Water purification capacity of natural mixed clays from Malawi

Lack of fresh and clean drinking water is a problematic issue for many people worldwide. The water quality in some streams in Malawi, situated in south east Africa, has recently been investigated. The study shows that the concentration of several heavy metals exceeds the guideline values in drinking water set by WHO. Even though some heavy metals are essential for human beings in low concentrations, they are hazardous to health in high concentrations. Problems with contaminated water exist all over the world but are striking and more difficult to solve in countries with low financial assets. It is therefore of great importance to find an effective technique to purify water that is both simple and cheap and where preferably domestic material is used. The aim of this study is to investigate whether three natural mixed clays from Malawi can be used to purify contaminated water from the heavy metals chromium(III), lead(II), cadmium(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) through adsorption. X-ray powder diffraction analyses proved that all samples contained quartz, and indicated presence of the iron oxide hematite. The chemical content of the samples was determined with a scanning electron microscope. Acid and base titrations were thereafter performed on raw material as well as on clay that had been purified from organic matter, carbonates and iron compounds, to obtain information regarding the chemical properties of the clay minerals. Finally, adsorption experiments were carried out by mixing the clays with heavy metal solutions and study the adsorption as function of pH. The pH values of the investigated clays are naturally high, which promotes hydrolyses of chromium(III) and lead(II) to precipitate and get sorbed on the surface. Cadmium(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) form on the contrary surface complexes, mainly inner-sphere ones. The adsorption of chromium(III), lead(II) and copper(II) was complete at pH = 7 for the purified clays, whereas cadmium(II) and zinc(II) were adsorbed to only 77 and 75 %, respectively, at pH ≈ 7.5. However, all metals are in principle completely removed from the aqueous phase in the raw material, which indicates that these nontreated natural clays are highly potential in heavy metal removal.Att inte ha tillgång till rent dricksvatten är verklighet för många människor runt om i världen. En undersökning av vattenkvaliteten i några floder i Malawi, i sydöstra Afrika, visar att koncentrationen av ett flertal tungmetaller kraftigt överstiger de gränsvärden som världshälsoorganisationen WHO har slagit fast. Trots att vissa tungmetaller är livsnödvändiga i låga koncentrationer så kan de i för höga halter ha mycket negativa hälsoeffekter. Problem av dessa slag förekommer på många håll, men slår kanske hårdast mot de länder som har små ekonomiska tillgångar. Det finns därför ett stort behov av att utveckla en effektiv reningsmetod som är både enkel och billig och där inhemskt material kan nyttjas. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka huruvida tre olika naturliga leror från Malawi kan användas för att rena kontaminerat vatten från tungmetallerna krom(III), bly(II), kadmium(II), koppar(II) och zink(II) genom adsorption. Med hjälp av pulverröntgendiffraktion kunde det konstateras att alla prover innehåller kiseloxiden kvarts. Det fanns även tecken på att järnoxiden hematit förekommer. Proverna studerades i ett svepelektronmikroskop utrustad med röntgenfluorescensdetektor, vilket möjliggjorde bestämning av grundämnessammansättningen. Genom syra- och bastitreringar på råmaterial samt lera som renats från organiskt material, karbonater och järnföreningar erhölls information om lerytornas kemiska egenskaper. Slutligen genomfördes studier där lera blandades med tungmetallösningar och adsorptionsgraden undersöktes vid olika pH-värden. Lerorna har naturligt ett högt pH-värde vilket främjar hydrolys av krom(III) och bly(II) som därmed faller ut och fastnar på ytorna. De andra studerade tungmetallerna, kadmium(II), koppar(II) och zink(II), adsorberades troligen till ytorna genom bildning av ytkomplex, främst av typen innersfärskomplex. Adsorptionen av krom(III), bly(II) och koppar(II) var fullständig vid pH = 7 i de renade jordarna, medan kadmium(II) och zink(II) endast adsorberades till 77 respektive 75 % i det undersökta pH-intervallet. I de orenade jordarna var däremot samtliga metaller i princip fullständigt avlägsnade från vattenfasen, vilket indikerar att dessa orenade naturliga leror har stor potential att kunna användas i vattenreningssyfte

