No description available.

The aim of this study is to perform a baseline energy survey to understand the existing energy demand and usepattern and to verify the feasibility of a small scale poly-generation project supported by renewable sources ofenergy (biogas based) in a rural area of Bangladesh. A poly-generation solution shall provide multiple outputservices of clean gas, electricity and arsenic free water supply. The project requires using animal dung oragricultural waste to produce biogas and electric energy. The study has analyzed the demand of domesticenergy and water of the village named ‘Matipukur’ in the Jessore district in Bangladesh. The study alsoconsidered available biomass feedstock and energy potential surrounding the village area, as well as the socioeconomicstatus of villagers. The case study included a door to door survey to collect relevant information.Three different economic groups in terms of income scale were investigated throughout the study to obtainbetter insight of the energy-water access situation, requirements and related problems in the village. Almost 98% household of this village relies on biomass for energy due to limited access of modern fuel. Thevillage has various biomass potential in the form of animal dung, fuel wood and agricultural waste which can beused for cooking or serve as the basis for other energy carriers. Kerosene is used for lighting. Among thedifferent fuels, dung meets about 44% of the total demand. The contribution of other fuels for domestic use is24% firewood, 22% agricultural waste, and 2% kerosene. The analytical observation found that the annualaverage energy demand of the village is 8.45 GJ per capita. The share of average demand for cooking and3lighting energy is 8.24 GJ per person/year and 0.21 GJ per person/year respectively. The energy consumptionvaries within different income groups. This study has examined the income per capita, family size, education,agricultural land holding per capita, priorities of their annual expenditure etc. which have direct influence onthe fuel consumption pattern of the household. It could be observed that expenses on energy changes as theincome level increases. About awareness of biogas opportunities and willingness to provide feedstock for apoly generation project, the majority of households answered positively, that is, indicating that they wouldcontribute. Educated respondents showed more positive attitude. Regarding changing of traditional cooking,about 95% of the respondents want to change to a more efficient and reliable cooking system to avoid healthand environmental problems associated with indoor biomass cooking. The study has revealed that only cow dung is not enough to produce clean energy according to demand so theco-digestion method is considered to producing biogas from various energy potentials (animal manure &agricultural waste). The poly-generation system could work with the scenario providing electricity and watersupply for the entire household and cooking gas is limited only for 2/3rd household. Rest 1/3rd household fromlow income group then could be supplied with improve cook stove to meet their daily cooking demand and tominimize indoor pollutions. It is observed that, majority of household has expressed their willingness toprovide raw materials for poly-generation plant though they are using. / SIDA funded research project "Biogas based poly generation in Bangladesh"

The aim of this master’s thesis was to investigate if defattening of Parkinsonia aculeata (in swahili “mkeketa”) and Vigna unguiculata (in swahili “choroko”) would enhance the capacity of the seed’s properties in removing suspended particles from surface water. The seeds are used in local traditional treatment of drinking water in Tanzania. The aim was also to investigate the possibility to reduce high concentrations of fluoride with the seeds. The seeds contain proteins that act as coagulants. Coagulated particulate matter can be flocculated and separated from the water. A purification of the coagulants by defattening was expected to enhance the coagulating capacity. Experiments were conducted in jar-tests with dosages of coagulant solutions of undefattening and defattened seed solutions and alum (aluminium sulphate). The experiments showed that both Parkinsonia aculeata and Vigna unguiculata seeds can compete with alum in drinking water treatment of surface water, reaching the same or better final results in turbidity removal. Both seeds also produce less sludge volumes than alum and functions in turbidity removal together with alum. The seeds may be used as coagulant aids to reduce the usage of chemicals and sludge production. They were not able to clarify turbid waste water and did not reduce high concentrations of fluoride in groundwater. Further, the turbidity-removal capacity of the coagulants had reduced capacities in water with low pH-values.

