Mercury contamination in facial skin lightening creams and its health risks to user

This study aims to determine concentrations of mercury in facial skin lightening cream according to different price categories (category I: <RM29.99, category II: RM30.00-RM59.99, category III: RM60.00-RM99.99 and category IV: ≥RM100.00) and their potential health risks to users. Prices of skin lightening creams were determined during a preliminary market survey. Thereafter, twenty samples were purchased from various locations such as cosmetic stalls, beauty shops, pharmacies and street vendors based on their stratified price categories. Samples were extracted using microwave digester and analyzed using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS). Non-carcinogenic chronic health risks for application of facial skin lightening cream were calculated using Dermal Absorption Dose (DAD) and Hazard Quotient (HQ). Concentrations of mercury in samples were less than the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) permitted trace levels (<1 ppm) except for one sample from category III which was manufactured in China. Concentrations of mercury in facial skin lightening creams ranged from not detected to 1.13 mg kg−1. There was no significant association between concentrations of mercury with price categories (p = 0.12). There was no significant non-carcinogenic health risk due to daily application of the facial skin lightening creams based on assumption of 30 years exposure period (HQ < 1)

Consumption of manjakani among postpartum mothers and risk of heavy metal contamination

Introduction: In Malaysia, herbal medicines are used for variety of reasons including health promotion and home remedies during pregnancy and postpartum with Manjakani (Quercus infectoria) as one of the most commonly consumed herbs. Herbal medicines consumption had been linked to heavy metals contamination and transfer from mother to infant and may affect infant’s growth and development. This study aims to (i) determine Manjakani consumption among postpartum mothers, (ii) quantify its heavy metals level, namely lead, cadmium, arsenic and chromium, and (iii) determine health risk associated with its consumption. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 106 postpartum mothers was carried out in Kuala Lumpur. Six samples of Manjakani were sampled and extracted using microwave digester and analysed using Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Non-carcinogenic health risks for herbal medicine consumption were calculated using Hazard Quotient (HQ). Results: Manjakani was consumed by 16% of mothers (n=17). Highest level of the metals was shown by chromium with mean concentration of 4210 ± 1910 ug/kg, followed by lead (170.8 ± 193.2), arsenic (39.3 ± 27.1) and cadmium (7.7 ± 0.76). There were no significant non-carcinogenic health risks with lead, arsenic, chromium and cadmium contamination (HQ < 1). Conclusion: Manjakani is consumed by mothers during confinement period. Heavy metals were quantified in Manjakani although no significant association was observed with socio-demographic characteristics and birth outcomes

Release of bisphenol A from polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate drinking water bottles under different storage conditions and its associated health risk

Introduction: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a controversial plastics ingredient used mainly in the production of polycarbonate plastics (PC) and epoxy resins that widely used nowadays in food and drink packaging. Even though BPA is not involved in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) manufacturing, recent study had reported the present of BPA in PET water bottle. This study was conducted to investigate effects storage conditions on release of BPA from PC and PET bottled water as well as to assess health risks associated with consumption. Methods: Solid phase extraction (SPE) was used to extract the samples, followed by analysis using ultra high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector (UHPLC-FLD). The possibility of developing chronic non-carcinogenic health risk among consumers of bottled water was evaluated using hazard quotient (HQ). Results: Results showed that BPA migrated from PC and PET water bottles at concentrations ranging from 9.13 to 257.67 ng/L and 11.53 ng/L to 269.87 ng/L respectively. Concentrations of BPA were higher in PET bottled water compared to PC bottled water across all storage conditions. Higher storage temperature and longer storage duration increased BPA concentrations in PC and PET bottled water. Concentrations of BPA in bottled water which were kept in a car and were exposed to sunlight were higher than control samples which were stored indoor at room temperature. Conclusion: No significant chronic non-carcinogenic health risks were calculated for daily ingestion of BPA-contaminated bottled water; calculated HQ was less than one

Occurrence of pesticides in surface water, pesticides removal efficiency in drinking water treatment plant and potential health risk to consumers in Tengi River Basin, Malaysia

