Chemometric Assessment of Orashi River after Confluence with Oguta Lake

This study was carried out to evaluate the surficial water and sediment of Orashi River after confluence with Oguta. A total of 50 sub-samples were collected for the two media and were homogenized to form 10 composite samples (5 each). Water and sediment samples were analyzed for heavy metals concentrations and physico-chemical parameters. Data obtained was interpreted using ten chemometric models and standards of the Federal Ministry of Environment as touchstone values. Approximately 100 % of water samples were contaminated as opposed to 40 % of sediment samples. Both water and sediments showed that Cd  as the highest contaminant with contamination factors of 38 and 1.52 respectively. Water revealed pollution load index higher than sediment probably due to its dissolution ability to metals. Geo accumulation index was observed to have highest value for Cd (45) at point A while Fe (> 4) at all points and same time the highest negative value. All points exhibited very high ecological risk (RI; 1112.7–1473.9) for water while sediments at those points showed low (RI Cd>Ag>Cr>Fe>Cu>Mn>Co>Ni. In conclusion, the water was polluted but good for irrigation use. However, continuous use could lead to health problems due to bioaccumulation of metals while sediments were generally not polluted and of good qualit

Cohort Profile: Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study was established to assess the prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction, a key characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and its risk factors in adults (≥40 years) from general populations across the world. The baseline study was conducted between 2003 and 2016, in 41 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Oceania, and collected high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry from 28 828 participants. The follow-up study was conducted between 2019 and 2021, in 18 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. At baseline, there were in these sites 12 502 participants with high-quality spirometry. A total of 6452 were followed up, with 5936 completing the study core questionnaire. Of these, 4044 also provided high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry. On both occasions, the core questionnaire covered information on respiratory symptoms, doctor diagnoses, health care use, medication use and ealth status, as well as potential risk factors. Information on occupation, environmental exposures and diet was also collected