Dietary intake and status of selenium in breast milk and serum of lactating mothers in Awka, South East Nigeria.

Selenium is an essential micronutrient for human growth and development. Breast milk is usually the primary source of this nutrient for infants which is fundamental for their healthy brain development; its deficiency can lead to severe neurocognitive outcomes. The concentration of selenium in breast milk is dependent on the maternal diet.

Evaluation of drinking water quality using heavy metal pollution indexing models in an agrarian, non-industrialised area of South-East Nigeria.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the physicochemical properties of drinking water sources at Ihiala, Nigeria, and to assess the water quality using the heavy metal pollution index, heavy metal evaluation index and contamination index models. Physicochemical parameters like pH, total hardness, total dissolved solids, nitrate, cyanide, residual chlorine and six metals (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Ni) were analyzed in the water samples, and heavy metal pollution indices computed. The spring and borehole waters had better organoleptic properties compared to stream, river and sachet waters.

Towards prenatal biomonitoring in eastern Nigeria: assessing lead levels and anthropometric parameters of newborns.

The purpose of this study is to measure maternal blood lead level (BLL) and cord BLL in Nigeria and to compare Nigerian data with other data. We investigated the association among maternal and cord BLLs, and some anthropometric parameters of their babies. BLL was measured in the umbilical and maternal blood samples (using inductively coupled plasma / mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)) of 119 women who delivered at three different hospitals in Nnewi, South Eastern Nigeria.

Elevated prenatal methylmercury exposure in Nigeria: evidence from maternal and cord blood.

Methylmercury is a neurodevelopmental toxicant that is globally distributed though little is known about prenatal exposures in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of the current study was to measure total mercury levels in cord blood and maternal blood from 95 mother-newborn pairs recruited from hospitals in Nnewi, Nigeria. The secondary aims of the study were to explore if demographic and dietary factors were associated with blood mercury levels, and to explore if mercury levels were associated with any self-reported health outcome and childbirth outcome.

Toxicity of Chevron Escravos crude oil and chemical dispersant on guinea pig testicular function.

Background: Chemical contaminants have been found to affect reproductive functions in mammals. This study investigated the effect of Chevron Escravos crude oil and Emulsol L.W.