Consideration of Climate Change on Environmental Impact Assessment in Tanzania: Challenges and Prospects.

The potential of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process to respond to climate change impacts of development projects can only be realized with the support of policies, regulations, and actors' engagement. While considering climate change in EIA has become partly mandatory through the EU revised Directive in Europe, African countries are still lagging. This paper assesses Tanzanian policies, laws, regulations, and EIA reports to uncover consideration of climate change impacts, adaptation, and mitigation measures, drawing from the transformational role of EIA. The methodology integrates content analysis, interpretive policy analysis, and discourse analysis. The analyses draw from environmental policy, three regulatory documents and three EIA reports in Tanzania using a multi-cases study design. The aim was to understand how considering Climate Change issues in EIA has played out in practice. Results reveal less consideration of climate change issues in EIA. The policy, laws, and regulations do not guide when and how the EIA process should consider climate change-related impacts mitigation and adaptation. The practice of EIA in the country is utterly procedural in line with regulations provisions. Consequently, environmental impact statements only profile the climatology of the study area without conducting a deeper analysis of the historical and future climate to enhance the resilience of proposed projects. The weakness exposed in the laws and regulations contributes to the challenges of responding to the impacts of climate change through the EIA process. It is possible to address climate change issues throughout the project life cycle, including design, approval, implementation, monitoring, and auditing, provided the policy and regulations guide how and when the EIA process should consider climate change issues. Additionally, increasing stakeholders' awareness and participation can enhance the EIA process's potential to respond to the impacts of climate change.

Assessment of optical quality of ready-made reading spectacles for presbyopic correction.

PURPOSE: Many presbyopic patients in both developed and developing countries use ready-made reading spectacles for their near vision correction even though the quality of these spectacles cannot always be assured. This study assessed the optical quality of ready-made reading spectacles for presbyopic correction in comparison with relevant international standards. METHODS: A total of 105 ready-made reading spectacles with powers ranging from +1.50 to +3.50 dioptres (D) in +0.50 D steps were randomly procured from open markets in Ghana and assessed for their optical quality, including induced prisms and safety markings. These assessments were done in line with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 16034:2002 [BS EN 14139:2010]) as well as the standards used in low-resource countries. RESULTS: All lenses (100%) had significant induced horizontal prism that exceeded the tolerance levels stipulated by the ISO standards, while 30% had vertical prism greater than the specified tolerances. The highest prevalence of induced vertical prism was seen in the +2.50 and +3.50 D lenses (48% and 43%, respectively). When compared with less conservative standards, as suggested for use in low-resource countries, the prevalence of induced horizontal and vertical prism reduced to 88% and 14%, respectively. While only 15% of spectacles had a labelled centration distance, none had any safety markings per the ISO standards. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of ready-made reading spectacles in Ghana that fail to meet optical quality standards indicates the need for more robust, rigorous and standardised protocols for assessing their optical quality before they are sold on the market. This will alleviate unwanted side effects including asthenopia associated with their use. There is also the need to intensify public health awareness on the use of ready-made reading spectacles, especially by patients with significant refractive errors and ocular pathologies.

Enzymatic C-H activation of aromatic compounds through CO2 fixation.

The direct C-H carboxylation of aromatic compounds is an attractive route to the corresponding carboxylic acids, but remains challenging under mild conditions. It has been proposed that the first step in anaerobic microbial degradation of recalcitrant aromatic compounds is a UbiD-mediated carboxylation. In this study, we use the UbiD enzyme ferulic acid decarboxylase (Fdc) in combination with a carboxylic acid reductase to create aromatic degradation-inspired cascade reactions, leading to efficient functionalization of styrene through CO2 fixation. We reveal that rational structure-guided laboratory evolution can expand the substrate scope of Fdc, resulting in activity on a range of mono- and bicyclic aromatic compounds through a single mutation. Selected variants demonstrated 150-fold improvement in the conversion of coumarillic acid to benzofuran + CO2 and unlocked reactivity towards naphthoic acid. Our data demonstrate that UbiD-mediated C-H activation is a versatile tool for the transformation of aryl/alkene compounds and CO2 into commodity chemicals.

