Concentration analysis and non-carcinogenic risk assessment from arsenic exposure in Hasht-Bandi of Minab with spatial distribution model (surface kriging map)

Background and Aims: The entrance of heavy metals, such as arsenic, in water resources can adversely affect human health and ecosystem through bioaccumulation, toxicity, and environmental resistance.Materials and Methods: The concentration of arsenic in 17 wells in the region of Hasht-Bandi Minab (Iran) was measured during 2012-2013. Groundwater arsenic concentration and hazard quotient (HQ), which describes non-carcinogenic risk, were assessed applying spatial distribution map (surface kriging map).Results: The concentration of arsenic in groundwater ranged from non-detectable (ND) to 23.7 ppb, with a mean value of 7.69±2.56 ppb. Depending on the location and season of year, arsenic in groundwater covered a wide range of concentration. In autumn (north-west region), winter (north-east region), spring (north-east, north-west, and center regions) and summer (center and east regions), arsenic concentrations were considered unsafe. Chronic daily intake (CDI) and HQ of studied population were respectively calculated as 0.00028 mg/ kg-d and 0.92.Conclusion: The mean concentration of arsenic was in worrying range; however, the population living in Hasht Bandi had a HQ in secure range. The spatial maps prepared by kriging method showed that the highest and lowest concentrations of arsenic and subsequently hazard quotient were observed in the north-east and in the south and south-west regions, respectively. The findings of the present study draw a meaningful conclusion relating to the use of spatial distribution model in the evaluation of environmental pollutants concentration and risk.Key words: Arsenic, Non-carcinogen, Kriging surface ma

The global epidemiology of Brucella infections in terrestrial wildlife: A meta-analysis

Brucellosis is a widespread zoonotic disease with serious consequences on human and animal health. Brucella infections were reported in many terrestrial wild animals, from subtropical and temperate regions to arctic regions. In many areas, the epidemiology of brucellosis in wildlife is closely associated with the occurrence of the disease in livestock. Some wild species may contribute to the re-introduction of Brucella infections in livestock (spillback), even in officially brucellosis-free (OBF) regions. Through meta-regression analysis, this study draws a global picture of the prevalence of Brucella spp. in terrestrial wild animals, trying to determine most affected subgroups as well as preferential sampling and screening methods. For this purpose, a literature search was carried out among publications published from 1983 to 2019. Different subgroups were compared according to animal species, feeding, gender, age as well as the method used for sampling and for brucellosis diagnostic. To determine heterogeneity of studies, chi-squared test was used and a random-effects model (REM) estimated the pooled prevalence among subgroups. A total of 68 publications, comprising 229 data reports/studies, were selected. The most-reported Brucella species in wildlife was Brucella abortus, and the highest prevalence rate was found in American bison, Bison bison (39.9%) followed by Alpine ibex, Capra ibex (33%). Serology was the most widely applied diagnostic approach (66%), while PCR appeared to be highly sensitive (36.62% of positive results). The gender of animals showed no significant association with the prevalence of brucellosis (p > .05). Blood samples and visceral organs constituted the great majority of specimen used for the detection of Brucella spp., while lymph nodes showed a high prevalence of positive samples (94.6%). The present study provides insight into the global epidemiology and enzootic potential of brucellosis in wild terrestrial animals worldwide, aiming at helping the appropriate authorities to strengthen prevention, surveillance and control strategies

Measurement of permethrin, deltamethrin and malathion pesticides in the wheat flour and breads and probabilistic health risk assessment: A case study from Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the residues of pyrethroid and organophosphorus pesticide in flour and breads which were collected from local markets in Kermanshah province, Iran. Four different types of breads and two types of flour samples with high distribution were taken from market and their residues of pesticides were measured. A simple dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) method with solidification of floating organic drop was developed for the measurement. The health risk of these pesticide on adults and children was assessed by target hazard quotient (THQ) using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. About, 15% and 11.1% of total samples contained detectable levels of deltamethrin and malathion, respectively. None of the tested samples, showed any permethrin residue..

