Extraction, gas-liquid chromatographic detection, and quantitation of hexachlorophene residues from plant tissues high in lipid content

A method has been developed for the extraction, cleanup, derivatization, detection, and quantitation of hexachlorophene (HCP) residues from 2 types of plant storage tissue high in lipid content. Wet soybean or peanut tissue was homogenized and extracted with ethyl ether and chromatographed on silica gel to remove the neutral lipids. The cleaned up sample was methylated with diazomethane and the dimethoxyhexachlorophene was eluted from a second silical gel column and chromatographed on a 6' glass column packed with 3% OV-1 or 3% SE-30 on Gas-Chrom Q. The instrument detection limit for the 63Ni electron capture detector was less than 0.1 ng for dimethoxyhexachlorophene and about 1 ppb HCP residue in plant issue. Recovery of 10-420 ppb HCP added to tissue averaged 90.9 +/- 5.7%. Interfering substances were removed, column life was increased, peak sharpness was increased, and tailing of the parent compound was decreased by using appropriate column chromatography.     

Long-term effects of five ameliorants on a saline-sodic soil of South Africa

The effects of five ameliorants for saline-sodic soil reclamation on certain chemical and physical soil properties over a four-year period of observation are reported. Of these ameliorants, three are conventionally used (gypsum, sulphur, manure); the other two are for this purpose either unusual (potassium sulphate) or relatively unknown (molasses meal). Results published in a previous paper demonstrated that molasses meal had a very rapid-acting favourable effect on most soil physical properties whilst soil chemical conditions remained essentially unchanged. The effect on physical properties was presumably due to soil aggregation by the polysaccharide component of molasses meal. As a follow-up this paper shows, however, that this aggregation does not last long; the rigidly arid climatic conditions under which this experiment was carried out apparently do not favour the preservation of structural bonds consisting of polysaccharide gums. Consequently, a gradual decline of structural conditions took place after the second year. Although initially not as effective as molasses meal, gypsum and sulphur retained their favourable influence on physical properties over a longer period. Potassium sulphate and farmyard manure provided virtually no benefits.     

Soil protozoan dynamics in a shortgrass prairie

Soil Protozoa (primarily small naked amoebae and flagellates) were counted under control conditions and with stresses of nitrogen, water, or nitrogen and water under field conditions (Ecosystem Stress Area, Pawnee Site, northeastern Colorado, USA) in the summer of 1974. Protozoan populations were also measured in soil cores removed from the field and incubated under a wet-dry cycle. Protozoan numbers were higher in the top 1 cm of soil and overlying litter than at a depth of 5–6 cm in all treatments. After rainfall totaling 35 mm, the control and fertilized only treatments showed population increases with the fertilized only treatment showing the greater change. Protozoa showed marked responses to the addition of water to soil cores, with the largest numbers appearing after peak CO₂ evolution. Numbers of active (trophic) forms ranged from about 20.000. g^?1 dry soil in the control treatment under dry conditions to over 100,000. g^?1 dry soil in the irrigated plus fertilized plot. There were few (<5%) cystic (dormant) forms in all treatments contrary to earlier studies in mesic climates. A rough estimate of protozoan production is presented.     

Recovery and reactions of amprolium from poultry manure added to soil

Amprolium, a coccidiostat added to poultry feed, occurs in excreta at concentrations of 204 μ g^?1 and investigations were made of the effect of this quantity of amprolium on the biochemistry of soil to which manure had been applied.Greenhouse experiments showed that 0.8 μg g^?1 amprolium was found in soil pots 80 days after treatment with manure at the equivalent of 56.1 t ha^?1 and was detectable 20 days following treatment at the equivalent of 11.2 t ha^?1.Laboratory experiments indicated that amprolium was differentially adsorbed to two complexing media, soil and manure. Since amprolium was a constituent of treated manure, it was expected that the amprolium manure-soil system would offer various sites for adsorption of amprolium. Mixing amprolium with soil and with soil plus untreated manure yielded approximately the same effect on amprolium adsorption based on recoveries in water solution, and as methanol extractable. However, total recovery of amprolium from treated manure added to soil was only a fraction of the above, indicating the high complexing capacity of the manure.No effect on soil respiration was observed by either pure amprolium or amprolium as a constituent of treated manure. The higher rate of manure application caused greater respiration due to the presence of more readily oxidizable organic matter, but the respiration pattern attributed to the manure component was not unlike the respiration pattern of the Guelph loam soil.     

Management of the Northern Chesapeake Bay American shad fishery

The Shad fisheries of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland have been declining since an 1897 peak of 7860 × 10³kg. No periods of stability have been recorded. Data are presented to trace the decline not only as a function of specific areas within the Northern Chesapeake Bay but also in terms of environmental problems and recruitment overfishing.The problem is related to improving the commercial fishing yield. An estimation of a maximum effort of 200,000 man-hours is suggested if a stable yield is to be approached. Methods for obtaining this goal include alternating of closed fishing areas, adoption of rest days, enforcement of fisheries regulations and reduction of the number of metres of gill net used per fisherman.     

