Human health risk assessments are used by environmental regulatory agencies to determine risk from Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs). In this study, the Human Exposure Model (HEM-3) was used to compare the cancer and non-cancer inhalation health effects of a single organic chemical manufacturing facility in Geismar, Louisiana prior to and after Maximum Achievable Control Technologies (MACT) were implemented. The results indicate significant reductions in both cancer risk and non-cancer hazards. The analysis also indicated that the equivalent cancer risk reduction could have been achieved by addressing MACT in only one production process and one single pollutant (ethylene dichloride) within that process. This demonstrates the value that these risk assessments have at evaluating emissions at the facility level, and how they could be used in the control strategy decision making process.

Le 11 mai 2011, un double séisme a frappé la ville de Lorca, dans le sud-est de l'Espagne. Ce séisme a eu de lourdes conséquences pour la population et provoqué de nombreux dégâts sur les bâtiments de la ville. Les tremblements de terre sont des phénomènes caractérisés par leur relative faible fréquence et par leur violence. Dans le bassin méditerranéen, la grande majorité des séismes ne sont perceptibles qu'à l'aide d'instruments de mesure. Certains événements récents ont néanmoins surpris la communauté scientifique par leur magnitude modérée mais leur intensité élevée. C'est notamment le cas du tremblement de terre de Lorca. Depuis 40 ans, l'administration espagnole essaye de se prémunir davantage contre ce phénomène. Cela se traduit par l'évolution des normes parasismiques appliquées à la construction ou encore par la création de cartes de zonages sismiques intégrant à chaque révision une plus grande portion du territoire exposée au risque. Cependant, ces mesures évoluent au rythme des événements. Or, la localisation des villes en zone sismique et la vulnérabilité des bâtiments préalablement construits sont des variables difficilement ajustables à ces nouvelles normes. Lorsqu'un séisme affecte une ville, l'origine des dommages corporels réside dans la coïncidence temporelle et spatiale entre l'individu et le danger, danger la plupart du temps lié aux bâtiments. Dans ce contexte, nous avons proposé une démarche focalisée sur l'individu. Pendant la période de crise sismique, la mobilité individuelle apparaît comme l'élément qui va permettre la coïncidence spatiale entre le danger et l'individu. A partir d'entretiens qualitatifs, nous avons analysé la mobilité individuelle en période de crise sismique, par la collecte d'informations très fines sur les aspects spatiaux et temporels de celle-là. Parallèlement, nous proposons une étude des principaux dangers observés pour le cas de Lorca et comment ceux-ci peuvent toucher la population. En général, la plupart des décès en cas de séismes se produisent à l'intérieur des bâtiments à cause de leur effondrement. Cependant, dans le cas de séismes d'intensité faible à modérée, c'est la chute d'éléments non structuraux, notamment d'éléments de façade, qui constitue un danger. En croisant spatialement et temporellement la mobilité des individus avec les dangers, nous concluons que la mobilité individuelle est un facteur déterminant de l'exposition humaine. Les facteurs qui vont conditionner la mobilité sont principalement liés à la mise en protection immédiate ainsi qu'à l'organisation en famille préalablement à l'évacuation de la ville. Après avoir permis d'évaluer les dangers, les analyse spatiales ont mis en avant que la grande incertitude de cette évaluation rend difficiles les études très fines. Cependant, elles ouvrent des perspectives intéressantes pour des travaux futurs. Enfin, notre travail de thèse a proposé l'adaptation d'une méthodologie de collecte et d'analyse des dynamiques spatiales et temporelles liées aux individus, à la base créée pour les crues rapides. Cette méthode s'est montrée facilement transposable à de futurs événements, ce qui permettrait de réaliser des études comparatives. / May the eleventh, 2011, a double earthquake struck the town of Lorca in southeastern Spain. The earthquake had serious consequences for the population and caused extensive damage to buildings in the town. Earthquakes are phenomena characterized by their relatively low frequency and their violence. In the Mediterranean Basin, most earthquakes are only perceptible using measuring instruments. Recent seismic events have surprised the scientific community by their moderate magnitude associated with a high intensity. This is particularly the case of Lorca's earthquake. In the last 40 years, the Spanish authorities have tried to develop prevention towards seismic phenomenon. Measures have been taken by improving seismic building codes or by updating the seismic zoning, each revision taking into account wider zones at risk. In general, events give rhythm to the evolution of these measures. However, variables like the location of cities in seismic zones and the vulnerability of existing buildings can hardly be adjusted to these new standards. When an earthquake affects a town, danger is mostly caused by building failure. However, injuries and fatalities