Grain seeds

Fungicides have caused a number of human health disasters. In the late 1950s, approximately 4000 people in Turkey were poisoned by hexachlorobenzene that had been applied to seed grain to protect against soil fungus. Adults and particularly children developed diseases of the skin and bone. In Iraq, a similar incident occurred when people consumed grain coated with a mercury compound. 

Ancient Worldwide Mercury Mine workers poisoned 1930s hat industry (the Mad Hatters) 1950s Japan, mercury in fish 1970s mercury in seed grain acceptance of mercury as a developmental neurotoxicant released from coal-fired electrical plants ongoing contamination of fish... 

Turkey HCB Hexachlorobenzene, a seed grain fungicide, leads to poisoning of 3000 to 4000, 10 percent mortality rate... 

Iraq Mercury Mercury used as fungicide to treat seed grain is used in bread more than 5000 severe poisoning, 450 hospital deaths, effects on many infants exposed prenatally not documented... 

Although not in the strictest sense MCAs, the success of thiol-bearing polymers used by Bakir et al.22fi to suppress enterohepatic recirculation of methylmercury should be noted. The patients in this study were Iraqi farmers and other villagers who consumed seed grain which had been treated with a mercury-based fungicide. 

The deaths of breast-fed infants in the mid-fifties in Turkey, and an epidemic of skin sores and discolorations (porphyria cutanea tarda) were associated with the accidental consumption of HCB-contaminated seed grain (refs. 93-910 Clinical symptoms included weight loss, enlargement of lymph nodes and thyroid, abnormal growth of body hair and skin photosensitization. 

Another format to test for newly expressed proteins is provided through different ELISA assays. Typically, one antibody is coated on a microtiter plate and serves as a capture antibody while a second antibody (added later in the process) is labeled with a reporter molecule allowing the read-out with optical devices. These ELISAs can be operated in a quantitative manner, but need to be calibrated. The measurement unit can be traced back to the amount of protein present in the calibrator, independent of whether the calibrator consists of purified proteins or other biological materials (e.g., seeds, leaves). The amount of proteins within a plant-derived matrix (leaves, seeds, grains), however, depends on several factors, including environmental conditions and can thus not directly be related to thresholds expressed in weight-%. 

Parathion poisoning in Columbia, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, Mexico Organic mercury poisoning in seed grains (Iraq, 1972)... 

Iraq Organic mercury poisoning in seed grains ... 

NATURE OF DAMAGE. Leaves white mildew coating on the underside of the leaves, which subsequently turn reddish violet and curl upwards. Flowers and fruit development of flowers and fruit is retarded a white mildew coating initially covers the seed grains, then the entire fruit. 

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