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Zebra and quagga mussels were collected from Lakes Erie and Ontario in 1997 and the soft mussel tissues were analyzed for Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, V and Zn. No consistent relationships were apparent when comparing element concentrations in soft mussel tissues and mussel type, size range or sampling location. Literature dealing with the absorption of metals by both mussel types is reviewed.

Smelt (Osmerus mordax) were netted from Cayuga Lake in Central New York State and analyzed for mercury concentration. There was no statistical significance (p > 0.05) when attempting to correlate mercury concentration with fish length or weight for either sex. Factors affecting methylation, demethylation and absorption of mercury are discussed.

Sodium arsenite was used for vine control and fall weed control in potatoes on Long Island for many years. Lead arsenate may also have been used as an insecticide in certain areas. A study was conducted to determine remaining concentrations of arsenic and lead in potato soils on Long Island. The total concentrations of both arsenic and lead were markedly higher in the soils sampled than in untreated control soils. The behavior of arsenic and lead in soils is discussed.

While appreciable attention has been given to the elemental composition of ashes from municipal solid waste incinerators, relatively little information is available on the elemental content of incinerators burning animal carcasses and medical wastes. In the work reported here, an analytical survey was conducted of the concentration of 22 elements in the ashes of incinerators located at veterinary colleges or animal disease diagnostic laboratories in seven states. With the exception of Zn, the concentrations of most elements were well below those found in ashes from municipal solid waste incinerators. Conversely, Ca, P and K were much higher in concentration probably deriving largely from bones, teeth and other organs of animals. There was an indication that burned plastic wastes were a source of Pb in the ashes. The concentrations of several toxic elements varied widely probably due to variations in initial waste composition, incinerator design and operating parameters. The concentrations of soluble salts in the ashes were appreciable. Organic matter in the ashes was low to nondetectable indicating the completeness of incineration.

Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) natively contain very high concentrations of selenium. Since dietary selenium, including Brazil nuts, have been associated with protection against tumor development in laboratory animal studies, it was of interest to determine the selenium content of the nuts from different nut-growing regions of Brazil. In the work reported, 162 nuts from each of two regions (Acre-Rondonia and Manaus-Belem) were individually analyzed for selenium. The average +/- standard deviation and range of selenium concentrations in ppm, fresh weight for nuts from Acre-Rondonia and Manaus-Belem regions were, respectively, 3.06 +/- 4.01 (0.03-31.7) and 36.0 +/- 50.0 (1.25-512.0). The toxicology of Brazil nut consumption is discussed.

Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and pumpkin seed (Lepomis gibbosus) were sampled from 16 waters in New York-State and analyzed for total mercury concentration. The levels of mercury in the fish were all well below the safe guideline for human consumption (1 ppm of mercury, fresh weight) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Factors affecting the mobility, methylation and absorption of mercury by fish are discussed.

Residues of p,p'-DDE were found in lake trout sampled in 1993 from Little Moose Lake located remotely in the Adirondack region of New York State. Length accounted for 81% of the variation in p,p'-DDE concentration when the data was fit to an exponential model. The presence of p,p'-DDE in the fish was believed due to its long persistence in the aquatic environment following applications of DDT in the 1950s for control of black flies and mosquitoes.

Incineration of municipal solid waste as an alternative to its disposal in landfills has advantages such as volume reduction and generation of energy. However, both air emissions and the residual ash may pose environmental and human health hazards. The Ames mutagenicity assay was used to determine the mutagenicity of fly and bottom ash from two incinerators over time. This assay is an alternative to costly and time-consuming chemical analyses and is more realistic for the assessment of the best disposition of the ash i.e. whether it could pose a risk to handlers of the ash, whether it can be used in cement or as a fertilizer or whether it should be relegated to a landfill. The mutagenic potency of fly and bottom ash on a per g weight basis of material is similar. Furthermore, the variability over time in mutagenicity indicates that constant monitoring of incineration products and byproducts is essential.

