VARIATION OF ENDOSULFAN RESIDUES IN WATER AND SEDIMENT TAKEN FROM THE MOSS LANDING DRAINAGE OF MONTEREY COUNTY
Data from previous studies conducted by the State Mussel Watch Program (SMW) implied increasing endosulfan residues inmollusks used as indicator organisms of chemical contamination in the Moss Landing Drainage area of Monterey County. As a first step in confirming a chronological trend, studies were conducted by the California Departments of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and Fish and Game (CDFG) to determine within-site variability of endosulfan concentrations, and to estimate sample size necessary for future research. Personnel from the Environmental Hazards Assessment Program (EHAP) of CDFA collected sediment and water samples while personnel from the Pesticide Investigations Unit (PIU) of CDFG collected mollusk and fish samples at the same sites in a coordinated effort. This report contains results from the EHAP study. Three sites previously monitored by SMW in Monterey County were selected for the collection of sediment and water samples. All samples were analyzed for endosulfan I, II and sulfate. Only 33, 33 and 25% of the sediment samples contained detectable residues of endosulfan I, II and sulfate, respectively. Endosulfan concentrations in sediment were not uniformly distributed in the Moss Landing Drainage area with residues occurring more frequently in agricultural areas, away from tidal action and dredging activities. Only 25% of the water samples contained detectable endosulfan residues in the form of endosulfan sulfate. However, it is conceivable that endosulfan residues exist in water (either dissolved or on suspended sediment) below the detection limit given the consistent find of residues in mollusks and fish in this area and the established bio-concentration factors for fish species. Minimum sample sizes of 22 and 11 for sediment and water, respectively, were estimated as necessary to calculate the true mean for a given site. Future study of temporal or spatial trends in endosulfan residues of this drainage area might best be concentrated on sediment and biological organisms since residues in water are mostly below the current detection limits.
Human health risk assessment of endosulfan: II. Dietary exposure assessment.
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) performed dietary exposure assessments for endosulfan in 1998 and 2002, respectively. Results of the USEPA assessment showed an increased risk for the population sub-group "Children 1-6 years" (>100% of the Population Adjusted Dose [PAD]). USEPA then required registrants to satisfy database uncertainties by performing subchronic neurotoxicity and developmental neurotoxicity studies and, based on the results, USEPA decreased the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA, 1996) Safety Factor from 10x to 1x. Additionally, several tolerances on commodities consumed in quantity by children were cancelled in 2006. CDPR re-evaluated the dietary risk initially performed in 1998 after review of these same studies. Based on a review of the revised USEPA tolerances, decreased usage, decreased consumption, cancellations, and prior health protective margins of exposure (MOEs>100), CDPR determined that it was not necessary to redo the 1998 exposure assessment. In 2007, USEPA conducted a new human health risk assessment for endosulfan combining food+drinking water residues that characterized dietary risk as %PAD=([Exposure/PAD]x100). For all relevant USEPA population sub-groups, the %PADs were<100% (health protective benchmark).
Reference values for some haematological, haematochemical, and electrophoretic parameters in the Girgentana goat
The purpose of this study was to determine haematolog ical, haematochemical, and electrophoretic reference values for the Girgentana goat in order to form a basis for clinical interpretation. The study included 348 female Girgentana goats aged from 1 to 6 years. The animals were divided into 3 groups: goats aged 1-2 years (group A), goats aged 3-4 years (group B), and goats aged 5-6 years (group C). Blood samples were collected from each animal every morning at the same time (0800) by means of jugular venipuncture, and red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil (NEU), lymphocyte (LYM), monocyte (MONO), eosinophil (EOS), and basophil (BASO) counts, and haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume percent (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and red cell distribution width (RDW) were recorded. Additionally, the concentration of some haematochemical parameters, including alanine-aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate-aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamine-transferase (γ-GT), creatinine, β-hydroxybutyrate, urea, non- esterified fatty acids (NEFA), potassium, sodium, and chloride, and the electrophoretic profile (albumin, α1-globulins, α2-globulins, β-globulins, γ-globulins, total proteins and albumin:globulins ratio) were determined. Statistical analysis (one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)), followed by Bonferroni's test, showed that there were significant differences only in RBC, MCV, EOS, ALT, AST, creatinine, γ-GT, sodium, urea, NEFA, γ-globulins, and the albumin:globulins ratio (P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant). The values determined in the present study contribute to the knowledge of the reference ranges for the Girgentana goat and can be used for monitoring health and disease diagnosis.