are due to the spatial and temporal coincidence between the individual and the danger. In this context, we propose an approach focused on the individual. During a seismic crisis, individual mobility appears to be the element that will allow the spatial coincidence between the danger and the individual. We analyzed individual mobility during seismic crisis by collecting very precise information regarding spatial and temporal aspects of mobility through qualitative interviews. Simultaneously, we carried out a study of dangers observed in the case of Lorca. In general, most of the fatalities caused by earthquakes occur inside collapsed buildings. However, in the case of low-to-moderate-intensity earthquakes, danger is related to the fall of non-structural elements, especially frontage elements. By combining spatial and temporal mobility of individuals with dangers, we conclude that individual mobility is a determinant factor of human exposure. The factors that will determine mobility are mainly related to the immediate protection measures as well as the family organization prior to the town evacuation. Finally, spatial analysis allowed assessing dangers. The associated uncertainty of this evaluation makes it difficult a more accurate study, but offers perspectives for future work. This work proposes the adaptation of a methodology to collect and analyze spatial and temporal dynamics related to individuals. Developed initially for flash flood analysis, this methodology is transferable to future events, enabling comparative studies.

Research on health effects of particulate matter (PM) has been a very active area in the last two decades. One plausible mechanism by which exposure to PM affects human health includes modification of autonomic endothelium function. Decreased endothelium activity causes heightened risks of cardiovascular disease. A human exposure chamber designed to conduct experiments to quantify diminished function of endothelium from short term exposure to PM is described. The chamber consists of two stages for containment and pre-treatment of PM and exposure of human subjects. Concentrations of CO, CO2, NO, NO2, O3, and PM2.5, are monitored and controlled in the exposure room. The PM used in the human exposure experiments was characterized chemically and morphologically. During January and February of 2009, chemical analysis of PM2.5 was done during inversion periods in Salt Lake City, UT. An Ambient Ion Monitor (AIM) was deployed to measure the concentrations of anions in both particulate and gas phases. The chemical data provided by AIM was complemented by measurements by the Department of Air Quality that included PM10, PM2.5, O3, NO, NO2, NH3 and CO. The goal of the study was to determine whether ammonia or nitric acid is the limiting reagent in formation of PM during inversions. Nitric acid is the limiting reagent. Concentrations of ammonia are an order of magnitude higher than nitric acid.

Understanding the transport of particulate and gaseous indoor air pollutants from source to exposure is paramount to improve our understanding of the complexities of the built environments in which we spend the majority of our time. This dissertation offers new insights on particle resuspension from indoor surfaces, infant exposure to organic contaminants released from crib mattresses, and the dynamics of pollutant transport and human exposure while sleeping. Particle resuspension is the physical process by which settled particles detach from a surface and become airborne through application of various aerodynamic and mechanical removal forces. Resuspension is an important indoor source of coarse mode particles (> 1 µm in diameter) and can be a source mechanism for biological matter and organic contaminants that accumulate in house dust. Settled dust deposits on indoor surfaces can vary considerably in their structure and mass loading, yet little is known as to how these parameters affect resuspension. Through wind tunnel experiments, this research demonstrates that the deposit structure (monolayer or multilayer) can have a significant impact on the number of particles that aerodynamically resuspend. Furthermore, this dissertation presents the first full-scale experimental chamber study to show that human body movements in bed can resuspend settled mattress dust particles. An indoor aerosol model was utilized to provide a mechanistic understanding of the impact of movement intensity, surface vibrations, bedroom ventilation rate, and dust loading on the resuspension flux and intake fraction of resuspended particles. Infants spend most of their time sleeping and are likely to be exposed to elevated concentrations of chemicals released from their crib mattresses. Through a combination of chamber experiments and solvent extractions, this research shows that infant crib mattresses can emit a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and contain numerous chemical additives, including phthalate and alternative plasticizers, flame retardants, and unreacted isocyanates. Additionally, this study discovered that infants are exposed to approximately twice the concentrations of VOCs in their breathing zones as compared to the bulk bedroom air, due to their close proximity to the source.

