Kanchan arsenic filter: evaluation and applicability to Cambodia

Arsenic contamination of drinking water in rural Cambodia has driven the search for mitigation options. The Kanchan Arsenic Filter for household water treatment is being evaluated for its applicability as one potential solution to this crisis. In 2008, ten Kanchan filters, in 5 configurations, were tested over a 30 week period. Each filter treated 40 L/day. The ground water had arsenic and phosphate concentrations averaging 637 μg/L and 5.09 mg/L respectively, representing challenging source water. Arsenic removal averaged 9597% for all configurations. After the first week of start up, all but 1 in 224 samples achieved the Cambodian standard of 50 μg/L. Arsenic removal was not significantly affected by the flow rate or the cleaning of the filter. There was no apparent depletion of arsenic adsorption capacity over the 30 weeks (8400 L filtered). Iron and turbidity removals were also very high, improving the user acceptability of this technology

Genetic associations at 53 loci highlight cell types and biological pathways relevant for kidney function

Reduced glomerular filtration rate defines chronic kidney disease and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), combining data across 133,413 individuals with replication in up to 42,166 individuals. We identify 24 new and confirm 29 previously identified loci. Of these 53 loci, 19 associate with eGFR among individuals with diabetes. Using bioinformatics, we show that identified genes at eGFR loci are enriched for expression in kidney tissues and in pathways relevant for kidney development and transmembrane transporter activity, kidney structure, and regulation of glucose metabolism. Chromatin state mapping and DNase I hypersensitivity analyses across adult tissues demonstrate preferential mapping of associated variants to regulatory regions in kidney but not extra-renal tissues. These findings suggest that genetic determinants of eGFR are mediated largely through direct effects within the kidney and highlight important cell types and biological pathways