Microbial degradation of arsenobetaine, the major water soluble organoarsenic compound occurring in marine animals

The conversion of arsenobetaine into other arsenic compounds by microorganisms occurring in the bottom sediments from coastal waters was demonstrated for the first time. Three arsenic metabolites were observed on high performance liquid chromatogram during incubation at 25 °C for 80 days in 2 kinds of media, 1/5 ZoBell 2216E and a medium composed of inorganic salts. The time course pattern of arsenic metabolites during incubation was fairly different between these 2 media.     

Comparison of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution in Chinese and Japanese residential air

Comparative studies on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution in residential air of Hangzhou (China) and Shizuoka (Japan) were conducted in summer (August, 2006) and winter (January, 2007). Total concentrations of 8 PAHs ranged from 7.1 to 320 ng/m³ and 0.15 to 35 ng/m³ in residential air of Hangzhou and Shizuoka, respectively. Air PAH concentrations in smoking houses were higher than that in nonsmoking houses. In nonsmoking houses, mothball emission and cooking practice were the emission sources of 2- and 3-ring PAHs in Hangzhou, respectively. The 2- and 3-ring PAHs were from use of insect repellent, kerosene heating and outdoor environment in nonsmoking houses in Shizuoka. The 5- and 6-ring PAHs in residential air were mainly from outdoor environment in both cities. Toxicity potencies of PAHs in residential air of Hangzhou were much higher than that in Shizuoka.     

Production of surfactin using pentose carbohydrate by Bacillus subtilis

Interest in microbial surfactants has been steadily increasing in recent years due to their diversity, mass production possibility, selectivity, performance under extreme conditions and potential applications in environmental protection. In this study two pentose sugars (xylose and arabinose) were investigated for the submerged fermentation (SmF) of Bacillus subtilis in surfactant production medium for bio-surfactant surfactin production. An excellent vegetative growth of B. subtilis (× 10¹⁰ CFU/mL) was observed for xylose and arabinose containing medium which were comparable to glucose supplemented medium. Low growth (× 10⁸ CFU/mL) was found when medium was not supplemented with any of the sugars. Surfactin production in xylose, arabinose and glucose containing medium was 2700, 2600 and 2000 mg/L, respectively, whereas, medium without any sugar showed low surfactin (700 mg/L) production. These results clearly indicate the effect of pentose sugars on production of surfactin. Gradual depletion of the xylose and arabinose were confirmed by HPLC analysis during the growth phase of the strain that ultimately produced the surfactin.     

Production of iturin A homologues under different culture conditions

Iturin A is a cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic and eight different kinds of iturin A have been reported based on its alkyl side chains. As iturin A is a promising biocontrol agent, total production of iturin A was tried to enhance and comparative production of its homologues was investigated by using different nitrogen and carbon sources. When Polypepton S and defatted soybean meal were used, total production as well as the ratio of the iturin A homologues were similar. However, production of iturin A was relatively lower and also the ratio of the iturin A homologues was different when Polypepton was used, where A2 was decreased and A4 was increased. Production ratio of the iturin A homologues was similar for the carbon sources like maltose, mannitol, sucrose and starch but relative production of iturin A2 was much enhanced compared to A3 when lactose or galactose was used. Interestingly production ratio of A4 was increased and A2 and A3 were decreased when no additional carbon source was used, and similar tendency was observed in the homologue ratio with glucose and fructose. Production of iturin A homologue A6 was significantly increased whereas A2 and A3 were decreased when defatted rapeseed cake was used. Utilization of different amino acids did not show significant differences in their production of the iturin A homologues. Oxygen supply found to be the factor affecting the production of iturin A homologues when it was investigated in a varied culture volume size and shaking speed. A2 found to be increased with increased oxygen supply where the production of A3 was affected inversely.     

Evaluation of pressurized liquid extraction for the analysis of four pesticides in unpolished rice

The aim of to evaluate efficiency of this study was extraction pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) for the analysis of four pesticides, fthalide, etofenprox, fenitrothion, and isoprothiolane, in unpolished rice by comparing with homogenization as a reference technique. The concentrations of four selected pesticides obtained by PLE with acetonitrile at 130°C for 10 min × 2 cycles were comparable to those by homogenization with water-soaking. The repeatability of the analysis, represented as relative standard deviations (RSDs), were 1.4–3.6% (n = 3) for PLE at 130°C and 1.2–3.8% (n = 3) for homogenization with water-soaking. Recovery yields of surrogates were 75–88% and 87–109% for PLE at 130°C and homogenization with water-soaking, respectively, and these were satisfactory according to the method of positive list. This study suggested that PLE can be applied for the analysis of selected four pesticides in unpolished rice as well as homogenization with water-soaking.     

