scholarly journals Risk behaviors and self-reported illnesses among Pacific Northwest surfers

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 230-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna K. Harding ◽  
David L. Stone ◽  
Andres Cardenas ◽  
Virginia Lesser
Keyword(s):  
Sore Throat ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Rain Event ◽  
Health Advisory ◽  
Ear Infection ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Waterborne Illnesses ◽  
Incidental Exposure ◽  
Rain Events

Although surfers have high incidental exposure to marine waters, no studies have investigated if surfer risk behaviors (such as surfing during advisories, near an outfall, during a rain event, or use of personal protective equipment) increase or decrease the risk of acquiring waterborne illnesses. We used a web-based survey to assess the association between risk-based behaviors and self-reported illnesses among Pacific Northwest surfers. Commonly reported illnesses include: ear infection or discharge (38%), sore throat or a cough (28%), diarrhea (16%), fever (10.5%), and vomiting (7%). Surfing often during rain events was associated with an increased likelihood of diarrhea (OR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.4–5.47), sore throat (OR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.01–2.05), and ear infection (OR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.01–2.32). Surfing during a health advisory was associated with increased likelihood of diarrhea (OR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.03–4.64) and sore throat (OR = 2.32; 95% CI: 1.23–4.40). Other behaviors associated with increased illnesses include body surfing, surfing near an outfall, frequency of surfing, and use of ear plugs. Approximately 40% of surfers were unaware if they had surfed during an active health advisory and 29% knowingly surfed during advisories, suggesting the need to engage this population about potential harm and behaviors that may increase health risk.

scholarly journals Inaccuracies in survey reporting of alcohol consumption

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Conor Gilligan ◽  
Kristen G. Anderson ◽  
Benjamin O. Ladd ◽  
Yun Ming Yong ◽  
Michael David
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Accurate Calculation ◽  
Standard Drink ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The Us ◽  
Serving Sizes

Abstract Background Alcohol consumption estimates in public health predominantly rely on self-reported survey data which is likely to underestimate consumption volume. Surveys tend to ask specifically about standard drinks and provide a definition or guide in an effort to gather accurate estimates. This study aimed to investigate whether the inclusion of the term standard drinks with pictorial guide is associated with an adjustment in self-reported alcohol volume. Methods A web-based survey was administered with AUDIT-C questions repeated at the beginning and end of the survey with and without the standard drink term and guide. The order in which respondents were presented with the different question types was randomised. Two cohorts of university/college students in NSW Australia (n = 122) and the US Pacific Northwest (n = 285) completed the survey online. Results Australian students did not adjust their responses to questions with and without the standard drink term and pictorial guide. The US students were more likely to adjust their responses based on the detail of the question asked. Those US students who drank more frequently and in greater volume were less likely to adjust/apply a conversion to their consumption. Conclusions This study supports previous findings of the inaccuracy of alcohol consumption volume in surveys, but also demonstrates that an assumption of underestimation cannot be applied to all individual reports of consumption. Using additional questions to better understand drink types and serving sizes is a potential approach to enable accurate calculation of underestimation in survey data.

scholarly journals Continuous Monitoring of Turbidity and Conductivity in Wastewater Networks

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Bersinger ◽  
Isabelle Le Hécho ◽  
Gilles Bareille ◽  
Thierry Pigot ◽  
Alexandre Lecomte
Keyword(s):  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Continuous Monitoring ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Rain Event ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Pollutant Concentrations ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
The One ◽  
Continuous Estimation ◽  
The Impact

