Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) remediation during vermicomposting and composting: Mechanistic insights through PAH-budgeting.

Knowledge on the mechanism of earthworm-induced removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in vermicomposting systems and interaction with nutrient mineralization and microbial growth is scarce in literature. Moreover, the PAH accumulation capacity of Eudrilus eugeniae has not been studied. This research, therefore, investigates the apportionment dynamics of 13 PAH compounds in aerobic composting and vermicomposting (Eisenia fetida and E. eugeniae) systems using novel budget equations. The PAH removal efficiency of vermicomposting was significantly higher (2-threefold) than composting with concurrent microbial augmentation (p < 0.01). However, the 4-6 ring compounds reduced more significantly (30-50%) than the 3-ring PAHs (p < 0.01), and E. eugeniae was an equally competitive PAH-accumulator compared to E. fetida. The budget equations revealed that although the bioaccumulation capabilities of earthworms were retarded due to PAH exposure, earthworms facilitated PAH-immobilization in decomposed feedstock. A marked increase in bacterial, fungal, and actinomycetes proliferation in PAH-spiked vermibeds with parallel removal of the PAHs indicated that earthworm-induced microbial enrichment plays a vital role in PAH detoxification during vermicomposting. Correlation analyses strongly implied that earthworm-driven mineralization-humification balancing and microbial enrichment could be the critical mechanism of PAH remediation under vermicomposting.

Qualitative assessment of programmatic constraints in delivery of effective interventions for improving maternal nutrition in Bangladesh.

Introduction: Maternal undernutrition is highly prevalent in most of the developing countries. Prevalence of both extremes of maternal malnutrition (undernutrition and overweight/obesity) are common in those countries. For Bangladesh, the scenario is not different. The Government of Bangladesh recognises maternal nutrition as a public health priority and addresses the issue in its policies and programmes. We identified and analysed the existing maternal nutrition programmes and determined the bottlenecks in implementing the programmes in Bangladesh using qualitative approach. Methods: We followed a qualitative research approach and conducted 25 key informant interviews with the programme managers and policymakers, 10 in-depth interviews with the service providers and six focus group discussions with the pregnant women to identify the constraints of programme implementation. We analysed data using thematic and inductive approaches of qualitative research methods. Results: We have found that successful implementation of maternal nutrition intervention was being hampered by both the demand and supply side issues. On the demand side, major constraints were financial inability of the families to avail maternal nutrition-related services, ignorance of the family members and cultural barriers of using maternal nutrition-related services. Lack of priority and heavy workload of the service providers, lack of human resources, poor monitoring system, lack of medicine to supply and incoordination have been identified as major supply-side constraints in providing maternal nutrition-related interventions in Bangladesh. Conclusion: Both supply side and demand side issues are responsible for the existing bottlenecks in implementing maternal nutrition-related programmes in Bangladesh. Findings of this study will help the policymakers to learn about the programmatic constraints regarding maternal nutrition services in Bangladesh.

Eco-geological consequences of textile processing wastes: Risk assessment, elemental dissolution kinetics, and health hazard potential.

Although substantial quantities of toxic wastes are generated from textile industries, the characteristics of textile processing wastes (TPWs) have yet scantily been investigated from ecological and agricultural perspectives. Here, the eco-geological consequences of TPWs are evaluated by considering three types of sludges (i.e., silk fibre sludge (SFS), dye mixed silk processing sludge (DSPS), and cotton processing wastewater sludge (CPWS)). The predominance of certain components between different wastes (e.g., fibrous substances in silk industry wastes (i.e., SFS and DSPS) and amorphous materials in cotton processing wastes (i.e., CPWS)) is accounted for by the use of different raw materials in different industries. According to the FTIR and other characterization analyses, all three types of TPWs were rich in carbonaceous compounds and nutrients (e.g., CNPK) because of their biological origin. Further, high accumulation of toxic metals (e.g., Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Mn) was apparent with chemical-processing routes. The principal component analysis indicated strong relationships between certain environmental variables (e.g., moisture content and bulk density) and bioavailability of several metals (e.g., Cd, Zn, Cu, and Mn), while C levels in TPWs were tightly associated with Cr levels. According to the Visual MINTEQ model, the dissolution-precipitation dynamics of potentially toxic elements (e.g., Pb, Cr, and Zn) in TPWs are predicted to be controlled by the levels of phosphates/chlorides/sulphates in line with the textile processing steps employed in different factories. The great toxicity potential of CPWS (e.g., relative to SFS and DSPS) is recognized to pose significant metal-induced hazards to ecosystems and human health over time. Among the three TPWs, SFS could be prescribed for agricultural application after proper treatment (e.g., via valorization techniques) with the aid of its benign nature and high nutrient (Total N: 3.83%; available P: 118.6 mg kg-1) value.