Municipal refuse incinerator workers may be exposed to mutagenic compounds from combustion gases and particulates during plant operation, maintenance, and ash removal procedures. The frequency of mutagens was measured by the Ames assay in 3 urine samples collected from each of 37 workers in 4 refuse incinerators and 35 (control) workers from 8 water treatment plants during June-August 1990. When comparing the first urine samples contributed by workers in each cohort, incinerator workers had a significantly (p < .05) increased risk of both direct-acting mutagens and promutagens (8/37 or 22% for each mutagen type) compared with water treatment workers (2/35 or 6% for each mutagen type). Smoking within 24 h before urine sampling was not a confounder of these results. Interestingly, there was no significant (p > .05) difference for risk of urinary mutagens or promutagens between the two cohorts when comparing, respectively, the second and third urine samples from each cohort. The repeatability of demonstrating urinary mutagens in individual incinerator workers was poor, suggesting that their exposure was highly variable and/or that these workers modified their exposure (e.g., wore masks) as a consequence of being studied. Factors that influence production of mutagenic compounds during refuse incineration and subsequent worker exposure are discussed.

Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) of known age from 1 to 12 years were taken from Cayuga Lake in central New York State in 1991 and p,p'-DDE and mercury were determined in their flesh. The concentrations of p,p'-DDE and mercury increased significantly (p less than 0.001) with increasing age of the fish. The concentration of p,p'-DDE also increased significantly (p less than 0.001) with increasing fat content. The concentrations of p,p'-DDE were much lower than those found in Cayuga Lake trout of similar age captured in 1978.

Cosmetologists are occupationally exposed to a wide range of toxic chemicals both dermally and by inhalation. Since many of these chemicals are mutagens and may be excreted in urine, the Ames Salmonella typhimurium assay was used to determine the presence of direct-acting and promutagens in the urine of practicing cosmetologists in central New York State. A comparable group (age, gender, smokers) of dental hygienists and assistants in the same geographic area was used as the control cohort. The cosmetologists had a significantly higher (39 vs. 24%, p less than .03) frequency of direct-acting urinary mutagens but there was no difference between the groups in the frequency of promutagens. In the multivariate model, cosmetologists were at two times the risk of direct-acting mutagens compared to dental workers. Smoking regularly, within 24 h of taking the urine sample, and the number of cigarettes smoked daily were not associated significantly with direct-acting mutagens in urine. Similarly, having had a hair permanent or hair dyed within 7 d of urine sampling, years of employment, age, gender and use of protective gear were not predictive of direct-acting urinary mutagens. In contrast, employment was not associated with urinary promutagens but the risk was significantly increased with increasing age and cigarette smoking. Among possible adverse health symptoms queried, only the prevalence of skin rashes differed between the cosmetologists (29%) and dental personnel (15%) (p less than .05).

Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), a very popular marine sport fish caught in Atlantic coastal waters, contain significant levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Since fish can be an appreciable portion of human and feline diets, a feeding study was conducted with cats fed exclusively bluefish for 86 days with determination of tissue concentrations of PCBs. The concentrations of PCBs in brain, liver, and fat were significantly higher (p = 0.01) in the fish-fed cats than in the control group using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. The highest PCB levels were in fat, the median concentrations being 48 and 0.61 ppm (dry weight) in the fish-fed and control cats, respectively. The significance of the results is discussed.

Ashes, obtained from about one-fourth of the operating municipal refuse incinerators in the United States, were analyzed for a range of organic toxicants and mutagens. Thirty percent of the ash samples, which consisted of bottom ash or bottom ash-fly ash mixtures, contained 20-74% organic matter. Thirty percent of the ashes contained direct-acting and/or promutagens which revertedSalmonella typhimurium TA98 or TA100. Sixty percent of the ashes contained more than 5 ng/g of polychlorinated biphenyls. The concentration of tetra- and pentachlorinated biphenyls were higher than the mono-, di-, hepta- and octachlorinated biphenyls. A similar distribution of congeners was seen in polychlorinated dibenzodioxins found in the ashes. The major volatileN-nitroso compounds found in the ashes wereN-nitrosodimethylamine andN-nitrosomorpholine. Other classes of compounds which were found in the ashes included chlorinated benzenes, phthalates, and substituted benzothiophenes.

