A bacterium that is able to utilize a number of halogenated short-chain hydrocarbons and halogenated carboxylic acids as sole carbon source for growth was identified as a strain of Xanthobacter autotrophicus. The organism constitutively produces two different dehalogenases. One enzyme is specific for halogenated alkanes, whereas the other, which is more heat stable and has a higher pH optimum, ...

General concepts concerning models, their logical and analogical status, are briefly outlined. The use of compartmental models to simulate the kinetics of compounds in the environment is illustrated by a discussion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and oceans and its uptake by plants. The application of compartmental models to the kinetics of organochlorine compounds in vertebrates and in eco...

Henna (Lawsonia inermis) has been used for centuries as a herbal hair and skin dye, but very little is known about its additives and contaminants that could adversely affect human health. An analytical method was developed to determine organochlorine compounds in henna, as they are still widely used in the areas where henna is grown. Samples were sonicated with n-hexane, extracts cleansed on Fl...

Human milk and food of animal origin (milk, meat, and fish) have been analysed over several decades for the DDT-complex, PCBs, HCB, and HCH-isomers. Human milk has also been analysed for PCDDs and PCDFs. Human milk samples were collected in six inland sites and one island, and food samples in marketplaces and individual households throughout Croatia. All human milk samples contained DDE and PCB...

the levels of 19 organochlorine pesticides (ocps) in surface water and under water sedimentsfrom tanks located nearby the prime agricultural areas of kanyakumari district, tamil nadu, india wereinvestigated to evaluate their pollution risks. a total of 36 surface water samples at 9 sampling sites and27 sediment samples at 9 sampling stations were collected from tanks, which were the water sourc...

OBJECTIVES Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) is a highly lipophilic organochlorine compound of widespread environmental occurrence, that accumulates in the biological system. It affects the porphyrine metabolism, thyroid hormones, and the liver function in animals. Although HCB is one of the most common organochlorine compound in humans, little investigation on its health effects has been done. Polychlor...

The most commonly used passive air sampler (PAS) (i.e. polyurethane foam (PUF) disk) is cheap, versatile, and capable of accumulating compounds present both in gas and particle phases. Its performance for particle associated compounds is however disputable. In this study, twelve sets of triplicate PUF-PAS were deployed outdoors for exposure periods of 1-12 weeks together with continuously opera...

BACKGROUND Persistent organic pollutants represent about 95 % of the industrial sector effluents in Egypt. Contamination of the River Nile water with various pesticides poses a hazardous risk to both human and environmental compartments. Therefore, a large scale monitoring study was carried on pesticides pollution in three geographical main regions along the River Nil water stream, Egypt. MET...

We investigated whether organochlorine exposure is associated with the incidence of infectious diseases in Inuit infants from Nunavik (Arctic Quebec, Canada). We compiled the number of infectious disease episodes during the first year of life for 98 breast-fed and 73 bottle-fed infants. Concentrations of organochlorines were measured in early breast milk samples and used as surrogates to prenat...

Atmospheric concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been measured for the first time at Station Nord, North-East Greenland, from 2008 to 2010. The data obtained are reported here. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), endosulfan I and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) were the predominant compounds detected in the atmosphere, followed by p,p'-DDE and dieldrin. Chlordane isomers and related compo...