Prevalence of Rotaviruses Groups A and C in Egyptian Children and Aquatic Environment

The objective of this study is to compare the prevalence of rotaviruses groups A and C in Egyptian children and aquatic environment. From 110 stool specimens of children with acute diarrhea and using RT-PCR, 35 samples (31.8 %) were positive for human rotavirus group A and 15 samples (13.6 %) were positive for human rotavirus group C. From 96 samples collected from Zenin wastewater treatment plant over a 2-year period (November 2009–October 2011) and using RT-PCR, rotavirus group A was detected in (4/24) 16.7 %, (5/24) 20.8 %, (4/24) 16.7 %, and (4/24) 16.7 %, while rotavirus group C was detected in (2/24) 8.3 %, (3/24) 12.5 %, (3/24) 12.5 %, and (0/24) 0 % in raw sewage, after primary sedimentation, after secondary sedimentation, and after final chlorination, respectively. Moreover, from 96 samples collected from El-Giza water treatment plant over a 2-year period (November 2009–October 2011), rotavirus group A was detected in (7/24) 29.2 %, (6/24) 25 %, (5/24) 20.8 %, and (3/24) 12.5 %, while rotavirus group C was detected in (3/24) 12.5 %, (1/24) 4.2 %, (1/24) 4.2 %, and (0/24) 0 % in raw Nile water, after sedimentation, after sand filtration, and after final chlorination, respectively. Using SYBR Green real-time RT-PCR, the number of human rotavirus group A genome or infectious units was higher than rotavirus group C. VP6 sequence analysis of the RT-PCR positive rotavirus group C samples revealed that four clinical specimens and three environmental samples showed similar sequences clustered with Moduganari/Human Nigerian strain AF 325806 with 98 % homology, and two clinical specimens and one environmental sample showed similar sequences clustered with Dhaka CB/Human Bangladesh strain AY 754826 with 97 % homology.     

Small effects of a large sediment contamination with heavy metals on aquatic organisms in the vicinity of an abandoned lead and zinc mine

The effects of the long-term contamination of water reservoirs with mine effluents were investigated at an abandoned mine site in Upper Silesia, southern Poland. The studies covered metal content and mobility in bottom sediments as well as water chemistry in relation to the content of metals in selected macrophytes and their physiology and the composition of phyto- and zooplankton communities. Although it is 40 years since mining ceased, reservoir sediments are still heavily contaminated with cadmium, zinc and lead with concentrations (mg/kg), which vary roughly between 130–340, 10,000–50,000 and 4,000–12,000, respectively. About 50–80 % of these elements are associated with the reducible phase, and only a small percentage, <10 %, is present in the most mobile exchangeable phase. Despite the high total metal concentration in sediments, their content in the submerged plants Myriophyllum spicatum and the emerged plants Phragmites australis was low. The observed effects of heavy metal contamination on photosynthetic activity in the leaves of P. australis were negligible, whereas those in M. spicatum show up only as a difference in the distribution of photosynthetic activity in leaves of different ages, which seems to be related to the very good water quality and to the generally small concentrations of metals in pond water. The physicochemical properties of water also seem to control the presence of planktonic species more than does sediment contamination. However, a shift toward groups of species known to be more resistant to heavy metals (diatoms, green algae and Rotifera) indicates some adaptative changes related to the long-lasting contamination of ponds.     

Introduction

Abstract

Eight pairs of O‐methyl and O‐ethyl O‐(substituted‐phenyl) phenylphosphonothionates were evaluated with respect to their delayed neurotoxic activity in hens. O‐methyl compounds were in all cases more active than their O‐ethyl analogs. The neurotoxic potential of the O‐methyl phenylphosphonothionates was 2,5‐diCl >4‐NO₂ >2,4,5‐triCl and 2,4,6‐triCl >2,4‐diCl >2,5‐diCl‐4‐Br >4‐CN, when single oral doses were given. Both EPN‐ethyl and leptophos‐raethyl were more neurotoxic in multiple dermal than multiple oral dosing regimens. LD₅₀s for mice and flies were established.     

Biochemical effects of some organo‐phosphorus insecticides on new targets in white rats

Abstract

The three S‐n‐propyl phosphates and phosphothioates: RH 218, profenofos and prothiophos were compared with fenitrothion in their potential as inhibitors of rat liver and brain AChE. Fenitrothion was more potent as an inhibitor than the three S‐n‐propyl derivatives. Incubation of hepatic protein enhanced ChE inhibition in brain in the case of fenitrothion, while it reduced the inhibitory effect of the S‐n‐propyl derivatives. On the other hand, the four organophosphorus esters caused hypoglycemia in both male and female rats and also reduced their blood urea with different degrees.     

Biosorption of Direct Yellow 12 from aqueous solution using green alga Ulva lactuca

The potential of commonly available green alga Ulva lactuca was investigated as viable biomaterials for removal of synthetic azo dye (Direct Yellow 12, DY-12) from aqueous solution. The results obtained from the batch experiments revealed that the ability of the U. lactuca to remove DY-12 from its aqueous solution was dependent on the dye concentration, pH, and algal biomass but less dependent on the particle size of the U. lactuca. The equilibrium conditions and kinetics of adsorption were investigated, and the adsorption kinetic was consistent with the pseudo-second-order model (R²=1). The adsorption isotherm followed only the Freundlich model with a correlation coefficient R²=0.99. This study demonstrated that the U. lactuca could be used as an effective biosorbent for the removal of DY-12 from its aqueous solution.     

Efficiency and degradation products elucidation of the photodegradation of mefenpyrdiethyl in water interface using TiO2 P-25 and Hombikat UV100

The photodegradation of mefenpyrdiethyl (MFD), an herbicide safener, was investigated in aqueous suspensions by using Degussa P-25 and Hombikat UV100 titanium oxide under simulated sunlight irradiation. The effects of initial concentration of the herbicide, pH, catalysts and hydrogen peroxide doses as well as their combinations were studied and optimized. Accordingly, the kinetic parameters were determined and the effectiveness of the processes was assessed by calculating the rate constants. A pseudo first-order kinetics was observed. Under experimental conditions, the degradation rate constants were strongly influenced using P-25 and no noticeable effect was observed for Hombikat UV100. DFT calculations with B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p)//B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory were performed to check whether significant conformational changes occur when the charge state of the MFD substrate changes and whether these changes could play a role in the dependency of photodegradation rate constant on the studied pH. High resolution mass spectrometry (FT-ICR/MS) was implemented to identify the main degradation products.     

An assessment of heavy-metal contamination in surface sediments of the Suez Gulf using geoaccumulation indexes and statistical analysis

An assessment of marine pollution due to metals was made in the Suez Gulf based on surface costal sediment collected from 18 locations along the Gulf. The samples were dried and acid-digested, and the metal contents (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (air-acetylene) with deuterium background correction. An evaluation of the heavy-metal pollution status of the Gulf was carried out using enrichment factors (EF) and geo-accumulation Indexes (I_geo). Also, heavy-metal concentrations in Suez Gulf sediments were evaluated using the Effect Range-Low (ERL) and the Effect Range-Median (ERM). The results of a Spearman correlation and factor and cluster analysis of the heavy metals analysed in the collected sediment were discussed. The main source of contamination is offshore oil field and industrial wastes, which arise due to the ineffective and inefficient operation equipments, illegal discharge and lack of supervision, and prosecution of offenders.