Rice husk has tremendous potential as a remediation material for the removal of arsenic from groundwater. The present work investigates the possibility of the use of rice husk adsorption technology without any pretreatment in the removal of arsenic from aqueous media. Various conditions that affect the adsorption/ desorption of arsenic are investigated. Adsorption column methods show the complete removal of both As(III) and As(V) under the following conditions: initial As concentration, 100 µg/L; rice husk amount, 6 g; average particle size, 780 and 510 µm; treatment flow rate, 6.7 and 1.7 mL/min; and pH, 6.5 and 6.0, respectively. The desorption efficiencies with 1 M of KOH after the treatment of groundwater were in the range of 71-96%. The present study might provide new avenues to achieve the arsenic concentrations required for drinking water recommended by Bangladesh and the World Health Organization (WHO).

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Colostrum has enough humoral and cellular elements to protect babies. Therefore, immune protection derived from breastfeeding depends on the immunoglobulin level of the colostrum as well as the amount of colostrum ingested.

UV-C irradiation operating at 254 nm wavelength on the polyphenolic and vitamin contents of apple juice including cytotoxicity analysis was studied. UV doses ranging from 0 to 150 mJ·cm were selected for the treatments. Polyphenols (catechin, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, and phloridzin) and vitamins (riboflavin, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxal hydrochloride, pyridoxine, pyridoxamine dihydrochloride, cyanocobalamin, choline chloride, biotin, niacin, and niacinamide) were chemically profiled. It was observed that UV treatment of apple juice at disinfection doses caused minor reductions (p < 0.05) in the concentrations of two main polyphenols (i.e., chlorogenic acid and epicatechin). In contrast, significant (p < 0.05) decreases in vitamin concentrations were observed (p < 0.05). The irradiated juice was evaluated for cytotoxic effects. The irradiated apple juice showed no cytotoxic effects on normal intestinal cells, and both irradiated and nonirradiated samples are significantly comparable in inhibiting the growth of human colon cancer cells. Overall, these results indicated that UV-C treatment of apple juice neither significantly degraded polyphenols nor generated cytotoxic compounds.

Heavy metal pollution was reported in commercially valuable freshwater edible fish in the Buriganga River, Bangladesh. The concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn, and Cu were investigated in the muscle, gill, stomach, intestine, and liver of Heteropneustes fossilis caught at three stations to assess the degree of fish pollution by heavy metals. Significant differences in concentrations of analyzed elements were observed among different tissues, but not among the stations. The ranges of the measured concentrations (μg/g dry weight) in the tissues of H. fossilis were as follows: arsenic concentration was (0.2-0.4), (0.82-0.90), (3.29-3.99), (2.20-2.80), and (2.41-2.90), that of lead was (1.79-2.20), (4.95-6.55), (10.36-13.38), (5.74-9.70), and (18.20-18.79), that of cadmium was (0.3-0.4), (2.87-4.27), (1.03-1.63), (1.55-4.59), and (2.25-5.50), that of chromium was (1.40-1.70), (3.52-3.72), (2.28-5.29), (2.77-3.79), and (4.25-8.65), that of zinc was (24.47-28.82), (16.82-18.80), (20.22-22.20), (22.86-26.68), and (60.82-67.80), and that of copper was (7.80-8.50), (6.22-6.81), (38.21-44.25), (17.07-21.03), and (43.24-47.30) in the muscle, gill, stomach, intestine, and liver, respectively. This research showed that the liver appeared to be the main heavy metal storage tissue, while the muscle had the lowest levels of analyzed metals. The concentrations of metal in the muscles not exceeded the acceptable levels for a food source for human consumption.

