scholarly journals Environmental contaminants and child’s growth

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 632-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kadawathagedara ◽  
B. de Lauzon-Guillain ◽  
J. Botton

AbstractExperimental data have suggested that some contaminants in the environment may increase the risk of obesity. Infants can be exposed to chemicals either prenatally, by trans-placental passage of chemicals, or postnatally by their own diet and by other external pathways (air inhalation, dust, hand-to-mouth exposure) after birth. To provide a review of epidemiological evidence on the association between prenatal exposure to chemicals and prenatal and postnatal growth, we present the literature from systematic review articles and international meta-analyses, when available, or recent research articles when summarizing articles were not available. The most studied contaminants in this field were persistent organic pollutants (e.g. organochlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls), non-persistent pollutants (e.g. phthalates, bisphenol A), toxic heavy metals (i.e. cadmium, lead and mercury), arsenic, mycotoxins and acrylamide. Mounting evidence suggests that child’s growth may be associated with prenatal or postnatal exposures to environmental contaminants. Improving exposure assessment and studying the contaminants as mixtures should allow to gain knowledge about the environmental determinants of growth and obesity.

VASA ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hisato Takagi ◽  
Takuya Umemoto

Abstract. Both coronary and peripheral artery disease are representative atherosclerotic diseases, which are also known to be positively associated with presence of abdominal aortic aneurysm. It is still controversial, however, whether coronary and peripheral artery disease are positively associated with expansion and rupture as well as presence of abdominal aortic aneurysm. In the present article, we overviewed epidemiological evidence, i. e. meta-analyses, regarding the associations of coronary and peripheral artery disease with presence, expansion, and rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm through a systematic literature search. Our exhaustive search identified seven meta-analyses, which suggest that both coronary and peripheral artery disease are positively associated with presence of abdominal aortic aneurysm, may be negatively associated with expansion of abdominal aortic aneurysm, and might be unassociated with rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 1581-1582
Author(s):  
Nicola T. Lautenschlager

Since 2014, the year in which International Psychogeriatrics celebrated 25 years of existence, International Psychogeriatrics has featured a “paper of the month” (POM) category. Chosen by the editorial team which ranks available new International Psychogeriatrics manuscripts from the categories “original research articles” and “reviews,” a POM is identified representing high scientific quality and clinical relevance. Each POM is accompanied by a short commentary highlighting its findings and relevance. For the year 2016 this resulted in twelve papers of the month of which nine were original research articles and three were systematic reviews or meta-analyses.


Author(s):  
◽  
Eva Bonefeld-Jørgensen ◽  

Environmental contaminants such as heavy metals are transported to the Arctic regions via atmospheric and ocean currents and enter the Arctic food web. Exposure is an important risk factor for health and can lead to increased risk of a variety of diseases. This study investigated the association between pregnant women’s levels of heavy and essential metals and the birth outcomes of the newborn child. This cross-sectional study is part of the ACCEPT birth cohort (Adaption to Climate Change, Environmental Pollution, and dietary Transition) and included 509 pregnant Inuit women ≥18 years of age. Data were collected in five Greenlandic regions during 2010–2015. Population characteristics and birth outcomes were obtained from medical records and midwives, respectively, and blood samples were analyzed for 13 metals. Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA, Spearman’s rho, and multiple linear and logistic regression analyses. The proportion of current smokers was 35.8%. The levels of cadmium, chromium, and nickel were higher compared to reported normal ranges. Significant regional differences were observed for several metals, smoking, and parity. Cadmium and copper were significantly inversely related to birth outcomes. Heavy metals in maternal blood can adversely influence fetal development and growth in a dose–response relationship. Diet and lifestyle factors are important sources of toxic heavy metals and deviant levels of essential metals. The high frequency of smokers in early pregnancy is of concern, and prenatal exposure to heavy metals and other environmental contaminants in the Greenlandic Inuit needs further research.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-37
Author(s):  
Atila Yüksel ◽  
Ekrem Tufan

This article examines whether studies with favorable or statistically significant outcomes are more likely to be published than studies with null results. Should such a publication tendency be in the form of favoring significant findings exist, then the integrity of science, suggestions and conclusions becomes controversial. This also includes those particularly drawn from meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Drawing on a sample of research articles, an examination was undertaken to determine whether studies reporting significant findings were published more. Additional analyses were conducted to examine the validity of reject/support decisions in relation to null hypotheses tested in these studies. The share of the published articles, in which null hypotheses were rejected, was found to be much larger (81%). Interestingly however, calculated power levels and actual samples sizes of these studies were too small to confidently reject/support null hypotheses. Implications for research are discussed in the concluding section of the article.


