Assessment of Heavy Metals and Their Estimated Daily Intakes from Two Commonly Consumed Foods (Kulikuli and Robo) Found in Nigeria

Most foodstuffs sold in Nigerian outdoor markets are often susceptible to pollution due to poor packaging. As a case study, this work was aimed at the evaluation of heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Zn, As, Pb and Ni) content of two widely consumed snack foods in the country, namely melon (robo) and groundnut (kulikuli). The Robo and kulikuli used in this study were purchased from Abeokuta. The products procured directly from the source of preparation served as control samples. All together, a total of two hundred and ninety-four samples were collected for both (kulikuli and robo) from seven different motor parks and forty-two samples of both (50% for each) formed the control. Samples were ground to powdered form and subjected to acid digestion. The resulting digests were analyzed for the heavy metal concentrations using calibrated atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Field survey was conducted to assess the average consumption of the two food types by an adult of 70 kg body weight and the daily intake of each was then calculated using standard procedures. Results showed that kulikuli; robo metal concentrations (mg/kg) were 0.23 to 1.25; 0.018 to 0.069; 6.73 to 9.23; 0.07 to 0.47; 13.83 to 33.13 and 16.15 to 53.91 for As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn respectively. Estimated daily dietary intake (mg/kg body weight) from the respective robo and kulikuli, for a 70 kg body weight, were 5.71 x 10 -5; 8.57 x 10 -5, 9.57 x 10 -3; 1.1 x 10 -2 , 1.57 x 10 -4; 4.14 x 10 -4 , 8.86 x 10 -4; 1.2 x 10 -3 , 2.33 x 10 -2; 3.5 x 10 -2 and 2.76 x 10 -2; 6.5 x 10 -2 for Cd, Cu, Ni, As, Pb and Zn, respectively. Only Pb was above permissible level and based on estimated daily intake, risk factor decreased as Pb > As > Zn > Cu > Cd > Ni

Unsaturated phosphatidylcholines lining on the surface of cartilage and its possible physiological roles

Background Evidence has strongly indicated that surface-active phospholipid (SAPL), or surfactant, lines the surface of cartilage and serves as a lubricating agent. Previous clinical study showed that a saturated phosphatidylcholine (SPC), dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), was effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis, however recent studies suggested that the dominant SAPL species at some sites outside the lung are not SPC, rather, are unsaturated phosphatidylcholine (USPC). Some of these USPC have been proven to be good boundary lubricants by our previous study, implicating their possible important physiological roles in joint if their existence can be confirmed. So far, no study has been conducted to identify the whole molecule species of different phosphatidylcholine (PC) classes on the surface of cartilage. In this study we identified the dominant PC molecule species on the surface of cartilage. We also confirmed that some of these PC species possess a property of semipermeability. Methods HPLC was used to analyse the PC profile of bovine cartilage samples and comparisons of DPPC and USPC were carried out through semipermeability tests. Results It was confirmed that USPC are the dominant SAPL species on the surface of cartilage. In particular, they are Dilinoleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DLPC), Palmitoyl-linoleoyl-phosphatidylcholine, (PLPC), Palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and Stearoyl-linoleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (SLPC). The relative content of DPPC (a SPC) was only 8%. Two USPC, PLPC and POPC, were capable of generating osmotic pressure that is equivalent to that by DPPC. Conclusion The results from the current study confirm vigorously that USPC is the endogenous species inside the joint as against DPPC thereby confirming once again that USPC, and not SPC, characterizes the PC species distribution at non-lung sites of the body. USPC not only has better anti-friction and lubrication properties than DPPC, they also possess a level of semipermeability that is equivalent to DPPC. We therefore hypothesize that USPC can constitute a possible addition or alternative to the current commercially available viscosupplementation products for the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis in the future

Using Magnetically Responsive Tea Waste to Remove Lead in Waters under Environmentally Relevant Conditions

We report the use of a simple yet highly effective magnetite-waste tea composite to remove lead(II) (Pb[superscript 2+]) ions from water. Magnetite-waste tea composites were dispersed in four different types of water–deionized (DI), artificial rainwater, artificial groundwater and artificial freshwater–that mimic actual environmental conditions. The water samples had varying initial concentrations (0.16–5.55 ppm) of Pb[superscript 2+] ions and were mixed with the magnetite-waste tea composite for at least 24 hours to allow adsorption of the Pb[superscript 2+] ions to reach equilibrium. The magnetite-waste tea composites were stable in all the water samples for at least 3 months and could be easily removed from the aqueous media via the use of permanent magnets. We detected no significant leaching of iron (Fe) ions into the water from the magnetite-waste tea composites. The percentage of Pb adsorbed onto the magnetite-waste tea composite ranged from ~70% to 100%; the composites were as effective as activated carbon (AC) in removing the Pb[superscript 2+] ions from water, depending on the initial Pb concentration. Our prepared magnetite-waste tea composites show promise as a green, inexpensive and highly effective sorbent for removal of Pb in water under environmentally realistic conditions.SUTD-MIT International Design Center (Research Grant IDG11200105/IDD11200109)Singapore-MIT Allianc

Composition, potential emissions and agricultural value of pig slurry from Spanish commercial farms

