Nephrol Dial Transplant, 1989, 4(1), 51 - 6 Can low-dosage aluminium hydroxide control the plasma phosphate without bone toxicity? Jenkins DA, Gouldesbrough D, Smith GD, Cowie JF, Winney RJ. Sixteen patients treated exclusively by haemodialysis using reverse osmosis water treatment for up to 7 years (mean 49.3 +/- 17 months) were assessed for evidence of bone aluminium accumulation and toxicity . All patients were treated with aluminium hydroxide phosphate binders for the duration of dialysis but the dosage was restricted to a maximum of 2.85 g daily (mean daily dose 2.6 +/- 0.8 g) . The mean plasma phosphate over the 12 months prior to the study was 1.68 +/- 0.42 mmol/l and in only three patients was adequate control of the plasma phosphate not achieved . No patient had evidence of fracturing bone disease . Bone aluminium staining was present in only two patients but was seen at the calcification front in only one of these . Three patients had histological evidence of osteomalacia, but in none was aluminium staining present . Mean bone aluminium was moderately high at 36.67 +/- 31 micrograms/g and in only three patients exceeded 40 micrograms/g . This study indicates that adequate control of the plasma phosphate can be achieved with low dosage of aluminium hydroxide, and in the medium term is not associated with evidence of bone aluminium toxicity. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1988 Dec, 187(2), 112 - 24 {The pH-dependent solubility of heavy metals from sewage sludge of different compositions}; Rothe N et al.; Sludge suspensions of anaerobically digested sewage sludge, limed anaerobically digested sewage sludge, precipitation sludge of the tertiary waste water treatment and limed precipitation sludge were incubated for 8 days with continuous rotation at nine defined pH-values (pH 1, 3-10) . After membrane filtration (0.45 micron) solution concentrations of Zn, Cd, Cu, Pb and Cr were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy . Results show that solubilities of Cd, Zn and Cu depend not only on pH-value but also in a high degree on the sludge type . The solubility is by far the lowest in the anaerobically digested sludge . Most obvious differences can be found for Cd: While the concentrations of soluble Cd in anaerobically digested sludge only increase at pH values lower than pH 4, the solubility of Cd in precipitation sludge and limed sludges already show rapid increases at pH values lower than 7 . The solubility of Pb and Cr remains low in all sludges at all pH-values ranging from pH 3 to pH 10 . These results show that when judging ecological effects of heavy metals from sewage sludges the physical and chemical composition of these sludges should be considered. Scanning Microsc, 1988 Dec, 2(4), 2141 - 51 Tubuloreticular reorganization of cytomembranes in cells treated with human alpha interferons--a review; Grimley PM et al.; Human alpha interferons (IFN-a) cause a reorganization of internal cell membranes into tubuloreticular inclusions (TRI) . Morphogenesis and cytochemistry indicate a pre-Golgi intracisternal origin from the endoplasmic reticulum . Clinically, TRI formation in human blood mononuclear cells correlates with systemic IFN-a treatment or with endogenous overproduction of IFN-a in viral or autoimmune diseases (e.g., rubella syndrome, AIDS, systemic lupus erythematosus) . In vitro, TRI formation can be produced by treatment of Daudi lymphoblasts or vascular endothelial cells with IFN-a, and is blocked by actinomycin-D . In Daudi lymphoblasts or vascular endothelial cell cultures, TRI formation parallels induction of 2'-5' A synthetase, inhibition of thymidine kinase and growth inhibition; however, heavy water treatment of Daudi cells prevented TRI formation while induction of 2'-5' A synthetase and growth inhibition persisted . TRI formation was dissociated from IFN-a antiproliferative activity in a mutant clone of Daudi lymphoblasts . Decreased glycoprotein biosynthesis and increased phospholipid biosynthesis may accompany progressive TRI accumulation. Mutat Res, 1988 Nov, 196(3), 211 - 45 Genotoxic activity of organic chemicals in drinking water; Meier JR; The information summarized in this review provides substantial evidence for the widespread presence of genotoxins in drinking water . In many, if not most cases, the genotoxic activity can be directly attributed to the chlorination stage of drinking water treatment . The genotoxic activity appears to originate primarily from reactions of chlorine with humic substances in the source waters . Genotoxic activity in drinking water concentrates has been most frequently demonstrated using bacterial mutagenicity tests but results with mammalian cell assay systems are generally consistent with the findings from the bacterial assays . There is currently no evidence for genotoxic damage following in vivo exposures to animals . In some locations genotoxic contaminants of probable industrial and/or agricultural origin occur in the source waters and contribute substantially to the genotoxic activity of finished drinking waters . The method used for sample concentration can have an important bearing on study results . In particular, organic acids account for most of the mutagenicity of chlorinated drinking water, and their recovery from water requires a sample acidification step prior to extraction or XAD resin adsorption . Considerable work has been done to determine the identity of the compounds responsible for the mutagenicity of organic concentrates of drinking water . Recently, one class of acidic compounds, the chlorinated hydroxyfuranones, has been shown to be responsible for a major part of the mutagenic activity . Strategies for drinking water treatment that have been evaluated with respect to reduction of genotoxins in drinking water include granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration, chemical destruction, and the use of alternative means of treatment (i.e., ozone, chlorine dioxide, and monochloramine) . GAC treatment has been found to be effective for removal of mutagens from drinking water even after the GAC is beyond its normal use for organic carbon removal . All disinfectant chemicals appear to have the capacity of forming mutagenic chemicals during water treatment . However, the levels of mutagenicity formed with the alternative disinfectants have been generally less than those seen with chlorine and, especially in the case of ozone, highly dependent on the source water.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) JAMA, 1988 Oct 14, 260(14), 2077 - 81 Pyrogenic reactions associated with the reuse of disposable hollow-fiber hemodialyzers; Gordon SM et al.; We investigated 18 pyrogenic reactions (PRs) that occurred between July 1 and 13, 1987, in 16 patients receiving long-term hemodialysis at one dialysis center in Illinois . We defined a case of PR as the onset of chills or fever (oral temperature, greater than or equal to 37.8 degrees C) in a patient who was afebrile and had no signs or symptoms of infection before a dialysis treatment . Pyrogenic reactions to dialysis sessions during the epidemic period (July 1 through 14) were associated with the use of a reused dialyzer (risk ratio, 6.2; 95% confidence interval, 0.8 to 45) . The water used to rinse the dialyzers after use and to dilute the germicide for disinfecting the dialyzers contained high concentrations of endotoxins (greater than 6 ng/mL) and bacteria (greater than 10(4) colony forming units/mL) . After reuse of dialyzers was discontinued at the center, the PR rate fell to pre-epidemic levels . We concluded that PRs were associated with reuse of dialyzers, probably contaminated with endotoxins . Active surveillance for PRs among patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis should be routine at all dialysis centers; an increase in PRs should prompt timely review of water treatment and dialyzer reprocessing systems. Biomed Environ Mass Spectrom, 1988 Oct, 16(1-12), 255 - 7 A selected ion monitoring assay for triclosan in medical waste water; Matsushima H; A method for determinations of triclosan (TCS) and hexachlorophene (HCP) disinfectants in medical waste water by selected ion monitoring (SIM) using bithionol (BTN) as an internal standard compound has been developed . The method consists of the following procedures . (i) TCS and HCP in medical waste water were extracted and purified by an Extrelut column with ethyl acetate . (ii) The eluted TCS, HCP and BTN were converted to trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide-ethyl acetate (1:4) . (iii) The TMS derivatives of TCS, HCP and BTN were identified and determined by SIM . Recoveries of these compounds added to medical waste water were more than 88% in amounts ranging from 1 to 10 micrograms . In the waters from our medical waste water treatment plant, TCS and HCP concentrations were found to be 0.43-8.01 and 0.24-4.69 micrograms l-1, respectively . The present method is superior to the pre-existing ones in quick separation, specificity and sensitivity. Sci Total Environ, 1988 Sep 15, 76(1), 19 - 28 Aluminium and fluoride in the water supply and their removal for haemodialysis; Cameron AP et al.; Aluminium and fluoride in the water supply and their removal for haemodialysis have been investigated in the Trent Region, U.K., and wide variations noted . The efficiency of removal of these elements from the mains water supplying home haemodialysis units by different water treatment systems currently installed has been assessed and a follow-up study performed 8 months later . Some improvement in water treatment was noted, with the percentage of home dialysis units receiving waters within the proposed European Economic Community guidelines for aluminium rising from 61.7 to 72.1% . Removal of fluoride by the different treatment mechanisms is analogous to that for aluminium . A comparison of new and older water treatment systems has shown that there is a deterioration in performance with use . However, some cases of poor removal may be due to the installation of unsuitable equipment, or, more probably, due to a change in the waters used to supply the different homes . Thus, adequate maintenance of equipment and frequent sampling of both untreated and treated waters are required in order to maintain the provision of waters suitable for the preparation of dialysate. Cancer Lett, 1988 Sep-Oct, 42(1-2), 133 - 9 Effect of phenobarbital on diethylnitrosamine and dimethylnitrosamine induced hepatocellular tumors in male B6C3F1 mice; Klaunig JE et al.; The effect of the type of carcinogen initiator on the ability of phenobarbital (PB) to promote hepatic tumor formation in 15-day-old initiated male B6C3F1 mice was evaluated . Fifteen-day-old male B6C3F1 mice were divided into 6 groups of 10 mice each . Groups 1 and 2 received a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of diethylnitrosamine (DENA) (5 micrograms/body wt) . Groups 3 and 4 received a single i.p . injection of diethylnitrosamine (DENA) (5 micrograms/g body wt) . Groups 3 and 4 received a single i.p . injection of dimethylnitrosamine (DMNA) (5 micrograms/g body wt) . Groups 5 and 6 received a single i.p . injection of saline . At weaning (28 days of age), mice in groups 2, 4 and 6 received PB (500 mg/ml) in their drinking water . Mice in groups 1, 3 and 5 received deionized drinking water . Drinking water treatment continued for 24 weeks at which time mice were sampled . At sampling, mice were examined for hepatic tumors by histology . Mice in groups 5 (no treatment) and 6 (PB only) did not exhibit hepatic tumors . Groups 2 (DENA + PB) displayed a decrease in hepatic adenomas from that of group 1 (DENA only), confirming previous observations . Treatment with DMNA and PB (group 4), however, resulted in a significant increase in both hepatic adenoma incidence and number over that of DMNA only (group 3) treated mice . The promoted adenomas appeared to be predominantly eosinophilic in appearance . The type of initiator therefore appears important in determining if 15-day-old initiated male B6C3F1 mice respond to the promotion effects of PB. J Burn Care Rehabil, 1988 Sep-Oct, 9(5), 510 - 5 Water treatment of hydrotherapy exercise pools; Edlich RF et al.; The major objectives of water treatment of hydrotherapy pools are to disinfect the water and to balance the water appropriately . A variety of disinfectant systems utilizing either halogens, ozone, or metals have been implemented in hydrotherapy pools . Regardless of the disinfectant system employed, continual and appropriate monitoring of the system is mandatory to prevent infection . Water balancing refers to the control of the water mineral concentration so that the water does not damage the pool . Five major factors that influence water balance are pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, total dissolved solids, and temperature . The extent to which these five factors affect water balance can be computed by the Langelier saturation index. Can J Microbiol, 1988 Jul, 34(7), 907 - 10 Coliphages and enteric viruses in the particulate phase of river water; Payment P et al.; The present study was undertaken to determine if indigenous enteric viruses and coliphages are free or associated with suspended particulate matter in natural waters . River water was filtered on filters of decreasing porosities (100-0.25 micron) that were pretreated with detergent to eliminate viral adsorption while retaining particulates . This filtered water was refiltered in virus-adsorbing conditions to retain free viruses . The virus-adsorbing filter retained most of the enteric viruses (77.4%) and coliphages (65.8%), which indicated that these viruses were probably free or associated with particles with a diameter of less than 0.25 micron . These observations are important because in water treatment plants small particulates are often the most difficult to eliminate. J In Vitro Fert Embryo Transf, 1988 Jun, 5(3), 171 - 4 Purification of water for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer; Fleetham J et al.; The purpose of this study was to determine whether water obtained from the Milli-Q water purification system (Millipore, Mississauga, Canada) needed further purification for use in in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer . We describe a method for maintenance of the Milli-Q system . To assess water quality, alternate batches of culture media were prepared by using either Milli-Q water or Milli-Q water further treated by twice glass distillation . The percentage of mouse two-cell embryos that developed to blastocysts and the human in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer pregnancy rates were recorded for each batch . There were no significant differences in the parameters examined, indicating that further purification by twice glass distillation is not necessary if the Milli-Q system has been maintained as outlined. