Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 42 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Alam L, Mohamed CA
    Environ Health, 2011 May 20;10:43.
    PMID: 21595985 DOI: 10.1186/1476-069X-10-43
    BACKGROUND: Po²¹⁰ can be accumulated in various environmental materials, including marine organisms, and contributes to the dose of natural radiation in seafood. The concentration of this radionuclide in the marine environment can be influenced by the operation of a coal burning power plant but existing studies regarding this issue are not well documented. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the Po²¹⁰ concentration level in marine organisms from the coastal area of Kapar, Malaysia which is very near to a coal burning power plant station and to assess its impact on seafood consumers.

    METHODS: Concentration of Po²¹⁰ was determined in the edible muscle of seafood and water from the coastal area of Kapar, Malaysia using radiochemical separation and the Alpha Spectrometry technique.

    RESULTS: The activities of Po²¹⁰ in the dissolved phase of water samples ranged between 0.51 ± 0.21 and 0.71 ± 0.24 mBql⁻¹ whereas the particulate phase registered a range of 50.34 ± 11.40 to 72.07 ± 21.20 Bqkg⁻¹. The ranges of Po²¹⁰ activities in the organism samples were 4.4 ± 0.12 to 6.4 ± 0.95 Bqkg⁻¹ dry wt in fish (Arius maculatus), 45.7 ± 0.86 to 54.4 ± 1.58 Bqkg⁻¹ dry wt in shrimp (Penaeus merguiensis) and 104.3 ± 3.44 to 293.8 ± 10.04 Bqkg⁻¹ dry wt in cockle (Anadara granosa). The variation of Po²¹⁰ in organisms is dependent on the mode of their life style, ambient water concentration and seasonal changes. The concentration factors calculated for fish and molluscs were higher than the recommended values by the IAEA. An assessment of daily intake and received dose due to the consumption of seafood was also carried out and found to be 2083.85 mBqday⁻¹person⁻¹ and 249.30 μSvyr⁻¹ respectively. These values are comparatively higher than reported values in other countries. Moreover, the transformation of Po²¹⁰ in the human body was calculated and revealed that a considerable amount of Po²¹⁰ can be absorbed in the internal organs. The calculated values of life time mortality and morbidity cancer risks were 24.8 × 10⁻⁴ and 34 × 10⁻⁴ respectively which also exceeded the recommended limits set by the ICRP.

    CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this present study can be used to evaluate the safety dose uptake level of seafood as well as to monitor environmental health. However, as the calculated dose and cancer risks were found to cross the limit of safety, finding a realistic way to moderate the risk is imperative.

  2. Ahmed MF, Mokhtar MB, Alam L
    Environ Geochem Health, 2021 Feb;43(2):897-914.
    PMID: 32372251 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-020-00571-w
    The prolonged persistence of toxic arsenic (As) in environment is due to its non-biodegradable characteristic. Meanwhile, several studies have reported higher concentrations of As in Langat River. However, it is the first study in Langat River Basin, Malaysia, that As concentrations in drinking water supply chain were determined simultaneously to predict the health risks of As ingestion. Water samples collected in 2015 from the four stages of drinking water supply chain were analysed for As concentration by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Determined As concentrations along with the time series data (2004-2015) were significantly within the maximum limit 0.01 mg/L of drinking water quality standard set by World Health Organization. The predicted As concentration by auto-regression moving average was 3.45E-03 mg/L in 2020 at 95% level based on time series data including climatic control variables. Long-term As ingestion via household filtration water at Langat Basin showed no potential lifetime cancer risk (LCR) 9.7E-06 (t = 6.68; p = 3.37E-08) as well as non-carcinogenic hazard quotient (HQ) 4.8E-02 (t = 6.68; p = 3.37E-08) risk at 95% level. However, the changing landscape, ex-mining ponds and extensive use of pesticides for palm oil plantation at Langat Basin are considered as the major sources of increased As concentration in Langat River. Therefore, a two-layer water filtration system at Langat Basin should be introduced to accelerate the achievement of sustainable development goal of getting safe drinking water supply.
  3. Farid H, Pasha L, Majeed M
    Malays J Med Sci, 2020 Mar;27(2):112-119.
    PMID: 32788847 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2020.27.2.12
    Background: The objective of the current study was to adapt the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C) in the Urdu language and measure its validity and reliability.

