Heavy metal content and mobility in urban soils of public playgrounds and sport facility areas, Poland.

Among the threats to air, soil, and water posed by urbanization, heavy metals appear particularly hazardous. Playgrounds and sport facilities are unique urban places, widely used by children and youth. The aim of this research was to evaluate heavy metal pollution in urban soils, identify relationships among topsoil metal distributions, and assess related health risks in two Polish cities - Warsaw and Bydgoszcz. According to the Regulation of the Polish Minister of the Environment guidelines for total content of Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd and Co our study sites were classified as uncontaminated. Applied Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo; Müller, 1969) largely confirmed this classification, with only two of the investigated Warsaw areas "moderately polluted" with Pb. Generally, only Pb and Zn concentrations exceeded reference background levels for Polish soils. The highest concentrations of Pb and Zn were found in the city centers, the oldest areas where pollution risk is potentially the highest. Metal mobility and solubility were mainly correlated with total content, indicating potential risk from lead and zinc. At some sites in Warsaw, where mean Pb concentration was 87.25 mg kg-1 and Zn 207.25 mg kg-1, health risks from ingestion and inhalation seemed significant, particularly for children. In Bydgoszcz use of the studied playgrounds and sport facility areas did not pose a risk to human health. Finally, the study (especially in Warsaw) indicates the need for continued monitoring and suggests lowering permissible limits of these metals in soils, especially in recreational areas, may decrease childrens' exposure risk to these pollutants.

Patterns of trace element bioaccumulation in jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon from SE Spain.

The effects of an abandoned mining area, exploited for centuries in the mining district of Cartagena-La Union, result in a continuous supply of heavy metals into the Mar Menor coastal lagoon after rain episodes. As a consequence, concentration of trace elements in water column and sediments of this ecosystem is usually higher than in other areas. For monitoring ecosystem health, this study assessed the ability of Rhizostoma pulmo to bioaccumulate trace elements. A total of 57 individuals were sampled at eight different sampling stations during the summer of 2012. Although the concentrations of different analyzed elements (Al, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Sn, and Pb) were moderate, bioconcentration levels in relation to seawater metal concentration were extremely high. In any case, the use or disposal of these organisms should consider their metal content, because of their potential environmental and health implications.

Percepción de control, observancia del tratamiento y resultados de la rehabilitación física / Control perception, treatment observance and physical rehabilitation

Este trabajo presenta los resultados obtenidos en un estudio realizado con 158 pacientes que ha seguido un tratamiento de rehabilitación física en 4 hospitales de la provincia de Alicante. El objetico que nos planteamos fue analizar cómo los factores cognitivos están relacionados con la observancia del régimen terapéutico, así como con la evaluación de su estado de salud. La evaluación de los resultados fue medida tanto a través de la evaluación de los resultados desde el punto de vista de los propios pacientes, como de los médicos. Los resultados muestran que las variables cognitivas utilizadas, la competencia percibida en salud, es un buen predictor de los resultados de los tratamientos y las expectativas de resultados son un predictor apropiado de la observancia de los tratamientos de rehabilitación. Como conclusión se sugiere la valoración para futuras investigaciones en el ámbito de la psicología de la salud, de las variables cognitivas en sus diferentes niveles de especificidad como predictores tanto de la observancia como de los resultados de los tratamientos (AU)