Zimbabwe
Ebby Elahi in World Compendium of Healthcare Facilities and Nonprofit Organizations, 2021
With dramatic landscapes and diverse wildlife filling its parks and reserves, Zimbabwe is known for its stunning natural beauty. Prior to its independence in 1980, the country had been known by several names: Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, and Zimbabwe Rhodesia. Officially referred to as the Republic of Zimbabwe, this landlocked country is located in Southern Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. The country has reserves of metallurgical-grade chromite and other commercial mineral deposits such as coal, asbestos, copper, nickel, gold, platinum, and iron ore. Zimbabwe has a population of about 14.8 million people, with an estimated 3 million people residing in its capital, Harare. This culturally diverse country has 16 official languages, with up to 76 percent of the population speaking Bantu languages and Ndebele (18 percent).
Use of Biomarkers in Health Risk Assessment
Anthony P. DeCaprio in Toxicologic Biomarkers, 2006
While the use of biomarkers in human health risk assessment is promising, there are already many examples that illustrate the potential for inappropriate use of biomarkers. One such example is the attempted use of biomarkers as a surrogate for exposure to hexavalent chromium in a residential setting in New Jersey. Three chromate chemical manufacturing facilities were at one time located in Hudson County, New Jersey, and produced several million tons of chromite ore processing residue (COPR) from the early 1900s through 1971. Throughout the time COPR was generated, it was used as a source of fill at over 200 residential and commercial properties in Hudson County. Because of the widespread distribution of COPR in Hudson County and concern regarding environmental exposure to hexavalent chromium by local residents and workers, a number of environmental investigations were initiated (47). Regulatory agencies and local universities attempted to utilize several biomarkers to evaluate exposure of the general population to hexavalent chromium.
Lasers in Medicine: Healing with Light
Suzanne Amador Kane, Boris A. Gelman in Introduction to Physics in Modern Medicine, 2020
In some molecules, the new splitting between energy levels will still be small, in some cases, small enough to permit transitions that still absorb or emit visible light. This often occurs with heavy metals such as iron and lead, and in certain organic pigments where the electrons are loosely held. Artists’ paints utilize the rich colors generated by heavy metal compounds; paint pigments consequently go by names such as cadmium red, chrome yellow, and cobalt blue. Many biological pigments have evolved chemical mechanisms to absorb light in the visible range, where the sun's light is most intense. Examples include the incorporation of metals such as iron in the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin found in blood, and magnesium in the photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll in plants, and complexes containing loosely bound electrons such as in carotene, a form of vitamin A, or in retinol, a visual pigment found in the retina.
The role of eugenol in the prevention of chromium-induced acute kidney injury in male albino rats
Published in Alexandria Journal of Medicine, 2018
Ramez A.E. Barhoma
Chromium (Cr) is a heavy metal that has several valence states; the most common one is the hexavalent chromium (CrVI), that is widely used in industries, e.g. leather tanning, stainless steel manufacturing, chrome plating (chromates added as anticorrosive agents to paints, primers, and other surface coatings), welding and wood preservation.1,2 CrVI can also be found in drinking water and in public water systems.3 Environmental and/or occupational exposure to CrVI-containing compounds is known to be toxic and carcinogenic to human beings and animals.4 A major adverse effect of chromium poisoning is nephrotoxicity due to chromium excretion through the kidney, this increases its chromium content and subsequently, nephropathy occurs.5 The toxic manifestations of chromium are considered to be due to oxidative stress.6,7 leading to serious damage to the vital organs.8,9
Hexavalent chromium and stomach cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Published in Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 2019
Mina Suh, Daniele Wikoff, Loren Lipworth, Michael Goodman, Seneca Fitch, Liz Mittal, Caroline Ring, Deborah Proctor
Analysis 5 was conducted to evaluate the association between Cr(VI) and stomach cancer among workers in high exposure groups. Analysis 6 focused on industries that have been identified by IARC and United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (IARC 1990; OSHA 2006; IARC 2012) to have evidence of significantly elevated lung cancer risk due to Cr(VI) exposure. These industries included chromate production, pigment production, chrome plating, ferrochromium production. Although welders were observed to have increased lung cancer risk, this increase in risk does not appear to be attributable to Cr(VI) exposure (IARC 1990; OSHA 2006; IARC 2012). For this reason, studies of welders were not included in Analysis 6.
Heavy metal contamination in water of Indus River and its tributaries, Northern Pakistan: evaluation for potential risk and source apportionment
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2022
Said Muhammad, Qazi Ahmed Usman
The highest pH (7.93) mean values were observed for the water along with the Indian plate and lowest (7.43) at the Kamila amphibolites. Higher pH values along the Indian plate could be attributed to bedrock geology hosting metasediments, marble, and calcareous schist (Treloar et al.1989). The highest values of TDS (164 mg/L), EC (274 µS/cm), I (0.012 mg/L), and CN (0.08 mg/L) were observed in the water at Jijal complex as compared to other geological units (Figure 2(a)). A higher value of these parameters in the water of this study due to chromite mining in the area (Miller et al.1991). The highest concentrations of NO3 (3.24 mg/L) and F (11.9 mg/L) were observed in the water collected at the Indian plate and Chilas complex as compared to other geological units, respectively (Figure 2(a)). A higher concentration of NO3 could be attributed to agriculture activities and land-use practices in the area (Lawniczak et al.2016). Higher values of F were observed in the hot spring near the Raikot Bridge. The source of the F in minerals consists of fluorite and fluorapatite mostly occur in rocks and sediments (Vithanage and Bhattacharya 2015). The values of physical parameters and anions in the water were observed within the drinking water guidelines (WHO 2011), except F (10% sampling sites). The F does not affect color, taste, or odor in drinking water but acts as undistinguishable poison (Vithanage and Bhattacharya 2015). Water physical and anion characteristics of this study were observed consistent with a previously reported study on the water of Kohistan region Muhammad et al. (2010), except for F.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Alloy
- Carbide
- Crystallization
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Aluminium
- Oxidation State
- Isostructural
- Serpentine Subgroup
- Biotite