Fate and behaviour of drugs in the environment

Sewage treatment works (STWs) are routes through which treated wastewater effluents often containing myriads of chemicals are passed into receiving waters due to incomplete removal processes as have been identified in several studies. The current work aimed to determine the levels of these chemicals in the effluents from Stoke Bardolph STW, Nottingham and to determine the fate and behaviour of compounds by conducting degradation batch studies under different treatment conditions. The selection of representative illicit compounds; cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine, heroin and its metabolites 6-monoacetylmorphine and morphine and a pharmaceutical (diazepam) was based on their presence in the STW effluent. The results obtained using solid phase extraction gas-chromatography technique (SPE-GCMS) showed thirteen compounds detected at concentrations between 1.9 and 3147 ng L-1 in effluents from Stoke Bardolph STW. Procaine, bromacil, codeine, lidocaine, ibruprofen, caffeine, nicotine and diazepam were the most abundant compounds in the final effluent with concentrations of 99.2, 1806.8, 33.5, 71.8, 3147, 213.4, 252.5 and 105.2 ng L-1, respectively. The percentage recoveries ranged from 74.5 – 109.6%, with the instrumental limits of detection (LODs) ranges of 0.2 – 12.7 ng L-1, and relative standard deviation (RSD) values of 0.6 – 4.7% were achieved for all the compounds

Application of Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) in Improving Power System Performance: A Case Study of The Nigeria 330 KV Electricity Grid

Slow response of the conventional traditional methods for improving power system performance creates the need for adoption of advanced control technologies such as Flexible Alternating Current Transmission System (FACTS) with fast response and low cost for  stabilizing electricity grid power and voltage. In this work, we examined the effect of application of Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM), a FACTS controller on the performance of the Nigeria 330 kV, 28-bus power system. The conventional and modified Newton-Raphson-based power flow equations describing the steady state conditions before and after compensation was made to the system were presented. Solutions to the developed equations were obtained using Matlab software (Version 7.9.0.529 ‘R2009b’). The results from the analysis showed that before the application of  STATCOM, five (5) of the twenty eight ( 28) buses of the sample system have their voltage magnitudes fell outside the statutory limit of 0.95 Vi 1.05 p.u, which were improved to 1.0 p.u. each at inclusion of STATCOM. Similarly, the total system active power loss was reduced by 5.88% from 98.21 to 92.44MW.  Evidence from this finding is that STATCOM application on the Nigeria electricity grid will stabilise the system’s voltage and reduce the overall transmission active power loss thereby releasing spare capacities for more consumers.http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v34i3.2

Construction of Mass Balances of Cocaine in Batch Studies for the Sewage Treatment Works

The desired approach at safeguarding the environment both in control and effective monitoring of chemical discharges is the use of mass balances to account for inflow/outflow of pollutants. Whereas the previous studies were based on several assumptions, the batch studies enabled the construction of mass balances for the Sewage Treatment Work (STWs) using the removal rate data. This study, for the first time measures the rates of removal of cocaine in an STW, and the calculated mass balances were obtained from the removal rate data that were generated. The result of cocaine initial influent of 50 mg L-1 after after 2 hour hydraulic retention times (HRT) produced the final effluents of 110 mg L-1. Projected influent concentrations of cocaine (14, 471 ng L-1) were derived from back-calculation from final effluent concentrations. A useful tool that accounts for the mass-flow of trace drugs in the aquatic environment with minimal errors often due to sampling logistics and desludging process has been provided in this model of mass balance calculations in STWs

Morphometric Study of the Skull of the Greater Cane Rat (Thryonomys swinderianus, Temmnick)

This study was designed to investigate some morphometric characteristics of the skull of the Greater cane rat (GCR) involving 30 morphometric parameters. A total of 10 adult GCR were used for this study comprising of both sexes (5 males and 5 females). Student t-test was used to analyze the values obtained and to determine differences between the sexes. Morphological features were found in the zygomatic bone which occurred as a large and thick bone on both ends. From 30 parameters analyzed, 12 were statistically significant (p≤ 0.05) between both sexes, confirming the presence of sexual dimorphism in the skull of this rodent. This study provided baseline research data on the typology of the skull of the GCR.KEYWORDS: Greater cane rat, morphometry, skull, sexual dimorphism, craniometry

Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990-2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013

