scholarly journals Assessment of mercury contamination in Brycon falcatus (Characiformes: Bryconidae) and human health risk by consumption of this fish from the Teles Pires River, Southern Amazonia

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliane S. de Matos ◽  
João Otávio S. Silva ◽  
Daniele Kasper ◽  
Lucélia N. Carvalho

ABSTRACT Brycon falcatus is one of the most highly consumed species of fish within the region in the Teles Pires basin, and has great commercial importance in sport and professional artisanal fishing. The objective of this study was to analyze the presence and concentration of total mercury (THg) in the muscle, liver and gills of B. falcatus, and calculate the risk to human health of THg contamination from ingestion of the fish. THg concentrations were similar in the liver (0.076 mg kg-1) and muscle (0.052 mg kg-1), and higher than in the gills (0.009 mg kg-1). The levels of HgT present in B. falcatus tissues did not influence weight gain and nutritional status. Based on the condition factor, weight and length ratio and hepatosomatic index, it seems that the concentrations of THg did not influence the health and well-being of B. falcatus collected in the Teles Pires River basin. THg concentrations in the muscle of B. falcatus are below the limit recommended by the World Health Organization for people who consume until 250 g of fish per week. The risk of deleterious effects on human health may exist if there is a greater consumption of B. falcatus such as 340 g/day, that is the mean of fish consumption by indigenous and riverine.

Challenges ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Prescott ◽  
Alan Logan ◽  
Glenn Albrecht ◽  
Dianne Campbell ◽  
Julian Crane ◽  
...  

The term planetary health—denoting the interdependence between human health and place at all scales—emerged from the environmental and preventive health movements of the 1970–80s; in 1980, Friends of the Earth expanded the World Health Organization definition of health, stating: “health is a state of complete physical, mental, social and ecological well-being and not merely the absence of disease—personal health involvesplanetary health”. Planetary health is not a new discipline; it is an extension of a concept understood by our ancestors, and remains the vocation of multiple disciplines. Planetary health, inseparably bonded to human health, is formally defined by the inVIVO Planetary Health network as the interdependent vitality of all natural and anthropogenic ecosystems (social, political and otherwise). Here, we provide the historical background and philosophies that have guided the network, and summarize the major themes that emerged at the 7th inVIVO meeting in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. We also provide the Canmore Declaration, a Statement of Principles for Planetary Health. This consensus statement, framed by representative participants, expands upon the 1986 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion and affirms the urgent need to consider the health of people, places and the planet as indistinguishable.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Minihan ◽  
B. Gavin ◽  
B. D. Kelly ◽  
F. McNicholas

Crises such as the global pandemic of COVID-19 (coronavirus) elicit a range of responses from individuals and societies adversely affecting physical and emotional well-being. This article provides an overview of factors elicited in response to COVID-19 and their impact on immunity, physical health, mental health and well-being. Certain groups, such as individuals with mental illness, are especially vulnerable, so it is important to maximise the supports available to this population and their families during the pandemic. More broadly, the World Health Organization recommends ‘Psychological First Aid’ as a useful technique that can help many people in a time of crisis.


Author(s):  
Irma Ruslina Defi

The COVID-19 outbreak has been declared a public health emergency of worldwide concern by the World Health Organization. The direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 on health and well-being are still being investigated. In addition to the direct impacts of COVID-19 disease, social distancing and lockdown measures have had a significant and unequal effect on individuals, households, and communities through restrictions imposed on our daily social an d economic activities.


1947 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-136 ◽  

Designed as a collective instrument to raise the standards of health and well-being of all peoples throughout the world, a new World Health Organization was launched, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, by the International Health Conference, which met at Hunter College, June 19 to July 22, 1946.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Aminur Rahman ◽  
Md. Abul Hashem ◽  
Md. Sohel Rana ◽  
Md. Rashidul Islam

Abstract Safe drinking water is directly linked to good human health. An excessive amount of manganese (Mn) in drinking water supplies causes people show symptoms of neurotoxicity. In this study, the level of Mn in potable water sourced from tube wells located in 9 (nine) districts of Bangladesh was monitored. In total 170 (one hundred and seventy) water samples were collected and Mn was quantified by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The levels of Mn found in the tube well water samples of Sirajganj, Meherpur, Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, Magura, Faridpur, Jashore, Satkhira, and Khulna were 0.37–1.86, 0.10–4.11, 0.30–0.76, 0.26–0.94, 0.01–0.18, 0.21–1.78, 0.08–1.23, 0.05–0.27 and 0.01–2.11 mg/L, respectively. Results revealed that Mn level was beyond the highest contaminated levels of 0.1 mg/L and 0.4 mg/L, which are recommended by Bangladesh Drinking Standard (BDS) and World Health Organization (WHO), respectively. The maximum Mn contaminated level reached up to 4.11 mg/L (mean: 0.53 mg/L). The Mn level in tube well water exceeded 51.1% and 75.9% set by the recommended value of WHO and BDS, respectively. Furthermore, the calculated hazard quotient (HQ) value for Mn was observed to be greater than unity, indicating both children and adults risked potential non-carcinogenic health issues. The water supply authorities should take steps to provide Mn-free drinking water for communities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 270-277
Author(s):  
Baghdad Science Journal

