This study employed a suite of three biomonitors to investigate trace metal pollution in the Thames estuary, a region of significant clean-up of contaminants and the cumulative return of fauna and flora over the last two decades. The biomonitors chosen are the brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus (bladder wrack), the barnacle Balanus improvisus and the talitrid amphipod crustacean Orchestia gammarellus, in order to obtain data on the bioavailabilities of Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Fe, Ag and Mn in the Thames estuary in 2001, as a basis for future comparisons as pollution is further reduced in the Thames. Accumulated metal concentrations in these organisms represent integrated records of the total bioavailabilities of the metals to that organism at that location over a previous time period, and comparisons of accumulated concentrations in a biomonitor between sites are indeed comparisons of the recent contaminant bioavailabilities to that biomonitor. All three biomonitors showed geographical differences in trace metal bioavailabilities along the Thames estuary. There was general agreement in the conclusions to be drawn from each of the three species used. Raised bioavailabilities of zinc, cadmium, lead, iron and manganese are present, particularly in the middle region of the Thames investigated, downstream of the effluent discharges of the sewage works at Beckton and Crossness.
We sought to develop and validate a self-assessment burnout scale of the Chinese general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of a dynamic zero-COVID policy. Factors relevant to individuals’ burnout during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic were identified in the literature and through the reviews of an expert panel. A convenience sample of 1087 was randomly divided into two subsamples and the scale’s psychometric properties were assessed. Findings suggested that the COVID-19 BFS has adequate reliability (α = 0.90) along with factorial, concurrent, and convergent validity. Results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the one-factor structure of the scale. Concurrent validity results indicate a significant positive correlation between COVID-19 BFS and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (r = 0.131, p < 0.001), suggesting that individuals with higher levels of burnout may also have higher levels of fear of COVID, or vice versa. The scale was also correlated positively with being against the dynamic zero-COVID strategy (r = 0.340, p < 0.001), indicating that a higher level of burnout may be associated with individuals who are against the dynamic zero-COVID strategy. The results suggest the five-item COVID-19 BFS is a valid and reliable scale for the measurement of burnout frequency of the Chinese general population in relation to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic in a dynamic zero-COVID policy context.
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