Green synthesis of zero valent iron nanoparticle using mango peel extract and surface characterization using XPS and GC-MS.

In this study, a novel form of zero valent iron nanoparticle (GMP-nZVI) was successfully synthesized using mango peel extracts. Iron on the surface of the synthesized particle was negligible. Surface structure and compositional analysis was carried out using XPS and FTIR whereby the characteristic feature of the analysis highlighted the role of few organic compounds in the synthesis of GMP-nZVI. Depth profiling of GMP-nZVI by XPS indicated increasing intensity of Fe0 while the portion of Fe+2/Fe+3 and the dominant species which were on the surface (i.e. C and O) were decreasing. The structural form of GMP-nZVI has a layer of polyphenol followed by the oxides and hydroxides of iron onto the metallic iron which has a shell structure of 'Fe+3/Fe+2-polyphenol' complex islands on the core metallic iron (graphical abstract). The use of mango peel in the synthesis is a low cost approach and economically viable which also provides new insight of waste recycling and nanoremediation.

Patients-to-healthcare workers HIV transmission risk from sharp injuries, Southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Accidental needlestick injury rate among healthcare workers in Hawassa is extremely high. Epidemiological findings proved the infectious potential of this injury contaminated with a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected patient's blood. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at estimating the risk of HIV transmission from patients to healthcare workers in Hawassa City, Ethiopia. METHOD: A probabilistic risk model was employed. Scenario-based assumptions were made for the values of parameters following a review of published reports between 2007 and 2010. PARAMETERS: HIV prevalence, needlestick injury rate, exposure rate, sero-conversion rate, risk of HIV transmission and cumulative risk of HIV transmission. FINDING: Generally, healthcare workers in Hawassa are considered to be at a relatively low (0.0035%) occupational risk of contracting HIV - less than 4 in 100,000 of healthcare workers in the town (1 in 28,751 workers a year). The 30 years' maximum cumulative risk estimate is approximately five healthcare workers per 1000 workers in the study area. Still, this small number should be considered a serious matter requiring post-exposure prophylaxis following exposure to unsafe medical practice leading to HIV infection.

Mycotoxin detection in urine samples from patients with chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology in Sri Lanka.

This was a screening study that aimed to determine the presence of nephrotoxic mycotoxins in urine samples from patients with chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The percentage detection of aflatoxins, ochratoxins and fumonisins in 31 patients were 61.29%, 93.5% and 19.4%, respectively. Geometric means of urinary aflatoxins and ochratoxins were 30.93 creatinine and 34.62 ng/g creatinine in chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology stage 1-2 patients and 84.12 ng/g creatinine and 63.52 ng/g creatinine in unaffected relatives of patients. In chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology stage 3-5 patients, geometric means of urinary aflatoxins and ochratoxins were 10.40 and 17.08 ng/g creatinine, respectively. Non-affected relatives of patients (n = 6) had comparable levels of these mycotoxins, but healthy Japanese individuals (n = 4) had lower levels than in Sri Lanka. The higher detection rate of urinary ochratoxins in Sri Lankans indicates that exposure is common in the region.

Historical trends in human dietary intakes of endosulfan and toxaphene in China, Korea and Japan.

Recently, the Stockholm Convention prohibited the use of toxaphene and has been reviewing endosulfan. The historical use of these pesticides may contaminate food and tend to accumulate in the food chain. In this study, to evaluate the spatial and temporal trends of food contamination, the endosulfan and toxaphene levels were measured in pooled 24-h food composite samples from Chinese (n=10), Korean (n=10) and Japanese (n=40) adults in the 1990s and 2007-2009. Endosulfan was detected in 32 of 40 samples from Japan, but its levels (sum of α- and ß-isomers) were low in both the 1990s and 2009 (range as geometric mean (geometric standard deviation) [GM (GSD)]: 0.96 (1.6)-1.42 (1.4) ng kg(-1)d(-1)). The dietary intakes of endosulfan in Seoul as GM (GSD) were 38.68 (1.3) ng kg bw(-1)d(-1) in 1994 and 92.17 (4.4) ng kg bw(-1)d(-1) in 2007, and significantly higher than those in Japan (p<0.05). The samples from Beijing showed a 50-fold increase in the endosulfan levels from 1993 (GM: 0.58 ng kg(-1)d(-1)) to 2009 (GM: 24.91 ng kg bw(-1)d(-1)) (p<0.05). Toxaphene was detected in 33 of 40 samples from Japan. The dietary intake of toxaphene in Japan (sum of Parlars #26, #50 and #62) was 0.32-1.21 ng kg bw(-1)d(-1) (range as geometric mean) and no temporal trend was observed. The dietary intake of toxaphene in Seoul increased significantly from 0.2 ng kg bw(-1)d(-1) (GM) in 1994 to 3.6 ng kg bw(-1)d(-1) (GM) in 2007 (p<0.05). Only one of 10 pooled samples from Beijing contained a detectable level of toxaphene (0.3 ng kg bw(-1)d(-1)). For the entire population, the risk of adverse health effects from dietary intakes of endosulfan and toxaphene is unlikely. However, the concentrations of endosulfan in several samples exceeded 10% of the acceptable daily intake limit value of 6 µg kg bw(-1)d(-1) set by the World Health Organization (WHO). It appears important to refine dietary intake estimates targeting food types and source identification to ensure safe food for consumers.