HEALTH

Poison vessels? Unlikely, say docs
Chitleen K Sethi
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 20
Experiments conducted four decades ago suggested aluminium to be a potent neurotoxin and the use of aluminium utensils in cooking to be harmful to the human body, but doctors here say that these findings may just be baseless.

Human exposure to aluminium has increased over the years, also due to environment pollution. “Theoretically, aluminium is toxic to the human body, but at least the PGI doctors have not received cases where problems can be traced to the consumption of aluminium,” says a doctor of the PGI Department of Internal Medicine.

However, several disorders of the nervous system such as dialysis dementia, senile dementia of the Alzheimer’s type, Parkinson’s dementia, besides osteodystrophy and dialysis associated arthropathy have been associated with increased ingestion of aluminium. “High doses of aluminium are considered bad for persons with renal problems, but, for a normal person, aluminium consumed is generally passed out. In case the kidneys are not functioning properly, there might be an accumulation of the element,” says Dr G.S. Sandhu, head of the dialysis unit in the Sector 16 General Hospital.

According to a recent study on ‘Aluminium Toxicity in the Indian Context’, While the neurotoxic potential of aluminium is undisputed in various animal species, there is, as yet, no strong evidence to suggest that aluminium can be toxic to normal healthy humans. However, neurotoxicity of aluminium is well documented in individuals with renal insufficiency in whom aluminium excretion is compromised. The accumulation of aluminium in the body is reported to cause disorders related to the bones, blood and the brain. However, there is, perhaps, no escape from the aluminium load in the body, making it necessary to minimise chronic exposure to high levels of aluminium, especially through diet and water.

The main sources of dietary aluminium toxicity, according to this study, is cookware and packaging in skillets, pressure cookers, roasting pans, sauce pans, frozen dinner trays, foils and wrappers. The usage of aluminium in packaging of foodstuff is on the increase. A number of studies support the leaching of aluminium from cookware and packaging material. The type of aluminium utensils, form and composition of the food, duration of contact with the food during cooking and the presence of salt, sugar and ions such as fluoride, chloride and carbonate are likely to affect the extent of leaching.

According to the World Health Organisation, the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of aluminium as a contaminant (also as an additive) is 7 mg/kg body weight for adults. For children, the acceptable daily intake (ADI) is 2 mg. The recommendations are, however, based mostly on short-term toxicity studies and, therefore, subject to change, later, as more data becomes available. 

DAVCC-8, HPCA move ahead
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, June 20
DAV Coaching Centre and Himachal Juniors Cricket Academy XI won the matches against Mohali Cricket Association XI and Sports Promoters Club by eight wickets and five wickets, respectively, in the All-India under-17 Cricket Tournament played here at two different venues — DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, and Sector 16 Cricket Stadium.

In the first tie played between the DAVCC-8 and the MCA, the latter batted first. They scored 128 runs and were all out in 40 overs. Simranjit, Harsimranjit and Baldeep Singh scored 25, 18 and 17 runs, respectively. Pritpal, Naresh and Gurkirat claimed two wickets each.

In reply, DAVCC-8 were able to achieve the target in just 14.1 overs with the loss of two wickets. Akashdeep hammered 40 runs while, Harneet and Sumit scored 31 each.

In the second tie, played between SPC and HPCA, the former batted first. They piled up a huge total of 213 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 40 overs. Mandeep scored 50 runs, Taranjeet 43 runs, Sunny Sharma 29 runs and Gaurav Parmar scored 25 runs. Minesh, Anurag and Barun all bagged two wickets each.

In reply, HPCA achieved the target with still five wickets in hand and two overs remaining. Anurag Dyal scored 54 runs while Deepak Soni made 34 runs.

Cricket meet

The Gallant Cricket Club, Panchkula, will organise the first inter-institutional financial cricket tournament from July 6. According to Mr Amarjit Kumar, organising secretary, the meet will be conducted on league-cum-knock-out basis. As many as 24 teams will take part in this meet. The matches till the quarter-final stage will be of 30 overs while semi-finals and final to be of 40 overs each.

The teams will be divided into six groups with first two top teams of each group would enter the next round. Entries close on June 30 with Mr Yuvraj Kaushik (phone-573052) and Amarjit Kumar (95171-5220282).

SI suspended
Our Correspondent

A private firm had filed a complaint against one of its employees that he was cheating the company. Sources said Sukhdeep Singh had forced the employee to accept allegations and to give in writing that he had to pay Rs 50,000 to the firm. The matter was reported to the SSP and Sukhdeep was suspended today as police personnel are not authorised to intervene in civil matters.