Assessment of the environmental acceptability of potential artificial reef materials using two ecotoxicity tests: Luminescent bacteria and sea urchin embryogenesis.

Ecotoxicological analysis of construction products is a relatively unexplored area at international level. Aquatic toxicity tests on construction products has been recommended recently for freshwater environment. However, the biological effects of alternative materials on marine ecosystem are still not considered. In this study, the main aim was to assess the environmental impact of alternative mortars proposed as artificial reefs (ARs) materials. The ARs specimens were developed by 3D printing, based on cement and geopolymer mortars using recycled sands of glass and seashells. For this purpose, a leaching test and two different toxicity bioassays, luminosity reduction of marine bacteria Vibrio fischeri (Microtox®) and the success of embryo-larval development of sea-urchin Paracentrotus lividus, were conducted. From the leaching results it should be noted that the mobility of all trace elements considered in both, raw materials and mortars, meet the inert landfill limits, except As, Mo, Se or Sb in the leachates geopolymer mortars. However, the results obtained from the both bioassays show low environmental acceptability for those mortars containing shell sand, probably due to the degradation of the organic matter adhered to the shells. On the other hand, cement mortars obtain better results than geopolymer mortars, regardless of the aggregate used, showing certain consistency with the leaching behaviour, since they present the lowest mobility of trace chemical elements. Therefore, the results supporting the environmental acceptability of its potential use as alternative materials in the production of ARs.

Designing better input support programs: Lessons from zinc subsidies in Andhra Pradesh, India.

India has one of the largest agricultural input support programs in the world, delivered in the form of subsidies to farmers, raising concerns about its sustainability. This paper evaluates the performance of one such support, the micronutrient subsidy program in the state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and presents a case for providing this support in the form of direct cash transfers. Under the program, key soil micronutrients- zinc, boron, and gypsum were distributed free of cost to farmers living in micronutrient-deficient areas, with identification and targeting managed entirely by the state. We survey 1621 farmers, 61 agriculture extension officers, and 78 agriculture input dealers to assess the efficacy of the program and to identify bottlenecks preventing effective targeting, with a focus on zinc. We find that use of non-subsidized zinc is high in AP, and awareness of benefits of zinc and physical access to input dealer shops are significant predictors of zinc use. We argue that the free provision of micronutrients may have created demand among farmers, but there is little justification to continue subsidizing such a program at such high rates or resorting to public distribution. We find that micronutrient procurement and distribution has become a burden on extension staff and crowds out the private sector. Our analysis shows that the subsidy can benefit more farmers if it is channeled through the network of private fertilizer dealers. We use administrative data on budgetary outlays and digital soil maps to suggest fiscal redistribution in the form of direct cash transfers that may ensure more effective targeting at a lower cost to the state.

The Use of Trace and Essential Elements in Common Clinical Disorders: Roles in Assessment of Health and Oxidative Stress Status.

During the early life, the diet of infants is mainly dominated by milk. Milk is a natural food rich in trace elements focus on essential elements. These elements are very necessary for human metabolism and since they cannot be synthesized by the body, the only source available for the humans to obtain them is by ingestion of natural food. This mini-review aims at updating the knowledge on trace elements, outlining their natural food sources, and their possible implications in common clinical disorders in early and adult life. However, it was found that consumption of food with micronutrients and trace elements may release intracellular compounds and offer oxidative protection or exacerbate oxidative damage to metabolically compromised cells.

Socio-demographic predictors and reasons for vitamin and/or mineral food supplement use in a group of outpatients in Skopje.

BACKGROUND: Vitamins and/or mineral food supplements (VMS) are mono- or multi-component products prepared in different pharmaceutical forms and categorized as food supplements. Numerous researchers have investigated the epidemiological predictors of use of VMS in population. Data of this kind in our setting are limited. AIMS: This survey aimed to gain information on the prevalence of use, certain sociodemographic predictors and reasons for VMS use in a group of 256 outpatients in Skopje. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was designed as an open-ended, cross-sectional survey. Data on VMS use were collected by survey method with a specially designed questionnaire as an instrument for this research. Appropriate statistical tests were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Data from 256 outpatients from Skopje were analysed. Of them, one hundred and five (41.02%) reported using VMS. Female outpatients (p<0.01) and participants of Macedonian ethnicity (p<0.01), with a higher educational level (p<0.01) and those having their own income (p<0.05) reported significantly higher consumption of VMS. We found a statistically significant difference between the group of users and non-users of VMS regarding smoking status (p<0.05), alcohol consumption (p<0.05) and presence of a chronic disease (p<0.01). Physicians, magazines and friends were the most common source of information on VMS while maintaining good health and prevention of disease was the most common reasons for the use of these products. Only 63% of the users had disclosed the information on taking VMS to their physicians. CONCLUSION: This research provided an insight into VMS in our setting. Predictors on the use of VMS are of interest since these products contribute to total intake of vitamins and minerals in the population and they represent a source of valuable information when planning public health activities.