    Methods: Original English questionnaire of IDAF-4C was translated into Urdu language by a panel of dentists and language experts (Urdu and English) followed by critical evaluation, modification and back translation into English language. A final Urdu questionnaire was distributed among 250 patients visiting the Endodontics section at Margalla Institute of Health Sciences (MIHS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the reliability of the Index whereas validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Mean rank scores of IDAF-4C for male and female participants were evaluated using Mann-Whitney U tests (P < 0.05).

    Results: Of 250 questionnaires, 209 were returned with a response rate of 84%. Cronbach's alpha for the Urdu version of IDAF-4C was 0.88. Exploratory factor analysis of the IDAF-4C revealed one factor explaining 55.55% of the common variance (Eigenvalue = 4.5). The mean rank scores of all eight items of IDAF-4C were greater for female participants as compared to male participants with a statistically significant association (P < 0.05).

    Conclusion: The psychometric analysis of the Urdu version of IDAF-4C showed good reliability and consistency compared to the original version as well as other translated versions.

  4. Hasan, Tiba Nezar, Lubna Haida binti Mohd Fisal, Ghazi, Hasanain Faisal
    MyJurnal
    These days, media has become a huge part of everyday life. Unrealistic thin body weight and body shape portrayed by media has led to body weight concern especially among females. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations between media exposure and body weight concern among female university students in Management and Science University. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 363 female students aged 17 to 26 years from the Management and Science University. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess on socio-demographic information, media usage, body shape concern, body appreciation scale, and the sociocultural attitudes toward appearance. The highest number of media usage were among students between 17 to 20 years old, 31.7% overweight students had high body shape concern, 40.8% student had high sociocultural attitudes towards appearance and 44.6% normal weight student perceived high body appreciation scale. In the association between media usage and body weight concern, a significant association was found on body shape concern (p=0.01), body appreciation scale (p=0.001) and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance (p=0.001). In socio-demographic and body weight concern, the result also indicated a significant association between BMI (p=0.001), monthly income (p=0.013) and education (p=0.001) with body shape concern, body appreciation scale and sociocultural attitudes towards appearance. As a conclusion, 52% in the present study showed that exposure to media have association with body weight concern among female university students.
  5. Rahman LF, Alam L, Marufuzzaman M, Sumaila UR
    Foods, 2021 Sep 24;10(10).
    PMID: 34681313 DOI: 10.3390/foods10102265
    At present, sustainability and emerging technology are the main issues in any supply chain management (SCM) sector. At the same time, the ongoing pandemic is increasing consumers' concerns about food safety, processing, and distribution, which should meet sustainability requirements. Thus, supervision and monitoring of product quality with symmetric information traceability are important in fresh food and fishery SCM. Food safety and traceability systems based on blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), wireless sensor networks (WSN), and radio frequency identification (RFID) provide reliability from production to consumption. This review focuses on RFID-based traceability systems in fisheries' SCM, which have been employed globally to ensure fish quality and security, and summarizes their advantages in real-time applications. The results of this study will help future researchers to improve consumers' trust in fisheries SCM. Thus, this review aims to provide guidelines and solutions for enhancing the reliability of RFID-based traceability in food SCM systems so to ensure the integrity and transparency of product information.
  6. Kumar G, Rehman F, Al-Muzian L, Farsi D, Hiremath S
    Int J Clin Pediatr Dent, 2021 11 2;14(3):426-429.
    PMID: 34720519 DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1952
    With the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, dentistry has faced a halt as it involves face-to-face interaction with patients which had to be suspended for quite some time. Teledentistry (TD) can offer an innovative solution to resume dental practice during this pandemic. This paper gives an insight into the practice of TD being used in various countries to aid in the management of dental problems arising during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. It also reviews the utilization of TD for academic institutions to facilitate educating dental students across the globe. How to cite this article: Kumar G, Rehman F, Al-Muzian L, et al. Global Scenario of Teledentistry during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Insight. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(3):426-429.
