Human milk contamination by nine organochlorine pesticide residues (OCPs)

Abstract

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are widely used around the world as insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, nematicides, and rodenticides. Despite banned in Brazil, the usage remains occurring in many countries. The persistence and extreme mobility of OCPs contribute to the contamination of the environment and the human body. The OCPs bioaccumulation in adipose tissue triggers the excretion into human milk during breastfeeding. Hence, the present study determined eighteen OCPs residues in the breast milk of mothers from the Western Region of Bahia State, Brazil. Nine different residue species were found, including beta-Hexachlorocyclohexane (9.24?±?0.00?ng g^?1 fat), delta- Hexachlorocyclohexane (22.15?±?10.48?ng g^?1 fat), Heptachlor (58.08?±?74.13?ng g^?1 fat), Aldrin (142.65?±?50.65?ng g^?1 fat), Dieldrin (774.62?±?472.68?ng g^?1 fat), Endosulfan I (408.44?±?245.51?ng g^?1 fat), Dichloro-diphenyl-dichloro-ethylene (29.17?±?22.42?ng g^?1 fat), Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane (28.87?±?0.00?ng g^?1 fat) and Methoxychlor (1699.67?±?797.43?ng g^?1 fat). The Methoxychlor presence in all samples may reveal a recent exposure, while Dieldrin and Endosulfan I analyses can point to distant past exposure.     

Status and fuzzy comprehensive assessment of combined heavy metal and organo-chlorine pesticide pollution in the Taihu Lake region of China

The status of combined heavy metal and organo-chlorine pesticide (OCPs; i.e. HCH and DDT) pollution was investigated and the soil environmental quality of the Taihu Lake watershed, one of the most developed regions in China, was evaluated using a fuzzy comprehensive assessment. Statistical analyses showed the presence of combined pollution in the soil. At many sampling sites, heavy metal concentrations were above corresponding background values, indicating the effects of extraneous pollutants. It has been over 20 years since China banned the use of OCPs, but they can still be found in soil samples of this region. HCH levels at all investigated sites were below the Chinese Environmental Quality Standard for Soils. Fuzzy comprehensive assessment showed that the overall soil quality in this region could be categorized as class I. Nevertheless, the high coefficients of variation for levels of DDT, Cd and Hg indicated the existence of some point-source pollution. Continuous monitoring and further studies of the region are recommended to prevent pollution of farmland from these sources.     

Modeling Parent and Metabolite Fate and Transport in Subsurface Drained Fields With Directly Connected Macropores1

Abstract: Few studies exist that evaluate or apply pesticide transport models based on measured parent and metabolite concentrations in fields with subsurface drainage. Furthermore, recent research suggests pesticide transport through exceedingly efficient direct connections, which occur when macropores are hydrologically connected to subsurface drains, but this connectivity has been simulated at only one field site in Allen County, Indiana. This research evaluates the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) in simulating the transport of a parent compound and its metabolite at two subsurface drained field sites. Previous research used one of the field sites to test the original modification of the RZWQM to simulate directly connected macropores for bromide and the parent compound, but not for the metabolite. This research will evaluate RZWQM for parent/metabolite transformation and transport at this first field site, along with evaluating the model at an additional field site to evaluate whether the parameters for direct connectivity are transferable and whether model performance is consistent for the two field sites with unique soil, hydrologic, and environmental conditions. Isoxaflutole, the active ingredient in BALANCE^® herbicide, was applied to both fields. Isoxaflutole rapidly degrades into a metabolite (RPA 202248). This research used calibrated RZWQM models for each field based on observed subsurface drain flow and/or edge of field conservative tracer concentrations in subsurface flow. The calibrated models for both field sites required a portion (approximately 2% but this fraction may require calibration) of the available water and chemical in macropore flow to be routed directly into the subsurface drains to simulate peak concentrations in edge of field subsurface drain flow shortly after chemical applications. Confirming the results from the first field site, the existing modification for directly connected macropores continually failed to predict pesticide concentrations on the recession limbs of drainage hydrographs, suggesting that the current strategy only partially accounts for direct connectivity. Thirty‐year distributions of annual mass (drainage) loss of parent and metabolite in terms of percent of isoxaflutole applied suggested annual simulated percent losses of parent and metabolite (3.04 and 1.31%) no greater in drainage than losses in runoff on nondrained fields as reported in the literature.     

Amounts of pesticides reaching target pests: Environmental impacts and ethics

Less than 0.1% of pesticides applied for pest control reach their target pests. Thus, more than 99.9% of pesticides used move into the environment where they adversely affect public health and beneficial biota, and contaminate soil, water, and the atmosphere of the ecosystem. Improved pesticide application technologies can improve pesticide use efficiency and protect public health and the environment.     

官厅水库和永定河沉积物中多氯联苯和有机氯农药的污染

利用气相色谱-电子捕获检测(GC-ECD)方法对官厅水库-永定河流域沉积物中26种多氯联苯(PCBs)同系物和13种有机氯农药进行了分析测定,在4个采样点均检出多氯联苯和部分有机氯农药.其中PCBs和有机氯农药总量的最高点均出现在永定河下游的三家店,分别为9.7ng*g-1和26.7ng*g-1,按照国际关于沉积物质量的同类研究结果,判定为轻度污染水平.HCH最高仅为4.50ng*g-1,属轻度污染,DDT浓度以八号桥和三家店样点最高,分别为23.2ng*g-1和26.7ng*g-1,属中度污染.有机氯农药总量分布为三家店＞八号桥＞官厅大坝＞雁翅,表明永定河下游多氯联苯和有机氯农药不仅来自官厅上游,也来自下游地区.     

