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This study examined the health impacts of O3 in Ahvaz (Iran). Ozone data were obtained from the Iranian Environmental Protection Agency and the time series were analyzed while the health endpoints from O3 exposure were calculated using the Air Q model. The time series analysis showed that air pollutants levels were associated with five steps delay of O3 and zero step delay of moving average ARMA (5, 0). The results of Air Q model revealed cumulative cases of cardiovascular mortality and myocardial infarction related to surface O3 . The number of cases attributable to O3 exposure for cardiovascular mortality and myocardial infarction were estimated at 182 and 51 people per year, respectively. The finding of this study showed that, the distribution of O3 data has a correlated structure over time. Ground-level O3 was found to be positively correlated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and acute myocardial infarction in Ahvaz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study compared the prevalence of intestinal helminths in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) intervention and non-intervention communities in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Methods Stool samples were collected from 225 respondents in a study carried out between July and November, 2014. Stool samples were examined for presence of helminths using Formol-Ether concentration method. Data collected from stool samples were analyzed using SPSS for Windows (version 16). Results Results showed that, at the intervention community, 88 out of 113 respondents were infected with at least one helminth infection while at non-intervention community, 80 out of 112 respondents were infected. This result revealed overall helminth prevalence of 78% at Mawuko and 71% at Isolu. In both intervention (Mawuko) and non-intervention (Isolu) communities, hookworm was the most prevalent helminth observed (21% and 18%, respectively) followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (13% and 13%, respectively), Taenia sp. (4% and 3%, respectively) and Trichostrongylus sp. (1% and 3%, respectively). Cases of single infections of Trichuris trichiura , Strongyloides stercoralis and Hymenolepsis nana were observed only at the non-intervention community. However, S. stercoralis occurred in the multiple infections observed at the intervention community. Significantly more ( p < 0.05) cases of infections were observed in male (46%) at the intervention community than female (31%) while in non-intervention community females (39%) were significantly ( p < 0.05) more infected than their male counterparts (32%). Conclusions This study concludes that the Community Led-Total Sanitation intervention programme, which was executed in Mawuko was not effective as expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey has multifaceted nutritional and medicinal values; however, its quality is hinged on the floral origin of the nectar. Taking advantage of the large areas that they cover; honeybees are often used as bioindicators of environmental contamination. The focus of the present paper was to examine the quality of honey from within the vicinity of an abandoned pesticide store in Masindi District in western Uganda. Surficial soils (< 20 cm depths) and honey samples were collected from within the vicinity of the abandoned pesticide store and analysed for organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues using gas chromatograph coupled to an electron capture detector (GC-ECD). The mean level of ∑DDTs in all the soil samples was 503.6 µg/kg dry weight (d.w). ∑DDTs contributed 92.2% to the ∑OCPs contamination loads in the soil samples, and others (lindane, aldrin, dieldrin, and endosulfans) contributed only 7.8%. Ratio (p, p′-DDE + p, p′-DDD)/p, p′-DDT of 1.54 suggested historical DDT input in the area. In all the honey samples, the mean level of ∑DDTs was 20.9 µg/kg. ∑DDTs contributed 43.3% to ∑OCPs contamination loads in the honey samples, followed by lindane (29.8%), endosulfans (23.6%) and dieldrin (3.2%), with corresponding mean levels of 14.4, 11.4 and 1.55 µg/kg, respectively. Reproductive risk assessment was done based on the hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) procedure. In our study, the calculated HIs for adults (102.38), and children (90.33) suggested high potential health risks to the honey consumers. Lindane, endosulfan and p, p′-DDD detected in the honey samples at levels exceeding the acute reference dose (ARfD) are known risk factors for spontaneous abortion, reduced implantation, menstrual cycle shortening, impaired semen quality, and prostate cancer in exposed individuals and experimental animal models. [Display omitted] • OCP residues in honey and soil samples from within a store have been investigated. • Honey is highly contaminated with DDTs, lindane and endosulfan. • Soil is highly contaminated with DDTs. • Hazard indices suggest reproductive health risks to the consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]