Integrated disaster risk management strategy to prevent exposure to hazardous substances due to inundation triggered releases: a concept for Japan
The Nobi plain in Aichi Prefecture is exposed to multiple hazards, like inundation, typhoons and earthquakes. One serious threat is given by typhoon-triggered inundation as happened in the year 2000 during the Tookai-flood. This threat increased in the last decades because of land subsidence triggered by exhaustive ground water withdrawal in the mid of the 20 th century (Yamamoto, 1984). Several facilities handling hazardous substances were inundated during this event. It is unknown if hazardous substances were released. Similar cases suggest that this is highly probable. E.g., during the 2002-Elbe-flood in Germany large amounts of contaminants like heavy metals were flushed into the Elbe river. This resulted in chemical loadings, up to three magnitudes higher than the normal river load. The total delivered load of lead was 2500 times higher than the annual average load. The origin of those chemicals were determined to be inundated chemical facilities located in the Czech-Republic (Schiemeier, 2002). This example shows that not only the loss of property and life is of concern to disaster managers, also consequences by inundation-triggered events, like releases of hazardous substances have to be considered (Christou, 2000;
The Natech risk associated to mining activity in Maramureş county, Romania
The Maramureș County is well-known as a strongly influenced area by mining exploitation of non-ferrous ores. To assess the Natech risk associated to tailing ponds in relation to climatic conditions and in particular to the rainfall in the area, four ponds with transboundary pollution potential were considered, namely: Aurul tailing pond, Novăț tailing pond, Colbu 1 tailing pond and Colbu 2 tailing pond. In the methodology for the preliminary hazards analysis both historical accidents during 2000-2010 period and the conditions related to the construction and location of the tailing ponds were taken into account. Since the Novăț taling pond, Colbu 1 tailing pond and Colbu 2 tailing pond are now preserved and permanently post-closure monitored, the transboundary risk has been estimated as being low. In these circumstances the Natech risk has been assessed only for the Aurul tailing pond which, at the present, is the only one active tailing pond in Maramureș Coun1 Correspondence to: irina.smical@yahoo.com УДК: 504:622.864(498.41) doi: 10.5937/zrgfub1563031N Collection of Papers –Faculty of Geography at the University of Belgrade 63 32 ty. The assessment results revealed a medium-high risk associated to the extreme meteo-climatic phenomena influenced by the regional climate changes.
Dose‐response relationship between total cadmium intake and prevalence of renal dysfunction using general linear models
To determine the maximum allowable intake limits for chronic dietary exposure to cadmium (Cd), the dose‐response relationship between total Cd intake and prevalence of renal dysfunction was examined using general linear models considering the effect of age as a confounder. The target population comprised 1850 Cd‐exposed and 294 non‐exposed inhabitants of Ishikawa, Japan. They were divided into 96 subgroups by sex, age (four categories) cadmium concentrations in rice (three categories) and length of residence (four categories). As indicators of the cadmium‐induced renal dysfunction, glucose, total protein, amino nitrogen, β2‐microglobulin and metallothionein in urine were employed. General linear models were fitted statistically to the relationship among prevalence of renal dysfunction, sex, age and total Cd intake. Prevalence of abnormal urinary findings other than glucosuria had significant associations with total Cd intake. When total Cd intake corresponding to the mean prevalence of each abnormal urinary finding in the non‐exposed subjects was calculated using general linear models, total Cd intakes corresponding to glucosuria, proteinuria, aminoaciduria (men only) and proteinuria with glucosuria were determined to be ca. 2.2–3.8 g and those corresponding to prevalence of metallothioneinuria were calculated as ca. 1.5–2.6 g. The low‐molecular‐weight protein in urine was confirmed to be a more sensitive indicator of renal dysfunction, and these total Cd intake values were close to those calculated previously by simple regression analysis, suggesting them to be reasonable values as the maximum allowable intake of Cd.