Bacillus thuringiensis pesticide exposures reported to Texas poison centers

One of the most common types of microbial pesticides used is Bacillus thuringiensis. Although generally considered safe, exposures to B. thuringiensis pesticide do occur where management by healthcare providers is sought. The objective of this investigation was to describe B. thuringiensis pesticide exposures reported to Texas poison centers. Cases were all B. thuringiensis pesticide exposures reported to Texas poison centers during 2000–2010. The distribution of cases was determined for various demographic and clinical factors. Of 115 total cases, 64% occurred during May–July. The rate per 1,000,000 population was 14.3 in central Texas and 4.4 in the rest of the state. Of the patients, 56% were of an age 20 years or older and 55% were male. The exposure routes were 57% by ingestion, 30% by dermal contact, and 11% by inhalation. The patient was managed on site in 93% of the exposures and only one exposure was judged to be potentially serious. B. thuringiensis pesticide exposures reported to Texas poison centers were more frequently reported from the central region of the state. The majority of exposures occurred during April–July, involved adults and males, occurred by ingestion or dermal route, were managed on site and did not result in serious outcomes.     

Genotoxic effects of two different classes of insecticide in developing chick embryos

Pesticides provide considerable protection against pest population; however, rampant accumulation of these chemicals into varied habitats across the globe necessitates the need for a careful screening of each chemical due to toxic manifestations. In the current study, the genotoxic potential of two different classes of commercial insecticides – chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin combination and Spinosad, a naturalyte were compared. Rhode Island Red chick embryos were exposed to different doses of either of these insecticides individually, by in ovo treatment. Genotoxicity was then evaluated through micronucleus (MN) test and Comet assay. The combination insecticide exposure at low doses of 0.05 and 0.1 μg/egg induced DNA damage as evidenced by an increased tail moment in the Comet assay. Further, the presence of micronucleated erythrocytes and also various abnormal cells including dacryocytes, microcytes, erythroplastids, squashed/notched nuclei, and spindle-shaped erythrocytes in the blood smear consolidates indicate the presence of insecticide-induced genotoxicity. Spinosad, however, was found only mildly genotoxic but at a high dose of 1.5 mg/egg. The results indicate that usage of naturalyte insecticide may be a better option to minimize the harmful effects of chemical insecticides.     

Biochemical and histological alterations induced by a formulation of dicofol in the embryonic liver of Gallus domesticus

In the present investigation, hepatotoxic effect of a commercially available insecticide formulation of dicofol (Colonel–S® 18.5% emulsified concentrate) was studied in the developing chick embryo. Fertilized eggs of Gallus domesticus were immersed in three different dose concentrations, i.e. 250, 500, and 1000 mg L^?1 of Colonel–S on “0” and fourth days of incubation for 60 min at 37 °C and incubated till embryonic day 16. Severe histopathological cellular lesions, such as extensive cell degeneration and necrosis with enlarged blood sinusoids, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and leucocyte infiltrations with congestion or dilation of central vein, appeared in dose-depended manner. Dicofol treatment also caused significant decrease in the levels of total protein, glycogen, and glutathione content and an increase in alkaline phosphatase activity of embryonic liver, whereas glutamic pyruvic transaminase activity showed mixed response.     

Large plasmids governing multiple resistances to heavy metals: A genetic approach∗

Gram negative bacteria classified as Alcaligenes eutrophus and carrying large resistance plasmids (generally two) were found in various industrial sites highly contaminated by heavy metals (Zn⁺⁺, Cu⁺⁺, Co⁺⁺,...). These strains were detected by DNA hybridization with a probe made with a 9kb fragment (ccz⁺ fragment) encoding for resistances to Cd⁺⁺, Co⁺⁺ and Zn⁺⁺, and cloned from plasmid pMOL30. This plasmid was isolated from the representative strain A. eutrophus CH34 which harbours the plasmids pMOL30 (240 kb) and pMOL28 (165 kb). Phenotypes related to pMOL28 and pMOL30 include the tolerance to Cd⁺⁺, Co⁺⁺, Cr0₄ ⁼, Cu⁺⁺, Hg⁺⁺, Ni⁺⁺, Pb⁺⁺ and Zn⁺⁺. The described genetic properties of these plasmids refer to some cloned or mapped functions and to some plasmid rearrangements. Plasmid pMOL85 (250 kb) which is related to pMOL30 was also described. Its host (A. eutrophus DS185) was isolated from a zinc desert. pMOL85 can efficiently self transfer in plasmidfree derivatives.     

