Anodontites trapesialis: A biological monitor of organochlorine pesticides

The mussel Anodontites trapesialis (Lam, 1819) was used as an indicator of organochlorine pollutants in the Pardo River, located in the municipality of Ribeirão Preto (21° 07S and 47° 45W), State of São Paulo, Brazil.Biological monitoring was performed for one year at the site of a sugar cane grove on the left bank of the river. Forty-three animals were placed in two aluminum enclosures on the river bottom at this site and 4 animals of each enclosure were sacrificed for pesticide analysis at 3-month intervals, each collection corresponding to one season of the year.The animals were found to have been exposed to DDT, lindane, heptachlor, aldrin and dieldrin. Endrin was not detected in any of the analyses.Research supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP).     

The effects of poly chlorinated biphenyls and methylmercury,singly and in combination on mink. II: Reproduction and kit development

Adult ranch-bred mink (Mustela vison) were fed diets containing either 0, 1.0 g/g polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) (Aroclor^® 1254), 1.0 g/g methylmercury (MeHg), a combination of 1.0 g/g PCB plus 1.0 g/g MeHg, or 0.5 g/g PCB plus 0.5 g/g MeHg. Fertility of adult male mink, percentage of females whelped or number of kits born per female were not affected by the treatments. However, growth rate of kits nursed by mothers exposed to 1.0 g/g PCB was significantly reduced. There was a synergistic effect of PCB and MeHg which reduced kit survival in groups receiving both chemicals simultaneously. Kit survival to weaning in the control, 0.5 g/g PCB/MeHg, and 1.0 g/g PCB/MeHg groups was 72.0%, 62.7% and 35.8%, respectively. The results suggest that growth and survival of mink kits are adversely affected at dietary levels of PCB and MeHg currently present in some environments.     

Comprehensive pediatric primary care vs traditional care in an israeli population: Their influence on pediatric emergency room use and hospitalization

Emergency room (ER) utilization and hospitalization were studied as indicators of the impact of improvements in pediatric primary care services in an Israeli development town, Ofakim, population 12,000. One of the two pediatric services was upgraded in 1976 through the introduction of pediatric faculty, integration of preventive and curative services and conversion of the medical records to a problem-oriented format ( experimental clinic B ). The primary care system remained unchanged in the second clinic ( traditional clinic A ). During 1980, ER utilization by the B clinic population was 9.3/100 compared with 17.6/100 for the A clinic population. Fifty two percent of the B clinic population patients reaching the ER were hospitalized compared with 25% of A clinic patients.The lower ER utilization rate represents a significant saving for the health services, and educational interventions are suggested from the study. Analysis of ER utilization data seems to offer useful information for overall planning and monitoring of ambulatory services for a community.Corresponding author.     

Assessment of occupational exposure to 4,4′-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline) “MOCA” by a new sensitive method for biological monitoring

Summary A new specific and sensitive method for the urinary determination of 4,4-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline) (MOCA), a known carcinogen in rats, mice and dogs, has been developed. After a brief study on rats to determine some peculiarities in MOCA urinary excretion, this method was used to assess occupational exposure in French industrial firms. Both the manufacture of MOCA and its use as a curing agent in the production of polyurethane elastomers were surveyed. MOCA excretion levels were distributed from non-detectable (<0.5 g/l) up to 1600 g/l. Concentrations of N-acetyl metabolites, when present, were largely lower than MOCA levels. The results seemed to reflect workers' overall exposure fairly. Preventive measures following analytical determinations often led to an obvious lowering of excretion levels.     

