The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
The article discussses the health effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). Between 1960 and 1977 Monsanto's Newport plant produced several types of PCB, that are persistent and ubiquitous and toxic. But their usefulness in industry made them too profitable to withdraw from the market until manufacturers were forced to do so …
Mobile source air toxics come from four sources. One: some toxics are present in fuel and are emitted into the air when the fuel evaporates or passes through the engine unburned. Benzene, for example, is a component of gasoline. Cars emit small quantities of benzene in unburned fuel, or as …
The effect of an organophosphorus (OP) insecticide, methyl parathion on the behaviour of a freshwater air breathing teleost fish, the Climbing perch, Anabas testudineus was studied. The breathing rate, rate of feeding, performance of sustained swimming behaviour against water current and the learning ability were severely curtailed in the fish …
In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to study the genotoxic effect of commonly used pesticides of South India, like 2,4-D, lindane, sevin and phosphamidon, in the human lymphocytes by comet assay and chromosomal analysis.
The multi-disciplinary study of histopathology and toxicology of Bhopal gas tragedy resolved several issues. First, the progression of severe pulmonary oedema to chronic fibrosis was confirmed experimentally, following a single exposure to MIC. Analysis of the residue in Tank 610 revealed over 21 chemicals. Apart from MIC and HCN, some …
Baby bottles are often made of polycarbonate plastic. Impurities remaining in the bottle from the monomer bisphenol A can migrate from the plastic bottles into baby food, thereby causing a health concern. Previous migration testing of new baby bottles showed only trace migration levels of the substance. In the present …
Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and non- and mono-ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls (dioxin-like PCBs) were measured in tissues of humans, fishes, chicken, lamb, goat, predatory birds, and Ganges River dolphins collected from various locations in India. PCDDs/DFs were found in most of the samples analyzed with the liver of …
Concentrations of butyltin compounds (mono-, di-, and tri-butyltin) were determined in dolphin (Platanista gangetica), fish, invertebrates and sediment collected from the River Ganges, India, in order to understand the contamination levels, sources, and potential for biomagnification in freshwater food chains. Total butyltin concentration in dolphin tissues was up to 2000 …
A plasticizer is a substance normally incorporated to a PVC resin or some other materials such as paints, to improve some of its properties as flexibility or processability. Phthalates, adipates, phosphates and some others are the main compounds used as plasticizers. Some of these compounds, as bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DOP), are …
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a principal reactant in the preparation of polycarbonate (PC) plastics and has been shown in in vitro cell proliferation studies to exhibit estrogen-like characteristics. Reusable baby bottles, water carboys, and other housewares are often made of PC. A high-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) protocol was used to determine …
Twenty-four brands of plastic baby feeding bottles were purchased and all were found to be made of polycarbonate. Taking a batch of one representative sample, the polymer was tested for stability and possible release of bisphenol A following domestic practice of sterilization. Sterilization was by alkaline hypochlorite, steam, or washing …
Oral administration of the insecticide endosulfan (2 mg/kg per day) for 90 days in immature male rats resulted in an inhibition of pole-climbing escape response to electric shock (unconditioned) and avoidance response to buzzer (conditioned). These responses reflect respectively their learning and memory processes. The escape response but not the …
In addition to the large-scale loss of life and continuing health problems experienced by the victims of the Bhopal disaster, a major casualty has been the lack of information. Compared to other major chemical disasters in the world, Bhopal has the dubious distinction of not only being the worst, but …
Foodstuffs collected from different regions in India were analyzed for the presence of HCH (BHC), DDT, HCB, aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, and PCBs. Significantly high levels of food contamination with HCH, DDT, aldrin, and dieldrin were evident throughout India. Dairy products and livestock meat are the prime sources of human dietary …
A great concern over genotoxic potential of environmental chemicals has been expressed in recent years. Endosulfan a polycyclic chlorinated hydrocarbon of cyclodien group, is a well known insecticide. It is widely used in agriculture and, in some countries, in public health.
[ 14 C]Endosulfan, α or β isomers separately, was administered to rats as a single oral dose and as a dietary supplement for 14 days. No appreciable differences were observed in the fate of the two isomers. Five days after the single dose, 75% of the dose had been voided …
The insecticide endosulfan, has been widely used for the control of crop pests in the field of agriculture. Although no mutagenic, teratogenic or carcinogenicity information is available on this insecticide, there are several reports concerning its toxicity after oral as well as from repeated administration in mice, rats and rabbits.
Methods of digestion of fish samples for mercury determination by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry have been investigated. Digestion in Teflon bombs, Kjeldahl flasks, or borosilicate test tubes gives comparable precisions and mercury recoveries. Because of their cost and effect in limiting productivity, Teflon bombs were considered unnecessary for analysis of …
A method for the concurrent determination of methyl mercury and inorganic mercury by flameless atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) is described. Fifty-seven samples of juvenile black marlin fish were analyzed for inorganic and methyl mercury, and total mercury was calculated by addition of the 2 values. The sensitivity of the method …