Both poly- and perfluoroalkylated substances (PFASs) and mercury (Hg) are persistent bioaccumulative, and toxic substances (PBTs) of great concern due to their health effects on humans.  These pollutants are ubiquitously occurring in the global aquatic environment and dietary intake of fish is the major exposure pathway for humans. PFASs and Hg are widely studied in the temperate zones, but little is known from the tropical aquatic systems in Africa. Lake Tana, Ethiopia, is of high ecological value and predicted to increase its fish production and export during following years, but knowledge of human health effects due to bioaccumulated pollutants loading from this lake is lacking. The objective of this study was therefore to compare Hg and PFAS concentrations between sites and species, evaluate accumulation patterns and assess the human health risk with increased fish consumption.    During October 2014, a total of 97 fish specimens from five species (Labeobarbus megastoma, Labeobarbus gorguari, Labeobarbus intermedius, Oreochromis niloticus and Clarias gariepinus) were collected from seven sites in Lake Tana. The fish was dissected in Bahir Dar, where a muscle sample was taken from the dorsal line, and later analyzed at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. To determine differences and correlations between sites and species as well as for Hg and PFASs, statistical analyses were conducted and to determine the health risks in increased fish consumption a hazard ratio (HR) was calculated for both substances.   The results showed several similarities between Hg and PFASs, including higher concentrations in piscivorous fish species (L. megastoma and L. gorguari) than non-piscivorous and also spatial distribution similarities. Hg concentrations ranged from 0-639 ng g-1 wet weight (ww) with an overall mean of 137 ng g-1 ww for all species. Seven PFASs were detected (PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA, PFDoDA, PFTeDA, PFBS, PFOS), and the ∑PFSA concentrations ranged from non-detected to 3.61 ng g-1 ww. PFDA was found in all sites and species, compared to PFOS, which only was found in piscivorous species in elevated levels. The positive correlation between Hg and PFOS imply that these substances have similar accumulation patterns. The HRs showed that increased fish consumption is harmless to the Ethiopian population regarding PFAS and Hg contamination. Varied fish consumption is of importance though since several individuals from the piscivorous species contained Hg concentrations exceeding the WHO marketing limit of 0.5 μg g-1 (500 ng g-1). / Både poly- och perfluoralkylerade ämnen (PFASer) och kvicksilver (Hg) är persistenta, bioackumulerande och toxiska (PBT) ämnen som kan utgöra stor hälsorisk för människor. PFASer och Hg förekommer globalt i den akvatiska miljön och den mest betydande källan för mänsklig exponering av dessa ämnen är fiskkonsumtion. Studier av PFASer och Hg är vanligt förekommande i de tempererade zonerna, men väldigt lite är känt från de tropiska akvatiska systemen i Afrika. Lake Tana, Etiopiens största sjö, har stort ekologiskt värde och fiskproduktion och export från sjön förutspås öka under kommande år. Däremot saknas kunskap om hur denna föroreningsbelastning med ökat fiskintag kommer påverka befolkningen i landet. Syftet med denna studie var därför att jämföra Hg- och PFAS-koncentrationer mellan områden och arter, utvärdera ackumuleringsmönster och bedöma hälsoriskerna med ökad fiskkonsumtion i landet.   Under oktober 2014 samlades totalt 97 individer in från fem arter (Labeobarbus megastoma, Labeobarbus gorguari, Labeobarbus intermedius, Oreochromis niloticus och Clarias gariepinus) och från sju olika platser i Lake Tana. Dissektionen utfördes i Bahir Dar (där muskelprover togs från dorsala rygglinjen) och sedan fördes proverna till Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet (SLU) för analys. För att bestämma skillnader och korrelationer mellan områden och arter, samt mellan Hg och olika PFASer, utfördes statistiska analyser och för att utvärdera hälsorisken av en ökad fiskkonsumtion beräknades riskfaktorer för båda ämnena.    Resultaten påvisade flertalet likheter mellan Hg och PFASer, bland annat högre koncentrationer i piskivora fiskarter (L. megastoma and L. gorguari) än icke-piskivora och även likheter i koncentrationer mellan provområdena. Hg-koncentrationerna varierade mellan 0-639 ng g-1 våtvikt (vv), med ett medel på 137 ng g-1 vv för alla arter. Sju PFASer detekterades i analysen (PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA, PFDoDA, PFTeDA, PFBS, PFOS), där ∑PFSA koncentrationerna varierade mellan icke-detekterbara till 3,6 ng g-1 vv. PFDA förekom i alla arter och områden, medan PFOS bara fanns i förhöjda värden i piskivora arter. Den funna positiva korrelationen mellan PFOS och Hg antyder att dessa ämnen har liknande ackumulationsmönster. De beräknade riskfaktorerna visade att en fiskkonsumtions-ökning inte skulle utgöra en risk för den etiopiska befolkningen med avseende på Hg- och PFAS-halter. En varierad fiskkonsumtion är dock av stor vikt eftersom flertalet individer från de piskivora arterna innehöll högre Hg-koncentrationer än den av WHO rekommenderade gränsen på 0,5 μg g-1 vv.