Soap Research Articles

Application of styrax essential oils in healthy and beauty soap products

Styrax resin is the main non-timber forest product from North Sumatra, Indonesia. Unfortunately, the precious resin known as benzoin still have not been developed into various domestic and innovative organic personal care products. The objective of study is to initiate the distilled styrax resins utilization into personal care products in form of organic and healthy washing hand soaps. Research was carried out by distilling styrax resin, formulating and producing soaps, and assessing the products acceptance. Product application tests were applied including soap properties (hardness, cleansing, conditioning, bubbly and creamy), feeling and preference tests (sensibility, moisturizing, smoothness, scent). Forty respondents were surveyed, which 35 individuals (87.5%) expressed their pleasure utilizing the soaps, related to good consistency and cleaning performance, smoothness, moisturizing, as well as easily rinsed from hands after washing with a pleasant long lasting aroma. The phytochemical content contained is also reveals soap potential application to reducing anxiety and increase immune system. The results showed the idea about processing styrax resin into organic and healthy personal care products is highly feasible for replication in wide-scale applications. Regarding the products contains organic ingredient, it is considered better, healthier and support the local economy development.

Poisoning exposure from non-pharmaceutical products in residents of structured living facilities

Objective The objectives of this study were to describe poisonings occurring in older or disabled patients residing in structured living facilities, identify risk factors, and propose preventive measures. Method This was a prospective and observational study, covering all cases of poisoning occurring in structured living facilities in the Brittany region of France. All calls were received at the Grand Ouest Poison Control Centre (PCC) of Angers and were recorded from 1 February 2019 to 31 January 2020. The clinical severity of the poisonings was assessed using the Poisoning Severity Score (PSS). Clinical severity was compared by univariate and multivariate analyses using the following dependent variables: PSS score < 2 and PSS ≥ 2. Results This study included 158 residents with a median age of 83 years (5–116 years old). The average number of residents supervised by a member of the supervisory staff was 11 (+/−10.7). The substance ingested was a personal hygiene product or a cleaning product in 48% and 25% of cases, respectively. The most frequently ingested product was a bar of soap (n = 20). All moderate to severe cases (4.6%, n = 8 including one death) occurred in residents with dementia living in nursing homes for elderly patients, and 9% of residents required hospital treatment. In more than 50% of cases (n = 83), the product was provided by the facility and in 23% (n = 40), it was brought in by the family. Ingestion of a bar of soap or a product brought in by the family was significantly associated with higher poisoning severity (PSS ≥ 2). After adjustment for age, sex and the number of residents per supervisor, the severity of poisoning was significantly greater after ingestion of a bar of soap (OR = 12.33, CI95 [2.12, 71.63], p = 0.005). Conclusion Older adults residing in medical facilities who have a history of dementia and/or cognitive impairment are more at risk of non-medicinal product poisoning. Clinical severity and the hospitalisation rate were greater when bar soap was ingested.

An exploratory pilot study of the effect of modified hygiene kits on handwashing with soap among internally displaced persons in Ethiopia

BackgroundInternally displaced persons fleeing their homes due to conflict and drought are particularly at risk of morbidity and mortality from diarrhoeal diseases. Regular handwashing with soap (HWWS) could substantially reduce the risk of these infections, but the behaviour is challenging to practice while living in resource-poor, informal settlements. To mitigate these challenges, humanitarian aid organisations distribute hygiene kits, including soap and handwashing infrastructure. Our study aimed to assess the effect of modified hygiene kits on handwashing behaviours among internally displaced persons in Moyale, Ethiopia.MethodsThe pilot study evaluated three interventions: providing liquid soap; scented soap bar; and the inclusion of a mirror in addition to the standard hygiene kit. The hygiene kits were distributed to four study arms. Three of the arms received one of the interventions in addition to the standard hygiene kit. Three to six weeks after distribution the change in behaviour and perceptions of the interventions were assessed through structured observations, surveys and focus group discussions.ResultsHWWS was rare at critical times for all study arms. In the liquid soap arm, HWWS was observed for only 20% of critical times. This result was not indicated significantly different from the control arm which had a prevalence of 17% (p-value = 0.348). In the mirror and scented soap bar intervention arms, HWWS prevalence was 11 and 10%, respectively. This was indicated to be significantly different from the control arm. Participants in the focus group discussions indicated that liquid soap, scented soap bar and the mirror made handwashing more desirable. In contrast, participants did not consider the soap bar normally distributed in hygiene kits as nice to use.ConclusionWe found no evidence of an increased prevalence of handwashing with soap following distribution of the three modified hygiene kits. However, our study indicates the value in better understanding hygiene product preferences as this may contribute to increased acceptability and use among crisis-affected populations. The challenges of doing research in a conflict-affected region had considerable implications on this study’s design and implementation.Trial registrationThe trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov 6 September 2019 (reg no: NCT04078633).

