ABSTRACT
El toxafeno es un plaguicida organoclorado que se empleó por años en el cultivo de algodón. Después de su prohibición, en las antiguas bodegas de Cenalgodón (Caracolicito, Cesar) se realizaron malas prácticas de manejo que generaron la contaminación de suelos. Debido a esta problemática, y a la reconocida importancia de los grupos funcionales microbianos como indicadores de calidad, se realizó un análisis en suelos contaminados y sin contaminar para evaluar el efecto del toxafeno sobre algunas comunidades microbianas durante dos períodos climáticos. Fueron evaluadas algunas poblaciones de microorganismos cultivables relacionados con los ciclos del carbono y nitrógeno por el método de recuento directo en placa y número más probable utilizando medios de cultivos selectivos. Los recuentos totales de las poblacionales de bacterias, hongos (Log UFC/g de suelo) y grupos funcionales microbianos del C y del N (Log NMP/g de suelo) aislados del suelo contaminado con toxafeno fueron inferiores a los registrados para el suelo testigo durante el período de sequía y de lluvias (p≤ 0,05). Para ambos suelos algunos grupos de microorganismos se correlacionaron positivamente, lo que indica su participación sinérgica en el ciclado de nutrientes; esto podría favorecer a la recuperación del suelo contaminado y al mantenimiento del ecosistema, siempre y cuando se mejoren las condiciones ambientales y fisicoquímicas del sistema.
Toxaphene is an organochlorine pesticide that was used for years in the cultivation of cotton. After its prohibition in the old cellars of Cenalgodon (Caracolicito - Cesar), bad management practices were carried out that generated soil contamination. Due to this problem, and to the well-recognized importance of the functional microbial groups as quality indicators, a soil analysis was performed in contaminated and uncontaminated soils to evaluate the effect of toxaphene on some microbial communities during two climatic periods. Some populations of cultivable microorganisms related to the carbon and nitrogen cycles were evaluated by the method of direct plate count and most probable number using selective culture media. The total counts of the population of bacteria, fungi (Log CFU / g of soil) and microbial functional groups of C and N (Log NMP / g of soil) isolated from the soil contaminated with toxaphene were lower than those recorded for the control soil during the drought and rain periods (p≤0.05). Some groups of microorganisms were correlated positively for both soils indicating their synergistic participation in the cycling of nutrients, which could favor the recovery of contaminated soil and the maintenance of the ecosystem as long as the environmental and the physicochemical conditions of the system are improved.
Subject(s)
Humans , Bacteria , Toxaphene , Soil AnalysisABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the present contamination status and profile of toxaphene in fish, chicken and meat samples in Pearl River Delta area.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 60 independent samples including fish, chicken, meat were collected from Huizhou,Guangzhou,Dongguan,Jiangmen of Pearl River Delta area in Guangdong by purposive sampling from Oct 2010 to Jun 2011. Toxaphene monomer Parlar26, Parlar50 and Parlar62 levels in three various categories of foods were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed referencing international authoritative standard methods by utilizing isotope dilution high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution double-focusing magnetic mass spectrometry (HRGC-HRMS). The levels of pollution and characteristics were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The concentration of toxaphene median(M) in fish, chicken and meat were 12.87, 5.8 and 1.89 ng/kg (gross weight) , respectively and the difference was significant(H = 14.29, P = 0.001). The toxaphene level in seafish (M = 32.07 ng/kg) was significantly higher than that in freshwater fish (M = 10.63 ng/kg, Z = -2.52, P = 0.012). The profile analysis showed that Parlar50 and Parlar26 were the predominant characteristic monomers in fish, which contributed about 44% (9.91/22.60, ng/kg) and 39% (8.89/22.60, ng/kg) to total concentration, and Parlar62 and Parlar26 were the two predominant congeners in poultry products, the two congeners accounted for 42% (5.03/11.90, ng/kg) and 38% (4.58/11.90, ng/kg). Furthermore Parlar26 and Parlar62 made up about 57% (3.45/6.08, ng/kg) and 26% (1.58/6.08, ng/kg) of total concentration in livestock meat respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Toxaphene levels in all tested food samples are far lower than the limited standard stipulated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2002, which was 0.1 mg/kg. The congener characteristic difference in the three categories food indicated that the different enrichment ability in Toxaphene in different animal species.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Chromatography, Gas , Fishes , Food Contamination , Insecticides , Meat , Poultry , ToxapheneABSTRACT
For the previous century, the humans have created an unintended and unwanted problem of endocrine disruptors as a potential threat to our public health. By the name of industrialization, endocrine disruptors are smuggling in the everyday life of people today. Although there are much debate on the reality of their emerging health threat, it is no doubt that there are certain classes of compounds that have the potential to affect hormonal status adversely, leading to abnormal development, reproductive dysfunction, and some cancers. The classes of endocrine disruptors are extensively diverse and even more increasing, such as, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, dieldrin, bisphenol A and toxaphene. Although these endocrine disruptors have been prohibited or tightly regulated, many of them are still unrecognized and still used without knowing their potential threat to the biological world. Once they are released into the environment, they usually persist without degradation and even undergo bioaccumulation and bioconcentration in food chain. Comparing with the great concern over the public health, we do not have enough information for these issues. It is now clear that we need further extensive studies for the risk assessment and the protection of human and ecological health from the potential hazards of endocrine disruptors. This article introduces a breif overview of the current status of our knowledge and research on endocrine disruptors.
Subject(s)
Humans , Dieldrin , Dioxins , Endocrine Disruptors , Food Chain , Polychlorinated Biphenyls , Public Health , Risk Assessment , ToxapheneABSTRACT
Guineapigs exposed to acute and subacute levels of toxaphene revealed a marginal reduction in the body weight. There was a significant inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and ATPases in the brain, liver and kidney. The effect of subacute toxicity of toxaphene resulted in an enhancement of cytochrome P450 and induction of aniline hydroxylase in liver and kidney. Biochemical investigations on the backbone revealed that toxaphene toxicity caused an increase in the calcium content and a decrease in the collagen content significantly. Toxaphene was accumulated more in the liver than in the kidney as reflected by residue studies.