Screening of Microorganisms for Biodegradation of Simazine Pollution (Obsolete Pesticide Azotop 50 WP)

The capability of environmental microorganisms to biodegrade simazine—an active substance of 2-chloro-s-triazine herbicides (pesticide waste since 2007)—was assessed. An enormous metabolic potential of microorganisms impels to explore the possibilities of using them as an alternative way for thermal and chemical methods of utilization. First, the biotope rich in microorganisms resistant to simazine was examined. Only the higher dose of simazine (100 mg/l) had an actual influence on quantity of bacteria and environmental fungi incubated on substrate with simazine. Most simazine-resistant bacteria populated activated sludge and biohumus (vermicompost); the biggest strain of resistant fungi was found in floral soil and risosphere soil of maize. Compost and biohumus were the sources of microorganisms which biodegraded simazine, though either of them was the dominant considering the quantity of simazine-resistant microorganisms. In both cases of periodic culture (microorganisms from biohumus and compost), nearly 100% of simazine (50 mg/l) was degraded (within 8 days). After the repeated enrichment culture with simazine, the rate of its degradation highly accelerated, and just after 24 h, the significant decrease of simazine (20% in compost and 80% in biohumus) was noted. Although a dozen attempts of isolating various strains responsible for biodegradation of simazine from compost and biohumus were performed, only the strain identified as Arthrobacter urefaciens (NC) was obtained, and it biodegraded simazine with almost 100% efficiency (within 4 days)

Medication adherence among diabetic and hypertensive patients in Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia

Non-adherence to medication is often an unrecognized risk factor that contributes to failure of the therapeutic plan. The purpose of the study was to identify factors related to high, medium and low medication adherence among adult Saudi patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This study is designed as a descriptive cross sectional survey and was conducted in three tertiary care hospitals of Al-Qassim province of Saudi Arabia. The data was collected using the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) and analyzed by SPSS. Three levels of adherence were considered based on the following scores: 0 to <6 (low); 6 to <8 (medium); 8 (high). Of the 396 patients interviewed, 52% reported low adherence to prescribed medication. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted. Gender, age, literacy level, duration of illness and type of chronic disease were negatively associated with medication adherence. The study shows very high proportion of low and medium adherence on long term medication, which may be responsible for the failure of achieving therapeutic outcome. Further investigation is required to evaluate the applicability of MMAS-8 as a tool of measuring medication adherence among Saudi patients with chronic diseases. Adherence enhancing strategies should also be evaluated in separate patients group

Legal changes in the European Union to increase the safety of plant protection products use

At present, the main legal act concerning placing plant protection products on the market and ensuring the safety of plant protection products use is the Directive 91/414. It will soon be replaced. The following legal acts aiming to increase safety of the use of plant protection products have already been adopted or will be adopted in future in the European Union: - The Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides; - Directive of the European Parliament and the Council establishing a framework for Community action to achieve a sustainable use of pesticides; - The Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market and repealing Council Directives 79/117/EEC and 91/414/EEC; - Directive of the European Parliament and the Council laying down essential environmental protection requirements for the placing on the market of new pesticide application equipment and accessories. The provisions of new legal documents are presented in the paper and the possibility of their implementation in Poland is discussed briefly

Current status of registration of plant protection products in Poland

Najliczniejszą grupę zarejestrowanych w Polsce środków ochrony roślin stanowią herbicydy – 42%, a kolejną fungicydy – 33%. Insektycydy i inne środki stanowią łącznie około ¼ wszystkich zarejestrowanych preparatów. Zjawiskami zauważalnymi w rejestracji środków ochrony roślin jest ograniczanie liczby zarejestrowanych zastosowań, w tym zwłaszcza małoobszarowych oraz wzrost liczby preparatów wprowadzanych do obrotu na drodze importu równoległego. Czas rejestracji środka ochrony roślin w Polsce zgodnie z przepisami nie powinien przekraczać 16 miesięcy, w praktyce natomiast wynosi 3 lata i jego skrócenie w najbliższym czasie jest mało prawdopodobne.The most numerous group of plant protection products registered In Poland are herbicides – 42%, followed by fungicides – 33%. Insecticides and the other products together represent about ¼ of all preparations registered. In the plant protection products registration we can observe reducing the number of registered uses and increased number of preparations registered for parallel import. According to the law registration period of plant protection products shall not exceed 16 months, but in practice amounts to three years and its reduction is not very likely

Placing biopesticides on the Polish market

Placing biological plant protection products on the Polish market undergo completely different rules depending on the group they do belong: if they are micro or macro organisms. The microorganisms and viruses undergo a very strict, costly and time consuming registration procedure more or less uniform for all EU countries. Placing products belonging to this group on the Polish market requires very significant financial and time investment. The rules regarding macro organisms registration are established in EU on the member state level. In Poland at present there are no rules at all and the macro organisms used in biological control can be imported and used in Poland without any supervision. However the list of 25 biological products registered under the old regulations can be still used as a guide informing about safety and efficacy of some products

Wprowadzanie mikroorganizmów do obrotu handlowego w Polsce

The analysis of all products containing microorganisms registered in Poland for use in agriculture, whether as plant pro-tection products or as fertilizers in April 2014 shows that the market share of microbial products is not high. Only 0.75% of plant protection products and 2.7% of registered fertilizers contain microorganisms. Nine plant protection products containing 6 different microorganisms: one virus, two strains of bacteria and three fungi were placed on the Polish market. Three of them are registered as fungicides and six as insecticides. Only two uses for agriculture crops were registered; namely protection of potato against the Colorado beetle and protection of oilseed rape against diseases caused by Sclerotinia Spp. There are 21 products containing microorganisms registered in Poland according to the rules regarding fertilizers: 4 registered as fertilizers, 5 as growth stimulators, 4 as surface soil, and 8 as soil conditioners.Przeprowadzona w kwietniu 2014 analiza wszystkich produktów zawierających mikroorganizmy przeznaczonych do stosowania w rolnictwie, zarejestrowanych w Polsce jako nawozy lub jako środki ochrony roślin pokazuje, że udział w rynku tych produktów nie jest duży. Tylko 0,75% środków ochrony roślin i 2,7% zarejestrowanych nawozów zawiera mikroorganizmy. Do obrotu w Polsce było dopuszczonych dziewięć środków ochrony roślin zawierających 6 różnych mikroorganizmów: jeden szczep wirusa, dwa szczepy bakterii i trzy grzybów. Trzy z nich są zarejestrowane jako fungicydy a sześć jako insektycydy. Zarejestrowano tylko dwa zastosowania w uprawach rolniczych: ochronę ziemniaka przed stonką ziemniaczaną oraz ochronę rzepaku przed chorobami powodowanymi przez Sclerotinia Spp. W Polsce zarejestrowano także 21 preparatów zawierających mikroorganizmy zgodnie z przepisami o nawożeniu: 4 jako nawozy, 5 jako stymulatory wzrostu, 4 jako podłoża glebowe i 8 jako preparaty poprawiające właściwości gleby