Indication of pollution in a teaching and research farm reservoir

The production and productivity of a water body is largely dependent on its quality. One major source of water pollution is from the agrochemicals from nearby farmlands. The quality of water in the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching and Research Farm Reservoir (Ile-Ife, Nigeria) was monitored between October, 1993 and March, 1994. Structured questionnaires were administered to obtain information on the types of agrochemicals in use on the farm. Water samples were collected fortnightly for analyses of the physico-chemical parameters and ionic content of the water. Investigation revealed that 21 agrochemicals had been in use on the farm. The physico-chemical parameters of the water showed that the water was very poor in nutrient. The high concentration of ammonium ion contents of the water shows an indication that the residues of certain agrochemicals got into the water to pollute it. Agrochemicals should be used with great caution on farmlands especially in areas close to water bodies from which man obtains fish and other proteinous foods. This paper also suggests a regular monitoring of water quality of reservoirs in order to pick the earliest signs of pollutio

Animal poisonings in Belgium: a review of the past decade

This review focuses on poisonings in companion animals, including horses, farm animals and wildlife, investigated and recorded during the past ten years at the Laboratory of Toxicology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Ghent University) and the National Poison Centre in Belgium. The causative agents of poisoning incidents vary among the different species. The Laboratory of Toxicology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine reports that the majority of poisoning incidents in companion animals, and especially in dogs and cats, are due to contact with insecticides and pesticides, whereas horses are more frequently poisoned by plant toxins. Farm animals, on the other hand, are mainly intoxicated by heavy metals, toxic plants and agrochemicals. The Belgian Poison Centre reports that intoxications in companion animals are mostly with agrochemicals, household products and drugs, whereas in farm animals intoxications with agrochemicals are a common problem. This review gives an overview of the most common causes of intoxication and their association with the different animal species. In addition, some rare or difficult to diagnose intoxications are described, which account for a small number of poisoning cases

Estimation of the solubility parameters of model plant surfaces and agrochemicals: a valuable tool for understanding plant surface interactions

Background Most aerial plant parts are covered with a hydrophobic lipid-rich cuticle, which is the interface between the plant organs and the surrounding environment. Plant surfaces may have a high degree of hydrophobicity because of the combined effects of surface chemistry and roughness. The physical and chemical complexity of the plant cuticle limits the development of models that explain its internal structure and interactions with surface-applied agrochemicals. In this article we introduce a thermodynamic method for estimating the solubilities of model plant surface constituents and relating them to the effects of agrochemicals. Results Following the van Krevelen and Hoftyzer method, we calculated the solubility parameters of three model plant species and eight compounds that differ in hydrophobicity and polarity. In addition, intact tissues were examined by scanning electron microscopy and the surface free energy, polarity, solubility parameter and work of adhesion of each were calculated from contact angle measurements of three liquids with different polarities. By comparing the affinities between plant surface constituents and agrochemicals derived from (a) theoretical calculations and (b) contact angle measurements we were able to distinguish the physical effect of surface roughness from the effect of the chemical nature of the epicuticular waxes. A solubility parameter model for plant surfaces is proposed on the basis of an increasing gradient from the cuticular surface towards the underlying cell wall. Conclusions The procedure enabled us to predict the interactions among agrochemicals, plant surfaces, and cuticular and cell wall components, and promises to be a useful tool for improving our understanding of biological surface interactions

Risk factors associated with chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (Ckdu) in North Central Province (NCP) of Sri Lanka: An analysis of evidence to date

© 2020 The Authors. Published by [Name of Publisher]. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://acquaintpublications.org/journals/journal-of-medical-case-reports-and-case-series/current-issue/12Chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) is a global burden among the agricultural communities, this is a non-communicable disease (NCD) which is asymptomatic and irreversible until latter stages of the disease. The disease has no common features unlike chronic kidney diseases (CKD’s) making early detection impossible in the patients. The most recent form of CKDu was reported in India, known as the Indian CKDu in late 2010’s. In Sri Lanka, CKDu is highly prevalent in the north central province of the country with nearly15.1%-22.9% presented with the disease. This region is a dry-zone in which agricultural and farming activities are carried out as the main occupation. Several studies have been carried out linking CKDu to various factors such as heavy metals in water, agrochemicals, heat, dehydration and socio-demographics in NCP. Despite several researches being conducted none of them were able to prove the root cause and causative factors of the disease. Using the available articles online, studies from countries such as India, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka and South America were chosen in which heat stress, dehydration, heavy metal involvement, agrochemicals were common causative factors reported in these geographical locations. Several studies analyzed indicate that the affected CKDu population were part of the agricultural community in rural areas with less or no proper high school education and family history with CKDu. Recent findings do suggest that a combination study involving socio-demographical data and geographical data will help to end the CKDu debate worldwide and provide new insights into early diagnosis

