No abstract

Different samples of water, indoor air and soil gas have been collected from Islamabad (33 degrees 38'N, 73 degrees 09'E, altitude of 1760 ft.), the capital of Pakistan and Murree (33 degrees 53'N, 73 degrees 23'E, altitude of 7323 ft.), lying on a geological fault line and are analysed for the estimation of mean effective dose through radon concentrations by using RAD-7, a solid state alpha-detector. The variation of radon concentration in water, indoor air and soil gas in Islamabad region ranges from 25.90-158.40 kBq m(-3), 43.26-97.04 Bq m(-3) and 17.34-72.52 kBq m(-3), having mean values 88.63 kBq m(-3), 70.67 Bq m(-3) and 45.08 kBq m(-3)(,) respectively. It ranges from 1.64-10.20 kBq m(-3), 18.48-42.08 Bq m(-3) and 0.61-3.89 kBq m(-3) with mean values 4.38 kBq m(-3), 28.63 Bq m(-3) and 1.70 kBq m(-3)(,) respectively in Murree and its surroundings. The total mean annual effective doses from water and indoor air of Islamabad and Murree regions are 2.023 and 0.733 mSv a(-1), respectively. These doses are within the recommended limits of the world organisations.

Ascariasis is a helminthic infection of humans caused by the nematode Ascaris lumbricoides. Biliary ascariasis is one of the most common and well described entities caused by ascaris. In endemic areas pregnant women are prone to develop biliary ascariasis. Its management poses a great challenge to both the attending surgeon and the endoscopist. Between January 1993 and March 2003, 15 cases of biliary ascariasis were seen in pregnant patients in our institution. Ultrasonography was used as the main investigative tool. Treatment involved management by conservative, endoscopic, and surgical methods, taking due care of both the mother and the fetus. Ten patients (66.6%) were in the third trimester of pregnancy, and 10 (66.6%) patients were in their third pregnancy. Ultrasonography proved to be the best tool for diagnosing and monitoring worms inside the biliary ductal system. Nine (60%) patients responded to the conservative treatment; endoscopic extraction was successful in 4 (66.6%) patients. Surgical treatment was required in 2 (13.3%) patients. One (6.6%) patient had had spontaneous abortion at 12 weeks gestation, and one (6.6%) patient had a premature labor. The remaining patients had normal pregnancies. Management of biliary ascariasis in pregnancy is a challenge for both the attending surgeon and the endoscopist. Safe and effective management requires special attention to the gestational age and accurate recognition of the specific pathology in the patient. The majority of patients respond to conservative treatment, but endoscopic extraction may be needed in nonresponsive cases. Lead shielding of the fetus and limitation of the total fluoroscopic exposure during therapeutic endoscopy can minimize the teratogenic risk of ionizing radiation. Failures of endoscopic extraction may lead to surgical intervention, which carries risks of fetal wastage and premature labor. Routine worming of women in the child-bearing years is recommended in endemic areas of ascariasis. Though ascariasis is a problem in developing countries, because of increased travel and population migration, clinicians elsewhere should be aware of the problems associated with ascariasis.

This paper relates to a series of systematic studies regarding measurement of radon concentration in the earthquake-affected areas of northern Pakistan. Radon is a radioactive alpha-particle-emitting gas originating from the decay series of uranium and thorium and is found anywhere in soil, air and water. The nature of water does not matter with regard to the presence of radon, however, the level of radon concentration varies in different types of water. The present survey is carried out in water samples from the fault zone of Balakot and Mansehra regions, North West Frontier Province, Pakistan, which is important for geological consideration and protection from radiation hazards. The measurements were made on a Pylon system that is based on the radon gas measurement with a Lucas cell. In 72 water samples in the equilibrium state between radon and its progeny, the concentration level of radon is measured. The results show that the radon concentrations are in the range of 4.99-24.52 kBq/m(3), with an average value of 15.52 kBq/m(3) for all types of water taken in this survey.