Organizational Risk Factors for Aircrew Health: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies.

Addressing the field of health and safety at work, the primary objective of the present systematic review was to analyze the organizational risk factors for aircrew health according to professional category (flight attendants and pilots/co-pilots) and their consequences. The secondary objective was to identify the countries in which studies were carried out, focusing on the quality of content of the publications. The Medline/Pubmed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for eligible studies according to PRISMA statements. The risk of bias and the methodological quality of the studies were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and Loney tools. Of the 3230 abstracts of articles screened, 36 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most of the research conducted on risk factors for the work organization of aircrew was carried out in the United States and the European Union and had moderate or low-quality methodology and evidence. However, the findings are homogeneous and allow the most prevalent organizational risk factors for the health of aircrew to be determined, namely, high work demand, long hours, and night work. Consequently, the most pervasive health problems were sleep disturbances, mental health disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, and fatigue. Thus, the regulation of the aircrew profession must prioritize measures that minimize these risk factors to promote better health and sleep for these professionals and, consequently, to provide excellent safety for workers and passengers.

Aircrew Health: A Systematic Review of Physical Agents as Occupational Risk Factors.

The primary objective of this systematic review was to analyze the main physical agents representing risk factors for commercial aircrew, together with their consequences. The secondary objective was to identify the countries in which studies on the topic were conducted, as well as the quality of the publications available. Thirty-five articles, published between 1996 and 2020, were selected for the review, having met all inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were conducted in the United States, Germany, and Finland and had moderate or low methodological quality of evidence. The main risk factors for aircrew identified in publications were exposure to abnormal air pressure, cosmic radiation, noise, and vibrations. Hypobaric pressure was explored in response to demands for studies on this agent, a factor which may lead to otic and ear barotraumas, as well as acceleration of atherosclerosis of the carotid artery. However, there is a dearth of research exploring this phenomenon.

Emprego do monitoramento contínuo da floculação no controle de parâmetros de tratabilidade de água / Use of continuous flocculation monitoring in the control of water treatability parameters

RESUMO Neste artigo, empregou-se um equipamento de monitoramento contínuo da floculação (EMCF) para melhor compreensão da coagulação e da floculação no tratamento de águas sintéticas sob diferentes mecanismos de coagulação, em escala de bancada. A água de estudo utilizada nos ensaios foi preparada em laboratório com a adição de uma solução de caulinita em água. Como agente coagulante foi utilizado sulfato de alumínio (SA) líquido, isento de ferro. A resposta do sinal com o tempo mostra três regiões distintas: uma região de crescimento, uma região de patamar e uma região de decaimento. Ao longo do presente trabalho, constatou-se que o índice de floculação (IF) se mostrou adequado para otimizar a floculação tanto pela seleção do pH quanto pela dosagem do coagulante. O pH e as dosagens ótimas, obtidos por meio do ensaio de jarros, estiveram relacionados às maiores variações de IF. O IF médio ( IF ) mostrou-se adequado para antecipar a dosagem ótima a partir de 3 minutos de floculação, e a inclinação da reta de melhor ajuste mostrou-se adequada para estimar a cinética da floculação.

ABSTRACT In this article, a continuous flocculation-monitoring equipment (CFME) was employed to better understand coagulation and flocculation in the treatment of synthetic water under different coagulation mechanisms, on a bench scale. The study water used in the tests was prepared in the laboratory with the addition of a solution of kaolinite in water. Liquid aluminum sulfate, free from iron, was used as a coagulant agent. The flocculation index (FI) measured over time was able to identify the regions of floc growth, plateau and decay. FI was found to be an adequate parameter for optimizing flocculation pH and coagulant dosage. Optimum pH and dosage, obtained in jar tests, were related to the largest variations in FI. The mean FI was found to be adequate for predicting optimum coagulant dosage in the first three minutes after flocculation, whereas the slope of the best-fit FI line was found to be suited for predicting flocculation kinetics.