Toxicity and tissue residue depletion studies were conducted in young goats, using an oral drench formulation of levamisole hydrochloride. In the target animal toxicity study, 3 groups of 5 goats each were given levamisole orally to provide approximately 11.88, 23.76, or 35.64 mg of levamisole HCl/kg/d for 3 consecutive days; a fourth group of 5 goats served as untreated controls. Blood samples were taken for analysis of levamisole 1 day prior to dosing and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 days following the third dose. At the 35.64-mg/kg dose, 2 of 5 goats responded with typical cholinergic signs of toxicosis on each of the 3 days of dosing. The times for the onset of clinical signs of toxicosis ranged from 18 to 63 minutes, with an average duration of 32 minutes. Administration of 23.76 mg of levamisole HCl/kg resulted in hyperactive behavior in 1 of 5 goats only on the first day of dosing; no abnormal behavior was observed in any of the 5 goats following the second or third dose of levamisole HCl at 23.76 mg/kg. Untoward effects were not seen in the 5 goats dosed at 11.88 mg of levamisole HCl/kg or in the controls during the 3-day dosing period or in the following 7-day observation period. Overall, the observed signs of toxicosis did not become more severe, affect more goats, or persist for a longer period on subsequent dosing days.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pollen collected from the rear legs of honey bees found foraging on asters voluntarily growing on a fly ash dump in Endwell, New York, was found to contain a high concentration of selenium. Pollen from bees foraging on asters growing on field soil contained no detectable selenium.

When observed in their home cages, cats fed commercial tuna fish cat food were less active, vocalized less, and spent more time on the floor and more time eating than cats fed commercial beef cat food. There were no differences in response to human handling between the two groups. There were no differences in learning ability on a two-choice point maze or in reversal learning in the same maze between beef- and tuna-fed cats. The behavior of the groups differed in a 15-min open field test only in the number of toys contacted. Cats fed the tuna had elevated tissue levels of mercury and selenium.

Cement dust has been found to be a source of selenium when included in the rations of sheep. In the work reported, rations including 3% by weight of cement dusts were fed to sheep for 165 days. The dust were taken from 3 collectors located at progressively greater distances from the coal-fired end of the kiln. Selenium levels and blood and tissues of the animals fed the cement dusts increased significantly above those of the control sheep. No tissue abnormalities were observed in animals receiving any of the treatment rations. The source of selenium is believed to derive from its content of fly ash as a result of the coal combustion during cement manufacture.

An analytical survey has been conducted of 42 elements, p,p'-DDE, dieldrin andpolychlorinated biphenyls in 31 commercial canned pet foods. Neutron activation analysis, graphite furnace atomic absorption, anodic stripping voltammetry, electron affinity gas chromatography and other methods were used. Arsenic, bromine, cadmium, chromium, mercury, selenium and DDE were highest in fish-containing cat foods. Lead was most consistently high in those products containing chicken. Barium, nickel and tin also appeared high in certain of the samples.

Cigarettes prepared from tobacco grown in pots of soils amended with soft coal fly ash were smoked, and the mainstream and gaseous fractions were analyzed for total selenium concentration. Fly-ash-grown and control (soil-grown) tobaccos contained, respectively, 0.79 and 0.03 ppm selenium. The quantities of selenium (ng per cigarette) found in the mainstream particulate and gaseous fractions were, respectively, 62.4 and 246.0 for the fly-ash-grown and 8.6 and 12.0 for the control treatments. Studies of the absorption, retention, effects, metabolism, and excretion of selenium in the body are reviewed.

Gross and histologic examination of wood chcks (Marmota monax) trapped on farms in Central New York revealed white muscle disease(WMD). The concentration of selenium in the animal tissues, vegetation and soils in the vicinity of trapping did not consistently correlate with the presence of WMD.