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a large group of global environmental contaminants. They can be divided into two sub-groups, 1) perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and 2) so called precursors, i.e. compounds that can potentially be transformed to form PFAAs. PFAAs are today ubiquitous in wildlife and humans. Food and drinking water are assumed to be the dominant human exposure pathways for PFAAs. The main aim of this doctoral thesis was to develop highly sensitive and fully validated analytical methods for the determination of a range of PFAAs and selected precursors in dietary samples. The methods were based on liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Samples were extracted by solvent extraction followed by a cleanup step employing solid phase extraction. The cleanup step could at the same time be used as a fractionation of ionic PFAAs and neutral precursors. Paper I and II describe the development of methods for simultaneous analysis of three groups of PFAAs including perfluoroalkyl phosphonic acids (PFPAs) in drinking water and food. Methyl piperidine was used as ion pairing agent, leading to highly sensitive analysis of PFPAs. A first screening of tap water samples and different food items revealed that human dietary exposure to PFPAs in Europe is currently not of concern. A novel method for simultaneous analysis of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and polyfluoroalkyl phosphate esters (PAPs) in food and packaging materials is described in paper III. Targeted food samples and their packaging were analyzed. The results showed that PAPs may contribute to human exposure to PFCAs. In paper IV temporal trends (1991-2011) of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and its precursors in herring were investigated. Rapidly decreasing trends were found for precursors, whereas PFOS did not show a significant change over time. Precursors in fish may have played an important role for human exposure to PFOS in the 1990s but are probably negligible today. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Manuscript.</p> / PERFOOD project (KBBE-227525)

Cette thèse résume une démarche intégrée visant à évaluer l’exposition humaine et ses variations spatio-temporelles en cas de tsunami dans une zone urbaine littorale en Indonésie, ainsi que la capacité d’évacuation vers des refuges. Ce travail de recherche systématise des méthodes permettant d’estimer la quantité de population présente heure par heure durant n’importe quel jour de la semaine et de l’année, à une échelle très fine, dans une zone urbaine. Il se fonde pour cela sur une hypothèse de rythme de vie contrôlant les activités et donc la distribution de la population. L’heure d’arrivée d’un tsunami étant imprévisible, ces informations sont très importantes pour améliorer les programmes de réduction du risque. Cette démarche permet ainsi de dégager des scénarios types de distribution de la population, utilisés pour ensuite évaluer la capacité d’évacuation de ces populations. Le modèle de simulation dynamique issu de cette recherche permet de mesurer l’accessibilité des zones selon certains scénarios, et de proposer des améliorations pour une meilleure préparation de la protection des civils. / This dissertation summarizes an integrated approach whose aim is to assess the human exposure and its spatial and temporal variations in the event of a tsunami in a costal urban zone of Indonesia, as well as the capacity to join evacuation shelters for populations under threat. This research systematizes methods to estimate the amount of people present hour by hour during any day of the week and the year, at a very fine scale, in an urban area. It uses a hypothesis about a common rhythm of life which controls the activities and therefore the distribution of the Padang inhabitants. Considering that time of a tsunami occurrence is impossible to estimate, this information is very important to improve risk reduction programs. This approach allows in particular identifying various types of scenarios for the distribution of the population that can then be used to evaluate the evacuation capacity of these populations. A dynamic simulation model resulting from this research allows for the measurement of the accessibility of shelters following these scenarios. The analysis of the results suggests improvements for a better preparation on the part of authorities to protect civilians.

