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Journal of Hazardous Materials Aug 2022Increasing usage of antimicrobials is a significant contributor to the emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. Wastewater-based epidemiology is a useful...
Increasing usage of antimicrobials is a significant contributor to the emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. Wastewater-based epidemiology is a useful tool for evaluating public health, via the monitoring of chemical and biological markers in wastewater influent, such as antibiotics. Sixteen antimicrobials and their metabolites were studied: sulfonamides, trimethoprim, metronidazole, quinolones, nitrofurantoin, cyclines, and antiretrovirals. Correction factors (CFs) for human drug excretion, for various drug forms, were determined via a systematic literature review of pharmacokinetic research. Analyte stability was examined over a 24 h study. The estimation of community-wide drug intake was evaluated using the corresponding catchment prescription data. Overall, antimicrobials excreted in an unchanged form were often observed to over-estimate daily intake. This could be attributed to biotransformation, e.g., via glucuronide cleavage, or direct disposal of unused drugs. Acetyl-sulfonamides, trimethoprim, hydroxy-metronidazole, clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, tetracycline, and oxytetracycline generally performed well in the estimation of drug intake, relative to prescription records. The low prevalence of quinolone and trimethoprim metabolites, and the low stability of nitrofurantoin, limited the ability to evaluate these metabolites and their respective CFs.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Humans; Metronidazole; Nitrofurantoin; Quinolones; Sulfonamides; Trimethoprim; Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 35594673
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129001 -
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental... 2017Environmental epidemiology data are becoming increasingly important in public health decision making, which commonly incorporates a systematic review of multiple... (Review)
Review
Environmental epidemiology data are becoming increasingly important in public health decision making, which commonly incorporates a systematic review of multiple studies. This review addresses two fundamental questions: What is the quality of available reviews on associations between exposure to synthetic organic chemicals and neurodevelopmental outcomes? What is the value (e.g., quality and consistency) of the underlying literature? Published reviews on associations between synthetic organic environmental chemical exposures and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children were systematically evaluated. Seventy-four relevant reviews were identified, and these were evaluated with respect to four methodological characteristics: (1) systematic inclusion/exclusion criteria and reproducible methods for search and retrieval of studies; (2) structured evaluation of underlying data quality; (3) systematic assessment of consistency across specific exposure-outcome associations; and (4) evaluation of reporting/publication bias. None of the 74 reviews fully met the criteria for all four methodological characteristics. Only four reviews met two criteria, and six reviews fulfilled only one criterion. Perhaps more importantly, the higher quality reviews were not able to meet all of the criteria owing to the shortcomings of underlying studies, which lacked comparability in terms of specific research question of interest, overall design, exposure assessment, outcome ascertainment, and analytic methods. Thus, even the most thoughtful and rigorous review may be of limited value if the underlying literature includes investigations that address different hypotheses and are beset by methodological inconsistencies and limitations. Issues identified in this review of reviews illustrate considerable challenges that are facing assessments of epidemiological evidence.
Topics: Child; Child Development; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Organic Chemicals; Review Literature as Topic
PubMed: 28952888
DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2017.1370847 -
Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology Jun 2017Diphoterine, developed by the French company Prevor, is a polyvalent, chelating, amphoteric and slightly hypertonic solution used in the management of chemical cutaneous... (Review)
Review
CONTEXT
Diphoterine, developed by the French company Prevor, is a polyvalent, chelating, amphoteric and slightly hypertonic solution used in the management of chemical cutaneous and ocular burns. While used extensively in Europe and Canada, it is has not been approved by the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as an alternative to the water-rinse method due to a lack of evidence of its safety and efficacy on human subjects. An unbiased and extensive systematic review was undertaken in order to better understand Diphoterine's safety and efficaciousness on humans.
OBJECTIVE
Review the safety and efficacy of Diphoterine for treating chemical burns of the skin and eyes in humans.
METHODS
Data sources: Information sources included Pubmed, the National Library of Medicine's Medline Database and the "Publications" sections of the Prevor website. Search terms included Diphoterine, chemical burn, ocular burn and cutaneous burn.
STUDY SELECTION
Any study type published through a peer-reviewed journal up to May 2016 was considered eligible. Published data must have included Diphoterine in the treatment of chemical burns on the skin or eyes as well as meet other specified criteria. Acceptable studies had to use either a quantitative (e.g. number of work days lost) or qualitative (e.g. level of erythema) approach when measuring cutaneous or ocular lesion outcomes.