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1988 Jun, 186(3), 220 - 32 {The behavior of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in a water purification plant . II . A mathematical balancing of the Ruhleben purification plant in Berlin}; Emmrich M et al.; Studies on PCB concentration and their distribution in waste water sludge of a municipal sewage plant are made . The incoming sewage has an average concentration of 813 ng/l, the effluent still contains 108 ng/l . The biggest part of the PCB is accumulated in the sludge . A comparison of the in- and output of PCB and the average PCB-patterns at the various sampling sites of the sewage plant shows that the PCB are not transformed or decomposed microbially. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1988 Jun, 186(3), 205 - 19 {The behavior of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in water purification plants . I . Mathematical balancing in a model purification plant}; Emmrich M et al.; The behaviour of 39 PCB-isomers will be tested in a model sewage plant . Their distribution is described mathematically and the quantities of the partial streams are calculated . Because there is no loss of PCB through the ventilation of the activated sludge tank and according to the isomeric mass balance, it can be concluded that the less chlorinated PCB are decomposed microbially while all of the higher chlorinated PCB are found in the sludge and the effluent of the model plant. Am J Physiol, 1988 May, 254(5 Pt 2), F739 - 46 Enhanced vasopressin (V2-receptor)-induced sodium retention in mineralocorticoid hypertension; Jeffries WB et al.; The deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-Na model of hypertension requires the presence of vasopressin for expression of high blood pressure . In the present study, the effects of vasopressin V2-receptor stimulation were examined in kidneys from rats receiving 1 wk of DOCA-Na or control (olive oil-tap water) treatment . The dose response to vasopressin (10(-10) to 10(-6) M) was tested in microdissected cortical collecting tubule (CCT) segments and adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation was significantly increased in segments from DOCA-Na rats vs . controls, confirming our previous study . In other experiments, kidneys from DOCA-Na and control rats were perfused with a modified Krebs-Henseleit buffer (37 degrees C, pH 7.4) and treated with either vehicle or 0.21-2.1 pM 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) . DDAVP caused significant (P less than 0.05) dose-related reductions in urine excretion (UV) and urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) in both DOCA-Na and control kidneys in the absence of changes in renal hemodynamics . However, DDAVP produced earlier and significantly greater reductions in UV and UNaV in kidneys from DOCA-Na vs . control rats . Percent fractional excretion of sodium was reduced significantly only in the DOCA-Na group (2.1 pM DDAVP) . A small degree of antikaluresis was seen with DDAVP in both groups . Thus, DOCA-Na treatment augmented cAMP accumulation in the CCT, accompanied by a significant enhancement of DDAVP-stimulated urinary sodium and water reabsorption at the level of the intact kidney.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Hum Reprod, 1988 Feb, 3(2), 245 - 8 Methods of water purification for the preparation of culture media in an IVF-ET programme; Yovich JL et al.; Five methods of water purification for culture media preparation have been described . The quality of media thus prepared has been assessed retrospectively by relating to the fertilization and pregnancy rates of a total of 646 treatment cycles in an in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) programme . All media for human use was subjected to quality control assessment in a mouse embryo culture system . Although no differences were seen in the fertilization rates or the proportion of women proceeding to embryo transfer, significant differences were seen in the pregnancy rates . The highest pregnancy rates were obtained using rainwater distilled six times (22/100, 22%) or eight times (40/184, 21.7%), and water polished using a Milli-Q water purifying system (41/181, 22.7%) . Significantly lower pregnancy rates were obtained when the water was purified using an alternative Milli-Q system (9/89, 10.1%) or dam water distilled six times (6/63, 9.5%) . These findings may reflect contamination of local dam water supplies but demonstrate the difficulty in purifying water for the preparation of culture medium. Sci Total Environ, 1988 Jan, 68, 267 - 73 Waste water treatment for heavy metal toxins using plant and hair as adsorbents; Krishnan SS et al.; The adsorption of cadmium, mercury and lead by Cattails (Typha Plant) and human hair has been investigated to assess their possible use as adsorbents in the treatment of industrial wastewater . Capacity experiments were performed, and it was found that significant amounts of cadmium, mercury and lead were adsorbed by Cattails, while only mercury was adsorbed by hair . Depending upon the concentration, adsorption capacities varied from 1 to 27 mg of metal per gram of adsorbent . The relatively fast uptake of cadmium and lead by Cattail leaves suggests that a continuous process is viable . The results are similar in the case of hair and mercury. Zentralbl Mikrobiol, 1988, 143(6), 415 - 23 {The occurrence of antibiotic resistant coliforms in the waste water of a water treatment plant}; Stelzer W et al.; Colony counts and total coliforms of the investigated biological treatment plant were decreased by more than 90% on average . In activated sludge processes the colony counts increased, whereas total coliforms did not show significant differences between raw sewage and activated sludge processes . With regard to the antibiotics tetracycline, chloramphenicol, kanamycin and gentamicin raw sewage samples contained on average 10(3) antibiotic resistant coliforms/ml . From agar plates supplemented with antibiotics a total of 896 strains were characterized . Single resistant E . coli strains (29.3%) were isolated most frequently from agar plates supplemented with tetracycline . However, coliforms isolated from agar plates which were supplemented with chloramphenicol, kanamycin and gentamicin showed a prevalent resistance to 5 and 6 antibiotics tested . The variety of resistance patterns of gentamicin-resistant coliforms was determined by few plasmids encoding gentamicin resistance only. Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 1988, 61(1-2), 147 - 9 Chlorinated drinking water XAD isolates do not affect the sister chromatid exchange frequency; Varga C; The influence of conventional water treatment on genotoxic activity was investigated in the in vitro sister chromatid exchange (SCE) test after isolating the organic contaminants with XAD-2/4 and XAD-8 macroreticular resins . A dose-related, SCE-inducing effect could not be detected in the human peripheral lymphocyte system. Caries Res, 1988, 22(3), 160 - 5 Influence of extraoral xylitol and sucrose dippings on enamel demineralization in vivo; Smits MT et al.; This paper describes the effect of xylitol on demineralized enamel in plaque-free and plaque-covered conditions in vivo . Fissure-like plaque retention grooves were created in 66 human enamel blocks and demineralized in vitro . The blocks were mounted in a prosthesis of 11 participants, who used a 2.5% xylitol, a 2.5% sucrose solution or water extraorally in a randomized cross-over design, for three periods of 16 days . The participants submerged the prosthesis twice a day in the solution during 5 min . Mineral loss and lesion depth were measured before and after the in vivo experiment, using quantitative microradiography and polarized light microscopy . Lesion depth at the surface enamel was +/- 45 microns, at the wall of the grooves +/- 30 microns and at the bottom of the grooves +/- 50 microns before the experiment . After 16 days the lesion depth at the wall of the grooves was +/- 40 microns and at the bottom of the grooves +/- 75 microns . In the grooves no differences were found between the xylitol, the sucrose and the water treatment . At the surface enamel a significant reduction of enamel demineralization was found after the xylitol dippings . The lesion depth at the surface enamel increased 17 microns after the sucrose treatment and 7 microns after the xylitol treatment . The mineral loss after the sucrose and the water treatment were both approximately three times higher than the mineral loss after the xylitol treatment. Zentralbl Mikrobiol, 1988, 143(6), 425 - 33 {Isolation and characterization of gentamicin resistance plasmids of coliform bacteria from the waste water of a water treatment plant}; Stelzer W et al.; Gentamicin resistance coliforms detected continuously in raw and purified waste water samples of a sewage treatment plant made up less than 0.1% of all coliforms . 43.9%; 31.4%; 13.3% and 11.3% of gentamicin-resistant coliforms were identified as Enterobacter, E . coli, Klebsiella and Citrobacter, respectively . R plasmids encoding a gentamicin resistance phenotype were isolated and characterized . They range between 55 and 60 MD in size and belong to 3 incompatibility groups (IncOF, IncM, IncK) . Using restriction endonucleolytic digestion of plasmids, they could be further characterized and subtyped . In contrast to moderate molecular alterations observed among the IncM plasmids, the IncOF plasmids reveal a high stability of restriction pattern . This IncOF plasmid was predominantly found in E . coli wild strains and detected continuously. Microbiol Sci, 1987 Dec, 4(12), 362 - 4 Bacteriophages as model organisms in water treatment; Havelaar AH; F-specific RNA bacteriophages have great potential as model organisms for monitoring the fate of human viruses in water treatment processes . They are consistently present in large numbers in all kinds of wastewaters and their resistance to inactivation is relatively high . A simple and reliable enumeration method is available. Arzneimittelforschung, 1987 Oct, 37(10), 1210 - 5 Biotechnology in bulk drug production . Objectives and strategies of process development; Hess PN; Modern biotechnology has an increasing importance especially in waste water treatment and drug production . Depending on the product added values, the objectives of process development differ in degree and importance . For the production of bulk pharmaceutical chemicals these objectives are basically: product safety and operation reliability (concerning levels of sterile engineering and containment categories); short development time and ease of process validation; process economics and flexibility of production . The present paper evaluates these objectives at different boundary conditions and discusses the parameters of process performance and the potential for biological and technical improvements which may be achieved by process development . These considerations help to determine the strategies of process development: to select the appropriate process technologies and to assign the resources for research and development. Poult Sci, 1987 Oct, 66(10), 1727 - 32 Plasma corticosterone response of turkeys to adrenocorticotropic hormone: age, dose, and route of administration effects; Davis GS et al.; Three trials were conducted to investigate plasma corticosterone (B) levels in Large White turkey hens in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) injections at different ages, doses, and routes of administration . In Trial 1, hens were subjected to one of the following treatments at 10, 15, and 20 wk of age: cold water immersion (5 C for 1 min), ACTH injection (10 IU/kg), or saline injection . The plasma B responses to ACTH and cold water immersion followed the same general pattern in all three age groups . Plasma B levels of hens in the ACTH treatment were depressed below control B levels until 6 h postinjection, when they became elevated . Plasma B levels of hens in the cold water treatment were either similar to or increased above those of controls by 2 h posttreatment and were depressed below control levels at .5 h posttreatment at 10 and 15 wk of age . In Trial 2, three dose levels of ACTH (1, 5, and 10 IU/kg) were injected either intramuscularly (IM) or intravenously (IV) in 10-wk-old hens . There was both a dose and route of administration effect . Of the IM-injected hens, only those in the 1-IU ACTH treatment group had significantly (P less than .05) increased plasma B levels and this occurred 4 h postinjection . However, plasma B levels of the 1 and 5-IU IV-ACTH treatment hens were significantly (P less than .05) elevated at .5 h postinjection . Plasma B of the 10-IU IM and IV-ACTH treatments were consistently, but not significantly, lower than controls through 4 h postinjection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Vet Q, 1987 Oct, 9(4), 356 - 60 Virus, bacteriophages and water purification; Havelaar AH; Water can be a vector of viral disease, but direct virological analysis of water has logistic and practical limitations . Viruses of major importance for water hygiene (e.g . hepatitis and gastro-enteritis viruses) cannot yet be grown in tissue culture . Therefore, as in bacteriological quality procedures, model organisms are required for the evaluation of virological quality of water and the effectiveness of virus removal by water treatment processes . On the basis of published information, the F specific RNA (FRNA) phages have been chosen for this purpose . For the enumeration of the phages a particular Salmonella typhimurium strain with an artificially introduced F plasmid was developed as a host strain and was found to give accurate and reliable results . FRNA phages were found in very high numbers (10(2)-10(5) pfu/ml) in all types of waste water investigated . FRNA phages are seldom found in non-faecally contaminated waste water . Surprisingly low numbers are found in faeces . FRNA phages in waste water effluent were found to be highly resistant to chloramines and relatively resistant to UV inactivation . The FRNA phages can thus effectively be used as indicator organisms for human pathogenic viruses in the evaluation of disinfection processes for water treatment plants. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol, 1987 Sep-Dec, 7(7-8), 363 - 72 Removal of higher molecular weight organic compounds by the granular activated carbon adsorption unit process; Stevens AA et al.; The granular activated carbon adsorption unit process in drinking water treatment typically removes purgeable organic compounds for time periods on the order of a few weeks . Experimental evidence indicates that less volatile compounds of generally higher molecular weight than the purgeable fraction, but still detectable by gas chromatography, are efficiently removed for longer periods . Field data substantiate this . Explanatory mechanisms may include stronger adsorption affinities or biodegradation . Non-gas chromatographable, higher molecular weight materials such as humic acids, as measured by Total Organic Carbon (TOC) or trihalomethane formation potential, revert to lower removal efficiencies . Biodegradation may be responsible for a continued long term removal of a fraction of these materials. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol, 1987 Sep-Dec, 7(7-8), 153 - 68 Prediction of multicomponent adsorption behavior in activated carbon adsorbers: kinetic aspects; Merk W; Although the concentrations of solutes are very low in water treatment, it cannot be expected that the film-diffusion model predicts breakthrough behavior satisfactorily, for the following reasons: most of the solutes have less favorable isotherms than p-nitrophenol or p-chlorophenol; many solutes are much larger molecules and hence have a much higher internal diffusion resistance than p-nitrophenol or p-chlorophenol; and displacement effects cause a much higher internal resistance than expected from single-solute data . Therefore, internal diffusion resistance has to be incorporated into the film-homogeneous diffusion model . All parameters needed in this model can be obtained from batch reactor tests . Multi-solute systems may be regarded as a single-solute system or a bi-solute system, respectively, if all solutes except one or two are present in very different concentrations; and/or have a comparatively small affinity to activated carbon; and/or have a comparatively small internal diffusion coefficient. Toxicol Ind Health, 1987 Sep, 3(3), 311 - 9 Health among municipal sewage and water treatment workers; Scarlett-Kranz JM et al.; Municipal sewage treatment plant workers are potentially exposed to a multitude of industrial chemicals and pathogenic microorganisms . A questionnaire survey of working habits, lifestyle and symptoms of illness was conducted among 189 municipal sewage treatment plant workers processing between three and ten million gallons of wastewater daily in 16 plants in New York State between March and July of 1984 . Water treatment plant workers in the same cities comprised the comparison group . Sewage workers reported a significantly higher frequency of headache, dizziness, sore throat, skin irritation and diarrhea within the month immediately preceding receipt of the questionnaire, after controlling for various possible confounders . Eye and skin irritation were significantly associated with exposure to mutagens . The health significance of these findings and possible sources of error in assessing risk are discussed. Arch Environ Health, 1987 Sep-Oct, 42(5), 280 - 5 Effect of chlorine dioxide water disinfection on hematologic and serum parameters of renal dialysis patients; Ames RG et al.; A study of the blood chemistry parameters of 20 renal dialysis patients was undertaken when a local water district introduced chlorine dioxide (CIO2) as a disinfectant at the filtration plant headworks for 12 months without informing the renal dialysis clinic in the area of this potentially adverse change . Due to data limitations, including changes in clinical laboratories and lack of pre-exposure data for some patients, the analysis was focused on 17 patients for whom data was produced by the same clinical laboratory, for 3 months of pre-exposure and 1 month of exposure . Least-squares means of each parameter by CIO2 levels of 0.0 and 1.0 mg/L at the treatment plant were adjusted for age, sex, and creatinine . Water purification at the clinic included passing the water through granular activated carbon, filtration by 5-mu filters, and the use of reverse osmosis . Chlorination products measured at the clinic after this purification and prior to preparation of the dialysate consisted only of chlorite at the 0.02-0.08 mg/L level . No evidence of CIO2-induced anemia was found, nor were any other biologically significant responses observed . Study limitations include several potentially important hematologic parameters which were not measured, the small sample size, and three clinical laboratory changes. Mutat Res, 1987 Aug, 188(4), 259 - 66 Reaction of chlorine dioxide with amino acids and peptides: kinetics and mutagenicity studies; Tan HK et al.; Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is currently being considered as an alternate to chlorine as a disinfectant for water treatment . Many organic compounds present in water and food treated with ClO2 are subject to oxidation . 21 amino acids and 3 peptides (L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (aspartame), L-glycyl-L-tryptophan and L-tryptophylglycine) were studied for their reactivity with ClO2 . Chlorine dioxide reacted only with 6 amino acids in 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 6.0 . The reaction with cysteine, tryptophan and tyrosine was too rapid to be monitored either iodometrically or spectrophotometrically . The reaction with histidine, hydroxyproline and proline was found to be pseudo-first order . ClO2 readily reacted with L-glycyl-L-tryptophan and L-tryptophylglycine but not with aspartame . Mutagenicity studies with the Salmonella microsome assay of the reaction mixtures of ClO2 with those 6 reactive amino acids and the 3 peptides indicated that the reaction products of the 3 peptides, hydroxyproline, and tyrosine exerted mutagenic activity toward both tester strains of TA98 and TA100 in the presence and absence of rat-liver S9 mix. Kidney Int, 1987 Jul, 32(1), 96 - 101 Aluminium-related osteomalacia: response to reverse osmosis water treatment; Smith GD et al.; It is generally accepted that aluminium induces osteomalacia in chronic hemodialysis patients by binding to the calcification front, thereby inhibiting mineralization of osteoid . Because this form of osteomalacia is vitamin D resistant, the condition has often been assumed to be irreversible, although promising results have been achieved recently by using a chelating agent for removal of aluminium from the skeleton . In this paper we present four chronic hemodialysis patients with aluminium toxicity and histologic osteomalacia in whom the mineralization defect greatly regressed after the use of reverse osmosis treated-water for dialysis, but without further treatment . In three other patients, also with aluminium toxicity and histologic osteomalacia, similarly treated, the histological severity of the osteomalacia remained static . Those patients in whom bone mineralization status improved developed hyperparathyroidism after reverse osmosis water-treatment, whereas the static patients remained euparathyroid . The results suggest that resolution of aluminium related osteomalacia may occur with reduction in dialysis fluid aluminium, and that parathyroid hormone plays a role in the healing of aluminium related osteomalacia . The therapeutic implications are twofold: attempts to remove all traces of hyperparathyroidism may be detrimental to the bone mineralization status; and stimulation of the parathyroid glands by means of a mild reduction in dialysis fluid calcium may be of value in the management of those cases with persistent osteomalacia and low bone turnover. Jpn J Cancer Res, 1987 Jun, 78(6), 571 - 6 Enhancing effect of cysteamine hydrochloride on the development of gastroduodenal tumors induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine in F344 rats; Jang JJ et al.; The effect of the duodenal ulceration induced by cysteamine hydrochloride on the development of gastroduodenal tumors initiated by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) was studied in F344 rats of both sexes . Cysteamine (200 mg/kg body wt.) was administered by gastric intubation at various times, before, during or after a 16 week period of MNNG (100 mg/liter in drinking water) treatment . In the preliminary experiment, while the ulcers induced were confined to the proximal duodenum, the pyloric region of the stomach also showed slight erosion . Five of 25 male rats given cysteamine 2 weeks before the start of MNNG treatment developed adenocarcinoma in the duodenum as compared to 1 case in the MNNG alone group . In addition, animals of both sexes which received cysteamine during MNNG treatment yielded significantly increased incidences of adenocarcinoma in the pyloric area of the stomach . In line with earlier reports, the present findings suggest that mucosal damage and subsequent regeneration or proliferation of mucosa are important co-factors for MNNG-induced gastroduodenal carcinogenesis in rats. J In Vitro Fert Embryo Transf, 1987 Feb, 4(1), 40 - 5 Influence of water quality on in vitro fertilization and embryo development for the mouse; Fukuda A et al.; Mouse in vitro fertilization and embryo culture were performed in media prepared with five different water preparations . The results of the experiments improved with the frequency of distillation . Each water preparation was analyzed by the measurement of the electrical conductivities and inorganic ion concentrations and by high-performance liquid chromatography to examine the mutual relation between water quality and the method of water purification . The best results were obtained with Milli-Q water, which had the lowest concentration of inorganic ions and organic compounds . On the contrary, unexpected contamination by organic compounds and zinc ions occurred after multiple distillation, possibly leached from the glassware and silicon tube . The hatching rate seemed to be an appropriate indicator to assess the biological qualities of media for the development of embryos cultured in vitro. Sci Total Environ, 1986 Dec 1, 57, 49 - 55 Ammonia, hydrogen sulphide and methyl mercaptides in Finnish municipal sewage plants and pumping stations; Kangas J et al.; Ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulphide and methyl mercaptides were analyzed in the atmospheres of 16 Finnish municipal waste water treatment plants and in 18 pumping stations . The sulphides were analyzed on site as it was found that, with the standard 0.5-l laminated plastic bags, significant amounts of the vapours were lost from the gas phase . The relative humidity of the sampled air was the most likely cause . Under normal operating conditions, sulphides varied from less than 0.07 to 53 micrograms l-1, with highest concentrations found at the sludge presses . Pumping stations had sulphide vapours from 0.07 to 0.5 microgram l-1 . The presence of ammonia (0.007-3.5 micrograms l-1) and methane (0.7-18 micrograms l-1) confirmed the hypothesis of the anaerobic origin of the offensive gases . Although more effective ventilation without scrubbing the emission gases would reduce the health hazard in the plants it would burden the environment. Toxicol Lett, 1986 Dec, 34(2-3), 141 - 7 Iodination of nutrients in the presence of chlorine based disinfectants used in drinking water treatment; Bercz JP et al.; Under conditions simulating the gastrointestinal tract chlorine dioxide (ClO2), HOCl, and NH2Cl caused covalent organification of iodide to nutrient biochemicals . The extent of binding seemed to be proportional to the electromotive force (EMF) and stoichiometry of the redox couple between iodide and the oxidant . Almost half of 71 nutrients examined were found to bind reactive iodine . Iodide was found to inhibit the quinoidal chromogen formation from tyrosine and ClO2, demonstrating the preferential generation of reactive iodine in complex organic mixtures . These findings indicate that ingestion of residual disinfectants via drinking water may pose a health risk in terms of in vivo generation of iodinated organics . Structure, formation, and biological activity of these compounds are under study. Am J Epidemiol, 1986 Dec, 124(6), 884 - 93 Urinary mutagens in municipal sewage workers and water treatment workers; Scarlett-Kranz JM et al.; In view of the potential exposure of sewage treatment workers to a multitude of mutagenic substances, the frequency of urinary mutagens was measured by the Ames test among a sample of 164 sewage treatment workers employed in 14 sewage treatment plants which processed between 3 and 10 million gallons of sewage daily in New York State between March and July, 1984 . The frequency was compared to that observed in 72 water treatment employees in the same municipalities . Sewage workers had a significantly higher risk for urinary mutagens after controlling for smoking, using the Ames test, both with and without the addition of the liver microsomal homogenate, S-9 . More precise methods of measuring exposure in epidemiologic studies, particularly in environmental and occupational epidemiology, are in various stages of development . The application of one of these methods, the Ames test, to an occupational group (sewage workers) with potentially high exposure to mutagenic substances is