The drinking water plant in this case study is a combined groundwater and reverse osmosisplant in the Stockholm archipelago. The reverse osmosis purification step was added to theplant in 1995. This technique is relatively new in Sweden and there are possibilities for it tobecome a good complement to conventional drinking water treatment. The plant has used thistechnique for over 10 years with good results. It is therefore of great interest to evaluate anddocument it for the possibility to implement this technique in areas not connected toconventional drinking water production.Reverse osmosis separates the incoming water to a clean permeate and concentrate ofremoved particles, larger molecules and ions. This technique has a high purification degree. Itcan remove dissolved particles and microorganisms without disinfection. However, it isrelatively expensive due to a high electricity consumption compared to conventional drinkingwater treatment. The high electricity consumption in this kind of system depends on aphenomenon called membrane fouling caused by the constituents in the raw water, graduallybecoming enriched on the membrane surface.The aim of this thesis was to evaluate and document a drinking water plant in the Stockholmarchipelago from a social, economical, technical and environmental perspective. A socialsurvey in the form of a questionnaire was conducted to reveal opinions about the water qualityprovided by the plant. The economical evaluation was done to estimate the cost of drinkingwater production and find the water cost in Kr/m3. The technical part involved documentationof the plant layout and evaluation of its performance. To assess the performance historicalchemical and microbial analyses were evaluated. A mass balance was attempted to drawconclusions for the overall system. The environmental part of the plant assessment, includedan estimate of the electricity and chemicals use in the plant.The results revealed that from an overall perspective the water quality from the plant issatisfactory with some concerns about metal taste and turbidity that sometimes occur. Thepotential presence of dangerous algal toxins in the water was also a concern. The totalproduction cost in Kr/m3 is higher than expected and higher than sales price. In technicalterms, the plant has functioned well. However, there is a need to monitor more parameters inthe plant including; more flow parameters, concentrations of added chemicals and more waterquality parameters. Electricity consumption has been higher than expected. Control(throttling) valves in the brine reject are relatively large energy consumers and arecommendation is to investigate potential savings by changing them for pressure exchangevalves. / www.ima.kth.se

Assessment of a significant number of water samples across South Africa by Casey and Meyer over a number of years, revealed that high concentrations (30- 32 mg/L) of bromine (Br) occur naturally within groundwater in South Africa, hence a potentially hazardous chemical constituent (PHCC). Br, the only liquid non-metallic element, is ubiquitous and an abundant trace element, but it has not been conclusively shown to perform essential functions in plants, micro organisms or animals (NRC, 2005). The recommended limit (maximum limit for no risk) for Br in drinking water was set at 1 mg/L by Kempster et al. (1980); Casey and Meyer (2001) recommend the relevant safety guideline for Br to be 0.01 mg/L. The aim of this project was to establish the effect of Br and iodine (I) in drinking water on the physiological parameters of broilers. This will contribute to verifying and refining water quality guidelines. The effect of six treatments administered as sodium bromide (NaBr) and potassium iodide (KI): 0 mg Br/L and 0 mg I/L; 1 mg Br/L; 1mg Br/L and 0.7 mg I/L; 0.7 mg I/L; 3 mg Br/L; 3 mg Br/L and 0.7 mg I/L, in the drinking water of 540 mixed Ross broiler chickens was investigated. The trial ran over a 42-day growth period from Day 1 post-hatching where mortalities, water and feed intakes were recorded daily. Chickens were weighed weekly and slaughtered at 4 and 6 weeks of age. Blood samples were taken before slaughter and free T3 and T4 hormone levels were quantified. Thyroid gland, liver