Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Health— Directorate General of Health Affairs

ed from Public Health Dispatch, MMWR, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. ٥٠ Oct ١٢, ٢٠٠١ CONTRIBUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS TO THE RISK OF MALE INFERTILITY In creasing number of reports suggest that chemical and physical agents in the environment introduced and spread by human activity may affect male fertility in humans. The relationship between exposure to environmental agents and seminal characteristics and the concentration of reproductive hormones in the sera of men seeking infertility treatment was studied. ٢٢٥ male partners were investigated from consecutively recruited couples who had their first infertility consultation between ١٩٩٥ and ١٩٩٨ in the Litoral Sur region of Argentina, the most productive farming regions in the world. A multivariate logistic regression model showed that exposure to pesticides and solvents was significantly associated with sperm threshold values well below the limits for male fertility. It was also observed that men exposed to pesticide had higher serum oestradiol concentrations and exposure to solvents caused reduced LH concentrations when compared to nonexposed men. These effects were greater in men with primary infertility than in men with secondary infertility. It was concluded from the study that environmental factors contribute to the severity of infertility in men and that this may worsen the effects of pre-existing medical or genetic risk factors for infertility. Abstracted from Human Reproduction ١٦, ١٧٦٨-١٧٧٦, August ٢٠٠١ ► Regulatory Issues FDA ANNOUNCES ADVISORY ON METHYL MERCURY IN FISH Se afood can be an important part of a balanced diet for pregnant women as it is a good source of high quality protein and other nutrients and is also low in fat. However, some fish may contain high levels of methyl mercury that can harm the developing foetal brain. Mercury occurs naturally in the environment and can also be released in the air or water through industrial pollution. The bacteria in the water transform the mercury into methyl mercury, which gets absorbed in fish as they feed on aquatic organisms. Nearly all fish contain trace amounts of methyl mercury that are not harmful to humans. However, bigger fish that feed on other smaller fish, accumulate large quantities of methyl mercury and pose risk of damage to the developing nervous system, when consumed by pregnant women, lactating mothers and young children. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announces its advisory to the pregnant women and women of childbearing age, who may become pregnant, not to eat large fish as swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish and shark. FDA advises these women to select a variety of other kinds of fish including shellfish, canned fish, smaller ocean or farmraised fish and that these women can safely eat ١٢ ounces per week of cooked fish thereby prevent the risk of methyl mercury poisoning in the unborn child. Source: FDA Consumer Advisory, March ٢٠٠١ Brain Teasers How did Cleopatra commit suicide? When was the first case of lead poisoning described? Which chemical warfares were used in the World War I? What caused Minamata disease? Where did Methyl isocyanate gas disaster occur in ١٩٨٤? Find the answers in next ssue Forthcoming Conferences /Training Courses / Workshops during 2002 in Muscat • International Training Course on Prevention & Management of Poisoning . • National Workshop & Training Course on Ocupational Health . • National Workshop on Analytical Toxicology & Antidotes . Dr.Daniel j.Cobaugh,Associate Director,Special Projects and TESS,American Association of Poison Control Centres visited the Poison Control Centre in the Department of Environmental Health &Malaria Eradication on 31.10.2001 Patron Dr. Ali Jaffer Mohammed DGHA, Ministry of Health Chairperson Dr.Salim Al Wahaibi Director of DEH&ME Editor Dr. S.B.Lall Head,Poison Control Centre Editorial Team Mr.Mohammed .N. Al Habsi Mr.Mattar .M. Al Riyami Mr. Khalid .N. Al Kharusi Editorial Office Directorate of Environmental Health and Malaria Eradication Poison Control Centre Telephone # + (968 ) 566510 + ( 968 ) 560019 + (968 )562898 Fax : + ( 968 ) 563121 P.O Box : 393 Postal code : 113 Muscat , Sultanate of Oman Email : [email protected]