described and the strengths and limitations of this application are discussed. Semin Nephrol, 1986 Dec, 6(4 Suppl 1), 1 - 4 The metabolism of aluminum and aluminum-related encephalopathy; Mayor GH et al.; The dialysis encephalopathy syndrome is at once the most widely recognized and most severe manifestation of aluminum toxicity . Evidence linking this syndrome and aluminum intoxication is virtually incontrovertible . The syndrome is characterized by speech and motor difficulties, dementia, and seizures . Less widely recognized symptoms include subtle changes in cognition and personality and directional disorientation . Since the widespread use of water treatment, aluminum exposure in the dialysis population has been primarily via intravenous (IV) medications and oral aluminum-containing, phosphate-binding antacid gels . In addition to the encephalopathy syndrome, aluminum has been linked to toxicity in bone, parathyroid gland, RBC, and kidney . These organ toxicities seem to be the result of specific protein enzyme inhibition . Currently identified factors that affect aluminum accumulation and modulate aluminum balance include uremia, renal function, parathyroid hormone withdrawal and suppression, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, and serum aluminum binding . Impaired renal function is not a prerequisite for increased tissue aluminum burdens . It is likely that aluminum-related disease will be increasingly observed in populations other than those with chronic renal failure. Can J Microbiol, 1986 Dec, 32(12), 922 - 5 Elimination of human enteric viruses during conventional waste water treatment by activated sludge; Payment P et al.; The present study was undertaken to determine if viruses were selectively eliminated during waste water treatment . Human enteric viruses were detected at all steps of treatment in a conventional activated sludge waste water treatment plant . Liquid overlays and large volume sampling with multiple passages on BGM cells permitted the detection of poliovirus (serotypes 1, 2, and 3), coxsackievirus B (serotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5), and echovirus (serotypes 3, 14, and 22), as well as reoviruses . The mean virus concentration was 95.1 most probable number of infectious units per litre (mpniu/L) in raw sewage, 23.3 in settled water, 1.4 in effluent after activated sludge treatment, and 40.3 mpniu/L in sludge samples . All samples of raw sewage and settled water, 79% of effluent water, and 94% of sludge samples contained viruses . The mean reduction was 75% after settling and 98% after activated sludge treatment . Poliovirus type 3 was rarely isolated after the activated sludge treatment, but was still detected in about one-third of the sludge samples . Reoviruses and coxsackieviruses were detected at similar rates from all samples and appear to be more resistant to the activated sludge treatment than poliovirus type 3 . Poliovirus types 1 and 2 were present in almost every sample of raw sewage and settled water and still found in about half of the effluent and sludge samples, indicating a level of resistance similar to that of reoviruses and coxsackieviruses. Environ Health Perspect, 1986 Nov, 69, 81 - 7 Contribution of chlorination to the mutagenic activity of drinking water extracts in Salmonella and Chinese hamster ovary cells; Douglas GR et al.; The production of chlorinated by-products through chlorine disinfection of drinking water has been well documented . Natural organic precursors for these chemicals include fulvic and humic acids, the chlorination of which leads to the production of mutagenic compounds . Comparisons of extracts of raw versus treated waters have confirmed that clorination during water treatment produces mutagenic activity in the Salmonella (Ames) test . Present work on XAD-2 extracts of raw and chlorinated water from six municipalities in the Great Lakes region of Canada has involved a battery of mutagenicity assays for various genetic endpoints: the Salmonella test, the sister-chromatid exchange (SCE), and the micronucleus (MN) induction in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells . All extracts of treated (chlorinated), but none of untreated, water were mutagenic in the Salmonella assay . On the other hand, extracts of both treated and untreated water samples showed activity in the SCE and MN assays, but no consistent pattern of response with regard to treatment (chlorination) was evident . These data show that chlorination contributes mutagens to drinking water and suggest that mammalian in vitro assays may be more sensitive for detecting mutagenicity in water samples than the Salmonella test. Environ Health Perspect, 1986 Nov, 69, 165 - 75 Mutagenic activity of disinfection by-products; Cognet L et al.; Data on raw water quality, disinfection treatment practices, and the resulting mutagenic properties of the treated water were compiled from pilot- and full-scale treatment experiments to evaluate that parameter which might produce variability in the results of a mutagenic study . Analysis of the data and comparison of treatment practices indicated that the measured mutagenic activity is strongly related to the characteristics of the organic matter in the raw water, the methodology used to sample and detect mutagens, the scale of the study both in terms of treatment flow and period of study, and the point at which and the conditions under which oxidants are added during treatment . Conclusions regarding disinfection systems in full-scale water treatment plants include the following: When raw water is pretreated and high concentrations of organics are present in the raw water, both ozonation and chlorination increased mutagenic activity . However, no significant difference in mutagenicity was found between the two oxidants . Both in the case of a nitrified groundwater and a clarified surface water, the mutagenic activity of the water after ozonation was related to its mutagenic activity before ozonation . With ozonation, mutagenic activity decreased after granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration . Thus, when GAC filtration follows ozone disinfection, early addition of oxidants may not be deleterious to the finished water quality . When chlorine or chlorine dioxide is added after GAC filtration, chlorine dioxide was found to produce a less mutagenic water than chlorine . Although these conclusions suggest means of controlling mutagenic activity during treatment, it must be stressed that the measurement of mutagenicity is a presumptive index of contamination level. Environ Health Perspect, 1986 Nov, 69, 159 - 63 Role of ozone and granular activated carbon in the removal of mutagenic compounds; Bourbigot MM et al.; The identification of certain organic compounds in drinking water has led water treatment specialists to be increasingly concerned about the eventual risks of such pollutants to the health of consumers . Our experiments focused on the role of ozone and granular activated carbon in removing mutagenic compounds and precursors that become toxic after chlorination . We found that if a sufficient dose of ozone is applied, its use does not lead to the creation of mutagenic compounds in drinking water and can even eliminate the initial mutagenicity of the water . The formation of new mutagenic compounds seems to be induced by ozonation that is too weak, although these mutagens can be removed by GAC filtration . Ozone used with activated carbon can be one of the best means for eliminating the compounds contributing to the mutagenicity of water . A combined treatment of ozone and activated carbon also decreases the chlorine consumption of the treated water and consequently reduces the formation of chlorinated organic compounds. Environ Health Perspect, 1986 Nov, 69, 129 - 39 Results of toxicological testing of Jefferson Parish pilot plant samples; Miller RG et al.; Five toxicological tests were performed using concentrated drinking water samples collected at a pilot-scale drinking water treatment plant that had streams treated with different disinfectants (no disinfectant, ozone, chlorine dioxide, monochloramine, or chlorine) before treatment with granular activated carbon (GAC) . The toxicological tests used in this study were the Ames Salmonella assay, a subchronic in vivo toxicity assay in mice, the SENCAR mouse skin initiation-promotion assay, a rat liver foci assay, and the lung adenoma assay in strain A mice . These tests were conducted to determine the general toxicity and the mutagenic/carcinogenic potential associated with the use of disinfection and/or GAC in the treatment of drinking water . The stability of the mutagenic activity of the samples tested was determined by repeated analysis using the Ames Salmonella assay . Results indicated that the samples remained mutagenic for the duration of the tests . All the drinking water concentrates (4000 X) prepared by the XAD resin adsorption procedure failed to provide statistically significant indication of carcinogenic activity in the SENCAR mouse, rat liver foci, and the lung adenoma assays . However, concentrates of the chlorine, chlorine dioxide, and monochloramine treated waters gave consistent mutagenic responses in the Ames Salmonella assay . GAC was effective for 6 months in removing both the mutagenicity of chlorine-treated water and the potential of water to become mutagenic when treated with chlorine . In the in vivo, subchronic 30-day toxicity test in mice, some statistically significant differences in organ weights and body weights of animals exposed to different concentrates of some of the samples were observed . However, a consistent pattern of these differences indicating overt toxicity was not detected. Environ Health Perspect, 1986 Nov, 69, 31 - 44 Occurrence of by-products of strong oxidants reacting with drinking water contaminants--scope of the problem; Rice RG et al.; This paper describes results of a detailed literature review of the organic and inorganic by-products that have been identified as being formed in aqueous solution with four of the strong oxidizing/disinfecting agents commonly employed in drinking water treatment . These agents are: chlorine, chlorine dioxide, chloramine, and ozone . Significant findings include the production of similar nonchlorinated organic oxidation products from chlorine, chlorine dioxide, and ozone . In addition, all three chlorinous oxidants/disinfectants can produce chlorinated by-products under certain conditions . The presence of chloronitrile compounds in drinking waters is indicated to arise from reactions of chlorine or chloramine to amine/amide functions in amino acids or proteinaceous materials, followed by dehydrohalogenation . These nitriles could hydrolyze to produce the corresponding chloroacetic acids . It is concluded that to minimize the presence of oxidation by-products in drinking waters, the concentrations of oxidizable organic/inorganic impurities should be lowered before any oxidizing agent is added. Environ Health Perspect, 1986 Nov, 69, 97 - 100 Hypochlorous acid-activated carbon: an oxidizing agent capable of producing hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls; Voudrias EA et al.; Granular activated carbon (GAC), in the presence of dilute aqueous hypochlorite solutions typical of those used in water treatment, was converted to a reagent capable of carrying out free-radical coupling reactions and other oxidations of dilute aqueous solutions of phenols . The products included biphenyls with chlorine and hydroxyl substitution (hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls) . For example, 2,4-dichlorophenol, a common constituent of wastewaters and also natural waters treated with hypochlorite, was converted to 3,5,5'trichloro-2,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl and several related compounds in significant amounts . It is possible that these products pose more of a health hazard than either the starting phenols or the unhydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyl derivatives. J Pharmacokinet Biopharm, 1986 Oct, 14(5), 495 - 509 Effects of the rate and composition of fluid replacement on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of intravenous furosemide; Li T et al.; Effects of differences in the rate and composition of intravenous fluid replacement for urine loss on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of furosemide were evaluated using the dog as a model animal . Each of six dogs received 8-hr constant intravenous infusion of 20 mg (15 mg used in one dog) of furosemide with 0% replacement (treatment I), 50% replacement (treatment II), and 100% replacement (treatment III) with lactated Ringer's solution, as well as with 100% replacement with 5% dextrose in water (treatment IV) . Most pharmacokinetic parameters, such as plasma clearance, steady-state volume of distribution, mean residence time, and terminal half-life, were essentially the same in all four treatments . Renal clearances and urinary excretion rates of the drug in treatments II-IV were essentially the same, but about 20% higher than those in treatment I . In spite of the similarities in kinetic properties, diuretic and/or natriuretic effects from furosemide were markedly different among the four treatments . For example, mean 10-hr urine outputs were 646, 1046, 3156, and 1976 ml and mean 10-hr sodium excretions were 87.0, 142, 383, and 97.2 mmole for treatments I-IV, respectively . Except for treatment III, diuresis and/or natriuresis were found to be time-dependent, generally decreasing with time until reaching a low plateau during later hours of infusion . The present findings also showed that no fluid replacement and 100% replacement with 5% dextrose solution both produced the same degree of severe acute tolerance in natriuresis, indicating the insignificance of water compensation in tolerance development; in treatment II, where neutral sodium balance was achieved, the development of acute tolerance in diuresis and natriuresis can mainly be attributed to negative water balance under this special condition; at steady state the hourly diuresis and natriuresis could differ up to about ten times between treatments . Some implications for the kinetic/dynamic relationship or modeling, in the clinical use, and in the bioequivalence evaluation of dosage forms are discussed. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol, 1986 Sep-Dec, 7(1-2), 141 - 57 Cancer mortality and the method of chlorination of public drinking water: St . Louis City and St . Louis County, Missouri; Marienfeld CJ et al.; St . Louis City and St . Louis County, Missouri share the same public drinking water source, namely the Missouri River . The 'all cancer' and most organ specific cancer mortality rates have been consistently and considerably higher for St . Louis City than for St . Louis County for the period 1960 through 1972 . A change in the St . Louis County water treatment process, which included increasing the chlorine dosage and delaying the addition of ammonia to form chloramines until just prior to distribution, was instituted in 1955 . St . Louis City has, by contrast, continued the lower chlorine level and early ammoniation . Trend analysis using the period 1960-67 and 1972-76 showed higher percentage as well as net cancer mortality rate per million increases for large bowel, liver and bladder cancers for St . Louis County . An apparent association between a probable increase in trihalomethane production in the St . Louis County water since 1955 and an increase in these specific cancer rates which exceed the increases in the St . Louis City rates appears to have been shown . This does not imply causality but is in general agreement with other studies which have examined water chlorination and cancer mortality. J Assoc Off Anal Chem, 1986 Sep-Oct, 69(5), 807 - 10 Halogenated phenols in water at forty Canadian potable water treatment facilities; Sithole BB et al.; Samples of raw and treated water were collected once in each of 3 seasons at 40 potable water treatment plants across Canada and were analyzed for phenol and 33 halogenated phenolic compounds including chlorophenols, bromophenols, bromochlorophenols, and chloroguaiacols . Eighteen of the compounds were not found at any treatment plant; phenol and each of the remaining halogenated phenols were found in at least 1 sample . Pentachlorophenol was the only halogenated phenolic compound found in more than 20% of the raw water samples in the fall and winter samples at levels up to 53 ng/L with mean values of 1.9 and 2.8 ng/L, respectively . No halogenated phenols were detected in raw water summer samples . The halogenated phenols found most frequently in treated water samples were 4-chloro-, 2,4-dichloro-, 2,4,6-trichloro-, and bromodichlorophenols . Mean values were less than 15 ng/L and maximum values seldom exceeded 100 ng/L . Most of the positive values for the treated water samples were found at 8 of the 40 treatment plants but no correlations could be found between halogenated phenol levels and raw water type, treatment process, or chemical dosages. J Appl Bacteriol, 1986 Sep, 61(3), 209 - 18 Virulence plasmid-associated adhesion of Escherichia coli and its significance for chlorine resistance; Hicks SJ et al.; Introduction of the ColV, I-K94 virulence plasmid into strains of Escherichia coli led (for four out of five strains tested) to a marked increase in the ability of organisms to adhere to glass beads . For strain 1829, the plasmid led to increased attachment to other materials including sand, agar, agarose, chitin and cellulose . The increased adhesion to glass beads was due to the presence of the plasmid and not to its introduction into a variant with altered adhesive properties . The plasmid-encoded VmpA protein did not appear to be necessary for the ColV, I-K94-promoted adhesion but adhesion was absolutely dependent on the presence of derepressed levels of transfer components in the ColV+ strains and partially dependent on the presence of colicin components . The extent of the plasmid-promoted adhesion was greatest for organisms grown at 30 degrees, 37 degrees or 42 decrees C and adhesion was almost abolished by growth at 21 degrees or 25 degrees C; this finding is in accord with transfer and colicin components being involved in adhesion . Of several other plasmids tested for their effects on adhesion, those with derepressed transfer properties showed a marked effect as did the RI resistance plasmid . Because of the ease of handling glass bead-attached organisms, such preparations were used as a model for studying the relevance of attachment to the resistance of E . coli to chlorination in the water purification process . Organisms of 1829 ColV, I-K94, attached to glass beads, were more resistant to damage and killing by chlorine than were unattached organisms . Three findings suggest that such chlorine resistance may be significant for survival during water chlorination . Firstly, ColV, I-K94+ bacteria became attached if incubated in sewage effluent with glass beads at 20 degrees C . Secondly, ColV+ organisms already attached to glass beads maintained their attachment during 24 h incubation in effluent at 20 degrees C and thirdly such effluent incubated organisms remained chlorine resistant provided that they retained their attachment. Brain Res, 1986 Jun, 392(1-2), 11 - 7 The protective effects of vitamin E on microcephaly in rats X-irradiated in utero: DNA, lipid peroxide and confronting cisternae; Tanaka H et al.; Fetuses from rats given either water or 0.03% D,L-alpha-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) as a drinking fluid and X-irradiated with 100 rad on gestational day 13 were examined on gestational day 21 . Mean cerebral weight which was significantly reduced by the X-irradiation was increased by vitamin E supplementation but the level did not reach that in sham-irradiated controls . Administration of vitamin E caused an increase in DNA concentration which was significantly reduced by X-irradiation with water treatment . An increase in the mean level of lipid peroxide formation was observed in the water-treated, X-irradiated group in the sample at zero time but not in the vitamin E-treated, X-irradiated group . In the cytoplasm of fetal cerebral neurons from X-irradiated dams with vitamin E supplementation, confronting cisternae were frequently observed between two nuclear envelopes . Confronting cisternae may be considered as a repair mechanism of vitamin E against X-irradiated neuronal damage in the fetal cerebrum . This study provides evidence of the protection by vitamin E of neuronal development in X-irradiated fetuses, through its antioxidant properties, against attacks by free radicals and/or lipid peroxide. Int J Epidemiol, 1986 Jun, 15(2), 252 - 6 Human behaviour and the transmission of dracunculiasis: a case study from the Ilorin area of Nigeria; Watts SJ; Dracunculiasis, infection with guinea worm, Dracunculus medinensis, is a debilitating disease causing considerable human misery and having an adverse impact on food production in affected areas . It can be entirely eradicated by the provision of protected drinking water for all members of the community . There are two phases in the transmission cycle associated with human activities, swallowing the infective guinea worm larvae in infected water and, 10-12 months later, the immersion of a limb with a guinea worm lesion on it in a drinking water source . In planning control strategies it is essential to understand the patterns of behaviour associated with these two phases of transmission . These include water consumption, water use and water treatment, patterns of water collection and population mobility . The recent increase in the levels, frequency and distance involved in population circulation is associated with increased prevalence rates . This analytical framework is used in a study of disease transmission in the area within a 50 kilometer radius of Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, Nigeria . The conclusion briefly suggests some benefits which might accrue to affected areas as the result of the consideration of behavioural factors involved in disease transmission. Am J Pathol, 1986 Jun, 123(3), 577 - 84 The influence of hypertonic NaCl on nucleocytoplasmic translocation of RNA in the rat liver; Sidransky H et al.; Hypertonic NaCl administered to rats or mice has been demonstrated to induce in the liver a rapid disaggregation of polyribosomes and inhibition of protein synthesis . This study was concerned with whether hypertonic NaCl would affect nucleocytoplasmic translocation of RNA in the livers of rats . The effect of tube-feeding a hypertonic (10.7%) NaCl solution (321 mg in 3 ml/100 g body wt) for 10 minutes on in vitro release of 14C-orotate-labeled nuclear RNA was assayed . Although the combination of nuclei and cytosols of livers of hypertonic NaCl-treated rats revealed diminished in vitro labeled nuclear RNA release in comparison with hepatic nuclei and cytosols of control (water-treated) rats, each of the two components varied in activity . Even though the overall effect was an inhibitory one, cytosols of livers of hypertonic NaCl-treated rats stimulated in vitro release of labeled nuclear RNA, whereas nuclei of livers of hypertonic NaCl-treated rats revealed diminished in vitro release of labeled nuclear RNA in comparison with cytosols and nuclei of livers of control rats . The stimulatory effect of the hepatic cytosols of the hypertonic NaCl-treated rats was essentially unaffected by pretreatment of the rats with puromycin or cycloheximide, but was abolished by pretreatment of the cytosols in vitro with alpha-mannosidase or beta-galactosidase . Passage of cytosols of control and experimental livers through concanavalin A-agarose columns concentrated the activities of the eluates in stimulating in vitro labeled nuclear RNA release . In vivo 14C-orotate labeling of hepatic nuclear RNA for 30 minutes was increased by hypertonic NaCl treatment in comparison with water treatment of control animals . In vivo 14C-glucosamine incorporation into hepatic proteins of nuclei and nuclear envelopes was increased in hypertonic NaCl-treated rats in comparison with controls . In vitro 3H-tryptophan binding to proteins (trichloracetic acid-precipitable) to cytosols of livers of hypertonic NaCl-treated rats was increased in comparison with binding of controls . The results suggest that the administration of hypertonic NaCl rapidly leads to a change in hepatic cytosol whereby the activity to stimulate in vitro labeled nuclear RNA release is enhanced . This occurs without new protein synthesis, and the effect is probably mediated through a glycoprotein . In contrast, the hepatic nuclei of the rats treated with hypertonic NaCl show a decreased ability to release in vitro labeled nuclear RNA, possibly because of the development of a nuclear lesion. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1986 May, 51(5), 1047 - 55 Recovery and diversity of heterotrophic bacteria from chlorinated drinking waters; Maki JS et al.; Heterotrophic bacteria were enumerated from the Seattle drinking water catchment basins and distribution system . The highest bacterial recoveries were obtained by using a very dilute medium containing 0.01% peptone as the primary carbon source . Other factors favoring high recovery were the use of incubation temperatures close to that of the habitat and an extended incubation (28 days or longer provided the highest counts) . Total bacterial counts were determined by using acridine orange staining . With one exception, all acridine orange counts in chlorinated samples were lower than those in prechlorinated reservoir water, indicating that chlorination often reduces the number of acridine orange-detectable bacteria . Source waters had higher diversity index values than did samples examined following chlorination and storage in reservoirs . Shannon index values based upon colony morphology were in excess of 4.0 for prechlorinated source waters, whereas the values for final chlorinated tap waters were lower than 2.9 . It is not known whether the reduction in diversity was due solely to chlorination or in part to other factors in the water treatment and distribution system . Based upon the results of this investigation, we provide a list of recommendations for changes in the procedures used for the enumeration of heterotrophic bacteria from drinking waters. J Dairy Sci, 1986 Apr, 69(4), 1013 - 9 Effects of drinking water temperature on production responses in lactating Holstein cows in summer; Milam KZ et al.; During late summer, 24 lactating Holstein cows were offered 10 or 28 degrees C (control) drinking water ad libitum at 1400 h for 10 min to investigate the effects on respiration rates, body temperatures, dry matter intake, and milk production . Experimental design was a 2 X 3 factorial arrangement of the two drinking water temperatures with .8, 1.1, and 1.4% dietary potassium associated with another experiment . Following 1 wk adjustment and 1 wk standardization, cows were blocked by dry matter intake as a percentage of body weight within parity and randomly assigned to treatments within blocks . Cows were denied access to water from 0900 until 1400 h . Respiration rates and rectal temperatures were recorded before and after watering . Tympanic membrane temperatures (8/h) were recorded during the comparison period using 4 cows per water treatment . No interaction occurred between water and potassium . Water at 10 degrees C had a greater cooling effect than 28 degrees C water . No differences were found between treatments in respiration rates and rectal temperatures after drinking water was temperatures after drinking water was offered . Chilled drinking water decreased tympanic membrane temperatures, which remained lower longer . Cows that drank 10 degrees C drinking water increased dry matter intake and milk yield. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1986 Apr, 182(2), 216 - 36 {Emission of microorganisms from sewage treatment plants depending upon construction differences of single structural parts}; Eikmann T et al.; In order to examine the influence exerted by the differing design of individual water treatment plant units on the emission rate of micro-organisms and the associated degree of exposure to which plant personnel is subjected, measurements were taken at three different types of treatment plants . Measurements were made using "Biotest" RCS Air Samplers . The total count of colonies was determined by means of Agar Strips GK-A (tryptic soy agar) . Enterobacteriaceae were quantitatively ascertained using Agar Strips C (MacConkey agar), particular attention being paid to the determination of the coliform bacteria as faeces indicators . Agar Strips S (mannitol salt agar) were used to measure the count of staphylococci using Agar Strips HS (rosa Bengal streptomycin agar) . Before taking measurements, the prevailing climatic conditions were recorded . It could be ascertained that the enclosure of the inflow area (screw conveyor pump station and aerated grit removal tank) lead to a considerable increase in the concentration of microorganisms in the air within the housing . The values dropped however, when adequate ventilation was provided . Differing oxygen in the activated sludge tanks - finebubble aeration at the tank bottom or the blowing in of air via centrifugal blowers - lead to large variations in the emission rates . However, the less the waste water is agitated, the lower the emission rates . In the case of fine-bubble aeration, rates which are also normally to be found in the "non-burdened" outside air were even recorded close to the aeration tank . In cases of centrifugal blower, the aeration tank should be covered with a shield . With this type of aeration the waste water is emitted radially towards the walls of the tank . The use of a sprinkler unit on an aeration tank equipped with centrifugal blower - to avoid foam formation on the surface of the water - does not lead to an increase in the already high emission rate . An increase in air pollution through mould fungi from waste water treatment plants could not be found . In conclusion, it can be said that different individual plant unit designs have a large influence on the concentration of micro-organisms in the ambient air of places of work of waste water treatment plant personnel . Emission rates can be limited to such a degree that, even in the immediate vicinity of the plant units, a decrease of micro-organism concentrations can be attained as comparable to the area outside the treatment plant. Can J Microbiol, 1986 Mar, 32(3), 226 - 30 Predominant bacterial genera in granular activated carbon water treatment systems; Burlingame GA et al.; Granular activated carbon (GAC) beds may be used for removal of dissolved organic matter during the treatment of drinking water . However, they might also change the microbiological quality of the water entering the distribution system either by changing the predominant bacteria or the bacterial density of the treated water . A 3-year pilot plant study of water treatment using GAC beds was conducted at the Baxter Water Treatment Plant in Philadelphia . During the study, bacteria were isolated from the raw water and from the effluents of the GAC treatment units . At the end of the study, bacteria were also isolated from the GAC units and from sand beds operated in parallel with the GAC units . Bacterial genera in the GAC effluents and in the GAC units themselves were similar to those found in the raw water and in the sand beds . Prechlorination and (or) preozonation of the water before GAC treatment had no noticeable effect on the bacterial genera found as compared with GAC unit having no predisinfection . The bacterial genera found in this study were similar to those found in seven other studies of GAC water treatment that used a variety of treatment schemes and a variety of heterotrophic plate count techniques to evaluate bacterial populations . From these several studies it appears that GAC treatment does not change the nature of the bacterial populations associated with drinking water. Am J Ind Med, 1986, 9(3), 271 - 9 Health effects of work at waste water treatment plants: a review of the literature with guidelines for medical surveillance; McCunney RJ; Potential health hazards associated with work at waste water treatment plants include bacteria, viruses and protozoa in domestic waste and heavy metals and other hazardous substances in industrial wastes . The primary exposure route for hazardous material is through inhalation of aerosols generated in the secondary phase of water treatment that contain pathogenic organisms . Although few epidemiological studies have investigated the health of waste water treatment facility workers, hazards noted have been limited to acute, self-limited gastrointestinal illnesses . Due to the potential for long term or subtle adverse health effects, a medical surveillance program is proposed that includes attention to infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and to illness/absenteeism records. Nephrologie, 1986, 7(4), 153 - 6 {Possible release of aluminum from activated charcoal filters used in home hemodialysis}; Jourdan JL et al.; In 1984, 38 sera from home hemodialysis patients were found with a significant increase of aluminum (Al) from 67.8 +/- 44.3 to 102.0 +/- 45.9 micrograms/l (p less than 0.001) compared to 1983 . The only change was an activated charcoal (AC) filter in the water treatment circuit, added downstream of the water softener . Five different home hemodialysis AC filters were tested: Microclean CA Dia Cuno, Traitement Standard des Eaux (TSE)R, Permo, C2R, Gambro . AC was shown to be the main source of Al, its content ranging from 1251 +/- 116 to 7569 +/- 969 mg/kg . Al released in 2000 l of liter rinsing water varied from 1.6 +/- 1.3 to 41.3 +/- 5.5 mg . (mean concentration: 0.8 to 20.6 micrograms/l): Gambro less than or equal to C2R less than TSE less than Permo less than Cuno (p less than 0.01) . Al loading of charcoal could occur either before or during the activation process, by contaminated water, other added substances, or during packaging . In conclusion, our study suggests, first, to put AC filters upstream of Al captor to avoid Al intoxication, second, to systematically dose Al and may be other metallic substances in every manufactured AC sold for therapeutic purpose. Environ Mutagen, 1986, 8(2), 253 - 62 Mutagenicity studies in Salmonella: residues of ozonated and/or chlorinated water fulvic acids; Kowbel DJ et al.; Aqueous residues of ozonated, chlorinated, and ozonated/chlorinated water fulvic acids (WFA) were tested for induction of His+ reversion in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100 in fluctuation tests for mutagenicity . The data suggest that ozonation of natural organics present in sources of drinking water can prevent subsequent formation of by-products of chlorination that are mutagenic in bacteria . Ozonation of the WFA at different pH and at varying dose levels produced residues that were not or were only weakly mutagenic . Chlorination of WFA or of previously ozonated WFA led to residues that were highly mutagenic . However, mutagen formation in the ozonated/chlorinated residues could be prevented, depending upon the pH of the WFA solutions during ozonation-mutagenicity decreased as pH increased . This decrease in mutagenicity is associated with previous observations of enhanced ozone decomposition into its highly reactive oxidant species at higher pH . Since ozonation seems to be more effective at alkaline pH, alkaline raw water sources seem to be the best candidates for water treatment that involves ozonation. Nephron, 1986, 44(3), 212 - 6 Center-specific variations of thyroid hormone serum levels in hemodialysis patients; Weissel M et al.; Thyroid hormone (free and total thyroxine, total 3,5,3'- and 3,3'5'-triiodothyronine, thyroxine-binding globulin, thyrotropin) serum concentrations were measured in 107 uremic patients of 4 hemodialysis centers, in order to study the prevalence of hypothyroidism in hemodialysis patients . In accordance with the clinical impression there was no laboratory evidence of thyroid dysfunction . In spite of the fact that all patients had the expected low-T3 syndrome, there were highly significant differences between the mean thyroid hormone concentrations of the 4 different centers . The center with the highest thyroid hormone levels (all normal except for borderline low 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine) also had the lowest urea levels, indicating the relatively best metabolic control . One center had significantly lower hormone levels than the other 3 centers (all hormones except free thyroxine were below normal) with urea levels that did not differ significantly from one of these centers . A retrospective analysis of patients and of the techniques of dialysis of 3 centers excluded factors like heparin or the length of time on dialysis to be the reason for the low values of this center . Finally, only the significantly higher proportion of unsuccessfully transplanted patients and some technical differences (lack of water treatment, regenerated cellulose as dialyser membrane, and low magnesium content in the dialysate) unique for this center remained as possible factors that may speculatively explain the observed low thyroid hormone values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Soc Sci Med, 1986, 23(10), 975 - 82 The comparative study of patterns of guinea worm prevalence as a guide to control strategies; Watts SJ; Guinea worm, a parasite found in unprotected drinking water sources, causes considerable morbidity and loss of agricultural production among rural people in India and West Africa . A comparative study of village level prevalence data in the two regions reveals marked contrasts in the level and characteristics of prevalence which are useful guidelines in planning control strategies where little is known about local guinea worm epidemiology . Prevalence rates of up to 75-80% of the total population of a settlement have been found in West Africa, far higher than those in India . The higher figure indicates that all members of a community are exposed to a common infected drinking water source . Here the infection affects all sections of the population who do not treat their water at the household level . In India levels of prevalence for males are far higher than for females, whereas in West Africa the difference in infection rates between the sexes is less marked . In India many men are infected when they are away from the village, attending festivals or farming, and exposed to untreated water sources; women and children travel less and use domestic water sources which are more likely to be treated in some way . Differences in prevalence characteristics according to age, sex or social/economic grouping should be taken into account when planning national and local control campaigns . For example, in Nigeria where women are as likely to suffer from the infection as men, women are the main water collectors and contaminators, and are responsible for domestic water treatment; thus they should be fully involved in control campaigns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Int J Rad Appl Instrum {A}, 1986, 37(11), 1103 - 9 Radiation induced decomposition of biological resistant pollutants in water; Getoff N; Data and reaction mechanisms for oxidative decomposition of biological resistant chlorinated hydrocarbons in aerated water under the influence of ionizing radiation are reported . The radiolysis of the pollutants was studied as a function of the absorbed radiation dose, whereby the formation of C1- ions served as an indicator for the degradation process . In addition phenol was also investigated as a representative of aromatic compounds . Based on the experimental data a radiation pretreatment of water is proposed followed by conventional methods for water purification. Sci Total Environ, 1985 Dec, 47, 299 - 315 Alternative methods for chlorination; Fiessinger F et al.; Existing disinfectants are oxidative agents which all present negative effects on subsequent treatment processes . None of them has decisive advantages over chlorine, although chlorine-dioxide and chloramines might at times be preferable . Optimum treatment practices will improve the removal of organic precursors before final disinfection which could then consist in a light chlorine addition . A philosophy of radical change in water treatment technology encompassing physical treatment without chemicals such as membrane filtration, solid disinfectants is presented. Sci Total Environ, 1985 Dec, 47, 487 - 503 Drinking water and health hazards in environmental perspective; Zoeteman BC; Among the present environmental issues drinking water quality and more specifically organic micropollutants receive not the highest priority . The long tradition of potable water quality assurance and the sophisticated evaluation methodologies provide a very useful approach which has great potential for wider application in environmental research and policy making . Water consumption patterns and the relative importance of the drinking water exposure route show that inorganic water contaminants generally contribute much more to the total daily intake than organic micropollutants . An exception is chloroform and probably the group of typical chlorination by-products . Among the carcinogenic organic pollutants in drinking water only chlorination by-products may potentially increase the health risk . Treatment should therefore be designed to reduce chemical oxidant application as much as possible . It is expected that in the beginning of next century organic micropollutants will receive much less attention and that the present focus on treatment by-products will shift to distribution problems . Within the total context of water quality monitoring microbiological tests will grow in relative importance and might once again dominate chemical analysis the next century . As disinfection is the central issue of the present water treatment practice the search for the ideal disinfection procedure will continue and might result in a further reduction in the use of chemical oxidants. Sci Total Environ, 1985 Dec, 47, 45 - 58 The control of organics in drinking water in Canada and the United States (standards, legislation and practice); Toft P; Both the United States and Canada have a federal form of government, but approaches used in the two countries to ensure the safety