Aflatoxin B1 levels in groundnut products from local markets in Zambia

In Zambia, groundnut products (milled groundnut powder, groundnut kernels) are mostly sold in under-regulated markets. Coupled with the lack of quality enforcement in such markets, consumers may be at risk to aflatoxin exposure. However, the level of aflatoxin contamination in these products is not known. Compared to groundnut kernels, milled groundnut powder obscures visual indicators of aflatoxin contamination in groundnuts such as moldiness, discoloration, insect damage or kernel damage. A survey was therefore conducted from 2012 to 2014, to estimate and compare aflatoxin levels in these products (n = 202), purchased from markets in important groundnut growing districts and in urban areas. Samples of whole groundnut kernels (n = 163) and milled groundnut powder (n = 39) were analysed for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). Results showed substantial AFB1 contamination levels in both types of groundnut products with maximum AFB1 levels of 11,100 μg/kg (groundnut kernels) and 3000 μg/kg (milled groundnut powder). However, paired t test analysis showed that AFB1 contamination levels in milled groundnut powder were not always significantly higher (P > 0.05) than those in groundnut kernels. Even for products from the same vendor, AFB1 levels were not consistently higher in milled groundnut powder than in whole groundnut kernels. This suggests that vendors do not systematically sort out whole groundnut kernels of visually poor quality for milling. However, the overall contamination levels of groundnut products with AFB1 were found to be alarmingly high in all years and locations. Therefore, solutions are needed to reduce aflatoxin levels in such under-regulated markets

MOESM1 of Impacts of cerium oxide nanoparticles on bacterial community in activated sludge

Additional file 1: Table S1. Pairwise bacterial community similarity between reactors using Jaccard index at 3% nucleotide cutoff level. Table S2. Relative abundance of bacterial classes in the reactors. Table S3. Relative abundance of bacterial orders in the reactors. Table S4. Relative abundance of bacterial families in the reactors. Table S5. Relative abundance of bacterial genera in the reactors

Systematic review in South Africa reveals antibiotic resistance genes shared between clinical and environmental settings

Mutshiene Deogratias Ekwanzala,1 John Barr Dewar,2 Ilunga Kamika,3 Maggy Ndombo Benteke Momba1 1Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa; 2Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa; 3Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa Abstract: A systematic review was conducted to determine the distribution and prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), antimicrobial-resistant genes (ARGs), and antimicrobial-resistant gene determinants (ARGDs) in clinical, environmental, and farm settings and to identify key knowledge gaps in a bid to contain their spread. Fifty-three articles were included. The prevalence of a wide range of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and their genes was reviewed. Based on the studies reviewed in this systematic review, mutation was found to be the main genetic element investigated. All settings shared 39 ARGs and ARGDs. Despite the fact that ARGs found in clinical settings are present in the environment, in reviewed articles only 12 were found to be shared between environmental and clinical settings; the inclusion of farm settings with these two settings increased this figure to 32. Data extracted from this review revealed farm settings to be one of the main contributors of antibiotic resistance in healthcare settings. ARB, ARGs, and ARGDs were found to be ubiquitous in all settings examined. Keywords: systematic review, ARB, clinical ARGs, environmental ARGs, ARGDs, South Afric

Assessment of the water sources for potential channels of faecal contamination within Vhembe District Municipality using sanitary inspections and hydrogen sulphide test

Abstract Numerous human activities and poor sanitation management cause public health concern, particularly in rural communities without reliable water supply systems and resources for the monitoring of the quality of their water sources. This study assessed the relationship between observed sanitary risks and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) strip test results in the identification of faecal contamination of various water sources used at household level in rural areas of the Vhembe District Municipality. The highest percentage sanitary risk scores ranging from 50 to 100% were recorded for both river and dam water commonly used by the households for multiple purposes, including drinking. All the surface water samples (100%) also tested positive for H2S production, which is linked to the contamination of water sources by bacteria of faecal origin. The overall results showed a significant and positive correlation (r = 0.623, p = 0.003 in the wet season and r = 0.504, p = 0.017 in the dry season) between sanitary risk scores and H2S strip test results. In low resource settings, the use of sanitary inspections combined with the inexpensive and easy-to-use H2S strip tests can be effective as drinking water quality management tools to raise an awareness among community members of the faecal contamination of their water sources

Mycological and aflatoxin contamination of peanuts sold at markets in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Pretoria, South Africa.

Journal articlePeanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important food crop in sub-Saharan Africa. In this survey, the mycological and aflatoxin contamination of peanuts collected from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Pretoria, South Africa, was assessed. Twenty peanut samples were purchased randomly at informal markets in the two cities and analysed for mycoflora and aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2) using standard methods. The results indicated that 95% of the Kinshasa samples and 100% of the Pretoria samples were contaminated with aflatoxigenic fungi in the ranges 20–49,000 and 40–21,000 CFU/g, respectively. Seventy-five per cent of the Kinshasa samples and 35% of the Pretoria samples exceeded the maximum limits of AFB1 as set by The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Residents of both cities are at a high risk of aflatoxin exposure despite their apparent cultural, socio-economic, geographic and climatic differences. Further work needs to be done to understand the supply chains of peanut trade in informal markets of the two countries so that interventions are well targeted on a regional rather than a national level