Cellular damage of plant pathogenic fungi by antifungal compounds produced by Bacillus spp. isolates

The use of microorganisms as biological control agents (BCAs) has become an effective alternative to chemical means of controlling plant pathogens. The antagonistic and inhibitory activity of 71 Bacillus spp. strains, which were isolated from different Mexican sites, were tested against several phytopathogen fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium avenaceum, Bipolaris spp. and Alternaria spp. From the antagonism study, the strain ELI149 showed a marked inhibition of growth against all tested fungi; therefore crude metabolites from this strain were extracted using ethyl acetate and amberlite resin and probed against the same fungi as well as strains of Mucor sp., Penicillium spp. and Paecilomyces spp. The results indicated that amberlite was more suitable for extraction of secondary metabolites with antifungal activity. Finally, observation of cell damage in the tested pathogenic fungi showed marked morphological changes on reproductive structures in all tested fungi indicating that antibiosis was the mechanism of the antagonistic effect. These results suggest that metabolites from the Bacillus strains have a wide spectrum of antibiotic activities, which can be used as biocontrol agents for controlling fungal plant diseases of agricultural importance.     

蒲河致嗅类VOSCs污染水平与空间分布及其影响因素

为研究蒲河中致嗅类VOSCs(挥发性有机硫化物)的污染水平、空间分布及其影响因素,采用吹扫捕集(P&T)与气相色谱(GC)/火焰光度检测器(FPD)联用方法,测定水样中14种致嗅类VOSCs的质量浓度,采用相关性分析确定水质因子〔ρ(DO)、ρ(NH₃-N)、ρ(COD_Cr)、ρ(BOD₅)〕对ρ(∑VOSCs)空间分布的影响. 结果表明:所调查的27个采样点中各目标化合物均有检出,ρ(∑VOSCs)的范围为85.82~1 766.04 ng/L;DMS(甲硫醚)为最主要的污染物,ρ(DMS)平均值为114.29 ng/L,检出率为96.30%,变异系数为0.42. ρ(DO)与ρ(∑VOSCs)显著相关,Pearson相关系数为-0.751,对ρ(∑VOSCs)的空间分布影响最大;其次是ρ(NH₃-N),Pearson相关系数为0.441;ρ(COD_Cr)和ρ(BOD₅)与ρ(∑VOSCs)不相关.      

Source apportionment and ozone formation potential of volatile organic compounds in Lagos (Nigeria)

Concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the city air in Oba Akran road, Lagos were investigated. The chlorinated VOCs and xylene in Oba Akran were high. The average benzene/toluene ratio in Oba Akran was 1.7 suggesting that vehicular emission was a possible VOC source in most areas of Oba Akran. The toluene/(m+p-xylene) ratio also suggests a common source of toluene and xylene at these sites, presumably organic solvent used by industries located at Oba Akran. Our results showed that 7.10 tons of CO ₂ equivalents of VOCs are being emitted per year from Oba Akran. Xylenes were found to be the largest contributor to the ozone formation followed by trichloroethylene. A multivariate statistical analysis (Factor analysis extracted with Principal Component Analysis) has been applied to a set of data, and it was found that the main principal components, extracted from the air VOC pollution data, were related to gasoline and oil combustion/industrial activities.     

Experimental study of the VOC emitted from crude oil tankers

Light hydrocarbons vaporize to the space between crude oil interface and roof of the storage tank during loading of crude oil tankers in marine oil terminals. When crude oil is loaded to the tank, these hydrocarbons are vented into the atmosphere which is considered as a main source of emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in oil terminals. VOCs emitted from the crude oil not only create severe air pollution problems but also a considerable amount of valuable hydrocarbons are wasted to the atmosphere. On the other hand, VOCs are flammable which create major safety hazards to the loading process. Therefore, the oil industry has largely focused on control of VOCs. In this research, an experimental study was conducted to characterize VOCs emitted from storage tanks of crude oil in a large-scale oil export terminal. Using the industrial data and simple mathematical tools, effect of different parameters on the composition of emitted gases was investigated. Furthermore, an experimental procedure is proposed to assess the potential of a crude oil absorption process for recovering emitted gases. Experimental results showed that the crude oil absorption process can be adapted to the situation of considered marine terminal for recovering this vent stream of emitted gases. This work can help plant engineers to decide on an appropriate strategy to control VOCs.     

