QuEChERS-based analysis and ecotoxicological risk of select antibiotics in dumpsite leachates, hospital wastewater and effluent receiving water in Ibadan, Nigeria.

There is currently a dearth of information on the determination, occurrence and ecotoxicological risk of antibiotics in dumpsite leachates and hospital wastewater in Africa. A quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) protocol which combines extraction and clean-up in one step was optimized for the determination of antibiotics sulfadoxine, sulfamethazine and trimethoprim in dumpsite leachates and hospital wastewater. The occurrence and ecotoxicological risk of target antibiotics were investigated in wastewater from two hospitals, effluent receiving water and leachates from three dumpsites in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Can the Indian national ambient air quality standard protect against the hazardous constituents of PM?

Globally, exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM) pollution claims ∼9 million lives, yearly, and a quarter of this deaths occurs in India. Regulation of PM pollution in India is based on compliance with its National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 40 μg/m, which is eight times the revised global air quality guideline (AQG) of 5 μg/m. But, whether the NAAQS provides adequate protection against the hazardous components in PM is still not clear.

Diclofenac and Ibuprofen Determination in Sewage Sludge Using a QuEChERS Approach: Occurrence and Ecological Risk Assessment in Three Nigerian Wastewater Treatment Plants.

A quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) method was optimized for the extraction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) diclofenac and ibuprofen from sewage sludge. Dispersive-solid phase extraction (d-SPE) was employed for sample clean-up. Instrumental analysis was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The burden of disease attributable to ambient PM2.5-bound PAHs exposure in Nagpur, India.

Exposure to PM-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can elicit several types of cancer and non-cancer effects. Previous studies reported substantial burdens of PAH-induced lung cancer, but the burdens of other cancer types and non-cancer effects remain unknown. Thus, we estimate the cancer and non-cancer burden of disease, in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), attributable to ambient PM-bound PAHs exposure in Nagpur district, India, using risk-based approach.

The gains in life expectancy by ambient PM pollution reductions in localities in Nigeria.

Global burden of disease estimates reveal that people in Nigeria are living shorter lifespan than the regional or global average life expectancy. Ambient air pollution is a top risk factor responsible for the reduced longevity. But, the magnitude of the loss or the gains in longevity accruing from the pollution reductions, which are capable of driving mitigation interventions in Nigeria, remain unknown.

The health burden and economic costs averted by ambient PM pollution reductions in Nagpur, India.

National estimates of the health and economic burdens of exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM) in India reveal substantial impacts. This information, often lacking at the local level, can justify and drive mitigation interventions. Here, we assess the health and economic gains resulting from attainment of WHO guidelines for PM concentrations - including interim target 2 (IT-2), interim target 3 (IT-3), and the WHO air quality guideline (AQG) - in Nagpur district to inform policy decision making for mitigation.

Occurrence, Species, and Organ Differences in Bioaccumulation Patterns of Phthalate Esters in Municipal Domestic Water Supply Lakes in Ibadan, Nigeria.

The occurrence of phthalate esters (PE) was examined in biota, ambient water, and sediments of two man-made lakes (Asejire and Eleyele) in southwestern Nigeria. Five fish species (Tilapia zillii, Hepsetus odoe, Parachanna obscura, Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus, and Mormyrus rume) were analyzed for PE levels and used for calculating bioconcentration factors (BCF) and biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAF). In addition, measured PE levels were thereafter used to calculate the phthalate pollution index (PPI) in biota and the environment.

Mechanism of dialkyl phthalates removal from aqueous solution using γ-cyclodextrin and starch based polyurethane polymer adsorbents.

Phthalate esters have been known as potent endocrine disruptors and carcinogens; and their removal from water have been of considerable concern recently. In the present study, γ-cyclodextrin polyurethane polymer (GPP), γ-cyclodextrin/starch polyurethane copolymer (GSP), and starch polyurethane polymer (SPP) have been synthesized and characterized. Their adsorption efficiencies for the removal of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and diethyl phthalate (DEP) from aqueous solutions were investigated.

Influence of seasonal variation on water quality in tropical water distribution system: is the disease burden significant?

Recent evidence shows that water distribution system (WDS) is a major risk factor in piped water supply system and the degree of contamination of water in WDS is usually influenced by seasonal variation. Risk assessment studies eliminate the effect of seasonality whenever annualized estimate of concentration of contaminants in water is used to determine the risk to health. In tropical climate where strong seasonal variation prevails, the excess risk during dry and hot season, above the annualized risk can be significant.

Application of quantum descriptors for predicting adsorption performance of starch and cyclodextrin adsorbents.

Adsorption trend of aromatic compounds on epichlorohydrin (EPI), 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), and 4,4-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) cross-linked starch and cyclodextrin adsorbents were comparatively studied by density functional theorem (DFT) based interaction descriptors and batch adsorption studies. The DFT quantum chemical descriptors predicted adsorption trend of MDI adsorbents>HDI adsorbents>EPI adsorbents. The values of the fractional number of electrons transferred (ΔN) for all the studied adsorbent-adsorbate pair were negative, indicating that the adsorbents were electron donors in the studied adsorption interaction.

Prioritizing hazardous pollutants in two Nigerian water supply schemes: a risk-based approach.

Objective: To rank pollutants in two Nigerian water supply schemes according to their effect on human health using a risk-based approach.

Methods: Hazardous pollutants in drinking-water in the study area were identified from a literature search and selected pollutants were monitored from April 2010 to December 2011 in catchments, treatment works and consumer taps. The disease burden due to each pollutant was estimated in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) using data on the pollutant's concentration, exposure to the pollutant, the severity of its health effects and the consumer population.