  7. Mazlin Mokhtar, Minhaz Farid Ahmed, Lee, Khai Ern, Lubna Alam, Goh, Choo Ta, Rahmah Elfithri, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Despite many good policies and institutions, the coastal environment of Langkawi continues to deteriorate. This could be due to lack of effective governance as well as unregulated waste discharge. Evidences collected from the literature during 1996 to 2013 also revealed a significant increase in the concentrations of Zn (R2 = 0.78) and Pb (R2 = 0.12) in the sediment. This appears to be the result of large volume of terrestrial runoff that brings these metals originating from extensive anthropogenic activities. It is a vital indicator of coastal pollution. It is a matter of concern that in many cases Pb concentration in the sediment exceeded the world average value 20 μg/g as well as Canadian Interim Sediment Quality Standard of 35 μg/g for the coastal areas. Similarly, the metal pollution index (MPI) measured over a period of 2007 to 2009 in fish also indicated an increasing trend of pollution in Langkawi. The maximum MPI value (4.87) was recorded in Spanish mackerel. Since pollution of coastal environment has serious implications for marine biodiversity and health of seafood consumers, measures are required to address this problem. Use of constructed wetland might be effective in reducing the coastal pollution as this will filter the effluent and waste before their mixing with the coastal water. Furthermore, enabling the stakeholders to play the environmental stewardship role will ensure better governance of coastal ecosystem and effective implementation of policies, envisaging an improved monitoring of waste/effluent discharge into the coastal marine environment. These measures are among the actions necessary for achieving a sustainable coastal environment of Langkawi.
  8. Zubair M, Habib L, Mirza MR, Channa MA, Yousuf M, Quraishy MS
    Med J Malaysia, 2012 Oct;67(5):494-6.
    PMID: 23770866
  9. Wahabi HA, Siddiqui AR, Mohamed AG, Al-Hazmi AM, Zakaria N, Al-Ansary LA
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:576953.
    PMID: 26779537 DOI: 10.1155/2015/576953
    Translation of research evidence into public health programs is lagging in Eastern Mediterranean Region. Graduate level public health curriculum at King Saud University (KSU), College of Medicine, Riyadh, is designed to equip students to integrate best available evidence in public health decision making. The objectives of study were to explore students' opinion about the evidence based public health (EBPH) courses and to survey the knowledge, opinion, and attitude of the students towards EBPH and perceived barriers for implementation of EBPH in decision making in public health. EBPH courses are designed based on a sequential framework. A survey was conducted at the completion of EBPH courses. Forty-five graduate students were invited to complete a validated self-administered questionnaire. It included questions about demography, opinion, and attitude towards EBPH and perceived barriers towards implementation of EBPH in the work environment. The response rate was 73%. Mean age of students was 30.1 (SD 2.3) years, and 51% were males. More than 80% had sound knowledge and could appreciate the importance of EBPH. The main perceived barriers to incorporate EBPH in decision making were lack of system of communication between researchers and policy makers and scarcity of research publications related to the public health problems.
  10. Alam L, Rahman LF, Ahmed MF, Bari MA, Masud MM, Mokhtar MB
    Environ Geochem Health, 2021 May;43(5):2049-2063.
    PMID: 33389458 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-020-00783-0
    Rivers, the main source of the domestic water supply in Malaysia, have been threatened by frequent flooding in recent years. This study aims to assess human health risks associated with exposure to concentrated heavy metals in a flood-prone region of Malaysia and investigate the affected individuals' willingness to participate in managing water resources. Hazard indices and cancer risks associated with water contamination by heavy metals have been assessed following the method prescribed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Yearly data of heavy metal contamination (Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, Fe), water quality parameters (DO, BOD, COD, pH), and climatic information (annual rainfall, annual temperature) have been collected from the Department of Environment and Meteorological Department of Malaysia, respectively. The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique has been used by the department of environment for analyzing heavy metal concentration in river water samples. In this study, data from a stratified random sample of households in the affected region were analyzed, using partial least squares structural equation modeling, to predict the link between individuals' perceptions and attitudes about water resources and their willingness to engage in water management program. The health risk estimation indicated that the hazard index values were below the acceptable limit, representing no non-carcinogenic risk to adults and children residing in the study area via oral intake and dermal adsorption of water. However, the calculated value for cancer risk signified possible carcinogenic risks associated with Pb and Cd. In general, contamination due to pollution and flooding tends to increase in the basin region, and appropriate management is needed. The results identified perceived water quality as a significant factor influencing people's attitudes toward involvement in water management programs. As in many developing countries, there is no legal provision guaranteeing public representation in water management in Malaysia. The conclusion discusses the importance of these for the literature and for informing future policy actions.
  11. Siddiqui F, Farooq AD, Mudassar, Kabir N, Fatima N, Abidi L, et al.
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2021 Nov 15;280:114409.
    PMID: 34265378 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114409
    ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The edible plant Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw. commonly known as Nagphana, belongs to the Cactaceae family. It is traditionally used to treat various ailments including inflammation, gastric ulcers, diabetes, hepatitis, asthma, whooping cough and intestinal spasm.