Discovery of Novel Cyclic Ethers with Synergistic Antiplasmodial Activity in Combination with Valinomycin.

With drug resistance threatening our first line antimalarial treatments, novel chemotherapeutics need to be developed. Ionophores have garnered interest as novel antimalarials due to their theorized ability to target unique systems found in the Plasmodium-infected erythrocyte. In this study, during the bioassay-guided fractionation of the crude extract of Streptomyces strain PR3, a group of cyclodepsipeptides, including valinomycin, and a novel class of cyclic ethers were identified and elucidated. Further study revealed that the ethers were cyclic polypropylene glycol (cPPG) oligomers that had leached into the bacterial culture from an extraction resin. Molecular dynamics analysis suggests that these ethers are able to bind cations such as K+, NH4+ and Na+. Combination studies using the fixed ratio isobologram method revealed that the cPPGs synergistically improved the antiplasmodial activity of valinomycin and reduced its cytotoxicity in vitro. The IC50 of valinomycin against P. falciparum NF54 improved by 4-5-fold when valinomycin was combined with the cPPGs. Precisely, it was improved from 3.75 ± 0.77 ng/mL to 0.90 ± 0.2 ng/mL and 0.75 ± 0.08 ng/mL when dosed in the fixed ratios of 3:2 and 2:3 of valinomycin to cPPGs, respectively. Each fixed ratio combination displayed cytotoxicity (IC50) against the Chinese Hamster Ovary cell line of 57-65 µg/mL, which was lower than that of valinomycin (12.4 µg/mL). These results indicate that combinations with these novel ethers may be useful in repurposing valinomycin into a suitable and effective antimalarial.

Single-step dynamic dewatering of microalgae from dilute suspensions using flocculant assisted filtration.

BACKGROUND: Dewatering constitutes a major challenge to the production of microalgae, accounting for 20-30% of the product cost. This presents a setback for the applicability of microalgae in the development of several sustainable products. This study presents an investigation into the dynamic dewatering of microalgae in a combined flocculation-filtration process. The effect of process conditions on the performance of 12 flocculants and their mixtures was assessed. RESULTS: The mechanism of flocculation via the electrostatic path was dominated by charge neutralization and subsequently followed bridging in a 'sweep flocculation' process. Cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) based flocculants recorded the highest biomass retention with PAM1 and PAM2 attaining 99 and 98% retention with flocculant dosages of 10 and 15 mg/L respectively. Polyvinylamine (PVAM) was also found to improve system stability across the pH range 4-10. Alum was observed to be only effective in charge neutralization, bringing the system close to its isoelectric point (IEP). Chemometric analysis using the multi-criteria decision methods, PROMETHEE and GAIA, was applied to provide a sequential performance ranking based on the net outranking flow (ф) from 207 observations. A graphical exploration of the flocculant performance pattern, grouping the observations into clusters in relation to the decision axis ([Formula: see text]), which indicated the weighted resultant of most favorable performance for all criteria was explored. CONCLUSION: CPAM based flocculants and their mixtures demonstrated superior performance due to their viscoelastic behaviour under turbulence. The use of PVAM or alum in mixtures with CPAM reduced the required doses of both flocculants, which will provide beneficial financial impact for largescale microalgae dewatering in a flocculant assisted dynamic filtration process. Chemometric analysis based on the physico-chemical properties of the system provides a time saving assessment of performance across several criteria. The study findings provide an important foundation for flocculant assisted dynamic filtration processes.

Rapid and selective detection of recombinant human erythropoietin in human blood plasma by a sensitive optical sensor.

