Environmental Management and Toxicology

The concentrations of heavy metals were determined from the soil of the mechanic village, in Abeokuta and a control farmland located at Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB). The soil sample collected at the base of different species of tree showed that the heavy metals were below permissible levels (FAO/WHO and EC/CODEX standard) and show no significant difference in the range of mean. Absorption of heavy metals by the bark of the trees in the mechanic village was evident when compared relatively to the presence and uptake of the heavy metals from the soil by tree in the farmland. The mean concentrations of the heavy metals in the soil of the farmland are in this order of magnitude Cd>Cu>Pb, while the mean concentration of the heavy metals in the soil of the mechanic village are in the order of magnitude Pb>Cu>Cd. Lead has the least concentration in the farmland, while in the mechanic village, it is the predominant heavy metal detected which also shows greater significant different at p<0.05 with a value of 24.34 mg/kg indicating area of high mechanic activities. The concentration values of heavy metals in the barks in comparison to the standard shows that the concentration of the heavy metals in those vicinities is within the permissible range for cadmium and copper, while lead present was above the WHO/FAO standard at 0.299 mg/kg and close to the EC/CODEX standard. It can also be concluded that the uptake efficiency of heavy metal under study of the three species are in the order magnitude Mango>Cashew>Neem.

Background. Rabbit skin model was used to test skin irritation of the most commonly used cosmetic products in Jimma town, southwestern Ethiopia. The most commonly used Intact and abraded rabbit skins were tested for erythema and edema under shade and under sun exposure. Draize Primary Irritation Index (PII) was used to calculate skin irritation of each cosmetic. Cosmetic ingredients were analyzed from the labels. Results and Discussion. Only Dove cream caused no skin irritation except for an abraded skin under sun exposure for five consecutive days. It has been identified that application of cosmetics on abraded skin under sunny condition worsens the irritation. Cosmetic labels revealed that most ingredients used in all products were those restricted chemicals due to their adverse health effects. Conclusion. This study has concluded that use of cosmetics under sunshine and also on abraded skin increases skin irritation. Hence, those users who have abraded skin are advised not to apply those cosmetics on continuous basis specifically under sun exposure.

The aim of this study relates to the modulatory role of ferulic acid (FA) against cadmium (Cd)-induced oxidative stress in the liver and kidney of male Wistar albino rats. Cd is an extremely toxic industrial and environmental pollutant and is well known for its varied toxic clinical manifestations. FA is a derivative of curcumin and a ubiquitous phenolic compound having a wide range of therapeutic activities. In the current study, Cd (10 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously for 15 and 30 days to induce hepatorenal toxicity. Cd concentration was found to be significantly high in Cd-intoxicated rats (liver > kidney) while the supplementation of FA (50 mg/kg) significantly reduces the Cd concentration in liver and kidney tissues. Reduced body and organ weights and food and water consumption and increased rectal temperature were noticed in Cd-treated rats while these parameters were significantly ameliorated in FA-supplemented rats. Liver and kidney damage induced by Cd was significantly revealed by the reduction in serum total protein contents (TPC) and increased activities of serum nitric oxide (NO) levels and hepatonephrotoxicity marker enzymes, namely aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), AST:ALT ratio, uric acid, urea, urea nitrogen, and creatinine, along with the increased levels of hepatic and renal oxidative stress markers, namely lipid peroxidation (MDA levels), lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), protein carbonyl content (PCC), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) in liver and kidney tissues. In addition, the toxicity of Cd was also evidenced by a significant decrease in the levels of total thiols (TTH), total antioxidant concentration (TAC), enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)), and non-enzymatic antioxidants (reduced glutathione (GSH) and total free sulfhydryl groups (TSH)). Administration of FA significantly restored the serum total protein levels and activities of serum NO levels and hepatic and renal marker enzymes to normal levels in comparison with Cd-intoxicated rats. Furthermore, FA significantly reduced the oxidative stress markers and recuperated the levels of antioxidant defense in the liver and kidney as evidenced by native PAGE and spectrophotometric assays, correlation and regression analysis and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and inferring the antioxidant role of FA. Histopathological damage due to Cd intoxication in the liver and kidney is demonstrated as vasodilatation and congestion in central veins and sinusoids as well as around the glomerulus, infiltration of mixed inflammatory cells and peripheral hemorrhage, hemorrhagic and enlarged sinusoids, disorganization of the hepatic parenchyma, focal necrosis, swelling of hepatocytes, calcified tissue inside blood vessels, hepatocyte degeneration and vacuolization of liver cells, hyaline casts, degenerated glomerulus with wide space and detached basement membrane, distal tubule with wide lumen, deformed proximal tubules with detached brush border, and degeneration and hyalinization of glomerular tuft. But, FA significantly reduced the toxicity of Cd and protected the normal histological architecture of the liver and kidney tissues. Cd-intoxicated rats were associated with a significant upregulation of TNF-α, COX-2, and HSP70 proteins, whereas treatment with FA caused downregulation of the above inflammatory Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

The used of linearization technique using natural logarithm transformation, though standard, is erroneous and can just give an estimated value for the sole parameter measured; the specific growth rate. in this paper, for the first time we model the effect of nZVI/Pd and SiO2-nZVI/Pd nanoparticles on the growth of P. putida in MSM medium as modelled using models such as von Bertalanffy, Baranyi-Roberts, modified Schnute, modified Richards, modified Gompertz, modified logistics and the most recent Huang. The results show that the lag phases of P. putida cell at 4 h (0.5 g L-1 of SiO2-nZVI/Pd), 7.655 h (1.0 g L-1 of SiO2-nZVI/Pd), 11.76 h (0.5 g L-1 of nZVI/Pd) and 22.03 h (1.0 g L-1 of nZVI/Pd) respectively, which were longer than that of control, indicating the nanoparticles prolonged the exponential phase of cell growth. Moreover, in comparing the maximum growth ymax, which was 1.23x10 9 , there was a decrease in the P. putida growth, i.e 1.20x10 9 (0.5 g L-1 of SiO2-nZVI/Pd), 1.06x10 9 (1.0 g L-1 of SiO2-nZVI/Pd), 1.04x10 9 (0.5 g L-1 of nZVI/Pd) and 8.59x10 8 (1.0 g L-1 of nZVI/Pd) respectively, with more decrease in growth at the P. putida growth with nZVI/Pd than SiO2-nZVI/Pd. On the other hand, when comparing the µmax, the control has a value of 0.08 while 0.073, 0.073, 0.089 and 0.86 are values at bacterial concentration of (0.5 g L-1 of SiO2-nZVI/Pd), (1.0 g L-1 of SiO2-nZVI/Pd), (0.5 g L-1 of nZVI/Pd) and (1.0 g L-1 of nZVI/Pd) respectively, indicating the specific growth rate decreases with both 0.5 g L-1 of SiO2-nZVI/Pd and 1.0 g L-1 of SiO2-nZVI/Pd and increases with 0.5 g L-1 of nZVI/Pd and 1.0 g L-1 of nZVI/Pd. It is clear from the results that coating of SiO2 on nZVI/Pd might drastically decrease the toxicity to P. putida cells.