Retention of allergic potential of parthenium following composting
Parthenium hysterophorus is known to cause allergic contact dermatitis (1). Changing clinical patterns of the dermatitis are reported (2, 3). Recently, the role of type I (immediate) and type III (Arthus phenomenon) has been postulated (4, 5). This weed, a native of tropical America, is wide spread in grasslands, fruit tree orchards, and arable land in neutral and acid soils. This weed interferes with the growth of other plants (allelopathic potential) resulting from the release of phytotoxic substances such as ferulic, caffeic, vanillic, chlorogenic, p-hydroxybenzoic acids, parthenin, ambrosin, and coronopilin, which inhibit the germination and growth of several crop plants (6). Because it has no economic value, efforts have been made to use parthenium as a green leaf manure, as a biopesticide, as a compost for agricultural purposes, and as an additive with cattle manure in biogas production (7). Compost obtained from parthenium can be used for agricultural purposes and as manure. This is likely to get widely dispersed, get airborne, and aggravate parthenium dermatitis if the allergenicity is retained. Parthenium compost was obtained from the Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. Compost made by 2 methods, anaerobic and aerobic, was collected. The composting procedure was carried out for 90 days for each of themethods. Samples were obtained on D45 and D90. The 2 methods of composting are described below.
Contact Dermatitis Due to Plants.
Forty-seven cases of suspected plant dermatitis were patch tested with extracts of various plants. Twenty-six showed positive patch tests to one or more plant antigens. Parthenium sensitivity was observed in nine cases. Trianthema monogyna, Carissa, carandus, Amaranthus viridis, Amaranthus spinosus, Euphorbia hirta, Euphorbia thymibolia, Salvia plebia, lantana camera and pennisetum typhoides were other important plants founds to be responsible for contact sensitivity. Majority of the patients were from rural areas and most of them showed exacerbation of the dermatitis during rainy season. Males and females were equally affected.
Rapid determination of the effectiveness of insect resistant packaging
A technique was developed to evaluate the usefulness of odour barriers and to determine the effect of package content in consumer size packages on resistance to infestation by insects. Female Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) could distinguish sealed packets containing food from non-food items as a suitable site for oviposition. Utilization ofthis technique will reduce the time needed to evaluate new materials for use in insect resistant packaging.