Effects of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on thyroid function in infants born in Japan – the second report from research on environmental health

Dioxins (PCDD + PCDF) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) are potentially hazardous compounds and have structural similarity to thyroid hormones. Our research group on “Dioxins and PCB in Human Milk” was organized in 1997 and has been active for the past three years. We collected breast milk from 80 mothers living in Tokyo, Saitama, Ishikawa and Osaka Prefecture in Japan at 5, 30, 150, 300 postpartum days and measured PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs during 1998–1999. We added another 20 prefectures and cities during 1999–2000. Breast milk was obtained from 415 mothers at 30 postpartum days (breast-feeding group). Blood was taken from infants who were breast-fed at the age of 1 year for evaluation of thyroid and immune functions. Blood was also taken from 53 infants who were bottle-fed (bottle-feeding group) as a control. Serum T4, T3, FT4 and TSH levels in the breast-feeding (n=337) and bottle-feeding (n=53) groups were within normal ranges and were not significantly different between the two groups. Although there were a large geographic differences of dioxins and co-PCB content in breast milk, there were no differences in serum T4, T3, FT4, TSH levels and no significant correlation between the mean serum levels of TSH and TEQ in breast milk. There was a significant correlation between serum TSH at 1 year of age and that from blood on dried filter paper TSH at 5 days of age. We concluded that dioxin intake from breast milk in Japanese infants did not impair thyroid function. However, long-term effects remain to be evaluated.     

Absorption of polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans by breast-fed infants

The absorption of polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans was studied in four breast-fed infants. The absorption was measured by comparing the estimated total intake and the excretion in faeces, during 48 hours, at three different time points; 1, 2 and 3 months post parta. The levels of the analysed compounds in the human milk are typical for Sweden, i.e 20 ppt toxic equivalents for the dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and for the polychlorinated biphenyls 16 ppt toxic equivalents. For most of the congeners the absorption is found to be over 95%. Higher excretion is noticed for heptachlorinated and octachlorinated dioxins.     

Radiocaesium Activity Concentrations in Milk in the Republic of Croatia and Dose Assessment

Results of systematic measurements of radiocaesium activities in milk after the Chernobyl nuclear accident are summarized. ¹³⁷Cs fallout activity affects milk activity, the coefficient of correlation being 0.89. The ¹³⁷Cs activities in milk in Croatia are log-normally distributed, reflecting the exponential decrease of activity. After the Chernobyl nuclear accident the ¹³⁴Cs:¹³⁷ Cs activity ratio in milk was 0.5, and did not differ from that for other environmental samples. The dose due to radiocaesium ingestion by milk consumption was estimated for the Croatian population, the annual collective equivalent dose being approximately 205 manSv in 1986 and 1.5 manSv in 1994.     

紫云英-早稻-晚稻农田系统的生态功能服务价值评价

紫云英是南方双季稻区最主要种植的冬季绿肥作物,是我国传统农业的精髓,曾对我国粮食安全做出了重要贡献。针对紫云英-早稻-晚稻系统的生态功能服务价值进行综合评估,有助于人们更深入了解紫云英对现代生态农业发展的重要性及其直接贡献,有利于恢复发展与推广种植紫云英等稻区冬季绿肥作物和政府部门制定相关政策。论文以连续8 a的大田定位试验数据为基础,选取农产品与轻工业原料供给、大气调节与净化、土壤养分累积和水分涵养等功能服务价值,采用生态经济学方法,构建紫云英-早稻-晚稻系统的生态功能服务价值评价体系。结果表明：冬闲-早稻-晚稻和紫云英-早稻-晚稻系统生态功能服务总价值分别为64 230.89元/（hm²·a）和87 438.46元/（hm²·a）,后者较之前者平均显著增加36.13%。该评价体系的各项功能服务指标中,冬闲-早稻-晚稻和紫云英-早稻-晚稻生态系统的农产品与轻工业原料供给服务价值分别达到38 777.03元/（hm²·a）和56 635.83元/（hm²·a）,占系统功能服务总价值的比例均超过60%;其次为大气调节与净化和水分涵养服务价值（占比15%~22%）,而土壤养分累积服务价值最低（占比<2%）。紫云英-早稻-晚稻系统的土壤养分累积服务价值主要表现为土壤有机质、速效钾和碱解氮的累积价值。由此可见,紫云英-早稻-晚稻系统能更好地兼顾经济和生态价值,而且评估结果还可为恢复发展与推广种植紫云英等稻田冬季绿肥作物的生态补偿政策提供理论依据。     

紫云英配施氮肥对稻田生态系统服务功能的影响

紫云英是南方稻田重要的绿肥作物,翻压还田后可替代部分氮肥,减少化肥用量,提高农产品产量和品质。基于农田生态系统服务功能价值理论与方法,选取农产品供给、气体调节、土壤养分累积和水分涵养4类服务功能,对紫云英翻压配施不等量氮肥各处理下的稻田生态系统服务功能价值进行了评估。结果表明：紫云英还田后配施氮肥提高了稻田生态系统服务功能总价值。与冬闲处理相比,冬种紫云英处理下的农产品总产出增幅达7.56%~20.83%,气体调节功能价值增幅为21.64%~37.61%,水分涵养功能价值增幅为8.74%~26.26%,稻田生态系统服务功能总价值增幅15.15%~41.39%,尤其以紫云英与氮肥配施效果较好,其中紫云英+优化施氮处理在农产品供给总价值、产投比、气体调节功能价值、涵养水分价值等方面最高。该研究初步核算了紫云英配施不等量氮肥条件下的稻田生态系统服务功能总价值,有利于全面认识冬种紫云英的综合效益,为种植绿肥的生态补偿政策提供理论依据。     

牛乳中乳糖低温水解的研究

主要探讨了鲜牛乳中乳糖的低温水解．试验表明生奶中加入0．15u／kg的乳糖酶，在5℃、水解18h，可使生鲜牛乳中的乳糖降解55％左右，从而可以克服乳糖不耐症的问题．     

Bioaccumulation of metals in human blood in industrially contaminated area

The consumption of contaminated food crops, meat and milk has significantly increased the concentrations of trace metals in human blood as compared to the control area.