Toxicología ambiental y analítica

Physical and chemical parameters can determine the species diversity and abundance in particular area. Environmental parameters such as rainfall, atmospheric temperature, water temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen were recorded and correlated with the distribution of fish eggs. It is evident from the present study that the water temperature and salinity appear to play a significant role in determining the distribution of fin fish eggs in the study area. The time and intensity of spawning of fishes may perhaps be controlled by the seasonal cycle of the environmental factors. The physico-chemical parameters recorded from various stations presently showed monthly seasonal and annual variations.

A study on the potentials of chicken drops in the remediation of petroleum contaminated agricultural soil was carried out. A total of 18 m2 farmland was divided into three sites of 4 m2 each with 2 m spaces in between them. Two out of the three sites were polluted with 40 dm3 of bonny light crude oil and remediated for 16 weeks. The results showed a total percentage degradation of 72.18 ± 0.56 and 59.21 ± 0.54 of aliphatic hydrocarbon, 37.92 ± 0.38 and 29.58 ± 0.36 of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and 5.26 ± 0.22 and 0.50 ± 0.08 of heavy metals for bioaugmented and natural attenuated sites respectively. However, the highest percentage degradation for aliphatic hydrocarbon was 97.59 ± 0.95 for C24 of the bioaugmented site and 92.46 ± 0.72 for C26 of the natural attenuated site, while the highest degradation rate for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon was 100.00 ± 0.00 for Pyrene, Benzo(k)fluoranthene and Benzo(g,h,i)perylene of both the bioaugmented site and natural attenuated site. However, Chromium had the highest percentage degradation rate for the heavy metals with values of 11.95 ± 0.33 and 1.12 ± 0.25 for the bioaugmented and natural attenuated sites respectively.

In the present study, thirty dairy cows from each of eight Danish dairy farms were investigated for excretion of glyphosate in urine. Blood serum parameters indicative of cytotoxicity as alkaline phosphatase (AP), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), creatinine kinase CK), nephrotoxicity, (urea, creatine), cholesterol and the trace elements as manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), selenium (Se), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were investigated. All cows excreted glyphosate in their urine but in varying concentrations. Increased levels of GLDH, GOT and CK in cows from all farms demonstrate a possible effect of glyphosate on liver and muscle cells. High urea levels in some farms could be due to nephrotoxicity of glyphosate. Also the unexpected very low levels of Mn and Co were observed in all animals which could be explained due to a strong mineral chelating effect of glyphosate. In contrast the mean levels of Cu, Zn and Se were within the normal reference range. In conclusion, this study gives the first documentation to which extent Danish dairy cattle are exposed to Glyphosate and its impact on blood parameters.

Introduction: Panax Ginseng C. A. Meyer, belonging to the Araliaceae family, is a perennial plant with fleshy roots that grows in Korea and northern China. Panax Ginseng has been regarded as a medicinal plant in traditional oriental medicine. The root of Panax Ginseng is commonly used as herbal medicine. However, little is known about the contents and origin of heavy metals in the samples of herbal plants being sold in local herbal markets in Iran. The objective of the present research was to determine the level of Cadmium, Lead, Zinc, Nickl, Copper and Chromium contents in Panax Ginseng samples purchased from Tehran and Beijing local herbal markets and to find the possible process of contamination.

Material and methods: To examine these metal contents in Panax Ginseng, 100 samples from Tehran and 100 samples from Beijing local herbal markets were purchased from 20 and 25 different local herbal markets in Beijing and Tehran respectively in 2012. A certain weight of each sample was determined and then analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The concentration levels of heavy metals on the samples were determined as mean ± SD (mg/kg dry weight) of three replicates in each test.

Results: Results showed a significant increase in lead, Cadmium and Chromium contents in Tehran’s marketscompared to the samples purchased from Beijing markets (p<0.05). Since the amount of heavy metals in the ginseng samples obtained from Iranian markets is much higher than the corresponding figure in the ginseng supplied in the Chinese markets.

 Discussion: It may be concluded that the ginseng samples could be contaminated in different stages of transportation and storage. The contamination of medicinal herbs by toxic heavy metals results in serious safety issues due to the increasing popularity of herbal remedies in the world. Therefore, it is critical to analyze heavy metals in herbal medicine in order to assure that the levels of heavy metals do not exceed the required limits established by regulations. 

A study was undertaken to determine the physico-chemical parameters of water in different mangrove regions of Indian coast. Flora and faunas are living in that regions and it can provide wild life places for living and foraging. Physicochemical parameters are influence the species diversity, pattern of diversity, spawning, breeding and metabolic activities. The temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and nutrients are the major master factors of coastal water ecosystem. These parameters are occurring optimum level for the survival of species and poor water quality can influence the species activities and patterns of behavior. However, the base line physico- chemical data is toward the further study of ecological and conservation of economically and they are living species diversity patterns.