of drinking water supplies differ . The Environmental Protection Agency currently enforces regulations for 10 organic chemicals (including 6 pesticides) under the Safe Drinking Water Act and provides advice on others through its health advisory program . Canada, however, does not have similar legislation, but rather provides health-related guidelines for 21 organic chemicals (including 16 pesticides) which are used by the provincial agencies responsible for drinking water supplies . Both countries are in the process of revising their standards and will include a variety of additional synthetic organic chemicals . Where possible, standards are set using a calculated acceptable daily intake usually derived from animal feeding experiments . Procedures for setting standards for carcinogens involve a blend of risk estimation coupled with consideration of the feasibility of reducing the risk in light of socio-economic factors . Most drinking water treatment plans in North America utilize 'conventional' treatment . Some now employ modifications in order to minimize trihalomethane formation . A few use aeration or granular activated carbon to remove synthetic organic chemicals. Sci Total Environ, 1985 Dec, 47, 187 - 94 Formation of linear aldehydes during surface water preozonization and their removal in water treatment in relation to mutagenic activity and sum parameters; Van Hoof F et al.; Low molecular weight aldehydes were formed during surface water preozonization, their levels showing a positive correlation with increasing ozone dose applied and with increasing water temperature . A strong negative correlation was observed between aldehyde levels and U.V . absorbance at 254 nm . Coagulation had no influence on the aldehydes present and the influence of rapid double layer filtration varied strongly with temperature: significant removals were only observed above 10 degrees C . Mutagenic activity generated by preozonization in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 shows an ozone dose depending relationship different from the formation of linear aldehydes . Its removal by coagulation is not effective but rapid double layer filtration reduces mutagenic activity to marginal levels . In this respect too no clear parallel can be drawn between the presence of low molecular weight aldehydes and mutagenic activity. Sci Total Environ, 1985 Dec, 47, 137 - 53 The influence of water treatment processes on the presence of organic surrogates and mutagenic compounds in water; Van der Gaag MA et al.; The effects of granular activated carbon filtration and of the combination of ozonation and GAC filtration on the quality of Rhine water were studied in a pilot plant . The scope of the study was to compare both systems in relation to the removal of organic contaminants in water, and to the reduction of the side effects of chlorination . The water quality was measured with organic surrogate parameters (organohalogen, -nitrogen, -phosphorus and -sulphur) and in bacterial mutagenicity assays . In this particular setting, the combination of ozonation and GAC filtration was superior in all points to GAC filtration alone . The effects of ozonation are sometimes quite different, depending on the type of water treated . Its positive influence should be confirmed in a local situation . As GAC treatment causes a shift towards formation of more brominated THM after chlorination, special attention was given to this item . A higher inorganic bromide/DOC ratio resulted in higher brominated THM concentrations after chlorination . However, the mutagens formed during chlorination in presence of more inorganic bromide could be inactivated more easily by rat liver homogenate than in the normal setting . The results of this study confirmed earlier findings stating a negative influence of chlorination on water quality. Sci Total Environ, 1985 Dec, 47, 121 - 35 Developments in biotechnology of relevance to drinking water preparation; Janssen DB et al.; This paper discusses strategies to increase the feasibility of microorganisms for the removal of toxic xenobiotics from waste water and drinking water . Based on the principles of adaptational mutations and genetic exchange of catabolic activities, it becomes possible to select and engineer microorganisms that are suitable for the degradation of recalcitrant compounds . The detailed biochemical knowledge that is required for this is now rapidly evolving, and especially for the degradation of chlorinated organics several detoxifying dehalogenation mechanisms have been studied in detail . The feasibility of specialized bacteria for waste and water treatment will be dependent on the possibility to obtain stable performance and maintenance in treatment systems. Environ Health Perspect, 1985 Nov, 63, 121 - 6 Influence of acid rain upon water plumbosolvency; Moore MR; The West of Scotland has had particular problems in the past associated with soft acidic water supplies and uptake of lead from domestic plumbing systems by such water . As a consequence of this, health problems related to overexposure to lead have been identified . The current debate on acidification of ground waters by acid rain is therefore particularly pertinent to this area . Studies have shown that even a modest decrease in pH will result in very substantial increase in plumbosolvency . This was found to be of particular importance in the city of Glasgow and town of Ayr, where prior to water treatment, pH values were 6.3 and 5.4, respectively, and where, consequentially, large numbers of homes did not comply with lead in water standards . Closed-loop lime-dosing systems were introduced in both Glasgow and Ayr to increase the pH with immediate decrease in the lead content of the water and, subsequently, blood lead concentrations of the subjects living in these areas . Such closed-loop systems will compensate for any acidity in water supplies, whether of natural origin or originating from acid rain precipitation . However, when such treatment has not been applied, any increase in water acidity due to acid rain which is, in many cases, already unacceptable . which is, in many cases, already unacceptable. J Infect Dis, 1985 Nov, 152(5), 1013 - 9 Infections with Mycobacterium chelonei in patients receiving dialysis and using processed hemodialyzers; Bolan G et al.; Between April and November 1982, 27 of 140 patients in a hemodialysis center in Louisiana were infected with rapidly growing mycobacteria; 14 had bacteremia alone, 3 had soft-tissue infections, 1 had an access-graft infection, and 9 had widely disseminated disease . Of 26 identified isolates, 25 were Mycobacterium chelonei ssp . abscessus, and one was an M . chelonei-like organism . One factor common to all patients was exposure to processed hemodialyzers (artificial kidneys) . Environmental sampling of the water-treatment system showed widespread contamination with nontuberculous mycobacteria, which were also recovered from the patient's side (blood compartment) of five of 31 hemodialyzers that had been processed and were ready for use . The formaldehyde concentration was less than 2% in two of three such contaminated dialyzers tested . We hypothesize that patients became infected when their blood circulated through processed dialyzers that contained viable rapidly growing mycobacteria . This outbreak demonstrates that hemodialysis patients may be at risk for developing infections with rapidly growing mycobacteria and that such infections may go unrecognized when routine culture methods are used . It also emphasizes the importance of using effective procedures to disinfect dialyzers in hemodialysis centers. Environ Health Perspect, 1985 Nov, 63, 169 - 80 Impact of effects of acid precipitation on toxicity of metals; Nordberg GF et al.; Acid precipitation may increase human exposure to several potentially toxic metals by increasing metal concentrations in major pathways to man, particularly food and water, and in some instances by enhancing the conversion of metal species to more toxic forms . Human exposures to methylmercury are almost entirely by way of consumption of fish and seafood . In some countries, intakes by this route may approach the levels that can give rise to adverse health effects for population groups with a high consumption of these food items . A possible increase in methylmercury concentrations in fish from lakes affected by acid precipitation may thus be of concern to selected population groups . Human exposures to lead reach levels that are near those associated with adverse health effects in certain sensitive segments of the general population in several countries . The possibility exists that increased exposures to lead may be caused by acid precipitation through a mobilization of lead from soils into crops . A route of exposure to lead that may possibly be influenced by acid precipitation is an increased deterioration of surface materials containing lead and a subsequent ingestion by small children . A similar situation with regard to uptake from food exists for cadmium (at least in some countries) . Human metal exposures via drinking water may be increased by acid precipitation . Decreasing pH increases corrosiveness of water enhancing the mobilization of metal salts from soil; metallic compounds may be mobilized from minerals, which may eventually reach drinking water . Also, the dissolution of metals (Pb, Cd, Cu) from piping systems for drinking water by soft acidic waters of high corrosivity may increase metal concentrations in drinking water . Exposures have occasionally reached concentrations which are in the range where adverse health effects may be expected in otherwise healthy persons . Dissolution from piping systems can be prevented by neutralizing the water before distribution . Increased aluminum concentrations in water is a result mainly of the occurrence of Al in acidified natural waters and the use of Al chemicals in drinking water purification . If such water is used for dialysis in patients with chronic renal failure, it may give rise to cases of dialysis dementia and other disorders . A possible influence on health of persons with normal renal function (e.g., causing Alzheimer's disease) is uncertain and requires further investigation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Am J Kidney Dis, 1985 Nov, 6(5), 348 - 52 Aluminum-induced anemia; Kaiser L et al.; Although many questions still remain unanswered, it is clear that aluminum causes a microcytic hypoproliferative anemia and is one factor responsible for worsening anemia in patients with end-stage renal disease . Time course studies in a rat model have shown that the anemia is preceded by microcytosis; this has not yet been examined in man . The exact mechanism of aluminum-induced anemia is unknown, however it appears to involve inhibition of heme synthesis, either by inhibition of enzyme activity or interference with iron incorporation or utilization . The interrelationship between aluminum and iron, zinc, lead, or other metals in this anemia is also unknown, as are the effects of aluminum on erythroid colony forming units . The role of parathyroid hormone on aluminum-induced anemia has not been examined . Presently treatment of aluminum-induced anemia involves removal of the source of the aluminum, although recent studies with desferrioxamine show promise . It is unclear, however, exactly how desferrioxamine improves this anemia . It is clear, however, that aluminum in the dialysate can cause clinical problems including anemia, and that these problems can be substantially reduced if not eliminated by water treatment. Poult Sci, 1985 Nov, 64(11), 2189 - 94 Adrenal cortical response of tom poults; Davis GS et al.; In each of two trials, plasma corticosterone (B) was measured in Large White turkey tom poults after the following treatments were applied: 1) .9% saline injected; 2) cold water immersion, and 3) adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) injected (10 IU/kg body weight) . Poults were treated at 3- to 4-day intervals from the day of hatching to 21 days of age . Plasma samples were obtained at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 hr posttreatment . In both trials, there was a depression in B levels within the first 3 hr following ACTH or cold water immersion treatment . Significant increases in plasma B levels of the cold water treatment occurred at 4 hr posttreatment in Trial 1 in 7-day-old poults and in Trial 2 in 21-day-old poults . A significant adrenal cortical response to ACTH injection was observed in 3- and 7-day-old poults at 6 hrs posttreatment in Trial 2 . Plasma B concentrations were also measured in three groups of nontreated Large White tom poults on the day of hatching at a commercial hatchery . Plasma samples were obtained from poults in incubators at 1000 hr, immediately following commercial processing procedures at 1030 hr, and at poult placement at 1330 hr . Plasma B levels of poults sampled in the incubator and after processing were similar . However, B levels of poults sampled at placement were increased significantly above the other two groups. Environ Res, 1985 Oct, 38(1), 67 - 76 Successful abatement of lead exposure from water supplies in the West of Scotland; Moore MR et al.; A major problem has existed in the West of Scotland for at least the past century associated with lead uptake by water from leaden water distribution systems . Initial studies in Glasgow from 1969 to 1976 and in Ayr in 1980/1981 showed that not only were water supplies soft, acid in consequence highly plumbosolvent, and that water lead levels were, on average, unacceptably high but that blood lead concentrations were also in excess of acceptable limits . A decision was therefore made by Strathclyde Water Department to carry out remedial water treatment to adjust the water pH . The success of this venture was proven by the parallel rapid falls in blood lead and water lead concentrations in the city of Glasgow . This encouraged the Water Department to institute a similar scheme in the town of Ayr . Work on this commenced in 1981, and in a study of the participants in a previous blood lead survey, a highly significant fall in blood lead concentrations was observed . The equation linking these two parameters was found to follow a curvilinear relationship where blood lead varied as the cube root of the water lead with a highly significant coefficient of correlation . This relationship has been shown to hold across a wide range of water lead concentrations down to 1 microgram/liter . This detailed information allows accurate calculation of acceptable limits of lead exposure from specific sources based upon acceptable blood lead concentrations. Lab Anim, 1985 Oct, 19(4), 273 - 4 Inactivation of bacteria and viruses in water: passage of germicidal ultraviolet light through Teflon; Wallbank AM et al.; Teflon pipe as used in a water purification system transmitted germicidal ultraviolet (UV) light to inactivate Pseudomonas aeruginosa and poliovirus . The information is useful for animal care workers and others concerned with the prevention of microbial growth in water systems such as deionizers and distilled water . Of special significance is that there is a plastic that transmits UV light. Int J Epidemiol, 1985 Sep, 14(3), 420 - 31 Factors affecting blood lead concentrations in the UK: results of the EEC blood lead surveys, 1979-1981; Quinn MJ; Surveys of blood lead concentrations carried out in the UK under the EEC screening programme for lead covered 8500 people . Blood lead analyses were subject to stringent quality assurance schemes . Significant variations in blood lead were found with age and sex, smoking and drinking habits, social class (in children), age of dwelling and geographical location but not with social class in adults, or with ethnic origin . Blood lead concentrations in childhood exposed to leadworks fell in 1981 following efforts to reduce emissions and improve workers' hygiene . Levels in those living near major roads were not very different from those in the general population in the same area . The highest blood lead concentrations were related to plumbosolvent water; lower levels in 1981 confirmed the effectiveness of remedial water treatment . Broadly similar effects of personal, social and environmental factors on blood lead have been found in other major studies . The findings that several geographical, environmental and personal factors were significantly related to the blood lead concentrations of children and adults have implications for all studies of blood lead concentrations in the general population. Rev Infect Dis, 1985 Jul-Aug, 7(4), 536 - 46 Selective primary health care: strategies for control of disease in the developing world . XX . Typhoid fever; Hornick RB; The incidence of typhoid fever remains unacceptably high in developing countries . Because Salmonella typhi is disseminated by carriers, there is an urgent need to increase the rate of detection of carriers and to decrease the risk they pose to their communities . In urban areas where sewage disposal is lacking or inadequate, public water supplies are contaminated and typhoid fever is common . The contamination of food by carriers is the second commonest route of infection . Water purification processes lead to a rapid decline in the incidence of the disease; thus, many developing countries hope to develop pure water supplies for all citizens by the end of this century . Until this important public health goal is achieved, the use of vaccine, especially in children, could cause a significant decrease in the incidence of typhoid fever . A new oral attenuated vaccine promises to be effective and safe. Poult Sci, 1985 Jun, 64(6), 1148 - 56 The effect of autoclaving and enzyme supplementation of guar meal on the performance of chicks and laying hens; Patel MB et al.; Four experiments with broilers and one with laying hens were conducted to study the effects of processing and hemicellulase supplementation of guar meal (37.0% protein) on growth, feed efficiency, and egg production . Guar meal at 0, 10, and 15%, either in raw form or autoclaved at 100, 102, or 132 C for 3, 15, or 30 min, was fed alone or in the presence of 0 to 250 ppm hemicellulase . In an experiment utilizing full-term broilers, 10 and 15% autoclaved guar meal was fed in the presence of lincomycin (3.3 ppm) or in combination with lincomycin and hemicellulase (25 ppm) . The laying hen experiment was conducted with 36-week-old hens for 8 weeks . They were fed the raw or autoclaved meal (102 C, 15 min) alone and in combination with 30 ppm hemicellulase . The raw guar meal depressed growth and the depression was dose-related . Autoclaving at 102 C for 15 min increased growth and feed efficiency . A higher temperature or a longer time of autoclaving failed to give any further increase in growth or feed efficiency . The lowest (16.5 ppm) hemicellulase was as effective as the highest (250 ppm) in increasing growth and feed efficiency of chicks when added to guar meal diets . Penicillin had no effect on growth or feed efficiency when added to the diet containing autoclaved guar meal in the presence of hemicellulase . Dry heating at 150 C for 6 hr or water treatment of guar meal was not effective in stimulating growth or feed efficiency . Guar meal also increased stickiness of droppings; autoclaving enhanced the effect, whereas hemicellulase prevented the sticky droppings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1985 May, 180(5-6), 448 - 58 {Qualitative and quantitative determination of bacterial populations in an aquatic environment . 8 . Variation of the species spectrum during a drinking-water treatment process}; Dott W; Water treatment processes such as aeration, gravel filtration, ozonation, activated-carbon filtration and chlorination causes variation in the number of bacteria as well as the development or die off of specific species . The number of bacteria was always reduced to a large extent if ozone or chlorine were applied whereas after filtration process often an increasing number of bacteria could be observed in the effluent . Despite of the differing bacterial counts a reduction of the variety of species was found during all treatment process . Whereas the raw water contained a heterogeneous spectrum of copiotrophic and oligotrophic bacteria the treated water contained mainly slow growing oligotrophic bacteria which didn't express any physiological activities. Clin Sci (Lond), 1985 May, 68(5), 489 - 93 Impaired baroreflex sensitivity in the aetiology of salt hypertension in the rabbit; Weinstock M et al.; This study was designed to see whether normotensive rabbits with an impairment in baroreflex control of heart rate due to genetic factors are more susceptible to high salt or deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension . The baroreflex sensitivity of 27 conscious rabbits was assessed by both the 'steady-state' and 'ramp' methods in response to injections of phenylephrine (2.5-30 micrograms/kg) . Animals with differing baroreflex sensitivities were then given 4 weeks treatment with 8% NaCl and 1.3% KCl in food (treatment A), or DOCA (25 mg pellet, subcutaneously) with 0.5% NaCl and 0.13% KCl in drinking water (treatment B) . A third group were maintained on a regular diet of food and water (controls) . A highly significant negative correlation (r = 0.91, P less than 0.01) was found between the increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP) produced either by treatment A or treatment B and the baroreflex sensitivity before treatment . There was no significant correlation between the increase in MAP and initial MAP; increase in body weight; serum K+ after treatment; baroreflex sensitivity before treatment, when assessed by the 'ramp' method . It is concluded that animals with low baroreflex sensitivity due to a reduced ability to suppress cardiac sympathetic activity in response to a pressor stimulus, are more likely to develop hypertension as a result of salt loading . It remains to be determined whether the susceptibility to salt of rabbits with lower baroreflex sensitivity is also associated with a difference in the renal excretion of Na+ ions. Rev Infect Dis, 1985 Mar-Apr, 7(2), 180 - 8 Transmission of viral infections by the water route: implications for developing countries; Ramia S; The "enteric" virus group comprises greater than 100 different viruses . These viruses typically infect the cell lining of the alimentary canal and are discharged in very large numbers in the feces of infected persons . Contamination of water supplies by enteric viruses represents an important source of viral infection . Many communities, particularly in developing countries, depend on sewage-polluted sources for their recreational and drinking water . Because conventional methods of sewage and water treatment have proved inefficient in the removal and inactivation of most enteric viruses, great concern has been raised over the impact of waterborne infection on the health of such communities . Current evidence implicating drinking and recreational water supplies in the transmission of nonbacterial gastroenteritis and hepatitis A virus and adenovirus infections is overwhelming . Water-borne transmission of other enteric viruses is also possible . Effective antiviral drugs are generally unavailable, and current vaccines can control only a limited number of viral infections; therefore, provision of uncontaminated water is a basic requirement in raising the standard of health in affected communities. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol, 1985 Feb, 77(2), 303 - 14 Cardiovascular dysfunction and hypersensitivity to sodium pentobarbital induced by chronic barium chloride ingestion; Kopp SJ et al.; Barium-supplemented Long-Evans hooded rats were characterized by a persistent hypertension that was evident after 1 month of barium (100 micrograms/ml mineral fortified water) treatment . Analysis of in vivo myocardial excitability, contractility, and metabolic characteristics at 16 months revealed other significant barium-induced disturbances within the cardiovascular system . The most distinctive aspect of the barium effect was a demonstrated hypersensitivity of the cardiovascular system to sodium pentobarbital . Under barbiturate anesthesia, virtually all of the myocardial contractile indices were depressed significantly in barium-exposed rats relative to the corresponding control-fed rats . The lack of a similar response to ketamine and xylazine anesthesia revealed that the cardiovascular actions of sodium pentobarbital in barium-treated rats were linked specifically to this anesthetic, and were not representative of a generalized anesthetic response . Other myocardial pathophysiologic and metabolic changes induced by barium were manifest, irrespective of the anesthetic employed . The contractile element shortening velocity of the cardiac muscle fibers was significantly slower in both groups of barium-treated rats relative to the control groups, irrespective of the anesthetic regimen . Similarly, significant disturbances in myocardial energy metabolism were detected in the barium-exposed rats which were consistent with the reduced contractile element shortening velocity . In addition, the excitability of the cardiac conduction system was depressed preferentially in the atrioventricular nodal region of hearts from barium-exposed rats . Overall, the altered cardiac contractility and excitability characteristics, the myocardial metabolic disturbances, and the hypersensitivity of the cardiovascular system to sodium pentobarbital suggest the existence of a heretofore undescribed cardiomyopathic disorder induced by chronic barium exposure . These experimental findings represent the first indication that life-long barium ingestion may have significant adverse effects on the mammalian cardiovascular system. Soc Sci Med, 1985, 21(1), 31 - 9 Studies of diarrhoea in Quindio (Colombia): problems related to water treatment; Bersh D et al.; This paper studies the association between fluctuations in rates of diarrhoea among children less than 5 years old in Armenia (Quindio) and variations in the application of chlorine in the aqueduct of the city . The study shows that to a great extent diarrhoea morbidity can be explained by the application of chlorine which does not reach useful levels of concentration during the required time . The article concluded by recommending the improvement of existing treatment plants and investing the necessary resources in new plants to insure the quality of water. Soc Sci Med, 1985, 20(4), 393 - 8 Social and public health implication of water supply in arid zones in the Sudan; Awad el Karim MA et al.; The quantity and physical, chemical and bacteriological quality of water from wells, tap and zeers in Port Sudan and from wells, rectified and unrectified hafirs in South Kordofan Province were investigated . The relationship between water quantity and quality and prevalence of water-related diseases was also assessed . Both areas are semi-arid and tragically suffer from shortage of water . The average per capita consumption in Port Sudan was about 1001, and about 301, in South Kordofan . All water sources in both areas were invariably contaminated with coliforms . In South Kordofan the provision of water was primarily the responsibility of women and children . Depending on the crowds and the distance of the water source people spend between 3-5 hours per day carrying water . 50% of the families have to cover more than 2 km to reach the water source . It was evident that hafirs rectification increased the amount of water stored . Tap and zeer (home pots) water in Port Sudan was also contaminated with coliforms . The content of suspended and dissolved solids and turbidity of hafirs water was exceptionally high, which warrants proper protection and water treatment before distribution to the public . Scarcity of water rather than bacterial contamination was the cause of alarmingly high prevalence of diarrhoeal, skin and eye communicable diseases (water-washed diseases) among children and adults of Port Sudan and South Kordofan Province . However, it is plausible to suggest that even minor improvements on the provided quantity of water will reduce the prevalence of water-washed diseases. Proc Eur Dial Transplant Assoc Eur Ren Assoc, 1985, 21, 321 - 5 Nitrate induced anaemia in home dialysis patient