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) is an important hormone drug that is used to treat several medical conditions. It is also frequently abused by athletes as a performance enhancing agent at sporting events. The time window of the rHuEPO in blood is short. Therefore, the rapid detection of rHuEPO use/abuse at points of care and in sports requires a selective analytical method and a sensitive sensor. Herein, we present a highly selective method for the rapid detection of rHuEPO in human blood plasma by a sensitive optical sensor. rHuEPO is selectively extracted from human blood plasma by a target-specific extractor chip and converted into a biothiol by reducing its disulfide bond structure. The formed biothiol reacts with a water soluble (E)-1-((6-methoxybenzo[d]thiazole-2-yl)diazenyl)naphthalene-2,6-diolHg(ii) (BAN-Hg) optical sensor and causes its rapid decomposition. This leads to a rapid change in the sensor color from blue to pink that can be observed by the naked eye. The optical sensor was used to quantify rHuEPO in the concentration range 1 × 10-8 M to 1 × 10-12 M by UV-Vis spectroscopy. For the screening of blood plasma, an EPO-specific extractor chip was synthesized and used to selectively extract the protein from the biological matrix prior to its conversion into biothiol and quantification by the optical sensor. Since many proteins have a disulfide bond structure, the new method has strong potential for their rapid sensitive and selective detection by the BAN-Hg sensor and UV-Vis spectroscopy.

Application of multivariate data techniques in photochemical study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and transformed PAH products in road dust.

Road dust is a key repository for PAHs and transformed PAH products (TPPs) generated from natural and anthropogenic sources in the urban environment. Eventhough PAHs and TPPs are prone to post-emission photochemical processes, very limited studies exist on the subject for road dust. This knowledge gap is of particular concern since some of the resultant TPPs are notably more carcinogenic than their precursor PAHs. This study evaluated the role of 254 nm ultraviolet (UV) photons on the photochemistry of PAHs and TPPs in road dust. The findings show that UV irradiation had varying effects on the fate of analytes, particularly naphthalene (NAP), phenanthrene (PHE), 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), 1-hydroxypyrene (HPY), 1-nitropyrene (1NPY), pyrene (PYR) and 5-nitroacenaphthene (5NAC). Photochemical relationship was identified between PYR, 1NPY and HPY, and DMBA and benzo(a)anthracene. Unlike carbonyl-PAHs, parent PAHs, nitro-PAHs and hydroxy-PAHs can originate from photolysis. Photon irradiation durations of 3, 6 and 7.5 h had the most intense influence on the photolytic process with 7.5 h as optimum. The photochemical rate at optimum irradiation duration shows an increasing trend of NAP < PHE < 1NPY < DMBA < 5NAC < HPY with respective estimates of 0.08, 0.11, 0.21, 0.22, 0.43, and 0.59 mg kg-1 hr-1. Physicochemical properties of analytes such as index of refraction and vapour pressure (in logarithmic form) had an inverse effect on photolysis. The knowledge generated is significant for the in-depth understanding of the fate of PAHs and TPPs on urban road surfaces and contributes to the greater protection of human health and the environment.

Dual chemosensor for the rapid detection of mercury(ii) pollution and biothiols.

A new benzothiazole azo dye [(E)-1-((6-methoxybenzo[d]thiazole-2-yl)diazenyl)naphthalene-2,6-diol] (also known as "BAN"), has been synthesised and used as a chemosensor for the rapid and selective detection of mercury(ii) ions in water. The pink coloured chemosensor turns blue when reacted with mercury(ii) ions due to the formation of a 2 : 1 coordination complex. The complex formation causes a bathochromic shift of the chemosensor's UV absorption peak from 540 to 585 nm and turns on a highly selective fluorescence emission at 425 nm. The change in the optical property of BAN upon complexation with mercury(ii) was confirmed by ab initio calculations. The new chemosensor was used to quantify mercury(ii) ions in water by fluorescence spectroscopy down to 5 × 10-8 M (10 ppb). The limit of detection (LOD) of Hg2+ was 9.45 nM (1.8 ppb) which satisfies the maximum allowable Hg2+ concentration in drinking water that is set by the WHO. The BAN-Hg(ii) complex was used for the determination of cysteine (Cys) in aqueous solution by UV-Vis spectroscopy down to 1 × 10-7 M. The thiol-containing amino acid preferentially coordinates the mercury ions of the BAN-Hg(ii) complex. This causes dissociation of the blue-coloured complex and the liberation of the pink-coloured BAN dye. The colour change of the BAN-Hg(ii) complex from blue to pink was selective to the Cys biothiol while other non-thiol containing amino acids did not cause a colour change. For the in-field application, filter paper strips were loaded with the BAN-Hg(ii) complex and used as a disposable sensor for the detection of cysteine (Cys) by the naked eye. Therefore, the BAN chemosensor offers a sensitive, and rapid tool for the detection of mercury(ii) in water. In addition, the BAN-Hg(ii) complex can be used as a simple and selective chemosensor of the screening of purified biothiols, such cysetine, homocysteine and glutathione in biology research and pharmaceutical/food industries.

