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J. K. Saha ¹, N. Panwar ²

Affiliations
1 Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Berasia Road, Bhopal 462 038, IN
2 Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur 342 003, IN

Abstract

Regular use of compost prepared from municipal solid waste is associated with the entry of heavy metals into the soil, which poses considerable risks to different components of the environment. Total metal content does not generally reflect the availability of metals for the expression of environmental risk because of rapid and strong interactions of the metals with different constituents of the soil. Hence, the present study was conducted to determine screening levels of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn for a susceptible soil by following a widely recommended soil test procedure involving the extraction of these heavy metals with a dilute calcium chloride solution. Separate sets of pot-culture experiments were carried out for each of these heavy metals in graded dose levels (Cd at 0.02-20 mg kg^-1, Cr at 0.4-200 mg kg^-1, Cu at 1.6-800 mg kg^-1, Ni at 0.5- 250 mg kg^-1, Pb at 0.4^-1 50 mg kg^-1 and Zn at 4.6- 1000 mg kg^-1) added to an acidic, light-textured alluvial soil. Soil test screening levels were determined through three different approaches, namely, phytotoxicity, food contamination and soil microbial activity diminution. Except Pb, all other heavy metals significantly reduced the above-ground biomass growth of spinach. Activities of soil enzymes were adversely affected with increasing soil test values of the heavy metals. Screening levels of the heavy metals determined through food contamination and soil microbial activity diminution were much lower than those determined through phytotoxicity. The lowest values of these soil test screening levels of the heavy metals determined by three different approaches were considered to be protective for all target organisms and were found to be: 0.003 mg kg^-1 Cd, 0.052 mg kg^-1 Cr, 0.637 mg kg^-1 Cu, 0.022 mg kg^-1 Ni, 0.008 mg kg^-1 Pb and 3.800 mg kg^-1 Zn.

Keywords

Food Contamination, Heavy Metals, Microbial Activity, Screening, Phytotoxicity, Soil Test.

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N. Panwar ¹, M. Mathur ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Home Science, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur (Rajasthan), IN

Abstract

Infant feeding practices is prevailing universally and considered important determinants for development of infants. The feeding practices develop immunity in the infants to fight against diseases in the later phase of their life. In the present study, feeding practices include both breast feeding and colostrum feeding practices. A study was conducted in Jodhpur, Rajasthan to assess the feeding practices of infants among the working-non working mothers of rural-urban areas. The purposive sampling technique was used to select 240 infants, 120 infants belonged to working mothers (60 infants from each rural-urban area) and 120 infants of non-working mothers (60 infants from each rural and urban area). The data was collected by interview method by using semi structure and standardized questionnaire based on the guidelines of World Health Organization (WHO) on breastfeeding. The evaluation criteria was also framed and standardization was done along with the formation of the tool for the study. The responses were categorized under good and poor ranking. The result shows a significant association between the feeding practices-breastfeeding and colostrum feeding practices among mothers of rural- urban areas. Majority (96.7%) of mothers exclusively breastfeed their infants. The non working mothers of rural areas breastfeed their infants for more than 18 months. Insufficient milk secretion was the most common reason for delay of breastfeeding among the working mothers of rural areas (93.3%). The working mothers of rural areas, who fed their infants according to the ‘schedule’, were rated good whereas poor rating was given to non working mother of rural areas who had breastfeed their infants ‘on demand’. Lack of knowledge and superstitions prevailing among the non working mothers (1.3%) of rural areas which was one of the reasons for onset of next pregnancy which affects the breast feeding practices. Discard of colostrum was found among the non working mothers of rural areas i.e. maximum of 43.3%. Based on the result, it can be concluded that exclusive feeding practice among the mothers of rural-urban areas was upto the standard. These findings highlighted that mothers should be given proper knowledge of feeding practices both in rural and urban areas during the pregnancy itself.

Keywords

Working Non-Working Mothers, Rural-Urban Areas, Feeding Practices, Exclusive Breast Feeding, Colostrum, Pre Lacteal Feed.

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Y. Srivastava ¹, A. Kumar ¹, A. Basu Sarbadhikari ¹, D. Ray ¹, V. M. Nair ¹, A. Das ¹, A. D. Shukla ¹, S. Sathiyaseelan ¹, R. Ramachandran ¹, B. Sivaraman ¹, S. Vijayan ¹, N. Panwar ¹, A. J. Verma ¹, N. Srivastava ¹, A. Rani ¹, G. Arora ¹, R. R. Mahajan ¹, A. Bhardwaj ¹

Affiliations
1 Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380 009, India., IN

Abstract

No Abstract.

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