and kidney samples were analysed for Br and I quantity. The different treatments of Br, irrespective of I, significantly decreased water intake (P=0.0232) and feed intake (P=0.0035) over the 42 days. The overall interaction of Br and I had no significant effect on water (P=0.0928) and feed (P=0.9593) intakes thus I did have an effective ameliorating effect on Br. FCR, weight gain and mortalities were not significantly affected by Br intake. This was also found for free T3 and T4 hormone levels. Br had an overall effect on the thyroid gland (P=0.0457), liver (P=0.0025) and kidney (P=0.0032) with accumulation of the PHCC within these three organs. It was apparent that 1 and 3 mg Br/L water administered to broilers or ingestion rates of 1.59 and 4.44 mg Br/L per bird per day, over a production period of 42 days did affect the production parameters of the birds sub-clinically. Another derivation to refine the water quality guidelines was that the administration of 0.7 mg I/L water or ingestion rates of 1.1 mg I/L per bird per day did alleviate the severe detrimental effect of the high PHCC. The 3 mg Br/L guideline is thus not too restrictive. Further research exposing the animals for a longer time period (exceeding 42 days) and exposing mature animals (producing nutritional products for human consumption) to these treatments would assist in quantifying these results. / Dissertation (MSc(Agric))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Animal and Wildlife Sciences / unrestricted

Ensuring access to safe drinking water to protect public health in many communities underserved or unserved by centralized water systems in the US requires regular water quality testing and reporting. Following testing, access to easy-to-comprehend water quality information may be challenging. Households served by water utilities have access to water quality information. However, households depending on unregulated water systems like wells and springs are often unaware of their water quality. Therefore, this study utilized multiple water quality parameters to determine the quality of karst spring water using two Water Quality Index (WQI) methods. In-situ measurements of physico-chemical parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, conductivity, specific conductance, total dissolved solids, oxidation reduction potential were taken at 50 karst springs in east Tennessee during Summer 2021. Water samples were analyzed for microbial (fecal coliform, and E. coli), nutrients (nitrate and nitrite), and radiological (radon) constituents using standard analytical methods. Springs generally met federal and state water quality safe limits for physicochemical parameters, but 100% of water samples contained fecal coliform and 90% contained E. coli revealing widespread fecal contamination; 60% of springs exceeded radon concentrations of 300 pCi/L. WQI method 1 (Brown et al. 1972) rated 12 % of springs as very poor water quality and 88% as unfit for drinking. WQI method 2 (NSFWQI) rated 4% of the sampled springs as good, 92% as moderate and 4 % as bad. Water treatment procedures for microbial pollution purification are advised before the studied springs are used as a drinking water source.

Karst springs are an essential source of private water supply for about 10% of households in Tennessee. However, these springs, which can be easily polluted, are unregulated. This study, therefore, assesses water quality spatial patterns and water quality rating of roadside springs in northeast Tennessee. Karst spring water samples collected from 50 springs were assessed using EPA Standard methods for pathogens, nutrients, radon, and physicochemical parameters. Springs generally met federal and state standards for physicochemical parameters, 90% of samples contained E. coli, and all samples contained fecal coliform. High E. coli was spatially clustered causing a fecal contamination hot spot on the border of Washington and Sullivan Counties, Tennessee. 60% of springs exceeded radon concentrations of 300 pCi/L. Water quality ratings were very poor or unfit for drinking, with 4% of springs ranked “good”. Therefore, microbial pollution purification procedures are advised before using these springs as a drinking water source.