Resource Use Efficiency of Millet/Cowpea Intercropping in Niger State, Nigeria

The study examined the profitability and resources-use efficiency of millet/cowpea mixed farmers production in Niger state Nigeria. The primary data for the study was obtained using structured questionnaire administered to 80 randomly sampled farmers in Kotangora Local Government Area of Niger State. Farm budgeting technique and exponential production function were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the estimated gross margin, net farm income, gross ratio, operating ratio and returns on investment are N57,542.42 per hectare, N54,240.40 per hectare, 0.37, 0.31 and 2.15. The regression result shows that seed and family labour were statistically significant at 1% level of probability, while farm size and hired labour were statistically significant at 5% level of probability. The allocative efficiency results show that seeds, family labour and agrochemicals were under-utilized. Farm size and hired labour were over-utilized. Efficiency and productivity could be improved if the farmers use more seed, family labour, agrochemicals, less of hired labour and land.Crop Production/Industries,

Syngenta -- The Genome Giant?

Swiss gene giant Syngenta, the world's largest agrochemical corporation and third largest seed company (see tables) has applied for patents that could effectively allow the company to monopolize key gene sequences that are vital for rice breeding as well as dozens of other plant species. While the Genome Giant "donates" rice germplasm and information to public researchers with one hand, it is attempting to monopolize rice resources with the other. Governments, public sector researchers and the United Nations must re-evaluate and reform their cozy connections to companies like Syngenta

The Blood of Going Green: Using Environmental Initiatives to Account for the Human Rights Violations of the Green Movement

Part I of this Note first illustrates the science of climate change and the push for biofuel development. Next, this Note uses human rights to define the problems associated with biofuel development in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, and introduces the environmental law framework that can address these human rights violation. Part II details the main human rights violations in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay occurring at the hands of the soy industry, and surveys the main existing certification proposals that attempt to mitigate social and environmental abuses. Finally, Part III proposes ways that developed countries can collectively mitigate the negative human rights and environmental implications from biofuel development beyond their borders by implementing a comprehensive certification scheme in climate change initiatives that contain emissions reduction requirements

THE ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF CHEMICAL USE RESTRICTIONS IN AGRICULTURE

Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries,

Genotoxicity and Cytotoxicity Exerted by Pesticides in Different Biotic Matrices-An Overview of More Than a Decade of Experimental Evaluation

Agrochemicals represent one of the most important sources of environmental pollution. Although attempts to reduce agrochemical use through organic agricultural practices and the use of other technologies to control pests continue, the problem is still unsolved. Recent technological advances in molecular biology and analytical science have allowed the development of rapid, robust, and sensitive diagnostic tests (biomarkers) that can be used to monitor exposure to, and the effects of pollution. One of the major goals of our research laboratory is to evaluate comparatively the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects exerted by several pure agrochemicals and their technical formulations commonly used in Argentina on vertebrate cells in vitro and in vivo employing several end-points for geno and cytotoxicity. Among them are listed the herbicides dicamba and flurochloridone, the fungicide zineb, the insecticides pirimicarb and imidacloprid. Overall, the results clearly demonstrated that the damage induced by the commercial formulations is in general greater than that produced by the pure pesticides, suggesting the presence of deleterious components in the excipients with either a putative intrinsic toxic effect Larramendy et al. 4 or with the capacity of exacerbating 52 the toxicity of the pure agrochemicals, or both. Accordingly, the results highlight that: 1) A complete knowledge of the toxic effect/s of the active ingredient is not enough in biomonitoring studies; 2) Pesticide/s toxic effect/s should be evaluated assaying to the commercial formulation available in market; 3) The deleterious effect/s of the excipient/s present within the commercial formulation should not be either discarded nor underestimated, and 4) A single bioassay is not enough to characterize the toxicity of a agrochemical under study.Fil: Larramendy, Marcelo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Cátedra de Citología; ArgentinaFil: Nikoloff, Noelia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Cátedra de Citología; ArgentinaFil: Ruiz de Arcaute, Celeste. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Cátedra de Citología; ArgentinaFil: Soloneski, Sonia Maria Elsa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Cátedra de Citología; Argentin