Evaluation of potential human health risks from exposure to volatile organic compounds in contaminated urban groundwater in the Sava river aquifer, Belgrade, Serbia.

The oil pollutant in the Sava River aquifer in the residential area of Belgrade, Serbia was investigated in order to analyze the extent, origin and spatial distribution of the pollution, with the aim to estimate potential human health risks from exposure to the compounds detected. Analytical methods indicated that the dominant compounds in this oil pollutant were gasoline range organic compounds. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) were identified as compounds of concern and quantified by headspace gas chromatography. The concentrations of benzene measured at all sampling points were higher than the remediation value while the maximum concentrations of BTEX quantified were among the highest concentrations of these compounds reported in the petroleum-contaminated aquifers in the world. The assessment of the human health risks from exposure to BTEX-covered industrial scenario for adult receptors and residential scenario for adult receptors and children. The exposure routes analyzed were dermal contact with and ingestion of contaminated water, considering both cancer and non-cancer effects. The analysis of the lifetime incremental cancer risk indicated the potential for adverse health effects for human exposure at the investigated location, and because of that it was interpreted as an unacceptable risk level or risks of high priority which required immediate consideration for remedial measures at this location. A complete set of mitigation measures was proposed including: groundwater decontamination treatment, installation of filters for tap water, development of the system for monitoring of BTEX in the groundwater and development of the emergency response capacities at this location.

Phytoestrogen supplementation and body composition in postmenopausal women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Phytoestrogen-based medications are commonly used by menopausal women, and especially by obese postmenopausal women, to relieve menopausal symptoms. Substitution of animal with soy protein is often used in weight loss regimens, yet the effect of phytoestrogens, the main constituent of soy foods, on body composition is not completely understood. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the associations between phytoestrogen supplementation and body weight and the main parameters of body composition in postmenopausal women. A literature search was done using 5 electronic databases from inception to April 2018. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with postmenopausal women comparing phytoestrogen supplementation followed by usual diet and placebo were included in the present meta-analysis. From 5932 references, we identified 23 RCTs that met our inclusion criteria, with a total of 1880 postmenopausal women. No association was observed between phytoestrogen supplementation and body weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumference, total fat mass or percentage of body fat. However, the use of phytoestrogens supplementation was associated with a slight decrease in waist-hip ratio; the pooled mean difference was -0.01 cm (95%CI: -0.01 to -0.006). In subgroup analysis, we found a modest decrease in body weight with phytoestrogens supplementation compared with placebo in healthy postmenopausal women [pooled mean difference of changes -0.28 kg (95%CI: -0.52 to -0.04)] and in RCTs with a median number of participants of 66 or less [pooled mean difference of changes -0.49 kg (95%CI: -0.87 to -0.11)]. In contrast, phytoestrogen supplementation was associated with increased body weight in postmenopausal women with preexisting metabolic disorders (prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, prehypertension and hyperlipidemia) [pooled mean difference of changes: 0.78 kg (95%CI: 0.53-1.03)]. In addition, there were some indications that some types of phytoestrogens, such as daidzein, but not soy products or isoflavone mix, could lead to modest adverse changes in body composition in menopausal women. Therefore, future studies should investigate the potential adverse effects of phytoestrogen supplementation on body composition among postmenopausal women.

Treatment of a mud pit by bioremediation.

The mud generated from oil and natural gas drilling, presents a considerable ecological problem. There are still insufficient remedies for the removal and minimization of these very stable emulsions. Existing technologies that are in use, more or less successfully, treat about 20% of generated waste drilling mud, while the rest is temporarily deposited in so-called mud pits. This study investigated in situ bioremediation of a mud pit. The bioremediation technology used in this case was based on the use of naturally occurring microorganisms, isolated from the contaminated site, which were capable of using the contaminating substances as nutrients. The bioremediation was stimulated through repeated inoculation with a zymogenous microbial consortium, along with mixing, watering and biostimulation. Application of these bioremediation techniques reduced the concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons from 32.2 to 1.5 g kg(-1) (95% degradation) during six months of treatment.