One gram of dry plant material was pressed into a pellet using a Parr pellet press having a 0.5 in. bore. The pellet was wrapped in a 1.5-in. square of Whatman No. 41 filter paper and placed in the platinum holder of the 5-1. combustion flask. Gases were absorbed in the flask using the solution of Lysyj and Zarembo (1958). This consisted of 100 ml of a solution containing 6 % hydrogen peroxide and adjusted with 0.02 N sodium hydroxide to the methyl red endpoint. Combustion was conducted as previously described (Gutenmann and Lisk, 1960). The flask was rinsed with 50 ml of distilled water, which was then combined with the original absorbing solution and made to a total volume of 150 ml with water. An aliquot of this solution up to 50 ml was taken for analysis. The determination of sulfur was performed by the published method (Standard Methods, 1965).

Zebra and quagga mussels were collected from Lakes Erie and Ontario in 1997 and the soft mussel tissues were analyzed for Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, V and Zn. No consistent relationships were apparent when comparing element concentrations in soft mussel tissues and mussel type, size range or sampling location. Literature dealing with the absorption of metals by both mussel types is reviewed.

Epidemiological studies suggest a higher risk of hematopoietic disorders including lymphoma among cosmetologists. The etiology of these disorders among cosmetologists is unknown, but beauticians are exposed to a wide variety of chemicals in the workplace. In this study, the urinary mutagenicity of cosmetologists was studied as an indicator of occupational exposure. A microsuspension modification of the Ames assay with Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 was used to detect direct-acting mutagens and promutagens in urine. A comparable group of teachers of similar age and gender, and living in the same geographic area was used as the control group. There was no elevated risk for urinary mutagenicity among the cosmetologists after controlling for a number of confounders including smoking. In a multivariate model, smoking regularly or within 24 h of sample collection was found to be positively associated with urinary mutagenicity among both groups. The number of cigarettes smoked daily, age, and length of employment were not associated with urinary mutagenicity. Analysis of urine samples collected successively from each participant showed a fair to good agreement between promutagens in samples, suggesting a fairly constant exposure to promutagens.

Metalaxyl is a fungicide used for control of Pythium spp. diseases in turfgrass. The downward migration of metalaxyl was studied in irrigated lysimeters containing a fine sandy loam soil alone or sand amended with composted brewery waste, composted sewage sludge, peat or zeolite by analysis of the fungicide in leachates collected up to 65 days post application. The Arkport sandy loam soil and sand containing peat, brewery waste or sewage sludge amendments showed somewhat similar patterns of metalaxyl in collected leachates increasing from not detectable initially to peak concentrations between 14 and 21 days after first irrigation and decreasing thereafter. The peak concentrations were in the order: brewery waste > peat > sludge > Arkport sandy loam. In the lysimeter treatments containing sand amended with zeolite, the downward migration of the fungicide with time after application generally increased with the highest attained concentration in the leachate inversely proportional to the total amount of zeolite in the respective lysimeter sand profile. Only small percentages (ranging from 0.21 to 1.22) of the total applied fungicide were accounted for in the leachates. The literature is reviewed and the possible mechanisms of fungicide losses are discussed.

Smelt (Osmerus mordax) were netted from Cayuga Lake in Central New York State and analyzed for mercury concentration. There was no statistical significance (p > 0.05) when attempting to correlate mercury concentration with fish length or weight for either sex. Factors affecting methylation, demethylation and absorption of mercury are discussed.

A study was conducted to learn if the extent of selenium uptake by onions grown on coal fly ash-amended growth media would be influenced by the particle size distribution of the fly ash. Two fly ashes having differing percentages of finely sized particles were used as plant growth amendments at percentages in the media to yield equal concentrations of selenium. Selenium concentrations in the harvested onion bulbs were found to be independent of fly ash particle size distribution.