Socioeconomic and racial/ethnic differences in use of endocrine-disrupting chemical-associated personal care product categories among pregnant women

Personal care products (PCPs) are important and modifiable sources of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Research is limited on how EDC-associated PCP use differs by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES), particularly during the sensitive period of pregnancy. We investigated differences in PCP use by race/ethnicity and SES among 497 participants in the LIFECODES pregnancy cohort (Boston, Massachusetts). Participants self-reported race/ethnicity, SES indicators (maternal education; insurance status), and recent PCP use via questionnaire at ≤4 prenatal visits. We evaluated trimester-specific differences in use of individual PCP categories by race/ethnicity and SES indicators. We used Poisson regression to estimate trimester-specific mean total product categories used by race/ethnicity and SES indicators. In the first trimester, compared to non-Hispanic White women, Hispanic women reported higher use of hair gel (45% vs. 28%), perfume (75% vs. 39%), and “other” hair products (37% vs. 19%). Compared to women with a college degree, women without a college degree reported higher use of perfume (79% vs. 41%) and bar soap (74% vs. 56%); patterns were similar for insurance status. The estimated mean total product categories used was significantly lower in Asian compared to non-Hispanic White women in all trimesters (e.g., Trimester 1: 4.8 vs. 6.7 categories; p<0.001). Patterns of PCP use differed by race/ethnicity and SES, with implications for potentially modifiable differential EDC exposure and associated pregnancy outcomes.

Building the barricade—DIY slit lamp breath shield

Ophthalmologists were concerned about the risk of SARS-COV-2 transmission via droplets given the close proximity to the patient during slit lamp examination. There is a need to design a simple,...

Engaging Elementary Students in COVID Safety Precautions

Lane College, a Historically Black College in Jackson, TN, is partnering with Lincoln Elementary as part of the College's 10 Blocks Project Initiative. Students in the Lane College Science Club, affiliated with the ASBMB Student Chapters, demonstrated a science interactive with second graders at Lincoln Elementary School. During the Fall 2020 semester, Science Club students, including S- STEM Scholars, and faculty advisors visited the school. Due to the devastating and unforeseen circumstance of the COVID-19 pandemic, the faculty and students took a different approach for the annual interactive experiments. During this visit, Science club students worked with second graders where they demonstrated two fun and relevant experiments which represented the coexistence of germs on their hands and the spread of COVID-19. Following the CDC guidelines, only 25 children were able to participate in this event that occurred in the gym. The two experiments used were a part of the Coronavirus Kit from the Science Tools. Within the first experiment, four volunteers were selected to participate in four hand-washing experiences. Each volunteer was given blue glow powder to put on their hands. One volunteer performed a cold-water rinse without rubbing their hands, while another performed a hot water rinse without rubbing their hands. Another volunteer did a cold water and soap hand wash, while the last volunteer performed a hot water and soap hand wash. The results were observed with a UV light to see if there were any glow germ residues from each participant. The result showed the volunteer who performed the hot water and soap hand wash had very little germ residue left. Our second experiment involved three balloons and three scoops of glow germ powder mixed with water in a spray bottle. Three volunteers were selected to draw on the balloons which represent people. One of the science club members held the balloon, while another person sprayed it from a 1-foot distance. We repeated this process twice at a three feet distance with one balloon covered with a napkin. Then we observed the outcome of all three balloons. The results showed that the balloon covered with the napkin had very little residue as opposed to the other balloons standing at a similar distance without being provided with the napkins as a face cover. The children were amazed and enthusiastic by both demonstrations and were able to understand the necessary safety precautions for preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Awareness of Doing 3M (Wearing Mask, Physical Distancing, Washing Hands) During Pandemic Era in Rural and Urban Families