Author(s):  
Affonso C. Gonçalves Junior ◽  
Ana P. Meneghel ◽  
Fernanda Rubio ◽  
Leonardo Strey ◽  
Douglas C. Dragunski ◽  
...  

This study evaluated the efficacy of moringa seeds (Moringa oleifera Lam.) as an adsorbent material for removing toxic heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and chromium from contaminated solutions. The effect of the adsorbent mass was investigated at two pH conditions (5.0 and 7.0). The optimized conditions were 0.300 g of adsorbent at pH 5.0, used for the isotherms construction, and linearized according to Langmuir and Freundlich models. Results showed that cadmium adsorption was similar in both the models used. For lead, the Freundlich model had the best adjustment and chromium was better adjusted by the Langmuir model. It was concluded that the adsorbent was effective in the remediation of solutions containing cadmium, lead and chromium, thus, its use as sustainable alternative material is feasible, since it has low cost, does not need a previous treatment and it is a byproduct.


2015 ◽  
Vol 139 (10) ◽  
pp. 1302-1307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kinzler ◽  
Lanjing Zhang

Context No studies to our knowledge have investigated citations and utilization of meta-analysis in diagnostic pathology (DP). Objective To characterize meta-analyses in DP compared with meta-analyses in medicine. Design We searched PubMed for meta-analyses in 12 major DP journals without specifying years and in 4 major medicine journals in both 2006 and 2011. We compared articles' adjusted citation ratios (ACRs), defined as an article's citation count divided by the mean citations for the meta-analysis, review, and original research articles published in the same journal in the same year. Results Forty-one of 76 DP articles, 74 of 125 medicine articles in 2011, and 52 of 83 medicine articles in 2006 were qualified meta-analyses as identified by PubMed. The ACRs of DP meta-analysis articles were higher than those of original research articles (2.62 ± 2.31 versus 0.92 ± 0.84, P < .001) and similar to those of review articles in 2006 (2.62 ± 2.31 versus 1.95 ± 1.59, P = .50), but they were similar to both in 2011 (1.85 ± 1.39 versus 0.99 ± 1.43, P = .11; 1.85 ± 1.39 versus 1.12 ± 1.43, P = .21, respectively). Diagnostic pathology and medicine meta-analyses had similar ACRs (1.85 ± 1.39 versus 1.57 ± 1.35 in 2011, P = .60; and 2.62 ± 2.31 versus 1.85 ± 1.90 in 2006, P = .50, respectively). However, although DP journals published fewer meta-analyses (0.97% versus 6.66% in 2011 and 0.67% versus 4.40% in 2006, P < .001 for both), they published more meta-analyses using both original and published data than medicine (21.95% versus 1.59%, P < .001). They also published more meta-analyses per year in 2011–2014 than in 2000–2010 (6.4 ± 1.29 versus 1.36 ± 1.03 articles per year, P < .001). Conclusions We found underutilization of meta-analyses in DP, despite their high ACRs and recently increased utilization. More DP meta-analyses are needed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 1133-1149 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Linscott ◽  
J. van Os

BackgroundThe psychosis-proneness–persistence–impairment model of psychotic disorder incorporates notions of both phenomenological and temporal continuity (persistence) of psychotic experiences (PE), but not structural continuity. Specific testable propositions of phenomenological continuity and persistence are identified.MethodPropositions are tested by systematic reviews of the epidemiology of PE, persistence of PE and disorder outcomes, and meta-analyses (including Monte Carlo permutation sampling, MCPS) of reported rates and odds ratios (ORs).ResultsEstimates of the incidence and prevalence of PE obtained from 61 cohorts revealed a median annual incidence of 2.5% and a prevalence of 7.2%. Meta-analysis of risk factors identified age, minority or migrant status, income, education, employment, marital status, alcohol use, cannabis use, stress, urbanicity and family history of mental illness as important predictors of PE. The mode of assessment accounted for significant variance in the observed rates. Across cohorts, the probability of persistence was very strongly related to the rate of PE at baseline. Of those who report PE, ∼20% go on to experience persistent PE whereas for ∼80%, PE remit over time. Of those with baseline PE, 7.4% develop a psychotic disorder outcome.ConclusionsCompelling support is found for the phenomenological and temporal continuity between PE and psychotic disorder and for the fundamental proposition that this relationship is probabilistic. However, imprecision in epidemiological research design, measurement limitations and the epiphenomenological nature of PE invite further robust scrutiny of the continuity theory.


