Pesticide Residues in Bovine Milk from a Predominantly Agricultural State of Haryana, India

One hundred forty seven samples of bovine milk were collected from 14 districts of Haryana, India during December 1998–February 1999 and analysed for the presence of organochlorine pesticide (OCPs) residues. ∑HCH, ∑DDT, ∑endosulfan and aldrin were detected in 100%, 97%, 43% and 12% samples and with mean values of 0.0292, 0.0367, 0.0022 and 0.0036 μg/ml, respectively. Eight percent samples exceeded the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.10 mg/kg as recommended by WHO for ∑HCH, 4% samples of 0.05 mg/kg for α-HCH, 5% samples of 0.01 mg/kg for γ-HCH, 26% samples of 0.02 mg/kg for β-HCH as recommended by PFAA and 24% samples of 0.05 mg/kg as recommended by FAO for ∑DDT. Concentrations of β-HCH and p,p′-DDE were more as compared to other isomers and metabolites of HCH and DDT.     

Canopy Spectra and Remote Sensing of Ashe Juniper and Associated Vegetation

A study was conducted in central Texas to determine the potential of using remote sensing technology to distinguish Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei Buchholz) infestations on rangelands. Plant canopy reflectance measurements showed that Ashe juniper had lower near-infrared reflectance than other associated woody plant species and lower visible reflectance than mixed herbaceous species in spring and summer. Ashe juniper could be distinguished on color-infrared aerial photographs acquired in March, April, June, and August and on QuickBird false color satellite imagery obtained in June, where it had a distinct dark reddish-brown tonal response. Unsupervised classification techniques were used to classify aerial photographic and satellite imagery of study sites. An accuracy assessment performed on a computer classified map of a photographic image showed that Ashe juniper had producer's and user's accuracies of 100% and 92.9%, respectively, whereas an accuracy assessment performed on a classified map of a satellite image of the same site showed that Ashe juniper had producer's and user's accuracies of 94.1% and 88.1%, respectively. Accuracy assessments performed on classified maps of satellite images of two additional study sites showed that Ashe juniper had producer's and user's accuracies that ranged from 87.1% to 96.4%. These results indicate that both color-infrared photography and false color satellite imagery can be used successfully for distinguishing Ashe juniper infestations.     

Biodegradation of crosslinked acrylic polymers by a white-rot fungus

Two synthetic superabsorbent crosslinked acrylic polymers were mineralized by the white-rot fungusPhanerochaete chrysosporium. The amount of polymer converted to CO₂ increased as the amount of polymer added to the cultures increased. In the presence of sufficiently large amounts of the superabsorbents, such that all of the culture fluid was absorbed and a gelatinous matrix was formed, the fungus still grew and mineralization was observed. Neither the polymers, nor their degradation products were toxic to the fungus. While the rates of mineralization were low, all of the polymers incubated in the liquid fungal cultures were completely depolymerized to water soluble products within 15–18 days. The depolymerization of the polymers was observed only in nitrogen limited cultures of the fungus which secrete the lignin degradation system, however, the water soluble products of depolymerization were mineralized in both nutrient limited and sufficient cultures of the fungus. The rate of mineralization of the depolymerized metabolites was more than two times greater in nutrient sufficient cultures. Following longer incubation periods, most (> 80 %) of the radioactivity was recovered in the fungal mycelial mat suggesting that carbon of the polymer had been converted to fungal metabolites.     

Rapid growth of clones of the red alga Chondrus crispus: applications in assays of toxic substances and in physiological studies

Growth rates of excised apical segments from three Chondrus crispus Stackhouse clones were rapid, reproducible and easily measured using simple equipment. Clonal segments exhibited a high degree of phenotypic stability, with coefficients of variation in growth rates being typically less than 5%. Sensitivity of the assay was demonstrated using 24-h pulses of the toxicants Cu²⁺ (10 to 150 ppb) and the molluscicide Bayluscide (100 to 500 ppb). As a further demonstration of applicability of this assay system, growth rates were measured over two consecutive 24-h photoperiods using a normally pigmented red gametophytic clone and a green colored mutant derived from it. Growth rates were highest in the first hours of the light phase for both clones, with growth of the green mutant being consistently inferior to that of the normally pigmented one. Significant changes were measured with intervals as short as 4 h using only five apical segments for each treatment. The C. crispus assay described is sensitive, relatively rapid, and statistically robust when applied to toxicant testing in seawater and to physiological studies.     

Stability of a Coal Waste Artificial Reef

The feasibility of using U.K. coal-fired power station waste materials for artificial reef production is being examined. in June, 1989, an experimental artificial reef was constructed in Poole Bay, off the central south coast of the U.K., using three different mixtures of pulverised fuel ash (PFA), flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) gypsum and slurry, stabilized with cement and formed into blocks. Fifty tonnes of 40 × 20 × 20 cm blocks were formed into eight conical reef units replicating three different PFA/gypsum mixtures and one concrete control. the reef structure is 10m below chart datum on a flat sandy sea-bed.

Combustion of coal concentrates the heavy metal content in the resultant ash. the purpose of stabilization of the ash as blocks is twofold: to immobilize heavy metals (or other components) and to provide hard substratum for the attachment of organisms. to examine the effectiveness of this stabilization and hence the environmental compatibility of the block materials, heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni, Zn) content of the blocks has been monitored routinely over two years, to determine leaching rates. Sectional profiles indicate partial replacement of calcium content by magnesium. Associated with this there has also been some redistribution of heavy metals. Only in the case of cadmium has there been a detectable loss from the surface of blocks. Chromium and manganese concentrations appear to have increased. the metal content of the reef epibiota (including ascidians, Ascidia mentula; hydroids, Halecium spp.; bryozoans, Bugula spp. and red algae) growing on the ash blocks has been compared to that of epibiota attached to the concrete controls and surrounding sea-bed. to date no evidence of excess bioaccumulation of metals has been detected.