Growing sheep were grazed for 152 d on grass-legume forage growing on soil that had been amended with municipal sewage sludge from Syracuse, N.Y., at 224 metric tons per hectare. Cadmium was higher, but not significantly (p greater than 0.05), in tissues of sheep fed the sludge-grown forage as compared to controls. No significant differences between the sludge or control treatments were found in weight of the complete or cauda epididymis or in percent progressive motility of cauda epididymal sperm. The sludge-treatment group had significantly larger testes (p less than 0.025) when expressed as a percentage of body weight, and higher blood uric acid values (p less than 0.05). There were no observable changes in tissue ultrastructure of liver, kidney, muscle, or testes as examined by electron microscopy in either of the treatment groups. There were no significant differences for rate of animal weight gain, carcass weight, dressing percentage, or quality or yield grade of the carcases between the treatment groups.

Field corn was grown on subsoil, pH 5.5, that had been amended with 100 dry tons per acre (224 metric tons per hectare) of municipal sewage sludge from Syracuse, New York. The corn plants containing 3.88 ppm dry weight of cadmium were field-chopped and ensiled, and the silage was fed to growing sheep for 225 d. The sheep fed the sludge-grown corn silage showed a significantly (10 higher feed efficiency, (2) higher hepatic microsomal p-nitroanisole O-demethylase activity, and (3) higher concentrations of cadmium in liver and kidney and nickel in kidney as compared to the control animals. No significant treatment effects were observed in mutagenic responses for animal feed or feces samples. No consistent treatment effects were noted during histopathologic examination of sheep tissues.

Dentists may be exposed to mercury used in dental restorations. An epidemiologic study was conducted in central New York in 1985 comparing the concentration of mercury in the hair of 85 dentists to that of 23 dental-related health professionals (mainly orthodontists and oral surgeons) who do not use mercury. Mercury in the hair of dentists was nominally higher (2.98 +/- 0.57 ppm, mean +/- SE) than that of the control group (1.84 +/- 0.20 ppm) but not significantly so. There was a significant positive linear trend in the concentration of mercury in the dentists' hair with the number of years they had been in practice. Those dentists who wore masks when removing old mercury containing fillings showed significantly (p = 0.03) lower mercury concentrations in hair (1.7 +/- 0.26 ppm, mean +/- SE) than those who did not (3.65 +/- 0.85 ppm). Mercury concentration in the hair of 23 of the above dentists analyzed in 1972 was 16.77 +/- 4.00 ppm (mean +/- SE), significantly higher (p = 0.008) than that of the same dentists in 1985 (5.27 +/- 1.85 ppm). The reduction is believed due to the currently used pre-prepared disposable or reusable capsules containing the amalgam versus formerly mixing the ingredients manually. This may also account for the lack of a significant difference in mercury in the hair of the dentists versus that of the control group in 1985. The statistical relationships between mercury concentrations in hair of the two groups and reported health effects, as well as other factors including fish consumption, number of restorations per day, office floor covering, and urban or rural domicile, are discussed.

The quantities of selenium, tar and nicotine present in mainstream (MS) and sidestream (SS) smoke of machine-smoked cigarettes was studied. The cigarettes were prepared from tobacco purposely cultured on fly ash-amended soil so as to increase its selenium concentration. Selenium concentration was found to be the same in the gaseous phase of both MS and SS smoke, but its concentration was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) in the particulate matter of the MS smoke. Tar was higher in MS smoke and nicotine in SS smoke. Factors affecting selenium concentrations in tobacco and its possible environmental significance are discussed.

Sheep were fed a diet containing 30 per cent (dry weight) cabbage which had been grown on municipal sewage sludge from Syracuse, NY for 77 days. Slight increases were found in the concnetration of nickel in kidney, copper in liver and cadmium in certain animal organs as compared to those in sheep fed a control ration containing cabbage grown on soil. Polychlorinated biphenyls were also found at higher levels in the sludge-grown cabbage and in the livers of the respectively fed sheep as compared to controls. An increase in liver weight, proliferation of hepatic smooth endoplasmic reticulum and various degenerative changes were noted in the livers of the sheep fed the sludge-grown cabbage ration as compared to the controls.

