In India, a country with a vast population and a diverse socio-economic fabric, healthcare remains fraught with challenges including disparities in access. These socio-economic disparities are deep, and they influence health outcomes. It is imperative to bridge these gaps amid the ongoing epidemiological, nutritional and demographic transitions that are bringing …
Cancer potency of diesel exhaust is more than double than that of petrol cars in India. In other words, one diesel car is equivalent to two petrol cars if all gases emitted by the vehicles are taken into consideration. However, if only particulate emission is considered, the carcinogenic effect of …
In a study conducted for the Centre for Science and Environment, Swedish consultants Peter Ahlvik and Ake Brandberg at Ecotraffic have found that after taking into account all the toxic components in emissions the cancer potency level of diesel cars is double that of petrol cars in India. If only …
A team of geneticists in the UK has located a mutant gene that increases the risk of a common type of testicular cancer by fifty fold. Testicular germ-cell cancer is the commonest cancer among young males in western Europe. The gene, TGCT1 , which men inherit from their mothers, has …
polyaromatic hydrocarbons ( pah s) are carcinogenic compounds which are usually found in the urban areas. They are also the key ingredients in smog. pah s are formed due to the incomplete combustion of coal, oil and gas. For the past one year, Dan Golomb, an associate professor in the …
What is the function of the smallest synthetic polymer particle that you have developed? The smallest synthetic polymer particle can bring about a breakthrough in the way drugs are administered. It can specially be very useful in cancer treatment. The particle couriers drugs to the right place in the body. …
a study conducted by uk -based ici (Imperial Chemical Industries) on the long-term effects of dumping chemicals in quarries near Runcorn, Cheshire, uk has turned up some startling evidence. It has confirmed that some nearby homes have tested positive for hexachlorobutadience ( hcbd ). hcbd is considered responsible for kidney …
as france pressed on with mopping-up operations to cleanse parts of its Atlantic coastline polluted by an oil spill recently, a Dutch orinthologist said that oil from the sunken tanker Erika may contain cancer-causing additives. French president Jacques Chiraq, who toured the area along the coast which was badly damaged …
a test for the sexually-transmitted human papilloma virus ( hpv ) may rival the pap smear as an accurate way of testing for cancer and pre-cancerous conditions. The pap smear, which costs us $25 to $35, is the most widely used screening test. It requires a skilled professional to do …
for over 20 years, the Paducah uranium processing plant in Kentucky, usa, hid information about radiation levels in the factory from its staff. This was despite the fact that its employees used to collapse on the factory floor or suffered from serious ailments, including leukaemia. These findings have come to …
breastfeeding has a positive effect on the intelligence of babies, besides lowering their risk of developing blood cancer and making them less vulnerable to asthma, going by some recently published reports. Researchers from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, usa , suggest that the intelligence quotient ( iq ) of …
ignorance is bliss. This seems to be the state of mind of the Indian government for several environment-related issues, including that of hazardous waste like phosphogypsum (pg). A byproduct of the fertiliser industry, pg is used liberally by the construction industry and its use is promoted by the government What …
the only cure for severe dioxin poisoning could be eating food meant for dieters. Eating snacks containing a fat substitute called Olestra can speed up the removal of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls ( pcb s ) from the body. Michael MacLachlan of the Baltic Sea Research Institute near Rostock, Germany, …
Mina Bissell of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in California, USA, has long pointed out that micro-environment plays an important role in the development of cancer. Cancer cells, just like any other cells in the body, exist in their own
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health, USA, have recommended that the daily allowance of Vitamin C for human beings should be doubled or tripled because there is evidence of its cancer-fighting ability. Mark Levine, the lead author of the report said the recommendation reflected a growing body of research …
fine ceramic fibres have been in use in a variety of forms since a long time. Finer fabrics are strong, flexible and, unlike coarser fibres, they do not irritate the skin. But in recent times, the question of ceramic fibre use has returned to haunt us as a major health …
even at low concentrations, airborne particles are lethal: T he great puzzle was if air pollution levels had visibly and measurably been vastly improved, how could they continue to have such detrimental effects on health? By the late 1970s, studies conducted in the us found that health damage was more …
The aiims emergency room daily receives about 150 patients. Over 100,000 patients were examined for the study, which focused on patients with aggravated symptoms of asthma, chronic bronchitis and heart ailments. The study found that tspm was highest in November and December; and, so were the hospital admissions. Number of …
Mexico City is one of the most polluted cities in the world. But air pollution levels in Delhi are several notches higher than Mexico City and steadily rising. The main reason being that while administration in Delhi fails to address the problem, Mexican authorities are making serious efforts to improve …
