The study has shown that intervention with locally available sun-dried vegetables improves the bioavailability of BC, retinol, and hemoglobin levels among preschool children.

Metal pollution and its health effects present a challenge currently facing the developing countries. Metal poisoning is usually difficult and expensive to assess or screen in these countries due to limited resources, which means that policies, guidelines, regulations and institutional managements are limited. Hair and nail as biopsy materials were suggested as more

Vitamin A deficiency remains a major health concern in developing countries whereas the season availability of vegetables could provide for vitamin A. Dehydration is widely used to preserve dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV) but storage in normal atmosphere condition losses beta-carotene by oxidation, therefore requiring use of an oxygen absorber. The study examined use of kitchen steel wool as an oxygen absorber in reducing the loss of beta-carotene content in three indigenous DGLVs that were solar dried and stored for a period of 168 days in four different packing conditions. Fresh vegetables contained between 781.94 to 1047.42 μg/g dry matter (DM) beta-carotene, reducing significantly (p=0.01) to between 653.63 to 712.99 μg/g DM after dehydration. Steel wool oxygen absorber significantly improved (p = 0.02) beta-carotene retention, recording a loss of 19.5 to 37.6% compared to 47 to 72% in normal conditions. Storage of DGLVs under kitchen steel wool oxygen absorber preserves vegetables and retains high levels of beta-carotene.

Twenty-five samples of soft plaque and calcified plaque deposits from human hearts or aorta were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The determined elements were Ca, P, Na, K, Mg, Zn, Cu, Ba, Pb, Fe, Al, Si, and S. Results showed that the concentration of all elements in the soft plaque was at the micromolar level. In the calcified deposits, the concentrations of Ca and P were at least an order of magnitude higher than the soft plaque, but the other elements were at the same order of magnitude. In the calcified plaque the molar ratios of Ca/P suggested that a significant portion existed as hydroxyapatite Ca10(PO4)6(OH)3. However, their absolute concentrations indicated that this compound was not a major component of the plaque although it may play a major role in determining the crystal structure of the deposit. In some samples the Ca/P ratio was too high to conform to hydroxyapatite. In others it was too low. This indicated that both the calcium and phosphorus existed in other chemical forms which varied from sample to sample. In the soft tissue the P level was high indicating it existed primarily in chemical forms other than hydroxyapatite. The presence of homocysteine is often associated with heart disease. However, the low levels of sulfur indicate that although it may be present, it is not a major component of the plaque, but may nevertheless play an important role in its formation.

The paper presents the study carried out in a peri urban settlement of Nairobi Kenya and involved treatment of raw grey water generated from bathroom, kitchen and laundry for flushing toilet and laundry work. The study utilized both chemical and physical treatment. The chemical treatment involved alum addition in the raw grey water and pH adjustment using bicarbonate salts. The physical treatment involved filtration using Quartz sand and filtration of pH adjusted treated grey water using filter paper. The major ions studied were ions which could interfere with lathering of soaps or could cause stains on clothes and toilet fixtures or could be potentially health hazardous. These ions were Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, Pb and Hg. The levels of these ions in raw grey water and in treated grey water were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The results for the levels of these ions before treatment were compared to the set standards for potable water by Kenya Bureau of Standards [1]. The levels of these ions in the treated grey water after adjusting the pH were found to be within the Maximum Contaminant Limits (MCL) set by KEBS [1]. Thus the overall treatment of the raw grey water produced water of good quality which complied with the set standards for potable water by KEBS [1]. The results of this treatment could contribute immensely in the fulfillment of the millennium development goals.

This paper describes the determination of the levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca) and iron (Fe) in the toenails and fingernails of children under the age of six years in urban and rural areas in Kenya by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Lead levels in urban areas ranged from 8.0-49.0 µg/g in fingernails and 7.0-62.0 µg/g in toenails as compared to those in rural areas (5.0-36.5 µg/g and 5.5-31.5 µg/g, respectively). A similar trend was observed for Cd where significantly high levels were found in children in urban areas than those in rural areas. The Fe and Zn levels were significantly higher in children in rural areas than those in the urban areas. The levels of all the metals studied were higher in the toenails except for Fe and Ca where the levels were higher in fingernails; however, the difference in the levels was not significant. These results indicate that either the toenails or fingernails can be used as a reference for levels of metals environmental exposure.

Chebet SJ, Nawiri M, Murungi J. 2018. Assessment of the rates of thiocyanate in treated and untreated red and brown finger millet (Eleusine coracana) cultivated in Mogotio Area, Baringo County, Kenya. Trop Drylands 2: 28-34. Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is a significant African primary diet plant in the tropics. The plant has a content of cyanogenic glycosides which can be easily altered to thiocyanate by glycosidases and sulfur transferase enzymes found in the plant or in the animal tissues. Thiocyanate impedes the absorption of iodine by the iodide pump of the thyroid gland which is then acted as a goitrogen. This goitrogen gives pressure on thyroid function causing goiter. People of Mogotio usually cultivated the red and brown varieties of finger millet. Therefore, to ascertain the rate of thiocyanate in treated and untreated finger millet in the region to collect information that will be used to address goiter was significant. The rates of thiocyanate were examined from the finger millet in the form of desiccated, germinated or immersed beans, or in the form of fresh, fermented or cooked flour. The green and desiccated leaves of the plant were also examined for thiocyanate. Samples of the red and brown varieties of finger millet were arbitrarily picked out from the cultivators in the area. Thiocyanate content was examined utilizing UV-VIS spectrophotometric detection. ANOVA and independent T-test were utilized to analyzed data. SNK test was utilized to do the separation of means. The rates of thiocyanate content in the red finger millet were between 43.48±1.56 to 4.28±0.5 mg/kg with the highest rates was in fresh desiccated beans followed by germinated ones and the lowest rates was in cooked flour. While in the brown finger millet, it was between 53.30±0.78 to 4.96±0.40 mg/kg with the highest rates was in germinated beans and the lowest rates were in cooked flour. Green leaves hold 31.69±0.71 mg/kg while the desiccated ones hold 8.80±0.14 mg/kg. The results showed significant dissimilarities between the rates in the beans and that of in the flour (p< 0.001). They also showed that the thiocyanate content in finger millet samples was within the recommended rates (100 mg/kg), but the frequency of intake may still give a risk on health. Therefore, it is suggested to encourage the cooking of finger millet before processing as this decreases thiocyanate rates.

No abstract