Faculty of Health Sciences

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Evaluating the Acute Toxicity of Estrogen Hormones and Wastewater Effluents Using Vibrio fischeri
(Taylor and Francis Online, 2015) Surujlal-Naicker, Swastika; Gupta, Sanjay Kumar; Bux, Faizal
Toxicity evaluation of environmental substances such as those in wastewater and contaminated water bodies has become an important part of environmental monitoring of pollution. The study evaluated the toxicity of estrogen hormones and the removal of toxicity in full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) using the marine bacterium, Vibrio fischeri , and to determine if there is a correlation between the hormones and the toxicity in the effluents. Three different types of full-scale WWTPs were investigated and presence of estrogens in the treated wastewater was evaluated by enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA). The toxicity of individual estrogens (E2, EE2, and a mixture of E1, E2, and E3) was investigated as well as influents and treated wastewater. The results revealed that all estrogen hormones had less than 50% inhibitions and fell in the Class II group that exhibits slight acute toxicity. The toxicity of the individual E2 hormone had higher inhibitions when compared to the individual synthetic EE2 and the mixture of the hormones. The toxicity results of the WWTP revealed that biological treatment can reduce the toxicity of the influent to an extent. The findings suggest that the residual estrogen contents as well as toxicity can be reduced in certain WWTPs.
An injury profile of musculoskeletal injuries in mountain bikers in the eThekwini Municipality
(2022-09-29) Van Eck, Rochelle; Varatharajullu, Desiree
Background: Mountain biking is a sport that appeals to men and women who enjoy an adrenalin rush. It is practised on any terrain classified as ‘off-road’ such as gravel roads, sugar cane fields, farmland, mountainous areas, and forests. It involves riding over rough and tricky terrain with a mountain bike and has become a global phenomenon among many athletes of all fitness levels. The popularity of this sport has grown as it is well known for its health benefits, family participation, recreational enjoyment, its ability to enhance overall fitness, and the fact that it offers those who are driven opportunities to be highly competitive. However, as is the case with any competitive and recreational sport, mountain bikers are prone to suffering a unique set of injuries. Mountain bikers want to recover and get back on their bikes as soon as possible, but there is a paucity of literature on the injury profile of mountain bikers in South Africa, hence recovery strategies may not always have the desired results. Aim: The aim of this study was to establish the injury profile of the musculoskeletal injuries that mountain bikers sustain, with special focus on those enthusiasts in the eThekwini municipality of KwaZulu-Natal, while the risk factors associated with this sport were also explored. Methodology: Participants were recruited at cycling clubs, after training sessions when they gathered in coffee shops, and individually at mountain bike parks. Before completing the questionnaire, each participant was required to read a letter of information and sign an informed consent form. Informed consent and post-pilot study questionnaires were completed, gathered, and deposited into separate sealed boxes. Each questionnaire was given a code for statistical analysis before data were captured on a spreadsheet. Results: A total of 175 questionnaires were received and the data were statistically analysed. The results revealed that not applying any preventative measures when training for this sport was the main causative factor of injuries among mountain bikers in the eThekwini Municipality. The majority of the injuries occurred in white males between the ages of 45 to 50 years and in participants who practised this sport for more than 12 hours a week. The most common areas of the body that sustained injuries were shoulders, legs, knees, and wrists, while the most common types of injuries were bruises, cuts, and sprains. The predominant mechanisms that caused these injuries were falls and contact with stationary objects. Conclusion: The findings that emerged from the data were consistent with the literature on mountain biking, but it must be mentioned that the injuries that were described related to earlier studies that had been conducted among either international mountain bikers or road cyclists. The current study’s findings are distinctive of the eThekwini Municipal area in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Additional studies need to be conducted in other provinces of South Africa in order to create a more accurate injury profile associated with the mountain biking sport in this country.
Waste management in tourist accommodation establishments in King Sabata Dalindyebo local municipality coastal areas in the Eastern Cape
(2021-05-27) Mgambi, Nobesuthu; Ghuman, Shanaz
The study objectives were to identify the waste management strategies implemented in tourist accommodation establishments in Coffee Bay and Hole-in-the-Wall in Mqanduli coastal areas in the Eastern Cape; to assess the effectiveness of recycling initiatives in these accommodation establishments and to identify waste management practices as compared to policies and legislation. The study population was n=150, four questionnaires and checklists were used as data collection tool in accommodation establishments. The data was collected by the use of questionnaires and walkthrough observations using checklists. Each establishment was classified into four groups. The types of waste generated in all the different participants were: plastics (100%), wet waste (71.4), cardboards (33.3%), cans (33.3%), Paper (76.2%), Glass 28.6 % and Garden waste (23.8%). According to the data collected from the participants of different departments waste separation before disposal was as follows, managers (52 .4%), kitchen staff (15.4 %) and gardens (73.4%) separated waste before disposal. Recycling was mostly done in the garden which was mainly composting and by managers which was mainly cardboard and a small percentage of cans and tins. The results report the following trend on recycling on site: Managers (52.4%), gardeners (84.2%), cleaners and kitchen staff (31.1%) Tourist’s accommodation establishments (81%) did not have a waste management policy on site, (19%) claimed to have trained their staff on waste management whilst the majority was not trained on waste management. Knowledge of legislation was observed to be very less although some legislation was known. Waste management in tourist accommodation establishment needed more development and provision of a local recycling site is urgently needed.