Effects of repeated pesticide exposure on the peripheral and central nervous systems

This study was designed to compare organic farmers (comparison group) and pesticide-using farmers (pesticide group) in terms of neurobehavioral performance and sensorimotor function. The subjects were recruited in October 2004 from Chungnam Province and the neighboring Jeolla Province in western South Korea. Psychological assessment was carried out using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Bender Gestalt test. Neuroselective sensory nerve conduction threshold was measured at both left and right middle fingers by using an electrodiagnostic device to determine current perception thresholds (CPTs). Three independent CPT measurements were obtained from each test site by using sinusoidal stimuli at three frequencies. CPT testing showed no difference between the two groups. No significant differences were found in the large myelinated (2000?Hz stimulation; cutaneous touch, pressure), small myelinated (250?Hz stimulation; mechanoreceptive, pressure, temperature, fast pain) and small unmyelinated (5?Hz stimulation; polymodal nociceptive, temperature, slow pain, postganglionic sympathetic) C-fibers. Furthermore, there was no difference found between the pesticide and comparison groups in psychological variables, including intelligence quotient, orientation, memory, calculation, similarities, visual sensitivity, and psychomotor speed. In conclusion, chronic pesticide exposure has no apparent effect on either the peripheral or central nervous system in Korean farmers.     

Gliding arc plasma processing for decomposition of chloroform

The decomposition of chloroform (CHCl₃) diluted in air was studied. The experiment was carried out by using a gliding arc plasma. Different values of initial concentrations of chloroform, total gas flow rates, and input power frequencies have been used to investigate this effects on the conversion reaction products both qualitatively and quantitatively. Experimental results indicate that the maximum conversion of chloroform was 97% at a total gas flow rate of 180?L?h^?1 containing 1% chloroform. Using air as carrier gas, decomposition of CHCl₃ produces CCl₄, CO₂, CO, and Cl₂ as the main products. Small amounts of HCl and COCl₂ are also detected. Liquid products were also produced.     

Screening for acute ocular toxicity of commercialized products of cartap,an insecticide,and correlation to blood concentrations in rabbits

Cartap is an insecticide known to produce contraction and damage to mouse and rabbit diaphragms, and plays a pivotal role in respiratory paralysis and mortality in rabbits. The aim of this study was conducted to screen for the toxic properties and blood concentrations of commercialized cartap products in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. Five granular formulations (GRs) with different concentrations (4, 6, 6.5, 6.66 or 10%) and seven water-soluble powders (SPs, 50%) of commercialized cartap products were chosen to study toxicity following ocular instillation. Furthermore, ocular instillation (5, 12.5, 25 or 50 mg kg^?1) and oral administration (25 mg kg^?1) of the technical material (TC) cartap was also performed to compare blood concentration changes in rabbits. There was no death or eye irritation with all GR products; however, soluble powder (SP) products produced severe toxicity and mortality in rabbits. The blood concentration of TC cartap in rabbits started to increase from 2 min and reached peak levels at 7–9 min after ocular instillation in a dose-related pattern. For comparison of the blood distribution of cartap via different administration routes, oral exposure exhibited a higher absorption of cartap than ocular instillation. It was suggested that the commercialized GR products of cartap were safe but 50% SP products were highly toxic to rabbits following ocular exposure. This study provides valuable data to screen for potential acute toxicity of cartap to farmers and animals in the field.     

Absence of metallothionein 3 expression in breast cancer is a rare but favorable marker that is under epigenetic control

Cadmium (Cd²⁺), a known carcinogen, mimics the effects of estrogen in the uterus and mammary gland suggesting its possible involvement in the development and progression of breast cancer. This lab showed through analysis of a small set of archival human diagnostic specimens that the third isoform of the classic Cd²⁺ binding protein metallothionein (MT-3) is not expressed in normal breast tissue, but is expressed in some breast cancers and that expression tends to correlate with a poor disease outcome. The goals of this study were to verify that overexpression of MT-3 in a large set of archival human diagnostic specimens tends to correlate with poor disease outcome and define the mechanism of MT-3 gene regulation in the normal breast epithelial cell. The results showed that MT-3 was expressed in approximately 90% of all breast cancers and was absent in normal breast epithelium. The lack of MT-3 staining in some cancers correlated with a favorable patient outcome. High frequency of MT-3 staining was also found for in situ breast cancer suggesting that MT-3 might be an early biomarker for breast cancer. The study also demonstrated that the MCF-10A cell line, an immortalized, non-tumorigenic model of human breast epithelial cells, displayed no basal expression of MT-3, nor was it induced by Cd²⁺. Treatment of the MCF-10A cells with the demethylation agent, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine, or the histone deacetylase inhibitor, MS-275, restored MT-3 mRNA expression. It was also shown that the MT-3 metal regulatory elements are potentially active binders of protein factors following treatment with these inhibitors suggesting that MT-3 expression may be subject to epigenetic regulation.     

