| 1. |
- Sall, Moussa, et al.
(author)
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Breastfeeding and weaning in a village in the Niger Inland Delta, Mali
- 2011
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In: African Journal of Midwifery. - London : MA Healthcare Ltd. - 2052-4293. ; 5:1, s. 141-146
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of the study was to investigate the breastfeeding and weaning customs and their influence on the survival of infants in the village of Niafunké, Mali. A questionnaire with 22 questions was put to 30 mothers, 15 traditional birth attendants, and 5 midwives. All the mothers used colostrum. However, before breastfeeding was initiated the children were given date juice, which constitutes a considerable infection risk. Weaning was started at the age of 6 to 9 months. The breastfeeding and weaning customs are largely satisfying; nevertheless, the child mortality before the age of 5 years was extremely high, at 56 children out of 131 born. The majority of these, 40, died during their first year of life. The infant mortality showed two periods of greatly elevated death rate: right after birth and during the period of weaning. The mortality after birth may depend on the lack of educated midwives as well as infections caused by water being given with the breast milk. The mortality at weaning obviously depends on poor hygienic conditions, possibly combined with a documented insufficient zinc intake weakening the immune system. Abrupt weaning practised when a new pregnancy is experienced is also a contributing factor. The breastfeeding may be interrupted over a single day, causing both physical and mental stress for the child. The mothers' information about breastfeeding and weaning comes from a number of sources: the parents, the traditional birth attendants, religious authorities, and the radio, which seems to have a good reach into the society.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Annaduzzaman, Md., et al.
(author)
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Tubewell platform color : A low-cost and rapid screening tool for arsenic and manganese in drinking water
- 2013
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Presence of high level of geogenic arsenic (As) in groundwater is one of the major and adverse drinking water quality problem all over the world, especially in Southeast Asia, where groundwater is the prominent drinking water source. Bangladesh is already considered as one of the most As affected territories, where As contamination in the groundwater is key environmental disasters. Recently besides As, presence of high level of manganese (Mn) in drinking water has also got attention due to its neurological effect on children. It becomes very essential to formulate a reliable safe drinking water management policy to reduce the health threat caused by drinking As and Mn contained groundwater. The development of a simple low cost technique for the determination of As and Mn in drinking water wells is an important step to formulate this policy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potentiality of tubewell platform color as low-cost, quick and convenient screening tool for As and Mn in drinking water wells (n=272) in a highly arsenic affected area on Matlab, Southeastern Bangladesh.The result shows strong correlation between the development of red color stain on tubewell platform and As enrichment in the corresponding tubewell water compared to WHO drinking water guideline (10 μg/L) as well as Bangladesh drinking water standard (BDWS) (50 μg/L), with certainty values of 98.7% and 98.3% respectively. The sensitivity and efficiency of red colored platforms to screen high As water in tubewells are 98% and 97% respectively at 10 μg/L, whereas at cut-off level of 50μg/L both sensitivity and efficiency values are 98%. This study suggests that red colored platform could be potentially used for primary identification of tubewells with elevated level of As and thus could prioritise sustainable As mitigation management in developing countries. Due to lack of tubewells with black colored platform in the study area, the use of platform color concept for screening of Mn enriched water in the wells have not been tested significantly, which requires further study.Acknowledgements: This study was carried out with support from the Liuuaeus-Palme Academic Exchange Programme supported by International Programs Office (IPK) and the KTH led joint collaborative action research project on Sustainable Arsenic Mitigation- SASMIT (Sid Contribution 750000854).
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| 4. |
- Aullón Alcaine, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Distribution and mobility of geogenic arsenic in the shallow aquifers of the northeast of La Pampa, Argentina
- 2012
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In: Understanding the Geological and Medical Interface of Arsenic, As 2012 - 4th International Congress: Arsenic in the Environment. - 9780415637633 ; , s. 132-134
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Groundwater contamination with elevated Arsenic (As) and other toxic trace elements has been studied in the central part of the vast Chaco-Pampean Plain, in the city of Quemú Quemú, northeastern La Pampa, Argentina. The groundwater samples were mostly alkaline with pH ranging up to 9.18, oxidizing and characterized by high EC. The concentration of total As (5.58-535 μg/L) and fluoride (0.5-14.2 mg/L) in some samples exceeded the recommended WHO drinking water guideline and the Argentine national drinking water standard. Arsenic was positively correlated with bicarbonate (HCO 3 -), Boron (B), Fluoride (F) and Vanadium (V). Long-term consumption of the groundwater could pose a severe health threat for the local community.
