Background. Discharged effluents from industry have been responsible for the deterioration of the aquatic environment in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries. Increasing industrialization and urbanization have resulted in the discharge of large amounts of waste into the environment, resulting in high pollution loads. Utilization of microbes such as fungi and bacteria have been used for pollution degradation. Objectives. The aim of this research was to utilize microbial agents such as fungi and bacteria to reduce pollutant loads such as heavy metals in effluent samples. Methods. Three types of effluent (pharmaceutical, textile effluent, and dye) were obtained from Surulere in Lagos Metropolitan Area, Nigeria. Heavy metals analysis was carried out using a flame atomic adsorption spectrophotometer according to standard methods. Samples were cultured for microbes and identified. Bacteria samples were inoculated on nutrient agar and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. Fungi counts were carried out using potato dextrose agar and incubated at 28°C for 3–5 days. The isolated organisms were identified based on their morphological and biochemical characteristics. Then 100 mL of the effluents was dispensed into 250 mL flasks, and the pH of the medium was adjusted to 7.2 by the addition of either sodium hydroxide or hydrogen chloride and autoclaved at 121°C for 15 minutes. The autoclaved flask was inoculated with 1 mL of bacteria and fungi for 21 days and pH was recorded properly every 48 hours. Results. The results of the physicochemical parameters indicated that conductivity, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, turbidity, chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand for all the three industrial effluents were higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) permissible limits. Heavy metal analysis results show that the effluents had high values for cadmium, above the WHO limit of 0.003 mg/L. Concentrations of zinc ranged from 0.136–1.690 mg/L, and nickel ranged between 0.004–0.037mg/L for the three effluents, within the WHO limit. The identified bacteria were Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella typhi and Bacillus cereus and isolated fungi were Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium chrysogenum. All the physicochemical parameters and heavy metal concentrations were reduced after the biodegradation study in the effluents. Conclusions. The responses observed in the various microbes indicated that the use of microbes for the reduction of environmental pollutants has an advantage over the use of other methods because it is environmentally friendly, low cost, and no new chemicals are introduced into the environment. This method should be encouraged for pollution reduction to bring about ecosystem sustainability advocated for Ghana. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Background. Poor municipal waste management, including waste treatment and disposal methods, threatens the environment and public health in most developing countries. Lack of proper municipal waste segregation and transportation techniques has increased the potential for the transmission of pathogens such as hepatitis B virus (HBV). Objectives. This study addressed issues relating to the potential risk of infectious diseases and prevalence of HBV among municipal waste workers and scavengers in Ilorin metropolis, Nigeria. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among municipal waste management workers and waste scavengers in Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 120 respondents were administered questionnaires during the first stage of the study and participated in the second (testing) stage of the study. The prevalence of an HBV infection biological marker, the Australia antigen (HBsAg), and its association with exposure to waste, socio-demographic factors, and history of occupational injuries with sharp objects/needle sticks was examined. Results. The prevalence of HBV infection among municipal waste management workers and waste scavengers was 2.6% and 16.67% respectively, indicating that scavengers were at higher risk of HBV infection. Conclusions. Lack of proper occupational health safety management among municipal waste management workers was a possible risk factor for HBV infection through injury with sharp instruments. The possible pathway of virus transmission was waste segregation, which is usually carried out with bare hands, and lack of hygiene and occupational safety during waste management activities. Therefore, vaccination against HBV, personal hygiene practices and regular training on occupational safety will help to control risk of HBV infection among municipal waste workers and scavengers. Patient consent. Obtained Ethics approval. Ethical approval was granted from the Kwara State Ministry of Health Ethical Review Committee. Informed consent was obtained from each respondent. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Background. When heavy metals accumulate in air, soil, and water, the risk of human exposure increases among industrial workers, as well as in people living near polluted areas. Heavy metals adversely affect a variety of bodily systems such as the cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, immune, and reproductive systems. In addition, long-term exposure and accumulation of heavy metals in the body may disturb oxidative stress genes and thus increase the susceptibility to various diseases. Objectives. The aim of this study is to estimate the metallothionein concentration in both mussel samples from Abu Qir Bay, Egypt and the blood of local fishermen as a biomarker of exposure to metal pollution. Methods. Levels of metallothionein and heavy metals were measured in mussels. Blood levels of metallothionein and heavy metals of local fishermen were measured and compared with a control group. The effect of heavy metal exposure on oxidative stress status was investigated through the determination of malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase and glutathione content. Results. The results of this study showed high concentrations of metallothionein in mussels and in fishermen’s blood, accompanied by high concentrations of metals such as cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and zinc (Zn). At the same time, a significant decrease in glutathione content and catalase enzyme activity was associated with a significant increase in the malondialdehyde concentrations in sera of fishermen. Conclusions. The present study found that the El Maadiya region is polluted with heavy metals, inducing oxidative stress in fishermen in the vicinity. These results reveal the necessity of further environmental monitoring in the study area in order to evaluate other types of pollutants and their effects on human health. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests. Informed Consent. Obtained Ethical Approval. Ethical approval was given by the ethics committee of Alexandra University (US Department of Health and Human Services, Registration of an Institutional Review Board, IORG0008812 Medical Research Institute, Expires 4/8/2019, OMB No: 0990-0279).

