Some toxicological aspects op methamidophos exposure in mice 1

Abstract

Cholinesterase activity in the brain, RBC and plasma of Swiss mice was determined following different routes of administration of methamidophos. Continuous feeding with the insecticide caused a progressive inhibition of both plasma‐ and erythrocyte enzymes. The effect of methamidophos was more pronounced when applied in diet than when administered dermally or intraperitoneally. Following a single injection (i.p.) of methamidophos, the brain enzyme showed maximum inhibition 24 hr following treatment. At the appearance of tremors, the plasma and RBC‐enzymes showed considerable inhibition, the former being more inhibited. The plasma enzyme appears to be the most sensitive enzyme and may be taken as a suitable index for exposure to methamidophos.     

Phytotoxic activity of crop residues from Burdock and an active substance

Abstract

Problems related to weed management such as outbreaks of herbicide-resistant weeds have recently increased. An interesting approach to such problems is to use plant materials with phytotoxic activity. Burdock (Arctium lappa L.) is a biennial herb belonging to Asteraceae and is cultivated in several countries. The present study investigated the phytotoxic activity of burdock and its active substances. Extracts of both burdock leaves and roots inhibited the shoot and root growth of cress and barnyard grass, where the level of inhibition increased with increasing extract concentration. The leaf extracts had 2.0–2.5 times higher activity than the root extracts. Bioassay-guided separations of the leaf extracts led to isolation of a phytotoxic substance, onopordopicrin. Onopordopicrin significantly inhibited the shoot and root growth of cress and barnyard grass. The concentrations of the substance required for 50% growth inhibition were 0.27 and 0.26?mM for cress shoots and roots, respectively, and 1.86 and 0.35?mM for barnyard grass shoots and roots, respectively. The present results suggest that burdock leaves have high phytotoxic activity and onopordopicrin may play a major role in the activity. Burdock leaves may be a good resource for weed management.     

甲苯在两相厌氧系统中降解及其抑制作用

运用两相厌氧工艺处理含甲苯废水,甲苯浓度的提升对两相厌氧系统的高效性和稳定性影响较小。在提升进水中甲苯浓度的初期,即甲苯浓度≤20 mg/L时,产酸相COD去除率及酸化度下降,驯化一段时间后可恢复正常。当浓度高于150 mg/L时,甲苯将对产甲烷相微生物产生抑制作用,系统COD去除率开始下降。但进水甲苯浓度提高至200mg/L,两相厌氧系统对甲苯的去除率仍可达99%以上。在高浓度甲苯影响下,出水中高分子量物质增多,推测高浓度甲苯刺激微生物代谢分泌大分子物质。     

炼油废水处理的现状、问题及对策

针对原油性质日趋恶劣、排放标准日益严格的形势,介绍了炼油废水的处理现状,分析了炼油废水在达标排放、处理回用、运行成本等方面面临的主要问题,提出了从源头挖掘节水减排潜力、实施装置排水分级控制与高浓度废水预处理、对废水处理场进行适度改造和补充完善、开发含盐废水处理技术等对策。     

Dissipation of carbendazim and chloramphenicol alone and in combination and their effects on soil fungal:bacterial ratios and soil enzyme activities

The dissipation of carbendazim and chloramphenicol alone and in combination and their effects on soil fungal:bacterial ratios and soil enzyme activities were investigated. The results revealed that carbendazim dissipation was little affected by chloramphenicol, whereas chloramphenicol dissipation was found to be retarded significantly by the presence of carbendazim. The inhibitory effect of carbendazim on the fungal:bacterial ratios was increased by the presence of chloramphenicol, and the inhibitory effect of chloramphenicol on neutral phosphatase was increased by the presence of carbendazim. Carbendazim increased soil catalase and urease activities, but this increase was partially diminished by the presence of chloramphenicol. Little interaction was observed between carbendazim and chloramphenicol with regard to their influence on soil invertase. The results obtained in this study suggest that combinations of fungicides and antibiotics may alter the compounds’ individual behaviors in soil and their effects on soil enzymes.     