Earthworms (Lumbriscus terrestris), collected from soils in southern Ontario, Canada, that had no previous history of cadmium application, contained 3 ppm cadmium. They were fed to Coturnix quail as 60% dry weight of their diet for 63 d to examine the extent of deposition of native cadmium. Cadmium in kidney, liver, and excreta was greatly elevated above that of birds fed a control diet without worms. No increase in the level of cadmium in eggs was found. The factors affecting the association of cadmium in soils and worms and their assimilation and possible toxic effects in foraging birds are discussed.

An analytical survey of mutagens, nitrosamines, polychlorinated biphenyls, toxic elements, and gamma-emission, as well as the toxicologically protective constituents zinc, selenium, and vitamin C, in 48 pet foods was conducted. Aside from high concentrations of fluoride and iodide in some samples and the expectedly higher concentrations of mercury and selenium in certain cat foods containing fish, the samples were notably free of the other toxic constituents. Direct-acting and promutagens and nitrosamines were not detectable in any of the samples. gamma-Emission was very low in all of the foods. Polychlorinated biphenyls were only detected in one cat food.

Growing pigs were fed diets containing 5 or 10% white sweet clover, and 0, 3.5 or 7.0 ppm selenium (Se) supplied as sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) or occurring naturally in white sweet clover harvested from a coal fly ash dump. Ground carcasses of these pigs were included in corn meal diets at 23% and fed back to pigs. Compared to the pigs fed the high Se, fly ash-grown clover diets, the pigs fed Na2SeO3 diets had higher blood Se levels but lower Se concentrations in kidney, liver and skeletal muscle. Tissues of the pigs which were fed carcasses of the high Se clover-fed pigs had higher Se concentrations than those of the pigs fed carcasses of the Na2SeO3 - fed pigs.

Cigarettes prepared from tobacco grown on municipal sludge-amended soil were smoked, and the mainstream particulates and gaseous fractions were analyzed for total cadmium and nickel content. Sludge-grown and control (soil-grown) tobaccos contained, respectively, 67.4 and 3.18 ppm of cadmium and 19.4 and 1.29 ppm of nickel. The quantities of cadmium (microgram per cigarette) found in the mainstream particulate and gaseous fractions were, respectively, 6.67 and 0.04 for the sludge-grown and 0.21 and 0.03 for the control treatments. The quantities of nickel (microgram per cigarette) found in the mainstream particulates and gaseous fractions were, respectively, 0.11 and 0.07 for the sludge-grown and 0.01 and 0.01 for the control treatments. The potential public health implications of these results and modifying factors are discussed.

Sunflowers were grown on soil amended with 224 metric tons/ha of municipal sewage sludge from Syracuse, N.Y. The yield of sunflower seeds was reduced by 47.2% by the sludge addition. The harvested seeds contained 1.71 ppm dry weight of cadmium. Deoiled seed meal was incorporated as 25 and 50% of semipurified diet and fed to male and female Japanese quail. The concentrations of cadmium were higher in kidney, liver, muscle, and eggs of birds fed the sludge-grown seed meal as compared to control quail. Tissue concentrations of cadmium increased with increasing dietary levels of sludge-grown seed meal. No significant differences (p greater than 0.05) were observed between dietary treatments in the activity of hepatic microsomal p-nitroanisole O-demethylase or aminopyrine N-demethylase in the male birds. Additionally, no mutagenic activity, either direct or with metabolic activation, was found in quail eggs. No observable changes in tissue ultrastructure were observed under electron microscopy in any of the treatment groups. There were no significant (p greater than 0.05) differences among the dietary treatment groups in feed intake, growth rate, egg production, or egg hatchability.