A general classification of water quality in Indian context.

Water quality criteria are developed on the basis of scientific information about the effects of pollutants upon a specific use of water. The criteria, therefore, are defined as the acceptable levels of concentrations of pollutants for a particular use and describe the water quality requirements for protecting aquatic biota and maintaining an individual water use e.g. drinking, bathing, irrigation, industrial etc. Various international and national agencies have defined water quality criteria for different uses of water in tropical/non-tropical regions e.g. European Community (EC) standards have been developed specifying the Guide Level and Maximum Admissible Level of pollutant concentration for three different uses of water vis-a-vis drinking, bathing and fish water. WHO standards are defined in terms of a Action Level, whereas, WQIHS, Teharan have defined standards as Acceptable Concentrations and Maximum Allowable Concentrations. In India, CPCB has defined five classes A to E specifying different levels of treatment required to these class of water for different uses such as drinking outdoor bathing, propogation of wildlife and fisheries, and irrigation and industrial cooling. Mostly the water quality parameters considered in defining these standards are pH, Temperature, Turbidity chlorides, SO4 NO3, BOD, DO, TDS, coliform and some of the important heavy metals. However, many other parameters are also considered by the individual agencies. Thus, it is seen that different agencies use different terminology for classification such as Guide Level, Action Level, Maximum Allowable Concentration and Acceptable Level etc. for defining the water quality criteria. Hence, it was felt that a common classification such as Excellent, Acceptable, Slightly Polluted, Polluted and Heavily Polluted water, is essential to know the water quality status. In this context, an attempt is made to define a common platform of water quality classification as given above considering the important indicator parameters and the standards suitable for Indian scenario. The CPCB criteria for different parameters has been given due consideration while defining the concentration levels in the newly defined classes. The parameters/classes for which criteria were not defined in CPCB standards, reference was made to the standards defined by other agencies. To each one of these classes integer values was assigned in geometric progression which indicate the level of pollution in numeric terms. These values were termed as class indices and form the basis for comparison of water quality from Excellent to heavily polluted. The mathematical expressions were fitted to concentration ranges/levels in each of these classes against the class index. Thus, given a set of observations on water quality in terms of the parameters considered in this work, the mathematical expressions for that parameter gives a numerical value indicating the status of water quality Excellent, Acceptable, Slightly Polluted, Polluted or Heavily Polluted water.

Serum enzyme profile in tuberculoid leprosy.

Serum enzyme profile was studied in 74 patients with Tuberculoid leprosy and compared with that of 100 healthy controls. The enzymes studied were Aspartate and Alanine Transaminase, Isocitric dehydrogenase, Alkaline phosphatase Choline esterase and Creatine kinase. Both Transaminase and Alkaline phosphatase were in general within normal limits in Tuberculoid leprosy. Creatine kinase levels were found to be significantly elevated. In some of these cases raised levels of Serum Aspartate Transaminase was also noticed--evidence for skeletal muscle destruction. Mild increases in Isocitric dehydrogenase and a concomitant increase in Alanine Transaminase in some of the patients suggest a sub-clinical hepatic damage. A statistically significant decrease in Serum Choline esterase level was noticed in this study on Tuberculoid leprosy patients.

Intense surveillance of adverse drug reactions. An analysis of 338 patients.

A prospective study of adverse drug reactions was recently completed at the Clinical Pharmacology Unit of J. J. Group of Hospitals. 338 patients were included in this study, and adverse reactions were noted by a team of workers including a nurse and a physician. World Health Organization definitions were used to describe adverse reactions. A total of 20 per cent of the patients showed adverse reactions to drugs. There was no difference with regard to age, occupation, or religion of the patients. Reaction was more common in the undernourished and also with a larger number of drugs or longer duration of stay in the hospital. The common reactions were neurologic, gastrointestinal, and allergic. Significant information is obtained by analysis of the percentage reaction in patients receiving drugs and the percentage of reactions per doses administered. It is confirmed that short-term intense surveillance programs are capable of providing useful data on incidence and types of adverse drug reactions.

Differences observed in the site incidence of cancer, between the Parsi community and the total population of greater Bombay: a critical appraisal.

The Bombay Cancer Registry has been in operation since June 1963 and reliable morbidity data on cancer have since been obtained for the first time in India, from a precisely outlined population base delineated by residential qualifications within strict geographicalboundaries. An attempt has been made to examine the differences noticed in the site-specific cancer risks, between 2 groups of people living in this area-the Parsi community and the total Bombay population. The over-all age adjusted rates for the Parsis were found to be lower than those for the total population and more noticeably, their site-specific risks seem to differ radically from the Greater Bombay pattern. Thus, cancers of the buccal cavity, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus and cervix uteri, which are frequently seen in the total Bombay population, are less commonly observed in the Parsi community. On the other hand the Parsi rates are higher at sites such as the female breast, body of uterus, ovary, prostate and skin and for all leukaemias. Even though the population pyramid of the Parsi community is very different from that of the total population of Bombay, age correction does not change the basic outline of risk patterns noted in the 2 groups. Such site-specific contrasts are believed to be due to differences present in the habits, customs and economic status of the two groups. (A study of the probable aetiological factors of epidemiological importance involved in this segment of the population, is already under way in Bombay, in an effort to identify the reasons for the differences noted in cancer risks at different sites.)