ABSTRACT
The cancer prevalence in the Malwa region of Punjab (1089/million/year) is much higher than the national average cancer prevalence in India (800/million/year). In our previous study on hair metal analysis, we located a high metal burden in Punjabi cancer patients and their live-in relatives, suggesting that an excessive metal exposure is a factor in the pathogenesis of cancer. The present study focused on nail metal analysis, a biological material similar to hair. Previously, we had used ICP-MS spectroscopy to confirm high exposures to aluminium (Al), barium (Ba), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), uranium (U and other metals in the hair of Punjabi cancer patients and their healthy relatives (Blaurock-Busch et al. 2014). In this study, we used nail metal analysis to confirm the results of our previous study. We compared the nail metal concentration of healthy Punjabis (N=83) with randomly selected healthy Europeans (N=83) and found highly significant differences between the European and Punjabi groups, including the healthy and the cancer groups.In comparison, our European group showed a low percentage (0 to 13%) of pathological values for aluminium (Al), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), strontium (Sr), titanium (Ti) and uranium (U), while the healthy Punjabi groups showed between 13% and 99% pathological values for these elements. (Explanation: A test value above the 95% reference range is considered a pathological value.)The greatest metal burden was found in the breast cancer group (N=13), showing 100% pathological values for Al, Fe, Mn and U. This study supports previous research, which demonstrated a significant metal burden in Punjabi people. Water, soil, and phosphate fertilizers may be the cause of this excessive exposure.
ABSTRACT
Harike wetland was declared a Ramsar site in 1990. It is located at the confluence of two major rivers of Indus rivers system, the Beas and the Sutlej, but was never explored extensively for its existing fish biodiversity. Earlier only 27 fish species of commercial value were reported from the wetland. Acknowledging its importance for rich diversity, fish assemblages in seven different reaches of Harike wetland were studied to determine their abundance and distribution. 61 fish species of 35 genera were recorded from Harike wetland during the present study. Cirrihinus mrigala and Cyprinus carpio belonging to family Cyprinidae were the dominant fish species. Lake and Riyasat having many microhabitats supported highest diversity of fishes (60 and 56 respectively) followed by Beas (20) Sutlej (14), Confluence (12), Reservoir (9) and Downstream (8). Among the IUCN designated threatened species, 1 Critically Endangered, 4 Endangered and 13 Vulnerable fish species of India are found in Harike wetland. Species diversity index, dominance, evenness and catch per unit effort were calculated to ascertain the fish distribution in Harike wetland.