Introduction: The spread of Covid19 could be prevented by breaking the chain of transmission through the practice of wearing a mask while going outside or being in a crowd, washing hands using hand soap under running water, and doing physical distancing (3M). The difference in information distribution and access about Covid19 between rural and urban citizens connected to the awareness of doing 3M. This research aims to analyze the correlation between awareness and practicing wearing masks, washing hands, and physical distancing within rural and urban citizens. Methods: Data was collected using mixed-method survey, was done both online and offline to reach respondents from several provinces in Indonesia. Data retrieval was done using a questionnaire, and there were 2,196 people participated as respondents. Results and Discussion: Logistic regression analysis showed that age (p = 0.042; OR = 1.117), sex (p = 0.000; OR = 0.377), living area (p = 0.000; OR = 2.291), and knowledge (p = 0,000; OR = 1,450) have the significant relation with respondents' awareness of doing 3M. The age group of 27-36 years old, female, and well-knowledged respondents has a higher awareness of doing 3M than other groups. Rural citizens with a good awareness of doing 3M (87.78%) are bigger than urban citizens (76.02%). Conclusion: The good awareness of rural citizens has shown that both area's citizens already had the equality of information access, especially about Covid19 prevention and the government's policy and programs to reduce the spread of Covid199

Perilaku Pencegahan Covid-19 dan Pelatihan Pembuatan Sabun Cuci Tangan Cair (Handsoap) di Rumah Tangga

Covid-19 is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus which is part of the Corona virus type. Efforts to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 by complying health protocols, one of which implementing the behavior of washing hands with soap. Provision of liquid hand washing (handsoap) in households is rarely provided because the price of liquid hand washing soap is higher than others. This has resulted rarely people providing special hand washing soap during this pandemic. There are two types of soap, namely bar soap and liquid soap. The content in liquid soap or bar soap is same. The process of making liquid soap using bar soap can be said to be easy to do. In the manufacturing process, it doesn't require that many materials are used. During the pandemic, we are required to oblige our hands with soap to maintain health. The benefits of washing hands with are to avoid the various of germs. By getting used to using soap, we will maintain health for ourselves and others.

Characterization of the Chemical and Physical Properties of Bar Soap Made with Different Concentrations of Bentonite as a Filler

The use of bentonite in cosmetics is considered beneficial for absorbing dirt and moisturizing and detoxifying the skin. In this study, different amounts of bentonite (10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, and 20 g) were used as a filler in 5 separate formulations of natural bar soap having coconut oil as the primary ingredient. Each type of bentonite soap was analyzed in accordance with the Indonesian National Standards (SNI). The free alkali content for each of the five preparations of bentonite soap was zero, the moisture content ranged from 0.88 to 1.15 %, the pH ranged from 8.7 to 8.8, the total free fatty acid content ranged from 0.28 to 0.72, and the foam or bubble stability was above 70%, while the soap’s hardness ranged from 1.49 N/m2 to 1.54 N/m2. All five soap types fulfilled SNI standards, but the soaps containing 15 g and 17.5 g of bentonite had a far better appearance. The chemical compositions of the bar soap composed of 15 g bentonite (BS 15) and the bar soap composed of 17.5 g bentonite (BS 17.5) were calculated using material balance and compared by Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The EDX analysis revealed that both BS 15 and BS 17.5 contained the Si and Al metals originating from the bentonite. No heavy metals considered harmful to skin health (e.g., Hg, Pb, As, or Cd) were detected. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the topography and texture of BS 15 and BS 17.5 revealed a more even distribution of Si and Al throughout BS 17.5 than in BS 15. BS 17.5 was therefore deemed the best formula as it meets SNI standards and has a better appearance and a more even mineral distribution.

