Effect of pesticides carbaryl and phorate on serum cholesterol level in fish,Clarias batrachus (Linn)

Freshwater edible catfish Clarias batrachus (Linn.) was treated with sublethal concentration of two different groups of pesticides- carbaryl, a carbamate and phorate, an organophosphate for 24 ,72 ,120 and 168 h. The disorders of lipid metabolism were observed in serum. Cholesterol levels in the serum decreased significantly throughout the exposure period with both the pesticides. These results indicate one significant manifestation of the toxic response from the fish under the stress of pesticide exposure.     

Monitoring of multiple drug-resistant pathogens in a selected stretch of Bay of Bengal,India

The present work aims at identification of multiple drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria in a selected stretch, namely, Puri on the Bay of Bengal, India. Six stations at the coast of Puri were selected and samples of water and sediment were collected during the winter of 2008 and 2009 for this study. Thirty-eight pathogenic bacteria were isolated and identified from both the water and the sediment of 6 fixed stations (PU-1a, PU-1b, PU-2, PU-3, PU-4, and PU-5). The identified pathogens were Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis. Antibiotic sensitivity of the isolated bacteria was studied by using 12 selected antibiotics, commonly used for the medication of human beings and animals. The isolated pathogens from both the water and the sediment samples showed lowest resistance to chloramphenicol (C-30 μg) where as the pathogens showed highest level of resistance to ampicillin (10-μg) among the antibiotics used for the study. Among the isolated pathogens E. faecalis (PU-1a), P. aeruginosa (PU-2 and PU-3), E. coli (PU-3 and PU-4), and K. pneumonia (PU-4) showed resistance to more than four antibiotics. Out of the isolated species, 57.8% pathogens were multi-drug resistant. Antibiotic resistance indexes of all the stations were calculated and found to be in the range of 0.066 to 0.083.     

Role of age and injury mechanism on cervical spine injury tolerance from head contact loading

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the influence of age and injury mechanism on cervical spine tolerance to injury from head contact loading using survival analysis.

Methods: This study analyzed data from previously conducted experiments using post mortem human subjects (PMHS). Group A tests used the upright intact head–cervical column experimental model. The inferior end of the specimen was fixed, the head was balanced by a mechanical system, and natural lordosis was removed. Specimens were placed on a testing device via a load cell. The piston applied loading at the vertex region. Spinal injuries were identified using medical images. Group B tests used the inverted head–cervical column experimental model. In one study, head–T1 specimens were fixed distally, and C7–T1 joints were oriented anteriorly, preserving lordosis. Torso mass of 16 kg was added to the specimen. In another inverted head–cervical column study, occiput–T2 columns were obtained, an artificial head was attached, T1–T2 was fixed, C4–C5 disc was maintained horizontal in the lordosis posture, and C7–T1 was unconstrained. The specimens were attached to the drop test carriage carrying a torso mass of 15 kg. A load cell at the inferior end measured neck loads in both studies. Axial neck force and age were used as the primary response variable and covariate to derive injury probability curves using survival analysis.

Results: Group A tests showed that age is a significant (P < .05) and negative covariate; that is, increasing age resulted in decreasing force for the same risk. Injuries were mainly vertebral body fractures and concentrated at one level, mid-to-lower cervical spine, and were attributed to compression-related mechanisms. However, age was not a significant covariate for the combined data from group B tests. Both group B tests produced many soft tissue injuries, at all levels, from C1 to T1. The injury mechanism was attributed to mainly extension. Multiple and noncontiguous injuries occurred. Injury probability curves, ±95% confidence intervals, and normalized confidence interval sizes representing the quality of the mean curve are given for different data sets.

Conclusions: For compression-related injuries, specimen age should be used as a covariate or individual specimen data may be prescaled to derive risk curves. For distraction- or extension-related injuries, however, specimen age need not be used as a covariate in the statistical analysis. The findings from these tests and survival analysis indicate that the age factor modulates human cervical spine tolerance to impact injury.     

Assessment of mining activities on tree species and diversity in hilltop mining areas using Hyperion and Landsat data

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The tree species and its diversity are two critical components to be monitored for sustainable management of forest as well as biodiversity...     

Assessment of emissions data for the Toronto region using aircraft-based measurements and an air quality model

An aircraft-based measurement campaign was conducted during the summer of 1996 in the vicinity of Toronto, Canada. The objective of the campaign was to assess the errors in a particular emission inventory used by three-dimensional air quality models. Measurements of NO₂ and hydrocarbons were made both upwind and downwind of Toronto, on days with strong synoptic-scale flow from a west to northerly direction. The chemical composition of the background airmass on these days was typical of unpolluted continental air. Measurements have been compared with the output from an on-line air quality model (MC2-AQ) run at 5 km resolution and suggest that emissions of NO_x from Toronto are well described in the emission database, though evidence that NO_x emissions are underestimated for suburban regions surrounding Toronto was found. In general, no significant underestimation of hydrocarbon emissions was found, though emissions of the model propane species, which includes acetylene and benzene, was underestimated by at least a factor of two.     

