BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ESTUARINE/COASTAL POLLUTION1

ABSTRACT: Sustained interest in and concern about the health status of the aquatic environment has resulted in extensive research focused on (1) effects of pollution on survival, growth, and reproduction of resource species at all life stages; (2) diseases of fish and shellfish, as they may be related to pollution and as they may serve as indicators of environmental stress; and (3) contaminant body burdens in fish and shellfish - their effects on the aquatic animals and their potential effects on humans. Effects, lethal and sublethal, of pollutants on life history stages of fish and shellfish have been documented, as have impacts on local stocks in badly degraded habitats, but as yet there has been no adequate quantitative demonstration of effects on entire aquatic species - probably because of the difficulty in sorting out relative effects of the many environmental factors that influence abundance. Sublethal effects, especially those that result in disease, have been examined intensively, and some diseases and disease syndromes have been associated statistically with pollution. Other pollution indicators (biochemical, physiological, genetic, behavioral, and ecological) have also received some attention, as have body burdens of contaminants in aquatic species. Research, especially that conducted during the past decade, has done much to clarify the many pathways and toxic effects of contaminants on aquatic animals, and has also helped to identify mechanisms for survival of fish and shellfish in the presence of environmental changes caused by human activities.     

The Contribution of Drinking Water towards Dental Fluorosis: A case study of Njoro Division, Nakuru District, Kenya

This study was carried out to measure the fluoride levels of water consumed in the Njoro division of Nakuru district, Kenya. The sources of drinking water, methods of water storage and utilisation, as well as the perceptions of the local community towards dental fluorosis and the percentage of children with moderate to severe dental fluorosis were also determined. Rainwater had mean fluoride levels of 0.5 mg L^-1, dams 2.4 mg L^-1, wells 4.1 mg L^-1, springs 5.5 mg L^-1, and boreholes 6.6 mg L^-1. Water stored in plastic and cement containers did not show appreciable reduction in fluoride content with storage time; water stored in metal containers reduced fluoride by up to 8.2%; water stored in clay pots had the highest reduction in fluoride content, ranging between 34.3 and 64.7%;. Forty eight point three percent of children observed in the area had moderate to severe dental fluorosis, even though most people in the area did not know the cause of the problem.There is need to educate the community on the causes of fluorosis, and to lay strategies for addressing the issue, such as encouraging more rainwater harvesting, treating drinking water with alum, or using clay pots for storage of drinking water.     

Fluoride in groundwater in selected villages in Eritrea (North East Africa)

A study was undertaken to estimate fluoride content in thegroundwater in certain parts of rural Eritrea, North-East Africa,along the River Anseba. Standard procedure was adopted for fluoride detection. Results indicate elevated concentration offluoride in groundwater. The highest concentration was found tobe 3.73 mg L^-1, well above the safety level for consumption.Geological basis for the high concentration of high fluoride hasbeen established; it is presumed to be the pegmatite intrusion hosted by a granitic batholith. Extensive dental fluorosis has been observed in the population exposed to drinking water of highfluoride content.     

环境污染物浓缩铀诱发雄性机体的生殖毒性研究

在不同水平浓缩铀￣（２３５）ＵＯ＿２Ｆ＿２内污染诱发机体生殖毒性的研究中，观察到浓缩铀可诱发精子畸形，主要呈现双头和无钩精子。浓缩铀诱发精原细胞染色体畸变，则以染色体断片为主，对初级精母细胞可产生染色体断片和易位，出现多价体。浓缩铀可致精子ＤＮＡ链断裂，其断裂片段则可随￣（２３５）ＵＯ＿２Ｆ＿２摄入量的加大而增多，浓缩铀引起遗传物质的损伤，可诱发胎鼠显性致死突变和骨骼畸形增生，而其诱发骨骼畸形的发生率则与睾丸浓缩铀的摄入量呈正相关。     

地方性氟中毒环境地球化学病因的探讨

 氟中毒的发生与饮用水中氟离子的含量成正相关，但发病率的轻重又受到钙、镁离子的控制。研究表明：我国南方氟病地区青少年氟斑牙的发生，并非完全由煤烟氟污染玉米所致，而与南方平均气温高，病区人群长期大量饮用含氟和钙、镁离子偏低的水有关，特别是很少食用煤烟氟污染玉米的城市，这种相关性显得更加明显。     

Prenatal diagnosis of recurrent Larsen syndrome: Further definition of a lethal variant

Larsen syndrome is characterized by multiple congenital joint dislocations and flattened facies. Some cases have been familial, with both autosomal dominant and recessive patterns of inheritance. Reports of a form of Larsen syndrome, lethal in the neonatal period, are reviewed. We present a family in which recurrence of the syndrome was diagnosed prenatally, but a lethal outcome again resulted despite preparation for anticipated perinatal complications. Because of the wide clinical variation and the lack of a known metabolic defect, delineation between the various forms of Larsen syndrome is difficult. While the lethal variant appears to be a combination of the Larsen phenotype and pulmonary hypoplasia, other features noted in the lethal cases, such as abnormal palmar creases and laryngotracheomalacia, are also seen in patients with Larsen syndrome who survive.     

从宁夏固原氟中毒事件看地方性氟中毒

本文根据宁夏固原饮水型氟中毒事件,从氟污染的形成,氟的环境化学特性及其迁移转化,氟对人体健康的影响,氟中毒的机制原理等几个方面进行了阐述,并提出防治对策及治理措施。     

Highlights of some environmental problems of geomedical significance in Nigeria

This paper attempts to discuss the links between the geochemical composition of rocks and minerals and the geographical distribution of diseases in human beings in Nigeria. We know that the natural composition of elements in our environment (in the bedrock, soils, water, and vegetation) may be the major cause of enrichment or depletion in these elements and may become a direct risk to human health. Similarly, anthropogenic activities such as mining and mineral processes, industrial waste disposal, agriculture, etc., could distort the natural geochemical equilibrium of the environment. Thus, the enrichment or depletion of geochemical elements in the environment are controlled either by natural and/or anthropogenic processes. The increased ingestion of toxic trace elements such as As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and F, whether directly or indirectly, adversely affects human health. Of these, Cd has most dangerous long-term effect on human health. Environmental exposure to As and Hg is a causal factor in human carcinogenesis and numerous cancer health disorders. Available information on iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) in Nigeria indicates goiter prevalence rates of between 15% and 59% in several affected areas. There have been reported cases of dental fluorosis resulting from intake of water with fluoride content >1.5 ppm. Dental caries among children shows an overall prevalence rate of 39.9%. Within the Younger Granite province in central Nigeria, cases of cancer and miscarriages in pregnant women have been linked to natural radiation These examples and a number of others from the existing literature underscore the pressing need for the development of collaborative research to increase our understanding of the relationship between the geographical distribution of human and animal diseases in Nigeria and environmental factors. We submit that such knowledge is essential for the control and management of these diseases.