Determination of the urinary metabolites of styrene: estimation of the method evaluation function and evaluation of reference values in Danish subjects

Summary A European study on styrene exposure was initiated in 1989 to evaluate the health effects of environmental and occupational exposure. A part of this study included the development of an analytical method for use in a biological monitoring program. The urinary metabolites of styrene, mandelic acid (MA) and phenyl-glyoxylic acid (PGA) were quantitated by a direct and convenient high-performance liquid chromatography method. Urine samples were diluted with eluent and analysed by HPLC with a C₈ reversed-phase column and a buffer to acetonitrile (9:1) eluent with a counterion added. The detector used was a variable UV dectector and the wavelength was = 210 nm. The method was statistically evaluated by a method evaluation demonstrating no systematic error. The uncertainty was 23.8 mol/l and 11.5 mol/l for MA and PGA, respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) of MA is 71.4 mol/l and the LOD of PGA is 34.5 mol/l, sufficiently low for the measurement of styrene exposure at a low exposure level. The present study indicates that reference values for MA and PGA are low. The fraction of reference values below LOD was 0.80 for MA and 0.66 for PGA; consequently, the reference values were described by a non-parametric one-sided tolerance interval. The 95% one-sided upper tolerance limits calculated for MA and PGA were 31.0 mol/mmol creatinine and 20.1 mol/mmol creatinine, respectively, with the coverage 0.95 ±0.045 for both metabolites. The method has been used for biological monitoring in several studies of environmentally and occupationally exposed subjects in concentrations up to 200 mol/mmol creatinine for MA and 150 mol/mmol creatinine for PGA.     

Geographic variation of chlorinated hydrocarbons in burbot (Lota lota) from remote Lakes and Rivers in Canada

The variation in levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorobenzenes and chlorinated pesticides was studied in burbot (Lota lota) from eight remote locations along a northwesterly transect from northwestern Ontario to the Mackenzie River delta in Canada. Significant declines in concentrations of PCB congeners, DDT isomers (DDT), lindane, dieldrin, and mirex in burbot liver were found with increasing north latitude. Mean PCB concentrations ranged from 1,290 ng/g (lipid wt) at Lake 625, a remote lake in northwestern Ontario, to 301 ng/g in samples from the Mackenzie River at Arctic Red River, N.W.T. No significant differences in mean concentrations of toxaphene, -HCH, tri- and tetrachlorobiphenyls were observed between southern and northern sampling sites. Toxaphene was the predominant organochlorine residue in northern fish samples averaging 1,400 ng/g (lipid wt) at the three most northerly sites and 1,723 ng/g at Lake 625. Airborne contamination was the only likely source of organochlorine s for most of the locations surveyed. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that inputs of semi-volatile organochlorines to northern aquatic ecosystems decrease with increasing north latitude and distance from North American sources.     

Biological aspects and self-evaluation of shiftwork adaptation

Summary Two male truck drivers working in a Brazilian cellulose plant and classifying themselves as well- and ill-adapted to a shiftwork schedule of 4 days-on and 1 day-off, participated in an autorhythmometric study. Psychophysiological self-ratings (calmness, stress and alertness), oral temperature measurements and urine collections (detection of K⁺,Na⁺ and 17-OH concentrations) were performed regularly during the waking period for 15 consecutive days during the shift schedule — the midday shift (11:00 to 19:00h), early-morning shift (03:00 to 11:00 h) and evening shift (18:00 to 02:00 h), including days-off. Cosine fitting of the data to a successive running one-day window revealed different individual temporal patterns, with the well-adapted subject showing a relatively stable phase relationship of the variables under study and the ill-adapted subject showing a less stable relationship. The different patterns could explain, at least partially, the fact that one subject feels adapted to shiftwork and the other not.Dedicated to the memory of Prof. Dr. Dr. Joseph Rutenfranz, former Director of the Institut für Arbeitsphysiologie, Dortmund, FRG, who contributed so much to the development of studies on occupational and environmental health     

Clinical and prognostic characteristics associated with age and gender in acute myocardial infarction: A multihospital perspective in the Murcia region of Spain

