Chronic kidney diseases of uncertain etiology (CKDue) in Sri Lanka: geographic distribution and environmental implications

The increase in the number of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients from the north central region of Sri Lanka has become a environmental health issue of national concern. Unlike in other countries where long-standing diabetes and hypertension are the leading causes of renal diseases, the majority of CKD patients from this part of Sri Lanka do not show any identifiable cause. As the disease is restricted to a remarkably specific geographical terrain, particularly in the north central dry zone of the country, multidisciplinary in-depth research studies are required to identify possible etiologies and risk factors. During this study, population screening in the prevalent region and outside the region, analysis of geoenvironmental and biochemical samples were carried out. Population screening that was carried out using a multistage sampling technique indicated that the point prevalence of CKD with uncertain etiology is about 2–3% among those above 18 years of age. Drinking water collected from high-prevalent and non-endemic regions was analyzed for their trace and ultratrace element contents, including the nephrotoxic heavy metals Cd and U using ICP-MS. The results indicate that the affected regions contain moderate to high levels of fluoride. The Cd contents in drinking water, rice from affected regions and urine from symptomatic and non-symptomatic patients were much lower indicating that Cd is not a contributing factor for CKD with uncertain etiology in Sri Lanka. Although no single geochemical parameter could be clearly and directly related to the CKD etiology on the basis of the elements determined during this study, it is very likely that the unique hydrogeochemistry of the drinking water is closely associated with the incidence of the disease.     

Fluoride in drinking water exacerbates glomerulonephritis and induces liver damage in ICR-derived glomerulonephritis mice

To evaluate the effects of fluoride on the kidney and the liver of ICR-derived glomerulonephritis (ICGN) mice by using laboratory tests and pathological examinations, fluoride was administered to the ICGN mice at 0, 25, 50, 100, and 150?ppm in drinking water for 4 weeks and to the ICR mice, which have normal kidney function at 0 and 150?ppm. The BUN, creatinine, GOT, and GPT in the serum of each mouse were determined. When a mouse died, the sample from the day closest to the death was assigned for the mean. Pathological changes in the kidney were examined after PAS (periodic acid-Schiff) staining. All of the ICGN mice in the 150?ppm group and one of seven in the 100?ppm group died before the end of week 4, but no ICR mice died. For ICGN mice, the mean value of body weight in the 150?ppm group was significantly lower than those in 0?ppm group and other fluoride-administered groups. The mean values of relative liver and kidney weights in the 100 and 150?ppm groups were significantly lower than those in the control. The mean values of BUN, creatinine, and GPT in the 150?ppm group were significantly higher than those in the control. The thickness of the glomerular capillary wall and the increased mesangial matrix in the kidney were prominent in the fluoride-administered ICGN mice. These results suggested that fluoride severely exacerbated glomerulonephritis and tublar-intestitial changes in ICGN mice.     

Hospital admissions in Iran for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases attributed to the Middle Eastern Dust storms

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The main objective of this study was to assess the possible effects of airborne particulate matter less than 10 μm in diameter (PM10)...     

An international comparative study of end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling systems

End-of-life vehicles (ELV) have become a global concern as automobiles have become popular worldwide. An international workshop was held to gather data and to discuss 3R policies and ELV recycling systems, their background and present situation, outcomes of related policies and programs, the framework of recycling and waste management, and case studies on related topics in several countries and regions, as well as the essential points of the comparison. Legislative ELV recycling systems are established in the EU, Japan, Korea, and China, while in the US, ELV recycling is managed under existing laws on environmental protection. Since automobile shredding residue (ASR) has a high calorific value and ash content, and includes heavy metals as well as a mass of unclassified fine particles, recycling ASR is considered highly difficult. Countries with a legislative ELV system commonly set a target for recovery rates, with many aiming for more than 95 % recovery. In order to reach this target, higher efficiency in ASR recovery is needed, in addition to material recycling of collectable components and metals. Environmentally friendly design was considered necessary at the planning and manufacturing stages, and the development of recycling systems and techniques in line with these changes are required for sound ELV management.     

Evaluation of Brasilia wastewater sludge as a biomass resource for the production of energy by gasification simulation

This work evaluated the sludge potential of the Wastewater Treatment Plant (ETA) in the city of Brasília to be used as a fuel by gasification. It is known that ETA sludge is a significant environmental liability, since current legislation restricts its final disposal. For this, the chemical characterisation of ETA sludge was performed by immediate and elemental analysis. No traces of heavy metals were observed, and the moisture (ω) and ash contents were 31.17 and 51.77%, respectively, different from those already reported in the literature because the composition depends on the water treatment technology employed. The gasification process was numerically simulated; once dry, it constitutes a residue with an energy content (HHV) of 22.4498 MJ kg^?1, comparable with other types of biomass currently used for large-scale energy generation by thermochemical processes (e.g. agricultural residues, wood and sugar cane bagasse). For the numerical simulation with an equivalence ratio (Φ) near 3, higher concentrations of CO and H₂ can only be achieved with ω lower than 15%. The results showed that gasification can be an attractive option for the disposal and use of a renewable waste resource, such as ETA sludge, in an environmentally safe way, and it is allowed by local legislation.     