[EN] Pig slurry is a valuable fertilizer for crop production but at the same time its management may pose environmental risks. Slurry samples were collected from 77 commercial farms of four animal categories (gestating and lactating sows, nursery piglets and growing pigs) and analyzed for macronutrients, micronutrients, heavy metals and volatile fatty acids. Emissions of ammonia (NH3) and biochemical methane potential (BMP) were quantified. Slurry electrical conductivity, pH, dry matter content and ash content were also determined. Data analysis included an analysis of correlations among variables, the development of predictionmodels for gaseousemissions and the analysis of nutritional content of slurries for crop production. Descriptive information is provided in this work and shows a wide range of variability in all studied variables. Animal category affected some physicochemical parameters, probably as a consequence of different slurry management and use of cleaning water. Slurries from gestating sows and growing pigs tended to be more concentrated in nutrients, whereas the slurry from lactating sows and nursery piglets tended to be more diluted. Relevant relationships were found among slurry characteristics expressed in fresh basis and gas emissions. Predictivemodels using on-farmmeasurable parameterswere obtained forNH3 (R2 = 0.51) andCH4 (R2 = 0.76), which suggests that BMP may be estimated in commercial farms from easily determined slurry characteristics. Finally, slurry nutrient composition was highly variable. Therefore, complete analyses of slurries should be performed for an effective and environmental friendly land application.This project was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL2011-30023) and the Valencian Government (ACOMP/2013/118). We thank the BABEL Project, Building Academic Bonds between Europe and Latin America. Erasmus Mundus Programme Action 2 for PhD fellowships. The translation of this paper was funded by the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain.Antezana-Julian, WO.; Blas, CD.; García-Rebollar, P.; Rodríguez, C.; Beccaccia, A.; Ferrer Riera, P.; Cerisuelo, A.... (2016). Composition, potential emissions and agricultural value of pig slurry from Spanish commercial farms. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems. 104(2):159-173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-016-9764-3S1591731042Aarnink AJA, Verstegen MWA (2007) Nutrition, key factor to reduce environmental load from pig production. Livest Sci 109(1–3):194–203Abubaker J, Risberg K, Jönsson E, Dahlin A S, Cederlund H, Pell M (2015) Short-term effects of biogas digestates and pig slurry application on soil microbial activity. Appl Environ Soil Sci. Article ID 658542: 1–15Adekunle KF, Okolie JA (2015) A review of biochemical process of anaerobic digestion. 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Assessment Of Heavy Metals And Their Estimated Daily Intakes From Two Commonly Consumed Foods (Kulikuli And Robo) Found In Nigeria

Most foodstuffs sold in Nigerian outdoor markets are often susceptible to pollution due to poor packaging. As a case study, this work was aimed at the evaluation of heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Zn, As, Pb and Ni) content of two widely consumed snack foods in the country, namely melon (robo) and groundnut (kulikuli). The robo and kulikuli used in this study were purchased from Abeokuta. The products procured directly from the source of preparation served as control samples. All together, a total of two hundred and ninety-four samples were collected for both (kulikuli and robo) from seven different motor parks and forty-two samples of both (50% for each) formed the control. Samples were ground to powdered form and subjected to acid digestion. The resulting digests were analyzed for the heavy metal concentrations using calibrated atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Field survey was conducted to assess the average consumption of the two food types by an adult of 70 kg body weight and the daily intake of each was then calculated using standard procedures. Results showed that kulikuli; robo metal concentrations (mg/kg) were 0.23 to 1.25; 0.018 to 0.069; 6.73 to 9.23; 0.07 to 0.47; 13.83 to 33.13 and 16.15 to 53.91 for As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn respectively. Estimated daily dietary intake (mg/kg body weight) from the respective robo and kulikuli, for a 70 kg body weight, were 5.71 x 10 -5; 8.57 x 10 -5, 9.57 x 10 -3; 1.1 x 10 -2 , 1.57 x 10 -4; 4.14 x 10 -4 , 8.86 x 10 -4; 1.2 x 10 -3 , 2.33 x 10 -2; 3.5 x 10 -2 and 2.76 x 10 -2; 6.5 x 10 -2 for Cd, Cu, Ni, As, Pb and Zn, respectively. Only Pb was above permissible level and based on estimated daily intake, risk factor decreased as Pb > As > Zn > Cu > Cd > Ni

Relationships between blood lead, blood pressure, serum cholesterol and body mass index of non-occupationally exposed males, residents of Abeokuta, Nigeria

Study examined the associations between blood – Pb, serum cholesterol, diastolic and, systolic blood pressures, hematocrit, body weight, age and body mass index in 528 study subjects comprising 50% cigarette smoking and 50% non-smoking male residents of Abeokuta, Nigeria, aged from 15 to 80 years. Blood Pb was measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometer and the other variables were determined using standard procedures. Generally, interwoven relationships between all the parameters were established. Cigarette smoking appeared to be an additional source of Pb intake as the mean value for smokers (42 ± 12 μg/dl) exceeded that for non-smokers (34 ± 11 μg/dl) by approximately 24%. Blood Pb related positively to systolic blood pressure of non-smokers (r = + 0.138) and diastolic blood pressure for smokers (r = + 0.129) at