Background. Environmental impacts from informal e-waste recycling are increasing in Africa. E-waste handling and disposal exposes people to highly toxic cocktails of heavy metals, brominated flame retardants, non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PBDF) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCB). Most of these compounds are endocrine disrupters, and most are neuro-and immune-toxic as well. Objectives. Informal e-waste recycling in African countries is a serious public health threat. The present paper reviews the extent of e-waste exposure in Africa and related impacts on people, animals and the environment. Methods. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar) were searched for publications related to e-waste and human health in Africa. Search terms included 'e-waste in Africa' , 'e-waste in developing nations' , 'public health and e-waste' , 'environment and e-waste' , and 'e-waste and health'. Discussion. Elevated levels of e-waste pollutants in water, air, soil, dust, fish, vegetable, and human matrices (blood, urine, breast milk) indicate that not only are e-waste workers at risk from exposure to e-waste, but the general population and future generations as well. Headache, cough and chest pain, stomach discomfort, miscarriage, abnormal thyroid and reproductive function, reduction of gonadal hormone, and cancer are common complaints of those involved with the processing of e-waste. Conclusions. The evidence presented from the reviewed studies illustrates the extent of the human health and environmental risks posed by e-waste in Africa. There is a need for a regulatory framework including specific legislation, infrastructure and protocols to safely recycle and dispose of e-waste in sub-Saharan African countries.

Ciprofloxacin is an inexpensive antibacterial, whereas chloroquine is an inexpensive antimalarial. The coadministration of chloroquine and ciprofloxacin is easily encountered because both drugs are commonly prescribed to patients in the tropics. Five healthy male volunteers aged 19 to 31 years who were not taking any of the prescribed medications and who had no sensitivity to either ciprofloxacin or chloroquine each received 500 mg ciprofloxacin orally with 250 mL of water, and after a 2-week washout period, 500 mg ciprofloxacin plus 600 mg chloroquine was administered orally with 250 mL of water after providing informed consent. A urine sample (7 mL) was collected just before taking the drug at 8:00 AM representing 0 hour and continued afterward at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours the next day. The samples were stored at -20 degrees C until analyzed. The minimum inhibitory concentrations by diffusion through agar technique were used for the assay of urine ciprofloxacin. The rate of ciprofloxacin excretion and cumulative urine ciprofloxacin were significantly increased. The coadministration of chloroquine increased the cumulative urinary concentration and excretion rate of ciprofloxacin.

Pawpaw root (Carica papaya), Guava leaf (Psidium guajava) and Bush Mango leaf (Irvingia gabonensis) are commonly used locally to treat diarrhoea. The present study evaluated the anti-diarrhoeal effects of these plant extracts on E. coli -induced diarrhoea in albino rats. Fresh tender roots and leaves of these plants were collected, air dried, powdered and percolated in n-hexane, Methanol and aqueous solvents. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was done using different standard methods. Diarrhoea was induced with Ecoli in albino rats using standard procedures. Qualitative phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of various phytochemicals like saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, tannins, phytates, oxalates and phenols. The extracts, in a dose dependent manner, significantly protected the rats against diarrhoea induced experimentally by E. coli in terms of the nature of stool passage; there was no significant difference when compared with the control drug (loperamide) (P> 0.05). Generally, methanol extract of Irvingia gabonensis was more effective at low (100 ml/kg) and high (200 ml/kg) doses. The study justifies the ethno pharmacological uses of these medicinal plants for treatments of diarrhoeal disease.

The effect of pefloxacin on the urinary excretion of rifampicin was investigated in 5 healthy volunteers between the ages of 20 and 35 years. The investigation was carried out in 2 different phases, with a 1-week drug washout separating the phases. Each subject received 600 mg rifampicin with 350 mL of water. After 1 week, the subjects were given 600 mg rifampicin plus 500 mg pefloxacin with 350 mL of water. Urinary levels of rifampicin were measured spectrophotometrically for the 2 phases from 0 to 72 hours. Coadministration of rifampicin with pefloxacin led to 20.1% urinary recovery of rifampicin. The increased rifampicin excretion rate following pefloxacin coadministration is supported by the competitive liver clearance between rifampicin and pefloxacin, which favors pefloxacin and causes rifampicin secretion, thus increasing its elimination through the kidney. Pefloxacin increases the absorption and urinary excretion of rifampicin by decreasing the gastrointestinal motility through chelation mechanisms.

BackgroundAnthropometric parameters at birth are important indicators of child vulnerability to the risk of childhood illness, and consequently, the chance of survival and risk of diseases late in life. The aim of this study was to investigate correlations between toxic (aluminium, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) and essential metals (copper, manganese, selenium and zinc) in maternal and umbilical cord blood samples, with newborn anthropometric parameters in a predominantly agricultural community of Ebony State, Nigeria. MethodsQuestionnaires were administered to 60 pregnant women at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, South-East Nigeria, to collect demographic information and lifestyle during pregnancy. In addition, we measured several anthropological parameters of newborns, including head circumference, birth weight and birth length. Furthermore, cord and maternal blood samples were analysed by the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). ResultsMost metals had a strong correlation between maternal and cord blood. Maternal characteristics like sleeping pattern, gestation age at delivery and maternal weight significantly predicted 76% variations in baby weight. Maternal blood aluminium was inversely correlated with body weight (r=-0.61) and birth length (r=-0.61). Gestation age at delivery, maternal weight and baby weight were strong predictors of the baby length. Toxic metals were associated with altered anthropometric parameters at birth, with varying contributions to the altered anthropometric outcomes.