Early vaccinations are not risk factors for celiac disease.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate if changes in the national Swedish vaccination program coincided with changes in the celiac disease (CD) incidence rate in infants (ie, the Swedish CD Epidemic), and to assess the potential association between these vaccinations and CD risk. METHODS: All studies were based on the National Swedish Childhood Celiac Disease Register. Using an ecological approach, we plotted changes over time in the national vaccination program in the graph displaying CD incidence rate. A population-based incident case-referent study of invited infants was performed. Exposure information was received through a questionnaire and child health clinic records. Vaccines explored were diphtheria/tetanus, pertussis (acellular), polio (inactivated), Haemophilus influenzae type b (conjugated), measles/mumps/rubella, and live attenuated bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in children with increased tuberculosis risk. Findings were subjected to a birth cohort analysis. RESULTS: Introduction of pertussis vaccine coincided in time with decreasing CD incidence rates. In the infant case-referent study, however, neither vaccination against pertussis (odds ratio 0.91; 95% confidence interval 0.60-1.4), nor against Haemophilus influenzae type b or measles/mumps/rubella was associated with CD. Coverage for the diphtheria/tetanus and polio vaccines was 99%. BCG was associated with reduced risk for CD (adjusted odds ratio 0.54; 95% confidence interval 0.31-0.94). Discontinuation of general BCG vaccination did not affect the cumulative incidence of CD at age 15 years. CONCLUSIONS: Early vaccinations within the national Swedish program were not associated with CD risk, nor could changes in the program explain the Swedish epidemic. A protective effect by BCG was suggested, which could be subject to further studies

Acceptance of a Nordic, Protein-Reduced Diet for Young Children during Complementary Feeding—A Randomized Controlled Trial

Early life is critical for developing healthy eating patterns. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a Nordic, protein-reduced complementary diet (ND) compared to a diet following the current Swedish dietary guidelines on eating patterns and food acceptance. At 4–6 months (mo) of age infants were randomized to a Nordic group (NG, n = 41) or a Conventional group (CG, n = 40), and followed until 18 mo of age. Daily intake of fruits and vegetables (mean ± sd) at 12 mo was significantly higher in the NG compared to the CG: 341 ± 108 g/day vs. 220 ± 76 g/day (p < 0.001), respectively. From 12 to 18 mo, fruit and vegetable intake decreased, but the NG still consumed 32% more compared to the CG: 254 ± 99 g/day vs. 193 ± 67 g/day (p = 0.004). To assess food acceptance, both groups were tested with home exposure meals at 12 and 18 mo. No group differences in acceptance were found. We find that a ND with parental education initiates healthy eating patterns during infancy, but that the exposure meal used in the present study was insufficient to detect major differences in food acceptance. This is most likely explained by the preparation of the meal. Nordic produce offers high environmental sustainability and favorable taste composition to establish healthy food preferences during this sensitive period of early life

Acceptance of a Nordic, Protein-Reduced Diet for Young Children during Complementary Feeding—A Randomized Controlled Trial

Early life is critical for developing healthy eating patterns. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a Nordic, protein-reduced complementary diet (ND) compared to a diet following the current Swedish dietary guidelines on eating patterns and food acceptance. At 4–6 months (mo) of age infants were randomized to a Nordic group (NG, n = 41) or a Conventional group (CG, n = 40), and followed until 18 mo of age. Daily intake of fruits and vegetables (mean ± sd) at 12 mo was significantly higher in the NG compared to the CG: 341 ± 108 g/day vs. 220 ± 76 g/day (p < 0.001), respectively. From 12 to 18 mo, fruit and vegetable intake decreased, but the NG still consumed 32% more compared to the CG: 254 ± 99 g/day vs. 193 ± 67 g/day (p = 0.004). To assess food acceptance, both groups were tested with home exposure meals at 12 and 18 mo. No group differences in acceptance were found. We find that a ND with parental education initiates healthy eating patterns during infancy, but that the exposure meal used in the present study was insufficient to detect major differences in food acceptance. This is most likely explained by the preparation of the meal. Nordic produce offers high environmental sustainability and favorable taste composition to establish healthy food preferences during this sensitive period of early life

Core data necessary for reporting clinical trials on nutrition in infancy

Abstract not availableBerthold Koletzko, Mary Fewtrell, Robert Gibson, Johannes B. van Goudoever, Olle Hernell, Raanan Shamir, Hania Szajewsk

Serum, plasma and erythrocyte membrane lipidomes in infants fed formula supplemented with bovine milk fat globule membranes

BACKGROUND: Supplementation of formula with bovine milk fat globule membranes has been shown to narrow the gap in immunological and cognitive development between breast-fed and formula-fed infants. METHOD: In a double-blinded randomized controlled trial 160 formula-fed infants received an experimental formula (EF), supplemented with bovine milk fat globule membranes, or standard formula until 6 months of age. A breast-fed reference group was recruited. Lipidomic analyses were performed on plasma and erythrocyte membranes at 6 months and on serum at 4 and 12 months of age. RESULTS: At 6 months of age, we observed a significant separation in the plasma lipidome between the two formula groups, mostly due to differences in concentrations of sphingomyelins (SM), phosphatidylcholines (PC), and ceramides, and in the erythrocyte membrane lipidome, mostly due to SMs, PEs and PCs. Already at 4 months, a separation in the serum lipidome was evident where SMs and PCs contributed. The separation was not detected at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of MFGM supplementation on the lipidome is likely part of the mechanisms behind the positive cognitive and immunological effects of feeding the EF previously reported in the same study population.Peer reviewe