A health survey was carried out on all white males in an aluminum smelter in British Columbia. The survey consisted of a medical-occupational questionnaire, spirometry, chest radiography, and environmental monitoring. We have compared the results of a respiratory survey in 713 workers in the office and casting department with no significant exposure to air contaminants (control workers) with those of 797 potroom workers: 495 who spent more than 50% of their working time in the potroom (high exposure) and 302 workers who spent less than 50% of their working time in the potroom (medium exposure). Potroom workers (high) had a significantly greater prevalence of cough and wheeze than did those in the control group, and they had significantly lower mean forced expiratory volume in one second and maximal midexpiratory flow rate than did those in the control group after adjustment had been made for differences in age, height, and smoking habits. Potroom workers (medium) had a slightly greater prevalence of respiratory symptoms and lower lung function than did workers in the control group, but the differences were not significant. We were unable to demonstrate potroom asthma. The levels of total fluoride, gaseous fluoride, particulate fluoride, sulphur dioxide, and total particulates found in the potroom at the time of the study were below the currently accepted threshold limit values, but the levels of benzo-alpha-pyrene were high.

This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Abstract: Permanent repository linkThere is a critical lack of affordable transport services linking villages to markets, healthcare and other facilities in rural areas of sub Saharan Africa which significantly restrains rural development. A key factor is the severe constraint on profitability of services due to the high operating costs of conventional vehicles operating at relatively low speeds on rural roads. This paper argues that there is a need to consider lower speed alternatives based on motorcycles. It shows that motorcycle-based vehicles such as trailers and 3-wheelers can carry loads up to one tonne on rural roads when geared down to an appropriate speed. The operating costs of these vehicles are shown to be around half those of conventional vehicles greatly increasing the potential for setting up profitable transport services. Further development is needed to show that motorcycle-based vehicles can be used safely and profitably to help rural people improve their livelihoods and facilitate rural development. Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems CorporationFigure 1Click here to download Figure Fig 1.tif Figure 2 Click here to download Figure Fig2.tif Figure 3 Click here to download Figure Fig3.tif Figure 4 Click here to download Figure Fig 4.tif Figure 5 Click here to download Figure Fig 5.tif Figure 6 Click here to download Figure Fig 6.tif Figure 7 Click here to download Figure Fig 7.tif Figure 8 Click here to download Figure Fig 8.tif 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 Vehicles for Rural Transport Services in sub Saharan Africa AbstractThere is a critical lack of affordable transport services linking villages to markets, healthcare and other facilities in rural areas of sub Saharan Africa which significantly restrains rural development. A key factor is the severe constraint on profitability of services due to the high operating costs of conventional vehicles operating at relatively low speeds on rural roads,. This paper argues that there is a need to consider lower speed alternatives based on motorcycles. It shows that motorcycle-based vehicles such as trailers and 3-wheelers can carry loads up to one tonne on rural roads when geared down to an appropriate speed. The operating costs of these vehicles are shown to be around half those of conventional vehicles greatly increasing the potential for setting up profitable transport services. Further development is needed to show that motorcycle-based vehicles can be used safely and profitably to help rural people improve their livelihoods and facilitate rural development. Abbreviations AFCAP

Citation: Dennis, R. and Pullen, K. R. (2013). Development of a wood-fired cooking stove to incorporate a thermo-acoustic engine-generator unit. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy, 227(7), pp. 740-751. doi: 10.1177/0957650913498735 This is the unspecified version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent AbstractThe provision of affordable electrical power in off-grid rural areas of developing countries is a major challenge but a vital element in the battle to reduce poverty. In response to this need, the SCORE project objective was to integrate a novel technology, thermo-acoustics, into a domestic cooking stove in order to produce an adequate level of electricity supply for families in developing countries whilst also providing efficient cooking. The unit is aimed at the majority of poorer families in developing countries that do not have access to electricity and have little hope of being connected to grid electricity in the near future. The electrical generation function is a vital driver in the adoption of low emissions stoves which significantly reduce health problems from smoke inhalation. This paper describes the design of the cooking part of the stove developed within the framework of the project.Within the wood burning stove, heat released by combustion is first transferred to a thermo-acoustic engine (TAE) to generate electricity, and then to the cooking part. The paper describes the development of the design and construction of the stove to meet the above objectives. This has been progressed through extensive testing of prototype stoves and also through modelling of the heat transfer within the combustion chamber and also for the cooking part of the stoveThe paper presents and compares the results from the test programme and heat transfer modelling and shows how the results are being used to achieve a stove design with an acceptable level of performance. It then concludes with a discussion of how this design might be produced in developing countries.

We have identified 71 chlorophenate-exposed sawmill workers as part of a group undergoing an extensive health and environmental evaluation in a pulp mill. We have compared this group with a group (351) with no physical proximity to the area in which chlorophenates were used. We demonstrated a gradient of exposure from 230 ppb in urine and 919 ppb in serum for those directly handling the contaminated wood, to 139 ppb in urine and 354 ppb in serum for those working in the area but not in manual contact as compared with serum levels of 84 ppb in the unexposed group. We noted that the bulk chemical was primarily in the tetrachloro-form but the serum levels contained more pentachlorophenate. The urine proportions were intermediate, approximating the bulk chemical proportions at the lower levels of exposure. We did not find an excess prevalence of respiratory symptoms or spirometric abnormalities which could be explained by the chlorophenate exposure.