Vatten i Sverige har länge ansetts hålla hög kvalitet, men trots detta inträffar årligensjukdomsfall orsakade av förorenat dricksvatten. I enlighet med livsmedelsverketsföreskrifter om dricksvatten ska dricksvatten vara ”hälsosamt och rent”. Detta är dock inteett praktiskt tillämpbart villkor, då ingen acceptabel risk har satts upp.Världshälsoorganisationen (WHO) och det amerikanska naturvårdsverket (US EPA) hardäremot satt upp gränser för vad som är en acceptabel sjukdomsrisk respektiveinfektionsrisk för dricksvatten.Denna studie syftade till att bedöma om reningen vid Hyndevads vattenverks, medavseende på mikroorganismer, möjliggör att en acceptabel risknivå uppnås. Detta hargenomförts med hjälp av metoderna Optimal desinfektionspraxis (ODP) ochMikrobiologisk riskanalys (MRA). ODP är ett norskt system för att bedömamikrobiologiska risker vid ett vattenverk och MRA är ett svenskt verktyg som genom att tahänsyn till variationer i vattenkvalitet och driftförhållanden beräknar hälsorisken. MRA gerutdata i form av infektions- och sjukdomsrisk för konsumenterna samt gör det möjligt attpå ett enkelt sätt jämföra olika typer av beredningar och scenarion med varandra.Vattenverket visade sig varken ha tillräckligt antal skyddsbarriärer, enligtlivsmedelsverkets rekommendationer, eller uppnå tillräcklig rening enligt ODP eller MRA.Resultaten har lett till bedömningen att reningen med avseende på mikroorganismer inte ärtillräcklig och att åtgärder är nödvändiga. Som åtgärd föreslås att nuvarande reningsprocesskompletteras. De tillbyggnader som enligt simuleringarna i MRA skulle klara US EPA:sgräns, som innebär att den årliga infektionsrisken underskrider 1/10 000, var: 1. Membranfiltrering med porstorlek 0,01-0,1 μm 2. En kombination av Ozon (2 mg/l), UV-ljus (25 mJ/cm2) och monokloramin iställetför nuvarande klorering, där tillbyggnaderna är beräknade för att behandla detkonstgjorda grundvattnet 3. Kemisk fällning vid god flockbildning och filtrering / For a long time Sweden has been known to have a high quality of water, although everyyear diseases occur due to drinking water. According to the Swedish National FoodAdministration drinking water shall be “healthy and clean”. In practice this is hard toapply, as an acceptable risk level has not been decided. The World Health Organization(WHO) and the American Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) have specified theacceptable risk for illness and infection due to drinking water.The purpose of this study was to estimate if the process at Hyndevad water treatment plantachieves an acceptable risk level. This has been done by using the methods ODP (Optimaldisinfection practice) and MRA (Microbiological risk assessment). ODP is a Norwegianmethod to evaluate if the process is good enough. MRA is a Swedish tool that includesvariations in water quality and process operation which make it possible to replace riskestimates with calculated numbers. The data is given as risk of infection and disease for theconsumers. This makes it possible to compare different types of processes and scenarios.The study has shown that the water treatment plant neither provides sufficient protectivefence according to Swedish National Food Administration recommendations, nor iseffective enough according to ODP or MRA. This leads to the conclusion that thereduction of microorganisms is not good enough and actions are necessary. That is why itis suggested that the process is complemented. The additional processes that manage toaccomplish the limit according to US EPA, less than 1/10 000 infected per year, would be: 1. Membrane filtration with mesh size 0,01-0,1 μm 2. A combination of 2 mg O3/l, 25 mJ UV/cm2 and monochloramine instead of currentchlorination where the additional processes are calculated to treat the artificialgroundwater 3. Chemical precipitation with good flocculation and filtration

Background: Environmental exposure to inorganic arsenic (InAs) is a considerable worldwide problem, and over 57 million people in Bangladesh have been chronically exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water. Ingested inorganic arsenic (InAs) undergoes hepatic methylation generating monomethyl- (MMAs) and dimethyl- (DMAs) arsenic species in a process that facilitates urinary As (uAs) elimination. Of these three metabolites (InAs, MMA and DMA), MMA the most toxic, InAs is the second most toxic, and DMA is the least toxic. Consequently, increased MMAs is associated with increased risk of As-related adverse health outcomes. One-carbon metabolism (OCM), the biochemical pathway that provides methyl groups for As methylation, is influenced by folate and B12. A growing body of research, including cell-culture, animal-model, and epidemiological studies, have demonstrated the role of OCM-related micronutrients in As methylation. While folate supplementation is known to increase As methylation and lowers blood As (bAs) in adults, little data is available for adolescents. OCM also supports nucleotide and amino acid synthesis, particularly during periods of rapid growth, such as adolescence. In Bangladesh, deficiencies in folate and vitamin B12 are widespread. These micronutrients