Work-Related Accidents Among Young Workers in Finland

The aim of this study was to discover accident factors specific to young workers, using two accident data sets gathered at the same time but with different methods. The first data set consisted of 99 serious occupational accidents, which occured in Southern Finland in 1988 and 1989. The second data set was based on the interview study of over 13,000 people of whom 792 were involved in an accident at work. Both data sets showed consistently that the accident frequency of young workers was higher than that of older workers. The accidents of young workers, however, were less severe. Young accident victims hurt themselves more often when feeding or cleaning machines. Incautiousness contributed more often to accidents of young workers. In order to prevent occupational accidents of young workers, companies should introduce training programmes for new employees.     

Degradation of potassium formate in the unsaturated zone of a sandy aquifer

This paper presents results from a lysimeter experiment on the fate of potassium formate, an alternative deicing agent. The experiment was performed through the winter and spring to identify any thermal sensitivity in the transport and biodegradation of formate in the lysimeter. Ninety-eight percent of the total quantity of formate applied was degraded while percolating through the 1.7-m-thick unsaturated sand layer within the lysimeter. Concomitantly, the bicarbonate concentration of the percolating water increased. The low concentrations of nitrogen (0.02 mg L(-1)) and phosphorous (<0.002 mg L(-1)) in the percolated water, however, potentially limited microbial activity. During the study period, 99% of the applied potassium was retained in the lysimeter, and the ion exchange between the potassium and a variety of monovalent and divalent ions was assumed to be responsible for the leaching of barium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium from the soil material. Except for manganese, the concentrations of the studied metals in the percolated water did not exceed the threshold values set for drinking water by the Council of the European Union. By contrast, the application of potassium formate had a detrimental effect on the vegetation on the lysimeter. To conclude, formate was effectively degraded in the sandy lysimeter and its application did not cause major undesirable changes in the quality of the percolating water. Further research at field scale is, however, needed for instance on the biodegradation of potassium formate and on its impacts on roadside vegetation.     

Effects of hydrolysable tannins on a herbivorous insect: fate of individual tannins in insect digestive tract

Summary. We investigated the effects of four chemically characterised galloylglucoses (GGs, a subgroup of hydrolysable tannins) and their hydrolysis product, gallic acid (GA), on consumption and performance of larvae of the autumnal moth Epirrita autumnata. Larvae were fed with birch (Betula pubescens) leaves that had been painted individually with each of the compounds at two levels, 5 and 20 mg/g. In addition, we investigated the fates of the leaf-painted GGs and GA in the E. autumnata digestive tract by comparing phenolics in leaves consumed and in faeces. In general, GGs reduced leaf consumption by E. autumnata during the second and fourth instars, although there was high compound- and instar-specific variation. However, GGs did not affect the leaf consumption rates by the most voracious fifth instar larvae. This resulted in approximately the same loss of total biomass by the experimental tree, regardless of the nature and level of GGs enriched to its foliage. The characteristic fate of hydrolysable tannins, i.e. hydrolysis, was evidenced in the larval digestive tract for three of the four leaf-painted GGs. In addition to hydrolysis, the almost total absence of GGs in larval faeces was presumably related to the oxidation of GGs. The dose-dependent excretion percentage of ingested GA showed that it's faecal content should not be used, although it commonly is, to calculate the level of GG hydrolysis. Moreover, by comparing the non-uniform appearance of faecal tetragalloylglucoses, whether ingested as such or hydrolysed from pentagalloylglucose, we concluded that a major part of oxidation of GGs occurs before their hydrolysis in the digestive tract of E. autumnata. Criticism against the common use of tannic acid, a heterogeneous mixture of GA and GGs, in ecological studies is presented. Received 15 May 2002; accepted 16 July 2002     

Decomposer communities in contaminated soil: Is altered community regulation a proper tool in ecological risk assessment of toxicants?

Effects of patchy soil contamination on decomposer organisms, their community regulation and nutrient mineralization were studied in a microcosm experiment. Coniferous forest soil was patchily contaminated with three concentrations of sodiumpentachlorophenate PCP (0, 50 and 500 mg PCP kg(-1) of dry soil). Abundance of microbes, enchytraeids, nematodes, small oribatids and predatory mites were reduced by the PCP. Direct toxicity of PCP and lowered microbial biomass seemed to affect animal community composition in the most contaminated patches. Some large oribatids which seemed to be tolerant to PCP increased their numbers in the most contaminated patches. Although predatory mites suffered from PCP, no altered predator-prey interactions were observed. At the beginning of the experiment more nutrients were released in the patches with highest PCP concentration and the nutrients accumulated in the soil. Soil decomposer food webs seemed to be mainly bottom-up controlled: PCP strongly affects microbes and hence caused changes in the community structure of soil animals and nutrient cycling. Hence top-down orientated ecological models on community regulation and food web dynamics seem to be unsuitable when assessing effects of pesticides on soil communities.     

The asexual enchytraeid worm Cognettia sphagnetorum (Oligochaeta) has increased Cu resistance in polluted soil

We studied Cu resistance in the asexual (reproduction through fragmentation) enchytraeid worms (Cognettia sphagnetorum, Oligochaeta) originating from two sites: one uncontaminated, and another contaminated by heavy metals. Adult worms were smaller and population density was lower at the polluted site. However, adults from the contaminated site had better survival in Cu-contaminated soil, but lower survival as juveniles (fragments). As we do not know the genetic basis of Cu resistance of the worms, it may have been reached by acclimatization via induced Cu regulation. Because fragmentation is the only mode of reproduction, all phenotypic properties (including resistance) of a parental generation could be transferred to filial generations.     

