Preliminary toxicity evaluation of water from rice fields using cost‐effective microbiotests

A study was performed in a Protected Area (Natural Reserve of Sado Estuary) in 1996, to evaluate the acute toxicity for aquatic life of surface water from rice fields treated with pesticides, particularly with molinate and quinclorac. As a preliminary assessment, the following rapid toxicity tests were used: “Rotoxkit F”;, “Thamnotoxkit F”; and the recently introduced “Daphtoxkit F magna”; and “Algaltoxkit F”;. Water samples were collected from: a water source for irrigating the rice fields, two rice plots, a drainage channel and from Sado river in which the water is discharged. The results showed that samples from the rice plot treated with molinate were more toxic than those obtained from rice plot treated with quinclorac. Water samples from the river were the most toxic, causing 100% of immobility in all organisms and a substantial inhibition in the algal growth. Water collected from the drainage channel in late July, was also found to be quite toxic. The results obtained until now indicate that some characteristics of these microbiotests, like their rapidity, simplicity and relatively low cost, make them a practical tool to evaluate acute effects of pesticides in freshwater ecosystems. They may also contribute to suggest some changes in pesticides use to promote agricultural practices with lower impact to aquatic life.     

Effect of agrochemicals on earthworms

This review describes the toxic effects of agrochemicals on earthworms. Carbamates are described as extremely toxic to earthworms in comparison to organophosphorus insecticides. Some pesticides have drastic effect on the nervous system of the earthworm. Earthworm can accumulate heavy metals from the soil in higher levels than any other animal. Mercury is twenty times more toxic than chromium.     

Concentrations of Hchs and Ddts in the Tissues of River Dolphins,Platanista Gangetica,From the River Ganges,India

Abstract

Concentrations of HCH and DDT organochlorine insecticide residues were measured in blubber, muscle and oil samples from three specimens of river dolphins, Platanista gangetica, from the River Ganges, India. Concentrations of HCH and DDT ranged from 94 to 289 ng g^?1 and from 1324 to 9388 ng g^?1 on wet wt. basis respectively. Comparisons are made with other aquatic mammals and other studies on river dolphins. P. gangetica appears to exhibit similar patterns of accumulation with age and with ß-HCH and p-p′-DDE being accumulated to higher levels than other HCH isomers and parent DDT and its other metabolites, respectively. These organochlorines may pose a health risk to river dolphin populations that are already showing evidence of environmental stress. Further studies are recommended.     

Measurement of residues of benomyl and mancozeb pesticides in shrub and nonshrub cucumbers sampled from different regions of Mazandaran province (Iran)

Farmers use mancozeb against cucumber pests, such as Perono spoxa, in large amounts without consideration of potential chronic human health hazards resulting from pesticide accumulation in food and fruits. Considering the necessity of food for humans and importance of fruit in daily diet, as well as the determination of pesticide residues in food and fruits as mandated by WHO and FAO, the residues benomyl and mancozeb, the most prominently used pesticides in Iran, were measured. In this study cucumbers from 76 sample regions were used. Data showed that the amounts of benomyl was related to the type of cucumber in the regions, but there was no significant relationship between the amount of mancozeb and type of cucumber.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in amniotic fluids of pregnant women in south-central Turkey†

The concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in amniotic fluid of 200 pregnant women from the Cukurova region of Turkey. The concentrations of OCPs [hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (p,p′-DDT), and various metabolites], and different PCB congeners (28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180) were determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detection as follows: HCB 6.6 ± 4.7, ΣHCH 21.6 ± 14.2, ΣDDT 12.5 ± 7.5, and ΣPCBs 74.0 ± 54 ng mL^?1. Correlations of maternal or gestational age and levels of OCPs and PCBs were not significant. The levels of these organochlorine compounds (OCs) were below detection limit for 5% of the samples, 80% contained more than one OC. This study illustrates that prenatal exposure of a fetus to OCs is prevalent in the Cukurova region.     

Evaluation of pesticides multiresidue contamination of khat leaves from Jazan region,Kingdome Saudi Arabia,using solid-phase extraction – gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The habit of khat chewing is widespread with a deep-rooted sociocultural tradition in these regions and as such poses a public health problem. The use of pesticides is considered to be indispensable practice for the production of adequate food supply for the increasing demands by the global population and for control of insect-borne diseases. Thus, contamination of the environment with pesticides and entry of these chemicals into the food chain is unavoidable especially in developing countries. The main objective of our current study was to assess pesticide pollution of khat leaves (unknown origin) obtained while being smuggled into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to be used in Jazan area. A total of 120 khat leaf samples were extracted using solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis for the presence of 69 standard pesticides using an internal standard, tiphenyl phosphate. No pesticide residues were detected in all the studied samples. These data as preliminary and more experiments need to be performed to confirm our present findings. Routine monitoring of the pesticide residues is important for the prevention, control, and reduction of environmental pollution and also for legal decisions to minimize health risks.     

