Determination of Heavy Metal levels in Soil and Vegetable Samples around Automobile Workshops in Iworoko-Ekiti, Nigeria

This study identified and determined levels of eighteen heavy metals in six soil and twelve vegetable samples (Talinum triangulare and Amaranthus hybridus) from selected automobile workshops at Iworoko Ekiti using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRF). Identical samples were also collected outside this neighborhood as control and analyzed using the same analytical technique. The results indicated that the observed heavy metals in the samples from the sites and control were within the range (1.044-3180.224) mg/kg and (1.002-1845.744) mg/kg. The soil samples were slightly enriched in vanadium, manganese, nickel, copper ,zinc, arsenic, selenium  and rubidium (Enrichment Factor (EF) = 1.033 – 2.179). Significant differences also exist between the levels of calcium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, arsenic, and yttrium (at p < 0.05, t = 0.00002 – 0.03950). The accumulation factors of the vegetable samples in Amaranthus hybridus were in the range 0.0006 – 824.1057 and those of Talinum triangulare were in the range 0.00019 – 338.76885. The relatively higher levels of chromium, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, zinc and arsenic in the vegetable samples from the sites compared with WHO/FEPA permissible limits was an indication of contamination: The consumption of vegetables in such an environment could be detrimental to health

Assessment of Drinking Water Samples Around Selected Oil Spillage and Metal Recycling Company in Lagos State, Nigeria

In recent times, anthropogenic source has been considered to be one of the major sources of environmental pollution. In this study, the levels of six heavy metals (Cadmium -Cd, Copper-Cu, Chromium-Cr, Iron-Fe, Mangenese- Mn and Lead-Pb) were assayed in water samples from well and borehole around Gemade oil spillage and Sun metal industry, Lagos, Nigeria using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS). The levels of these heavy metals were in the order Fe > Mn > Cu > Cd / Pb / Cr for the two sites and control, and within the range 0.001-10.162 mg/L. The results showed that significant difference exists between these levels and the controls (tv < 0.005). In most cases, the levels of Fe and Mn from the sites were found above the WHO/FEPA limits. Significant differences exist between the levels of Cu and Mn in well and borehole water samples (tv = 0.004 -0.005) but not Fe (tv = 0.31 - 0.91). This indicated that the surrounding drinking water samples were polluted with some of these metals. The results obtained in this work also gave the baseline levels of these metals in the water samples at the selected sites

Enhanced infection prophylaxis reduces mortality in severely immunosuppressed HIV-infected adults and older children initiating antiretroviral therapy in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe: the REALITY trial

Meeting abstract FRAB0101LB from 21st International AIDS Conference 18–22 July 2016, Durban, South Africa. Introduction: Mortality from infections is high in the first 6 months of antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV‐infected adults and children with advanced disease in sub‐Saharan Africa. Whether an enhanced package of infection prophylaxis at ART initiation would reduce mortality is unknown. Methods: The REALITY 2×2×2 factorial open‐label trial (ISRCTN43622374) randomized ART‐naïve HIV‐infected adults and children >5 years with CD4 <100 cells/mm3. This randomization compared initiating ART with enhanced prophylaxis (continuous cotrimoxazole plus 12 weeks isoniazid/pyridoxine (anti‐tuberculosis) and fluconazole (anti‐cryptococcal/candida), 5 days azithromycin (anti‐bacterial/protozoal) and single‐dose albendazole (anti‐helminth)), versus standard‐of‐care cotrimoxazole. Isoniazid/pyridoxine/cotrimoxazole was formulated as a scored fixed‐dose combination. Two other randomizations investigated 12‐week adjunctive raltegravir or supplementary food. The primary endpoint was 24‐week mortality. Results: 1805 eligible adults (n = 1733; 96.0%) and children/adolescents (n = 72; 4.0%) (median 36 years; 53.2% male) were randomized to enhanced (n = 906) or standard prophylaxis (n = 899) and followed for 48 weeks (3.8% loss‐to‐follow‐up). Median baseline CD4 was 36 cells/mm3 (IQR: 16–62) but 47.3% were WHO Stage 1/2. 80 (8.9%) enhanced versus 108(12.2%) standard prophylaxis died before 24 weeks (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.73 (95% CI: 0.54–0.97) p = 0.03; Figure 1) and 98(11.0%) versus 127(14.4%) respectively died before 48 weeks (aHR = 0.75 (0.58–0.98) p = 0.04), with no evidence of interaction with the two other randomizations (p > 0.8). Enhanced prophylaxis significantly reduced incidence of tuberculosis (p = 0.02), cryptococcal disease (p = 0.01), oral/oesophageal candidiasis (p = 0.02), deaths of unknown cause (p = 0.02) and (marginally) hospitalisations (p = 0.06) but not presumed severe bacterial infections (p = 0.38). Serious and grade 4 adverse events were marginally less common with enhanced prophylaxis (p = 0.06). CD4 increases and VL suppression were similar between groups (p > 0.2). Conclusions: Enhanced infection prophylaxis at ART initiation reduces early mortality by 25% among HIV‐infected adults and children with advanced disease. The pill burden did not adversely affect VL suppression. Policy makers should consider adopting and implementing this low‐cost broad infection prevention package which could save 3.3 lives for every 100 individuals treated