Screening 31 endocrine-disrupting pesticides in water and surface sediment samples from Beijing Guanting reservoir

For screening 31 potential or suspected endocrine-disrupting pesticides in water and surface sediments, a multiresidue analysis method based on gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC/ECD) was developed. Solid phase extraction (SPE) technology with Oasis^® HLB cartridge was also applied in sample extraction. The relevant mean recoveries were 70–103% and 71–103% for water and sediment, respectively. Relative standard deviations (RSD) are 2.0–7.0%, 4.0–8.0% for water and sediment, respectively. Thirty one pesticides (-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, δ-HCH, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), aldrin, heptachlor, endosulfan I & II, p,p′-DDD, o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, endrin aldehyde, endosulfan sulphate, methoxychlor, hepachlor epoxide, -chlordane, γ-chlordane, dieldrin, endrin, dicofol, acetochlor, alachlor, metolachlor, chlorpyriphos, nitrofen, trifluralin, cypermethrin, fenvalerate, deltamethrin) in water and surface sediment samples from Beijing Guanting reservoir were analyzed. Concentrations of pesticides ranged from 7.59 to 36.0 ng g⁻¹ on a dry wt. basis for sediment samples, from 279.3 to 2740 ng l⁻¹ for pore waters and from 48.8 to 890 ng l⁻¹ for water samples, respectively, with a mean concentration of 10.7 ng g⁻¹ in sediment, 735 ng l⁻¹ in pore water and 295 ng l⁻¹ in water, respectively. The data obtained provides information on the levels and sources of endocrine-disrupting pesticides in Guanting reservoir. These results underscore the need to improved environmental protection measures in order to reduce the exposure of the population and aquatic biota to these endocrine-disrupting compounds.     

沉积物中多环芳烃和有机氯农药定量分析的质量保证和质量控制

以美国ＥＰＡ为方法为基础,进行了沉积物中多环芳烃和有机氯农药分析的质量保证和质量控制实验,采用回收率指示物控制回收率,用内标法定量。结果表明多环芳烃的指示物回收率为５０．６７－９７．３３％,目标化合物的回收率为５８．６７－９６．３３％,方法检测限为３．３０－９．２６μｇ．ｋｇ＾－１。     

Concentrations of Hchs and Ddts in the Tissues of River Dolphins,Platanista Gangetica,From the River Ganges,India

Abstract

Concentrations of HCH and DDT organochlorine insecticide residues were measured in blubber, muscle and oil samples from three specimens of river dolphins, Platanista gangetica, from the River Ganges, India. Concentrations of HCH and DDT ranged from 94 to 289 ng g^?1 and from 1324 to 9388 ng g^?1 on wet wt. basis respectively. Comparisons are made with other aquatic mammals and other studies on river dolphins. P. gangetica appears to exhibit similar patterns of accumulation with age and with ß-HCH and p-p′-DDE being accumulated to higher levels than other HCH isomers and parent DDT and its other metabolites, respectively. These organochlorines may pose a health risk to river dolphin populations that are already showing evidence of environmental stress. Further studies are recommended.     

Measurement of residues of benomyl and mancozeb pesticides in shrub and nonshrub cucumbers sampled from different regions of Mazandaran province (Iran)

Farmers use mancozeb against cucumber pests, such as Perono spoxa, in large amounts without consideration of potential chronic human health hazards resulting from pesticide accumulation in food and fruits. Considering the necessity of food for humans and importance of fruit in daily diet, as well as the determination of pesticide residues in food and fruits as mandated by WHO and FAO, the residues benomyl and mancozeb, the most prominently used pesticides in Iran, were measured. In this study cucumbers from 76 sample regions were used. Data showed that the amounts of benomyl was related to the type of cucumber in the regions, but there was no significant relationship between the amount of mancozeb and type of cucumber.     

Pesticide-induced alterations of hemopoietic functions in Anabas testudineus inhabiting wetlands in agricultural landscape

The unrestricted use of agrochemicals in crop fields lowers the overall prospects of survival and yield of wetland fish species like Anabas testudineus. In the present study, the impact of different doses of SUMIDON-40, an organophosphate (OP) pesticide on the hematopoiesis of Anabas testudineus has been examined. The small lymphoid hemoblast and consequently the polychromatophilic erythroblasts decreased significantly at both sublethal and LC₅₀ dose-treated fish. The percentage of mature erythrocyte also fell significantly in the pesticide-treated groups. The erythropoietic efficiency was increased in fish exposed to sublethal dose but fell in fish exposed to LC50 dose. Among leucocytes, the percentage of neutrophils rose in Anabas testudineus in both treatment groups and percentage of macrophage decreased significantly only in LC₅₀ dose-treated group. The percentage of lymphocyte increased significantly in sublethal dose-treated groups. The overall leukopoietic efficiency, however, was elevated significantly in both treatment groups. These facts clearly indicated that pesticides affected the overall process of hematopoiesis in this fish species. Flow cytometric analysis of cell cycle in pronephric kidney cells confirmed changes in percentage of cell death and DNA synthesis following pesticide exposure. Data indicate that habitat deterioration from agrochemicals impedes the hematopoiesis in this species resulting in reduced tolerance in their usually hypoxic habitat environment.