Cancer incidence and arsenic in soil in a gold mining area of Australia
- Authors: Pearce, Dora , Dowling, Kim , Sim, Malcolm
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Epidemilogy Vol. 19, no. 6 (2008), p. S165-S165
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
Soil and vegetable analysis from the Victorian goldfields : Characterization of a potential backyard hazard
- Authors: Dowling, Kim , Harvey, G. , Waldron, H. , Garnett, D.
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Australian Conference on Nuclear Techniques of Analysis , November 2003 p. 89-92
- Full Text:
- Description: 2003006915
Toenails : They know where you’ve been!
- Authors: Pearce, Dora , Dowling, Kim , Sim, Malcolm , McOrist, Gordon , Russell, Robert
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Nuclear and Complementary Techniques of Analysis (NCTA) Conference Abstracts volume, Melbourne
- Full Text: false
- Description: 2003006916
Perceptions of engineering from female, secondary college students in regional Victoria
- Authors: Darby, Linda , Hall, Stephen , Dowling, Kim , Kentish, Barry
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Engineering Education for a Sustainable Future 2003, Melbourne : 29th September - 1st October, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Survey and focus group interviews with female students in regional Victoria resulted in identification of four perceived barriers that influence them to exclude engineering as a career choice. These barriers were identified as a lack of interest in the perceived image, a lack of knowledge, a traditionally male-dominated industry, and limited recognisable role models. This paper reports on what Year 10 females are saying about the barriers and, consequently, how engineering can be promoted to overcome these barriers.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000550
Trace element content of vegetables grown in the Victorian goldfields characterization of a potential backyard hazard
- Authors: Harvey, G. , Dowling, Kim , Waldron, H. , Garnett, D.
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Proc of ANA 2003 Fifth Conference on Nuclear Science and Engineering in Australia , p. p168-172
- Full Text:
- Description: 2003006913
Can optimum solar radiation exposure or supplemented vitamin D intake reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms?
- Authors: Abraham, Joji , Dowling, Kim , Florentine, Singarayer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 18, no. 2 (2021), p. 1-21
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The foremost mortality-causing symptom associated with COVID-19 is acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A significant correlation has been identified between the deficiency in vitamin D and the risk of developing ARDS. It has been suggested that if we can reduce or modify ARDS in COVID-19 patients, we may significantly reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms and associated mortality rates. The increased mortality of dark-skinned people, who have a reduced UV absorption capacity, may be consistent with diminished vitamin D status. The factors associated with COVID-19 mortality, such as old age, ethnicity, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, are all found to be linked with vitamin D deficiency. Based on this review and as a precautionary measure, it is suggested that the adoption of appropriate and safe solar exposure and vitamin D enriched foods and supplements should be considered to reduce the possible severity of COVID-19 symptoms. Safe sun exposure is deemed beneficial globally, specifically in low and middle- income countries, as there is no cost involved. It is also noted that improved solar exposure and vitamin D levels can reduce the impact of other diseases as well, thus assisting in maintaining general human well-being. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Toenail arsenic : Incorporation patterns and biomarker potential
- Authors: Dowling, Kim , Pearce, Dora , Gerson, Andrea , Sim, Malcolm , Sutton, Stephen , Newville, Matthew
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 3rd Conference on Developments in Victorian Geology and Mineralisation, Melbourne : 3rd-4th February 2008
- Full Text: false
Assessment of cadmium distribution in some Australian krasnozems by sequential extraction
- Authors: Butt, David , Dowling, Kim , Vinden, Peter
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Vol. 190, no. 1-4 (2008), p. 157-169
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: A sequential extraction procedure was used to investigate the influence of long-term phosphate fertilization on the distribution of cadmium throughout the major components of krasnozemic soils in the potato growing district located to the East of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The soil fractions investigated consisted of the water soluble, exchangeable, weakly bound to metal oxides, strongly bound to metal oxides, bound to organic material and residual. Other soil parameters, such as pHH2O, pHCaCl2, electrolytical conductivity and total organic material were investigated. The concentrations of Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and Zn in each soil fraction were also measured. The total concentration of cadmium in the farmed soils had increased from the background level of 100.5
