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Objectives Avalanche victims are subjected to a number of physiological stressors during burial. We simulated avalanche burial to monitor physiological data and determine whether wearing head and face insulation slows cooling rate during snow burial. In addition, we sought to compare 3 different types of temperature measurement methods. Methods Nine subjects underwent 2 burials each, 1 with head and face insulation and 1 without. Burials consisted of a 60-minute burial phase followed by a 60-minute rewarming phase. Temperature was measured via 3 methods: esophageal probe, ingestible capsule, and rectal probe. Results Cooling and rewarming rates were not statistically different between the 2 testing conditions when measured by the 3 measurement methods. All temperature measurement methods correlated significantly. Conclusions Head and face insulation did not protect the simulated avalanche victim from faster cooling or rewarming. Because the 3 temperature measurement methods correlated, the ingestible capsule may provide an advantageous noninvasive method for snow burial and future hypothermia studies if interruptions in data transmission can be minimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PARs) are a group of environmentally persistent organic pollutants with various structures and varied toxicity. As the urban snowpack can act as a collector device for atmospheric-deposited PARs, the objectives of this study were to establish the PAR distribution and to identify their sources based on PAR profile and isomer ratios. The determined PAHs included naphtalene, acenaphtene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, chiysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a) pyrene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene, indeno(1 ,2,3 -c,d)pyrene. Snow samples were collected from three areas located in Cluj Napoca, Romania (Manastur area, city center and Marasti area) during the winter period 2011-2012; meitwater samples were extracted with hexane using liquid-liquid extraction, being then analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography, with an Agilent 1100 system with fluorescence detection, separations being accomplished on an Envirosep PP colunm in a total run time less than 30 minutes. The obtained results revealed relative high levels pyrene, chrysene and benzo(b)fluoranthene, which are associated with combustion processes in Manastur area, while in Marasti area the major PAHs concentrations (fluorene, phenanthrene and chrysene) are related with traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]