Comparative Study of Heavy Metal Blood Serum Level Between Organic and Conventional Farmers in Eastern Taiwan.

Numerous studies have indicated that organic fertilizers (OFer) might contain heavy metals (HMs) that present health risks to organic farmers (OFar). This study compared the concentrations of six HMs (Zn, Ni, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr) in the blood of two distinct groups of farmers: 30 OFar from a designated organic area in eastern Taiwan, and 74 conventional farmers (CFar) from neighboring non-organic designated regions. The findings revealed that the OFar exhibited higher levels of Zn (1202.70 ± 188.74 µg/L), Cr (0.20 ± 0.09 µg/L), and Ni (2.14 ± 1.48 µg/L) in their blood compared to the CFar (988.40 ± 163.16 µg/L, 0.18 ± 0.15 µg/L, and 0.77 ± 1.23 µg/L), respectively. The disparities in Zn, Cr, and Ni levels were measured at 214.3 µg/L, 0.02 µg/L, and 1.37 µg/L, respectively. Furthermore, among the OFar, those who utilized green manures (GM) displayed significantly elevated blood levels of Zn (1279.93 ± 156.30 µg/L), Cr (0.24 ± 0.11 µg/L), and Ni (1.94 ± 1.38 µg/L) compared to individuals who exclusively employed chemical fertilizers (CFer) (975.42 ± 165.35 µg/L, 0.19 ± 0.16 µg/L, and 0.74 ± 1.20 µg/L), respectively. The differences in Zn, Cr, and Ni levels were measured at 304.51 µg/L, 0.05 µg/L, and 1.20 µg/L, respectively. As a result, OFar should be careful in choosing OFer and avoid those that may have heavy metal contamination.

Sexuality and Quality of Life in Eastern Taiwan People With Schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with schizophrenia are living at the border of society and their sexuality is often neglected. The aim of the study is to explore the association among The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), quality of life (QoL), Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire, and Sexual Desire Inventory in people with schizophrenia (PwS). METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional design with 277 psychiatric inpatients. A descriptive analysis, difference analysis, and logistic regression model were presented to identify relevant variables that may affect the probability of good QoL. RESULTS: The study showed that male PwS had higher scores of standard deviation (SD) than females in PwS. The study also showed that smoking, early illness onset age, and shorter illness duration demonstrated a significantly higher SD. The logistic regression analysis showed that BPRS, depression, and SD significantly affected the probability of QoL. By structural equation model, SD would be positively correlated with mental status and SD would indirectly influence QoL. CONCLUSION: Our results showed psychological and sociological factors interactions may contribute to the QoL and SD for PwS. This study also demonstrated a close relationship between SD, depression, and BPRS. These factors may predict the probability of good life quality for the PwS.