- Description: C1
Seasonal changes in arsenic concentrations and hydrogeochemistry of Canadian Creek, Ballarat (Victoria, Australia)
- Authors: Sultan, Khawar , Dowling, Kim
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Vol. 169, no. 1-4 (2006), p. 355-374
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: A 10-month study of surface waters in Canadian Creek (Ballarat, Victoria, Australia) showed the significant influence of historic gold mining waste material. The investigation focussed on the hydrogeochemistry of the surface waters and soils in order to: (1) document the levels and seasonal trends in major, minor and trace elements in the creek, (2) identify the process by which As is released from the soil/waste mining material to surface waters. For most dissolved major and trace elements (Na, Ca, Mg, K, and As) in surface waters, the concentrations decreased with the increasing rainfall and flow conditions except for Al and Fe. Two sites selected along the creek (<1 km apart) allowed evaluation of the possibility that mining waste material is contributing to the elevated As concentrations (up to 145
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001958
Arsenic microdistribution and speciation in toenail clippings of children living in a historic gold mining area
- Authors: Pearce, Dora , Dowling, Kim , Gerson, Andrea , Sim, Malcolm , Sutton, Stephen , Newville, Matthew , Russell, Robert , McOrist, Gordon
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Science of the Total Environment Vol. 408, no. 12 (2010), p. 2590-2599
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Arsenic is naturally associated with gold mineralisation and elevated in some soils and mine waste around historical gold mining activity in Victoria, Australia. To explore uptake, arsenic concentrations in children's toenail clippings and household soils were measured, and the microdistribution and speciation of arsenic in situ in toenail clipping thin sections investigated using synchrotron-based X-ray microprobe techniques. The ability to differentiate exogenous arsenic was explored by investigating surface contamination on cleaned clippings using depth profiling, and direct diffusion of arsenic into incubated clippings. Total arsenic concentrations ranged from 0.15 to 2.1
Medical Geology in Asia: Toxic materials in the environment and human diseases
- Authors: Jean, Jiinshuh , Guo, Howran , Dowling, Kim , Akhtar, Rais
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Asian Earth Sciences Vol. 77, no. (2013), p. 255
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Editorial
- Description: C1
Cancer incidence and soil arsenic exposure in a historical gold mining area in Victoria, Australia : A geospatial analysis
- Authors: Pearce, Dora , Dowling, Kim , Sim, Malcolm
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology Vol. 22, no. 3 (2012), p. 248-257
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Soil and mine waste around historical gold mining sites may have elevated arsenic concentrations. Recent evidence suggests some systemic arsenic absorption by residents in the goldfields region of Victoria, Australia. Victorian Cancer Registry and geochemical data were accessed for an ecological geographical correlation study, 1984-2003. Spatial empirical Bayes smoothing was applied when estimating standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) for cancers in 61 statistical local areas. The derived soil arsenic exposure metric ranged from 1.4 to 1857 mg/kg. Spatial autoregressive modelling detected increases in smoothed SIRs for all cancers of 0.05 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.02-0.08) and 0.04 (0.01-0.07) per 2.7-fold increase in the natural log-transformed exposure metric for males and females, respectively, in more socioeconomically disadvantaged areas; for melanoma in males (0.05 (0.01-0.08) adjusted for disadvantage) and females (0.05 (0.02-0.09) in disadvantaged areas). Excess risks were estimated for all cancers (relative risk 1.21 (95% CI, 1.15-1.27) and 1.08 (1.03-1.14)), and melanoma (1.52 (1.25-1.85) and 1.29 (1.08-1.55)), for males and females, respectively, in disadvantaged areas in the highest quintile of the exposure metric relative to the lowest. Our findings suggest small but significant increases in past cancer risk associated with increasing soil arsenic in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and demonstrate the robustness of this geospatial approach. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology advance online publication, 21 March 2012.
