scholarly journals Elements of Natural Radioactive Decay Series in Iranian Drinking Water and Cigarettes

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Mohammadi

Elements of Natural Radioactive Decay Series in Iranian Drinking Water and CigarettesThe uranium (238U) decay series provides the most important isotopes of elements radium (226Ra), radon (222Rn), and polonium (210Po) with half-lives of about 1600 years, 3.8 days, and 140 days, respectively. Although the chemical structure of radium is very similar to calcium, the fact that it produces a radioactive gas (radon) complicates its handling in the laboratory and natural environment. In this study, we used the average concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclide 226Ra in drinking water at different parts of Iran to estimate the annual effective dose. In the other part of the study, we measured the concentrations of 210Po in Iranian cigarettes to estimate the internal intake of this radionuclide and its concentration in the lung tissues of smokers. The results indicate that the average concentration of 226Ra in Iranian drinking water was below the 100 mBq L-1 recommended by the World Health Organization while the average concentration of 210Po and 210Pb in Iranian cigarettes was relatively high in comparison with other cigarettes found on the market.

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. van Halem ◽  
S. A. Bakker ◽  
G. L. Amy ◽  
J. C. van Dijk

Abstract. For more than a decade it has been known that shallow tube wells in Bangladesh are frequently contaminated with arsenic concentrations at a level that is harmful to human health. By now it is becoming clear that a disaster of an unheard magnitude is going on: the World Health Organization fears that in the near future 1 in every 10 adult deaths in Bangladesh will be caused by arsenic-related cancers. Other studies show that problems with arsenic in groundwater/drinking water occur in many more countries worldwide, such as in the USA and China. In Europe the focus on arsenic problems is confined to countries with high arsenic levels in their groundwater, such as Romania, Hungary and Italy. In most other European countries, the naturally occurring arsenic concentrations are lower than the drinking water standard of 10 μg L−1. However, from the literature review presented in this paper, it may also be concluded that using the European standard, health risks cannot be excluded. It is therefore recommended that the current arsenic standard be reconsidered.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nisar Ahmad ◽  
Jalil ur Rehman ◽  
Muhammad Rafique ◽  
Tabassum Nasir

Abstract Natural radioactivity and radon concentration were studied in drinking water samples from Baling area, Kedah, Malaysia, using HPGe and RAD-7 detectors, respectively. Average concentrations obtained for 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 222Rn were 44.2 ± 3.9, 38.1 ± 5.0, 140.9 ± 10.6 mBq l−1 and 5.7 ± 0.68 Bq l−1, respectively. Cumulative annual effective doses due to ingestion of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 222Rn for infants, children and adults were estimated to be 13.77, 2.857 and 2.581 μSv y−1, respectively. Average annual effective doses due to inhalation of radon released in the air during consumption and ingestion of drinking water were separately estimated to be 15.2 and 1.2 μSv y−1, respectively. A positive correlation (R2 = 0.87) was observed between 222Rn and 226Ra determined by RAD-7 and HPGe detectors, respectively. In this study, the estimated annual effective doses due to ingestion of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 222Rn for infants, children and adults were found to be below the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limits of 0.1 mSv y−1.


2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 533-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason T. Lotter ◽  
Steven E. Lacey ◽  
Ramon Lopez ◽  
Genaro Socoy Set ◽  
Amid P. Khodadoust ◽  
...  

In the Municipality of Chimaltenango, Guatemala, we sampled groundwater for total inorganic arsenic. In total, 42 samples were collected from 27 (43.5%) of the 62 wells in the municipality, with sites chosen to achieve spatial representation throughout the municipality. Samples were collected from household faucets used for drinking water, and sent to the USA for analysis. The only site found to have a concentration above the 10 μg/L World Health Organization provisional guideline for arsenic in drinking water was Cerro Alto, where the average concentration was 47.5 μg/L. A health risk assessment based on the arsenic levels found in Cerro Alto showed an increase in noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks for residents as a result of consuming groundwater as their primary drinking water source. Using data from the US Geological Survey and our global positioning system data of the sample locations, we found Cerro Alto to be the only site sampled within the tertiary volcanic rock layer, a known source of naturally occurring arsenic. Recommendations were made to reduce the levels of arsenic found in the community's drinking water so that the health risks can be managed.