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| 5. |
- Aullón Alcaine, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Geogenic arsenic and fluoride in shallow aquifers of northeastern La Pampa, Argentina : mobility constraints
- 2013
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- High concentrations of geogenic arsenic (As) and fluoride (F-) in groundwater have been reported at elevated concentrations in different parts of the Chaco-Pampean Plain, in Argentina, where more than 2 million people may be exposed to high levels of these toxic elements through drinking water. Groundwater from the shallow aquifer is far exceeding the permissible WHO Standard limits of 10 μg/L for As and 1.5 mg/L for fluoride, as well as the Argentinean Standard limit of 50 μg/L for As. Geogenic As results due to the weathering of ash originated by volcanic eruptions from the Andean Cordillera and transported by wind and deposited along with the sediments and also as discrete layers and lenses over large geographical area containing around 90% of rhyolitic glass. Groundwater is hosted in a sandy silty interconnected system of aquifers and aquitards within the The Pampean aquifer. A total of 44 groundwater samples were collected from the shallow aquifers in NE of La Pampa province. Two rural areas covering an area of 600km2 in Quemú Quemú (QQ) and 300km2 in Intendente Alvear (IA) were investigated in the present study. Groundwater was circum-neutral to alkaline (pH 7.43-9.18), predominantly oxidizing (Eh ~0.24 V) with widely variable EC range (456-11,400 μS/cm). The major cation dissolved in groundwater was Na+, while the predominant anions were HCO3-, Cl- and SO42-, respectively. Water type in QQ was mostly Na-HCO3- while in IA, the composition differed between Na-HCO3- and Na-Cl-SO42- water types. Groundwater composition showed high degree of mineralization and high salinity evidenced by high EC. In discharge areas, high evaporation rates result in high salinity of shallow groundwater and visible salts incrustations on the surface of the lakes. Elevated concentrations of NO3- and PO43- observed in some wells indicated possible anthropogenic contamination. Total As concentration in groundwater from QQ ranged from 5.58 to 535 μg/L, where 94% of the wells exceeded the WHO standard limit for safe drinking water of 10 μg/L, and 56% of the wells exceeded the old Argentine standard limit of 50 μg/L. F- concentrations revealed heterogeneity and high concentrations in some wells (0.5-14.2 mg/L), 78% of samples in QQ study area exceeded the WHO standard limit of 1.5 mg/L. Under oxidizing conditions and neutral to alkaline pH, arsenate (AsV) species predominated, mainly in HAsO42- forms. As "hotspots" indicated locally contamination and correlated positively with F-, HCO3-, B and V and showed negative correlation with salinity, dissolved Fe, Al and Mn. The mechanisms involved in the mobilization of As in the shallow aquifers are controlled by the rise of pH, variations in Eh conditions and the presence of competitor ions (HCO3-, PO43-, Si, V oxyanions). Geochemical processes like adsorption/desorption, precipitation/dissolution and redox reactions may trigger to As mobilization in the shallow aquifers of La Pampa region.
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| 6. |
- Battaleb-Looie, S., et al.
(author)
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Fluoride in groundwater, dates and wheat : Estimated exposure dose in the population of Bushehr, Iran
- 2013
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In: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. - : Elsevier BV. - 0889-1575 .- 1096-0481. ; 29:2, s. 94-99
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The goal of this study was to estimate the daily fluoride intake for residents of Bushehr province in southern Iran by determining their exposure to fluoride through consumption of drinking water, dates and wheat. The fluoride concentration of drinking water in this region varies between 0.5 and 3.0mg/L, with an average of 1.6mg/L; and 44.4% of the drinking water exceed the guideline value of 1.5mg/L recommended by WHO. The average fluoride content of dates is 10.0mg/kg; whereas wheat roots and shoots contain an average of 30.0 and 19.0mgF-/kg, respectively. The estimated intake from drinking water is 0.12mg/kg/d for children (20kg body weight) and 0.05mg/kg/d for adults (70kg body weight). The total estimated fluoride intake (from drinking water and dates) for children is 0.17mg/kg/d. Thus, dates contribute an average 30% to the daily fluoride intake in the population. The maximum estimated fluoride intake (from dates and drinking water) for children and adults are 3.4 and 1.6 times higher, respectively, than the minimum risk level of 0.05mg/kg/d calculated by Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
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| 7. |
- Battaleb-Looie, Sedigheh, et al.
(author)
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Geological sources of fluoride and acceptable intake of fluoride in an endemic fluorosis area, southern Iran
- 2012
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In: Environmental Geochemistry and Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0269-4042 .- 1573-2983. ; 34:5, s. 641-650
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The present study is the first attempt to put forward possible source(s) of fluoride in the Dashtestan area, Bushehr Province, southern Iran. In response to reports on the high incidence of dental fluorosis, 35 surface and groundwater samples were collected and analysed for fluoride. The results indicate that dissolved fluoride in the study area is above the maximum permissible limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). An additional 35 soil and rock samples were also collected and analysed for fluoride, and rock samples were subjected to petrographic investigations and X-ray diffraction. The results of these analyses show that the most likely source for fluoride in the groundwater is from clay minerals (chlorite) and micas (muscovite, sericite, and biotite) in the soils and rocks in the area. We also note that due to the high average temperatures all year round and excessive water consumption in the area, the optimum fluoride dose level should be lower than that recommended by the WHO.