Global consumption of organophosphate esters (OPs), which are used as flame retardants and plasticizers, is rapidly increasing. Their use as additives in diverse applications poses a risk as they may be emitted from the products they are added to and be further transported in the environment. Therefore, the levels, distribution, and possible sources of 15 OPs, some of which are reported to be toxic, were investigated in indoor and outdoor environments. An exposure assessment was performed, and the exposure to OPs via inhalation was examined for five occupational groups. In addition, based on the findings of the studies, the total flow of OPs in Sweden was estimated. In indoor environments, the OPs detected in air and dust varied between the sites, but generally reflected the building materials, furniture etc. used in the premises. A majority of the analysed OPs were detected in all samples, and public buildings tended to have higher levels than domestic buildings. The chlorinated OPs dominated in indoor air and wipe samples from vehicles. They were also abundant in the dust samples. Some occupational groups were significantly more exposed to OPs than others. Aircraft technicians, for example, were exposed to about 500 times more tributyl phosphate than day care centre personnel. Upon domestic and industrial cleaning, OPs are discharged with the wastewater via the sewage system to sewage treatment plants (STPs). Irrespective of the size of the STPs investigated, they had similar levels of OPs in their influents, indicating that products containing OPs are widely used by the communities they serve. In some cases, it was possible to trace elevated levels of individual OPs to specific sources. The OPs were poorly removed from the wastewater, and the chlorinated OPs especially tended to pass through the STPs without being removed or degraded. Thus, levels of OPs in their effluents were also similar, as were the levels in their sludge. Of the total amounts of OPs entering the STPs, 50% was emitted to the recipients via the effluent. Hence, there is room for significant improvement in the treatment processes. Carps living in a pond, receiving STP effluent were found to contain relatively high levels of OPs compared to perch collected in lakes from background locations. Air and road traffic were also identified as sources of OPs: the concentration of total OPs in snow samples decreased with increasing distance from a major road intersection, and OPs were detected in aircraft lubricants and hydraulic fluids and in waste oil from cars and lorries. OPs are emitted from both diffuse and direct sources to the environment and may then be spread by long-range air transport, rivers and streams. This probably explains why OPs were also detected in air and fish from background locations. Finally, OPs are ubiquitous substances in both indoor and outdoor environments. The possibility that prolonged exposure to OPs at the levels found may cause adverse effects, for instance in aqueous organisms, cannot be excluded. For example, the OP levels in snow were of the same magnitude as reported effect concentrations. Similarly, in some premises, indoor exposure to OPs was close to the suggested guideline value. However, since these studies include only a limited number of samples, and data regarding the health and environmental effects of OPs are sparse, no definitive conclusions regarding their possible environmental effects can be drawn. / Den globala konsumtionen av organiska fosfatestrar (OP) för användning som