Approach of Total Water Quality And Total Human Health Hazard Indices For Health Risk Evaluation With Oral Intake Pathway of Groundwater Nitrate And Fluoride From a Rural Region of South India

Evaluation of the chemical quality of groundwater and associated health hazards is a prerequisite for taking remedial measures elsewhere. The rural region of South India was, thus, chosen for the present study to assess the total quality of groundwater and also to decipher the human health risk zones with respect to adults and children due to groundwater pollution with nitrate (NO-3) and fluoride (F-) ions. Groundwater samples collected from the study region were determined for various chemical parameters. According to the total water quality index, groundwater quality is suitable for drinking purposes. However, the NO-3 (0.4 to 585.20 mg/L) and F (0.22 to 5.41 mg/L) ions exceed the drinking water quality limits of 45 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L in 34% and 25% of the groundwater samples, respectively. Nitrate fertilizers appeared as the chief source of NO-3, and fluoride minerals as the main source of F- in the groundwater body, which is further supported by principal component analysis. The total human health hazard index (THHHI) was observed to be higher than its tolerable limit of 1.0 in 63% and 73% of the groundwater samples in respect of NO-3 and F- of adults and children, respectively. The intensity of human health risk zones of THHHI (>1.0) was 1.37 times higher in children (5.69) than in children (4.15), which cover an area of 71.75% and 66.73%, respectively. Thus, effective strategic measures were recommended for the protection of groundwater resources from pollution and also for improving human health conditions.

Total Water Quality And Total Human Health Hazard Indices Approach For Health Risk Evaluation With Oral Intake Pathway of Groundwater of Nitrate And Fluoride From A Rural Region of South India

Evaluation of chemical quality of groundwater and associated health hazards is a prerequisite for taking remedial measures elsewhere. A rural region of South India was, thus, chosen for the present study to assess the total quality of groundwater and also to decipher the human health risk zones with respect to adults and children due to the groundwater pollution with nitrate (NO-3) and fluoride (F-) ions. Groundwater samples collected from the study region were determined for various chemical parameters. According to the total water quality index, groundwater quality is suitable for drinking purposes. However, the NO-3 (0.4 to 585.20 mg/L) and F-(0.22 to 5.41 mg/L) ions exceed the drinking water quality limits of 45 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L in 34% and 25% of the groundwater samples, respectively. Nitrate fertilizers appeared as the chief source of NO-3, and the fluoride minerals as the main source of F- in the groundwater body, which are further supported by principal component analysis. Total human health hazard index (THHHI) was observed to be higher than its tolerable limit of 1.0 in 63% and 73% of the groundwater samples in respect of NO-3 and F- of adults and children, respectively. The intensity of human health risk zones of THHHI (>1.0) was 1.37 times higher in children (5.69) than in children (4.15), which cover an area of 71.75% and 66.73%, respectively. Thus, the effective strategic measures were recommended for the protection of groundwater resources from pollution and also for improving the human health conditions.

Aflatoxin in Dairy Cows: Toxicity, Occurrence in Feedstuffs and Milk and Dietary Mitigation Strategies

Aflatoxins are poisonous carcinogens produced by fungi, mainly Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxins can contaminate a variety of livestock feeds and cause enormous economic losses, estimated at between US$52.1 and US$1.68 billion annually for the U.S. corn industry alone. In addition, aflatoxin can be transferred from the diet to the milk of cows as aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), posing a significant human health hazard. In dairy cows, sheep and goats, chronic exposure to dietary aflatoxin can reduce milk production, impair reproduction and liver function, compromise immune function, and increase susceptibility to diseases; hence, strategies to lower aflatoxin contamination of feeds and to prevent or reduce the transfer of the toxin to milk are required for safeguarding animal and human health and improving the safety of dairy products and profitability of the dairy industry. This article provides an overview of the toxicity of aflatoxin to ruminant livestock, its occurrence in livestock feeds, and the effectiveness of different strategies for preventing and mitigating aflatoxin contamination of feeds.

Comparison of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbon Residue Concentrations in Clarias gariepinus Smoked with Traditional and Mechanical Kilns

Background. Wood, a common fueling material for fish smoking in Nigeria, contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which have been found to be carcinogenic and pose a human health hazard. Objectives. The present study investigated the interactions and effects of kiln types on levels of PAHs in smoked fish. Methods. Twenty fresh samples of Clarias gariepinus with an average size of 800 g were eviscerated, washed and salted for smoking. Sixteen (16) of the fish were randomly and equally allotted to each of the two kilns (treatments) and replicated three times in a completely randomized design. Each kiln was loaded and heated up with hard wood charcoal and the effects were evaluated on the resulting smoked fish. The remaining four fish samples were kept under refrigeration (controls). Samples of the smoke-dried fish from each kiln were homogenized using a porcelain mortar and pestle, sieved through a 250-μm2 sieve, and packaged in labeled airtight containers prior to extraction. Pure extracts from the samples were subjected to gas chromatography. Results. The results showed that the PAH concentration in non-smoked catfish was 1.0 mg/kg, the PAH concentration in fish samples smoked with a traditional kiln was 2.0 mg/kg, and no PAHs were detected in samples smoked with a mechanical kiln. Conclusions. The level of PAH contamination of smoked fish is dependent on the type of kiln used, as demonstrated by the differences between fished smoked with traditional and mechanical kilns in the present study. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests

Susceptibility to SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 from animal health perspective

Viruses are having great time as they seem to have bogged humans down. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are the three major coronaviruses of present-day global human and animal health concern. COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is identified as the newest disease, presumably of bat origin. Different theories on the evolution of viruses are in circulation, yet there is no denying the fact that the animal source is the skeleton. The whole world is witnessing the terror of the COVID-19 pandemic that is following the same path of SARS and MERS, and seems to be more severe. In addition to humans, several species of animals are reported to have been infected with these life-threatening viruses. The possible routes of transmission and their zoonotic potentialities are the subjects of intense research. This review article aims to overview the link of all these three deadly coronaviruses among animals along with their phylogenic evolution and cross-species transmission. This is essential since animals as pets or food are said to pose some risk, and their better understanding is a must in order to prepare a possible plan for future havoc in both human and animal health. Although COVID-19 is causing a human health hazard globally, its reporting in animals are limited compared to SARS and MERS. Non-human primates and carnivores are most susceptible to SARS-coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2, respectively, whereas the dromedary camel is susceptible to MERS-coronavirus. Phylogenetically, the trio viruses are reported to have originated from bats and have special capacity to undergo mutation and genomic recombination in order to infect humans through its reservoir or replication host. However, it is difficult to analyze how the genomic pattern of coronaviruses occurs. Thus,increased possibility of new virus-variants infecting humans and animals in the upcoming days seems to be the biggest challenge for the future of the world. One health approach is portrayed as our best way ahead, and understanding the animal dimension will go a long way in formulating such preparedness plans. Keywords: Animal health, COVID-19, Cross-species, One health, Trio coronaviruses.