Actinides and decay products in selected produce and bioindicators in the vicinity of a uranium plant.

Cypress needles collected at the edge of the Malvési uranium facility (SW France) exhibit enhanced activities of actinides and some decay products (uranium, americium, plutonium, (230)Th, (226)Ra) compared to a remote site. These enhanced activities resulted from the release of U via smokestacks and passive release from former artificial ponds located inside the nuclear site. Enhanced activities are also observed in selected produce (wheat, lettuce, fruits) sampled from the edge of the site. However, excess actinides measured in wheat grains in 2007 are inconsistent with the activities and the uranium ratio measured in the soils. This result suggests that the studied annual crops were contaminated mainly through the short-term release of airborne actinides, and that other transfer pathways, such as, uptake through the roots or adhesion of soil particles, were negligible.

Isotopic evidence of natural uranium and spent fuel uranium releases into the environment.

Uranium and plutonium isotopes were measured in soils, sediments and waters in an area subject to the past and present discharges from the uranium conversion plant of Malvési (France). The isotopes (236)U and (239)Pu are well known activation products of uranium and they prove to be powerful tracers of spent fuel releases in soils and sediments. On the other hand (234)U and (238)U activities measured in waters can be used to distinguish between releases and background uranium sources. Such findings contribute to improve the monitoring of the actinides releases by nuclear fuel facilities (mining sites, conversion, enrichment and fuel plants, reprocessing plants).

Increasing incidence and comparison of nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype typhimurium isolates from humans and animals.

We determined the resistance to quinolone of 309 Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Typhimurium strains isolated from humans and animals (cattle, pigs, or poultry) in 1995 or 1996. Nalidixic acid resistance increased from 8.5% in 1995 to 18.6% in 1996. The highest resistance levels correlated with a mutation at Ser-83 (or Asp-82). All strains remained ciprofloxacin susceptible. Human and animal isolates were compared by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and the banding patterns of the human isolates most closely matched those of the bovine isolates.

[Growing incidence of nalidixic acid resistance and sensitivity to quinolones in Salmonella typhimurium strains isolated from man or animal]. / Incidence croissante de la résistance à l'acide nalidixique et sensibilité aux quinolones des souches de Salmonella typhimurium isolées chez l'homme ou l'animal.

To determine the prevalence of quinolone resistance in Salmonella typhimurium strains from humans or animals (cattle, poultry, swine), the S. typhimurium strains isolated at a teaching hospital and at the central veterinary laboratory of the same district between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 1996 were studied. Susceptibility to nalidixic acid was determined using the disk diffusion method. Strains with decreased susceptibility to nalidixic acid were subjected to minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination for pefloxacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, levofloxacin, and grepafloxacin. Decreased susceptibility to nalidixic acid was demonstrated for 41 of the 309 strains studied and increased from 8.5% in 1995 to 18.6% in 1996. MIC90 values of fluoroquinolones for strains with decreased susceptibility to nalidixic acid were lower than 1 mg/L, which is the cutoff above which a strain is classified as susceptible, but were higher than for strains that were susceptible to nalidixic acid. These low levels of resistance may be the first step in selection of mutant strains with high levels of resistance to fluoroquinolones. This warrants continued monitoring of resistance of Salmonella to fluoroquinolones.

[Effect of hygiene measures, water sanitation and oral rehydration therapy on diarrhea in children less than five years old in the south of Ivory Coast]. / Effet de l'observance des mesures d'hygiène, d'approvisionnement en eau et de la thérapie par voie orale sur les diarrhées chez les enfants de moins de 5 ans dans le sud de la Côte d'Ivoire.

The purpose is to assess the impact of compliance with measures of hygiene and water supply and oral rehydration on the diarrhoea with under 5 years of age in four villages of southern Côte d'Ivoire. The method used is to compare morbidity and mortality of children, firstly between two groups of villages without such measures, secondly in two villages before and after implementing them. Initially, an exhaustive survey has determined the incidence rate of diarrhoea, the proportion of deaths resulting from such diarrhoea as well as the mortality rate 1988. Two similar survey were made in 1990 and 1992. The results show a 50% reduction of the incidence rate of diarrhoea and a 85% reduction of the proportion of deaths related to diarrhoea in the villages with intervention. The mortality rate to diarrhoea was likewise reduced by 85%. These results show the importance of the improvement and accessibility to drinkable water and hygiene in the prevention of diarrhoea in areas children.

[Impact of improved sanitary conditions and domestic hygiene on the incidence of ascaridiasis and ancylostomiasis in children two to four years old in the rural zones of Ivory Coast]. / Impact de l'assainissement et de l'hygiène domestique sur l'incidence de l'ascaridiose et de l'ankylostomose chez les enfants de 2 à 4 ans dans les zones rurales de Côte d'Ivoire.

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of improvement measures for hygiene and water supply, installation of latrines and health education on the incidence of ascaridiasis and ankylostomiasis with 2 to 4 years old children in some villages of southern Côte d'Ivoire. The method used is the comparison of children carrying parasites before and after intervention. Initially in 1988, the stools of all children aged from 2 to 4 were collected and examined in order to look for the presence of parasites in the stools. Two identical inquiries were made in 1990 and 1992. The results show a reduction of the rate of incidence for ascaridiasis by 75% and ankylostomiasis by 82%. They demonstrate the importance of an appropriate evacuation of excreta, of an education of mothers and of domestic hygiene in the process of prevention of children parasitosis.

E3N, a French cohort study on cancer risk factors. E3N Group. Etude Epidémiologique auprès de femmes de l'Education Nationale.

This paper describes the design of E3N, a prospective cohort study conducted in France on risk factors for female cancers. The cohort comprises 100,000 women, aged 40-65 years at baseline in 1990. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires every 18 months. The main hypotheses studied concern the relationship between diet and cancer and between hormonal treatments and cancer. All cancers diagnosed are registered, together with other diseases (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis). The study population and the follow-up procedure are described.