Maternal exposure to high levels of dioxins in relation to birth weight in women affected by Yusho disease

Background

Studies on the association of maternal exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with decreased birth weight in humans have produced conflicting results. In Japan in 1968, an accidental human exposure to rice oil contaminated with PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs, led to the development of Yusho disease.

Objective

The Yusho cohort was used to evaluate the effect of maternal exposure to PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs on birth weight.

Methods

Blood samples, obtained from 101 Yusho women (190 births) who gave birth after exposure, were analyzed for congeners of seven PCDDs, ten PCDFs, and four non-ortho PCBs.

Results

Total PCDD TEQ (adjusted beta = − 161.9 g; 95% CI, −265.3 to − 58.6), total PCDF TEQ (adjusted beta = − 105.9 g; 95% CI, −179.5 to − 32.2), and total non-ortho PCBs (adjusted beta = − 178.4 g; 95% CI, −318.3 to − 38.5) levels were inversely associated with birth weight. Significant inverse associations with birth weight were also found for total PCDD TEQ, total PCDF TEQ, and total non-ortho PCB TEQ levels among male, but not female, infants. Significant inverse associations with birth weight were also found for nine congeners among all infants; the adjusted beta coefficients were largest for 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD and smallest for 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF.

Conclusion

In the setting of exposure to high levels of dioxins, maternal blood levels of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs are associated with lower birth weight in Yusho patients. The association exhibited gender-specific differences, as male infants are more susceptible than females to growth restriction induced by in utero dioxin exposures.     

Fluorophotometric Determination of Trace Amounts of Atmospheric Ozone

This work was initiated in an effort to obtain a better method for the manual determination of trace amounts of atmospheric ozone. The method described depends upon the fact that ozone oxidizes nonfluorescent 9, 10-dihydroacridine to fluorescent acridine. When the ethyl alcohol solution of acridine is acidified by 6N acetic acid, the fluorescence maximum occurs approximately at 482 mμ and its intensity is sufficiently strong to be useful in this analysis. Linear relationships between acridine concentrations and fluorescence intensities were obtained from 0.1 to 3.5 μg per ml. by measurement with a commercial fluorophotometer. The results indicated that the low concentrations of experimentally prepared ozone measured by this method were in good agreement with those obtained by the phenolphthalin method. This method appeared to be about twice as sensitive as the phenolphthalin method, but it is subject to some interference from nitrogen dioxide.     

Evaluation of pressurized liquid extraction for determination of organophosphorus and pyrethroid pesticides in soybean

The purpose of this study was to develop an analytical method for the determination of organophosphorus and pyrethroid pesticides in soybean by pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). Two organic solvents, acetone and acetonitrile, were evaluated as extraction solvents. In both cases, the amount of extract was enhanced with increasing extraction temperature. The extracts obtained using acetonitrile were measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after a cleanup process based on the analytical method for the Japanese Positive List System for Agricultural Chemicals Remaining in Foods. The effect of extraction temperature (range: 40– 130°C) on extraction efficiency was evaluated by a recovery study using 21 organophosphorus pesticides and 10 pyrethroid pesticides as target analytes and acetonitrile as the solvent. The results indicated that at 130°C, some organophosphorus pesticides might be degraded, whereas extraction temperatures between 70°C and 100°C were optimal. Next, a prepared sample containing fenitrothion and permethrin was analyzed. Although the sample was not soaked in water prior to analysis, PLE provided analytical results comparable to those obtained by solvent extraction with homogenization. Therefore, PLE is considered a simple and alternative technique for the extraction of organophosphorus and pyrethroid pesticides in soybean.     

Laboratory studies of the diffusive transport of Cs and Co through potential waste repository soils

Tests using reconstituted samples have been performed to assess the diffusive transport of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁶⁰Co through natural regolith materials from a region in South Australia being considered for a radioactive waste repository. A double diffusion cell apparatus made of polycarbonate resin was developed to estimate the effective diffusion (D_e) and sorption coefficients (K_d) that allowed large withdrawals from the source and collector cells and has enabled tests with low concentrations of radioactivity. An alternative to porous stainless steel filter plates has also been used to reduce uncertainty in test interpretation. Analysis of the transient data used a staged method of the Laplace transform to take into consideration the volume of the samples withdrawn from the apparatus during testing. At test completion samples were cut into slices and analysed for radionuclide concentration. Data obtained from the sliced samples confirmed that both numerical and experimental data produced acceptable mass balance. The D_e values obtained in this study were of the order of 10⁻⁶ cm² s⁻¹ for both species, higher than previously published data. The K_d values from the diffusion and batch sorption tests were in reasonable agreement for ¹³⁷Cs, but an order of magnitude different for ⁶⁰Co. The sorption of the latter radionuclide was strongly pH dependent, and this dependency during diffusion tests would benefit from further investigation.