    AIM OF THE STUDY: Despite its traditional use in various countries, detailed toxicological studies of O. dillenii cladode are few. Thus in the current study, toxicity of O. dillenii cladode derived methanol extract, fractions and its α-pyrones: opuntiol and opuntioside have been addressed.

    METHODS: The test agents were assessed using both in vitro and in vivo toxicity assays. MTT on human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK-293), tryphan blue exclusion in rat neutrophils, Cytokinesis-B block micronucleus (CBMN) in human lymphocytes and genomic DNA fragmentation using agarose gel electrophoresis were performed. In acute toxicity test, mice orally received extract (5 g/kg) for 7 days followed by measurements of relative organ weight, biochemical (blood profile, liver and kidney function test) and histological studies (liver and kidney) were carried out. Rat bone marrow micronucleus genotoxicity assay was also conducted.

    RESULTS: O. dillenii derived test agents were non-cytotoxic and had no effect on the integrity of DNA. Methanol extract (5 g/kg) orally administered in mice did not cause any significant change in relative organ weights, biochemical parameters and liver and kidney histology as compared to vehicle control. In parallel, extract did not stimulate micronuclei formation in rat bone marrow polychromatic erythrocytes.

    CONCLUSION: These results led to conclude that edible O. dillenii extract is non-toxic via the oral route and appears to be non-cyto-, hepato-, nephro- or genotoxic, thereby supporting its safe traditional use against various ailments. Therefore, opuntiol and opuntioside may serve as lead compounds in designing new drug(s) derived from edible plants.