Preconcentration and SERS-based determination of infliximab in blood by using a TNF-α-modified gold-coated copper oxide nanomaterial.

Infliximab (INF) is a chimeric monoclonal immunoglobulin acting against tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). The drug is used for the treatment of chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. A target-specific nanomaterial is presented for the extraction of INF from human plasma along with a label-free surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method for its determination using a handheld device. A gold-coated copper oxide chip was functionalized with TNF-α and used to extract the drug from plasma. INF was recovered from the extractor by lowering the pH value to 2.5. The disulfide bond structure of the drug was then reduced and used for its oriented chemisorption onto a gold-coated copper oxide substrate for SERS measurements using the INF-specific band at 936 cm-1. The working range of the SERS method was between 10-7 and 10-14 M of reduced INF. The relative standard deviation (RSD), between three different measurements was 4.2% (intra-day) and 7.1% (inter-day). The quantification and detection limits of the assay (LOQ, LOD) were 0.01 pM and 1.4 fM respectively. The SERS detection was cross-validated against ELISA where 99% agreement was found between the two methods. Graphical abstractSchematic representation of the determination of Infliximab (INF) in blood. A gold coated copper oxide chip was functionalised with tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and used to extract INF from blood plasma. The captured INF was released, reduced, chemisorbed onto a second gold-coated copper oxide substrate and screened by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using a handheld device.

Contamination impact and human health risk assessment of heavy metals in surface soils from selected major mining areas in Ghana.

Analysis of soil samples around pristine and major gold-mining areas in Ghana was carried out for heavy metals as part of a larger soil contamination and metal background study. The surface soil samples were digested using microwave digester (aqua regia) and analyzed with ICP-MS for As, Cd, Hg, Zn, Co, Cu, Mn, Fe, Al, V, Cr, and Pb. The average concentrations (mg/L) for the metals ranged from 0.01 ± 0.01 (Cd) to 86,859.36 ± 47.07 (Fe) for the pristine sites, and 0.01 ± 0.01 (Cd) to 59,006.95 ± 79.06 (Fe) for the mining sites. Mercury was below the detection limit of the analytical instrument (0.029). The concentrations of heavy metals from this study were used to assess their contamination levels, and health risks. The results showed that, the metals ranked by severity of health risks as As > Pb > Cr > Cd. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis showed two groupings with the PCA showing metals variability explained by 79.02%. Results from the PCA and Cluster analysis indicate anthropogenic sources of the metals which may be emanating from gold-mining activities. Results from multi-criteria ranking and pattern recognition employing PROMETHEE and GAIA revealed major contribution of the metals from the mining sites with metal variability explained by 72.83%. This is the first time a multi-criteria approach is employed to characterize heavy metal contamination in Ghana, and the study nevertheless brought to light the impact of mining on human health and the environment with implications for other mineral areas around the globe.

Role of adsorption behavior on metal build-up in urban road dust.