2021 ◽  
Vol 881 (1) ◽  
pp. 012040
Author(s):  
Asmalia Che Ahmad ◽  
Asniza Hamimi Abdul Tharim ◽  
Mohamad Haizam Mohamed Saraf ◽  
Mohamad Quzami An-Nuur Ahmad Radzi ◽  
Meor Abdullah Zaidi Meor Razali ◽  
...  

Abstract The Royal Belum State Park (RBSP) is gazette as a reserve area in Malaysia is covered by 90% of forest and inhabited by mostly the Jahai tribes. One of the hardships of these indigenous Jahai is to retrieve drinkable water from clean water resource. Due to the constraint of development in the rural area of forest reserve RBSP, a sustainable water supply system project needs to ease the tribe. Hence, this study investigates the potential for a water supply system towards environmental sustainability as a starting point for an environmentally sustainable water supply project at RBSP. The investigation is conducted using the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on the existing literature with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The statement review method from Scopus and Web of Science databases have recognized 12 out of 84 related research articles searched worldwide on a topic related to the rural sustainable water supply. Findings from the 12 sustainable water supply research articles reveal two main considerations in determining the water supply which are the local context and water sources availability. Hence, a site visit to RBSP is recommended to further investigate the potential water supply system towards environmental sustainability at the research location.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Loc Tran

<p>nZVI has been well documented as an effective reagent to remove contaminants, including organic and inorganic substances. However, the drawbacks of nZVI are agglomeration and bioaccumulation due to its magnetic property and nanosize. One of the solutions for these problems is putting nZVI on non-toxic support. Microsilicate600 (Misi), a silicate from a geothermal deposit in Rotorua, New Zealand, has been established to be useful in adsorbing nZVI. Doping nZVI with other metals to generate bimetallic and trimetallic materials is a method to increase its reactivity. These dopant metals function as catalysts in enhancing the electron transfer from Fe(0) core to contaminants. In this research project, the effect of doping metals on nZVI to generate bimetallic or trimetallic nZVI particles and effect of adsorbing these resulting particles on Misi were investigated. The reactivity of these materials towards the removal of different contaminants such as nitrate and toxic heavy metals was examined. Supported bimetallic nZVI@Misi were synthesised using different dopant metals, including Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pd. Supported trimetallic nZVI@Misi was synthesised by doping Pd and Cu on the surface of nZVI@Misi. Both supported bimetallic and trimetallic materials were prepared using different Misi preparations, contents of dopants, and synthetic methods. All these doped materials had higher reactivity than non-doped nZVI@Misi in removing nitrate. Misi that was calcined and FeOOH-coated is the most optimised-prepared support. Moreover, materials prepared via deposition method had higher reactivity in reducing nitrate than those prepared via co-reduction method. This is due to the distribution of dopant metals on nZVI, which was observed in TEM analysis. Of these materials, Ni-doped, Cu-doped, and Pd-Cu- doped nZVI@Misi were the most promising materials. They not only reduced nitrate effectively but also were not significantly affected by naturally occurring factors such as oxygen, chloride, sulfate, carbonate, and phosphate. During nitrate reduction, the generation of metal by-products was minimal. Interestingly, their reactivity in natural water was relatively similar to that in lab-prepared samples. The representative materials including supported Ni-doped, Cu-doped, and non-doped nZVI@Misi, were used for heavy metal removal. These materials effectively removed cadmium, lead, and chromium in both lab-prepared samples and natural water.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 2342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raimo Pohjanvirta ◽  
Matti Viluksela

Dioxins and related compounds are common environmental contaminants. Although their levels have gone down, they are still of concern, in particular regarding developmental toxicity. The adverse effects of these compounds are mediated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), whose canonical signaling pathway has been unveiled in fair detail. The alternative (non-genomic) pathways are much more obscure. AHR has also proven to be a master regulator of numerous physiological phenomena, which has led to the search of selective AHR modulators with low toxicity. Papers of this Special Issue address the developmental toxicity of dioxins and related compounds as well as selective modulators of AHR and both its canonical and alternative signaling pathways. In addition, new optical and stereoscopic methods for the detection of dioxins are presented. As a whole, this Special Issue provides an up-to-date view on a wide variety of aspects related to dioxin toxicity mechanisms from both original research articles and reviews.


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