are essential for OCM and As methylation, and they are also critical for neural development, since they are necessary for the synthesis of neurotransmitters and myelin, and critical for generation of S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) via OCM. Deficiencies in folate and B12 have been shown to negatively influence cognitive function in adults and children, but this has not been adequately characterized in adolescents. Individuals living in Bangladesh, facing As exposure and nutritional deficiency, also experience environmental exposure to elevated levels of cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), and lead (Pb). These metals have been linked to adverse neurocognitive outcomes in adults and children, though their effects on adolescents are not yet fully characterized. Additionally, previous studies have linked selenium (Se) levels to protective effects against toxicity of these other metals, as Se is an essential nutrient. Metal mixtures are also understudied in adolescents, and more research is needed. Objectives: Firstly, the research presented in this dissertation will examine the previously published evidence that nutritional status and nutritional interventions can influence the metabolism and toxicity of As, with a primary focus on folate. Secondly, the associations between OCM-related micronutrients and As methylation in Bangladeshi adolescents chronically exposed to As-contaminated drinking water will be studied. Thirdly, this dissertation will investigate the associations between folate and B12 nutritional status, homocysteine, and cognitive function as measured by two different test instruments in Bangladeshi adolescents. Finally, the associations between mixed metals exposure and cognitive function in Bangladeshi adolescents will be examined. Methods: The Metals, Arsenic, & Nutrition in Adolescents study (MANAs) is a cross-sectional study of 738 Bangladeshi adolescents aged 14-16 years, whose parents were enrolled in our group’s previous Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS). Venous blood samples were collected from adolescent participants for measurement of plasma folate, red blood cell (RBC) folate, plasma B12, plasma homocysteine (Hcys), blood As (bAs), blood cadmium (bCd), blood manganese (bMn), blood lead (bPb), and blood selenium (bSe). Urine samples were collected for measurement of urinary arsenic and urinary arsenic metabolites (InAs, MMA, and DMA) expressed as a percentage of total urinary As: %InAs, %MMAs, %DMAs. Additionally, participants completed a modified version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and an abbreviated version of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Associations between predictors and outcomes were assessed using linear regression analyses. Associations for the mixture of metals were also examined via Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR), which assessed the effects of the metals mixture in addition to examining the effects each individual metal component. Results: In the linear regression analyses examining associations between nutritional status and arsenic methylation profiles controlling for water As and BMI, in girls we observed that RBC folate was inversely associated with bAs, plasma B12 was inversely associated with uAs, and, somewhat unexpectedly, plasma Hcys was inversely associated with %MMA. Among boys, we saw that plasma folate was inversely associated with %InAs and positively associated with %DMA, RBC folate was inversely associated with %InAs and positively associated with %MMA, while Hcys was positively associated with %InAs. In linear regression analyses examining the associations between nutritional status and cognitive function controlling for covariates, we found no significant associations between nutritional status and cognitive function as measured by WISC. For cognitive function as measured by CANTAB, we observed positive associations between plasma folate and spatial recognition memory, and between plasma B12 and spatial working memory. In our investigation of the associations between metal exposures and cognitive outcomes, linear regression analysis revealed negative associations between exposure to As and Mn and spatial working memory. Negative associations were also seen between bCd and Spatial Recognition Memory, and between bPb and Delayed Match to Sample. Finally, a positive association was seen between bSe and Spatial Span Length. Our BKMR results showed no overall effect of the mixture but further characterized the associations for individual metals within the mixture. BKMR analyses indicate that bPb has a negative association to Delayed Match to Sample, and that there are positive associations between bSe and Planning, Reaction Time, and Spatial Span. BKMR also showed higher concentrations of bCd to be negatively associated with Spatial Recognition Memory. Posterior inclusion probability consistently rated Se, which has a protective effect, as the most influential component of the mixture. Conclusions: These findings suggest that associations between OCM nutritional status, blood arsenic, and distribution of urinary As metabolites