High grade Au-Sb vein-type mineralisation at Fosterville
- Authors: Dowling, Kim , McKnight, Stafford , Kotsonis, Andrew
- Date: 2001
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 3rd Conference on Developments in Victorian Geology and Mineralisation, Ballarat : 26th-27th April 2001
- Full Text: false
Arsenic and major cation hydrogeochemistry of the Central Victorian (Australia) surface waters
- Authors: Sultan, Khawar , Dowling, Kim
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Environmental Sciences Vol. 18, no. 1 (2006), p. 184-192
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper reports on the major cations (Ca, Mg, Na and K) and arsenic (As) compositions of surface waters collected from major creeks, rivers and lakes in Central Victoria (Australia). The surface waters were found to be neutral to alkaline (pH 6.7-9.4), oxidised (average redox potential (Eh) about 130 mV) and showed variable concentrations of dissolved ions (EC, about 51-4386
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003002078
Conceptual design of a Submersible Remotely Operated Swimming Dredger (SROSD)
- Authors: Sarkar, Mridul , Bose, Neil , Chai, Shuhong , Dowling, Kim
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings
- Full Text: false
- Description: Increasing use of deep-water dredging and mining vehicles has been anticipated for resource collection, engineering construction and environmental protection. Existing deep-dredging or mining equipment can be classified as i) diver-assisted dredging tools, ii) surfacefloating dredgers with deep-dredging capability and iii) submersible dredgers. Diver assisted dredging tools have limited capacity and involve human risk. Surface floating dredgers can work to a specific dredging depth controlled by their ladder length, but modification is limited by their large size and significant cost. Submersible dredgers are deployed for sub-sea operations and are the focus of this research. Submersible crawlers and walkers work in a submerged terrain-contact condition and depend on their apparent weight and ground reactions to counteract the excavation forces. Crawlers are inefficient in negotiating difficult subsea terrain and walking submersibles are slow moving over long-distances. Considering the constraints of dredging depth, negotiation of uneven terrain, slow motion, interchange ability of excavation or transport sub-system components and station keeping during operation, a new type of submersible dredger or miner was conceived. In working mode, it imitates a walking motion by spuds that are also used for station keeping during dredging. For longdistance travel, the vehicle can swim by means of vector thrusters. The vector thrusters also help in position-keeping and motion-control during swimming. To offset higher forces generated during excavation of hard materials, spuds, variable buoyancy tanks and control planes are included as secondary station-keeping devices. The paper describes the general arrangement and the distinguished sub-systems of the conceptualised vehicle. Special attention was given to working and swimming locomotion and the methods of station keeping during operation. Investigations about the station-keeping, propulsion and controlling conditions of the vehicle are in progress. Experiments to measure the cutting forces from the cutter design are described. It is expected that the new design will significantly contribute to the evolution of existing deep-dredging equipment with improved efficiency, increased mobility and location control while minimising larger environmental disturbances. Copyright © 2011 by ASME.
Complex coacervation with whey protein isolate and gum arabic for the microencapsulation of omega-3 rich tuna oil
- Authors: Eratte, Divya , Wang, Bo , Dowling, Kim , Barrow, Colin , Adhikari, Benu
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Food and Function Vol. 5, no. 11 (2014), p. 2743-2750
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Tuna oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids was microencapsulated in whey protein isolate (WPI)–gum arabic (GA) complex coacervates, and subsequently dried using spray and freeze drying to produce solid microcapsules. The oxidative stability, oil microencapsulation efficiency, surface oil and morphology of these solid microcapsules were determined. The complex coacervation process between WPI and GA was optimised in terms of pH, and WPI-to-GA ratio, using zeta potential, turbidity, and morphology of the microcapsules. The optimum pH and WPI-to-GA ratio for complex coacervation was found to be 3.75 and 3 : 1, respectively. The spray dried solid microcapsules had better stability against oxidation, higher oil microencapsulation efficiency and lower surface oil content compared to the freeze dried microcapsules. The surface of the spray dried microcapsules did not show microscopic pores while the surface of the freeze dried microcapsules was more porous. This study suggests that solid microcapsules of omega-3 rich oils can be produced using WPI–GA complex coacervates followed by spray drying and these microcapsules can be quite stable against oxidation. These microcapsules can have many potential applications in the functional food and nutraceuticals industry.
