Subject(s)
Asbestos/analysis , Environmental Pollutants/analysis , Glass/analysis , Sewage/analysis , Asbestos/toxicity , HumansABSTRACT
The proposed use of municipal sewage sludges as soil amendments on agricultural land involves potential health risks. Sludges may contain toxic heavy metals, synthetic organics, and pathogens. Studies of animals inhabiting sludge-amended soils, or foraging on crops grown on such soils, have shown an increased deposition of cadmium and polychlorinated biphenyls in animal tissues, hepatic microsomal enzyme induction, altered blood profiles, appearance of mutagens in blood and excreta, and lowered feed intake, feed efficiency, and milk production. Epidemiologic evidence of possible adverse health effects among sewage plant workers exposed to aerosolized pathogens or synthetic organic vapors during wastewater treatment or land spreading of sludge is still inconclusive. Other possible deleterious environmental effects include pollution of groundwater and toxicity to birds consuming worms or insects inhabiting sludge-treated soils.
Subject(s)
Occupational Diseases/chemically induced , Sewage , Soil Pollutants/toxicity , Agriculture , Animal Feed , Animals , Epidemiologic Methods , HumansSubject(s)
Clothing , Cyprinidae/physiology , Flame Retardants/toxicity , Goldfish/physiology , Laundering , Organophosphorus Compounds/toxicity , Absorption , Animals , Drug Stability , Flame Retardants/analysis , Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated/analysis , Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated/toxicity , Organophosphorus Compounds/analysis , Time FactorsABSTRACT
A compound, highly toxic to goldfish, was found to be released from a vinyl (polyvinyl chloride) automotive upholstery fabric when the material was immersed in their water. The compound, a flame retardant used in such material, was identified by specific detector gas chromatography and mass spectrometry as triphenyl phosphate. Fish exposed to the immersed fabric or pure triphenyl phosphate showed neurologic intoxication and extensive histopathologic lesions.
Subject(s)
Flame Retardants/analysis , Polyvinyls/analysis , Animals , Flame Retardants/toxicity , Goldfish/physiology , Mass SpectrometryABSTRACT
A number of commercial and candidate flame retardants were studied with regard to their toxicity to goldfish, inhibition of cholinesterase, inhibition of acetyl choline binding to its receptor and insecticidal properties. Several of the flame retardants were notably toxic to fish. Some of the compounds showed modest inhibition of cholinesterase and/or microsomal oxidases, but none inhibited acetyl choline receptor binding. Whereas several of the flame retardants showed little or no insecticidal properties when added alone to a housefly diet, piperonyl butoxide greatly synergised their toxicity to houseflies.
Subject(s)
Fires/prevention & control , Houseflies/drug effects , Organophosphorus Compounds/toxicity , Acetylcholine/metabolism , Aniline Compounds , Animals , Cholinesterase Inhibitors , Electric Organ/enzymology , Electric Organ/metabolism , Fishes , Goldfish , Hydrocarbons, Brominated/pharmacology , Hydrocarbons, Brominated/toxicity , In Vitro Techniques , Insecta/drug effects , Insecta/enzymology , Lethal Dose 50 , Microsomes/enzymology , Organophosphorus Compounds/pharmacology , Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating/antagonists & inhibitors , Receptors, Cholinergic/metabolismABSTRACT
A number of commercial and candidate flame retardants were studied with regard to their toxicity to fish when released from fabrics immersed in their water. Immersion of laundered or unlaundered flame retardant 100% polyester or polyester blend fabrics used in children's sleepwear in water containing goldfish resulted in release of the anticholin-esterase flame retardant TDBPP (tris (2, 3-dibromopropyl) phosphate) and death of all fish within 24 hours. TDBPP undergoes loss of HBr in water and production of a metabolite.