DATA EXTRACTION
Independent assessment of article inclusion by two authors using predefined criteria.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
Diphoterine is safe and highly effective in improving healing time, healing sequelae and pain management of chemical burns on the skin and eyes of humans. Outcomes are significantly improved when compared to water or a physiologic solution equivalent. We recommend that this product be readily available to emergency responders and companies that expose their employees to hazardous chemical substances in order to improve healing sequelae, pain management and lost work days from these types of burns.
Topics: Burns, Chemical; Dermatologic Agents; Eye Burns; Humans; Occupational Injuries; Ophthalmic Solutions; Organic Chemicals; Pain Management; Treatment Outcome; Wound Healing
PubMed: 27486965
DOI: 10.1080/15569527.2016.1217423 -
International Journal of Environmental... Sep 2021Environmental chemicals and contaminants coming from multiple external sources enter the human body, determining a potential risk for human health. Human biomonitoring... (Review)
Review
Environmental chemicals and contaminants coming from multiple external sources enter the human body, determining a potential risk for human health. Human biomonitoring (HBM), measuring the concentrations of biomarkers in human specimens, has become an emerging approach for assessing population-wide exposure to hazardous chemicals and health risk through large-scale studies in many countries. However, systematic mapping of HBM studies, including their characteristics, targeted hazardous pollutants, analytical techniques, and sample population (general population and occupationally exposed workers), has not been done so far. We conducted a systematic review of the literature related to airborne hazardous pollutants in biofluids to answer the following questions: Which main chemicals have been included in the literature, which bodily fluids have been used, and what are the main findings? Following PRISMA protocol, we summarized the publications published up to 4 February 2021 of studies based on two methods: gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and electronic noses (e-noses). We screened 2606 records and 117 publications were included in the analysis, the most based on GC/MS analysis. The selected HBM studies include measurements of biomarkers in different bodily fluids, such as blood, urine, breast milk, and human semen as well as exhaled air. The papers cover numerous airborne hazardous pollutants that we grouped in chemical classes; a lot of hazardous and noxious compounds, mainly persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), have been detected in biological fluids at alarming levels. The scenario that emerged from this survey demonstrates the importance of HBM in human exposure to hazardous pollutants and the need to use it as valid tool in health surveillance. This systematic review represents a starting point for researchers who focus on the world of pollutant biomonitoring in the human body and gives them important insights into how to improve the methods based on GC/MS. Moreover, it makes a first overview of the use of gas sensor array and e-noses in HBM studies.
Topics: Biological Monitoring; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Humans; Occupational Exposure; Volatile Organic Compounds
PubMed: 34639537
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910236 -
Environmental Research Aug 2023Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are ubiquitous in environment, which have attracted increasing concerns in recent years. This study collected the data on PFAAs... (Review)
Review
Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are ubiquitous in environment, which have attracted increasing concerns in recent years. This study collected the data on PFAAs concentrations in 1042 soil samples from 15 countries and comprehensively reviewed the spatial distribution, sources, sorption mechanisms of PFAAs in soil and their plant uptake. PFAAs are widely detected in soils from many countries worldwide and their distribution is related to the emission of the fluorine-containing organic industry. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are found to be the predominant PFAAs in soil. Industrial emission is the main source of PFAAs contributing 49.9% of the total concentrations of PFAAs (Ʃ PFAAs) in soil, followed by activated sludge treated by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) (19.9%) and irrigation of effluents from WWTPs, usage of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFFs) and leaching of leachate from landfill (30.2%). The adsorption of PFAAs by soil is mainly influenced by soil pH, ionic strength, soil organic matter and minerals. The concentrations of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in soil are negatively correlated with the length of carbon chain, log K, and log K. The carbon chain lengths of PFAAs are negatively correlated with the root-soil concentration factors (RCFs) and shoot-soil concentration factors (SCFs). The uptake of PFAAs by plant is influenced by physicochemical properties of PFAAs, plant physiology and soil environment. Further studies should be conducted to make up the inadequacy of existing knowledge on the behavior and fate of PFAAs in soil-plant system.