Author(s):  
Dora Cardona Rivas ◽  
Militza Yulain Cardona Guzmán ◽  
Olga Lucía Ocampo López

Objective: To characterize the burden of intestinal infectious diseases attributable to drinking-water quality in 27 municipalities in the central region of Colombia. Materials and methods: A time-trend ecological study. The drinking-water quality of the National Institute of Health and the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies was identified. The disease burden was calculated based on the mortality registered in the National Department of Statistics and the records of morbidity attended by the Social Protection Integrated Information System. The etiological agents reported in morbidity records and the observation of environmental conditions in the municipalities of the study were included. The disease burden was determined according to the methodology recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Molla Rahman Shaibur ◽  
Mohammed Sadid Hossain ◽  
Shirina Khatun ◽  
F. K. Sayema Tanzia

AbstractThis study aimed to determine the quality of drinking water supplied in different types of food stalls in Jashore Municipality, Bangladesh. A total of 35 water samples were collected from different tea stalls, street side fast food stalls, normal restaurants and well-furnished restaurants. The water quality was evaluated by determining the distinct physical, chemical and biological parameters. The results revealed that the water used in the food stalls and restaurants for drinking purpose was in desired quality in terms of turbidity, electrical conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids, nitrate (NO3−), sulfate (SO42−), phosphate (PO43−), chloride (Cl−), sodium (Na) and potassium (K) concentrations. The values were within the permissible limit proposed by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and the World Health Organization. Concentrations of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) found in several samples were higher than the World Health Organization standard. Iron (Fe) concentrations were higher than the permissible limit of the World Health Organization. Only 46% exceeded the permissible limit of Bangladesh Bureau Statistics. The threatening result was that the samples were contaminated by fecal coliform, indicating that the people of Jashore Municipality may have a greater chance of being affected by pathogenic bacteria. The drinking water provided in the street side fast food stalls was biologically contaminated. The findings demonstrate that the drinking water used in food stalls and restaurants of Jashore Municipality did not meet up the potable drinking water quality standards and therefore was detrimental to public health.


2021 ◽  
Vol 232 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Chabuk ◽  
Zahraa Ali Hammood ◽  
Nadhir Al-Ansari ◽  
Salwan Ali Abed ◽  
Jan Laue

AbstractIraq currently undergoing the problem of water shortage, although Iraq has two Rivers (Euphrates and Tigris) pass throughout most of its areas, and they have represented a major source of water supply. In the current research, to evaluate the quality of the Euphrates river in Iraq based on the values of total dissolved salts (TDS), the TDS concentrations were collected from sixteen sections along the river in the three succeeding years (2011, 2012, and 2013). The evaluation of the river was done depending on the classification of (W.H.O. (World Health Organization). (2003). Total Dissolved Salts in Drinking-water: Background document for development of W.H.O. Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland). of rivers for drinking uses. Inverse Distance Weighting Technique (IDWT) as a tool in the GIS was employed to establish the maps of the river that using interpolation/prediction for the TDS concentrations to each selected year and the average values of TDS for these 3 years. Based on the five categories of rivers’ classification of the TDS concentrations according to the (W.H.O. (World Health Organization). (2003). Total Dissolved Salts in Drinking-water: Background document for development of W.H.O. Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland), the Euphrates river was classified, and the maps of classification for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 and the average values for 3 years were created. The average values for 3 years of TDS along the Euphrates river indicated that the sections from SC-1 to SC-4 as moderate-water-quality-Category-3, the sections from SC-5 to SC-10 as poor-water-quality-Category-4, while the sections between SC-11 to SC-16 as very poor-water-quality-Category-5. The interpolation maps showed that the Euphrates river in Iraq was ranged from moderate water quality (Category-3) to very poor water quality (Category-5).