flamskyddsmedel och mjukgörare har ökat kraftigt på senare tid. Det breda användningsområdet för dessa additiv medför en risk att de kan avges från de produkter de är satta till och transporteras vidare ut i miljön. Följaktligen undersöktes källor till, halter av, och fördelning i inom- och utomhusmiljöer av 15 OP, varav en del har toxiska effekter. Vidare har exponering för OP i bl.a bostäder och offentliga byggnader beräknats. Utöver detta undersöktes exponeringen för OP via inandning hos 5 yrkesgrupper. Slutligen användes resultaten för att uppskatta det totala flödet av OP i Sverige. I de olika inomhusmiljöerna uppmättes ett flertal OP i varierande halter i damm och luft, men generellt speglade halterna byggnadsmaterial, möbler etc. som fanns i lokalerna. De offentliga lokalerna tenderade att uppvisa högre halter än privata hus, förmodligen beroende på högre brandskyddskrav. Klorerade OP dominerade i inomhusluft samt i avstrykningsprov från fordon och förekom även i höga halter i damm. Vissa yrkesgrupper var exponerade för betydligt högre halter OP än andra, t.ex. exponerades flygtekniker för upp till 500 ggr högre lufthalter av tributylfosfat jämfört med förskollärare. I samband med våtskurning i inomhusmiljöer (hushåll, industrilokaler, osv.) släpps avsevärda mängder OP ut i avloppet och når till sist reningsverk. Oberoende av storlek på reningsverken var halterna av OP relativt lika, i vardera ingående vatten och slam, vilket indikerar en bred användning av OP i samhället. I vissa fall kunde specifika källor till OP i avloppsvattnet spåras. Exempelvis hade två av reningsverken högre halter av en klorerad OP jämfört med övriga reningsverk. Dessa behandlade vatten från en skumplastfabrik, respektive en fabrik som tillverkar flamskyddad färg. Avskiljningsgraden av OP från avloppsvatten visade sig generellt vara dålig, i synnerhet klorerade OP tenderade att passera genom reningsverken utan att degraderas eller avskiljas från vattnet. Av den mängd OP som nådde reningsverken släpptes 50 % ut till miljön via utflödet. Som ett resultat av detta uppvisade karpar från en damm påverkad av utflödet från ett reningsverk höga halter OP jämfört med abborrar från referenssjöar. Det finns därför anledning att förbättra tekniken på reningsverken. Flyg- och vägtrafik kunde också identifieras som källor till OP i miljön. OP uppmättes i hydrauloljor och smörjmedel för flygplan samt i spillolja från bilar och lastbilar. Vidare minskade totalhalten OP i snöprov med ökat avstånd från en större vägkorsning. OP släpps således ut från både diffusa och direkta källor och kan sedan spridas vidare via luft och vattendrag. Därmed var det inte förvånande att OP även påträffades i luft och fisk från bakgrundslokaler. Avslutningsvis förekommer OP i varierande halter i såväl inom- som utomhusmiljöer. Det kan inte uteslutas att långvarig exponering för de halter av OP som uppmätts skulle kunna orsaka negativa effekter hos t.ex vatten- eller jordlevande organismer. I smälta snöprov från en flygplats uppmättes exempelvis halter av OP i samma storleksordning som rapporterade effektkoncentrationer. Dessutom visade sig den beräknade exponeringen av OP, i några av de provtagna inomhuslokalerna, uppgå till halter nära det föreslagna riktvärdet för OP i Tyskland. Dessa studier inkluderar dock ett begränsat antal prov och provtyper och kunskapen om dessa föreningars miljö- och hälsoeffekter är bristfällig. Därför bedöms underlaget som för litet för att några definitiva slutsatser ska kunna dras angående OPs eventuella effekter på miljön.

