The relationship between particulate matter and childhood respiratory complaints and peak expiratory flows in Harran agricultural area.

Background: In recent years, many studies have evaluated the increasing incidence of asthma and chronic respiratory diseases among children living close to rural areas with pesticide application. Pesticide exposure in 266 children (126 girls and 140 boys) in Şanlıurfa, a cotton-producing province in Turkey, was explored in this work. Four different villages spread over 40 km2 were included.

Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary functions before and after pesticide application in cotton farming.

Ojective: To investigate respiratory health problems related to pesticide exposure in the inhabitants of agricultural areas.

Material And Methods: This study included 252 participants prior to pesticide application and 66 participants from the first group after pesticide application across four cotton farms. Symptom questionnaires were filled out by participants and respiratory function tests were measured before and after pesticide exposure.

Nitrate and bromate removal by autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification processes: batch experiments.

The effects of various parameters on bromate reduction were tested using lab-scale batch reactors with sulfur based autotrophic and methanol based heterotrophic denitrification processes. The initial bromate (BrO3-) concentration of 100 and 500 μg/L was completely reduced and bromide (Br-) was produced stoichiometrically from bromate in all batch reactors. In all experiments, nitrate was completely reduced to below detection limit.