Previous research showed that treatment with selenium-enriched garlic (Se-garlic) was able to inhibit the initiation phase of mammary carcinogenesis in the dimethyl-benz[a]anthracene (DMBA) model in rats. The present study was designed to investigate the following parameters: 1) DMBA-DNA adduct formation in liver and mammary gland, 2) urinary excretion of DMBA metabolites, 3) phase I and phase II xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes, and 4) tissue selenium levels as a function of Se-garlic supplementation. Prior feeding with an Se-garlic-containing diet (at 3 ppm Se) for two weeks resulted in a consistent reduction of all DMBA adducts in liver and mammary gland. This was accompanied by a 40% increase in urinary excretion of DMBA metabolites over a two-day period. Several liver P-450 enzymes were examined in rats fed a diet supplemented with 1, 2, or 3 ppm Se. Compared with controls receiving 0.1 ppm Se, no significant alteration in activity was detected with respect to P-450 1A1 (responsible for DMBA activation), 1A2, 2B1, 2E1, and 3A4. In contrast, glutathione S-transferase and uridine 5'-diphosphate-glucuronyltransferase activities were elevated to a maximum of 2- to 2.5-fold in liver and kidney. As expected, there was a dose-dependent elevation of selenium concentrations in liver, kidney, mammary gland, and plasma as a function of the level of Se-garlic supplementation. Our data seem to suggest that an increased detoxification of carcinogen via the phase II conjugating enzymes might represent a mechanism of tumor suppression by Se-garlic.

Previous work has shown that the efficacy of cancer prevention by selenium-enriched garlic (Se-garlic) is primarily dependent on the action of selenium, An aqueous extract containing 43 mu g Se/ml was prepared from lyophilized Se-garlic powder by the Soxhlet method, The activity of this Se-garlic extract was evaluated in a transformed mammary epithelial cell culture model for its effect on cell morphology, cell growth, cell cycle progression and the induction of single and double stranded breaks in DNA, Comparisons were also made with a similarly prepared extract from regular garlic, Se-methylselenocysteine (a major water-soluble seleno-amino acid identified in Se-garlic) and selenite (used for fertilizing Se-garlic), In contrast to the regular garlic extract which produced little or no modulation of the above parameters, treatment with the Se-garlic extract resulted in growth inhibition, G(1) phase cell cycle arrest and apoptotic DNA double strand breaks in the absence of DNA single strand breaks, This pattern of cellular responses was duplicated with exposure to Se-methylselenocysteine. Selenite, on the other hand, induced cell cycle blockage in the S/G(2)-M phase, and a marked increase in DNA single strand breaks (a measure of genotoxicity) in addition to growth suppression, The chemopreventive efficacy of the two garlic extracts was also investigated in the rat methylnitrosourea mammary tumor model, Both extracts were supplemented in the diet for 1 month immediately following carcinogen administration, Significant cancer protection was observed with treatment by the Se-garlic extract (at 3 p.p.m. Se in the diet), while little benefit was noted with treatment by the regular garlic extract, Based on the above in vitro and in vivo findings, it is hypothesized that the Se-garlic extract, in part via the action of Se-methylselenocysteine, is able to inhibit tumorigenesis by suppressing the proliferation and reducing the survival of the early transformed cells, Furthermore, the data also support the concept that the modulation of certain in vitro markers may be of value in predicting the effectiveness of novel forms of selenium for cancer prevention.

Selenium is an essential element for animals and humans and is deficient in soils in the Northeastern United States. Coal fly ash added to soils has been shown to serve as a source of selenium for absorption by plants. It was of interest to study the uptake of selenium by plants if coal fly ash was added to peat moss pots in which the plants were grown prior to transfer of the potted plants to the field. Onions were grown in peat moss pots containing a vermiculite-spaghnum peat mono mixture to which were added increasing (10, 25 and 50) weight percentages of fly ash. After transfer of the pots to a field soil, the harvested onion bulbs were freeze-dried and analyzed for selenium. Whereas there were no significant differences in the concentrations of selenium in onions grown in the media containing 0 (control), 10 or 25% fly ash, those grown in the media containing 50% fly ash were significantly higher (p < 0.001). The agricultural implications of these findings are discussed.