Metal pollution of stormwater runoff can cause potential toxic impacts on the receiving water environment and human health. Effective pollution mitigation requires accurate stormwater quality modeling. Even though a significant knowledge base exists on the factors influencing metal build-up on urban roads, very limited studies have investigated how metal-particulate interaction influences metal build-up. This study quantitatively assessed the influence of particulate characteristics, together with vehicular traffic and land use, on the build-up of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni and Cd on urban roads. The study outcomes revealed that the variability in metal build-up is highly influenced by the variability associated with metal adsorption to particulates. The percentage contribution from particulate properties influencing metal adsorption in the case of <150 µm size road dust particles was found to be higher (Zn 44%, Cu 52%, Cr 16%, Ni 27% and Cd 45%) when compared to traffic and land use characteristics (Zn 21%, Cu 13%, Cr and Ni <10% and Cd 34%). Similar adsorption behavior was noted for metals associated with >150 µm size road dust particles. Among different particulate properties influencing metal adsorption, effective cation exchange capacity showed a strong positive relationship with the build-up of Cd compared to other metals, highlighting the potential role of Cd in stormwater quality as a readily available metal. The build-up of metals such as Cr and Ni are highly influenced by metal oxides of Al, Fe and Mn and clay forming minerals, indicating that Cr and Ni are relatively stable in nature.

Plasmonic Switching of the Reaction Pathway: Visible-Light Irradiation Varies the Reactant Concentration at the Solid-Solution Interface of a Gold-Cobalt Catalyst.

Product selectivity of alkyne hydroamination over catalytic Au2 Co alloy nanoparticles (NPs) can be made switchable by a light-on/light-off process, yielding imine (cross-coupling product of aniline and alkyne) under visible-light irradiation, but 1,4-diphenylbutadiyne in the dark. The low-flux light irradiation concentrates aniline on the catalyst, accelerating the catalytic cross-coupling by several orders of magnitude even at a very low overall aniline concentrations (1.0×10-3  mol L-1 ). A tentative mechanism is that Au2 Co NPs absorb light, generating an intense fringing electromagnetic field and hot electrons. The sharp field-gradient (plasmonic optical force) can selectively enhance adsorption of light-polarizable aniline molecules on the catalyst. The light irradiation thereby alters the aniline/alkyne ratio at the NPs surface, switching product selectivity. This represents a new paradigm to modify a catalysis process by light.

Impact of homologous recombination deficiency biomarkers on outcomes in patients with triple-negative breast cancer treated with adjuvant doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (SWOG S9313).

Background: Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-causing alterations have been reported in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We hypothesized that TNBCs with HRD alterations might be more sensitive to anthracycline plus cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy and report on HRD status and BRCA1 promoter methylation (PM) as prognostic markers in TNBC patients treated with adjuvant doxorubicin (A) and cyclophosphamide (C) in SWOG9313. Patients and methods: In total, 425 TNBC patients were identified from S9313. HRD score, tumor BRCA1/2 sequencing, and BRCA1 PM were carried out on DNA isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. Positive HRD status was defined as either a deleterious tumor BRCA1/2 (tBRCA) mutation or a pre-defined HRD score ≥42. Markers were tested for prognostic value on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) using Cox regression models adjusted for treatment assignment and nodal status. Results: HRD status was determined in 89% (379/425) of cases. Of these, 67% were HRD positive (27% with tBRCA mutation, 40% tBRCA-negative but HRD score ≥42). HRD-positive status was associated with a better DFS [hazard ratio (HR) 0.72; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51-1.00; P = 0.049] and non-significant trend toward better OS (HR = 0.71; 95% CI 0.48-1.03; P = 0.073). High HRD score (≥42) in tBRCA-negative patients (n = 274) was also associated with better DFS (HR = 0.64; 95% CI 0.43-0.94; P = 0.023) and OS (HR = 0.65; 95% CI 0.42-1.00; P = 0.049). BRCA1 PM was evaluated successfully in 82% (348/425) and detected in 32% of cases. The DFS HR for BRCA1 PM was similar to that for HRD but did not reach statistical significance (HR = 0.79; 95% CI 0.54-1.17; P = 0.25). Conclusions: HRD positivity was observed in two-thirds of TNBC patients receiving adjuvant AC and was associated with better DFS. HRD status may identify TNBC patients who receive greater benefit from AC-based chemotherapy and should be evaluated further in prospective studies. Clinical Trials Number: Int0137 (The trial pre-dates Clinicaltrial.Gov website establishment).

