The current study aimed to investigate the ameliorative effects of two types of mushrooms, Ganoderma lucidum (GL) and Auricularia polytricha (AP), against carbofuran- (CF) induced toxicity in rats. Male Wistar rats (n = 42) were divided into six equal groups. The rats in the negative control group received oral administration of CF at 1 mg/kg with the normal diet for 28 days. The treatment groups received oral administration of ethanolic extract of GL or AP at 100 mg/kg followed by coadministration of CF at 1 mg/kg with the normal diet for the same experimental period, respectively. In the CF alone treated group, there were significant decreases in the erythrocytic and thrombocytic indices but increases in the concentrations of the total leukocytes, including the agranulocytes. A significant increase in all of the liver function biomarkers except albumin, in lipid profiles except high-density lipoprotein, and in the kidney function markers occurred in the negative control group compared to the rats of the normal control and positive control groups. The coadministration of mushroom extracts significantly ameliorated the toxic effects of the CF. The GL mushroom extract was more efficacious than that of the AP mushroom, possibly due to the presence of high levels of phenolic compounds and other antioxidants in the GL mushroom.

A hypothetical accidental case of a 3-MW TRIGA Mark-II research reactor has been assumed to assess the radiological consequences due to the deposition of 137Cs and 90Sr on ground, vegetation, milk and meat. The air concentrations in sixteen cardinal directions have been estimated where the maximum concentration has been found to be at 110 m distance from the core of the reactor for all the directions. Calculated maximum doses of 137Cs, 90Sr and both 137Cs and 90Sr have been found to be within the ranges of 0.005-0.014 μSv hr–1, 0.013-0.036 μSv hr–1 and 0.018-0.05 μSv hr–1, respectively for all the directions, which are below the measured background dose limit 0.25 μSv hr–1 and also within the IAEA acceptable dose rate limit of 0.5 μSv hr–1. The calculated low doses due to the aforementioned radionuclides can be considered negligible with regard to the radiation hazards. The relationship between total effective dose rate for various pathways (i.e. immersion, inhalation, ground deposition, and ingestion of contaminated vegetation, milk, meat) and air concentration in all the directions has been established. Obtained relation reveals that the total effective dose rate is directly proportional to the air concentration, and the overall proportionality constants for 137Cs and 90Sr radionuclides have been obtained as 0.57 and 0.28, respectively. This study might provide information on the radiological safety required for the radiation protection purposes of the people living in the vicinity of the reactor site.

This study was carried out to determine the presence and quantity of some selected pesticides from soil sediments collected from some ponds and canals located in the Lakshmipur district of Bangladesh. The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique was used to determine the concentration of pesticide residues. Some soil samples were found to be contaminated with carbamate (carbofuran and carbaryl) and organophosphorus (diazinon) pesticides. The concentration of carbofuran pesticide ranged from 0.303 μg/kg to 1.851 μg/kg. The highest concentration of carbofuran pesticide was found in SSP6 (1.851 μg/kg) and the lowest concentration was found in SSP9 (0.303 μg/kg). Carbaryl pesticide was found to be present in the sediment of only one pond, the concentration being 1.047 μg/kg. Organophosphorus (diazinon) pesticide was found in soil samples and the concentrations ranged from 0.147 μg/kg to 0.759 μg/kg, which were higher than the EEC-recommended limit of 0.1 μg/kg. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 46(2): 191-200, December 2020