Effects of golpar (<Emphasis Type=Italic>Heracleum persicum</Emphasis> Desf.) and probiotics in drinking water on performance,carcass characteristics,organ weights,blood plasma constituents,and immunity of broilers

Increasing levels of Heracleum persicum (golpar) in drinking water were studied in broilers. Two hundred and forty-one-day-old male chickens were allocated to one of six treatments: control, without added phytogenics nor probiotics in drinking water, and probiotics at recommended manufacturer’s level (P) or 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 ml/l of golpar extract solution (G1, G1.5, G2, and G2.5 treatments, respectively) in drinking water. As a result of this study, no linear or quadratic trends in the feed intake (FI) and feed conversion rate (FCR) due to golpar supplementation were found. Body weight gain, final body weight, and relative carcass weight showed a positive linear response with increasing levels of golpar supplementation. Neither golpar nor probiotics had effects on the percentages of edible parts of the carcass. Golpar supplementation levels caused a linear negative response of the albumin content in blood plasma, whereas both abdominal fat as percentage of carcass weight and uric acid levels in blood plasma linearly increased. The effects on Ig responses were only observed at 42 days of age and were similar in probiotics and the highest level of golpar supplementation. Based on our results, both probiotics and golpar supplementation could improve broiler performance and immune function.     

Grundwasserbelastung durch Rüstungsaltlast-Emissionen Nachweis von Arsenkampfstoffen und weiteren kampfmittelspezifischen Rückst?nden

Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung von Wasserproben aus dem Einflu?ereich der Rüstungsaltlast „Dethlinger Teich“ bei Munster/Niedersachsen werden dargestellt und bewertet. Von mehr als 50 untersuchten spezifischen Substanzen wurden Arsenkampfstoffe als Hauptkontaminanten erkannt. Im Rahmen der Gef?hrdungsabsch?tzung wird hier erstmals eine Analysenmethode zur Unterscheidung zwischen anorganisch und organisch gebundenem Arsen vorgestellt. Groundwater analyses in the area of the former munitions depository (World War II) „Dethlinger Teich“ near Munster/Niedersachsen were evaluated. Results from 50 different chemical substances showed that arsenic compounds are the main contaminating chemicals. A new method has been developed to distinguish between morganically- and organically bound compounds. This differentiation is required for risk assessment and evaluation. Also, the relationship of chemical structure and physiological effects in organo arsenic compounds is described.     

Contribution of canopy leaching to sulphate deposition in a Scots pine forest

Radioactive sulphate (35SO4) was applied to the soil below a Scots pine forest on 23 June 1989, and its movement into the canopy and into throughfall and stemflow was measured over 4 months. The specific activity, Bq (mg S)(-1), of the canopy increased monotonically; uptake by current-year (1989) expanding needles was initially twice as fast as by older needles or live twigs. By 10 October the canopy average specific activity was 62 Bq (mg S)(-1). The specific activity of net throughfall (throughfall + stemflow - rain), deduced from measurements from six throughfall collectors, six stemflow collectors and two rain collectors, fell rapidly from 12.6 Bq (mg S)(-1) in late July to <1 Bq (mg S)(-1) in mid-August. The results suggest (assuming rapid equilibration of 35S with sulphate in soil) that root-derived sulphate contributed c. 3% of sulphate in net throughfall and that dry deposition of SO2 and sulphate particles contributed c. 97% of the 0.56 g S m(-2) measured in net throughfall over the period. Simultaneous measurements of SO2 at canopy height and of NH3 above and within the canopy gave mean concentrations of 5.9 and 0.86 microg m(-3), respectively, sufficient to account for the sulphate measured in net throughfall only if codeposition of NH3 and SO2 occurred to canopy surfaces. The large values of specific activity observed in July, however, indicate that throughfall composition may be closely related to recent soil input of sulphate, and that equilibrium cannot be safely assumed. The possibility of a significant contribution of soil-derived sulphate to sulphate deposition in net throughfall cannot be ruled out on the basis of this experiment.     

Changes in the levels of aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities of Anabastestudineus (Bloch) exposed to disyston

In $\text{Anabas}$$\text{testudineus}$, the per cent changes noted in the aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) activities of gill, brain, intestine, liver, muscle and kidney until 6 hr of exposure to lethal concentration (10.5 mg/L disyston) were relatively much less when compared to those of sublethal concentration (4.0 mg/L disyston). But in the case of alanine aminotransferase (AIAT) activity, the tissues which showed such effect (paradoxical effect) were gill, brain and liver.     