Background Up-to-date evidence on levels and trends for age-sex-specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality is essential for the formation of global, regional, and national health policies. In the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013) we estimated yearly deaths for 188 countries between 1990, and 2013. We used the results to assess whether there is epidemiological convergence across countries. Methods We estimated age-sex-specific all-cause mortality using the GBD 2010 methods with some refinements to improve accuracy applied to an updated database of vital registration, survey, and census data. We generally estimated cause of death as in the GBD 2010. Key improvements included the addition of more recent vital registration data for 72 countries, an updated verbal autopsy literature review, two new and detailed data systems for China, and more detail for Mexico, UK, Turkey, and Russia. We improved statistical models for garbage code redistribution. We used six different modelling strategies across the 240 causes; cause of death ensemble modelling (CODEm) was the dominant strategy for causes with sufficient information. Trends for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias were informed by meta-regression of prevalence studies. For pathogen-specific causes of diarrhoea and lower respiratory infections we used a counterfactual approach. We computed two measures of convergence (inequality) across countries: the average relative difference across all pairs of countries (Gini coefficient) and the average absolute difference across countries. To summarise broad findings, we used multiple decrement life-tables to decompose probabilities of death from birth to exact age 15 years, from exact age 15 years to exact age 50 years, and from exact age 50 years to exact age 75 years, and life expectancy at birth into major causes. For all quantities reported, we computed 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). We constrained cause-specific fractions within each age-sex-country-year group to sum to all-cause mortality based on draws from the uncertainty distributions. Findings Global life expectancy for both sexes increased from 65·3 years (UI 65·0-65·6) in 1990, to 71·5 years (UI 71·0-71·9) in 2013, while the number of deaths increased from 47·5 million (UI 46·8-48·2) to 54·9 million (UI 53·6-56·3) over the same interval. Global progress masked variation by age and sex: for children, average absolute differences between countries decreased but relative differences increased. For women aged 25-39 years and older than 75 years and for men aged 20-49 years and 65 years and older, both absolute and relative differences increased. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the prominent role of reductions in age-standardised death rates for cardiovascular diseases and cancers in high-income regions, and reductions in child deaths from diarrhoea, lower respiratory infections, and neonatal causes in low-income regions. HIV/AIDS reduced life expectancy in southern sub-Saharan Africa. For most communicable causes of death both numbers of deaths and age-standardised death rates fell whereas for most non-communicable causes, demographic shifts have increased numbers of deaths but decreased age-standardised death rates. Global deaths from injury increased by 10·7%, from 4·3 million deaths in 1990 to 4·8 million in 2013; but age-standardised rates declined over the same period by 21%. For some causes of more than 100 000 deaths per year in 2013, age-standardised death rates increased between 1990 and 2013, including HIV/AIDS, pancreatic cancer, atrial fibrillation and flutter, drug use disorders, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and sickle-cell anaemias. Diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory infections, neonatal causes, and malaria are still in the top five causes of death in children younger than 5 years. The most important pathogens are rotavirus for diarrhoea and pneumococcus for lower respiratory infections. Country-specific probabilities of death over three phases of life were substantially varied between and within regions. Interpretation For most countries, the general pattern of reductions in age-sex specific mortality has been associated with a progressive shift towards a larger share of the remaining deaths caused by non-communicable disease and injuries. Assessing epidemiological convergence across countries depends on whether an absolute or relative measure of inequality is used. Nevertheless, age-standardised death rates for seven substantial causes are increasing, suggesting the potential for reversals in some countries. Important gaps exist in the empirical data for cause of death estimates for some countries; for example, no national data for India are available for the past decade. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Review of public health implications of cell phone radiation and other sources of non-ionizing radiation and ionizing radiation

No Abstract.Tropical Journal of Health Sciences Vol. 14 (1) 2007: pp.46-5

Should Ultrasonography be Done Routinely for all Pregnant Women?

Context: Although the importance of routine ultrasound screening of the fetus during pregnancy to detect congenital anomalies, multiple-gestation pregnancies, fetal growth disorders and placental abnormalities, and to assess fetal age is not in doubt, but whether or not routine ultrasound screening is desirable is still a contentious issue. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine whether ultrasonography should be done routinely for all pregnant women or not. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study that reviewed 1,000 obstetric ultrasound scans performed at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu between June 1998 and May 1999. The case notes and ultrasound scan records of all the patients were analyzed Results: The age range and the mean age of the 1,000 pregnant women who had the obstetric scans were 17-42 years and 27.3 ± 2.1 years respectively. Six hundred and eight (60.8%) had routine ultrasonography (control group) while 392 (39.2%) were scanned for specific obstetric indications. In all, positive findings were seen in 328 cases (32.8%). Seventy five percent of those with specific indications for scanning had positive findings of clinical significance while only 5.6% of the control group had incidental findings of clinical significance. Positive findings on ultrasound were significantly greater in the group with specific indications for scanning, P< 0.001. Conclusion: Our suggestion is that ultrasound examination in pregnant women should be performed only when there are clear obstetric reasons, established clinically. Key Words: obstetric ultrasound scan, positive findings, pregnancy. [ Trop J Obstet Gynaecol, 2004;21:11-14