Asian Pacific Journal of Environment and Cancer

Tofu Liquid Waste Treatment Using Anaerob-aerobic Biofilm Aeration System to Reduce BOD COD and Ammoniac Content

Zunidra Zunidra — 2025-03-16

Background: Tofu derived from processed soybeans is popular with the public, but tofu production has an unfavourable effect. After all, it produces liquid waste that causes quite high pollution because it contains quite high organic components. The study aimed to reduce the content of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Ammonia in the liquid waste of a tofu factory. The scope of this research is limited to reducing the content of BOD, COD, and NH3 (Ammonia) with an anaerobic-aerobic biofilm aeration system.

Materials and Methods: This research was conducted at the Sanitation Study Program Campus, health polytechnic, Ministry of Health, Jambi from March to August 2020. Sample examination was carried out at the Regional Health Laboratory of Jambi Province. This is an experimental study with a pre-post test only design and one group post-test design. The population in this study is the tofu industry, and the sample in this study is partly water from tofu waste.

Results: The results showed a decrease in BOD, COD and Ammonia after passing through a tofu waste treatment machine using anaerobic and aerobic biofilms with BOD values of 64.6%, COD of 49.6% and Ammonia of 79.8%. The statistical test results showed that the p-value was 0.0001 for the decrease in BOD, the p-value was 0.0001 for COD, and the p-value for ammonia was 0.0001. A significant decrease in DOD, COD and Ammonia after passing through the waste treatment equipment with Anaerobic and Aerobic Biophiles.

Conclusion: This tool can be used by adding several parts and treatments such as filtering, settling basins, and adding other chemical substances. On the surface of the bio ball used, it was found that the growth of biofilm was found and to increase the ability of the equipment, initial treatment was needed, such as filtration and sedimentation of waste, reducing acidity with the help of quicklime.

Evaluation of the Association of Indoor Living Conditions and External Work Environment with Epidemiology, Baseline Demographic and Molecular Characteristics of Lung Cancer in North India

Parul Gupta — 2025-03-16

Introduction: Lung cancer has emerged as a global problem with the highest recorded mortalities amongst all types of cancer. There are multiple etiological factors associated with lung cancer such as smoking, environmental pollution, occupational exposure to carcinogens etc. Increase in lung cancer incidence among non-smokers is generally attributed to environmental pollution and occupational exposure. Also, an increase in the percentage of patients with targetable oncogenic drivers has been observed.

Methods: Here, we evaluated the effect of domestic conditions on epidemiology, baseline demographic and molecular characterization of lung cancer in India. For this data about domestic conditions such as housing type, kitchen type, fuel type, ventilation conditions and occupation was available from April 2018 to December 2019.

Results: Clinicopathological parameters of 1689 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients over the period of 3 years were recorded. Median age was 60.0years and 74.0% patients were smokers. The analysis data set for domestic conditions included 1018 patients. Working environment (indoor versus outdoor environment) had an association with lung cancer histology. 64.5% of lung cancer cases were found in people working in open outdoor environment (construction site workers, labourer, Farmers etc). People working in a closed office environment and housewives had higher frequency of adenocarcinoma and activating EGFR mutation and ALK rearrangement.

Conclusion: Domestic conditions and working environment not only selectively impact the lung cancer histology frequency but may also affect the frequency of oncogenic mutations and gene rearrangement.

First Pakistan National Eye Cancer Survey

Tayyab Afghani — 2025-03-16

Background: This is the report of first eye national eye cancer survey in Pakistan under the auspices of National Committee of Eye Health. Eye care institutions involved in eye cancer control were approached to provide the annual data on tumors of the eye.

Methods: All major stakeholders involved in prevention and control of eye cancer were requested to provide information related to situation analysis of eye cancer services in the country through a questionnaire. Overall, 1705 eye tumors were reported annually. 51% were malignant and 49% were benign eye tumors. From each province of the country, where data was available, benign and malignant tumors were separately identified.

Results: The data showed that about 877 cases of eye cancers were diagnosed in a year. 38% of these were eyelid cancers, 31% were intraocular tumors, 16 % were ocular surface tumors, while 15% were cancers of the orbit. KpK region had highest percentage of eyelid cancers (72%) followed by 14% of ocular surface tumors, 10% of intraocular tumors and 4% were cancers of the orbit. Sindh province had highest percentage of intraocular cancers (40%) followed by 31% of eyelid cancers, 19% of cancers of the orbit and 10% of ocular surface tumors. Like KpK, Punjab had highest proportion of eyelid malignancies (37%) followed by 29% intraocular cancers, 20% of ocular surface tumors and 14% of orbital malignancies.

Conclusion: In terms of population, it is estimated that there are 4 cases of eye cancer per million population of Pakistan and an almost similar number of benign eye tumors. Thus, an estimated 8 cases of eye tumors per million population are examined annually.

Review Article: Chlorothalonil and Cancer: A Comprehensive Overview

Yaser Soleimani — 2025-03-16

Chlorothalonil, a broad-spectrum fungicide, has been extensively used in agriculture for over five decades. It plays a vital role in preventing fungal diseases in various crops, contributing significantly to increased agricultural productivity. However, concerns about the safety of chlorothalonil have arisen, particularly regarding its potential to cause cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified chlorothalonil as a possible human carcinogen (Group 2B), which has led to intensified scrutiny of its long-term effects on human health. This review aims to critically evaluate the existing body of evidence on chlorothalonil’s potential carcinogenicity, examining toxicological data, mechanisms of action, and epidemiological studies, while also discussing regulatory actions and future research directions.

Occupational Exposure to Asbestos and Mesothelioma Risk: A Protocol of Meta-Analysis and Systematic Literature Review in Germany

Mahdi Daraei — 2025-02-19

Background: Occupational exposure to asbestos is a known risk factor for mesothelioma, a rare but deadly cancer with a prolonged latency period. This study focuses on the association between occupational asbestos exposure and mesothelioma risk within the German context, reflecting the country’s unique industrial legacy and regulatory framework.

Methods: This protocol outlines a systematic meta-analysis and literature review targeting studies related to occupational asbestos exposure and mesothelioma risk in Germany. The review incorporates comprehensive searches of major databases, focusing on studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Data extraction will emphasize study characteristics, exposure assessment, and confounder adjustments. Quality assessment tools will evaluate study reliability and biases.

Results: The meta-analysis aims to quantify mesothelioma risk linked to occupational asbestos exposure in Germany. The analysis will include pooled risk estimates adjusted for exposure levels, fiber types, and industry-specific contexts. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses will enhance the robustness of findings.

Conclusion: The findings are expected to offer evidence-based insights into the risks of occupational asbestos exposure in Germany, informing health policies and strategies to mitigate the burden of asbestos-related diseases.