An analytical survey of elements in ashes sampled nationwide from veterinary college incinerators was reported earlier (Thompson et al. 1995). It was of interest to observe the variation in the elemental composition of ashes sampled repeatedly with time from the same incinerator. In 1995, eleven samples of ash were taken at approximately weekly intervals from the incinerator at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Twenty four elements were determined using several analytical procedures as well as organic matter, pH and soluble salts. In general, the concentrations of the various analytes are remarkably similar as a function of the time of sampling. Whereas the concentrations of most elements were well below those found in ashes from municipal solid waste incinerators, elements such as Ca, Mg and P were much higher, expectedly deriving from animal bones, teeth and other tissues. Factors affecting the chemistry of elements during incineration are discussed.

Downward migration of the fungicide, metalaxyl (N-(2, 6-dimethylphenyl)-N-(methoxyacetyl)-alanine methyl eater) in irrigated creeping bentgrass (Agrostic palustris Huds) sand lysimeters was studied as a function of two factors: (1) amending sand with pest and (2) density of the bentgrass turf. Based on the determination of metalaxyl in leachates collected at specific intervals following fungicide application, the presence of pest in the sand delayed the downward migration of the fungicide. The percentages of total applied matalaxyl found in the collected leachates generally decreased as turf density and surface organic matter increased. Literature on the subject of the downward migration of metalaxyl in soils is reviewed. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd

Organic mercury fungicides were applied to apple trees for many years for controlling fungus-borne diseases of the fruit such as scab. It was of interest to study the magnitude of residues of mercury remaining in such orchard soils long after fungicide use ended and possible downward migration of mercury. Soils were collected at increasing depths down to 12 inches from 4 apple orchards in Ontario, Canada that had received annual application of mercury fungicides at least 65 years ago. Analysis of the samples showed that total mercury concentration diminished in a linear fashion with increasing sampling depth.

Sodium arsenite was used for vine control and fall weed control in potatoes on Long Island for many years. Lead arsenate may also have been used as an insecticide in certain areas. A study was conducted to determine remaining concentrations of arsenic and lead in potato soils on Long Island. The total concentrations of both arsenic and lead were markedly higher in the soils sampled than in untreated control soils. The behavior of arsenic and lead in soils is discussed.

While appreciable attention has been given to the elemental composition of ashes from municipal solid waste incinerators, relatively little information is available on the elemental content of incinerators burning animal carcasses and medical wastes. In the work reported here, an analytical survey was conducted of the concentration of 22 elements in the ashes of incinerators located at veterinary colleges or animal disease diagnostic laboratories in seven states. With the exception of Zn, the concentrations of most elements were well below those found in ashes from municipal solid waste incinerators. Conversely, Ca, P and K were much higher in concentration probably deriving largely from bones, teeth and other organs of animals. There was an indication that burned plastic wastes were a source of Pb in the ashes. The concentrations of several toxic elements varied widely probably due to variations in initial waste composition, incinerator design and operating parameters. The concentrations of soluble salts in the ashes were appreciable. Organic matter in the ashes was low to nondetectable indicating the completeness of incineration.

Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) natively contain very high concentrations of selenium. Since dietary selenium, including Brazil nuts, have been associated with protection against tumor development in laboratory animal studies, it was of interest to determine the selenium content of the nuts from different nut-growing regions of Brazil. In the work reported, 162 nuts from each of two regions (Acre-Rondonia and Manaus-Belem) were individually analyzed for selenium. The average i standard deviation and range of selenium concentrations in ppm, fresh weight for nuts from Acre-Rondonia and Manaus-Belem regions were, respectively, 3.06 ± 4.01 (0.03–31.7) and 36.0 ± 50.0 (1.25–512.0). The toxicology of Brazil nut consumption is discussed.