Background. In March 2010, Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders detected an outbreak of acute lead poisoning in Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria, linked to low-technology gold ore processing. The outbreak killed more than 400 children ≤5 years of age in the first half of 2010 and has left more than 2,000 children with permanent disabilities. Objectives. The aims of this study were to estimate the statewide prevalence of children ≤5 years old with elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in gold ore processing and non-ore-processing communities, and to identify factors associated with elevated blood lead levels in children. Methods. A representative, population-based study of ore processing and non-ore-processing villages was conducted throughout Zamfara in 2012. Blood samples from children, outdoor soil samples, indoor dust samples, and survey data on ore processing activities and other lead sources were collected from 383 children ≤5 years old in 383 family compounds across 56 villages. Results. 17.2% of compounds reported that at least one member had processed ore in the preceding 12 months (95% confidence intervals (CI): 9.7, 24.7). The prevalence of BLLs ≥10 μg/dL in children ≤5 years old was 38.2% (95% CI: 26.5, 51.4) in compounds with members who processed ore and 22.3% (95% CI: 17.8, 27.7) in compounds where no one processed ore. Ore processing activities were associated with higher lead concentrations in soil, dust, and blood samples. Other factors associated with elevated BLL were a child's age and sex, breastfeeding, drinking water from a piped tap, and exposure to eye cosmetics. Conclusions. Childhood lead poisoning is widespread in Zamfara State in both ore processing and non-ore-processing settings, although it is more prevalent in ore processing areas. Although most children's BLLs were below the recommended level for chelation therapy, environmental remediation and use of safer ore processing practices are needed to prevent further exposures. Patient consent. Obtained Ethics approval. The study protocol was approved by the US Centers for Disease Control Institutional Review Board-A and the National Health Research Ethics Committee of Nigeria. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Background. More than 90% of all low birthweight (LBW) babies are born in developing countries, and half of the population in developing nations uses solid fuels as their primary source of energy for cooking. An association between household use of solid biomass fuels and reduced newborn weight has been found in a number of countries. Bangladesh has a high prevalence of LBW babies (22%), and 88% of the population use solid fuels for cooking. Objectives. This study aims to explore whether indoor air pollution is associated with LBW in Bangladesh, an important determinant of infant mortality and morbidity. Methods. The 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) was used for the present analysis. The total number of births reported in the previous five years by respondents in the survey sample was 8,753. Mothers' recall of their baby's weight was the dependent dichotomous variable. A mixed effects logistic regression model was fitted using region as a random effect and several independent fixed effects. Results. High pollutant cooking fuels, such as coal and wood, resulted in higher odds of having a LBW child compared to use of electricity/gas (odds ratio (OR): 2.6, confidence interval (CI): 1.1–6.2 and OR: 1.1, CI: 1.0–1.2). Factors which lowered the odds include mothers with a bachelor's degree or higher education (OR: 0.6, CI: 0.4–0.9), third order children (OR: 0.8, CI: 0.6–0.9), fourth or higher order children (OR: 0.8, CI: 0.6–1.0), having a male child (OR: 0.7, CI: 0.7–0.8), and receiving sufficient antenatal care (OR: 0.8, CI: 0.6–0.9). Factors which increase the odds of having a LBW infant include mothers who are underweight compared to normal weight mothers (OR: 1.1, CI: 1.1–1.2), mistimed pregnancies (OR: 1.2, CI: 1.0–1.4), or unplanned pregnancies (OR: 1.3, CI: 1.0–1.7), compared to planned pregnancies. Conclusions. This is the first paper to show an association between use of highly pollutant biomass fuel and prevalence of LBW babies in Bangladesh, suggesting that besides polluting the air and causing respiratory illnesses, biomass fuel combustion may also affect the health of fetuses in utero. Further longitudinal studies are required to establish this finding among mothers in developing countries. Ethics Approval. This study was exempted from ethical review approval by the University of South Carolina Institutional Review Board (USC IRB), because it uses publicly available, de-identified data. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Most of the chemicals containing non-biodegradable metal pollutants from anthropogenic sources are highly mobile in nature. The only way to contain or limit their movement is through sorption and entrapment in the soil matrices. In this study, the sorptive response of the three most commonly found divalent metal contaminants, copper (Cu⁺²), lead (Pb⁺²), and zinc (Zn⁺²), are studied using two locally available semi-arid soils from Saudi Arabia. To enhance their retention capacity, these soils are amended with lime. The response to sorption at varying initial contaminant concentrations, pH conditions, temperature levels, and dilution ratios are investigated. Relying on empirical models (Langmuir and Freundlich), the nature of sorption (monolayer or heterogeneous) is ascertained. Further, kinetic models are employed to validate the type and nature of sorption that occurs (whether pseudo first-order or second-order). It is found that the experimental results correlate well with these empirical models for both the Al-Ghat and Al-Qatif soils when amended with lime and attenuate Cu, Pb, and Zn to satisfactory levels. The R ² values are close to 1 for all the tested models. The order of sorption was Pb > Cu > Zn for these heavy metals, and also for soils and soil mixtures that were considered: Al-Qatif soil amended with 6 % lime > Al-Ghat soil with 6 % lime > Al-Qatif > Al-Ghat. Lime-treated soils sorbed 73, 65, and 60 % more than the untreated soils for Pb, Cu, and Zn, respectively.