Documents metals 29 results

"Context
The climate crisis leaves us no choice but to make a swift transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies. However, while energy from renewable sources such as solar and wind is nearly infinite, the resources we need to capture it are not. Solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and power cables all contain metals. Their various properties, including toughness and conductivity, make metals uniquely suitable for renewable energy technologies. But first they must be extracted from ores that are dug up from the ground. Because of its decentralised nature, a renewable energy system requires far larger quantities of metals than a fossil energy system.
Objectives
Both the energy transition and the digital transition require large quantities of metals, such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth. As a result, Europe must face up to various types of scarcity. This Agenda for Action sets out how we can achieve the sparing, circular use of metals and the responsible sourcing of the virgin metals that we really need."

"Battery-recycling can expose workers to several metals. This study aims to investigate this multiple exposure, by exploring the potential of effect biomarkers to improve risk assessment for workers, and by calculating a hazard index (HI) to assess the risk of cumulative exposure. Urine samples from 86 workers in three French recycling plants were analysed for metal biomarkers (Cd, Co, Cr, Li, Mn, Ni), kidney-injury biomarkers (α1-microglubulin, retinol binding protein, kidney injury molecule-1, N-acetyl-β-D-gluocosaminidase, albumin, total proteins), and oxidative-stress biomarkers (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, malondialdehyde). Kidney-injury biomarker levels successfully differentiated exposed recyclers from administrative workers, while oxidative-stress biomarker levels did not allow this differentiation. The calculation of a HI proved effective in detecting the risk associated with multiple metal exposure, offering a better risk assessment than when considering metals individually. This dual approach, combining HI calculation and analyzing kidney-injury biomarkers, should be strongly considered in the risk assessment of workers exposed to multiple metals."

This work is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

"This Volume 100C covers Arsenic, Metals, Fibres, and Dusts, specifically Arsenic and Arsenic Compounds, Beryllium and Beryllium Compounds, Cadmium and Cadmium Compounds, Chromium (VI) Compounds, Nickel and Nickel Compounds, Asbestos (Chrysotile, Amosite, Crocidolite, Tremolite, Actinolite and Anthophyllite), Erionite, Leather Dust, Silica Dust, Crystalline, in the form of Quartz or Cristobalite, and Wood Dust.
Because the scope of Volume 100 is so broad, its Monographs are focused on key information. Each Monograph presents a description of a carcinogenic agent and how people are exposed, critical overviews of the epidemiological studies and animal cancer bioassays, and a concise review of the agent's toxicokinetics, plausible mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and potentially susceptible populations, and life-stages. Details of the design and results of individual epidemiological studies and animal cancer bioassays are summarized in tables. Short tables that highlight key results are printed in Volume 100, and more extensive tables that include all studies appear on the Monographs programme website (http://monographs.iarc.fr).

It is hoped that this volume, by compiling the knowledge accumulated through several decades of cancer research, will stimulate cancer prevention activities worldwide, and will be a valued resource for future research to identify other agents suspected of causing cancer in humans. "

"Qui connaît la cassitérite ?

C'est le principal minerai de l'étain. On le trouve partout, dans nos téléphones portables, nos radios, nos télévisions... Mais à quel prix ?

Dans ce livre-enquête, cette traque policière sur plusieurs continents, Christophe Boltanski nous révèle l'origine de ces "minerais de sang".

Depuis les mines du Nord-Kivu au Congo, où des gamins africains s'enfoncent sous la terre au péril de leur vie jusqu'aux tours de La Défense, où des entreprises mondialisées disent tout ignorer du chemin qu'empruntent les minerais, notre reporter-écrivain a suivi le fil hasardeux, dangereux, qui mène de l'ombre de ces esclaves modernes à la lumière de notre consommation quotidienne.

De l'Afrique des gueres oubliées au London Stock Metal Exchange, des usines de Malaisie aux poublelles à ciel ouvert du Ghana, en passant par Bruxelles et Paris, c'est un roman-vrai, tissé d'argent, d'influences obscures, de politique.

Le véritable visage du post-colonialisme."