Continuous monitoring of the sanitation network of the urban catchment of Pau (southwest France) has been performed since March 2012 using rain gauges, flowmeters, as well as turbidity and conductivity probes. Good correlations were obtained between turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) on the one hand, and conductivity and total nitrogen on the other hand. This allowed an instantaneous and continuous estimation of pollutant concentrations and fluxes since that date. In the present paper we focused on the results of October 2012, which was characterized by alternating periods of dry and rainy events. Turbidity and conductivity raw data show different trends during the study period depending on the parameter and the rain events. A turbidity peak is observed at the beginning of each rain event but its amplitude varies with the intensity of the rain and the length of the preceding dry weather period. Conversely, conductivity decrease during each rain event implying, that rain water acts as a dilution factor. The behaviour of COD and total nitrogen differ markedly due to their partitioning between the dissolved (total nitrogen) and particulate phases (COD). Daily pollutant fluxes allow a global comprehension and monitoring of the sewer system. Important COD fluxes during a rain event preceded by a long dry weather period highlight the importance of erosion of sedimentary deposits in the sewerage network. During these events, important fluxes are discharged into receiving water leading to the question of the impact on aquatic life. Generally, these results highlight the potential of online monitoring to better understand the behaviour of the sewer network on long or short time scales. This could be a useful tool to manage wastewater treatment.

scholarly journals Scale invariant events and dry spells for medium-resolution local rain data

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 555-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Deluca ◽  
Á. Corral
Keyword(s):  
Finite Size ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Rain Event ◽  
Scale Invariant ◽  
Scaling Properties ◽  
Medium Resolution ◽  
Dry Spells ◽  
Dry Spell ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
Rain Data

Abstract. We analyze distributions of rain-event sizes, rain-event durations, and dry-spell durations for data obtained from a network of 20 rain gauges scattered in a region of the northwestern Mediterranean coast. While power-law distributions model the dry-spell durations with a common exponent 1.50 ± 0.05, density analysis is inconclusive for event sizes and event durations, due to finite size effects. However, we present alternative evidence of the existence of scale invariance in these distributions by means of different data collapses of the distributions. These results demonstrate that scaling properties of rain events and dry spells can also be observed for medium-resolution rain data.

scholarly journals Export of <sup>134</sup>Cs and <sup>137</sup>Cs in the Fukushima river systems at heavy rains by Typhoon Roke in September 2011

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 2767-2790 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Nagao ◽  
M. Kanamori ◽  
S. Ochiai ◽  
S. Tomihara ◽  
K. Fukushi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Heavy Rain ◽  
Rain Event ◽  
Normal Flow ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Pulse Input ◽  
Heavy Rain Event ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
Heavy Rains

Abstract. Effects of a heavy rain event on radiocesium export were studied at stations on the Natsui River and the Same River in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan after Typhoon Roke during 21–22 September 2011, six months after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Radioactivity of 134Cs and 137Cs in river waters was 0.011–0.098 Bq L−1 at normal flow conditions during July–September in 2011, but it increased to 0.85 Bq L−1 in high flow conditions by heavy rains occurring with the typhoon. The particulate fractions of 134Cs and 137Cs were 21–56% in the normal flow condition, but were close to 100% after the typhoon. These results indicate that the pulse input of radiocesium associated with suspended particles from land to coastal ocean occurred by the heavy rain event. Export flux of 134Cs and 137Cs by the heavy rain accounts for 30–50% of annual radiocesium flux in 2011. Results show that rain events are one factor controlling the transport and dispersion of radiocesium in river watersheds and coastal marine environments.

Impact of a severe rain event on C- and N-DBP precursor removal using IEX

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2092-2099
Author(s):  
K. Doederer ◽  
Z. Ilieva ◽  
J. Keller
Keyword(s):  
Ion Exchange ◽  
Heavy Rain ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Rain Event ◽  
Heavy Rain Event ◽  
Removal Capacity ◽  
C And N ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
Magnetic Ion

Abstract During disinfection, dissolved organic matter (DOM) is the major precursor to form disinfection by-products (DBPs), which may be of potential human health concern. Previous research focused on waters of continental climates and less on subtropical environments. However, water sources in subtropical climates are regularly impacted by major rain events during the summer months. This study evaluated the C- and N-DBP precursor removal capacity of two conventional ion exchange (IEX) resins and one magnetic ion exchange (MIEX) resin with a raw water at normal conditions and impacted by a heavy rain event. The rain event introduced 3 mg C/L total organic carbon (TOC) comprised mainly of low to medium molecular weight organics. All three resins were able to remove TOC and DBP precursors (&gt;66%) but being less efficient in reducing turbidity (3–48%) and colour (9–24%). The resin with the smallest bead size was affected the most by the increased medium MW DOM loading resulting in DOM and C-DBP precursor removal performance losses of 10% and 22%. When applied as a pre-treatment for coagulation, MIEX was more efficient in DBP precursor control than coagulation in addressing the additional organic and DBP precursor loading after a heavy rain event.

