Abstract:Although a myriad of research illustrates the safety issues related to farm fatalities in youth populations, very little empirical evidence exists to describe farm fatalities to non-working youth and youth under 16 years of age. Research such as that conducted by Myers and Adekoya (2001) and Castillo et al. (1999) utilize surveillance systems such as the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) Surveillance System and the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) to provide information on occupational farm fatalities to youth. However, since youth are exposed to hazards both while working and playing on the farm, these studies exclude one critical component -non-occupational fatalities.Adekoya and Pratt (2001) utilize National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Data to address fatal farm injuries. However, the data do not allow for a delineation between occupational and non-occupational events. In addition, the coding system utilized with these data does not allow for inclusion of transportation or intentional fatalities, and fatalities occurring within the farm home were not included.To address both occupational and non-occupational deaths on farms, including transportation and intentional deaths, this research will utilize death certificate data collected by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) from all 50 state vital statistics mortality registries. Records satisfying the following criteria were requested: underlying, immediate, or contributing cause of death from an external factor; age of the decedent is less than 20 years of age; and the indicated location of death is a farm. The results include information for 368 fatalities occurring in the years 1995 through 1997.In addition to providing annual fatality rates and description of the general cause of death, this research will further examine the variation between age groups. In particular, a distinction will be made between youth under 16 years of age and those 16 and over.Preliminary findings show an average annual fatality rate for all farm youth of 9.76 fatalities per 100,000 youth. The most prevalent causes of death are; machinery (94), drowning (59), motor vehicle (49), nature/environment (25) and suffocation (24). Of all youth fatalities occurring while at work, 34.0% (16) are to youth less than 16 years of age. This same age group accounts for 74.4% (221) of all non-work related fatalities. This paper will provide farm families and researchers more detailed information on farm hazards that contribute to the deaths of youth. As these youth may encounter hazards while working or playing in their daily environment, identification and elimination of these hazards will increase overall safety on the farm.

Beryllium is widely used in industry for its unique properties; however, occupational exposure to beryllium particles can cause potentially fatal disease. Consequently, exposure limits for beryllium particles in air and action levels on surfaces have been established to reduce exposure risks for workers. Field-portable monitoring methods for beryllium are desired in order to facilitate on-site measurement of beryllium in the workplace, so that immediate action can be taken to protect human health. In this work, a standardized, portable fluorescence method for the determination of trace beryllium in workplace samples, i.e., air filters and dust wipes, was validated through intra- and inter-laboratory testing. The procedure entails extraction of beryllium in 1% ammonium bifluoride (NH(4)HF(2), aqueous), followed by fluorescence measurement of the complex formed between beryllium ion and hydroxybenzoquinoline sulfonate (HBQS). The method detection limit was estimated to be less than 0.02 microg Be per air filter or wipe sample, with a dynamic range up to greater than 10 microg. The overall method accuracy was shown to satisfy the accuracy criterion (A< or = +/-25%) for analytical methods promulgated by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Interferences from numerous metals tested (in >400-fold excess concentration compared to that of beryllium) were negligible or minimal. The procedure was shown to be effective for the dissolution and quantitative detection of beryllium extracted from refractory beryllium oxide particles. An American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International voluntary consensus standard based on the methodology has recently been published.

The ligand tris(2-hydroxyiminopropyl)amine (Ox(3)H(3)) binds to nickel(II) in multiple protonation states. In the neutral state, the X-ray crystal structure of the monomeric complex [Ni(Ox(3)H(3))(NO(3))(H(2)O)](NO(3)).(H(2)O), 1, has six-coordinate pseudo-octahedral geometry, with binding of the amine and three oxime nitrogens, a nitrate, and a water. In the mono-deprotonated form, the X-ray crystal structure shows a dimer, [Ni(Ox(3)H(2))(CH(3)CN)](2)(ClO(4))(2), 2, which has bridging oximate groups and a Ni-Ni distance of 3.575 A. The fully deprotonated complex, 3, shows significantly low Ni(II) oxidation potentials at -390 and +165 mV (versus Fc(+)/Fc). Complex 3 shows reactivity when exposed to O(2), consuming multiple O(2) equivalents and turning from the purple 3 to a dark brown complex, 4. Complex 4 has an EPR spectrum consistent with Ni(III), but spin quantitation accounts for only about 10% of the total Ni, consistent with turnover of the Ni oxidation states. This Ni(II)/O(2) system oxidizes triphenylphosphine to its oxide, with incorporation of the isotopic label from O(2).

A series of five new alpha-hydroxy acid-containing chelates inspired by photoactive marine siderophores, along with their Fe(III) complexes, have been synthesized and characterized. These chelates, designated X-Sal-AHA, each contributes a bidentate salicylidene moiety (X-Sal, X = 5-NO(2), 3,5-diCl, H, 3,5-di-tert-butyl, or 3-OCH(3) on the phenolate ring) and a bidentate alpha-hydroxy acid moiety (AHA). The X-ray crystal structure of Na[Fe(3)(3,5-diCl-Sal-AHA)(3)(mu(3)-OCH(3))] shows an Fe(III) trimer with the triply deprotonated, trianionic ligands each spanning two Fe(III)'s that are bridged by the hydroxyl group of the ligand. Additionally, a mu(3)-methoxy anion caps the Fe(III)(3) face. Electrospray ionization mass spectra demonstrate that this structure is representative of the Fe(III) complexes of all five derivatives in methanol solution, with the exception of the X = 3,5-di-t-Bu derivative having a mu(3)-OH bridge rather than a methoxy bridge. Stability constants determined from reduction potentials range from 10(34) for the 5-NO(2) derivative to >10(40) for the 3,5-di-tBu derivative. All five complexes are photoactive when irradiated by sunlight, with the relative rate of photolysis as monitored by Fe(II) transfer correlating with the Hammett sigma(+) parameter for the phenolate ring substituents.