Infection with Blastocystis spp. and its association with enteric infections and environmental enteric dysfunction among slum-dwelling malnourished adults in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Blastocystis spp. (Blastocystis) is a widely distributed gastrointestinal protist frequently reported in countries with tropical and sub-tropical climate. We sought to determine the factors associated with Blastocystis infection and investigate its role on biomarkers of intestinal health among slum-dwelling malnourished adults in Bangladesh. METHODOLOGY: Total 524 malnourished adults with a body mass index ≤18.5 kg/m2 were included in this analysis. Presence of Blastocystis in feces was evaluated by TaqMan Array Card assays. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Blastocystis was tested positive in 78.6% of the participants. Prevalence of infection with atypical strains of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) (56% vs. 38%, p<0.001), and Trichuris trichiura (28% vs. 15%, p-value = 0.02) was significantly greater in adults with Blastocystis, while Giardia intestinalis was significantly lower (8% vs. 14%, p-value = 0.04) in Blastocystis positive adults. Malnourished adults who were living in households with high crowding index (aOR = 2.18; 95% CI = 1.11, 4.65; p-value = 0.03), and infected with aEPEC (aOR = 2.14; 95% CI = 1.35, 3.44; p-value = 0.001) and Trichuris trichiura (aOR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.08, 3.77; p = 0.03) were more likely to be infected with Blastocystis. A significant negative relationship was observed between Blastocystis and fecal concentrations of alpha-1 antitrypsin (ß = -0.1; 95% CI = -1.7, -0.1; p-value<0.001) and Reg1B (ß = -3.6; 95% CI = -6.9, -3.0; p-value = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest that the presence of Blastocystis in human intestine influences gut health and may have potential pathogenic role in presence of other pathogens.

Gender disparity in care-seeking behaviours and treatment outcomes for dehydrating diarrhoea among under-5 children admitted to a diarrhoeal disease hospital in Bangladesh: an analysis of hospital-based surveillance data.

INTRODUCTION: Despite economic development and augmented literacy rates, Bangladeshi households are still discriminating against girls when it comes to seeking medical care. We examined gender disparities in diarrhoeal disease severity and the treatment outcomes of under-5 children. SETTING: A tertiary level diarrhoeal disease hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. PARTICIPANTS: 13 361 under-5 children admitted to the hospital between January 2008 and December 2017. OUTCOME VARIABLES AND METHODS: The primary outcome of interest was severity of diarrhoea, defined as 'dehydrating diarrhoea' or 'non-dehydrating diarrhoea'. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between 'gender' and admission to hospital for dehydrating diarrhoea. RESULTS: Data on 13 321 children under 5 years of age were analysed, of whom 61.5% were male and 38.5% were female. The mean (±SD) age of children with diarrhoea was 5.63 (±3.49) months. The median distance travelled to come to the hospital for admission was 10 miles (IQR: 6-25) and was significantly higher for boys (10 miles, IQR: 6-25) than girls (9.5 miles, IQR: 6-23) (p<0.001). Girls had 1.11 times higher odds (adjusted OR: 1.11, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.20, p=0.007) of presenting with dehydrating diarrhoea than boys at the time of hospital admission. Almost 20% of children received two or more medications during the period of hospital admission and this did not differ by gender. The median duration of hospital stay was 11 hours and was similar in both sexes. No gender-based disparity was observed in the management of diarrhoea and in the hospital outcome of children. CONCLUSION: We found that girls were more likely to have dehydrating diarrhoea when they were presented to the Dhaka hospital of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. No gender-based disparity was observed in the hospital outcome of children.

Evidence of gut enteropathy and factors associated with undernutrition among slum-dwelling adults in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Adult undernutrition (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) is responsible for immune deficits, increased risk of disease burden, and higher rates of mortality. The prevalence of adult undernutrition in Bangladesh is substantial, but there have been few studies on the etiology of this condition for the inhabitants of urban slums. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with undernutrition among slum-dwelling adults in Bangladesh. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in the Bauniabadh area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. 270 adult participants (135 cases with a BMI <18.5 and 135 controls with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9) aged 18-45 y were enrolled between October 2018 and January 2019. Sociodemographic variables, dietary diversity, micronutrient deficiencies, psychological symptoms, infection, and biomarkers of gut health were assessed to identify the factors associated with undernutrition using multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A higher number of siblings [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.39; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.77], increased self-reporting questionnaire-20 score (an instrument to screen mental health disorders and detect psychological symptoms) (aOR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.23), elevated fecal concentration of α-1 antitrypsin (aOR: 4.82; 95% CI: 1.01, 25.29), and anemia (aOR: 3.63; 95% CI: 1.62, 8.58) were positively associated with undernutrition in adults. Age (aOR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.84, 0.96), dietary diversity score (aOR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.56, 0.99), C-reactive protein (aOR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.92), Helicobacter pylori infection (aOR: 0.11; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.23), and always washing hands before eating or preparing foods (aOR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.87) were associated with reduced odds of undernutrition among the study population. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that undernutrition in slum-dwelling adults in Bangladesh is associated with numerous physiological and sociodemographic factors, including evidence of gastrointestinal inflammation and altered intestinal permeability.