Persistence of residues in water and sediment of a fresh-water lake after surface application of technical chlordane

A fresh-water lake, free from detectable pesticide residues before this study, was treated with a commercial formulation of technical chlordane. Water and sediment samples were analysed for chlordane residues 7, 24, 52, 279. and 421 days after treatment. Residues moved rapidly from the water to the lake bottom, supporting earlier results of a laboratory study with other organochlorines. In water, alpha- and gamma-chlordane concentrations remained proportional to total chlordane concentrations, as determined by total-peak area measurements of gas-liquid chromatogrammes. But in bottom sediments, alpha- and gamma-chlordane were more persistent than other constituents of technical chlordane, supporting recent evidence that quantification of technical chlordane residues on the basis of gamma-chlordane quantification only (or that of alpha- and gamma-chlordane only), can lead to incorrect results and that this method, although simple and fast, should no longer be recommended.     

Fate of parathion in artificially fortified grape juice processed into wine

"Semellon" grape juice fortified with a high level of 25 ppm parathion was fermented using Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. ellipsoideus. After 12 days inte parathion levels in the wine and lees were 10.3 and 156 ppm, respectively; the paraoxon, aminoparathion, and p-nitrophenol levels in the wine were 0.16, 0.20, and 4.5 ppm, respectively, and in the lees were 0.04, 3.1 and 10 ppm, respectively. Thus, hydrolysis of parathion to p-nitrophenol and parathion sorption to sedimented particulate matter were important pathways for parathion residue reduction in the wine. The 56-day-old finished wine just prior to bottling contained 8.8 ppm parathion, 0.04 ppm paraoxon, 0.21 ppm aminoparathion, and 3.0 ppm p-nitrophenol. Two months storage at 24 degrees, 12 degrees, 4 degrees, and -20 degrees C had no effect on paraoxon and aminoparathion residue levels in the wine; parathion residues in wine decreased at all storage temperatures.     

Simulation of effects of atmospheric ethylene on tree leaf shedding

This study made a preliminary assessment of the possibility that ethylene contained in polluted atmospheres affects leaf shedding of trees. The effect of ethylene dosage (ppb x h) on leaf shedding at various temperatures was approximated by using a polynomial regression. The effect of ethylene dosage on shedding of tree leaves with various sensitivities to this hydrocarbon was simulated in connection with the relationship between ethylene concentrations (10-100 ppb), dosage periods (0-50 days) and temperature (10-30 degrees C). The simulated results indicated the possibility that, for the tree group having high sensitivity, the rate of leaf shedding due to a dosage of ethylene with a concentration as low as 20 ppb, which is commonly observed in urban atmospheres, increased with temperature. On the other hand, the same concentration scarcely influenced leaf shedding in the low sensitivity group even at a temperature as high as 30 degrees C. The results for the real atmosphere determined at the Tokyo metropolitan center indicated the possibility that, for trees having high sensitivity, the rate of leaf shedding increased with rises in both monthly ethylene concentrations and air temperatures and reached a maximum of 90% in July. But in December when the concentration again reached the same value as in July while the mean monthly air temperature was 9.3 degrees C, the rate was only 10%.     

Toxicological assessment of chlorinated diphenyl ethers in the rat

Chlorinated diphenyl ethers are environmental contaminants that have been found in Great Lakes fish and birds. Because of their presence in the food chain, and potential for human exposure, the present short-term study was conducted to assess their toxicity. Groups of 10 male and 10 female rats were each given by gavage 2,2',4,4'6-pentachlorodiphenyl ether (CDE1), 2,2',4,4',5,6-hexachlorodiphenyl ether (CDE2) or 2,2',3,3',4,6'-hexachlorodiphenyl ether (CDE3) at dose levels of 0.04, 0.4, 4.0 or 40 mg/kg b.w./day for a period of 28 days. The control group received an equivalent volume of corn oil only (0.5 ml/100 g b.w.). Treatment with the three CDE congeners did not result in suppression of growth rate or food consumption. Increased liver weights were seen in the animals of both sexes fed 40 mg/kg CDE2, in males treated with 40 mg/kg CDE1, and in females with 40 mg/kg CDE3. Hepatic microsomal aminopyrine demethylase activity was significantly higher in the male rats administered 40 mg/kg CDE2, and aniline hydroxylase activity was elevated in the females following the same treatment. Serum glucose, calcium, protein and urea nitrogen of CDE1-treated males were higher than the control. Levels of uric acid, potassium and LDH of CDE3-treated females were also elevated. No hematological changes were observed. Histological examination revealed that the liver and thyroid were the target organs affected by CDE treatment but the morphological changes were mild even at the highest dose level. Changes in the liver consisted of nuclear vesiculation and increased cytoplasmic volume. Alterations in the thyroid were characterized by increased epithelial height and follicular collapse. Based on the data presented above, the 3 CDE congeners can only be considered moderately toxic in the rat.