PCDD/PCDFs and PCBs in the irrigation water in Egypt: levels, patterns, and potential sources.

The contamination levels of PCDD/PCDFs in irrigation water are the most rarely studied throughout the world. The major problem in Egypt is the lack of studies and statistics about these contaminants of POPs in irrigation water. Therefore, this study is the first comprehensive report to elucidate the estimation and sources of PCDD/PCDFs and PCBs in irrigation water from Egypt and rare for worldwide may provide a reference to future studies of POPs compounds in irrigation water of Egypt. A total of 24 irrigated water samples were collected from different irrigation canals which are adjacent to industrial areas from six Egyptian governorates (Bani Swef, El-Giza, El-Sharkeya, El-Menoufeya, El-Gharbeya, and Alexandria). The study shows that irrigation water canals were contaminated with low levels of PCDDs/PCDFs, which were 0.95 pgWHO-TEQ/l, and the total of PCDD/PCDFs and dl-PCBs were 2.06 pgWHO-TEQ/l with contamination ranging between 0.88 to 2.97 pgWHO-TEQ/l while the levels of indicator PCBs were 18.52 ng/l and ranged between 0.39 to 165.6 ng/l. The most predominant dioxins congeners were HpCDD, OCDD, HpCDF, and OCDF while for dl-PCBs were PCB105 and PCB118, and for ndl-PCBs was PCB138. The areas with recent urbanization and industrialization were more contaminated with PCBs than the unindustrialized area. Lightly to moderately chlorinated congeners dominated the PCB profiles. The major sources for these contaminants were fire bricks followed by textile industries closer to the located sampling sites. The detected pattern was found to be similar to the patterns reported in the air by other studies. Although the concentrations of the studied POPs are found to be low in irrigated water, it may be considered as a potential source of soil pollution due to their accumulation process in the agricultural land and may lead to risk on human health by consuming the agricultural products irrigated by contaminated water.

Study of the possibility of placental involvement in experimental bilharziasis.

Twenty-five female golden hamsters were divided into three groups. The first group was infected before mating, sacrifice was done to perform worm perfusion and histopathological examination of the liver and placenta. The second group was infected in early pregnancy and sacrificed before delivery. The third group was the control normal pregnant group. The results showed that the infection rate was 28%. Pathological examination of the first group showed that although the liver had attained the full histopathological picture of bilharziasis yet the placenta was found to be free from that infection. That might be due to short duration of placental formation in hamsters, and lack of anastomotic channels between the placenta and the portal circulation. In the second group no bilharzial affection could be detected in the placenta or the liver as sacrifice was done before worm maturation. Also, it could be assumed that acute bilharziasis did not lead to complication of pregnancy in golden hamsters as no abortion happened during this study.