Review: Windows of exposure to pesticides for increased risk of childhood leukemia

Leukemia is the leading cause of cancer resulting in mortality of children, and there is some evidence suggesting the increased incidence rate increasing during the recent decades. Limited human evidence indicates an increased risk of developing leukemia in childhood as a result of pesticide exposure, with possible significance of exposure occurring during the developmental periods including preconception, pregnancy, and childhood. This review examines the results of relevant literature on the timing of pesticide exposure and leukemia diagnosed in childhood. Results suggest that the risk from pesticide exposure seems to be greater during pregnancy. Other findings indicate that maternal occupational exposure may be more of a greater concern than the paternal occupational exposure; and that the residential indoor use of pesticides tends to result in higher risk estimates than the residential outdoor use. Only limited data are available on particular pesticides, genetic factors, critical windows of exposure during development, and their association with different histological types of leukemia.     

长江口—杭州湾有机污染历史初步研究──BHC与DDT的地层学记录

近年来长江口──杭州湾表层沉积物中BHC与DDT的含量与以前表层沉积物有关资料的对比,以及经较高精度定年柱状样中BHC与DDT的会向分布特征均显示,有机氯农药广泛使用作为一个污染事件,自开始到逐渐消退均在沉积记录中得到了较好的反映,研究结果表明,污染物的分子地层学记录对恢复有机污染史具有重要意义.尽管近年来表层沉积物中有机氯农药含量己经降至很低,但是由于细颗粒沉积物再悬浮以及海洋浮游生物对有机氯农药的高度富集,其对海洋环境的影响仍然不可忽视.     

SBR技术在有机农药废水处理中的应用

采用中和微碱解－厌氧水解－SBR好氧生化工艺处理氧化乐果，久效磷有机农药废水，与国内同类其它处理技术相比较，其COD、BOD5、P等主要污染物去除率以及处理成本，工程投资，占地面积等项技术经济指标优势明显，可在同行业中推广应用。     

Pollution of surface waters with pesticides in Germany: modeling non-point source inputs

Pesticide pollution of surface waters represents a considerable hazard for the aquatic environment. However, the mean amount of pesticides reaching the water resources varies considerably between regions and depends highly upon application rates, chemical characteristics of pesticides and natural conditions during application. In this study a model was developed which estimates loss of 42 active ingredients applied to 11 field crops, vineyards and orchards along each non-point source path of entry (subsurface drains, runoff and spray drift). A spatially and temporally differentiated data set of application rates and periods was compiled for each active ingredient and target culture to enable the modeling of pesticide transport. The model results are provided in digital raster format (100 m×100 m) within a geographic information system (GIS). The calculated pesticide loads in surface waters were compared with measured loads from different catchments in Germany. Both data sets agreed as to the order of magnitude, nevertheless due to the scale of the study the estimated loads cannot be interpreted as absolute values and only differences between active ingredients, regions and application periods should be assessed.     

Electrochemical analysis of endosulfan using a C18-modified carbon-paste electrode

Successful applications of different analytical procedures to determine quantitatively endosulfan and its metabolites in aqueous media can be found in recent literature. Fundamentally, they have made use of solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gas (GC) or liquid chromatography (LC), sometimes coupled to mass spectrometry (MS). In this paper, a new and alternative methodology to determine quantitatively endosulfan in aqueous media is reported. A C18-modified carbon-paste electrode has been used to determine voltammetrically endosulfan, despite its unfavourable electrochemical properties and behaviour. The methodology proposed is based on the decrease experienced by the peak intensity corresponding to voltammetric signals of Cu(II) when successive and constant additions of endosulfan are carried out. This decrease is directly proportional to the concentration of endosulfan what allows to perform an indirect quantification of the pesticide. The detection limit obtained is 40 ng l⁻¹, this value being under the limits specified by European norms and EPA reports.     