Topics: Soil; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Fluorocarbons; Alkanesulfonic Acids; Sewage; Carboxylic Acids
PubMed: 37196690
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116156 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Jan 2017This review replaces part of an earlier review that evaluated gabapentin for both neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia, now split into separate reviews for the two... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
This review replaces part of an earlier review that evaluated gabapentin for both neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia, now split into separate reviews for the two conditions. This review will consider pain in fibromyalgia only.Fibromyalgia is associated with widespread pain lasting longer than three months, and is frequently associated with symptoms such as poor sleep, fatigue, depression, and reduced quality of life. Fibromyalgia is more common in women.Gabapentin is an antiepileptic drug widely licensed for treatment of neuropathic pain. It is not licensed for the treatment of fibromyalgia, but is commonly used because fibromyalgia can respond to the same medicines as neuropathic pain.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the analgesic efficacy of gabapentin for fibromyalgia pain in adults and the adverse events associated with its use in clinical trials.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) via the Cochrane Register of Studies Online, MEDLINE via Ovid and Embase via Ovid from inception to 24 May 2016. We also searched the reference lists of retrieved studies and reviews, and searched online clinical trial registries.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised, double-blind trials of eight weeks' duration or longer for treating fibromyalgia pain in adults, comparing gabapentin with placebo or an active comparator.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two independent review authors extracted data and assessed trial quality and risk of bias. We planned to use dichotomous data to calculate risk ratio and number needed to treat for one additional event, using standard methods. We assessed the evidence using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) and created a 'Summary of findings' table.
MAIN RESULTS
Two studies tested gabapentin to treat fibromyalgia pain. One was identified in previous versions of the review and is included here. We identified another study as a conference abstract, with insufficient detail to determine eligibility for inclusion; it is awaiting assessment. The one included study of 150 participants was a 12-week, multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study using last-observation-carried-forward imputation for withdrawals. The maximum dose was 2400 mg daily. The overall risk of bias was low, except for attrition bias.At the end of the trial, the outcome of 50% reduction in pain over baseline was not reported. The outcome of 30% or greater reduction in pain over baseline was achieved by 38/75 participants (49%) with gabapentin compared with 23/75 (31%) with placebo (very low quality). A patient global impression of change any category of "better" was achieved by 68/75 (91%) with gabapentin and 35/75 (47%) with placebo (very low quality).Nineteen participants discontinued the study because of adverse events: 12 in the gabapentin group (16%) and 7 in the placebo group (9%) (very low quality). The number of serious adverse events were not reported, and no deaths were reported (very low quality).
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
We have only very low quality evidence and are very uncertain about estimates of benefit and harm because of a small amount of data from a single trial. There is insufficient evidence to support or refute the suggestion that gabapentin reduces pain in fibromyalgia.
Topics: Adult; Amines; Analgesics; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Female; Fibromyalgia; Gabapentin; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
PubMed: 28045473
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012188.pub2 -
Environmental Research Nov 2021As the amount of time people spend indoors increases globally, exposure to indoor air pollutants has become an important public health concern. Asthma is a complex... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
As the amount of time people spend indoors increases globally, exposure to indoor air pollutants has become an important public health concern. Asthma is a complex disease caused and/or exacerbated by increased exposure to diverse chemical, physical and biological exposures from multiple indoor and outdoor sources. This review aims to investigate the relationship between increased indoor PM and VOC concentrations (i.e. objectively measured) and the risk of adult asthma in higher-income countries.
METHODS
Eleven databases were systematically searched on the February 1, 2019 and again on the February 2, 2020. Articles were limited to those published since 1990. Reference lists were independently screened by three reviewers and authors were contacted to identify relevant articles. Backwards and forward citation chasing was used to identify further studies. Data were extracted from included studies meeting our eligibility criteria by three reviewers and assessed for quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale designed for case-control and cohort studies.
RESULTS
Twelve studies were included in a narrative synthesis. We found insufficient evidence to determine the effect of PM2.5 on asthma in the indoor home environment. However, there was strong evidence to suggest that VOCs, especially aromatic compounds, and aliphatic compounds, were associated with increased asthma symptoms.
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION
Although no single exposure appears to be responsible for the development of asthma or its associated symptoms, the use of everyday products may be associated with increased asthma symptoms. To prevent poor health outcomes among the general population, health professionals and industry must make a concerted effort to better inform the general population of the importance of appropriate use of and storage of chemicals within the home as well as better health messaging on product labelling.
