Umwelt- und analytische Toxikologie

Medicinal plants and their extracts deserve special attention because of the important influence they have to human health. There are easily contaminated with metals during growth, development and processing. The aim of this study was to achieve the quantitative determination of metallic elements (Cu, Cr, Cd, Mn, Zn, Pb) in medicinal plants basil using ICP-AES. Metal content in the powdered medicinal plants was in descending order: Zn > Mn > Cu > Cr; Pb and Cd were present in minor amounts. Analysis of plant infusions showed transfer of heavy metals during extraction procedure. Monitoring the content of mineral elements in medicinal plants and their boiling water extracts is of high importance because some heavy metals in large quantities in the body may have a toxic effect.

Synthetic dyes are widely used in textile, paper, food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The textile industry accounts for two thirds of the total dyestuff market. During dyeing process approximately 10-15% of the dyes used are released into the wastewater. In the present study Achromobacter xylosoxidans GRIRKNM11 isolated and sequenced from the textile dye effluent site was able to decolorize the turquoise blue dye (100 mg/L) within 48 h at 37°C and pH 7.0. Decolorisation was assayed using spectrophotometery and products formed during degradation were characterized through FTIR spectra.

The effect of fresh gasoline contaminated soil (GS), fresh diesel contaminated soil (DS) and a 3 years old oil spill soil on indigenous tropical earthworm, Lybiodrillus violaceous, was carried out using five acute toxicity tests. This included coiling exhibition, swollen clitellium, 14 days survival test, 48hrs avoidance response test and 56 days juvenile production test. Soil samples from a non-contaminated soil (NCS) were used as control. The exposure of earthworms to GS and DS soils resulted in exhibition of coiling response and swollen clittelium region. For survival test, results showed 60% and 20% survival for GS and DS respectively while 80% and 100% survival were recorded for CS and NCS. Avoidance test showed that there was 8:2 (NCS:DS), 6:4 (NCS:GS) and 5:5 (NCS:CS) ratio of L.violaceous present in soil types. Study on Juvenile production showed that there were no juveniles produced in both GS and DS contaminated soil, however, there were juvenile production recorded in CS and NCS. The negative impact of all toxicity tests on L.violaceous was more in diesel contaminated soil compared to gasoline contaminated soil and least in the 3 year old spill soil. The results indicated negative effect of diesel and gasoline contamination on L.violaceous.