Emerging contaminants of high concern for the environment: Current trends and future research.

Wastewater is contaminated water that must be treated before it may be transferred into other rivers and lakes in order to prevent further groundwater pollution. Over the last decade, research has been conducted on a wide variety of contaminants, but the emerging contaminants are those caused primarily by micropollutants, endocrine disruptors (EDs), pesticides, pharmaceuticals, hormones, and toxins, as well as industrially-related synthetic dyes and dye-containing hazardous pollutants. Most emerging pollutants did not have established guidelines, but even at low concentrations they could have harmful effects on humans and aquatic organisms.

Impact of smoking cessation, coffee and bread consumption on the intestinal microbial composition among Saudis: A cross-sectional study.

The gut microbiota is often affected by the dietary and lifestyle habits of the host, resulting in a better efficacy that favors energy harvesting from the consumed food. Our objective was to characterize the composition of gut microbiota in adult Saudis and investigate possible association with lifestyle and dietary practices. Feces from 104 Saudi volunteers (48% males) were tested for microbiota by sequencing the V3-V4 region of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA).

Chemokines and their association with body mass index among healthy Saudis.

Obesity is a chronic disorder that is associated with body mass index (BMI) of greater or equal to 30 kg/m. The prevalence of obesity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is increasing at an alarming rate and is expected to reach 41% in men and up to 78% in women by 2022. Since chemokines are associated with involuntary weight loss, the objective of this study was to elucidate their association with BMI among Saudis.

Occurrence of organic compounds in groundwater of Saudi Arabia.

The presence of organic compounds in drinking water is well recognized in many developing countries; however, the occurrence of organic contaminants in the groundwater of Saudi Arabia, which is the main source of drinking water in the country, is not well documented. A national comprehensive study was carried out to assess the occurrence of organic compounds in groundwater wells used for drinking water purpose, in different regions of Saudi Arabia. A total of 993 well water samples were collected from all 13 administrative regions of the kingdom.

Monitoring of acrylamide carcinogen in selected heat-treated foods from Saudi Arabia.

The present study reports the outcomes of assessment on acrylamide levels in selected heat-treated foods of diverse brands and origins from Saudi Arabia. In chips, acrylamide level was detected from 28 to 954 µg/kg, sample 7 (salted) contained higher amount (954 μg/kg) whereas, sample 8 (labneh and mint) comparatively produced lower amount (28 μg/kg). Nuts and dried fruits have generated acrylamide from 2 to 93 µg/kg, salted peanut of Indian origin produced higher amount (93 μg/kg) while apricot (plain) relatively generated lower amount (2 μg/kg).

Occurrence of acrylamide carcinogen in Arabic coffee Qahwa, coffee and tea from Saudi Arabian market.

The present work describes the outcomes of the assessment on acrylamide contents in a number of thermally treated foods (Arabic coffee Qahwa, coffee and tea) obtained from the Saudi Arabian markets. A total of 56 food samples of different brands and origin were studied, the amounts of acrylamide in Arabic coffee Qahwa, coffee and tea were obtained in the range of 10 to 682 μg kg. In comparison to coffee (152-682 μg kg), the Arabic coffee Qahwa (73-108 μg kg) and tea (10-97 μg kg) contain lower amounts of acrylamide.

Gut Microbiota: A Contributing Factor to Obesity.

Obesity, a global epidemic of the modern era, is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes. The pervasiveness of obesity and overweight in both developed as well as developing populations is on the rise and placing a huge burden on health and economic resources. Consequently, research to control this emerging epidemic is of utmost importance.

Water quality of bottled water in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A comparative study with Riyadh municipal and Zamzam water.

Nine domestic and three imported bottled water brands were analyzed in Saudi Arabia for various physicochemical water quality parameters. The results of the analysis were compared with the drinking water standards set by different regulatory agencies. The levels of different physicochemical parameters like pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), Ca, Mg, Na, K, NO(3), Cl, and SO(4) of all local and imported bottled water brands met the standards set by different regulatory agencies.