The influence of workplace environment on lung function of flour mill workers in Jalgaon urban center.

The workplace environment affects the health of workers. Unhygienic conditions are observed in the workplace environment of flour mills as fine organic flour dust gets airborne in the indoor environment of the flour mills. The present work was undertaken to study the health problems related to the workplace environment of flour mill workers. The results show that flour mill workers are receiving a heavy dose (average exposure concentration, 624 microg/m3) of flour dust. To determine the impact of flour dust on the lung function of the workers spirometric analysis was conducted. Significant declines in forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were observed in the flour mill workers as compared to expected values. This study reveals reduced lung efficiency of flour mill workers due to excessive exposure to fine organic dust prevalent in the workplace environment. The impairment in lung efficiency was increased with duration of exposure in the flour mill workers. The analysis of questionnaires used to generate information on self-reported problems reveals that most of the workers were suffering from asthma and respiratory problems. Furthermore, the data shows that 42% of the flour mill workers were having shortness of breath problems, 34% of workers were having frequent coughing, and 19% workers were having respiratory tract irritation. We recommend the compulsory use of personal protective equipment (nose mask) by flour mill workers during working hours. This would help to protect the workers health from the flour dust prevalent in the workplace environment. A regular periodic examination is necessary to measure the impact of particulate matter on the health of the flour mill workers.

Exposure to vehicular pollution and respiratory impairment of traffic policemen in Jalgaon City, India.

The ambient air quality monitoring was carried during the May 2003 to April 2004 along the (NH-6) passing through Jalgaon city. The average concentration of SOx 64 microg/m3, NOx 58 microg/ m3, particulates (> 10 micro) 515 microg/m3 and respirable dust particulates 224 microg/m3 was reported at Prabhat during the study period (May 2003-April 2004). This location represents the major highway crossings (four) in the study area. The present investigations are on the survey of health status and lung function of traffic policemen exposed to the inferior air quality as observed on the highway crossings. The spirometric analysis of traffic policemen shows significant variation in Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC). The parameters were significantly affected in the traffic policemen as against the control group of population. It reveals significant respiratory impairment in the traffic policemen due to exposure to vehicular pollution. The study suggest the compulsory use of personal protective equipment (nose mask) by the traffic policemen during duty hours will help for the protection from vehicular pollution. The regular periodic health checkup is required to understand the impact of vehicular pollution on the health of traffic policemen.

Amoebic liver abscess in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

A thirty two years man, heterosexually promiscuous presented with amoebic liver abscess, proven by ultrasonography, aspiration and culture of organism. He was human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive and had low CD4+ lymphocyte count. He responded to anti-amoebic treatment.

A study of inhibition of urease from seeds of the water melon (Citrullus vulgaris).

Urease from seeds of the water melon was found to be inhibited by various salts of sodium. Sodium fluoride strongly inhibited the activity in the low urea concentration range. The enzyme was also inhibited by a high concentration of urea which was completely abolished in the presence of 10 mM sodium fluoride. Time-dependent inactivation of urease with iodoacetic acid, N-ethylmaleimide and p-hydroxymercuribenzoate exhibited biphasic kinetics in which half of the initial activity was lost in the fast phase and the remainder in a slow phase. Each phase exhibited first-order kinetics. These observations are suggestive of the existence of half-and-half distribution of sites.