  12. Rizwan M, Yahya R, Hassan A, Yar M, Abd Halim AA, Rageh Al-Maleki A, et al.
    J Mater Sci Mater Med, 2019 Jun 11;30(6):72.
    PMID: 31187295 DOI: 10.1007/s10856-019-6273-3
    The success of wound healing depends upon the proper growth of vascular system in time in the damaged tissues. Poor blood supply to wounded tissues or tissue engineered grafts leads to the failure of wound healing or rejection of grafts. In present paper, we report the synthesis of novel organosoluble and pro-angiogenic chitosan derivative (CSD) by the reaction of chitosan with 1,3-dimethylbarbituric acid and triethylorthoformate (TEOF). The synthesized material was characterized by FTIR and 13C-NMR to confirm the incorporated functional groups and new covalent connectivities. Biodegradability of the synthesized chitosan derivative was tested in the presence of lysozyme and was found to be comparable with CS. The cytotoxicity and apoptosis effect of new derivative was determined against gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) cells and was found to be non-toxic. The CSD was found to be soluble in majority of organic solvents. It was blended with polycaprolactone (PCL) to form composite scaffolds. From an ex ovo CAM assay, it was noted that CSD stimulated the angiogenesis.
  13. Rahman LF, Marufuzzaman M, Alam L, Sidek LM, Reaz MBI
    PLoS One, 2020;15(2):e0225408.
    PMID: 32023244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225408
    A high-voltage generator (HVG) is an essential part of a radio frequency identification electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (RFID-EEPROM). An HVG circuit is used to generate a regulated output voltage that is higher than the power supply voltage. However, the performance of the HVG is affected owing to the high-power dissipation, high-ripple voltage and low-pumping efficiency. Therefore, a regulator circuit consists of a voltage divider, comparator and a voltage reference, which are respectively required to reduce the ripple voltage, increase pumping efficiency and decrease the power dissipation of the HVG. Conversely, a clock driving circuit consists of the current-starved ring oscillator (CSRO), and the non- overlapping clock generator is required to drive the clock signals of the HVG circuit. In this study, the Mentor Graphics EldoSpice software package is used to design and simulate the HVG circuitry. The results showed that the designed CSRO dissipated only 4.9 μW at 10.2 MHz and that the phase noise was only -119.38 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz. Moreover, the proposed charge pump circuit was able to generate a maximum VPP of 13.53 V and it dissipated a power of only 31.01 μW for an input voltage VDD of 1.8 V. After integrating all the HVG modules, the results showed that the regulated HVG circuit was also able to generate a higher VPP of 14.59 V, while the total power dissipated was only 0.12 mW with a chip area of 0.044 mm2. Moreover, the HVG circuit produced a pumping efficiency of 90% and reduced the ripple voltage to <4 mV. Therefore, the integration of all the proposed modules in HVG ensured low-ripple programming voltages, higher pumping efficiency, and EEPROMs with lower power dissipation, and can be extensively used in low-power applications, such as in non-volatile memory, radiofrequency identification transponders, on-chip direct current DC-DC converters.
  14. Muthukumaravel K, Kanagavalli V, Pradhoshini KP, Vasanthi N, Santhanabharathi B, Alam L, et al.
    PMID: 36283648 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2022.109492
    In this modern industrialized era of large-scale production of agrochemicals, various emerging contaminants form the main components of waste water and sludge in most of the developing countries of the world. In this concern, phenol- an inevitable and alarming chemical pollutant in aquatic ecosystem, gains a speedy access into the water bodies as an industrial by-product. Though the detrimental effects of phenol have been studied in various aspects of aquatic life, current study is an initiative to unravel the toxic effects of phenol at molecular level in Cirrhinus mrigala. Plasma cortisol level and acetylcholine esterase activity in fish was estimated by Chemiluminescent immunoassay technique and Ellman assay respectively. Scanning electron microscopic studies were carried out to unravel the gill histopathological alterations in exposed fish. It was observed that phenol (22.32 mg/l) inhibits 50 % of acetylcholine esterase activity in brain thereby affecting the locomotion of the targeted carp. Cortisol elevated during the 7th day in exposed fish, but declined progressively on the forthcoming 21st and 28th days. Manifestations in gill encompass curling, fusion, aberrations, sloughing of gill epithelium, wider inter filamentary space and mucus coating in the primary gill filament. It concludes that the discernable deviations produced in both biochemical parameters and key organ gill can be used as a biomarker and bio-indicator respectively for assessing the existence of emerging toxicants in aquatic ecosystem.
  15. Rasul MG, Islam MS, Yunus RBM, Mokhtar MB, Alam L, Yahaya FM
    Water Environ Res, 2017 Dec 01;89(12):2088-2102.
    PMID: 28087920 DOI: 10.2175/106143017X14839994522740
      The spatio-temporal variability of water quality associated with anthropogenic activities was studied for the Bertam River and its main tributaries within the Bertam Catchment, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. A number of physico-chemical parameters of collected samples were analyzed to evaluate their spatio-temporal variability. Nonparametric statistical analysis showed significant temporal and spatial differences (p < 0.05) in most of the parameters across the catchment. Parameters except dissolved oxygen and chemical oxygen demand displayed higher values in rainy season. The higher concentration of total suspended solids was caused by massive soil erosion and sedimentation. Seasonal variations in contaminant concentrations are largely affected by precipitation and anthropogenic influences. Untreated domestic wastewater discharge as well as agricultural runoff significantly influenced the water quality. Poor agricultural practices and development activities at slope areas also affected the water quality within the catchment. The analytical results provided a basis for protection of river environments and ecological restoration in mountainous Bertam Catchment.
  16. Muthukumaravel K, Vasanthi N, Stalin A, Alam L, Santhanabharathi B, Musthafa MS
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2021 Mar;28(11):13752-13760.
    PMID: 33191468 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-11434-3