BackgroundUrinary tract infection (UTI) is commonly experienced by women of various age groups especially elderly ones. We planned to find out the prevalent microbial strains causing UTI in slum inhabitant adolescent and adult women in Dhaka City, Bangladesh.Methods and materialsUrine sample was collected from 462 UTI suspected female subjects. Pathogenic bacteria were identified using standard microbiological tests, and antimicrobial sensitivity profiles of the pathogens were determined.ResultsBacteriuria was present in 9% of the subjects. A higher incidence (16.8%) of UTI was noted among adult women aged above 19 years. Escherichia coli (69%), Streptococcus spp. (15%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7%) were more frequently isolated from the urine samples compared to Enterococcus faecalis (3%), Staphylococcus aureus (2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (2%) and Hafnia alvei (2%). The E. coli isolates showed complete resistance to commonly used drugs, and 58% of these isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR). Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values for ciprofloxacin ranged between 64µg/ml and 512µg/ml, and the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) values against the isolates were 128µg/ml or above. Isolated strains of E. coli exhibited equal extent of ciprofloxacin resistance irrespective of the presence or absence of plasmid in them.ConclusionThe extent of drug resistance among the uropathogens if ignored may render them uncontrollable. This study suggests regular monitoring of drug resistance phenotype of the UTI pathogens to reduce the morbidity of female UTI patients and offer better treatment strategy in the healthcare sectors of Bangladesh.

The rapid growth of population, the mushrooming of poor settlements and unplanned urbanization have crucial implications for the efficiency and equity of urban services. The resultant infringements of critical human rights throw into focus the importance of housing as a social policy issue. Urban services are strained in Dhaka city. Urban management has been disrupted as a result of spatial encroachment and environmental degradation. In addition to land scarcity, land speculation and endemic corruption, the high price of land is also a product of the system of land registration. The dearth of valuable urban land, together with delays in urban planning and its implementation, have made the acquisition of land for housing prohibitively expensive for middle and lowincome households. Consequently, the quality of the housing environment is deteriorating. The problem of housing finance is intrinsically linked to its affordability, being currently the prerogative only of the affluent. This article delineates the inherent lack of integrated urban planning, the lacunae within institutions responsible for urban management -and, contextually, the nature of housing as a social policy issue, where reinforced, coordinated planning and administration could ensure distributive benefits even to the poor.

Patulin, a mycotoxin produced by several genera of fungi, is an important concern in apple‐based products due to its toxicity and health consequences. Ultraviolet (UV‐C) irradiation is a method of disinfection that is effective against many microorganisms and is also applied for chemical contaminant treatment via direct photolysis and advanced oxidation with sensitizers such as hydrogen peroxide. The present study evaluates whether UV‐C could be an effective method to destroy patulin in apple juice. UV‐C irradiation experiments were conducted using a collimated beam system operating at 253.7 nm. It was observed that patulin was not destroyed in pure water, but was degraded in pure and diluted apple juice upon UV‐C irradiation, suggesting that chromophores (such as riboflavin) in the juice were important factors in the photo degradation. From an initial patulin concentration of approximately 200 ppb, UV‐C dose of 400 mJ/cm2 successfully reduced patulin concentration by 69.47 (±0.69) % (p < .05). In cell culture studies, our results showed that increasing UV‐C dose decreased the patulin‐induced cytotoxicity in human peripheral blood cells. Cell viability percentage increased from 47.3% to 81.64% as UV‐C dose increased from 0 to 400 mJ/cm2. These doses would also achieve significant inactivation of viruses, bacteria, and many molds and fungi. This study clearly shows the potential for using UV‐C treatment for patulin degradation in turbid liquid foods such as apple juice. Practical applications This research paper provides scientific evidence of the potential benefits UV‐C irradiation in removing patulin from apple juice. UV‐C dose of 400 mJ/cm2 successfully reduced patulin concentration by 69.47%. In cell culture studies, increasing UV‐C dose decreased the patulin‐induced cytotoxicity in human peripheral blood cells. UV‐C irradiation is an attractive food preservation technology and offers opportunities for horticultural and food processing industries to meet the growing demand from consumers for healthier and safer food products. Knowledge gained through this study will facilitate major advances in the field of food science and engineering. This study would also provide technical support for commercialization of UV‐C technology for patulin degradation in turbid liquid foods such as apple juice.