Pesticide-induced alterations of hemopoietic functions in Anabas testudineus inhabiting wetlands in agricultural landscape

The unrestricted use of agrochemicals in crop fields lowers the overall prospects of survival and yield of wetland fish species like Anabas testudineus. In the present study, the impact of different doses of SUMIDON-40, an organophosphate (OP) pesticide on the hematopoiesis of Anabas testudineus has been examined. The small lymphoid hemoblast and consequently the polychromatophilic erythroblasts decreased significantly at both sublethal and LC₅₀ dose-treated fish. The percentage of mature erythrocyte also fell significantly in the pesticide-treated groups. The erythropoietic efficiency was increased in fish exposed to sublethal dose but fell in fish exposed to LC50 dose. Among leucocytes, the percentage of neutrophils rose in Anabas testudineus in both treatment groups and percentage of macrophage decreased significantly only in LC₅₀ dose-treated group. The percentage of lymphocyte increased significantly in sublethal dose-treated groups. The overall leukopoietic efficiency, however, was elevated significantly in both treatment groups. These facts clearly indicated that pesticides affected the overall process of hematopoiesis in this fish species. Flow cytometric analysis of cell cycle in pronephric kidney cells confirmed changes in percentage of cell death and DNA synthesis following pesticide exposure. Data indicate that habitat deterioration from agrochemicals impedes the hematopoiesis in this species resulting in reduced tolerance in their usually hypoxic habitat environment.     

一体化固相萃取-GC／ECD测定水中有机氯农药

建立了采用一体化固相萃取提取和净化、GC－MS／GC－ECD联合定性定量同时检测水中14种有机氯农药的方法,优化了固相萃取和色谱条件。样品于一体化固相萃取仪上以10 mL／min流速经C18柱富集、6 mL体积比为1∶1的二氯甲烷／乙酸乙酯混合溶剂洗脱、氮吹浓缩后,GC－MS／GC－ECD分离检测。结果表明,14种OCPs在1．00～500μg／L范围内线性良好,方法检出限为1．76～15．10ng／L,平均加标回收率为69．6％～102．8％,RSD为1．62％～18．9％。实际样品分析表明该方法灵敏度和精密度高、准确性好、操作简便,适用于大批量水样中微量和痕量OCPs的测定。     

土壤中两种手性有机氯农药的选择性降解研究

为了更深入的了解和阐释手性有机氯农药在土壤中的转化和环境归趋,采用实验室室内避光培养方法,研究了o,p＇-DDT及o,p＇-DDD 2种手性有机氯农药的外消旋体在水稻土厌氧培养体系和菜园土好氧培养体系中的选择性降解情况。为了更好的利用土壤中土著微生物的活性,我们选择了厌氧微生物比较丰富的水稻土和好氧微生物丰度比较高的菜园土来做培养实验。结果表明实验体系中o,p＇-DDT及o,p＇-DDD在水稻土和菜园土中的降解均没有明显的对映体选择性。这一结果与2种手性化合物不同对映体在自然环境中的含量普遍具有差异性有所不同,说明野外环境条件和室内模拟实验条件的差异会影响手性化合物的降解选择性。在2种体系中,o,p＇-DDT的降解速率均高于o,p＇-DDD的降解速率。这与以前的研究报道一致,DDD比DDT更难降解。通过2个体系的比较,发现DDT的降解速率在厌氧体系中高于好氧体系,而DDD的降解速率与之相反,好氧体系高于厌氧体系。这应该与DDT和DDD 2种化合物的化学结构及2种土壤中微生物群落的差异有关。对于厌氧体系中的2种水稻土,采自中山的水稻土中DDT的降解速率高于江门的水稻土,这应该与中山水稻土有机质含量高于江门的水稻土有关。有机质含量的高低直接反映了土壤中微生物的多少,进而会影响污染物的降解速率。研究发现本实验所用水稻土和菜园土总有机碳含量偏低可能是影响2种化合物的对映体无降解选择性的因素之一。此外,由于本研究采用缓冲溶液将pH 调控在中性,因此本文的土壤 pH 对降解选择性的影响仍有待进一步研究。本研究中好氧体系和厌氧体系对目标物的降解选择性无明显差异。     

阴/非离子表面活性剂强化微米Cu/Fe对水及土壤泥浆中有机氯农药的降解

选择氯丹、硫丹和灭蚁灵为目标污染物,以实际污染场地土壤为对象,研究了表面活性剂强化微米Cu/Fe双金属对水和土壤泥浆中有机氯农药的降解效果。结果表明,非离子表面活性剂Triton X-100(TX-100)强化效果优于阴离子的十二烷基磺酸钠(SDS)。TX-100强化微米Cu/Fe体系能实现水中有机氯农药的快速高效降解,最佳TX-100浓度为0.1 mmol·L-1。处理12 h后,γ-氯丹、硫丹和α-氯丹的降解率接近100%,灭蚁灵的降解率达到85.2%。对于土壤泥浆体系,偏酸性p H值对微米Cu/Fe的还原活性有重要作用。加入TX-100显著促进了微米Cu/Fe双金属对土壤中有机氯农药的还原降解(P0.05)。Cu负载量的提高增强了污染物的降解去除效果。当m(土)∶V(水)为1∶5、土中Fe投加量w为10%、Cu负载量为5.0%、TX-100浓度为5.0 mmol·L-1、p H值为4~5时,处理72 h后,γ-氯丹、硫丹、α-氯丹和灭蚁灵的降解率分别为83.5%、68.1%、86.8%和70.1%。TX-100强化微米Cu/Fe双金属还原降解是一种有效的有机氯农药污染土壤修复技术。