Evaluation of possible health risks of heavy metals by consumption of foodstuffs available in the central market of Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

Considering the human health risk due to the consumption of foodstuffs, the concentrations of heavy metals (lead, manganese, chromium, cadmium, and arsenic) are investigated in vegetables, fruits, and fish species collected from the central market (called Shaheb Bazar) of Rajshahi City, Bangladesh. The foodstuffs examined for metal constituents are the basis of human nutrition in the study area. The highest concentrations of Mn and As in vegetables (onion and pointed gourd, respectively), Cr and Cd in fruits (black berry and mango, respectively), and Pb in fish (catla) are recorded. Health risks associated with these heavy metals are evaluated due to dietary intake. Target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) are calculated to evaluate the non-carcinogenic health risk from individual and combined heavy metals. The THQ values for individual heavy metals are below 1, suggesting that people would not experience significant health risks if they ingest a single heavy metal from one kind of foodstuff (e.g., vegetables). However, consumption of several of the foodstuffs could lead a potential health risk to human population since HI value is higher than 1. The relative contributions of vegetables, fishes, and fruits to HI are 49.44, 39.07, and 11.53 %, respectively. Also, the relative contributions of Pb, Cd, As, Mn, and Cr to HI are 51.81, 35.55, 11.73, 0.85, and 0.02 %, respectively. The estimation shows that the carcinogenic risk of arsenic exceeds the accepted risk level of 1 × 10(-6). Thus, the carcinogenic risk of arsenic for consumers is a matter of concern.

Physicochemical Evaluation of Ground and Surface Water of Mohanpur Upazila of Rajshahi District

Surface and ground water samples of Mohanpur Upazila of Rajshahi district have been analyzed in order to check its quality especially for drinking, fish culture, irrigation and industrial purposes. The water supplies were analyzed for pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, chloride, hardness, alkalinity, manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As). All water samples were tasteless at the time of collection. pH values for surface water were 7.72-8.61 and those of ground water were 6.87-710; Total hardness for surface water was 112-181 ppm and ground water was 224-400 ppm as CaCO3-; Electrical conductivity (EC) for surface water was 233-645 ?Scm-1 and that of ground water was 750-987?Scm-1. Total dissolved solids (TDS) for surface water were 161.1-451.9 ppm and ground water were 490.7-690.9 ppm. Chloride content for surface water was 81.79-131.78 ppm and ground water was 13.06-57.36 ppm; alkalinity for surface water was 398.21-539.73 ppm HCO3- and ground water was 373.81-495.80 ppm HCO3-; Nitrate for surface water and ground water was 2.10-5.20 ppm and 0.09-2.8 ppm respectively. Concentrations of Pb and As were within the permissible limit. Surface water was suitable for fish culture and agriculture purposes. However, a few water samples were found to be contaminated with Mn and Cd. It is concluded that the quality of ground water in the area is in general good for drinking, agriculture, industrial or domestic purposes.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i2.14830 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(2): 275-280 2012

Cross section measurements of a few threshold reactions induced by fast neutrons from an Am/Be source: integral tests of differential neutron reaction cross section data

Integral cross sections of the reactions 24Mg(n,p)24Na, 27Al(n,p)27Mg, 27Al(n,α)24Na and 95Mo(n,p)95Nb were measured for the first time with fast neutrons (E n > 1.5 MeV) from an Am/Be source. Furthermore, upper cross section limits for the reactions 98Mo(n,α)95Zr and 103Rh(n,p)103Ru were deduced. The results were compared with data calculated using the neutron spectral distribution and the excitation function of each reaction given in the data files and libraries ENDF/B-VII, JEFF-3.1.2, JENDL-4.0, IRDF-2004, TENDL-2010, ROSFOND-2010 and CENDL-3.1. In general, the integral measurement and the integrated value agreed within ± 10%. The fast neutron field (with E n > 1.5 MeV) of the Am/Be source is thus well suited for integral tests of excitation functions of neutron threshold reactions.

