Risk factors for dental caries: A case study in peatlands and non-peatlands of West Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The prevalence of dental caries in peatlands and non-peatlands in West Kalimantan require preventive acts based on its natural conditions and the behavior of local communities. The objective was to analyse risk factors for dental caries in communities living in peatlands and non-peatlands in West Kalimantan. The research is a causal comparative study with cross-sectional approach. The samples were chosen by purposive sampling technique among adolescents aged 17-27 years, who were domiciled in Pontianak City (peatland) and Bengkayang (non-peatland) all their lives. The results showed that dental caries is significantly correlated with debris in peatlands (rs = 0.289). On non-peatlands, dental caries is correlated with drinking water phosphate (rs = 0.313) and calculus (rs = 0.034). In West Kalimantan, dental caries is significantly correlated with drinking water minerals (fluoride rs = -0.243; phosphate rs = 0.260), drinking water pH (rs = 0.235), behavior (rs = -0.327), and debris (rs = 0.240). The risk factors for dental caries in peatlands and non-peatlands in West Kalimantan are pH and drinking water minerals (fluoride and calcium), debris, calculus, and behavior.

Effect of Drinking Water Fluoride on Gingivitis and Caries: A Study in Peat and Non-Peat Land: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

Aim: Humans get fluoride from food and water available in their environment. The source of clean water in peatlands comes from rainwater with a low mineral content, especially fluoride. The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between the fluoride level in drinking water and salivary fluoride levels, as well as their potential impact on dental and oral health conditions. Materials and Methods: It is a causal-comparative study with a cross-sectional approach at the Health Polytechnics of Pontianak and Yogyakarta. The population were indigenous people in peat land (Pontianak) and non-peat land (Yogyakarta). The data were pH and mineral content in drinking water, saliva, the number of Streptococcus mutans colonies, dental caries rates, and gingivitis. Results: Drinking water fluoride is only significantly correlated with salivary fluoride on non-peat land. If these data are combined, it can be seen that drinking water fluoride is positively correlated (P < 0.05; CI 95%) with pH water, fluoride water, and pH saliva. Increased levels of fluoride in drinking water were negatively correlated with gingivitis, dental caries, and S. mutans. Conclusion: Drinking water fluoride is negatively correlated with dental caries and gingivitis in peatland and non-peatland communities, but would be significantly associated with dental caries and gingivitis if both peatland and non-peatland data were analyzed together. This is due to the low content of fluoride in the drinking water of peatland. Therefore, it is necessary to add fluoride gel to the teeth to prevent the development of dental caries.

Waste treatment innovation for infusion bottles using soil solution.

The amount of medical waste, especially infusion bottles, is a problem for environmental pollution. Improper management of infusion bottle waste can have an impact on disease transmission. The medical waste treatment used high technology and high costs will be a financial burden, so simple and effective treatment innovations is needed. This study uses an experimental method of removing bacteria from infusion bottles using a mixture of water and Andoso soil as a solution for washing infusion bottle waste. The soil solution concentration used in washing was 45% with a contact time of 2 minutes. The experiment was carried out with two repetitions. The treatment effect on decreasing the number of bacteria using a multiple linear regression mathematical model. The results showed that the disinfection process of bacterial-contaminated infusion bottles using water required rinsing up to six times, whereas using 45% andosol soil solution only rinsed once. The effectiveness of the disinfection of infusion bottles contaminated with bacteria using soil solution reduces the number of bacteria by 98%.

Respiratory mask using a combination of spunbond, meltblown, and activated carbon materials for reducing exposure to CO: an in vivo study.

Air pollution is a serious health problem in almost all developing and developed countries around the world. One component of air pollution dangerous for health is carbon monoxide (CO). The largest source of carbon monoxide is the burning of fossil fuels and peatland fires. The government continues to control pollution through both environmental management and summer pollution control. However, the resulting impact is less than optimal. We conducted a study to test the material used as an alternative respiratory protector in absorbing CO gas. The protective material comprised of a combination of spunbond, meltblown, and activated carbon materials. We carried the study out on a laboratory scale using experimental animals that were subjected to different stages of treatment. The results showed that respiratory protective masks with a combination of activated carbon and spunbond/meltblown materials were better able to inhibit CO exposure (p ≤ 0.001) than respiratory masks without activated carbon. The combination material is thus effective in absorbing CO; it can carry further research out on other harmful gases such as NO and NO2.

Health Education to Reduce Helminthiasis: Deficits in Diets in Children and Achievement of Students of Elementary Schools at Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

Worms are still a serious problem for poor and developing countries. Children, especially school-age children, are more at risk of infection. Efforts need to be made to prevent the effects of worms. Prevention can be done through a promotive approach. This observational study with a pre-posttest and cross-sectional approach is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of health education on healthy and helminthic behavior and analyzing the impact of helminthiasis on the deficit in the diet and children's learning achievement. The number of samples is 60 students from five grade 3 and 4 elementary schools in North Pontianak, West Kalimantan. The sampling technique was carried out by proportional random sampling. Worm infection in elementary school students was 16.7%, anemia was 55%, and learning achievement scores were less than the average grade of 55%. There was a significant difference in health counseling towards a decrease in the worm number (p = 0.046). There was a significant relationship between healthy living behavior and helminthiasis (p = 0.005). There was a significant relationship between helminthiasis and anemia (p = 0.017). There is a relationship between helminthiasis and learning achievement in elementary school children (p = 0.017). There is a relationship between anemia and learning achievement (p = 0.005). It is necessary for public health centers to provide treatment services for worms and health education about the effects of helminthiasis on health and learning achievement. The school should provide hand washing facilities in schools, and parents should play an active role in improving clean and healthy lifestyle habits at home.

Rainwater as a Source of Drinking Water: Health Impacts and Rainwater Treatment.

Rainwater is the main source of drinking water in tropical communities, especially in West Kalimantan. Air contamination causes rainwater to become acidic and cloudy and adds heavy metals such as Pb into rainwater. In addition to pollution, the way in which the rainwater is collected such as through zinc roofing also exposes the rainwater to heavy metals. The presence of Pb in rainwater will have an impact on the health of the community in the long run. The model of simple water treatment using filtration is needed to overcome this problem with the use of media available in the region. The media used are in the form of mollusk sand and activated carbon. In the end, the mollusk sand filtration model and activated carbon sorption were effectively used to filter polluted rainwater to be safe for consumption.

Active Carbon Respiratory Masks as the Adsorbent of Toxic Gases in Ambient Air.

The air quality that is increasingly carrying out pollution as a result of pollution by human activities is of concern to the world, both developed and developing countries. The impact of air pollution is unavoidable, especially for health. Several efforts have been made to suppress the occurrence of pollution starting from the control of sources, media, and protective efforts in human beings. Focusing on protective efforts, this study was carried out by designed respiratory masks capable of adsorbing toxic gases in ambient air by utilizing mask materials on the market with the addition of activated carbon; the study was carried out with an experimental approach. Testing distinguishes the ability of cotton, spunbond, meltblown, and activated carbon as a respiratory mask to absorb toxic gases such as COx, NOx, and SOx. Test statistics are using the ANOVA test with a confidence level of 95%, α = 5%. The results show that combining activated carbon, spunbond, and meltblown is more effective compared to respiratory masks made from spunbond and meltblown (surgical masks) in absorbing toxic gases.