scholarly journals Health-risk behaviors among Iranian university students, 2019: a web-based survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhad Shekari ◽  
Peyman Habibi ◽  
Haidar Nadrian ◽  
Asghar Mohammadpoorasl
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Risky Behaviors ◽  
High Risk Behaviors ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Risk Class

Abstract Background High-risk behaviors are among the most serious threats for the physical and mental health of adolescents and young adults. Our aims in this study were to investigate the subgroups of students based on risky behaviors and to identify the prevalence rate of these subgroups. Methods This cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted from July to August 2019 in Tabriz, Iran. We performed proportional sampling in all nine universities of the city, according to the number of students in each university. Applying an online survey questionnaire, the data were collected from 3649 students and analyzed using Latent Class Analysis. Results For total sample, standardized prevalence rates of cigarette smoking, hookah use, alcohol consumption, substance abuse and unsafe sex were 18.5 (Confidence Interval (CI) 95%: 17.3–19.8), 9.1 (CI 95%: 8.2–10.1), 9.2 (CI 95%: 8.3–10.2), 8.3 (CI 95%: 7.4–9.3) and 14.5 (CI 95%: 13.3–15.7), respectively. Three latent classes of risky behaviors were determined among students: a) low risk b) smoking and c) high risk. About 18% of boys and 1.5% of girls were in the high risk class. Cigarette smoking (18.5%, CI 95%: 17.3–19.8) and substance abuse (8.3%, CI 95%: 7.4–9.3) were the most and the least common risky behaviors among the students. Conclusion In this we-based survey, a considerable number of students, particularly boys (18%), was at high-risk class, stressing the need for preventive interventions for this group of youth. Our findings are beneficial for planning and development of risky-behavior preventive strategies to prevent high-risk behaviors among college students.

scholarly journals Rain event properties at the source of the Blue Nile River

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 1023-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. T. Haile ◽  
T. H. M. Rientjes ◽  
E. Habib ◽  
V. Jetten ◽  
M. Gebremichael
Keyword(s):  
Rain Rate ◽  
Rainfall Data ◽  
Nile River ◽  
Rain Event ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Mountain Area ◽  
Event Duration ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Event Time ◽  
Rain Events

Abstract. In the present study, spatial and temporal patterns of rain event properties are analysed. These event properties are rain event depth, event duration, mean event rain rate, peak rain rate and the time span between two consecutive rain events which is referred to as inter-event time (IET). In addition, we assessed how rain event properties change when the period over which rainfall data is aggregated changes from 1 to 6 min and when the minimum inter-event time (MIT) changes from 30 min to 8 h. Rainfall data is obtained from a field campaign in two wet seasons of June–August (JJA) of 2007 and 2008 in Gilgel Abbay watershed that is situated at the source basin of the Upper Blue Nile River in Ethiopia. The rainfall data was automatically recorded at eight stations. The results revealed that rain event depth is more related to peak rain rate than to event duration. At the start and towards the end of the wet season, the rain events have larger depth with longer duration and longer IET than those in mid-season. Event rain rate and IET are strongly related to terrain elevation. Sekela which is on a mountain area has the shortest IET while Bahir Dar which is at the south shore of Lake Tana has the longest IET. The period over which rainfall data is aggregated significantly affected the values of rain event properties that are estimated using relatively small value (30 min) of MIT but its effect diminished when the MIT is increased to 8 h. It is shown that increasing the value of MIT has the largest effect on rain event properties of mountain stations that are characterised by high rainfall intermittency.

scholarly journals Changing character of rainfall in eastern China, 1951–2007

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (9) ◽  
pp. 2016-2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse A. Day ◽  
Inez Fung ◽  
Weihan Liu
Keyword(s):  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
East Asian Summer Monsoon ◽  
Asian Summer Monsoon ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
East China ◽  
Northwestern Pacific ◽  
Rain Event ◽  
Asian Summer ◽  
Rain Events

