines on the Her-2 testing for invasive breast cancer (BCa). The interpretation criteria for D-FISH changed accordingly. In this study, we compared the Her-2 FISH statuses based on the 2013 and 2007 ASCO/CAP guidelines in 1931 cases of BCa with Her-2 D-FISH testing at our hospital. We analyzed the clinicopathologic features of cases with equivocal results by the 2013 ASCO/CAP guidelines. Although the guideline update significantly improved the detection rate of Her-2 amplification, it also significantly increased the rate of equivocal results, posing a dilemma for clinical management. The equivocal results had a good reproducibility. The distribution of D-FISH-equivocal cases did not correlate with Her-2 status by immunohistochemistry, suggesting that Her-2 D-FISH equivocality may not reflect Her-2 overexpression. Compared with Her-2-negative cases by D-FISH, Her-2 D-FISH-equivocal cases had higher Ki67 expression, higher histological grade, more frequent lymph node metastasis, and lower estrogen receptor α expression, indicating a group of BCa with worse prognosis. The clinical significance of Her-2-equivocal results by D-FISH warrants further investigation.

[Pollution characteristics and health risk assessment of atmospheric VOCs in the downtown area of Guangzhou, China].

The measurements of 31 kinds of VOCs in the ambient air of a site were carried out in the downtown of Guangzhou by online method from November 5, 2009 to November 9, 2009. The ambient level and composition characteristics, temporal variation characteristics, sources identification, and chemical reactivity of VOCs were studied, and the health risk of VOCs in the ambient air in the study area was assessed by using the international recognized health risk assessment method. Results showed that the mean and the range of the mass concentrations of 31 VOCs were 114.51 microg x m(-3) and 29.42-546.06 microg x m(-3), respectively. The mass concentrations of 31 VOCs, and those of alkanes, alkenes, and aromatics all showed a changing trend of higher in the morning and in the evening, and lower at noontime. Vehicular exhaust, gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas evaporates were the main sources of VOCs with the volatilization of paints and solvents being important emission sources. Toluene, trans-2-butene, m/p-xylene, i-butane, and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene were the key reactive species among the 31 VOCs. Vehicular exhaust and gasoline evaporation were the main sources of VOCs leading to the formation of ozone. Health risk assessment showed that n-hexane, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylene and o-xylene had no appreciable risk of adverse non-cancer health effect on the exposed population, but 1, 3-butadiene and benzene had potential cancer risk. By comparing the corresponding data about health risk assessment of benzene compounds in some cities in China, it is concluded that benzene can impose relatively high cancer risk to the exposed populations in the ambient air of some cities in China. Therefore, strict countermeasures should be taken to further control the pollution of benzene in the ambient air of cities, and it is imperative to start the related studies and develop the atmospheric environmental health criteria and national ambient air quality standard for benzene in China.