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT SALT WATER INTRUSION?1

Almost thirty years after the first known publication on salt water problems published in 1855 by Braithwaite, two investigators developed an approximate theory to find the boundaries of fresh water lenses in coastal aquifers. Their theory is now known as Ghyben-Herzberg Theory. Although their theory is based on oversimplified assumptions, it has stimulated others through various periods of time. A review of the main investigations in this field is summarized in this paper. The discussions are subdivided into three main eras: (1) The period through which the problems were identified and field observations were explained (from 1855 until the early forties); (2) the analytic approaches during the period from 1940 to the late sixties; and (3) the refined techniques during the past three years. A brief summary of the recharge methods is also given in addition to a more or less comprehensive list of references.     

外源渗透保护剂对活性污泥耐盐能力的影响

高盐分是导致很多工业废水生物处理效率下降的主要因素之一。探讨在生物处理系统中添加渗透保护剂提高活性污泥耐盐能力的可行性。结果表明:添加海藻糖、谷氨酸、甜菜碱和钾离子能提供有效的渗透保护作用,减轻盐分对污泥降解活性的抑制,其中以甜菜碱的渗透保护效果最好。对于未经盐分驯化的非耐盐污泥,当NaCl质量分数为3%时,添加20 mg/L的甜菜碱可使其耗氧速率从9.5 mg/h提高到29.5 mg/h;对于经过盐分驯化的耐盐污泥,当NaCl质量分数为6%时,添加50 mg/L的甜菜碱可使其耗氧速率从10.5 mg/h提高到24.9 mg/h。当生物处理系统受到瞬时盐分冲击时,活性污泥中的微生物细胞可以快速吸收添加的甜菜碱而平衡外界渗透压,从而缩短活性污泥对高盐环境的适应期,减轻盐分对活性污泥的毒害。     

Spectral tests of randomness for spatial point patterns

We develop a spectral framework for testing the hypothesis of complete spatial randomness (CSR) for a spatial point pattern. Five formal tests based on the periodogram (sample spectrum) proposed in Mugglestone (1990) are considered. A simulation study is used to evaluate and compare the power of the tests against clustered, regular and inhomogeneous alternatives to CSR. A subset of the tests is shown to be uniformly more powerful than the others against the alternatives considered. The spectral tests are also compared with three widely used space-domain tests that are based on the mean nearest-neighbor distance, the reduced second-order moment function (K-function), and a bivariate Cramér-von Mises statistic. The test based on the scaled cumulative R-spectrum is more powerful than the space-domain tests for detecting clustered alternatives to CSR, especially when the number of events is small.     

DO对高氨氮渗滤液短程生物脱氮反硝化过程动力学的影响

为考察实际高氨氮垃圾渗滤液短程生物脱氮过程DO对以NO2--N为电子受体反硝化动力学的影响,本研究采用缺氧/厌氧UASB-SBR生化系统处理实际高氨氮垃圾渗滤液,在SBR系统实现稳短程生物脱氮(120d运行)的基础上,取SBR反应器内的污泥进行pH8.0条件下不同DO浓度梯度反硝化批次试验,从而确定DO对以NO2--N为电子受体的溶解氧抑制系数(K′O)的影响.试验结果表明,DO对反硝菌的NO2--N还原活性具有明显影响,与缺氧状态相比,DO为0.4和0.6mg·L-1时,其还原活性分别降低了49.0%和16.3%左右.DO与NO2--N还原速率两者呈指数负相关.DO对NO2--N为电子受体K′O具有显著影响,存在明显的分段现象,每一DO范围内,K′O恒定.     

Clinical effects and cholinesterase activity changes in workers exposed to phorate (Thimet)

Abstract

Phorate (Thimet), an aliphatic derivative of phospnorus is a hignly toxic insecticide. In order to implement the safety measures, the clinical manifestations and cholinesterase (ChE) activity were evaluated before and after 2 weeks of exposure to this insecticide in 40 male tormulators.

The 2 week's exposure reveal signs and symptoms of toxicity in 60% of the formulators. Gastrointestinal symptoms and lowering of heart rate (bradycardia) were more prominent as compared to the neurological symptoms. A significant depression in plasma ChE activity was observed at the end of 1st week (55%) and 2nd week (71%) as compared to the respective pre‐exposure values. A recovery up to 79% of the pre‐exposure activity of this enzyme was noticed 10 days after cessation of the above exposure.