Knowledge and Attitude of Indigenous People towards COVID-19 Pandemic in Ebonyi State, Southeastern, Nigeria

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic came like a storm that shook the whole world. The response of many government was lockdown and restriction in movement. But in most rural communities information on the actual reasons for the lockdown were scanty. Many were rather curios as their markets, schools, transportation and social lives were disrupted by the government without adquate enlightment. This study was done to asses the level of knowledge and attitude of the indigenous rural dwellers in Ebonyi State towards the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Descriptive statistics was adopted to asses the knowledge and attitude of the rural dwellers towards COVID-19. One community each from the three senatorial zone were selected. Out of 150 respondents, 86% are men and 64% are women. Structured questionaire were administered directly to responders after due explanation. The questionnaire was completed and given back to the researcher. Result - Three communities were covered for the 150 respondents, 58% of the respondents are in the age group of 20-35 years, 30% are in the age group of 36-55 years, only 12 % is from the age group of above 56- and above years. Awareness- Only 40.3% of the respondents are aware of the Corona Virus disease. 36% of the respondents are heard from radio, 37% of them heard from friends, 35.5% heard from government agency, 48% heard from community health workers, 49% heard from social media. Only 20% knew the causative agent of COVID-19, while 13.3% knew about the signs and symptoms, 10% of responders knew about the methods of transmission. 16.7% are aware of the possible prevention methods. 38.7% considered it a new disease, while 30% considered it a health challenge. Knowledge of the preventive measures such as: Handwashing regularly with soap and water, use of hand sanitizers and face mask and social distancing protocol were also negative. Conclussion: There were paucity of knowledge and negative attitude of indigenous rural dwellers towards COVID-19 pandemic among the indigenous rural dwellers in Ebonyi State.

PANIC BUYING PHENOMENON AMONG ACADEMICS AT X UNIVERSITY IN SURABAYA

In the weeks at the start of the pandemic, some news in Indonesia was colored related to the panic buying phenomenon by Indonesians in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Of course, the Indonesian people were quite worried about the pandemic at that time. Starting from the scarcity of masks, hand soap and hand sanitizers at the beginning of the soaring positive cases of Covid-19 to the scarcity of staple goods consumed by everyday people such as sugar and rice, this phenomenon forced the government to impose restrictions on the purchase of staples. Currently, several regulations have been implemented regarding the purchase of basic commodities by the government to minimize hoarding activities of staple goods. This study aims to see the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the emergence of panic buying behavior among the academics of a university in Surabaya. The analytical method used in this research is descriptive analysis with a total sample of 60 respondents consisting of lecturers, students, and educational staff. The research was conducted from June to July 2020. After conducting a survey, it was found that many academics at X University Surabaya were not affected by the panic buying phenomenon.

3D printing in surgical simulation: emphasized importance in the COVID-19 pandemic era

3D printing in surgical simulation: emphasized importance in the COVID-19 pandemic era

Handwashing effect on diarrheal incidence in children under 5 years old in rural eastern Ethiopia: a cluster randomized controlled trial

BackgroundHandwashing with soap reduces diarrheal diseases burden considerably. However, the importance of handwashing in homes has received little attention in rural eastern Ethiopia. The effectiveness of handwashing may be reduced by lack of information on when and in what event hands must be washed, the frequency of handwashing, the individual who should wash his/her hands, and the procedure of handwashing. In these areas, indicators of adherence to handwashing are yet to be established. This study aimed at assessing the efficiency of handwashing on reducing diarrheal disease in children under 5 years old in rural kebeles of Dire Dawa, east Ethiopia.MethodsCommunity-based cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in rural kebeles of Dire Dawa for 4 months starting from October 2018 to January 2019. Selected clusters were randomized in intervention and control arms using draw method and data collectors conducted the baseline survey. Households assigned to the intervention group were given two bars of plain soap on a bi-monthly basis together with information promoting hand hygiene. Control households were allowed to continue their habitual handwashing practices. We compared the diarrheal incidences of the intervention and non-intervention households. Generalized estimation equations using Poisson family and log choice of the link was employed to calculate adjusted incidence rate ratio with its 95% confidence interval.ResultsWe recorded a significant lesser diarrheal incidence in the handwashing arm than in the non-intervention arm (6.9 versus 13.8 episodes per 100 person weeks of observation). In all, there was a 41% reduction in diarrheal incidence in the intervention arm in relation to the non-intervention arm.ConclusionHandwashing with soap complemented with hand hygiene promotion significantly decreased diarrheal episodes in children under 5 years old in rural kebeles of Dire Dawa. We recommend the promotion and adaptation of washing hands using soap at recommended times to be an effective means of reducing childhood diarrhea morbidity in rural populations of Ethiopia towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 6.Trial registrationPACTR, PACTR201807815961394. Registered 16 July 2018,

