New Method to Detect 20 Drugs in Cow, Goat and Human Milk

A Spanish-Moroccan research team has developed a method that makes it possible to simultaneously detect 20 pharmaceutical products in cow, goat and human milk. The samples of the three types of milk studied showed that they all contain anti-inflammatories, although the largest number of drugs was found in whole cows' milk. Up to 20 kinds of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, antiseptics, lipid regulators, beta-blockers and hormones can be detected simultaneously in various kinds of milk, thanks to a new method developed by researchers at the universities of Jaén and Córdoba in Spain and the Abdelmalek Essaadi University in Morocco. The scientists believe the new methodology will help to provide a more effective way of determining the presence of these kinds of contaminants in milk or other products. Food quality control laboratories could use this new tool to detect these drugs before they enter the food chain.

Source: 

Toxic chemicals in fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables constitute a key food commodity. Toxic and hazardous chemicals like calcium carbide or ethephon and oxytocin are reportedly being used for artificial ripening of fruits and for increasing the size of fruits and vegetables, respectively. Calcium carbide more commonly known as ‘masala’ is carcinogenic and banned under PFA Rules, 1955. Ethephon is a pesticide; so not recommended as a ripening enhancer. Oxytocin is a mammalian hormone used as a drug in veterinary services; its application is not advised in fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Advice to consumers

• Select fruits and vegetables without spots or necrosis (lesions) and any abnormality.
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly with water (preferably) running potable water before eating and cooking.
• Purchase fruits and vegetables from known dealers.
• Peeling of fruits before consumption and vegetables before cooking will reduce exposure to pesticide.
• Do not buy and consume cut fruits from open market.
• Throw away fruits and vegetables infected by mould/fungus.
• To minimize the hazards of pesticide residues, discard the outer leaves of leafy vegetables such as lettuce and cabbage.
• Do not wash fruits and vegetables with detergents as they may get absorbed inside.
• Ensure the quality of fruits and vegetables by sending them to voluntary testing laboratories.
• Wash your hands with soap and potable water, use clean utensil and clean cutting board with stainless steel knives.

Source: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India 

Environmental Security: Human and Animal Health - New book released

Dr. Hardeep Kumar, Vice Chancellor, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar at a University function released the book “Environmental Security: Human and Animal Health” edited by Dr. Sudhi Ranjan Garg, Professor, Department of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Hisar. Encompassing the spirit of ‘One Health’, the book has 39 chapters dealing with important environmental issues, wherein the experts from varied disciplines across the country have envisaged futuristic visionary strategies for protection of health of human beings as well as animals. 

Environmental Security: Human and Animal Health (ISBN: 978-81-8189-171-6; IBDC Publishers, Lucknow)

Contents

1.        Pollution and Risk to Human and Animal Health - A. M. Paturkar

2.        Heavy Metal Toxicity - M. H. Fulekar and Anamika S.

3.        Animal Health Risks due to Inorganic Chemical Pollutants - D. Swarup and H. P. Dwivedi

4.        Arsenic Poisoning and Remedies - P. S. Anand, K. M. Popat and D. Gangadharan

5.        Remediation of Toxic Heavy Metal Pollutants in the Environment - R. C. Patra and M. Megharaj

6.        Bioleaching of Metals from Sulphidic Minerals - Shailesh R. Dave and Devayani R. Tipre

7.        Distillery Effluent Treatment Technologies - T. N. Bhavanishankar

8.        Bioremediation and Decolourisation of Post-Methanated Distillery Effluent - Ram Chandra, Sangeeta Yadav and R. N. Bharagava

9.        Synthetic Dyes in the Textile Industry Effluent - M. V. Kulkarni and V. P. Zope

10.     Tannery Waste and its Remediation - S. S. Bhattacharya, M. Chakrabarti and Rintu Banerjee

11.     Advanced Technologies for Wastewater Treatment - Tapas Nandy, M. Karthik and Pravin Manekar

12.     Water Pollution and Health - M. N. Brahmbhatt

13.     Household Water Treatment for Developing Countries - M. Mansoor Ahammed

14.     Air Pollution Risk Assessment - P. Piplatkar, D. G. Gajghate and Vaishali Khaparde

15.     Vehicular Pollution and Health - Sopan T. Ingle and Nilesh D. Wagh

16.     Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ambient Air - Vaishali Khaparde, P. Piplatkar and D. G. Gajghate

17.     Urban Air Pollution and Health Risk : A Kolkata Case Study - Mrinal K. Ghose

18.     Acid Rain - Asha B. Chelani, D. G. Gajghate, S. D. Joshi and S. Devotta

19.     Indoor Air Pollution and Health - Priyanka Kulshreshtha and Mukesh Khare

20.     Health Risk from Asbestos in the Environment - Iqbal Ahmad and Huma Siddiqui

21.     Drug Resistant Bacteria in the Environment - B. R. Singh

22.     Laboratory Biosafety Concepts for Environmental Protection - H. V. Murugkar and S. C. Dubey

23.     Environmental Concerns and Health Implications of Cyanobacterial Toxins - Lalita N. Sangolkar, Sarika S. Maske and Tapan Chakrabarti

24.     Plant Toxicosis : Livestock and Human Health Risk - A. Sahoo

25.     Impact of Genetically Modified Organisms on Biotic and Abiotic Environments - H. Rahman and R. Karuppaiyan

26.     Microbial Bioassay for Impact Analysis of Environmental Toxicants - Raj K. Upreti and Manoj K. Upreti

27.     Biotechnology in Waste Treatment and Pollution Abatement - Shireen Meher Kotay and Debabrata Das

28.     Bioremediation of Wastes in Aquaculture - S. V. Alavandi

29.     Household Waste Management - Sudesh Gandhi and Veena Sangwan

30.     Integrated Management of Municipal Solid Waste - T. V. Ramachandra

31.     Solid Waste Management by Vermitechnology - V. K. Garg and Renuka Gupta

32.     Mitigation of Methane Emission from Livestock - K. K. Singhal and Madhu Mohini

33.     Environmental Health Hazards from Stray Animals - Diwakar D. Kulkarni

34.     Scavenger Animals and Environmental Safety - Gaya Prasad and Minakshi

35.     Mitigation of Pollution from Fallen Animal Carcasses - S. R. Garg and V. J. Jadhav

36.     Use of Laser in Environmental Pollution Detection and Abatement - Jyotsna Dutta Majumdar

37.     Biological Monitoring of Occupational Exposure to Pollutants - V. K. Bhatnagar and Glenn Talaska

38.     Transcriptomic and Proteomic Approaches to Environmental Health Management - Swati Kotwal

39.     Urban Greenery towards Environmental Improvement and Sustainability - Pradeep Chaudhry and Vindhya P. Tewari

Publication of new book - “Environmental Security: Human and Animal Health”

Thinking outside the box is paramount to focus clearly on the risks and challenges brought about by the human-animal-environment interactions. Forging collaborations between physicians, veterinarians and the other scientific health professionals is essential to achieve the health targets, as the environment health is not a domain restricted to a single discipline. Encompassing the spirit of One Health, the book entitled “Environmental Security: Human and Animal Health” edited by Prof. Sudhi Ranjan Garg has been published by the IBDC Publishers, Lucknow. The book will be released shortly. It contains analytical views of the experts from varied disciplines that not only assess the current situation but also provide futuristic visionary strategies. 

The book will be equally useful to the academicians, teachers, research workers, technocrats, managers, administrators, and the students of all disciplines related to environment health. It is sure to provide innovative insight to the health planners, policy makers and pollution control agencies to drive real and profound change in global survival.