External dose measurements in the Eloor industrial area in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India

Background: natural background radiation of a particular region is one of the distinctive factors defining the status of environment. Eloor Island is an industrial area in Ernakulum District of the state of Kerala, India. The indoor and outdoor gamma level measurements have been carried out for the region for evaluating the annual effective dose to the population residing in this area

Materials and Methods: measurements of indoor gamma dose were done for a whole year using Thermo Luminescent Dosimeters [TLDs] and GM tube based survey meters in forty five selected locations. The activity concentration of [232]Th, [238]U and [40]K in the samples were analyzed using gamma spectrometry. The outdoor external gamma ray dose rates were evaluated from the activity concentration of [40]K, [238]U and [232]Th in the soil samples collected from the study area

Results: the average indoor gamma dose measured using TLDs were found to be 1219 microGy y[-1]. The measured activity in the soil samples had range from 92.5 Bq kg[-1] to 792.8 Bq kg[-1] for [232]Th, 9.2 Bq kg[-1] to 114.6 Bq kg[-1] for [238]U and 265.9 Bq kg[-1] to 851.9 Bq kg[-1] for [40]K. From the observed mean dose levels, the annual effective dose equivalent to population residing in the island has been estimated and is found to be 0.68 mSv y[-1] for indoors and 0.32 mSv y[-1] for outdoors

Conclusion: the annual effective dose equivalent to population estimated for indoor is found to be higher as compared to the global average the same for outdoor was found to be less when compared with the natural background gamma level reported by UNSCEAR for normal background areas

Evaluation studies of antimicrobial activity on the leaf extracts of Achyranthes aspera Linn

Disc diffusion method was employed to determine the effect of methanol, acetone and chloroform extracts of the dried leaves of Achyranthes aspera against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus fecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. The chloroform extract shown to exhibit maximum potency against E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methanol extract showed moderate potency against E. coli and Candida species. Acetone extract was less effective against most of the species used except Streptococcus fecalis. Among all the extracts tested, none of the extract was found to be effective against gram positive S. aureus and gram negative Proteus vulgaris

survey on ocular infection during summer in tiruchirapalli district, Tamil Nadu State

To study the seasonal influence on eye, a survey was made in Trichy district during summer. For this purpose conjunctival samples from hundred infected persons were taken by using a special KIMURA'S Platinum spatula under aseptic conditions. The samples were studied by direct microscopy and isolation of the pathogen by culturing in appropriate medium. Based on the preliminary finding, confirmation was done by biochemical reaction. From the above studies, about seven bacterial species were confirmed. The most predominant one was Chlamydia trachomatis, which could have been transmitted by vector-flies which are more predominant in summer, unhygienic utility of swimming pools and other fomites