Ultrastructural responses and oxidative stress induced by cypermethrin in the liver of Labeo rohita

The present study was conducted to establish the relationship between selected oxidative stress parameters and ultrastructural responses in liver tissue of Labeo rohita fingerlings exposed to cypermethrin. Fish were exposed to lethal (4.0 μg L^?1) and sublethal (0.4 μg L^?1) concentrations of cypermethrin for a period of 24, 48, 72 and 96 h for acute studies and 1, 5, 10 and 15 days for subacute studies, respectively. Results showed increased catalase (CAT) and protease activity, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls and free amino acid (FAA) levels at both concentrations. This suggests participation of free-radical-induced oxidative cell injury in mediating the hepatotoxicity of cypermethrin. In corroboration of this, ultrastructural lesions witnessed a reduction in the number of cell organelles, swollen, vacuolated and condensed mitochondria, dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum, and reduced numbers of smooth enodplasmic reticulum, peroxisomes and lysosomes at the lethal (4.0 μg L^?1) concentration. At the sublethal (0.4 μg L^?1) concentration, cytoplasmic vacuolation, condensed, vacuolated and swollen mitochondria, dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum and an absence of hepatocyte microvilli were prominent. Ultrastructural changes were exhibited as subcellular responses due to the imbalance in cellular oxidative status by means of oxidative damage.     

改性木质素磺酸盐煤炭抑尘剂的制备与研究

以木质素磺酸盐为主要原料,在50℃的反应条件下,与丙烯酸、氯化钙、四硼酸钠、甲基硅酸钠等发生化学反应,制备了一种铁路煤炭运输抑尘剂,并分别对抑尘剂的部分性能进行评价。结果表明:该产品所能承受的平均压力为7.105 N,2 min的水蚀率为2.1%,初始侵蚀风速为130 km/h,完全能够满足铁路煤炭运输的需求,避免煤炭在运输过程中的扬尘污染和损失;且制作过程简单便捷、无刺激性、无毒副作用。     

反硝化微生物燃料电池的基础研究

在启动双室型反硝化微生物燃料电池的基础上,研究了阴极溶解氧及外电阻对其产电性能和污染物去除效果的影响.结果表明,以乙酸钠为阳极电子供体,硝酸钠为阴极电子受体,在25℃的环境温度下,采用先间歇后连续培养的方式,42d内成功启动了反硝化微生物燃料电池.在阴极进水含氧的情况下,氧和硝酸盐可共同用作阴极电子受体.在较小电流密度区域内,氧是阴极的主要电子受体,相应的最大功率密度为26.0W/m3NC;电流密度增加到一定程度后,硝酸盐逐步变为阴极的主要电子受体,相应的最大功率密度为20.9W/m3NC.外阻变化对COD去除及反硝化程度影响较小,阳极COD去除负荷维持在1.2kg/(m3NC·d)左右,出水NO-2-N保持在0.05mg/L以下;但外阻减小有利于提高阴极脱氮效果,外阻为5 Ω时NO-3-N去除负荷达0.111kg/(m3NC·d).     

污泥为燃料的微生物燃料电池运行特性研究

实验采用单室无膜悬浮阴极微生物燃料电池(MFC),考察了运行特性对污泥为燃料的MFC(SMFC)的影响.研究表明,相对于未搅拌情况,搅拌时SMFC最大输出功率由45.94mW/m2分别增加到124.03mW/m2(1300r/min)和136.5mW/m2(2600 r/min),主要是由于搅拌有利于改善SMFC内物质的传递. 温度对SMFC的产电特性影响较明显,但在一定区间内(如20~25℃;30~40℃;45~50℃)变化不明显,说明产电微生物有一定的温度适应范围,这也可能是在不同温度下产电微生物不同导致.相对于采用未经处理的剩余污泥为燃料,微波处理后的污泥和微波处理过滤后的上清液做燃料时SMFC输出功率迅速增加,这主要是由于污泥中的微生物竞争作用引起.阴极面积的增加有利于降低阴极电势,降低SMFC内阻,从而促进功率密度的增加.     

An extraction-assay system: Evaluation on flavonols in plant resistance to Pb and Cd by supercritical extraction-gas chromatography

In this research, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SFE) showed better extraction effect when compared with Solid- liquid extraction (SLE), Soxhlet extraction (SE) and Ultrasonic extraction (UE), not only in the rate but also the time. The comparison among these three extraction modifiers, including acetone, ethanol and methanol demonstrated that ethanol was preferred to SFE due to its high extraction effect and low toxicology. In addition, parameter of SFE, influence of temperature and pressure were investigated, and the best extraction effect was achieved at the optima conditions, temperature of 40°C and the pressure of 35 MPa. Thus, SFE is a highly effective method for flavonols extraction, requiring minimum energy and producing non-toxic byproduct. SFE-GC system is applied for the evaluation on flavonols that plays a key role in plant resistance to heavy metal, with its content and synthetase gene expression significantly increasing in plant when threatened by heavy metal. Besides, results indicated that flavonols can improve plant resistance to oxidative stress by quenching the redundant ROS in matrix.

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