Factors and Inequality of Underweight and Overweight among Women of Reproductive Age in Myanmar: Evidence from the Demographic Health Survey 2015-2016.

(1) Background: This study aims to identify the factors of underweight and overweight/obesity among reproductive age (15-49 years) women in Myanmar, and assess the level of inequity in the double burden of malnutrition. (2) Methods: The study used Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey 2015-2016 data. Multinomial logistic regression models were fitted to identify the factors affecting underweight and overweight/obesity; and concentration indices (CI) were estimated to assess socioeconomic inequalities. (3) Results: A total of 12,643 reproductive age women were included in the analysis. Higher risk of underweight was found in women aged 20-29 years, aged 30-39 years, and 40-49 years compared to women aged 15-19 years; women who were unemployed or had manual occupation relative to those in non-manual employment. Women aged 40-49 years (compared to those who were 15-29 years); had primary education, and secondary education (compared to those who had no education); being married, and widowed/divorced/separated (compared to being never married); belonging to the poor quintile, middle quintile, richer, richest quintile (compared to the poorest quintile); having residence in urban areas (compared to rural areas) and in Kachin, Taninthayi, Yangon province (than those who lived in Naypytiaw province) had a higher risk of being overweight/obese. Socioeconomic inequalities were detected, with overweight/obesity strongly concentrated (CI: 0.19) amongst the higher quintiles and underweight concentrated (CI: -0.060) amongst the poorest. (4) Conclusions: Equity oriented nutrition interventions with a focus on improving the socioeconomic status of poor households may benefit undernourished women, while richer households should be focused to curb the overweight/obesity problem.

Prevalence and sociodemographic determinants of household-level double burden of malnutrition in Bangladesh.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and sociodemographic determinants of household-level mother-child double burden (MCDB) of malnutrition in Bangladesh. DESIGN: The analysis was done using Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014 data. Multivariable logistic regression identified the sociodemographic factors associated with double-burden households. SETTING: Nationally representative cross-sectional survey.ParticipantsA total of 5951 households were included in the analysis. RESULTS: A coexistence of overweight or obese mother and underweight or stunted or wasted child (OWOBM/USWC) was found in 6·3 % households. The prevalence of overweight or obese mother and underweight child (OWOBM/UWC) was 3·8 %, of overweight or obese mother and stunted child (OWOBM/STC) was 4·7 %, and of overweight or obese mother and wasted child (OWOBM/WSC) was 1·7 %. Mother's age 21-25 years at first birth, middle wealth index group, having two or three children and having four or more children showed statistically significant (P<0·05) associations with OWOBM/UWC. Households with mother's age 21-25 years at first birth, middle wealth index group, no exposure to information media, having two or three children and having four or more children had higher odds of OWOBM/STC and OWOBM/USWC which were statistically significant (P<0·05). Delivery of child through caesarean section was significantly associated with OWOBM/USWC (P<0·05). CONCLUSIONS: Although the prevalence of MCDB of malnutrition in Bangladesh is low, prevention programmes must consider the nutrition concerns of the entire household to prevent future risks. Such programmes also need to be tagged with family planning and increasing awareness through social and behaviour change counselling and exposure to information media.

Environmental footprints of brick kiln bottom ashes: Geostatistical approach for assessment of metal toxicity.

Coal fired brick kiln factories generate significant of brick kiln bottom ash (BKBA) that contaminate soil and water environments of areas near the dumping sites through leaching of toxic metals (Pb, Cr, Cd, Zn, Mn, and Cu). However, characteristics and environmental effects of BKBAs are yet unknown. We collected BKBA samples from 32 strategic locations of two rapidly developing States (West Bengal and Assam) of India. Scanning electron microscope images indicated spherical and granular structures of BKBAs produced in West Bengal (WBKBA) and Assam (ABKBA) respectively; while energy dispersive spectroscopy and analytical assessments confirmed substantial occurrence of total organic C and nutrient elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S) in both the BKBAs. FTIR analysis revealed greater predominance of organic matter in ABKBAs than WBKBAs. Occurrence of toxic metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, Mn, and Cu) was higher in ABKBAs than in WBKBAs; while organic and residual fractions of metals were highly predominant in most of the BKBAs. Principal component analysis showed that metal contents and pH were the major distinguishing characteristics of the BKBAs generated in the two different environmental locations. Human health risk associated with BKBAs generated in Assam is of significant concern. Finally, geo-statistical tools enabled to predict the spatial distribution patterns of toxic metals contributed by the BKBAs in Assam and West Bengal respectively. Assessment of contamination index, geo-accumulation index, and ecological risk index revealed some BKBAs to be more toxic than others.