The physical integrity of the ash reef blocks has been maintained. There is evidence that the blocks are increasing in compressive strength.

An indication of the fishery enhancement potential of the experimental structure is given by the presence of eight commercially fished species (crustaceans and molluscs) including lobsters (Homarus gammarus).     

Mikrobielle Sanierung von 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluol (TNT) kontaminierten Böden

Within the limits of a feasability study abouton-site bioremediation methods for TNT-contaminated soils, composting was chosen as a very promising and cheap method. This method was critically compared with those described in the literature and was primarily rated under ecotoxicological aspects. The investigated location is the former munition plant «Tanne» in the aerea of Clausthal-Zellerfeld in Lower Saxony, Germany. To estimate the autochtonic microflora, we assessed the number of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria and determined their respiration activity in soils. In addition, we isolated bacteria and examined their capacity to metabolize TNTin vitro. Both the amount of autochtonic microrganisms (4.7×10⁸ to 1.2×10¹⁰ colony forming units (cfu)/kg dryweight) as well as their respiration activity did not correlate with the concentrations of nitrotoluenes in the soils. With high contaminated soil (20 g TNT/kg dry weight) we carried out a small compost in the range of 10 liters. During 28 days of composting TNT-concentration decrease over 90% and only minor amounts of monoaminodinitrotoluenes were generated. However, an acidic pretreatment of the compost material at the end of the reaction showed that TNT could be partially resolved under these extreme conditions and that an ecotoxicological risk may still exist. Possible changes in the realization of the composting process in order to make sure that the contaminants are savely bound to the humin matrix are discussed.     

The gill symbiont of the hydrothermal vent mussel Bathymodiolus thermophilus is a psychrophilic,chemoautotrophic, sulfur bacterium

Certain hydrothermal vent invertebrates, e.g. Riftia pachyptila and Calyptogena magnifica, are clearly established as harboring dense populations of chemoautotrophic sulfur bacteria in specialized tissues. By contrast, the physiological characteristics of the abundant intracellular gill symbiont of the vent mussel Bathymodiolus thermophilus have been questioned. The low activities of enzymes diagnostic for CO₂ fixation (Calvin cycle) and for sulfur-driven energy generation, as measured by other investigators, have been attributed to bacterial contamination of the gill surface. Based on research at the Galápagos Rift hydrothermal vents in 1988 and subsequent laboratory experiments, the current study confirms that the B. thermophilus symbiont is a psychrophile for which thiosulfate and sulfide stimulate CO₂ fixation. It strongly indicates that the symbiont is a chemoautotroph by establishing the following: (1) Sulfide and thiosulfate can stimulate CO₂ fixation by partially purified symbionts by up to 43-fold and 120-fold, respectively; (2) the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activity of the symbiont is sufficient to account for its sulfide- or thiosulfate-stimulated CO₂ incorporation; (3) the symbiont's molar growth yield on thiosulfate, as judged by CO₂ incorporation, is indistinguishable from that of free-living chemoautotrophs. Due to the high protein-degrading activity of B. thermophilus gill lysate, it is also suggested that host lysis of symbionts plays a more important role in the nutrition of the vent mussel than in R. pachyptila or C. magnifica, for which no comparable protein-degrading activity was found.     

Distribution of diatoms in the surficial sediments of the Mangyung-Dongjin tidal flat,west coast of Korea (Eastern Yellow Sea)

The relationship between the distribution of benthic diatoms and sediment characteristics of the Mangyung-Dongjin tidal flat on the west coast of Korea was investigated during June and July 1988. Diatoms were collected from the upper 5 mm of sediments at 60 sites along eight transect lines running perpendicular to the shore line. Of the 371 taxa encountered in the study area, 88% were pennate diatoms. Genera represented by the greatest number of species were Navicula, Nitzschia, Amphora, Cocconeis, Fragilaria and Achnanthes. The most abundant species were Paralia sulcata, Navicula sp. #1, N. arenaria and Cymatosira belgica; all were broadly distributed across the tidal flats. The 60 sites could be assigned to eight clusters with respect to similarity in species composition. Discriminant analysis showed that separation cluster was primarily related to the mean grain size of the sediment. The species could not be separated into groups based on similarities in occurrence; a high degree of spatial overlap was observed. The preferences of the more abundant species for grain size were, therefore, analysed by plotting numerical abundance against mean grain size. There were at least four patterns: species groups could be associated with finegrained sediments, those of intermediate size and coarser sediments and the last group showed no discernible pattern.     

Funipuncture for fetocide in late termination of pregnancy

The most widely used method for fetocide in late termination of pregnancy for fetal abnormalities (TOPFA) consists of injecting of potassium chloride (KCl) into the fetal heart and is likely to be painful after 22 weeks of gestation. We studied ten consecutive women undergoing TOPFA between 22 and 38 weeks. This technique for fetocide consisted of a single umbilical vein puncture under ultrasound guidance with injections of sufentanil 5 µg followed by KCl 2 g. No electrocardiographic modifications could be observed and maternal plasma potassium levels did not show any significant variation throughout the procedure. Fetal umbilical phlebotomy for fetal analgesia followed by fetocide therefore appears to be a safe procedure for the mother and allows the fetus to die without pain when late termination of pregnancy (TOP) is indicated. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.