Assessment of indoor and outdoor particulate air pollution at an urban background site in Iran

The relationship between indoor and outdoor particulate air pollution was investigated at an urban background site on the Payambar Azam Campus of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Sari, Northern Iran. The concentration of particulate matter sized with a diameter less than 1 μm (PM_1.0), 2.5 μm (PM_2.5), and 10 μm (PM₁₀) was evaluated at 5 outdoor and 12 indoor locations. Indoor sites included classrooms, corridors, and office sites in four university buildings. Outdoor PM concentrations were characterized at five locations around the university campus. Indoor and outdoor PM measurements (1-min resolution) were conducted in parallel during weekday mornings and afternoons. No difference found between indoor PM₁₀ (50.1 ± 32.1 μg/m³) and outdoor PM₁₀ concentrations (46.5 ± 26.0 μg/m³), indoor PM_2.5 (22.6 ± 17.4 μg/m³) and outdoor PM_2.5 concentration (22.2 ± 15.4 μg/m³), or indoor PM_1.0 (14.5 ± 13.4 μg/m³) and outdoor mean PM_1.0 concentrations (14.2 ± 12.3 μg/m³). Despite these similar concentrations, no correlations were found between outdoor and indoor PM levels. The present findings are not only of importance for the potential health effects of particulate air pollution on people who spend their daytime over a period of several hours in closed and confined spaces located at a university campus but also can inform regulatory about the improvement of indoor air quality, especially in developing countries.     

Soil contamination by halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from open burning of e-waste in Agbogbloshie (Accra,Ghana)

Detailed composition of chlorinated and brominated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Cl-PAHs and Br-PAHs) generated during informal recycling of e-waste and their toxic relevance are still poorly understood. This study investigated the occurrence of Cl-PAHs and Br-PAHs in surface soil samples from the Agbogbloshie e-waste recycling site (Accra, Ghana) using quantitative gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and comprehensive two-dimensional GC–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC–ToFMS) profiling. The results of GC–MS analysis showed elevated concentrations in open e-waste burning areas (160–220 and 19–46 ng/g dry weight for Cl- and Br-PAHs, respectively) with substantial contribution from unidentified compounds (respectively, more than 36 and 70%, based on the total areas of potential peaks). Cl- and Br-PAHs from e-waste burning had a distinctive composition dominated by ring–ring compounds. Several homologue groups not monitored with GC–MS were found using GC × GC–ToFMS: PAHs with up to 5Cl or 3Br, mixed halogenated PAHs and chlorinated methylPAHs. The dioxin-like toxic equivalents of the identified Cl-/Br-PAHs in soils, estimated from their in vitro AhR agonist potencies relative to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, were much lower than the range reported for chlorinated and brominated dioxins. However, the toxicity of the unidentified halogenated PAHs remained unclear.     

Exposure assessment of lead to workers and children in the battery recycling craft village,Dong Mai,Vietnam

Human exposure to lead (Pb) due to uncontrolled Pb-acid battery recycling has been an environmental health issue in newly developed industrial regions. We conducted a human monitoring survey in Dong Mai, a battery recycling village in Vietnam, to assess exposure status to Pb. Lead level was measured in hair, blood and urine samples of residents in Dong Mai and two reference sites during 4 years spanning 2007–2011. In Dong Mai, Pb levels in three matrixes were significantly higher than those in reference sites. Blood Pb levels of all adults and children exceeded 10 μg/dL, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition of an elevated blood Pb level. Clear increase of urinary δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) level with increasing blood Pb level indicated disruption of heme synthesis. One adult exceeded 100 μg/dL of blood Pb, where encephalopathy is of concern. The blood Pb levels achieved various toxic effect threshold values, and elevated blood Pb was not limited to recycling workers, but was also in children and women of reproductive age. Serious pollution status of Dong Mai village suggests an importance of further monitoring surveys in various developing Asian countries.     

The significance of early second-trimester sonographic detection of minor fetal renal anomalies

A study of 6350 consecutive transvaginal ultrasound examinations was performed as part of a routine fetal evaluation. Twenty-one cases (0.33 per cent) of early second-trimester sonographic detection of minor renal abnormalities (unilateral renal agenesis, pelvic kidney, and double collecting system) are presented. The sonographic diagnosis was made at 14–18 weeks of pregnancy and confirmed, in all of the 21 fetuses, postnatally or by post-mortem. A high incidence of associated fetal anomalies (24 per cent) and parental renal abnormalities (14 per cent) was demonstrated. Transvaginal sonography was found to be a useful tool for diagnosing these renal anomalies as early as 14 weeks of pregnancy. The likelihood of various associated anomalies and long-term implications on renal function raise questions concerning the prenatal management of such patients.     

Arsenic and Mn levels in Isaza (Gymnogobius isaza) during the mass mortality event in Lake Biwa, Japan

The present study measured the concentrations of 25 elements (Li, Mg, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Cs, Ba, Hg, Tl, Pb and Bi) in the whole body of Isaza which is an endemic fish species to Lake Biwa, Japan, and compared the values in the specimens from the mass mortality Isaza (MMI) and normal fresh Isaza (NFI). The mean levels of Mn and total As (T-As) were relatively higher in MMI than in NFI. In the T-As, highly toxic inorganic As was detected in MMI. Moreover we found Mn and As concentrations in surface sediment were extremely high and temporally increased. From all these results, we could infer that the dissolution of Mn and As from surface sediment of Lake Biwa might have been one of the cause for the mass mortality of Isaza.