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We compared the invertebrate production and stable isotope signatures of key ecosystem compartments of urban sites subjected to the input of tertiary-treated wastewater with those of upstream sites in an agricultural lowland stream. We detected a significant shift in the trophic basis of invertebrate production from upstream, natural and agricultural resources, to urban resources, i.e., wastewater-derived organic matter as well as autochthonous primary production based on wastewater-derived nutrients. Invertebrate production was higher at urban sites than at agricultural sites. However, the median contribution of the most important secondary producer, the shredder Gammarus roeseli, to total invertebrate production was lower at urban sites (9%) than at agricultural sites (61%). The low production of G. roeseli at urban sites was associated with the absence of allochthonous coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) habitats, rather than the loss of CPOM as a food resource. Our results suggest that contemporary urban stressors in developed countries affect secondary producers less severely than historically recorded, but still profoundly change the matter fluxes and ecosystem functioning of running waters. Restoration of the native riparian vegetation, channel naturalization, and adequate dilution of tertiary-treated wastewater may partially mitigate adverse effects on invertebrate communities and their secondary production. Nous comparons la production d'invertebres et les signatures d'isotopes stables de compartiments clees de l'eecosysteme dans des sites urbains soumis a l'apport d'eaux usees de traitement tertiaire par comparaison a des sites d'amont dans un cours d'eau agricole de plaine. Nous detectons un changement significatif dans la base trophique de la production d'invertebres, a partir des ressources naturelles et agricoles en amont vers des ressources urbaines, c'est-a-dire de la matiere organique deriveee des eaux usees, ainsi qu'une production primaire autochtone basee sur des nutriments provenant des eaux usees. La production d'invertebres est plus eleveee dans les sites urbains que dans les sites agricoles. Cependant, la contribution meediane du producteur secondaire le plus important, le dechiqueteur Gammarus roeseli,a la production totale des invertebres est plus basse aux sites urbains (9%) qu'aux sites agricoles (61%). La faible production de G. roeseli aux sites urbains est associeeea l'absence d'habitats a matiere organique particulaire grossiere (CPOM) allochtone, plutot qu'a la perte de CPOM comme ressource alimentaire. Nos resultats laissent croire que les facteurs urbains actuels de stress dans les pays developpes affectent les producteurs secondaires moins severement que signale dans le passe, mais qu'ils modifient neanmoins profondement les flux de matiere et le fonctionnement de l'eecosysteme dans les eaux courantes. La restauration de la vegetation riveraine indigene, la naturalisation du chenal et la dilution adequate des eaux usees apresun traitement tertiaire peuvent en partie reduire les effets negatifs sur les communautees d'invertebres et leur production secondaire. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Streams and rivers are of outstanding importance to human culture, welfare, and development, but are concomitantly highly vulnerable to urbanization and associated water use (Malmqvist and Rundle 2002). Dramatic [...]

Abstract Background The increasing popularity of commercial movies showing three dimensional (3D) computer generated images has raised concern about image safety and possible side effects on population health. This study aims to (1) quantify the occurrence of visually induced symptoms suffered by the spectators during and after viewing a commercial 3D movie and (2) to assess individual and environmental factors associated to those symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out using a paper based, self administered questionnaire. The questionnaire includes individual and movie characteristics and selected visually induced symptoms (tired eyes, double vision, headache, dizziness, nausea and palpitations). Symptoms were queried at 3 different times: during, right after and after 2 hours from the movie. Results We collected 953 questionnaires. In our sample, 539 (60.4%) individuals reported 1 or more symptoms during the movie, 392 (43.2%) right after and 139 (15.3%) at 2 hours from the movie. The most frequently reported symptoms were tired eyes (during the movie by 34.8%, right after by 24.0%, after 2 hours by 5.7% of individuals) and headache (during the movie by 13.7%, right after by 16.8%, after 2 hours by 8.3% of individuals). Individual history for frequent headache was associated with tired eyes (OR = 1.34, 95%CI = 1.01-1.79), double vision (OR = 1.96; 95%CI = 1.13-3.41), headache (OR = 2.09; 95%CI = 1.41-3.10) during the movie and of headache after the movie (OR = 1.64; 95%CI = 1.16-2.32). Individual susceptibility to car sickness, dizziness, anxiety level, movie show time, animation 3D movie were also associated to several other symptoms. Conclusions The high occurrence of visually induced symptoms resulting from this survey suggests the need of raising public awareness on possible discomfort that susceptible individuals may suffer during and after the vision of 3D movies.

Introduction: Air pollution represents a serious threat to health on a global scale, being responsible for a large portion of the global burden of disease from environmental factors. Current evidence about the association between air pollution exposure and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is still controversial. We aimed to evaluate the association between area-level ambient air pollution and self-reported DM in a large population sample in Italy. Materials and methods: We extracted information about self-reported and physician diagnosed DM, risk factors and socio-economic status from 12 surveys conducted nationwide between 1999 and 2013. We obtained annual averaged air pollution levels for the years 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2010 from the AMS-MINNI national integrated model, which simulates the dispersion and transformation of pollutants. The original maps, with a resolution of 4 x 4 km2, were normalized and aggregated at the municipality class of each Italian region, in order to match the survey data. We fit logistic regression models with a hierarchical structure to estimate the relationship between PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and O3 four-years mean levels and the risk of being affected by DM. Results: We included 376,157 individuals aged more than 45 years. There were 39,969 cases of DM, with an average regional prevalence of 9.8% and a positive geographical North-to-South gradient, opposite to that of pollutants’ concentrations. For each 10 μg/m3 increase, the resulting ORs were 1.04 (95% CI 1.01–1.07) for PM10, 1.04 (95% CI 1.02–1.07) for PM2.5, 1.03 (95% CI 1.01–1.05) for NO2 and 1.06 (95% CI 1.01–1.11) for O3, after accounting for relevant individual risk factors. The associations were robust to adjustment for other pollutants in two-pollutant models tested (ozone plus each other pollutant). Conclusions: We observed a significant positive association between each examined pollutant and prevalent DM. Risk estimates were consistent with current evidence, and robust to sensitivity analysis. Our study adds evidence about the effects of air pollution on diabetes and suggests a possible role of ozone as an independent factor associated with the development of DM. Such relationship is of great interest for public health and deserves further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study represents the first systematic review and meta-analysis conducted to assess the association between swimming in recreational water and the occurrence of respiratory illness. Most studies focus their attention on gastrointestinal illnesses occurring after exposure to microbial polluted water. Fourteen independent studies that included 50,117 patients with significant heterogeneity (I² = 95.3%) were reviewed. The meta-analysis reports that people exposed to recreational water (swimmers/bathers) present a higher risk of respiratory illness compared to non-swimmers/non-bathers [relative risk (RR) = 1.63 (confidence interval at 95% [95% CI]: 1.34-1.98)]. This percentage increases if adjusted RR by age and gender [RR = 2.24 (95% CI: 1.81-2.78)] are considered. A clear association between swimming in recreational water and the occurrence of respiratory illness was found. The surveillance of water quality monitoring systems is crucial not only for gastrointestinal illness, but also for respiratory ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]