Relationship Between Heavy Metal levels in Seminal Plasma and Sperm Quality in Iranian Men

Introduction: During the last decades, frequent reports on the poor semen quality in humans have raised many researchers' concerns to study the possible impact of lifestyle or environmental factors on semen quality. The debate is continuously growing on the adverse reproductive effects of exposure to heavy and trace metals found in the environment, even at their relatively low levels. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out from July 2018 to February 2019.  A total of 40 men were divided into two groups (idiopathic oligo– and/or asthenozoospermia and normozoospermic men) to determine the correlation between arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) levels in the seminal plasma with sperm quality parameters including concentration, total motility, progressive motility, viability, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), sperm plasma membrane integrity (SPMI), acrosome integrity (AI) and DNA fragmentation in Iranian men with idiopathic oligo– and/or asthenozoospermia and normozoospermic individuals.  Results: A significant positive or suggestive correlation was found between as concentrations in the seminal plasma and sperm concentration, motility, progressive motility, viability, MMP, SPMI, and DNA fragmentation. Moreover, seminal plasma Cd concentrations were also correlated negatively with sperm viability. We also found a positive correlation between the seminal plasma Mn levels and sperm concentration, motility, progressive motility, morphology, viability, acrosome integrity, and DNA fragmentation. Conclusion: We showed that the levels of As, Cd, and Mn levels in the seminal plasma are associated with the sperm functional parameters. Considering the unpleasant effects of the studied metals on semen quality, it is suggested that long-term contact with these metals be avoided, especially by people at their reproductive age

Factors affecting the severity of pedestrian traffic crashes

Background: Considering the importance of pedestrian traffic crashes and the role of environmental and demographic factors in the severity of these crashes, this article aimed to review the published evidence and synthesize the results of related studies to determine any associations between demographic and environmental factors and the severity of pedestrian-vehicle crashes. Methods: All epidemiological studies published from 1970 to 2019 were searched in international electronic databases (PubMed Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Ovid) and reference lists of the identified articles were also searched. Studies were included if they investigated the severity of pedestrian-vehicle crashes as outcome, measured any environmental and demographic factors for pedestrian-vehicular crashes as exposure, designed observational, and if they were written in all languages. Quality of included studies was evaluated using the strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology checklist for observational studies. Results: We found 3126 references among which 24 studies were included in this review. All retrieved studies were conducted between 1990 and 2019 and had a cross-sectional design. In most of these studies, the associations between environmental and demographic variables such as vehicle speed or speed limits, pedestrian age, lighting, type of road, type of vehicle, and alcohol intake with the severity of pedestrian traffic crashes were examined. Conclusion: This study showed that few studies were conducted in this area; in fact, most of the studies were carried out in metropolises of developed countries. As a result, studies which provide strong causal inferences by focusing on high-risk groups and a higher level of evidence such as cohort and case-control ones are needed in developing countries

Probiotics and prebiotics as functional foods: state of the art

Foods, besides their nutritional value, are used to be as a tool in maintaining of physical and mental well-being and prevent disease. Based on the definition of Functional foods as foods, which may offer health benefits beyond basic nutrition, functional foods, are categorized as foods, not medicine. Among the last decades, the growing market for functional foods, representing both opportunities and challenges to food producers as well academic sections to cover such demand and furthermore conquer the acceptance of consumer. In this article, an overview regarding the probiotics as well as prebiotics as outstanding components of functional foods, compatibility and their use in food products have been reviewed1512030CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQ324027429

Impact of unit operations during processing of cereal-based products on the levels of deoxynivalenol, total aflatoxin, ochratoxin A, and zearalenone: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The study aimed to perform a meta-analysis on the fate of ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEN), deoxynivalenol (DON) and total aflatoxin (TAF) during steps of bread and pasta-based products processing. A total of twenty and eight articles (549 data) collected from 1983 through June 2017 were included. Some of the investigated processing such as milling and fermentation caused an increase in the concentration of DON and TAF; although they reduce the concentration of ZEN and OTA. Also, heat processing (cooking) decrease the DON, OTA, and TAF and increase the concentration of ZEN in bread. Cooking reduces the concentration of DON and ZEN in the biscuit. Cooking of pasta reduces the content of DON; however, it increases the concentration of TFA. The findings showed that the mycotoxins and their fate were influenced differently by the unit operations steps involved in the preparation of the different cereal-based products268611624CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPES#302763/2014-7; #305804/2017-0; #3240274290#33003017027P

Determination of Radon-222 and Thoron Concentration in Decorative Stone Warehouses Indoor Air and the Received Effective Dose by Staff

