Organic and Inorganic Mercury in Biological Samples of Flouresecent Lamp Industries Workers and Health Risks

Objective The present study aims to investigate the concentrations of Hg and its aspects methyl mercury(Me-Hg)and inorganic mercury(I-Hg)in the biological samples(BSs)of fluorescent lamp industries workers(FLIWs).Methodology Different BSs including red blood cells(RBCs),plasma,urine,hair and nails were collected from the workers exposed to Hg and unexposed persons were selected as control group to measure both the T-Hg concentration as well as its species in different biological samples through quantitative analysis.Health data was collected through questionnaire survey.Results The mean concentrations of T-Hg(31.9μg/L),Me-Hg(27.7μg/L),and I-Hg(5.36μg/L)in RBCs were found significantly(P<0.001)higher among the workers(n=40)as compared to the control group(n=40).Similarly the mean Hg concentrations in plasma,urine,hair and nails were also significantly higher among the workers than the control group.The statistical relation between Hg concentration and demographic characteristics observed that workers experience and fish consumption has increased the Hg concentration while age,weight and smoking found no significant effect on Hg concentration in the BSs.Conclusion The study observed that the workers were highly exposed to high concentration of Hg and they are at a high health risk.

Geochemistry and in-situ U-Th/Pb Geochronology of the Jambil Meta-Carbonatites, Northern Pakistan: Implications on Petrogenesis and Tectonic Evolution

The putative Jambil meta-carbonatites of Swat,northern Pakistan,occur as discrete intrusions into the Proterozoic Manglaur Formation,which are difficult to be distinguished from nearby calc-silicate marble because both rock types experienced regional metamorphism during Himalayan orogenesis that resulted in similar mosaic textures and mineral assemblages.Carbonatites are often significant repositories of economic mineral resources and,therefore,are important to be distinguished from calc-silicate marble.We present new geochemical and geochronology data to distinguish between the two rock types and interpret the petrogenesis and tectonic evolution of the Jambil metacarbonatites.Whole rock chemical data from the Jambil meta-carbonatites show characteristically high rare earth element(REE),Sr contents and lack of negative Eu anomaly,consistent with average calcio-carbonatite values worldwide and an igneous origin.More than 0.5 wt.% SrO in the metacarbonatites and SrO> 0.15 wt.% in constituent rock forming calcite are discriminating signatures of the Jambil meta-carbonatites.Chemically,the Jambil meta-carbonatites are relatively depleted in Rb,Nb,Ta,Ti,Zr and Hf,relatively enriched in Ba,Th,Sr,and have a high LREE/HREE ratio when normalized to primitive mantle.Their carbon and oxygen isotope compositions vary from-3.5‰ to-4.3‰and from 9.7‰ to 12.3‰,respectively.These geochemical characteristics indicate generation of the carbonatites through small degree of partial melting from a carbonated eclogitic source.In-situ,U/Pb analysis of titanite indicates that the Jambil meta-carbonatites were emplacement at 438 ±3 Ma.When combined with regional geological observations,we interpret the emplacement of the Jambil metacarbonatites to have taken place during the Silurian back arc extension within greater Gondwana and mark a transition from a compressional tectonic regime,brought about by collision of microcontinental blocks along the northern margin of Gondwana,to post-orogenic extension in the waning stages of the pre-Himalayan Ordovician orogeny.Finally,in-situ ^(208)Pb/^(232)Th monazite dates(40.3-27.6Ma) extracted from the meta-carbonatites are consistent with the Cenozoic metamorphism of the area.

Prevalent fecal contamination in drinking water resources and potential health risks in Swat, Pakistan

Fecal bacteria contaminate water resources and result in associated waterborne diseases.This study assessed drinking water quality and evaluated their potential health risks in Swat, Pakistan. Ground and surface drinking water were randomly collected from upstream to downstream in the River Swat watershed and analyzed for fecal contamination using fecal indicator bacteria（Escherichia coli） and physiochemical parameters（potential of hydrogen, turbidity, temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid, color, odor and taste）. The physiochemical parameters were within their safe limits except in a few locations, whereas, the fecal contaminations in drinking water resources exceeded the drinking water quality standards of Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency（Pak-EPA）,2008 and World Health Organization（WHO）, 2011. Multivariate and univariate analyses revealed that downstream urbanization trend, minimum distance between water sources and pit latrines/sewerage systems, raw sewage deep well injection and amplified urban,pastures and agricultural runoffs having human and animal excreta were the possible sources of contamination. The questionnaire survey revealed that majority of the local people using 10–20 years old drinking water supply schemes at the rate of 73% well supply,13% hand pump supply, 11% spring supply and 3% river/streams supply, which spreads high prevalence of water borne diseases including hepatitis, intestinal infections and diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever, jaundice and skin diseases in children followed by older and younger adults.