Spectroelectrochemical Nanosensor for the Determination of Cystatin C in Human Blood.

The detection of protein biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis of diseases requires selective and sensitive methodologies and biosensors that can be easily used at pathology laboratories and points of care. An ideal methodology would be able to conduct multimode screening of low and high concentrations of proteins in biological fluids using recyclable platforms. In this work, we demonstrate a novel nanosensing methodology for the dual detection of cystatin C (CST-C), as a protein biomarker model, in blood plasma by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and electrochemistry. The new methodology utilizes the thiol chemistry of biomolecules to develop a target-specific and recyclable extractor chip for the rapid isolation of protein biomarkers from blood plasma. This is followed by the rapid reduction of the disulfide bonds within the isolated protein to influence its oriented immobilization onto a conductive gold coated silicon nanopillar substrate via stable gold-sulfur (Au-S) bonds. The oriented immobilization led to reproducible surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) measurements of the reduced protein (RSD = 3.8%) and allowed for its direct electrochemical determination. After the SERS measurement, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used to desorb the analyte from the substrate and generate a reduction current that is proportional to its concentration. CST-C was determined down to 1 pM and 62.5 nM by SERS and DPV, respectively, which satisfies the requirements for monitoring Alzheimer's and kidney failure diseases. The new dual nanosensing methodology has strong potential for miniaturization in a lab-on-a-chip platform for the screening of many protein biomarkers that have a disulfide bond structure.

Role of residence time on the transformation of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd attached to road dust in different land uses.

The adsorption behaviour of metals deposited on road surfaces undergo changes during dry weather periods, with the bioavailability varying compared to the original species, prior to incorporation in stormwater runoff. This study investigated the role of antecedent dry days on the transformation characteristics of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd attached to different geochemical forms of road dust, in order to predict potential stormwater quality impacts. The study outcomes showed that the exchangeable fraction generally decreased with the increase in antecedent dry days, but the reducible, oxidisable and residual fractions increased. This implies that there is a time-dependent transformation of weakly bound metals in road dust to more persistent chemical forms. The transformation rate of metals was found to be in the order of Pb > Cu > Zn > Cd. Significant changes in metal distribution among the geochemical fractions were observed up to seven dry days, suggesting that during the initial antecedent dry days, the transformations can be relatively more significant. Among the analysed metals, Cd present on road surfaces has a higher potential for being bioavailable during the antecedent dry days.

Heavy metals transport pathways: The importance of atmospheric pollution contributing to stormwater pollution.

Pollution has become a serious issue in the urban water environment as stormwater runoff transports a range of pollutants to receiving water bodies, undermining water quality and posing human and ecosystem health risks. Commonly, the primary focus of stormwater quality research is on the role of pollutants directly accumulating at the ground phase. However, atmospheric phase can also exert a significant impact on stormwater quality through atmospheric deposition. Unfortunately, only limited research has focused on the linkage between atmospheric and ground phases in relation to urban stormwater quality. The study discussed in this paper characterised the four primary transport pathways, atmospheric build-up (AB), atmospheric deposition (AD) and road surface build-up (BU) and wash-off (WO) in relation to heavy metals, which is a key urban stormwater pollutant. The research outcomes confirmed the direct linkage between atmospheric phase and ground phase and in turn the significance of atmospheric heavy metals as a contributing source to stormwater runoff pollution. Zn was the most dominant heavy metal in all four pathways. For the AB pathway, atmospheric heavy metal pollution on weekdays is more serious than weekends. For the AD pathway, dry atmospheric deposition of heavy metals is positively correlated to dry days, whilst wet (bulk) deposition is related to rainfall depth. For the BU pathway, heavy-duty vehicle traffic volume was found to be the most important source. For the WO pathway, industrial and commercial areas tend to produce higher heavy metal concentrations in stormwater runoff than residential areas. The study results will contribute to the creation of effective urban stormwater pollution mitigation strategies and thereby enhancing the quality of the urban water environment.

Multivariate linear regression model for source apportionment and health risk assessment of heavy metals from different environmental media.