Essentiality and toxicity in copper health risk assessment: overview, update and regulatory considerations.

Copper (Cu), an essential element required as a cofactor and/or structural component of numerous metalloenzymes, is uniquely positioned as a case study for issues associated with the essential metals health risk assessment, because of its extensive database. Essential elements pose distinct challenges when establishing regulatory guidelines because too little as well as too much intake can produce adverse health consequences and the dose-response curve is roughly U-shaped. Thus, conventional health risk assessment paradigms do not apply to essential elements; the dose-response assessment needs to define an acceptable range of oral intake (AROI) which prevents deficiency by meeting nutritional requirements while avoiding toxicity due to high intakes. The conceptual framework for this type of risk assessment includes consideration of biological processes that are unique to essential elements-homeostasis, basal and normative nutritional requirements, bioavailability, and nutrient-nutrient interactions. In this paper, the Cu database on physiology, deficiency, and excess is briefly reviewed in order to establish the range of potential health hazards associated with varying levels of intake. Issues discussed include the (1) development of suitable dose-response methodologies, including appropriate dose and response metrics, for Cu; (2) categorization of severity of response and functional significance; (3) use of endpoints of similar severity and functionality for deficiency and excess in dose-response assessment; (4) development of valid biomarkers for subclinical effects, exposures and susceptibilities. Guideline values for Cu intake have been established by nutritional and toxicologic regulatory or advisory boards. Although regulators are more concerned with the potential human toxicity arising from excessive Cu intake, the preponderance of evidence suggests that deficiency is more of a public health concern than excess.

Risk assessment of an essential element: manganese.

Manganese (Mn) is an essential element for humans, animals, and plants and is required for growth, development, and maintenance of health. Mn is present in most tissues of all living organisms and is present naturally in rocks, soil, water, and food. High-dose oral, parenteral, or inhalation exposures are associated with increased tissue Mn levels that may lead to development of adverse neurological, reproductive, or respiratory effects. Manganese-induced clinical neurotoxicity is associated with a motor dysfunction syndrome commonly referred to as manganism. Because Mn is an essential element and absorption and excretion are homeostatically regulated, a reasonable hypothesis is that there should be no adverse effects at low exposures. Therefore, there should be a threshold for exposure, below which adverse effects may occur only rarely, if at all, and the frequency of occurrence of adverse effects may increase with higher exposures above that threshold. Lowest-observed-adverse-effect levels (LOAELs), no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs), and benchmark dose levels (BMDs) have been derived from studies that were conducted to evaluate subclinical neurotoxicity in human occupational cohorts exposed to Mn. Although there is some uncertainty about the predictive value of the subclinical neuromotor or neurobehavioral effects that were observed in these occupational cohort studies, results of the neurological tests were used in risk assessments to establish guidelines and regulations for ambient air levels of Mn in the environment. A discussion of the uncertainties associated with these tests is provided in this review. The application of safety and uncertainty factors result in guidelines for ambient air levels that are lower than the LOAELs, NOAELs, or BMDs from occupational exposure studies by an order of magnitude, or more. Specific early biomarkers of effect, such as subclinical neurobehavioral or neurological changes or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes, have not been established or validated for Mn, although some studies attempted to correlate certain biomarkers with neurological effects. Pharmacokinetic studies with rodents and monkeys provide valuable information about the absorption, bioavailability, and tissue distribution of various Mn compounds with different solubilities and oxidation states in different age groups. These pharmacokinetic studies showed that rodents and primates maintain stable tissue Mn levels as a result of homeostatic mechanisms that tightly regulate absorption and excretion of ingested Mn and limit tissue uptake at low to moderate levels of inhalation exposure. In addition, physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models are being developed to provide for the ability to conduct route-to-route extrapolations, evaluate nasal uptake to the central nervous system (CNS), and determine life-stage differences in Mn pharmacokinetics. Such models will facilitate more rigorous quantitative analysis of the available human pharmacokinetic data for Mn and will be used to identify situations that may lead to increased brain accumulation related to altered Mn kinetics in different human populations, and to develop quantitatively accurate predictions of elevated Mn levels that may serve as a basis of dosimetry-based risk assessments. Such dosimetry-based risk assessments will permit for the development of more scientifically refined and robust recommendations, guidelines, and regulations for Mn levels in the ambient environment and occupational settings.