Topics: Adult; Air Pollutants; Air Pollution, Indoor; Asthma; Case-Control Studies; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Organic Chemicals; Particulate Matter
PubMed: 34224711
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111631 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2023Natural products are treasure houses for modern drug discovery. Diphyllin is a natural arylnaphthalene lignan lactone isolated from the leaf of . Studies have found that... (Review)
Review
Natural products are treasure houses for modern drug discovery. Diphyllin is a natural arylnaphthalene lignan lactone isolated from the leaf of . Studies have found that it possesses plenty of bioactivity characteristics. In this paper, we reviewed the structure, bioactivity, and mechanism of action of diphyllin and its derivatives. The references were obtained from PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases up to August 2023. Papers without a bio-evaluation were excluded. Diphyllin and its derivatives have demonstrated V-ATPase inhibition, anti-tumor, anti-virus, anti-biofilm, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant activities. The most studied activities of diphyllin and its derivatives are V-ATPase inhibition, anti-tumor activities, and anti-virus activities. Furthermore, V-ATPase inhibition activity is the mechanism of many bioactivities, including anti-tumor, anti-virus, and anti-inflammatory activities. We also found that the galactosylated modification of diphyllin is a common phenomenon in plants, and therefore, galactosylated modification is applied by researchers in the laboratory to obtain more excellent diphyllin derivatives. This review will provide useful information for the development of diphyllin-based anti-tumor and anti-virus compounds.
Topics: Adenosine Triphosphatases; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Lactones; Lignans
PubMed: 38067601
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28237874 -
Archivos de La Sociedad Espanola de... Jan 2017To evaluate recent evidence concerning the relationship between the exposure to organic solvents and the impairment of colour vision. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate recent evidence concerning the relationship between the exposure to organic solvents and the impairment of colour vision.
METHODS
A bibliographic search was conducted for scientific papers published in the last 15 years, in the LILACS, PubMed, Science Direct, EBSCO, and Cochrane databases that included observational studies assessing the relationship between impairment in colour vision and exposure to organic solvents.
RESULTS
Eleven studies were selected that were performed on an economically active population and used the Lanthony D-15 desaturated test (D-15d), measured the exposure to organic solvents, and included unexposed controls. It was found that there is a statistically significant relationship between the exposure to organic solvents and the presence of an impairment in colour vision.
CONCLUSIONS
The results support the hypothesis that exposure to organic solvents could induce acquired dyschromatopsia. The evaluation of colour vision with the D-15d test is simple and sensitive for diagnosis. More studies need to be conducted on this subject in order to better understand the relationship between impaired colour vision and more severe side effects caused by this exposure.
Topics: Air Pollutants, Occupational; Color Perception Tests; Color Vision Defects; Humans; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Observational Studies as Topic; Occupational Diseases; Occupational Exposure; Organic Chemicals; Solvents
PubMed: 27422480
DOI: 10.1016/j.oftal.2016.05.008 -
BJOG : An International Journal of... Apr 2024From menarche until menopause, the average menstruator will use over 11 000 tampons or sanitary pads. Vaginal and vulvar tissue is highly permeable, and chemicals are... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
From menarche until menopause, the average menstruator will use over 11 000 tampons or sanitary pads. Vaginal and vulvar tissue is highly permeable, and chemicals are absorbed without undergoing first-pass metabolism.
OBJECTIVES
To conduct a review of the literature to determine exposure to environmental chemicals in menstrual products.
SEARCH STRATEGY
This review identified 15 papers over the past 10 years.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Papers that measured chemicals in menstrual products and that measured human biomarkers of chemical exposure were included. Papers had to also be available in English.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Reviewers assessed the articles and data provided. Multiple chemical groups were found.
MAIN RESULTS
Phthalates, volatile organic compounds, parabens, environmental phenols, fragrance chemicals, dioxins and dioxin-like compounds were detected in menstrual products. Research gaps were identified, including the lack of studies on newer products such as menstrual underwear and cups/discs. In addition to measuring chemicals in these products, future research should focus on clarifying the exposure per menstrual cycle to these chemicals to understand how menorrhagia and cycle length influence exposure from menstrual products.
CONCLUSION
Menstrual products contained measurable levels of a range of endocrine disrupting chemicals including phthalates, phenols and parabens. This reflects a potentially important route of exposure to chemicals that can impact women's reproductive health.
Topics: Humans; Female; Menstrual Hygiene Products; Parabens; Reproduction; Phthalic Acids; Phenols
PubMed: 37743685
DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.17668