Abstract. Emission inventories for major reactive tropospheric CI species (particulate CI, HC1, C1NO2, CH3CI, CHCI3, CH3CCI3, C2C14, C2HC13, CH2C12, and CHCIF2) were integrated across source types (terrestrial biogenic and oceanic emissions, sea-salt production and dechlorination, biomass burning, industrial emissions, fossil-fuel combustion, and incineration). Composite emissions were compared with known sinks to assess budget closure; relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic sources were differentiated. Model calculations suggest that conventional acid-displacement reactions involving Sov)+O3, S(Iv)+ H202, and H2SO4 and HNO3 scavenging account for minor fractions of sea-salt dechlorination globally. Other important chemical pathways involving sea-salt aerosol apparently produce most volatile chlorine in the troposphere. The combined emissions of CH3CI from known sources account for about half of the modeled sink, suggesting fluxes from known sources were unde:estimated, the OH sink was overestimated, or significant unidentified sources exist. Anthropogenic activities (primarily biomass burning) contribute about half the net CH3CI emitted from known sources. Anthropogenic emissions account for only about 10% of the modeled CHCl3 sink. Although poorly constrained, significant fractions of tropospheric CH2C12 (25%), C2HC13 (10%), and C2C14 (5%) are emitted from the surface ocean; the combined contributions of C2C14 and C2HC13 from all natural sources may be substantially higher than the estimated oceanic flux.

The regulation of sympathetic nerve activity in chronic heart failure (CHF) has been an area of renewed investigation. Understanding the central mechanisms that are responsible for sympatho-excitation in this disease state may help in reducing the deleterious effects of chronic sympatho-excitation. This review will summarize our understanding of abnormal reflex control of the circulation in CHF. The roles of the arterial baroreflex, the chemoreflex, the cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex and the cardiopulmonary reflex are discussed. New experimental techniques that allow genetic manipulation of substances such as nitric oxide synthase in discrete areas of the brain aid in clarifying the role of NO in the modulation of sympathetic tone in the CHF state. Lastly, clinical implications of this work are discussed.

It can be expected that most locations where HCH waste was discarded/stockpiled are not secured and that critical environmental impacts are resulting from leaching and volatilization. As parties to the Stockholm Convention are legally required to take action to stop further POPs pollution, identification and evaluation of such sites are necessary.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Due to the potential of this compound to disrupt normal endocrinal functions, concerns over human exposure to BPA have been raised. Although several studies have reported human exposure to BPA in Western nations, little is known about exposure in Asian countries. In this study, we determined total urinary BPA concentrations (free plus conjugated) in 296 urine samples (male/female: 153/143) collected from the general population in seven Asian countries, China, India, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Vietnam, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). On the basis of urinary BPA concentrations, we estimated the total daily intake. The results indicated that BPA was detected in 94.3% of the samples analyzed, at concentrations ranging from <0.1 to 30.1 ng/mL. The geometric mean concentration of BPA for the entire sample set from seven countries was 1.20 ng/mL. The highest concentration of BPA was found in samples from Kuwait (median: 3.05 ng/mL, 2.45 μg/g creatinine), followed by Korea (2.17 ng/mL, 2.40 μg/g), India (1.71 ng/mL, 2.09 μg/g), Vietnam (1.18 ng/mL, 1.15 μg/g), China (1.10 ng/mL, 1.38 μg/g), Malaysia (1.06 ng/mL, 2.31 μg/g), and Japan (0.95 ng/mL, 0.58 μg/g). Among the five age groups studied (≤ 19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and ≥ 50 years), the highest median concentration of BPA was found in urine samples from the age group of ≤ 19 years. There was no significant difference in BPA concentrations between genders (male and female) or domicile of residence (rural and urban). The estimated median daily intakes of BPA for the populations in Kuwait, Korea, India, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Japan were 5.19, 3.69, 2.90, 2.13, 2.01, 1.80, and 1.61 μg/day, respectively. The estimated daily intake of BPA in the seven Asian countries was significantly lower than the tolerable daily intake recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This is the first study to document the occurrence of and human exposure to BPA in several Asian countries.