Ongoing soil arsenic exposure of children living in an historical gold mining area in regional Victoria, Australia: Identifying risk factors associated with uptake
- Authors: Martin, Rachael , Dowling, Kim , Pearce, Dora , Bennett, John , Stopic, Attila
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Asian Earth Sciences Vol. 77, no. (2013), p. 256-261
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Elevated levels of arsenic have been observed in some mine wastes and soils around historical gold mining areas in regional Victoria, Australia. Arsenic uptake from soil by children living in these areas has been demonstrated using toenail arsenic concentration as a biomarker, with evidence of some systemic absorption associated with periodic exposures. We conducted a follow-up study to ascertain if toenail arsenic concentrations, and risk factors for exposure, had changed over a five year period in an historical gold mining region in western regional Victoria, Australia. Residential soil samples (N= 14) and toenail clippings (N= 24) were analyzed for total arsenic using instrumental neutron activation analysis, including 19 toenail clippings samples that were obtained from the same study cohort in 2006. Toenail arsenic concentrations in 2011 (geometric mean, 0.171. μg/g; range, 0.030-0.540. μg/g) were significantly lower than those in 2006 (geometric mean, 0.464. μg/g; range, 0.150-2.10. μg/g; p<. 0.001). However, toenail arsenic concentrations were again correlated with soil arsenic levels (Spearman's rho= 0.630; p= 0.001). Spending time outdoors more often and for longer periods correlates with increased arsenic uptake (p< 0.05). Mining-influenced residential soils represent a long-term continuing source for potential arsenic exposure for children living in this historical mining region. © 2013.
- Description: C1
Trace metal contamination of mineral spring water in an historical mining area in regional Victoria, Australia
- Authors: Martin, Rachael , Dowling, Kim
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Asian Earth Sciences Vol. 77, no. (2013), p. 262-267
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Significant global consumption of spring and mineral water is fuelled by perceived therapeutic and medicinal qualities, cultural habits and taste. The Central Victorian Mineral Springs Region, Australia comprises approximately 100 naturally effervescent, cold, high CO2 content springs with distinctive tastes linked to a specific spring or pump. The area has a rich settlement history. It was first settled by miners in the 1840s closely followed by the first commercial operations of a health resort 1895. The landscape is clearly affected by gold mining with geographically proximal mine waste, mullock heaps or tailings. Repeated mineral springs sampling since 1985 has revealed elevated arsenic concentrations. In 1985 an arsenic concentration five times the current Australian Drinking Water Guideline was recorded at a popular tourist spring site. Recent sampling and analyses have confirmed elevated levels of heavy metals/metalloids, with higher concentrations occurring during periods of low rainfall. Despite the elevated levels, mineral water source points remain accessible to the public with some springs actively promoting the therapeutic benefits of the waters.In light of our analysis, the risk to consumers (some of whom are likely to be negatively health-affected or health-compromised) needs to be considered with a view to appropriate and verified analyses made available to the public. © 2013.
- Description: C1
Turbidity caused by spillage from a dredging/mining transverse axis cutter
- Authors: Sarkar, Mridul , Bose, Neil , Sarkar, Sritama , Dowling, Kim
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 20th World dredging congress and exhibition 2013 (WODCON XX): The art of dredging p. 636-645
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
Building suitable restoration approaches in the Brownfields
- Authors: Florentine, Singarayer , Graz, Patrick , Doronila, Augustine , Martin, Rachael , Dowling, Kim , Fernando, Nimesha
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Sustainability in the Mineral and Energy Sectors Chapter 13 p. 223-239
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Human activity has, in the recent past resulted in substantial changes in land cover, ecosystem health, and the ability of affected ecosystems to return to their original state. This necessitates further human intervention to recreate the systems functions than the present. Earlier restoration activities have not been documented extensively. This hinders our efforts to identify approaches that might support further work. "From abstract"