Human exposure to heavy metals and possible public health risks via consumption of wild edible mushrooms from Slovak Paradise National Park, Slovakia

The present study assessed the accumulation of selected heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb and Cu) in different organs including brain, heart, lungs, liver, stomach, kidney and flesh (muscles) of several animals commercially available in the market of Lahore, Pakistan. The concentrations found in different organs of chicken, goat and cow ranged between 0.132-2.165 mg/g for Cd, 0.768-2.335 mg/g for Cr, 0.260-1.411 mg/g for Pb and 0.092-1.195 mg/g for Cu. In the absence of national safety standards in respect to the content of heavy metals in foodstuffs, the results obtained were compared with international guidelines and found concentrations considerably higher than the prescribed safe limits. Therefore, immediate attention must be paid to prevent public health risks associated with the presence of toxic heavy metals in the commercially available meat products.

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Pesticide Research on Environmental and Human Exposure and Risks in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Literature Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph19010259 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 259

Author(s):

Samuel Fuhrimann ◽

Chenjie Wan ◽

Elodie Blouzard ◽

Adriana Veludo ◽

Zelda Holtman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Literature Review ◽

Health Risks ◽

Human Exposure ◽

Human Subjects ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Public Health Risks ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Study Sites ◽

Research Hotspots

On the African continent, ongoing agriculture intensification is accompanied by the increasing use of pesticides, associated with environmental and public health concerns. Using a systematic literature review, we aimed to map current geographical research hotspots and gaps around environmental and public health risks research of agriculture pesticides in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Studies were included that collected primary data on past and current-used agricultural pesticides and assessed their environmental occurrence, related knowledge, attitude and practice, human exposure, and environmental or public health risks between 2006 and 2021. We identified 391 articles covering 469 study sites in 37 countries in SSA. Five geographical research hotspots were identified: two in South Africa, two in East Africa, and one in West Africa. Despite its ban for agricultural use, organochlorine was the most studied pesticide group (60%; 86% of studies included DDT). Current-used pesticides in agriculture were studied in 54% of the study sites (including insecticides (92%), herbicides (44%), and fungicides (35%)). Environmental samples were collected in 67% of the studies (e.g., water, aquatic species, sediment, agricultural produce, and air). In 38% of the studies, human subjects were investigated. Only few studies had a longitudinal design or assessed pesticide’s environmental risks; human biomarkers; dose-response in human subjects, including children and women; and interventions to reduce pesticide exposure. We established a research database that can help stakeholders to address research gaps, foster research collaboration between environmental and health dimensions, and work towards sustainable and safe agriculture systems in SSA.

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Designer Benzodiazepines: A Review of Toxicology and Public Health Risks

Pharmaceuticals ◽

10.3390/ph14060560 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (6) ◽

pp. 560

Author(s):

Pietro Brunetti ◽

Raffaele Giorgetti ◽

Adriano Tagliabracci ◽

Marilyn A. Huestis ◽

Francesco Paolo Busardò

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Health Risks ◽

Drug Market ◽

Driving Under The Influence ◽

Self Administration ◽

Public Health Risks ◽

Drug Offense ◽

Legal Sanctions ◽

Designer Benzodiazepines

The rising use of designer benzodiazepines (DBZD) is a cat-and-mouse game between organized crime and law enforcement. Non-prohibited benzodiazepines are introduced onto the global drug market and scheduled as rapidly as possible by international authorities. In response, DBZD are continuously modified to avoid legal sanctions and drug seizures and generally to increase the abuse potential of the DBZD. This results in an unpredictable fluctuation between the appearance and disappearance of DBZD in the illicit market. Thirty-one DBZD were considered for review after consulting the international early warning database, but only 3-hydroxyphenazepam, adinazolam, clonazolam, etizolam, deschloroetizolam, diclazepam, flualprazolam, flubromazepam, flubromazolam, meclonazepam, phenazepam and pyrazolam had sufficient data to contribute to this scoping review. A total of 49 reports describing 1 drug offense, 2 self-administration studies, 3 outpatient department admissions, 44 emergency department (ED) admissions, 63 driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) and 141 deaths reported between 2008 and 2021 are included in this study. Etizolam, flualprazolam flubromazolam and phenazepam were implicated in the majority of adverse-events, drug offenses and deaths. However, due to a general lack of knowledge of DBZD pharmacokinetics and toxicity, and due to a lack of validated analytical methods, total cases are much likely higher. Between 2019 and April 2020, DBZD were identified in 48% and 83% of postmortem and DUID cases reported to the UNODC, respectively, with flualprazolam, flubromazolam and etizolam as the most frequently detected substances. DBZD toxicology, public health risks and adverse events are reported.

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