Rhizofiltration of lead using an aromatic medicinal plant Plectranthus amboinicus cultured in a hydroponic nutrient film technique (NFT) system.

Heavy metal contamination of water bodies and groundwater is a major concern of the modern world. Rhizofiltration--the use of plant root system to remove/extract pollutants from wastewater--has proven advantages over conventional methods of treatment. However, commercialization of this in situ remediation technology requires a better understanding of plant-metal interactions especially on the ability of different plant species to accumulate metals at different parts of the plant system which is critical for the successful remediation of contaminated medium. Many aquatic and terrestrial plants have been reported to accumulate heavy metals when grown hydroponically. Therefore, a batch experiment with different concentrations of lead and a nutrient film technique (NFT) experiment with recycling of wastewater were employed in this study in order to investigate the rhizofiltration of lead-containing wastewater using Plectranthus amboinicus, an aromatic medicinal plant. Results show that P. amboinicus is tolerant to a wide range of lead concentrations and nutrient deficiency. The plant accumulates considerable amount of lead, particularly in the roots, and translocation to the stem and leaf was limited, indicating that the use of leaves/above-ground parts of the plant for medicinal purposes is not hindered by its ability to remove lead from the soil or water. The study also suggests that the plant can be considered for the clean-up of lead-contaminated wastewater in combination with safe biomass disposal alternatives.

Economic evaluation of end stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: In India the incidence of end stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasing day by day and the option for the treatment of ESRD is dialysis or transplantation. In the present scenario, due to the cost of treatment normal people can afford only hemodialysis rather than transplantation. Since the cost of hemodialysis differs across the country, research is needed to evaluate its exact cost. AIM: This study is to analyze the healthcare cost of hemodialysis in a private hospital of South India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective, observational study carried out in a tertiary care hospital. Patients who are undergoing routine hemodialysis in this hospital were selected for the study. Patient data as well as cost details were collected for a period of six months. Thirty patients were selected for the study and a total of 2160 dialysis sessions were studied. Patient perspective was taken for the analysis of cost. Both direct and indirect costs were analyzed. This includes cost of dialysis, investigations, erythropoietin, food, transportation, lost wages etc. Socioeconomic status of the patient was also studied. RESULT: The total cost per session was found to be around Rs. 4500. Fifty six percent contributes direct medical cost whereas 20% contributes direct non medical cost. Twenty four percent cost was due to indirect costs. Since the patients are paying from their own pocket, only the upper or upper middle class patient can undergo hemodialysis regularly. CONCLUSION: These findings are important to find out the impact of cost of hemodialysis on patients suffering from ESRD. Further studies related to costs and outcome, otherwise known as pharmacoeconomic studies, are needed to analyze the pros and cons of renal replacement therapy and to improve the quality of life of ESRD patients. Thus pharmacoeconomical studies are needed to realize that government has to take initiative to provide insurance or reimbursement for the common people.