The study evaluated source apportionment of heavy metals in vegetable samples from the potential sources of fertilizer, water and soil samples collected along the Changjiang River delta in China. The results showed that 25.72% of vegetable samples (Brassica chinensis L.) containing Pb, and Cd, Cu, Hg and Zn at relatively serious levels were from soil. Combined with principle component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA), the results of the spatial distribution of heavy metals in different environmental media indicated that fertilizer, water and soil were the main sources of heavy metals in vegetables. The results of multivariate linear regression (MLR) using partition indexes (P) showed that fertilizer contributed to 38.5%, 40.56%, 46.01%, 53.34% and 65.25% of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn contents in vegetables, respectively. In contrast, 44.58% of As, 32.57% of Hg and 32.83% of Pb in vegetables came from soil and 42.78% of Cd and 66.97% of Hg contents in vegetables came from the irrigation water. The results of PCA and CA verified that MLR using P was suitable for determining source apportionment in a vegetable. A health risk assessment was performed; As, Cd and Pb contributed to more than 75% of the total hazard quotient (THQ) values and total carcinogenic risk values (Risktotal) for adults and children through oral ingestion. More than 70% of the estimated THQ and Risktotal is contributed by water and fertilizer. Therefore, it is necessary to increase efforts in screening limits/levels of heavy metals in fertilizer and irrigation water and prioritize appropriate pollution management strategies.

Assessment of contamination and health risk of heavy metals in selected water bodies around gold mining areas in Ghana.

Heavy metal contamination of selected rivers in Ghana was studied as part of a bigger project aimed at setting background standard for heavy metals in the Ghanaian environment. Water samples were collected from major mining and eight pristine areas. The samples were acid digested with aqua-regia and analyzed with ICP-MS for As, Cd, Hg, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, Cr, Al, V, Co, Ni, and Pb. The average concentrations (mg/L) from the pristine sites ranged from 0.002 ± 0.00(As) to 0.929 ± 0.06 (Fe) and 0.002 ± 0.00 (Pb) to 20.355 ± 5.60 (Fe) from the mining sites. With the exception of Al, Fe, and Mn, the metals level were found to be within the WHO and USEPA guideline limits. Hazard quotients (HQ) for ingestion and dermal contact for pristine and mining samples ranged from 3.00E-04 (Cu) to 0.84 (Cr) and 2.40E-06 (Cu) to 7.44 (As), respectively. The carcinogenic risk (CR) for ingestion and dermal contact ranged from 5.03E-06 to 1.71E-07 (Cr) and 4.22E-08 to 1.44E-09 (Cr), respectively. Arsenic showed a CR value higher than the acceptable limit (1.8E-02) from the mining sites which poses carcinogenic health threat. Multicriteria ranking suggests Birim river (EAM) as the most contaminated. The pattern recognition and multicriteria approach in characterizing the heavy metal contamination (for the first time in the case of Ghana) from the various sites will provide fresh insights into the risk assessment of heavy metals in contaminated surface waters.

Comparing para-rowing set-ups on an ergometer using kinematic movement patterns of able-bodied rowers.

While numerous studies have investigated the biomechanics of able-bodied rowing, few studies have been completed with para-rowing set-ups. The purpose of this research was to provide benchmark data for handle kinetics and joint kinematics for able-bodied athletes rowing in para- rowing set-ups on an indoor ergometer. Able-bodied varsity rowers performed maximal trials in three para-rowing set-ups; Legs, Trunk and Arms (LTA), Trunk and Arms (TA) and Arms and Shoulders (AS) rowing. The handle force kinetics of the LTA stroke were comparable to the values for able-bodied literature. Lumbar flexion at the catch, extension at the finish and total range of motion were, however, greater than values in the literature for able-bodied athletes in the LTA set-up. Additionally, rowers in TA and AS set-ups utilised more extreme ranges of motion for lumbar flexion, elbow flexion and shoulder abduction than the LTA set-up. This study provides the first biomechanical values of the para-rowing strokes for researchers, coaches and athletes to use while promoting the safest training programmes possible for para-rowing.