"Background Environmental influence plays a major role in determining health status of individuals. Punjab has been reported as having a high degree of water pollution due to heavy metals from untreated industrial effluent discharge and high pesticide consumption in agriculture. The present study ascertained the association of heavy metal and pesticide exposure on reproductive and child health outcomes in Punjab, India.Methods A cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted in which 1904 women in reproductive age group and 1762 children below 12 years of age from 35 villages in three districts of Punjab were interviewed on a semistructured schedule for systemic and general health morbidities. Medical doctors conducted a clinical examination and review of records where relevant. Out of 35 study villages, 25 served as target (exposed) and 10 as non-target (less exposed or reference). Effluent, ground and surface water, fodder, vegetables and milk (bovine and human) samples were tested for chemical composition, heavy metals and pesticides. Results Spontaneous abortion (20.6 per 1000 live births) and premature births (6.7 per 1000 live births) were significantly higher in area affected by heavy metal and pesticide pollution (p<0.05). Stillbirths were about five times higher as compared with a meta-analysis for South Asian countries. A larger proportion of children in target area were reported to have delayed milestones, language delay, blue line in the gums, mottling of teeth and gastrointestinal morbidities (p<0.05). Mercury was found in more than permissible limits (MPL) in 84.4% samples from the target area. Heptachlor, chlorpyriphos, ß-endosulfan, dimethoate and aldrin were found to be more than MPL in 23.9%, 21.7%, 19.6%, 6.5% and 6.5% ground water samples respectively. Conclusion Although no direct association could be established in this study, heavy metal and pesticide exposure may be potential risk factors for adverse reproductive and child health outcomes."

"L'incidence des cancers a augmenté de 20% tandis que la mortalité a diminué de 20%. L'Afsset avait commandité en 2005 une expertise collective à l'INSERM sur les 9 types de cancers dont l'incidence a le plus augmenté en 25 ans (poumon ; hémopathies malignes ; sein ; testicule ; thyroïde ; mésothéliomes ; tumeurs cérébrales ; ovaire ; prostate). L'INSERM a mobilisé 40 chercheurs pour analyser 1800 articles de la littérature scientifique et a rendu public en octobre 2008 un rapport de 900 pages.
Pour ce nouvel avis, l'Afsset s'est fondée sur ces travaux des chercheurs et sur ses propres travaux sur des cancérogènes particuliers (amiante, formaldéhyde, particules, benzène…). Elle a cherché à confronter les positions des parties compétentes en auditionnant 17 organismes scientifiques et 21 personnalités de la science, des mondes professionnels, des associations et du monde judiciaire, des sciences socio-économiques et des lanceurs d'alerte. Cette ouverture à la société civile constitue une première dans ce domaine. "

"Savez-vous que : Certains produits chimiques cancérigènes se dégagent des tables, chaises, étagères, livres et cahiers, avec des risques " non négligeables " pour nos enfants, notamment dans les
écoles, selon des études scientifiques confidentielles... La majorité des pesticides ne font pas l'objet d'analyses officielles dans les aliments et les seuils limites de leur présence dans l'eau ne reposent pas sur des critères médicaux... Des sites industriels et des incinérateurs ont longtemps contaminé leur environnement avec des métaux lourds ou de la dioxine, sans que les pouvoirs publics prennent en compte la santé des riverains... La pollution atmosphérique urbaine provoque au moins 32 000 " décès prématurés " chaque année en France, dont une grande partie seraient évitables, d'après les experts, qui ne sont guère écoutés... L'amiante, interdit en France en 1997, nous empoisonne toujours : il en reste partout, le nombre de personnes exposées est bien supérieur aux chiffres annoncés, aucune véritable prévention n'a démarré et l'hécatombe des malades s'amplifie... Pour la première fois, une enquête tente d'évaluer les
dégâts sanitaires des polluants et produits toxiques qui nous entourent, et s'interroge sur les responsabilités de tous les " empoisonneurs ", si involontaires soient-ils. Témoignages de victimes, reportages aux quatre coins de la France, découvertes récentes des chercheurs, alertes des
médecins, plongée dans les coulisses de l'industrie et du pouvoir, rapports méconnus ou enterrés : Les Empoisonneurs rassemble les données pour s'informer sur ces risques de notre vie quotidienne, expliquant comment il est encore possible d'éviter le pire, à condition de ne plus se voiler la face."