in adolescents are similar to previously reported observations in adults and in children. The inverse association between Hcys and %MMA in girls is unexpected since Hcys is known to be an indicator of impaired OCM and low folate/B12 in adults. These findings also suggest that associations between nutritional status and cognitive function in adolescents are consistent with previously reported associations in adults and children. The observation of positive associations between folate and spatial recognition memory and between B12 and spatial working memory are consistent with findings in animal models, children, and adults, all of which link deficiencies in these two micronutrients to memory deficits. The findings of the metals investigation are also consistent with previously reported observations in adults and children, and these results also suggest agreement between linear regression and BKMR analysis of the mixed metal exposure, with the BKMR further demonstrating associations seen in the linear regression analysis. Generally, Se had a protective effect for cognitive outcomes, whereas Mn and As were linked to poorer working memory, and Cd and Pb were linked to poorer visual recognition and memory. BKMR reinforced and further characterized results of the linear regression analyses. Overall, these results indicate that the associations between OCM-related micronutrients, arsenic methylation, metal exposure, and cognitive function in adolescents are generally similar to prior findings in adults and children. However, additional studies are needed to evaluate the impact of OCM and As methylation on As-related adverse health outcomes (such as cancer and cardiovascular disease) in people exposed to As during adolescence. These results also suggest that further investigation into the associations between nutritional status and measures of cognitive function in adolescents is merited, and that further exploration of homocysteine’s role in adolescent physiology is needed. Most importantly, these findings suggest that both nutritional interventions involving B12 and folate supplementation and metal exposure mitigation efforts may have a positive impact on overall health and well-being for individuals facing these environmental exposures. In the long term, interventions to reduce exposure to metals and nutritional deficiency, and interventions to attenuate the effects of these exposures have the potential to influence lifelong cognitive function, possibly influencing professional achievement and economic outcomes in regions having a high prevalence of nutritional deficiencies, arsenic exposure, and environmental exposure to metals mixtures.

There is no published data for the per capita consumption of water of individuals in South Africa. A daily rounded volume of 2 litres per person is usually taken as a working estimate from world wide data. As part of ongoing epidemiological studies into potential health effects of changes in the water supply to greater Town, water consumption patterns were ascertained. As health effects are often spatially ascribed to the place of residence of a person, it was necessary to ascertain how much water was drunk at home as well as away from home. Water consumed was divided into three classes: (i) water consumed from the tap, (ii) commercial beverages and (iii) water bound in food. A review of methods of conducting dietary surveys indicated that a 24-hour recall would be the most appropriate method. Two surveys on total dietary intake utilizing a 24-hour recall were carried out (n = 2 000 persons for each survey), one in winter and the ether in summer. The design of the survey involved a cluster sample of households that were representative of the socio-economic and demographic structure of greater Cape Town. Three pretested types questionnaires were administered by trained interviewers: (i) a placement questionnaire to describe the household composition, (ii) a recall questionnaire for individual adults and children and (iii) a recall questionnaire for babies. Particular attention was paid to the accurate ascertainment of the volumes of food and drink consumed as well as their preparation to facilitate accurate analysis. The water content of each food item was calculated by a computer program that utilized computerized food composition tables. The water consumption data was analyzed by sex, age, population group, income and the season of the year. Detailed graphs and tables are provided. Results were also standardized to the population of greater Cape Town. It was found that the difference in consumption between the White and "Coloured" population groups was greater than the difference between those people of high and low-income groups. The mean total water intake for Whites was 2.19 litres per day, while for "Coloureds" it was 1.26 litres per day. There is no obvious bias to account for this difference. The figures for protein consumed by the two groups, which was used as a control, are consistent with values reported in the literature. Summer consumption was higher than that during winter. The ratio of tap water consumed at home to total liquid consumed was approximately 0.5.