Investigation of estrogen activity in the raw and treated waters of riverbank infiltration using a yeast estrogen screen and chemical analysis

Exposure to various endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can lead to adverse effects on reproductive physiology and behavior in both animals and humans. An adequate strategy for the prevention of environmental contamination and eliminating the effects of them must be established. Chemicals with estrogenic activity were selected, and the effectiveness of their removal during the purification processes in two drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) using riverbank infiltrated water was determined. Thirty-five water samples in two sampling campaigns throughout different seasons were collected and screened with a yeast estrogen test; furthermore, bisphenol A (BPA), 17ss-estradiol (E2) and ethinyl-estradiol (EE2) content were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Our results confirm that estrogenic compounds are present in sewage effluents and raw surface river water of DWTPs. Very low estrogen activity and pg/L concentrations of BPA and E2 were detected during drinking water processing and occasionally in drinking water. Based on this study, applied riverbank filtration and water treatment procedures do not seem to be suitable for the total removal of estrogenic chemicals. Local contamination could play an important role in increasing the BPA content of the drinking water at the consumer endpoint

Comparison of VividTrac®, Airtraq®, King Vision®, Macintosh Laryngoscope and a Custom-Made Videolaryngoscope for difficult and normal airways in mannequins by novices

Abstract Background Direct laryngoscopy remains the gold standard for endotracheal intubation and is preferred by experienced operators. However, an increasing number of reports currently support videolaryngoscopy, particularly for novice users. The widespread use of videolaryngoscopy may be limited due to financial limitations, especially in low-income countries. Therefore, affordable single-use scopes are now becoming increasingly popular. We sought to compare these new scopes with direct laryngoscopes and the previously tested videolaryngoscopes in mannequins by novices. Methods Fifty medical students were recruited to serve as novice users. Following brief, standardized training, students were asked to execute endotracheal intubation with each of the devices, including the Airtraq®, a custom-made videolaryngoscope, the King Vision®, the Macintosh laryngoscope and the VividTrac®, on an airway trainer (Laerdal Airway Management Trainer®) in normal and difficult airway scenarios. We evaluated the time to and the proportion of successful intubation, the best view of the glottis, esophageal intubation, dental trauma and user satisfaction. Results We observed no differences in esophageal intubation. However, intubation-related times, the view of the glottis and operator satisfaction were significantly better throughout the study with the commercial videolaryngoscopes. In comparison, the custom-made videolaryngoscope performance proved to be similar to that of the Macintosh laryngoscope. The VividTrac® performance was similar (P > 0.05) or significantly better than that of the King Vision® in both scenarios. Conclusions Based upon our results, the Airtraq®, King Vision® and VividTrac® were superior to the Macintosh laryngscope in both normal and difficult airway scencarios for novice users. In particular, our study is the first to report that the VividTrac® shows promise for further clinical evaluation