Pah characteristics in ambient air within a steel industrial complex

Ambient air samples at ten sites in an iron and steel industrial complex were collected from June to December for analyzing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Sixteen species of PAH components in air samples were identified. The results indicate that both gaseous phase and particle‐bound PAHs at the top of the cokemaking plants are unusually high. The profiles of particle‐bound PAHs indicate that the predominant species at the top of, the coke oven batteries are those of high molecular weight components. The major components of particle‐bound PAHs at sampling sites near the fenceline, however, include the medium molecular weight components. The PAH profiles of air samples within the industrial complex show a strong similarity to those of cokemaking plant samples. The concentrations and the specific content of benzo(a)pyrene in the iron and steel industrial complex are higher than those values measured in urban area, petrochemical industry park, and open‐air burning area.     

Control of chlorinated aromatic compounds from a municipal solid waste incinerator using limestone addition

In this study, limestone powder was directly added to synthetic MSW, which was fed into a small‐scale fluidized bed incinerator. The concentration of CBzs and CPs in the flue gas were measured before and after a secondary combustion air injection. Finally, the PCDDs and PCDFs concentrations were also measured in the flue gas after the secondary combustion zone. The CaCO₃ added to synthetic MSW not only controls HCl in the flue gas, but suppresses the formation of chlorinated aromatic compounds like CBzs, CPs, PCDDs, and PCDFs. The main mechanisms to control the formation of chlorinated aromatic compounds was more likely related to the suppression of catalytic capability of flyash than the HCl reduction in the flue gas. However, the NO concentration was increased by catalytic reaction of limestone in the fluidized bed.     

国家水污染防治“十二五”战略与政策框架

为对我国"十二五"水污染防治工作的宏观部署提供支持,在剖析水污染防治内涵的基础上,深入分析了"十二五"形势,明确了"十二五"总体定位,提出了包含水污染物排放总量、水环境质量和水生态在内的目标指标体系,以"削减总量-改善质量-防范风险"为主线,设计了加强饮用水水源保护等6项战略任务,制定了基于"流域-控制区-控制单元"三级分区体系实施分级防治和分类指导的空间战略,较全面地列出了保障水污染防治工作有序开展的政策、法规和制度,从而描绘出我国"十二五"水污染防治的战略与政策框架,可为"十二五"水污染防治规划编制等工作及相关管理决策提供参考.     

Crediting uncertain ecosystem services in a market

The margin of safety (MOS) approach is an increasingly prevalent tool for ensuring the integrity of market-based programs for providing ecosystem services. Over-crediting is reduced by setting aside mean estimates of uncertain services in favor of a more conservative estimate. Like many environmental policy problems, ecosystem service markets involve the aggregation of uncertainty over multiple scales, e.g. from landowners to market intermediaries to the overall market. We examine how the MOS instrument affects, and is affected by, an ecosystem services market. We show that the common bottom-up approach of imposing risk preferences at a local, disaggregated level—held over from earlier development in the context of toxics and command and control-style health risk regulation—leads to several unintended consequences. Furthermore, discounting landowner services can actually increase their profits, conditional on the elasticity of credit demand. We illustrate theoretical insights with an empirical application to greenhouse gas offset crediting in agriculture.     

多功能报警平台设计

根据生活生产现状,设计了一种能够对温度、粉尘、人员、瓦斯等多种因素实施监控的多功能无线报警平台,本平台以A789C52芯片为程序载体,通过汇编语言编程实现数据判断处理后,向特定手机发送短信息以及进行现场应急处理。其硬件系统主要包括传感器、键盘等,并通过监控主程序,短信发送程序和数据采集与处理程序等软件系统,共同实现现场报警与应急处理、数据显示、远程短信报警。经实验证实,该平台工作稳定、功耗低、安装方便、非常适合生活生产安全领域。     

膜生物反应器中EPS的提取方法

以一体式膜生物反应器(MBR)中的活性污泥为对象,以蛋白质、多糖和核酸的提取量作为污泥中附着性胞外聚合物(B-EPS)提取总量的衡量指标,研究了加热法、超声法、NaOH+甲醛法、高速离心法、蒸汽法、硫酸法等6种不同方法对B-EPS提取的最优条件;并在最优提取条件下对B-EPS提取总量进行比较分析,确定最佳B-EPS提取方法。结果表明:超声提取法、高速离心提取法、蒸汽提取法、硫酸提取法对B-EPS的提取总量较低;NaOH+甲醛法对B-EPS的提取总量虽然较高,但易导致测定出现误差,且抽滤时有结晶,影响操作;加热法对B-EPS提取效果较好,对细胞破坏程度小,且操作过程简单。因此,确定加热法为B-EPS的最佳提取方法。