Age and female gender have been associated with poor prognosis in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Data currently available about the prognostic significance of gender in AMI might well have led to inappropriate/incomplete conclusions. A multicenter, prospective study on 1239 patients with AMI was conducted. Clinical characteristics, complications during the acute phase and one-year follow-up were monitored. Women constituted 24.1% of all patients. Female patients were older with more prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and previous congestive heart failure. Compared with men, the following complications were more frequently found in women: heart failure, 43% vs. 22% (p<0.001); reinfarction, 5% vs. 2% (p<0.05); use of pacemaker, 7% vs. 4% (p<0.05). Women had higher mortality: early, during the first 24 hours post-admission, 10.7 vs. 3.1%; in-hospital, 23% vs. 8.1%; and 1-year, 33.7% vs. 16% (p<0.001 for all the 3 cases of mortality). In the age-groups considered (<65, 65–74, and 75 years), 1-year mortality increased exponentially with ageing in men: 7.8%, 21.3%, and 38.9%, whereas in women the figures were: 15.3%, 41.5%, and 38.8%. Multivariate analysis showed that, among other variables, age and female gender had independent prognostic value for in-hospital mortality whereas gender lost its prognostic significancy for 1-year mortality. Multivariate analysis restricted to those patients aged over 75 years showed that age but not gender had independent prognostic value. In conclusion, age and female sex have independent prognostic value for predicting mortality in patients with AMI. Mortality increases exponentially with ageing in men whereas it stabilises in the case of women over 65 years. Female gender loses its independent value for predicting mortality in patients over 75 years.     

Concentrations and chromatographic profile of DDT metabolites and polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) residues in stranded beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from the St. Lawrence Estuary,Canada

The concentrations and high resolution gas Chromatographic profiles of DDT metabolites and polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) congeners were determined in blubber, liver, kidney and lung tissue and milk samples of stranded beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) collected at localities along the coasts of the Saint Lawrence Estuary, Canada from November 1983 through December 1984. The analyses indicate that the major PCB components of the tissues were 2,2,5,5-tétra-, 2,2,4,4,5-penta-, 2,2,3,4,4,5-hexa-, 2,2,4,4,5,5-hexa-, 2, 2,3,3,4,5-hexa-, 2,3,3,5,5,6-hexa-, 2,2,3,4, 5,5,6-hepta- and 2,2,3,4,4,5,5-heptachlorobiphenyls. Although the highest organochlorine chemical concentrations were found primarily in the blubber, concentrations of 1.72 g/g for PCB and 2.04 g/g for DDT were determined in one milk sample. No correlation was established between PCB,p,p-DDE and DDT concentrations and the fat content of the kidney liver and lung tissues. The Chromatographie patterns of the PCB congeners were similar from one tissue to another with the exception of the kidney; the profile indicates the retention of PCB congeners which are minor components in the other tissues. Relations of residue concentrations between tissue are described and the significance of congener-specific PCB analysis is discussed in terms of the structureactivity effects on PCB persistence and toxicity.Portions of this work were presented at the Sixth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Vancouver, British Columbia, November 22–26, 1985.     

Organochlorine residues in fish and fishery products from the Northwest Atlantic

The residues of polycholorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and DDT (p,p-DDT and its metabolites) were determined in fish collected at various sites off the Atlantic Coast of Canada during 1971 and 1972. The results of analyses of 261 samples representing 29 species of Crustacea, bivalves and finfish, indicated widespread distribution of these contaminants and preferential accumulation in lipid rich specimens. Only fatty specimens of pelagic finfish consistently contained more than 0.1 g/g of PCB and DDT. Bluefin tuna was the only species with residues frequently in excess of 1 g/g. No appreciable differences were observed in residue levels of specimens taken during different years or in specimens taken at different sampling sites. A total of 83 samples representing 7 selected tissues and fishery products were also analyzed for PCB and DDT. No residues of lindane, aldrin, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide and methoxychlor, and only very low levels of dieldrin and hexachlorobenzene were present in the 104 samples examined for these residues.     