La connaissance de l’exposition des personnes aux champs électromagnétiques radiofréquences, pour le public ou pour les professionnels, est encore aujourd’hui très parcellaire. Deux problématiques sont encore mal connues:• La connaissance des usages des objets communicants, en évolution constante et rapide,• L'estimation de l'impact potentiel que pourraient avoir ces nouvelles technologies sur l'environnement.Ce document est une synthèse des travaux de recherche conduits pour affiner les questions de compatibilité électromagnétique et d’exposition des personnes. Dans ce contexte, il a fallu évaluer, caractériser et définir les paramètres les plus importants des signaux rayonnés ou des niveaux des champs électromagnétiques émis par les dispositifs mettant en œuvre les technologies émergentes. Dans cette étude, on s’est également intéressé à des problématiques connexes comme l’exposition des personnes aux champs électromagnétiques de très basses fréquences induits par des lignes à très haute tension ou aux émissions rayonnées par des équipements domestiques intégrant des dispositifs électroniques potentiellement rayonnants. Il comprend également, une synthèse de tous les résultats obtenus à partir d'études de cas concrets, tant sur le plan des connaissances détaillées de la compatibilité électromagnétique des systèmes nouveaux ou émergents que sur la problématique de l’exposition des personnes. Enfin, des solutions ont été proposées, pouvant permettre d’améliorer les connaissances des signaux et des impacts potentiels par des modifications de normes, par la prise en compte de nouveaux paramètres plus pertinents, ou par la modification de procédures d’étalonnage de systèmes utilisés pour caractériser l’exposition. / The knowledge of human exposure, either general public or occupational, to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, is still incomplete. Two issues are yet to be addressed:• Knowledge of the uses of communicating objects that are ever changing,• The evaluation of the potential impact that these new technologies could have on the environment.This document provides a synthesis of studies conducted to address the issues of electromagnetic compatibility and human exposure. In this context, it was necessary to evaluate, to characterize and to define the most relevant parameters of the radiated signals or the levels of electromagnetic fields emitted by devices that implement these emerging technologies. We additionally examined related issues such as exposure to electromagnetic fields at very low frequencies induced by high-voltage lines or emissions from domestic equipment integrating potentially radiating electronic devices. It also includes a summary of all results obtained from actual case studies, in terms of the knowledge of both the detailed electromagnetic compatibility of new or emerging systems and human exposure. Finally, solutions have been proposed that can help to improve the knowledge of signals and potential impacts, through updates of either current standards by taking into account more relevant new parameters or modification of calibration procedures of the instrumentation employed to characterize the exposure.

Evidence suggests that pesticide exposure is a risk factor for atherosclerosis, a pathology involving oxidative stress and dysregulated cholesterol metabolism in monocytes and macrophages as vital causative factors. This research focused on understanding two different mechanisms by which organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides may contribute to atherogenesis. First, the ability of organochlorine insecticides to contribute to elevated oxidative stress was investigated. Urinary concentrations of F2-isoprostanes (a systemic oxidative stress biomarker) and serum levels of the persistent organochlorine compounds p,p’-DDE, trans-nonachlor and oxychlordane were quantified in human samples and the association of these factors with diagnosis of atherosclerosis was described in a cross-sectional study. Subsequently, the ability of three bioaccumulative organochlorine insecticides, trans-nonachlor, dieldrin and p,p’-DDE, to induce the production of superoxide radical anion via NADPH oxidase activation in cultured human THP-1 monocytes through a phospholipase A2 (PLA2)-derived arachidonic acid (AA) signaling cascade was investigated. Trans-nonachlor induced NOX-dependent generation of superoxide/ROS (as measured using three distinct assay types) and stimulated the phosphorylation and membrane translocation of the p47phox regulatory subunit (two biomarkers of Nox activation). Measurement of arachidonic acid and eicosanoid release from OC-exposed monocytes by LC-MS/MS analysis subsequently confirmed the role of PLA2 as a central signaling node in the induction of reactive oxygen production in this process. To investigate a separate mechanism by which organophosphate toxicity may contribute to atherosclerosis, the ability of the esterase/lipase carboxylesterase 1 (CES1), a major enzyme target of OP toxicants, to regulate endocannabinoid and cholesterol homeostasis in human macrophages was assessed. Experimental ablation of CES1 activity altered cholesterol uptake, but not efflux in macrophage foam cells in vitro. Numerous genes involved in the cholesterol homeostatic process, including scavenger receptors (SR-A, CD36), cholesterol transporters (ABCA1, ABCG1), nuclear receptors (LXR, PPAR) and oxysterol forming enzymes (CYP27A1), were profoundly downregulated in CES1 knockdown cells. CES1 appears to play a broad central role in both normal macrophage physiology and the homeostatic response to modified LDL, potentially by liberating esterified molecules from lipoprotein particles that serve as ligands for transcription factors such as PPAR and LXR that control the expression of genes critical to the cholesterol metabolic process.