Essentiality, toxicity, and uncertainty in the risk assessment of manganese.

Risk assessments of manganese by inhalation or oral routes of exposure typically acknowledge the duality of manganese as an essential element at low doses and a toxic metal at high doses. Previously, however, risk assessors were unable to describe manganese pharmacokinetics quantitatively across dose levels and routes of exposure, to account for mass balance, and to incorporate this information into a quantitative risk assessment. In addition, the prior risk assessment of inhaled manganese conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified a number of specific factors that contributed to uncertainty in the risk assessment. In response to a petition regarding the use of a fuel additive containing manganese, methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT), the U.S. EPA developed a test rule under the U.S. Clean Air Act that required, among other things, the generation of pharmacokinetic information. This information was intended not only to aid in the design of health outcome studies, but also to help address uncertainties in the risk assessment of manganese. To date, the work conducted in response to the test rule has yielded substantial pharmacokinetic data. This information will enable the generation of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models capable of making quantitative predictions of tissue manganese concentrations following inhalation and oral exposure, across dose levels, and accounting for factors such as duration of exposure, different species of manganese, and changes of age, gender, and reproductive status. The work accomplished in response to the test rule, in combination with other scientific evidence, will enable future manganese risk assessments to consider tissue dosimetry more comprehensively than was previously possible.

Risk assessment practice for essential metals.

This article addresses the content of the workshop, including a panel discussion relevant to delineation of a path forward in relation to risk assessment of essential metals. The state of the art of risk assessment and associated issues for essential metals are outlined initially, followed by brief illustration by the case studies considered at the workshop (i.e., copper, zinc, and manganese). Approaches for the future testing strategies of essential metals are discussed in terms of options to increase efficiency and accuracy of assessments. Subsequently, recommendations for pragmatic next steps to advance progress and facilitate uptake by the regulatory risk assessment community are presented.

Methods of assessment of iodine status in humans: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Biomarkers of iodine status are required to study iodine deficiency disorders in different parts of the world and to evaluate the effects of fortification strategies. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the usefulness of biomarkers of iodine status in humans by systematically reviewing intervention studies that altered iodine status. DESIGN: We performed a structured search for iodine intervention studies on Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE (Ovid), and the Cochrane Library. Studies were assessed for inclusion and validity, with independent duplication. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-one intervention studies (12 randomized controlled trials, 3 controlled clinical trials, and 6 before-after studies) were included in the review. Urinary iodine (in children and adolescents and in those with low and moderate baseline iodine status), thyroglobulin (in children and adolescents but not in pregnant and lactating women), serum thyroxine (in children and adolescents, adults, women, and those with moderate baseline thyroxine status but not in pregnant and lactating women), and serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (in pregnant and lactating women but not in children and adolescents or those at moderate baseline status), but not triiodothyronine, proved to be useful biomarkers of iodine status. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high risk of bias of many of the included studies, the results suggested that urinary iodine, thyroglobin, serum thyroxine, and thyroid-stimulating hormone are useful biomarkers of iodine status, at least in some groups. High-quality controlled studies measuring relevant long-term outcomes are needed to address which biomarker is the most appropriate for assessing iodine intake in some population groups and settings.

Methods of assessment of selenium status in humans: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: To understand the effect of selenium intake on health, it is important to identify sensitive and population-specific biomarkers of selenium status. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review was to assess the usefulness of biomarkers of selenium status in humans. DESIGN: The methods included a structured search strategy on Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE (Ovid), and Cochrane databases; formal inclusion and exclusion criteria; data extraction into an Access database; validity assessment; and meta-analysis. RESULTS: The data from 18 selenium supplementation studies (of which 9 were randomized controlled trials and 1 was considered to be at low risk of bias) indicate that plasma, erythrocyte, and whole-blood selenium, plasma selenoprotein P, and plasma, platelet, and whole-blood glutathione peroxidase activity respond to changes in selenium intake. Although there is a substantial body of data for plasma selenium, more large, high-quality, randomized controlled trials are needed for this biomarker, as well as for the other biomarkers, to explore the reasons for heterogeneity in response to selenium supplementation. There was insufficient evidence to assess the usefulness of other potential biomarkers of selenium status, including urinary selenium, plasma triiodothyroxine:thyroxine ratio, plasma thyroxine, plasma total homocysteine, hair and toenail selenium, erythrocyte, and muscle glutathione peroxidase activity. CONCLUSIONS: For all potentially useful biomarkers, more information is needed to evaluate their strengths and limitations in different population groups, including the effects of varying intakes, the duration of intervention, baseline selenium status, and possible confounding effects of genotype.

Haemophilic arthropathy: the importance of the earliest haemarthroses and consequences for treatment.