Degradation of benomyl, picloram, and dicamba in a conical apparatus by zero-valent iron powder

Reduction of some pesticides (benomyl, picloram, and dicamba) was studied in an aerobic batch conical pilot system to investigate the disappearance of these pesticides on contact with iron powder (20 g/l, 325-mesh). Aqueous buffered solutions of the compounds were added to the system followed by zero-valent iron powder (ZVIP), and the decline in the pesticide concentrations was monitored over time. HPLC analyses show a complete disappearance of picloram (1.20 mg/l) after 20 min of reaction. Benomyl (1.00 mg/l) and dicamba (1.25 mg/l) disappear after 25 and 40 min, respectively. The t₅₀ values ranged from 3 to 5.5 min, and were about slightly less than the t_1/2 values reported when the log of the relative HPLC peak area was plotted versus time, where the relative peak area was calculated by dividing the measured peak area by the initial peak area. Pathways for the degradation of the studied pesticides by ZVIP are proposed.     

青岛沿海养殖区贝类体内有机氯农药残留量分布和评价

2005年5月和9月分别在青岛周边的胶州湾、田横湾、鳌山湾、胶南等贝类养殖区的17个站位采集了杂色蛤,竹蛏,栉孔扇贝等三种贝类,采用气相色谱-电子捕获检测器(GC-ECD),外标法定量,对贝类体内有机氯农药(HCHs、DDTs)残留量进行检测.并对不同情况下残留量的分布状况进行研究,结果表明:(1)贝类体内HCHs的检出率为60%,DDTs为100%.均未超过国家标准.(2)5月份农药残留量偏高,9月份残留量偏低.(3)生活在河流入海口处的贝类体内农残含量略有偏高.(4)栉孔扇贝对有机氯的富集尤为显著,残留量高.杂色蛤,竹蛏农药残留量低.     

胶州湾岩心柱状沉积物中有机氯农药的气相色谱法测定

采用气相色谱法(GC)测定了胶州湾中部岩心柱状沉积物中10种常见的有机氯农药,发现狄氏剂、p,p'-DDT、异狄氏剂和β-666等4种是该海域主要的有机氯农药污染物.其中狄氏剂和p,p'-DDT的检出率为100%,其余2种分别为44%和67%.10种有机氯农药在样品中的总含量为(4.2～121.8)×10-12(干重).调查站位上4种主要的有机氯农药在柱状沉积物中的垂直分布特征为表层至20～22 cm层位其含量随深度的增加而增大;在22 cm以深层位,∑OCPs迅速降低,可能与深层沉积物中的氧化-还原条件以及微生物作用等环境因素引起的降解速率增大有关.     

Human dietary intake and hazard characterization for residues of neonicotinoides and organophosphorus pesticides in Egyptian honey

In two recently published reports, hazards posed by dietary exposure to organophosphate and neonicotinoid plant protection products on the European honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) in Egypt were investigated. Using concentrations reported in those studies, an assessment of hazards posed by these two classes of insecticides to humans due to consumption of Egyptian honey from the Nile Delta during both spring and summer was performed. Twenty-eight compounds including metabolites were assessed for exposure of adult Egyptians based on the best- and worst-case scenarios. Even for the worst-case scenario, exposure to these two classes of pesticides in honey was 15-fold less than hazard index value of 1.0 for adverse effects on humans. Based upon this analysis, people exposed to these insecticides through consumption of honey products would be unlikely to exhibit adverse health outcomes.     

Trends of organochlorine pesticides in drinking water supplies

The effectiveness of the treatment process for the removal of pesticides in the final water supplies in Delhi has been evaluated. Samples were collected during 2000–2005 from five water treatment plants (WTPs). Analysis was carried out to identify pesticides, which are more commonly encountered in treated drinking water. In most of the treatment plants, the concentrations of lindane, total endosulphan and total DDT were significantly less in the finished water. Monitoring of these less soluble pesticide in the finished water from WTPs was done quarterly to arrive at the quality trends and to plan for the mitigation action, in case the concentration of the parameter exceeded at any site or time.