Umwelt- und analytische Toxikologie

Twelve soil samples were collected near Bitumen intrusions in Agbabu and its adjoining environments and were analyzed with HPGe detector Gamma ray spectrometer and counted with comparative method. It was found that K-40, U-238, Th-232 concentrations in the soil range from 370.46 ± 4.5-887.18 ± 6.91, x8.14 ± 5.49-71.35 ± 21.92 and 17.48 ± 2.18-124.36 ± 30.44 Bq/kg respectively. The highest radioactivity in this research work is higher than former value of 165.64 ± 2.91. The highest concentration of K-40 in all the samples occurring close to the Oluwa river is 887.18 ± 6.91 Bq/kg, which location also coincide with the place of highest sample concentration of Th-232 124.36 ± 30.44 Bq/kg. The area of large concentration of K-40 and Th-232 does not coincide with that of U-238, The average concentration of 40K in all the analyzed samples is 640.72 ± 5.42 Bq/kg very high compared to the undetectable level formally reported and generally the radionuclide concentration values obtained have increased than the data in the former analysis done in the area. The highest U-238 concentration value of 71.35 Bq/kg is higher than worldwide 40 Bq/ kg average and it occurs around 1.2 km after Agbabu town close to the road 50 m from a bitumen outcrop. The absorbed dose rates 1 m in air have the highest value of 134.77 nG/h. This is more than 3 times the worldwide average value 43 nG/h for the soil sample collected close to the Oluwa River. The calculated absorbed dose rate in air range from 38.24- 134.77 nG/h. while the Annual effective absorbed dose is also highest with a value 165.39 μSv/y close to river Oluwa (at GPS location N6035I24.7 E4050I10.5) 9 times lower than the effective annual dose value of 1mSv/y permitted for public exposure. The maximum external hazardous index value of 0.81 is less than the unity (1) permitted in ICRP 2000. Mining locations are suggested at other areas of bitumen outcrop with near surface soil that has lower than worldwide average concentration of radioisotopes and away from dwelling places and rivers where transport of mining tailings can increase accumulation of radionuclides in aquatic animals and local inhabitants.

In the present study glyphosate residues were tested in urine and different organs of dairy cows as well as in urine of hares, rabbits and humans using ELISA and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). The correlation coefficients between ELISA and GC-MS were 0.96, 0.87, 0.97and 0.96 for cattle, human, and rabbit urine and organs, respectively. The recovery rate of glyphosate in spiked meat using ELISA was 91%. Glyphosate excretion in German dairy cows was significantly lower than Danish cows. Cows kept in genetically modified free area had significantly lower glyphosate concentrations in urine than conventional husbandry cows. Also glyphosate was detected in different organs of slaughtered cows as intestine, liver, muscles, spleen and kidney. Fattening rabbits showed significantly higher glyphosate residues in urine than hares. Moreover, glyphosate was significantly higher in urine of humans with conventional feeding. Furthermore, chronically ill humans showed significantly higher glyphosate residues in urine than healthy population. The presence of glyphosate residues in both humans and animals could haul the entire population towards numerous health hazards, studying the impact of glyphosate residues on health is warranted and the global regulations for the use of glyphosate may have to be re-evaluated.

Cypermethrin is a synthetic pyrethoid mainly used against mango insect pests. Clams are good indicators of pesticide pollution and are known to be tolerant to pesticide accumulation. Acute toxicity experiment of Cypermethrin is carried out on estuarine clam, Marcia opima. The clam exhibited significant increase in protein content of gill in LC0 and LC50 group of clams while foot, male gonad and female gonad exhibited considerable decrease in protein content. Whereas, in LC0, mantle showed high protein content. In LC50 group, hepatopancreas exhibited high protein content.

Phytoremediation is the biotechnological application of plants to detoxify pollutants, and is an ideal and modern technique for environmental clean-up. Regarding the vast industrial waste materials and sewages from a lot factories and different chemical fertilizers and pesticides have caused contamination of soils in Tehran, potential ability of Amaranthus to phytoextract lead, cadmium, copper, nickel and zinc was investigated and Compare of the soil pH and the phytoextraction rate based on different growth stages of the plant. Determine metal transfer factors from soil (TFS) of Amaranthus and the effect of adding black and green tea leaves in soil and the metal transfer factors have been studied. Results indicated that the younger plants have more potential to uptake and concentrate the studied heavy metals than the older ones and the uptake rate is significantly affected by the plant accumulation and the soil pH. The best results for uptake of Lead was in the soil with pH=6.5 among different samples and in this pH translocation factor was the highest by 45 days grown of plants while the best result of Cadmium phytoextract was in pH of soil 6.3 by 35 days growth of plants.
The maximum Zinc, Copper and Nickel uptake rate was in pH= 6.1 and by 30 day grown Amaranth. Regarding the results of the present study, it is recommended to study more on the species belong to other plant families that have potential ability to hyper accumulate heavy metals especially the inedible plants.

Trace metals and metals induced Oxidative stress have been implicated in breast carcinogenesis. Our study aimed to evaluate alteration of trace metals in breast tissue, oxidative stress and antioxidant status in breast cancer patients. This study included 120 female patients: 100 with breast cancer and 20 with benign breast diseases. Trace metals in breast tissue, lipid peroxidation and oxidative status were assessed. The present Results showed a significant increase in lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel and iron concentrations in malignant breast tissues compared to control group (P < 0.001). Also, a significant decline in Glutathione-S-transferase (GST), Glutathione Reductase (GR) and Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) levels; however a significant rise in Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Ferritin levels was detected in patients with breast cancer compared to controls. In conclusion, the alteration of the elemental content in cancerous breast tissues and the disruption of oxidant/antioxidant balance highlight the role of trace metals in cancer development.

Particulate matter (PM) emissions from various sources can have significant effect on human health and environmental quality especially in the Chihuahuan Desert region along US-Mexico border. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of road dust texture and vehicular speed on airborne PM concentrations from different unpaved rural roads using two sampling techniques (DustTrakR, and Sticky-tape). The surface soil textures of unpaved roads varied from silty clay to loam with less than 4% soil moisture content at the time of PM measurement. Sticky tape method in seven experiment sites showed that PM ranged from 0.529 to 3.054 mg m-3, and DustTrakR measurements showed that PM2.5 concentration ranged from 1.11 to 37.1 mg m-3 at 1 m height. An exponential relationship was obtained between PM2.5 by DustTrakR and vehicle speeds with an average slope of -1.619 mg m-3s-1. The concentration of PM measured with the Sticky-tape decreased with increasing height of measurement. Both PM measurement techniques provided a good approximation of PM emissions at different vehicles speeds, unpaved roads and position of the instrument above ground level for a variety of unpaved roads. The low cost sticky tape method has the potential to further determine and abiotic (elemental composition) and biotic (fungus) particles in airborne PM.

The heteroligand complex of manganese with 1,10-phenantroline and o-nitrobenzolazosalicylic acid have been investigated by spectrophotometric method. The condition of complexing and extraction, physical-chemical and analytical characteristics of this complex have been found. Complex formation is observed in the pH range 5-11. Extraction constant was found as 5.3 × 1012, stability constant was found as lgβK=9.03 ± 0.03. Molar absorptivity is ε=(1.36 ± 0.08) × 104. Beer's law is obeyed in the range of 1.0-22.5 mkq manganese(II). The extraction-photometric methods of manganese determination have been worked out. The influence of diverse ions on determination of manganese(II) has been studied. The proposed method was applied successfully to determine amount of manganese in tap water.