Cellophane

56 STEPH KWIATKOWSKI Cellophane • eep in the woods, past the 7-Eleven off Exit 233, there is a churning vat of cake batter. There are whirs and clicks, steady as a pulse, and the slick drag of plastic over tiny cakes that have been poured into a uniform shape. And miles away, there are two sisters growing up on the oak-tunneled highway between home and town. In the backseat after church, shedding tights like snakeskin, and later, on the way to middle school parties, foundation sinking into their pores, they count litter along the shoulder between the asphalt and forest edge: Styrofoam , chip bag, beer can. The game lives on even after they’ve drifted apart. Throughout high school, when it becomes clear that Hannah can’t stand the heat of Grace’s shoulder against her own, and college summers they spend eating cereal on opposite sides of the porch. Scrolling through their text history, it’s all you see. Coke bottle. Sonic cup. “Wrapper.” When Grace says it, the thing is already gone. Just a spark in the headlights somewhere along the road. Hannah doesn’t respond. She just writhes in the passenger seat, jean skirt bunched up around her waist like it did when Grace pulled her across the parking lot of the bar in front of the guys smoking outside . They’d seen Hannah’s cheeky lace underwear and the red lines where denim had pressed into flesh. At first they jeered, then Hannah hit the gravel with a sound like a hard-boiled egg. After that, no one was smiling anymore. The radio buzzes, sibilant, turned down low. Grace pulls the car over because Hannah has passed out and Grace wants to make sure her sister is still breathing. She searches concussion symptoms on her phone. She already knows the ones for alcohol poisoning by heart. A truck speeds past, and the whole car quivers; then they’re alone in the blinking red of the hazards. It occurs to Grace that the muted light smooths the acne craters of Hannah’s cheeks in the exact way Hannah would want. There was a d 57 time when Grace would tell Hannah she was beautiful, but eventually Grace learned that was worse than saying nothing at all. The proof of Grace’s ignorance remains in the bathroom cabinets: bar soap in hers, while her sister’s is filled with stinging creams, serums that peel. Isotretinoin , known to thin the hair and inflame the gut, and yet still it comes. Vulgaris. Nothing more than sebum and dead keratinocytes trapped in the dermal layer, and what it means is that Hannah has avoided mirrors every day since she turned thirteen, that she can’t meet the eyes of a single person she talks to. Grace can hear it in her sister’s voice when she’s five Jack and Cokes deep: the numbness, the amnesiac release. A momentary gift Grace can hardly begrudge her when Hannah wants so badly to shed the skin from her bones like the papery casing of a cicada, but things are starting to get worse. Tonight the call came from the bartender. Hannah had gone out alone and downed four whiskeys on an empty stomach, not including the many probable sips from the plastic fifth of vodka she keeps in her closet, beneath an old Halloween costume with the orange sequins flaking off. Hannah lifts her head, voice groggy, a watercolor smear of mascara up to her temple. She rolls down the window and spits pre-vomit down the side of the car. “Something stinks.” “It’s the factory.” Grace bites the cuticle of her thumb. This stretch of highway smells like horse chestnut and frosting. It’s different depending on the day and direction of the wind—cocoa or strawberry or a musty-sweet blend of oil and burnt sugar—but always something there, a current of vanilla under the dead oak leaves and loam. When they were little they used to stop at the factory outlet on the way home from school events, clopping across the tiles in shiny plastic block heels and polyester dresses that felt hot and cold at the...