Measuring the impact of onychomycosis on patient quality of life

According to survey research, onychomycosis, a fungal infection of the toenail or fingernail, affects quality of life including physical and social functioning and emotional health. We developed an onychomycosis disease-specific questionnaire (ODSQ) that sensitively assessed symptom distress, functional impact, and social stigma associated with the disease. Samples of patients enrolled in a randomized controlled clinical trial were used for the psychometric evaluations. The multi-item scales were internally consistent ( 0.80) and reproducible (ICC > 0.85). Interscale correlations between the ODSQ and generic scales were moderate and consistent with the hypothesized magnitude and directions. Construct validation, employing known groups analysis, supported the hypothesized impact of onychomycosis on three domains of quality of life: physical functioning, emotional health, and social functioning. Significant differences were found between clinically cured, improved, or failed patients, and between mycologically eradicated and persistent patients. The ODSQ was responsive to clinical change and more sensitive than derived Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 scales. The ODSQ provides reliable, validated and responsive information about the consequences of onychomycosis and its treatment.     

Time trends of organochlorine chemical residues in seven sedentary marine fish species from a Norwegian fjord during the period 1972–1982

The time trend in the DDT contamination of the marine environment in a Norwegian fjord where DDT has been used extensively in local fruitgrowing, has been studied for 10 years following the DDT ban. Residues of -DDT (p,p-DDT + 1.11p,p-DDE + 1.11p,p-TDE (DDD). The factor 1.11 is added to correct for the lower molecular weight) in 225 liver samples of seven sedentary fish species showed a downward trend during the period 1972 to 1982. The decrease in -DDT illustrates the effectiveness of the 1970 ban on its use in Norway. The highest 1982 mean level of -DDT was found in the liver of cod (Gadus morhua) (1237 g/kg, wet weight, range 191–3845 g/kg) and was about 1/3 of the corresponding 1972 residue level. The decrease of -DDT was less rapid in the liver of the cod and the haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) (half-life time 5.0 years with a 95% confidence limit of 2.3 years) than in the fish species sea scorpion (Myoxocephalus scorpius), cat fish (Anarhichas lupus), ballan wrasse (Labrus berggylta) and lemon sole (Microstomus kitt) (half-life time 2.6 years with a 95% confidence limit of 0.8 years). Cod and haddock have a substantially higher fat content in the liver compared to the other fish species. A half-life time of 3–5 years for biologically available DDT residues is suggested to apply generally to Nordic marine environments. Unmetabolized DDT constitute a smaller proportion of -DDT in 1982 than in the previous years. However, a great variation between species and individuals was found. PCB contamination in the fish was low, and reflect a Norwegian baseline contamination. The highest 1982 mean level of PCB residues was found in cod liver (454 g/kg, wet weight, range 175–1073 g/kg) which was about 1/3 of the 1972 value. The levels of -DDT and PCBs were correlated to fish weight in the cod. These two types of residues were mutually correlated over all weights. No correlation was found between the fat content of the liver and the residue level of organochlorine chemicals within the species. Only low levels of contamination by hexachlorobenzene (HCB), -, -HCH and -chlordane were found in 1982. The highest levels were found in cod liver (HCB 6–26; -HCH 6–16; -HCH 4–140;-chlordane = oxychlordane + transnonachlor 38–220 g/kg, wet weight). The levels of organochlorines in fish from a Norwegian fjord were generally low and not believed to have any toxicological implications.     

Sublethal Effects of Trace Metals (Cd,Cr, Cu,Hg) on Embryogenesis and Larval Settlement of the Ascidian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ciona intestinalis</Emphasis>

Toxicity of Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), and Mercury (Hg) on the early developmental stages of Ciona intestinalis was investigated. Developmental defects of larvae after exposure of gametes throughout their development to the larval stage were assessed. Gamete exposure to increasing metal concentrations resulted in a significant decrease of the percentage of normally hatched larvae, showing median effective concentrations (EC₅₀) of 721 g/L (6.42 M) for Cd, 12772 g/L (226 M) for Cr, 36.6 g/L (0.576 M) for Cu, and 44.7 g/L (0.223 M) for Hg. Larval attachment was significantly affected when gametes were exposed to the metals throughout development. The EC₅₀ reducing larval attachment by 50% were 752 g/L (6.7 M) for Cd, 15026 g/L (289 M) for Cr, 67.8 g/L (1.607 M) for Cu, and 78.1 g/L (0.389 M) for Hg. Therefore, on a molar basis Hg is three times more toxic than Cu, 20–30 times more than Cd, and 700–1000 times more toxic than Cr, for both responses.     