6种挥发性有机物在甲苯驯化微生物中的好氧生物降解性能

利用振荡摇瓶法测定了6种典型挥发性有机物,甲苯、邻二甲苯、间二甲苯、对二甲苯、苯和氯苯在甲苯驯化微生物中的好氧生物降解性能.结果表明,在本研究的液相浓度范围内(甲苯＜174mg/L,邻二甲苯＜149mg/L,间二甲苯＜129mg/L,对二甲苯＜133mg/L,苯＜234mg/L,氯苯＜146mg/L),3种二甲苯、苯和氯苯的降解速率随其初始浓度的增大而增加,符合一级反应,这5种VOCs未对微生物产生明显的抑制或毒害作用;甲苯的液相浓度大于85mg/L时,其降解速率不随初始浓度的增大而改变,其降解规律符合Monod方程.     

Employment of passive sampling in monitoring indoor air quality in selected residences in a Tri-city area in Poland

Time-weighted average concentrations of selected volatile compounds were measured in chosen residences in a Tri-City area of Poland by means of passive sampling. The results were compared to those obtained by dynamic technique – sorption tubes filled with Tenax TA sorbent. Results obtained by employing the two techniques were similar. Total volatile organic compound (TVOC) parameters were also determined. An attempt was also made to evaluate the influence of outdoor air pollutants on indoor air quality.     

Study of sorptive properties of trap systems for selective enrichment of volatile organic compounds from tobacco smoke samples

There is a dearth of data on the consumer product concentrations of iron, lead, and nickel for accurate comparison to be made. The levels of these elements were determined in 85 samples of six different classes of personal care products commonly used in Nigeria using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results of the analysis showed that the range of the mean concentrations of Fe was 0.485–1.108 ppm, Pb ND–0.163 ppm, and Ni ND-0.160 ppm. The analytical data have demonstrated that the selected consumer products are possible sources of iron, lead, and nickel exposure. Users can be exposed to these metals directly through dermal contact or inhalation. The regulations relating to cosmetic products give no limit values for heavy metals in cosmetic products, hence, it was difficult to establish if the values obtained in this study are safe or not. Prolonged use of soaps, creams, and detergent containing these elements may pose threat to human health and the environment. This could be responsible for various skin diseases such as allergic skin, follicular and pigmentary disorders, which are common among the users (exposed groups) of these products in Nigeria. A body of evidence has presented a rare example of systemic allergic dermatitis caused by topical application of a mercury-containing cosmetic to the upper lip of a 32-year-old Turkish patient.     

Male reproductive toxicity of organophosphorous compounds: a review

Fertility is declining in many countries and there has been substantial interest in the potential adverse effects of exposure to environmental hazardous chemicals, including pesticides on male reproduction. Organophosphorous compounds (organophosphates, OP) constitute a heterogeneous category of chemicals specifically designed for the control of pests or plant diseases. OP are known to produce reproductive toxicity, resulting in a decrease in the fertility levels of humans and animals. This review article mainly focused on toxicity of some OP such as acephate, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dimethoate, fenitrothion, malathion, and monocrotophos especially dealing with reproductive toxicity in males. Furthermore, this review deals with mode of action and clinical syndromes of OP. Considerable lab studies on animals concluded that OP produce adverse effects on male reproductive system.     

Detection and quantitation of trace levels of low molecular weight halocarbons (LMHs) associated with commercial sodium humate

Examination of vapor above commercial sodium humate and above 10wt% aqueous humate solution by gas chromatography (GC) revealed the presence of chloroform and trichloroethylene. Further examination of the aqueous humate by the purge and trap procedure confirmed the association of chloroform and trichloroethylene with the humate. GC/mass spectrometry analyses of methylene chloride extract of the humate established the association of LMHs with the humate. Improved headspace capillary GC technique showed that the humate contained not only chloroform, trichloroethylene but several other LMHs in the range 190 to 4000ng·kg^‐1.     

Aqueous high‐temperature chemistry of arsenic‐containing compounds in water at 300°C

Arsenic compounds, and especially organo‐arsenic derivatives, are highly toxic and many have been manufactured as chemical warfare agents. This study was designed to provide background information relevant to the potential application of aquathermolysis techniques for the detoxification of such potent military warfare agents. Six arsenic‐containing compounds with structural features which mimic known agents were studied in neutral superheated water: 4‐aminophenylarsine oxide, 4‐arsanilic acid, 4‐nitrophenylarsonic acid, 5, 10‐dihydro‐10‐ethylphenarsazine, tetraphenylarsonium chloride hydrate, and (3‐cyanopropyl)dimethyl(2‐phenethyl)arsonium bromide. Most of these compounds were moderately susceptible to hydrolysis for 1h at 300°C. o‐ and p‐Aminosubsituted arsenic compounds were more reactive than compounds with an electron‐withdrawing group substituent. Aromatic C—As bonds were more resistant to cleavage than aliphatic C—As bonds.