The impact of heavy metal toxicity on the shoot and root lengths, total protein, fiber characteristics, moisture content and nutrient composition of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) was evaluated. Plants were grown in pots containing soil and treated with different concentrations (mg/kg) of lead (Pb; 300, 400 and 500), cadmium (Cd; 0.5, 1 and 1.5) and zinc (Zn; 250, 500, and 700) as well as mixtures of Cd and Pb (0.5/300, 1/400, 1.5/500), Cd and Zn (0.5/250, 1/500, 1.5/700), and Pb and Zn (300/250, 400/500, 500/700). Soil contaminated by long-term irrigation with wastewater containing heavy metals was simulated. An increase in concentrations of heavy metals both individually and as mixtures significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the growth parameters and nutrient contents of S. oleracea. The uptake patterns of heavy metals in mixtures showed antagonistic impacts on each other. The toxicities of the mixtures Cd and Pb, Cd and Zn as well as Pb and Zn were higher than those observed in separate heavy metal applications but less than their additive sums. The toxicity caused by individual heavy metals was the highest for Cd followed by Pb and Zn. The highest toxicity was observed in plants grown in soil contaminated by Cd and Pb.

Background: Hospital waste management (HWM) practices are the core need to run a proper health care facility. This study encompasses the HWM practices in teaching hospitals of Peshawar, Pakistan and examine the enforcement of Pak HWM (2005) rules and risks through transmission of pathogens via blood fluids, air pollution during waste incineration and injuries occurring in conjunction with open burning and dumping.Methods: A questionnaire based on World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations was used to survey the selected private and public teaching hospital (n = 16). Site visits and personnel observations were also included in the data. It was spatio-statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics, Krushkal-wallis and Fisher’s exact tests.Results: The findings revealed that the lack of HWM practices in all surveyed hospitals (p > 0.05), besides statistical difference (p < 0.017) in waste generation/day. No proper segregation of waste from generation point to final disposal was practiced. However, the performance of private teaching hospitals (50%) was found better in terms of HWM personnel and practices. In surveyed hospitals, only nine hospitals (56.3%) were found with the incinerator facility while rest of the hospitals (43.7%) practiced open dumping. Moreover, operational parameters of the incinerators were not found satisfactory and located in densely populated areas and emitting hazardous gases.Conclusion: Proper HWM practices are not being followed in the light of WHO guidelines. Hospital waste impose serious menace to healthcare workers and to nearby population. WHO issued documents for improving HWM practices but triggered no change in Pakistan. To improve the situation, insights in this context is need for enforcement of rules.

Helicobacter pylori (HP) is a vital element in the etiology of peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. This research aimed to determine the frequency, distribution, and determinants of HP infection in adults and adolescents with gastric symptoms in district Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was performed from June 2018 to June 2020 at the Medical Laboratory Technology Department, The University of Haripur, Pakistan. Presence of HP was a research variable, while sex, age groups, education status, overcrowding, dining habits, milk intake, drinking water source and animal contact were grouping variables. Immuno-chromatographic technique (ICT) was used to for serological detection of HP antibodies. All variables were represented by frequency and percentage with 95%CI. Prevalence of HP and its distribution by eight socio-demographic variables was testified by the chi-square goodness-of-fit test while association was testified by chi-square test of association. Out of total 1160 cases, 557 (48%) were positive for HP. Population prevalence was higher in men, in the age group 20-40 years, illiterate, family size ≤ 10 persons, taking restaurant food, using tetra pack, using municipal water, and having animal contact. The observed prevalence of HP was similar to its expected prevalence in the population. The observed distribution of HP in the sample was different from its expected distribution in population by eight socio-demographic variables. Presence of HP was associated with all eight socio-demographic variables besides age groups.

Air pollution, a major environmental problem has a direct association with the incidence of respiratory symptoms and decreased in pulmonary function. A comparative cross sectional study was designed for 284 healthy men exposed into two different environs i.e. urban and rural areas of district Peshawar. This study also determined and compared risk factors i.e. men working in open shops for ~ one year or more than one year prior to the study and daily exposure for ~ 8 hours per day and lung functions using peak expiratory flow (PEF) measurements. The results showed high significant prevalence (p<0.05) for bronchitis 83.1% (OR = 29.33; 95% CI = 14.9 – 54.0) and asthma 66.2% (OR = 13.5; 95% CI = 7.5 – 25.1) symptoms in urban area shopkeepers as compared to rural area shopkeepers 14.8% and 12.7% respectively. Similarly, the readings of PEF were found severe in 33%, mild in 32% and normal range in 35% in urban participants as compared to the shopkeepers living in the rural areas in which severe cases were reported in 13%, mild 19% and normal 68% respectively. Exposure per day, per year and more than one year as occupational stay at the shops of men, puts them at greater risk due to their continuous exposure to air pollution. The observed rise in health issues seems to be related with continuous increase in urbanization, traffic emissions and road expansion in the urban area.

Self-medication, which often includes over-the-counter (OTC) medications, is described as a global public health issue affecting a vast number of individuals. The rate of self-medication has risen considerably among medical students, as evidenced by various published studies. Self-medication was reported to be quite common (88.4%) when 389 medical students were polled about it. The frequency were found higher in female students (66.3%) as compared to male students (22.1%) with significant p-value (p=0.007). The most frequently used items were painkillers (77.57%), antipyretics (52.06%), cough and cold medications (48.71%), antitussives (40.20%) and antibiotics (30.92%). They primarily purchased self-medication supplies from pharmacies and extensively relied on family members and their own prior medical experiences for knowledge on the medications they used (p<0.05). However, among these medical students, the idea of self-medication is well-established because they realized that mild illnesses could be treated without visiting a doctor. High levels of education and professional success have been said to be indicators of self-medication. The results suggest that in order to prevent the rising trend of self-medication, rigorous laws should be implemented that prohibit the distribution of pharmaceuticals without a valid prescription. The risks of self-medication should be made known to young people, especially females.