No simple sum: seasonal variation in tannin phenotypes and leaf-miners in hybrid oaks

Parent-hybrid asymmetries in the biosynthesis of defense chemistry are believed to affect the distribution of herbivorous insects within plant hybrid zones. While tannins are often produced as complex, dynamic mixtures, the ecological effects of biological and ontogenetic variation in tannin metabolism within hybrid zones are poorly understood. Here, we examine correlations between the seasonal variation of absolute and relative concentrations of individual ellagitannins and total proanthocyanidins in the Quercus gambelii × Q. grisea hybrid complex and a community of leaf-mining Lepidoptera (Gracillariidae, Heliozelidae, Nepticulidae, Tischeriidae), and examine the interactive effects between tannins on leaf-miner abundance. We found strong seasonal variation in oak tannin phenotypes, but two general phenotypes are characteristic of oaks of the Q. gambelii × Q. grisea complex, based upon biosynthetic variation in high molecular weight ellagitannins. Leaf-miner community structure was significantly correlated with the dominant tannin phenotypes in the Q. gambelii × Q. grisea hybrid zone in mid-summer (July, August). Additionally, leaf-miner density was significantly negatively correlated with the ratio of vescalagin-derivatives and total proanthocyanidins in August and September. Overall, hybridization affects biological and ontogenetic variation in ellagitannin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis within the Q. gambelii × Q. grisea hybrid complex and this variation correlates with herbivore distribution and abundance. Future studies of phenolic chemistry in plant-herbivore interactions in hybrid zones should include a more rigorous quantification of tannin phenotypes as complex, temporally dynamic mixtures.     

Biological and photochemical degradation rates of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) in the presence and absence of Fe(III)

The environmental fate of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) has been extensively studied, while much less is known about the environmental behaviour of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). In this study, it was confirmed that DTPA is persistent toward biodegradation. The biodegradability of DTPA was investigated in the absence and in the presence of Fe(III) by using CO2 evolution test and Manometric respirometry test. The CO2 evolution and oxygen uptake of iron-free (DTPA was added as free acid) and Fe(III)DTPA were less than in inoculum blank. Possible inhibitor effect was analysed by testing biodegradation of sodium benzoate with and without iron-free or Fe(III)DTPA in the Manometric respirometry test. Only slight inhibition was observed when DTPA was added as free acid. Photodegradation of iron-free DTPA and Fe(III)-DTPA complex was studied by using sunlight and UV radiation at the range 315-400 nm emitted by black light lamps. The results indicate that DTPA added as free acid degrades photochemically in humic lake water. Fe(III)DTPA was shown to be very photolabile in humic lake water in the summer; the photochemical half-life was below one hour. Photodegradation products were identified by the mass spectrometric technique (GC-MS). It was shown that photodegradation of Fe(III)DTPA does not result in total mineralization of the compound. Diethylenetriaminetetraacetic acid, diethylenetriaminetriacetic acid, ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, N,N'- and/or N,N-ethylenediaminediacetic acid, iminodiacetate, ethylenediaminemonoacetic acid and glycine were identified as photodegradation products of Fe(III)DTPA. Based on these observations, we propose a photodegradation pathway for Fe(III)DTPA.     

Photodegradation of new amino acid derivatives suitable for chelating agents in pulp bleaching applications

The purpose of this study was to evaluate photodegradabilities of the following new low-nitrogen chelating agents: N-bis[(carboxymethoxy)ethyl]glycine (compound 1), N-bis[(1,2-dicarboxyethoxy)ethyl]glycine (compound 2) and N-bis[(1,2-dicarboxyethoxy)ethyl]aspartic acid (compound 3). At first photodegradation of these chelating agents as uncomplexed Na-compound 1–3 and Cu(II) complexes were tested, both in lake and distilled water, by exposing them to near-UV region radiation at the range of 315–400 nm. Uncomplexed Na-compounds 2 and 3 were selected to sunlight exposure experiments carried out in lake and distilled water. Compound 3 was also tested in sunlight as Cu and Ca complexes in both solutions. Photodegradation of Na₆-compound 3 in distilled water was studied by exposing it to radiation at the wavelength of 253.7 nm. Photodegradation products were analysed by means of GC-MS (gas chromatography with mass selective detector).

The results demonstrated that compound 1 was quite photostable even as Cu complex while compounds 2 and 3 were found to be photodegradable. Over 90% reduction of compound 3 was achieved during one week and 80% reduction of compound 2 in two weeks' time when they were added as Na salt to lake water and exposed to sunlight. Compound 3 as Cu complex degraded totally in the sunlight in less than one week. In the case of compound 3, the degradation rate decreased depending on the counter cation in the order Cu > Na  Ca. The study demonstrated that photodegradation of Na₆-compound 3 does not result in total mineralization of the compound. A photodegradation pathway for Na₆-compound 3 is proposed.     

Characterization of bioactive plant ellagitannins by chromatographic, spectroscopic and mass spectrometric methods

Ellagitannins are widely distributed plant polyphenols showing potent anti-herbivore activities, but rather complex chemical structures. Here we show how ellagitannins with different structures can be efficiently characterized from plant extracts by utilizing the information obtained from four universal methods used for ellagitannin analysis: Sephadex LH-20 gel chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. We show that by combining the information obtained from the ellagitannins’ chromatographic elution order, specific shapes of the ultraviolet spectra, molecular masses and characteristic mass spectral fragmentations, it is possible to classify these polyphenols into different ellagitannin sub-groups, and even characterize the structures within the sub-groups. These findings aid in the fast screening of complex plant samples for their ellagitannin composition without having to isolate compounds for individual characterization.