    Acute toxicity (96 h LC50) of phenol was analyzed in the cat fish Mystus vittatus in static bio-assay over a 96-h exposure period using probit method. The 24, 48, 72, and 96 h LC50 values (with 95% confidence limits) of phenol for fingerling catfish were found out as 13.98, 13.17, 12.62, and 12.21 mg/l respectively. Investigations pertaining to the histopathological sections have shown high degree of pathological lesions observed in various parts like gill, liver intestine, and kidney of the fish species. Analysis of gill section revealed observable changes in the experimental species such as fusion, malformation at the tip of secondary lamellae, vacuolation, hyperplasia, and epithelial damage. Exposure of phenol showed cytoplasmic vacuolation, tissue damage, and loss of hepatic cell wall in the liver of experimental organism. Lesions of tissue damage at the epithelial site, inflammation, and clumping of adjacent villi made of columnar epithelium have been observed in the intestine of fish, and also the excretory part of the fish kidney revealed various changes like glomerular atrophy, damage of Bowman's capsule, vacuolization, and degeneration of renal epithelium. The current study on histological changes observed in the experimental organisms has thrown light on the current scenario which poses threat and danger to the whole aquatic ecosystem, and this study plays a vital role in assessing the aquatic pollution.
  17. Begum M, Masud MM, Alam L, Mokhtar MB, Amir AA
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2022 Dec;29(58):87923-87937.
    PMID: 35819668 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21845-z
    Several studies have highlighted the significant impact of climate change on agriculture. However, there have been little empirical enquiries into the impact of climate change on marine fish production, particularly in Bangladesh. Hence, this study aims to investigate the impact of climate change on marine fish production in Bangladesh using data from 1961 to 2019. Data were obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization, Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the World Development Indicators, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model was used to describe the dynamic link between CO2 emissions, average temperature, Sea Surface Temperature (SST), rainfall, sunshine, wind and marine fish production. The ARDL approach to cointegration revealed that SST (β = 0.258), rainfall (β =0.297), and sunshine (β =0.663) significantly influence marine fish production at 1% and 10% levels in the short run and at 1% level in the long run. The results also found that average temperature has a significant negative impact on fish production in both short and long runs. On the other hand, CO2 emissions have a negative impact on marine fish production in the short run. Specifically, for every 1% rise in CO2 emissions, marine fish production will decline by 0.11%. The findings of this study suggest that policymakers formulate better policy frameworks for climate change adaptation and sustainable management of marine fisheries at the national level. Research and development in Bangladesh's fisheries sector should also focus on marine fish species that can resist high sea surface temperatures, CO2 emissions, and average temperatures.
  18. Ahmed MF, Alam L, Mohamed CAR, Mokhtar MB, Ta GC
    PMID: 30241360 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15102056
    The presence of toxic polonium-210 (Po-210) in the environment is due to the decay of primordial uranium-238. Meanwhile, several studies have reported elevated Po-210 radioactivity in the rivers around the world due to both natural and anthropogenic factors. However, the primary source of Po-210 in Langat River, Malaysia might be the natural weathering of granite rock along with mining, agriculture and industrial activities. Hence, this is the first study to determine the Po-210 activity in the drinking water supply chain in the Langat River Basin to simultaneously predict the human health risks of Po-210 ingestion. Therefore, water samples were collected in 2015⁻2016 from the four stages of the water supply chain to analyze by Alpha Spectrometry. Determined Po-210 activity, along with the influence of environmental parameters such as time-series rainfall, flood incidents and water flow data (2005⁻2015), was well within the maximum limit for drinking water quality standard proposed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and World Health Organization. Moreover, the annual effective dose of Po-210 ingestion via drinking water supply chain indicates an acceptable carcinogenic risk for the populations in the Langat Basin at 95% confidence level; however, the estimated annual effective dose at the basin is higher than in many countries. Although several studies assume the carcinogenic risk of Po-210 ingestion to humans for a long time even at low activity, however, there is no significant causal study which links Po-210 ingestion via drinking water and cancer risk of the human. Since the conventional coagulation method is unable to remove Po-210 entirely from the treated water, introducing a two-layer water filtration system at the basin can be useful to achieve SDG target 6.1 of achieving safe drinking water supplies well before 2030, which might also be significant for other countries.
  19. Farook FF, Mohamed Nuzaim MN, Taha Ababneh K, Alshammari A, Alkadi L
    Eur J Dent, 2020 Dec;14(S 01):S165-S170.
    PMID: 33233004 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1718641
    The aim of this article is to shed light on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its oral effects and risk of nosocomial transmission to update the knowledge of dental health care workers. A thorough literature search of the PubMed/Embase/Web of Science/Cochrane central database was conducted to identify the impact of COVID-19 on oral health. We reviewed the recommendations on the recent guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention infection control practices for dentistry, American Dental Association, and the World Health Organization. According to the available evidence, COVID-19 may have a negative impact on the oral health due to the infection itself and due to various other consequences such as therapeutic measures, xerostomia, and other complications of the COVID-19. In light of the above facts, dentists should be wary of the disease, its identification, mode of spread and impacts on the oral health. The dental personnel have been identified as at the highest risk of getting COVID-19 due to cross infection from contact with their patients and aerosols generated in routine dental procedures. As such, they should be aware of the modifications that need to be made to the practice to prevent transmission of the disease. It is evident that COVID-19 has a negative impact on the oral health and at the same time a significant transmission risk to the dental personnel and patients who visit the clinic. If the recommendations issued by the regulatory authorities are meticulously followed, the risk of disease transmission can be lessened.
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links