Changes in lipid profiles of liver microsomes of rats following intratracheal administration of DDT or endosulfan

The effect of intratracheal administration of DDT (5 mg/100 g body weight) or endosulfan (1 mg/100 g body weight) to rats for three consecutive days, has been studied on liver lipid metabolism. The administration of DDT but not endosulfan significantly increased the liver weight and the microsomal protein contents. Both DDT and endosulfan treatments significantly increased the contents of microsomal phosphatidylcholine (PC), total-free- and esterified cholesterol. The distribution of unsaturated fatty acids of microsomal PC and PE was increased by DDT treatment. The intratracheal administration of DDT caused fatty infiltration of liver which was probably due to increased synthesis of triglycerides (TG). This is supported by the increased incorporation of radioactive palmitate-1-14C into microsomal TG. However, the increased incorporation of palmitate-1-14C into microsomal PC and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) after the DDT treatment, was due to the increased transacylation reaction supported by the decreased activity of microsomal phospholipase A. The intratracheal administration of endosulfan did not have pronounced effect on liver fatty infiltration, or transacylation reaction in microsomal PC and PE. However, the results have shown that the treatments of DDT or endosulfan increased the PC contents and the incorporation of radioactive [methyl-3H]choline into PC of microsomes, resulting the increased synthesis of PC via CDPcholine pathway. Thus, the intratracheally administered DDT or endosulfan to rats showed that both the insecticides cause manifestations in the biochemistry of microsomal membrane lipids, although the effects of DDT being more pronounced. Therefore, the translocation effects of these insecticides or metabolites from lung to liver is established.     

Comparative investigation of coal- and oil-fired boilers based on emission factors, ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation potentials of VOCs

Volatile organic compounds(VOCs) are the important precursors of the tropospheric ozone(O_3) and secondary organic aerosols(SOA),both of which are known to harm human health and disrupt the earth's climate system.In this study,VOC emission factors,O_3 and SOA formation potentials were estimated for two types of industrial boilers:coal-fired boilers(n=3) and oil-fired boilers(n=3).Results showed that EVOCs concentrations were more than nine times higher for oil-fire d boilers compared to those for coal-fired boilers.Emission factors of ΣVOCs were found to be higher for oil-fired boilers(9.26-32.83 mg-VOC/kg) than for coal-fired boilers(1.57-4.13 mg-VOC/kg).Alkanes and aromatics were obtained as the most abundant groups in coal-fired boilers,while oxygenated organics and aromatics were the most contributing groups in oil-fired boilers.Benzene,n-hexane and o-ethyl toluene were the abundant VOC species in coal-fired boiler emissions,whereas toluene was the most abundant VOC species emitted from oil-fired boilers.O_3 and SOA formation potentials were found 12 and 18 times,respectively,higher for oil-fired than for coal-fired boilers.Total OFP ranged from 3.99 to 11.39 mg-O_3/kg for coal-fired boilers.For oil-fired boilers,total OFP ranged from 36.16 to 131.93 mg-O_3/kg.Moreover,total secondary organic aerosol potential(SOAP) ranged from 65.4 to 122.5 mg-SOA/kg and 779.9 to 2252.5 mg-SOA/kg for the coal-fired and oil-fired boilers,respectively.     

Elemental composition of Sal forest soils around Chhotanagpur Plateau,India

In recent decades, the Sal-dominated tropical deciduous forests (TDFs) were experiencing loss of regeneration due to lack of seed germination of native species. To understand this ecological problem, the present study dealt with the spatial and temporal variations in biogeochemical parameters of Sal forest soils. Twenty soil samples were collected from four TDF sites in the Chota Nagpur Plateau, India. The inventories of tree species in three life-cycle stages (seedling, sapling and adult) were carried out in four sites. Site-I (290?stems?ha^?1) showed occurrence of only one species (Shorea robusta) without seedling and sapling. The pH of forest soils was acidic to slightly acidic in nature. Seasonal variations in C/N ratio showed rapid mineralization of organic matter in the rainy season. ANOVA revealed that the degree of seasonal variation caused significant difference in pH, soil organic carbon, soil organic matter, total carbon, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, Mn and P across four sites. The strong correlation of P with pH, Al, Fe, Mg and Mn indicated highly oxidised and exchangeable nature of dry forest soils. Factor analysis of soil parameters revealed that the different combinations of edaphic conditions in different seasons were important in the distribution of the dry tropical forests communities in Chota Nagpur Plateau.     

Metal transport phases in rivers around Jameshedpur†

Transport phases of four metals of geochemical and water quality importance were investigated in rivers around Jamshedpur. The metals iron, manganese, zinc and copper were partitioned into dissolved, adsorbed and or ion exchangeable, solid organic, oxide coating and crystalline phases applying filtration for the dissolved phase and a chemical fractionation scheme for the particulates. Iron and copper were transported mainly in the particulate phases at all sites, while manganese and zinc were found in the dissolved phase up to a hundred percent depending on the pH of water sample and pollution at the site concerned. Except copper more than 75 percent of all other three metals occurred in transport modes thought to be available to aqueous and biotic interactions. Copper was in available phases from 50 to 70 percent. The significance of metal partitioning as a factor in controlling metal availability and toxicity to biota is discussed.     

Limnological investigations of Texi Temple pond in district Etawah (U.P.)

Present investigations were carried out on the limnological aspects of Texi temple pond in district Etawah. Many of the parameters were found below the permissible limits for drinking water as suggested by WHO. A total of 18 parameters were analysed and their seasonal variations in the year 2003 were discussed.