Ecological–Health Risk of Antimony and Arsenic in Centella asiatica, Topsoils, and Mangrove Sediments: A Case Study of Peninsular Malaysia

The current study assessed the ecological–health risks of potentially toxic arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in the vegetable Centella asiatica, topsoils, and mangrove sediments sampled from Peninsular Malaysia. The As concentrations ranged from 0.21 to 4.33, 0.18 to 1.83, and 1.32 to 20.8 mg/kg dry weight, for the leaves, stems, and roots of the vegetable, respectively. The ranges of Sb concentrations were 0.31–0.62, 0.12–0.35, and 0.64–1.61 mg/kg dry weight, for leaves, stems, and roots of the vegetable, respectively. The children’s target hazard quotient (THQ) values indicated no non-carcinogenic risks of As and Sb in both leaves and stems, although children’s THQ values were higher than those in adults. The calculated values of estimated weekly intake were lower than established provisional tolerable weekly intake of As and Sb for both children and adult consumers. The carcinogenic risk (CR) values of As for children’s intake of leaves and stems of vegetables showed more public concern than those of adults. The levels of Sb and As in the topsoils were generally higher (although not significantly) than those in the mangrove sediments, resulting in a higher geoaccumulation index, contamination factor and ecological risk, hazard index, THQ, and CR values. This indicated that the anthropogenic sources of Sb and As originated from the land-based activities before reaching the mangrove near the coast. The CR of As signifies a dire need for comprehensive ecological–health risks exposure studies, as dietary intake involves more than just vegetable consumption. Therefore, risk management for As and Sb in Malaysia is highly recommended. The present findings of the ecological–health risks of As and Sb based on 2010–2012 samples can be used as an important baseline for future reference and comparison. Copyright © 2022 Yap, Tan, Cheng, Syazwan, Azrizal-Wahid, Krishnan, Go, Nulit, Ibrahim, Mustafa, Omar, Chew, Edward, Okamura, Al-Mutairi, Al-Shami, Sharifinia, Keshavarzifard, You, Bakhtiari, Bintal, Zakaly, Arai, Naji, Saleem, Abd Rahman, Ong, Subramaniam and Wong.Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, MOHEThe present study was supported financially by the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), (Vote No.: 5524953) and by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia

KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF THE RURAL POPULATION AND VETERINARY AND HEALTH PERSONNEL CONCERNING CRIMEAN-CONGO HEMORRHAGIC FEVER IN WESTERN IRAN IN 2012

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is an emerging zoonotic disease in Iran. It became a public health problem in the country after an epidemic during 1999 in western Iran. Subsequent studies showed that the disease is now endemic in 23 out of 31 provinces of Iran. The more people become aware of CCHF, the more this disease will be prevented. Therefore, knowledge assessment studies are essential for planning a structured questionnaire to conduct a program of interviews and in training programs. The present study was conducted in an at risk area in western Iran. During Jun-Jul, 2012, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted involving 194 people in Darreh Shahr County, Ilam Province, western Iran. The first interrogation was conducted in 4 villages and the second was focused on the health and veterinary staffs of the County who may have been exposed to the disease or may have come in contact with patients suffering from the disease. An interview was conducted through a structured questionnaire concerning CCHF in all studied populations. Statistical analysis of the collected revealed that 61.7 of those interviewed had some information about the role of ticks in disease transmission, while only 14.8 had correct information about CCHF and its' vector. The education levels and jobs of the respondents correlated significantly with their knowledge about the role of ticks in disease transmission, awareness of CCHF and its' routes of transmission, as well as with the symptoms of the disease (P = 0.000). Most health and veterinary staff members had varying levels of knowledge about ticks and tick-borne diseases, while 64.6 recognized CCHF as a tick-borne disease. Their information about ticks was obtained mainly from academic courses (61.1). A relationship of direct employment in public health or veterinary medicine areas led to improved knowledge of 41.6 of respondents. Education of the interviewed personnel was correlated with their knowledge related to methods of tick control (P = 0.002); and the efficacy of various methods of control (P = 0.02). Public education related to CCHF and its transmission routes is recommended via TV/radio broadcasts; however health workers can also play an important role in educating and training villagers. Specialized programs are needed to improve the knowledge of relevant health and veterinary staffs