Balneoprevention: new approaches.

The present study outlines a strategy for studying application of balneotreatment in preventive medicine (balneoprevention). Prophylactic use of spa treatment and mineral water consumption can be studied using epidemiological methods in the involved population. Calculated toxicological risk of balneological treatment can be decreased by performing a complete chemical analysis (including high performance organic analyses) and specific toxicity tests of medicinal water and mud (peloid) samples.

Comparative assessment of genotoxicity of mineral water packed in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and glass bottles.

The potential migration of genotoxic compounds into mineral water stored in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles was evaluated by an integrated chemical/biological approach using short-term toxicity/genotoxicity tests and chemical analysis. Six commercial brands of still and carbonated mineral water bottled in PET and in glass were stored at 40 degrees C for 10 days in a stove according to the standard EEC total migration test (82/711/EEC), or at room temperature in the dark. After treatment, the samples were analysed using gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to detect volatile and non-volatile compounds, the Microtox test to evaluate potential toxicity of the samples, and three mutagenicity tests -Tradescantia and Allium cepa micronucleus tests and the Comet assay on human leukocytes - to detect their genotoxic activity. GC/MS analysis did not detect phthalates or acetaldehyde in the water samples. The Microtox test found no toxic effects. Mutagenicity tests detected genotoxic properties of some samples in both PET and glass bottles. Statistical analyses showed a positive association between mineral content and mutagenicity (micronuclei in A. cepa and DNA damage in human leukocytes). No clear effect of treatment and PET bottle was found. These results suggest the absence of toxic compounds migrating from PET regardless of time and conditions of storage. In conclusion, bottle material and stove treatment were not associated with the genotoxic properties of the water; the genotoxic effects detected in bottled water may be related to the characteristics of the water (minerals and CO(2) content).

The evaluation of toxicity and mutagenicity of various drinking waters in the human blood lymphocytes (HULYs) in vitro.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the toxic and mutagenic effects of bottled purified and natural spring waters for drinking. The study presents the genotoxicologic results of drinking water samples packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. Genotoxic agents have the potential to interact with DNA and may cause DNA damage. Endpoints analyzed included mitotic index (MI), replication index (RI), and sister chromatid exchange (SCE). An analysis of variance test (ANOVA) was performed to evaluate the results. A significant decrease in MI and RI was observed compared with negative control cultures, respectively, (p<0.05, p<0.01). It is found that SCE frequency increases compared with negative control. There is no significant difference between negative control and drinking water samples and among drinking water samples for sister chromatid exchange induction (p>0.05).

Evaluation of toxic chemical parameters and ecotoxicity levels in bottled mineral waters.

Heavy metals, phthalates, characterizing elements, CO2 concentrations and pH and hardness levels were measured in forty samples of bottled mineral waters. In some samples arsenic, manganese, mercury and selenium were present in higher concentrations than permitted by Italian law. No significant release of phthalates from containers in PET was observed. In the same samples, toxicity tests with Daphnia magna were carried out. Toxicity levels, expressed as % of immobile organisms, ranged from 0 to 100%; generally the highest toxicity values were found in the hardwaters.

[Experimental base for use of low-mineral water with a high concentration of organic substances in balneological practice].

Experimental evidence on stability of chemical composition (1991-2004), toxic and skin-irritating, mitotic and mutagenic, bacterio- and fungostatic actions of low-mineral water "Salekhard" with a high concentration of organic substances justifies initiation of clinical trials of therapeutic effects of this novel balneological factor in different diseases (locomotor, nervous, cardiovascular, cutaneous, etc.).

Pharmaco-toxicological screening of commercially available Italian natural mineral waters.

The consumption of natural mineral water has increased enormously during the past few years, yet doubts are arising about the real utility of using such water instead of ordinary drinking water (tap water). Mineral water's 'special' mineral composition might have properties favourable to health, which should be assessed by clinical and pharmacological analyses. A comparative pharmaco-toxicological study was performed on 14 commercially available Italian natural mineral waters with a wide range of mineral content. The waters were microbiologically analysed and the Allium cepa test done; in addition, Irwin, charcoal meal and diuresis tests were also performed on laboratory animals. No toxicological signs were recorded at the Allium cepa assay for any but the water with the highest mineral content. The diuretic effect was comparable to that of control tap water. Waters with high magnesium content significantly enhanced intestinal motility while at the Irwin test none of the water samples evoked behavioural changes. All the tested samples were microbiologically pure. In conclusion, mineral water can be an alternative to aqueduct water in places where the latter comes from superficial water and has to be subjected to hard potabilisation techniques; water from the 'Acqua Marcia' aqueduct (control) was found to have characteristics comparable to the mineral waters studied.

[Morphofunctional characteristics of the thyroid and a change in the level of thyroid hormones in the blood from the internal use of boron-containing waters]. / Morfofunktsional'naia kharakteristika shchitovidnoi zhelezy i izmenenia urovnia tireoidnykh gormonov v krovi pri vnutrennem primenenii borsoderzhashchikh vod.

It has been established that intake of waters identical by Br concentrations (250 mg/l) but different by an ion-salt base leads to various structural changes of the thyroid at the tissue, cellular and subcellular levels. Artificial Br-containing water induces more pronounced shifts correlating with T3 and T4, blood concentrations. The ion-salt base was found essential in the mechanism of action of Br-containing water.