Agricultural activities have been arising along with the use of pesticides. The use of pesticides can impact not only on vector or other pest but also able to harm human health. Pesticide may leach from the irrigation of plant into the groundwater and in surface water. These waters could be sources of drinking water in a pesticides polluted area. This study aims to determine the occurrence pesticides in surface water and pesticides removal efficiency in a conventional drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) and the potential health risk to consumers. The study was conducted in Tanjung Karang, Selangor, Malaysia. Thirty river water samples and eighteen water samples from DWTP were collected. The water samples were extracted using solid phase extraction (SPE) before injected to the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Five hundreds and ten respondents were interviewed using questionnaires to obtain information for health risk assessments. The results showed that propiconazole had the highest mean concentration (4493.1 ng/L) while pymetrozine had the lowest mean concentration (1.3 ng/L) in river water samples. The pesticides removal efficiencies in the conventional DWTP were 77% (imidacloprid), 86% (propiconazole and buprofezin), 88% (tebuconazole) and 100% (pymetrozine, tricyclazole, chlorantraniliprole, azoxystrobin and trifloxystrobin), respectively. The hazard quotients (HQs) and hazard index (HI) for all target pesticides were <1, indicating there was no significant chronic non-carcinogenic health risk due to consumption of the drinking water. Conventional DWTP was not able to completely remove four pesticide; thus, advanced treatment systems need to be considered to safeguard the health of the community in future

Consumption of Malay Herbal Medicine (MHMs) during pregnancy and postpartum

All around, natural medication is an undeniably sought after elective drug. They had been expended for ages to enhance one’s prosperity. In Malaysia, Malay home grown medications (MHMs) are ordinarily expended amid pregnancy and baby blues by moms of the Malay people group. This investigation is a similar poll consider including 106 baby blues Malay moms; comprising of 64 customers and 42 nonshoppers. Respondents were met amid their postnatal visits to decide their socioeconomics, example of MHMs’ utilization and pregnancy and neonatal qualities. Top three MHMs devoured were Ubat Periuk (12.5%, n=8), Manjakani (26.6%, n=17) and Nona Roguy repression set (20.3%, n=13). Utilization of MHMs amid pregnancy did not impact preterm conveyance and in addition neonatal birth weight, birth length, and head boundary. The revealed chances proportion for neonatal jaundice and requirement for phototherapy were 1.03 and 2.78 separately. Then, moms who did not expend MHMs amid pregnancy revealed bring down occurrences (p<0.05) and bring down hazard (OR=0.25) of undermined premature births. Higher dangers of neonatal jaundice were found for baby blues utilization. As an end, family unit salary was an affecting statistic factor for MHMs utilization. Requirement for phototherapy about tripled with pregnancy utilization; while, non-utilization seems, by all accounts, to be defensive against undermined fetus removal

Method development and validation for determination of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in river water and sewage

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) are classified as the new emerging class of pollutants by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) recently. Its ubiquitous nature coupled with its high persistency in the environment is alarming. Moreover, some PPCPs are endocrine disrupting compounds responsible for feminization of male fishes via production of viltellogenin. Occurrences of antibiotics in the environment induce high bacterial resistance. PPCPs were widely manufactured and administered in Malaysia but little or no quantification was carried out. Lack of data could be attributed to the absence of a recognized, comprehensive and conclusive method for PPCPs analysis. As such, this method aims to provide a robust and sensitive method for identification and quantification of PPCPs in river water, Sewage Treatment Plant (STPs) influent, intermittent and effluent. This method is specially formulated for simultaneous extraction, detection and quantification of multi-classes PPCPs in a 25 minutes run-time. This is a pioneering method for quantification of acetaminophen, sulfamethoxazole, diclofenac, atenolol, metoprolol, DEET and oxybenzone in Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionisation (APCI) mode. Method had been validated for high repeatability and reproducibility; Relative Standard Deviations (RSD) for both was less than 10%. Quantification of PPCPs is often a trace analysis; thus, a good sensitivity is needed. As such, Instrument Quantification Limits (IQLs) for PPCPs were in the range of 0.05-1.0 μg/L; meanwhile, Method Quantification Limits (MQLs) for ultrapure water were within 0.3-15 ng/L. In addition, Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) recoveries were above 75% for most PPCPS demonstrating good accuracy. Lower matrix suppression in APCI mode had enabled quantifying PPCPs in complex matrices producing lower baseline chromatograms and sharper peaks resolutions. Subsequently, the method was applied to investigate environmental occurrences of PPCPs. Twelve out of eighteen PPCPs were detected in river water samples. Five PPCPs were quantified above 1000 ng/L; they were caffeine, estradiol, estriol, estrone and naproxen. On the other hand, three sewage treatment plant (STPs) with different operational mechanisms were sampled. Natural hormones (estradiol, estriol, estrone and progesterone) and personal care products (caffeine, DEET and oxybenzone) constituted majority of influents. Highest detected in influent was caffeine whose mean concentration was 14858.4 ng/L. Thirteen PPCPs were detected in all STP effluents. Highest concentration in effluent was estriol whose mean concentration was 2160.6 ng/L. In a nutshell, PPCPs were not efficiently removed by Malaysian STPs. Thereafter, Environmental Risk Assessments (ERA) was used to evaluate possible aquatic toxicities in Langat River. High risks of acute toxicities were found for naproxen and sulfamethoxazole. Several PPCPs exhibited high chronic toxicities namely diclofenac, estradiol, ethynylestradiol, estriol, estrone, and sulfamethoxazole. Naproxen exhibited medium risk. Metoprolol and DEET exhibited low chronic risk. Immediate reduction measures were demanded for four steroid hormones; they were estradiol, estriol, estrone and ethynylestradiol

Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Evidence from Malaysia

The interplay of physical, social, and economic factors during the pandemic adversely affected the mental health of healthy people and exacerbated pre-existing mental disorders. This study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the general population in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study involving 1246 participants was conducted. A validated questionnaire consisting of the level of knowledge and practice of precautionary behaviors, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life&mdash;Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) was used as an instrument to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results revealed that most participants possessed a high level of knowledge about COVID-19 and practiced wearing face masks daily as a precautionary measure. The average DASS scores were beyond the mild to moderate cut-off point for all three domains. The present study found that prolonged lockdowns had significantly impacted (p &lt; 0.05), the mental health of the general population in Malaysia, reducing quality of life during the pandemic. Employment status, financial instability, and low annual incomes appeared to be risk factors (p &lt; 0.05) contributing to mental distress, while older age played a protective role (p &lt; 0.05). This is the first large-scale study in Malaysia to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population

Method for the quantification of pharmaceuticals and personal care products

The present invention aims to develop a method for a more comprehensive group of PPCPs ranging from the most widely used to the most environmentally persistent as well as PPCPs with known ecological effects to aquatic organisms. These PPCPs must be quantified in APCI modes as low matrix suppressions are required. In addition, it aims to incorporate cost effective measures without compromising on the data quality. Sensitivity and selectivity shall not be compromised, thus, quantification must be carried out in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode

Heavy metals in Danggui (Angelica sinensis) consumed by postpartum mothers and its health risk

Introduction: Consumption of Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHMs) have escalated globally. They are preferred treatment for minor diseases or disorders. In Malaysia, CHMs are common home remedies during pregnancy and postpartum. Angelica sinensis (Danggui) is a staple CHMs during postpartum for purpose of nourishing blood and resolving stasis. Concerns are raised over possible heavy metals toxicity. Objective: This study aims to (i) determine Danggui consumption among postpartum mothers, (ii) quantify its heavy metals level, namely Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As) and Chromium (Cr) and (iii) determine health risks of Danggui consumption among mothers. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 112 postpartum mothers was carried out in Kuala Lumpur. Danggui samples were collected from nine districts in Kuala Lumpur (Segambut, Seputeh, Cheras, Kepong, Bandar Tun Razak, Titiwangsa, Setiawangsa, Batu and Lembah Pantai). Heavy metals were extracted using microwave digester and analysed using Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). Hazard Quotient (HQ) was used to determine non-carcinogenic health risks for herbal medicine consumption. Results: Danggui was consumed by 19.6% of mothers (n=22). Among them, incidence of jaundice was 63.6% and need for phototherapy was 40.9%. Heavy metals contaminations were found in the decreasing order of Cr > As > Pb > Cd with median (interquartile) of 3996.3 (2805.6) μg/ kg, 128.3 (56.7), 98.6 (99.1) and 37.0 (35.0) respectively. No non-carcinogenic health risks were found for all four metals. Conclusion: Alarming concentrations of heavy metals were quantified in Danggui warranting for further investigation to safeguard health of postpartum mothers

Exposure to Airborne Pesticides and Its Residue in Blood Serum of Paddy Farmers in Malaysia

Background: Pesticides manage pests and diseases in agriculture, but they harm the health of agricultural workers. Concentrations of thirteen pesticides were determined in personal air and blood serum of 85 paddy farmers and 85 non-farmers, thereafter associated with health symptoms. Method: Samples were analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Results: The median concentration of pesticides in personal air samples ranged from 10.69 to 188.49 ng/m3 for farmers and from 5.79 to 73.66 ng/m3 for non-farmers. The median concentration of pesticides in blood serum was from 58.27 to 210.12 ng/mL for farmers and 47.83 to 62.74 ng/mL for non-farmers. Concentration of eleven pesticides in personal air and twelve pesticides in blood serum were significantly higher in farmers than non-farmers (p &lt; 0.05). All pesticides detected in personal air correlated significantly with concentration in the blood serum of farmers (p &lt; 0.05). Health symptoms reported by farmers were dizziness (49.4%), nausea (47.1%), cough (35.3%), chest pain (30.6%), breathing difficulty (23.5%), sore throat (22.4%), vomiting (18.8%), phlegm (16.5%), and wheezing (15.3%). Concentration of pesticides in personal air, blood serum, and health symptoms were not significantly associated. Conclusion: Occupational exposure to pesticides significantly contaminates blood serum of farmers compared to non-farmers