Seasonal variation of trace metal concentrations in the digestive gland of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis: Comparison between a polluted and a non-polluted site

Seasonal changes in metal (Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn) concentrations were observed in the digestive gland of the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, from both a polluted and a non-polluted population. Digestive gland of mussels from the polluted site showed metal concentrations appreciably higher than in non-polluted organisms, especially for Pb (up to 160 g/g d.w.), Mn (up to 300 g/g d.w.), and Fe (up to 8,500 g/g d.w.), whereas the two populations showed maximum mean values, respectively, of 34 and 20 g/g d.w. for Cu and 170 and 120 g/g d.w. for Zn.Over 1 year (1991), differences between maximum and minimum values were moderate only in the unpolluted organisms. During gametogenesis, while the metal concentrations (expressed as g/g dry weight) decreased in the digestive gland, the tissue burden (as g) in that organ remained nearly constant or increased slightly.The apparent decrease in metal concentrations was probably due to the penetration of gonadic tissues into the digestive gland during gametogenesis, which biologically diluted metal concentrations in mussels from both the polluted and unpolluted populations. The effect of mussel size on trace metal concentrations in the digestive gland was demonstrated during different stages of the reproductive cycle. Higher concentrations were found in smaller organisms; however, during the spawning period, due to the fact that this is not a synchronous process within a population, the organisms exhibit a high variability in digestive gland weight which can mask this relationship when digestive gland weight is used as a size-index and as a parameter of the trace metal digestive gland burden.     

Polychlorobiphenyls, ΣDDT,and hexachlorocyclohexane isomers in the western North Pacific ecosystem

Polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), DDT (p,p-DDT,p,p-DDD, andp,p-DDE and HCH isomers (hexachlorocyclohexanes including , , and isomers) were determined in a marine food chain, including seawater, zooplankton, myctophid, squid and striped dolphin collected from the western North Pacific waters. The concentrations of these pollutants increased in higher trophic levels, where the highest bioconcentration factors (concentration ratio in organisms to water), as much as 10⁷, were obtained from both PCBs and DDT in striped dolphin. The proportions of highly chlorinated biphenyls,p,p-DDE and -HCH increased in higher-ranking predators. These observations suggest that the bioaccumulation mechanisms in lower trophic levels depend primarily on the physicochemical properties of pollutants, whereas those in higher trophic levels are affected by the biodegradability of the pollutants and the metabolic capacity and life-span of the organisms.     

The Intendedness of Pregnancy: A Concept in Transition

Background: Although interest in the intendedness or the planning status of a pregnancy goes back many centuries, it is only since 1941 that questions about these issues have been asked systematically in large-scale surveys. More recently, questions about intendedness have become standard features of the National Survey of Family Growth and of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). Interest in and concern about the large numbers of unintended pregnancies reported in those surveys resulted in an Institute of Medicine report on the subject and the inclusion of a national health objective for increasing the proportion of pregnancies that are intended in Healthy People 2000 and Healthy People 2010. Needs: The terms, intended, unintended, mistimed, wanted, unwanted, and planned are often used without significant attention being paid to their meaning or how they are derived from survey questions. There is a particular need to distinguish between terms that define attitudes and those that define behaviors. In addition, research has revealed that women are often happy despite experiencing an unintended pregnancy and that contraceptive failures do not always result in a report of an unintended pregnancy. Objectives: Researchers have begun to ask questions about the meaning of the intendedness concept and its relationship to what women express as their feelings about pregnancies and births. This article, and this entire issue, is an attempt to make the reader aware of the current issues in this area and to suggest additional research that is needed to enable policy makers and program planners to design programs that will better assist couples in meeting their fertility goals.     