In a case of massive bleeding, the possibility of puncturing the joint can be considered to reduce the total load of intra-articular blood, and thus the total load of iron which, in time, can be found in the synovium with devastating long-term effects. Subsequent initiation of prophylaxis, still very early in life, might be more beneficial for the preservation of joints. Thus, it might be argued that the initiation of primary prophylaxis should be based on joint haemorrhage history rather than age and, according to some authors, preferably after the bleed in a single joint. The high cost of recombinant factor VIII may make widespread acceptance of prophylaxis impractical. Thus, beneficial results should be balanced with cost considerations. In this balance of treatment cost and efficacy, it must be taken into account that improperly treated haemophilia patients make great demands on healthcare systems (in terms of costs) because of their need for additional treatments such as expensive joint replacement surgery. However, where resources are limited, it can be argued that prophylaxis may be stopped in adulthood, in a certain proportion of all adult patients, with acceptable consequences for orthopaedic outcome in the long term. By doing so, limited amounts of clotting factor can be used for young patients with optimal cost effectiveness.

[Multipurpose assessment of organic forms of essential trace elements: zinc, copper, manganese, chromium in vitro and in vivo experiments].

There are received new food source of essential trace elements (zinc, copper, manganese, chromium) in organic form as complexes with enzymatic hydrolysates of some food proteins (whole cow's milk, cow's milk whey, soybean protein isolates and egg's albumen). The findings of physicochemical, immunochemical, toxicological and allergological investigations may serve as a basis for supplying the obtained new source of essential trace elements in prophylactic and clinical nutrition of subjects with microelement deficiency.

Elevated maintenance costs in an anuran (Rana catesbeiana) exposed to a mixture of trace elements during the embryonic and early larval periods.

We investigated the relationship between maintenance costs (standard metabolic rates, measured as O2 consumption at rest) in tadpoles of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, and exposure to contaminants in a coal ash-polluted habitat (characterized by a variety of trace elements). We compared metabolic rates of tadpoles collected from the polluted site with those from an unpolluted reference pond. Tadpoles collected in the polluted site had 40%-97% higher standard metabolic rates than those collected from the reference pond. We also reciprocally transplanted eggs of the bullfrog between the polluted site and another reference pond and compared standard metabolic rates of tadpoles at 25 and 80 d posthatching. Metabolic rates of tadpoles raised in the polluted site were from 39% to 175% higher than those raised in a reference pond, depending on tadpole age and temperature at which metabolic rates were measured. There were no effects of site of origin of the eggs (polluted or unpolluted) on metabolic rates. Survival to hatching did not differ between sites, although survival to the end of the experiment (80 d posthatching) was lower in the polluted area than in the reference site. Surviving tadpoles were larger in wet body mass in the polluted site than in the reference pond, possibly due to lower survival in the former, but there was no relationship between survival and metabolic rate. It is clear that some feature of the polluted habitat was responsible for causing substantial elevation of standard metabolic rates of tadpoles. We hypothesize that the mixture of trace elements present in sediment and water in the polluted site was responsible for the observed physiological differences.

[A new method for assessment of mental performance during simultaneous, quantitative, topographical electroencephalometry and psychometry in pharmacology. Proof of the effect of a combination of biogenic amines, vitamins, minerals and trace elements]. / Neue Wege zur Beurteilung der mentalen Leistungsfähigkeit mittels simultaner topographischer Elektroenzephalometrie und Psychometrie in der Pharmakologie. Nachweis des Einflusses einer Wirkstoffkombination aus biogenem Amin, Vitaminen, Mineralstoffen und Spurenelementen.

Assessment of the Mental Performance during Simultaneous Quantitative Topographical Electroencephalometry and Psychometry in Pharmacology/Proof of influence of a biogenic amine-vitamin combination. The aim of this study was to verify the effect of a combination medicine (Vita-Gerin-Geistlich) on the human EEG pattern during psychometric (cognitive) tests given to 43 patients with poor concentration and thinking problems. A randomised, parallel, placebo-controlled double-blind study was performed. Applying 17-channel quantitative electroencephalometry and psychometric tests simultaneously this study revealed a test-dependent increase in absolute spectral EEG power in the delta and theta frequency bands, mainly observed in the frontotemporal cortex. After 8 weeks the increase in EEG power differed significantly with respect to taking placebo and verum (1 capsule/day). Verum caused a stronger rise in spectral delta and theta power, the psychometric test performance also improved. Both effects could be verified statistically. The novel EEG-controlled psychometric test set (enabling artefact-free EEG recording during psychometric tests) which was developed and used in this study represents a valid tool for future pharmacological research.