The toxicological risks and lifetime cancer risks associated with exposure to disinfection by-products (DBPs) including Halloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) compounds by drinking water in several districts in Wassit Province were estimated. The seasonal variation of HAAs and THMs compounds in drinking water have indicated that the mean values for total HAAs (THAAs) and total THMs (TTHMs) ranged from 43.2 to 72.4 mg/l and from 40 to 115.5 mg/l, respectively. The World health organization index for additive toxicity approach was non-compliant with the WHO guideline value in summer and autumn seasons and this means that THMs concentration has adverse toxic health effects. The multi-pathway of lifetime human health risk of cancer credited to THMs and HAAs in drinking water via three exposure routes for THMs and only one exposure route for HAAs was evaluated and found to be 6.13×10-4 and 1.78×10-4 respectively and these values were higher than the US.EPA range of concern limit of 1×10-6. The risk ratio of THAAs to TTHMs was 3.44. Also, the highest cancer risk was recorded for BDCM followed by DBCM, CF, TCAA, DCAA, and BF.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn A Merrill ◽  
Trevyna William ◽  
Kayla M. Joyce ◽  
Leslie E Roos ◽  
Jennifer Protudjer

Context: Physical distancing and health measures, such as school closures and work-at-home mandates, implemented to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19, will likely have far-reaching impacts on children’s psychosocial health and well-being. Objective: We aimed to examine extant literature on pandemics to identify the expected impact of COVID-19 on children’s psychosocial health and secondary outcomes, including nutritional, financial and child safety outcomes. Data Sources: Articles were searched within the Medline, Global Health, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases on June 11th, 2020. Gray literature was also examined from the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Fund (UNICEF) until July 24th, 2020. Study Selection: A total of 8332 articles were screened for eligibility by two independent reviewers. Of these, 7,919 and 413 articles were from academic databases and additional sources, respectively. Data Extraction: Results on child outcomes were extracted and collated. Results: Seventy-three articles met inclusion criteria. Children have faced significant challenges with 12% of total articles indicating loneliness/depression, 21% anxiety, 7% grief, 10% stress-related disorders, 25% child abuse, 8% family conflict, and 12% stigma during pandemics/epidemics. Furthermore, 25% of articles indicated economic challenges, 23% negative academic impacts, 33% improper nutrition, and 21% reduced opportunities for play/increased screen time. These challenges were exacerbated among children who were female, having a disability, or being a migrant/displaced child. Conclusion: Pandemics and epidemics have had diverse and widespread negative consequences for children. Findings can inform the development and implementation of resources during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect child health and well-being.


2022 ◽  
pp. 277-281
Author(s):  
Georg F. Bauer

AbstractSettings are defined by the World Health Organization (1998) as “the place or social context in which people engage in daily activities in which environmental, organizational, and personal factors interact to affect health and well-being.” Such settings range from small-scale home/family to (international) organizations and large cities and thus differ in size, in their degree of formalized organization and their relationships to society.The chapters in Part V review how salutogenesis has been applied to health promotion research and practice in a broad range of settings: organizations in general, schools, higher education, workplace, military settings, neighborhood/communities, cities, and restorative environments. The following synthesis demonstrates that applying salutogenesis to various settings and linking salutogenesis with other models established in these settings has the great potential to generate ideas on how to advance the general salutogenic model.


2020 ◽  

To the Member States: In accordance with the Constitution of the Pan American Health Organization, I have the honor to present the 2020 annual report on the work of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization. This report highlights the technical cooperation undertaken by the Bureau during the period July 2019 through June 2020, within the framework of the 2014–2019 Strategic Plan of the Pan American Health Organization, defined by its Governing Bodies and amended by the Pan American Sanitary Conference in 2017, and the 2020–2025 Strategic Plan of the Pan American Health Organization, defined and approved by the Governing Bodies. This report is complemented by the Financial Report of the Director and the Report of the External Auditor for the year 2019. Carissa F. Etienne - Director, Pan American Health Organization.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen G. Montaña ◽  
Elford Liverpool ◽  
Donald C. Taphorn ◽  
Christopher M. Schalk

Abstract In South America, mercury contamination due to gold mining operations is a threat to both biodiversity and human health. We examined mercury (Hg) concentrations in fishes that constitute important subsistence fisheries from mined and non-mined tributaries in the middle Mazaruni River, Guyana. Mercury concentrations and trophic food web structure (based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes) were characterized for primary basal sources and 39 fish species representing seven trophic guilds. Fishes collected at mined sites had higher mercury concentrations; piscivores and carnivores had the highest Hg concentrations and exhibited significant Hg biomagnification. Our results showed that medium- to large-bodied fishes commonly eaten by local people contained Hg values that exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, and pose a health concern for riverine communities along the Mazaruni River that depend on fish as their main source of protein. Further research to determine the sources of Hg contamination and how it affects human health in this neotropical river must become a top priority. In addition, more research on how Hg contamination impacts the fishes themselves and overall aquatic biodiversity is also needed in the Mazaruni River which has both high fish endemism and diversity.


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