The topography and continental configuration of East Asia favor the year-round existence of storm tracks that extend thousands of kilometers from China into the northwestern Pacific Ocean, producing zonally elongated patterns of rainfall that we call “frontal rain events.” In spring and early summer (known as “Meiyu Season”), frontal rainfall intensifies and shifts northward during a series of stages collectively known as the East Asian summer monsoon. Using a technique called the Frontal Rain Event Detection Algorithm, we create a daily catalog of all frontal rain events in east China during 1951–2007, quantify their attributes, and classify all rainfall on each day as either frontal, resulting from large-scale convergence, or nonfrontal, produced by local buoyancy, topography, or typhoons. Our climatology shows that the East Asian summer monsoon consists of a series of coupled changes in frontal rain event frequency, latitude, and daily accumulation. Furthermore, decadal changes in the amount and distribution of rainfall in east China are overwhelmingly due to changes in frontal rainfall. We attribute the “South Flood–North Drought” pattern observed beginning in the 1980s to changes in the frequency of frontal rain events, while the years 1994–2007 witnessed an uptick in event daily accumulation relative to the rest of the study years. This particular signature may reflect the relative impacts of global warming, aerosol loading, and natural variability on regional rainfall, potentially via shifting the East Asian jet stream.

scholarly journals Characterization of S-Band Dual-Polarized Radar Data for the Convective Rain Melting Layer Detection in A Tropical Region

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Yuan ◽  
Yee Lee ◽  
Yu Meng ◽  
Jin Ong
Keyword(s):  
Radar Data ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Rain Event ◽  
Melting Layer ◽  
Convective Rain ◽  
Radar Measurements ◽  
Dual Polarized ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
Differential Reflectivity

In the tropical region, convective rain is a dominant rain event. However, very little information is known about the convective rain melting layer. In this paper, S-band dual-polarized radar data is studied in order to identify both the stratiform and convective rain melting layers in the tropical region, with a focus on the convective events. By studying and analyzing the above-mentioned two types of rain events, amongst three radar measurements of reflectivity ( Z ), differential reflectivity ( Z DR ), and cross correlation coefficient ( ρ HV ), the latter one is the best indicator for convective rain melting layer detection. From two years (2014 and 2015) of radar and radiosonde observations, 13 convective rain melting layers are identified with available 0 °C isothermal heights which are derived from radiosonde vertical profiles. By comparing the melting layer top heights with the corresponding 0 °C isothermal heights, it is found that for convective rain events, the threshold to detect melting layer should be modified to ρ HV = 0.95 for the tropical region. The melting layer top and bottom heights are then estimated using the proposed threshold, and it is observed from this study that the thickness of convective rain melting layer is around 2 times that of stratiform rain melting layer which is detected by using the conventional ρ HV = 0.97 .

Modelling the total ammonia impact of CSO and WWTP effluent on the receiving water

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Holzer ◽  
Peter Krebs
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Rain Event ◽  
Combined System ◽  
Sewer System ◽  
Wwtp Effluent ◽  
Fish Poison ◽  
Combined Sewer ◽  
Total Ammonia ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Rain Events

For 25 rain events test runs were performed on a catchment of a small town, where 40% of the person equivalents are connected to a separate sewer system and 60% to a combined one. We investigate the effects of rain events with regard to NH4-loads discharged by the wastewater treatment plant and by a combined sewer overflow. NH4-concentrations in the river caused by these loads are also discussed. NH4 is important as (i) it closely interrelates with NH3 – a fish poison – and (ii) it stands for dissolved compounds that mainly origin from the wastewater. The sewer system is simulated with three different options: with a combined water retention tank connected to the CSO structure, with a sewage retention tank at the interface between the separate and the combined system, and without any retention structure. While the sewage retention tank performs better concerning the integrated load discharged into the river, the combined sewer retention tank is more efficient in decreasing peak values and duration of high concentrations in the river. We also show that NH4 peak concentrations in the river are largely due to a wash-out effect in the main sewer at the beginning of a rain event.

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