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Background: The oropharynx plays a major role in the development and spread of antimicrobial resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae among men who have sex with men. Trials are currently assessing the efficacy of bactericidal mouthwashes as possible therapeutic or preventive options against these pharyngeal gonococcal infections. Controlled clinical trials require the use of a placebo mouthwash without anti-gonococcal activity. So far, no such mouthwash has been described. We describe the development of a mouthwash for this purpose. Methods: The in vitro anti-gonococcal activity of Corsodyl®, Listerine Cool Mint®, Biotene®, phosphate buffered saline and six in-house placebo mouthwashes was evaluated. Three gonococcal isolates from patients with pharyngeal infection were exposed to the mouthwashes for a duration ranging from 30 seconds to 60 minutes. Isolates were then plated onto blood agar (5% horse blood) and incubated for 24 hours (5-7% CO2, 35 ± 2°C). Growth of N. gonorrhoeae was scored on a five-point scale (0 to 4). All experiments were conducted in duplicate. Results: Corsodyl® and Listerine Cool Mint® were bactericidal to all isolates. For the other mouthwashes, the median growth score after 60 minutes of exposure was 4 (interquartile range 4-4) for phosphate buffered saline; 1 (interquartile range 1-3) for Biotene®; and ranged between 0 and 2 for the in-house composed mouthwashes. An in-house composed mouthwash (Placebo 6) performed best, with a growth score of 2 (interquartile range 2-3). Conclusions: All of the evaluated potential placebo mouthwashes were bacteriostatic after gonococcal exposure of 30 to 60 minutes. In-house composed Placebo 6 showed less inhibition on gonococcal growth than Biotene® and the other in-house placebos and demonstrates, in our opinion, a good trade-off between anti-gonococcal properties and taste.

According to the World Health Organization, air pollution contributes to shortened life expectancies of UE citizens by an average of 8.6 months. The aim of our study was to see if there is a relationship between exposure of inhabitants of cities to air pollution and the length of their lives, excluding deaths caused by external causes. Average annual concentrations of air pollutants such as PM 10 , benzo(a)pyrene, cadmium and lead in PM 10 were based on data from the measuring stations, while the concentrations of dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls were their own measurements. The average women's and men's life expectancies in 11 cities in the year 2015, after excluding accidents and suicides, were calculated on the basis of the registry of deaths. Inequalities in men's and women's life expectancies are significant between cities and there is a relationship between exposure to air pollutants and the length of men's and women's lives in each city, demonstrating a very strong correlation in the male population. An effective tool for identifying significant risk factors affecting human health seems to be the multiple regression model.

Background: The oropharynx plays a major role in the development and spread of antimicrobial resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae among men who have sex with men. Trials are currently assessing the efficacy of bactericidal mouthwashes as possible therapeutic or preventive options against these pharyngeal gonococcal infections. Controlled clinical trials require the use of a placebo mouthwash without anti-gonococcal activity. So far, no such placebo mouthwash has been described. We describe the development of a mouthwash for this purpose. Methods: The in vitro anti-gonococcal activity of Corsodyl®, Listerine Cool Mint®, Biotene®, phosphate buffered saline and six in-house placebo mouthwashes was evaluated. Three gonococcal isolates from patients with pharyngeal infection were exposed to the mouthwashes for a duration ranging from 30 seconds to 60 minutes. Isolates were then plated in duplicate onto blood agar (5% horse blood) and incubated for 24 hours (5-7% CO 2, 35 ± 2°C). Growth of N. gonorrhoeae was scored on a five-point scale (0 = no growth, to 4 = confluent growth of colonies). Results: Corsodyl® and Listerine Cool Mint® were bactericidal to all isolates. For the other mouthwashes, the median growth score after 60 minutes of exposure was 4 (interquartile range 4-4) for phosphate buffered saline; 1 (interquartile range 1-3) for Biotene®; and ranged between 0 and 2 for the in-house composed mouthwashes. An in-house composed mouthwash (Placebo 6) performed best, with a growth score of 2.5 (interquartile range 1-3). Conclusions: All the evaluated potential placebo mouthwashes were bacteriostatic after gonococcal exposure of 30 to 60 minutes. In-house composed Placebo 6 showed less inhibition on gonococcal growth than Biotene® and the other in-house placebos and demonstrates, in our opinion, a good trade-off between anti-gonococcal properties and taste.

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In recent years, the widespread of microplastics in the food chain and environment became a topic of much research. This article focused on the knowledge and awareness of people with higher education levels—mostly young ones. The aim of this study is to analyze to what extent consumers know about and are aware of the source of microplastics, the level of exposure, and potential health hazards connected to the contamination of food and water with microplastics. The test group, consisting of 410 people, is mostly able to correctly characterize what microplastics mean and knows its sources. A majority of the group is aware of potential presence of microplastics in water; however, the knowledge about contamination of other elements of the environment seems to be gradually lowering. The majority of the people taking part in the research know that microplastic might be present in foods, and they are aware that after entering the human body, it might accumulate in internal organs. Moreover, when asked about potential health hazards, the group chose mostly tumors and gastrointestinal disorders, while disorders of the reproductive system were chosen less frequently. Consumers’ knowledge regarding the sources and health hazards of microplastics seems to be more common among women, in groups living in cities and among people who studied physics-related subjects and medicine.

Cel pracy. Obecność metali ciężkich w wierzchniej warstwie gleby terenów rekreacyjnych przeznaczonych do użytkowania przez dzieci i młodzież może być powodem narażenia na toksyczne pierwiastki drogą pozażywieniową. Jest to szczególnie istotne, gdy place zabaw i boiska są zakładane na terenach silnie uprzemysłowionych, takich jak obszar Górnego Śląska. Celem pracy było oszacowanie wielkości narażenia dzieci i młodzieży drogą pozażywieniową na wybrane metale ciężkie (Cd, Pb, Hg) w wyniku wtórnego pylenia wierzchniej warstwy gleby, powstałego podczas użytkowania placów zabaw i boisk terenu rekreacyjnego Księża Góra w Radzionkowie. Materiał i metody. Materiał badawczy stanowiły próbki gleby pobrane z terenów rekreacyjnych w Radzionkowie. Próbki poddano mineralizacji mikrofalowej, a następnie oznaczono stężenie występujących w nich pierwiastków Cd, Pb i Hg. Na podstawie otrzymanych wyników dokonano szacunkowej oceny narażenia dzieci i młodzieży na analizowane pierwiastki drogą pozażywieniową. Wyniki. Spośród wszystkich przebadanych próbek gleby w przypadku kadmu stężeniami wyższymi od wartości normatywnych w glebach charakteryzowało się aż 88% próbek, natomiast w przypadku ołowiu-78% próbek. Wyniki szacunkowej oceny narażenia wskazują, że w przypadku 46% pobranych próbek gleby istnieje ryzyko wystąpienia negatywnych efektów zdrowotnych narażenia na ołów (hazard quotient-HQ > 1). Wnioski. Próbki gleby pobrane w Radzionkowie wskazują na silne jej zanieczyszczenie metalami ciężkimi, o czym świadczą stężenia kadmu i ołowiu znacznie przekraczające wartości dopuszczalne. Odpowiednie zabezpieczenie powierzchni rekreacyjnych przed pyleniem oraz kontrola zawartości metali ciężkich w miejscach zabaw dla dzieci i młodzieży jest szczególnie istotna, ponieważ pozwoli na zminimalizowanie negatywnego wpływu zagrożeń środowiskowych na zdrowie najmłodszych.