Environmental conditions: protection against

Environmental Enclosures Enclosures for valve accessories are sometimes required to provide protection from specific environmental conditions. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) provides descriptions and test methods for equipment used in specific environmental conditions in NEMA 250. Protection against rain, windblown dust, hose-directed water, and external ice formation are examples of environmental conditions that are covered by NEMA standards. 

Antioxidants. Antioxidants are rarely needed because of the highly saturated nature of the polymer chains. If protection against severe environmental ageing conditions is needed, typical antioxidants (Ethanox 702, Irganox 1010) can be added. In some cases, zinc dibutyldithiocarbamate (0.05-0.2 wt%) or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) can be used as stabilizers. 

A workbench makes use of a local air supply in conjunction with exhaust air to ensure good control of the contaminants generated on a bench process. The local exhaust removes the contaminants, while the local supply air protects the operator and/or the products against airborne contaminants. The local supply air improves the thermal environmental conditions by introducing cool dehumidified air in a hot environment. This ensures that the operator s thermal comfort is maintained in areas of high temperature, where full air conditioning of the entire workspace is nor economically feasible. 

The application of flavonoids for the treatment of various diseases associated with free radical overproduction is considered in Chapter 29. However, it seems useful to discuss here some studies describing the activity of flavonoids under certain pathophysiological conditions. Oral pretreatment with rutin of rats, in which gastric lesions were induced by the administration of 100% ethanol, resulted in the reduction of the area of gastric lesions [157]. Rutin was found to be an effective inhibitor of TBAR products in the gastric mucosa induced by 50%i ethanol [158]. Rutin and quercetin were active in the reduction of azoxymethanol-induced colonic neoplasma and focal area of dysplasia in the mice [159], Chemopreventive effects of quercetin and rutin were also shown in normal and azoxymethane-treated mouse colon [160]. Flavonoids exhibited radioprotective effect on 7-ray irradiated mice [161], which was correlated with their antioxidative activity. Dietary flavones and flavonols protected against the toxicity of the environmental contaminant dioxin [162], Rutin inhibited ovariectomy-induced osteopenia in rats [163],... 

Equipment, including all auxiliaries, shall be designed for outdoor installation and the specified site environmental conditions. The vendor shall advise any equipment protection required for the jobsite location (i.e. winterisation for low ambient temperatures, or protection against unusual humidity, dusty or corrosive conditions, etc.). 

Immunotoxicity Occupational workers are exposed to a variety of chemicals in work conditions. The assessment of immunotoxicity in humans exposed to potentially immunotoxic chemicals is a complex task. An immune response in fully immunologically competent individuals will provide protection against several infectious agents and environmental hazards. The immune system is a... 

Trehalose is able to stabilize biological structures in a dehydrated form, and to make them intact and functional as soon as the hydration and temperature conditions return to normal. Thus, it behaves as a chemical chaperone in desiccation stress. Additionally, trehalose acts as a protectant against other environmental stresses such as freezing [4,5], osmotic shock [6], oxidation [7-9],... 

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