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Roselyn Naidu ◽  
Lionel Joseph ◽  
Syed Sauban Ghani

The current study investigated drinking water quality of samples taken from Arolevu village, a locality situated in Nadi, Fiji. The groundwater samples were collected and subjected to a comprehensive physicochemical and biological analysis. The analysis for the drinking water sample was conducted seasonally, six times a year, that is, three for the dry season and three for the wet season. The results retrieved from the analysis were compared to its maximum contamination levels (MCLs) based on the health-based guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO standards were used as an attribute to determine the sources of contaminants likely to be present at the study site. A degradation trend in drinking water quality in the context of climate change may lead to potential health impacts. Hence, it is important to understand seasonal variations in drinking water quality. A proper understanding of the drinking water quality through seasonal water analysis for nitrate, nitrite, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chlorine content as well as its microbiological presence to reduce preventable risks such as using calculated amounts of fertilisers and upgrading the sewerage system to alleviate drinking water contamination is devised through this study.


Drug Research ◽  
2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Abul Barkat ◽  
Pawan Kaushik ◽  
Harshita Abul Barkat ◽  
Mohammad Idreesh Khan ◽  
Hazrina Ab Hadi

AbstractThe 2019-nCoV (COVID-19; novel coronavirus disease-2019) outbreak is caused by the coronavirus, and its continued spread is responsible for increasing deaths, social and economic burden. COVID-19 created a chaotic situation worldwide and claimed the lives of over 5,027,183 and 248,467,363 confirmed cases have been reported so far as per the data published by WHO (World Health Organization) till 5th November 2021. Scientific communities all over the world are toiling to find a suitable therapeutic drug for this deadly disease. Although till date no promising drug has been discovered for this COVID-19. However, as per the WHO, over 102 COVID-19 vaccines are in clinical development and 185 in pre-clinical development. Naturally occurring phytoconstituents possess considerable chemical richness in the form of anti-viral and anti-parasitic potential and have been extensively exploited for the same globally. Still, phytomedicine-based therapies are considered as the best available treatment option to minimize and treat the symptoms of COVID-19 because of the least possible side effects compared to synthetic drugs recommended by the physicians/clinicians. In this review, the use of plant chemicals as a possible therapeutic agent for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV2) is highlighted with their proposed mechanism of action, which will prove fruitful and effective in finding a cure for this deadly disease.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-507
Author(s):  
Philip Ruciaka Kirianki ◽  
Edward Muchiri ◽  
Natasha Potgieter

Abstract Njoro sub-county in Kenya suffers from constant water shortages causing the residents to rely on both improved and unimproved water sources in the area. The households in the sub-county also use different household storage containers to store drinking water in times when water is not readily available. This study was therefore undertaken to assess selective physico-chemical parameters of water used by the population for drinking purposes using standard assessment methods. A total of 372 water source samples and 162 storage container water samples were tested over a period of three months. Turbidity (0.70–273.85 NTU), iron (0.7–2.10 mg/L), fluoride (0.15–4.01 mg/L), manganese (0.01–0.37 mg/L), and nitrate (0.09–27.90 mg/L) levels in water samples were generally higher than the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and/or the World Health Organization (WHO) water quality recommendations for safe drinkable water. The results from this study support the need for continuous monitoring and treating drinking water at the points of collection and of consumption to minimize the long-term health effects on communities consuming this water.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Rahmanian ◽  
Siti Hajar Bt Ali ◽  
M. Homayoonfard ◽  
N. J. Ali ◽  
M. Rehan ◽  
...  

The drinking water quality was investigated in suspected parts of Perak state, Malaysia, to ensure the continuous supply of clean and safe drinking water for the public health protection. In this regard, a detailed physical and chemical analysis of drinking water samples was carried out in different residential and commercial areas of the state. A number of parameters such as pH, turbidity, conductivity, total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), and heavy metals such as Cu, Zn, Mg, Fe, Cd, Pb, Cr, As, Hg, and Sn were analysed for each water sample collected during winter and summer periods. The obtained values of each parameter were compared with the standard values set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and local standards such as National Drinking Water Quality Standard (NDWQS). The values of each parameter were found to be within the safe limits set by the WHO and NDWQS. Overall, the water from all the locations was found to be safe as drinking water. However, it is also important to investigate other potential water contaminations such as chemicals and microbial and radiological materials for a longer period of time, including human body fluids, in order to assess the overall water quality of Perak state.


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