Reported healthcare workers knowledge and practices of hand hygiene in specialist hospitals of Kano, Northwest Nigeria

Compliance with recommended hand hygiene among healthcare providers is important in the prevention of morbidity and mortality associated with hospitalacquired infections including drug resistant microorganisms. This study aimed to determine the reported knowledge and hand hygiene practices among healthcare workers in Specialist Hospitals in Kano, Nigeria. Descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to study 302 healthcare workers in the specialist hospitals in Kano. Data was collected using semi-structured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed at univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels using IBM SPSS version 22. The age of the respondents ranged from 18 to 59 years with a mean of 31.4±9 years. Up to onethird (36.1%) of the respondents had poor knowledge despite the reported hand hygiene practice of 78%. Use of Alcohol Based Hand Rub and soap and water constituted 26.7% and 15.7% respectively. There was statistically significant association between working in MMSH, working in Pediatrics wards, CHEW cadre, and attendance of hand hygiene training in the last 3 years and having good knowledge of hand hygiene. Hand hygiene training was found to improve hand hygiene knowledge [AOR=1.58, 95% CI= (1.01-2.5)] and practice [AOR=1.12 95%CI= (0.64-1.99)]. Reported knowledge of hand hygiene was poor but the practices were encouraging and associated with formal training of healthcare workers on hand hygiene. Therefore, Hospital management should ensure regular hand hygiene training and re-training among healthcare workers.

Nano Silver Coated Surgical Apparels and Phaco Needles for Safety of Ophthalmic Surgeons in View of COVID-19 Pandemic

Background:In view of the recent outbreak of the pandemic caused by novel corona virus 19 (n-covid) which has thrown the overall healthcare system that has created fear, apprehension and anxiety amongst all surgeons. Ophthalmic surgeons are no exceptions. The new corona virus is a respiratory virus of theCoronoviridaefamily containing a single strand of RNA which spreads primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. A person can get infected by the virus if the person is within 1 meter of a person with COVID 19 or by touching contaminated surface and then touching eyes, nose or mouth.Methods:Standard recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 include frequent cleaning of hands using alcohol based hand rubs or soap and water. Covering the nose and mouth with a proper mask, covering skin, eyes, hair, hands and legs with proper apparel is important.Just like elderly members of the society, the healthcare workers who have some co-morbidity are susceptible to COVID-19 invasion.Asymptomatic carriers who may present with senile or pre-senile cataract can be a potential source of infection to other patients, hospital staff, surgeons and others.Conclusion:It is important that all the microsurgical instruments which will be used for phacoemulsification be properly sterilized. The surfaces of these instruments should remain free of contaminants as these instruments will be used multiple times in other patients as well.

COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors among Health Staff: Data from a Large Survey in the West of Iran.

Background: Hospital staffs are at high risk of Novel Coronavirus ( 2019 - nCoV preventive behaviors play a peculiar role in the reduction of the incidence and mortality of this infection. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the prevention behaviors of COVID-19 among health staff based on the Extended Parallel Model (EPPM) in western Iran. Study design: It was a cross-sectional study. Methods: The present study was performed in the west of Iran in April 2020. In total, 1,664 cases were enrolled in this study via multi-stage sampling . The data were collected using a questionnaire, including the demographic characteristics of participants and EPPM constructs. All analyses were conducted in Stata software (version 14) at a 5% significant level. Results: As evidenced by the obtained results, 1,523 (91.53%), 1,226 (73.68%), 1,526 (91.71%), 893 (53.67%), and 862 (51.86%) of health staff wear gloves, use masks, avoid contact with others, maintain a good distance from other people, and wash their hands frequently with water and soap, respectively. In terms of using gloves and avoiding contacts with others, participants with high perceived threat had higher odds of observing health behaviors (OR= 3.14, 95% CI: 2.08, 4.73; P <0.001) and (OR= 3.1, 95% CI: 2.04, 4.69; P <0.001), respectively. In all categories of EPPM, the participants with high efficacy had higher odds of exhibiting health behaviors, compared to those with low efficacy ( P <0.001). Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrated that health workers are expected to be at the highest level of threat and efficiency. Moreover, the findings emphasized the effectiveness of the recommended strategies in the prevention of COVID-19 disease.