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| 8. |
- Battaleb-Looie, S., et al.
(author)
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Hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwaters with excess fluoride concentrations from Dashtestan, South of Iran
- 2012
-
In: Environmental Earth Sciences. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1866-6280 .- 1866-6299. ; 67:4, s. 1173-1182
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hydrogeochemical investigations were carried out in the Dashtestan, the eastern part of Borazjan, with a focus on fluoride content. The study area is underlain by a complex geology that is dominated by three lithological units, namely marl, alluvial sediments, and carbonate rocks. To assess the major geochemical factors controlling the fluoride enrichment in water, 37 groundwater and 12 surface water samples were collected from the three lithological units. Fluoride concentrations ranged up to 3 mg/L, and average concentrations varied from 1.12 (in carbonate aquifers) to 1.73 (in alluvial aquifers) to 1.82 mg/L (in marl aquifers). To study the influence of rocks and soils on groundwater quality, an additional 41 soil and rock samples were also taken and analyzed for fluoride. The order of average fluoride content in both rocks and soils is: marl > alluvial sediments > limestone, which confirms that marl is a likely source of fluoride.
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| 9. |
- Bhattacharya, Prosun, 1962-, et al.
(author)
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Arsenic in Groundwater of Bangladesh : Options for Safe Drinking Water
- 2010
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The study was undertaken in order to find and scientifically validate the options for arsenic safewater in Bangladesh. The study has been carried out in a geological province where most of theshallow wells have arsenic above the allowable limit for drinking water according to Bangladeshstandard. The original study plan has been modified as newer information on arsenic mobilisationand mitigation was available. Accordingly the emphasis on dug well and arsenic removal filter hadbeen shifted to other options such as geologically targeted aquifers. Also at the same time therehas been collaboration with number of other projects been carried out in and around the studyarea. Eventually the main focus of the research was shifted to capacity development in order toenhance the local capability for finding safer sources drinking water in the study area and othersimilar environments in the country.
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| 10. |
- Bhattacharya, Prosun, 1962-, et al.
(author)
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Arsenic in Swedish groundwater Mobility and risk for naturally elevated concentrations : Final Report
- 2010
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Arsenic (As) in groundwater has become a serious global problem during the last few decades forseveral reasons. The chronic toxicity from drinking water has motivated the lowering of thehealth limit from 50 μg/L to 10 μg/L. Due to the rather complicated analytical chemistry of As ithas seldom been analysed in groundwater. Once the common occurrence of excess As ingroundwater has been discovered like in Bangladesh it has become evident that As in concentrationswell above the health limit can be easily mobilized from very moderate amounts in the aquifermaterial under specific conditions. There are essentially three mechanisms of mobilization: 1)oxidation of sulphides containing As; 2) reduction of ferric compounds releasing adsorbed Asand 3) high pH conditions leading to lowered adsorption capacity of ferric and aluminium compounds. This study has aimed at investigating the mobilization of As under the conditions existing in Precambrianrocks and the overlying tills in Sweden. As study area the north-eastern part of theVästerbotten county was chosen. The occurrence of sulphides both in mineralisations and insome of the country rocks may infer that the risk of elevated As concentrations in groundwatermay be a bit higher there than elsewhere in Sweden. The hypothesis was that the two firstmechanisms mentioned above would be responsible for any elevated groundwater As in groundwater,thus either oxidation of sulphides or reducing conditions leading the reduction of ferrichydroxides. Samples were collected from drilled wells, dug wells and springs. pH, Eh and temperature weremeasured in the field and the samples were filtered through 0.20 m filters in the field. As(II) wasseparated from As(V) in the field by ion-exchangers. As redox conditions are the determinantsfor the mobilization of As the groundwaters have been classified into five redox classes followinga classification developed by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Dug wells with elevatedAs turned out to be in the oxidizing part of the classification while drilled wells were foundin all classes. This is reasonable as drilled wells often collect water from different environmentsthrough the different fracture systems the drilled wells contact. Wetland springs are found tohave moderately reducing water high in iron. While drilled wells and dug wells show a wide spectrumof As(III)/As(tot) ratios the As(III) is clearly dominant in wetland springs. Drilled wellsshowed the highest concentrations of As up to 300 μg/L and wells drilled in alkaline volcanicrocks had the highest median concentrations of As. Arsenic in wetland springs were strongly correlatedto iron. Another clear relationship was that groundwater with even low concentrations ofnitrate was low in As. Obviously the presence of nitrate indicates an oxidizing environmentwhere As is firmly adsorbed onto ferric hydroxides. There was no clear relationship with sulphateindicating that the drilled wells which made up the majority of the groundwaters often had waterof a mixed origin coming to the well via different fracture systems. The results indicate that As should in general be analysed in household wells as it is difficult topredict the presence of elevated concentrations from the major ion chemistry. High iron concentrationis a factor that indicates an elevated risk of As above the health limit. Nitrate on the otherhand indicates a low risk for elevated As concentration.
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