Organochlorine pesticide contaminations in human milk samples from women living in Amman,Jordan

Concentrations of 15 organochlorine pesticides were determined by capillary gas chromatography in 59 human milk samples collected from the general population during 1989/1990 in the Jordanian capital of Amman. In addition to hexachlorbenzene (HCB), three groups of organochlorine compounds namely, DDT and its metabolites, hexachlorcyclohexane (HCH-isomers) and the cyclopentadiene group (aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, and heptachlor epoxide) were analyzed.The results show that almost all samples contained HCB, -HCH, p,p-DDE and p,p-DDT, whereas p,p-DDD, heptachlor, -HCH, -HCH and o,pDDT were found in 42, 40, 33, 22 and 20 analyzed samples, respectively. The concentration of HCB, -HCH, p,p-DDE, p,p-DDT and heptachlor expressed on a milk-fat basis (median in mg/kg milk fat): 0.29, 0.4, 2.04, and 0.7 respectively.For the comparative purposes and in order to try to find the possible sources of mother-milk contaminations, different types of locally produced and imported cow milk samples were also analyzed for the same organochlorine compounds. Almost all types of tested milk were contaminated with p,p-DDE.     

Lung contamination among foundry workers

Summary Ten iron foundry workers representing typical foundry occupations were examined. The amount of lung contamination was estimated after the workers' thoracic area had been magnetized and the remanent magnetic field measured. Chest radiographs were classified according to the siderotic, silicotic, and nonspecific changes found; and the changes were then divided into four categories.The preliminary results of the electron micrographs indicated that the size and shape of the pollutants varied greatly according to the type of foundry site. In addition, the estimated amount of lung contaminants in the subjects varied between 30 and 600 mg. A good correlation (r=0.86) was obtained between radiological siderotic and silicotic changes, and the correlation between both of these radiological findings and the measured average permanent magnetic field was rather good (r=0.60). There was no correlation between the estimated exposure (neither length nor magnitude) and the amount of retained lung contaminants, and therefore a balance between retention and clearance seemed to have been achieved. These results indicate that the magnetic measuring method can be used to evaluate the amount of lung contaminants retained by foundry workers.     

Occupational exposure to hexachlorocyclohexane

Summary In a lindane (-hexachlorocyclohexane =-benzenehexachloride)-producing factory 57 workers were studied with regard to their blood levels of the three hexachlorocyclohexane isomers:-, -, and-HCH. The TLV-TWA (MAK value 1979) for-HCH of 0.5 mg/m³ was not exceeded at any of the workplaces where HCH is synthesized and purified to lindane. Additionally, in some of the workers samples of s.c. adipose tissue were taken for determination of HCH-isomer content. An external group of 20 clerks was examined in the same way for control purposes.In contrast to the control persons, none of whom had HCH-concentrations in serum above the respective detection limits, the values determined in serum of the exposed workers were in the following ranges:-HCH: 10–273 g/l,-HCH: 17–760 g/l, and-HCH: 5-188 g/l. Of special interest is the observation of a significant increase of-HCH-concentration in serum with the time of employment in lindane production, indicating a pronounced accumulation of this substance in the human organism. Concentrations of this isomer in s.c. adipose tissues were about 300-fold higher than in serum. A significant correlation between both parameters could be established.The results of this study show that adherence to the TLV-TWA of-HCH is not sufficient for control of HCH-exposure. Furthermore, biological monitoring of exposed workers is necessary taking into account the three more important isomers-, -, and-HCH.     

Plasmid-specified aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae

In 106 clinical isolates of multiresistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains, we found that aminoglycoside-resistance was due mostly to two adenylating enzymes: AAD (2) (56.6%), that modifies gentamicin, kanamycin, tobramycin and sissomicin, and AAD (3) 9 (56.6% + 19.8%) that modifies streptomycin and spectinomycin. The identification of these enzymes was possible by MICs determination against a set of aminoalycosides antibiotics. AAD (2) + AAD (3) 9 were coded by conjugative plasmid of about 120 Md.