Eficiência de sabonetes comerciais antissépticos contra bactérias patogênicas e análise dos rótulos

Os sabonetes em barra com ação antisséptica são destinados à limpeza de resíduos presentes no corpo, sua utilização tem crescido significativamente em decorrência da preocupação da população com determinadas doenças causadas por contaminação microbiológica. Com isso, têm surgido no mercado diferentes marcas de sabonetes garantindo a eliminação de 99,9% das bactérias. O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar a análise comparativa do pH, atividade antibacteriana e rótulos de 5 diferentes marcas de sabonetes antibacterianos em barra, identificados como A, B, C D e E. Realizou-se a determinação do pH com auxílio de pHmetro digital, e na análise microbiológica utilizou-se a metodologia de disco difusão, com o intuito de observar a presença ou ausência da multiplicação das bactérias Streptococcus pyogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus e Escherichia coli frente aos diferentes sabonetes testados. Durante a análise da rotulagem dos sabonetes foi avaliada a presença do requisito “composição”, exigido pela resolução vigente. Nos testes realizados constatou-se que o pH de todas as marcas testadas encontraram-se fora dos parâmetros estabelecidos. Na análise microbiológica observou-se que apenas a marca E, demonstrou efeito antisséptico frente às bactérias testadas. Os demais sabonetes apresentaram menor e até mesmo nenhum potencial de inibição do crescimento desses microrganismos. Os produtos analisados neste estudo apresentam em suas formulações duas substâncias ativas, o triclosan e o triclocarban, porém os mesmos podem ser nocivos para a saúde humana e meio ambiente, e induzirem a resistência bacteriana, por isso, alguns países já proibiram o uso destes ativos. Segundo os resultados obtidos é possível concluir que os rótulos presentes das embalagens destas diferentes marcas analisadas estão em desacordo com o estabelecido pelos fabricantes.

Covid-19 e acesso à água na Amazônia brasileira

O cenário atual de crise sanitária, consequência da pandemia da Covid-19, revela as dificuldades enfrentadas por populações no mundo inteiro quanto às garantias no acesso à água para o combate à doença. O objetivo deste texto é analisar o acesso à água na Amazônia brasileira, de acordo com dados secundários oficiais, e relacioná-los com a difusão da Covid-19, na perspectiva das orientações dos órgãos de saúde que indicam a higienização com água e sabão, e, portanto, o acesso a esse recurso, para a prevenção contra o novo coronavírus. Por meio da revisão bibliográfica e dos dados secundários, evidenciou-se que no Brasil há grande desigualdade no serviço de saneamento básico, com baixos índices de acesso à água na região Norte, formada pelos Estados amazônicos. Nessa mesma região, estão os Estados com maior coeficiente de incidência da Covid-19 até o momento, revelando a grave situação sanitária regional frente a difusão da doença.

Determination of main raw material source in bar soaps using mid-infrared spectroscopy combined with classification tools

The personal care industry is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world in terms of revenue and sales volume. In addition, this market has been going through some modifications to serve its consumers, a fact that has generated the development of a new line of products. Nowadays several products, including bar soaps, are commercialized as free of animal and synthetic materials. In this context, the development of methodologies to verify the source of the raw material (animal, synthetic, or vegetable) used in the production of soaps can be a valuable tool to supplement the quality control routines. Infrared spectroscopy combined with pattern recognition methods, i.e. Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Partial Least Squares Discriminatory Analysis (PLS-DA) and Data Driven Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy (DD-SIMCA), were applied to verify the main source of raw materials used in the soaps production. Analyzing the scores plot for the first two Principal Components of PCA it was possible to observe distinct clusters of soap samples grouped based on the main sources of raw material. Both supervised methods, PLS-DA and DD-SIMCA, were able to correctly classify all samples into their corresponding classes. The most influential variables for the discrimination of groups by PLS-DA were the spectral bands related to changes in the carbon chains and in the amount of carboxyl or glycerol groups in the chemical structure. While DD-SIMCA demonstrated similarity between soaps containing mainly animal and vegetal raw material. This study indicates the potential of chemometric tools in the development of robust predictive models that may be integrated to identify the raw materials used in bar soaps.