Sub-chronic effect of neem based pesticide (Vepacide) on acetylcholinesterase and ATPases in rat.

Acetylcholinesterases (AChE), Na(+)-K+, Mg2+ and Ca(2+)-ATPases were monitored in rat brain when treated orally with 80, 160 and 320 mg/kg of Vepacide, an active ingredient from neem seed oil, daily for 90 days. Brain AChE, Na(+)-K+ and Ca(2+)-ATPases were inhibited whereas Mg(2+)-ATPase levels were enhanced in both the sexes after 45 and 90 days of treatment. The relative sensitivities of these ATPases to Vepacide indicated that Ca(2+)-ATPase being more sensitive than Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in both the sexes. The magnitude of Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibited by this compound was higher than that of brain AChE. It appears to be sexual dimorphism in the alterations of brain AChE, Na(+)-K+ and Mg(2+)-ATPases by Vepacide with females being significant when compared with males. After 28 days of post treatment the alterations observed were approached to those of controls both in male and female rats showing reversal of the toxicity. These results indicated that the ATPases were potently inhibited by Vepacide and seemed to be its precise target among the enzyme studied. This can be used as biochemical marker of exposure to this neem derived product.     

Optimization of microwave treatment for dewaterability enhancement of electroplating sludge

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - In this study, the dewaterability characteristics of electroplating sludge have been investigated after treatment with microwave irradiation. While...     

Recent Progress in Silane Coupling Agent with Its Emerging Applications

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - This paper presents the effects of silane coupling agent, which includes interfacial adhesive strength, water treatment, polymer composites and coatings...     

Dust explosion risk moderation for flocculent dusts

The research presented in this paper is focused on dust explosions of coarse and fine flocculent (or fibrous) samples of wood and polyethylene. Hybrid mixtures of fibrous polyethylene and admixed ethylene were also studied. Experimentation was conducted by following standardized test procedures and using standardized apparatus for determination of maximum explosion pressure, size-normalized maximum rate of pressure rise, minimum explosible concentration, minimum ignition energy, and minimum ignition temperature. A general trend was observed of enhanced explosion likelihood and consequence severity with a decrease in material diameter, as well as enhanced consequence severity with admixture of a flammable gas to the combustion atmosphere. The same phenomena are well-established for dusts composed of spherical particles; this highlights the importance of inherently safer design and the principle of moderation in avoiding the generation of fine sizes of flocculent dusts and hybrid mixtures of such materials with flammable gases.In addition to presenting experimental findings, the paper describes phenomenological modelling efforts for the flocculent polyethylene using four geometric equivalence models: radial equivalence, volumetric equivalence, surface area equivalence, and specific surface area equivalence. The surface area equivalence model was found to yield the best estimates of maximum rate of pressure rise for the flocculent polyethylene samples investigated experimentally.     

Determination of human error probabilities for offshore platform musters

The focus of this work is on prediction of human error probabilities during the process of emergency musters on offshore oil and gas production platforms. Due to a lack of human error databases, and in particular human error data for offshore platform musters, an expert judgment technique, the Success Likelihood Index Methodology (SLIM), was adopted as a vehicle to predict human error probabilities. Three muster scenarios of varying severity (man overboard, gas release, and fire and explosion) were studied in detail. A panel of 24 judges active in the offshore oil and gas industry provided data for both the weighting and rating of six performance shaping factors. These data were subsequently processed by means of SLIM to calculate the probability of success for 18 muster actions ranging from point of muster initiator to the final actions in the temporary safe refuge (TSR). The six performance shaping factors considered in this work were stress, complexity, training, experience, event factors and atmospheric factors.     

Experimental and Monte Carlo simulation studies of open cylindrical radon monitoring device using CR-39 detector

There are several methods of measuring radon concentrations but nuclear track detector cylindrical dosimeters are widely employed. In this investigation, the consequence of effective volumes of the dosimeters on the registration of alpha tracks in a CR-39 detector was studied. In a series of experiments an optimum radius for a CR-39-based open cylindrical radon dosimeter was found to be about 3 cm. Monte Carlo simulation techniques have been employed to verify the experimental results. In this context, a computer code Monte Carlo simulation dosimetry (MOCSID) was developed. Monte Carlo simulation experiments gave the optimum radius of the dosimeters as 3.0 cm. The experimental results are in good agreement with those obtained by Monte Carlo design calculations. In addition to this, plate-out effects of radon progeny were also studied. It was observed that the contribution of radon progeny (218Po and 214Po) plated-out on the wall of the dosimeters increases with an increase of dosimeter radii and then decrease to 0 at a radius of about 3 cm if a point detector has been installed at the center of the dosimeter base. In the code MOCSID different types of random number generators were employed. The results of this research are very useful for designing an optimum size of radon dosimeters.     

Assessment of risks posed by chemical industries—application of a new computer automated tool -III

The paper describes the application of a new computer automated tool, developed by us, in the risk analysis of a typical chemical industry engaged in the manufacture of linear alkyl benzene. Using the tool—a comprehensive software package -III (MAXimum CREDible accident analysis)—nine different scenarios, one for each storage unit, have been studied. It is observed that the accident scenario for chlorine (instantaneous release followed by dispersion) leads to the largest area-under-lethal-impact, while the accident scenario for propylene (CVCE followed by fireball) forecasts the most intense damage per unit area. The accidents involving propylene, benzene, and fuel oil have a high possibility of causing domino/secondary accidents as their destructive impacts (shock waves, heat load) would envelope other storage and process units.Besides demonstrating the utilizability of -III, this study also focuses attention on the need to bestow greater effort towards risk assessment/crisis management. The authors hope that the study will highlight the severity of the risk posed by the industry and thus generate safety consciousness among plant managers. The study may also help in developing accident-prevention strategies and the installation of damage control devices.     

Noise pollution in textile,printing and publishing industries in Saudi Arabia

A study of 20 factories belonging to textile, printing, publishing and paper products industries in Jeddah was conducted.Data on Leq, Maximum and Minimum SPL at different octave bands, as well as dBA, were collected. It has been found that textile,publishing and paper products industries are the most noisy industries. The paper is concluded with suitable recommendationfor noise control and worker protection.     

Inherently safer design based on rapid risk analysis

The importance of inherently safer design (ISD) as a strategy to minimize risk of accidents in chemical process industries is being repeatedly stressed in recent years. The increasing number, frequency, and extents of damage caused by such accidents across the world have contributed to this thinking. However even as the need for ISD is being underscored, there are very few reports on precise methods to implement this concept. Significant recent reports are by Berge (1993Berge, 1995)who has suggested a scenariobased design procedure in which construction of accident scenarios in a structured manner is made the basis of ISD. We have been developing and applying the concept of rapid risk analysis ( [Khan & Abbasi, 1995] , [Khan & Abbasi, 1996] , [Khan & Abbasi, 1997a] , [Khan & Abbasi, 1997b] , [Khan & Abbasi, 1998a] and Khan &; Abbasi, 1998b). In this paper we present an approach to ISD utilizing this concept. We believe, as detailed in this paper, that this approach is a significant improvement upon Berge's procedure in terms of ease, speed, and effectiveness.