Background: Radon is a colorless, odorless, and radioactive gas that can be emitted from decorative stones such as granite, marble, etc. Inhaling radon gas in a long period may cause for incidence of lung cancer among peoples. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, Radon 222 and Thoron concentrations in background and indoor air were measured in four decorative stones warehouse using portable radon meter(RTM1688-2 model). Totally, 24 samples of 24- hours concentrations in indoor air and 24 samples of 4-hours concentrations of Radon 222 and thoron in the background air at three stages were measured. Then, received effective dose of Radon 222 and Thoron was calculated by UNSCEAR equations. Results: The mean radon concentrations for indoor and background air were 74±37 and 34±16 Bq/m3, respectively. The mean radon concentrations for indoor air in decorative stones warehouses for DSW1, DSW2, DSW3 and DSW4 were 72.50±34, 98.25±43, 34.42±18 and 88.92±51 Bq/m3, respectively. The received effective dose mean of Radon 222 and Thoron by the staff at 8 working hours was 0.53±0.18 and 0.05±0.03 mSv/y and in 16 working hours was 1.05±0.36 and 0.11±0.07 mSv/y, respectively. Generally, the mean received effective dose by staff from Radon at 8 and 16 working hours was 0.58±0.2  and 1.16±0.41 mSv/y, respectively. Conclusions: Radon concentration mean in indoor air and the received effective dose mean by staff was lower than the standards level. Decorative stone warehouses were the resources for accumulation of Radon gas that can be reduced by corrective actions

Global systematic review and meta-analysis on prevalence and concentration of aflatoxins in peanuts oil and probabilistic risk assessment

Exposure to mycotoxins in food is largely unavoidable, and concerns about their health effects are growing. Consumption of vegetable oils such as peanuts oil has increased, hence several studies have been conducted on concentration of aflatoxins (AFs) in peanuts oil. Search was performed in Scopus and PubMed databases on prevalence and concentration of AFs in peanuts oil from 1 January 2005 to 15 April 29, 2022. Prevalence and concentration of AFs in peanuts oil was meta-analyzed based on country and type of AFs subgroups. In addition, health risk was calculated using monte carlo simulation method. Pooled prevalence of AFB1 in peanuts oil was 47.9%; AFB2, 46.45%; AFG1, 46.92% and AFG2, 54.01%. The Overall prevalence of AFTs was 49.30%, 95%CI (35.80–62.84%). Pooled concentration of AFB1 in peanuts oil was 2.30 μg/kg; AFB2, 0.77 μg/kg; AFG1, 0.07 μg/kg; AFG1, 0.28 μg/kg. The sort of country based on mean of MOEs in the adults consumers was Japan (47,059) > China (17,670) > Ethiopia (7,398) > Sudan (6,974) > USA (1,012) and sort of country based on mean of MOEs in the children was Japan (120,994) > China (46,991) > Ethiopia (19,251) > Sudan (18,200) > USA (2,620). Therefore, adults consumers were in considerable health risk in Ethiopia, Sudan and USA and for children in USA (MOE < 10,000)

A systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the concentration and prevalence of trichothecenes in the cereal-based food

The contamination of food products by mycotoxin particularly trichothecenes is a serious health concern. While several studies investigated the concentration and prevalence of trichothecenes in cereal-based products, a comprehensive meta-analysis is not available. The concentration and prevalence of trichothecenes (TCNs) such as deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), 3-acetyldeoxynivalen, 15-acetyldeoxynivalen, toxins T-2 and HT-2, neosolaniol (NEO), fusarenon-X and 4,15-diacetoxyscirpe in cereal-based food products among databases including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and Embase was investigated between 1 January of 1983 and 1 February of 2019 by the aid of a systematic review and meta-analysis prevalence. Among 950 explored articles in the identification stage, 57 articles with 372 samples were included in the current meta-analysis. Among all studied TCNs, the concentration of DON in cereal-based products were higher than others, exceptionally in bread samples which fusurenon x was the dominant TCNs. Also, the highest TCNs prevalence was correlated with DON, except for baby and infant foods which had predominantly T-2. The overall rank order based on the concentration and prevalence of TCNs were breakfast cereals > noddle > bread > wheat foods > pasta > infant foods > barley prevalence and prevalence barley > wheat foods > infant foods > pasta > bread > breakfast cereals > noddle, respectively. The outcomes of the present meta-analysis highlighted the demand for further improvements in controlling of TCNs among cereal-based products, besides approaching mitigation techniques in order to reduce the dietary exposure to TCNs via the consumption of cereal-based foods10219320