Survival of sclerotia of Macrophomina phaseolina and Sclerotium cepivorum after drying and wetting treatments

Exposure of sclerotia of Macrophomina phaseolina to 0 and 33% relative humidity (r.h.) for 12 weeks and of Sclerotium cepivorum to 0, 33 and 55% r.h. for 20 weeks did not reduce their germinability on agar. Exposure to 78% r.h. caused high loss of germinability in M. phaseolina and complete loss in S. cepivorum. After 7-day exposures respective moisture contents of sclerotia of M. phaseolina and S. cepivorum were 1 and 2% at 0% r.h.; and 10 and 14% at 78% r.h. M. phaseolina sclerotia held at 0% and 33% r.h. in desiccators for several times up to 12 days did not decrease in subsequent survivability in moist soil, unlike sclerotia held at 78% r.h. for 4 days.More sclerotia of M. phaseolina were colonized by fungi and Streptomyces spp. on alkaline soil than on acid soil. On alkaline soil twice as many sclerotia were colonized after exposure to 0% r.h. as after exposure to 33, 55 and 78% r.h. Colonization of S. cepivorum sclerotia was as high on acid as on alkaline soil and 3 times as high on sclerotia treated at 0% r.h. as on those treated at higher r.h. Attempts to ascertain the effects of colonization on sclerotial viability were unsuccessful. Incubation of sclerotia of M. phaseolina in moist Rumsford sandy loam (50% m.h.c.) for 20 weeks reduced survivability by 43%. At room temperature, alternate drying and wetting of soil containing sclerotia did not appreciably affect survivability of either pathogen. Survivability of S. cepivorum sclerotia was highest when the sclerotia were incubated in air-dried soil (2–3% m.h.c.) for 20 weeks.Incidence of white rot on onion seedlings transplanted to S. cepivorum-infested soil was higher in soil that had been air-dried for 20 weeks than in soil that had been alternately wetted and dried. Sclerotia that were exposed to 0% r.h. for 7 days before soil incubation produced little white rot.     

Gas-liquid chromatographic determination of residues of methanesulfonate of n-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester in fish.

In this gas-liquid chromatographic procedure for determining residues of methanesulfonate of m-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester (MS-222) in fish muscle, homogenized tissue is extracted with distilled water, and proteins are removed by coagulation with trichloroacetic acid, centrifugation, and filtration. After careful pH adjustment of the filtrate, MS-222 is partitioned into benzene-ethyl ether and measured by alkali flame ionization gas chromatography. Tissues with known additions of 1-19 microgram MS-222/g were analyzed, with recoveries of 84-95%.     

The effect of urea on the voluntary intake by calves of silages preserved with formaldehyde and formic acid

Perennial ryegrass cv. S23 was preserved by fermentation (C), or with the addition of 8.7 1 formalin (35% w/w formaldehyde) per t fresh herbage (F) or of 9.0 1 equal mixture (by vol.) of formalin and formic acid (85% w/w solution) per t fresh herbage (FF). These three silages comprised the treatments in a three-period, crossover design in which urea (u) was given at the rate of 20 g per kg dietary DM to half the animals. Twelve calves were allocated to the treatment sequences when they were approximately 12 weeks of age from within groups which had previously received diets with or without urea. Calves ate significantly (P< 0.001) less of silages F or FF than of silage C when each was offered alone, but when urea was given, intakes of silages F and FF were significantly (P < 0.001) increased such that the intakes of all three silages with urea were similar (23.6, 19.6, 19.3, 24.2, 24.2, 24.7 ± 0.51 g DM per kg LW for C, F, FF, Cu, Fu and FFu, respectively). Significantly (P<0.01) more of the DM in silage C was digested than in F or FF and the addition of urea significantly (P<0.05) increased the digestibility of DM from silage FF only (73.8, 71.3, 69.8, 74.6, 70.7, 72.5 ± 0.72% for C, F, FF, Cu, Fu and FFu, respectively). When the silages were given alone, calves spent longer eating and ruminating per kg DM ingested with F or FF than with C. The time spent on F and FF was significantly (P<0.01) reduced by the addition of urea (303, 388, 411, 297, 299, 290 ± 18.9 min per kg DM ingested for C, F, FF, Cu and Fu and FFu, respectively). The results presented suggest that urea partially alleviated the reduction in voluntary intake by calves given herbage preserved using formalin, but the mode of action was not clear.     

Silage and milk production: a comparison between four rates of groundnut cake supplementation of silage of high digestibility

Grass silage made in late May from S24 perennial ryegrass was offered to twelve Ayrshire cows in a 16-week feeding experiment. The silage had a DM content of 25.3%, a pH of 3.91, and contained 16.8% CP and 68.4% digestible organic matter in the DM. The silage was fed ad libitum and was the sole feed in the control treatment. In the other three treatments the silage was supplemented with a cube offered at rates of 0.8, 1.4 and 2.0 kg per 10 kg milk. The cube contained 82.2% groundnut, plus molasses and minerals, and had 37.9% CP in the DM. The daily intake of silage DM was 11.4 kg per cow on average over the four treatments which did not differ significantly. The mean daily milk yields were 14.8 kg per cow in the control treatment, and 16.5, 18.2 and 18.4 kg in the 0.8, 1.4 and 2.0 kg supplement treatments respectively. The SNF, CP and lactose contents of the milk were Wghest on the 1.4 kg supplement treatment. It is concluded that with a high digestibility silage, there is little evidence to support the feeding of more than 1.4 kg of high-protein cubes per 10 kg milk in the declining phase of lactation.