Depression and its association with socio-demographic characteristics among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients of Bangladesh

Diabetes mellitus is being increasingly recognized as a serious global health problem and is frequently associated with co-morbid depression. A cross sectional study was conducted among 178 adult type 2 diabetes mellitus patients attending Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM), Dhaka, Bangladesh to find out influence of socio-demographic characteristics for occurrence of depression among them. Data were collected through face-to-face interview. Depressive symptoms were measured using Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Proportion of depression was found 34.8% which included 20.2% with severe depression and 14.6% with mild to moderate depression. Both mild to moderate and severe depression were significantly more common in female, odds ratios were 2.72 (95% CI=1.13-6.53) and 5.94 (95% CI=2.49-14.20), respectively. Currently not married respondents were also suffered from higher depressive symptoms. For mild to moderate depression odds ratio was 4.38 (95% CI=1.46-13.18) and for severe depression odds ratio was 9.51 (95% CI=3.69-24.50). Among socio-demographic characteristics marital status was identified as the best predictor of depression, which was followed by education upto secondary level, female sex and primary education. Depression was identified as a significant health problem among adult type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Its association with socio-demographic characteristics should be considered while planning therapeutic approaches for diabetic patients.

An Am/Be neutron source and its use in integral tests of differential neutron reaction cross-section data

An Am/Be neutron source, installed recently at the Rajshahi University, is described. Neutron flux mapping was done using the nuclear reactions (197)Au(n,gamma)(198)Au, (113)In(n,gamma)(114m)In, (115)In(n,n'gamma)(115m)In and (58)Ni(n,p)(58)Co. An approximate validation of the neutron spectral shape was done using five neutron threshold detectors and the iterative unfolding code SULSA. Integral cross sections of the reactions (54)Fe(n,p)(54)Mn, (59)Co(n,p)(59)Fe and (92)Mo(n,p)(92m)Nb were measured with fast neutrons (E(n)>1.5MeV) and compared with data calculated using the neutron spectral distribution and the excitation function of each reaction given in data libraries: an agreement within +/-6% was found.

Production of 55Co via the 54Fe(d,n)-process and excitation functions of 54Fe(d,t)53Fe and 54Fe(d,α)52mMn reactions from threshold up to 13.8 MeV

For production of the medically interesting β +-emitter 55Co (T 1/2=17.6 h) via the 54Fe(d,n)-reaction, 91.6% enriched 54Fe2O3, mixed with Al powder, was pressed to a pellet which could be irradiated with 14 MeV deuterons at 4µA in a water-cooled target system. A separation method was developed which led to >99.9% pure 55Co and allowed a recovery of the enriched target material. For a target thickness of E d=12.6 → 5 MeV, the experimental thick target yield of 55Co after chemical separation amounted to about 13 MBq/µA·h, which is about 60% of the theoretical value. In a 3 h irradiation at 4µA, the batch yield of 55Co achieved was 160 MBq (4.3 mCi). An 8 h irradiation could lead to a batch yield of about 400 MBq. The 54Fe(d,n) reaction leads to the highest purity 55Co but it is essential that the isotopic enrichment of the target is not less than 90%. In addition to the production work, cross sections were measured for the 54Fe(d,t) 53Fe and 54Fe(d,α)52mMn reactions using the standard stacked-foil technique and high-resolution γ-ray spectrometry. The cross section ratio for the isomeric pair 52m,gMn is discussed in terms of the spins of the two states involved and the increasing projectile energy.

Paratuberculosis in cattle and free-living exotic deer

Paratuberculosis was studied among dairy cows and exotic deer that shared grazing areas at Point Reyes National Seashore, California. Of the 10 dairy herds tested, 5 (50%) were infected with Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (based on results of fecal culture). Mycobacterium paratuberculosis was cultured from 9 (8.7%) of the 103 bovine fecal samples and from 4 (3.9%) of the 103 bovine rectal mucosa scapings tested. Of 89 fecal samples from 52 axis deer (Axis axis) and 37 fallow deer (Dama dama), 5 (9.6%) and 3 (8.1%), respectively, contained M paratuberculosis. Culture of intestinal necropsy samples from the same deer indicated that 3 (5.8%) of the axis deer and 2 (5.4%) of the fallow deer were infected with M paratuberculosis. The cows were tested for serum antibodies by the complement-fixation test and by radioimmunoassay. Of 95 sera tested by complement fixation, 15 (15.8%) were positive, as were 15 (14.7%) of 102 sera tested by radioimmunoassay. Culture results and serologic test results were compared on a herd basis.