An earlier study showed that fall application of the fungicide, triadimefon to sandy turfgrass lysimeter plots resulted in rapid appearance of the metabolite, triadimenol in collected leachates but only occasional presence of the parent fungicide. In the present study, it was shown that, if after such fall applications, leachates are collected and analyzed through the following winter and spring, residues of the metabolite, triadimenol, are detectable as late as early June. Factors influencing these results are discussed.

Lead arsenate was used for pest control in fruit orchards for many years in the United States, and its residues remain in most of these soils. Since arsenic and lead are toxic and only slightly mobile in soils, an analytical survey was conducted in 1993 to determine the concentrations of these elements persisting in soil samples from 13 older and newer orchards in New York State. Concentrations of arsenic and lead ranged, respectively, from 1.60 to 141 and from 1.48 to 720 (ppm, dry wt). Significant (P < 0.01, n = 13) pairwise correlations were observed among concentrations of these elements: As vs. Pb r = 0.97), As vs. Hg (r = 0.79), and Pb vs. Hg (r = 0.83). Despite previous reports of phytotoxicity to fruit trees, elevated arsenic concentrations did not significantly reduce the dry weights of apple (Malus domestica) seedlings grown in pasteurized soil from these orchards. The general environmental effects and best management strategies for arsenic and lead in orchard soils are discussed including phytotoxicity of arsenic and its uptake and accumulation in plants, ingestion by small mammal herbivores and their predators in orchards, and ways to minimize potential adverse effects on humans.

Residues of p,p'-DDE were found in lake trout sampled in 1993 from Little Moose Lake located remotely in the Adirondack region of New York State. Length accounted for 81% of the variation in p,p'-DDE concentration when the data was fit to an exponential model. The presence of p,p'-DDE in the fish was believed due to its long persistence in the aquatic environment following applications of DDT in the 1950s for control of black flies and mosquitoes.

Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) is one of very few consumable products with exceptionally high levels of selenium. The mean selenium concentrations of two shipments of Brazil nut used in the present study were determined to be 16 and 30 micrograms/g. In contrast, most common foods contain much less selenium, from 0.01 to 1 micrograms/g. Previous research on selenium cancer chemoprevention invariably used a pure compound, whereas little information is available on the efficacy of selenium delivered naturally in a food form. This paper reports the results of two mammary cancer prevention experiments in the rat dimethylbenz[a]anthracene model by continuous feeding of selenium-rich Brazil nut (processed to a smooth-textured nut material for mixing in the diet). A dose-dependent inhibitory response was observed at dietary selenium concentrations of 1-3 micrograms/g. Interestingly, Brazil nut was found to be just as powerful as sodium selenite, if not more so, at similar levels of dietary selenium intake. Mammary cancer protection gland, and plasma. The magnitude of tissue selenium accumulation was proportional to the amount of Brazil nut added to the diet. The nutritional biopotency of selenium in Brazil nut was also evaluated by the repletion of two selenoenzymes, glutathione peroxidase and type I 5'-deiodinase, in selenium-deficient rats. Supplementation with Brazil nut as the sole source of selenium produced an efficient gradient of enzyme restoration at 0.05-0.2 microgram/g of dietary selenium. A parallel comparison with sodium selenite indicated that the selenium in Brazil nut and selenite selenium were equally bioactive. Although at this point it can only be inferred that the above biologic effects are likely to be attributable to the high selenium content of Brazil nut, there is persuasive evidence to suggest that the models under investigation are responding to the selenium rather than to the other components of Brazil nut.

Wastes generated during leather tanning are commonly added to some commercially available organic fertilizers. Since such tannery wastes are typically high in chromium, the possibility of absorption of the metal by crops was of interest. Swiss chard was grown on a soil amended with 5, 10 or 15 percent of a tannery waste fertilizer. Significantly higher concentrations of chromium were found in swiss chard grown on the 10% and 15% treatments versus that in the control chard. Plant growth inhibition was noted at the 10% and 15% rates of tannery waste soil incorporation.